NFL Injury Report – Is Luther’s Injury a Burden to the Bears?

Welcome to the Fantrax NFL Injury Report. In today’s edition, the Chiefs are hoping to get Patrick Mahomes back sooner rather than later. The Bears still believe that Luther Burden III will be ready for Week 1, and the Lions don’t seem overly concerned about Isaiah Pacheco’s knee sprain, but should they? You can read about all of this and so much more in the latest NFL Injury Report from Fantrax.

NFL Injury Report

Patrick Mahomes – QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes has been steadily checking off the boxes on his road to recovery. He has been cleared to practice in full and has been participating in 11-on-11 drills in camp. Still, he doesn’t yet know if he will participate in any of the preseason games, something he has typically done throughout his career. While being a non-participant in exhibition games isn’t necessarily the biggest setback, it does indicate that he isn’t quite ready for full in-game contact. Still, there’s about a month left until Week 1, and that’s the most important hurdle for him to clear. He is trending in the right direction to be cleared for the start of the season.

Luther Burden III – WR, Chicago Bears

Chicago WR Luther Burden III is expected to miss the preseason due to the strained groin injury he suffered Saturday, but the Bears believe he should be back for the team’s regular-season opener vs. the Panthers, per sources. pic.twitter.com/o0w5V4oA8u

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 10, 2026

This isn’t insignificant, as Burden suffered a groin injury after practicing over the weekend. For him to miss an entire preseason’s worth of work means he will be behind entering the season. Whether or not he gets off to a slow start once he returns remains to be seen, but for a second-year player looking to take that next step into elite fantasy relevance, this is a bit of a bummer. We should know more about his recovery as time goes on, but the team remains confident in his ability to return in time for Week 1. In the meantime, the Bears will rely on Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and the running game to lead their attack, while the rest of the receiving corps has a chance to make a name for themselves this preseason.

Mike Evans – WR San Francisco 49ers

Mike Evans has now missed 5 straight practices due to his quad injury.

He has not practiced in 9 days. pic.twitter.com/hdvDlnSrcz

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 10, 2026

Sound the alarms, Mike Evans has missed over a week of practice! Not so fast. The team has said that they are being careful with him in an effort to prevent something more serious from happening. He is almost 33 years old, is on the downside of his career, and is one of their biggest offseason signings, so there is no real urgency to get him out there and practicing. He is a veteran who has managed these types of injuries before and has also managed to come through looking like a million bucks. There has been a recent dip in his ADP, and if that continues in the coming days, feel free to swoop in and benefit from this.

Isiah Pacheco – RB Detroit Lions

RB Isiah Pacheco has an MCL sprain but should be good to go by the start of the regular season, per Campbell

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) August 10, 2026

Despite the positive thinking here, this is something to be concerned about. Last season, Pacheco suffered a right MCL sprain, and because of that, he missed three weeks’ worth of action (four if you include the bye week). Now, we don’t know which knee he injured, nor do we know the seriousness of the situation. A reminder that in the preseason, everyone is in the best shape of their lives, and all teams are optimistic about every little thing that happens. That being said, it isn’t a sure thing that he will be on the field in Week 1.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2026 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!

George Kittle – TE San Francisco 49ers

#49ers star tight end George Kittle continues to make terrific progress working back from the torn Achilles he suffered in January and there’s a high level of confidence at this point that he’ll end up being able to play Week 1 vs. the #Rams, sources tell @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/UK7cBEzs24

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 10, 2026

Let’s start by saying that Kittle’s work in the offseason and progression at camp has been nothing short of amazing. If he does return to start the season, he would be bordering on beating the traditional timeline for returning to action from a torn Achilles, which is set at anywhere from 9 to 12 months of recovery. He has looked mobile, agile, and impressive with every hurdle he has taken on this summer. In fact, earlier this month he was seen running routes, catching passes, and conditioning himself much as a healthy player would. If anyone can do it, Kittle can, as he’s been able to overcome so much throughout his career. That being said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him miss one or two games, especially since Week 1 is overseas, to give him a little extra time to ensure that he is 100% when he does, in fact, play. Jake Tonges remains a viable option at the end of drafts, especially if you already roster Kittle.

Alec Pierce – WR Indianapolis Colts

Update: Alec Pierce did NOT receive a 2nd PRP shot this offseason post-surgery, per a league source.

The source from last night's report told IndyStar this AM it had misspoken. An additional source confirms Pierce hasn't had an operation since surgery. https://t.co/8yEG334bGU

— Nathan Brown (@By_NathanBrown) August 11, 2026

This is great news, contrary to what was reported earlier. The fact that Pierce has not needed additional injections or required additional follow-up procedures bodes well for the newly paid wide receiver in Indianapolis. That said, to not get ahead of ourselves, until a timeline for a return to the practice field is announced, we have to assume that the 26-year-old may be a little slow or behind out of the gate. He was spotted doing individual drills with cleats on, which is a great step in the right direction. The team believes that he will be ready, but nothing has yet been announced. There’s no guarantee that he starts the season on the field, and as such, Josh Downs could see additional reps and targets in his absence.

Quick Hits

• Malik Nabers has been doing well at camp and is trending toward being ready for Week 1.
• Tucker Kraft recently took part in practice while wearing pads and looked like himself again.
• Zac Charbonnet looks to be ahead of schedule and could be pulled off the PUP list and ready to play within the first four weeks of the season.
• Makai Lemon may miss some time to start the season, making Dontayvion Wicks the Eagles’ second option at wide receiver.
• Kenyon Sadiq is recovering from offseason hernia surgery, and while he’s only progressed to jogging along the sidelines, he is still expected to be ready for Week 1.
• Jalen McMillan was seen doing drills at practice, leading to the belief that his knee injury isn’t that serious.