Bottom Line Up Front at QB

Three starting quarterbacks are out this week — Jayden Daniels (WAS, elbow), Caleb Williams (CHI, hamstring) and Baker Mayfield (TB, thumb) — while the Giants are moving on from Jaxson Dart for the season after a Week 3 knee injury. Deshaun Watson, back from his Achilles tear, keeps piling up full practices and extends his streak as Cleveland’s clear starter.

This week’s QB report covers 8 players: 1 already played this week, 4 out, 2 questionable, 1 cleared / no game-status designation.

Who is on this report?

Caleb Williams (CHI), Deshaun Watson (CLE), Trey Lance (LAC), Aidan O’Connell (LV), Jaxson Dart (NYG), Baker Mayfield (TB), Jalon Daniels (TB), Jayden Daniels (WAS)

What changed since Week 3

• NEW: Baker Mayfield (TB) — Newly appeared on injury report this week (was healthy/starting through Week 3); downgraded to Out by Friday after DNP all week
• NEW: Jaxson Dart (NYG) — Newly season-ending – injury occurred in Week 3 itself; initial hope for a mid-season return was replaced by a decision to have surgery
• NEW: Trey Lance (LAC) — Newly appeared on the injury report this week

Waiver wire: who gains if these names sit

• If Deshaun Watson (CLE) can’t go — N/A while active; Shedeur Sanders is the primary backup who would start if Watson were ever sidelined
• If Jayden Daniels (WAS) can’t go — Marcus Mariota starts Week 4 and is a streamable option; Daniels remains unownable/bench-only until a full practice week is confirmed
• If Jaxson Dart (NYG) can’t go — Jameis Winston is now the full-time starter and the streamable/backup QB of relevance for Giants fantasy rosters; Dart should be dropped in most redraft leagues
• If Caleb Williams (CHI) can’t go — Ben Johnson has not named a starter between Case Keenum (QB2) and Tyson Bagent (QB3) as of Friday; whichever gets the start becomes a desperation-only streamer, and the uncertainty under center is a modest drag on Bears pass-catchers Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet this week
• If Baker Mayfield (TB) can’t go — Jalon Daniels (rookie) starts in his place; expect a modest dip in volume/efficiency for Egbuka, Godwin, and the TB passing-game pieces until Mayfield returns

How to read this report

• Designations reflect Friday, October 2, 2026 final injury/practice reports where filed.
• Cleveland (CLE) and Pittsburgh (PIT) already played their Week 4 game Thursday night, October 1 — their entries reflect that completed game, not an upcoming one.
• Atlanta (ATL) and New Orleans (NO) play each other Monday night, October 5 — some of their tags may not be finalized until Saturday.
• “No Final Tag Yet” means a real injury concern exists but the club hasn’t filed (or confirmed) an official Week 4 game-status designation as of this report.

Already Played This Week (1)

These players’ games were already decided by Thursday night, before this Friday report — included for full-week context and any waiver-wire fallout.

• Deshaun Watson (CLE, QB1) — NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION (b) Not on the Week 4 injury report at all (full practice participation); flagged here because he is less than a year removed from a ruptured-and-re-ruptured Achilles and only reclaimed the Browns’ starting job in August 2026 — a material ongoing fantasy/durability story even with a clean report.
  Injury: Right Achilles tendon rupture (original tear Oct. 20, 2024 vs. Cincinnati; re-ruptured shortly after, repaired via surgery Jan. 9, 2025) (since Oct. 20, 2024 (original); Jan. 9, 2025 (surgery after re-tear)). Typical recovery: Full recovery from a ruptured Achilles typically runs 9-12+ months before a return to competitive snaps. Expected back: Already returned — won the Week 1 2026 starting job over Shedeur Sanders and has started every game through Week 4. Week 4 status: Expected to start Week 5 as the healthy incumbent QB1, barring setback. Next 4 games: No limitations reported through four starts (multi-TD Week 3 outing with 11 rushes for 45 yards vs. Carolina); mobility/workload still worth monitoring given the injury’s severity, but no current red flags. Fantasy impact: N/A while active; Shedeur Sanders is the primary backup who would start if Watson were ever sidelined

Out (4)

Ruled out, on injured reserve, PUP, exempt, or suspended — not expected to play Week 4.

• Caleb Williams (CHI, QB1 (starter)) — OUT (a) Grade 2 right hamstring strain. Did not practice Wednesday or Thursday (walkthrough only reported), no Friday practice participation reported. Officially ruled out for Week 4 vs. the New York Jets — his second consecutive missed start.
  Injury: Right hamstring strain (Grade 2) (since Week 2, 2026 (exact date unclear); has already missed Week 3). Typical recovery: A Grade 2 hamstring strain typically sidelines a player 3-6 weeks. Expected back: Unclear; team has given no firm timeline beyond ‘multi-week.’ Earliest realistic return would be Week 5 (Oct 11) but is not confirmed. Week 4 status: Out for Week 4 vs. New York Jets. Next 4 games: Expected to miss additional time beyond Week 4; Chicago has not committed to a return week, so a conservative outlook has him out multiple more games before a clean hamstring allows a return. Fantasy impact: Ben Johnson has not named a starter between Case Keenum (QB2) and Tyson Bagent (QB3) as of Friday; whichever gets the start becomes a desperation-only streamer, and the uncertainty under center is a modest drag on Bears pass-catchers Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet this week
• Jaxson Dart (NYG, Former QB1, now on injured reserve / off the active depth chart) — RESERVE-INJURED (c) Season-ending knee injury suffered on the Giants’ opening offensive drive of the Week 3 Monday night loss to the Rams; will have surgery and is out for the remainder of 2026. He is off the current active depth chart – Jameis Winston has taken over as the starter.
  Injury: Knee (since Week 3 (Monday night, approx. Sept 28/29, 2026, vs. L.A. Rams)). Typical recovery: Season-ending knee surgery recoveries typically run 6-9+ months. Expected back: Not expected back in 2026; timeline would point to availability for the 2027 season. Week 4 status: Out (season-ending) – will not play Week 4 or beyond in 2026. Next 4 games: Out for the rest of the season; Jameis Winston is the Giants’ starter with J.J. McCarthy as the backup. Fantasy impact: Jameis Winston is now the full-time starter and the streamable/backup QB of relevance for Giants fantasy rosters; Dart should be dropped in most redraft leagues
• Baker Mayfield (TB, QB1 (starter) – currently sidelined; Jalon Daniels elevated to starter) — OUT (a) Right thumb injury; did not practice Wednesday or Thursday of Week 4 prep, and the Buccaneers’ official Friday report and CBS Sports’ Week 4 injury tracker both list him as Out for the Packers game. Jalon Daniels has been named the Week 4 starter in his place.
  Injury: Right thumb (since Week 4 practice week (approx. Sept 30, 2026)). Typical recovery: Thumb sprains/fractures in throwing-hand typically require 3-5 weeks depending on severity (ligament sprain vs. fracture). Expected back: Approx. Week 7 (~Oct 25, 2026) per CBS Sports. Week 4 status: Out for Week 4 vs. Green Bay; rookie Jalon Daniels starts. Next 4 games: Likely to miss multiple weeks (through roughly Week 6-7); Jalon Daniels expected to start in the interim, which materially lowers the passing-game floor for Tampa Bay’s pass catchers. Fantasy impact: Jalon Daniels (rookie) starts in his place; expect a modest dip in volume/efficiency for Egbuka, Godwin, and the TB passing-game pieces until Mayfield returns
• Jayden Daniels (WAS, QB1 (currently sidelined)) — OUT (a) Left elbow dislocation suffered in Week 2 vs. Dallas (tripped on a dropback, fell on outstretched arm); imaging showed no fracture or ligament damage, but this is his second dislocation of the same elbow in two seasons. Limited practice participation all week; officially ruled out Friday for the Colts game in London.
  Injury: Left elbow dislocation (since Week 2 (game vs. Dallas Cowboys, approx. Sept 20, 2026)). Typical recovery: Elbow dislocations without fracture/ligament tear typically require 3-6 weeks; a recurrent dislocation in the same joint can run longer. Expected back: Uncertain; HC Dan Quinn says the benchmark is a full, unrestricted week of practice, which has not yet happened as of Week 4 – realistic target is Week 5 or 6. Week 4 status: Will not play Week 4 vs. Colts; Marcus Mariota starts. Next 4 games: Week 4 out; Weeks 5-7 dependent on a clean full practice week – team is being deliberately cautious given the repeat injury, so a Week 5 return is not guaranteed. Fantasy impact: Marcus Mariota starts Week 4 and is a streamable option; Daniels remains unownable/bench-only until a full practice week is confirmed

Questionable (2)

Game-time decisions as of Friday’s final report — trust your waiver wire just in case.

• Trey Lance (LAC, QB2 (backup to Justin Herbert)) — QUESTIONABLE (a) groin injury; Limited Participation in practice this week, officially Questionable per the Friday report.
  Injury: Groin strain (since Week 4 (exact date unclear from available sources)). Typical recovery: Groin strains typically require 1-3 weeks depending on severity. Expected back: Expected recovery within 1-2 weeks regardless of whether he plays through it Week 4. Week 4 status: Questionable, but irrelevant to the starting lineup — Justin Herbert (QB1) is healthy and the expected starter. Next 4 games: No fantasy relevance as a clipboard-holding backup unless Herbert is sidelined. Fantasy impact: None in standard 1-QB leagues — DJ Uiagalelei is QB3; only matters if Herbert is hurt
• Aidan O’Connell (LV, QB2 (backup to Kirk Cousins)) — QUESTIONABLE (a) personal matter, non-injury; Did Not Participate Thursday and is listed Questionable for Week 4 for a non-physical reason rather than an injury.
  Injury: N/A — non-injury personal absence, not a physical injury (since Week 4 (reported starting Thursday, Oct 1, 2026)). Typical recovery: N/A — not an injury. Expected back: Unclear; status is day-to-day pending resolution of the personal matter. Week 4 status: Questionable for Week 4 vs. Kansas City; does not affect the starting QB spot. Next 4 games: No material fantasy relevance — Kirk Cousins is the clear-cut starter and is healthy. Fantasy impact: None in a 1-QB league since starter Kirk Cousins is healthy and expected to play

Cleared / No Game-Status Designation (1)

Managing something, but carries no game-status designation and is expected to play.

• Jalon Daniels (TB, QB2, elevated to starter) — NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION (a) Healthy; elevated to starting quarterback for Week 4 because Baker Mayfield (thumb) is Out.
  Injury: N/A – not injured (since N/A). Typical recovery: N/A. Expected back: N/A (active). Week 4 status: Expected to start Week 4 vs. Green Bay. Next 4 games: Likely to remain the starter for as long as Mayfield is out (roughly through Week 6-7). Fantasy impact: First career start for a rookie QB behind a line and skill group adjusting to a new passer; treat TB pass-catchers with slightly lowered weekly expectations until proven

Sourcing: NFL.com official injury reports, team-issued injury reports, Ourlads depth charts, and beat-reporter coverage, as of Friday, October 2, 2026.

NFL Week 4 Fantasy Football Injury Report Friday QB first appeared on Game On Media.

Bottom Line Up Front at Quarterback

Quarterback took its worst hit of the season in Chicago, where Caleb Williams (hamstring) and his backup Tyson Bagent (concussion) both went down in the same Week 2 game, leaving 38-year-old Case Keenum to make his first start since 2023. Washington lost Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow and New York lost Jaxson Dart for the season, while two good-news stories closed out cleanly: Kyler Murray is fully cleared and Sam Darnold has reclaimed Seattle’s starting job outright.

Of the 25 quarterbacks on this board, 6 are out or doubtful, 2 carry a Questionable tag that decides itself on gameday, and 15 were listed at some point this week but finished it with no designation at all. 2 are still waiting on tags that do not file until Saturday.

Below is every fantasy-relevant quarterback across all 32 teams carrying an injury or an absence, with the final designation, what the injury actually is, how long that class of injury normally takes to heal, where each player sits on his team’s depth chart, and who stands to gain if he can’t go.

Who is on this report?

Jaxson Dart (NYG), Jayden Daniels (WAS), Graham Mertz (HOU), Skylar Thompson (BAL), Dillon Gabriel (CLE), Matthew Caldwell (LAR), Trey Lance (LAC), Aidan O’Connell (LV), Caleb Williams (CHI), Tyson Bagent (CHI), Jacoby Brissett (ARI), Cooper Rush (ATL), Michael Penix Jr. (ATL), Joe Burrow (CIN), Jared Goff (DET), Patrick Mahomes (KC), Malik Willis (MIA), Kyler Murray (MIN), Jameis Winston (NYG), Sam Darnold (SEA), Baker Mayfield (TB), Marcus Mariota (WAS), Tua Tagovailoa (ATL), Carson Wentz (MIN), Case Keenum (CHI)

What changed since Week 2

Across the 25 quarterbacks here: 6 are new to the report, 5 improved or cleared outright, 0 got worse, and 14 are carrying the same status they had a week ago. The pattern worth internalizing: the Week 2 designations that resolved upward mostly stayed resolved, and the new names on this list came off the field in Week 2’s games, not out of the training room.

Waiver wire: who gains if these names sit

• If Jaxson Dart (NYG) can’t go — Jameis Winston is the outright QB1 and has been confirmed as the Week 3 starter. Jake Haener (DEV) is the practice-squad emergency arm; the Giants have no third active quarterback.
• If Jayden Daniels (WAS) can’t go — Marcus Mariota is the confirmed Week 3 starter — he went 11-of-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown in relief on Sept 20. Athan Kaliakmanis (ACT) is the QB3 and Sam Hartman (DEV) is the practice-squad arm.
• If Skylar Thompson (BAL) can’t go — Tyler Huntley is the QB2 behind Lamar Jackson, with Joe Fagnano as QB3. Thompson’s absence has no practical effect on Baltimore’s game-day quarterback plan.
• If Dillon Gabriel (CLE) can’t go — Shedeur Sanders (QB2) is the backup to Deshaun Watson, with rookie Taylen Green as QB3. Gabriel’s absence has no practical effect on Cleveland’s game-day quarterback plan.
• If Trey Lance (LAC) can’t go — DJ Uiagalelei (QB3, DEV) would be elevated from the practice squad to serve as the game-day backup to Justin Herbert. Herbert (QB1, ACT) is unaffected and starts.
• If Aidan O’Connell (LV) can’t go — Fernando Mendoza (QB2) is already ahead of him and would be the one to replace Kirk Cousins, so O’Connell’s absence changes nothing about the Raiders’ quarterback plan. Kirk Cousins (QB1) is the starter.

