NEW YORK, United States, September 15, 2026: The NFL has barely finished processing one of the wildest opening weekends in recent memory, and several teams are already being forced to redesign Week 2.
Los Angeles Rams star Myles Garrett is on injured reserve after knee surgery. Atlanta defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand is out for the season. Dallas safety Malik Hooker has a fractured forearm. Baltimore rookie receiver Ja’Kobi Lane is dealing with a fractured wrist, while Houston linebacker Henry To’oTo’o will miss time with a shoulder injury.
The quarterback picture is changing too.
Minnesota is expected to start Carson Wentz after Kyler Murray suffered a head injury, while Cleveland plans to keep Deshaun Watson under center despite a difficult return against Jacksonville.
Story at a glance
NFL Week 2 Injury Report: Which Players Are Hurt After Opening Weekend?
The NFL’s official Week 2 schedule puts almost every affected team back into action Sunday, with the Rams hosting the Giants on Monday night.
Myles Garrett Injury Update: How Long Will the Rams Star Be Out?
Garrett underwent knee surgery Monday and has been placed on injured reserve, guaranteeing that he will miss at least four games.
Ladd McConkey Injury Update: Will the Chargers Receiver Play in Week 2?
The Chargers have avoided the worst early diagnosis, although McConkey’s status remains worth monitoring.
Carson Wentz Week 2: Why Are the Vikings Expected to Start Him Against Chicago?
Minnesota’s quarterback change comes from injury rather than performance.
Deshaun Watson Week 2: Why Are the Browns Keeping Him as QB1?
Cleveland coach Todd Monken expects Watson to remain the starter against Tampa Bay.
There is also one important piece of good news. New England running back TreVeyon Henderson returned to practice Monday after missing the opener with an ankle injury.
Together, the updates reinforce one of the themes that emerged from The Sports Encounter’s complete NFL Week 1 review: opening weekend did far more than establish winners and losers. It immediately changed depth charts, workloads and roster priorities across the league.
NFL Week 2 Injury Report: Which Players Are Hurt After Opening Weekend?
| Player | Team | Issue | Latest Status | Week 2 Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers | Rib injury | Day-to-day after testing | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns | Performance decision | Expected to remain QB1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Henry To’oTo’o | Houston Texans | Left shoulder | Expected to miss time | Cincinnati Bengals |
| TreVeyon Henderson | New England Patriots | Ankle | Returned to practice | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Carson Wentz | Minnesota Vikings | Replacing injured Kyler Murray | Expected to start | Chicago Bears |
| Ja’Kobi Lane | Baltimore Ravens | Fractured wrist | Further testing required | New Orleans Saints |
| Myles Garrett | Los Angeles Rams | Knee surgery | IR, minimum four games | New York Giants |
| Malik Hooker | Dallas Cowboys | Forearm fracture | Seeing specialist | Washington Commanders |
| Da’Shawn Hand | Atlanta Falcons | Torn quadriceps | Out for season | Carolina Panthers |
The NFL’s official Week 2 schedule puts almost every affected team back into action Sunday, with the Rams hosting the Giants on Monday night.
The injury pressure is therefore immediate.
Myles Garrett Injury Update: How Long Will the Rams Star Be Out?
Garrett underwent knee surgery Monday and has been placed on injured reserve, guaranteeing that he will miss at least four games.
Rams coach Sean McVay stopped short of putting an exact return date on the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The important phrase is minimum four games.
Garrett spent much of training camp managing the knee problem and then failed to record a tackle or sack in Los Angeles’ 27-7 loss to San Francisco in Melbourne.
After the game, the Rams concluded that continuing to manage the problem week by week was no longer the best option.
The timing is particularly painful because Los Angeles built much of its championship ambition around pairing Garrett with a defense strengthened further by Aaron Donald’s return.
Our NFL 2026 season curtain-raiser identified the Garrett trade and Donald comeback as two of the moves that had changed the championship picture before Week 1.
The first game immediately disrupted that plan.
San Francisco’s performance in Melbourne also exposed how little impact Garrett could make while compromised physically. The 49ers’ 27-7 victory over the Rams became a warning before the full extent of Garrett’s problem was clear.
Now the Rams must prepare for the Giants without the centerpiece of their biggest offseason trade.
Ladd McConkey Injury Update: Will the Chargers Receiver Play in Week 2?
The Chargers have avoided the worst early diagnosis, although McConkey’s status remains worth monitoring.
Coach Jim Harbaugh described the receiver as day-to-day after he underwent testing on the rib injury suffered during Sunday’s 26-14 loss to Arizona.
McConkey left in the third quarter after taking a hit while running across the middle.
Despite missing the remainder of the game, he still led Los Angeles with 82 receiving yards and caught one of the Chargers’ two touchdowns.
That production explains why his availability against Las Vegas matters so much.
McConkey has led the Chargers in receiving yardage during each of his first two NFL seasons. An offense trying to respond immediately after a disappointing opening defeat would rather avoid redesigning its passing game around his absence.
