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As another week of the NFL passes, all 32 teams face the prospect of injuries piling up. The Week 7 schedule provided us with a litany of good games, comebacks, and performances, but also delivered some big injuries to some very big men. Offensive linemen and defensive linemen were hit hard this week, with the returning Taylor Moton, Ravens’ rookie Vega Ioane, and the Broncos’ Zach Allen all suffering injuries of different severities.
TE – Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
The NFL’s Week 7 slate kicked off with an exciting matchup between the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. The Bears squeaked past the Patriots 30-24 to move to 5-2 on the season, and the offense continues to rip with Caleb Williams back under center, but the Bears didn’t leave the contest unscathed; such is the unrelenting nature of the NFL. Veteran tight end Cole Kmet suffered a knee injury late in the fourth quarter, catching an eight-yard pass before getting upended by Patriots’ defensive duo Robert Spillane and Christian Gonzalez.
Kmet immediately clutched at his knee and was carted off, with the Bears revealing that the 2020 second-round pick had suffered a serious knee injury and would miss the rest of the season. Despite his receiving production dropping over the last couple of seasons, in part due to the Bears drafting fellow tight end Colston Loveland in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Kmet has remained an integral part of the Bears’ offense—and he had 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in 2026.
While his production as a receiver has dwindled, Kmet’s ability as a run-blocker meant he was still seeing a lot of the field. The Bears have been in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers) on 171 offensive snaps in 2026, the second-most in the NFL, and have the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL (363 yards) when in 12. Replacing what Kmet can do by having rookie Sam Roush on the field isn’t a like-for-like move. The offense could struggle to run the ball as well as they have been without Kmet.
T – Taylor Moton, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers’ promising start to the 2026 NFL season took an unexpected hit in Week 7, in more ways than one. The Panthers entered the week off a bye at the top of the NFC South with a 3-2 record, taking on the team at the bottom of the division: the 1-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Carolina. The result was a 43-6 thumping for the Buccaneers, giving them their second win of the season in Baker Mayfield’s return from injury, while the Panthers fell to 3-3 and lost their starting right tackle, Taylor Moton, to a fractured fibula for an indefinite period.
Moton was making just his second start of the season after returning from blood clot treatment this past offseason, but went down on a play in the third quarter where Buccaneers’ edge rusher sacked Bryce Young holding his leg in some real discomfort before being carted off the field. As anticipated, Moton was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. After only just coming back from a serious injury, Moton will not face another extended spell on the sidelines, and the Panthers’ front office will have another problem to solve.
Unlike most teams in the NFL, the Panthers are blessed with a deep tackle room—even without regular starters Ikem Ekwonu and Moton. Free-agent signing Rasheed Walker has been starting at left tackle in the absence of Ekwonu, and while Moton has been out, the opportunity on the right side of the offensive line has fallen to first-round rookie Monroe Freeling, who has, so far, done a stand-up in his early career. With Moton sidelined again, the task will once again fall to Freeling, who has allowed a 6.0% pressure rate, per Sümer Sports. The Panthers will survive, but it’s a major blow to lose Moton so soon after his return.
G – Vega Ioane, Baltimore Ravens
No one was counting their blessings more than the Baltimore Ravens when they were able to draft Vega Ioane in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Ioane falling to the Ravens at the 14th pick was a significant coup for the organisation. Filling a hole at guard was arguably their biggest need in the draft, and Ioane has proven to be a hit. The former Penn State man-mover has even slotted in at center amid the Ravens’ recent injury crisis, but now the Ravens’ crisis is how they may potentially have to deal without Ioane.
The rookie suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the Ravens’ 35-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, was taken to the locker room, and was ruled out shortly after, and was replaced by Emery Jones. Ioane, by all intents and purposes, has been a stud for the Ravens—even as their offensive play has suffered without Lamar Jackson over the last three games. Ioane has hit the ground running in the NFL, allowing just six pressures in 210 pass-blocking snaps, and is every bit of the force multiplier in the run game that draftniks thought he could be.
The Ravens’ offense continues to suffer blow after blow this season, and losing Ioane—for however long it may be—is a real concern. As of now, Ravens’ head coach Jesse Minter has provided no update regarding Ioane, and there’s a sense that no immediate news is good news. That remains to be seen, though. The Ravens already desperately need Jackson back. The former MVP had started the season incredibly well, but the offense has predictably dropped off with Tyler Huntley in the lineup. If the Ravens are without Jackson, and maybe their best offensive linemen, it’s hard to see them picking up any momentum.
DE – Zach Allen, Denver Broncos
No winning team has faced more scrutiny in 2026 than the Denver Broncos. After cruising past the Arizona Cardinals 30-16 in Week 7, the Broncos have moved to 5-2 and closed the gap on the Kansas City Chiefs at the top of the AFC West. It was the best performance of the season for an offense that has struggled to consistently move the ball, while the defense has remained a model of consistency. So much of what Denver does well on defense comes from what they can do up front. That took a small knock on Sunday.
Interior defensive lineman and noted game-wrecker, Zach Allen, had to leave the game late in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals after suffering a hamstring injury. It could just be a precaution; Allen himself said after the game that he’ll be fine, but it’s still something to keep an eye on. The Broncos have a date with the Chiefs in Week 8 before a tough matchup against the Panthers; they’ll need Allen, who has played the fifth-most snaps among all defensive linemen. His 13.6% pressure rate is also the 12th-highest in the NFL.
If Allen is fine and this is just a precaution, there’s nothing to worry about. But without him, the Broncos’ defense could look considerably different. They don’t have another player that can pressure up the middle like Allen. Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper are excellent at creating havoc off the edge, but Allen is the guy when it comes to anything inside the tackles. The wait now is to see if Allen shows up on the injury report prior to Week 8.
RB – Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings
The curious case of the undefeated Minnesota Vikings rolls on. The Vikings defeated the freefalling Indianapolis Colts 16-10 to move to 6-0 on the season, and they’re now the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL. That’s an accomplishment, but the Vikings haven’t always been at their best during this run—particularly on offense. In fact, only on offense. The defense is first in expected points added allowed, per Sumer Sports. Brian Flores’ unit is the driving force, while the offense stumbles its way to being a bottom-five unit in expected points added. The hope was that when the Vikings would get their two running backs, Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason, back on the field, the offense could kickstart thanks to a complementary running game.
Not so fast. The Vikings had a 31% rushing success rate against the Colts, and notably had to deal with another injury to their veteran running back, Jones. The former Packer took a big hit on a 17-yard run in the second half of the win and exited the game, potentially aggravating a previous knee injury. Jones went to the blue tent and was questionable to return, and losing him, just after getting Mason back, would be another bump in the road for an offense that just can’t seem to find itself.
The plan in the Vikings backfield was for Jones and Mason to split the carries evenly, but so far, that’s been unable to materialise. Mason was placed on IR for a short stint after suffering a thumb injury, and the Vikings’ offensive line has battled injuries too. If the Vikings are without the often-injured Jones for a stint, it’ll be up to Mason, and potentially rookie Demond Claiborne, to try and piece together a run game that has failed thus far.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
