The first injury reports of the NFL season already draw a sharp contrast.
Dallas opened Wednesday with just one player not in full participation, while the Chargers listed four players as limited and the Vikings and Packers each entered their Week 1 matchup with notable names on the report. With the league now requiring three injury reports every week, the first one offered an early look at which teams are starting clean and which ones are already managing absences.
For the Cowboys, the early update was about as good as a team can ask for in September. The club’s first official injury report of the season came out Wednesday with only one player not in full participation, a sign of a relatively healthy roster as the opener approaches. Offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius was listed as limited because of a knee issue, but Dallas otherwise kept the report short.
There was also a bit of roster movement around the edges. The Cowboys placed Marist Liufau on IR-designated to return Sunday, which removes him from the active roster for now while keeping him eligible to come back later. Defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard also returned to practice, another small positive as Dallas works through the week.
The Chargers’ report looked busier from the start.
Los Angeles released its first injury report of the 2026 season and had four players limited in practice: Tuli Tuipulotu with a hip injury, Brenen Thompson with a hip injury, Keaton Mitchell with a hamstring issue and RJ Mickens with an ankle injury. The Bolts are still favored in their Week 1 matchup with the Cardinals, and they host Arizona Sunday at SoFi Stadium at 1:25 p.m. PT, but the injury list adds another layer to the opener.
That list matters because it is the first official snapshot of the season, and it came with multiple players not practicing fully. The Chargers also had Zach Bako-Bewele listed as questionable because of a knee injury, adding to the uncertainty around their availability as kickoff approaches.
The Vikings and Packers bring a different kind of tension into their matchup: not a long injury list on one side and a short one on the other, but a set of reports that could shape how both teams line up on Sunday.
Minnesota returned to practice Wednesday in advance of hosting Green Bay at 3:25 p.m. Sunday in Week 1. Three players — all rookies — appeared on the Vikings’ initial injury report, a detail that stands out because it puts first-year players on the list before the season has even settled in. The Vikings are preparing to open at home, but the early report shows they are not doing so without questions.
Green Bay’s report was not empty either. Aaron Banks, Javon Hargrave, Barryn Sorrell, Jacob Thomas and Devonte Wyatt were all limited, while Zach Bako-Bewele was listed as questionable because of a knee injury. That leaves both sides dealing with availability issues before a rivalry game that already carries its own weight.
The week’s final injury report will bring game designations for players dealing with injuries, but the first one already told the story clearly enough: Dallas is starting from a much cleaner place than the Chargers, while Minnesota and Green Bay are both heading into Sunday with enough names on the report to keep the matchup unsettled.