Subscribe
Follow Us
There were a plethora of injuries suffered around the NFL in Week 3, with multiple teams losing key players throughout Sunday's action. Some of the injuries are serious and some are more minor, but these early-season injuries can shape how a team's season is going to go, or if they're going to be able to hold on until they get their best guys back out there (see the Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa).
Let's dive into the Week 3 NFL injury roundup, starting off with one of the best quarterbacks in football.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert left the Chargers' loss to the Steelers after re-aggravating his high-ankle sprain that nearly kept him out of the game. Herbert took a big sack, hobbled into a handoff on the next play, and then was replaced by Taylor Heinicke. The Chargers star left the stadium in a walking boot, but his X-rays came back negative, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Herbert had played pretty well against Pittsburgh before re-injuring himself, and the game slipped away from Los Angeles after his exit. They have another daunting task next week as they take on the Chiefs. How the Chargers handle Herbert's injury will be something to monitor after he pushed hard to play in Pittsburgh, but ended up aggravating the injury.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith
Eagles star wide receiver DeVonta Smith was taken out of Sunday's game with a concussion after a scary hit that teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson called “dirty”. Smith was clearly shaken up and did not return to the game. There was no penalty for the hit, but it could be reviewed for a potential fine this week.
Smith is in concussion protocol, so the Eagles will be monitoring his status along with that of fellow star wide receiver A.J. Brown, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.
Browns DE Myles Garrett
Star pass rusher Myles Garrett left Sunday's game against the Giants with a foot injury. He has been in and out of practice due to complications from foot surgeries he had as a kid, according to Rapoport.
From @GMFB: A look at injuries to #Eagles WR DeVonta Smith, #Chargers QB Justin Herbert, and #Browns pass-rusher Myles Garrett. pic.twitter.com/08atQzC9rX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 23, 2024
Garrett got an MRI done on Monday to determine the severity of the injuries to his feet and it “came back clean”, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Regardless, Garrett's feet have been flaring up more often this season and are something to monitor moving forward. He is currently listed as day-to-day.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta suffered a scary injury on Sunday when his leg was rolled up on at the end of Detroit's hook-and-ladder touchdown. LaPorta was carted off the field before halftime, but returned briefly in the second half. However, he couldn't continue, and eventually left the game in the third quarter.
The Lions got good news about their star tight end's status on Monday, when it was revealed that LaPorta has a low ankle sprain, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. It is unclear whether he will be able to play next week against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football, but the extra day of rest will certainly help.
Vikings QB Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold missed just one play on Sunday after suffering a knee injury on a low hit on a sack in the second half, but still underwent an MRI on Monday to assess the damage. After being treated by trainers on the field, Darnold briefly went into the blue medical tent before returning to the game to a raucous ovation from the crowd in Minnesota.
The MRI came back with good news on Monday. Darnold has a knee bruise and suffered no structural damage, according Pelissero. He is not expected to miss any time, and should be available on Sunday when the undefeated Vikings take on the 2-1 Packers in a massive NFC North showdown.
Chargers DE Joey Bosa
Joey Bosa re-aggravated a hip injury very early in the Chargers' loss to the Steelers and did not return. He missed most of Los Angeles' Week 2 win against the Panthers with the same hip injury, but appeared good to go for Sunday's game against the Steelers and was not on the final injury report before the game. He left the game during the Steelers' first offensive series before returning for one snap, and then exiting for good.
There is no diagnosis or timetable for Bosa's injury at this point, so his situation is worth monitoring heading into Week 3.
Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson
The Dolphins were already down one quarterback, and now they may be down another. Skylar Thompson left Sunday's loss in Seattle with a rib injury after taking a pair of hard hits in the pocket and did not return. After the game, head coach Mike McDaniel called the injury “pretty painful”, though the severity of the injury is not yet known. Thompson was already filling in for Tua Tagovailoa, who is on IR after suffering a concussion.
Veteran Tim Boyle replaced Thompson on Sunday, but it's hard to envision Miami moving forward with Boyle as the starter if Thompson is forced to miss time. They recently signed former Ravens QB Tyler Huntley off of the Browns' practice squad, but he did not play on Sunday.
