Wednesday’s injury report brought a little of everything as teams got ready for Week 9.
Baltimore moved to shore up its QB room, acquiring Jacoby Brissett from Arizona after Lamar Jackson suffered a thumb injury that likely ends his season. With the Ravens at 4-4 and Tyler Huntley out with turf toe, Baltimore couldn’t rely on undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano alone; Brissett, despite a rough 2026 stat line (10 TDs, 7 INTs and a 48.9 QBR), gives them a veteran who can start while Jackson undergoes expected surgery. The trade signals the Ravens aren’t ready to abandon their AFC North hopes.
Myles Garrett returned to the Rams’ practice field Wednesday after the team opened his 21-day window to activate him from injured reserve. Garrett hasn’t played since knee surgery after the season opener in Australia. Los Angeles sorely needs the pass-rush boost: the team has only 12 sacks through eight games (27th in the league), and Garrett — a two-time Defensive Player of the Year with 125½ career sacks — was acquired in a big trade that sent Jared Verse and multiple high picks to Cleveland.
Seattle announced Sam Darnold will miss Week 9 vs. Arizona with a quad injury and a cracked rib; Drew Lock will start. Darnold, who played through the injury in Monday’s loss to Chicago, is expected to be week-to-week and won’t go on IR. Lock, who has completed 72.9% of his limited attempts this season (422 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs), has been dealing with elbow trouble and “hasn’t thrown much,” according to coach Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks could still add another quarterback—second-year Jalen Milroe is on the roster—heading into a 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday home game.
Micah Parsons has begun practicing in individual drills for Green Bay, starting the Packers’ 21-day return window after tearing the ACL in his left knee last December. Coach Matt LaFleur praised Parsons’ work and his impact in the run game; Parsons recorded 12⅓ sacks in 13 games after the Packers acquired him and signed him to a four-year, $188 million contract. Even without Parsons last season, Green Bay has averaged a solid 2.8 sacks per game so far in 2026.
The Rams will lose cornerback Jaylen Watson for the season, coach Sean McVay said, as Watson is expected to undergo shoulder surgery and be placed on IR. Watson, who signed a three-year, $51 million deal in March, dislocated his shoulder in Week 3, missed a week, then returned wearing a harness and recorded his first interception as a Ram.
Philadelphia is changing quarterbacks after offensive struggles under Tanner McKee: coach Nick Sirianni will start Joe Milton against the Giants. Milton, a 2024 sixth-round pick out of Tennessee who was drafted by New England and then traded to Dallas, will make his first NFL start. In five career games he has completed 69.8% of his passes for 424 yards, two TDs and two INTs; with Jalen Hurts out for the season, Milton brings a similar dual-threat style that the Eagles hope can spark the offense.
Finally, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has filed for reinstatement after being away since the 2024 season and plans to report Friday. San Francisco must decide whether to activate him under his current contract, release him, or trade him before the Nov. 10 deadline. Aiyuk has been linked to Washington, though coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he has “moved on mentally” from expecting Aiyuk to play for the 49ers this year.
Fan Take: These roster shifts matter because they can alter playoff races and team identities—veteran pickups like Brissett and returns from IR like Garrett and Parsons can immediately change a club’s outlook. For fans, the churn highlights how injuries and personnel moves keep the NFL unpredictable and can reshape teams’ strategies midseason.
Source: www.foxsports.com