How to read this report

These are final designations, not midweek practice notes, so they mean what they say. A few timing wrinkles apply this week:

• Green Bay and Atlanta have already played. The Falcons beat the Packers 35-14 on Thursday night, September 24. For those two clubs Week 3 is settled — what matters is who got hurt in the game and what it means from Week 4 on.
• The Eagles play at Chicago on Monday night, September 28, so Philadelphia does not file its final game-status report until Saturday. Any Eagles player listed here is Friday practice participation with the final designation still to come.
• A player listed with no designation is good news. Several names below appear on an official report with a blank game-status column — that is a club formally declining to tag them, which is stronger than never having been listed at all.

Reserve-list designations — injured reserve, PUP, the Commissioner’s Exempt List, suspension — are roster transactions and are settled regardless of the day. A player placed on in-season injured reserve must miss a minimum of four games.

Ruled out or unavailable (6)

Officially ruled out, or on a reserve list. Plan around these.

Jaxson Dart — NYG (Off the active depth chart — he was the unquestioned QB1 and franchise starter. Jameis Winston is now QB1 and Jake Haener (practice squad) is the only other arm in the building.)

• Status: RESERVE-INJURED — (c) a reserve-list roster status, which outranks the fact that the injury happened in a Week 2 game and outranks any weekly game-status tag. The Giants placed him on injured reserve Thursday Sept 24, 2026. He is therefore not on the FINAL Friday Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sept 27 game vs Tennessee as a game-status player; he carries the roster-list status instead.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate (Friday Sept 25). Full week: DNP Wed Sept 23 -> DNP Thu Sept 24 -> DNP Fri Sept 25. He was a non-participant all three days before the IR move was processed.
• Injury: Left knee — damage to the MCL, PCL and meniscus. The ACL is intact. Season-ending surgery.
• When it happened: Monday Sept 21, 2026, in the Week 2 loss at the Los Angeles Rams. Initial testing suggested an isolated MCL sprain; the follow-up MRI revealed the multi-ligament PCL and meniscus involvement.
• Typical recovery for this injury: A combined MCL + PCL + meniscus reconstruction is a 4-6 month rehabilitation, and head coach John Harbaugh has publicly cited that same 4-6 month window. Isolated MCL sprains run 2-8 weeks by grade, but multi-ligament knees with meniscal repair are a different class entirely and routinely cost a full season.
• Expected back to full health: Roughly late January to late March 2027 on the 4-6 month clock from a late-September surgery. Harbaugh has floated a postseason return if the Giants qualify, which would be a best-case January 2027 — treat that as aspirational, not a plan.
• Next game: OUT for Week 3, Sunday Sept 27, 2026 vs the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. He is on Reserve/Injured and ineligible.
• Next four weeks: Out for Weeks 3 (vs Tennessee), 4, 5 and 6 and for the remainder of the 2026 regular season. Jameis Winston is the starter for that entire stretch.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jameis Winston is the outright QB1 and has been confirmed as the Week 3 starter. Jake Haener (DEV) is the practice-squad emergency arm; the Giants have no third active quarterback.
• Change since Week 2: MAJOR change since Sept 18. He carried no designation whatsoever in the baseline and was the healthy starter. He tore up his knee in the Sept 21 Monday-night game at the Rams, was DNP all three Week 3 practices, and was placed on injured reserve Sept 24, 2026, ending his regular season.

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him in every 12-team full-PPR redraft league — there is no realistic in-season return. The actionable fallout is downstream: every Giants pass-catcher takes a hit, and Jameis Winston becomes a high-variance two-QB/superflex streamer, not a redraft starter in standard formats.

Jayden Daniels — WAS (QB1 on the depth chart — the franchise starter and the offense’s leading rusher. With him out, Marcus Mariota starts and Athan Kaliakmanis is the active backup.)

• Status: OUT — (a) a FINAL Friday game-status designation filed by Washington on the Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sept 27 game vs the Seattle Seahawks. He appears in the club’s OUT block alongside G Sam Cosmi, S Nick Cross, LB Frankie Luvu and TE Chig Okonkwo. He is NOT on injured reserve — nfl.com still lists him ACT on Washington’s official roster as of Fri Sept 25, 2026, which preserves a week-to-week return.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate (Friday Sept 25). Full week: DNP Wed Sept 23 -> DNP Thu Sept 24 -> DNP Fri Sept 25. He did not practice in any capacity and spent the week consulting specialists.
• Injury: Dislocated left elbow (non-throwing arm). Imaging showed no fracture, which the club treated as the meaningful positive. No surgery is planned at this stage.
• When it happened: Sunday Sept 20, 2026, on the final play of the first half in the Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He stumbled after taking a snap under center, braced with his left arm, was attended to on the field, carted to the locker room and ruled out for the second half.
• Typical recovery for this injury: A simple elbow dislocation with no fracture and no surgery typically costs an NFL quarterback 3-6 weeks, and because it is his non-throwing arm the throwing mechanics are not the limiting factor — ball security, taking snaps under center and contact tolerance are. A recurrent dislocation in the same joint, which this is, often carries a slightly longer and more cautious return than a first-time event because of residual ligamentous laxity.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late October 2026 — roughly Weeks 6-8 — on a 3-6 week clock from a Sept 20 dislocation. There is a meaningful complication: Washington travels to London for Week 4, and clubs are typically conservative about activating a player mid-international-trip. The prior-season version of this same injury cost him three games.
• Next game: OUT for Week 3, Sunday Sept 27, 2026 vs the Seattle Seahawks at home. This is a final, filed designation, not a projection.
• Next four weeks: Out Week 3 (vs Seattle) and very likely Week 4 (the London game). Weeks 5 and 6 are the realistic return window, with Week 6 the safer bet given the recurrence and the travel. Head coach Dan Quinn has said there is no timetable, so expect week-to-week updates rather than a firm date.
• Who benefits if he sits: Marcus Mariota is the confirmed Week 3 starter — he went 11-of-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown in relief on Sept 20. Athan Kaliakmanis (ACT) is the QB3 and Sam Hartman (DEV) is the practice-squad arm.
• Change since Week 2: MAJOR change since Sept 18. He does not appear in the Sept 18 baseline at all — he was the healthy starter. He dislocated his left elbow in the Sept 20 Week 2 loss to Dallas, was DNP all three Week 3 practices, saw specialists during the week, and is now formally ruled OUT on Washington’s final Friday Sept 25 report. Marcus Mariota takes over.

Fantasy takeaway: Bench him and do NOT drop him in 12-team full-PPR — he is a top-tier fantasy quarterback with a 3-6 week absence, and the roster spot or IR slot is worth holding for a Week 5-6 return. Stream at quarterback for two to three weeks. The downstream damage is real: Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs and the entire Washington passing game lose their rushing-threat gravity, and Washington’s implied team total drops accordingly.

Graham Mertz — HOU (QB3 (was competing for backup reps) — season-ending reserve)

• Status: RESERVE-INJURED — (c) reserve/roster-list status. Carried on nfl.com as status code RES, season-ending.
• Practice this week: Not applicable (Friday Sept 25) — season-ending injured reserve.
• Injury: Torn ACL
• When it happened: Suffered in the preseason, prior to the 2026 regular season
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstructions typically require 9-12 months
• Expected back to full health: Not expected back in 2026
• Next game: OUT for the remainder of the 2026 season
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: OUT for all — season-ending; no fantasy relevance as a QB3
• Who benefits if he sits: N/A — Davis Mills remains the No. 2 quarterback behind C.J. Stroud
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy impact; irrelevant outside of deepest dynasty leagues

Skylar Thompson — BAL (QB4 / reserve emergency arm — behind Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley and Joe Fagnano; not on the active game-day depth chart)

• Status: RESERVE-INJURED — (c) official reserve-list status, status code RES on the nfl.com Ravens roster as of Sept 25, 2026. He was placed on IR without a return designation, so this reserve-list status OUTRANKS any in-season injury-report consideration and ends his 2026 availability barring an injury settlement or release-and-resign.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate — ineligible to practice while on Reserve/Injured without a return designation. He has no Wed Sept 23, Thu Sept 24 or Fri Sept 25 participation and appears on no Baltimore practice report.
• Injury: Undisclosed — the Ravens did not announce the nature of the injury at the time of the IR placement
• When it happened: Placed on injured reserve on August 12, 2026, during training camp. The specific injury date and diagnosis were never made public by the club.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not assessable — the injury was never disclosed. Placement on IR without a return designation before final cuts conventionally signals a season-ending or long-horizon issue rather than a short-term one.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown and not reportable. He is out for the 2026 season absent an injury settlement; any return to football would be 2027 at the earliest.
• Next game: OUT — ineligible to play in Week 3 at the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Sept 27, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, and ineligible for the remainder of the 2026 season as an IR placement without a return designation.
• Next four weeks: Out for Weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the balance of the season. There is no activation path.
• Who benefits if he sits: Tyler Huntley is the QB2 behind Lamar Jackson, with Joe Fagnano as QB3. Thompson’s absence has no practical effect on Baltimore’s game-day quarterback plan.
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18. Still on Reserve/Injured without a return designation, status code RES.

Fantasy takeaway: No 12-team full-PPR relevance in any format. Not rosterable. The only Baltimore QB worth any fantasy consideration is Lamar Jackson; Tyler Huntley is a bye-week streamer only in the event of a Jackson absence.

Dillon Gabriel — CLE (QB4 on the roster while on the reserve list — would slot behind Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Taylen Green on return; not on the active game-day depth chart)

• Status: RESERVE-INJURED — (c) official reserve-list status, DESIGNATED TO RETURN. Status code RSR on the nfl.com Browns roster as of Sept 25, 2026. This reserve-list status OUTRANKS any injury-report consideration: he cannot practice or play until Cleveland opens his 21-day activation window, so no weekly game-status designation applies.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate — ineligible to practice until his 21-day activation window is opened. No Wed Sept 23, Thu Sept 24 or Fri Sept 25 participation exists and he appears on no Cleveland practice report.
• Injury: Back injury (the Browns did not specify the exact diagnosis)
• When it happened: Sustained in training camp / the preseason window in August 2026. Cleveland placed him on injured reserve on August 30, 2026 when setting the initial 53-man roster, keeping three quarterbacks active and making rookie Taylen Green the No. 3.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Back injuries in quarterbacks vary enormously by diagnosis. A lumbar strain runs 2-4 weeks; a disc-related issue runs 6-12 weeks or longer; a stress-reaction runs 8-12 weeks. Because Cleveland placed him on IR at initial-53 rather than carrying him, the four-game minimum applied from Week 1 and the club signaled a multi-week rather than a short-term horizon.
• Expected back to full health: His practice window is already eligible to be opened, having passed the four-game threshold. A realistic full-clearance window is Week 4 through Week 8 (early October to late October 2026), entirely at Cleveland’s discretion — and with three healthy QBs ahead of him there is no urgency.
• Next game: OUT — ineligible to play in Week 3 vs. the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Sept 27, 2026 at Huntington Bank Field. His practice window has not been opened.
• Next four weeks: Out for Week 3 with certainty. Weeks 4-6 are plausible activation windows on paper, but Cleveland has Deshaun Watson starting, Shedeur Sanders as QB2 and Taylen Green as QB3 — there is no roster pressure to activate him, and he may well remain on the reserve list through this entire stretch.
• Who benefits if he sits: Shedeur Sanders (QB2) is the backup to Deshaun Watson, with rookie Taylen Green as QB3. Gabriel’s absence has no practical effect on Cleveland’s game-day quarterback plan.
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18. Still on Reserve/Injured with a return designation, status code RSR, practice window not yet opened.

Fantasy takeaway: No 12-team full-PPR relevance. Not rosterable in redraft. He is a fourth quarterback on the reserve list with three healthy arms ahead of him. Even a Watson injury would elevate Shedeur Sanders, not Gabriel. Dynasty-only interest.

Matthew Caldwell — LAR (Reserve — QB4/practice depth)

• Status: RESERVE-INJURED — (c) reserve/roster-list status. Carried as RES (Reserve/Injured) on the official nfl.com Rams roster as of Sept 25, 2026.
• Practice this week: Not applicable — he is on the reserve list and ineligible to practice or play.
• Injury: Undisclosed injury carried from training camp
• When it happened: Training camp 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Undisclosed
• Expected back to full health: Unknown; no timetable disclosed
• Next game: OUT for Sunday Sept 27 vs. Denver
• Next four weeks: Out Weeks 3-6 with no disclosed timetable
• Who benefits if he sits: N/A — deep QB depth with no fantasy relevance
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18 — remains on Reserve/Injured.

Fantasy takeaway: Irrelevant for fantasy purposes

Questionable — game-time calls (2)

The genuine coin flips. Watch the inactives list, which posts about 90 minutes before kickoff, and have a replacement ready.

Trey Lance — LAC (QB2 — the direct backup to Justin Herbert and the only other quarterback on the active roster. DJ Uiagalelei is on the practice squad.)

