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UNDERSTANDING THE NFL'S INJURY REPORT

The injury report released by the NFL is two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players were able to practice and how much. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability a player will play, i.e. Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games).

In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing, my expectation of their likelihood to play, and the player's practice participation throughout the week.

Key:

PLAYER | INJURY | GAME STATUS LISTING | FOOTBALLGUYS EXPECTATION

Practice Participation Listing by Day

* = playing on Monday night

I'll also include a table at the bottom of the article for easy reference.

Here's the latest on every relevant injured player on the practice participation and game status report this week:

Fast Track News and Notes

Scroll down for full details, extensive updates, and the complete table of projected availability. Here are the most important notes for this week's games:

***Most local Indianapolis writers expect Marlon Mack to play through a calf injury despite managing only a limited Friday session.

***Alshon Jeffery has a chance to play this week but the short turnaround to a road Thursday night game may prove too much to overcome.

***James Conner missed Wednesday's practice but should see his usual workload after full late-week workouts.

***Keenan Allen, Josh Jacobs, T.Y. Hilton, and Tyrell Williams are all expected to see their usual workload.

***LeSean McCoy will play for Kansas City and should be the lead back after a full Friday practice. Damien Williams has been ruled out.

***Mark Andrews is likely to play through a foot injury again this week is now considered "50-50" to play today. Jimmy Graham is closer to playing than expected earlier this week.

QUARTERBACK

There are no quarterbacks with significant injury concerns this week.

Others of note: Patrick Mahomes II (ankle), Tom Brady (calf), Jacoby Brissett (knee), Jameis Winston (foot), and Josh Rosen (knee) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play. Drew Brees (thumb), Cam Newton (foot), and Sam Darnold (illness) are doubtful or have been declared out and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

RUNNING BACK

James Conner | Knee | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full

Conner hyperextended his knee last week. Despite his early reassurances, the Wednesday missed practice raised eyebrows. Conner remained optimistic, however, and returned to full practices on Thursday and Friday. There are no local reports of concern about Conner's availability or expected performance. How well the Steelers offense transitions from Ben Roethlisberger to Mason Rudolph is the bigger unknown this week. Expect Conner to be healthy enough for a full workload.

LeSean McCoy | Ankle | Questionable | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

The Chiefs are one of the rare teams to discuss player injuries in detail but chose not to divulge any information about McCoy this week. Tom Pelissero reported McCoy's MRI showed "no significant damage" and McCoy was able to gradually increase his practice participation through the week. McCoy has a long history of playing through injury effectively and the full Friday practice is reassuring. With Damien Williams out, the Chiefs will likely game plan to give McCoy as much as he can handle.

Sunday Update: Ian Rapoport posted a conflicting tweet overnight, noting McCoy is "considered a game-time decision but there is optimism he starts" and "should have a big role today." I lean toward a more reassuring take on McCoy and there are no concerning tweets from Schefter or the team's local writers this morning.

Marlon Mack | Calf | Questionable | Likely to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited

Mack's practice line -- managing only a limited Friday practice after a new calf injury -- looks frightening. It seems especially frightening in Indianapolis after the long offseason calf concerns and eventual retirement of Andrew Luck.

However, the tone of every respected local writer has been positive. On Wednesday, Mack was seen in the locker room carrying a walking boot. When confronted by Stephen Holder, Mack was "completely unbothered by [a joke] about" the boot. Holder and Mike Chappell and Kevin Bowen are all on record expecting Mack to play. Holder cited Frank Reich's tendency to severely limit the practice time of players with minor injuries during the regular season.

Mack's return to practice on Friday would seem to support the beat writer conclusions. However, this is still one to watch overnight. A reassuring report from Adam Schefter would help cement the argument that Mack will be available for a full workload.

I'll update with any news this weekend.

Sunday Update: The overnight Schefter report was partially reassuring. Schefter notes Mack is "likely to play" but the Colts want to see how he looks during the pre-game warmup.

Josh Jacobs | Hip | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

Jon Gruden told reporters Jacobs suffered a groin injury last week but the Raiders have listed him with a hip condition. Jacobs also made news with an Instagram post stating he'd lost 8-10 pounds after a recent illness. Both raise red flags.

