Entering Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season, plenty of notable players have suffered serious injuries that required a stint on injured reserve (IR). Both NFL teams and fantasy football teams have been impacted by these unfortunate injuries.
Which players on IR are nearing a return, and who will miss the remainder of the season? Each week, we examine the latest news and recovery timeline for every fantasy-relevant player on IR.
Dak Prescott
QB | Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott suffered a significant hamstring injury in the team’s Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Although Prescott was questionable to return initially, the news took a turn for the worse after he underwent an MRI on Nov. 11.
The Cowboys quarterback initially appeared to be headed to injured reserve, knocking him out until at least Week 14. However, he was not placed on IR ahead of Week 10 as Dallas evaluated its options.
The injury turned out to be an avulsion, meaning that the hamstring has torn off the bone. Prescott said after Week 10 that he was planning on consulting with a specialist in New York to confirm he needed season-ending surgery. That surgery officially occurred prior to Week 11 and ended Prescott’s season.
With the Cowboys not meeting expectations in 2024, it behooves Prescott to regroup and get back to full health for 2025. Dallas has started Cooper Rush in the meantime, though Trey Lance looms as a quarterback the Cowboys could take a look at if they fall out of contention. The 2021 third overall pick is scheduled for free agency after the season, and Dallas may want to give Lance the opportunity to showcase his development behind the scenes.
Gardner Minshew II
QB | Las Vegas Raiders
With just over three minutes remaining in the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos, Gardner Minshew II was sacked by a pair of Broncos. He immediately left the game and went to the locker room with an apparent left shoulder injury.
Less than an hour after the game concluded, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Minshew’s season was over due to a broken collarbone.
The only good news is that this shouldn’t impact his ability to be ready for offseason workouts in the spring. While the Raiders didn’t release an exact timeline other than announcing that Minshew’s season is over, a broken collarbone typically involves around a two-month recovery. To cite an apt comparison, Aaron Rodgers missed eight weeks after breaking his right collarbone in 2017.
Second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell was activated off IR right after Minshew’s injury after missing four games with a broken thumb himself. The Raiders will get a longer look at O’Connell to end the season before likely picking a quarterback near the top of the 2025 NFL Draft.
J.J. McCarthy
QB | Minnesota Vikings
J.J. McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and was projected to potentially start over Sam Darnold for the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, McCarthy needed a season-ending meniscus repair after the team’s preseason opener.
It’s unclear when exactly McCarthy suffered the injury. Two days after the game, McCarthy missed the Vikings’ night practice. A day later, the team announced that he would undergo a procedure to determine why he was experiencing discomfort in his right knee.
McCarthy’s recovery timeline is expected to be 6-8 months, which should place him on track to be fully healthy by the 2025 season. The hope is that McCarthy will be ready for offseason workouts, which will likely begin April 21 (that’s the date clubs with returning head coaches are allowed to begin their offseason program).
Christian McCaffrey
RB | San Francisco 49ers
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year made his long-awaited 2024 debut in Week 10. Unfortunately, it appears Christian McCaffrey’s return could be over after just four games.
On a shoestring tackle against the Bills, McCaffrey hurt his knee. Pro Football Doc, Dr. David Chao, immediately identified it as a possible PCL sprain. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Chao’s suspicions.
McCaffrey’s expected timeline to return is roughly six weeks. There are only five weeks left in the regular season and the last-place 49ers are unlikely to reach the postseason, particularly without their top offensive weapon.
This injury won’t have any lingering effects on McCaffrey for next year. The bigger concern is this is a player with a lengthy injury history who will be entering his age029 season. But this particular issue will be well behind him by the time 2025 training camp rolls around.
Jordan Mason
RB | San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey isn’t the only 49ers running back who went down long-term in the Buffalo snow.
Jordan Mason was in line to replace McCaffrey as San Francisco’s starting RB, but Mason went down with a high-ankle sprain in Week 13. He’ll also head to injured reserve and miss at least four games. Mason can return in Week 18 at the earliest, after the conclusion of most fantasy championships.