• Status: QUESTIONABLE — (a) FINAL Friday game-status designation filed by Los Angeles on the Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sunday Sept 27, 1:00 p.m. ET game at the Buffalo Bills. He was ADDED to the injury report on Friday, having not appeared on it Wednesday or Thursday.
• Practice this week: Limited (Friday Sept 25) — the club has not published a participation level for him beyond the fact that he was newly added on Friday, and a same-day addition with a Questionable tag is conventionally logged as limited. Full week: not on the report Wed Sept 23 -> not on the report Thu Sept 24 -> added Fri Sept 25.
• Injury: Undisclosed by the club. Los Angeles added him to the Friday report without naming a body part publicly.
• When it happened: The issue surfaced on Friday Sept 25, 2026 — it did not exist on the Wednesday or Thursday reports, so it arose in or just before the Friday session.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not estimable without a named diagnosis. As a general matter, a Friday-only addition with a Questionable tag most often reflects a minor, same-week issue that resolves within one to two weeks.
• Expected back to full health: Most likely within one to two weeks — early October 2026, Week 4 or Week 5 — though without a named injury this is an inference from the pattern rather than a medical projection.
• Next game: GENUINE TOSS-UP for the backup role in the Sunday Sept 27, 1:00 p.m. ET game at the Buffalo Bills. The practical consequence is that the Chargers may have to elevate DJ Uiagalelei from the practice squad to dress a second quarterback. Justin Herbert’s status is entirely unaffected — Herbert is not on the report at all.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: relevant only as emergency insurance behind Justin Herbert. He is not projected for snaps in any of these games absent a Herbert injury. Expect the designation to clear within a week or two.
• Who benefits if he sits: DJ Uiagalelei (QB3, DEV) would be elevated from the practice squad to serve as the game-day backup to Justin Herbert. Herbert (QB1, ACT) is unaffected and starts.
• Change since Week 2: NEW TO THIS REPORT. He does not appear on the Sept 18 baseline and was not on the Chargers’ Wednesday or Thursday Week 3 reports either — he was added on Friday Sept 25, 2026.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable in a 12-team full-PPR redraft. Zero direct action. The only reason to note it at all: if you roster Justin Herbert, a thin quarterback room marginally raises the cost of any Herbert injury, since the Chargers would be turning to a compromised Lance or an unelevated practice-squad arm.

Aidan O’Connell — LV (QB3 — third on Ourlads behind Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza. He is the emergency quarterback, not a projected snap-taker.)

• Status: QUESTIONABLE — (a) FINAL Friday game-status designation filed by Las Vegas on the Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sunday Sept 27, 4:25 p.m. ET game at the New Orleans Saints. Important caveat: this is filed as a NON-INJURY/personal matter, not a medical issue.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate (Friday Sept 25). Full week: DNP Wed Sept 23 -> DNP Thu Sept 24 -> DNP Fri Sept 25. All three absences are logged against the personal designation, not an injury.
• Injury: None — this is expressly NOT an injury. The Raiders filed it as a personal matter. There is no medical condition being reported and no body part is listed.
• When it happened: Not applicable — no injury exists. The personal designation first appeared on the Raiders’ report in mid-September 2026 and has carried into Week 3.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not applicable — there is nothing to recover from. Personal-matter absences resolve on the player’s own timeline and the league does not require the club to disclose anything further.
• Expected back to full health: He is healthy now. There is no health timeline to project. Availability is a personal-availability question, not a medical one.
• Next game: Likely INACTIVE as QB3 regardless of the designation, for the Sunday Sept 27, 4:25 p.m. ET game at the New Orleans Saints. Even fully available he would almost certainly be a healthy scratch behind Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. The Questionable tag carries essentially no fantasy consequence.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: no projected snaps under any normal circumstance. He would only matter if both Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza went down in the same stretch, which is a remote scenario.
• Who benefits if he sits: Fernando Mendoza (QB2) is already ahead of him and would be the one to replace Kirk Cousins, so O’Connell’s absence changes nothing about the Raiders’ quarterback plan. Kirk Cousins (QB1) is the starter.
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18 in substance. Same QUESTIONABLE tag, same non-injury personal designation, and now a full three-day DNP week rather than a partial. Still QB3 with no projected role.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable in a 12-team full-PPR redraft. Zero action. Tracked here only because he carries a filed Friday game-status designation and a downstream parser needs the tag.

Final tag still pending (2)

The Monday night teams file a day later than everyone else. Real situations, final tag still to come.

Caleb Williams — CHI (QB1 — the franchise starter and every-down passer on the published chart, but NOT the Week 3 starter)

• Status: OUT — (b) practice-report only. Chicago plays Philadelphia on Monday night, Sept 28, 2026, so the club’s final game-status report is not due until Saturday Sept 26 and no final tag exists yet. Head coach Ben Johnson has called Williams ‘week to week’ and has technically stopped short of a formal ruling, but Chicago named Case Keenum the Week 3 starter on Friday Sept 25, which is a de facto ruling-out.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate (Friday Sept 25). Full week: DNP Wed Sept 23 -> DNP Thu Sept 24 (Chicago did not hold a true practice Thursday; the report was an estimation) -> DNP Fri Sept 25. Johnson said before the week began that he did not expect Williams to practice at all.
• Injury: Hamstring strain
• When it happened: Midway through the fourth quarter of Chicago’s 9-3 Week 2 loss to Minnesota at Soldier Field on Sunday Sept 20, 2026. He pulled up scrambling around left end on a first-and-goal play from the 6-yard line and did not return; Tyson Bagent relieved him.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Hamstring strains are graded I-III. Grade I (minor fiber disruption) typically costs 1-2 weeks; Grade II (partial tear) commonly 3-6 weeks; Grade III (full-thickness tear/avulsion) 8-12+ weeks and often surgical. For a mobile quarterback whose game leans on scrambling, clubs routinely add a week beyond the pure tissue timeline because re-injury rates on hamstrings are among the highest of any soft-tissue injury (roughly 1-in-3 within the same season when a player returns early). Chicago’s ‘week to week’ language plus a full week of DNPs points to the low end of Grade II.
• Expected back to full health: Realistic return window is Week 5 (Sunday Oct 11, 2026) to Week 6, i.e. roughly Oct 8-18, 2026. A Week 4 return on Oct 4 is possible but would require him to practice in some capacity by Wed Sept 30, which nothing this week suggests.
• Next game: Will not play in Week 3 vs the Philadelphia Eagles, Monday Sept 28, 2026 at Soldier Field. Case Keenum will start.
• Next four weeks: Week 3 (Mon Sept 28 vs Philadelphia): out. Week 4 (Sun Oct 4 vs the New York Jets): genuinely in doubt, lean out unless he practices in full pads by the middle of that week. Week 5 (division game vs Green Bay): the most likely return spot. Week 6: should be back and unrestricted, though Chicago may keep him out of designed-run concepts for a game or two after the return.
• Who benefits if he sits: Case Keenum (QB3 on the published chart) is the Week 3 starter — the Bears’ only healthy quarterback, with Tyson Bagent (QB2) in concussion protocol. Miller Moss (DEV) is the practice-squad emergency option. On the skill side the beneficiary is the run game: D’Andre Swift (RB1) and Kyle Monangai (RB2) should see a heavier script.
• Change since Week 2: Major change. Williams carried NO injury entry at all on Chicago’s Sept 18 baseline report and started Week 2. The hamstring is brand new, suffered in that Week 2 game, and he is now effectively ruled out for Week 3.

Fantasy takeaway: Bench him and hold. In a 12-team full-PPR redraft league Williams is a stash, not a drop — his rest-of-season ceiling is intact and the hamstring is not a season-altering injury. If you are thin at QB, stream around him for two to three weeks rather than cutting a top-12 upside starter. The downstream trade is that Chicago’s pass-catchers all lose value: fade Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland as anything better than flex-with-risk while Keenum is under center.

Tyson Bagent — CHI (QB2 — primary backup, the man who would ordinarily start with Caleb Williams down)

• Status: OUT — (b) practice-report only. Chicago’s Monday Sept 28 kickoff means the final game-status report is not due until Saturday Sept 26 and no final tag exists yet. Chicago’s decision on Friday Sept 25 to proceed with Case Keenum as the starter treats Bagent as unavailable, and he remains in the NFL concussion protocol, which is a medical clearance gate the club does not control.
• Practice this week: Did Not Participate (Friday Sept 25). Full week: DNP Wed Sept 23 -> DNP Thu Sept 24 -> DNP Fri Sept 25. He was physically in the building at Halas Hall on Friday but did not take part in practice.
• Injury: Concussion (head)
• When it happened: Sunday Sept 20, 2026, during Chicago’s Week 2 loss to Minnesota, after he entered the game in the fourth quarter to replace the injured Caleb Williams.
• Typical recovery for this injury: NFL concussions run through a mandatory five-step return-to-participation protocol (symptom-limited activity, aerobic exercise, football-specific exercise, club-based non-contact drills, full football activity) with independent neurological consultant sign-off before clearance. Median missed time is roughly 8-12 days; the modal outcome is one missed game. Players who have not reached the non-contact-drill step by Friday of a game week almost never clear in time, and Bagent has not practiced at all.
• Expected back to full health: Most likely cleared during the Week 4 practice week, i.e. available Sunday Oct 4, 2026 (Week 4) vs the New York Jets. Concussion timelines are not predictable, so a slip to Week 5 cannot be ruled out.
• Next game: Will not play in Week 3 vs the Philadelphia Eagles, Monday Sept 28, 2026. The club is publicly ‘hopeful’ but has already moved forward with Keenum.
• Next four weeks: Week 3 (Mon Sept 28 vs Philadelphia): out. Week 4 (Sun Oct 4 vs the New York Jets): likely cleared, and if Caleb Williams is still down Bagent would take the start back from Keenum. Weeks 5-6: back to the bench once Williams returns.
• Who benefits if he sits: Case Keenum (QB3) starts in his place. Miller Moss (DEV) is the practice-squad emergency arm and would be the elevation candidate if Chicago wants a second body active.
• Change since Week 2: New to this report. Bagent’s Sept 18 baseline entry was a RESOLVED back issue with no designation; this is an entirely different, brand-new injury suffered in the Week 2 game.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable in a 12-team league. He matters only as the signal that Chicago’s Week 3 offense is being run by a 38-year-old QB3 — which is the reason to downgrade every Bears pass-catcher. If you are in a deep 2QB or superflex format, Bagent is the better Week 4 speculative add than Keenum, because he is the one who takes the job back if Williams is still out.

Cleared — listed this week but carrying no designation (15)

The good news. Every player here carried an injury or a listing at some point this week and finished it without a designation.

Jacoby Brissett — ARI (QB1 — starter)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (a) he appears on Arizona’s FINAL official Friday report of Sept 25, 2026 for the Sept 27 game vs. San Francisco with a hip entry, but carries no Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25.
• Injury: Hip (minor, maintenance-level)
• When it happened: Not specified by the club; first appeared on the Week 3 practice report Sept 23, 2026, not carried over from Week 2
• Typical recovery for this injury: A hip entry with full practice participation all three days is typically minor soreness/maintenance, not a structural injury; these resolve in days, not weeks
• Expected back to full health: Already effectively full health; expect him off the report entirely within 1-2 weeks (by Week 4-5, early-mid October 2026)
• Next game: Expected to start and play a full workload Sunday Sept 27 vs. San Francisco with no restrictions
• Next four weeks: No expected missed time Weeks 3-6 (vs. SF Sept 27, then Weeks 4-6 opponents per schedule); monitor Friday reports but no red flags
• Who benefits if he sits: N/A — full participant all week and expected to start; if he were ever out, Gardner Minshew is next in line at QB2
• Change since Week 2: New to the report. He was not listed at all on Arizona’s Sept 18 baseline injury report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy impact; start Brissett/Cardinals passing-game pieces with confidence, this is a full-go, no-tag entry

Cooper Rush — ATL (QB3 – demoted from starter to third string)

• Status: RESOLVED – (a) he does not appear anywhere on Atlanta’s FINAL Week 3 official injury report (filed Wednesday Sept 23, 2026 for the Thursday Sept 24 game at Green Bay). The back issue that put him on the Week 2 practice report is gone from the paperwork entirely. His demotion is a performance decision, not an injury one.
• Practice this week: Full and unlisted (final report, Wednesday Sept 23). Full week: not listed Mon Sept 21 -> not listed Wed Sept 23. He carried no practice limitation at any point in the Week 3 preparation cycle.
• Injury: Back (now resolved)
• When it happened: Appeared on Atlanta’s Week 2 practice report during the week of Sept 15-18, 2026. The club never specified a mechanism and he was never given a game-status tag for it.
• Typical recovery for this injury: A non-specific back/lumbar issue that never produces a game-status designation typically resolves in under one week and is usually maintenance rather than a true injury. Rush’s resolved in exactly that window.
• Expected back to full health: Already fully healthy as of Sept 23, 2026 (Week 3). No lingering restriction.
• Next game: Week 3 is complete. He was healthy and available at Green Bay on Thursday Sept 24, 2026 as the third quarterback and did not play. For Week 4 at New Orleans on Monday Oct 5, 2026 he is healthy and third on the depth chart.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: no path to snaps barring injuries to both Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa. Week 3 at Green Bay (done), Week 4 at New Orleans, Week 5 vs Baltimore, Week 6 vs Chicago. He is a candidate to be released or traded if Atlanta needs a roster spot, since carrying four QBs is unusual past September.
• Who benefits if he sits: N/A – he is himself the third-string emergency option. If he were unavailable, rookie UDFA Jack Strand (QB4) is the only arm behind him.
• Change since Week 2: CHANGED since Sept 18. The back issue is resolved and off the report, but he went from starting quarterback to third string: he was pulled in the third quarter of the Week 2 loss to Carolina after three turnovers, replaced in-game by rookie Jack Strand, and then passed by both Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa on the Week 3 depth chart.

Fantasy takeaway: Zero fantasy value in any format. If you streamed him during his two-start run in Weeks 1-2, drop him now – he was benched in the third quarter of Week 2 against Carolina after a fumble and two interceptions, and Penix has the job.