However, many of Jacobs' teammates went out of their way to praise the rookie for his toughness. No local writer has shared any concern about Jacobs' playing time or availability. And the Raiders returned Jacobs to a full practice on Friday and did not include him on their game status report. There is a risk of aggravation but all indications are that Oakland expects Jacobs to be available for a full workload.

Rashaad Penny | Hamstring | Questionable | Likely Inactive

Practice Participation: Wed - Not Listed | Thurs - Not Listed | Fri - Limited

Penny suffered a hamstring injury during a light Friday walkthrough. Pete Carroll described the injury as "pulling up a little bit" but did not have more information on Friday as the team was still evaluating Penny's injury. Carroll did discuss C.J. Prosise capabilities. The late-week injury and tone of the Penny - Prosise discussion suggests Penny is closer to doubtful than questionable.

Sunday Update: Adam Schefter reported overnight Penny is unlikely to play. The Seahawks do not believe Penny's injury is long-term but will avoid the risk of aggravation today.

Others of note: David Johnson (wrist), Carlos Hyde (shoulder), Malcolm Brown (ankle), and Jamaal Williams (ankle) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play. Damien Williams (knee), Tevin Coleman (ankle), Devin Singletary (hamstring), and Corey Clement (shoulder) are doubtful or have been declared out and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

WIDE RECEIVER

Keenan Allen | Knee | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

The Chargers are arguably the least reported team in the NFL. We rarely get actionable local updates. There's little follow up when Anthony Lynn shares something that doesn't pass the smell test. Thankfully, we have enough experience with Keenan Allen's injuries and practice participation to make reasonable projections on his availability.

Allen has been listed on the injury report occasionally with knee issues in his career. With rare exception, it's not a limiting condition. Allen played 59 of a possible 65 snaps last week -- as he typically does when healthy. He returned to a full Friday practice after the early week limitations and the Chargers did not include him on the game status report.

Without an unexpectedly pessimistic overnight report, consider Allen full strength this week.

Alshon Jeffery | Calf | Questionable | Likely Inactive

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - DNP

Jeffery strained his calf last Sunday night and did not return. After not practicing all week, the Eagles listed him questionable and Doug Pederson told reporters he was optimistic Jeffery may still play.

There are compelling arguments on both sides of questionable here.

While I don't put much stock in Pederson's optimism, it's notable that the Eagles haven't ruled Jeffery out despite the missed practices. Even more notable is Jeffery's long history of playing through soft tissue injury, including his past effective play despite limping through a hamstring strain some years ago. If Jeffery does play, the Eagles could choose to limit him to high-leverage and end zone duty to try and avoid aggravations.

However, there were early-week reports that Jeffery -- as well as teammates DeSean Jackson and Dallas Goedert -- had a multiple-week injury. The quick turnaround to a Thursday night game in Green Bay is also an important factor in the Eagles' decision-making process.

Without Jeffery's history of playing through injury and the relative optimism from most of Philadelphia's beat writers, I'd ignore Pederson's comments and argue Jeffery was well to the doubtful side of questionable. And it's hard to see Jeffery running 30 effective routes and getting his usual number of productive targets. But watch the overnight news on Jeffery carefully for nuggets on his playing time and expectation. I'll update here.

Sunday Update: Adam Schefter is reporting Jeffery is unlikely to play.

T.Y. Hilton | Quad | Questionable | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

Hilton practiced all week, albeit in limited reps. Hilton played his usual 90% share of Indianapolis' offensive snaps last week and there are no concerns from local writers. Expect Hilton to be active and see his usual workload.

Sunday Update: Adam Schefter confirms Hilton as "likely to play" but notes the Colts want to be sure during pregame warmups.

Tyrell Williams | Hip | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

Williams is dealing with a hip pointer. While painful, Williams' full week of practice is reassuring. His teammates expect him to be at close to full strength and Oakland did not include him on the game status report. There is some risk of aggravation during the game and missed plays but Williams should be able to see his usual snap count and run his usual number or routes.

