Chairshot NFL News Report (9/5/2026): Donald Still TBD, Bears Get Hurt & 49ers Lose a Lineman

Aaron Donald remains uncertain for Week 1, Chicago loses two offensive starters at practice and San Francisco gets bad news before Australia.

The NFL’s opening weekend is close enough that every practice injury now carries considerably more weight.

Aaron Donald is traveling to Australia without a guarantee he will play, San Francisco will make the same trip without an important defensive lineman and Chicago watched two major offensive players leave practice before its own opener.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for September 5, 2026!

Aaron Donald’s Week 1 Status Remains Undetermined

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said Aaron Donald will travel with the team to Australia for its season opener against San Francisco, but the Rams have not determined whether Donald will actually play. The veteran defensive lineman returned to Los Angeles this offseason after spending two seasons retired.

Donald being on the plane guarantees the question will follow the Rams all the way to Melbourne. He has enough experience that missing a traditional preseason is less concerning than it would be for almost any other defensive player, but two years away from NFL contact is not something practice can completely simulate.

The Rams also have the luxury of thinking beyond one game. Getting Donald back was about January as much as September, and there is little reason to rush him simply because the opening matchup happens to be against a division rival on another continent.

If he does play, the combination of Donald and Myles Garrett immediately becomes the biggest tactical problem San Francisco has to solve.

49ers Lose Sam Okuayinonu for Australia Opener

San Francisco defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu will miss the Week 1 game against the Rams because of a foot injury and did not travel with the 49ers to Australia. Okuayinonu recorded 39 tackles and three sacks across 15 games last season, including 12 starts.

The timing is particularly bad because San Francisco already has multiple questions along its defensive front. The 49ers are preparing for an unusually demanding season opener geographically while simultaneously trying to determine which defensive linemen will actually be available.

That becomes even more problematic against a Rams offense expected to enter the season among the league’s best. San Francisco would prefer its biggest Week 1 concern to be dealing with travel and preparation rather than rebuilding portions of the defensive rotation after arriving.

D’Andre Swift and Rome Odunze Leave Bears Practice

Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver Rome Odunze both left Thursday’s practice with injuries. Swift appeared to suffer a core or midsection injury, while Odunze left with a right-leg issue. Early reporting indicated Odunze’s injury was not believed to be serious, while Chicago had not provided a definitive update on Swift.

Chicago still has time before its September 13 opener against Carolina, which is important because the Bears do not need to make immediate game-status declarations.

Swift is the more concerning situation until additional information arrives. Chicago’s offense is expected to carry significant expectations this season, and losing the starting running back immediately would alter the workload throughout the backfield.

The Bears will also be watching Odunze closely even if the early outlook is encouraging. September injuries do not need to become season-ending to affect an offense that is still trying to establish its rhythm.

Cardinals Lock Up Michael Wilson

Arizona has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension with wide receiver Michael Wilson that includes $47 million guaranteed and keeps him under contract through 2029. Wilson is coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he caught 78 passes for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns.

Arizona has been openly discussing Wilson as a foundational piece for months, so the extension fits the direction the organization had already established.

The interesting part is what his second-half breakout became worth. Wilson entered last season without anything resembling star-level production and finished it as a 1,000-yard receiver. Arizona is effectively betting that the second half of 2025 represented the beginning of his prime rather than a temporary spike.

Locking him in now also prevents another strong season from pushing the price considerably higher next spring.

Raiders Add Evan Neal and Azeez Ojulari

Las Vegas added offensive lineman Evan Neal, linebacker Azeez Ojulari and receiver Ronnie Bell to its practice squad Friday. Neal entered the NFL as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft, while Ojulari has previously produced as an edge rusher for the Giants.

Practice squads have become one of the easiest places to take low-risk swings on players whose draft pedigree once suggested significantly more upside.

Neither Neal nor Ojulari needs to immediately become the player his original team imagined. Las Vegas simply needs one of them to become useful enough to provide depth during a 17-game season.

Those are exactly the transactions that barely register in September and occasionally become important once injuries start reshaping active rosters in October and November.

Falcons Add Two Names to Their Ring of Honor

Atlanta announced that former pass rusher John Abraham and guard Bill Fralic will be inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor during the 2026 season. Abraham, the franchise’s career sack leader, will be honored October 11 against Baltimore, while Fralic will be inducted posthumously during Atlanta’s Week 16 game against Tampa Bay.

Abraham’s inclusion is overdue. He spent seven seasons in Atlanta and remains one of the most productive defensive players the organization has ever had.

Fralic represents a different era of Falcons football, which gives the team an opportunity to connect multiple generations of its history during the same season.

Ring of Honor announcements do not affect Week 1, but franchises benefit from making sure their history is not reduced entirely to the players young audiences already remember.

Friday’s NFL Transactions

Teams continued adjusting practice squads and injured-reserve settlements as the league moved closer to Week 1.

• Atlanta Falcons – Signed LB Bralen Trice to practice squad
• Buffalo Bills – Released LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles from injured reserve with an injury settlement
• Chicago Bears – Released WR Ray-Ray McCloud from injured reserve with an injury settlement
• Kansas City Chiefs – Released QB Chris Oladokun from injured reserve with an injury settlement
• Kansas City Chiefs – Released RB EJ Smith from injured reserve with an injury settlement
• Kansas City Chiefs – Released G C.J. Hanson from injured reserve with an injury settlement
• Las Vegas Raiders – Signed WR Ronnie Bell to practice squad
• Las Vegas Raiders – Signed G Evan Neal to practice squad
• Las Vegas Raiders – Signed LB Azeez Ojulari to practice squad
• Los Angeles Chargers – Released LB Kyle Kennard from injured reserve with an injury settlement
• Washington Commanders – Released LB T.J. Maguranyanga from injured reserve with an injury settlement

San Francisco already knows Okuayinonu will not be available. Chicago is waiting to determine how much Thursday’s practice changed its offensive plans, while the Rams are trying to decide whether the most accomplished defensive player of his generation is ready to play football again after two years away.

That is where September changes everything. During August, teams can talk about timelines, development and preparation. Once the opening kickoff arrives, every roster decision has a scoreboard attached to it.

This report includes information from: NFL.com, Reuters.com, ArizonaSports.com, and 49ers.com.