November 21, 2006, 12:59 PM

Carroll: Discussing QBs McNabb and Favre

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Carroll By Will Carroll
ESPN.com
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There aren't a lot of injuries to talk about this week, but if quality over quantity is a theme, we've got it. Several players went down that likely went in the top couple rounds of your draft as well as guys who are waiver wire All-Stars. With all the craziness in baseball these days -- really, eight years for Alfonso Soriano? -- it's good to have at least one sane sport with a continuing, never-ending series of injuries to deal with. If you're in a league that requires the rosters be set before the first game of the week, this is going to be a tougher week for you with additional uncertainty because of Thanksgiving football. Managing that risk and making sure you're not left with zeroes on Monday is key to winning, so let's get to the injuries:

It wasn't long after the injury happened that the first calls started coming into me. How bad was Donovan McNabb? It might surprise a lot of people to find out I didn't see it, so I had to wait for highlights. The angle we've all seen shows McNabb heading out of bounds and appearing to tangle his feet, making a sudden, awkward stop, then falling down out of bounds. It wasn't a devastating hit that makes for a dramatic highlight, but it was the right forces at the wrong time. McNabb tore his ACL, a near-complete Grade III tear, but until we know more about any associated damage, it's impossible to give a real prognosis. Given all the attention on Carson Palmer and Daunte Culpepper last off-season, people are wondering if McNabb's injury is more like Palmer's or more like the Culpepper injury that is one reason he's on the shelf. I spoke to several doctors about this injury and while they're not treating McNabb, they believe that this is more like Palmer. The surgery is being performed this week by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., assuming the swelling is down enough to allow the surgery. The surgery will clearly tell us about the extent of the injury beyond the ACL sprain and it's this report which will allow us to give a more specific timeline for recovery. McNabb has a six-week headstart on Palmer's timetable, so the plan is that McNabb could return for Week 1 of next season. His track record at returning from injuries is good, so that's a plus in a week where it's tough to find them for fantasy owners that have been carried by McNabb.

It wasn't good for Brett Favre, but it was bad for Aaron Rodgers. After Favre left Sunday's game with weakness in his hand due to having his ulnar nerve hit, Rodgers entered the game and promptly broke his foot. It's unclear when the injury occurred, but as he hobbled out of the locker room after the game, Rodgers knew he was done for the season. Favre isn't going to let his funny bone end his games played streak and even if Rodgers was healthy, Favre was likely to get the start. We'll want to watch and make sure that his grip is back and that there's no residual pain or numbness, but these types of injuries tend to be minor with little or no effect after the acute symptoms have gone.

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