
Fantasy football WR injury updates and reports for Week 1 (2025), as of 9/3. Includes updates on Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Tetairoa McMillan, Stefon Diggs, and more.
We're so, so close to the start of the 2025 NFL season. After what seems like an eternity of waiting, the season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys is rapidly approaching, and the first full Sunday slate of games will come just a few days later.
Football is a tough sport to play that leads to many injuries, though, and in fantasy football, it's important to always stay updated on players who are suffering from injuries. This is especially true for players you intend to start. And even though players haven't played a regular-season game in months, that doesn't mean they're all perfectly healthy.
Unfortunately, training camp, practices, preseason games, and even private workouts can lead to injuries that players can potentially miss time from. And at the all-important wide receiver position, these can have a big impact on your starting lineups. So, let's break down injury updates for key receivers ahead of Week 1.
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Justin Jefferson Injury Update
Jefferson (hamstring) was sidelined for a few weeks with a hamstring injury earlier in the offseason. He's still on the injury report, but returned to practice over two weeks ago. There haven't been any major concerns about his injury affecting his availability for Week 1.
In fact, in an interview, Jefferson stated that this hamstring issue wasn't as severe as the one that landed him on injured reserve and knocked him out of seven games in the 2023 season. The team seems to want to be cautious with his ailment, and that's normal for star players in the offseason. It's not like Jefferson is in desperate need of more practice reps.
Justin Jefferson talking to reporters after his first day back at practice. Said the hamstring injury this time wasn’t as bad as the one in 2023. He’ll continue to work on strengthening his hamstrings going forward. pic.twitter.com/0XTRROswpR
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) August 18, 2025
We don't have much more reliable information than that. There is speculation that his injury could be part of a larger, more concerning problem, though. He's had multiple hamstring issues in the past. We'll have to hope these don't recur, but for now, Jefferson appears to be on track to take the field in Week 1 without limitations.
Tyreek Hill Injury Update
Hill (oblique) has been no stranger to injuries in recent times. He battled through wrist and foot injuries last season, and his production took a big hit, though we don't know if that's purely because of ailments or due to other problems.
#Dolphins Tyreek Hill - Oblique likely wouldn't cause missed time or dip by Wk 1. Suspect '24 drop-off = related to wrist injury. Avoiding due to mentality, not injury#Texans Joe Mixon - Unclear details. If active early, suspect volume dip + high in-season re-injury risk
4/10 pic.twitter.com/BBjcJSTPg2
— Deepak Chona, MD. SMA (@SportMDAnalysis) August 13, 2025
Hill's current oblique injury hasn't been reported as a major concern. He's a 31-year-old NFL player, so at this point in his career, injuries have been racking up for well over a decade, and this issue could be anything, really. We don't have more details than that.
It's probably not something that will threaten him with missed time, though, so fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about that yet. Oblique injuries don't tend to cause players to miss extended time. Hill missed three weeks of practice, but returned on August 28th. The Dolphins could just be exercising extreme caution with their top wideout.
A.J. Brown Injury Update
Brown dealt with a hamstring injury for a few weeks, but was removed from the injury report altogether on Monday. The Eagles were likely playing it as safe as possible with their star wideout, who happens to be one of the league's best pass-catchers.
Brown is no stranger to hamstring injuries, nor are many of the league's receivers, but he's now fully healthy. There should be no expected workload limitations for the seventh-year pro, and he could be in line to have a huge game against his divisional rival to open the season.
AJ Brown is back practicing after missing time with a hamstring injury pic.twitter.com/tGJktJE9OO
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 10, 2025
Tetairoa McMillan Injury Update
McMillan (hamstring) has also been nursing a hamstring injury. He missed over a week of practices due to his injury, but returned to practice around a week ago, though he's still listed on the injury report. McMillan, the second receiver selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, obviously hasn't played a down in the NFL regular season yet.
It's the first injury he's suffered after being drafted, and he played in all 12 of his college team's games in 2024. His injury history throughout college is actually surprisingly light, so it was a bit unexpected that he got hurt in the preseason. Still, the injury doesn't appear to be major.
Arizona star receiver Tetairoa McMillan suffered a left leg injury last Saturday and “had a little procedure” on Wednesday, said head coach Brent Brennan.
