2026 NFL Week 2 injury report: A.J. Brown out six weeks, Darnold has no timeline, Murray in the protocol
A.J. Brown is out about six weeks, Sam Darnold has no timeline and Kyler Murray is in the concussion protocol, while Detroit and Buffalo head into Thursday night with no fantasy-relevant designations.
Detroit and Buffalo have filed two days of official practice participation, because they open Week 2 on Thursday night. The other fifteen games file their first report Wednesday afternoon, so most of this week's Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags do not exist yet.
This week's board is therefore built from what is already on the record: the Thursday game's Monday and Tuesday practice columns, the injured-reserve moves and coach confirmations from the past two days, and the damage Week 1 left behind across the rest of the league.
The short version
- A.J. Brown is expected to miss about six weeks. New England placed its new No. 1 receiver on injured reserve Saturday with a right high-ankle sprain. He will not need surgery, and Week 6 against the Jets is the earliest return. 12
- Sam Darnold has no timeline. Seattle described the quarterback's injury as a soft-tissue problem in his glute that leaves the hip joint unaffected, and said it is short-term. Drew Lock, who threw for 187 yards in relief in Week 1, is in line to start at Arizona. 3
- Kyler Murray is in the concussion protocol. Minnesota's coach said Murray "came in feeling pretty good" on Monday and the team will take his week one day at a time. Carson Wentz finished the opener in relief and is next in line for Sunday's game at Chicago. 456
- Thursday night carries no fantasy-relevant designations. Two days of Detroit and Buffalo practice reports list three offensive linemen, two cornerbacks, two safeties, two linebackers, a defensive tackle and one backup running back. No starting quarterback, running back, receiver or tight end from either team appears. 789
- Isiah Pacheco's season may be over. The Detroit running back had surgery on Monday for a pinched nerve in his back and faces roughly 12 weeks, which puts him back in early December. Jahmyr Gibbs took 34 of Detroit's 37 running back opportunities in Week 1 and keeps the backfield. 46
- Brock Bowers should miss a game or two. Las Vegas trimmed the meniscus in his knee and lists him as day to day. Michael Mayer takes the tight end snaps while Bowers is out. 610
Thursday night: Detroit at Buffalo
These two teams are the only ones with official participation data this morning. Wednesday's session adds the final column and the game designations.
| Player & team | Pos. | Injury | Monday | Tuesday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Mahogany, DET | G | Hip | DNP | DNP |
| Blake Miller, DET | T | Knee | DNP | DNP |
| Juice Scruggs, DET | G | Knee | LP | LP |
| D.J. Reed, DET | CB | Foot | Not listed | LP |
| Christian Izien, DET | S | Groin | FP | FP |
| Terrel Bernard, BUF | LB | Calf | LP | LP |
| Cole Bishop, BUF | S | Knee/groin | FP | LP |
| Bradley Chubb, BUF | LB | Thumb | FP | FP |
| Jordan Hancock, BUF | CB | Quad | FP | FP |
| Ty Johnson, BUF | RB | Hamstring | LP | LP |
| T.J. Sanders, BUF | DL | Knee/illness | LP | DNP |
Detroit's two straight absences are both interior linemen, the positions that matter most for a back like Gibbs. T.J. Sanders is the one player on either roster who moved backward from Monday to Tuesday.
What the table leaves out is the point. Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Allen and James Cook carry no injury status after two days of official practice, which is the closest thing to a green light available before Wednesday's final column.
Confirmed losses: multiple weeks or injured reserve
| Player & team | Injury | What is official | Expected absence | Who takes the work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Brown, NE WR | Right high-ankle sprain | On injured reserve since Saturday; no surgery needed 12 | About six weeks; eligible Week 6 | Mack Hollins gains snaps and routes; DeMario Douglas led the team in route rate in Week 1 6 |
| Isiah Pacheco, DET RB | Back (pinched nerve) | Surgery Monday; already on injured reserve | Roughly 12 weeks; early December 4 | Gibbs took 34 of 37 running back opportunities; Jacob Saylors is next 6 |
| Myles Garrett, LAR DE | Knee | Surgery Monday, then injured reserve | At least four games, with no firm timeline 11 | Rams host the Giants on Monday night |
| Landon Dickerson, PHI G | Knee | Placed on injured reserve Tuesday | At least four games 2 | Philadelphia's interior line loses a three-time Pro Bowl guard |
| De'Zhaun Stribling, SF WR | Left ankle (deltoid sprain) | Out | At least a month 2 | Demarcus Robinson is the likely beneficiary 6 |
| Ja'Kobi Lane, BAL WR | Wrist fracture | Surgery expected, possibly Wednesday | Multiple weeks 24 | Rashod Bateman ran a route on nearly every dropback in Week 1 6 |
| Dylan Sampson, CLE RB | Knee | Placed on injured reserve Tuesday | Significant time 2 | Backup depth took the change-of-pace role in Week 1 while Quinshon Judkins stayed in his usual role 6 |
| Henry To'oTo'o, HOU LB | Shoulder | Placed on injured reserve Tuesday | "Out for some time" 12 | Houston signed Kenneth Murray to its practice squad |
| Da'Shawn Hand, ATL DT | Torn quadriceps | Season-ending surgery confirmed 4 | Season | Atlanta's defensive interior |
Three defensive starters carry absences that may run past this week: the Jets expect Minkah Fitzpatrick to miss two to three weeks with a groin injury, Miami linebacker Kyle Louis will miss a few weeks with a knee injury, and Dallas safety Malik Hooker had surgery Tuesday on a fractured forearm. 2412
Still open, and when each case clears
