The Oregon Ducks are in the driver’s seat for not just the Big Ten but also the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs. In Week 12, however, it appears they’ll once again be without star WR Tez Johnson following the latest injury update from Eugene.
Is Tez Johnson Playing Today vs. Wisconsin?
The latest injury update for Johnson is that he’ll once again be out for Oregon. The Ducks will play Wisconsin without Johnson, marking the second straight game that Johnson has missed.
He previously missed Oregon’s game against Maryland, a game in which they threw for a season-low passing yards. Johnson is sidelined following an incident in Week 10 against Michigan, but there is a bit of positivity around his potential return as the Ducks close in on the postseason.
What Happened to Tez Johnson?
Johnson was injured when he hauled in a 2nd & 4 reception for an 11-yard first down back in Week 10 against Michigan. He was tackled awkwardly on the play, slamming head-first into the turf.
He got up and immediately grabbed at his chest before walking to the sidelines on the opposite side of the field.
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Johnson went into the injury tent for about two minutes before he was then shown exiting the tent and heading to the locker room.
After a lengthy delay with no updates from the broadcast, it was ruled that Johnson would miss the remainder of the game after he emerged from the locker room with his arm in a sling and in street clothes.
“This just breaking news, Johnson is out for the remainder of the game as he has emerged from the locker room with what looks like a collarbone injury,” the broadcast stated.
After the game, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning offered a potentially positive update.
“He told me in the locker room he’s going to be fine,” Lanning said. “Obviously, we want to make sure we get him assessed and take a look at that, but I don’t know that we have an update right now.”
The following Sunday, Johnson himself posted a brief update on social media. Unfortunately, that update was a simple broken heart emoji with no caption or other verbiage.
Following the game, QB Dillon Gabriel expressed his concern and feelings on the matter.
“I hate it for him, because I love the competitor he is,” Gabriel said. “He’s a guy who loves the game and is vocal about his passion. He loves the game of football. So it’s hard, and you hate it for him.”
With Johnson injured, other receivers have stepped up, but as noted above, the Maryland game with Johnson out was the team’s lowest passing (and total offensive) output of the year. The game against Wisconsin in Week 12 without Johnson will tell us if that was an anomaly or not.
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