Regardless of severity, injuries sustained in Week 1 can set the tone for the remainder of the season. Every game is crucial in a tightly contested NFL, meaning that the absence of a key player can significantly impact a team's outlook. Unfortunately, this past Sunday's list of afflictions was headlined by Jordan Love, Puka Nacua, Jake Ferguson, and others that could set the tone for the remainder of the NFL season.
It's an unfortunate way for teams and their fans to kick off the NFL season. With that said, let's dive into the NFL Week 2 injury roundup. Unsurprisingly, we will start with one of the most impactful injuries for the Green Bay Packers, a serious Super Bowl contender.
Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love
Jordan Love, who exited in the final seconds of Friday's loss versus the Philadelphia Eagles, has suffered an MCL injury, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. While that is unfortunate news, there was a growing fear that Love's injury was a complete tear of his ACL.
Love's return timeline remains to be seen, but the team hopes he will only miss three to four weeks with an MCL sprain, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. The noticeably poor condition of the field caused problems for the Packers throughout the game. Love was dealing with an apparent calf issue that only further irked Cheesehead Nation. His MCL injury will encourage fans to blame the turf further, but the problem arose when the 25-year-old got his leg pinned down by defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Backup quarterback Malik Willis will fill in for Love in Green Bay's next game. Willis struggled against the Eagles, going 0-1 on passing attempts, and was sacked on the final play. Hopefully, with time to prepare, Willis will be ready to go against the Indianapolis Colts.
Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua
In Sunday night's game, Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury and was carted off to the locker room. The injury forced him to miss a few weeks of training camp, so anxiety levels will naturally be high within the Rams' fandom. The latest update will do nothing to ease that stress, but it does provide a timetable of when people can expect to receive some answers. Nacua will undergo tests on Monday afternoon to hopefully identify the severity of the injury, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
If Nacua is due to miss any time, the Rams would lean heavily on Cooper Kupp. However, they do not want to be faced with that scenario. The Rams and their fans will quickly look to gain clarity regarding Nacua's long-term status.
Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson will not be able to play for some time after Ferguson suffered a lower-body injury on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Ferguson has suffered an MCL sprain. Rapoport also said that Ferguson's injury will not end his season. Instead, Ferguson's status is on a week-to-week basis. In addition to an MCL sprain, Ferguson reportedly sustained a bone bruise. With Ferguson expected to be out for at least a week, the Cowboys will turn to Luke Schoonmaker more. Dallas also has Brevyn Spann-Ford on the team’s tight-end depth chart.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Bryce Hall, CB Zyon McCollum, CB Josh Hayes
Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began their season with a decisive win over the Washington Commanders, they suffered a significant loss in star veteran cornerback Bryce Hall. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on X, formerly Twitter, Hall sustained a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula. Tampa Bay also lost starting cornerback Zyon McCollum to a concussion, as did Hall's fellow reserve Josh Hayes. During the upcoming week, don't be surprised if Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and the front office bring in some help at cornerback.
New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore
New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was questionable to return during their season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers due to a nagging hamstring injury. After dealing with a hip injury through training camp, Lattimore hoped to return to the field to be a high-impact player in a stout New Orleans defense. Lattimore is a critical piece of a solid defense, and any length of absence would be a significant loss for the Saints.
Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III, T George Fant
Leading the charge in the Seattle Seahawks' Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos, running back Kenneth Walker III appeared to injure himself on a 7-yard run early in the fourth quarter and didn’t play the rest of the game because of a muscle issue in his abdomen. Thankfully, Walker said he was OK postgame.
When Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was later asked if Walker was OK, he said, “We think so, yeah. He got a little muscle thing. We'll see, we'll figure it out moving forward, but optimistic.”
Seattle also lost right tackle George Fant in the first half due to a knee injury. Macdonald said Fant's injury was “A little bit of a knee. I'm not sure what's going on. We'll figure that out.” If Fant cannot play, Stone Forsythe will take his place.
Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain in the team's loss to the Cowboys. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has indicated that an MRI will be done to determine the severity of the sprain. He estimated that Njoku would be out for three to four weeks if it were a mild sprain. Njoku is entering his ninth season in the NFL, all with the Browns. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2023. In 96 career games, he has over 3,300 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns, including a career-high of six last season.
Pittsburgh Steelers P Cameron Johnston
The Pittsburgh Steelers might have to look for a new punter after their starter, Cameron Johnston, suffered an apparent serious injury during the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. In the fourth quarter of the 18-10 win, Johnston suffered the injury when a Falcons defender ran into him. His foot got stuck in the ground, which caused his leg to twist awkwardly. After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Johnston appeared to have a “serious” injury. Tomlin did not mention the injury specifics, but it's probably to Johnston's knee. One would assume we won't see him again in 2024, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Las Vegas Raiders DE Tyree Wilson
The Las Vegas Raiders took yet another hit to their edge rusher group in the Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, as defensive end Tyree Wilson was ruled out in the third quarter. Wilson suffered a knee injury in the first half and exited briefly before returning to the game. However, exited the game once again in the third quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Before his exit, Wilson had zero tackles but recorded pressure to set up a Maxx Crosby sack.
This is the latest injury the Raiders have suffered to their edge rusher group. 2023 breakout player Malcolm Koonce was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 1 due to a knee injury. After the game, ESPN's Paul Gutierrez reported that Wilson had a brace on his right knee but could walk. If Wilson misses time, Janarius Robinson would be the next man up.
Arizona Cardinals T Jonah Williams, CB Max Melton
The Arizona Cardinals lost their starting right tackle as Jonah Williams suffered a knee injury against the Buffalo Bills. Williams injured his right knee in the second quarter and had to be helped off the field. He was initially ruled questionable to return and then downgraded to out.
After the game, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss noted he had a brace on his right knee. Head coach Jonathan Gannon had no updates beyond the knowledge that Williams injured his knee. Gannon also said that Max Melton was being evaluated for a concussion but had no more information beyond that. Unless Melton is immediately cleared, he will enter league concussion protocol.
Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was injured during the team’s season opener against the New York Giants. Addison suffered an ankle injury during the game, which forced him to the sideline in the third quarter. He did not return. However, he appears to have dodged the worst-case scenario.
According to head coach Kevin O’Connell in his post-game press conference, the injury was not a re-aggravation of Addison's high ankle sprain during joint practices with the Browns this summer. That was a high ankle sprain to his left ankle. The injury that took him out of Sunday’s game with the Giants was to his right ankle. O’Connell offered no insight into the severity of Addison’s new injury. He also didn't speculate whether or not it would affect Addison's availability for next Sunday’s home opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Other notable Week 1 injuries
Miami Dolphins linebacker David Long (hand), Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (arm), Houston Texans cornerback Jeff Okudah (hip), Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring), Bills running back Ty Johnson (knee), New York Giants wide receiver Gunner Olszewski (groin).
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