NOTE: This column is a living document through Tuesday morning. I'll be updating as needed after team press conferences, imaging reports, Monday Night Football injuries, etc. Major changes to the content will be noted in red.
Scroll to the bottom of this article for a quick look table of the week's most pressing injury situations and a review of players on injured reserve / PUP / NFI.
Footballguys will have close and detailed coverage of all injuries this season. Here's a look at my expected schedule. I will do my best to stick to this. Work and family responsibilities may sometimes cause brief delays.
Monday Injury Rounds: Posted Sunday night, updated through Tuesday AM. Detailed analysis of the week's injuries with table for quick review. Offensive injuries will be live Sunday night. Critical defensive and offensive line injuries will be added throughout the day on Monday. I'll be updating with news and analysis through Tuesday.
Wednesday and Thursday Injury Expectations: Posted late Wednesday and Thursday evening. Analysis of the practice participation report with a table including my projection of each injured player's likely game status. Will include discussion of any major breaking injury news.
Sunday Gameday Expectations: Posted by Saturday afternoon, updated through Sunday morning inactives. Will include individual player blurbs with detailed thoughts on the week's injury news and my speculation on player availability and limitations. Will include table highlighting each day's practice participation, official game status, and my availability expectation.
I'll also be contributing to our waiver wire podcast (Tuesday release), our live Sunday morning pregame show (10 ET Sunday on YouTube), and plan at least one weekly Periscope Q&A (shortly before Monday Night Football) with additional shows if/when possible. As always, I will be retweeting key pieces of news and my own reaction and analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter throughout the week.
INJURY ROUNDS
I'll be writing injury report reviews for offensive skill position players on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday this week. However, do not expect many injured players to play. There will be some players with minor injuries on teams with games with playoff implications who play. There will be some players with minor injuries who play. But -- as we've seen over the past 2-3 weeks -- teams will make liberal use of the injured reserve list to elevate and play players from their own practice squad.
More importantly, I'll have a comprehensive article of offseason injuries up in early January. It will include a table of injuries and rehab expectations and blurbs on critical players of interest. I'll immediately update with major news as it's reported. Otherwise, I'll refresh the table in a new article at the beginning of each month through July, when my weekly writing schedule will resume again.
Week 16 injury notes
***DeMarco Murray was hit on the outside of his right knee late in the fourth quarter. He had difficulty putting weight on the leg and was helped off the field. Mike Mularkey told reporters the team feared a long-term injury but didn't provide specifics. Adam Schefter tweeted the initial diagnosis was an LCL sprain and Murray would have an MRI to define the injury. The mechanism of injury is not consistent with an LCL injury, however. At minimum, Murray is at risk of a high grade MCL sprain. Other knee ligament injuries, including an ACL tear, cannot be ruled out. Murray has played through multiple injuries this year but there's very little chance he's able to go in Week 17. His playoff availability -- should the Titans make the playoffs -- is also in question.
***Joe Mixon was tackled around the ankles on two consecutive plays early in the first quarter. Video did not show an obvious injury mechanism. Mixon was cleared to return to the sideline but did not take another snap. The Bengals did not update his condition after the game. If he's not practicing on Wednesday, it's likely Cincinnati will shut him down for 2017.
***Aaron Jones sprained his right MCL on Saturday. Mike McCarthy implied the injury wasn't serious but the mechanism was significant. Do not expect Jones to play Week 17 but he should be ready for offseason activities -- assuming there are no diagnostic surprises this week.
***Jordy Nelson fell onto his left elbow on Saturday. His injury was announced as a shoulder injury. The mechanism is suspicious for a shoulder subluxation and labral injury, though rotator cuff injury is also possible. I think it's unlikely Nelson plays this week. The Packers have said further testing is pending. Hopefully, we won't hear Nelson needs offseason surgery. If that's necessary, Nelson will need months of rehab.
***Both Evan Engram (rib) and Sterling Shepard (neck) left with injury and didn't return. The Giants have nothing to play for and are unlikely to risk young cornerstone offensive talents if there are any concerns. Neither are likely to play in Week 17.