Rashard Higgins | Knee | Questionable | Game-time Decision

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

Higgins missed last week's game with a knee injury. He returned to a full week of practice and is listed questionable. There are no reports clarifying his status. I've listed him as a game-time decision but will be watching for updates through the release pre-game inactives.

Others of note: DeAndre Hopkins (ribs), Odell Beckham (hip), Amari Cooper (foot), Mike Williams (knee), Courtland Sutton (ribs), Sterling Shepard (concussion), Ted Ginn Jr (thigh), Randall Cobb (rib), Demarcus Robinson (elbow), Jaron Brown (toe), and David Moore (shoulder) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Tyreek Hill (shoulder), A.J. Green (ankle), Alshon Jeffery (calf), DeSean Jackson (abdomen), Michael Gallup (knee), Albert Wilson (calf), and Tre'Quan Smith (ankle) are doubtful or have been declared out and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

TIGHT END

Mark Andrews | Foot | Questionable | Game-time Decision

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

Andrews was a late-week DNP last week but played 40 snaps without any obvious aggravation of his injury. Andrews continued to have his practice reps limited this week and there's again no local concern for his game day availability. There are no reported details on his injury. I'll continue to watch his participation and effectiveness carefully but am expecting Andrews' workload to remain stable.

Sunday Update: There is more to Andrews' foot injury than the Ravens suggested last week. Adam Schefter is reporting Andrews' status as "50-50" and that the Ravens will not know whether Andrews can play until after his pre-game warmup.

Sunday Update: Ian Rapoport tweeted Andrews is "expected to play."

Sunday Update: Respected local writer Jamison Hensley tweets this morning that Andrews' Friday practice would ordinarily be seen as a good sign but notes the foot did limit Andrews this week. His limited practice this week looks more than the veteran rest John Harbaugh suggested last week. We may know more after pre-game warmups.

Jimmy Graham | Groin | Questionable | Game-time Decision

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited

On Thursday's live Audible podcast, I gave Graham very little chance of playing this week. Friday's limited practice and some unexpectedly positive comments from Matt LaFleur have me hedging Graham to a game-time decision designation. LaFleur told reporters Graham's groin injury "wouldn't be a long-term issue" and despite saying there was some concern for Graham this week, LaFleur felt Graham "looked good" and said he was "excited for him." I still think there's a chance Graham is inactive but a reassuring tweet from Adam Schefter would suggest Graham could see 30-40 snaps this week.

Sunday Update: Ian Rapoport reported overnight Graham is "expected to play" today despite Green Bay's decision to promote a tight end from their practice squad.

*Trey Burton | Groin | Questionable | Likely to Play

Practice Participation: Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited | Sat - Limited

Burton was cleared to play after a prolonged recovery from core abdominal muscle surgery. His Saturday practice participation and game status reports are pending but he's likely to be active again this week.

Greg Olsen | Back | Questionable | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full

Back conditions can be tricky on any given game day but back-to-back full practices are a reassuring way to end the week. Multiple local writers believe Olsen will be active. Watch for last minute updates but Olsen should see his usual workload.

Dallas Goedert | Calf | Questionable | Game-time Decision

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited

As discussed above in the Alshon Jeffery entry, the Eagles left open the possibility for Goedert to play this week. However, the road matchup on Thursday night in Green Bay looms, Goedert aggravated a calf strain that required weeks of rehab during the preseason, and Goedert does not have Jeffery's track record of effective play through limiting injury. If Goedert is active, it's likely in a very limited role only.

Sunday Update: Adam Schefter reported overnight Goedert "looked surprisingly better" during Saturday's workout and has improved to a game-time decision.

Others of note: Travis Kelce (knee) and Vance McDonald (back) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Hunter Henry (knee), David Njoku (wrist), Jordan Reed (concussion), Tyler Higbee (chest), and Tyler Kroft (foot/ankle) are listed doubtful or have been declared out and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

PRACTICE PARTICIPATION, GAME STATUS REPORT, AND PLAYING EXPECTATIONS

*Note: Monday night players with asterisk practice Thursday/Friday/Saturday.