Heading into Week 6, Davante Adams does not carry any injury designation and is ready to return to the field. In the Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions, Adams exited with a hamstring injury. The Green Bay Packers have been guarded with their star wide receiver to ensure he returns to pre-injury level of performance. This precautionary method is ideal given the effect of hamstring muscle injuries on elite athletes.
Risk Management
Hamstring strain is amongst the most common injuries in competitive sports. They present a complicated rehabilitation challenge due to recurrence rates that are disproportionate compared to other soft tissue injuries. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, hamstring injuries have been reported to account for 12 percent of all primary injuries in the NFL, and their recurrence rate is at a remarkable 32 percent. But more importantly, the greatest incidence for re‐injury occurs within the first two weeks after return to sport.
Over a 10-year period, the U.S. National Library of Medicine cited an average of 11.3 practice missed and 2.6 games missed as a result of hamstring injury in the NFL. On Sunday, it will be 28 days since Davante Adams has participated in live, unrestricted football activities. During this time, there were 6 practices in which Davante Adams carried the practice designation of LP (limited participant) or DNP (did not practice). In addition, he has missed a total of two games since the onset of the injury. Davante Adams wanted to play last week but the Green Bay Packers disapproved, allowing more time for the hamstring injury to resolve with their structured rehabilitation program.
In the presence of soft tissue injuries, there is no denying the trade-off between the rate of recurrence, a quick return to play, and athletic performance. The determination of return to play should emphasize risk management, not risk elimination. The clinical decision-making process from the Green Bay Packers centered around risk management, by avoiding a premature return to play, and inappropriate rehabilitation program, or a combination of both.
Sports-Specific Movements
In a recent video clip, we can see Davante Adams demonstrate power and explosiveness in hamstring musculature. From a clinical perspective, it can be interpreted that the initial insult to the hamstring was of a lower grade injury leading to accelerated improvements in functional strength and sports-specific movements.
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— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) October 14, 2020
Fantasy Outlook
The Green Bay Packers rehabilitative approach allowed a safe progression of healing time and sports-specific training without risking undue harm to Davante Adams. From a Fantasy Football perspective, expect Davante Adams to resume his role as a highly productive offensive weapon in the matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
