In case you missed it, the 2023-24 NFL season has begun.
Unfortunately, injuries are a massive part of this great game that we love. Some injuries heal quickly, but some are more serious and can derail a season.
Thankfully, we’ll do the work and keep track of every relevant NFL injury for you, so you stay as informed as needed. This page will mostly be updated on Monday mornings, but throughout the week we’ll add information as it comes in.
Let’s get down to it.
NFL Injury Report This Week
Below is the top NFL Injury News to consider when placing your best NFL bet picks.
This inactives and injury list will refresh just about every week of action during the regular season and NFL playoffs.
Top NFL Injured Players To Watch
JK Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Torn Achilles
ESTIMATED RETURN: Mid-2024 Season
It’s yet another prematurely ended season for Dobbins, who was helped off midway through Week 2’s contest with an announced ankle injury. Head coach John Harbaugh later confirmed that Dobbins suffered the torn Achilles and that he’ll miss the entire 2023-24 season.
It’s an extremely unfortunate situation for Dobbins, who was just coming off completing his recovery from a torn ACL in 2021. He has only played seven games in the last two seasons and now will enter free agency coming off yet another season-ending injury.
We might always wonder what could have been with Dobbins, as he has been one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL since entering the league in 2020.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Concussion
ESTIMATED RETURN: Week 4
It currently does not seem as though Richardson will play this week, as he did not practice on Wednesday, and there’s been no word as of this writing on his status for Thursday’s practice.
Barring a Thursday appearance from Richardson, he will spend this weekend getting through the concussion protocol. Given that he’s already been banged up his year, it’s best for him to rest up and get fully healthy.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Ankle
ESTIMATED RETURN: Week 4
Young was a surprising pop-up on Wednesday’s injury report. We hadn’t even heard about an ankle injury prior to missing practice, nor did we see a play on Monday night when it could have happened.
Given that Thursday is a formative day for game-planning the upcoming week, his absence plus a media appearance from Andy Dalton would suggest that Young will miss at least this week’s game.
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Calf
ESTIMATED RETURN: Week 5
It appears that Burrow re-tweaked his calf injury from the summer this past week, which might explain why he’s been noticeably out of sorts in both games to start the season. He status is currently uncertain for Week 3, and you’re better off taking him out of your fantasy lineups this week as the game is on Monday night.
Looking ahead, it’s fair to suggest that the Bengals should sit Burrow until he’s completely healthy, as him going down for an extended period of time would crush their Super Bowl hopes. You have to think he sits the next 1-2 games.
How NFL Injuries Influence Football Betting
The health of key players could influence betting opportunities, including props based on their own statistical performance and award potential, and injuries can alter the logic of betting on a given player’s team in the futures markets (Super Bowl, win totals, etc.).
What position does the injury affect?
In the NFL, the position of an injured player matters when determining how to adjust your betting strategy.
Given that it’s arguably the most important position in all of sports, quarterback is the most crucial position to watch for health concerns. Any ding sustained by a signal caller will likely cause significant line movement, as the team’s offensive upside could crash if a backup must step in for an extended period of time.
Other positions that might cause bettors to worry: star wide receiver, elite offensive lineman, top pass rusher, or shutdown cornerback. All four of these positions carry notable weight in the success of a team each week and throughout the season.
The injury to a running back likely will be less of an issue, given the nature of NFL backfields that allow multiple backs to rotate in who often produce similar results as the starter. Exceptions exist, of course, if it’s a star like Christian McCaffrey.
Injury report timelines each week
A late-week injury that crops up could have a more significant influence on the team prep and game outcome. Having less time to cover for an NFL injury might be cause for concern, and can directly — and often violently — push a line in a particular direction, eliminating any chance at a value bet.
Monitor the weekly NFL odds from the start of the week to the finish — especially for the Friday and Saturday final injury reports — to see whether a listing will turn the tides on the betting lists.
