Week 7 Injury Report, Read: Who Sits, Who Starts, Who Waits

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Jalen Hurts is done. New imaging revealed blood clots in his lungs: DVT and bilateral pulmonary emboli, he is on blood thinners and on IR, and the reporting says he is not expected back this season. Drop him in redraft. Same finality for Terry McLaurin (torn left patellar tendon), De'Von Achane (torn ACL, IR) and Jaxson Dart (meniscus and MCL surgery).

David Montgomery has not practiced since the groin injury, sat out last week, and did not practice Wednesday. The reporting has him trending toward a second straight absence with Marks leading the Houston backfield. Treat him as out until told otherwise. Tyler Warren also sat Wednesday after missing Week 6; if he is out again, Alie-Cox and Mallory take the tight end snaps, and neither is a lineup solution.

Josh Jacobs is off the Exempt List and eligible for a full week of practice, but LaFleur said only "We'll see. We'll work through it." No confirmation he plays at Detroit. You cannot start a player whose season debut has not been announced.

Still unavailable: Davante Adams (IR, hamstring, a post-bye return floated and nothing firmer), Ladd McConkey (concussion, protocol clearance unreported), Jadarian Price, James Conner (window not opened), Alec Pierce (window not opened in Week 7), Jayden Reed, Jordyn Tyson, Jonathon Brooks, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Travis Etienne Jr.

Routine. Start them.

Christian McCaffrey carries no designation and is not on the injury report. Start him at Atlanta. George Kittle, same: full practice, no tag, and he put up five catches for 69 yards and a score Monday night. Brock Purdy is clean too.

The limited-Wednesday group that reads as housekeeping rather than doubt: Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring), Christian Watson (ankle, no designation applied yet), Jordan Love (back, possibly precautionary), Rico Dowdle (knee, new but he practiced), Quinshon Judkins (ankle, back at limited after missing Week 6), Travis Kelce (ankle) and Jaylen Waddle (chest). None of these are resolved, but none of them are alarming. Start the ones you'd normally start and check Friday.

Baker Mayfield took every rep in full practice Wednesday with a glove on the dislocated thumb. Bowles framed Friday as a decision point between him and Daniels, so it is not formally locked. Bucky Irving did not practice with an illness, one of five Buccaneers out that day; the report says it is too early to worry unless he misses again.

Game-time decisions, and the pivot

Lamar Jackson (ankle) returned at limited Wednesday after missing Week 5, when Tyler Huntley started. His status is genuinely undecided. If he sits, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow or Caleb Williams are the healthy starts.

Justin Jefferson was limited Wednesday coming off a bye with the ankle that cost him Week 4. Real uncertainty. Pivot: Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Amon-Ra St. Brown if you have them benched.

Rashee Rice did not practice Wednesday and has not practiced since the Week 4 injury despite the bye. Reid's own framing is that Rice needs to mix into drills Thursday or Friday to have a chance. Emeka Egbuka was a full non-participant with concussion and foot; protocol clearance governs. Mike Evans did not practice with right Achilles soreness. Breece Hall did not practice Wednesday either, three weeks without practice, though Glenn dropped the week-to-week label and left Sunday open. Braelon Allen keeps work either way.

Jeremiyah Love sat Wednesday with the ankle that cost him Week 6; if he cannot go, Allgeier and Knight split against Denver. Saquon Barkley is the optimistic one: expected to practice Thursday and "in line to play" Monday per Garafolo. Brock Bowers (hamstring/calf) and Dalton Schultz (quad) both need Thursday upgrades; McBride, Loveland and LaPorta are the clean tight end answers.

Thursday night, and the byes

Patriots at Bears locks first. A.J. Brown carries no injury designation despite the ankle: he played 52 of 67 snaps in Week 6 on 10 targets. Start him. Kyle Monangai is ruled out with thumb and toe, a third straight absence, and his head coach expects an IR move. D'Andre Swift leads that backfield with Roschon Johnson behind him.

On bye: Washington, Buffalo and the Chargers. That shelves Jayden Daniels, DJ Moore, Dalton Kincaid and McConkey this week regardless of health. Kincaid returned to the Las Vegas game with seven catches on eight targets, so the ribs look survivable with a week off. Moore's AC joint is listed only as questionable with no severity detail, and the listed return date sits beyond this week.

One caution on the thin reports: several of the role notes here come from indexed pages rather than live depth charts, and I have flagged where that is the case. Where the material is silent on a return date, so am I.