Follow up appointments
The expected deluge of news as veterans returned to team facilities for the first time in months never materialized. While the light news cycle may be partially due to the relative lack of media access due to COVID protocols, the lack of news is a great sign.
There were no stories detailing previously unreported surgeries, unexpectedly delayed rehabs, or poorly conditioned players requiring a PUP designation. Instead, we learned that many players with rehab concerns were doing well enough to start the conditioning program on the active roster.
The snippets of injury information that caught my eye include:
***Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, and Matthew Stafford are active and participating in the strength and conditioning phase of camp workouts. Every route thrown matters this offseason, particularly for Roethlisberger and Newton.
***Chris Carson started camp on the active roster. While expected after reassuring reports this spring and early summer, it's an important development and puts Carson in line for a full Week 1 workload.
***Reports on Jerick McKinnon's movement and speed are very positive out of San Francisco camp. McKinnon isn't likely to pass Raheem Mostert or Tevin Coleman on the Niners' running back depth chart, but these early reports could be a career saver for him.
***The Browns have already moved Jarvis Landry to the active roster. Though Landry has consistently told reporters he'd return within six months, his activation to the conditioning phase of workouts is a strong sign he could be ready for a full Week 1 workload.
COVID updates
Players Opting Out for 2020 Season
There were rumors of a handful of big-name players preparing to opt out last week. In the end, 65 NFL players chose to opt-out before the league's August 4 deadline -- below 3% of those reporting to training camp.
Reserve/COVID list
Players who are positive for COVID during the five day testing period to begin camp or are known to have close contact with someone diagnosed as COVID are eligible for the Reserve/COVID list.
The NFL is not revealing which players have tested positive and which players are in quarantine. Through August 9, 107 players have been added to the COVID list. 74 have been added back to the active roster.
The NFLPA is sharing the number of players who have tested positive on their website. As of the last update on August 4, the NFLPA is reporting 163 total positive tests, with 56 during the training camp period. It's still unknown whether the league or players will reveal positive tests by player during the preseason or regular season.
INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER
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Quarterbacks Injured | On the Active Roster
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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| Joe Flacco | NYJ | Cervical spine procedure | Apr 2020 | Active - PUP | Doubtful Week 1 | Early season return at earliest |
| Alex Smith | Was | Right tibia fixation / post-surgical infections | Nov 2018 | Active - PUP | Week-to-Week | Inspiring progress, doubtful return |
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Running Backs Injured | On the Active Roster
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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| Rashaad Penny | Sea | Left ACL reconstruction | Late Dec 2019 | Active - PUP | Doubtful Week 1 | ACL + meniscus likely |
| Sony Michel | NE | Foot surgery | May 2020 | Active - PUP | Week-to-Week | Required walking boot ~ 6wks |
| Rodney Anderson | Cin | Right ACL reconstruction | Sep 2019 | Active - PUP | Active - PUP | |
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Wide Receivers Injured | On the Active Roster
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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| T.Y. Hilton | Ind | Hamstring strain | Undisclosed | Active - NFI | Week-to-Week | |
| Jarvis Landry | Cle | Left hip labrum repair | Early Feb 2020 | Active roster | Already activated off PUP | |
| Mohamed Sanu | NE | Left ankle surgery | Late Feb 2020 | Active roster | Activated off PUP | |
| Deebo Samuel | SF | Fifth metatarsal fixation | Mid Jun 2020 | Active - NFI | Week-to-Week | Early season return |
| Richie James | SF | Wrist fracture | Jun 2020 | Active - NFI | Week-to-Week | |
| Alshon Jeffery | Phi | Right Lisfranc fixation | Dec 2019 | Active - PUP | Week-to-Week | |
| Will Fuller | Hou | Core abdominal muscle repair | Jan 2020 | Active roster | ||
| Kenny Stills | Hou | Illness | Undisclosed | Active - NFI | ||
| Preston Williams | Mia | Left ACL reconstruction | Early Nov 2019 | Active roster | Questionable Week 1 | |
| Corey Davis | Ten | Toe surgery | Undisclosed | Active - PUP | Week-to-Week | |
| Kelvin Harmon | Was | ACL tear | Mid July 2020 | Active - NFI | IR | 2021 return | Expected injured reserve |
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Tight Ends Injured | On the Active Roster
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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| Foster Moreau | LV | ACL reconstruction | Early Dec 2019 | Active roster | ||
| Mo Alie-Cox | Ind | Thumb surgery | Offseason | Active - PUP | Day-to-Day | |
| Will Dissly | Sea | Left Achilles repair | Late Oct 2019 | Active roster | ||
| Ryan Griffin | NYJ | Ankle surgery | Dec 2019 | Active - PUP | Week-to-Week | |
| James O'Shaughnessy | Jac | Left ACL reconstruction | Mid Oct 2019 | Active - PUP | Week-to-Week | |