Michael Penix Jr. — ATL (QB1 – named the starter and took every meaningful snap in Week 3)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION – (a) FINAL official designation filed by Atlanta on its Week 3 report for the Thursday Sept 24, 2026 road game at Green Bay. Because Atlanta played on Thursday of a short week, the club’s FINAL report was filed Wednesday Sept 23, 2026 rather than Friday. Penix appeared on that final report listed with ‘Knee’ but carried a BLANK Game Status column – a full upgrade from the OUT tag he carried on the Sept 18 report. This is a resolution, not a pending question: he started and finished the game.
• Practice this week: Full (final report, Wednesday Sept 23). Full week (short week): Full Mon Sept 21 -> (no Tue/Thu practice reports on a Thursday-game week) -> Full Wed Sept 23. Atlanta held a walkthrough Monday and Wednesday, so participation on those days is an estimation per the club’s own note.
• Injury: Left knee – continuing rehabilitation from reconstructive ACL surgery following the tear suffered in November 2025
• When it happened: Original injury November 2025; reconstructive surgery followed, ending his 2025 season. He was OUT for Weeks 1 and 2 of 2026 and cleared to start in Week 3.
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction in an NFL quarterback typically requires 9-12 months before return to game action, with most QBs cleared between 10 and 12 months and full pre-injury explosiveness often not returning until 14-18 months. Penix returned at roughly the 10-month mark, which is the aggressive but increasingly common end of that band.
• Expected back to full health: Already game-cleared as of Sept 24, 2026 (Week 3). Expect the final increment of mobility and off-platform arm strength to arrive over Weeks 5-9, roughly late October into November 2026 – the 12-14 month post-op window.
• Next game: Week 3 is complete. He STARTED the Thursday Sept 24, 2026 game at Green Bay and played the full game in Atlanta’s 35-14 win, throwing an interception on his third pass before settling in. For Week 4 he is the unquestioned starter at New Orleans on Monday Oct 5, 2026 (Monday Night Football).
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: Week 3 at Green Bay (done, 35-14 win). Week 4 at New Orleans (Mon Oct 5, MNF) – a divisional road game against a Saints defense that just beat Baltimore. Week 5 home vs Baltimore – the hardest matchup of the stretch. Week 6 home vs Chicago (Oct 18) – the most inviting. Expect the coaching staff to keep leaning on Bijan Robinson and a play-action-heavy script while Penix rebuilds timing, which caps his ceiling but also his risk of a blow-up bad game.
• Who benefits if he sits: Tua Tagovailoa (QB2) would take over immediately – he dressed as the backup Thursday with no game-status designation of his own. Cooper Rush (QB3) is now third after being benched in Week 2, and rookie UDFA Jack Strand (QB4) is the emergency arm.
• Change since Week 2: MAJOR CHANGE since Sept 18. He was OUT on the Week 2 final report; he is now off designations entirely, was publicly named the Week 3 starter on Sept 21, and started and won at Green Bay on Sept 24. The Atlanta QB question from last week’s report is fully resolved.

Fantasy takeaway: In a 12-team full-PPR 1-QB league Penix is a streamer-plus, not a set-and-forget QB1. The Week 3 debut was a win but the passing volume was modest in a game Bijan Robinson dominated on the ground. Roster him if you are in a QB committee; start him in Week 6 vs Chicago before you start him in Week 5 vs Baltimore. His real fantasy value is what he does for Drake London, whose target quality should climb now that the QB1 is back.

Joe Burrow — CIN (QB1 — unquestioned starter, ahead of Joe Flacco)

• Status: RESOLVED — (a) FINAL Friday outcome confirming the issue is closed. Burrow appears NOWHERE on Cincinnati’s FINAL Sept 25, 2026 official Week 3 injury report for the Sept 27 game at Pittsburgh. He carries no practice designation and no game-status tag of any kind. ANSWERING THE OPEN THREAD: he was Questionable for Week 2, he PLAYED in the Week 2 win over the Houston Texans on Sept 20, and he has now been fully cleared for Week 3.
• Practice this week: Full and unlisted (Friday Sept 25). Full week: full and unlisted Wed Sept 23 -> full and unlisted Thu Sept 24 -> full and unlisted Fri Sept 25. He was never placed on the Week 3 injury report. Zac Taylor did note on Wednesday Sept 23 that Burrow was ‘sore’ and would be monitored, and beat reporter Paul Dehner Jr. observed him throwing and stretching at that practice — but the soreness never rose to a reportable designation and he was off the report the entire week.
• Injury: Back tightness / low-grade back strain — now fully resolved. Residual general soreness was noted Wednesday but produced no injury-report listing.
• When it happened: Originated after the Week 1 game (Sept 13, 2026) as back tightness, which carried him into Week 2 as Questionable. He insisted on playing and was upgraded to active for the Sept 20 game at Houston, which Cincinnati won. The issue has not recurred at a reportable level.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Back tightness / low-grade lumbar strain in a quarterback: 3-14 days with conservative management and no missed time in most cases. Grade 2 lumbar strains run 2-4 weeks. Burrow’s resolved on the fast end with zero missed games, which confirms it was mechanical tightness rather than a structural strain.
• Expected back to full health: Already fully healthy as of Week 3 (week of Sept 21-27, 2026). No restriction, no maintenance designation, no snap management.
• Next game: FULL GO, no designation, for Week 3 at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Sept 27, 2026, 1:00 PM ET. He will start and play a full complement of snaps.
• Next four weeks: Healthy and starting through Weeks 3-6 barring new injury. The one thing that changes his supporting cast across that window is Andrei Iosivas’ IR stint, which removes his WR3 through Week 6 and concentrates target share further into Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Mike Gesicki. Cincinnati enters Week 3 at 2-0 with a healthy starting defensive front, which should keep game scripts favorable.
• Who benefits if he sits: Joe Flacco (QB2) would start. Flacco was acquired from Cleveland and is a capable veteran bridge, but the offense would take a meaningful downgrade in both ceiling and rushing value. Sean Clifford and Josh Johnson are practice-squad emergency arms.
• Change since Week 2: MAJOR UPGRADE from the Sept 18 baseline. Last week he was QUESTIONABLE with back tightness after a Limited Wed -> Limited Thu -> Full Fri practice week. He played in the Week 2 win at Houston, and he is now completely off the injury report with no designation — a full resolution of the division’s biggest open thread from last week.

Fantasy takeaway: Start Burrow with full confidence in 12-team full PPR as a top-five weekly QB1. The back issue is closed and he carries no designation for the first time this season. The Iosivas injury is actually a mild positive for his two elite pass-catchers’ target concentration. If you handcuffed Burrow with a second QB during the Week 2 scare, you can safely drop that QB now and use the roster spot elsewhere.

Jared Goff — DET (QB1 — every-down starter)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (a) FINAL Friday designation position confirmed by the absence of any entry for Goff on Detroit’s FINAL Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sunday Sept 27 game vs the New York Jets. Detroit listed exactly two players in its final game-status filing, G Ben Bartch (foot) and S Thomas Harper (ankle), both Out. Goff is not among them.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25. He is unlisted on every day of Detroit’s Week 3 participation report.
• Injury: None active.
• When it happened: N/A — no current injury. Goff has not appeared on a Detroit injury report at any point in the 2026 regular season.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A — nothing to recover from.
• Expected back to full health: Fully healthy now, as of Sept 25, 2026.
• Next game: Will start and play unrestricted in Week 3 vs the New York Jets, Sunday Sept 27, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
• Next four weeks: Week 3 (Sun Sept 27 vs the New York Jets), Week 4 (Sun Oct 4 at Carolina, Sunday night), and Weeks 5-6: no injury concern. Detroit’s offensive line is close to whole this week with Christian Mahogany back at left guard and rookie RT Blake Miller healthy, which further insulates him.
• Who benefits if he sits: Joshua Dobbs (QB2) is the active backup; Luke Altmyer (DEV) is the practice-squad emergency arm.
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18. He carried no designation on the Sept 18 baseline and carries none now.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him without hesitation as a back-end QB1 in 12-team full-PPR. A home game against the Jets with a healthy line is a favorable spot. No health caveat applies.

Patrick Mahomes — KC (QB1 — the every-snap starter. Justin Fields is QB2 behind him.)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (b) he appears on Kansas City’s Week 3 practice report with a knee listing but received NO final game-status tag on the Friday Sept 25, 2026 report for the Sunday Sept 27 game at the Miami Dolphins.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25. Three full practices — a pure maintenance listing.
• Injury: Left knee — a maintenance/monitoring listing tied to the torn ACL and LCL he suffered in the past. Kansas City has carried the listing all season as a matter of routine rather than because of any new event.
• When it happened: No new injury date. This is a legacy listing; the underlying ligament injury predates the 2026 season and the knee has been on the weekly report since Week 1 with no in-season aggravation reported.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not applicable in the usual sense — this is a recovered injury being monitored, not an active one. For reference, ACL reconstruction with LCL involvement is a 9-12 month return to play and 12-18 months to full pre-injury explosiveness; he is well past both windows and has practiced fully every day of Week 3.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health as of Friday Sept 25, 2026 for all practical purposes. The listing is administrative.
• Next game: PLAY, unrestricted. He starts the Sunday Sept 27, 1:00 p.m. ET game at the Miami Dolphins. Three full practices and no designation is as clean as an NFL report gets for a player who is technically listed.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: starting every game barring a new injury. The knee listing is expected to persist on the report as a maintenance entry without ever producing a game-status tag. No fantasy concern.
• Who benefits if he sits: Justin Fields (QB2, ACT) would start — a genuinely meaningful streaming option in his own right given his rushing floor. Garrett Nussmeier (QB3, ACT) is the third chair.
• Change since Week 2: No change since Sept 18. Same knee listing, same three full practices, same absence of a final game-status tag.

Fantasy takeaway: START HIM, no hesitation, in a 12-team full-PPR redraft. The knee entry is pure administrative noise and has been all year. If a nervous manager in your league will discount Mahomes over a report line that has produced three straight full practices, buy.

Malik Willis — MIA (QB1 — the Dolphins’ starting quarterback, ahead of Kyle McCord and Brady Cook)

• Status: RESOLVED — (a) he carries NO designation and NO injury listing of any kind on Miami’s FINAL Friday Sept 25, 2026 report for the Sunday Sept 27 game vs the Kansas City Chiefs. He is entirely off the report. The toe listing that appeared in Week 2 has been dropped.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25) and unlisted. Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25, unlisted on all three days.
• Injury: None currently. The resolved issue was a toe injury carried on Miami’s Week 2 reports (Miami never specified which foot, which toe, or a grade). He logged three full practices in Week 2 as well and played that game; the listing has now been removed entirely.
• When it happened: Early-to-mid September 2026 for the toe listing, which first appeared on Miami’s Week 2 practice reports. It never cost him a practice or a game.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Toe injuries range from a simple contusion or sprain (under a week) to turf toe, which is the class that matters for a quarterback — Grade I turf toe costs 1-2 weeks, Grade II 2-4 weeks, Grade III 6-10 weeks or surgery. Willis never missed a practice rep and the listing has now been dropped after roughly two weeks, which is consistent with a minor sprain or contusion, not turf toe. For a mobile quarterback a lingering toe issue would show up as reduced designed-run usage; there is no indication of that here.
• Expected back to full health: Fully healthy now, as of Sept 25, 2026. Off the report with no restrictions.
• Next game: STARTING, unrestricted. Week 3, Sunday Sept 27 vs the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium. No designation of any kind.
• Next four weeks: Week 3 (Sept 27) vs Kansas City and Weeks 4-6: fully healthy, no restrictions, holding the starting job. The risk to his fantasy value over this window is not health but supporting cast — Miami is 0-2, Caleb Douglas is out, Jaylen Wright is doubtful and Ryan Miller is questionable, so he is throwing to a thinned receiver room. Kyle McCord is the QB2 and a benching risk only if Miami’s record continues to deteriorate.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kyle McCord (QB2) would start. Brady Cook (QB3) would be the emergency option. Miami carries three active quarterbacks, so there is no elevation need.
• Change since Week 2: IMPROVED. On the Sept 18 baseline he carried a toe listing with NO game-status designation, logging full practices all week. The toe listing has now been REMOVED entirely from Miami’s Week 3 report — he is completely off it. Upgrade from listed-but-undesignated to fully clear.

Fantasy takeaway: Streaming-tier QB2 in 12-team full PPR, and fully startable from a health standpoint — the toe is a non-issue and off the report. The Week 3 case is game-script driven rather than injury driven: Miami at 0-2 hosting a 2-0 Kansas City team projects to trail, which means passing volume, and Willis adds rushing floor. His receiver room is depleted, which caps the ceiling. Start him only in superflex or two-QB formats, or as a desperation single-QB stream.

Kyler Murray — MIN (QB1 — reinstated as Minnesota’s starting quarterback for Week 3)

• Status: RESOLVED — (a) confirmed by the absence of any entry for Murray on Minnesota’s FINAL Friday Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sunday Sept 27 game at Tampa Bay. He has cleared the NFL concussion protocol, carries NO game-status designation, and has been named the starter. This fully resolves the open Week 2 thread on which he was ruled OUT.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25. He is unlisted on every day of Minnesota’s Week 3 participation report, a clean progression from the Limited/Limited/Limited week that preceded his Week 2 ruling.
• Injury: Concussion (head) — now cleared. He completed the NFL’s five-step return-to-participation protocol and received independent neurological consultant clearance.
• When it happened: Sunday Sept 6/7, 2026 — the season opener against Green Bay. Murray left that game on his 11th snap with a concussion and Carson Wentz relieved him, leading a comeback. Murray then missed Week 2 at Chicago.
• Typical recovery for this injury: NFL concussions run a median of roughly 8-12 days through the mandatory five-step protocol. Murray’s case tracked slightly longer than the median — he missed two games rather than one, which is the conservative end of a normal outcome and not a red flag. The residual risk is the well-documented elevated susceptibility to a subsequent concussion within the same season, which is a monitoring item rather than an availability one.
• Expected back to full health: Fully cleared and healthy now, as of Sept 25, 2026. No restriction applies for Week 3.
• Next game: Will START in Week 3 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday Sept 27, 2026, 3:05 p.m. CT / 4:05 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium. This is a confirmed start, not a hedge — Minnesota announced it.
• Next four weeks: Week 3 (Sun Sept 27 at Tampa Bay): starts. Week 4 (Sun Oct 4 vs Miami): starts. Weeks 5-6: starts, barring a new injury. The job is his again and Minnesota is 2-0; there is no lingering competition from Carson Wentz or J.J. McCarthy while Murray is healthy.
• Who benefits if he sits: Carson Wentz (QB2) would start again — he made his 100th career start in Week 2 at Chicago and won it. J.J. McCarthy (QB3) remains third on the depth chart and was passed over for Wentz in Week 2, which is the clearest signal available about Minnesota’s ordering. Max Brosmer (DEV) is the practice-squad arm.
• Change since Week 2: Complete reversal and resolution of the biggest open thread from Sept 18. On the baseline Murray was OUT with a concussion, practicing Limited all week, with Carson Wentz starting over J.J. McCarthy. He has since cleared protocol, practiced in full all three days, drawn no designation, and been named the Week 3 starter.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him as a low-end QB1 / high-end QB2 in 12-team full-PPR and activate him off your bench. The rushing floor that makes Murray a fantasy asset is intact, and Tampa Bay is 0-2 with two starting front-seven defenders unavailable (Rueben Bain Jr., groin; Josiah Trotter, shoulder), which is a favorable spot to re-enter. If you streamed a quarterback for two weeks, this is the week to go back. Drop Carson Wentz, who has no standalone value now.

