Week 2’s injury picture is already taking shape, and Thursday night’s Lions-Bills matchup has one of the sharpest hits of the slate.
Detroit will be without both starting right tackle Blake Miller and starting left guard Christian Mahogany. Miller is out with a knee injury, while Mahogany is sidelined by a hip issue.
The Lions also have veteran defensive back D.J. Reed listed as questionable with a foot injury after being limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Buffalo has its own questions. Safety Cole Bishop, running back Ty Johnson and defensive lineman T.J.
Sanders are all questionable for Thursday. Bishop is dealing with a knee/groin issue, Johnson has a hamstring injury and Sanders is working through a knee/illness designation.
Each was limited in Wednesday’s practice.
The rest of the league’s first injury reports brought plenty more to watch as teams moved into the practice week. In Carolina, pass rusher Patrick Jones II and defensive tackle Bobby Brown III both sat out, while wide receiver Jalen Coker was limited with an ankle injury after being seen in a walking boot earlier this week. Coker, who caught eight passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, is aiming to play.
Atlanta had several notable absences of its own. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, cornerback A.J.
Terrell and offensive guard Chris Lindstrom all did not practice on Wednesday. Quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Michael Penix Jr. were full participants, leaving the door open for Penix to return Sunday.
Minnesota’s report was lighter, with wide receiver Jauan Jennings the only player to miss practice because of a personal matter. Linebacker Blake Cashman, quarterback Kyler Murray, offensive tackle Brian O'Neill and pass rusher Andrew Van Ginkel were all limited. Chicago, meanwhile, was without defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and offensive tackle Darnell Wright, while Kyle Monangai, Malik Muhammad, Dayo Odeyingbo, D'Andre Swift, Ozzy Trapilo and Xavier Woods were limited.
Philadelphia had two key defenders out of practice in Jalen Carter and Cooper DeJean, while Jonathan Greenard was limited with a pectoral issue. Tennessee got encouraging news from linebacker Cedric Gray, who has cleared concussion protocol and was a full participant after missing the opener. Linebacker James Williams was limited with an elbow injury.
Pittsburgh’s Wednesday report included offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and tight end Darnell Washington as nonparticipants. Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. were limited, with Pittsburgh noting Porter’s situation was non-injury related and tagged as “conditioning.” New England was without offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover and cornerback Carlton Davis III, while center Ben Brown, defensive end Dre'Mont Jones and linebacker Robert Spillane were limited.
Green Bay had just one player out, defensive tackle Warren Brinson with a calf injury, but a long list of limited participants: Zach Bako-Bewele, Aaron Banks, Javon Hargrave, Ty'Ron Hopper, Barryn Sorrell, Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt. The Jets were missing rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, running back Kene Nwangwu and pass rusher Joseph Ossai, while D'Angelo Ponds and Jamien Sherwood were limited.
Cleveland’s offensive line remains banged up, with Teven Jenkins still sidelined by his back injury. Parker Brailsford, Maliek Collins, Elgton Jenkins and Dawand Jones were limited. Tampa Bay had safety Miles Killebrew and cornerback Jacob Parrish limited, while Jalen McMillan and Sean Tucker were full participants.
New Orleans was without Juwan Johnson and Isaiah Stalbird, and Cameron Jordan plus rookie tight end Oscar Delp were limited with hamstring injuries. Baltimore’s report was one of the busiest of the day: Zay Flowers, Trey Hendrickson, John Simpson, Ronnie Stanley and T.J. Tampa all missed practice, while Teddye Buchanan, Keondre Jackson and Nnamdi Madubuike were limited.
Cincinnati got a key note from Joe Burrow, who was limited with a back injury but told reporters he plans on playing Sunday against Houston. Shemar Stewart was a full participant. For the Texans, Jadeveon Clowney and Jake Hummel sat out, and Nico Collins was limited with a hamstring injury.
Jacksonville listed LeQuint Allen Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Foye Oluokun, Brian Thomas Jr. and Cole Van Lanen as limited. Denver was without RJ Harvey and Marvin Mims Jr.
Las Vegas had Brock Bowers and Darien Porter out, while Ashton Jeanty was on the report with an ankle issue but was a full participant. The Chargers, though, took a tougher hit: Ladd McConkey, Elijah Molden, Trey Pipkins and Teair Tart all missed practice, and Deane Leonard plus Dalvin Tomlinson were limited.
Washington had Frankie Luvu and Chig Okonkwo out, with Dorance Armstrong, K'Lavon Chaisson, Charles Omenihu, Odafe Oweh, Daron Payne and Jaylin Lane limited. Dallas was without Malik Hooker and DeMarvion Overshown, and James Houston was limited with a shoulder injury.
Seattle continues to wait on Sam Darnold, who still is not practicing and is expected to miss roughly four weeks without going on injured reserve. Ty Okada also sat out, while Anthony Bradford, Nick Emmanwori, Josh Jones and Cooper Kupp were limited.
Arizona listed Isaac Seumalo as a nonparticipant with a shoulder injury, and Isaiah Adams, Jack Gibbens, Roy Lopez, Max Melton, Cody Simon, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and Garrett Williams were limited. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love was not on the report.
Miami had only Ronnie Harrison miss practice, while Chop Robinson and Seydou Traore were limited. Malik Willis was also on the report with a toe injury but was a full participant.
San Francisco’s only complete absence was kicker Eddy Pineiro, who missed practice because of an illness. Keion White, George Kittle, Khalid Kareem and Kyle Juszczyk were limited.
Kansas City closed the day with Chamarri Conner and Josh Simmons out of practice, while Chris Jones was limited with a calf injury.
In Other News...
Tigers Suddenly Face A Bigger Concern Than One White Sox Loss
Framber Valdez gave the Tigers a chance to settle in Tuesday night, piling up strikeouts over five innings, but Detroit still left with a 3-1 loss to the White Sox in the opener of the series. Chicago jumped in front early on Munetaka Murakamis three-run homer, and even after the Tigers pushed across a run in the third, they never really got back to even.
The bigger issue for Detroit is what the loss hints at beyond a single game: an offense that could not fully capitalize on a solid outing from the mound. In a series where the Tigers needed a clean reset, they instead spent the night trying to erase an early hole, and now have to answer whether this was just a rough start or the beginning of a more familiar problem. [Read more 🡒]
Curtis Granderson Is Returning To Tigers Coverage In Chicago
The Tigers are heading into a four-game series in Chicago after a loss to the Blue Jays, and the broadcast setup for the second game should add a familiar voice to the mix. Former Detroit outfielder Curtis Granderson will join the clubs radio coverage during the third and fourth innings, giving listeners on both the Tigers and White Sox broadcasts a chance to hear from one of the more recognizable names to come through the organization.
Grandersons return to the airwaves also carries a local twist, since he was drafted by Detroit and grew up in Chicago, where his ties have remained strong off the field as well. Through the Grand Kids Foundation, he has supported youth initiatives in Illinois, so this isnt just a brief reunion with an old team. It is another reminder of how often Grandersons path continues to circle back to the cities that shaped his career. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Wild Card Push Still Has One Frustrating Problem
The Tigers six-game winning streak ended in frustrating fashion against the Blue Jays, and the reason was impossible to miss. Three straight errors helped open the door to two unearned runs, turning a competitive game into a reminder that Detroits Wild Card push still has some rough edges, even as the club stays very much in the race.
Defense has been the nagging issue around this team, and it showed up at the wrong time in a stretch when every game matters. The Tigers now head into a series against the White Sox knowing the margin for error is shrinking, and if they want to keep climbing, they will need cleaner baseball behind the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]