Injured Players Not on Active Roster
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Notable Quarterbacks on PUP or NFI or IR
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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Notable Running Backs on PUP or NFI or IR
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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| Damien Williams | NE | COVID opt-out | July 29 | 2021 return | ||
| Brandon Bolden | NE | COVID opt-out | July 28 | 2021 return | ||
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Notable Wide Receivers on PUP or NFI or IR
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
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Notes
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| Albert Wilson | Mia | COVID opt-out | August 4 | 2021 return | ||
| Allen Hurns | Mia | COVID opt-out | August 5 | 2021 return | ||
| Devin Funchess | GB | COVID opt-out | July 28 | 2021 return | ||
| Marquise Goodwin | Phi | COVID opt-out | July 29 | 2021 return | ||
| Marqise Lee | NE | COVID opt-out | August 2 | 2021 return | ||
| Geronimo Allison | Det | COVID opt-out | August 2 | 2021 return | ||
| Quincy Enunwa | FA | Cervical spinal stenosis | Chronic | Released Aug (NYJ) | Career-ending injury | Doubtful 2021 return |
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Notable Tight Ends on PUP or NFI or IR
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Player
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Team
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Injury
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Date
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Player/Team Says
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FBG Expects
|
Notes
|
| Matt LaCosse | NE | COVID opt-out | August 2 | 2021 return | ||
DECIPHERING THE ALPHABET SOUP OF INJURY LISTS
Players not ready for camp practices are placed on one of two lists – Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) or Non-Football Injury/Illness (NFI).
Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)
Active/PUP – Preseason only list. Once a player participates in any part of a scheduled training camp practice, they are ineligible for this list. Players can be activated from this list at any time. This list is commonly used for veterans still recovering from injury and those who fail conditioning tests before camp begins.
Reserve/PUP – Regular season only list. Players still on Active/PUP at the end of camp are eligible to move to Reserve/PUP. Players cannot practice with the team until after Week 6. Teams then have six weeks to evaluate the player before moving to the active roster or to season-ending injured reserve.
Non-Football Injury / Illness (NFI)
Active/NFI – Preseason only list. Once a player participates in any part of a scheduled training camp practice, they are ineligible for this list. Players can be activated from this list at any time. Only veterans with a non-football related injury or rookies injured before the NFL draft are eligible for this list.
Reserve/NFI – Regular season only list. Players converted from the Active/NFI list to the Reserve/NFI list are out for the entire season.
Injured Reserve – Return Designation
Each NFL team can return two players to the active roster from injured reserve. Teams are not forced to designate this player at the time of the move to injured reserve. Players designated to return can begin practicing six weeks after being placed on injured reserve and are eligible to return to the active roster eight weeks after being placed on injured reserve. This rule allows a team to continually evaluate the rehab and recovery of their injured players and provides roster flexibility should teams have multiple key injuries early in the season.
Inseason injury coverage
Footballguys will again provide comprehensive injury coverage during the regular season.
My writing and podcast schedule will include:
Monday Injury Rounds > Published as soon as complete Sunday night and updated through Tuesday morning, this feature will review all the major injuries from the weekend's games, provide follow up analysis on injured players who have yet to return to play, and project when every injured player will return.
Waiver Wire Podcast > Tuesday morning release reviewing all injuries at the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions with Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom heading into your weekly waiver run.
Midweek Injury Expectations > Published late Wednesday night after the first weekly practice participation report and updated through Thursday's practice report, this feature will detail the current practice participation of every listed player and project the likelihood each player will play in the coming week.
Thursday Live Audible podcast > Joining Cecil Lammey, Sigmund Bloom, and Matt Waldman at 9:00 ET every Thursday night for a comprehensive Q&A updating all player injuries.
Gameday Injury Expectations > Published Saturday, this feature will review the practice status of every injured player, provide analysis on player/coach/beat writer comments throughout the week, and discuss how likely and how effective each injured player will be on Sunday.
Sunday Live Gameday podcast > Joining Sigmund Bloom and Matt Waldman at 10:00 ET every Sunday morning to discuss and interpret the week's practice participation reports and breaking weekend injury news.
Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news and analysis.
