Tyrone Tracy Shoulder Dislocation | Timeline and Fantasy Outlook

Giants running back Tyrone Tracy was off to a good start Sunday night before taking a shot to the back of the shoulder from a Chiefs defender. Tracy was slow to get up and clearly was unable to move his right arm. As Tracy was escorted off the field, the training staff was supporting his right arm, a sign that Tracy’s shoulder was unstable. Today, we learned that Tracy did, in fact, dislocate his shoulder and is expected to miss time. Tracy’s situation will be similar to Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy, with the small difference being that Worthy’s was likely a posterior dislocation, whereas Tracy’s was likely an anterior dislocation. Below, we dive into Tyrone Tracy’s shoulder dislocation and the typical timeline and fantasy outlook.

Tyrone Tracy’s Shoulder Dislocation

With a shoulder dislocation, there is almost always an associated labrum tear. In Tracy’s case, the force of impact came from a back-to-front (posterior-to-anterior) direction on his right shoulder, which likely created an anterior dislocation. Anterior dislocations often result in tearing of the anterior labrum, referred to as a Bankart lesion. Sometimes anterior dislocations can also result in a unique fracture called a Hill-Sachs lesion, where the shoulder socket (glenoid) essentially chips part of the humerus bone. This has not been reported as of this writing, but it is something to look out for.

Shoulder Dislocation Treatment Option 1: Non-Operative

As of this writing, there are no reports on Tracy considering surgery at this time. The Giants and Tracy will likely try to rehab his shoulder and return to play. The labrum’s job is to passively hold the arm bone in the shoulder socket. When part of the labrum is torn, the stability of the shoulder is impacted, and the rotator cuff muscles must now compensate. Rehab will focus on first restoring shoulder range of motion, but also hyper-focus on improving rotator cuff strength, stability, and timing in order to compensate for the lost stability from the presumed labrum damage. In many cases, athletes are able to successfully rehab and return to sport. In the NFL, the average time missed is three weeks, and a brace/harness system will be worn for additional support.

Shoulder Dislocation Treatment Option 2: Surgery

If rehab fails, Tracy will need surgery to repair the labrum. Even if Tracy is able to get through the season, he may undergo surgery in the offseason. The return to sport timeline for surgery is 5-6 months, and there is no anticipated decline in athletic function. This early in the season, the hope is the Giants’ second year back can avoid surgery at least until the offseason, but time will tell. 55% of NFL players who rehab and return to play will re-dislocate their shoulder.

Fantasy Impact

Tracy is set to miss some time, but hopefully will return this season. When on the field, no decline in fantasy production is expected; however, he will be at extremely high risk for a re-dislocation, which could knock him out of the game(s). Fantasy managers will have to weigh the risks of potentially starting a running back who could miss a substantial portion of the game. If Tracy ends up getting surgery, he should return to 100% by next season.