Week 7 NFL Injury Report: Latest Update on Aaron Jones, Sam Darnold, More Injuries

Week 6 saw the already thin Eagles get a little thinner offensively after Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz both sustained injuries against the Ravens. Philadelphia has already lost Alshon Jeffery (foot), DeSean Jackson (hamstring), Jalen Reagor (thumb) and Dallas Goedert (ankle) to injury and is now faced with a short turnaround, playing again on Thursday Night Football.

Baker Mayfield’s status will also be worth monitoring this week. Mayfield gutted it out through a rib injury in Week 6 against the Steelers until he was pulled in the third quarter, though the Browns were facing a large deficit by that point.

As always, we’ll be updating this page throughout the week with all the latest injury news and practice reports.

Week 7 NFL Injury Report

Week 7 NFL Injuries

Sunday Updates

Packers RB Aaron Jones (calf): On Saturday afternoon, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported the Packers are planning to be without Jones against the Texans, while NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero called Jones a game-time decision. If Jones is ultimately ruled out, expect Jamaal Williams to lead a backfield that will also involve rookie A.J. Dillon.

Jets QB Sam Darnold (shoulder): Darnold will be back in the lineup today after missing two games due to a shoulder injury. Darnold was able to get through a week of limited practice without suffering a setback, putting him on track to return.

Jets WR Jamison Crowder (groin): Downgraded from questionable to doubtful on Saturday, Crowder is unlikely to play for the Jets in Week 7. Elsewhere in the receiving corps, Denzel Mims (hamstring) — who has been activated from the injured reserve — is expected to make his rookie debut for the team.

Cardinals DeAndre Hopkins (ankle): Hopkins is expected to play through an ankle injury despite missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Cardinals will be on bye in Week 8, and there was some thought that the team may elect to give Hopkins an extra week of rest to fully recover, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case.

Friday Updates

Thursday Updates

Giants WR Sterling Shepard (toe): The Giants officially activated Shepard from injured reserve this afternoon, making him eligible to play in tonight’s matchup against the Eagles. That doesn’t necessarily mean Shepard will be active, but it does give him a chance. The team will wait to see how Shepard looks in pregame warmups before making a final call, though there is optimism that he will be active. The Giants also activated WR Alex Bachman from the practice squad as insurance in case Shepard is ultimately unable to go. UPDATE (6:50pm ET): Shepard is officially active for tonight's game.

Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle/hamstring): It’s been a strange season for the reigning fantasy WR1. After suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 1, Thomas appeared to be cleared for action heading into New Orleans’ Week 5 matchup against the Chargers, but was suspended for that game after punching a teammate in practice. The Saints then had a Week 6 bye, and in the team’s first practice session of Week 7, Thomas is now listed on the injury report with both ankle and hamstring injuries. It’s unclear when Thomas injured his hamstring, but he did tweet that he “had a setback” on Oct. 13. Consider him questionable to play in Week 7 for now.

Titans WR A.J. Brown (knee): Brown popped up on today’s practice report as a non-participant after not being listed on Wednesday. A bone bruise to Brown’s knee caused the second-year receiver to miss three games earlier in the season, though it’s unclear if this week’s injury is related. While Brown's Week 7 status does not yet appear to be in jeopardy, his practice participation status on Friday will be important to monitor.

Broncos TE Noah Fant (ankle): Fant was able to get in his first full practice session today since injuring his ankle against the Jets in Week 4, putting him on track for a Week 7 return. Rookie Albert Okwuegbunam may have carved out a more regular role for himself in the offense after commanding four end zone targets in Week 6, but Fant should still be considered the team’s unquestioned TE1 when healthy.

Wednesday Updates

Jets QB Sam Darnold (shoulder): Darnold was back on the practice field for the first time since injuring his shoulder during the Jets' Thursday night game in Week 4 against the Broncos, though he was listed as a limited participant. Head coach Adam Gase said the team will wait to see how Darnold's shoulder responds to throwing before making any decisions on his Week 7 status, adding, "If there’s anything that lingers when he’s throwing, that’s kind of a red flag."

Eagles WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring): Despite missing the past three games, Jackson was able to get in limited practice sessions throughout the weeks leading up to Weeks 5 and 6. On Wednesday, he was listed as a full practice participant for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3, although the Eagles did not hold a formal practice, making Jackson’s status an estimation. D-Jax does not carry a game status designation heading into Thursday night, meaning he has been cleared to play against the Giants.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (back): After starting the season with double-digit targets in Weeks 1 and 2, in-game injuries have plagued Johnson in recent weeks, paving the way for Chase Claypool’s rookie breakout. Johnson played only 24% of team snaps in Week 3 then 8% of team snaps in Week 5 (Pittsburgh had a Week 4 bye week) before sitting out Week 6. He was on the practice field on Wednesday as a full participant, making him likely to be available in Week 7. If that holds true, it will be interesting to see how head coach Mike Tomlin splits the work between Johnson, Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington at receiver against Tennessee.

Tuesday Updates

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle): When McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain on Sep. 20, his initial return timeline was set at four-to-six weeks. We are now exactly one month removed from the injury, but CMC will need at least one more week of rest before he is able to return to the field. The Panthers will once again lean on Mike Davis in Week 7, though McCaffrey “has a shot” to play in Week 8 when Carolina faces Atlanta on Thursday Night Football, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. 

Monday Updates

Eagles RB Miles Sanders (knee): Sanders is expected to miss the Eagles’ upcoming Thursday night game against the Giants after suffering a knee injury against the Ravens. Sanders’ injury is not considered serious and he’s expected to miss only a week or two.  Expect Boston Scott and Corey Clement to split the backfield work for Philadelphia in Week 7.

49ers RB Raheem Mostert (ankle): Mostert injured his ankle during Sunday's victory over the Rams after rushing for 90 yards on 11 carries. After sustaining the injury, Mostert returned for one play before departing the game again, this time for good. He'll undergo further testing on Monday to determine the severity of the injury and establish a recovery timeline.

Browns QB Baker Mayfield (ribs): Mayfield was considered questionable to play with a rib injury coming into the Browns' loss to the Steelers, though he was able to gut it out through two and a half quarters of play. In the third quarter, Mayfield was replaced by Case Keenum for mop-up duty with the Browns already facing a large deficit. After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Mayfield is expected to start next week against the Bengals.

Eagles TE Zach Ertz (ankle): After leaving Philadelphia's loss to the Ravens, Ertz is expected to miss about a month with a high ankle sprain.  That’s roughly on par with the recovery timelines given to Christian McCaffrey and Michael Thomas, who have both also suffered similar injuries this season.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (foot): A foot injury limited Mixon to only 53% of team snaps in yesterday’s loss to the Colts. After the game, head coach Zac Taylor said Mixon was available to play more snaps late in the game, but Giovani Bernard was a better fit for the two-minute offense. The team is waiting to receive further information about Mixon’s injury, but it doesn’t sound like a long-term concern since he was available to return.