NFL Injury Report, Week 7: Which Defenses Are Breaking
The official injury report, read by unit instead of by name. One missing starter rarely moves a game; several out of the same front seven or secondary does, because the replacements were not in the rotation. This board weights every absence by the player’s share of snaps and flags the defenses that are close to breaking.
Week 7 defensive injury board
Every defense on the Week 7 slate, ranked by how much of its front seven (DL + LB) and secondary (CB + S) is out or questionable. Snap share is summed across the unit — 1.00 is one every-down player. 10 defenses are flagged.
| Defense | Game | Line | Front out (+Q) | Secondary out (+Q) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB | @ DET | +3.5 | 2.37 | — | CLUSTER · front Out: Zaire Franklin LB 98%, Edgerrin Cooper LB 65%, Javon Hargrave DL 46%, Jonathan Ford DL 28% |
| ATL | vs SF | +2.5 | 1.15 (+1.67) | 0.47 (+1.34) | WATCH · front Out: Divine Deablo LB 78%, Billy Bowman CB 47%, Yasir Abdullah LB 36% Questionable: C.J. Henderson CB 77%, Samson Ebukam DL 63%, Avieon Terrell CB 56%, Gervon Dexter DL 54%, Kendal Daniels LB 50% |
| NYG | @ HOU | +10.5 | 1.48 | 0.89 (+1.67) | WATCH · secondary Out: Tremaine Edmunds LB 100%, Greg Newsome II CB 89%, Chauncey Golston DL 48% Questionable: Jevon Holland S 100%, Tyler Nubin S 66% |
| ARI | vs DEN | +4.5 | 0.62 (+0.34) | 0.52 (+1.80) | WATCH · secondary Out: Walter Nolen DL 62%, Andrew Wingard S 52% Questionable: Budda Baker S 100%, Max Melton CB 80%, Darius Robinson DL 34% |
| SEA | vs KC | −2.5 | 0.80 (+1.17) | — (+0.80) | WATCH · front Out: Drake Thomas LB 80% Questionable: Nick Emmanwori S 80%, DeMarcus Lawrence LB 62%, Uchenna Nwosu LB 55% |
| PHI | vs DAL | +4.5 | — (+2.05) | — (+0.51) | WATCH · front Questionable: Jalyx Hunt LB 64%, Nolan Smith LB 59%, Moro Ojomo DL 56%, Michael Carter II CB 51%, Jonathan Greenard LB 26% |
| CLE | @ TEN | −2 | — (+0.96) | — (+1.77) | NEAR Questionable: Denzel Ward CB 100%, Quincy Williams LB 96%, Grant Delpit S 77% |
| IND | @ MIN | +6.5 | 0.61 (+0.54) | 0.84 (+0.73) | NEAR Out: Sauce Gardner CB 84%, Arden Key DL 61% Questionable: Justin Walley CB 74%, Bryce Boettcher LB 29%, CJ Allen LB 26% |
| HOU | vs NYG | −10.5 | — | 1.68 | NEAR Out: Jalen Pitre S 87%, Reed Blankenship S 82% |
| TEN | vs CLE | +2 | — | — (+1.56) | NEAR Questionable: Kevin Winston S 100%, Tony Adams S 56% |
| LAR | @ LV | −3.5 | 0.98 | — (+1.00) | — Out: Kobie Turner DL 60%, Poona Ford DL 38% Questionable: Trent McDuffie CB 100% |
| CAR | vs TB | −2.5 | 0.61 | 1.35 | — Out: Jaycee Horn CB 81%, Jaelan Phillips LB 61%, Michael Jackson CB 54% |
| BAL | vs CIN | +1 | 0.69 (+0.29) | 0.74 | — Out: Jaylinn Hawkins S 74%, Tavius Robinson LB 68% Questionable: Broderick Washington Jr. DL 29% |
| DEN | @ ARI | −4.5 | 0.56 | 0.88 | — Out: Talanoa Hufanga S 88%, Jonah Elliss LB 56% |
| SF | @ ATL | −2.5 | — | 0.76 (+0.52) | — Out: Marques Sigle S 76% Questionable: Upton Stout CB 52% |
| TB | @ CAR | +2.5 | 0.26 | 0.96 | — Out: Antoine Winfield Jr. S 96%, Christian Rozeboom LB 26% |
| KC | @ SEA | +2.5 | — | — (+0.68) | — Questionable: L'Jarius Sneed CB 68% |
| NO | vs PIT | +3 | — (+0.64) | — | — Questionable: Nathan Shepherd DL 64% |
| DAL | @ PHI | −4.5 | 0.58 | — | — Out: Dee Winters LB 58% |
| PIT | @ NO | −3 | 0.57 | — | — Out: Sebastian Joseph-Day DL 32%, Derrick Harmon DL 25% |
