Tight end is thin enough that a single absence reshapes the position, and Week 1 delivered one: the consensus TE1 had a knee procedure this week. Below that, most of the position’s August scares have cleared.

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 33 tight ends on this board: 6 are new to the report, 7 improved, 0 got worse, and 8 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 (12)

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

Tip Reiman — ARI (Not on the active roster — would be the TE2 blocking tight end behind Trey McBride)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation — Reserve/PUP. Official team filing made at the Aug 26, 2026 cutdown to 53; nfl.com’s official roster confirms PUP today.
• Injury: Ankle, surgically repaired
• When it happened: 2026-06-15 (approximate — offseason surgery ahead of camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Surgically repaired ankles typically sideline an NFL player 3-5 months, with tight ends needing extra time to regain push-off strength for blocking.
• Expected back to full health: October to November 2026
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 at the Chargers. On reserve/PUP he must miss the first four games and cannot be activated before Week 5.
• Weeks 1-4: Ineligible for all four games by rule. A blocking tight end with minimal receiving usage, so his return has little fantasy consequence either way.
• Who benefits if he sits: Elijah Higgins is the TE2 in his absence, with Hunter Long as the No. 3 behind Trey McBride
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Irrelevant for fantasy — ineligible until Week 5 and a blocking specialist when he does return. His absence marginally helps Trey McBride’s route share.

Grant Calcaterra — PHI (Reserve/Injured (designated to return) – occupies no active depth-chart position. Would compete with Johnny Mundt for TE2 snaps on return. Verified reserve status on nfl.com roster.)

• Wednesday practice: DNP (on Reserve/Injured – not eligible to practice with the team until his return window opens)
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Injured, DESIGNATED TO RETURN, listed as such on the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster cycle and officially placed on IR 2026-09-01. He must miss a MINIMUM OF FOUR GAMES (through Week 4) before activation, and does not appear on the weekly practice report.
• Injury: Back injury per the Sept 6 baseline. NOTE ON SOURCING: the reporting confirming his 09/01/2026 IR placement explicitly states the injury was not disclosed by the club (‘It is unclear what injury he is dealing with’), so the ‘back’ characterization is carried forward from the baseline and is NOT independently confirmed by an official source. Treat the specific diagnosis as unverified; the IR placement itself is fully confirmed.
• When it happened: Late August 2026 (preseason; IR placement 2026-09-01)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Non-surgical lumbar back injury (disc irritation or facet/muscular strain) in a tight end: 4-8 weeks, occasionally longer if there is nerve involvement, and recurrence is common under blocking load. The four-game administrative minimum and a back injury’s typical timeline line up closely, so a Week 5-7 return is the realistic band.
• Expected back to full health: October 2026 – earliest activation is Week 5, with Weeks 5-7 the realistic return band
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Washington) – ineligible on Reserve/Injured
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT for all four, mandatory. Earliest return Week 5, and he would come back into a TE room where Goedert holds the receiving work and Mundt has the No. 2 snaps.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already replaced – Johnny Mundt (TE, ACT) is TE2, with rookie Eli Stowers (TE, ACT) as TE3 and E.J. Jenkins (TE, ACT) as TE4
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Drop in redraft – a mandatory four-game absence with an undisclosed back injury and no clear role waiting for him.

Luke Musgrave — GB (Would be the TE3/TE4 in a room already fronted by Tucker Kraft and Jonnu Smith; currently off the active depth chart.)

• Wednesday practice: Not applicable – Reserve/PUP players cannot practice until their Week 5 window opens.
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform. Verified as status code ‘PUP’ on nfl.com/teams/green-bay-packers/roster/ and by the club’s Aug. 30 transaction. Reserve/PUP mandates a minimum four-game absence and is outside the weekly game-status process.
• Injury: Neck injury sustained during June 2026 minicamp. He did not practice at any point in training camp or the preseason. GM Brian Gutekunst said he is ‘really hopeful’ Musgrave plays at some point in 2026 but set no timeline, and the team’s signing of Jonnu Smith as insurance signals he is far from a lock to be activated when first eligible.
• When it happened: June 2026 (minicamp); placed on Reserve/PUP Aug. 30, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Highly variable by pathology and the single least predictable class of injury in football. A cervical strain or stinger costs 1-4 weeks; a disc issue requiring surgery costs 3-6 months plus a clearance process; a structural cervical finding can end a season or a career. The team’s refusal to give a timeline after three-plus months is the tell.
• Expected back to full health: Genuinely unknown. First eligible to be activated in Week 5, but no medical clearance has been reported and the front office language is hopeful rather than definite.
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept. 13 at Minnesota, and ineligible through at least Week 4 by rule.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for all four by rule. Even after Week 5 eligibility, activation is speculative – a neck case with no timeline this deep into the calendar frequently extends much further.
• Who benefits if he sits: Josh Whyle is the TE3 in his absence, behind Kraft and Jonnu Smith; Mark Redman is fourth.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – still Reserve/PUP with no reported change in status or timeline.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable – he is buried behind two established tight ends even at full health, and the neck situation has no timeline.

Ben Yurosek — MIN (Was the TE3 on the Sept 6 baseline chart behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver; now off the active depth chart entirely, which promotes Gavin Bartholomew to TE3.)

• Wednesday practice: Not applicable – players on Reserve/Injured cannot practice.
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Injured. Verified as status code ‘RES’ on nfl.com/teams/minnesota-vikings/roster/ and by the club’s own transaction announcement (vikings.com, Sept. 8, 2026, 6:00 PM), which placed him on IR to clear a roster spot for the signing of S Harrison Smith. He does not appear on Minnesota’s three-man Week 1 injury report because IR players are outside that process.
• Injury: Undisclosed. Minnesota did not specify the injury in its transaction announcement. Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reported the injury ‘isn’t expected to be a long-term issue’ and that Yurosek ‘should be back this season,’ which suggests a placement driven partly by roster mechanics rather than a severe injury.
• When it happened: Placed on Reserve/Injured Sept. 8, 2026; injury date not disclosed.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Cannot be pinned down without a disclosed pathology. The ‘not long-term, back this season’ framing is most consistent with a soft-tissue or minor joint injury in the 4-8 week band, which is also the practical minimum for a standard IR stint plus activation.
• Expected back to full health: Reported as expected back at some point in the 2026 season, with no specific date. A standard IR placement requires activation to a roster spot before he can play.
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept. 13 vs. Green Bay – on Reserve/Injured and ineligible.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for the near term with no published return date. Even a favorable recovery has him competing for the No. 3 tight end job behind Hockenson and Oliver.
• Who benefits if he sits: Gavin Bartholomew (No. 86) is now the TE3 behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver on the vikings.com official Week 1 depth chart.
• Change since the weekend: NEW – Yurosek was on the Sept 6 baseline depth chart as an active TE3 with no injury entry; he was placed on Reserve/Injured on Sept 8, 2026.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy impact of his own – the only thing worth noting is that Minnesota’s tight end depth behind Hockenson is now thinner, which marginally raises Josh Oliver’s contingency value.

Moliki Matavao — NO (Was competing for TE3 snaps; currently off the active roster.)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported – on the reserve list.
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation – NFL.com lists him RES (Reserve/Injured) with no return designation, so he is out for the season.
• Injury: Knee.
• When it happened: Logged Aug 25, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A for 2026 – a straight Reserve/Injured placement ends the season. A knee injury serious enough for season-ending IR typically implies a 6-12 month rehab.
• Expected back to full health: Targeting the 2027 offseason.
• Week 1: Out for Sunday, Sept 13 at Detroit – and for the season.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for all of Weeks 1-4 and the balance of 2026.
• Who benefits if he sits: Oscar Delp holds the TE3 job in his place, behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – already on IR as of Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Ignore in all formats – he is on season-ending reserve.

Joe Royer — CLE (TE4 (on reserve; not on the active depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: not applicable – on the reserve list, ineligible to practice
• Official status: (a) FINAL OFFICIAL ROSTER-STATUS DESIGNATION: Reserve/Non-Football Injury list (nfl.com roster code RSN), filed Aug 30, 2026. NOTE – the Sept 6 baseline described this as ‘Reserve/NFI – personal.’ The ‘personal’ characterization is NOT supported by any source I could verify; report it as Reserve/NFI only.
• Injury: Non-football injury; the nature was not disclosed by the club. By definition it was sustained away from team activities.
• When it happened: Prior to Aug 30, 2026 (the date of the NFI placement).
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not estimable without a disclosed injury. Reserve/NFI placed before the season requires the player to miss at least the first four games; the club then has a window to activate him.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown – insufficient public information. Earliest possible return is Week 5.
• 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: Already covered – Harold Fannin Jr. is TE1, Blake Whiteheart TE2, Carsen Ryan TE3.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Irrelevant in all formats – he was TE4 before the injury.

Will Mallory — IND (Was the TE4. On IR-designated-to-return; Andrew Ogletree currently occupies the TE3 role.)

• Wednesday practice: not applicable — ineligible to practice until the Week 5 window at the earliest
• Official status: (a-equivalent) OFFICIAL ROSTER DESIGNATION: Reserve/Injured, DESIGNATED TO RETURN. Confirmed by his ‘RSR’ status code on the official nfl.com Colts roster. Must miss a minimum of four games (Weeks 1-4).
• Injury: Thumb
• When it happened: Late August 2026; the Colts placed him on IR-designated-to-return when setting the initial 53-man roster on Aug 30, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Thumb fractures or UCL tears requiring surgical fixation typically cost 6-8 weeks; non-surgical thumb sprains run 2-4 weeks. His four-game IR placement implies the surgical/longer end.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late October 2026 (Weeks 6-8) for a full return to football activity.
• Week 1: OUT — Week 1 vs. Baltimore. Ineligible.
• Weeks 1-4: OUT for Weeks 1-4 (vs BAL, @ KC, vs HOU, vs WAS in London). Eligible for the return designation only after Week 4.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already accounted for — Tyler Warren is the every-down TE1, Mo Alie-Cox the TE2, Andrew Ogletree the TE3.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged — same official IR-designated-to-return status as the Sept 6 report.

Fantasy takeaway: No redraft relevance — he is a TE4 who cannot play until Week 5 at the earliest and would not have a role even then.

Jaren Kanak — TEN (Was a developmental TE5/special-teamer. On season-ending reserve; the active room is Helm, Bellinger, Martin-Robinson and Granson.)

• 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 Titans roster, and by the Titans’ own transaction announcement placing him and DE Jaylen Harrell on IR.
• Injury: Pectoral (torn pec)
• When it happened: August 2026, during training camp / preseason.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Torn pectoral requiring surgical repair: 4-6 months, which is why these are routinely season-ending when they occur in August.
• Expected back to full health: Roughly December 2026 to February 2027 — i.e., the 2027 offseason.
• Week 1: OUT — Week 1 vs. the Jets and all of 2026.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for the season.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already accounted for — Gunnar Helm is the TE1, Daniel Bellinger the TE2, with David Martin-Robinson and Kylen Granson co-listed third.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged — same official season-ending IR designation as the Sept 6 report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance in any format.

DJ Rogers — DAL (Reserve/Injured – no active depth-chart position. Was a depth tight end. Verified RES status on nfl.com roster (#49).)

• Wednesday practice: DNP (on Reserve/Injured – not eligible to practice with the team)
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Injured (IR), official club transaction. Does not appear on the weekly practice report.
• Injury: Knee injury (specific structure not disclosed by the club)
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp / preseason; IR placement in the roster-cutdown cycle)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Undisclosed knee injuries span a wide range: meniscus or MCL, 4-8 weeks; ACL or multi-ligament, 9-14 months. With no designated-to-return notation reported and no club-disclosed timeline, the conservative read is that he is unlikely to contribute in 2026.
• Expected back to full health: Indeterminate – no club-disclosed timeline
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 (8:20 PM ET vs. New York Giants) – ineligible on Reserve/Injured
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT for all four. Even on a return he would be the fourth or fifth tight end with no fantasy-relevant role.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already replaced – Brevyn Spann-Ford (TE, ACT) and Luke Schoonmaker (TE, ACT) hold the backup roles behind Jake Ferguson
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Drop in all formats – on IR with an undisclosed knee injury and no path to snaps behind Jake Ferguson.

Princeton Fant — DAL (Reserve/Injured – no active depth-chart position. Was a backup/blocking tight end. Verified RES status on nfl.com roster (#85).)

• Wednesday practice: DNP (on Reserve/Injured – not eligible to practice with the team)
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Injured (IR), official club transaction, season-ending. Not eligible to return in 2026 and does not appear on the weekly practice report.
• Injury: Torn ACL plus MCL damage in the knee (multi-ligament injury)
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp / preseason)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Combined ACL/MCL reconstruction: 10-14 months, meaningfully longer than an isolated ACL because the medial-side repair must be protected before rotational loading begins. Return-to-play rates for multi-ligament knee injuries are lower than for isolated ACL tears. An August 2026 injury projects to roughly mid-to-late 2027.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late 2027 – no 2026 availability whatsoever
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 (8:20 PM ET vs. New York Giants) and every remaining 2026 game – season-ending IR
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT, and out for the entire 2026 season. Zero fantasy relevance.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already replaced – Brevyn Spann-Ford (TE, ACT) is TE2 and Luke Schoonmaker (TE, ACT) TE3; James Mitchell and Michael Trigg are practice-squad depth
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Drop in all formats – season-ending multi-ligament knee reconstruction with no 2026 return path.

Carson Towt — IND (Depth/blocking tight end, no active depth-chart role. On season-ending reserve.)

• Wednesday practice: not applicable — on IR
• Official status: (a-equivalent) OFFICIAL ROSTER DESIGNATION: Reserve/Injured (IR). Confirmed by his ‘RES’ status code on the official nfl.com Colts roster. No designated-to-return tag has been reported.
• Injury: Undisclosed. The Colts have not specified the injury and no credible reporting has filled the gap — flagged here rather than guessed at.
• When it happened: Not disclosed; the IR placement dates to the initial 53-man roster construction in late August 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Cannot be estimated — the injury has not been disclosed. Any range given here would be invention.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown. Without a designated-to-return tag reported, the working assumption is he is out for 2026.
• Week 1: OUT — Week 1 vs. Baltimore.
• Weeks 1-4: OUT for Weeks 1-4; assume out for the season absent a return designation.
• Who benefits if he sits: No impact — Warren, Alie-Cox and Ogletree handle the tight end room, with Pharaoh Brown and Kenny Fletcher Jr. on the practice squad.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged — same official IR designation as the Sept 6 report.

