NFL Week 4 injury updates show multiple high-panic losses across league
Several teams entered Week 4 with key players sidelined by injuries, including high-severity ACL tears for De'Von Achane, Baker Mayfield and Brian Burns, while others face lower-level setbacks.
The Miami Dolphins lost running back De'Von Achane to a torn ACL in a 24-10 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving the struggling offense without its most explosive player. In Tampa Bay, quarterback Baker Mayfield dislocated a thumb on his throwing hand during a loss to the Minnesota Vikings; an MRI showed no fracture and the team expects him to miss three weeks.
New York Giants pass rusher Brian Burns also suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a win over the Tennessee Titans, adding to the Giants' recent quarterback loss. The New York Jets reported that running back Breece Hall sustained a right-quad injury but is expected to return week to week.
The Minnesota Vikings said wide receiver Justin Jefferson sprained his ankle but is expected to be ready for the upcoming game, while San Francisco’s Mike Evans was listed as day-to-day with a rib strain. Las Vegas Raiders wideout Jack Bech broke his forearm and could return later in the season.
Saint Louis’s Travis Etienne Jr. suffered a hamstring strain and will miss an unspecified amount of time, and Washington’s linebacker Leo Chenal underwent season-ending neck surgery after a Week 3 injury. The Baltimore Ravens lost both starting centers, Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic, to ankle and knee injuries respectively, prompting a reshuffle of the offensive line.
Carolina Panthers cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson were sidelined with a quad and a groin injury, raising concerns for a defense already ranked among the league’s worst. Tennessee Titans rookie right guard Fernando Carmona sprained an ankle, and backup Jackson Slater sustained a foot injury, leaving the line with limited depth.
"He avoided anything long term. It's just going to be about progressing throughout the week and where we can get him to from a standpoint of getting the swelling out and then what kind of work week he can have," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said about Jefferson's ankle.
"The MRI showed no fracture, no ligament nor tendon damage," an ESPN report noted regarding Mayfield's thumb injury.
The injury list highlights a mix of high-panic (ACL tears, season-ending surgeries) and lower-panic (sprains, strains) concerns as teams head into the next round of games.