Injury updates and more

Here are a few injury updates and other out-takes from my 4th & Long column in Sporting News:

Things that make you say "hmm": If Matt Cassel was as good as Robert Griffin III, would the Chiefs have ruled him out so quickly? And if RGIII was as mediocre as Cassel, would the Redskins be rushing him back so quickly? Both passers suffered concussions last week, and it's fairly shocking that the Redskins would even consider putting their franchise quarterback at risk this weekend. If he starts, I'd have a hard time keeping him out of my fantasy lineup. But I sure would be making contingency plans for the rest of the season.


Jahvid Best is hopeful of returning to the Lions' lineup soon, but haven't we seen this movie before? The poor kid just can't stay healthy, and a series of concussions is nothing to be trifled with. I'm not adding him to my bench as a "preemptive move," as some have advised.

A sore ankle is bothering Adrian Peterson, but it's unlikely to keep him out of the lineup on Sunday. You know what to do.

Daniel Thomas (concussion) almost certainly won't play Sunday, which gives Reggie Bush a slight up-tick against the Rams. Lamar Miller will be his backup. Add Andre Brown to the list of concussed players, and David Wilson to the list of viable handcuffs. The rookie flashed his potential last week with a 40-yard rushing score, and he should be the next man up if/when Ahmad Bradshaw gets dinged.
 
Until Pierre Garcon declares his foot completely healed, or he shows that he can produce despite the lingering injury, he belongs on your bench.

Hopefully you grabbed James Jones a couple of weeks ago because there's no telling when Greg Jennings (groin, already ruled out Week 6) will be back from his rolling shutdown. Jermichael Finley (shoulder) looks like a no-go this week, too.

There's a decent chance Aaron Hernandez (ankle) returns this week. While he may not receive a full complement of snaps, he's still better than most other options you may have.