Derrick Henry, Jaire Alexander Set to Return

NFL Week 18 – With the regular season now complete, we shift focus almost exclusively to the teams that advance into and during the postseason. For those teams who are eliminated, only major injuries will be noted in a separate section at the foot of the article.

The biggest issue with compiling these injury reports is the continued spread of COVID-19 among NFL players. As well as being unpredictable on its own, time on the Reserve (COVID-19) list can cloud other injury designations and mean that players with other injuries are not shown on inactive lists. Please keep that in mind when reading this article.

Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST, NBC

Las Vegas listed starting halfback Josh Jacobs, tight end Darren Waller, cornerback Casey Hayward, and nose tackle Johnathan Hankins as questionable for the crucial season finale against the Chargers, but all four played as the Raiders sealed their postseason berth. That suggests all four should also be available in Cincinnati, though midweek reports will tell us more. Defensive lineman Darius Philon left Sunday night’s game with a knee injury, but the specifics are not yet public. In general, major injuries are reported quickly, so no news is good news, but we will update if the injury turns out to be anything major.

Bengals safety Ricardo Allen left the defeat in Cleveland with concussion symptoms and enters the league protocol. Most players now miss at least one full game week after showing concussion symptoms, so Allen is unlikely to play against the Raiders. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves left the field with a knee injury but was able to return to the game. Defensive lineman Josh Tupou left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, but no further specifics are yet public. If Tupou does miss time, that may mean the Bengals elevate veteran Mike Daniels to the active roster as a replacement.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, CBS

Patriots offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn and defensive tackle Christian Barmore both left the loss in Miami with injuries, but Barmore’s MRI scan was clear, and the team is optimistic that both will be available for the first road wild-card game of Bill Belichick’s Patriots tenure. Safety Kyle Dugger was inactive after missing practice all week with a hand injury, and he will probably begin the week listed as questionable. Nine other players were listed as questionable for Week 18, including Wynn and Barmore; linebacker Dont’a Hightower was the only one of the nine who did not play. That suggests all nine have at least a chance to play against the Bills, with practice reports during the week likely to offer more clarity.

The Bills came through their Week 18 game against the Jets unscathed, with receiver Emmanuel Sanders and edge rusher Efe Obada both missing the game as expected. Both have a chance to play against New England but will likely begin the week listed as questionable. The only other significant Bills injuries are long-term absentees Tre’Davious White and Ike Boettger, both of whom will miss the entire postseason.

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX

The Eagles took Saturday’s meaningless season finale against the Cowboys as an opportunity to rest almost all of their starters ahead of the playoffs, but lost backup tight end Tyree Jackson to a torn ACL during the game. He will miss the rest of the season, all of the offseason, and likely the start of the 2022 regular season too. Halfback Miles Sanders would have missed out regardless after fracturing his hand in Week 16, but the team still hopes to have Sanders available in the postseason. Sanders aside, the only notable injuries to the Eagles are long-term absentees such as Brandon Graham and Brandon Brooks; only offensive tackle Landon Dickerson had a questionable designation due to a thumb injury ahead of Week 18, and Dickerson should be able to play next Sunday if required.

Injured Buccaneers edge rushers Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, halfback Ronald Jones, and cornerback Richard Sherman all remained inactive during the team’s regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers. The coaching staff hopes to have all four back on Sunday, as well as to reactivate primary halfback Leonard Fournette from injured reserve. However, the status of linebacker Lavonte David remains uncertain as he recovers from a foot injury. Star receiver Mike Evans has been battling a hamstring injury in recent weeks, and there was some concern after he required the attention of medical staff during Sunday’s victory over the Panthers, but Evans returned to finish the game and his status for the playoffs does not appear to be in doubt. However, fellow receiver Cyril Grayson, who started in place of Chris Godwin and/or Antonio Brown, and defensive back Jamel Dean both left the game with hamstring injuries, which make both likely to miss at least the first game of the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EST, CBS

49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt left the playoff-sealing victory in Los Angeles with a groin injury. Around half of groin injuries to defensive backs cause at least a one-game absence, but only 25% cause an absence of more than two games. He has a chance to play against the Cowboys. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky left the game with concussion symptoms and enters the league protocol, making him unlikely to play in Dallas. Left tackle Trent Williams missed the trip to Los Angeles with an elbow injury that also kept him out of practice for the full week. The team was optimistic that Williams could play against the Rams, so expect similar optimism about his chances for Sunday’s playoff game. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered no setback during his return from a thumb injury, so Garoppolo appears set to start at quarterback during the playoffs. The team also welcomed back linebacker Dre Greenlaw for the first time since aggravating his groin injury in Week 12, and Greenlaw likewise experienced no setback during the game.

