Panic Meter for Kenneth Walker III, More NFL Injuries at 2023 Training Camp

Mar 19, 2024

Injuries are an unfortunate reality at just about every NFL training camp. Teams only recently began full-blown preparations for the upcoming campaign —and preseason play doesn't even get underway for most clubs until next week—but players around the league are already starting to get hurt in practice.

Only a handful of these ailments seem serious, but there are still several high-profile stars who are set to miss at least a few weeks—if not much longer—after getting banged up. The absence of these big-name talents could have a significant negative impact on their squad's ability to prepare for the 2023 season.

With that in mind, let's recap the biggest training camp injuries so far and highlight just how dire the situation looks. We'll be using a panic meter scale of 1-10, with one being the least concerning and 10 being the most troubling.

Joe Burrow came up limping and subsequently fell to the ground after suffering a non-contact injury during a July 27 practice session.

The superstar quarterback was carted off and caused Cincinnati Bengals fans to panic, especially after he already had a remarkable rookie season cut short with a torn ACL. Fortunately this injury isn't nearly as severe as the one that cost him six games in 2020.

Joe Burrow carted off of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengals</a> practice field. <br><br>Burrow down on the field after a misstep in team period - here is the play. | <a href="https://twitter.com/WLWT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WLWT</a> <a href="https://t.co/aCBaMWx5xh">pic.twitter.com/aCBaMWx5xh</a>

Burrow was officially diagnosed with a calf strain, an ailment that will keep the 26-year-old out for "several weeks" according to head coach Zac Taylor, per ESPN's Stephania Bell and Stephen Holder. He declined to comment on whether his starting signal-caller is in danger of missing the team's season-opener against the Cleveland Browns on September 10.

While the injury doesn't appear to be serious, aggravating it could severely hinder Cincinnati's quest for its first Super Bowl championship. The Bengals will want to be cautious bringing Burrow back too early, as Bell noted that "reinjury rates following calf strains in athletes are reported in the sports medicine literature as ranging from 19% to 31%".

If Burrow returns to full strength and doesn't reinjure the calf, the Bengals should have another fantastic season and remain in the league's upper echelon. If he comes back too soon and is dealing with lingering effects from the injury for much of the year or even misses time, this squad could be in trouble.

Panic Meter: 4

Tim Patrick missed the entire 2022 season after he tore his right ACL in training camp last year. The Denver Broncos wide receiver will now miss all of 2023 after suffering a torn left Achilles in practice on Monday.

According to ESPN's Jeff Legwold, head coach Sean Payton confirmed that diagnosis on Tuesday morning.

I got Tim Patrick's injury in this video. Watch the left side. You'll see him go down. <a href="https://t.co/JhMeTUFvjr">pic.twitter.com/JhMeTUFvjr</a>

Patrick isn't the only Denver receiver who will be absent from training camp. On the same day that he suffered his Achilles tear, fellow wideout KJ Hamler revealed a pericarditis diagnosis on social media.

Hamler said he'll be absent for a stretch while dealing with this "mild heart irritation," which he plans to treat with medication. He did say he plans to be back on the field at some point this season.

With Patrick out for the year and Hamler indefinitely sidelined, the Broncos' once-deep receiver's room is looking a bit thinned out. While Denver has depth at the position—Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy lead a group that also includes rookie second-rounder Marvin Mims Jr. and veterans Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway and Lil'Jordan Humphrey—it's not an ideal situation for an offense that needed to find a spark in 2023.

The Broncos finished dead-last in points scored last year and are hoping to revitalize Russell Wilson's career after the star quarterback floundered following his trade to the Mile High City last year.

There's still hope for him to turn things around with Payton at the helm, but losing two of his best wideouts won't help.

Panic meter: 7

Jalen Ramsey was the Miami Dolphins' marquee offseason addition, but the superstar cornerback won't get to make his regular-season debut with the team until the end of the year at the earliest.

After colliding with Tyreek Hill during a training session last week, the 28-year-old was carted off and diagnosed with a meniscus tear. He underwent surgery to repair the damage recently, but he won't be expected back on the field until December.

Ramsey was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams via trade in March. The Dolphins gave up Hunter Long and a third-round pick for the six-time Pro Bowler and planned to start him opposite another All-Pro in Xavien Howard. He was the latest in a series of high-profile trade targets Miami brought in, joining Bradley Chubb and Tyreek Hill.

Head coach Mike McDaniel gave an update on Ramsey's status over the weekend, noting that the defensive back plans to "beat [the recoverable timeline] by a month."

