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Nicho's NFL injury status updates and expected return dates for key injured NFL players in Week 2 of 2025. Fantasy football injury updates for George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Brock Bowers, more
Welcome to Week 2, RotoBallers! Doesn't it feel great to have the NFL back? Sundays are certainly more exciting when we get to cheer on our favorite teams, enjoy some appetizing meals, and watch our fantasy teams perform after weeks (or months) of studying up on who to draft.
Now that we have a week of games under our belt, here at RotoBaller, we have more data to help our followers make more informed decisions about how to manage their rosters. While it's important not to overreact to Week 1, some certainties emerged, notably a handful of injuries to key players.
In Week 1 of this weekly column, I discussed a handful of players and their estimated return dates, and recommended whether to stash or drop them. Additionally, I discussed the primary beneficiaries of these player injuries. In this article, I will continue to do so in hopes of helping you build a competitive fantasy team from week to week and navigate these unfortunate injuries. Keep following @RotoBallerNFL and me, @NichoRoessler, on X to stay updated with the latest NFL content. Let's dive in!
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George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
One of the more notable injuries in Week 1 was to All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who strained his hamstring in the first half of the 49ers' game against the Seattle Seahawks after dominating the first part of the game, hauling in all four of his targets for 25 yards and a touchdown. He was on his way to a big game before a non-contact injury to his hamstring landed him a trip to the Injured Reserve, and he is now out for a minimum of four games.
Reports initially suggested three to five weeks, so it makes sense why he was placed on the IR. Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges replaced Kittle and appear to be the leading candidates for tight end targets for the 49ers moving forward. Tonges appears to have a leg up on Farrell, as he hauled in a game-winning touchdown in Week 1 and saw two more targets than Farrell, but nobody benefits more from this than wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings.
Kittle is a massive loss for the 49ers' offense, who also lost Brock Purdy (toe) for two to five weeks with turf toe, which we will discuss more below. At this time, Kittle and Purdy are both expected to return around the same time in Week 5 or 6, depending on how things progress.
49ers placing TE George Kittle (hamstring) on IR. (via @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/hIAhkjTSIk
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
Kittle was highly regarded as a top-3 tight end in fantasy football this season, after posting 1,106 receiving yards, eight touchdowns, and 78 receptions on 94 targets in 15 games played in 2024. Additionally, the departure of Deebo Samuel Sr. opened the door for Kittle to dominate targets in the short and intermediate routes.
Fantasy Impact:
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Short-Term: Pearsall, Jennings, Tonges, and Farrell all see an uptick in expected targets.
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Long-Term: Kittle remains an elite tight end and will regain his TE1 status once he returns.
- Estimated Return Date: Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Verdict: Do not drop him, stash him in your IR or hold on your bench.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers' Week 1 victory over the Seattle Seahawks came at a cost, as they lost Kittle, as discussed above, but reports also popped up earlier in the week that quarterback Brock Purdy was dealing with a foot and shoulder injury. Purdy has since been officially ruled out for Week 2, and according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Purdy will likely miss the next two to five weeks with turf toe.
Purdy was okay against the Seahawks in Week 1, completing 26 of 35 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. His final touchdown pass went to Tonges late in the fourth quarter to give the 49ers a 17-13 lead. He added 17 rushing yards on the ground on five attempts as well, which is what made Purdy a decent value pick in drafts this season.
Mac Jones is now set to step up as the team's QB1, and although many may think that is a downgrade, Pearsall will remain in the WR2 conversations, and Jennings (shoulder) will remain in the WR3 conversations for Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. On the other hand, Jones will be a low-end QB2. Jones does not provide fantasy managers with much, if any, rushing upside, but he does like to pepper his wide receivers, which was evident with Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024 when Trevor Lawrence got hurt.
BREAKING: 49ers QB Brock Purdy is expected to be out 2-5 weeks with a turf toe variant, per @RapSheet.
Mac Jones is in line to get the start in place of Purdy for Week 2. pic.twitter.com/gs5yZhelAI
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 11, 2025
Turf toe is a challenging injury to recover from due to the limited rehab options available; it primarily involves rest and preventing the injury from worsening. At the same time, this also means Purdy has a better chance of returning within the two-to-three-week timeframe compared to Kittle, who landed on the IR.
