Chairshot NFL News Report (9/12/2026): Tua Is Out, A.J. Brown Hits IR & Nabers Has a Decision

Tua Tagovailoa is out for Week 1, A.J. Brown lands on injured reserve and Malik Nabers remains unsure about returning Sunday night.

Sunday’s Week 1 slate has not even started, and several teams are already rewriting their plans.

Atlanta will start Cooper Rush after ruling Tua Tagovailoa out, New England will be without A.J. Brown for at least four games and Malik Nabers is leaving the final decision on his return to himself.

Chicago also locked up D’Andre Swift before its opener.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for September 12, 2026!

Tua Tagovailoa Is Out, Cooper Rush Starts

The Atlanta Falcons ruled Tua Tagovailoa out of Sunday’s season opener against Pittsburgh because of the oblique injury he suffered during Thursday’s practice. Cooper Rush will start, with rookie Jack Strand expected to serve as the backup. Michael Penix Jr. remains unavailable despite participating fully in practice.

That creates exactly the quarterback scenario Atlanta hoped to avoid.

Tua won the starting job because the Falcons wanted Penix to continue his recovery without pressure. Now the starter is unavailable and the former starter still is not ready to be activated.

Rush gives Atlanta an experienced emergency option.

The problem is that Week 1 was supposed to establish what the offense looked like with Tua. That evaluation has already been postponed.

A.J. Brown Heads to Injured Reserve

New England placed A.J. Brown on injured reserve after the receiver suffered a high-ankle sprain during Wednesday’s loss to Seattle. Brown must miss at least four games, making Week 6 the earliest he can return.

The Patriots traded for Brown because Drake Maye needed a true No. 1 receiver.

They got less than three quarters of that combination before losing it for at least a month.

Brown’s injury becomes even more frustrating because TreVeyon Henderson already missed opening night.

New England spent the offseason reshaping the offense around more explosive skill talent. Week 1 removed two of the biggest pieces before the plan ever had a chance to operate normally.

Malik Nabers Still Is Not Sure He Should Play

Giants receiver Malik Nabers is officially questionable for Sunday night against Dallas despite participating fully in practice throughout the week. Nabers said he remains hesitant about returning from last season’s torn ACL and emphasized that he does not want to jeopardize his long-term career simply to play Week 1.

That is a refreshingly straightforward explanation. Players are frequently praised for forcing themselves back onto the field as quickly as possible, even when the difference between “cleared” and “comfortable” can be significant.

Nabers understands that his first game back is not the important part. The next several years are. If he does not feel ready Sunday, New York should live with that decision instead of creating a larger problem because the opener happens to be against Dallas.

D’Andre Swift Gets Paid in Chicago

The Bears agreed to a three-year, $33.75 million extension with D’Andre Swift that includes $27.5 million guaranteed. The agreement keeps the running back in Chicago through 2029.

Swift earned the commitment after producing career highs with 1,087 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns last season. Running-back contracts remain one of the NFL’s strangest economic conversations because teams constantly talk about replaceability while continuing to pay the ones they trust.

Chicago clearly decided Swift is more valuable inside Ben Johnson’s offense than an abstract replacement would be. That also gives Caleb Williams another stable veteran around him as the Bears continue building the offense.

Jeremiyah Love Is a Game-Time Decision

Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is officially questionable for Sunday against the Chargers after missing much of the last month with a high ankle sprain. Head coach Mike LaFleur said Love is progressing well but characterized the situation as a game-time decision.

Arizona has spent several weeks resisting the temptation to rush the No. 3 overall pick back. That remains the right call even with the opener arriving. Love was drafted to become a foundational offensive piece, not to prove something by playing limited snaps in September while his ankle is still compromised.

Tyler Allgeier gives Arizona enough experience to avoid desperation. If Love can go, his debut immediately becomes one of Sunday’s most interesting rookie storylines.

Myles Garrett Says His Knee Limited Him in Australia

Myles Garrett acknowledged that an ongoing knee issue affected him during his Rams debut, calling Thursday’s performance against San Francisco the “worst version” of himself. Garrett failed to record a tackle or quarterback hit during Los Angeles’ 27-7 loss.

That puts some context around one of Thursday’s strangest stat lines.

Los Angeles acquired Garrett to become one of the defining players on a championship-caliber defense. Watching him disappear completely during the opener immediately created questions about whether San Francisco neutralized him or whether something else was wrong.

The answer appears to be both. The Rams now have extra time before Week 2. Getting Garrett healthier may be more important than anything else they accomplish during it.

Patriots Add DaQuan Jones

New England agreed to a one-year contract with veteran defensive tackle DaQuan Jones worth up to $6 million. Jones spent the previous four seasons in Buffalo and previously played under Patriots coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.

The timing makes sense after New England’s defense spent much of Wednesday dealing with Seattle’s physical running game. Jones is not being asked to transform the unit.

He gives Vrabel another experienced interior defender who already understands much of what the coach expects structurally. Those additions become more useful once the season starts because teams now know where their depth actually failed under game conditions.

NFL Week 1 Injury Picture Comes Into Focus

Friday’s final injury reports established several notable statuses around the league. Chicago receiver Rome Odunze is questionable against Carolina, Baltimore defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike is out against Indianapolis and Houston placed defensive tackle Kayden McDonald on injured reserve before facing Buffalo.

The transition from preseason optimism to official game designations is complete. Players are no longer “working toward” Week 1, they are either playing, questionable or out.

That creates the first real roster stress test of the season, especially for teams like Atlanta and New England that have already lost players around whom they built significant portions of their offensive plans.

This report includes information from: AtlantaFalcons.com, Reuters.com, NFL.com, Patriots reporting, and league injury reports.