Jameis Winston — NYG (QB1 — promoted to the outright starter and listed first on the Ourlads (09/23/2026) quarterback order with Jaxson Dart on IR.)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (a) he does not appear on the Giants’ FINAL Friday Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sept 27 game vs Tennessee. The Giants filed Jaxson Dart as Out and Brian Burns, Deonte Banks and Tyler Nubin as Questionable; Winston is on none of those lines.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: not on the injury report Wed Sept 23, Thu Sept 24 or Fri Sept 25, so no participation level is filed — he took the full starter’s rep allotment all three days.
• Injury: None. Healthy. He is on this report as a depth-chart consequence of the Dart injury, not as an injury case himself.
• When it happened: N/A — no injury. His promotion is a roster consequence of Jaxson Dart’s Sept 21, 2026 knee injury.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A — he is healthy and carries no injury that requires a recovery window.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health as of Fri Sept 25, 2026 (Week 3).
• Next game: ACTIVE and the confirmed starting quarterback for Week 3, Sunday Sept 27, 2026 vs the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. Rain and heavy winds are in the Sunday forecast, which may push the game plan toward the run.
• Next four weeks: The starter for Weeks 3-6 and the balance of the regular season, beginning with Tennessee. He relieved Dart in Week 2 and went 11-of-27 for 111 yards with an interception, which is the honest baseline for expectations.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jake Haener (DEV, practice squad) is the only other quarterback on the roster and would need an elevation. The Giants would very likely sign a veteran arm before that scenario.
• Change since Week 2: NEW to this report as a tracked name. In the Sept 18 baseline he was the QB2 behind a healthy Jaxson Dart. He is now the outright QB1 following Dart’s Sept 21 knee injury and Sept 24 IR placement.

Fantasy takeaway: A superflex/two-QB streamer only — not a 12-team full-PPR single-QB starter. His Week 2 relief line and a wind-and-rain forecast vs Tennessee argue against chasing the volume. The bigger takeaway is what he does to the players around him: downgrade Malik Nabers a half-tier and Cam Skattebo’s receiving work with him under center.

Sam Darnold — SEA (QB1 — reclaiming the starting job for Week 3)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (a) he appears on Seattle’s FINAL official Friday report of Sept 25, 2026 for the Sept 27 home game vs. Washington with a glute entry, but carries no Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag; officially ‘good to go.’
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Limited Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25.
• Injury: Glute / deep soft-tissue strain in the hip-buttock region
• When it happened: Prior to the Sept 18, 2026 Week 2 report; sidelined him for the entire Week 2 game at Arizona
• Typical recovery for this injury: Deep glute strains commonly cost 1-3 weeks; his progression from Limited to two straight Full practices supports a clean recovery
• Expected back to full health: Effectively at full health entering Week 3
• Next game: Set to start and play Sunday Sept 27 vs. Washington with no restrictions
• Next four weeks: Expected to remain the starter Weeks 3-6 barring a setback; Drew Lock reverts to the backup role
• Who benefits if he sits: Drew Lock is QB2 and would start if Darnold suffers any setback
• Change since Week 2: Changed since Sept 18: last week he was ruled OUT (glute/hip strain) with Drew Lock starting; this week he is fully cleared, carries no designation, and reclaims the starting quarterback job.

Fantasy takeaway: Streamable/QB2-caliber redraft option now that he’s fully cleared and retaking the starting job; monitor early-week reports for recurrence

Baker Mayfield — TB (QB1 – unquestioned starter)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION – (a) FINAL Friday status on Tampa Bay’s Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sunday Sept 27 home game against the Minnesota Vikings. He appears on the report listed with ‘Illness’ but carries a BLANK Game Status column after three consecutive full practices.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25. The illness never cost him a practice rep.
• Injury: Illness (non-orthopedic) – Tampa Bay has not specified the nature of it.
• When it happened: First appeared on Tampa Bay’s Wednesday Sept 23, 2026 injury report at the start of the Week 3 preparation cycle. He practiced fully that same day, so the illness was already mild when it was disclosed.
• Typical recovery for this injury: A common in-season illness costs an NFL player one to three days of practice and almost never a game. An illness that never produces a single missed or limited practice rep is at the trivial end of that range – the listing exists because NFL reporting rules require disclosure, not because availability was ever in doubt.
• Expected back to full health: Already effectively healthy as of Friday Sept 25, 2026 (Week 3). Expect him off the report entirely by Week 4.
• Next game: EXPECTED TO START, fully unrestricted, in the Week 3 home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Sept 27, 2026 (4:05 p.m. ET). No designation plus three full practices. There is no meaningful availability risk here.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: Week 3 vs Minnesota (Sept 27) – Minnesota’s pass rush is the main threat. Week 4 vs Green Bay (Sun Oct 4, 1:00 ET). Week 5 vs Dallas – a shootout profile and the best streaming week of the run. Week 6 vs Pittsburgh (Oct 18). All four at home. The illness will be gone within days; this is a favorable four-game stretch for a QB with a healthy receiver room.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jalon Daniels (QB2) would start – he is the only other quarterback on the active roster, with Easton Stick (DEV) on the practice squad. A Mayfield absence would be a significant downgrade for Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton alike.
• Change since Week 2: NEW TO THIS REPORT. He does not appear on the Sept 18 baseline injury list at all. He was added Wednesday Sept 23 with an illness, practiced fully on all three days, and drew no game-status designation.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him without hesitation as a QB1 in 12-team full-PPR. An illness that never cost a practice rep is not a reason to bench a starting quarterback. Do not let the report listing scare you off – and if a nervous manager in your league will sell a Tampa Bay pass-catcher cheap over this, buy.

Marcus Mariota — WAS (QB1 for Week 3 — elevated to the starting job with Jayden Daniels ruled out. He is QB2 on the standing depth chart, ahead of Athan Kaliakmanis.)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (a) he is entirely absent from Washington’s FINAL Friday Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sept 27 game vs Seattle. The club’s OUT block is Cosmi, Cross, Daniels, Luvu and Okonkwo, and the only Questionable is LB Leo Chenal; Mariota is on neither list.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: not on the injury report Wed Sept 23, Thu Sept 24 or Fri Sept 25, so no participation level is filed — he took the full starter’s reps all three days.
• Injury: None. The knee issue that briefly listed him earlier in September is fully resolved and never cost him a practice rep even when listed.
• When it happened: N/A for Week 3. The knee listing was an early-September item, closed before the Sept 18 baseline.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A — he is healthy and carries no injury that requires a recovery window.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health as of Fri Sept 25, 2026 (Week 3).
• Next game: ACTIVE and the confirmed starting quarterback for Week 3, Sunday Sept 27, 2026 vs the Seattle Seahawks at home. Washington is 0-2 and hosting the 2-0 defending Super Bowl champions.
• Next four weeks: The starter for Week 3 (vs Seattle) and Week 4 (the London game), with Weeks 5-6 depending on Jayden Daniels’ elbow. Assume two to three starts, possibly four.
• Who benefits if he sits: Athan Kaliakmanis (ACT) is the QB3 and would take over; Sam Hartman (DEV) is the practice-squad arm. Jayden Daniels is out but remains on the active roster rather than IR.
• Change since Week 2: CHANGED since Sept 18. The baseline had him RESOLVED and off the report as the backup. He is unchanged medically but is now the Week 3 STARTER following Jayden Daniels’ Sept 20 elbow dislocation and Friday Sept 25 OUT designation.

Fantasy takeaway: Not a 12-team full-PPR single-QB starter, and a marginal superflex option at best — the Week 3 matchup against the defending champion Seahawks is a bad one to debut in. His fantasy relevance is mostly indirect: he suppresses the ceiling for Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs but, unlike Daniels, does not vulture goal-line rushing scores, which is a small arrow up for Jacory Croskey-Merritt near the end zone.

Tua Tagovailoa — ATL (QB2 – active backup behind Penix Jr.)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION – (a) FINAL official designation filed by Atlanta on its Week 3 report for the Thursday Sept 24, 2026 road game at Green Bay (final report filed Wednesday Sept 23 because of the short week). He appears on that report listed with ‘Oblique’ but carries a BLANK Game Status column – an upgrade from the DOUBTFUL tag he carried on the Sept 18 report.
• Practice this week: Full (final report, Wednesday Sept 23). Full week (short week): Limited Mon Sept 21 -> Full Wed Sept 23. Monday and Wednesday were walkthroughs, so participation is an estimation per the club’s note.
• Injury: Oblique strain (left side)
• When it happened: Suffered late in Week 1 preparation, in the practice week leading into Atlanta’s Week 1 game in early September 2026. It cost him Weeks 1 and 2.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Oblique/abdominal strains in NFL throwers typically cost 2-4 weeks for a Grade 1, 4-6 weeks for a Grade 2, and 6-8-plus weeks for a Grade 3. Tua’s roughly three-week absence is consistent with a low-grade Grade 1-to-2 strain. Obliques are notorious for re-aggravation when a QB is asked to throw deep out-breaking routes on consecutive days.
• Expected back to full health: Functionally healthy now – he was cleared to dress Sept 24, 2026 (Week 3). Full unrestricted throwing volume is expected by Week 4-5, early-to-mid October 2026.
• Next game: Week 3 is complete. He was ACTIVE and available as the backup at Green Bay on Thursday Sept 24, 2026 and did not take a snap. For Week 4 at New Orleans on Monday Oct 5, 2026 he remains the QB2 with no designation expected.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: pure insurance. Week 3 at Green Bay (done, did not play). Week 4 at New Orleans (Mon Oct 5), Week 5 vs Baltimore, Week 6 vs Chicago. He only has standalone value if Penix’s knee backs up or Atlanta’s season goes sideways. Worth noting: NFL Network reported before Week 3 that Atlanta is NOT expected to move him via trade or release, so he stays the handcuff all four weeks.
• Who benefits if he sits: Cooper Rush (QB3) would slide into the backup role, with rookie Jack Strand (QB4) behind him. Nobody’s fantasy value changes if Tua is unavailable, since he is not playing.
• Change since Week 2: CHANGED since Sept 18. He was DOUBTFUL (oblique) with a DNP-DNP-DNP practice week; he is now a full practice participant with no designation and dressed as the active backup. The oblique is effectively behind him – but he lost the job to Penix while he was out.

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him in a 12-team 1-QB full-PPR redraft league. A healthy backup QB behind a healthy starter has zero standalone value in a 1-QB format. He is only a waiver add the moment Penix’s knee shows up on a practice report again – keep him on your watch list, not your bench.

Carson Wentz — MIN (QB2 — back to the backup role after two starts)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (a) Minnesota’s FINAL Friday Sept 25, 2026 official report for the Sunday Sept 27 game at Tampa Bay carries no entry for Wentz. He is healthy and available; his change is one of role, not health.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25. Unlisted on every day of the participation report.
• Injury: None. He is on this report because he was Minnesota’s starting quarterback for the past two weeks and has now been displaced, which is a fantasy-relevant roster event.
• When it happened: N/A — no injury. The relevant date is Sept 25, 2026, when Minnesota confirmed Kyler Murray had cleared protocol and would start Week 3.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A — no injury to recover from.
• Expected back to full health: Fully healthy now, as of Sept 25, 2026.
• Next game: Will be active but will NOT start in Week 3 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday Sept 27, 2026. Kyler Murray starts.
• Next four weeks: Weeks 3-6: backup duty, barring a new Murray injury. He relieved Murray in the Week 1 opener against Green Bay and led a comeback, then made his 100th career start in Week 2 at Chicago in wet conditions — Kevin O’Connell praised him for protecting the football. That body of work makes him the clear QB2 ahead of J.J. McCarthy if Murray goes down again, which matters given Murray’s concussion history.
• Who benefits if he sits: J.J. McCarthy (QB3) is next in line behind him; Max Brosmer (DEV) is the practice-squad arm.
• Change since Week 2: Significant role change. On the Sept 18 baseline Wentz was Minnesota’s Week 2 starter, explicitly ahead of J.J. McCarthy. Kyler Murray’s clearance has returned him to the bench.

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him in a 12-team full-PPR redraft league — he has zero standalone value as a backup. The one exception is a deep superflex or 2QB league, where he is a defensible stash specifically because Murray has already missed two games with a concussion this season and Wentz, not J.J. McCarthy, is the proven next man up.

Case Keenum — CHI (QB3 on the published chart — but the named Week 3 starting quarterback)

• Status: NO GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION — (b) practice-report only; Chicago’s Monday Sept 28 kickoff means no final tag exists yet for anyone on the roster. Keenum carries no injury entry on any day of Chicago’s Week 3 participation report and is fully healthy.
• Practice this week: Full (Friday Sept 25). Full week: Full Wed Sept 23 -> Full Thu Sept 24 -> Full Fri Sept 25. He is not listed on any day of the participation report; he took the first-team reps this week.
• Injury: None. He is healthy — he is on this report because a depth-chart emergency has made him a starting NFL quarterback.
• When it happened: N/A — no injury. He was elevated to the starting job by attrition on Friday Sept 25, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A — no injury to recover from. The relevant risk is not medical but situational: he is 38 years old and, by Chicago beat reporting, has not thrown a regular-season NFL pass since 2023, so there is real rust and real risk he is pulled if the game gets away.
• Expected back to full health: Healthy now, as of Sept 25, 2026. No return date applies.
• Next game: Will start in Week 3 vs the Philadelphia Eagles, Monday Sept 28, 2026 at Soldier Field.
• Next four weeks: Week 3 (Mon Sept 28 vs Philadelphia): starts. Week 4 (Sun Oct 4 vs the New York Jets): likely back to the bench if Tyson Bagent clears concussion protocol, which is the expectation. Weeks 5-6: QB3 again once Caleb Williams returns. His window as a starter is probably one game, two at the outside.
• Who benefits if he sits: Miller Moss (DEV) would be the emergency elevation from the practice squad — Chicago has no other healthy quarterback on the active roster. In a true in-game emergency, beat reporting notes TE Cole Kmet, WR Rome Odunze and RB Roschon Johnson all have throwing backgrounds.
• Change since Week 2: New to this report. Keenum was the healthy, unlisted QB2/QB3 on the Sept 18 baseline with no story attached; he is now Chicago’s Week 3 starting quarterback.

