Injuries are at the forefront of the NFL’s Week 4 conversation, especially given Tua Tagovailoa’s brief hospitalization Thursday night after head and neck trauma forced him out of the loss to the Dolphins. Miami isn’t the only team with uncertainties in the middle going into the weekend, either. Some clubs are far healthier than others and some big names remain in doubt on Sunday. Here we have compiled all the final injury reports for the week 4 promotion.
All NFL odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
The Saints will be understaffed, at least in part, with the biggest absence coming at the centre, where Winston is recovering from ongoing problems at a slower than expected pace. Former Bengals veteran Andy Dalton, who was last seen with the Cowboys and Bears, will make his debut in 2022. Rookie Chris Olave and reserve Tre’Quan Smith could see even more goals if Thomas is out and Landry slams, while Kamara is expected to watch but could count on a pitch alongside Mark Ingram.
The Vikings are far healthier, with star running back Dalvin Cook (shoulder) disappearing from the report after fully returning to training. Starting defensemen Eric Kendricks (toe) and Harrison Smith (concussion) are also available.
Allen did not train on Friday and was ruled out for the third game in a row. With Jalen Guyton out for the year, expect significantly more replays for DeAndre Carter this week. Justin Herbert (ribs) was a full participant and JC Jackson (ankle) will play for the Chargers on Sunday.
Dameon Pierce (hip) was a full participant for Texans Friday. He will play on Sunday after not receiving an injury designation.
Jones was surprisingly absent from practice on Thursday after being added to the injury report, but he was restricted on Friday. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed he wants to make sure Jones is 100%, which is why the questionable label was given. Griffin missed last week’s game with a hip injury and was limited in training all week.
Former 49ers third-round player Trey Sermon will debut as the No. 2/3 RB for the Eagles when Scott is absent, behind Miles Sanders and Kenny Gainwell. With Maddox out after missing practice all week, expect Zech McPhearson to step in as cornerback.
Garrett, the Browns’ top edge rusher, is still recovering from injuries he sustained in a car accident this week. With Clowney also doubtful to play, the Browns’ pass rush will be short-handed.
If Patterson can’t leave for the Falcons, Arthur Smith’s roster will likely turn to on-site backups Tyler Allgeier and Avery Williams.
The Seahawks are going into this race relatively healthy. Rookie Coby Bryant will start his third straight game in the slot with Coleman playing doubtful.
Jared Goff will be without some of his best weapons at home, while Jamaal Williams is earmarked for RB1 duties and tight end TJ Hockenson could also provide additional looks in the passing game. If Reynolds can’t leave, who will play wide receiver? Expect a heavy dose of Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus as starting wideouts if the top three fail to go.
Bears at Giants (-3)
- bears: RB David Montgomery (ankle/knee), CB Jaylon Johnson (square), DB Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) AUS; TE Ryan Griffin (Achilles), OLB Matthew Adams (hamstring) DOUBT; WR Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring), DE Robert Quinn (illness), LB Sterling Weatherford (ankle), K Cairo Santos (personal) QUESTIONABLE
- Giants: WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), DE Leonard Williams (knee), CB Nick McCloud (hamstring), CB Cordale Flott (calf) AUS
New York’s receiving corps will once again be without Toney, the 2021 first-rounder who was also out in Week 3. Williams’ absence up front could also put more pressure on the Giants’ edge rushers, who didn’t have much of an impact on the Cowboys last week.
The Bears will also be without some of their top players; Khalil Herbert will start running back as Montgomery is sidelined, and Johnson’s absence leaves Chicago without its defending No. 1 champion.
The Commanders are battered on the offensive line, which has dropped the most sacks in the NFL this season. Leno has been dealing with that shoulder injury and was limited on Friday. If he can’t walk, Cornelius Lucas will start in left tackle. Nick Martin starts in the middle, Schweitzer falls out. He is Washington’s third starting center in four games. Right tackle Sam Cosmi (knee) will play.
Michael Gallup (knee) is back for the Cowboys and will make his season debut after not receiving an injury designation. Dak Prescott (ankle) isn’t throwing yet so he’s out and Cooper Rush will start. Dalton Schultz has an uncertain status on whether he will play after being restricted on Friday.
Hooker was unable to clear the league’s concussion log in time, leaving him missing Sunday’s game. The Titans are skinny with all their injuries in the secondary, leading to McCreary in the slot and Kristian Fulton at outside cornerback. Treylon Burks will start at wide receiver after missing practice earlier in the week due to illness.
