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NFL Week 4 foot and ankle injuries: Edgerrin Cooper’s Achilles, Tyquan Thornton’s ankle and more

A foot and ankle look at NFL Week 4: Edgerrin Cooper’s suspected Achilles tear, Tyquan Thornton’s dislocated ankle and three more ankle injuries, and what each means for athletes at every level.

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· 4 min read

Medically reviewed by Dr. Efe Ozturk · Last reviewed

Week 4 was rough on feet and ankles; here’s what it means for you.

We have no connection with these athletes or teams and haven’t examined them. Details come from public reports as of Monday morning, October 5, 2026; several test results were still pending.

Edgerrin Cooper: a suspected Achilles tear

In the third quarter at Tampa Bay, Cooper went down untouched, looked behind him as if kicked, and couldn’t bear weight on his left leg. He was carted off.[1] Coach Matt LaFleur expects him out for the season,[2] and he’ll have an MRI to confirm the tear.[9]

That “kicked in the leg” feeling, sometimes with a pop, is classic.[10] In NFL games from 2018 to 2024, 64% of Achilles ruptures involved no contact.[7] A calf-squeeze (Thompson) test picked up 96% of ruptures in one study,[8] and MRI shows the tear’s size and location.[11]

In a trial of 554 adults, surgery and nonsurgical care gave similar function at 12 months; surgery meant fewer re-ruptures (0.6% vs. 6.2%) but more nerve injuries.[12] Across four pro sports, 76% of athletes returned, after a mean of 11 months.[13]

The lesson: 20% to 25% of Achilles ruptures are reportedly first mistaken for ankle sprains.[10] A kick with nobody there means an exam that day.

Pat Surtain II: no contact, Achilles intact

Late in the first half at San Francisco, Surtain pivoted in coverage, hopped on his left foot and grabbed his right ankle without being touched. He didn’t return.[4] Reporter Tom Pelissero said his Achilles is intact,[14] and early reports suggested he avoided a long-term injury, pending more tests Monday.[15]

Since most NFL Achilles tears are non-contact,[7] we check that tendon first; the squeeze test was normal in 93% of suspected cases without a tear.[8] When the tendon is intact, causes include a high ankle sprain,[16] outer-ankle sprain[17] or a peroneal tendon injury, sometimes missed after a “simple sprain.”[18] Surtain’s diagnosis hasn’t been reported.

The lesson: non-contact doesn’t mean minor, or torn. An exam sorts it out.

Tyquan Thornton: a dislocated ankle

On a 55-yard catch at Las Vegas, Thornton was tackled from behind. Team doctors put his dislocated left ankle back in place, and he was carted off.[19,3] He’s out indefinitely; an evaluation and second opinion were planned Monday.[19,20]

Most ankle dislocations come with a fracture, because the ligaments are usually stronger than the bone.[21] No fracture has been reported for Thornton. Resetting a dislocation means checking nerves and blood flow before and after, then X-rays.[22] Most fracture-dislocations need surgery.[23] Without a fracture, which is rare, published cases averaged just over six weeks of immobilization, and most did well.[24]

The lesson: a deformed ankle, or a numb or cold foot, needs the emergency room.[23,21]

Jaylin Lane: a “serious” ankle injury on a kickoff

In London, Lane was rolled up on a kickoff return, his left ankle twisting under him.[25] He couldn’t bear weight and was carted off.[5] Coach Dan Quinn called it “a serious ankle injury.”[26] No diagnosis has been announced.

If a serious ankle injury is a fracture, stability guides treatment: unstable fractures do much better with surgery.[27] In the NFL, 16% of outer ankle bone fractures came on kickoffs, a high share for a rare play.[28] After ankle fractures, mostly treated surgically, 87.1% of athletes returned to sport, on average in 134.5 days.[29]

The lesson: can’t bear weight after a roll-up? Get an X-ray.

Lamar Jackson: a twist, a boot and an MRI

Late in the first half, a Titans defender landed on the back of Jackson’s leg. He didn’t return and left in a walking boot.[6] NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported he was believed day-to-day,[30] while ProFootballTalk said week to week, pending an MRI[31] set for Monday.[32] No diagnosis has been announced.

A twist can injure the outer ankle ligaments or the “high ankle” ligaments joining the tibia and fibula (see our Justin Jefferson post).[33,16] In 36 NFL players with high ankle sprains, a higher MRI grade went with more missed games.[34]

The lesson: the injury’s grade helps predict time missed.

