NFL Injury Updates and Contract Extensions Shape Early 2026 Season Outlook
A review of key roster movements, injury timelines, and financial commitments across the league as training camps commence.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has provided a positive update on wide receiver Alec Pierce’s recovery from offseason ankle surgery, confirming the player is progressing well and expected to be ready for Week 1. Ballard described the rehabilitation process as having a "new normal" but noted there have been no setbacks, with Pierce in good shape and making great progress. The Colts view Pierce’s availability for the season opener as the standard expectation, though the timeline remains day-to-day.
Pierce, 26, enters the 2026 season following a career-high performance in 2025, where he recorded 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. He led the NFL in yards per reception for a second consecutive season and has led the Colts in receiving yards for the past two years. The wide receiver had previously reported struggling with the ankle issue during the 2025 campaign and missed two games due to a concussion. The Colts secured Pierce’s services in March with a four-year, $114 million contract that includes $84 million guaranteed.
In Chicago, the Bears face a temporary setback with wide receiver Luther Burden III, who is expected to miss approximately one month due to a groin strain. Tests confirmed the injury following Saturday’s practice, ruling Burden out for the entirety of the preseason, which begins on 15 August. He is aiming to return for the regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers on 13 September.
Burden’s absence creates an immediate void in the Bears’ receiving corps following the trade of D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills. The second-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft had a strong rookie season under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, producing 47 receptions for 652 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Chicago must adjust its offensive strategy until Burden is cleared to play.
The New Orleans Saints have faced significant injury challenges during training camp, losing defensive lineman Bryan Bresee earlier and now offensive guard Dillon Radunz for the season. Radunz suffered a torn ACL, a significant blow to an offensive line that had already seen changes. Radunz, a 2021 second-round pick out of North Dakota State, spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans before signing with New Orleans as a free agent last offseason.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans have solidified their offensive line by agreeing to a four-year extension with guard Peter Skoronski, worth up to $100 million with $88 million guaranteed. Skoronski, a second-round pick for the Titans, had previously spent time with the Saints organization before returning to Tennessee. The extension underscores the team’s commitment to maintaining its interior offensive line stability as they head into the new season.