The inactive list for Dallas in their season finale included star cornerback Trevon Diggs, safety Jayron Kearse, and halfback Tony Pollard. Diggs should recover from his illness ahead of the postseason, and a hamstring injury would not typically keep Kearse out for more than two weeks. That leaves Pollard, who had played every game between sustaining his injury in Week 13 and his deactivation for Week 18; he was almost certainly kept out as a precaution. The remainder of Dallas’ list of short-term absentees is entirely comprised of players on the Reserve (COVID-19) list, which makes them impossible to project without further specifics, but on the whole the Cowboys active roster is about as healthy as it could be.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NBC

Steelers rookie left tackle Dan Moore missed a game for the first time in his professional career in Week 18. Moore left Week 17’s victory over Cleveland after suffering a high-ankle sprain, and most high-ankle sprains cause a multiple-week absence regardless of position. Moore is roughly twice as likely to miss the trip to Kansas City as to play in it, according to our historical data. That would probably mean another start for veteran Joe Haeg in Moore’s stead. The Steelers suffered no further injuries during the game, and all of their other injured starters are long-term absentees, so their biggest concern for Sunday night is getting their COVID absentees back on the active roster.

Chiefs halfback Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed the entire week of practice leading up to Week 18, but the team only listed him as questionable prior to their final injury report and it appears likely that he could have played if the game had been more important. The team finally placed offensive tackle Lucas Niang, who ruptured his patellar tendon in Week 16, on injured reserve. Receiver Tyreek Hill and halfback Darrel Williams both left the win over the Broncos with toe injuries, but neither injury gives the impression of being anything major.

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC

Cardinals tackle Kelvin Beachum left the home defeat against Seattle with a back injury, but he was able to return in the second half. Halfback James Conner left the game with a rib injury, which likely means pain tolerance is the big question heading into the postseason. The fact that the game is on Monday night improves Conner’s chances of playing. Backup and special teamer Jonathan Ward—he of the spectacular helmet catch in Week 17—left the game with a knee injury. With Chase Edmonds also inactive, that left Eno Benjamin as the team’s only healthy halfback, so they may sign a player as cover during the week. However, Edmonds appears to have a strong chance of returning to the lineup against the Rams. The same is true of receiver Rondale Moore, who was limited in practice due to his ankle injury, and rookie cornerback Marco Wilson.

The Rams had no players limited in practice during the week, and no injury inactives against the 49ers. Other than long-term absentees such as Robert Woods and Robert Rochell, they are about as healthy as it is possible to be at this point in the season.

Bye Weeks

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Tennessee Titans did not activate halfback Derrick Henry prior to their game against the Texans in Week 18; however, with an extra week of recovery time, Henry is fully expected to return to the lineup in the divisional round. The Titans have notably used a record 91 players this season due to a slew of injuries, but they appear close to full health for the postseason. Receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown both completed the game against Houston with no setbacks from their hamstring injuries, and the week off should be a significant help to both. COVID permitting, they should be able to return 21 of their 22 opening day starters for their first playoff game, with blocking tight end MyCole Pruitt the sole likely absentee.

Over in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers welcomed back left tackle David Bakhtiari and center Josh Myers against the Lions. Bakhtiari missed the first 17 weeks of the regular season while recovering from last season’s ACL injury, while Myers had been out since October. Both exited early and played less than half the team’s offensive snaps, but it appears that their absences were due to fatigue rather than injury setbacks. Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling left with a back injury, but the bye should ensure that he doesn’t miss time. Cornerback Chandon Sullivan left with a knee injury, with no news yet public on the severity of that.

As for existing injuries, halfback Aaron Jones and linebacker Devondre Campbell were inactive after being limited in practice, but it seems likely that both could have played if they had been required, while returning cornerback Jaire Alexander might have been able to play but for a spell on the Reserve (COVID) list during the week. He should return for the divisional round, which would more than offset any potential absence for Sullivan. Receiver Randall Cobb has returned to practice and looks set to be activated from injured reserve this week, and the team also hopes to have Za’Darius Smith back at practice this week. That would leave only long-term absentees Elgton Jenkins, Whitney Mercilus, and Robert Tonyan absent from the team’s preferred starting lineup; all three will miss the entire postseason.

Eliminated Teams

Saints quarterback Taysom Hill suffered a Lisfranc injury against the Falcons, which would almost certainly have ended his season even if the Saints had made the playoffs. He should be fine in time for the start of the team’s offseason program.

Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle against the Cardinals, an injury that would have ended his season were it not already the final game. The soon-to-be free agent will require surgery, but he should make a full recovery in time for the start of any prospective employer’s offseason program.