What it means for high school, college and weekend athletes

Achilles ruptures mostly strike “weekend warriors.”[10] In our sports medicine practice, Dr. Efe Ozturk, a Foot and Ankle Surgeon and podiatrist, starts with an exam. With in-office X-ray and ultrasound, bone and tendon can often be checked in one visit. We order an MRI when needed; if you need surgery, it’s handled through our Center for Lower Extremity Surgery (external site).

Before returning from a sprain, experts advise checking pain, strength, confidence, balance and sport skills.[35] See ankle sprains, sprained ankle recovery, Achilles tendon care and fractures.

Common questions

Are Achilles tears more common early in the season?

In NFL games over eight seasons, 72.7% of Achilles ruptures came in the first eight games.[36] A 2010–2023 review counted more tears in Week 4 than any other week, though season timing wasn’t statistically significant.[37]

Do I need an MRI after an ankle injury?

Usually not. The Ottawa Ankle Rules caught 99.4% of fractures in pooled studies when deciding who needs an X-ray.[38] MRI isn’t required for most sprains.[33] See sprain or fracture?

When to see a podiatrist

About the author

Dr. Efe Ozturk

Foot and Ankle Surgeon. Dr. Ozturk is double board certified, as a Diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (DABPM) and a Fellow of the Academy of Physicians in Wound Healing (FAPWH), and is a Fellow of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons (FASPS) and the American Society of Podiatric Medicine (FASPM). Trained in forefoot and rearfoot reconstructive surgery at Morristown Medical Center; sees patients in Lyndhurst, Paramus and Millburn.

Where to be seen

Dr. Ozturk sees patients at each of these offices, and one phone number reaches all of them.