With CMC and Mason both sidelined, fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo will take over as the lead option in the 49ers’ backfield and profiles as a potential league winner in fantasy.
J.K. Dobbins
RB | Los Angeles Chargers
J.K. Dobbins had defied his lengthy injury history until Week 12, when the Los Angeles Chargers running back departed his club’s Monday night loss to the Ravens and never returned.
His injury turned out to be a sprained MCL, which led to Dobbins being placed on injured reserve prior to Week 13. With a minimum of four games he must miss, Dobbins cannot return until the Chargers’ Week 17 trip to face the New England Patriots.
The Chargers simply didn’t run enough plays in Week 13 to provide a good look at their backfield without Dobbins, though it appears it’ll be a committee. Gus Edwards had six carries while Kimani Vidal had four. Hassan Haskins only had one carry but has gotten goal-line work at times this season.
Austin Ekeler
RB | Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have enjoyed one of the deepest backfields this season, but will be missing part of that rushing attack with Austin Ekeler going on injured reserve with a concussion
Ekeler will have to sit out until the team’s Week 18 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys (they have a bye in Week 14), but this could easily be a prolonged absence. Ekeler also suffered a concussion back in Week 3, missing only one game.
In Week 12, though, Ekeler suffered yet another concussion in the Commanders’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys, taking a massive hit on a kick return.
Given that it’s his second concussion of the season, it’s clear the team is exercising caution to give Ekeler ample time to recover. Ideally this plays out similar to Tua Tagovailoa, who deemed himself ready to return but was given four games to recover after suffering another concussion earlier this season.
MarShawn Lloyd
RB | Green Bay Packers
MarShawn Lloyd has been plagued by maladies since being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Lloyd dealt with injuries to his hip, hamstring, and ankle throughout the offseason and training camp.
After finally being available for his NFL debut in Week 2 of the regular season, Lloyd suffered an ankle injury against the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers placed Lloyd on IR, and he has been eligible to return since Week 7.
GM Brian Gutekunst noted during the team’s bye week that Lloyd could be brought off IR after the team returns. Unfortunately, Lloyd’s snake-bitten rookie season hit another snag. After his 21-day practice window was opened, he suffered a bout of appendicitis, which would prevent him from returning within his window and require him to finish the season on injured reserve.
The Packers ended up activating him off IR as a procedural move to send him to the non-football injury list. The move keeps him out at least four more games, which means Lloyd cannot return until Week 16.
Even if the rookie is activated at that point, you’re obviously not trusting him during the fantasy championship round. Thus, Lloyd is no longer a fantasy-relevant player for 2024 (and probably doesn’t hold much real-life relevance for a Green Bay team gearing up for the playoffs).
Kendre Miller
RB | New Orleans Saints
The sophomore season for Saints running back Kendre Miller has been a wash. Miller already spent one stint on IR this season, missing Weeks 1-6 with a hamstring injury.
After only two games, Miller was again placed on IR due to a hamstring injury in his other leg in Week 8. He’s eligible to return for the team’s Week 14 game against the New York Giants, but there haven’t been any whispers to date about a potential return to practice.
Miller had a fraught relationship with now-fired head coach Dennis Allen, who questioned the rookie’s ability to stay healthy. Reports surfaced that Allen had “a lot to do” with Miller’s second IR stint, stemming from the coach’s “lack of trust” in the running back’s ability to stay healthy.
Allen is gone, but Miller’s second season will effectively be a redshirt with all the time he’s missed. He’ll return next year as an unknown commodity, presumably as Alvin Kamara’s backup.
Zack Moss
RB | Cincinnati Bengals
Zack Moss was added to the Bengals’ injury report on Friday before Week 9 with a neck injury. Moss was later downgraded from doubtful to out and did not play in the 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Unfortunately, Moss may be done for the 2024 NFL season. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported before Week 10 that Moss is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.
More specifically, Garafolo noted that Moss will need two months of rest before re-evaluation. Given that he would also need to physically ramp back up even if cleared, a postseason return also feels like a stretch.
