Understanding the NFL's Injury Report
(per Dr. Bramel)
The injury report released by the NFL is two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players practiced and their participation level. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury-related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability a player will play, i.e., Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games).
In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing and my expectations of their likelihood of playing.
If you are reading this article on Saturday, make sure you circle back on Sunday morning as more updates trickle in within the next 24 hours
Key:
Player | Injury | Game Status Listing | Footballguys Expectation
Current Status on High-Impact Injured Players
Gameday Decision
- WR Zay Jones
- RB D'Onta Foreman
- WR Tyler Lockett
- WR Keenan Allen
Trending Doubtful (Likely Inactive)
- WR Noah Brown
- RB Antonio Gibson
- RB Alexander Mattison
Trending Probable (Expected to Play)
- WR Michael Wilson
- WR Garrett Wilson
Eligible to return from injured reserve
- RB Khalil Herbert
- WR Justin Jefferson
- RB De'Von Achane
- TE Pat Freiermuth
Ruled Out
- WR Treylon Burks (concussion)
- RB Dameon Pierce (ankle)
- TE Hayden Hurst (concussion)
- TE Gerald Everett (back)
- QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder - season-ending IR)
- TE Dallas Goedert (arm)
Sunday 1:00 PM EST Game
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals | Shoulder | Questionable | Likely Active
Michael Wilson popped up on the injury report Friday with a shoulder injury and is listed as Questionable heading into Sunday. Wilson missed Week 9 with a shoulder injury and after three straight limited practices in Week 10, was able to play.
It's unclear if this is the same shoulder, but if it is, I think it's likely the rookie wideout was given a rest day. Barring a new story Saturday, expect Wilson to be active this week.
Sunday Update: Per Adam Schefter, Wilson suffered a setback this week, which is why he popped up on the Friday injury report. He is unlikely to play.
Noah Brown, Houston Texans | Knee | Questionable | Likely Inactive
Originally news leaked on Noah Brown that he was to be listed as "Out" before being changed to "Questionable" by the Texans. This likely points to him trending towards the wrong direction.
Sunday Update: Per Adam, Brown is unlikely to play but will test his knee in pre-game warm-ups.
Texans’ WR Noah Brown, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a knee injury, is unlikely to play vs. the Cardinals but the Texans want to work him out pregame before making any decisions, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2023
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers | Hamstring | Questionable | Likely Active
After missing five straight games, all signs point to Pat Freiermuth being on track to play in Week 11. Freiermuth has logged two back-to-back practices this week. Typically, TE fantasy points decline by 16% during the first game back after a hamstring injury. However, by filtering out TEs who missed 5+ weeks (suggesting adequate rest), production returns to normal. Even though we have not seen him play for a quarter of the season, I would be okay starting Freiermuth, given his recovery timeline.
Sunday Update: Pat Freiermuth is off IR and on track to play Sunday.
De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins | MCL Sprain | Questionable | Likely Active
De'Von Achane has not officially been activated from IR yet (I expect him to any moment now on Saturday), but Miami and head coach Mike McDaniel have already said that Achane will play.
The biggest question at this point is not if Achane will play but what he will look like when he does following his IR stint with an MCL sprain. Believe it or not, historically, RBs who have returned post-MCL sprain have fared well. On average, RB production dropped by ~10%. It's possible Achane will be eased back into the offense, especially given the RBs they have on their roster. However, if you have held onto the rookie RB, I think he is worth inserting into lineups this week.
Sunday Update: Achane is expected to be active.
Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars | Knee Injury | Questionable | 50/50
Zay Jones has been out since Week 6 with a knee injury and, for the first time in weeks, has a shot to play in Week 11. Jones was limited all week, but given his timeline, he has a decent shot of playing. The specifics of Jones' knee injury are not known, and for that reason, he is a true game-time decision. There should be more information on his availability come Sunday.
Sunday Update: Zay Jones is expected to play.
D'Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears | Ankle | Questionable | 50/50
D'Onta Foreman has been limited all week with an ankle injury. Nearly 40% of NFL RBs can play through ankle injuries without missing any time. Chicago's backfield could be log-jammed his week with Khalil Herbert (below) also returning.
Sunday Update: Foreman is active. The Bears' backfield will be crowded this week.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears | Ankle | Questionable | Likely Active
Khalil Herbert is eligible to return from IR, and based on his practice participation this week, he should be active. RBs coming off high ankle sprains typically struggle, and as a result, their fantasy production also suffers (rest of season fantasy points decrease by 12%).
If you were able to hold onto Herbert this long, I think I would still avoid starting him this week until we see how involved he is. With Roschon Johnson and
possibly and D'Onta Foreman involved, Herbert may only see a fraction of the workload in Week 11.
Sunday Update: Herbert is also active.
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers | Shoulder | Questionable | 50/50
If you read "Monday Injury Report" I wrote about how Keenan Allen was going to be a game-time decision despite finishing the game in Week 10 as AC Joint Sprains can be tricky to manage. I still lean towards him playing but Sunday should reveal more specifics.
Sunday Update: Adam Schefter confirmed this morning that Allen is expected to play.
Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders | Toe | Doubtful | Likely Inactive
Antonio Gibson was not able to practice all week with a toe injury, although it is unclear if it is the dreaded turf toe. Gibson has a history of turf toe that limited him in both 2021 and 2022. If Gibson does have turf toe, he could miss an additional 1-2 weeks, including Week 11.
Sunday Update: Antonio Gibson is not expected to play.
Sunday 4:05 PM EST Games
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks | Hamstring | Questionable | 50/50
Tyler Lockett is slated to be a game-time decision due to a hamstring injury. On average, NFL WRs miss 2.5 weeks with hamstring injuries, with 80% missing at least one game. Tyler Lockett has been the epitome of health, playing at least 16 games in the last six seasons, but history has shown us that hamstring injuries can be more challenging for NFL WRs over the age of 30. I lean towards Lockett sitting in Week 11, but as I mentioned his track record warrants the benefit of the doubt.
Sunday Update: Lockett is going to test his hamstring pre-game but is trending towards playing. It is a risky move leaving him in line-ups but as I mentioned above, his track record should instill confidence.
Sunday 4:25 PM EST Games
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets | Elbow | Questionable | Likely Active
I commented on Garrett Wilson's elbow injury in the Week 11 edition of Monday Injury Report and how I did not think it would be overly limiting. Wilson himself says he plans this week, and it seems like he is merely dealing with an elbow contusion. Expect him to play in Week 11.
Sunday Update: Garrett Wilson is expected to be active.
Sunday Night 8:20 PM EST Game
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings | Hamstring | Questionable | 50/50
Justin Jefferson spent the required four weeks on IR and has been eligible to return now for two weeks. From a sports medicine perspective, Jefferson should be safe to return to action, but injuries are variable and person-specific. Minnesota has hinted at Jefferson not playing in Week 11. As a result, he is a very risky start, considering the Vikings do not play until Sunday night.
Jefferson has better odds of playing next week (Week 12), where we might get a full practice or two from the All-Pro WR and feel more comfortable starting him.
Sunday Update: Jefferson was not activated from IR. He is likely to return in Week 12.
Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings | Concussion | Questionable | Likely Inactive
Despite Mattison logging a full practice on Friday, he is still unlikely to suit up in Week 11. The overwhelming majority of NFL players this season have missed at least one week following a concussion. The full practice is confusing, but Minnesota pulled a similar stunt last week with K.J. Osborn. Osborn practiced in full on Friday following a concussion but was ruled out on Sunday. It looks like Ty Chandler week.
Sunday Update: Alexander Mattison will be active.