I have an almost maniacal obsession with tracking injury news and attempting to quantify the impact various injuries will have on team-level production and the betting markets, especially against the spread.

Football (unfortunately) is a violent sport. Every week, players get injured.

Here are the injury situations I’m monitoring the most coming out of Week 2 and moving into Week 3.

Note: This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. These are just notes on some of the injuries I think will matter the most in the betting market this week.

Thursday Night Football

Giants at 49ers

Giants

  • LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring)
  • EDGE Azeez Ojulari (hamstring)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle)

Thomas missed Week 2 with a questionable designation, but I tentatively expect him to play this week after practicing on Thursday and Friday. Ojulari sat out Week 2 as doubtful, making me pessimistic about his Week 3 chances.

Saquon Barkley suffered an injury in Week 2. I doubt he plays on short rest, but he seems to have avoided a significant injury.

49ers

Nothing.

Sunday: Early Games

Colts at Ravens

Colts

  • QB Anthony Richardson (concussion)
  • C Ryan Kelly (concussion)

Both Kelly and Richardson exited Week 2 with head injuries. I’m skeptical they play, but the downgrade from Richardson to No. 2 QB Gardner Minshew is nonexistent.

Ravens

  • LT Ronnie Stanley (knee)
  • C Tyler Linderbaum (ankle)
  • CB Marlon Humphrey (foot)
  • FS Marcus Williams (pectoral)
  • WR Odell Beckham (ankle)

Not one of Stanley, Linderbaum, Humphrey, and Williams practiced or played last week. That’s not a good sign for Week 3.

Beckham suffered an injury in Week 2, but the team is optimistic he’ll be available for Week 3. (We’ll see.)

Titans at Browns

Titans

  • S Amani Hooker (concussion)
  • CB Kristian Fulton (hamstring)
  • LG Peter Skoronski (appendectomy)

Hooker and Fulton were declared out on Friday, so that’s not positive for their Week 3 availability.

Skoronoski had an appendectomy at the end of the week, so I expect him to miss some time.

Browns

  • Nick Chubb (knee)
  • RT Jack Conklin (knee, IR)
  • WR Amari Cooper (groin)

The Browns played on Monday Night Football of Week 2 and Cooper suited up after tweaking his groin on Saturday.

Nick Chubb suffered a gruesome injury in Week 2 and is out for the year. In his absence, No. 2 RB Jerome Ford flashed with 131 yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries and four targets. With his usage (and maybe his talent), he looks like a borderline RB1/2.

Reminder: Conklin suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.

Broncos at Dolphins

Broncos

  • EDGE Frank Clark (hip)

Clark sat out Week 2 after missing practice on Thursday and Friday. That’s a negative sign.

Dolphins

  • LT Terron Armstead (back, ankle, knee)
  • EDGE Jaelan Phillips (back)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (concussion)

Armstead has missed back-to-back games, but at least he was questionable in Week 2 vs. straight-up out in Week 1. He’s trending in the right direction.

Phillips was fine last week and then had a back issue pop up on Friday, so he sat in Week 2 with a questionable tag. I’m uncertain about him for Week 3.

Waddle exited Week 2 with a head injury.

Patriots at Jets

Patriots

  • LT Trent Brown (concussion)
  • CB Jonathan Jones (ankle)

Brown neither practiced nor played last week. Jones sat Week 2 with a questionable tag, but at least he had a limited practice on Friday.

Jets

Nothing.

Texans at Jaguars

Texans

  • LT Laremy Tunsil (knee)
  • FS Jalen Pitre (chest)
  • SS Jimmie Ward (hip)

Tunsil sat out Week 2 with a questionable designation after missing practice on Wednesday, stepping up to a limited session on Thursday, and then dropping back down to nothing on Friday. That’s not good.

Neither Pitre nor Ward practiced nor played last week.

Jaguars

Nothing.

Falcons at Lions

Falcons

  • CB Jeff Okudah (ankle/foot)

Okudah hasn’t played yet this year, but at least practiced every day (limitedly) last week after not practicing at all in Week 1. He’s trending in the right direction.

Lions

  • LT Taylor Decker (ankle)
  • RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee)
  • EDGE James Houston (ankle)
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee)
  • RB David Montgomery (thigh)

Decker and Moseley missed Week 2 after not practicing at all last week. Vaitai, Houston, and Montgomery all exited Week 2 early with injuries that could cost them games.

Saints at Packers

Saints

They play on Monday Night Football but have no notable injuries as of writing.

