Jan. 12 (UPI) — George Kittle, Matthew Stafford, Christian Gonzalez and Gabe Davis were among the NFL players injured through the weekend wave of wild card matchups.
Caleb Williams, Saquon Barkley, Ickey Ekwonu, Jaycee Horn, Ahkello Witherspoon and T.J. Edwards were among other players injured in the playoff openers.
Kittle sustained one of the most serious injuries of the weekend, tearing his Achilles in the San Francisco 49ers’ 23-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia. Kittle logged a 6-yard catch, which led to his departure midway through the second quarter.
The 49ers (13-5) also lost safety Ji’Ayir Brown to a hamstring injury.
Prayers up for George Kittle pic.twitter.com/BaRVd2sWwp— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 11, 2026
Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges are the 49ers’ backup tight ends, who will be leaned on more next weekend in a divisional-round meeting with the Seattle Seahawks (14-3). Coach Kyle Shanahan called Brown a “long shot” to play against the Seahawks.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who totaled 131 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches, limped off the field in the fourth quarter, but returned to the game.
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday that quarterback Matthew Stafford sprained the index finger on his throwing hand during a 34-31 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. Stafford, who did not exit the game, completed 24 of 42 passes for 304 yards, three scores and an interception.
McVay said expects Stafford to play when the Rams (13-5) face the Chicago Bears (12-6) in a divisional-round meeting Sunday in Chicago.
He also noted that cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon hurt his shoulder and will go on injured reserve.
The Panthers lost cornerback Jaycee Horn (concussion), offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu (Achilles), defensive end Tershawn Warton (hamstring) and guard Robert Hunt (pectoral) to injuries.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said Monday that Ekwonu sustained a ruptured patellar tendon, which will require surgery.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hurt his right ankle during a 31-27 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday in Chicago. Williams, who completed 24 of 48 passes for 361 yards, two scores and two interceptions, returned to the game.
Williams told reporters that his “ankle is good” during his postgame news conference.
Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (leg), defensive lineman Andrew Billings (hip), offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo (leg) and defensive backs Jaquan Brisker and Nahshon Wright also were hurt. Brisker, Wright and Billings returned to the game.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said Edwards and Trapilo are expected to be out for the remainder of the playoffs.
The Packers lost linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (ankle) and offensive linemen Jacob Monk (bicep) and Sean Rhyan (knee).
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez sustained a concussion in a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He now must clear the protocol to play when the Patriots host the Houston Texans or Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert also went down with an injury with about 8:08 remaining. He returned to the game. Herbert, who was also dealing with a fractured left hand, completed 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards in the loss.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis, running back Ray Davis, wide receiver Tyrell Shavers and safety Jordan Poyer sustained injuries during a 27-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.
Gabe Davis heads off the field on the cart pic.twitter.com/lLDFiBb3k1— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2026
Gabe Davis, who totaled two catches for 14 yards, departed due to a left knee injury. The Bills’ wide receiver experienced significant knee swelling after the game. He was expected to undergo an MRI on Monday.
Poyer (hamstring) was ruled out in the second half. Ray Davis and Shavers returned to the game. The Bills will take on the top-seeded Denver Broncos in the divisional round Saturday in Denver.
The Steelers (10-7) will host the Texans (12-5) in the final wild card game at 8:15 p.m. EST Monday in Pittsburgh.
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