Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is finally here and with it comes actual NFL Injury reports. Hopefully some of the ambiguous injuries discussed here over the past few weeks begin to look a bit clearer in the days ahead. With so many injuries are already piled up, let's jump right into it.
The Chargers running back was cleared to return to full-contact practice Monday, making a Week 1 appearance possible. Harris has been limited throughout training camp and the preseason with an eye injury that reportedly occurred during a fireworks mishap. The injury was considered superficial and did not impact his vision. Additional injury specifics remain limited, but this incident doesn't appear to be as significant, as defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul's fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger.
Harris will likely be eased back into the mix, so expecting him to carry a full load Friday against the Chiefs is unwise. Rookie Omarion Hampton will be the biggest beneficiary of a possible workload restriction for Harris.
The Packers made a splash last week trading for the All-Pro linebacker. Unfortunately, his arrival has been slowed by a back injury, initially sustained while with the Cowboys. Parsons is dealing with a sprained facet joint in his back, specifically in the L4/L5 area. When discussing back injuries, the letter represents the region of the spine (C=cervical, T=thoracic, L=lumbar, S=sacral) while the number indicates which specific vertebrae is impacted. Decoding Parsons' diagnosis lets us know the
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is finally here and with it comes actual NFL Injury reports. Hopefully some of the ambiguous injuries discussed here over the past few weeks begin to look a bit clearer in the days ahead. With so many injuries are already piled up, let's jump right into it.
The Chargers running back was cleared to return to full-contact practice Monday, making a Week 1 appearance possible. Harris has been limited throughout training camp and the preseason with an eye injury that reportedly occurred during a fireworks mishap. The injury was considered superficial and did not impact his vision. Additional injury specifics remain limited, but this incident doesn't appear to be as significant, as defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul's fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger.
Harris will likely be eased back into the mix, so expecting him to carry a full load Friday against the Chiefs is unwise. Rookie Omarion Hampton will be the biggest beneficiary of a possible workload restriction for Harris.
The Packers made a splash last week trading for the All-Pro linebacker. Unfortunately, his arrival has been slowed by a back injury, initially sustained while with the Cowboys. Parsons is dealing with a sprained facet joint in his back, specifically in the L4/L5 area. When discussing back injuries, the letter represents the region of the spine (C=cervical, T=thoracic, L=lumbar, S=sacral) while the number indicates which specific vertebrae is impacted. Decoding Parsons' diagnosis lets us know the injury is to the ligament(s) of the joint formed between the fourth and fifth vertebrae of his lower back. Parsons has been taking an anti-inflammatory medication and could opt for a more aggressive injection if needed. His availability for Week 1 remains unclear but he should be fine in the long run. Keeping him sidelined to start the year may help Parsons avoid any soft tissue injuries that could occur due to this prolonged hold-in with Dallas. The Packers defense will get a nice boost when Parsons does take the field, but the team carries a difficult schedule that will be tested early when the face the offenses of Detroit, Washington and Cincinnati in the first five weeks of the season.
The Packers have injury concerns on the offensive side of the ball as well, as their third-year receiver is planning on playing through a broken foot. Reed's injury is a specific type of fracture known as a Jones fracture and involves the fifth metatarsal bone.
The metatarsals are the long bones of the foot that bridge the bones of the mid-foot and the toes. The fifth metatarsal is located at the base of the pinkie and serves as an anchor point for several muscles. These muscles make the bone susceptible to fractures, and wide receivers are particularly vulnerable to the injury. Other wideouts to sustain the injury include Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, Julian Edelman and Deebo Samuel.
A Jones fracture is diagnosed when the fracture occurs near the base of the 5th metatarsal. Unfortunately, the blood flow to this region is poor and, as a result, these types of fractures are more likely to experience a delayed union or nonunion, meaning the two bone fragments fail to unite or take a long period of time to heal. As a result, most Jones fractures are treated surgically. The return to play (RTP) rate is high following surgery, with an average recovery timeline of roughly eight weeks.
Reed is opting to avoid going under the knife, meaning it is likely his fracture is nondisplaced and showing signs of healing. However, by opting for a nonsurgical approach he is increasing his risk of non-unions, delayed union, or outright refractures. Anyone opting to invest in Reed or utilize him on a weekly basis is taking a calculated risk. Rookie Matthew Golden will likely see an increase in usage and is the safer option of the two.
Turf Burns
Tyreek Hill: The veteran wideout was an active participant in practice and will likely be available for Week 1 against the Colts. The speedster has been limited by an oblique strain, an injury that can limit an individual's ability to rotate. However, the injury was never considered serious, and this was likely a case of Miami handling the health of a proven player conservatively. Hill will look to bounce back from a disappointing season in which he scored his lowest touchdown total of his career and his fewest receptions since 2019.
Jauan Jennings: Despite a lingering trade request, Jennings returned to the practice field Monday. A calf injury suffered in late July has been cited as the primary reason for Jennings' extended absence, but his desire for a new contract or new team may have prolonged things. His return to practice suggests the calf is at or close to 100 percent and that he will be available against the Seahawks. He will carry an elevated degree of risk for the immediate future but hold his value as a WR3.
Quentin Johnston: The Chargers wideout has cleared concussion protocol and should be an active participant in this week's preparation for Friday's opener against the Chiefs. Johnston's injury occurred in the team's second preseason outing. His return serves as a good early season reminder that an individual will be more susceptible to a future concussion after sustaining one, and it is more likely to be accompanied by additional or more severe symptoms, as the effects of the injuries are cumulative. Johnston will line up alongside second year wideout Ladd McConkey and veteran Keenan Allen to lead Los Angeles' aerial assault.
Marvin Mims: The Denver wideout suffered a mild groin strain last week, but tests taken on the injured area failed to uncover a serious injury. Coach Sean Payton called the test results "good news" and believes Mims will be uniform for Week 1 against the Titans. Mims was back at practice Monday. I dislike soft tissue injuries this late in the preseason, but Denver clearly fills confident that he avoided a significant strain.
Matthew Stafford: The Rams expect to have Stafford behind center in Week 1 against the Texans. The veteran quarterback missed the first month of training camp with a herniated disc in his back but has been active participant since returning on August 18. The risk for reinjury or aggravation will linger throughout the year, but Stafford could serve as a serviceable backup fantasy quarterback with a decent ceiling.