While Moss began the season as the Bengals’ starting running back, Chase Brown overtook him as the lead back by Week 7. Coupled with trade-deadline acquisition Khalil Herbert, the Bengals’ backfield depth is in fine shape. Moss’ 2024 season likely ends with 242 rush yards and two rushing touchdowns on 3.3 yards per carry.
Chris Olave
WR | New Orleans Saints
Chris Olave suffered a scary head injury at the beginning of the New Orleans Saints’ Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers. While this was a concerning situation given Olave’s concussion history, he was thankfully able to tweet out an appreciation for everyone’s well wishes later that afternoon.
After being ruled out for Week 10, the Saints did the prudent thing and put Olave on IR. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Olave was meeting with an independent concussion specialist to determine a path forward given his history of concussions.
Prior to Week 13, interim coach Darren Rizzi noted that Olave was “in a good place” and had returned to the team facility, though he wasn’t participating in practice. While it’s possible for Olave to return as soon as Week 15, Rizzi didn’t sound as though he was considering an immediate activation.
Olave has had five known concussions since 2020, dating back to his college career at Ohio State. With the Saints playing out the string, it wouldn’t be surprising to see their WR1 sit out the rest of the season to recover and chart a more sustainable path forward.
Allen Lazard
WR | New York Jets
Allen Lazard was injured during the New York Jets’ Week 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While his absence was initially expected to be a short-term one, Lazard was placed on IR ahead of the Thursday night Week 9 game versus the Houston Texans with a chest injury.
Lazard is eligible to return in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins, but there haven’t been any signs that he’ll start practicing when first eligible. The seventh-year veteran has had a surprisingly large role as one of the few Jets players to earn Aaron Rodgers’ trust. Through seven weeks, he led the Jets with five receiving touchdowns and ranked second with 412 receiving yards.
Treylon Burks
WR | Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks has had a tough time staying healthy throughout his career. This season added another chapter after Burks suffered a knee injury in practice ahead of Week 7.
He was eligible to return Week 11 but has not yet seen his practice window opened. With nothing but radio silence surrounding Burks’ status, it’s possible we’ve seen the last of the 2022 first-round pick in 2024.
Burks has only played in 27 out of 43 possible games since being drafted. With Calvin Ridley leading the Titans’ receiving corps, Burks has just four catches for 34 yards in five games this season.
Gabe Davis
WR | Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis suffered a knee injury in the club’s Week 11 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
After attempting to catch a pass from Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones near the end of the third quarter, Davis stayed down on the field.
He eventually hobbled to the sidelines with the help of Jacksonville’s medical staff. The day after the game, it was revealed that Davis suffered a season-ending torn meniscus. The Jaguars placed him on injured reserve, and he’ll now focus on getting healthy in time for the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Davis’ 2024 campaign was quite forgettable. He missed most of Week 8 and all of Week 9 after suffering a shoulder injury, and he finished the season with just 20 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
He signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Jaguars prior to the season and will be back next season, given it would cost Jacksonville nearly $14 million in cap space to move on from Davis.
Stefon Diggs
WR | Houston Texans
Stefon Diggs went down with a non-contact knee injury during the Texans’ Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Unfortunately, the team’s worst fears were realized when Diggs was confirmed to have suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
Before getting hurt, Diggs was averaging 5.8 receptions and 62 yards per game. He had three receiving touchdowns and one rushing TD on the season.
Diggs will turn 31 in November and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after re-working his deal upon being traded to the Texans from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.
Brandon Aiyuk
WR | San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk was having a tough start to his 2024 season, which ended with a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee against Kansas City in Week 7.
After a protracted holdout and rumors of a trade, Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with San Francisco before the start of the season. That extension kicks in next season and keeps him under contract with the team through 2028.
Given the severity of this injury, it’s possible that Aiyuk won’t be ready to return by the time the 2025 season kicks off. He finished his fifth season with 25 receptions for 374 yards.
