First of all, thanks for the click. Make sure to follow me on Twitter and ask me about the private Facebook group for exclusive injury updates and breakdowns. Second, what a whirlwind for Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert. The nature of the NFL was on full display on Sunday as Mostert went on to absolutely light it up after Tevin Coleman’s shoulder injury. I’ll get into the specifics of the injury and whether or not he’ll play in the Super Bowl. Buckle up and let’s get into Tevin Coleman: Super Bowl Injury.
In 2019, I released podcasts, answered questions on social media, and authored countless injury articles with 78% accuracy.
TLDR
- Coleman suffered a posterior dislocation of his right shoulder joint on Sunday. Potentially he also injured his radius or wrist.
- Coleman is at risk of re-injury and might not play on Sunday due to the extent of the damage (which we don’t know).
- Given the fact that this is the Super Bowl, Coleman might suit up even if surgery is recommended to him.
- If he’s active, don’t expect major production.
What happened?
On Sunday Tevin Coleman dislocated his shoulder while trying to catch himself when he stumbled on a run to the left. My tweet below describes what happened and why it was a difficult injury to tease apart with only video available. The moral of the story here is that Coleman suffered damage to his labrum. This is a problem because the labrum is what provides the most stability for the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) to remain in the glenoid (shoulder socket). To help visualize the shoulder joint, imagine that the humerus is a golf ball and the joint socket is the tea. The labrum is cartilage that surrounds the outer edges of the golf tea. When the cartialge is damaged, the joint becomes less stable. This is a major issue long term, but more importantly the short term if Coleman wants to play in the Super Bowl.
Side note: for those of you who have followed me all season, is this starting to sound familiar?
Disclaimer: There is still a possibility Coleman also dislocated his radius and the Niners are simply not telling us. That would further complicate matters and he would almost certainly sit out the Super Bowl
What does it mean?
A study in 2018 found that 92% of NFL players who had a shoulder subluxation or dislocation were able to return that same season. Players who who had a subluxation (i.e. went back on its own) didn’t miss any time at all. The players who had a complete dislocation and required the trainers assistance to put back were able to play at a median of three weeks. So half of them came back before three weeks and half of them came back after three weeks. The dilemma Tevin Coleman and San Francisco face is that 47% of players who did come back re-injured their shoulder.
I wish it were as simple as saying that Coleman has about a 50% chance of playing considering the Super Bowl is in two weeks, but it’s much more complicated than that.
That leads us to…
Will he play?
This is a complicated question given the limited information we have. Coleman has a chance to play as I’ve mentioned in the past that a shoulder dislocation is not necessarily season-ending.
Furthermore, given the gravity of the game and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (unless you’re the Patriots) to play in the Super Bowl, re-injury is likely low on the list of his concerns. If Coleman is being told surgery can be performed now or after the Super Bowl, which do you think he would choose?
The bottom line is we don’t know the extent of damage to the labrum Coleman suffered. We also don’t know if he had a concurrent radial head dislocation or even a high-grade wrist sprain. The MRI and physical exam hold the answers to all of those questions. At the very least it’s a good sign that he has yet to have surgery which would definitely hold him out of the Big Game.
As of today, I can see Tevin Coleman playing in the Super Bowl (despite the injury) for the following reasons:
- It’s the Super Bowl
- These types of injuries, when isolated, are not impossible to come back from within a few weeks with rest and a good rehab program.
- It’s the freaking Super Bowl.
From the perspective of prop bets and the final DFS slate of the 2019 season, don’t use Coleman if he’s active. The chances that he plays are low. The chances that he plays and is productive in a backfield where running backs grow on trees are even lower. Of course, it’s within the realm of possibilities, but not something I’m willing to bet money on. Thank you for reading Tevin Coleman: Super Bowl Injury.
Photo credit to Stinger.
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