Happy Thanksgiving! The transition between Week 12 and Week 13 always feels a little rushed in the NFL. Playing on Thanksgiving is technically the same for NFL teams as playing on Thursday Night Football. However, with three games taking place on the same day, it means that injuries from Week 12 can play a huge role.
The Week 12 injury report does not feature as many serious injuries as we saw in Week 11. But these injuries are still important, especially with six teams having to play on limited rest.
Below we will explore the most important injuries from Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (left shoulder)
Mayfield suffered a nasty injury to his non-throwing shoulder, spraining it on Sunday Night Football against the Rams.
He was initially expected to return to the field following the injury. However, he never returned to the game and was eventually ruled out.
It should be noted that the Rams were dominating the Buccaneers, so there was little sense in bringing Mayfield back onto the field at all.
Mayfield received an MRI on Monday and has a low-grade sprain in his left shoulder, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That leaves the door open for Mayfield to potentially return in Week 13.
The Buccaneers play at home on Sunday, which gives Mayfield the regular amount of time to get healthy and prepared.
Buccaneers fans should keep an eye on the team's practice reps and injury reports throughout the week for more clues on Mayfield's availability.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins (concussion)
The Bengals got more bad injury news in Week 12.
Tee Higgins was carted off the field during the fourth quarter after suffering a concussion. He did not return to the game.
The timing could not have been worse for Higgins' injury.
Cincinnati faces off against Baltimore on the third and final Thanksgiving game on Thursday. Joe Burrow is expected to make his return for the Bengals, so we he would love to have all of his weapons available.
Unfortunately, head coach Zac Taylor announced on Monday that Higgins is already ruled out for Thanksgiving. It will be impossible for him to pass the NFL's concussion protocol in time to play on Thursday.
That will put pressure on Ja'Marr Chase and the rest of Cincinnati's pass catchers to step up on Thursday.
Patriots T Will Campbell (knee)
Campbell's injury could be the most significant of all the Week 12 injuries.
The rookie tackle suffered a right knee injury during the second half against the Bengals. He was helped off the field and headed to the blue medical tent. Then Patriots fans saw what you never want to see.
New England carted Campbell back to the locker room, and the rookie had a towel over his head. That is often the sign of a significant injury, and a player getting emotional about it in real time.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hinted that Campbell's injury could cause him to miss several games. He noted that Campbell probably isn't going to play in Week 13.
“I don't think that will be something that will happen,” Vrabel said on Monday per ESPN's Mike Reiss. “That injury is going to probably be more than a week or two.”
Backup Vederian Lowe may be forced to step in at left tackle for the 10-2 Patriots.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (concussion)
McCarthy continues to struggle for the Vikings. The second-year quarterback went 12-of-19 for 87 yards and two touchdowns in Week 12.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Monday that McCarthy is in concussion protocol following Sunday's loss.
Apparently McCarthy reported symptoms to team officials during the flight back to Minnesota.
Those specific symptoms, and the severity of McCarthy's concussion, are not yet know. But it is a bad sign for the young quarterback, especially considering how he's struggled so far this season.
Perhaps another soft benching is in order for McCarthy.
Meanwhile, to make matters worse, Minnesota's offensive line got battered up once again.
Both Christian Darrisaw (foot) and rookie Donovan Jackson (ankle) were ruled out during Week 12's loss against Green Bay.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara (knee)
Kamara left Week 12's game against the Falcons with a knee injury. He was later ruled out for the rest of the game.
The Saints need all the firepower they can get on offense, so it is a big deal losing the veteran running back.
Thankfully, it appears that Kamara could be back in action soon.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that the early belief is that Kamara suffered a knee sprain. New Orleans will run more tests, including an MRI, to determine the full scope of the damage. But at this point, it does appear that Kamara avoided a serious injury.
The most likely outcome seems to be Kamara returning in Week 13.
If Kamara is unable to play, that will mean plenty of work for rookie Devin Neal.
Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (thigh)
Philadelphia's defense has been dominant over the past few weeks. But they suffered a handful of injuries in Week 12 that could make their secondary vulnerable.
Veteran safety Reed Blankenship suffered a thigh injury against Dallas and did not return to the game. Meanwhile, cornerback Adoree' Jackson was evaluated for a concussion.
But the most serious injury was rookie Andrew Mukuba. He suffered an injury to his lower leg during the fourth quarter and was seen wearing a walking boot after the game.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday that Mukuba suffered a fractured ankle that will require surgery to repair. Now the rest of his rookie season is in serious jeopardy, even if the Eagles make a deep playoff run.
All of this leaves Sydney Brown as the only Eagles safety who is completely healthy.
Philly's secondary will be under a microscope in Week 13 against Chicago.