Chris Godwin
WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin suffered a gruesome ankle injury at the end of Tampa Bay’s Week 7 loss to Baltimore. He was carted off with an air cast on his leg and later diagnosed with a dislocated ankle.
The only good news is that NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Godwin was expected to make a full recovery before the 2025 season after his scheduled ankle surgery.
Sports Injury Central compared the injury to the severe left high ankle fracture/dislocation Dak Prescott suffered in 2020, which ended his season. It will require surgery and end Godwin’s season, according to SIC.
Godwin turns 29 this February and will be an unrestricted free agent. He finished the season with 50 receptions for 576 yards. Only Ja’Marr Chase had more receiving yards at the time of Godwin’s injury.
Christian Kirk
WR | Jacksonville Jaguars
Christian Kirk went down during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 8 loss to the Packers. The play turned out to be his last of the season, as Kirk suffered a broken collarbone and will miss the rest of the 2024 campaign, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Kirk was poised to be among the most attractive wide receivers remaining on the trade block after Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins changed teams. With Kirk out for the year, the Jaguars didn’t have the option to exchange him for draft capital before the trade deadline.
Kirk posted 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns for Jacksonville in 2022 and was on a similar pace in 2023 before suffering a season-ending groin injury in Week 13.
The 27-year-old inked a four-year, $72 million free agent deal with the Jaguars in 2022 after spending four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He’s due a $15.5 million, non-guaranteed base salary in 2025. Jacksonville could release Kirk next offseason while clearing $10.7 million in salary cap space.
Rashid Shaheed
WR | New Orleans Saints
Shaheed finished the Saints’ Week 6 game against the Buccaneers, seemingly coming out unharmed. However, shortly after, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Shaheed suffered a concerning knee injury.
His knee ultimately required season-ending surgery to repair the meniscus, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that Shaheed be out for 4-6 months as he recovers. This timeline indicates that Shaheed underwent a full repair of his meniscus, which is better for the long-term health of his knee. Had he opted for a trim, he would be sidelined for 4-6 weeks but could have some issues down the road, though it may not have been an option.
Shaheed can be dropped in redraft leagues since he’s out for the year. Fortunately, he’s expected to be fine for the start of the 2025 season (potentially even in time for spring OTAs and minicamp).
Hollywood Brown
WR | Kansas City Chiefs
Hollywood Brown fell awkwardly on his shoulder in the Chiefs’ first preseason game. He was taken to the hospital as a precaution, and it was determined that he suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation.
Kansas City placed him on IR after Brown underwent surgery on Sept. 16 to repair the joint.
Unfortunately, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Brown is not expected to play for the remainder of the 2024 regular season.
Rashee Rice
WR | Kansas City Chiefs
The second-year wide receiver had knee surgery on Oct. 8, and head coach Andy Reid noted that the timeline for recovery is similar to that of a torn ACL, meaning Rice’s season is over.
Rice will remain on IR for the remainder of the regular season, so there’s no need to hang onto him in redraft leagues.
While Rice is expected to be healthy for the start of the 2025 season, he may have to miss additional time since the NFL is expected to suspend him for his role in a high-speed hit-and-run in March 2024. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that Rice may try to serve his potential suspension while injured.
Tyler Higbee
TE | Los Angeles Rams (PUP)
Tyler Higbee suffered a torn ACL and MCL against the Lions in the playoffs last season. Higbee has been on the PUP list since the start of training camp and has yet to return to practice for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue reported this summer that Los Angeles always expected Higbee to miss more than the minimum four games.
Head coach Sean McVay finally provided a more significant update prior to Week 11, calling Higbee “a couple weeks away” from returning to the lineup. A more concrete path for Higbee’s return to play arrived before Week 13, as the Rams opened his 21-day practice window.
The tight end didn’t play on Sunday vs. the New Orleans Saints, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get another week or two if the Rams use the full allotted practice window, given how much time he’s missed. But with the Rams in the thick of the NFC West hunt, Higbee’s return could be an important boost for the final few weeks of the season.