Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL WRs: Week 5 Updates for Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans, Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb

WR fantasy football injury updates and reports for wide receivers in Week 5 (2025), as of September 30, including Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans, Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb.

It's usually a good thing when these injury articles are shorter than normal, but that's typically the case this early in the season. It's not until later in the year that we start to see the injuries pile up, as players continue to play through various minor to moderate injuries.

Playing in the NFL is about playing through pain, with multiple injuries to multiple parts of the body, and still succeeding. The short turnaround between games simply doesn't give players enough time to fully recover from even minor injuries sometimes.

But though this list of hurt players isn't terribly long, there are two star WRs, in particular, for there is very bad news on. For fantasy managers, it will have serious implications for the rest of the season. So, let's dive into one of the least fun, but most important articles to read for Week 5 -- a wide receiver injury report summary.

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Malik Nabers Injury Update

Nabers (knee) will sadly miss the remainder of the 2025 season. On a long downfield pass, the second-year pro leapt up to try to high-point a pass, but fell awkwardly on his leg and crumpled to the ground, clutching his knee. The fears of the worst were later confirmed -- the stud wideout had torn his ACL.

Another angle. Cart coming back immediately is not a good sign for Malik Nabers https://t.co/bY7sRD6ZQL pic.twitter.com/8fkW71JbxS

— Jake Pulis, PT, DPT (@FantasyInjuryPT) September 28, 2025

Non-contact plants with the ground are often the cause of injuries such as these, and MetLife Stadium, where the Giants play, is notorious for its turf purportedly being the cause of a higher rate of injuries. Nabers' knee is the latest casualty of this.

No player has torn their ACL and returned to play in the same season, so it's over. No. 1 was placed on season-ending injured reserve. He'll look to rehab and get back on the field for the start of the 2026 NFL season.

Tyreek Hill Injury Update

Hill (knee), like Nabers, won't play another down in 2025. His injury was much more gruesome and much more severe -- after making a catch near the sideline, Hill was tackled and pushed out of bounds, where his left leg planted at an incredibly awkward angle and later completely dislocated at the knee.

If you're squeamish, you might not want to hit play on the above video. Hill reportedly both dislocated his knee and suffered multiple ligament tears, including to his ACL. It's possible he tore one or more of his MCL, LCL, and PCL, damaged his posterolateral corner, and damaged his meniscus, too.

We may not know the true extent of his knee damage at any point. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) tore both his ACL and MCL, which was widely reported by the media, but he suffered significant damage to his meniscus, which we didn't know until he confirmed it himself in a video.

Hill's career could be seriously harmed by his injury, as he's 31 years old. He'll be 32 to start next season. His days as a league-winner are almost certainly over.

CeeDee Lamb Injury Update

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (ankle) doesn't seem likely to return in Week 5 right now. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 3 and wasn't able to take the field again in Week 4. Typically, players miss at least two weeks with high-ankle sprains, and often are out for even longer.

Our angle of the CeeDee Lamb injury

(🎥 @Chris_Hanks5 ) pic.twitter.com/e8rvr6PQhi

— Jeff Kolb (@JeffKolbFOX4) September 22, 2025

But Lamb not being placed on injured reserve is a good sign that he won't miss any more than four games. It seems that he'll return after at most three contests. Lamb suffered the injury when his foot was trapped under a defender's leg as he made the tackle, and it bent at an extremely awkward angle.

There hasn't been clear news on Lamb's exact return date for now.

Terry McLaurin Injury Update

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (quad) missed one game due to a quadriceps injury on a play in which he tried to extend for a touchdown catch. The TD was then overturned at the referees' discretion, adding insult to injury.

There's at least some positive news, though. It doesn't look like "Scary Terry" will miss more time. According to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, the longtime vet is trending in the right direction to return in Week 5. He should be locked into fantasy football starting lineups for the upcoming slate of games.

Mike Evans Injury Update

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) is dealing with yet another hamstring injury and wasn't able to play in Week 4. He pulled up on one of his routes with the injury in Week 3 and was pulled from the game. He wasn't able to return.

Evans missed three contests and four total weeks in 2024 due to another hamstring issue. He's actually had problems with his hamstrings dating back to 2019, so his suffering from another injury of the same type at the age of 32 isn't a great sign.

Mike Evans injurypic.twitter.com/tASybXFcWV https://t.co/i1DkBjRqs0

— Pick 6 Pack (@Pick6PackFB) September 21, 2025

We don't expect Evans to return in Week 5, but the good news is that he indicated that the injury wasn't as bad as the one that caused him to miss three games last season. It's possible he could make it back by Week 6, though Week 7 is a more conservative timeline. We'll have to wait and see.

Ricky Pearsall Injury Update

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) now joins a long list of 49ers players who are dealing with injuries. On the offensive side of the ball, the team's top-2 WRs, its starting tight end, and its starting quarterback are all dealing with significant ailments that could cause them to miss time.

I'm not optimistic about his chances of playing in Week 5. The short turnaround and the ligament damage he suffered aren't a good combination. You should definitely assume that he won't play in the upcoming game and look for other substitutions for your fantasy lineups.

If he does play, he could have one of the dreaded "Shanahan Specials" or a game in which head coach Kyle Shanahan has him play but uses him as a decoy to try to draw away coverages from his team's other pass-catchers. I find it hard to trust starting him.

Jauan Jennings Injury Update

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs) has now had at least three documented injuries through his first four games of the season. He previously dealt with a shoulder injury, and that might not be fully healed up, though he's not listed on the injury report for it.

He's now dealing with the ankle injury he suffered a few weeks ago and a rib issue that popped up more recently. The 49ers play on Thursday Night Football, and Jennings missed practice on Tuesday. He's been playing through multiple injuries at this point.

#JauanJennings
Big hit with possible lower rib fracture pic.twitter.com/pRBs6uXmZc

— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 28, 2025

Jennings took a shot to the midsection on the play that injured him, which you can see above. It seems unlikely that he'll take the field for the Thursday game, so if you have him on any of your fantasy rosters, you should look for a potential replacement.

Though Jennings himself apparently said he's likely to play on Thursday, we'll just have to see.

Cedric Tillman Injury Update

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (hamstring) had an injury entering last week's game that wasn't a big concern. His current injury definitely is. Tillman is dealing with a hamstring strain or similar injury that will knock him out of action for at least a few weeks.

#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that WR Cedric Tillman and DeAndre Carter both suffered multiple week injuries and are out for Week 5.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 29, 2025

Tillman was subsequently placed on injured reserve. He'll now miss at least the next four weeks, and possibly longer. We'll have to wait until that time has passed to know more about his possible return date, as hamstring injuries can often hold players out for even longer than the required time.

Cedric Tillman’s injury sucks, but more opportunities for Isaiah Bond is great for the #Browns offense

Per Next Gen Stats Bond currently leads the team in average separation yards (3)

He also has the longest reception all season (35) its time to up his targets #Dawgpound pic.twitter.com/57TehjEhs5

— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) September 30, 2025

As a side note, if you need a replacement, you should probably go grab Browns WR Isaiah Bond on waivers or in free agency.

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