Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick’s injury is the biggest training camp story of the day, but there’s plenty of other injury-related news from around the NFL. As PFN’s Adam Beasley and Mike Kaye cover the Browns and Eagles training camps, respectively, on Tuesday, we’ll tour the league for the latest news items, beginning with an injury to Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer.
NFL training camp injury news: Jordan Poyer suffers elbow injury
Poyer left the Bills’ Tuesday practice in a sling after suffering an elbow injury in 11-on-11 drills. He has a hyperextended elbow and will miss a few weeks, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, which is a relatively upbeat outcome. Poyer is expected to be ready for Week 1.
If Poyer’s injury had proven serious, it would have represented a devastating outcome for the 31-year-old defensive back. Entering his contract year, Poyer had been angling for an extension. He held out of OTAs before reporting to Buffalo’s minicamp and training camp sessions.
The Bills are among the most complete teams in the NFL, but they don’t have a ton of depth at safety behind Poyer and Micah Hyde. Damar Hamlin and Jaquan Johnson are Buffalo’s current safety backups. Neither has seen much playing time, largely because Hyde and Poyer have remained healthy.
Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. had thumb surgery
After leaving practice on Monday, Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. underwent thumb surgery on Tuesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters today. The Vikings expect Smith to be ready for Week 1, but if he’s not, free agent Johnny Mundt (who followed O’Connell from Los Angeles to the Twin Cities) and former UDFA Ben Ellefson would pick up the slack.
Smith, the 50th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, missed all of last season after tearing his meniscus. He’s yet to top 400 yards receiving in a season, but he’s expected to be a focal point of the Vikings’ new-look offense.
Commanders worried about Curtis Samuel’s conditioning
Curtis Samuel signed a three-year, $34.5 million deal with the Washington Commanders last offseason, but a groin injury limited him to just five games, nine targets, and six catches. While he’s surely ready to get back on the field in his second season in Washington, Samuel isn’t off to a great start, as head coach Ron Rivera said there is some “concern” about the 25-year-old’s conditioning.
“There’ll be ramp-ups,” Rivera told reporters on Tuesday. “There’ll be times when he’s interacting, getting some of the 11-on-11 work and stuff like that. But that’s all part of the plan. The ultimate goal is really the regular season more than it is anything else.”
First-round rookie Jahan Dotson has flashed during Washington’s training camp and looks like the favorite to start opposite Terry McLaurin. Samuel was a highly effective player as recently as 2020 (77-851-3), so if he can get healthy, he’ll add another dimension to the Commanders’ offense as Carson Wentz’s WR3.
Cardinals, Seahawks get good news
Jamal Adams is back at Seahawks practice after missing two sessions with a broken finger, as Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports. The veteran safety had the same finger surgically repaired in the spring, but he’ll wait until after the season before having another operation. For now, he’s wearing a large cast on his left hand.
Elsewhere in the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals announced that they activated WR Marquise Brown from the non-football injury list. Brown seemingly always missed at least some offseason action while with the Ravens, but he’s been pretty durable once the season gets going. He projects as Arizona’s top receiver, at least until DeAndre Hopkins returns from a six-game suspension.
News and notes
- Kansas City Chiefs rookie WR Skyy Moore left Tuesday’s practice early with a hip injury. No word yet on the severity.
- Detroit Lions wideout Quintez Cephus left practice with a leg injury, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Cephus missed 12 games with a broken collarbone in 2021.
- New York Giants TE Ricky Seals-Jones remains absent from training camp, potentially opening the door for rookie Daniel Bellinger to become New York’s starting tight end.
- Cardinals reserve OL Justin Murray will miss 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury, Kliff Kingsbury told reporters today.
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