Fantasy takeaway: No fantasy relevance in any format.

Cole Turner — MIA (TE depth — not in the Week 1 rotation)

• Wednesday practice: Not applicable — on the reserve list, does not appear on the weekly practice report.
• Official status: (a) FINAL official roster designation — Reserve/Injured (status code RES on the nfl.com official roster).
• Injury: Undisclosed
• When it happened: Late August 2026 (placed on IR on or about Aug 27, 2026)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Undisclosed, but an in-season IR placement carries a mandatory minimum four-game absence.
• Expected back to full health: Not before Week 5, and only if designated to return.
• Week 1: OUT — on Reserve/Injured, ineligible for Week 1.
• Weeks 1-4: Ineligible Weeks 1-4.
• Who benefits if he sits: Justin Joly holds the TE4 spot on the active roster.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged — already on IR in the Sept 6 baseline.

Fantasy takeaway: Ignore — no fantasy relevance in any format this season.

Did not practice Wednesday (3)

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

Brock Bowers — LV (TE1 — verified No. 1 tight end on nfl.com roster (ACT) and Ourlads (Sept 8); the featured pass-catcher in Klint Kubiak’s offense)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY, NO FINAL GAME STATUS YET. Bowers appears on the Raiders’ first official injury report of 2026, filed Wednesday Sept 9, as a non-participant with a knee injury. A final Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag is not due until Friday Sept 11, 4:00 PM ET. He is NOT on injured reserve — he remains ACT on the nfl.com roster. Reporting universally expects him to be ruled Out for Sunday.
• Injury: Knee — meniscus tear, treated with an arthroscopic meniscus trim (partial meniscectomy) performed by Dr. Daniel Cooper in Dallas. This is the shorter-recovery option; a meniscus repair would have been a months-long absence. Second straight season of knee trouble: a PCL injury and bone bruise limited him to 12 games in 2025.
• When it happened: Aggravated during training camp and diagnosed the week of Aug 31–Sept 4, 2026; surgery Tuesday, Sept 8, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Arthroscopic meniscus trim: 2–6 weeks to return to play for an NFL skill player (commonly 1–3 missed games); a meniscus repair, by contrast, is 4–6 months
• Expected back to full health: Late September 2026 — realistically Week 3–4 for a full, unrestricted snap share, given the Raiders’ stated intent to protect a knee that has now been an issue two years running
• Week 1: Expected OUT vs Miami, Sunday Sept 13, 4:25 PM ET. Treat as out pending Friday’s official designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Reported as ‘a game or two.’ Base case: misses Week 1, coin-flip for Week 2, back but possibly snap-limited Week 3, near-normal by Week 4. Downside case is a third missed game if the knee swells — the club has openly said Bowers is prioritizing durability over playing through it this year, which cuts against an aggressive return.
• Who benefits if he sits: Michael Mayer (verified TE2) takes the bulk of the snaps, with Ian Thomas (verified TE3) as the No. 2. Practice-squad TE Chris Myarick could be elevated for blocking snaps.
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Sit Bowers in Week 1 and stream a replacement TE now; Michael Mayer is the priority waiver add in every format and a usable TE1 streamer against Miami.

Tyler Higbee — LAR (TE2 — second tight end behind Colby Parkinson)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry with no final game status — listed as DID NOT PARTICIPATE on the Rams’ official Week 1 report, but flagged as a veteran REST day (not injury related), alongside Alaric Jackson and Byron Young. No game-status designation.
• Injury: None — ‘not injury related, resting player’ (scheduled veteran rest day)
• When it happened: not applicable — no injury
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not applicable — a veteran rest day carries no recovery timeline
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health — he is not injured
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne — a non-injury rest DNP does not threaten availability
• Weeks 1-4: Available for all four. His fantasy problem is competition, not health: the Rams carry five active tight ends and Colby Parkinson is ahead of him.
• Who benefits if he sits: Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen are the next tight ends up behind Colby Parkinson
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Do not read the DNP as an injury — it was veteran rest, but a five-deep TE room still makes him a touchdown-dependent streamer at best.

Oscar Delp — NO (TE3 behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant; 2026 third-round rookie.)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without a final game status – Did Not Participate on the Saints’ Wednesday, Sept 9 report. Final designation comes Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Hamstring.
• When it happened: Sustained in August 2026; he has been carrying it since before the Sept 6 checkpoint.
• Typical recovery for this injury: 1-2 weeks for a Grade 1 hamstring strain, 3-6 weeks for Grade 2. A DNP this deep into the injury suggests it is lingering rather than resolving.
• Expected back to full health: Uncertain – a Wednesday DNP roughly three weeks in points to a Grade 2 and a return around mid-to-late September.
• Week 1: Not yet determined, trending poorly. Sunday, Sept 13 at Detroit – Wednesday was practice participation only; Friday’s Sept 11 report sets his official status.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 at DET, Wk2 at BAL, Wk3 vs LV, Wk4 vs ATL. Even healthy he is the TE3 in a room with Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant – minimal standalone value across the stretch.
• Who benefits if he sits: Noah Fant is the TE2 and would take the extra snaps; Treyton Welch and Stone Smartt are practice-squad options.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – still sidelined with the same hamstring, now confirmed by an official DNP rather than an aggregator projection.

Fantasy takeaway: Not startable – a TE3 who did not practice Wednesday has no viable Week 1 path to targets.

Limited Wednesday (4)

Limited on Wednesday usually means trending toward playing, but it is exactly the group whose Friday designation decides your lineup.

George Kittle — SF (TE1 — starting tight end)

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry with no final game status. Kittle appeared on San Francisco’s official Week 1 practice reports as LIMITED on BOTH Sept 8 and Sept 9 with an Achilles designation. No final game-status designation (Out/Doubtful/Questionable) for the Melbourne game could be verified from any official source as of this filing. Aggregators listing him ‘questionable’ are unofficial; see excluded_and_why for the 2024 Week 3 stories that falsely surface as current.
• Injury: Right Achilles tear (surgically repaired); currently managed as workload/soreness, not a new injury — Kyle Shanahan clarified that ‘taken a step back’ referred to reps, not a setback
• When it happened: 2026-01-15 (approximate — original Achilles tear in January 2026; activated off active/PUP Aug 23, 2026)
• Typical recovery for this injury: A full Achilles tendon repair typically sidelines an NFL player 9-12 months, and skill players often need a further 4-8 weeks of in-season ramp-up before they carry a normal workload.
• Expected back to full health: October 2026 for an unrestricted snap count; he is functional but rep-managed right now
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY on Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne, but on a managed snap count. Shanahan: ‘We got to be smart with that. They both look great and stuff, but we also definitely have to be smart with that.’ OC Klay Kubiak: ‘Kittle looks good… he’s practicing full speed, he’s getting a ton of reps.’ Treat as a game-time snap-share question, not an availability question.
• Weeks 1-4: Should play in all four but with the 49ers deliberately throttling reps early. Expect his snap share and route volume to climb week over week, approaching normal by late September/early October. Elevated soft-tissue re-aggravation risk on a short turnaround into Week 2.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jake Tonges (TE2); Luke Farrell is the blocking TE, and the 49ers signed Brayden Willis to the practice squad Sept 6 specifically as Kittle insurance
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Startable but shade your projection down 20-30% for Week 1 — he is playing on a leash in Melbourne, so pair him with a safe floor elsewhere in your lineup.

Will Kacmarek — MIA (TE2 on the official club depth chart, but he is Miami’s only true blocking tight end and is expected to play a heavy in-line role in 12-personnel and run-game packages)

• Wednesday practice: Limited (Wednesday Sept 9)
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry, no final game status yet. Miami plays Sunday Sept 13, so designations are not due until Friday Sept 11.
• Injury: Undisclosed (the club has not specified). He was absent from practice from Aug 22 through roughly Sept 6, missed the preseason finale, and was doing individual work with a trainer as recently as Sept 7.
• When it happened: On or about Aug 22, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Without a named injury, the honest read is the timeline itself: a roughly two-and-a-half-week absence followed by a Limited return most often reflects a moderate soft-tissue strain or a joint sprain, which typically runs 2-4 weeks total.
• Expected back to full health: Best estimate for 100%: Week 1-2. He returned to team practice Sept 7 and is already up to Limited, which is a healthy trajectory.
• Week 1: Likely to play Sunday Sept 13 at Las Vegas, most plausibly with a Questionable tag on Friday. If he progresses to Full by Thursday or Friday, expect no designation at all.
• Weeks 1-4: Week 1: expected to play in a blocking-first role. Weeks 2-4: full participation, with the Dolphins leaning on him to stabilize a run game that has no other in-line blocker.
• Who benefits if he sits: Seydou Traore slides into the TE2 role, with Justin Joly as TE3 — but neither blocks at Kacmarek’s level, so Miami would likely shift to more 11-personnel rather than replace him one-for-one.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED — on Sept 6 he had not practiced at all since Aug 22; he has now returned and logged a Limited Wednesday.

Fantasy takeaway: Not a startable fantasy TE — his value is indirect: his health props up De’Von Achane’s rushing efficiency, so track him as an Achane input rather than a roster add.

Andrew ‘Drew’ Ogletree — IND (TE3, behind Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox (verified on the Colts’ official Sept 8 depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY, no final game status yet. Listed as a limited participant on the official NFL Week 1 injury report. No Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag filed; Colts play Sunday.
• Injury: Neck. The Colts have not disclosed a mechanism or severity beyond the ‘neck’ designation on the report.
• When it happened: Not disclosed. He was not on the Sept 6 tracking, so the issue most likely arose in the final days of camp prep or at Wednesday’s practice itself.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Extremely wide range by class. A neck strain / ‘stinger’ type issue is commonly 3-10 days. A cervical disc or structural injury runs 4-8+ weeks and can be season-altering. With no disclosed mechanism, the limited-not-DNP participation is the single best signal that this is at the mild end.
• Expected back to full health: If this is a strain/stinger — as the Limited participation suggests — expect full health within 1-2 weeks (by Week 2, Sept 20). Unknowable with confidence until the Colts disclose more or the Thursday/Friday participation trend appears.
• Week 1: Likely available Sunday, Sept 13 vs. Baltimore, but with genuine uncertainty. Watch the Thursday and Friday reports — a move to DNP would be a significant downgrade for a neck issue.
• Weeks 1-4: Even fully healthy he is the TE3 in a room fronted by Tyler Warren, who is the clear focal point. Ogletree’s Weeks 1-4 fantasy value is negligible in all but the deepest tight-end-premium formats regardless of how this resolves.
• Who benefits if he sits: No practical change — Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox already absorb essentially all meaningful tight end usage. Practice-squad TEs Pharaoh Brown and Kenny Fletcher Jr. would be elevation candidates for blocking snaps.
• Change since the weekend: NEW — not on the Sept 6 report.

Fantasy takeaway: Ignore for fantasy purposes; the only reason to track this is the small chance a Warren injury later promotes the TE2/TE3 chain, and neck injuries are worth monitoring for their own sake.

Eli Stowers — PHI (TE3 behind Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt, verified ACT on nfl.com roster and Ourlads 09/08/2026. Rookie, 54th overall pick in the 2026 draft out of Vanderbilt.)

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY WITHOUT FINAL GAME STATUS. Filed on the Eagles’ Wednesday, Sept 9 report as ‘hamstring – Limited Participation’. No Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag until Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Hamstring strain, sustained late in the preseason. He missed practice with it on 2026-08-25. Beat reporter Jeff McLane noted Wednesday that Stowers and other players ‘who got dinged up late in the preseason are dressed to practice in some capacity.’
• When it happened: Approximately 2026-08-24 (late preseason; first reported missing practice 2026-08-25)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 hamstring strain in a tight end: 1-3 weeks. Grade 2: 3-6 weeks. Grade 3: 8-12 weeks. Highest recurrence rate of any NFL soft-tissue injury, roughly 1 in 3 within the same season, so clubs routinely hold rookies to Limited work longer than veterans. Two-plus weeks out and practicing Limited is consistent with a Grade 1 nearing resolution.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late September 2026 (Weeks 2-3) for unrestricted work; likely available but not fully unrestricted for Week 1
• Week 1: LIKELY TO PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia’s opponent Washington), but NOT official. A Limited Wednesday four days out most often resolves to a Full Friday and no designation, or a ‘Questionable’ tag with a light snap count. Watch the Thursday and Friday reports.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to be available for most or all four in a rotational TE3 role. Reporting notes he still needs development as a blocker, so his snap share should stay low regardless of health. Hamstring recurrence is the main absence risk.
• Who benefits if he sits: E.J. Jenkins (TE, ACT) is TE4 and would absorb the rotational snaps. Grant Calcaterra (TE) is on IR-designated-to-return and unavailable for a minimum of four games.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Not startable in Week 1 as the third tight end behind a healthy Dallas Goedert – a dynasty stash only, and one whose hamstring warrants patience.

Practiced in full (on the report, trending to play) (5)

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.

Theo Johnson — NYG (TE2 behind Isaiah Likely per Ourlads 09/08/2026, though Empire Sports (09/01) describes him as the nominal every-down starter with Likely featured as the pass-catching weapon – treat as a genuine committee. Verified ACT on nfl.com roster.)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY WITHOUT FINAL GAME STATUS. Filed Wednesday, Sept 9 as ‘shoulder – Full Participation’. No Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag until Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Shoulder injury (AC-joint-type contusion/sprain; no structural damage reported). Sustained in a training-camp collision with teammate Kayvon Thibodeaux; he missed two subsequent practices. Head coach John Harbaugh: ‘He’s going to be fine. He’s going to be good. He’ll be ready.’ Harbaugh also explicitly corrected reports of him limping – the issue is the shoulder, not a lower-body problem.
• When it happened: Approximately 2026-08-20 (training-camp collision; first publicly reported 2026-08-27)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1-2 AC joint sprain / shoulder contusion in a tight end: 1-3 weeks to full participation, and players frequently play through it once they can absorb contact and extend the arm overhead. Grade 3 separations run 4-8 weeks. His full-contact Wednesday practice ~3 weeks out places this firmly at the mild end.
• Expected back to full health: Effectively full health now – practicing without restriction as of Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026.
• Week 1: EXPECTED TO PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (8:20 PM ET vs. Dallas). Not yet official; Friday, Sept 11 brings the final designation. A Full practice with no restriction makes a game-status tag unlikely.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to play all four with no absence risk from this injury. His fantasy ceiling is capped by the Likely acquisition rather than by the shoulder.
• Who benefits if he sits: Isaiah Likely (TE, ACT) – already the featured receiving tight end and would absorb virtually all pass-catching work; Chris Manhertz (TE, ACT) would take the blocking snaps.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Shoulder is a non-issue after a Full Wednesday, but the Likely signing – not the injury – is the reason to leave Johnson on your bench in Week 1.

