It’s hard not to be optimistic at this time of the year. With every team across the NFL in the thick of training camp and the preseason on the horizon, hope springs eternal. Fans can daydream recklessly about their favorite club emerging in 2025 and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when it’s all said and done. It’s a nice thought to have, but the NFL is quick to sober you up.
As much as teams may look promising on paper, injuries can throw a wrench into the entire operation. Already, there are more than a handful of injuries that have happened at various camps that could have ramifications that bleed into the start of the regular season.
Below, we’re going to highlight some notable players who are dealing with injuries early in camp and break out the panic meter to gauge how concerned folks should be for their prospects of being ready for Week 1. To clarify, we’ll be using a Low (🚨), Medium (🚨🚨), and High (🚨🚨🚨) barometer for the panic meter.
Fields initially gave Gang Green quite the scare after going down during training camp last week. Fears of losing him for the long term quickly evaporated, however, as the veteran quarterback merely dislocated a toe on his right foot. Justin Fields has since been back at practice on a limited basis and seems to be on the mend, meaning there shouldn’t be any concern about him missing Week 1 due to this injury.
“The toe is all good,” he told the “Up and Adams” show. “The toe is ready to go.”
- Panic meter: Medium 🚨🚨
Head coach Sean McVay has characterized Matthew Stafford as “week-to-week” with the 37-year-old dealing with back soreness. McVay told reporters Saturday that the team plans to “take some more time with him,” indicating that Stafford will continue to be sidelined. He added, however, that all this is to set him up for the “ultimate goal” of being ready for the Houston Texans on Sept. 7 in the Week 1 opener.
“Little update on Matthew,” McVay said Saturday. “He’s doing really well. We’ve got a good plan in place. We are still going to take some more time with him, though. Nothing’s changed in terms of the setback. … The ultimate goal is Houston, and being mindful of that. We’ll take it a week at a time with him.”
While it doesn’t sound too dire, until we see Stafford get back on the field and throwing for the Rams, our antennas should be raised a bit, particularly as back injuries can sometimes be tricky to project going forward.
- Panic meter: Medium 🚨🚨
The Vikings star wide receiver has been sidelined during the early portions of training camp due to a hamstring injury. As noted by CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, who is at Vikings training camp, Justin Jefferson seemed to be in good spirits Monday, but he was still not participating.
The 26-year-old does have a history of hamstring injuries, as he was limited to 10 games in 2023, and this type of injury is one that could regress in an instant. With that in mind, the Vikings would be wise to proceed with caution with their superstar pass catcher. Until he’s logged a few full-speed practices in a row, this is another injury that should be on folks’ radars.
- Panic meter: Medium 🚨🚨
Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Likely, who was carted off the field during Tuesday’s practice, rolled his ankle. He’ll undergo an MRI on Wednesday to get the full extent of the injury, but Harbaugh already relayed that it’s “going to be a few weeks.” A few weeks would keep Likely on track for Week 1 but, until an MRI erases the fears of any more serious ailments to that ankle, it feels like his status to begin the year is in doubt.
- Panic meter: Medium 🚨🚨
On the first day of full pads on Monday, Christian Gonzalez came up limping after covering wideout Stefon Diggs. His day ended early after walking gingerly off the practice field. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz has since reported that Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline him for a bit. He adds that it will reportedly not impact his Week 1 availability.
Again, hamstring injuries are tricky ones to project going forward, but it was an encouraging development to see reporters on the scene in Foxborough spot Gonzalez show up near the end of the session in street clothes. As MassLive’s Karen Guregian notes, Gonzalez had a sleeve on his left leg, but had no noticeable limp.
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- Panic meter: Medium 🚨🚨
The Falcons wide receiver is expected to be out several weeks due to a shoulder injury. Mooney went down in the Falcons’ first practice of training camp after diving for a deep ball thrown by Michael Penix Jr. during 11-on-11 drills. He walked off the field, but did not return. Head coach Raheem Morris was asked about Mooney’s availability for Week 1 on Tuesday and kept things largely open-ended, noting the team will re-evaluate his health after the next few weeks of keeping him off the field.
- Panic meter: High 🚨🚨🚨
The Texans running back is expected to miss extensive time due to a foot injury. Joe Mixon suffered the injury while working out this offseason and missed the offseason program because of it. NFL Media reports that the Texans plan to re-evaluate the veteran running back closer to the regular season to determine his availability. That indicates that Mixon is slated to miss the preseason and is very much at risk of not being ready for when Houston takes on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 on Sept. 7.
- Panic meter: High 🚨🚨🚨
Tristan Wirfs underwent surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss the start of the season, as reported by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The Buccaneers star left tackle aggravated an injury that sidelined him for a game last season, and additional damage was found at the time of the surgery. It’s unclear how much time Wirfs will miss, but it does seem pretty far-fetched that he’ll suit up in Week 1.
- Panic meter: High 🚨🚨🚨
The Arizona Cardinals first-round pick has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list due to a calf injury he suffered while training this offseason. Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t provide a timeline for Nolen’s potential return, only noting that he will “miss some time.” Furthermore, Gannon kept the door open for Nolen to possibly miss the start of the regular season.
“I don’t know that,” Gannon said, via ESPN. “I really don’t. We’ll see how it goes. Each one’s a little bit different. Each injury’s a little bit different. Each guy’s a little bit different.”
- Panic meter: High 🚨🚨🚨
Miami’s secondary suffered another blow with cornerback Artie Burns tearing his ACL. The injury occurred during the Dolphins’ first practice of training camp. After needing crutches to leave the practice field, an MRI confirmed the ACL tear, and Burns is now expected to not only miss Week 1 but the entire 2025 season. This puts even more stress on a Dolphins cornerback room that saw the departure of Jalen Ramsey, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this summer.
- Panic meter: High 🚨🚨🚨
The Dallas Cowboys left tackle escaped what was initially feared to be a torn ACL in his right knee after going down during Monday’s practice. However, Guyton did sustain a bone fracture and is looking at a recovery time of roughly four to six weeks. The good news is that the injury will not require surgery, but it does seriously cloud Guyton’s availability for Week 1 when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles for the regular season opener on Sept. 4.
If Guyton lands on the earlier side of that recovery timeline, he would be back in time for Week 1. However, if he leans more towards the six-week return timeline, that’d be around Sept. 8 and a possible Week 2 return.
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