The injuries are beginning to pile up now that the NFL calendar has flipped to October. Now that five weeks have come and gone, the main narratives of the season are beginning to come into focus. Injuries play an important role in that process, as an injury to a quarterback or other key player can torpedo a team's chances of competing.
These are some of the most important injuries to watch after Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season.
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
The Patriots got a huge win on Sunday and put together their second straight dominant performance. Their slow start to the season now looks more fluky than anything.
Unfortunately, New England lost their explosive second-year running back to an ankle injury in Week 5. Henderson was unable to play in Week 1 because of an injury and now could miss more time. Henderson had been splitting carries with Rhamondre Stevenson, so losing him for an extended stretch could be a problem for the Patriots.
In other Patriots injury news, left tackle Will Campbell was ruled out with a knee injury on Sunday. Campbell was reportedly in good spirits after beating the Raiders, which is a positive sign.
Campbell will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his injury.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel suffered a hamstring injury against the Seahawks on Sunday. The team is awaiting MRI results to determine the severity of the injury. But early reports indicate that Samuel could miss some time.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport read the context clues and came away concerned about how quickly San Francisco ruled him out.
“Judging from the context clues, as we call it… the fact that the 49ers ruled Deebo Samuel out immediately is not a good sign,” Rapoport said on SNY on Monday morning.
The 49ers have already lost De'Zhaun Stribling, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, and Demarcus Robinson to injured reserve this season. Losing Deebo may not be a fatal blow to their offense, but it would put the 5-0 team in a vulnerable position pretty early in the year.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons will only go as far as Penix will take them during the 2026 season.
Atlanta was 0-2 without Penix and immediately went on a two-game winning streak after getting him back. But their fortunes changed once again on Sunday after Penix suffered a rib injury on Sunday Night Football.
Penix will have an MRI on his ribs on Monday to determine if he will miss any time. Those test results will play a huge part in determining where Atlanta goes from here. But at this point, it is at least good to see that Penix is already confident about returning next week.
Falcons fans should stay tuned for updates about Penix on Monday and throughout the week. If he is unable to play in Week 6, Atlanta's offense will not look the same.
Javon Hargrave, Green Bay Packers
The Packers got an absolutely huge win against the Bears on Sunday. Green Bay was in danger of losing all hope if they couldn't come up with the win. But now another defensive injury should have fans concerned despite the huge divisional win.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave left Sunday's game with what looked like a serious leg injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed to reporters that Hargrave is believed to have torn his Achilles. If confirmed, that would end his 2026 season. It would also make him the second Packers defender to suffer a season-ending injury over the past two weeks.
The Packers cannot afford to lose any more defensive talent before getting Micah Parsons back from his torn ACL.
Packers receiver Skyy Moore was also ruled out of Sunday's game after suffering an ankle injury.
David Montgomery, Houston Texans
Montgomery's production has absolutely fallen off a cliff after a strong Week 1 performance. His latest injury will not help matters at all.
The 29-year-old running back suffered a groin injury against the Titans. He left the game and was quickly ruled as out for the rest of the contest. Montgomery only managed five carries for 11 rushing yards before the injury. It would not be surprising to see Woody Marks take over as the team's top running back, or at least get his opportunity to win the job.
In other Texans injury news, Jalen Pitre suffered a shoulder injury against the Titans. He did not return.
Jalyx Hunt, Philadelphia Eagles
Article Continues BelowThe Eagles couldn't even make good plays in London without something bad happening to them. That's exactly what happened on the final play of the first half.
Hunt attempted to pick up a fumble after Philly made a crucial stop on fourth-and-goal. Unfortunately, Hunt landed awkwardly on his leg and appeared to suffer a lower-leg injury. He refused the cart, but was helped off the field during halftime and did not return to the game.
Philadelphia was already without Jonathan Greenard on the edge. If Hunt ends up missing time, it will put even more pressure on the Eagles' depth to pick up the slack.
In other Eagles injury news, Will Shipley was ruled out after suffering a foot injury in London. That puts Philadelphia in a tough spot with only Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele healthy at the running back position.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings improved to 5-0 on the season, but it came at the cost of one offensive player.
Hockenson suffered a concussion during Sunday's contest. He left the field and did not return after being diagnosed with a concussion. If Hockenson wants to play in Week 6, he'll need to breeze through concussion protocol as quickly as possible. That is not a ridiculous goal, as Ja'Marr Chase just pulled off the same feat after last week's injury.
Now is a terrible time for Hockenson to suffer such an injury. He exploded in Week 4, hauling in all 13 of his targets for 119 receiving yards.
Other notable injuries from Week 5 include Browns receiver KC Concepcion (head injury), Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring), Ravens defensive tackle Broderick Washington (ankle), Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle), and Jets tight end Kenyon Sadiq (concussion).