AJ Barner — SEA (TE1 — starting tight end)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry with no final game status — listed with an oblique injury on Seattle’s official Week 1 report but practiced FULL both reported days and received NO game-status designation. He is active tonight.
• Injury: Oblique
• When it happened: 2026-09-05 (approximate — surfaced during the Week 1 practice week)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Oblique/abdominal strains typically cost an NFL player 1-3 weeks; minor ones that allow full practice resolve inside a week. Full participation on consecutive days indicates the minor end.
• Expected back to full health: Already effectively full health — no restriction reported
• Week 1: ACTIVE and expected to start tonight (Wednesday, Sept 9)
• Weeks 1-4: Should hold the starting job through the next four games. The real risk to his fantasy value is Elijah Arroyo’s snap share, not the oblique.
• Who benefits if he sits: Elijah Arroyo (Eric Saubert is the No. 3; Nick Kallerup is inactive tonight)
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Start him as normal in TE-premium formats — the oblique never limited him in practice and he is active tonight.

Kenyon Sadiq — NYJ (TE2 behind Mason Taylor — a first-round rookie whose health opens up the Jets’ 12-personnel packages)

• Wednesday practice: Full (Wednesday Sept 9, estimated)
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry, no final game status yet. Jets play Sunday Sept 13; Wednesday levels are estimated.
• Injury: Groin, following core-muscle (sports hernia) surgery
• When it happened: Surgery in the offseason/early camp, summer 2026; the residual groin issue limited him through August
• Typical recovery for this injury: Core-muscle/sports-hernia repair: 6-10 weeks to return to football activity, and commonly 12+ weeks before full explosiveness. Residual groin soreness after such a repair typically resolves over an additional 2-4 weeks.
• Expected back to full health: Best estimate for 100%: Weeks 1-2. He has cleared the groin issue and reached Full participation, which is the milestone that matters after this class of surgery.
• Week 1: Expected to play Sunday Sept 13 at Tennessee with no designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: available, with a snap share that should climb as the Jets add two-TE packages. His usage curve, not his health, is the variable.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jeremy Ruckert is the blocking TE and would take those snaps; Jelani Woods is TE4.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED — the post-surgical groin was an open question on Sept 6; he is now a Full participant and the Jets expect him to play.

Fantasy takeaway: STASH in dynasty and deeper redraft leagues — a healthy first-round rookie TE with a rising snap share is exactly the profile that pays off in the second half of a season, but do not start him in Week 1.

Seydou Traore — MIA (TE3 — receiving-oriented depth behind Greg Dulcich and Will Kacmarek)

• Wednesday practice: Full (Wednesday Sept 9)
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry, no final game status yet. Miami plays Sunday Sept 13.
• Injury: Undisclosed minor issue that limited his availability in the final week of the preseason
• When it happened: Late August 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Minor undisclosed soft-tissue issues of this type generally resolve in under two weeks.
• Expected back to full health: Already effectively at 100% — a Full Wednesday participation is the clearest signal available.
• Week 1: Expected to play Sunday Sept 13 at Las Vegas with no designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy and available Weeks 1-4; role is limited by the depth chart, not by the injury.
• Who benefits if he sits: Justin Joly is the next tight end up.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED — carried a minor availability question on Sept 6, now a Full participant and appears on the report only as a cleared entry.

Fantasy takeaway: Waiver-wire irrelevant in redraft; only worth a deep-dynasty stash if Dulcich gets hurt.

Ben Sinnott — WAS (TE3 behind Chig Okonkwo and John Bates, 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 ‘oblique – Full Participation’. No game-status tag until Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Oblique strain
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Oblique/abdominal strain in a tight end: 2-4 weeks for a mild strain, 4-8 weeks for a moderate one. Obliques are notoriously slow to settle because trunk rotation is unavoidable in blocking and route-running, and recurrence is common if a player is rushed. A Full practice indicates a mild strain that has fully resolved.
• Expected back to full health: Effectively full health now – unrestricted Full participation as of Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026
• Week 1: EXPECTED TO PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia). Not yet official; Full Wednesday makes a Friday designation unlikely.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to be available for all four in a rotational TE3 role. With Okonkwo and Bates both healthy, his target volume should be minimal.
• Who benefits if he sits: Colson Yankoff (TE, ACT) is TE4; Jack Westover (TE) is on the practice squad. NOTE: Quentin Moore, listed as a Commanders TE in the Sept 6 baseline, was WAIVED FROM IR on 09/09/2026 and is no longer on the roster.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Healthy but boxed in as the third tight end – no startable value in Week 1 absent an injury ahead of him.

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.

Adam Trautman — DEN (TE2 — verified ACT on nfl.com and listed second behind Evan Engram on Denver’s Week 1 unofficial depth chart (Sept 9); the team’s primary blocking tight end)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported (participant at Monday Sept 7 practice)
• Official status: (c) STILL UNOFFICIAL — no filing exists; Denver’s first official report is due Thursday Sept 10. He returned to practice Monday Sept 7 alongside Mims Jr. and OLB Que Robinson.
• Injury: Undisclosed — the club did not specify the ailment that cost him practice time in late August/early September
• When it happened: Late August 2026 (exact date not disclosed)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Not determinable without a disclosed diagnosis; the practice absence was short enough that it never threatened his Week 1 availability
• Expected back to full health: Already there — back at practice a week before the opener
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY at Kansas City, Monday Sept 14, 8:15 PM ET
• Weeks 1-4: Available throughout, in a blocking-first role. Minimal receiving upside behind Engram in all four weeks.
• Who benefits if he sits: Nate Adkins (verified TE3), then Dallen Bentley (TE4)
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Irrelevant for fantasy purposes — he matters only as the reason Evan Engram isn’t asked to block, which protects Engram’s route volume.

Cleared since the weekend — off the report entirely (8)

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

Sam LaPorta — DET (TE1 – confirmed as the starter on both nfl.com (ACT, No. 87) and the Ourlads 09/08 chart, ahead of Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – not listed on the Wednesday report; the club’s estimated report names Full participants explicitly and he is not among the injured group at all.
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. Verified absent from Detroit’s official Wednesday Sept 9, 2026 Week 1 injury report – checked on nfl.com/injuries/league/2026/reg1 (which lists eight Lions, ALL defensive: Abney, Harper, Izien, Derrick Moore, Nowaske, Rakestraw, Rolder, Wingo) and cross-checked against Sept 9 club-sourced reporting from Athlon and Crescent City Sports, both of which state LaPorta was REMOVED from the report. He is ACT on nfl.com. With no practice entry there is nothing for Friday Sept 11 to designate.
• Injury: Resolved. Two separate items have now both cleared: back surgery in November 2025, and a hip injury from a hit taken in an Aug. 17, 2026 training-camp practice. Beat reporting describes him as ‘ready to go for Week 1’ and ‘fully healthy now,’ and Detroit is characterized as entering Week 1 with a clean bill of health on offense.
• When it happened: Hip: Aug. 17, 2026 (training camp). Prior back surgery: November 2025.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Hip contusion or mild hip-flexor strain in an NFL player: 1-3 weeks, with a labral or deeper joint injury running 6 weeks to surgical. LaPorta is roughly 3.5 weeks from the hip incident and unrestricted, consistent with the benign end. Post-operative recovery from a lumbar procedure typically runs 3-6 months, and he is ~10 months out.
• Expected back to full health: Fully healthy as of Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, with both the hip and the 2025 back surgery behind him.
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY, no designation, Sunday, Sept. 13 vs. New Orleans at Ford Field.
• Weeks 1-4: Every-week starter across all four with no restrictions reported. Detroit’s offense is fully intact around him at the skill positions, which supports his target floor.
• Who benefits if he sits: Brock Wright (No. 89) would step in as the primary tight end, with Tyler Conklin next.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the injury report. The Sept 6 baseline carried an aggregator-projected ‘Questionable’ on the hip; Detroit’s own Week 1 filing removed him entirely.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him as a top-tier tight end – clearing the first official report of the year with no entry closes out both the hip and the 2025 back surgery, and the earlier aggregator ‘Questionable’ is obsolete.

Tucker Kraft — GB (TE1 – confirmed as the top tight end on both nfl.com (ACT) and the Ourlads 09/08 chart, ahead of Jonnu Smith.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – not listed on the Wednesday report, which for Green Bay means unrestricted participation.
• Official status: (a)/RESOLVED – Resolved – off the injury report. Kraft does NOT appear on Green Bay’s official eight-man Wednesday Sept 9 Week 1 injury report (verified against both nfl.com/injuries/league/2026/reg1 and the club-published Packers-Vikings report), and he is ACT on the roster. Because he carries no practice-report entry at all, there is nothing for Friday Sept 11 to convert into a game status – he is on track to be fully available with no designation.
• Injury: Torn ACL suffered in Week 9 of the 2025 season (vs. Carolina). He opened 2026 rehabbing, took part in full-contact work in the joint practice with Arizona, and sat out the preseason finale purely as Week 1 preparation. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported he was expected to be ‘full go’ for the opener, and he cleared Week 1 practice without an injury-report entry.
• When it happened: ACL tear: Week 9 of the 2025 season (early November 2025).
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction in an NFL player: 9-12 months to return to play, with 12+ months usually needed to regain pre-injury explosiveness. Kraft is roughly 10 months post-injury at Week 1.
• Expected back to full health: Cleared and unrestricted as of Wednesday Sept 9, 2026. Expect the final 10-15 percent of explosiveness and route separation to arrive over the first month as he passes the 12-month mark.
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY, no designation, Sunday, Sept. 13 at Minnesota. Note this is a Wednesday-practice-based read; the official final status is not filed until Friday, Sept. 11 – but with no practice entry there is no realistic path to a Questionable tag.
• Weeks 1-4: Full every-week starter. The only caveat is snap-count management in the opening weeks as the staff eases a 10-month ACL return into a full workload, plus real target competition from Jonnu Smith, so the volume may build rather than start at a ceiling.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jonnu Smith (No. 18) would take over as the primary receiving tight end, with Josh Whyle third.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report. The Sept 6 baseline carried him as ‘Questionable’ from a CBS Sports aggregator page; the club’s own official Week 1 filing lists him nowhere. This is the clearest upgrade of the week.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him with confidence – clearing the first official injury report of the year with no entry is the strongest possible signal for a 10-month ACL return, and the earlier ‘Questionable’ floating around aggregators is now dead.

Tyler Warren — IND (TE1 and the focal point of the Colts’ tight end usage)

• Wednesday practice: Full — the Colts reported that ALL 53 players practiced Wednesday and that only four were limited (Haulcy, Ogletree, Pierce, Van Pran-Granger). Warren was not among them.
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report
• Injury: Groin/adductor strain — cleared
• When it happened: Late August 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 groin/adductor strains: 1-3 weeks; grade 2: 3-6 weeks. His clean Week 1 participation indicates the mild end.
• Expected back to full health: Now — full participant with no designation.
• Week 1: Available, no designation, Sunday Sept 13 vs. Baltimore.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy and unrestricted for Weeks 1-4 (vs BAL, @ KC, vs HOU, vs WAS in London). Groin strains do carry some recurrence risk, so a future Wednesday ‘Limited’ would not be shocking, but nothing suggests it now.
• Who benefits if he sits: Mo Alie-Cox would be the primary replacement, with Andrew Ogletree next — not applicable, Warren is healthy.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report. On Sept 6 he carried an unofficial ‘Questionable’ for a groin/adductor strain, amplified by a widely circulated social post; he practiced fully Wednesday and is not on the official report.

Fantasy takeaway: This is the most valuable resolution on the board — start him as a locked-in TE1 with zero health discount, because a groin issue that was clouding him three days ago is now completely gone from the report.

John Bates — WAS (TE2 / co-starter with Chig Okonkwo per Yahoo’s Week 1 depth chart (09/09); TE2 per Ourlads 09/09/2026. Verified ACT on nfl.com roster.)

• Wednesday practice: Full (practiced Wednesday; not listed on the injury report, so no participation level was formally filed for him)
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does NOT appear on the Commanders’ official Wednesday, Sept 9 injury report.
• Injury: Hamstring strain. ESPN’s John Keim reported at the time that he would ‘miss a couple weeks’; head coach Dan Quinn confirmed a multi-week absence. That window closed in mid-August and he has now cleared the report entirely.
• When it happened: 2026-07-30 (training-camp practice; reported 2026-08-01)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1-2 hamstring strain in a tight end: 2-4 weeks, consistent with the ‘couple weeks’ timeline given. Recurrence risk stays elevated for roughly 4-6 weeks post-return. He is now about six weeks out from the injury, which is past the elevated-risk window.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health – roughly six weeks post-injury and off the injury report as of Sept 9, 2026
• Week 1: WILL PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia) with no restriction. Off the report, so no Friday designation is expected.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to play all four in a blocking-first co-starter role alongside Okonkwo. Low target volume by design; his recovery matters more for Washington’s run blocking than for fantasy scoring.
• Who benefits if he sits: Ben Sinnott (TE, ACT) – who was the direct beneficiary of Bates’ camp absence – followed by Colson Yankoff (TE, ACT)
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report

Fantasy takeaway: Fully recovered and off the report, which caps Ben Sinnott’s breakout path and leaves Chig Okonkwo as the only Commanders tight end worth a roster spot.

Erick All — CIN (TE3 on the verified active depth chart (up from TE4 in the baseline, because Tanner Hudson is on the practice squad))

• Wednesday practice: Full (by omission – he is not listed on the Wednesday report, which means unrestricted participation)
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He carries NO designation of any kind. nfl.com lists him ACT with no PUP, IR or NFI code, and he did not appear on Cincinnati’s official Wednesday, Sept 9 participation report.
• Injury: None currently. He is two seasons removed from the torn ACL suffered in Week 9 of his 2024 rookie year, which cost him all of 2025 on the reserve/PUP list.
• When it happened: Original ACL tear: November 2024. Fully cleared for the 2026 season.
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction: 9-12 months to clearance, with performance typically normalizing in the second season back. All is now in that second season, which is when tight ends historically regain their pre-injury explosiveness.
• Expected back to full health: Already at 100%. He is practicing without restriction and holds an active roster spot.
• Week 1: AVAILABLE, no designation, vs. Tampa Bay, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: healthy and available, but buried behind Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki. Snap share, not health, is the constraint.
• Who benefits if he sits: Not applicable – he is the backup. Jack Endries is TE4.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the injury report

Fantasy takeaway: Healthy but not startable behind Sample and Gesicki – a watchlist name only if one of them goes down.

