Welcome to the fantasy football IR injury report. Injuries are all too common in professional football. Sometimes, they are long-lasting, requiring NFL teams to place players on the injured reserve. In this column, we will provide weekly updates on every relevant fantasy football player on injured reserve.
Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans (NFI)
Joe Mixon is out for at least the first four games of the season as he was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list on Tuesday. The details surrounding how the injury occurred still have not been shared publicly, and there is some doubt as to whether he will suit up this season at all.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio was noncommittal about whether Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon will play in 2025.
Story via @Djbienaime:https://t.co/ZZUsqNxk1x
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2025
The injury was confirmed to be related to his ankle, and when asked about a potential return timeline, Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio was non-committal. “We’ll see, we’ll take it one day at a time,” Caserio said, according to ESPN.
RBs Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce will see the bulk of the workload for however long Mixon is out. If either of them were also to be sidelined, rookie Woody Marks, as well as veteran journeyman Dare Ogunbowale’s stock would rise as well.
Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans (PUP)
Tank Dell was officially placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning he will also miss the Texans’ first four contests of the 2025 campaign, though there is some doubt he returns at all this season. That would be understandable given the fact that he tore his ACL, damaged his MCL, LCL, and meniscus, and dislocated his kneecap.
Houston brought in Christian Kirk, Justin Watson, and Braxton Berrios to address his absence and the departure of Stefon Diggs. They also drafted Iowa State receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the second and third rounds of the draft.
WR1 Nico Collins will remain QB CJ Stroud’s favorite target, while Higgins and Kirk should compete for WR2 status in Dell’s absence.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans officially moved Tyjae Spears to the IR before the start of the season, meaning he will be eligible to return for their week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals at the earliest.
Tony Pollard will see the majority of snaps at RB, while Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings will serve as backups in Spears’ absence.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers (PUP)
Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in week 7 last season against the Kansas City Chiefs and will officially start the season on the PUP list. He won’t be eligible to play until at least week 5, but the San Francisco 49ers are thinking a week 6 return for their matchup against Tampa Bay may be more likely.
Brandon Aiyuk running routes pregame. #49ers | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/NGoief7dnf
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) August 16, 2025
Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers placed Jalen Coker on IR due to a quad injury suffered during practice on the last Thursday in August. They re-signed WR Hunter Renfrow, who was with the team through training camp and the preseason, and will now fill in for Coker while he is sidelined.
Carolina’s young core of receivers in Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan will also have a bigger role in the passing game while Coker is on the shelf.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers (PUP)
Christian Watson was officially placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning the earliest he can return is in the Green Bay Packers’ Week 6 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers have their bye week during Week 5.
Packers QB Jordan Love will be targeting Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and first-round pick Matthew Golden until Watson returns. However, Reed and Wicks are dealing with foot and calf injuries (respectively) of their own, so TE Tucker Kraft’s usage may be increased in the early going. The same can be said for RB Josh Jacobs, who is always a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
The Packers also placed MarShawn Lloyd on the IR, which is where he has spent nearly all of his young career. Jacobs is, of course, going to be the workhorse here; his stock value increases a bit while Lloyd is sidelined. For now, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks will be backing him up.
Like teammate Watson, Lloyd will also miss the first four games of the season. When he does return, he’ll likely be battling Wilson for the backup role. Lloyd certainly has potential; he just happens to have terrible luck with the injury bug.
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Tuesday that Chris Godwin passed his physical, allowing him to be activated off the PUP list to start the season. It still sounds like he will most likely not be suiting up until October, but there is potential optimism for a slightly earlier return.
CHRIS GODWIN
11 receptions
125 yards
2 TDs
35.5 fantasy pointsSTEAL. OF. THE. DRAFT.pic.twitter.com/0ALZBS1VFm
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) October 13, 2024
Mike Evans and rookie Emeka Egbuka will see the bulk of the targets among wideouts, while Jalen McMillan is also out to start the year.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Speaking of McMillan, he is starting the season on the IR, meaning he won’t be playing until at least Week 5 either. However, reports out of Bucs camp suggest the sophomore wide receiver will be sidelined for at least half the season, if not longer. Keep an eye on veteran Sterling Shepard and Tez Johnson to fill in while McMillan is out.
Suspended Players: Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice was finally dealt his suspension for personal misconduct, with the NFL deciding on six games, making him eligible to return for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 7 contest against the divisional rival Las Vegas Raiders.
Rashee Rice still has that burst even after the injury. He’s going to have top 5 WR production this yr. pic.twitter.com/g9f9biYXbb
— Robert (@RobertRaymond46) August 24, 2025
In his absence, sophomore wideout Xavier Worthy will be the WR1, while Hollywood Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster will be seeing more targets to start the 2025 campaign. And of course, QB Patrick Mahomes’ good ol’ pal, TE Travis Kelce, will still have his fair share of looks as well.
Demarcus Robinson, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Demarcus Robinson was suspended for three games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ricky Pearsall (a solid sleeper candidate) looks primed to take a leap and potentially be the WR2 (when Brandon Aiyuk returns from his injury), especially with Jajuan Jennings recently asking for a trade. Amidst all the uncertainty, veteran wideout Russell Gage Jr. just returned to the 53-man roster, so keep an eye on him and Skyy Moore to fill in for Robinson.
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Addison will miss the Minnesota Vikings’ first three games due to his suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He will be eligible to return in Minnesota’s Week 4 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watch for TE T.J. Hockenson to step up and bounce back from a rough year in Addison’s absence. Fellow WR Jalen Nailor will need to pick up the slack as well for first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that old reliable Adam Thielen is back in town. But obviously, the passing game will funnel through elite WR1 Justin Jefferson.
