It wasn’t an absolutely brutal day around the NFL, as we’ve seen before, but there were injuries of note, including one of, if not the, best wide receiver in the league going down, at least for now.
As we get farther into the week, more injury news may come out. Here’s what we have for now.
Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson had three catches for 28 yards in the Vikings’ 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, leaving in the fourth quarter of the game with a right hamstring injury.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell wouldn’t speculate on how long the receiver, and maybe the franchise’s best player, would be out.
“We’ll get him back as soon as we possibly can,” O’Connell said, after the game. “There won’t be a better teammate in that locker room during the time [he is out]. Hopefully we have him right back this week.”
Jefferson has never missed a game, which means he’s played in 53 since his rookie season.
Detroit Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley just has bad luck, or something.
Moseley tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee last year, and on Sunday against Carolina, Moseley tore the right one, or at least that’s the early diagnosis.
Moseley missed the first four games of this season, and the injury happened in the first quarter of the Lions’ eventual 42-24 win over the Panthers.
Moseley, the former San Francisco 49er, incredibly suffered both injuries while playing the Carolina Panthers.
Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson, the rookie from Florida, has been a bit snakebitten so far this year, too.
Richardson was diagnosed with a concussion earlier this year, forcing backup Garner Minshew into action against the Houston Texans, a game the Colts won.
Well, Richardson is going to be out again, at least this Sunday at Jacksonville, with a shoulder injury.
ESPN reported Monday morning that Richardson will seek a second opinion on an injury to his right shoulder, his throwing shoulder, that he suffered Sunday in the Colts’ game against Tennessee, an eventual 23-16 Indy win.
Colts officials at first diagnosed the shoulder as a Grade 3 sprain to the AC joint, but will have Richardson take an MRI this week.
Richardson was injured on a play with just over 4 1/2 minute left in the first half. He picked up 4 yards and was tackled, going to the ground with the impact on the shoulder.
Minshew came in and went 11-of-14 for 155 yards and helped the Colts get to 3-2.
Jacksonville is also 3-2, and the teams will play for the outright AFC South Division lead on Sunday.
Dallas wide receiver KaVontae Turpin caught a 26-yard touchdown from Dak Prescott, Prescott’s best throw in a 42-10 rout at the hands of the 49ers, on Sunday night.
But after that, in a play on the sidelines, Turpin’s ankle was caught underneath a defender, and he’s been diagnosed with the dreaded high-ankle sprain, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Turpin was to have an MRI on Monday.
Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson didn’t play this past weekend, as the Browns had their open date. But his status is apparently questionable for Sunday’s home game against the 49ers, as Watson has an injury to his right shoulder.
Coach Kevin Stefanski to Cleveland.com reporter Mary Kay Cabot: “He’s doing everything in his power, working around the clock with rehab. He’s just doing what he’s being told to do in terms of his rehab process.”
Watson didn’t play in the Browns’ last game, a 28-3 home loss to Baltimore.
The most talked-about right ankle in the league belongs to Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce – you know, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.
Kelce aggravated the injury Sunday in the Chiefs’ 27-20 win at Minnesota. He came out of the game briefly, then returned after X-rays, and also caught a touchdown in the game. The injury was diagnosed as a low-ankle sprain at first, and we’ll likely know more later Monday.
So far this year, in four games (he didn’t play in the season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions due to a knee injury in practice), Kelce has 27 catches for 222 yards and three scores.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was injured on a sack in the Giants’ 31-16 loss at Miami on Sunday, and an MRI is scheduled Monday. The Giants are 1-4 this season, their lone win a comeback at Arizona, and Jones’ running mate, running back Saquon Barkley, has had an ankle injury and hasn’t played since.
Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano was injured in the Bills’ 25-20 loss to Jacksonville in London, and the early diagnosis was a broken right leg and knee injury, and a probably exit from the 2023 season, unfortunately.
The leg is definitely broken, and an MRI is scheduled to check on ligament damage in the knee. “It’s not looking good,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said after the game.
Jacksonville wide receiver Zay Jones suffered an apparent knee injury in that game, as well, and didn’t come back in. Diagnosis on Jones is pending.
Arizona running back James Conner also injured his knee Sunday in the Cardinals’ loss at home to Cincinnati. Again, diagnosis is pending.
Houston wide receiver Nathaniel Dell was hurt in the Texans’ road game at Atlanta on Sunday, diagnosed with a concussion after banging his head on the Mercedes-Benz Dome turf in the first half. Dell did not return for the remainder of the game, and is now likely in the league’s concussion protocol.
Carolina guard Chandler Zavala had to be carted off the field in the Panthers’ game against Detroit on Sunday, and taken to the hospital for evaluation. But Zavala, who apparently injured his neck on the play, got clean tests and was able to fly back with the team.