Terrance Ferguson — LAR (TE3 — third tight end behind Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report. Not listed on the Rams’ official Week 1 injury report. The Sept 6 baseline rested on an aggregator ‘Questionable’ tag with ‘general soreness’ and no body part disclosed by the team; no official designation ever issued.
• Injury: General soreness, no specific body part disclosed by the team — resolved
• When it happened: 2026-08-28 (approximate — late preseason)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Undiagnosed general soreness usually resolves in days and carries no meaningful absence risk.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health as of Sept 8, 2026
• Week 1: ACTIVE, no designation, available Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy for all four. As a developing tight end he could grow into snaps over the stretch, but Parkinson and Higbee are ahead of him now.
• Who benefits if he sits: Davis Allen and Max Klare are the tight ends behind him
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report

Fantasy takeaway: Clean bill of health and a dynasty name to watch, but leave him on the wire in redraft this week.

Davis Allen — LAR (TE4 — fourth tight end behind Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report. Not listed on the Rams’ official Week 1 injury report. The Sept 6 baseline rested on an aggregator ‘Questionable’ tag; no official designation ever issued.
• Injury: Quad strain (soft-tissue) — resolved
• When it happened: 2026-08-24 (approximate — late training camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Mild quad strains typically sideline an NFL player 1-3 weeks; he cleared the report inside that window.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health as of Sept 8, 2026
• Week 1: ACTIVE, no designation, available Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy for all four but fourth in a five-man tight end room. No projectable fantasy role.
• Who benefits if he sits: Max Klare is the next tight end up; Dan Villari is the practice-squad depth
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report

Fantasy takeaway: Off the report but unrosterable — he is the No. 4 tight end on a team that spreads TE targets four ways.

Brevin Jordan — HOU (TE5, behind Schultz, Moreau, Klein and Stover)

• Wednesday practice: Full (not listed on the Texans’ Wednesday Sept 9 report)
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report
• Injury: Knee — cleared
• When it happened: August 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Minor knee sprains/contusions: 1-3 weeks.
• Expected back to full health: Now — no designation entering Week 1.
• Week 1: Available, no designation, Sunday Sept 13 vs. Buffalo.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy, but buried at TE5 in a five-deep room. No meaningful role projected for Weeks 1-4.
• Who benefits if he sits: Not applicable — he is healthy and is himself the last man in the tight end room.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report. Was an unofficial ‘Questionable’ (knee) on Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable — Dalton Schultz remains the only Texans tight end worth a lineup slot.

Waiver wire: who gains if these names sit

• Elijah Higgins is the TE2 in his absence, with Hunter Long as the No. 3 behind Trey McBride — if Tip Reiman (ARI) can’t go.
• Already replaced – Johnny Mundt (TE, ACT) is TE2, with rookie Eli Stowers (TE, ACT) as TE3 and E.J. Jenkins (TE, ACT) as TE4 — if Grant Calcaterra (PHI) can’t go.
• Josh Whyle is the TE3 in his absence, behind Kraft and Jonnu Smith; Mark Redman is fourth. — if Luke Musgrave (GB) can’t go.
• Gavin Bartholomew (No. 86) is now the TE3 behind T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver on the vikings.com official Week 1 depth chart. — if Ben Yurosek (MIN) can’t go.
• Oscar Delp holds the TE3 job in his place, behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant. — if Moliki Matavao (NO) can’t go.
• Already covered – Harold Fannin Jr. is TE1, Blake Whiteheart TE2, Carsen Ryan TE3. — if Joe Royer (CLE) can’t go.
• Already accounted for — Tyler Warren is the every-down TE1, Mo Alie-Cox the TE2, Andrew Ogletree the TE3. — if Will Mallory (IND) can’t go.
• Already accounted for — Gunnar Helm is the TE1, Daniel Bellinger the TE2, with David Martin-Robinson and Kylen Granson co-listed third. — if Jaren Kanak (TEN) can’t go.
• Already replaced – Brevyn Spann-Ford (TE, ACT) and Luke Schoonmaker (TE, ACT) hold the backup roles behind Jake Ferguson — if DJ Rogers (DAL) can’t go.
• Already replaced – Brevyn Spann-Ford (TE, ACT) is TE2 and Luke Schoonmaker (TE, ACT) TE3; James Mitchell and Michael Trigg are practice-squad depth — if Princeton Fant (DAL) can’t go.
• No impact — Warren, Alie-Cox and Ogletree handle the tight end room, with Pharaoh Brown and Kenny Fletcher Jr. on the practice squad. — if Carson Towt (IND) can’t go.
• Justin Joly holds the TE4 spot on the active roster. — if Cole Turner (MIA) can’t go.
• Michael Mayer (verified TE2) takes the bulk of the snaps, with Ian Thomas (verified TE3) as the No. 2. Practice-squad TE Chris Myarick could be elevated for blocking snaps. — if Brock Bowers (LV) can’t go.
• Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen are the next tight ends up behind Colby Parkinson — if Tyler Higbee (LAR) can’t go.
• Noah Fant is the TE2 and would take the extra snaps; Treyton Welch and Stone Smartt are practice-squad options. — if Oscar Delp (NO) can’t go.
• Jake Tonges (TE2); Luke Farrell is the blocking TE, and the 49ers signed Brayden Willis to the practice squad Sept 6 specifically as Kittle insurance — if George Kittle (SF) can’t go.
• Seydou Traore slides into the TE2 role, with Justin Joly as TE3 — but neither blocks at Kacmarek’s level, so Miami would likely shift to more 11-personnel rather than replace him one-for-one. — if Will Kacmarek (MIA) can’t go.
• No practical change — Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox already absorb essentially all meaningful tight end usage. Practice-squad TEs Pharaoh Brown and Kenny Fletcher Jr. would be elevation candidates for blocking snaps. — if Andrew ‘Drew’ Ogletree (IND) can’t go.
• E.J. Jenkins (TE, ACT) is TE4 and would absorb the rotational snaps. Grant Calcaterra (TE) is on IR-designated-to-return and unavailable for a minimum of four games. — if Eli Stowers (PHI) can’t go.

Bottom line at tight end

12 of the 33 tight ends here are unavailable, 3 did not practice Wednesday, and 4 were limited. 8 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 TE first appeared on Game On Media.

Running back took the most damage in Week 1 prep, and Wednesday’s official reports sorted the real problems from the noise. Several backfields that looked settled in August now aren’t, and a handful of August scares quietly cleared.

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 40 running backs on this board: 5 are new to the report, 8 improved, 3 got worse, and 11 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 (12)

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

Josh Jacobs — GB (Would be the unquestioned RB1; currently NOT on the active depth chart at all – carried on the roster with status code EXE and unavailable to practice or play.)

• Wednesday practice: Not applicable – players on the Commissioner’s Exempt List are prohibited from practicing or attending games. He may attend meetings, workouts and rehab at the facility only with team permission.
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Commissioner’s Exempt List, verified today as status code ‘EXE’ on nfl.com/teams/green-bay-packers/roster/. This is a league action by the Commissioner’s office, NOT a team injury designation, so it does not appear on the Week 1 injury report and is not subject to Friday’s Out/Doubtful/Questionable process. UNCHANGED since Sept 6.
• Injury: NOT AN INJURY. Jacobs is on the Commissioner’s Exempt List under the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. He faces two misdemeanor charges – battery and criminal damage to property – arising from a May 2026 altercation with his girlfriend; he was initially booked on five counts including felony strangulation, which were not all carried forward. He remains on paid status while exempt. His initial court appearance was MOVED UP to Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, from an original Nov. 17 date – three days before kickoff. GM Brian Gutekunst: ‘we’re going to let this process play out, and we’ll be prepared either way,’ adding the team had not yet viewed the surveillance footage. His legal team stresses the placement ‘is not a final determination.’ Any games missed on the exempt list would count toward a subsequent suspension, but he would have to repay earnings for that stretch.
• When it happened: Placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List Aug. 30-31, 2026 (announced by the NFL). Underlying incident: May 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: No medical recovery window applies. Comparable Personal Conduct Policy exempt-list stays have ranged from roughly 1-2 weeks (charges resolved or dropped quickly) to a full season (cases that proceed to trial), with a 6-game baseline suspension typical for a substantiated violence finding.
• Expected back to full health: Physically healthy right now. Football availability depends entirely on the legal process and the NFL investigation, with the Sept. 10 initial appearance the first real checkpoint. No return date has been set by the league or the team.
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept. 13 at Minnesota – not by injury designation but because exempt-list players cannot play. This is effectively final regardless of Friday’s injury report.
• Weeks 1-4: Treat as out for the foreseeable run of games. A fast, favorable resolution at the Sept. 10 hearing is the only realistic path to a return inside the next four weeks, and even then reinstatement requires the league to conclude its review. If the league instead moves to discipline, a multi-game suspension would push him well past Week 4.
• Who benefits if he sits: MarShawn Lloyd is the listed RB1 in his absence (Ourlads 09/08, No. 32), with Chris Brooks second and Kaleb Johnson third – an explicit committee rather than a single replacement.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – still EXE on the official roster; the one NEW development is that his initial court appearance was moved up to Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.

Fantasy takeaway: Do not roster him in any lineup you need production from this week, but if you can afford a stash spot he is the single highest-upside held-out asset in the league given a Sept. 10 hearing that could change everything in one day.

Zach Charbonnet — SEA (Not on the active roster — would be the co-lead or RB1 when healthy)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation — Reserve/PUP. Placed on the active/PUP list July 22, 2026 and carried over to the reserve/PUP list at the Aug 26 cutdown. Confirmed as PUP on nfl.com’s official roster today.
• Injury: Torn ACL
• When it happened: 2025-12-01 (approximate — late 2025 season)
• Typical recovery for this injury: ACL reconstruction typically requires 9-12 months before game action, with running backs frequently needing the full 12 months to regain cutting confidence.
• Expected back to full health: Late October to December 2026
• Week 1: OUT for tonight’s kickoff (Wednesday, Sept 9). On reserve/PUP he must miss at least the first four games and cannot be activated before Week 5.
• Weeks 1-4: Ineligible to play in any of the next four games by rule. Watch for a designated-to-return practice window opening around early-to-mid October.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jadarian Price is already the starter in his absence; George Holani is the No. 2
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: A stash-only IR/bench hold — he cannot help you until Week 5 at the earliest, and Price may have seized the job by then.

TreVeyon Henderson — NE (RB2 / co-lead back and the explosive-play back behind Rhamondre Stevenson; had been trending toward a near-even committee before the injury)

• Wednesday practice: DNP — did not participate Sunday 9/6, Monday 9/7 or Tuesday 9/8. He has not practiced in over two weeks.
• Official status: (a) FINAL official game-status designation — OUT. Filed by the Patriots on the official Week 1 injury report ahead of tonight’s Wednesday Sept 9 kickoff game at Seattle. This is the only FINAL designation among all four teams’ skill players.
• Injury: Ankle sprain (lingering from preseason; team has not specified high vs. low, but the duration of the absence and the non-contact rehab pattern point toward a high ankle sprain)
• When it happened: Sustained in preseason, mid-to-late August 2026; he has been out of practice since roughly Aug 24, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Low ankle sprain: 1-3 weeks. High ankle sprain (syndesmotic): 4-8 weeks to return to play for a running back, and often 8-12 weeks before true explosiveness and cutting confidence return. A three-week practice absence with no contact work is far more consistent with the high-ankle range.
• Expected back to full health: Best estimate for 100%: early-to-mid October 2026 (Weeks 5-6). A Week 2-3 return at reduced snaps is plausible, but ankle sprains in RBs classically suppress burst and lateral cutting for several weeks past the return date.
• Week 1: OUT — officially ruled out for tonight’s Wednesday Sept 9 kickoff at Seattle. Confirmed, no ambiguity.
• Weeks 1-4: Week 1: OUT (confirmed). Week 2: genuinely uncertain — he needs to string together practices first; a limited/rotational return is the optimistic case. Week 3: likely back but probably capped in snaps. Week 4: expected to be the full co-lead back again, assuming no setback. Treat Weeks 2-3 as a ramp, not a return to full workload.
• Who benefits if he sits: Rhamondre Stevenson takes over as the clear lead back and gets the goal-line and early-down work. Corey Kiner is the No. 2 and should see change-of-pace and passing-down snaps. Lan Larison was elevated from the practice squad on Sept 9 specifically to fill the RB3/special-teams spot tonight.
• Change since the weekend: DOWNGRADED — on Sept 6 this was an unofficial preseason ankle concern with no filing; it is now an official, FINAL ‘Out’ designation.

Fantasy takeaway: START Rhamondre Stevenson tonight as a volume-driven RB2/flex — he inherits a near-bellcow workload against a stout Seattle run defense — and if Henderson’s manager panics, this is the cheapest buy-low window you will ever get on him.

Isaac Guerendo — SF (Not on the active roster — would be the RB2 or RB3 when healthy)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation — Reserve/PUP. Official team filing made at the Aug 26, 2026 cutdown to 53; nfl.com’s official roster confirms PUP today.
• Injury: Torn pectoral
• When it happened: 2026-07-28 (approximate — early training camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Surgically repaired pectoral tears typically sideline an NFL player 4-6 months; running backs can sometimes return at the shorter end since the injury is not load-bearing for running.
• Expected back to full health: November to December 2026
• Week 1: OUT for Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne. On reserve/PUP he must miss at least the first four games and cannot be activated before Week 5.
• Weeks 1-4: Ineligible for all four games by rule, and the realistic recovery timeline extends well past Week 5.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jordan James is the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey; Kaelon Black is the No. 3
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Not worth a roster spot — he is ineligible until Week 5 and his pectoral timeline likely runs into November.

Trey Sermon — ATL (Was the RB3/depth back; currently off the active roster.)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported – on the reserve list, not on the weekly practice report.
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation – NFL.com lists him RES (Reserve/Injured), with no designated-to-return tag, so he is out for the season.
• Injury: Undisclosed preseason injury; no public diagnosis from the club.
• When it happened: Placed on Reserve/Injured at the Aug 2026 cutdown.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A – a straight Reserve/Injured placement without a return designation ends the player’s season regardless of the injury class.
• Expected back to full health: Not applicable for 2026; he would be aiming at the 2027 offseason.
• Week 1: Out for Sunday, Sept 13 at Pittsburgh – and for the season.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for all of Weeks 1-4 and the rest of 2026.
• Who benefits if he sits: Brian Robinson Jr. is the RB2 behind Bijan Robinson; Tyler Goodson is the practice-squad emergency option.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – already on IR as of Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Ignore entirely – he is on season-ending reserve.

