With Week 1 in the books and Week 2 approaching, Tuesday brought a variety of injury updates as teams assessed their openers.
Rookie Chiefs cornerback Mansoor Delane looks likely to avoid anything long-term after a scare in Kansas City’s win over Denver, while Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane may miss roughly a month following wrist surgery. In Chicago, head coach Ben Johnson explained why his Bears kept piling on points in the fourth quarter of their rout of Carolina instead of easing up.
Ben Johnson said the team felt it still needed to close the game out with the ball because the Panthers have a history of late comebacks; even when Chicago led 45-31 entering the fourth, the offense added two more touchdowns to finish a franchise-record scoring Week 1 performance, 59-37. Johnson emphasized the coaching staff’s respect for Carolina’s ability to rally last season and that mindset led them to stay aggressive rather than “let off the gas.” The Bears will face the Minnesota Vikings in their home opener on Sunday.
Baltimore’s receiving group took another hit when Lane was diagnosed with a broken wrist and is scheduled for surgery as soon as Wednesday, a procedure that could keep him out for about a month and possibly land him on injured reserve. That setback further strains a unit already dealing with Zay Flowers’ hamstring issue, which coach Todd Minter described as more day-to-day; other receivers like Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and Elijah Sarratt have moved up the depth chart. A 21-year-old third-round pick from USC, Lane had been expected to be a red-zone target and was slated as the No. 2 behind Flowers before his Week 1 debut was cut short. If his recovery follows the current timeline, he could be back in time for Baltimore’s October game against the Falcons after matchups with the Saints, Cowboys and Titans.
On a brighter note for Kansas City, initial imaging on Delane’s injured shoulder — aggravated on a play where he returned an interception on just his third NFL snap — reportedly showed no fractures, with CT and X-rays clear and an MRI still pending. The No. 6 overall pick had reportedly been managing a shoulder issue through offseason work and training camp, but early reports suggest the problem may be short-term rather than season-ending. The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night in Week 2.
Fan Take: These updates matter because injuries to young playmakers can quickly reshape depth charts and a team’s short-term hopes, while encouraging news on standout rookies like Delane preserves momentum for a team’s secondary. For fans, tracking how teams manage health and rotate in replacement pieces often reveals which clubs are better built for the grind of a full NFL season.
Source: www.foxsports.com
