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
- TE Darren Waller
- TE Luke Musgrave
- RB Zack Moss
- WR Curtis Samuel
- RB Jerome Ford
- QB Brock Purdy
- WR Joshua Palmer
Trending Doubtful (Likely Inactive)
- QB Kyler Murray
- RB David Montgomery
Trending Probable (Expected to Play)
- RB Raheem Mostert
- QB Trevor Lawrence
- WR Tyler Lockett
- TE Gerald Everett
Eligible to return from injured reserve
Ruled Out
- WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
- QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder)
- QB Justin Fields (thumb)
- QB Daniel Jones (neck)
- QB Ryan Tannehill (ankle)
- WR Zay Jones (knee)
- WR Robert Woods (foot)
- TE Zach Ertz (quadriceps - on IR)
- RB Chase Brown (hamstring - on IR)
Sunday 1:00 PM EST Games
Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins | Ankle | Questionable | Likely Active
Raheem Mostert did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury, but all signs point to him playing Sunday. Mostert was able to log two limited practices on Thursday and Friday before giving some positive news to Dolphins' fans and Fantasy Managers alike.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert said he will play Sunday vs. Patriots.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 27, 2023
Just had a little ankle tweak that had him miss practice Wednesday. He returned Thursday & Friday and is all good.
Sunday Update: All signs point to Mostert being active.
Darren Waller, New York Giants| Hamstring Strain | Questionable | Likely Active
No stranger to the injury report, Darren Waller was limited all week with a hamstring injury, and the Giants officially have him listed as Questionable for Sunday. This is not the first time Waller has popped up on the injury report with a hamstring issue this season. However, he is yet to miss a game in 2023.
Waller's injury history can make fantasy managers nervous, and rightfully so. This sounds like a lingering issue that Waller will continue to play through. For that reason, I think he will be active come Sunday.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars | Knee | Questionable | Likely Active
Trevor Lawrence's presence on the Jaguars' Injury Report appears just to be precautionary. The franchise QB was limited with a knee injury he sustained in Week 6. Lawrence was able to play through the injury in Week 7 and logged a season-high in rushing yards (59) while tying his season-high rushing attempts (8).
Lawrence's knee injury does not appear overly debilitating, and his limited practice reps, at this point, could be chalked up to veteran rest days. I expect Lawrence under center in Week 8.
Sunday Update: Lawrence is trending towards playing in Week 8.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers | Ankle | Questionable | 50/50
Luke Misgrave missed most of the Packers' practices this week before getting in a limited session Friday. Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters he was "impressed" with Misgrave's progression this week but did not offer much detail about his availability for Sunday.
I am personally leaning towards Musgrave missing this week, given his injury and the positional demands of the TE position. Very few TEs with ankle injuries can miss fewer than one game.
Sunday Update: Musgrave is active.
Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts | Elbow/Heel | Questionable | 50/50
Zack Moss' practice reports this week were atypical. Moss did not practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday, suggesting he was heading in the right direction, but he then sat out Friday. Reading between the lines, it seems like Moss tested the waters Thursday, and it did not go well. One or both of his injuries appear to be limiting him. Moss will be a game-time decision, but it's looking like Jonathan Taylor will have the backfield to himself.
Sunday Update: Moss is going to test his foot pre-game but it sounds like he is going to play in Week 8.
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders | Foot | Questionable | 50/50
It does not seem like Curtis Samuel's foot injury is that serious, and based on his practice participation this week, he appears to be trending in the right direction. Currently, the public does not have too much information on the severity of Samuel's foot injury, but historically, these injuries can be very troublesome for WRs. >80% of NFL WRs miss at least one game with a foot injury, and the average time missed is >4 weeks (top-5 amongst the most common injuries for WRs).
Sunday Update: Per Ian Rapoport, Samual is a game-time decision but he and the team are optimistic he plays.
Sunday 4:05 PM EST Games
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns | High Ankle Sprain | Questionable | 50/50
If you have been frequenting these injury articles, you know how high ankle sprains can be very limiting for NFL running backs. The average time missed for RBs is 3.3 weeks, and a whopping 82% of them miss at least one game.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Ford was dealing with a minor high ankle sprain, which is a great sign, but it probably means he still misses at least this week. Ford is a game-time decision, but right now, I am projecting him to miss Week 8.
Sunday Update: Per Adam Schefter, Ford wants to an intends to play in Week 8. Even with no teams on bye I think you can play Ford as RBs who did not miss any games due to a high ankle sprain typically perform well.
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks | Hamstring | Questionable | Likely Active
Both Tyler Lockett and Ken Walker III gave fantasy managers a scare when they did not practice at all on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, both were full participants. Walker cleared the injury report altogether, while Lockett is still Questionable. The Q tag seems merely a formality at this point, as multiple reports out of Seattle have suggested Lockett will be playing in Week 8.
Sunday Update: As expected, Lockett plans to be active Sunday.
Sunday 4:25 PM EST Games
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers | Concussion | Questionable | 50/50
Brock Purdy entered the concussion protocol very late after the 49ers played on Monday but has since made good progress. Purdy was limited most of the week but still has not been cleared for contact, meaning he is still not out of the concussion protocol. Saturday figures to be the last day Purdy can be cleared, so we should know soon. This should be one of the rare instances where we know whether or not a player who plays in the later slate of games is going to be active or not.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals | Knee | Doubtful | Likely Inactive
Kyler Murray is officially off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and has been practicing all week, but it does not sound like he will start in Week 8. Joshua Dobbs should be the starter this week, with signs pointing to Murray being ready in Week 9.
Sunday Night 8:20 PM EST Game
Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers | Knee | Questionable | 50/50
Joshua Palmer did not practice Wednesday or Thursday with a knee injury but was limited Friday. This is another difficult situation where the fantasy community/general public does not have a lot of information heading into Sunday when a player has an evening/night game.
As a team, the Chargers finished dead last in the percentage of Questionable fantasy players that play - 11%. For what it's worth this team tends to be more conservative with their injury tags.
Sunday Update: Palmer is going to be a game-time decision. For a Sunday night game, I would play someone else.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers | Hip | Questionable | Likely Active
Unlike Joshua Palmer, we have a little more clarity with Gerald Everett. Everett was a full practice participant Friday, and as a result, I would expect him to play. The TE landscape has been shaky outside of Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and Sam LaPorta, and Everett could be worth rolling the dice in a late game. He has finished with 13+ PPR points in 3 of his last 4 games.
Sunday Update: Everett is going to be a game-time decision as well. I still think he plays but if you don't want to risk it start another TE.
Monday Night 8:15 PM EST Game
David Montgomery, Detroit Lions | Rib Injury | Questionable | Likely Inactive
David Montgomery is trending in the wrong direction in terms of playing in Week 8. The Lions' RB did not practice all week with a rib injury, meaning he could miss his second straight game. Montgomery's trajectory is in line with the average time missed for RBs with a rib injury. Players who are dealing with injuries and who are playing on Sunday/Monday night are always tough to manage, but in this case, it is better to err on the side of caution.
If you held on to Jahmyr Gibbs, your time is now.
Sunday Update: Montgomery is officially out.