Adam Randall — BAL (RB4 (on reserve; not on the active depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: not applicable – ineligible to practice with the team until his 21-day practice window opens
• Official status: (a) FINAL OFFICIAL ROSTER-STATUS DESIGNATION: Reserve/Injured, designated to return. This is a filed, official league status – not a weekly game-status tag – and it definitively rules him out through Week 4. Confirmed on the nfl.com roster page as RES.
• Injury: Undisclosed injury sustained in the preseason; the club did not specify the body part.
• When it happened: August 2026, prior to the Aug 30 roster cutdown.
• Typical recovery for this injury: The IR-designated-to-return mechanism enforces a minimum four-game absence regardless of the injury. The designation itself signals the club expects a mid-season return rather than a season-ending one.
• Expected back to full health: Eligible to return to practice ahead of Week 5 (early-to-mid October 2026); realistic game return Week 5-7 depending on how the 21-day window is used.
• Week 1: OUT – ineligible for Week 1 at Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT for all four, by rule. First possible game action is Week 5.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already covered – Derrick Henry is the workhorse, Justice Hill is the passing-down back, Rasheen Ali is RB3.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Droppable in all but the deepest dynasty formats; there is no path to Weeks 1-4 value.

Trevor Etienne — CAR (Was the RB4/depth back; currently off the active roster.)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported – on the reserve list, not on the weekly practice report.
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation – NFL.com lists him RSR (Reserve/Injured, Designated to Return), a mandatory four-game minimum absence.
• Injury: Ankle.
• When it happened: Placed on reserve at the Aug 2026 cutdown.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Severe ankle sprains and ankle fractures put NFL backs out 4-8 weeks; the designated-to-return rule enforces a four-game floor on top of that.
• Expected back to full health: Reporting points to a return around Week 6 (mid-October).
• Week 1: Out for Sunday, Sept 13 vs. Chicago – ineligible, he is on the reserve list.
• Weeks 1-4: Ineligible for all of Weeks 1-4 by rule. Week 5 is Carolina’s bye, so a Week 6 return is the realistic target.
• Who benefits if he sits: AJ Dillon is the active RB3 behind Hubbard and Brooks.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – same reserve designation and same ~Week 6 return window.

Fantasy takeaway: Deep dynasty hold only – he cannot help a redraft roster until at least Week 6.

Ty Chandler — NO (Was a depth back competing for the RB4 spot; currently off the active roster.)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported – on the reserve list.
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation – NFL.com lists him RES (Reserve/Injured) with no return designation, so he is out for the season.
• Injury: Knee.
• When it happened: Logged Aug 25, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A for 2026 – a straight Reserve/Injured placement ends the season; a season-ending knee injury generally implies 6-12 months.
• Expected back to full health: Targeting the 2027 offseason.
• Week 1: Out for Sunday, Sept 13 at Detroit – and for the season.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for all of Weeks 1-4 and the balance of 2026.
• Who benefits if he sits: Audric Estime holds the RB4 role in his place.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – already on IR as of Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Ignore in all formats – he is on season-ending reserve.

Jeremy McNichols — WAS (Reserve/Injured (designated to return) – occupies no active depth-chart position. Would slot behind Kaytron Allen as RB4 on return. Verified reserve status on nfl.com roster.)

• Wednesday practice: DNP (on Reserve/Injured – not eligible to practice with the team until his return window opens)
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Injured, DESIGNATED TO RETURN. Official club transaction made at the Aug 25-26 cutdown. He must miss a MINIMUM OF FOUR GAMES (through Week 4) before he is eligible to be activated, and does not appear on the weekly practice report while on reserve.
• Injury: Quadriceps strain suffered in training camp
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Quadriceps strain in a running back: Grade 1, 1-3 weeks; Grade 2, 3-6 weeks; Grade 3, 6-10 weeks. He would likely be medically ready well before his four-game administrative window expires, so the IR designation here is as much roster management as medicine.
• Expected back to full health: Likely medically ready in September 2026, but ADMINISTRATIVELY ineligible until after Week 4 – earliest possible return is Week 5 (early October 2026)
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia) – ineligible on Reserve/Injured
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: OUT for all four, mandatory. Earliest return is Week 5, and even then he projects as a fourth back with no clear path to touches unless the Croskey-Merritt groin or White hamstring resurfaces.
• Who benefits if he sits: Already replaced – Kaytron Allen (RB, ACT) holds the RB3 role; Craig Reynolds and Robert Henry Jr. are practice-squad depth
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable – mandatory four-game absence and no path to touches on return in a healthy backfield.

James Conner — ARI (Not on the active roster — would be the lead or co-lead back when healthy)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation — Reserve/Injured WITH a designation to return. Official team filing made at the Aug 26, 2026 cutdown to 53; nfl.com’s official roster shows RSR today. CONFIRMED STILL ON IR as of Sept 9, 2026.
• Injury: Lower leg — reported as a season-ending foot injury by Arizona beat reporting, described elsewhere as an ankle injury; originally suffered early in the 2025 season
• When it happened: 2025-09-21 (approximate — Week 3 of the 2025 season)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Severe foot/ankle fractures and Lisfranc-class injuries typically require 6-12 months, and running backs over 30 often need the full window plus a conditioning ramp. Conner has not taken part in team drills at any point this camp.
• Expected back to full health: October 2026 at the earliest, and his lack of any team-drill work makes a later return plausible
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 at the Chargers. On IR with a designation to return he must miss the first four games and is not eligible to be activated before Week 5 (Oct 11 vs. Detroit).
• Weeks 1-4: Ineligible for all four games by rule. Watch for a 21-day practice window to open in early October. Even on return he faces an uphill climb for touches against a healthy Jeremiyah Love.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jeremiyah Love is the starter in his absence, with Tyler Allgeier as the No. 2 and Bam Knight the No. 3
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Stash only in deep leagues with IR slots — he is locked out until Week 5 and has not practiced with the team at all, so do not hold him on an active bench.

Trey Benson — ARI (Not on the active roster)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (c) Official reserve-list designation — Reserve/Injured, season-ending with NO designation to return. He was waived-injured and reverted to Arizona’s injured reserve; nfl.com’s official roster shows RES today.
• Injury: Knee — torn meniscus, originally torn in Week 4 of the 2025 season
• When it happened: 2025-09-28 (approximate — Week 4 of the 2025 season)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Meniscus repair (as opposed to a trim) typically requires 4-6 months; repeat procedures and complications can extend the timeline well beyond that, which is consistent with a season-ending placement a full year later.
• Expected back to full health: 2027 offseason
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept 13 at the Chargers and for the entire 2026 season
• Weeks 1-4: Will not play in 2026. With no designation to return there is no in-season activation pathway.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier hold the roles his injury vacated; Bam Knight is the No. 3
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him in every redraft format — season-ending IR with no return designation.

Isiah Pacheco — DET (Would have been the primary complement to Jahmyr Gibbs; currently off the active depth chart entirely.)

• Wednesday practice: Not applicable – players on Reserve/Injured cannot practice.
• Official status: (c) OFFICIAL RESERVE-LIST DESIGNATION – Reserve/Injured. Verified as status code ‘RES’ on nfl.com/teams/detroit-lions/roster/ and confirmed by the Ourlads 09/08 chart, which lists him among Detroit’s IR players. Placed Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 (first reported by Adam Schefter). Not part of the weekly Out/Doubtful/Questionable process.
• Injury: Back injury. Detroit has not publicly specified the pathology, and Pacheco was not mentioned in any of the Sept 9 Week 1 injury-report coverage – consistent with a player parked on IR rather than one being week-to-week.
• When it happened: Placed on Reserve/Injured Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Undisclosed back injury in an NFL player: a muscular strain runs 2-4 weeks, a disc herniation managed conservatively runs 6-10 weeks, and a surgical lumbar case runs 3-6 months. Detroit’s decision to use a full IR placement rather than week-to-week management points toward the longer end.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown – no timeline has been published. A standard IR placement without the designated-to-return tag means he must be activated from IR to play again this season, and no return window has been reported.
• Week 1: OUT for Sunday, Sept. 13 vs. New Orleans – he is on Reserve/Injured and ineligible.
• Weeks 1-4: Out for all four with no reported path back inside that window. Treat him as a season-long question mark until Detroit discloses a timeline.
• Who benefits if he sits: Sione Vaki (No. 33) is the back behind Jahmyr Gibbs on the Ourlads 09/08 chart, with Jacob Saylors third – note this reverses the Sept 6 baseline order.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – still on Reserve/Injured with the same undisclosed back injury and no timeline.

Fantasy takeaway: Drop him in redraft – he is on IR with no timeline, and his absence concentrates Detroit’s backfield squarely on Jahmyr Gibbs, which is the actionable read.

Did not practice Wednesday (4)

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

Ty Johnson — BUF (RB3 — the designated third-down/passing-down back and a core special-teamer, behind James Cook and Ray Davis)

• Wednesday practice: DNP (Wednesday Sept 9)
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry, no final game status yet. Buffalo plays Sunday Sept 13, so their Out/Doubtful/Questionable tags are not due until Friday Sept 11.
• Injury: Hamstring. Note: this is reported as a hamstring issue on the Sept 9 report, whereas early-September beat reporting described a right knee injury sustained Aug 8. It is unclear whether this is a second, separate soft-tissue injury or a re-labeling of the same lower-body problem — treat it as an unresolved lower-body injury either way.
• When it happened: Original lower-body injury Aug 8, 2026 (preseason). He has not practiced in full equipment since, and missed all three preseason games — roughly a month out.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 hamstring strain: 1-3 weeks. Grade 2: 4-8 weeks, with a high re-injury rate if rushed. An MCL/knee sprain of the sort that costs a month is typically a Grade 2, 4-6 weeks. A month-plus absence with a Wednesday DNP in Week 1 sits at the pessimistic end of both.
• Expected back to full health: Best estimate for 100%: late September 2026 (Weeks 3-4). Soft-tissue injuries this stubborn rarely resolve cleanly in the same week they first produce a DNP.
• Week 1: Trending toward OUT or Questionable for Sunday Sept 13 at Houston. A Wednesday DNP after a month off makes Week 1 availability unlikely; watch Thursday/Friday for a bump to Limited.
• Weeks 1-4: Week 1: doubtful to play. Week 2: possible return in the third-down role. Weeks 3-4: expected back, but his ceiling is a low-volume passing-down back regardless of health.
• Who benefits if he sits: Ray Davis absorbs the third-down and change-of-pace snaps behind James Cook; Frank Gore Jr. is the practice-squad body if Buffalo needs a fourth back.
• Change since the weekend: DOWNGRADED — went from an unofficial ‘working on the side’ rehab note to an official Wednesday DNP with a newly specified hamstring.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable in redraft — the only actionable read is that his absence nudges Ray Davis into a slightly larger role, making Davis the priority Cook handcuff.

LeQuint Allen Jr. — JAX (RB3 / passing-down and third-down back, behind co-starters Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. (verified on the Jaguars’ official Sept 8 depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: DNP (present at practice but did not participate)
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY, no final game status yet. Listed as DNP on the official NFL Week 1 injury report. HC Liam Coen has publicly framed him as a GAME-TIME DECISION, which is a coach’s characterization, not a filed designation. The formal Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag comes Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Lower-body soft-tissue injury; the official report lists it as ‘hip.’ The team has not specified hamstring vs. quad vs. hip flexor.
• When it happened: Suffered in the second half of training camp — he missed roughly the last two weeks of camp, placing onset in mid-to-late August 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 lower-body soft-tissue strains typically cost 1-3 weeks; grade 2 runs 3-6 weeks. Re-injury risk stays elevated for 2-4 weeks after return, which is why teams throttle these backs on a snap count initially.
• Expected back to full health: He is already ~3-4 weeks from onset and still not practicing, which points toward the longer end. Best estimate for a genuinely unrestricted 100%: late September (Weeks 3-4).
• Week 1: Genuinely in doubt for Sunday, Sept 13 vs. Cleveland. Coen: ‘We’ll get a game-time decision from him. It’s been a while.’ A Wednesday DNP for a Sunday game leaves room to recover, but he must practice Thursday or Friday to have a real chance. Treat as 50/50 at best.
• Weeks 1-4: W1 vs CLE — coin flip, and capped even if active. W2 @ DEN and W3 vs NE — should be back but on a managed third-down role. W4 @ CIN — normal role. His ceiling is bounded by the committee regardless: he projects as a third-down/pass-catching specialist, not a volume back.
• Who benefits if he sits: Ameer Abdullah is the direct beneficiary and would take the third-down/passing-game snaps. Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. remain the early-down co-starters and would each pick up a few extra touches.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED (modestly) — and now OFFICIAL. On Sept 6 this was an unofficial aggregator ‘Questionable trending Doubtful’ with Coen saying on Sept 2 he’d be ‘pleasantly surprised if he was ready to go.’ As of Sept 9 it is a filed official practice-report entry and Coen’s language has moved to a real game-time decision, which is a meaningfully warmer tone — though the Wednesday DNP keeps the actual availability in doubt.

Fantasy takeaway: Do not start him in Week 1 — a Wednesday DNP plus a public game-time-decision label is not a lineup you can trust, and even active he is the third man in a committee; if you need the Jaguars backfield, Tuten is the play.

Sean Tucker — TB (RB3 behind Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell.)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without a final game status – Did Not Participate on Tampa Bay’s Wednesday, Sept 9 report. Final designation comes Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Hamstring – now officially named by the club, having previously been undisclosed.
• When it happened: Surfaced around Sept 2, 2026 when he missed practice; still rehabbing as of Sept 9.
• Typical recovery for this injury: 1-2 weeks for a Grade 1 hamstring strain, 3-6 weeks for Grade 2. A DNP a week into the injury leaves both in play.
• Expected back to full health: Likely 1-3 weeks; reporting has him as a game-time decision for Sunday.
• Week 1: Not yet determined, trending toward a game-time decision. Sunday, Sept 13 at Cincinnati – Wednesday’s DNP is practice participation only; the official designation arrives Friday, Sept 11.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 at CIN, Wk2 vs CLE, Wk3 vs MIN, Wk4 vs GB. As the RB3 he needs an injury ahead of him to matter; a lingering hamstring also risks him being the odd man out on gameday.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kenny Gainwell is the RB2 ahead of him and would absorb the change-of-pace work; Josh Williams is the practice-squad option.
• Change since the weekend: DOWNGRADED – the previously undisclosed issue is now confirmed as a hamstring and he did not practice at all Wednesday.

