DJ Wonnum quad injury complications: Analysis & medical review
Breaking down the serious medical issues of MRSA infection and blood clots
The Detroit Lions finally added an EDGE in free agency by way of DJ Wonnum. His medical history is remarkable for overcoming an infection in his quad that led to severe complications. Not all football maladies are purely orthopedic, and Wonnum is a good example of that.
Let’s start by reviewing Wonnum’s career injury history and then dive deep into his quad injury complications.
(The following information and analysis is based on available public information. Age in parentheses is at start of 2026 season.)
DJ Wonnum, EDGE (28)
Contract: 1 year, $ pending
Concern level 3/10
2025: 17/18 games played. Hip injury, missed 1 game.
2024: 8/17 games. Missed first 9 games of season in recovery from complications of left quad injury.
2023: 15 games. Dec 24, 2023 - Partially torn left quad with surgery ended season.
2022: 17/18 games
2021: 17/17 games
2020: 14 games
College: Multiple ankle surgeries.
Wonnum’s quad injury was significant, but he has been very reliable since his recovery from complications of the quad surgery. He also has a significant ankle issue in his remote past but has proven himself for many years in the NFL since. His age is creeping up (29 in October) but is fine for a 1-year free agent.
Now, let’s dive into Wonnum’s quad injury…
What is the timeline of Wonnum’s quad injury and complications?
Here is the link to the video of DJ Wonnum discussing his quad injury complications.
I have put together an estimated timeline based on Wonnum’s statements. Starting at the beginning…
December 24, 2023: Partially torn left quad. Surgery within days.
The surgical stitches were rejected by his body and required another surgery to address the issue.
May/June 2024: Developed MRSA infection in quad which required a 3rd surgery.
June 2024: PICC line was placed for 6 weeks to deliver intravenous (IV) antibiotics daily to combat MRSA infection.
July 2024: The PICC line caused blood clots.
Given anticoagulant medication to treat the blood clots.
October 2024: Discontinued the anticoagulants.
November 10, 2024: Returned to play after missing first nine games of the season.
Now, let’s break down the medical details…
What problems did Wonnum have with the sutures?
The sutures that likely caused the problem were the absorbable type that are buried under the skin. Wonnum likely had an inflammatory, foreign-body reaction to the sutures, which can cause redness and pus discharge. This necessitated surgery to address the issue.
What is MRSA?
MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant staph aureus, which is a bacteria that has become a very common cause of skin infections over the past 2+ decades. These kind of skin infections can develop into severe abscesses and need urgent medical attention.
A MRSA skin infection is one of the most commonly treated medical issues at an urgent care clinic. As an urgent care doctor, I have treated MRSA infections countless number of times by performing procedures to drain the infection and/or initiating antibiotics. Due to MRSA’s resistance to some antibiotics, the selection of the proper antibiotic is critical.
Wonnum developed a MRSA skin infection at the surgical site in the quad which likely required surgical incision to drain the infection.
What is a PICC line?
PICC stands for peripherally inserted central catheter. It is placed in an arm vein and extends deep into the body near the heart. The function is to allow delivery of medications, similar to an IV. The benefit of a PICC compared to an IV is that a PICC can be left in place for weeks while an IV may only last a few days.
Wonnum had a PICC placed to allow easy delivery of daily antibiotics for the MRSA infection. While MRSA can be treated with oral antibiotics, the severity of the infection must have indicated a need for IV antibiotics.
What are the negatives of a PICC line?
A common risk with a PICC line is the development of a blood clot - medically known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Studies show that around 2-15% of people with a PICC line will develop a DVT.
What are the concerns with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?
The major concern is that the DVT might dislodge in the vein and travel to the blood vessels of the lung causing a pulmonary embolism (PE).
A PE can cause significant lung dysfunction, which may be incompatible with life. Thus, an aggressive evaluation and treatment of a DVT is important before it can become a PE.
What are anticoagulants and why was Wonnum on them?
Anticoagulant medications are used to treat DVT’s, and are usually given for three months with a PICC-related DVT. These medications can decrease the likelihood of new DVT’s and help allow current DVT’s to resolve.
What are the negatives of anticoagulants?
Since anticoagulants decrease the blood’s ability to clot, there is increased chance of atypical, excessive, or uncontrolled bleeding. If this bleeding occurs in a critical organ like the brain, it could be life-threatening. Even a simple muscle bruise can become a problem while on anticoagulants.
Given the level of collision trauma involved in football, it would be inadvisable for Wonnum to play while taking anticoagulants.
Are there any residual concerns for Wonnum moving forward?
MRSA: A person who has had a MRSA infection has an increased likelihood to develop one again. This means that Wonnum and his medical team will need to be vigilant about monitoring his skin for any signs of an incipient infection. As long as treatment for an infection is started early, there is unlikely to be any severe problem in the future for his health or his availability for football.
DVT: There should be no residual effects of Wonnum’s DVT for his health or football career. As far as recurrence, Wonnum certainly has had an evaluation to ensure there were no other reasons he may have developed a DVT besides the PICC line. Assuming the PICC line was the sole cause of the DVT, there should be minimal risk of recurrence for Wonnum moving forward. He will definitely want to be aware of the early signs and symptoms of a DVT though.
What is Wonnum’s outlook for 2026 with the Lions?
Wonnum will be healthy and ready for the start of the 2026 season. Boding well for his reliability is the fact that he displayed excellent durability during the 2025 season when he averaged a 68% defensive snap count. Hopefully, he can provide the pass rush opposite Aidan Hutchinson that the Lions need.
For more analysis of Lions’ free agent signings…