| Player & team | Injury | Where it stands | When it clears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray, MIN QB | Concussion | In the protocol; coach said he "came in feeling pretty good" Monday 4 | Wednesday's practice report, then the Friday designation |
| Tua Tagovailoa, ATL QB | Oblique strain | Day to day since Monday; Cooper Rush started Week 1 6 | Wednesday's practice report |
| Sam Darnold, SEA QB | Glute/hip soft tissue | Short-term, no timeline; the team speaks again Wednesday 3 | Wednesday |
| TreVeyon Henderson, NE RB | Ankle | Missed the opener; coach said he would practice Monday 4 | Wednesday and Thursday |
| Zay Flowers, BAL WR | Hamstring | Day to day and not considered serious after 150 yards in the first half of Week 1 4 | Wednesday to Friday |
| Ladd McConkey, LAC WR | Ribs | Day to day; the team will watch his week before deciding 4 | Wednesday to Friday |
| Brock Bowers, LV TE | Knee | Day to day after a meniscus trim; expected to miss a game or two 410 | Wednesday to Friday |
| Brian Thomas Jr., JAX WR | Shoulder | Limited in practice this week; coach expects him to play 4 | Wednesday |
| Jalen Coker, CAR WR | Left ankle | In a walking boot Monday; told reporters he rolled the ankle and expects to play 24 | Wednesday |
| Alvin Kamara, NO RB | Knee | Did not play Week 1; no designation filed yet 6 | Wednesday |
| Malik Nabers, NYG WR | Knee (ACL recovery) | Played Week 1 on a game-time call; reps still managed 6 | Monday night inactives |
| Josh Jacobs, GB RB | Not an injury | On the Commissioner's Exempt List; the league may count list time as time served 2 | League process |
The league's injury portal lists no injuries for the fifteen Sunday and Monday games as of Wednesday morning. Those reports are filed this afternoon and carry the first participation columns of the week. 9
Lineup changes already decided
Cleveland is staying with Deshaun Watson. Coach Todd Monken said Watson starts again in Week 2 against Tampa Bay after going 16-of-22 for 205 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the opener. 4
Seattle has a replacement ready. Drew Lock is in line to start against Arizona if Darnold cannot go. Lock went 16-of-22 for 187 yards and a touchdown in relief in Week 1. 3
Minnesota's next man up is Carson Wentz. Wentz replaced Murray in the first quarter against Green Bay and finished the comeback. He starts at Chicago if Murray does not clear the protocol. 56
Atlanta is starting a backup. Cooper Rush started the opener with Tagovailoa out, and the team believes it is still too early for Michael Penix Jr. to take the job back as he works through his knee recovery. 6
Detroit's backfield belongs to Gibbs. Saylors and Sione Vaki are splitting the touches behind him, with Saylors first in line. 6
Dallas added a running back. The Cowboys signed Tyler Goodson off Atlanta's practice squad after placing Malik Davis on injured reserve with a hip injury. Javonte Williams is the only back on the roster with a settled workload. 612
New England rebuilds its passing game. Hollins and DeMario Douglas split Brown's targets, and the team could let Kyle Williams grow into a deep role with a long week of practice before Sunday's game against Pittsburgh. Rhamondre Stevenson keeps lead-back volume while Henderson works back. 46
Houston's receiver room is Nico Collins plus two. Tank Dell opens the season on injured reserve and Jayden Higgins is out for the year with a torn ACL, which leaves Jaylin Noel in the slot and Kayshon Boutte outside. 26
Green Bay turns to MarShawn Lloyd. Josh Jacobs is on the Commissioner's Exempt List, and the Packers signed Bo Melton from the practice squad to add receiving depth. 46
No longer on the injury board
Names that carried statuses through August have mostly cleared: Ashton Jeanty, Keon Coleman, Mike Evans, Sam LaPorta, Kenneth Walker III, Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks, Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. None of them appears on ESPN's league-wide injury board this week. 2
Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet is the exception: he remains on the physically unable to perform list, and the team is optimistic he beats his initial recovery timeline. 26
What to do before Thursday's kickoff
Act now:
- Move A.J. Brown to an injured-reserve slot and replace his weekly points.
- Treat Gibbs, St. Brown, Allen and Cook as clear for Thursday night.
- Add Michael Mayer if you need a tight end, and Jacob Saylors as a Gibbs handcuff in deeper leagues.
Check again after Wednesday's reports land:
- Minnesota, Atlanta and Seattle all leave a starting quarterback unresolved, with Carson Wentz and Drew Lock next in line.
- Bowers, McConkey, Flowers, Thomas and Henderson all have a chance to be cleared by Friday.
Leave alone:
- Nabers played Week 1 and stays in lineups while the Giants manage his practice reps; they play Monday night.
- Kamara has no designation yet, and the New Orleans backfield has not sorted itself out.
Next checkpoints
Wednesday afternoon: the first full practice reports for the fifteen Sunday and Monday games, plus final game statuses for Detroit at Buffalo.
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET: Detroit at Buffalo kicks off on Prime Video, the first lineup lock of the week.
Friday afternoon: Out, Doubtful and Questionable designations for the rest of the slate, with inactives 90 minutes before each kickoff on Sunday and Monday.
References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4NFL: Sep. 14 news roundup
nfl.com
- 5
- 6Yahoo Sports/NBC Sports: 2026 NFL Week 2 Injury Report
sports.yahoo.com
- 7Detroit Lions: Official injury report
detroitlions.com
- 8Buffalo Bills: Official injury report
buffalobills.com
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12NFL: Sep. 15 news roundup
nfl.com
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