Fantasy takeaway: Not startable – he is an RB3 who did not practice, and his only value is as a handcuff-of-a-handcuff behind Bucky Irving and Gainwell.

Audric Estime — NO (RB4 behind Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller.)

• Wednesday practice: DNP
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without a final game status – Did Not Participate on the Saints’ Wednesday, Sept 9 report. Final designation Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Thigh (quadriceps/thigh contusion or strain).
• When it happened: First appears on the official report Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026 – new since the Sept 6 checkpoint.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Thigh contusions cost NFL players about 1-2 weeks; a quad strain runs 2-4 weeks. A brand-new DNP is not yet diagnostic of which.
• Expected back to full health: Likely 1-3 weeks depending on whether it is a bruise or a strain.
• Week 1: Not yet determined. Sunday, Sept 13 at Detroit – Wednesday’s DNP is practice participation only, official status arrives Friday, Sept 11.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 at DET, Wk2 at BAL, Wk3 vs LV, Wk4 vs ATL. His only route to relevance is Kamara sitting AND Kendre Miller being unavailable – a narrow path.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kendre Miller sits ahead of him; CJ Donaldson and Zamir White are the practice-squad depth.
• Change since the weekend: NEW – he carried no injury entry on Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Waiver-wire irrelevant right now – his injury actually matters more for Kendre Miller’s contingency value than for his own.

Limited Wednesday (5)

Limited on Wednesday usually means trending toward playing, but it is exactly the group whose Friday designation decides your lineup.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt — WAS (RB1 / lead back, verified ACT on nfl.com roster, Ourlads 09/09/2026 and Yahoo’s Week 1 Commanders depth chart (09/09). Rushed for 805 yards and 8 TDs as a 2025 rookie.)

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY WITHOUT FINAL GAME STATUS. Filed on the Commanders’ Wednesday, Sept 9 report as ‘groin – Limited Participation’. No Out/Doubtful/Questionable tag yet; Friday, Sept 11 brings the official designation. This is the only fantasy skill player LIMITED or worse across all four teams.
• Injury: Groin strain (adductor). The Sept 6 baseline’s vaguer ‘lower-body injury’ is now officially specified by the club as a groin issue.
• When it happened: Late August 2026 (training camp / preseason; first reported in the Sept 6 reporting cycle, specified as groin on the Sept 9 official report)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 adductor/groin strain in a running back: 1-2 weeks. Grade 2: 3-6 weeks. Grade 3: 8-12 weeks. A Limited Wednesday practice points to Grade 1, but groin strains carry a notably high re-aggravation rate in cutting and lateral-acceleration roles – roughly 1 in 5 recur within the same season – and NFL clubs habitually cap early-season carries for backs working through one.
• Expected back to full health: Late September 2026 (Weeks 3-4) for a fully unrestricted workload; likely available but managed before then
• Week 1: EXPECTED TO PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia) but genuinely uncertain in workload, and NOT yet official. Beat consensus (SI Commanders, PhillyVoice, The Philly Special Show) is that he plays. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY PARTICIPATION IS THE KEY TELL: an upgrade to Full by Friday means a normal workload; a second straight Limited very likely produces a ‘Questionable’ tag and a reduced carry share.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to play all four, with the main risk being a snap-share split rather than absence. Groin recurrence is the live danger – if he tweaks it, expect a one-to-two-game absence and a near-even split with Rachaad White. Highest-variance skill player on these four rosters.
• Who benefits if he sits: Rachaad White (RB, ACT) – and note White is himself off the Wednesday injury report after a hamstring issue, so he is a fully healthy fallback; Kaytron Allen (RB, ACT) is RB3. Jeremy McNichols (RB) is on IR-designated-to-return and unavailable for at least four games.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged

Fantasy takeaway: Start him but line up a plan B, and check Friday’s designation before locking him – a second straight Limited would signal a split backfield with Rachaad White.

Jonathon Brooks — CAR (RB2 / 1B in a committee with Chuba Hubbard; still working back from a second ACL tear.)

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without a final game status – Limited on Carolina’s club-published Wednesday, Sept 9 report. Final Out/Doubtful/Questionable comes Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Groin – now specified by the club, having been described earlier as general soreness. It sits on top of a long rehab from his second ACL tear.
• When it happened: Groin issue surfaced in early September 2026; the underlying ACL reconstruction dates to late 2024.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Groin strains sideline NFL players roughly 1-3 weeks for a mild strain and 4-6 weeks for a significant one. Limited participation with a full week of runway points to the mild end.
• Expected back to full health: Likely within 1-2 weeks; HC Dave Canales said he is optimistic Brooks is available for Week 1.
• Week 1: Not yet determined – trending toward playing. Sunday, Sept 13 vs. Chicago; Wednesday was practice participation only and the official designation lands Friday, Sept 11.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 vs CHI, Wk2 at ATL, Wk3 at CLE, Wk4 vs DET, Week 5 bye. Expect a managed snap count early as the club protects the knee, with his share growing if the groin quiets down.
• Who benefits if he sits: Chuba Hubbard absorbs the full workload, with AJ Dillon as the change-of-pace.
• Change since the weekend: unchanged – still limited and still expected to play, though the injury is now officially named as a groin rather than generic soreness.

Fantasy takeaway: Flex-only in Week 1 – he should play, but a groin plus knee-management means a capped touch count behind Hubbard.

Keaton Mitchell — LAC (RB2 — chargers.com Week 1 chart lists ‘Keaton Mitchell OR Kimani Vidal’ behind Omarion Hampton; Ourlads and nfl.com (Active) both place Mitchell second)

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY, NO FINAL GAME STATUS YET. Mitchell is on the Chargers’ official Wednesday Sept 9 injury report as LIMITED with a hamstring injury. Final game status due Friday Sept 11, 4:00 PM ET.
• Injury: Hamstring. The Wednesday filing is the first time the club has specified the body part — through camp it was described only as ‘working through something.’ He missed six consecutive practices before returning Monday Sept 7. GM Joe Hortiz declined to put him on injured reserve, which signals the team expected a short absence.
• When it happened: Setback first reported around Aug 24, 2026 (after missing two training-camp practices); the extended absence ran through the first week of September
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 hamstring strain: 1–3 weeks. Grade 2: 3–6 weeks. Mitchell’s ability to practice in a limited capacity two-plus weeks in points to the low end — but hamstrings in a player with his injury history are the classic re-aggravation risk.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late September 2026 — Week 2–3 for a clean full practice week, assuming no re-aggravation
• Week 1: Trending toward PLAYING vs Arizona, Sunday Sept 13, 4:25 PM ET, most likely with a Questionable tag on Friday. A second straight Limited day Thursday would be normal; a DNP Thursday would flip this to a real risk.
• Weeks 1-4: Even at full health he is the change-of-pace back behind Hampton. Expect a capped Week 1 role, gradual growth Weeks 2–4, and meaningful volume only if Hampton misses time. Hamstrings recur, so bake in a missed-game risk somewhere in this window.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kimani Vidal (verified RB3, co-listed with Mitchell on the team chart) absorbs the backup snaps behind Omarion Hampton
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Mitchell is a bench stash only — he’s likely to suit up but the hamstring plus Hampton’s workload caps him below flex viability in Week 1.

Alvin Kamara — NO (RB2 behind Travis Etienne Jr. on Ourlads’ Sept 8 chart – a committee and passing-down role, no longer the lead back.)

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without a final game status – Limited on the Saints’ first official Week 1 report, Wednesday, Sept 9. Final Out/Doubtful/Questionable is due Friday, Sept 11.
• Injury: Sprained MCL, knee.
• When it happened: Aug 18, 2026, during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys. He missed the entire preseason.
• Typical recovery for this injury: An isolated MCL sprain sidelines an NFL running back roughly 2-4 weeks at Grade 1 and 4-8 weeks at Grade 2. Initial reporting had Kamara at 4-6 weeks, which lands his window right around Week 1-3.
• Expected back to full health: Wednesday, Sept 9 was his first practice back, at three weeks and change post-injury. Full health is realistically Weeks 2-4; expect a snap-count restriction even if he suits up Sunday.
• Week 1: Not yet determined – genuinely in doubt. Sunday, Sept 13 at Detroit; Wednesday’s limited tag is practice participation only, and the real answer comes with Friday’s Sept 11 designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 at DET, Wk2 at BAL, Wk3 vs LV, Wk4 vs ATL (Mon, Oct 5). Even once healthy he is behind Etienne; his value is receiving work and goal-line touches rather than volume.
• Who benefits if he sits: Travis Etienne Jr. is already the RB1 and would simply absorb more; Kendre Miller is the next man up for the complementary snaps, with Audric Estime (also hurt) behind him.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED – he practiced for the first time since Aug 18, moving from not practicing at all to a limited participant on the official report.

Fantasy takeaway: Do not start him Week 1 until Friday’s designation clears – and even a healthy Kamara is now a touch-limited RB3 behind Travis Etienne.

Kyle Juszczyk — SF (Starting fullback (grouped with the tight ends on nfl.com’s official roster))

• Wednesday practice: Limited
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry with no final game status — listed as LIMITED with a finger injury on San Francisco’s official Week 1 reports (Sept 8 and Sept 9). No game-status designation issued.
• Injury: Finger
• When it happened: 2026-09-06 (approximate — Week 1 practice week)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Finger injuries rarely cost an NFL player a game unless surgery is required; typical impact is 0-2 weeks and players routinely play through them taped or splinted.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-September 2026
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne — a finger injury with limited practice is not an availability threat
• Weeks 1-4: Should play all four games. A fullback with a finger issue is a blocking-first player whose fantasy footprint is negligible either way.
• Who benefits if he sits: Luke Farrell would absorb the lead-blocking role from an in-line TE alignment
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Ignore for fantasy purposes — he has no standalone value and the finger will not keep him off the field.

Practiced in full (on the report, trending to play) (5)

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.

Jeremiyah Love — ARI (RB1 — lead back and the Cardinals’ top draft pick)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry without final status — today, Wednesday Sept 9, is Arizona’s FIRST Week 1 practice filing, so no game-status designation exists yet and none is due until Friday. Head coach Mike LaFleur on Wednesday: ‘I don’t exactly know what his listing is but there’s no limit on our end,’ and Love ‘will be ready to roll today.’ Treat the filed participation level as unconfirmed pending the report itself.
• Injury: High ankle sprain
• When it happened: 2026-08-13
• Typical recovery for this injury: High ankle sprains typically sideline an NFL player 4-6 weeks, with mild cases at 2-3 weeks and severe cases requiring tightrope surgery and 8+ weeks. Love is now roughly four weeks post-injury, right at the standard return window.
• Expected back to full health: Mid-to-late September 2026 — functional now, but true full-health cutting ability for a high ankle sprain often lags another 2-3 weeks past return
• Week 1: Trending toward PLAYING on Sunday, Sept 13 at the Chargers. He is practicing without a team-imposed limitation, but Arizona has not yet filed a game-status designation and an earlier report had him ’50-50′ for Week 1 — expect a Questionable tag on Friday at worst.
• Weeks 1-4: Likely available for all four, but expect a shared or capped workload in Weeks 1-2 as he eases in from a four-week absence, with a fuller role by Weeks 3-4. High ankle sprains re-aggravate more often than any other ankle injury, so a one-game setback inside this window is a genuine risk.
• Who benefits if he sits: Tyler Allgeier (Bam Knight is the No. 3; Evan Hull is the practice-squad depth). James Conner is NOT available — he is on IR until Week 5.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Start him if you have the depth to absorb a capped Week 1 workload, but hold Tyler Allgeier as the handcuff — Arizona files its first game-status designation Friday.

Ashton Jeanty — LV (RB1 — verified as the clear lead back on nfl.com (ACT) and Ourlads (Sept 8); no committee listed above him)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) OFFICIAL PRACTICE-REPORT ENTRY, NO FINAL GAME STATUS YET. Jeanty is listed on the Raiders’ Wednesday Sept 9 official report as a FULL participant with an ankle injury. Head coach Klint Kubiak said before practice, ‘we will give the designation after practice. But he’s going to practice.’ Final status due Friday Sept 11.
• Injury: Ankle sprain suffered in the final week of training camp; kept him out of the remaining preseason work and limited him to individual workouts through the first week of September
• When it happened: August 23, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Low ankle sprain: 1–4 weeks. High ankle sprain: 4–6 weeks. Jeanty’s 17-day gap from injury to full practice is consistent with a moderate low sprain.
• Expected back to full health: Effectively now — full practice participation on Sept 9 is the clearest possible signal. Assume 100% by Week 2 even if Week 1 carries a soft snap cap.
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY vs Miami, Sunday Sept 13, 4:25 PM ET. A Questionable tag Friday would be procedural, not predictive.
• Weeks 1-4: Full workhorse usage from Week 1 forward, with the only realistic wrinkle being a modest Week 1 snap count as the staff eases the ankle back. No lingering restriction expected across Weeks 2–4.
• Who benefits if he sits: Mike Washington Jr. (verified RB2, 2026 fourth-round pick who impressed in camp and preseason), then Dylan Laube (RB3)
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Start Jeanty with confidence — a full Wednesday practice 17 days after the sprain removes the last real doubt, though don’t be shocked by a light early-game touch count.

Breece Hall — NYJ (RB1 — clear lead back and primary receiving back)

• Wednesday practice: Full (Wednesday Sept 9, estimated)
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry, no final game status yet. New York plays Sunday Sept 13, so designations are not due until Friday Sept 11. Note that the Jets did not hold a true practice Wednesday; the Full participation level filed is an estimate, which is standard and official.
• Injury: Groin strain
• When it happened: Mid-to-late August 2026 (preseason); it limited him through the back half of camp
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 groin/adductor strain: 1-2 weeks. Grade 2: 3-6 weeks. Groin strains are notorious for lingering in cutting-heavy positions, but Hall’s progression — positional drills Sept 8, full estimated participation Sept 9 — is squarely a Grade 1 pattern.
• Expected back to full health: Already at or very near 100%. Head coach Aaron Glenn said Sept 8 that Hall was trending toward playing Week 1, and he backed it up with a Full Wednesday.
• Week 1: Expected to play Sunday Sept 13 at Tennessee, almost certainly with no designation. This is the single most reassuring signal on the Jets’ report.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to handle a full lead-back workload. The only risk is the classic groin-strain recurrence pattern if the Jets ride him for 20+ touches immediately.
• Who benefits if he sits: Braelon Allen is the direct handcuff and would take the early-down and short-yardage work; Isaiah Davis would absorb passing-down snaps.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED — on Sept 6 the groin was an open Week 1 question; he is now a Full participant on the official report and expected to play.

