Another Sunday, another round of significant injuries across the NFL.
As teams begin to game plan for Week 3, several will be doing so without key contributors.
From high-ankle sprains to potential season enders, here is a comprehensive look at the most impactful injuries from the past week of action and the initial timelines for their return.
Be sure to bookmark our NFL Injured Reserve Tracker, which will be updated weekly throughout the season.
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Biggest NFL Week 2 Injuries:
Jayden Reed Injury Update
Jayden Reed appeared to come down with a touchdown catch early on Thursday night.
Not only was that score negated by a penalty, but Reed suffered a broken collarbone on the play that will keep him out until at least November.
The Packers are also without Christian Watson, who is recovering from a torn ACL, but they do have one of the deepest wide receiver units in the league.
Here is how the wide receiver usage shook out with Reed off the field on Thursday night:
- Romeo Doubs: 24 routes, 4 targets, 2 catches for 22 yards and a touchdown
- Matthew Golden: 22 routes, 2 targets, 0 catches
- Dontayvion Wicks: 21 routes, 5 targets, 3 catches for 38 yards
- Malik Heath: 7 routes, 1 target, 1 catch for 37 yards
Golden's line was disappointing, but he was just missed on what would have been two big plays.
The rookie should see a big bump in usage with Reed sidelined.
Austin Ekeler Injury Update
The other major injury on Thursday night was to Austin Ekeler, who suffered what the team believes to be a torn Achilles late in Washington's comeback attempt.
With Ekeler out for the season and Brian Robinson Jr. no longer on the roster, the Commanders will have to put a lot on the plate of seventh-round rookie Bill Croskey-Merritt.
Despite a good opener in Week 1, Croskey-Merritt was limited by game script on Thursday night, playing just 15 snaps and finishing with 4 carries.
Jeremy McNichols played just 2 fewer snaps and was the back of choice in the passing game after Ekeler left.
Washington will also likely have Chris Rodriguez Jr. active moving forward, and the Commanders could always look to bring in a veteran option.
Croskey-Merritt should see more work with Ekeler sidelined, but there could end up being some frustrating usage for those who want to see the rookie take over the backfield.
Other Notable Week 2 Injuries
- The Packers did not have two of their starting offensive linemen on Thursday night. Zach Tom missed the game with a quad injury, and Aaron Banks was dealing with ankle and groin injuries.
