Aaron Rodgers still missing some protection, while Najee Harris could be a ‘go’ for Steelers.
While the NFL world waits to see if Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was just a little banged up in the Thursday night loss to Kansas City or if he could miss any playing time, 30 teams will be in action Sunday and Monday of Week 2, and all eyes are on the injury report. While there are only a few high-profile players on the report, every team has something to deal with. Our FanNation publishers are here to provide the latest intel.
Here’s a closer look at who’s in and who’s out for Week 2.
After officially practicing for the first time this season, Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt (calf) told reporters he was “hopeful” to play against the Raiders. In my opinion after seeing him up close and personal, he looks ready. A source also indicated to me that Trayvon Mullen anticipates making his Cardinals debut against his former team in Las Vegas. — Donnie Druin
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Reserve offensive lineman Chris Hubbard is out against the Jets and their would-be starter at right tackle Jack Conklin is questionable. The Cleveland Browns might be content to let Conklin sit another week in no small part because of how well second-year tackle James Hudson III played against the Carolina Panthers. ... Rookie defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey will be held out of the game for disciplinary reasons. — Pete Smith
The Broncos lost S Justin Simmons to IR for the next four weeks, and ruled out WR KJ Hamler and RG Quinn Meinerz. That’s a lot of talent licking its wounds on the sideline. On the bright side? LB Josey Jewell, who missed the season opener, practiced on Friday. — Chad Jensen
Center Frank Ragnow has been ruled out of the Lions Week 2 matchup against the Commanders. With left guard Jonah Jackson and D’Andre Swift questionable, it might be a sneaky good add to roster Jared Goff and play him Sunday in fantasy football, especially after the decent offensive performance Week 1. — John Maakaron
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Three-fifths of the starting offensive line, left tackle David Bakhtiari, left guard Jon Runyan and right tackle Elgton Jenkins, are questionable. All three were limited participation at Friday’s practice. When Sunday night’s game vs. the Bears begins, it will mark 626 days since Bakhtiari suffered a torn ACL. He’s slowly - very slowly - trending toward playing. This might not be the week. Also questionable is receiver Allen Lazard. The team’s No. 1 perimeter threat, he had a slight limp while walking to the shower after practice. — Bill Huber
Packer Central: Two matchups to watch
The Colts are in a tough spot with five starters on the injury report. They already ruled out linebacker Shaquille Leonard (back) and rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce (concussion). In Leonard's absence, we'll continue to see Zaire Franklin fill in at MIKE, which will create more snaps for E.J. Speed at SAM. With Pierce out, this could be a big game for Parris Campbell or Mike Strachan. Leading receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (quad), defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (hip), and cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip) are all listed as questionable. Pittman was listed as a non-participant in the final two practices while Buckner and Moore were both upgraded to full participants on Friday. Buckner seems favorable to play but if he can't the Colts might be in a tough spot due to a lack of depth at defensive tackle. Regardless, we should see more rotation featuring Tyquan Lewis, Byron Cowart, and Eric Johnson.. — Jake Arthur
Horseshoe Huddle
The Jaguars are the rare team that is entering Friday with zero injury designations. Sure, there are likely some players dealing with minor bumps and bruises, but the Jaguars went through the entire week without a player on the injury report. They will have their 53-man roster at full strength against the Colts on Sunday. — John Shipley
Rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. is the only player on the Vikings’ injury report this week, as he continues to deal with a quad injury. Fellow rookie Lewis Cine will make his NFL debut on Monday night against the Eagles. We could see a bigger role for Irv Smith Jr., who only played 19 snaps against the Packers after missing most of training camp with a thumb injury. I’d still want to wait to see it first if I had Smith on a fantasy team. — Will Ragatz
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The Giants’ already thin cornerback unit took an unexpected hit this week when it was revealed that starter Aaron Robinson underwent an appendectomy Monday. Robinson could miss at least a month while recovering and with Rodarius Williams still on injured reserve, the Giants were exploring their options for a replacement to start opposite Adoree’ Jackson. Veteran Fabian Moreau, currently on the practice squad, would probably make the most sense for New York, but defensive coordinator Wink Martindale did not rule out using a committee approach. New York is also holding out hope of having edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux back in the lineup this weekend. Thibodeaux expressed optimism that he’ll be ready for Sunday assuming he can tolerate the pain, but he has been limited all week in practice, likely leaving him a game-day decision. — Patricia Traina
Joe Flacco is still starting for the Jets in Week 2, filling in for an injured Zach Wilson under center. The only big change for New York on the injury front is that tight end C.J. Uzomah is doubtful against Cleveland after suffering a hamstring injury in practice this week. New York's tight ends weren't a factor last week and if Uzomah can't go on Sunday, expect rookie Jeremy Ruckert to make his NFL debut (he was a healthy scratch last week). — Max Goodman
The Eagles do not play until Monday night, so players’ injury status will not come out until Saturday. It appears, though, that every player will be healthy after Friday’s injury report listed only OL Landon Dickerson as being limited with an illness. Earlier in the week, the Eagles placed Derek Barnett (torn ACL) on season-ending IR and signed edge rusher Janaris Robinson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings. — Ed Kracz
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The Pittsburgh Steelers escape injury-free for a second week - kind of. Outside of T.J. Watt, who was placed on IR this week while he rehabs his pec, the team has a clean bill of health heading into the weekend. Najee Harris (foot) and Mason Cole (ankle) were limited during the week but both finished the practice week strong and have no injury designation heading into Sunay. — Noah Strackbein
George Kittle practiced Friday for the first time since he injured his groin last Monday. Granted, Friday’s practice was a mere walkthrough. Still, Kittle looked healthy and explosive during warmups. The 49ers officially list him as questionable, but if he’s healthy enough to practice on Friday, the 49ers probably won’t stop him from playing on Sunday, especially considering they lost last week. Had they won their home opener, perhaps they’d be cautious with Kittle and sit him one more week, which would be smart. However, I expect him to play this Sunday against the Seahawks. — Grant Cohn
Running back Dontrell Hilliard caught two touchdown passes in Week 1 but was unavailable late in the loss to the New York Giants because of a hamstring injury. He did not practice on Thursday or Friday either, which puts his status for Monday’s game at Buffalo firmly in doubt. Hilliard is the change-of-pace, receiving option to complement Derrick Henry the Titans have sought for years. If he can’t play this week, there is no other running back on the roster who has his skillset, which means coaches will have to adjust and part of the playbook will have to be ignored. — David Boclair
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