Fantasy takeaway: START him with confidence as a locked-in RB1 — the groin scare is over and any lingering discount in your league is now a buy signal.

Isaiah Davis — NYJ (RB3 — passing-down and depth back behind Breece Hall and Braelon Allen)

• Wednesday practice: Full (Wednesday Sept 9, estimated)
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry, no final game status yet. Jets play Sunday Sept 13; Wednesday levels are estimated.
• Injury: Knee
• When it happened: August 2026 (preseason)
• Typical recovery for this injury: A minor knee sprain or contusion that allows a Full Week 1 practice estimate typically runs 1-3 weeks. Nothing about the timeline suggests ligament involvement.
• Expected back to full health: Already effectively at 100% based on the Full participation level.
• Week 1: Expected to play Sunday Sept 13 at Tennessee with no designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy and available Weeks 1-4; his fantasy ceiling is capped by being third in line, not by the knee.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kene Nwangwu is the next back up and is primarily a returner.
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED — carried a knee question on Sept 6, now filed as a Full participant.

Fantasy takeaway: Not startable — he is a contingency stash only, and Braelon Allen is the better Hall handcuff.

Emanuel Wilson — SEA (RB3 — third back behind Jadarian Price and George Holani)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: (b) Official practice-report entry with no final game status — appeared on Seattle’s official Week 1 report (hamstring) but practiced FULL and was NOT given a game-status designation, meaning he is cleared and available tonight.
• Injury: Hamstring strain
• When it happened: 2026-08-25 (approximate — training-camp/preseason strain)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Mild (grade 1) hamstring strains sideline an NFL player roughly 1-2 weeks; he has cleared that window and practiced in full.
• Expected back to full health: Already effectively full health as of Sept 8, 2026
• Week 1: ACTIVE and available for tonight’s kickoff (Wednesday, Sept 9)
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy but buried. He is the No. 3 back and becomes fantasy-relevant only if Price or Holani goes down, or once Zach Charbonnet returns from PUP and reshuffles the room against him.
• Who benefits if he sits: George Holani would absorb the No. 2 role; Jacardia Wright is the practice-squad depth
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Cleared but irrelevant — leave him on the wire unless Jadarian Price gets hurt tonight.

No official designation yet (unconfirmed) (3)

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.

J.K. Dobbins — DEN (RB1 — verified ACT on nfl.com, listed first on Denver’s Week 1 unofficial depth chart (Sept 9) and on Ourlads (Sept 8))

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported
• Official status: (c) STILL UNOFFICIAL — no filing exists; Denver’s first official report is due Thursday Sept 10. Sean Payton said on Sept 3 that Dobbins is ‘moving well’ and expected to play Week 1, and Denver reported full practice attendance on Sept 7.
• Injury: Soft-tissue injury (undisclosed muscle group) sustained during training camp in August; he was held out of preseason action as a precaution rather than because of a hard restriction. Relevant history: a long injury record including a torn Achilles and prior knee surgery, plus a foot injury that cost him time in 2025.
• When it happened: Approximately Aug 10, 2026 (first reported during training camp); held out of preseason games Aug 22–29
• Typical recovery for this injury: Minor soft-tissue strain (hamstring/calf/quad): 1–3 weeks, with re-aggravation the chief risk on a heavy early-season workload
• Expected back to full health: Already there for Week 1 — roughly a month has passed since the camp injury with no reported setbacks
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY at Kansas City, Monday Sept 14, 8:15 PM ET. Verify against Denver’s Thursday Sept 10 filing.
• Weeks 1-4: Lead-back usage in Weeks 1–4 with RJ Harvey mixed in. His injury history, not any current ailment, is the reason to hold a contingency — soft-tissue issues in camp have historically preceded in-season absences for him.
• Who benefits if he sits: RJ Harvey (verified RB2), then Jonah Coleman (RB3) and Tyler Badie (RB4)
• Change since the weekend: UPGRADED

Fantasy takeaway: Start Dobbins as an RB2 — he is healthy and holds the lead role, but RJ Harvey is the single best handcuff in this division to own alongside him.

Cam Skattebo — NYG (RB1 / lead back, verified ACT on nfl.com roster and Ourlads 09/08/2026)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported (absent from the injury report, so no participation level is filed; the Giants stated all players practiced fully Wednesday in pads)
• Official status: (d) UNOFFICIAL / TRACKED-STORY ENTRY ONLY – he carries NO official designation of any kind. He is NOT on the Giants’ Wednesday, Sept 9 injury report, NOT on IR, NOT on PUP, and has ACT status. Included here solely because he is returning from a catastrophic 2025 injury that fantasy managers are actively tracking.
• Injury: Severe right ankle dislocation with open tibia/fibula fracture and a ruptured deltoid ligament, suffered on an illegal hip-drop tackle against Philadelphia. The injury ended his rookie season after 8-9 games. He has since been fully cleared and told reporters ‘I’ll be ready to go’ for Week 1.
• When it happened: November 2025 (game vs. Philadelphia during the 2025 season)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Ankle dislocation with open tib/fib fracture and deltoid ligament rupture in a running back: 6-12 months, with 8-10 months typical to full football activity given the open fracture and the hardware usually required. Return-to-form for a contact-heavy back often trails clearance by 2-4 months because of residual ankle stiffness and loss of push-off power. He is roughly 10 months out – inside the normal window, and his clean removal from the injury report is meaningful evidence.
• Expected back to full health: Already cleared and off the report as of Sept 9, 2026 – roughly 10 months post-injury. Expect full pre-injury contact balance and burst by October 2026.
• Week 1: WILL PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (8:20 PM ET vs. Dallas) with no restriction reported. No Friday designation expected given his absence from the report.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to play all four as the lead back on a heavy workload – he has publicly said he is ready for a major role, and the Giants have framed the competition as being for carries BEHIND him. Given the injury severity, a soft-open Week 1 workload with Tracy and Singletary spelling him is plausible, ramping upward. Elevated soft-tissue risk in the surgically repaired ankle is the one thing to monitor.
• Who benefits if he sits: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB, ACT) would lead the backfield, with Devin Singletary (RB, ACT) in the change-of-pace role
• Change since the weekend: NEW

Fantasy takeaway: Start him – clearing the injury report entirely at 10 months post-op is the confirmation you needed, though temper Week 1 expectations for a possible managed snap count.

Pierre Strong Jr. — GB (Practice-squad running back (nfl.com status DEV, No. 22) – the most NFL-experienced back in the building behind the active trio, and the emergency depth piece in a Jacobs-less backfield.)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported (officially) – beat reporting has him ABSENT from Wednesday’s practice; no practice designation exists for practice-squad players.
• Official status: (d) UNOFFICIAL / BEAT REPORTING. Practice-squad players do not appear on the official NFL injury report, so there is no designation of any kind. This entry rests on Sept 9 beat reporting (SI Packers On SI) that he was absent from Wednesday’s practice, corroborated circumstantially by the club’s own Sept 9 transaction signing a replacement running back.
• Injury: Unspecified – the nature of the absence has not been disclosed. The signal is the transaction: with Strong absent, Green Bay signed rookie RB Damon Bankston to fill its final practice-squad spot on Sept 8-9 and had also worked out RBs Phil Mafah and Ian Wheeler that Tuesday. Strong remains on the practice squad; he has NOT been released or placed on practice-squad IR.
• When it happened: Absence first noted Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Cannot be estimated – no injury has been identified. Undisclosed one-day practice-squad absences most often resolve within days.
• Expected back to full health: Unknown pending disclosure.
• Week 1: Would not play Sunday, Sept. 13 at Minnesota regardless – he is a practice-squad player who would require a standard elevation, and none has been announced.
• Weeks 1-4: Fantasy-irrelevant unless Green Bay’s active backfield suffers an injury AND he is elevated or signed to the 53. Worth tracking only as a barometer of how thin the Jacobs-less backfield really is.
• Who benefits if he sits: Damon Bankston (rookie, New Mexico, No. 35) is the practice-squad back signed to cover this absence.
• Change since the weekend: NEW – not on the Sept 6 baseline; absence and the corresponding Bankston signing both occurred Sept 8-9.

Fantasy takeaway: No action – but the fact that Green Bay burned its last practice-squad spot on a rookie back the day before Week 1 tells you how little margin the Jacobs-less committee has.

Cleared since the weekend — off the report entirely (11)

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

Chuba Hubbard — CAR (RB1 – listed first on Ourlads’ Sept 9 chart and the 1A in a 1A/1B with Jonathon Brooks.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – he is not listed on the report, which by rule means full participation.
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does not appear anywhere on Carolina’s club-published Week 1 Wednesday report (Sept 9, 2026), which listed only three players. No practice-report entry and no game-status designation.
• Injury: Hamstring strain (resolved). It cost him time in camp and had him labeled week-to-week in August.
• When it happened: Strained during training camp in August 2026; cleared before Week 1.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Hamstring strains run 1-2 weeks for Grade 1 and 3-6 weeks for Grade 2. His absence spanned several weeks, consistent with a low Grade 2 that the club rehabbed conservatively.
• Expected back to full health: Now – he practiced without limitation and the club has him as a full go.
• Week 1: Expected to play, no designation. Sunday, Sept 13 vs. Chicago. He carries no entry on the Wednesday report, so barring a new injury he will not receive a Friday designation either.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 vs CHI, Wk2 at ATL, Wk3 at CLE, Wk4 vs DET (Sun night, Oct 4), then a Week 5 bye. A soft opener against Chicago and a Week 2 division game set up well; the committee with Brooks is the real cap on his ceiling, not the hamstring.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jonathon Brooks, with AJ Dillon third.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report. On Sept 6 he was an aggregator-projected Questionable with a hamstring.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him with confidence in Week 1 – the hamstring is fully behind him and he is the 1A, though Brooks will eat into the workload.

D’Andre Swift — CHI (RB1 – confirmed as the starter on both nfl.com (ACT, No. 4) and the Ourlads 09/08 chart, ahead of Kyle Monangai.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – not listed on the Wednesday report; he returned to practice Monday, Sept. 7.
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. Verified absent from Chicago’s Wednesday Sept 9, 2026 official Week 1 injury report on both nfl.com/injuries/league/2026/reg1 and in the club-sourced Sept 9 Sun-Times and SI write-ups, all of which list only Odunze, Trapilo and Bagent. He is ACT on the nfl.com roster. With no practice entry, there is nothing for Friday Sept 11 to turn into a designation.
• Injury: Resolved. He left the Sept. 3 practice early, which briefly raised fears of a core or quad problem, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported it was CRAMPING only. He was back at practice Monday, Sept. 7 and cleared the first official injury report of the year without an entry.
• When it happened: Sept. 3, 2026 (left practice early); resolved by Sept. 7-9, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Exercise-associated muscle cramping: hours to 2-3 days, with no structural damage and no lingering re-injury risk once hydration and conditioning normalize.
• Expected back to full health: Already fully healthy as of Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY, no designation, Sunday, Sept. 13 at Carolina.
• Weeks 1-4: Every-week starter with a clean bill of health across all four games. The only real threat to his volume is Kyle Monangai’s 1B role rather than his own body.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kyle Monangai (No. 25) is the RB2 and would lead the backfield, with Roschon Johnson third.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the injury report. The Sept 6 baseline carried an aggregator-projected ‘Questionable’; the club’s own filing lists him nowhere.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him without hesitation – the Sept 3 scare was a cramp, he practiced Monday, and he cleared the first official report with no entry.

De’Von Achane — MIA (RB1 — clear lead back and the focal point of the Dolphins offense in both the run and pass game)

• Wednesday practice: Full — not listed on the Wednesday report
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report. He does NOT appear on Miami’s official Wednesday Sept 9 injury report (which lists Ronnie Harrison, Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore only). All 53 active-roster Dolphins practiced Monday Sept 7.
• Injury: Calf strain
• When it happened: Mid-August 2026; Miami held him out for roughly two weeks as a precaution, and he returned to practice on or about Sept 1, 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 calf strain: 1-3 weeks. Grade 2: 4-6 weeks. Calf strains are a well-documented recurrence risk for speed backs, but Achane’s two-week precautionary absence and clean return fit a mild Grade 1.
• Expected back to full health: At 100% now — he has been practicing without restriction for well over a week and cleared the official report entirely.
• Week 1: Expected to play Sunday Sept 13 at Las Vegas with no designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: full lead-back workload expected. The only monitorable is a calf recurrence in the first two weeks of live football, which is the classic window for it.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jaylen Wright is the direct handcuff and would lead the committee; Ollie Gordon II would take the short-yardage and early-down work.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the injury report. Be aware that search results for this player are heavily polluted with 2025-dated ‘Achane cleared for Week 1 vs. Colts’ stories; those are a different season.

Fantasy takeaway: START as a locked-in RB1 — the calf is fully behind him, and with a first-year starting QB in Malik Willis, Miami’s offense is likely to funnel even more volume through him.

Christian McCaffrey — SF (RB1 — lead back)

• Wednesday practice: Full
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report. He did not practice Monday, Sept 7, returned to practice Tuesday, Sept 8, and is NOT listed on San Francisco’s official Week 1 injury report. No official designation.
• Injury: Calf tightness, combined with deliberate veteran workload management
• When it happened: 2026-09-06 (approximate — flared at the start of the Week 1 practice week)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Calf tightness without a diagnosed strain resolves in days; a true grade 1 calf strain would run 2-3 weeks. Returning to practice inside 24 hours indicates precautionary rest, not a strain.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health as of Sept 8, 2026
• Week 1: ACTIVE, no designation, expected to start Thursday, Sept 10 in Melbourne
• Weeks 1-4: Expected to handle a full lead-back workload across all four games, though San Francisco has signalled it will manage his snaps situationally. Calf and Achilles history makes him a week-to-week monitor rather than a set-and-forget asset.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jordan James (RB2); Kaelon Black is the No. 3 and Sincere McCormick the practice-squad depth
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report

Fantasy takeaway: Full green light — he cleared the report entirely, so start him as your RB1 in Melbourne.