"He was in good spirits, and, you know, I think the surgery went about as well as it could have," he said. "So, we're elated about that. And, you know, in terms of where his mindset is at. He's a self-proclaimed alien, and you know he couldn't have a better mindset with which to attack this process."

McDaniel took a solid 3 minutes, started his presser, and discussed Jalen Ramsey's injury sustained in practice yesterday.<br><br>"The contact (with Hill) was after he had injured it," Mike McDaniel said. Said it was indeed a non-contact injury.<br><br>"Jalen spoke to the team, and it really… <a href="https://t.co/Th0vY6xjaC">pic.twitter.com/Th0vY6xjaC</a>

McDaniel noted that Ramsey's knee incurred no additional damage and he's expected to return full strength. Unfortunately, it will take almost half a year for that comeback, a period in which the Dolphins will be fighting for their playoff lives.

The team had last year's campaign derailed by critical injuries suffered by star names such as Tua Tagovailoa, making this a concerning start to the 2023 season.

Panic meter: 5

After coming over in a trade midway through last season, Kadarius Toney steadily worked his way up to become a starter and impact player for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was an instrumental part of both the offense and special teams unit for the eventual Super Bowl champs and is expected to play an even larger role in 2023.

Unfortunately for Toney, his emergence may be delayed significantly after he tore his right meniscus while catching a punt during warmups on July 25. It's a familiar injury for the 24-year-old, who missed a chunk of time with the New York Giants after suffering an injury to the same knee.

However, there's reason for optimism here after surgery to clean up the knee cartilage, and head coach Andy Reid told reporters that the wideout could be back in the lineup by opening night.

"There is a chance for the first game, but we'll see," he said. "We'll just have to see how the recovery goes with him. But he's bound and determined he's gonna be there for the first game. We'll see how it goes."

🚨 Andy Reid talks Kadarius Toney's knee injury/surgery! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://t.co/GUf3ijLQbZ">pic.twitter.com/GUf3ijLQbZ</a>

Toney is projected to be a fixture of Kansas City's offense this year after the club elected not to retain leading receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency.

When healthy, Toney should be one of the outside starters across from Marquez Valdes-Scantling with second-year receiver Skyy Moore manning the slot.

Even if Toney can't go, Kansas City should be fine. The offense will still run through one of the best pass-catching tight ends in league history in Travis Kelce, while second-round rookie Rashee Rice, Justin Watson and Richie James offer decent depth at the receiver position.

Panic meter: 2

The Seattle Seahawks have invested heavily into the running back position during each of the last two NFL drafts.

Their 2022 second-round pick, Kenneth Walker III, is coming off a strong rookie year and is expected to lead the backfield once again, although he'll be augmented by another talented young prospect in rookie second-rounder Zach Charbonnet this year.

While expectations for this up-and-coming platoon are sky-high, recent training camp injuries suffered by both backs may hinder their effectiveness out of the gate.

Walker has been sidelined with a groin strain, an injury that he's currently "week-to-week" with, according to head coach Pete Carroll.

This one doesn't seem too serious, as the coach noted that "it's not a terrible injury" and Walker "doesn't feel bad." Carroll appears to be keeping the second-year talent sidelined out of an abundance of caution to avoid aggravating the issue.

Pete Carroll says lead RB Kenneth Walker has a groin injury and may remain out a while so the Seahawks can be sure to quiet that down.<br><br>Rookie Zach Charbonnet has a shoulder injury and is getting checked by doctors today. Out indefinitely. <a href="https://twitter.com/thenewstribune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thenewstribune</a> <a href="https://t.co/h2XDj7a0XL">pic.twitter.com/h2XDj7a0XL</a>

Charbonnet's injury is more of a mystery. He's missed multiple practices with shoulder discomfort and has no timetable for a return.

Carroll offered some vague details when discussing the rookie's ailment.

"It just kind of crept up on him, really," he said. "He didn't get hit or anything like that. Just all the sudden, he started to feel something, so we're just checking him out and being really cautious right now."

It's certainly not time to panic in the Pacific Northwest. It appears Walker should be just fine and ready to build on his breakout 1,050-rushing yard, nine-touchdown campaign by the start of the regular season.

Charbonnet's murky status isn't too reassuring, but the Seahawks have capable depth options in DeeJay Dallas and seventh-round rookie Kenny McIntosh. They will be good to go even without the No. 52 overall pick as long as Walker is still leading the way.

Panic meter: 4