Early expectations on Melvin Gordon, Larry Fitzgerald, and Dalvin Cook. Updates on Aaron Rodgers, Carson Wentz, Leonard Fournette, Devonta Freeman, and others. Projected Week 3 availability for every key offensive and defensive player.

NOTE: During the regular season, this column is a living document through Tuesday morning. I'll be updating as needed after team press conferences, imaging reports, Monday Night Football injuries, etc. Major changes to the content will be noted in red.

Scroll to the bottom of this article for a quick look table of the week's most pressing injury situations and a review of players on injured reserve / PUP / NFI.

Footballguys will have close and detailed coverage of all injuries this season. Here's a look at my expected schedule. I will do my best to stick to this. Work and family responsibilities may sometimes cause brief delays.

Monday Injury Rounds: Posted Sunday night, updated through Tuesday AM. Detailed analysis of the week's injuries with table for quick review. Offensive injuries will be live Sunday night. Critical defensive and offensive line injuries will be added throughout the day on Monday. I'll be updating with news and analysis through Tuesday. Midweek Injury Expectations: Posted Wednesday night. Analysis of the practice participation report with a table including my projection of each injured player's likely game status. Will include discussion of any major breaking injury news. Sunday Gameday Expectations: Posted by Saturday afternoon, updated through Sunday morning inactives. Will include individual player blurbs with detailed thoughts on the week's injury news and my speculation on player availability and limitations. Will include table highlighting each day's practice participation, official game status, and my availability expectation.

I'll be contributing to our waiver wire podcast (Tuesday release) and our live Sunday morning pregame show (10 ET Sunday on YouTube). I will also be retweeting key pieces of news and my own reaction and analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter throughout the week.

INJURY ROUNDS

Joe Mixon | arthroscopic right knee surgery | Week-to-Week | Out Week 3

Mixon had a loose fragment removed from his knee joint on Saturday. The usual expectation for return after these procedures is 2-4 weeks, which is in line with what the team and national beat writers are reporting. Many players from multiple different positions have had similar surgeries over a bye week and recovered to play without missing time. If the inflammation in his joint improves quickly, there should not be a major loss in conditioning and a 2-3 week return is possible. If Mixon has any hiccups in his rehab, he may need an extra week of recovery. A shorter rehab would also suggest Mixon is ready to return to a near-full workload immediately. Finally, successful surgery and rehab would mean a low risk of recurrent knee issues this season.

todd gurley | muscle cramps | day-to-day | Probable Week 3

Dalvin Cook | left hamstring cramp | day-to-day | probable Week 3

Gurley left with cramps in the second half of a blowout and did not return. There's no indication of concern with him. Cook reached for the back of his left hamstring after an overtime run and walked off slowly. While a less common location for cramping, it's not unusual. Cook and the team said he had cramped after the game and there was no muscle strain. However, Cook did not return for the final two plays of that drive and the seven plays in the following drive in an overtime game. There's probably no concern with Cook either, but an early-week MRI and/or missed practice on Wednesday would heighten concern.

Melvin Gordon III | Strained neck | Day-to-Day | Probable Week 3

Gordon was hit on the back of the helmet midway through the fourth quarter and stayed down before walking off. After he reached the sideline, he showed teammates how his head was driven down toward his chest. Gordon probably has a strain of one of the muscles around his neck, though a stinger cannot be ruled out entirely. Gordon did not return to the game, although it's likely the Chargers chose to be cautious with a double-digit lead. The medical staff will re-evaluate Gordon on Monday. There's a slim chance an MRI will be necessary and he will have to prove he's recovered enough to protect his neck in game conditions, but don't expect Gordon to miss time.

larry fitzgerald | right hamstring strain | day-to-day | probable week 3

Fitzgerald was in and out of yesterday's game to have his right hamstring wrapped and managed. While he seemed to be limited at times, he finished the game. Fitzgerald has played through low-grade muscle strains effectively in the past. Barring an unexpectedly rough Monday morning, he should be available in Week 3.

Others of note:

***Antonio Brown was frustrated and limping on the sideline yesterday. He left without talking to reporters and the Steelers didn't report a specific injury. It's unclear whether his injury is an aggravation of his preseason quad strain. I'll update tomorrow with any report of a longer-term concern.

***Jay Ajayi was limited throughout the game by a back injury. He returned multiple times and was able to carry the ball six times after halftime. Back injuries can be tricky recoveries. Watch for news during the early week press conferences.

***LeSean McCoy struggled to get through post-game interviews after a second-half rib injury. Update: McCoy has cracked rib cartilage and is questionable for Week 3.

***Josh Gordon reported to the Browns' facility yesterday with an aggravation of his preseason hamstring soreness. The injury did not occur during team activities and the Browns are likely to trade him today.

***Mike Wallace suffered a right high ankle sprain and did not return. Expect him to miss at least a month pending further imaging on Monday. Update: Wallace has a fractured fibula. The Eagles have not placed him on injured reserve, but he is likely to miss at least six weeks.

Offensive line and defensive notes:

***Jaguars' tackle Cam Robinson suffered an ACL tear and is out for the season.

***The Tennessee offensive line was without Taylor Lewan (concussion), Jack Conklin (ACL rehab), and Dennis Kelly (viral illness) this week. Lewan didn't practice and his current status in the return-to-play protocol is unknown. Conklin continues to rehab. Both could be back soon but should be considered questionable for Week 3.

***Indianapolis offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo aggravated a hamstring strain during practice this week. He was nearly six weeks into rehabbing his initial injury and nearing a return. Unfortunately, aggravated injuries are often as severe as the initial strain and Castonzo may again miss multiple weeks.

***Eagles' tackle Jason Peters struggled to play effectively through a quad strain and will likely be limited in practice this week.