Against Derrick Henry and company, the Colts’ defense could be without a few key starters if Buckner doesn’t pass; The star centre-back didn’t train ahead of the game. Leonard, meanwhile, could make his debut as a linebacker in 2022 after missing the first three games while recovering from back surgery, though coach Frank Reich has made it clear he won’t be at 100 percent either way.
The biggest news here is the omission of Zach Wilson from the Jets’ report as the QB is fully relieved from knee surgery that sidelined him for the first three games. He will make his debut in 2022, replacing backup Joe Flacco. Quincy Williams hasn’t trained all week so he’s out on Sunday.
The Steelers got good news when Minkah Fitzpatrick deleted the concussion logs, so he will play on Sunday. Pittsburgh is relatively healthy on this path.
After missing Week 3, Davis told reporters that despite the questionable label, he would return to the field and serve as Josh Allen’s WR2 alongside Stefon Diggs. That doesn’t mean Buffalo will go in unscathed, as Morse and Oliver are both iffy in the trenches. Less than two weeks after his terrifying head injury against the Titans, Jackson also said he plans to play at Bills High School, despite starting as a game decider.
If Stanley could play for the Ravens on Sunday, that would be huge. Left tackle injuries are piling up and Stanley has been in full training all week. He makes a decision based on information he receives from the coaching and medical staff. Fourth-round rookie Daniel Faalele would start with the left tackle if Stanley and Mekari are unable to walk.
The Cardinals, who are still without DeAndre Hopkins due to a suspension, could hit the low end of their receiver depth map in that event. With Green out and both Brown and Moore beaten up, reserve Greg Dortch could see another large number of goals from Kyler Murray, along with tight end Zach Ertz. Running back James Conner (knee) is also good to go.
Baker Mayfield will have a struggling supporting cast at best, with McCaffrey playing “hopeful” despite only having one limited practice session this week. Shenault, who showed up in Week 3, is a game-time decision.
Jones cleared the concussion log so he’s eligible to play on Sunday. When Jones is seated, Mike Purcell begins the nose tackle. Meinerz suffered a setback in training that made him miss Sunday. The Broncos also play Thursday nights, so giving him a few extra days might have been wise.
Again, no renfrow for the Raiders, so Mack Hollins is likely to take on a No. 2 wide receiver for another week. Ya-Sin has been restricted in training and his status is expected to be determined after Saturday’s walkthrough. Denzel Perryman has been restricted all week with an ankle injury but he will play.
Despite Jones’ presence at Friday’s practice, the QB was left out as a sophomore and veteran backup Brian Hoyer will start. Jones’ ankle sprain was categorized as “serious” by several reports, and the sophomore starter didn’t show much mobility during his limited return to the field. As for the questionable players, Bill Belichick restricted them all in practice all week.
David Bakhtiari (knee) and AJ Dillon (knee) both received no injury designations. They play for the Packers Sunday. Ditto for Elgton Jenkins (knee) and Allen Lazard (ankle).
The Chiefs ruled out Butker again on Saturday. Valdes-Scantling was limited in Friday practice, but so was Mecole Hardman, who received no injury designation. Skyy Moore could be in line for more snaps this week.
With the Buccaneers, Tom Brady could again undercut many of his top targets. Head coach Todd Bowles said Godwin will be a game decider on Sunday and he will make sure his receiving corps is healthy and 100% before he has them all (Godwin, Evans and Gage) out there. With Perriman doubtful, the Buccaneers’ top three receivers could be Evans, Cole Beasley and Scotty Miller. Jones is expected to be counted on a pitch when cleared to play.
- Aries: C Brian Allen (knee), CB Decobie Durant (hamstring), G David Edwards (illness), CB David Long (groin) AUS
- 49er: LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), RB Tyrion Davis-Price (ankle), TE Tyler Kroft (knee), DB Tarvarius Moore (hamstring), T Trent Williams (ankle) AUS; WR Danny Gray (hip) DOUBT; DL Arik Armstead (foot), TE Ross Dwelley (rib), DT Javon Kinlaw (knee) DOUBT
San Francisco’s offense is set to take a big hit in the next few weeks with Williams on the sidelines. It’s already a much thinner entity than in recent seasons, and now it’s losing its anchor. The group at the top fueled much of San Francisco’s regular-season success against the Rams, so it will be interesting to see how Kyle Shanahan and company fare without Williams. Armstead and/or Kinlaw, unable to adapt, would also be effective as the Rams’ greatest weakness often lies in internal pressure against Matthew Stafford and they are missing two starters in Allen and Edwards. The Los Angeles secondary also takes a hit with Long and Durant, which could affect how Raheem Morris’ defense handles Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.