High ankle sprains have long been a common injury not just in the NFL, but throughout sports. The injury became the story of the football world during the playoffs last season, when Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain in the divisional round and appeared hobbled for the rest of the game.
Mahomes was able to play through the injury in the AFC championship game and Super Bowl 57, but that was a unique case. He likely would not have been out there if the season wasn't on the line, and even three weeks removed from the injury, Mahomes did not look 100 percent.
During the regular season, stars such as Giants RB Saquon Barkley tend to be sidelined for at least a little while after suffering a high ankle sprain.
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Here's a closer look at the recovery time for a high ankle sprain and what differentiates a high ankle sprain with a traditional ankle sprain.
How long does a high ankle sprain take to heal?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, it can take as many as six to eight weeks for a high ankle sprain to fully heal. High ankle sprains are more severe than common ankle sprains of the lower, outside part of the ankle.
That, of course, doesn't mean every NFL player who suffers the injury will instantly be sidelined for at least six weeks, as evidenced by Mahomes' ability to play just eight days after the sprain during the playoffs. NFL players are typically in excellent shape and have access to the very best medical treatment while recovering.
Patriots QB Mac Jones returned in three weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain in 2022, while Barkley himself missed three games in 2019 after dealing with the injury. At the time, Barkley was reported to be out for "several weeks."
Factors impacting high ankle sprain recovery time
So, how quickly can fans expect a player to return from a high ankle sprain? That may depend on the circumstances of the season, pain tolerance, and the exact severity of the injury.
A severe high ankle sprain can involve surgery, which can cost players much more than just three weeks. Rams WR Cooper Kupp had "tightrope" surgery for a high ankle sprain in 2022 and would end up missing the final eight weeks of the season.
The injuries to Barkley, Mahomes and Jones had one thing in common: None required surgery, although it was initially reported that Jones would likely need a procedure before the Patriots opted to let him rehab without surgery. Neither player missed more than three games.
With that being said, there is a difference between a player being ready to play and being fully recovered from a high ankle sprain. Mahomes said in April, just over two months after Super Bowl 57, that his ankle still wasn't feeling 100 percent.
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What is a high ankle sprain?
Dr. Michael S. George told The Sporting News in January that a high ankle sprain is "an injury to the syndesmosis, which is the group of ligaments just above the ankle joint, that hold the tibia and fibula bones together."
While low-grade ankle sprains more commonly involve the ankle rolling inward and the ligaments simply stretching, high ankle sprains deal with the ligaments that hold the two lower-leg bones together, making the recovery more treacherous.
According to George, high ankle sprains can occur "when a player is tackled from behind with the ball carrier's foot on the ground and the tackler's weight forcing the foot to externally rotate."
A high ankle sprain is a different class of injury than the typical rolled ankle, but in many cases, it still won't keep a player off the field for more than a handful of weeks.
