Riley Leonard Week 9 injury update: Latest on Duke QB ahead of game vs. Louisville

Duke quarterback Riley Leonard took the field against Florida State in Week 8 after missing several weeks due to injury. But he couldn't complete the game and had to be taken off.

Riley had injured his ankle in the September clash against Notre Dame. When he started the game against the Seminoles on Saturday, it looked like his injury concerns were a thing of the past. But Duke suffered a double whammy, losing their QB and the game.

But will Riley Leonard return for the Week 9 clash against Louisville? Here is the latest on the injury to Duke's star quarterback.

Riley Leonard's latest Week 9 injury update

Riley Leonard aggravated his high ankle sprain against the Florida State Seminoles during their Week 8 clash. The Duke Blue Devils QB couldn't finish the game and had to go out halfway through the third quarter after a tackle by the Seminoles' Brandon Fiske.

Duke Florida St Football: Duke quarterback Riley Leonard (13) is pulled down by his face mask by Florida State defensive lineman Braden Fiske (55) as defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) assists during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

It was the quarterback's first game back after he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, sidelining him for three weeks.

His status for the Week 9 clash with the Louisville Cardinals is uncertain, with Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko saying that the QB would be assessed day to day.

“I think, after talking to the doctors and everyone, that Riley is going to be day to day,” Elko said in Monday's press conference.

Grade 2 AC joint sprain recovery time

The time that a grade 2 AC joint sprain takes to heal varies from person to person. Generally, the full range of motion in the joint comes back in 2 to 4 weeks. The sprain can take several more weeks to fully heal.

Riley Leonard took three weeks to make his comeback and it was obviously not enough.

Rushing the QB back early resulted in the reaggravation of the injury. After what happened in Week 8, head coach Elko might just want to be more cautious while assessing his QB this time around.