Fantasy takeaway: Do not start him, and do not start the Bears’ pass-catchers with confidence either. Against a Philadelphia defense on Monday night, a 38-year-old making his first start in three years projects as a bottom-three QB week. The actionable read is the opposite side of the ball: Chicago is expected to lean run-heavy and control the football, which modestly raises D’Andre Swift’s floor. In deep superflex leagues Keenum is a desperation one-week streamer only.

Rosters and depth charts for all 32 teams were verified against official league roster pages before this report was compiled, and every player listed was confirmed to be on the roster shown. Designations come from the final official club and league injury reports filed Friday, September 25, 2026. Recovery timelines describe how long a class of injury typically sidelines an NFL player and are not a prediction for any individual.

NFL Week 3 Fantasy Football Injury Report Friday QB first appeared on Game On Media.

Bottom Line Up Front at Quarterback

Friday’s final designations turned quarterback from the quietest position on the board into one with a genuine crisis: Atlanta lost both of its quarterbacks in the same week and will start its third-stringer. Everything else at the position resolved in the expected direction.

Of the 13 quarterbacks on this board, 6 are out or doubtful, 1 carries a Questionable tag that decides itself on gameday, and 4 were listed at some point this week but finished it with no designation at all. 1 got hurt in a game that has already been played.

Below is every fantasy-relevant quarterback across all 32 teams carrying an injury or an absence, with the final designation, what the injury actually is, how long that class of injury normally takes to heal, where each player sits on his team’s depth chart, and who stands to gain if he can’t go.

Who is on this report?

Sam Darnold (SEA), Tua Tagovailoa (ATL), Michael Penix Jr. (ATL), Graham Mertz (HOU), Skylar Thompson (BAL), Matthew Caldwell (LAR), Dillon Gabriel (CLE), Tyson Bagent (CHI), Patrick Mahomes (KC), Daniel Jones (IND), Mitchell Trubisky (TEN), Marcus Mariota (WAS), Haynes King (CAR)

What changed since Wednesday

Wednesday’s reports were practice participation only. Friday’s are the real thing — the final Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags that govern Sunday. Across the 13 quarterbacks here: 3 are new to the report, 1 improved, 2 got worse, and 2 cleared entirely. The pattern worth internalizing: a midweek Limited usually resolved upward, and the players who never practiced are the ones who ended up with a tag.

Waiver wire: who gains if these names sit

• If Sam Darnold (SEA) can’t go — Drew Lock (ACT), who went 16-of-22 for 187 yards and a TD with no picks in relief and led the fourth-quarter comeback; Jalen Milroe (ACT) is QB3
• If Tua Tagovailoa (ATL) can’t go — Cooper Rush starts (rookie Jack Strand is the game-day backup; Michael Penix Jr. is also ruled Out)
• If Michael Penix Jr. (ATL) can’t go — Cooper Rush is the Week 1 starter; Jack Strand is QB2
• If Graham Mertz (HOU) can’t go — Already absorbed. DAVIS MILLS (#10) is the QB2 behind C.J. Stroud; MARK GRONOWSKI holds the QB3 job on the practice squad. Houston also signed veteran QB Brett Rypien in response to the Mertz injury.
• If Skylar Thompson (BAL) can’t go — Joe Fagnano is the QB3 in his place; Tyler Huntley is the QB2 behind Lamar Jackson. Fagnano is the practical emergency arm.
• If Matthew Caldwell (LAR) can’t go — Stetson Bennett (ACT) is QB2 and Ty Simpson (ACT) is QB3 behind Matthew Stafford
• If Dillon Gabriel (CLE) can’t go — Taylen Green is the QB3 in his place; Shedeur Sanders is the QB2 behind Deshaun Watson.
• If Tyson Bagent (CHI) can’t go — Case Keenum (ACT #11) becomes the QB2 behind Caleb Williams.

How to read this report

These are final designations, not midweek practice notes, so they mean what they say. A few timing wrinkles still apply:

• Four teams have already played. Seattle beat New England on Wednesday and San Francisco beat the Rams in Melbourne on Thursday. For those four clubs the Week 1 question is settled — what matters is who got hurt in the game and what it means for Week 2.
• Denver and Kansas City play Monday night, so their reporting week runs a day later and their final tags file Saturday. Anything listed for them here is Friday participation with the final designation still pending.
• A player listed with no designation is good news. Several names below appear on an official report with a blank game-status column — that is a club formally declining to tag them, which is stronger than never having been listed.

Reserve-list designations — IR, PUP, Commissioner’s Exempt List — are roster transactions and are settled regardless of the day.

Hurt in a game already played (1)

These injuries happened in Wednesday’s or Thursday’s games. Week 1 is already behind these players — the question is Week 2 and beyond.

Sam Darnold — SEA (QB1 when healthy; Drew Lock is now the Week 2 starter)

• Status: (c) POST-GAME injury from an already-played game – Darnold was sacked at the end of Seattle’s opening possession on Wednesday, Sept 9 and the club announced in-game he would not return. He has NOT been placed on IR: head coach Mike Macdonald’s public position is ‘no consideration of IR at this point.’
• Practice this week: n/a – game already played. He has not practiced since the injury.
• Injury: Hip – a muscle/soft-tissue strain, not a structural injury. Macdonald after the MRI: ‘The hip is intact, and it’s good. It’s more of a muscle thing.’ A hip fracture was specifically ruled out.
• When it happened: 2026-09-09 (first series of the Week 1 win over New England)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Hip flexor / hip muscle strains typically cost an NFL quarterback 1-4 weeks: roughly 1-2 weeks for a Grade 1, 3-6 weeks for a Grade 2. Re-injury risk is high if a QB returns before the push-off leg is symptom-free.
• Expected back to full health: Late September 2026 – Week 3 (Sept 27-28) is the realistic target, with Week 4 the conservative case. Rapoport’s reporting frames it as ‘just a few weeks.’
• Next game: Week 2, Sunday Sept 20 AT THE ARIZONA CARDINALS: expected OUT. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported he is expected to miss at least the Cardinals game, and Drew Lock will start.
• Next four weeks: Week 2 out; Week 3 a genuine coin flip and the likeliest return; Weeks 4-5 he should be back and starting. Seattle’s schedule helps – the gap after Week 2 gives him extra recovery runway.
• Who benefits if he sits: Drew Lock (ACT), who went 16-of-22 for 187 yards and a TD with no picks in relief and led the fourth-quarter comeback; Jalen Milroe (ACT) is QB3
• Change since Wednesday: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Bench or stash Darnold for at least one week and do not cut him – the injury is muscular rather than structural, so a Week 3 return is live, but Drew Lock is the streaming option and the Seattle pass catchers hold most of their value.

Ruled out or unavailable (6)

Officially ruled out, or on a reserve list. Plan around these.

Tua Tagovailoa — ATL (Season QB1 – officially named the Week 1 starter on Sept 7, 2026; verified on nfl.com roster as ACT (#1))

• Status: OUT – this is (a) a FINAL Friday game-status designation on the official Week 1 report, not an unofficial report
• Practice this week: DNP
• Injury: Oblique strain, sustained during Thursday’s practice (he was observed touching his back and briefly sitting down during individual drills)
• When it happened: 2026-09-10 (Thursday practice)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Oblique strains for an NFL quarterback typically cost 2-4 weeks; a mild grade-1 strain can resolve in 1-2 weeks, while a moderate-to-severe strain routinely runs 4-6 weeks because throwing loads the injured muscle directly
• Expected back to full health: Late September to early October 2026 (realistically Week 3-5), with a genuine chance he is back sooner if this is a low-grade strain
• Next game: OUT at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday, Sept 13, 1:00 PM ET)
• Next four weeks: Week 1 is a certainty to miss. Oblique strains are notoriously re-aggravation-prone for throwers, and Atlanta has a competent veteran bridge in Cooper Rush, so there is no pressure to rush him. Expect a week-to-week designation; a Week 2 return is possible but optimistic, Weeks 3-4 is the more realistic window. Treat any ‘Limited’ practice report as the first real signal.
• Who benefits if he sits: Cooper Rush starts (rookie Jack Strand is the game-day backup; Michael Penix Jr. is also ruled Out)
• Change since Wednesday: NEW – he was not on the Sept 9 report at all. He was added to the Thursday Sept 10 report as a LIMITED participant with an oblique injury, then converted to a final OUT on Friday. This is the single biggest change in the division.

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him from every starting lineup and stash on IR if your league allows – and note the downstream damage: Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Jahan Dotson all lose value with a third-string-caliber operation under center.

Michael Penix Jr. — ATL (QB3 on the Week 1 operational chart (on the 53-man roster, verified ACT #9 on nfl.com) – had been the announced Week 1 inactive)

• Status: OUT – this is (a) a FINAL Friday game-status designation. Important distinction: on Sept 9 his absence was only an unofficial coach’s announcement that he would be inactive; it is now a formal Out on the league injury report.
• Practice this week: Full
• Injury: Knee
• When it happened: Not precisely reported; the knee has carried him through the 2026 preseason and he has appeared on the practice report continuously since at least Sept 9, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Varies widely by structure involved. A knee issue that still permits FULL practice participation is generally a 0-2 week functional matter; the Out designation here reads as a club roster/management decision layered on top of the medical status rather than a pure availability call
• Expected back to full health: Functionally healthy now – he was a full participant Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. His Week 1 absence is not a conditioning or medical limitation.
• Next game: OUT at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday, Sept 13, 1:00 PM ET)
• Next four weeks: The most interesting situation in the division. With Tua out for an uncertain stretch, Penix is a fully practicing quarterback sitting behind Cooper Rush. If Rush struggles or Tua’s absence extends, Penix is the obvious next man and could seize the job outright within the next four weeks. Monitor Atlanta’s Week 2 practice report and game-status column closely.
• Who benefits if he sits: Cooper Rush is the Week 1 starter; Jack Strand is QB2
• Change since Wednesday: DOWNGRADED – on Sept 9 he was a Full participant with a BLANK Game Status and only an unofficial ‘he will be inactive’ statement from HC Kevin Stefanski. That has now hardened into an official OUT on the final Friday report. Confirmed: yes, the inactive plan held.

Fantasy takeaway: Do not cut him in a superflex or 2QB league – a full participant carrying an Out designation with the starter injured is a classic buy-low who can be the starter within two weeks.

Graham Mertz — HOU (Not on the active depth chart – out for the season. He had been competing for the QB3 role behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills.)

• Status: RESERVE/INJURED – SEASON-ENDING. This is (b) an OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION, carried on nfl.com as status code RES. Confirmed out for the entire 2026 season.
• Practice this week: not reported – not applicable; on season-ending Reserve/Injured.
• Injury: Torn ACL
• When it happened: August 14, 2026 – sustained in his Texans preseason debut.
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction requires 9-12 months to return to play, with 12-18 months to full pre-injury function. Quarterbacks often tolerate the timeline marginally better than skill positions requiring repeated explosive cutting, but an August 2026 tear rules out the entire 2026 season regardless.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-2027. Realistic availability for 2027 offseason work and training camp.
• Next game: Sunday, Sept 13, 2026 vs the Buffalo Bills – OUT. On season-ending Reserve/Injured.
• Next four weeks: OUT for all four games and for the balance of the 2026 season.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already absorbed. DAVIS MILLS (#10) is the QB2 behind C.J. Stroud; MARK GRONOWSKI holds the QB3 job on the practice squad. Houston also signed veteran QB Brett Rypien in response to the Mertz injury.
• Change since Wednesday: unchanged – still on season-ending Reserve/Injured. No movement since the Sept 9 snapshot.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance in any format – a third-string quarterback on season-ending IR.

Skylar Thompson — BAL (QB4 — not on the active depth chart; Baltimore’s active QB order is Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Joe Fagnano)

• Status: Reserve/Injured — category (b), an official reserve-list designation, shown as status code RES on the nfl.com Ravens roster. Placed on IR without a return designation, so he is out for the season absent an injury settlement or later activation; reporting at the time of the move described it as likely season-ending.
• Practice this week: not reported — ineligible to practice while on Reserve/Injured
• Injury: Undisclosed. The Ravens did not announce the nature of the injury, which was sustained during early-August training camp. Do not assume a body part — none was reported.
• When it happened: On or about Aug 10-12, 2026 (camp); placed on Reserve/Injured Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Cannot be stated for an undisclosed injury. What is known is the roster consequence: a player placed on Reserve/Injured from the preseason roster without a return designation is out for the entire 2026 season.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown — no public timeline. Practically, the 2027 offseason.
• Next game: OUT (season) — not eligible for at Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, or any 2026 game on his current designation.
• Next four weeks: Out for all four. He is not eligible to be activated on a non-designated-to-return IR placement.
• Who benefits if he sits: Joe Fagnano is the QB3 in his place; Tyler Huntley is the QB2 behind Lamar Jackson. Fagnano is the practical emergency arm.
• Change since Wednesday: unchanged — same Reserve/Injured status as the Sept 9 snapshot.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy action required — he is a fourth quarterback on IR and only matters as the reason Baltimore’s emergency QB depth behind Lamar Jackson is thinner than it looks.

Matthew Caldwell — LAR (Off the active roster – QB4 on the reserve list)

• Status: (b) OFFICIAL reserve-list designation – RES (Reserve/Injured) per the official nfl.com Rams roster
• Practice this week: n/a – on the reserve list
• Injury: Undisclosed injury carried from training camp
• When it happened: 2026-08-26 approximately (placed on reserve at roster cutdown)
• Typical recovery for this injury: n/a – his availability is governed by his reserve-list status, not a recovery timeline
• Expected back to full health: Unknown; not disclosed by the club
• Next game: Week 2, Monday Sept 21 vs. the New York Giants: OUT – on the reserve list
• Next four weeks: OUT – he is behind Stafford, Bennett and Simpson even if activated
• Who benefits if he sits: Stetson Bennett (ACT) is QB2 and Ty Simpson (ACT) is QB3 behind Matthew Stafford
• Change since Wednesday: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Zero fantasy relevance – listed only because he occupies a reserve-list spot at a fantasy-relevant position.

Dillon Gabriel — CLE (Not on the active depth chart; Cleveland’s active QB order is Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Taylen Green. Rookie Taylen Green took the No. 3 job that Gabriel’s IR placement vacated.)