Eagles OT Lane Johnson
Star Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson left Sunday's win against the Saints with a concussion and did not return. He is in concussion protocol, similar to his teammate DeVonta Smith, and his status moving forward is uncertain. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday that players in concussion protocol usually miss at least one week.
"DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson are both in concussion protocol..
Normally guys in protocol usually don't make it back for the next week" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jsESNKifnc
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 23, 2024
Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith
Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith aggravated a groin injury that has been bothering him since training camp on Sunday and was visibly frustrated on the sidelines after not being able to return. Highsmith got an MRI on Monday and is awaiting the results to determine the severity and the timetable for his return, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.
Losing Highsmith would be a massive blow to a Steelers defense that is off to a very strong start to the season. T.J. Watt's counterpart has 21.5 sacks over the last two seasons.
Chargers OTs Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt
The Chargers offensive line is off to a good start in 2024, but they got banged up at both tackle spots during their loss to the Steelers. Rookie sensation Joe Alt, who has shown flashes of superstardom already in the first three weeks of his career against the likes of Max Crosby and T.J. Watt, was “limping pretty significantly” after suffering a knee injury on Sunday, but said it wasn't sure what the injury was yet, per Kris Rhim of ESPN. Alt received an MRI which showed a sprained MCL and he is expected to miss “some time”, according to Rapoport.
Rashawn Slater, who was named an All-Pro in his rookie season in 2o21, suffered a strained pectoral, according to Jim Harbaugh courtesy of Bolt Beat's Alex Insdorf. Losing two star offensive linemen is never ideal, but especially not with the Chiefs on the schedule next week.
Browns OG Wyatt Teller
Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller went down during Sunday's loss to the New York Giants with a knee injury. On Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Teller would miss multiple weeks and could land on IR, and his MRI showed a Grade 2 MCL sprain, per Mike Garofolo of NFL Network. Teller is expected to miss roughly four weeks.
Losing Teller is a big blow for a Browns offensive line that is already patched together while dealing with injuries to tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin. Teller is a three-time Pro Bowler who was named Second Team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021.
Other notable Week 3 injuries
Jets RT Morgan Moses went down with a scary knee injury on Thursday night against the Patriots, but got some good news after further testing. Moses is expected to only miss 2-4 weeks with a sprained MCL, per Rapoport.
Titans CB Chidobe Awuzie suffered a groin injury during Tennessee's loss to the Packers. On Monday, Brian Callahan said Awuzie will miss a few weeks, and there's a “strong possibility” that he lands on IR, per Turron Davenport of ESPN.
Browns LT Jedrick Wills is getting an MRI on Monday after injuring his knee in his season debut on Sunday against the Giants. Wills missed Cleveland's first two games with a knee injury.
Lions LB Derrick Barnes (knee) and DT Alim McNeill (shoulder) both left Sunday's game in Arizona with injuries, but Dan Campbell said postgame that he doesn't think either injury is season-ending. Defensive end Marcus Davenport also suffered an elbow injury that appears to be “serious and significant”, according to Rapoport. Campbell confirmed on Monday that Davenport's season is over.
Falcons RT Kaleb McGary and C Drew Dalman both left Sunday night's loss to the Chiefs with injuries. On Monday, McGary was diagnosed with a sprained MCL and Dalman came down with a high-ankle sprain, per Rapoport. The severity and timetable for both players is still up in the air, but both are expected to miss time.
Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are both banged up after Pittsburgh's win over the Chargers on Sunday, per Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com. Warren ran the ball just three times on. Sunday before being pulled due to a knee injury, and is receiving an MRI on Monday. Harris showed no signs of injury during the game, but his arm was in a sling on Monday.
Seahawks defensive tackles Byron Murphy II (hamstring) and Leonard Williams (ribs) both left Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Murphy was held out for the remainder of the game after suffering his injury, while Williams tried to return for one snap and then was taken out. As of Monday afternoon, there was still no further update on either of them.
Raiders safety Marcus Epps suffered a torn ACL during Sunday's loss to the Panthers and his season is over, per Pelissero.