Kyle Monangai — CHI (RB2 / the ‘1B’ back behind D’Andre Swift – confirmed on both nfl.com (ACT, No. 25) and the Ourlads 09/08 chart, ahead of Roschon Johnson.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – not listed on the Wednesday report; he returned to practice Monday, Sept. 7, his first session since the injury.
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. Verified absent from Chicago’s official Wednesday Sept 9, 2026 Week 1 injury report (nfl.com league view plus the club-sourced Sept 9 reporting, which lists only Odunze, Trapilo and Bagent). He is ACT on nfl.com. This is a genuinely significant clearance: as recently as Sept 6 he was described as week-to-week.
• Injury: Resolved. Hyperextended RIGHT knee suffered Aug. 16, 2026 in practice on contact with DT Grady Jarrett. HC Ben Johnson initially called him week-to-week. He was reported ‘running and looks good’ by D’Andre Swift after the Sept. 2 session, returned to full practice Monday Sept. 7, and then cleared the first official injury report without an entry.
• When it happened: Aug. 16, 2026.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Knee hyperextension without ligament tearing: 2-4 weeks typically, extending to 6+ weeks if a partial PCL or capsular injury is involved. Monangai is roughly 3.5 weeks out and clearing practice, which fits the benign end of the range.
• Expected back to full health: Effectively fully healthy as of Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, though he has only had a few practice sessions back and may be eased in on early-season snap counts.
• Week 1: Expected to PLAY, no designation, Sunday, Sept. 13 at Carolina.
• Weeks 1-4: Should hold the 1B role behind Swift throughout, with his workload building as he shakes off three weeks of missed practice. He is the clear beneficiary of any Swift absence.
• Who benefits if he sits: Roschon Johnson (No. 23) would move into the No. 2 role behind Swift.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the injury report. This is the biggest quiet swing in the division: the Sept 6 picture had him week-to-week with a hyperextended knee, and the club’s Week 1 filing lists him nowhere.

Fantasy takeaway: A real upgrade worth acting on – going from ‘week-to-week’ on Sept 6 to off the injury report entirely restores his flex value and makes him the must-hold contingency on Swift.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. — NYG (RB2 behind Cam Skattebo, verified ACT on nfl.com roster and Ourlads 09/08/2026)

• Wednesday practice: not yet reported (he is not listed on the injury report at all, so no participation level is filed for him – the Giants reported that all players practiced Wednesday)
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does NOT appear on the Giants’ official Wednesday, Sept 9 injury report in any capacity (no DNP, no Limited, no Full entry), which means the club considers him carrying no reportable injury.
• Injury: Concussion, sustained when he exited the preseason finale against the New York Jets. He cleared the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol on 2026-08-28. The Sept 6 baseline’s characterization as a ‘head/neck injury’ was imprecise – it was a diagnosed concussion, now resolved.
• When it happened: 2026-08-28 (preseason finale vs. NYJ; cleared protocol the same reporting cycle)
• Typical recovery for this injury: NFL concussion protocol: median 6-12 days from injury to full clearance; roughly 90% of cases clear within three weeks. Once the five-step protocol is completed and an independent neurological consultant signs off, there is no residual performance restriction and no elevated short-term re-injury designation. He is now 12 days past clearance.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health – cleared 2026-08-28, no lingering restriction
• Week 1: WILL PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (8:20 PM ET vs. Dallas) with no injury restriction. He is off the report entirely, so no Friday designation is expected.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: available for all four as the clear RB2 in a rotation behind Skattebo. His value is leveraged almost entirely to Skattebo’s health rather than his own.
• Who benefits if he sits: Devin Singletary (RB, ACT) is the next back up per Ourlads 09/08/2026, with Najee Harris (RB, ACT) as RB4 – note this reverses the Sept 6 baseline, which had Harris ahead of Singletary.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report

Fantasy takeaway: Fully cleared and off the report – hold him as a genuinely valuable Skattebo contingency rather than treating him as an injury risk.

Rachaad White — WAS (RB2 behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt, verified ACT on nfl.com roster, Ourlads 09/09/2026 and Yahoo’s Week 1 Commanders depth chart)

• Wednesday practice: Full (practiced Wednesday; not listed on the injury report, so no participation level was formally filed for him)
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does NOT appear anywhere on the Commanders’ official Wednesday, Sept 9 injury report (which listed eight players; he is not among them). IMPORTANT NUANCE: FantasyPros published a note at 1:15 PM ET on Sept 9 saying his Week 1 status was ‘still unclear’; that note predated the club’s official filing and is an aggregator lag, not a designation. The official report is authoritative and omits him.
• Injury: Hamstring strain, originally reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He progressed from individual-only work in August to full practice participation, and has now cleared the report entirely.
• When it happened: August 2026 (training camp)
• Typical recovery for this injury: Grade 1 hamstring strain in a running back: 1-3 weeks. Grade 2: 3-6 weeks. Grade 3: 8-12 weeks. Hamstrings carry the highest recurrence rate of any NFL soft-tissue injury (roughly 1 in 3 re-injure within the season), and the standard club protocol is a graduated return through individual work, then limited, then full – exactly the path he followed. Clearing the report is the meaningful endpoint.
• Expected back to full health: Already at full health – cleared the injury report as of Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026
• Week 1: WILL PLAY Sunday, Sept 13 (4:25 PM ET vs. Philadelphia) with no injury restriction reported. Off the report, so no Friday designation is expected.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: expected to be available for all four as the RB2, with meaningful upside because the man in front of him (Croskey-Merritt) is working through a groin strain. Residual hamstring recurrence risk persists for 4-6 weeks after any strain, so monitor Wednesday reports through September.
• Who benefits if he sits: Kaytron Allen (RB, ACT) would move up to RB2; Craig Reynolds and Robert Henry Jr. are practice-squad depth
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report

Fantasy takeaway: The quietest significant upgrade in the division – he cleared the report while the starter ahead of him did not, making him a priority speculative add and a strong flex if Croskey-Merritt is capped Friday.

British Brooks — HOU (RB3 / fullback, behind David Montgomery and Woody Marks)

• Wednesday practice: Full (not listed on the Texans’ Wednesday Sept 9 report)
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report
• Injury: Hand — cleared
• When it happened: August 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Hand sprains/contusions without fracture: 1-2 weeks, frequently played through.
• Expected back to full health: Now — no designation entering Week 1.
• Week 1: Available, no designation, Sunday Sept 13 vs. Buffalo.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy for Weeks 1-4, but his role is fullback/special teams; touches will be scarce behind Montgomery and Marks.
• Who benefits if he sits: Not applicable — he is healthy.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report. Was an unofficial ‘Questionable’ (hand) on Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Not rosterable; the Texans backfield to own is David Montgomery, with Woody Marks the handcuff.

Ollie Gordon II — MIA (RB3 — short-yardage and early-down committee back behind De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright)

• Wednesday practice: Full — not listed on the Wednesday report
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report. He does NOT appear on Miami’s official Wednesday Sept 9 injury report. He shed his red non-contact jersey at practice on Sept 7. Aggregators including CBS and RotoWire still carry an unofficial ‘Questionable for Week 1’ tag dating to Aug 31 — that is stale and is contradicted by the official filing.
• Injury: Rib injury (contusion/strain)
• When it happened: Aug 22, 2026, preseason game vs. the New York Giants. Head coach Jeff Hafley said at the time that Gordon would have been cleared to return had it been a regular-season game.
• Typical recovery for this injury: Rib contusion: 1-3 weeks. Rib fracture: 4-6 weeks. The coach’s same-day comment that he was game-clearable points firmly to a contusion, and the three-week timeline since has borne that out.
• Expected back to full health: At 100% now — out of the non-contact jersey and off the report.
• Week 1: Expected to play Sunday Sept 13 at Las Vegas with no designation.
• Weeks 1-4: Weeks 1-4: healthy and available, splitting backup carries with Jaylen Wright. His role, not his ribs, is the limiter.
• Who benefits if he sits: Jaylen Wright is ahead of him; DJ Herman is the RB4.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the injury report.

Fantasy takeaway: Deep-league stash only — but he is now the healthy short-yardage option, so he is the better bet than Wright for goal-line work if Achane ever misses time.

Kendre Miller — NO (RB3 behind Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara.)

• Wednesday practice: Full – not listed on the report, which means full participation.
• Official status: Resolved – off the injury report. He does not appear on the Saints’ first official Week 1 report (Wednesday, Sept 9).
• Injury: Undisclosed (resolved) – he had missed practices on Sept 1 and Sept 2 without a published diagnosis.
• When it happened: Early September 2026 absences; cleared before the Week 1 report.
• Typical recovery for this injury: N/A – the club never published a diagnosis and he returned within about a week, consistent with routine maintenance.
• Expected back to full health: Now – practicing without limitation.
• Week 1: Expected to play, no designation. Sunday, Sept 13 at Detroit.
• Weeks 1-4: Wk1 at DET, Wk2 at BAL, Wk3 vs LV, Wk4 vs ATL. With Kamara limited and Estime not practicing, he is the healthiest complement to Travis Etienne heading into the opener.
• Who benefits if he sits: Audric Estime is the RB4 behind him, though Estime is himself a DNP.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED – now off the report. He was an aggregator-projected Questionable on Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: A worthwhile contingency add – he is the only fully healthy Saints back behind Travis Etienne and would benefit directly if Kamara is ruled out Friday.

Bhayshul Tuten — JAX (Co-starting running back with Chris Rodriguez Jr., and the lead fantasy back in the committee (verified on the Jaguars’ official Sept 8 depth chart))

• Wednesday practice: Full (not listed on the Jaguars’ Wednesday Sept 9 report, which named only LeQuint Allen Jr., Jakobi Meyers and OL Cole Van Lanen)
• Official status: Resolved — off the injury report
• Injury: Illness (non-orthopedic) — resolved
• When it happened: Early September 2026
• Typical recovery for this injury: Common viral illness: 3-7 days, with no lingering structural risk.
• Expected back to full health: Now — no designation entering Week 1.
• Week 1: Available, no designation, Sunday Sept 13 vs. Cleveland.
• Weeks 1-4: Healthy for Weeks 1-4 (vs CLE, @ DEN, vs NE, @ CIN). With LeQuint Allen Jr. a DNP and in real doubt, Tuten’s Week 1 workload projects at the higher end of his committee range.
• Who benefits if he sits: Chris Rodriguez Jr. is the co-starter, with Ameer Abdullah on passing downs — not applicable, Tuten is healthy.
• Change since the weekend: RESOLVED — now off the report. Was an unofficial ‘Questionable’ (illness) on Sept 6.

Fantasy takeaway: Start him with confidence — the illness is gone and Allen’s DNP means fewer mouths in the backfield for Week 1.

Waiver wire: who gains if these names sit

• MarShawn Lloyd is the listed RB1 in his absence (Ourlads 09/08, No. 32), with Chris Brooks second and Kaleb Johnson third – an explicit committee rather than a single replacement. — if Josh Jacobs (GB) can’t go.
• Jadarian Price is already the starter in his absence; George Holani is the No. 2 — if Zach Charbonnet (SEA) can’t go.
• Rhamondre Stevenson takes over as the clear lead back and gets the goal-line and early-down work. Corey Kiner is the No. 2 and should see change-of-pace and passing-down snaps. Lan Larison was elevated from the practice squad on Sept 9 specifically to fill the RB3/special-teams spot tonight. — if TreVeyon Henderson (NE) can’t go.
• Jordan James is the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey; Kaelon Black is the No. 3 — if Isaac Guerendo (SF) can’t go.
• Brian Robinson Jr. is the RB2 behind Bijan Robinson; Tyler Goodson is the practice-squad emergency option. — if Trey Sermon (ATL) can’t go.
• Already covered – Derrick Henry is the workhorse, Justice Hill is the passing-down back, Rasheen Ali is RB3. — if Adam Randall (BAL) can’t go.
• AJ Dillon is the active RB3 behind Hubbard and Brooks. — if Trevor Etienne (CAR) can’t go.
• Audric Estime holds the RB4 role in his place. — if Ty Chandler (NO) can’t go.
• Already replaced – Kaytron Allen (RB, ACT) holds the RB3 role; Craig Reynolds and Robert Henry Jr. are practice-squad depth — if Jeremy McNichols (WAS) can’t go.
• Jeremiyah Love is the starter in his absence, with Tyler Allgeier as the No. 2 and Bam Knight the No. 3 — if James Conner (ARI) can’t go.
• Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier hold the roles his injury vacated; Bam Knight is the No. 3 — if Trey Benson (ARI) can’t go.
• Sione Vaki (No. 33) is the back behind Jahmyr Gibbs on the Ourlads 09/08 chart, with Jacob Saylors third – note this reverses the Sept 6 baseline order. — if Isiah Pacheco (DET) can’t go.
• Ray Davis absorbs the third-down and change-of-pace snaps behind James Cook; Frank Gore Jr. is the practice-squad body if Buffalo needs a fourth back. — if Ty Johnson (BUF) can’t go.
• Ameer Abdullah is the direct beneficiary and would take the third-down/passing-game snaps. Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. remain the early-down co-starters and would each pick up a few extra touches. — if LeQuint Allen Jr. (JAX) can’t go.
• Kenny Gainwell is the RB2 ahead of him and would absorb the change-of-pace work; Josh Williams is the practice-squad option. — if Sean Tucker (TB) can’t go.
• Kendre Miller sits ahead of him; CJ Donaldson and Zamir White are the practice-squad depth. — if Audric Estime (NO) can’t go.
• Rachaad White (RB, ACT) – and note White is himself off the Wednesday injury report after a hamstring issue, so he is a fully healthy fallback; Kaytron Allen (RB, ACT) is RB3. Jeremy McNichols (RB) is on IR-designated-to-return and unavailable for at least four games. — if Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS) can’t go.
• Chuba Hubbard absorbs the full workload, with AJ Dillon as the change-of-pace. — if Jonathon Brooks (CAR) can’t go.
• Kimani Vidal (verified RB3, co-listed with Mitchell on the team chart) absorbs the backup snaps behind Omarion Hampton — if Keaton Mitchell (LAC) can’t go.
• Travis Etienne Jr. is already the RB1 and would simply absorb more; Kendre Miller is the next man up for the complementary snaps, with Audric Estime (also hurt) behind him. — if Alvin Kamara (NO) can’t go.
• Luke Farrell would absorb the lead-blocking role from an in-line TE alignment — if Kyle Juszczyk (SF) can’t go.

Bottom line at running back

12 of the 40 running backs here are unavailable, 4 did not practice Wednesday, and 5 were limited. 11 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 RB 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.