***Texans' edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney was a surprise inactive with an oblique strain.

Follow-up Appointments

Aaron Rodgers | Left knee injury | Day-to-Day | Probable Week 3

The reporting on Rodgers' injury was tough to decipher this week. Multiple national and local beat writers reported different possible diagnoses -- from sprains to strains to compression injuries and bone bruises. Rodgers mentioned his 2015 cleanup surgery often early in the week, implying a chronic component to the injury. Both Adam Schefter and Jay Glazer suggested Rodgers' injury was painful enough that most players would miss time. But Rodgers was active and played the whole game with a large stabilizing brace.

We've now seen Rodgers play six quarters over a seven-day period. Setting aside the confusing questions about his specific diagnosis, we're now able to assess Rodgers' mobility and effectiveness.

During the first two Green Bay offensive series, Rodgers was clearly working to find a comfort level. His footwork was stilted, his release was quick and out of sync. As the game progressed, however, Rodgers looked comfortable in a three-step drop from pistol and shotgun formations. He became more willing to move laterally and did not shy away from throwing in the face of pressure. Most importantly, there was no evidence Rodgers suffered any significant aggravation of his injury. He may not be fully recovered for multiple weeks but Rodgers proved he could protect himself in the pocket and remain effective on Sunday.

Carson Wentz | Left ACL reconstruction / LCL repair | Week-to-Week | questionable Week 3

There continue to be conflicting reports on Wentz's return-to-play timetable. However, momentum seems to be building for a return sooner than later. Doug Pederson refused to address specific questions about Wentz's status after the game but promised reporters an update on Monday. That's considerably more cordial than the prickly replies he's given to reporters over the past month. It's likely Pederson will tell reporters Wentz has been cleared for contact. And that's the final hurdle in Wentz's recovery. If his knee responds well, he should be cleared to play quickly. Whether that will happen for Week 3 remains questionable.

Despite the caution Philadelphia has shown and the consistent message that Wentz would not return until he was fully recovered, do not expect Wentz to be asked to run as frequently as he did before his injury.

Monday Update: Not only has Wentz been cleared for contact this week, the Eagles' team account tweeted Wentz will start Philadelphia's home matchup against Indianapolis. The Eagles are confident his knee has shown enough in non-contact drills to respond well to game speed. Pederson likened Wentz's return to those players returning in Week 1 with limited preseason time, telling reporters, "He's cleared to go, he goes." Pederson told reporters there would be no limitations on Wentz and he wouldn't coach scared. He then acknowledged it'll take Wentz time to reacclimate and suggested they'd do more max protection. Do not expect to see Wentz average four rush attempts per game as he did in 2018.

Leonard Fournette | right hamstring strain | week-to-week | questionable week 3

Fournette did not practice last week. Generally, that suggests a higher-grade injury needing more than one week to rehab. But Doug Marrone told reporters Fournette was running at full speed on Friday with trainers. If true, we could see Fournette back at practice on Wednesday and preparing to play against Tennessee in a home division matchup this week.

devonta freeman | right knee contusion | week-to-week | out week 3

Freeman reportedly has a bone bruise in his right knee. On Sunday morning, Adam Schefter reported Freeman would likely miss 2-3 weeks. For now, there's no indication Freeman's December MCL and PCL sprain played a role in this injury. But the state of Freeman's knee will be something to monitor over the next month. Freeman is said to be aggressively rehabbing in the hopes of returning as soon as possible. But rehab won't heal the knee contusion. It's more likely Freeman will miss four weeks than return in two weeks.

Greg Olsen | refractured right fifth metatarsal | week-to-week | Out week 3

Olsen needs a revision surgery to replace the screw and re-fixate the bone he broke last year. After consulting with his surgeon, Olsen has chosen to try to play through the injury after a 4-6 week period of rehabilitation. It's a gamble with a low likelihood of success. There isn't an optimistic comp for Olsen's decision.

Alshon Jeffery | right rotator cuff repair | Week-to-week | Questionable Week 3

Jeffery spoke with reporters last week but wouldn't comment on his return-to-play expectation. He has yet to be cleared for contact but continues to stay in condition and has returned to individual drills with his receiver group. Local reports are mixed on whether Jeffery has a chance to return in Week 3. Doug Pederson will update Jeffery's status on Monday.

Monday Update: Pederson told reporters Jeffery remains week-to-week.

marcus mariota | right ulnar nerve contusion | week-to-week | questionable week 3

Unfortunately, Mariota continued to have symptoms of numbness and weakness as the week progressed. Although he was active on Sunday, he did not take a snap. When nerve symptoms do not resolve quickly, it becomes difficult to predict when full sensation and strength will return. It nearly always becomes a week-to-week situation rather than day-to-day. That's where Mariota is now. He's questionable at best for Week 3.

Others of note:

***Darren Sproles did not practice all week and was inactive with a hamstring strain. If he's not back practicing on Wednesday, he could need multiple weeks of rehab.

***Marquise Goodwin returned to play in Week 1 with a quad bruise but could not practice or play.

Offensive line and defensive notes:

***Joey Bosa visited a foot specialist early last week. While he did not have surgery, Bosa is in a cast and will miss multiple weeks.

***Bobby Wagner often plays through soft tissue injuries whether he's been able to practice or not. That wasn't the case on Sunday. Wagner was inactive and is at risk of missing multiple weeks with a groin strain.

***Deion Jones was placed on injured reserve after surgery to address a foot injury. He's expected to be designated to return but will be out a minimum of eight weeks.

INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER

Injured Players Not on Active Roster

Check back for more injury analysis throughout training camp and follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news, commentary, and analysis of injury news around the NFL.

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