Is Turf Toe a CEI?

[Leonidas]

In an MP league, I drafted this studly LDT, 68/71. Second exhibition game he goes down with turf toe, status is doubtful. Now up to week 6 of regular season and no change. I don't recall ever seeing this before with turf toe. Anyone go through this in the new game? Is he ever getting healthy?

I'm considering three courses of action. 1) status quo and hope he gets healthy sometime this season, 2) place him on IR and hope he's ready next season or 3) play him in the hopes he picks up a minor injury that would supercede the turf toe which of course risks something even worse than the turf toe, although at this point I have no idea if there is anything worse than the turf toe.

[Ben E Lou]

I think FOF does a pretty good job with turf toe. He might be ready next week. He might be Doubtful with it all year long. It's a tough injury to predict healing in real life, and a tough one in FOF.

[stevew]

I once had a guy go like 2 years with depression in 2k4, and couldn't cut him. Finally he got hurt a different way, and thankfully I was able to let him go at the end of the season.

Turf toe is really a hard injury IRL, I'd probably just play him through it.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

My questionable strained hamstring (of "unknown" duration) for one player is now stretching into 13 games. Another player on my team got over it after 4 weeks. Similarly, turf toe is one of those possible lingering injuries. Only time will tell.

[AlexB]

I had a starting QB and G both with turf toe in my last SP season - the coach handled the game plan (but not depth chart).

For the big games I tried to start the 68/68 G, but he never got on the field - the 35/35 back up played every down, despite the playing time being 100%.

Similalry, my veteran 36/36 QB (I know!) was pulled after 6 passes for an undrafted rookie QB 21/40 who had been back up to another undrafted rookie QB 20/36...

From this I assume the drop off in performance is pretty big with turf toe, and if you have a back up, use him. Both cleared up in the close season, without a loss in ratings, so shouldn't be CEI

[yabanci]

Judging from the wikipedia entry, it sounds like FOF is handling it correctly:

Turf toe, more properly known as a metatarsalphalangeal joint sprain, is an injury to the joint and connective tissue between the foot and one of the toes, usually the big toe.

***

The injury can be debilitating for athletes who need to accelerate or 'cut' quickly. Use of the toes is not possible during the healing process. Since the toes are necessary for proper push-off when accelerating, those sorts of athletic activities can be almost completely curtailed. A healing period of one or more months is often required.

Because of the anatomy of the distal foot and the unique use of foot, it is often impossible to properly tape or brace the joint. Although difficult, it is not impossible to tape the toe to limit dorsiflexion (upward bend of toe). Additionally, wearing a shoe with a rigid sole and cushioned innersole will help. Anti-inflammatory medication as well as physical therapy is indicated.

Turf toe can often progress into a chronic problem, in which the joint(s) never really heals or heals too slowly to return to usual physical activities.

Deion Sanders was plagued with this injury throughout his career, with serious reductions in playing time resulting near the end of his football career.

Turf toe can become more serious if left untreated.

A bad case of Turf Toe ended former Pittsburgh Steeler Jack Lambert's career in 1984.

[Cotton]

Nice catch. Maybe an "Injuries Defined" thread would be a good sticky. ;)

[Kodos]

I think turf toe was what ended O.J. McDuffie's career.

[QuikSand]

In an MP league, I drafted this studly LDT, 68/71. Second exhibition game he goes down with turf toe, status is doubtful. Now up to week 6 of regular season and no change. I don't recall ever seeing this before with turf toe. Anyone go through this in the new game? Is he ever getting healthy?

For what it's worth, I have had an exact parallel case on a MP team, and the injury just disappeared out of the blue. The player had been tagged as doubtful for maybe 5-6 weeks, with an uncertain timetable for recovery, and he just suddenly became "good" again.

So, it can happen, at least. I have no insight into how common this is, just this one case -- but it rules out any blanket "they never recover" answer.

[Leonidas]

For what it's worth, I have had an exact parallel case on a MP team, and the injury just disappeared out of the blue. The player had been tagged as doubtful for maybe 5-6 weeks, with an uncertain timetable for recovery, and he just suddenly became "good" again.

So, it can happen, at least. I have no insight into how common this is, just this one case -- but it rules out any blanket "they never recover" answer.That's what I was hoping for. At least I know it's possible he can come back. Thanks.

[Kobeck]

Eddie George pre Turf Toe was an MVP type RB. Post Turf Toe he was a healthy scratch for the last few games of his career in Dallas.


Although EG wore special shoes and was a workout warrior he was never the same after his turf toe. IRL turf toe can cause serious drop off in performance.

[Leonidas]

I've had real turf toe, er really diving toe, and it freakin hurt. I know th injury well. I did it after a day of diving in Shark's Cove on the North Shore of Oahu. I was lugging all the gear back to the parking lot through the lava field you have to cross and stepped into a hole and the big toe on my right front went all the way down to the middle of my foot. Half my foot turned black, blue, brown and green. But I do tend to think if I had some real treatment and painkillers life would have gone on pretty normal. Then again I'm not a pro football player. I'd say it took about 6 months for the pain to go away. I do know it's not something to laugh at. Just wondering what other folks went through in the game with it is all.