The injury report coming our of Sunday of Week 7 of the NFL season has some big names at the top of it and some potentially season-altering injuries for several teams throughout the league. The most serious looking situation of the weekend occurred in the Jets vs. Steelers Sunday Night Football game when New York guard Xavier Newman was carted off the field on a backboard and taken to a Pittsburgh hospital with a neck injury. Fortunately, initial reports say that Newman was conscious and was moving his limbs as he was taken from Acrisure Stadium.
Other stars, including Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and San Francisco’s Brandon Ayiuk all left their games early on Sunday with injuries as well. Here’s a look at some of the news and notes coming out of Week 7.
Xavier Newman released from Pittsburgh hospital
The scary scene that unfolded at Acrisure Stadium wound up being precautionary. Jets guard Xavier Newman underwent testing after a neck injury and tests came back negative for major injury. He was able to return to New York with the team following the Jets’ 37-15 loss to the Steelers. While the Jets did confirm the neck injury after the game, the extent of the injury is not yet known.
Jeff Ulbrich provides an update on injuries, including Xavier Newman, who will be travelling back with the team after sustaining a neck injury: pic.twitter.com/GEJ8UDqz0a
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 21, 2024
Deshaun Watson feared to have torn Achillies
Another potentially crushing injury for the Browns’ quarterback, who’s career has been marred by scandal, suspension and long-term stays on injured reserve. Watson was carted off the field during Cleveland’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals after going down with a non contact injury. Browns’ coach Kevin Stefanski says the team fears it is an Achilles tear, which would cost Watson the rest of the 2024 season — at the very least. In his three years in Cleveland, after signing a five-year, $230 million contract, Watson has played in only six games in each of the three years.
49ers believe Brandon Aiyuk may have ACL injury
In what would be another crushing blow to the 49ers offense, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may have suffered a torn ACL in San Francisco’s 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Kyle Shanahan said as much after the game — a game that Jauan Jennings missed with a hip injury and in which Deebo Samuel only played three plays after coming down win an illness on Sunday. The 49ers offense has been decimated by injury this season with George Kittle having missed a game and Christian McCaffrey not having played at all in 2024 because of Achillies tendonitis.
Jayden Daniels exits early with rib injury
The leading candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year left Washington’s 40-7 blowout win over Carolina with a rib injury. While they didn’t miss a beat without him in the comfortable win, any time on the injury report could be short lived — that’s if his mom is to be taken at her word. During the game the posted “He’s fine” on X (formerly Twitter), and Daniels finished the game on the sidelines in warmups.