The injury remains fluid enough that Week 2 practice participation should provide more useful information than Monday’s initial designation.
Carson Wentz Week 2: Why Are the Vikings Expected to Start Him Against Chicago?
Minnesota’s quarterback change comes from injury rather than performance.
Kyler Murray left Sunday’s 39-22 victory over Green Bay during the opening quarter after taking a hit to the head on a scramble.
Wentz replaced him and transformed the game.
The Vikings trailed 22-10 late in the third quarter before Wentz helped produce four consecutive touchdown drives. He threw three touchdown passes, including two to Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
That comeback was one of the defining stories in our Week 1 game-by-game analysis.
If Wentz starts against Chicago, it will be the 100th start of his NFL career.
The situation also demonstrates why veteran quarterback depth carries such value. Minnesota opened the season with Wentz behind Murray and J.J. McCarthy on a depth chart that already carried considerable history and uncertainty.
A week later, the veteran could be starting a divisional game.
Deshaun Watson Week 2: Why Are the Browns Keeping Him as QB1?
Cleveland coach Todd Monken expects Watson to remain the starter against Tampa Bay.
Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Cleveland’s 34-10 loss to Jacksonville.
The completion percentage hides how difficult the afternoon became.
Cleveland trailed 24-0 at halftime, produced only one first down across six first-half possessions and allowed Watson to be sacked five times. His touchdown came with less than two minutes remaining and the outcome already settled.
Our opening-week review found that Cleveland’s problems extended beyond its quarterback. The Browns rushed poorly, committed 11 penalties and repeatedly allowed Jacksonville to dictate game state.
Watson had also been away from regular-season action since October 2024 following two Achilles tears.
Monken’s decision therefore gives him another game rather than making Week 1 the entire evaluation.
Second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders remains the alternative if Cleveland eventually decides a change is necessary.
TreVeyon Henderson Injury Update: Will the Patriots Running Back Play in Week 2?
New England received the most encouraging update in Monday’s injury cycle.
Henderson returned to practice after missing the 13-10 season-opening loss to Seattle with an ankle injury.
His absence was noticeable.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner combined for only 62 rushing yards and averaged 2.6 yards per carry against the Seahawks.
Henderson led New England with 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season, giving the Patriots a more explosive option if he is cleared for Pittsburgh.
New England’s opener had already placed pressure on offensive depth after A.J. Brown was injured against Seattle. Our earlier NFL injury analysis examined how Brown, Sam Darnold and Stribling immediately tested three contenders’ roster depth.
Henderson’s return would move one important Patriots name in the opposite direction.
Ja’Kobi Lane Injury Update: How Serious Is the Ravens Rookie’s Wrist Injury?
Lane’s NFL debut ended with an initial diagnosis of a fractured wrist.
The Ravens rookie was scheduled for additional testing, including an MRI, to establish the full extent of the damage.
Baltimore’s official update on Lane also noted that the injury arrived on a difficult day for the receiver room, with Zay Flowers leaving the 41-23 victory over Indianapolis because of a hamstring problem.
Flowers’ injury was reportedly considered less serious, but losing two receivers in the same game creates an immediate depth question before Baltimore hosts New Orleans.
Lane had one catch for 11 yards in his debut after earning the No. 3 receiver role during an encouraging preseason.
The Ravens can still lean on Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and an offense that produced 506 yards against Indianapolis.
Receiver availability will determine how many of those passing-game options survive intact into Week 2.
Malik Hooker Injury Update: How Long Could the Cowboys Safety Miss?
Hooker has been diagnosed with a fractured forearm and is meeting with a specialist before Dallas establishes a recovery timeline.
The veteran safety was injured during the third quarter of the Cowboys’ 28-20 loss to the Giants.
Dallas had already confirmed after the game that a fracture was feared. The Cowboys’ official injury update detailed the play and also noted linebacker DeMarvion Overshown left with a hamstring issue.
The Cowboys now face Washington while trying to repair a defense that allowed Jaxson Dart to throw three touchdown passes without an interception in Week 1.
That football problem sits beside a very different reality explored in our analysis of Dallas’ $17 billion valuation. Few franchises carry greater commercial power. The competitive pressure remains just as unforgiving.
Losing a veteran safety before a divisional matchup adds another complication.
Da’Shawn Hand Injury: Why His Torn Quad Hurts an Already-Thin Falcons Defense
Atlanta received the most definitive bad news of the group.
Hand will undergo surgery for a torn quadriceps and miss the remainder of the 2026 season.
He played only seven defensive snaps during his Falcons debut in the 20-13 loss at Pittsburgh.
The injury lands on a defensive front already carrying significant personnel pressure. Atlanta lost Jalon Walker for the season earlier in the summer, while James Pearce Jr. remains suspended.
That lack of depth had already pushed the Falcons toward veteran reinforcements. Our preseason injury and roster roundup examined why Atlanta added Za’Darius Smith after Walker’s injury.
Hand’s loss creates the same problem again.
The Falcons need another body capable of playing meaningful defensive-line snaps, and they need one immediately before Carolina visits Sunday.
