Sunday was an awful day for the Green Bay Packers. Not only did they lose to the Redskins, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a concussion, Clay Matthews left with hamstring cramps, and tight end Jermichael Finley left with a knee injury (called a hamstring injury as well). Finley’s injury initially appeared to be a three-week thing, but now the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says it’s likely an 8-10 week injury.
This is a huge blow for the Packers as Finley was becoming one of their best receiving weapons. In four games prior to the injury, Finley had 21 catches for 301 yards and a touchdown. He was one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets and was great at stretching the field, averaging 14.3 yard per reception.
According to the Sentinel, doctors initially thought they would have to remove Finley’s meniscus. Finley would have returned from such a surgery relatively quickly, but he would have been missing a ligament. When the doctors went in to perform the surgery, they noticed the ligament was torn, so they repaired it. Recovery from that surgery will take longer but it’s better for Jermichael in the long run. In the meantime, he’s probably done for the season and will likely be placed on injured reserve to create roster space.
Fantasy owners who took Finley highly in their drafts expecting big things (finger pointed firmly at my chest) are in a rough spot. The best move is to drop him unless you’re in a keeper league. There’s no sense having him take up a roster spot when he’ll be out at least two months and bye weeks are coming up. Luckily there are plenty of good tight ends out there, namely Tony Moeaki, Brandon Pettigrew, and Jeremy Shockey, who were all available on the waiver wire in both of my leagues. It’s a major burn for the Packers and fantasy owners alike, but the best teams can overcome such an injury. Hopefully that will be the case.
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