Fantasy Impact:
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Short-Term: Mac Jones is a low-end QB2, and receiver Pearsall remains in the WR2 conversation, and Jennings remains in the WR3 conversation. Tight ends Farrell and Tonges are touchdown-dependent fliers with limited upside.
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Long-Term: Purdy likes to use his legs, and once he returns, he will be back to his low-end QB1 status because of his rushing upside.
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Estimated Return Date: TBD; however, likely looking at Week 4 or 5, depending on how he heals from the foot injury.
Verdict: In shallow leagues (10-team leagues), he could be dropped, but in two QB leagues or 12-plus team leagues, stash him on your IR spot.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs' second-year wide receiver from Texas is officially doubtful to play against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. Worthy sustained a dislocated shoulder in last Friday's game in Brazil and exited in the first quarter of that contest after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce. He underwent additional testing, which revealed a fairly significant shoulder injury.
Although Worthy practiced on Thursday and Friday, his doubtful status makes it seem likely he will not suit up. The hope for Worthy is that he can return with a brace in the coming weeks, which will likely limit his range of motion and ability to catch contested balls. Worthy was hurt early in the game in Week 1, and Marquise Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster were the primary beneficiaries of the injury.
Brown led the NFL with 16 targets in Week 1, while Smith-Schuster hauled in all five of his targets. Both of these receivers get an uptick in value heading into Week 2, and nobody more than Brown. Additionally, Kelce could see an uptick in targets as well.
While Worthy is expected to miss Week 2, initially, it seemed inevitable he would be out multiple weeks, so the fact that he came somewhat close to playing in Week 2 is encouraging for his outlook in Week 3 or 4.
#Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy was practicing again today - with less padding on his injured right shoulder.
Based on the one-handed catch...seems like the rehab process is going well so far. #ChiefsKingdom @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/iLbTt9e4Nm
— Matt Foster (@MattFosterTV) September 12, 2025
Worthy came into the 2025 season with high hopes after seeing 98 targets and hauling in 59 of them for 638 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie campaign.
Fantasy Impact:
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Short-Term: Brown, Smith-Schuster, and Kelce should see more volume in the passing game.
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Long-Term: Once Worthy returns, he will go back to a high-end WR3/Flex option.
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Estimated Return Date: Week 3 against the New York Giants or Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens
Verdict: Worthy offers significant upside in this Chiefs offense - make sure you stash him on your IR or bench.
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Update - According to Anthony Galaviz, Brock Bowers (knee) is expected to play on Monday evening when the Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers despite carrying a questionable tag.
Las Vegas Raiders second-year star tight end Brock Bowers downplayed his knee injury after getting hurt in the season-opening win over the New England Patriots in Week 1. Bowers did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, officially making his Week 2 status very uncertain.
Should Bowers miss Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, Michael Mayer would get the start at tight end and presumably see an uptick in targets. If Bowers misses any time, Mayer could be a sneaky streamer in the short term. In addition, wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Dont'e Thornton Jr. will be set up to earn more targets in the passing game.
Bowers appears to have avoided a serious injury for now, but his situation remains uncertain, given the risky nature of knee injuries. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his situation closely as the weekend goes on and make sure to have a contingency plan in place.
#Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee) not practicing again Friday.
Says he’s “working on it” and hopes to be good to go for Monday Night Football vs. the Chargers. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/4kzkuQbi3z
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) September 12, 2025
Bowers broke out in a big way in his rookie season in 2024, seeing 153 targets and catching 112 of them for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns, which earned him a high-end TE1 ranking coming into the 2025 season.
Fantasy Impact:
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Short-Term: Mayer will step in as the team's starting tight end, and Meyers/Thornton should get an uptick in targets.
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Long-Term: At this point, it's somewhat unclear, but the fact that nothing has been deemed torn is a positive sign that he will try to play through it. However, his production and workload could take a hit if he tries to play on it. Regardless, if Bowers plays, fantasy managers shouldn't second-guess starting him.
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Estimated Return Date: TBD. However, at the time this article is written, it could be either Week 2 against the Chargers or Week 3 against the Washington Commanders.
Verdict: Start Bowers if he plays, but proactively search the waiver wire for tight ends like Brenton Strange, Harold Fannin Jr., Juwan Johnson, or Mayer.
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