Recent NFL injury updates: Ashton Jeanty avoids major injury, other running backs uncertain for Week 1

The second week of the preseason is over, and that means all preseason action for expected starters is a thing of the past, too. Teams generally treat the final preseason game as a chance to evaluate depth charts, battles for backup roles, roster spots and practice squad spots. Starters, meanwhile, will have their attention fully turned to Week 1 at last.

This training camp and preseason cycle have been particularly busy on the injury front, unfortunately. Hopefully, that’s mostly behind us as teams hone in on Week 1 prep. As such, we’ve turned our injury analysis toward Week 1. As injury news continues to filter in, we’ll be tracking not only the bumps and bruises (and sometimes more) but also their impact on season openers’ availability.

Likely to play Week 1

Aug. 24 — Lower-body injury. Dan Quinn reported Monday that Jacory Croskey-Merritt is dealing with an undisclosed injury, potentially sustained near the end of last week, and reporters reported he has a lower-body injury. He could be back next week.

Aug. 24 — Hamstring. Dave Canales reported Monday that Chuba Hubbard is expected to return for Week 1 and that Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks would operate in a committee in that case. Hubbard himself reported his hamstring feels good, but the team is protecting him from himself after he returned too early last year.

Aug. 19 — Calf strain. Oweh, who signed a four-year, $96 million deal with the Commanders this offseason, suffered a calf strain either Aug. 17 or 18 (he did not practice on the 18th), and Quinn unveiled the injury on the 19th. 

Aug. 17 — Groin. Hall suffered a non-contact groin sprain, but coach Aaron Glenn reported it would sideline him for 2 to 3 weeks and not carry over into the regular season. The Jets’ Week 1 opener was nearly four weeks away when Glenn provided the timetable.

Uncertain about Week 1

Aug. 24 — Neck injury recovery. Jesse Minter reported, “I don’t know the answer to that right now,” when asked about Madubuike’s Week 1 availability. Madubuike suffered the injury — thought to be career-threatening at one point — early last season. He has practiced in a limited capacity so far this training camp.

Aug. 23 — Ankle sprain. Just as soon as it looked like we were done with injury news over the weekend, one more player got added to the list, and it’s a big one. Ashton Jeanty went down during a non-contact catching drill and could not put any weight on his leg. Hours later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter unveiled it’s an ankle sprain, and the Raiders are unsure how long it will keep last year’s No. 6 overall pick out.

Aug. 23 — Torn Achilles recovery. George Kittle’s impressive recovery from a torn Achilles suffered in the playoffs hit a new high Sunday, when the 49ers activated him off the PUP list. A Week 1 appearance against the Rams in Australia is still on the table, though not a certainty by any measure.

Aug. 17 — Knee hyperextension diagnosis. Kyle Monangai hyperextended his right knee on Aug. 16, and the next day, Ben Johnson described Monangai’s status as “week-to-week.”

Aug. 20 — Hip. Dan Campbell reported Sam LaPorta’s status for Week 1 is up in the air as he deals with a hip issue.

Aug. 19 — Pectoral injury recovery. Meeting with the media on Wednesday, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio reported there’s concern regarding Greenard’s availability for Week 1 due to a pec injury. The Eagles acquired Greenard from the Vikings for a third-round pick and gave him a four-year, $98 million contract this offseason. 

Aug. 18 — High ankle sprain. While seeing a surprisingly large role — 14 touches while playing nearly the entire first half — in Week 1 of the preseason, Jeremiyah Love suffered a high ankle sprain, leaving his status for Week 1 up in the air. The No. 3 overall pick got bent awkwardly during a tackle on his final touch of the game, and after it took a few days to get a full diagnosis, it was not good news.

Out for the foreseeable future/season

Aug. 24 — Torn patella. Jesse Minter told the media that Pinter is out for the season with a torn patella. He had been working as the Ravens’ first-team center during training camp. Ethan Pocic, coming off a torn Achilles, will likely take his spot.

Aug. 23 — Broken ankle. Mike Macdonald reported Clark, a second-round pick out of TCU, will miss “several months” with a broken ankle suffered in Seattle’s preseason Week 2 game against the Titans. Clark was carted off the field with his lower leg, ankle and foot in an air cast.

Aug. 23 — Placed on IR. Tyler Biadasz suffered a gruesome-looking injury in an Aug. 18 joint practice with the 49ers, and the initial diagnosis of “out indefinitely with ACL damage and other knee damage” wasn’t promising. On Aug. 23, the Chargers officially put Biadasz on IR, a difficult blow for a team in need of much better offensive line play this season.

Aug. 23 — Placed on IR. Alex Wright, who got a three-year extension after a strong 2025, suffered a torn Achilles in an Aug. 20 joint practice with the Bills. The Browns officially placed him on IR on Sunday and signed Derek Barnett in a corresponding move.

Aug. 21 — Placed on IR. Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in an Aug. 18 joint practice with the Ravens, leaving a considerable hole in the Texans’ wide receiver room behind standout Nico Collins. He officially went on IR on Friday.

Aug. 19 — MCL sprain diagnosis. Kamara sprained his MCL in a joint practice with the Cowboys on Aug. 18, and one day later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter unveiled he’d miss at least a month. The Saints’ Week 1 matchup with the Lions was less than a month away at the time of Schefter’s report.

Aug. 17 — Hamstring injury diagnosis. Jordyn Tyson will reportedly miss two months after suffering a right hamstring injury on Aug. 13 during a joint practice with the Jaguars. The No. 8 overall pick in April’s draft, Tyson has dealt with several hamstring issues, though this one is separate from previous episodes.