Followup Notes
***Leonard Fournette has 21 touches before he was rested in the fourth quarter. He was not as effective as usual against an improving San Francisco front seven but did not appear to suffer any setbacks.
***The Packers have no reason to risk Davante Adams in a game with no playoff implications after he's had two concussions this season. Expect him to be inactive this week.
***Veteran wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin are all dealing with limiting leg injuries. Any could play in Week 17 but practice participation will be key.
***James White joined Rex Burkhead on New England's Week 16 inactive list. The Patriots have yet to update White's condition. His full week of limited practice suggests he's close to returning. But the strong play of Dion Lewis and availability of a healthy Mike Gillislee make it likely the Patriots will rest both White and Burkhead in Week 17.
INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER
Due to travel and time constraints, there will be no updates on offensive linemen or defensive players in this table through Week 17. I'll add players to the injured reserve tables. Shortly following the end of the regular season, I'll produce a complete table of offseason injury concerns with context for publication at Footballguys.
| Quarterbacks Injured | On the Active Roster | ||||||
| Quarterback | Team | Injury | Date | Player/Team Says | FBGs Expects | Notes |
| Paxton Lynch | Den | Right high ankle sprain | W12 | Day-to-Day | Day-to-Day | |
| Running Backs Injured | On the Active Roster | ||||||
| Running Back | Team | Injury | Date | Player/Team Says | FBGs Expects | Notes |
| DeMarco Murray | Ten | Right knee injury | W16 | MRI pending | Inactive Week 17 | |
| Leonard Fournette | Jac | Quad contusion | W14 | Day-to-Day | Expected to Play Week 17 | |
| Joe Mixon | Cin | Ankle injury | W16 | Awaiting Information | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Aaron Jones | GB | Right MCL sprain | W16 | Week-to-Week | Inactive Week 17 | |
| Rex Burkhead | NE | Knee injury | W15 | Week-to-Week | Unlikely to Play Week 17 | |
| James White | NE | Ankle injury | W15 | Week-to-Week | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Travaris Cadet | Buf | Left ankle dislocation | W16 | Out for Season | 2018 Return | |
| Damien Williams | Mia | Left shoulder dislocation | W12 | Day-to-Day | Possible W17 Return | |
| Wide Receivers Injured | On the Active Roster | ||||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | Injury | Date | Player/Team Says | FBGs Expects | Notes |
| Antonio Brown | Pit | Left calf sprain | W15 | Out for Regular Season | Inactive Week 17 | |
| Davante Adams | GB | Concussion | W15 | Week-to-Week | Unlikely to Play Week 17 | |
| Jordy Nelson | GB | Left shoulder injury | W16 | Awaiting MRI result | Unlikely to Play Week 17 | |
| Marqise Lee | Jac | High ankle sprain | W15 | Week-to-Week | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Sterling Shepard | NYG | Neck injury | W16 | Awaiting Information | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Emmanuel Sanders | Den | Ankle contusion | W15 | Day-to-Day | Unlikely to Play Week 17 | |
| Chris Hogan | NE | Shoulder injury | W8 | Week-to-Week | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Jeremy Maclin | Bal | Knee injury | W15 | Week-to-Week | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Allen Hurns | Jac | Ankle injury | W10 | Day-to-Day | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| DeSean Jackson | TB | Ankle injury | W15 | Week-to-Week | Unlikely to Play Week 17 | |
| Donte Moncrief | Ind | Ankle injury | W13 | Week-to-Week | Unlikely to Play Week 17 | |
| Cody Latimer | Den | Thigh injury | W15 | Day-to-Day | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Tight Ends Injured | On the Active Roster | ||||||
| Tight End | Team | Injury | Date | Player/Team Says | FBGs Expects | Notes |
| Evan Engram | NYG | Rib injury | W16 | Awaiting Information | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
| Adam Shaheen | Chi | Chest injury | W14 | Week-to-Week | Awaiting Week 17 Status | |
Check back for more injury analysis throughout training camp and follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news, commentary, and analysis of injury news around the NFL.