Falcons coach Dan Quinn would not reveal the severity of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett ankle sprain on Wednesday, but is not ruling him out for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay.
Jarrett will have suffered a Grade 1 sprain if his return this week is so soon. He suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Cincinnati game on Sept. 30 and did not play against Pittsburgh on Oct. 7.
Quinn wouldn’t say if Jarrett’s sprain was a grade 1, 2 or 3 sprain nor if it was a low ankle sprain or a more serious high ankle sprain.
“His ankle sprain is one that held him out for this week, and I’ll have a better feel for it when we get into next week,” Quinn said last week. “But this you know about Grady Jarrett, you got to take your shot, but sometimes you miss.
“But he’s working really hard. He’s not going to be able to go this week, but we haven’t ruled him out past that. I know he’s going to try for it, so we’ll see where we go into the next week, but he’ll definitely be out for this week. Out of the boot and making progress, so we’re glad for that.”
But if he’s back on the field with the trainers, Jarrett would fit into the Grade 1 window.
"The recovery time for a Grade 1 ankle sprain is about 1-3 weeks," according to Hannah Dove, a doctor of physical therapy and certified athletic trainer with at Providence Saint John's Health Center's Performance Therapy in Santa Monica, Ca. "For a Grade 2 sprain, recovery is about 3-8 weeks."
Jarrett would not be back on the field, even working with the trainers, if he had a high ankle sprain.
“A run of the mill ankle sprain, guys can play on them to anywhere from two to six weeks,” said Dr. Ken Jung, a foot and ankle surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. “A high ankle sprain takes longer to get better. It can be anywhere from four weeks or so and up. If they need surgery, it’s longer.”
With Jarrett out the Falcons split his snaps. Third-round pick Deadrin Senat saw the biggest jump in his playing time. He played 36 snaps (59 percent), Jack Crawford played 27 snaps (44 percent), and recently signed Michael Bennett IV played 18 snaps (30 percent).
Jarrett worked off to the side with the training staff on Wednesday.
“The more severe ones, we’ll recommend surgery for those if they are indeed unstable,” Jung said. “If they are stable, they can be treated without surgery typically in a boot and a period of rest.”