The injury also compounds an opening week in which Atlanta’s quarterback situation was already under scrutiny. The Sports Encounter previously examined the Falcons’ decision to enter Week 1 with Tua Tagovailoa ahead of Michael Penix Jr.
One game into the season, the bigger roster problem may be developing on the other side of the ball.
Henry To’oTo’o Injury Update: How Long Will the Texans Linebacker Be Out?
Houston has not provided an exact return date for To’oTo’o.
Coach DeMeco Ryans said the linebacker will miss “some time” because of a left shoulder injury suffered late in Sunday’s 36-31 loss to Buffalo.
To’oTo’o walked off favoring his left arm and was later seen with the arm in a sling.
The Texans have not yet decided whether injured reserve will be necessary.
He played 51 defensive snaps against Buffalo and has started 36 games across his first four NFL seasons, making this more significant than a routine depth injury.
Houston now prepares for Cincinnati after letting a winnable opener escape late against Josh Allen and the Bills.
That game was another example of how narrow Week 1 margins became across the league, a theme running throughout TSE’s full opening Sunday breakdown.
Which NFL Week 2 Injuries Could Change Games the Most?
Garrett’s absence carries the largest individual star value.
The Rams traded major draft capital and Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse to acquire a defender coming off a record 23-sack season. Removing him from the lineup changes the entire structure of their pass rush.
Wentz represents the biggest quarterback change because Minnesota may move from its Week 1 starter to a veteran who unexpectedly became the central figure in Sunday’s comeback.
Hand’s injury carries the longest timeline because his season is over.
Hooker and Lane create important depth problems in Dallas and Baltimore.
McConkey may be the name with the greatest short-term uncertainty because “day-to-day” still leaves multiple outcomes available before Sunday.
Henderson is the opposite case. His practice return could strengthen a Patriots offense that struggled to run the football in Seattle.
This is why injury reports become more meaningful once the regular season begins.
During August, a team can protect a player, limit snaps and treat availability conservatively. We tracked that dynamic throughout TSE’s late-preseason roster and injury coverage.
September removes that cushion.
Every missing starter now changes an actual game plan.
Why NFL Week 1 Injuries Are Already Reshaping Week 2
Opening weekend produced 13 Sunday games, 672 points and several performances dramatic enough to dominate the first reaction to the season.
By Monday, the conversation had moved from what happened to who will actually be available next.
The Rams will enter Week 2 without Garrett.
Atlanta will play the rest of the season without Hand.
Minnesota may start Wentz.
Dallas is waiting for Hooker’s specialist consultation.
Baltimore is evaluating Lane’s wrist.
Houston knows To’oTo’o will miss time.
Los Angeles is monitoring McConkey.
New England is trying to get Henderson back.
Cleveland is choosing continuity with Watson after an opener that supplied plenty of reasons for scrutiny.
Those developments make Week 2 more than the next set of games.
It becomes the first test of which rosters were built deeply enough to absorb September’s first wave of damage.
That question has followed the NFL since training camp, when injuries repeatedly forced teams to alter plans before meaningful football had even started. The trend is now affecting standings rather than projections.
For continuing injury updates, game analysis and roster developments throughout the season, follow The Sports Encounter’s NFL coverage.
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Is Myles Garrett playing in NFL Week 2?
No. Garrett has been placed on injured reserve after knee surgery and will miss at least four games for the Los Angeles Rams.
Will Carson Wentz start for the Vikings in Week 2?
Wentz is expected to start against the Chicago Bears after Kyler Murray suffered a head injury during Minnesota’s Week 1 victory over Green Bay.
What is Ladd McConkey’s injury?
McConkey is dealing with a rib injury suffered against Arizona. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh described him as day-to-day after additional testing.
Is TreVeyon Henderson playing in Week 2?
Henderson returned to Patriots practice Monday after missing Week 1 because of an ankle injury. His return to practice improves his chances of making his season debut against Pittsburgh, but his game status has not yet been confirmed.
What happened to Ja’Kobi Lane?
The Ravens rookie receiver suffered a wrist injury during his NFL debut against Indianapolis. The initial diagnosis was a fractured wrist, with further testing ordered to determine the full extent of the injury.
How long is Malik Hooker expected to be out?
Hooker has a fractured forearm and is consulting a specialist. Dallas has not yet announced a definitive recovery timeline.
Is Da’Shawn Hand out for the season?
Yes. The Falcons defensive lineman suffered a torn quadriceps and will undergo surgery, ending his 2026 season.
How long will Henry To’oTo’o be out?
Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said To’oTo’o will miss some time because of a left shoulder injury. The Texans have not announced a precise return date or whether he will go on injured reserve.
Is Deshaun Watson still the Browns starting quarterback?
Yes. Browns coach Todd Monken said he expects Watson to remain Cleveland’s starting quarterback for Week 2 against Tampa Bay.
When does NFL Week 2 start?
Week 2 begins Thursday, September 17, with the Detroit Lions visiting the Buffalo Bills. The main Sunday schedule is September 20, followed by Giants-Rams on Monday night.