| CIN | @ BAL | −1 | — | 0.53 | — Out: Jalen Davis CB 52% |
| MIA | @ NYJ | +4.5 | — (+0.49) | — | — Questionable: Willie Gay Jr. LB 50% |
| NYJ | vs MIA | −4.5 | 0.45 | — | — Out: Joseph Ossai DL 45% |
| DET | vs GB | −3.5 | 0.34 | — | — Out: Devin White LB 34% |
| LV | vs LAR | +3.5 | — | — | — |
| MIN | vs IND | −6.5 | — | — | — |
Percentages are each player’s share of defensive snaps over his team’s last four games. Out = listed Out or Doubtful, on injured reserve, or no longer on the roster. Updated nightly Thursday to Sunday from the official report.
This week’s trigger calls
The one spot the history backs: a clustered defense that the market still favours. From 2018–2025, scoring each season only with rules set on the seasons before it, the opponent covered 45-27 (62.5%).
2026 ledger, graded in public
Every defense that actually played a game in a cluster this season, measured from snap counts after the game, and whether its opponent covered the closing line. Trigger spots so far: opponent 0-3.
| Wk | Defense | Opponent | Line | Cluster | Score | Opp ATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DET ★ | ARI | −5.5 | secondary + cb-wipeout | 21–45 | LOSS |
| 5 | NO | MIN | +2.5 | front | 23–13 | COVER |
| 6 | CHI ★ | ATL | −1.5 | front | 23–31 | LOSS |
| 6 | NO ★ | NYG | −1.5 | front | 27–34 | LOSS |
| 6 | TEN | IND | +6.5 | secondary | 20–26 | LOSS |
★ = trigger spot (the clustered defense was favored).
Injury clusters, explained
What is an NFL injury cluster?
A cluster is when one unit of a defense loses several regulars at once: three or more starters out of the front seven (defensive line and linebackers) or the secondary (cornerbacks and safeties), or two full players’ worth of that unit’s snaps. A team can usually absorb one missing starter because the replacement is still an NFL player. Several at once means players who were not in the rotation are playing together, and offenses keep attacking that patched unit.
Does the market price defensive injuries correctly?
Mostly, yes. The exception in our 2013–2025 study is a clustered defense that the market still favours. Scoring each season only with rules set on the seasons before it, the opponent covered 45-27 (62.5%) from 2018–2025, about 1.6 points better than an ordinary game. When the clustered team is the underdog, the line already reflects it. It is a small sample, which is why every 2026 case is graded on this page.
How is “out” decided before the game?
From the official injury report: a player listed Out or Doubtful, on injured reserve, or no longer on the roster counts as out. Questionable players are shown separately, and a defense that becomes a cluster only if its questionable players sit is marked WATCH. Each player’s weight is his share of defensive snaps over his team’s last four games, so a rotational backup counts for less than an every-down starter.
Which matters more, the front seven or the secondary?
In the history, the front seven. Front-seven clusters ran about 1.5 points worse than expected for the defense; secondary clusters barely moved the result, because offenses throw more but the extra passes are not more efficient. The one secondary case that did break was three starting cornerbacks out at once.
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