We now understand as to why it has taken so long for Harvin to heal (other than the fact that he sprained his ankle in three places). Harvin completely tore a ligament in his ankle. Tom Pelissero has more. Harvin's sprain is a Grade 3 sprain, which means that there is a full tear. Grade 3 sprains include instability of the ankle, which really makes cutting and running difficult. Here is a site from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons that outlines the various types of ankle sprains, including a handy chart: Sprained ankles. This can typically take 4-6 weeks to heal and Harvin will try to practice tomorrow. If he can do so, he should be in Phase 3 of recovery, which is the final phase.