Packers

  • RB Aaron Jones (hamstring)
  • WR Christian Watson (hamstring)
  • OT David Bakhtiari (knee)
  • LG Elgton Jenkins (knee)
  • EDGE Lukas Van Ness (elbow)

Jones, Watson, and Bakhtiari all missed Week 2 after getting in no practice sessions during the week. Jenkins and Van Ness both exited Week 2 early. I expect Jenkins to miss some time but am uncertain about Van Ness.

Bills at Commanders

Bills

  • S Micah Hyde (hamstring)
  • EDGE Leonard Floyd (ankle)

Hyde and Floyd both exited Week 2 early with injuries. Their Week 3 status is uncertain.

Commanders

  • TE Logan Thomas (concussion)

Thomas suffered a head injury in Week 2. I’m skeptical that he plays this week.

Sunday: Late Games

Chargers at Vikings

Chargers

  • RB Austin Ekeler (ankle/personal)
  • LB Eric Kendricks (hamstring)

Ekeler and Kendricks sat out every practice and the game in Week 2. Neither one was as close to playing as his doubtful designation might have indicated.

Austin Ekeler

Sep 10, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler (30) celebrates after a touchdown in the first half against the Miami Dolphins at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings

  • C Garrett Bradbury (back)
  • LT Christian Darrisaw (ankle)
  • OT Oli Udoh (leg, IR)

Bradbury hasn’t seen any action since leaving the season opener.

Darrisaw was technically active last week, but he didn’t play — and then his backup (Udoh) suffered a season-ending injury. I tentatively expect Darrisaw to play this week, given that he was in uniform for Week 2.

Panthers at Seahawks

Panthers

The Panthers play on Monday Night Football, but they don’t have any significant injuries entering Week 2.

Seahawks

  • LT Charles Cross (toe)
  • S Jamal Adams (quad)
  • EDGE Boye Mafe (knee)
  • CB Riq Woolen (shoulder)

Cross, Adams, and Mafe were all inactive last week. Of the three, Adams and Mafe seem to have a chance to return this week.

Woolen suffered an injury in Week 2 and didn’t return to action. HC Pete Carroll didn’t sound too worried about the injury — but he’s a notorious optimist regarding the health of his players.

Bears at Chiefs

Bears

  • CB Kyler Gordon (hand, IR)
  • DB Josh Blackwell (hamstring)
  • S Eddie Jackson (foot)
  • WR Darnell Mooney (knee)

Gordon — the team’s starting slot corner — is on IR, and Blackwell (his backup) was out last week after missing practice on Thursday and Friday. I doubt that he returns this week.

Jackson and Mooney both exited Week 2 early.

Chiefs

Nothing.

Cowboys at Cardinals

Cowboys

  • WR Brandin Cooks (knee)
  • LG Tyler Smith (hamstring)
  • S Donovan Wilson (calf)
  • RG Zack Martin (groin)

Cooks missed Week 2. Smith and Wilson missed Weeks 1-2. Martin was limited on Thursday and Friday but then played through his questionable tag before exiting Week 2 early.

Cardinals

  • LB Josh Woods (ankle)
  • S Budda Baker (hamstring)

Woods and Baker both missed Week 2. Woods didn’t practice at all, while Baker was fine until popping up on the Friday injury report with a soft-tissue strain.

Diontae Johnson

Jan 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday Night Football

Steelers at Raiders

Steelers

  • DT Cameron Heyward (groin, IR)
  • WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring)

The Steelers play on Monday Night Football, so monitor their injury situation. Heyward suffered an injury in Week 1 that landed him on the IR, while Johnson is out for Week 2 after not practicing at all. I doubt he plays in Week 3.

Raiders

  • EDGE Chandler Jones (personal)
  • WR Jakobi Meyers (concussion)
  • WR Davante Adams (concussion)

Jones hasn’t been with the team since the regular season starter. Meyers exited Week 1 with a concussion and didn’t practice last week. Adams left Week 2 with a concussion.

Monday Night Football

Eagles at Buccaneers

Eagles

  • S Reed Blankenship (ribs)
  • CB James Bradberry (concussion)
  • CB Avonte Maddox (pectoral)

Blankenship and Bradberry neither practiced nor played last week. Maddox suffered what looked like a potentially serious injury in Week 2.

Buccaneers

  • CB Carlton Davis (toe)
  • DT Calijah Kancey (calf)

Both Davis and Kancey left Week 1 early and haven’t seen any action since.

Rams at Bengals

Rams

Nothing.

Bengals

  • QB Joe Burrow (ankle)
  • SS Nick Scott (concussion)

Burrow tweaked his troublesome calf in Week 2 and now is highly uncertain for Week 3: The lookahead line for this game was Bengals -7, but as of Monday afternoon, this line is -2 across the industry — a strong indication that the market believes Burrow is unlikely to play.  

Scott exited Week 2 with a head injury.

Injury