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References

  1. 1.ESPN. Packers' Edgerrin Cooper believed to have torn Achilles. Published October 4, 2026. espn.com (external site)
  2. 2.NFL.com. Packers' Edgerrin Cooper expected to miss rest of season with Achilles injury, Matt LaFleur says. Published October 4, 2026. nfl.com (external site)
  3. 3.NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk). Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton dislocated his ankle. Published October 4, 2026. nbcsports.com (external site)
  4. 4.ESPN. Broncos' Pat Surtain II leaves game at 49ers with ankle injury. Published October 4, 2026. espn.com (external site)
  5. 5.CBS Sports. Commanders' Jaylin Lane: Carted off field during Week 4 matchup. Published October 4, 2026. cbssports.com (external site)
  6. 6.Baltimore Ravens (BaltimoreRavens.com). Lamar Jackson Suffers Ankle Injury vs. Titans. Published October 4, 2026. baltimoreravens.com (external site)
  7. 7.Teater RH, Gepner B, O'Cain CM, et al. Video Analysis of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the National Football League: Situational Patterns, Injury Mechanisms, and Paths for Injury Prevention. Am J Sports Med. 2026;54(9):2220-2231. PubMed 42227647 (external site)
  8. 8.Maffulli N. The clinical diagnosis of subcutaneous tear of the Achilles tendon. A prospective study in 174 patients. Am J Sports Med. 1998;26(2):266-70. PubMed 9548122 (external site)
  9. 9.NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk). Packers fear LB Edgerrin Cooper tore his Achilles. Published October 4, 2026. nbcsports.com (external site)
  10. 10.Shamrock AG, Dreyer MA, Varacallo MA. Achilles Tendon Rupture. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; updated 2023. PubMed 28613594 (external site)
  11. 11.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Achilles Tendon Rupture (Tear). OrthoInfo. orthoinfo.org (external site)
  12. 12.Myhrvold SB, Brouwer EF, Andresen TKM, et al. Nonoperative or Surgical Treatment of Acute Achilles' Tendon Rupture. N Engl J Med. 2022;386(15):1409-1420. PubMed 35417636 (external site)
  13. 13.Johns W, Walley KC, Seedat R, Thordarson DB, Jackson B, Gonzalez T. Career Outlook and Performance of Professional Athletes After Achilles Tendon Rupture: A Systematic Review. Foot Ankle Int. 2021;42(4):495-509. PubMed 33218267 (external site)
  14. 14.Yahoo Sports. Broncos lose All-Pro CB Patrick Surtain II to non-contact ankle injury in loss to 49ers. Published October 4, 2026. sports.yahoo.com (external site)
  15. 15.NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk). Reports: Broncos believe Pat Surtain II avoided long-term injury. Published October 5, 2026. nbcsports.com (external site)
  16. 16.Lin CF, Gross ML, Weinhold P. Ankle syndesmosis injuries: anatomy, biomechanics, mechanism of injury, and clinical guidelines for diagnosis and intervention. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2006;36(6):372-84. PubMed 16776487 (external site)
  17. 17.Hertel J. Functional Anatomy, Pathomechanics, and Pathophysiology of Lateral Ankle Instability. J Athl Train. 2002;37(4):364-375. PubMed 12937557 (external site)
  18. 18.American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Peroneal Tendon Injuries. FootHealthFacts. foothealthfacts.org (external site)
  19. 19.ESPN. Chiefs WR Thornton has dislocated ankle, sources say. Published October 4, 2026. espn.com (external site)
  20. 20.Yahoo Sports. Chiefs receiver Tyquan Thornton is out indefinitely after dislocating ankle in win over Raiders. Published October 4, 2026. sports.yahoo.com (external site)
  21. 21.Frank AL, Charette RS, Groen K. Ankle Dislocation. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; updated 2023. PubMed 32119497 (external site)
  22. 22.Hodge DK, Safran MR. Sideline management of common dislocations. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2002;1(3):149-55. PubMed 12831707 (external site)
  23. 23.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Ankle Fractures (Broken Ankle). OrthoInfo. orthoinfo.org (external site)
  24. 24.Wight L, Owen D, Goldbloom D, Knupp M. Pure Ankle Dislocation: A systematic review of the literature and estimation of incidence. Injury. 2017;48(10):2027-2034. PubMed 28826653 (external site)
  25. 25.Commanders Wire (USA Today, via Yahoo Sports). Commanders WR Jaylin Lane suffers gruesome leg injury in Week 4. Published October 4, 2026. sports.yahoo.com (external site)
  26. 26.Washington Commanders On SI (via Yahoo Sports). Everything Dan Quinn Said After Commanders' Loss to Colts in London. Published October 5, 2026. sports.yahoo.com (external site)
  27. 27.Patel S, Dionisopoulos SB. Current Concepts in Ankle Fracture Management. Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2024;41(3):519-534. PubMed 38789168 (external site)
  28. 28.Werner BC, Mack C, Franke K, Barnes RP, Warren RF, Rodeo SA. Distal Fibula Fractures in National Football League Athletes. Orthop J Sports Med. 2017;5(9):2325967117726515. PubMed 28959699 (external site)
  29. 29.Mazzella GG, Bocchino G, De Fazio A, et al. Return to sport in athletes after surgical ankle fractures: A systematic review. J Exp Orthop. 2025;12(4):e70392. PubMed 41158204 (external site)
  30. 30.NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk, via Yahoo Sports). Lamar Jackson left stadium in a boot, believed to be day-to-day with ankle injury. Published October 4, 2026. sports.yahoo.com (external site)
  31. 31.NBC Sports (ProFootballTalk). Lamar Jackson is believed to be “week to week,” pending an MRI. Published October 4, 2026. nbcsports.com (external site)
  32. 32.Ravens Wire (USA Today, via Yahoo Sports). Ravens QB Lamar Jackson to undergo MRI on injured ankle. Published October 5, 2026. sports.yahoo.com (external site)
  33. 33.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Sprained Ankle. OrthoInfo. orthoinfo.org (external site)
  34. 34.Sikka RS, Fetzer GB, Sugarman E, et al. Correlating MRI findings with disability in syndesmotic sprains of NFL players. Foot Ankle Int. 2012;33(5):371-8. PubMed 22735278 (external site)
  35. 35.Smith MD, Vicenzino B, Bahr R, et al. Return to sport decisions after an acute lateral ankle sprain injury: introducing the PAASS framework-an international multidisciplinary consensus. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(22):1270-1276. PubMed 34158354 (external site)
  36. 36.Krill MK, Borchers JR, Hoffman JT, Krill ML, Hewett TE. Effect of position, time in the season, and playing surface on Achilles tendon ruptures in NFL games: a 2009-10 to 2016-17 review. Phys Sportsmed. 2017;45(3):259-264. PubMed 28617627 (external site)
  37. 37.Queenan K, DeMedal S, Rannulu H, et al. Extrinsic Factors Contributing to Achilles Tendon Ruptures During NFL Games From 2010-2023: A Retrospective Analysis. Orthop J Sports Med. 2026;14(7):23259671261458572. PubMed 42491251 (external site)
  38. 38.Beckenkamp PR, Lin CC, Macaskill P, Michaleff ZA, Maher CG, Moseley AM. Diagnostic accuracy of the Ottawa Ankle and Midfoot Rules: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(6):504-510. PubMed 27884861 (external site)

This is general health information and isn’t a substitute for advice from a clinician who knows your history. Read our medical disclaimer and how we write and review content.

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