“He’s in good spirits, he’s a total warrior, and we expect him back for the season.” pic.twitter.com/B5RqkB2T8Q
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) April 26, 2024
McMillan's previous procedure shouldn't be much of a concern, and neither should his current hamstring issue. Expect him on the field in Week 1.
Stefon Diggs Injury Update
Diggs (knee) tore his ACL in Week 8 of the 2024 season, which knocked him out for the rest of the games that year. Yet, he's reportedly been "ahead of schedule" in his recovery so far, and more recently, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said he's on track to play in Week 1.
It's been a quicker-than-normal recovery from such an injury, and it's reasonable to assume that Diggs' athletic capabilities will be diminished from last season when he starts the year. He's also 31 years old, so that will make it more difficult to return to his previous level of play, if he's capable of doing so.
Mike Vrabel expects Stefon Diggs to be ready for Week 1 👀
(via @TheGregHillShow) pic.twitter.com/OjwChmeU7d
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) September 2, 2025
But, barring another setback, he'll take the field on Sunday when the Patriots face the Las Vegas Raiders, and should immediately be New England's clear top target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Chris Godwin Injury Update
Godwin (ankle) suffered a dislocated (and possibly broken) ankle in Week 7 of last season. His lower leg was pinned under the body of a tackling defender, and was snapped sideways. The gruesome injury will now cause the veteran to miss at least a few weeks to start the 2025 season.
As of right now, he's expected to return in Week 5 at the earliest, though it could take a bit longer. We likely won't know his exact return date until much closer to that time, so be sure to stay updated. Players with such severe injuries taking around a year to return isn't an unprecedented thing.
Remain incredibly confused by the entire Chris Godwin (dislocated ankle, fractured fibula, torn deltoid, high ankle) runout.
* Why give him $44M guaranteed in March?
* Why not put him on PUP if he has no chance to be back by Week 5+? https://t.co/6b2DfEMYOR— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) August 28, 2025
The situation is a bit odd, though, as fantasy analyst Adam Levitan points out. If he's sure to miss at least four weeks, it would make sense for the Bucs to place him on injured reserve. This might suggest he has a chance of returning sooner, but don't hold your breath.
Josh Downs Injury Update
Downs (hamstring) missed practice time due to a hamstring injury. Not much other information, if any, has been released about his current ailment. But the media spotted him back at practice on August 28th, as the below post shows.
I see Colts WR Josh Downs and S Nick Cross (hip) at practice today. Cross has been nursing an injury since training camp. pic.twitter.com/1fGnkn2QVP
— Akeem Glaspie (@THEAkeemGlaspie) August 28, 2025
There haven't been reports of him potentially missing time. A lot of WRs seem to be dealing with hamstring injuries right now. The Colts have plenty of other WRs to lean on to keep practices smooth, so they might just be cautious with Downs right now. He's not expected to miss Week 1.
Marvin Mims Jr. Injury Update
Mims (groin) left his team's practice on August 27th with a groin injury, but was expected to return to the field on Monday to resume training with the team. He did so, and his status for Week 1 doesn't appear to be in jeopardy. His injury doesn't seem to be a big deal, and he should play in Week 1.
Broncos WR Marvin Mins left practice today with a groin injury, the team still is evaluating him, but it is said to be “not overly concerned.” pic.twitter.com/wWQQn1EoRL
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2025
Brandon Aiyuk Injury Update
Aiyuk tore his ACL, MCL, and damaged his meniscus in a devastating blow to his 2025 prospects back in Week 7 of 2024. A defender collided with his knee while his leg was planted in the ground, and he had season-ending surgery to address the issue and put him on the path to recovery.
He's now on the Reserve Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, a shift from the normal PUP list, which means he doesn't count against the team's roster limit -- but must miss at least four games to start the 2025 season. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that he's most likely to return in Week 6.
Brandon Aiyuk's estimated return will be around Week 6, per Kyle Shanahan.
His Yahoo ADP is 130 👀 pic.twitter.com/AwC2sSuged
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 11, 2025
For now, he can be stashed on IR spots in fantasy leagues in anticipation of his return. But once he comes back, it might take some time for him to get back in game shape, heal up more, rebuild chemistry with QB Brock Purdy, and regain his explosiveness. It remains to be seen how healthy he can get.
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