• Status: Reserve/Injured, designated to return — category (b), an official reserve-list designation (status code RSR on the nfl.com Browns roster). Mandatory four-game absence; activation-eligible from Week 5.
• Practice this week: not reported — ineligible to practice until his activation window opens
• Injury: Back
• When it happened: August 2026; placed on Reserve/Injured with a return designation on Aug 30, 2026 at the 53-man cutdown
• Typical recovery for this injury: Back injuries in NFL quarterbacks vary widely by cause: a muscular strain or spasm is 1-3 weeks, a disc-related issue or stress reaction is 6-12 weeks, and a surgical disc case is 3-6 months. The Browns’ willingness to attach a return designation rather than a season-ending placement points to the shorter, non-surgical end.
• Expected back to full health: Earliest activation Week 5 (early October 2026) if medically cleared; the four-game minimum governs regardless of how quickly the back settles.
• Next game: OUT — ineligible for vs Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026.
• Next four weeks: Out for all four by rule. The Browns effectively used IR-with-return to keep a fourth quarterback, so his re-emergence in Week 5 depends as much on Deshaun Watson’s and Shedeur Sanders’s performance as on the back.
• Who benefits if he sits: Taylen Green is the QB3 in his place; Shedeur Sanders is the QB2 behind Deshaun Watson.
• Change since Wednesday: unchanged — same Reserve/Injured (designated to return) status, still Week 5 eligible.

Fantasy takeaway: No redraft relevance — he cannot be activated before Week 5 and would still be behind two quarterbacks when he is.

Questionable — game-time calls (1)

The genuine coin flips. Watch the inactives list, which posts about 90 minutes before kickoff, and have a replacement ready.

Tyson Bagent — CHI (QB2 / primary backup behind Caleb Williams (verified: nfl.com roster ACT #17; Ourlads lists him second))

• Status: QUESTIONABLE – this is (a) a FINAL FRIDAY GAME-STATUS DESIGNATION, officially published on the Sept 11 2026 final injury report by both nfl.com/injuries/league/2026/reg1 and chicagobears.com.
• Practice this week: DNP (Friday Sept 11). Did not practice on any of the three days – Wed DNP, Thu DNP, Fri DNP.
• Injury: Back
• When it happened: Early September 2026 – first appeared on Chicago’s Wednesday Sept 9 report as a DNP. The club has not disclosed a specific injury date or mechanism.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Non-specific back strain / lumbar strain: most NFL cases resolve in 1-3 weeks; a disc-related or nerve-involved back issue runs 4-8 weeks or longer. With no club detail provided, the 1-3 week band is the reasonable default, though three straight DNPs argue for the upper half of it.
• Expected back to full health: Late September 2026 (roughly Weeks 2-4). A full practice week without setbacks is the marker to watch; three consecutive DNPs mean he has not yet begun that.
• Next game: Sunday Sept 13 at the Carolina Panthers (1:00 PM ET) – QUESTIONABLE, but trending toward INACTIVE. A quarterback who did not practice at all in Week 1 prep is very unlikely to dress as the backup. HC Ben Johnson said the Bears feel confident with veteran Case Keenum backing up Caleb Williams if Bagent is unavailable.
• Next four weeks: Irrelevant for fantasy unless Caleb Williams is injured. Bagent should reclaim the QB2 job within a few weeks once the back clears; Case Keenum holds the emergency role in the meantime.
• Who benefits if he sits: Case Keenum (ACT #11) becomes the QB2 behind Caleb Williams.
• Change since Wednesday: DOWNGRADED – Wednesday’s DNP carried a BLANK game-status column (no designation). It has now CONVERTED TO A FINAL QUESTIONABLE after he failed to practice on Thursday or Friday either. Three straight DNPs is a meaningfully worse signal than the single Wednesday DNP captured in the Sept 9 snapshot.

Fantasy takeaway: No standard-league fantasy action – this only matters as a tail-risk note that Chicago’s emergency quarterback behind Caleb Williams is now 38-year-old Case Keenum rather than Bagent.

Final tag still pending (1)

Denver and Kansas City file a day later than everyone else. Real situations, final tag still to come.

Patrick Mahomes — KC (QB1 (verified vs nfl.com roster — status ACT); Justin Fields is QB2)

• Status: NO FINAL TAG YET — this is (c) FRIDAY PRACTICE PARTICIPATION WITH THE FINAL GAME STATUS STILL PENDING. Because Kansas City plays Monday night, its final report is due today (Saturday, Sept. 12) and has not been posted as of this check: the Game Status column on nfl.com/injuries/league/2026/reg1 is blank for every Chiefs player. What IS now official — and is the change from Sept. 9 — is that Kansas City has FILED. Mahomes appears on the club’s official Thursday (Sept. 10) and Friday (Sept. 11) practice reports listed with a KNEE injury and FULL participation on both days.
• Practice this week: Full
• Injury: Left knee — torn ACL and LCL suffered during the 2025 season; surgically repaired, followed by a roughly nine-month rehabilitation. He has not missed a practice since being cleared for football activities in July 2026.
• When it happened: 2025 season (season-ending); surgery followed, with the nine-month rehab timeline running into 2026 training camp
• Typical recovery for this injury: Combined ACL + LCL reconstruction typically sidelines an NFL player 9-12 months before a return to game action, with a further 6-12 months before pre-injury explosiveness and cutting confidence fully return. Mahomes is at roughly the nine-month mark and has cleared every rehab checkpoint on schedule.
• Expected back to full health: Already cleared and practicing in full. Treat him as functionally healthy for Week 1, with the caveat that first-season-back mobility for a dual-threat quarterback often lags the medical clearance by a month or more.
• Next game: Expected to start Monday, Sept. 14 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs’ opponent Denver (MNF). Three consecutive Full practices and Andy Reid’s ‘He’s geared up and ready to go’ point to no designation or at worst a procedural Questionable when the Saturday report lands.
• Next four weeks: Every indication is a full four-game slate. The risk to monitor is not availability but designed-run volume: expect Kansas City to protect the knee by cutting his scramble and QB-keeper rate early in the season, which trims his rushing floor relative to his pre-injury norms.
• Who benefits if he sits: Justin Fields (QB2, ACT). Garrett Nussmeier is QB3.
• Change since Wednesday: UPGRADED — on Sept. 9 Kansas City had not filed at all and his status rested entirely on an Andy Reid quote. There is now an official club filing showing FULL participation Thursday and Friday. The final game-status tag remains pending until today’s Saturday report posts.

Fantasy takeaway: Start Mahomes with confidence in Week 1 — full participation all week beats an offseason quote — but discount his rushing projection until the knee proves itself over a few games.

Cleared — listed this week but carrying no designation (4)

The good news. Every player here carried an injury at some point this week and finished it without a designation.

Daniel Jones — IND (QB1 – the confirmed Week 1 starting quarterback, listed first on the colts.com Week 1 chart ahead of Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard)

• Status: NO DESIGNATION – fully cleared. This is (c) UNOFFICIAL for injury-report purposes: Jones carries no Friday game-status tag and no reserve-list designation. He is tracked here only because he is making his first game appearance since a torn Achilles, which is a live fantasy risk story rather than a listed injury.
• Practice this week: Full – not listed on any Week 1 practice report; he participated fully throughout the week.
• Injury: Torn Achilles tendon (fully recovered; off the injury report)
• When it happened: December 2025
• Typical recovery for this injury: Achilles tendon ruptures are among the most severe non-catastrophic NFL injuries, typically requiring 9-12 months to return to play and frequently a full 12-18 months to regain pre-injury explosiveness. Historically players have shown a measurable performance dip in their first season back. Jones is returning at roughly the 9-month mark – the aggressive end of the normal window, though quarterbacks fare better on this timeline than positions requiring repeated explosive push-off.
• Expected back to full health: Cleared and medically full health as of Week 1. True pre-injury athleticism – specifically scrambling volume and off-platform throwing – may not fully return until late in the 2026 season, consistent with the usual first-year-back pattern.
• Next game: Sunday, Sept 13, 2026 vs the Baltimore Ravens – WILL PLAY and will START. No designation; this is his first game action since December 2025.
• Next four weeks: Expected to start all four. The watch item is not availability but mobility: if the rushing dimension of his game is diminished, his fantasy floor drops materially since designed and scramble runs have historically been a meaningful share of his fantasy scoring. Anthony Richardson Sr. sitting directly behind him as QB2 means any struggle or setback has a fast, live path to a change.
• Who benefits if he sits: ANTHONY RICHARDSON SR. (QB2, ACT, #5), formally named the backup quarterback in early September 2026, with RILEY LEONARD (QB3, #15) third.
• Change since Wednesday: NEW – added to this report. He was not on the Sept 9 injury list because he carries no official designation, but his Week 1 return from a December 2025 torn Achilles is a genuine tracked injury story with direct fantasy consequences and belongs on the report.

Fantasy takeaway: A matchup-dependent QB2 at best in Week 1 – he is cleared and starting, but a debut against Baltimore at nine months post-Achilles with an unproven rushing floor and Anthony Richardson on the bench is too much uncertainty to trust as a starter.

Mitchell Trubisky — TEN (QB2 behind Cam Ward)

• Status: Resolved – off the injury report
• Practice this week: Full – not listed on the Titans’ Week 1 injury report at any point, Wednesday through Friday.
• Injury: None active – prior issue fully resolved.
• When it happened: n/a – no active injury.
• Typical recovery for this injury: n/a – no active injury.
• Expected back to full health: Currently at full health.
• Next game: Sunday, Sept 13, 2026 vs the New York Jets – available as the backup quarterback, fully healthy, no designation.
• Next four weeks: Expected to be available all four games as QB2 with no path to starting barring an injury to Cam Ward.
• Who benefits if he sits: HENDON HOOKER (practice squad, #16) would be the elevation candidate.
• Change since Wednesday: RESOLVED – now off the report, and this holds through the final Friday report. He never appeared on any Week 1 injury report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance – a healthy backup quarterback with no route to snaps while Cam Ward is upright.

Marcus Mariota — WAS (QB2 — backup to Jayden Daniels)

• Status: NO DESIGNATION — he appears on the Commanders’ final Friday Sept 11 report with a BLANK Game Status column. Stating explicitly per instruction: blank Game Status means NO designation, which is GOOD NEWS. This is (a) a final Friday game-status filing with an empty status field.
• Practice this week: Full — Wednesday Full, Thursday Full, Friday Full
• Injury: Knee
• When it happened: On the report from the first Week 1 practice, Wednesday Sept 9, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Minor knee sprain/contusion with full practice participation: roughly 0–2 weeks and generally no missed time. A Grade 1 MCL sprain would be 1–3 weeks; three Full practices argue against even that.
• Expected back to full health: Already functionally healthy. Expect him off the report by Week 2.
• Next game: Sunday Sept 13 at the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25 PM ET, FOX) — AVAILABLE as the backup. No designation.
• Next four weeks: Available all four as QB2. Only fantasy-relevant if Jayden Daniels misses time.
• Who benefits if he sits: Athan Kaliakmanis (#16) would become the emergency QB2 behind Jayden Daniels; Sam Hartman (#15) is on the practice squad.
• Change since Wednesday: Unchanged. Sept 9 practice-report entry with no game status; still Full participation and a blank Game Status on the final Friday report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy action — relevant only as insurance, and the news is that Washington’s QB2 is healthy behind Jayden Daniels.

Haynes King — CAR (QB3 (rookie) behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett – verified ACT (#16) on nfl.com)

• Status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does not appear on Carolina’s final Friday Week 1 report.
• Practice this week: Full – not listed on the report at all
• Injury: Previously tracked minor camp issue, now resolved
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not applicable – the issue has fully resolved
• Expected back to full health: Already fully healthy – cleared and off the report entirely
• Next game: Healthy but a likely game-day inactive as QB3 vs Chicago Bears (Sunday, Sept 13, 1:00 PM ET)
• Next four weeks: Healthy third-string rookie. He would need injuries to both Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett to see meaningful snaps in the next four weeks.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kenny Pickett is the QB2 and the actual next man up behind Bryce Young
• Change since Wednesday: RESOLVED – now off the report, confirming the Sept 9 read.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance in any format – healthy, but third on the depth chart.

Rosters and depth charts for all 32 teams were verified against official league roster pages before this report was compiled, and every player listed was confirmed to be on the roster shown. Designations come from the final official club and league injury reports filed Friday, September 11, 2026. Recovery timelines describe how long a class of injury typically sidelines an NFL player and are not a prediction for any individual.

NFL Week 1 Fantasy Football Injury Report Friday QB first appeared on Game On Media.

Quarterback stays the quietest position on the Week 1 board, and the Wednesday reports mostly confirmed good news: the injuries that matter are backups, and the one genuine question — Patrick Mahomes — is trending the right way without a formal answer yet.

What changed since the weekend

Clubs filed their first official injury reports of the season on Wednesday, which replaces the guesswork of the preseason with real practice participation. Across the 9 quarterbacks on this board: 2 are new to the report, 2 improved, 1 got worse, and 2 cleared entirely and are no longer listed by their teams.

How to read this report

Week 1 spans six days, so teams are at different points in their reporting week and their designations do not mean the same thing:

• Seattle–New England played Wednesday, September 9. Those teams have final designations and published inactives.
• San Francisco–LA Rams play Thursday, September 10 in Melbourne — final or near-final.
• Everyone else plays Sunday, September 13 or Monday, September 14. Their Wednesday filing is practice participation only. Final Out/Doubtful/Questionable tags land Friday, September 11. A Wednesday “Full” is a strong signal, not a guarantee.

Anything on the reserve list — IR, PUP, Commissioner’s Exempt List — is an official roster transaction and is settled regardless of the day.

Ruled out or unavailable (4)

Official reserve-list designations and confirmed absences. Plan around these.

