Week 1 of the NFL preseason is in the books… which unfortunately means we have our first set of injuries. Here’s a glance at some notable players who’ve gone down so far either in a game or training camp practice, as well as their initial prognosis.
Chiefs WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown
The wide receiver suffered a terrifying injury that forced him to be hospitalized, but he’s thankfully since been released. Brown was injured on his first snap as a Chief after making an 11-yard catch. He was hit by Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown and sustained a sternoclavicular joint dislocation in his left shoulder. The uncommon injury is considered a medical emergency that can cause difficulty breathing or swallowing. Brown is expected to miss some time according to head coach Andy Reid, but the extent is not yet known. However, Reid compared the injury to one former Chief Tyreek Hill had in 2019 that forced him to miss four games.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert
The arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh was expected to erase the injury voodoo that’s forever cursed the Chargers. That hasn’t happened yet though as the team’s star quarterback is sidelined with plantar fascia in his right foot. He’s been spotted in a walking boot, but the team believes he’ll be ready by Week 1.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
The all-world running back is dealing with a calf injury that’ll sideline him during the preseason. However, he wasn’t expected to take snaps anyway. McCaffrey told reporters over the weekend that the injury is minor enough that he’d be fine to play if this was the regular season.
Rams WR Puka Nacua
Nacua took the NFL by storm a year ago, setting rookie records in receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486). He injured his knee early in training camp and is week-to-week, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the injury is “not serious.”
49ers CB Ambry Thomas
San Francisco’s starting cornerback will miss a significant amount of time after breaking his forearm in the team’s preseason opener. Thomas appeared in 15 games a year ago, recording seven passes defensed with one pick and 35 tackles.
Giants WR Malik Nabers
The rookie was the talk of Giants camp with videos of highlight reel plays taking over social media. The wideout didn’t make an impact in New York’s first preseason game, and then tweaked his ankle in Sunday’s practice. Initial reports are that it’s minor and he isn’t expected to be out long. Nabers (+1400) has the fourth-best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year award at DraftKings behind Caleb Williams (+140), Jayden Daniels (+450) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (+750).
GiantsQB Drew Lock
The Giants signed Lock to back up Daniel Jones in the offseason, and he went 4-for-10 for 17 yards with one pick in his Big Blue debut before sustaining a strained oblique and hip pointer. He’s expected to miss a few weeks at best, leaving last year’s cult hero Tommy DeVito the only passer on the roster behind Jones.
Falcons WR Rondale Moore
Atlanta’s wideout suffered a brutal knee injury in a joint practice against the Miami Dolphins and will miss the entire 2024 campaign. The Falcons traded for Moore in the offseason from the Arizona Cardinals, and he was reportedly having a terrific training camp pushing for the third wide receiver spot behind Drake London and Darnell Mooney.
Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins
Tennessee has high hopes with Will Levis taking over under center in 2024. Unfortunately, he might be without one of his top weapons after DeAndre Hopkins injured his knee early in training camp that’ll sideline him for a few weeks. Hopkins paced the team a year ago with 75 catches, 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ravens CB Nate Wiggins
Baltimore’s first-round pick looked terrific in his pro debut, breaking up three passes and recording a tackle for loss before injuring his shoulder. Fortunately, reports are that it isn’t as serious as feared as he’s day-to-day with a minor shoulder sprain.
Colts WR Josh Downs
Downs emerged as a key cog in the Colts offense a year ago, ranking second on the team in catches (68) and receiving yards (771). However, he’s set to miss approximately 4-6 weeks after being carted off the practice field with a high ankle sprain. Downs was tackled from behind by safety Nick Cross in a 7-on-7 drill, which usually isn’t very physical session. Head coach Shane Steichen believes it was an avoidable injury as he criticized Cross by saying the team needs to be smarter in practice.
Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd
Green Bay drafted Lloyd in the third round to join Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon in the backfield. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury in his first professional game. Lloyd told reporters after the game that his hamstring had been sore during training camp, and that he’s dealt with this type of injury before. He also entered camp nursing a hip injury.
