The Thursday practice report is in. Here's who's trending which way as it helps shed light on availability for the Week 1 Sunday slate.

Malik Nabers (NYG, WR) practiced fully Thursday and said his surgically repaired knee "feels good," but he declined to commit publicly to playing Sunday against the Cowboys.
My take: A full practice two days out plus Deepak's "likely playing" lean tells me he suits up. Expectations should still be tempered but if he’s active, you’re starting him.

Tua Tagovailoa (ATL, QB) strained his oblique in Thursday's practice and is now considered day-to-day, a fresh scare after Atlanta had already locked him in as the Week 1 starter over Michael Penix Jr.
My take: Obliques are sneaky for a QB since every throw torques the core. I think we may see third-string QB Cooper Rush this weekend if we don’t see Tua return to practice Friday.

Jeremiyah Love (ARI, RB) was limited again Thursday with the ankle that lingered through camp, though he was seen warming up beforehand and is trending toward playing in the opener.
My take: He's a round-3 back (ADP 31, RB15), but Deepak flags a dip in touches and efficiency that typically runs about four weeks post-return. I'd start the rookie as a flex with tempered expectations.

Zay Flowers (BAL, WR) upgraded to a full participant Thursday after the hamstring limited him earlier in the week, pointing him toward a clean Week 1.
My take: Full practice is the box I needed checked on a soft-tissue issue. Start him comfortably so long as Friday's report shows no setback.

A.J. Brown (NE, WR) and Sam Darnold (SEA, QB) both came out of the Seattle opener with timelines now attached: Brown is looking at roughly four weeks with a high-ankle sprain, while Darnold's hip is headed for imaging with at least one game already expected to be missed.
My take: End of day, not the worst news for either of them after the Wednesday night scares. High ankle sprains have lingering impacts but this shouldn’t impact more than the first half of the season. As for Darnold, a fracture could have been season ending. Rather, it looks to just be a couple games at most.

Elsewhere: Alvin Kamara (knee) stayed limited Thursday and is worth monitoring; Jakobi Meyers (thumb) and Alec Pierce (heel) were both limited but tracking to play; and Marvin Mims (foot) returned to full practice.

Dr. Deepak Chona is back with his data read on the injuries shaping Week 1 lineups. The rundown:

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN - Logged FP Wed. Consistent w/ reassuring comments. No dip projected.

Malik Nabers, WR, NYG - FP. Likely playing. Projects an up-and-down start with significant improvement Wk 4-6 onward.

Ashton Jeanty, RB, LV - FP. Logging a full practice on his first day back from the low-ankle sprain predicts no dip in touches or production.

Brock Bowers, TE, LV - Data favors a Wk 3 return, snaps + efficiency ramp avg ~3 wks. Some long-term concern given it's the same knee, but '26 concern is low.

Zay Flowers, WR, BAL - LP w/ hamstring. Comments suggest playing and low concern, but severity gets clearer with Thurs + Fri practice status.

Rome Odunze, WR, CHI - Reassuring that reports point to a calf, not the foot. LP Wed. Leans toward playing, but suspect a production dip.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, ARI - LP. Data favors playing but w/ a dip in touches + efficiency that typically lasts ~4 wks into a return.

Alec Pierce, WR, IND - LP Wed. Likely playing Wk 1, but expect the snap count to track with practice participation the rest of the week.

Sam Darnold, QB, SEA - Video concerning for hip subluxation, which puts the hip socket + labrum at risk. Likely headed for CT/MRI.

Deepak Chona is an Orthopedic Sports Surgeon by day, data-driven injury analyst by night. You can follow more of his insights at @SportMDAnalysis.

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