Michael Penix Jr. — ATL (No longer the starter. Tua Tagovailoa was named Week 1 QB1 on Sept 7 and Cooper Rush is the designated backup; Penix is on the 53-man roster but has been announced as INACTIVE for Week 1.)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without a final game status – he appears on Atlanta’s official Wednesday Week 1 report with a knee designation. Final Out/Doubtful/Questionable tags are not due until Friday, Sept 11. Separately, and this is NOT an injury designation, HC Kevin Stefanski has already publicly announced Penix will be inactive Sunday – a readiness/coaching decision.
• Injury: Left knee – partially torn ACL that ended his 2025 season and required surgery. It is the third ACL tear of his career.
• When it happened: Original injury and season-ending surgery during the 2025 season; he was held out of full-team drills until after the second 2026 preseason game and did not play in the third.
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction typically sidelines an NFL player 9-12 months, and a third tear on the same limb sits at the long end – 12+ months with a slower return to full explosiveness and cutting confidence.
• Expected back to full health: Physically cleared and practicing in full now; the club is treating true game readiness as still weeks away. Realistically mid-season 2026 before he is trusted with a start.
• Week 1: Announced INACTIVE for Sunday, Sept 13 at Pittsburgh. He will not play regardless of what Friday’s official designation says.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 at PIT inactive. Wk2 vs CAR, Wk3 at GB (Thu, Sept 24), Wk4 at NO (Mon, Oct 5) – he is behind both Tua and Cooper Rush, so he only plays on injury or a Tua benching. Treat him as unrosterable in redraft through at least Week 4.
• Who benefits if he sits: N/A – he is the one out. Tua Tagovailoa starts, Cooper Rush is the active backup.
• Change since the weekend: DOWNGRADED – on Sept 6 he was a co-QB1 in an open competition; he has now lost the job outright and been declared inactive for the opener.

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him in all redraft formats – he is inactive Week 1 and third on the depth chart, and only a Tua injury or collapse puts him back in play.

Graham Mertz — HOU (Was the QB3. Currently on season-ending reserve; the practice-squad QB spot behind Stroud and Mills is now Mark Gronowski, signed Sept 8.)

• Wednesday practice: not applicable — on season-ending IR
• Official status: (a-equivalent) OFFICIAL ROSTER DESIGNATION: Reserve/Injured (IR) — out for the 2026 season. Confirmed by his ‘RES’ status code on the official nfl.com Texans roster.
• Injury: Torn ACL (knee)
• When it happened: Suffered in the Texans’ preseason opener, mid-August 2026 (reported Aug 14-17, 2026).
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction: 9-12 months to return to play.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late 2027. Note he also had his 2023 college season shortened by a broken collarbone.
• Week 1: OUT — Week 1 and all of 2026.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for the season.
• Who benefits if he sits: Davis Mills is the QB2 behind C.J. Stroud; Mark Gronowski is the practice-squad emergency arm.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged — same official season-ending IR designation as the Sept 6 report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance in any format — the only actionable note is that Davis Mills is the sole insurance policy behind C.J. Stroud, which matters if you roster Texans pass-catchers.

Dillon Gabriel — CLE (QB4 (on reserve; not on the active depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: not applicable – ineligible to practice until his 21-day window opens
• Official status: (a) FINAL OFFICIAL ROSTER-STATUS DESIGNATION: Reserve/Injured, designated to return (nfl.com roster code RSR). Filed Aug 30, 2026 when Cleveland set its 53. Rules him out through Week 4.
• Injury: Back
• When it happened: August 2026, during the preseason; placed on IR Aug 30, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Back injuries in NFL quarterbacks span a wide range – a lumbar strain is 2-4 weeks, a disc-related issue is 6-12 weeks, and a transverse process fracture is 4-8 weeks. The IR-return designation guarantees a minimum four-game absence. Cleveland’s willingness to use the return designation rather than season-ending IR points to the shorter end.
• Expected back to full health: Practice-eligible ahead of Week 5 (early-to-mid October 2026). Cleveland effectively used the move to keep four quarterbacks, so there is no urgency to activate him.
• Week 1: OUT – ineligible for Week 1 at Jacksonville, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT for all four, by rule.
• Who benefits if he sits: Deshaun Watson is QB1, Shedeur Sanders QB2, Taylen Green QB3 – Gabriel is fourth in line even when healthy.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: No standard-league relevance; only a deep-dynasty stash, and even then he is behind three healthy quarterbacks.

Skylar Thompson — BAL (Not on the active depth chart – Reserve/Injured)

• Wednesday practice: not applicable – on injured reserve
• Official status: (a) FINAL OFFICIAL ROSTER-STATUS DESIGNATION: Reserve/Injured (nfl.com roster code RES), placed in August 2026. Baltimore signed QB Austin Reed at the time as the corresponding move, though Reed does not appear on the current active roster – Joe Fagnano holds the QB3 spot.
• Injury: Undisclosed; sustained during the 2026 preseason.
• When it happened: August 2026 (IR placement reported Aug 12-24, 2026 across outlets).
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not estimable without a disclosed injury. Season-opening Reserve/Injured without a return designation typically ends the season.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown – no public timeline.
• Week 1: OUT – not on the active roster for Week 1 at Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT.
• Who benefits if he sits: Not applicable – Lamar Jackson is QB1, Tyler Huntley QB2, Joe Fagnano QB3.
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Zero fantasy relevance; included only because the Sept 6 baseline omitted his official reserve status.

Did not practice Wednesday (1)

A Wednesday DNP four days out is the clearest warning sign on the report. Have a replacement ready and check Friday.

Tyson Bagent — CHI (QB2 – the backup to Caleb Williams on both nfl.com (ACT, No. 17) and the Ourlads 09/08 chart, ahead of Case Keenum.)

• Wednesday practice: DNP (estimated – no practice was held Wednesday).
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY WITHOUT FINAL STATUS – listed as DID NOT PARTICIPATE on Chicago’s Wednesday Sept 9, 2026 Week 1 injury report (nfl.com league report, confirmed by Sept 9 Chicago Sun-Times and SI Bear Digest). No Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag exists yet; Chicago plays SUNDAY, so the final status comes FRIDAY, SEPT. 11. The Bears held no practice Wednesday, so this is an estimated report – the club’s judgment is that he would have missed the session entirely.
• Injury: Back. Reporting is explicit that this is a NEW and distinct problem from the hamstring issue he dealt with earlier. His status for Sunday remains uncertain; if he cannot go, Case Keenum assumes QB2 duties.
• When it happened: First appeared on the official report Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026; the onset date has not been disclosed.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Non-specific back strain in an NFL player: 1-3 weeks typically, and often just days for a mild spasm. A disc-related back issue is a different class entirely at 4-8 weeks or more. No pathology has been disclosed, so the wide range stands.
• Expected back to full health: Unclear pending Thursday and Friday participation. A missed Wednesday alone is not diagnostic; if he is still DNP on Thursday, a multi-week absence becomes likely.
• Week 1: UNCERTAIN for Sunday, Sept. 13 at Carolina – DNP on the first report of the week. The Friday, Sept. 11 report will set the actual designation. Practically, a backup quarterback’s availability rarely affects a game plan.
• Weeks 1-4: Irrelevant to fantasy in all four games unless Caleb Williams gets hurt. If Bagent’s back lingers, Case Keenum becomes the emergency QB2, which would make a Williams injury materially worse for the Chicago offense.
• Who benefits if he sits: Case Keenum (No. 11) moves up to QB2 behind Caleb Williams.
• Change since the weekend: NEW – Bagent was not on the Sept 6 baseline injury list at all, and this back problem is separately reported as distinct from his earlier hamstring issue.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy action – but note that Chicago’s QB insurance behind Caleb Williams is now a 38-year-old journeyman rather than Bagent, which slightly raises the tail risk on every Bears skill player.

Practiced in full (on the report, trending to play) (1)

On the report but practicing fully — typically maintenance or the tail of something that has resolved. Start them, but note the injury is on file.

Marcus Mariota — WAS (QB2 behind Jayden Daniels, verified ACT on nfl.com roster and Ourlads 09/09/2026)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY WITHOUT FINAL GAME STATUS. Filed Wednesday, Sept 9 as ‘knee – Full Participation’. No game-status tag until Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Sprained MCL, right knee
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp / preseason)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 MCL sprain in a quarterback: 1-3 weeks. Grade 2: 3-6 weeks. Grade 3: 8-12 weeks, occasionally surgical. Unlike ACL injuries, isolated MCL sprains are managed non-operatively and heal reliably. A Full practice roughly 3-4 weeks out confirms Grade 1 and full resolution.
• Expected back to full health: Effectively full health now – unrestricted Full participation as of Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026
• Week 1: AVAILABLE as the backup for Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia). Not yet official; a Full Wednesday makes any Friday designation unlikely.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: available as QB2 in all four, barring recurrence. Has no standalone fantasy value while Jayden Daniels is healthy.
• Who benefits if he sits: Athan Kaliakmanis (QB, ACT) would become QB2; Sam Hartman (QB) is on the practice squad
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable while Daniels is healthy, but his return to Full practice restores Washington’s insurance behind the most fantasy-critical QB in the division.

No official designation yet (unconfirmed) (1)

Either the team’s reporting week is shifted (the Monday-night clubs file a day later) or the situation is beat-reported without an official entry. Real, but unconfirmed — verify before you rely on it.

Patrick Mahomes — KC (QB1 — verified ACT on nfl.com; QB1 on Ourlads (Sept 7) and si.com’s post-cuts Chiefs chart (Sept 3))

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported — Kansas City has not filed a practice report for this week and is not required to until Thursday Sept 10
• Official status: (c) STILL UNOFFICIAL — NO OFFICIAL FILING EXISTS TODAY. This is the single most important clarification in this update: because Kansas City plays Monday night, its first official injury report is not due until THURSDAY Sept 10, with the final game-status designation due Saturday Sept 12 at 4:00 PM ET. Everything on Mahomes today is head-coach commentary, not a filing. Andy Reid, Sept 8: ‘As far as our roster goes, there’s a very good chance that Patrick will go ahead and start unless something were to come up here in the next couple days. Most likely he’ll be the guy that’s out there.’ He was cleared for full training-camp practice in late July and has practiced without restriction since, but sat out all three preseason games.
• Injury: Left knee — torn ACL and LCL (multi-ligament injury), surgically repaired. Not a simple isolated ACL.
• When it happened: December 2025, during the 2025 season; surgery followed shortly after, ending his season
• Typical recovery for this injury: Isolated ACL reconstruction: 9–12 months to return to play. A combined ACL+LCL multi-ligament repair typically runs 9–12 months to return and 12–18 months to pre-injury explosiveness, because the lateral-side repair restricts early rehab loading.
• Expected back to full health: He is roughly 9 months post-op at Week 1 — the earliest edge of the normal window. Expect functional availability now but pre-injury mobility and off-platform improvisation to lag into October–November 2026.
• Week 1: Expected to START vs Denver, Monday Sept 14, 8:15 PM ET. To be clear: ‘expected to start’ is Reid’s word, not a filed designation. The first hard data point arrives Thursday Sept 10 (practice participation) and the binding one Saturday Sept 12 (game status).
• Weeks 1-4: Should start all four games barring a setback. Anticipate a deliberately reduced designed-run and scramble profile early — the rushing floor that props up his fantasy weeks is the piece most likely to be missing in Weeks 1–2, with the pocket passing intact and the mobility trending back by Weeks 3–4.
• Who benefits if he sits: Justin Fields (verified QB2 on nfl.com and Ourlads), then Garrett Nussmeier (QB3)
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Start Mahomes as a low-end QB1 but check Kansas City’s Thursday practice report before locking him — and discount his rushing production until the multi-ligament knee proves it can handle scrambles.

Cleared since the weekend — off the report entirely (2)

The good news. These players carried an injury question into the weekend and are no longer listed by their teams at all.

Mitchell Trubisky — TEN (QB2 behind Cam Ward (verified on the Titans’ official 9/7/26 depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: Full (not listed on the Titans’ Wednesday Sept 9 report)
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report
• Injury: Biceps — cleared
• When it happened: August 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Biceps strains/tendinitis in a throwing arm: 2-4 weeks. A full distal biceps tear is a different class entirely at 4-6 months, and clearly was not the case here.
• Expected back to full health: Now — no designation entering Week 1.
• Week 1: Available as the backup, no designation, Sunday Sept 13 vs. the Jets.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy for Weeks 1-4 in a clipboard role. Only becomes fantasy-relevant if Cam Ward is injured.
• Who benefits if he sits: Practice-squad QB Hendon Hooker would be the emergency arm — not applicable, Trubisky is healthy.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report. Was an unofficial ‘Questionable’ (biceps) on Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: No standalone value, but his return to health restores the Titans’ QB insurance, which matters only if you are speculating on a Cam Ward absence.

Haynes King — CAR (QB3, rookie, third on the depth chart behind Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – not listed on the report.
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does not appear on Carolina’s Week 1 Wednesday report.
• Injury: Hamstring (resolved).
• When it happened: Camp injury in August 2026; cleared before Week 1.
• Typical recovery for this injury: 1-2 weeks for a mild hamstring strain, 3-6 for a moderate one.
• Expected back to full health: Now.
• Week 1: Healthy, no designation, but almost certainly a gameday inactive as QB3. Sunday, Sept 13 vs. Chicago.
• Weeks 1-4: Third-string with no path to snaps behind Young and Pickett through Week 4.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kenny Pickett is the QB2 ahead of him.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance in any format – he is a healthy third-stringer.

Waiver wire: who gains if these names sit

• N/A – he is the one out. Tua Tagovailoa starts, Cooper Rush is the active backup. — if Michael Penix Jr. (ATL) can’t go.
• Davis Mills is the QB2 behind C.J. Stroud; Mark Gronowski is the practice-squad emergency arm. — if Graham Mertz (HOU) can’t go.
• Deshaun Watson is QB1, Shedeur Sanders QB2, Taylen Green QB3 – Gabriel is fourth in line even when healthy. — if Dillon Gabriel (CLE) can’t go.
• Not applicable – Lamar Jackson is QB1, Tyler Huntley QB2, Joe Fagnano QB3. — if Skylar Thompson (BAL) can’t go.
• Case Keenum (No. 11) moves up to QB2 behind Caleb Williams. — if Tyson Bagent (CHI) can’t go.

Bottom line at quarterback

4 of the 9 quarterbacks here are unavailable, 1 did not practice Wednesday, and 0 were limited. 2 cleared since the weekend. The Friday reports settle the middle two groups — that is where Week 1 lineups get decided.

Rosters and depth charts for all 32 teams were verified against official league roster pages before this report was compiled, and every player listed was confirmed to be on the roster shown. Designations come from official club and league injury reports filed Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Recovery timelines describe how long a class of injury typically sidelines an NFL player and are not a prediction for any individual.

NFL Week 1 Fantasy Football Injury Report Wednesday QB first appeared on Game On Media.