Throughout the first month of the 2026 regular season, we were reminded not once, not twice, but by what felt like an avalanche of injuries sweeping over the league. And it's not just the number of injuries that have popped up over the opening month, but it's also been inflicted on some of the biggest names in the league at the most important positions in the sport. For instance, leading up to Week 4, the NFL had already seen young phenoms like Caleb Williams (hamstring), Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Jaxson Dart (knee) suffer varying degrees of injuries.
Meanwhile, Myles Garrett, the defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the centerpiece of arguably the biggest trade of the offseason, has yet to play for the Rams on American soil, landing on short-term IR after the opener in Australia due to a knee ailment. Then, there's Baker Mayfield (thumb), Justin Jefferson (ankle), Breece Hall (quad) and De'Von Achane (season-ending ACL tear), among other stars, dealing with injuries as well. It's truly a who's who when they step into the NFL infirmary, and Week 4 only added to that total.
Below, we're going to highlight some of the biggest names in the NFL who went down with an injury in Week 4, assess their status, and give them a rating on our panic meter. Panic meter barometer: 🔥🔥🔥 = Fears of a season-ender🔥🔥 = Could miss a chunk of time😬😬 = Could miss some time😅 = Should be fine The Ravens quarterback left Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans with an ankle injury sustained just before halftime and was seen leaving M&T Bank Stadium in a walking boot. While Jackson being in a boot isn't exactly ideal for the two-time NFL MVP, it does sound more like a precaution than anything else.
NFL Network reported on Monday morning that Jackson will undergo tests late today, but the initial thought is that he's day-to-day, signaling that the ailment doesn't appear to be too serious. Coach Jesse Minter also said that "there were some talks about that," referring to Jackson possibly reentering the game. The fact that it was a discussion about him going back in (even though he didn't) is another signal that Jackson avoided anything substantial.
Chase suffered a concussion in the second quarter of Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After making a catch, the wideout was brought to the ground by his facemask by Jaguars corner Jarrian Jones (which drew a penalty), and he was hit again while being taken down. After sitting on the turf for a moment and being evaluated by the training staff, he was taken into the locker room and did not return.
Chase is now in the league's concussion protocol, so he'll have to get over several hurdles this week to play next Sunday. Typically, it's a tight turnaround for a player to suffer a concussion and be back the next week, so there's a chance Chase misses at least a week. Higgins suffered an adductor injury during Cincinnati's final drive of the game after making a leaping catch.
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