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A week has passed since our last look at the NFC, and while the top order hasn’t shifted much, several injury situations and one big contract now look different as the NFL‘s Week 1 kickoff is on the horizon. Vita Vea ended his hold-in with a new deal in Tampa Bay. Coby Bryant’s timeline got worse in Chicago. Malik Nabers took live reps for the first time since tearing his ACL. Here is where all 16 NFC teams stand heading into the final week of the preseason. 16. Arizona Cardinals Running back Jeremiyah Love sat out the entire week of practice as he continues to rehab the high ankle sprain he suffered against the Raiders. He is still on track for Week 1, but the team is being cautious. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett remains the bridge starter after re-working his contract in late July, with Carson Beck still working back from his rib injury. Rookie lineman Chase Bisontis had surgery for a torn MCL and will miss most or all of the season. Cornerback Garrett Williams is back after being activated off the PUP list. 15. Atlanta Falcons Michael Penix Jr. was fully cleared to practice after Saturday’s win over the Colts, which means the quarterback competition with Tua Tagovailoa can begin for real. Tagovailoa has been the only one of the two working with the first team since spring, but that changes now that Penix has the green light. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand made a real push for a roster spot with a strong outing against Indianapolis, throwing for 212 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score. Atlanta’s roster projections now have the team keeping four quarterbacks. Linebacker Jalon Walker remains out for the season with a torn ACL after being placed on injured reserve. MORE: Cam Ward & 5 post-hype fantasy football sleepers who could finally break out 14. Washington Commanders Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is expected to miss significant time, if not the whole season, after tearing his triceps. Head coach Dan Quinn said the team is working from the premise that Tunsil will not play in 2026, with Brandon Coleman getting the first chance to replace him at left tackle. Backup Marcus Mariota is also dealing with a sprained MCL. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has looked comfortable in the new offense under coordinator David Blough, but protection remains the biggest question for Washington heading into the season. 13. New York Giants Malik Nabers shed his red non-contact jersey and took his first live reps since tearing his ACL last season, catching passes in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Head coach John Harbaugh said Nabers remains on track for Week 1 against Dallas, though the team is not rushing him. Quarterback Jaxson Dart continues to build chemistry with new tight end Isaiah Likely. Odell Beckham Jr. is back with the franchise for a second stint, but he may not be around much longer with several wideouts outplaying him this preseason. New York’s offense could look markedly different than it did a season ago if Nabers is a full go by the opener. 12. New Orleans Saints Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson remains out with the hamstring injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for about two months, pushing his return toward mid-October. The Saints have worked out veteran receivers Chase Claypool and Josh Reynolds while they wait. Quarterback Tyler Shough has kept up strong performances in joint practices with the Cowboys, giving New Orleans reason for optimism even without its top rookie weapon. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee remains out with a torn ACL, and Cam Jordan continues managing a hamstring at 37. MORE: NFL offensive line rankings ahead of the 2026 season 11. Carolina Panthers Tight end Darren Waller made his practice debut and is expected to push Ja’Tavion Sanders for a role in the passing game after signing a one-year deal. Quarterback Bryce Young found Waller and Tommy Tremble for touchdowns during a recent two-minute drill. Right tackle Taylor Moton is still dealing with a blood clot in his lung, and left tackle Ikem Ekwonu remains in recovery. First-round pick Monroe Freeling and free agent addition Rasheed Walker continue to compete for time at tackle. 10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vita Vea ended his hold-in and trade request with a one-year, $30 million extension that runs through the 2027 season. The deal adds $6 million to his 2026 salary and locks in $48 million for Vea over the next two years, keeping the defensive tackle off the trade block after weeks of uncertainty. Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s own contract situation is unresolved, though he has shifted his public focus back to football and said the Buccaneers are poised to surprise people this year. Receiver Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan remain day-to-day with lower-body injuries, while tackle Tristan Wirfs is back at practice. 9. Minnesota Vikings Kyler Murray was officially named the Week 1 starter over J.J. McCarthy, and he led the Vikings past the Giants in the preseason opener. Justin Jefferson sat out that game, but the passing game now has its answer at quarterback heading into the regular season. Safety Jamal Adams remains on season-ending injured reserve after tearing his quadriceps in that opener, a real loss for a defense that led the league in pressure rate a season ago. Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander is back after completing a three-game suspension. MORE: Josh Downs & 6 more fantasy football wide receiver sleepers for 2026 8. Dallas Cowboys Von Miller is officially in the fold on a one-year deal and has begun easing into practice alongside Rashan Gary and the rest of a retooled pass rush under coordinator Christian Parker. Third-round linebacker Jaishawn Barham will wear the green dot in the team’s next preseason game, a notable vote of confidence. Rookie receiver Camden Brown continues to make plays in the preseason, including a diving one-handed touchdown catch against Seattle. Micah Parsons, now with Green Bay, is no longer on Dallas’ roster after last year’s trade, but the pass rush Miller is joining still looks improved from a season ago. 7. Green Bay Packers Tight end Tucker Kraft is running full routes in practice and no longer wearing a sleeve on the surgically repaired knee, putting him on track for Week 1 against Minnesota. Micah Parsons, acquired in last year’s trade with Dallas, is now viewed internally as a realistic bet to play by Week 6 against his old team, a firmer timeline than a week ago. Running back Josh Jacobs returned to practice after a groin injury. Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness and lineman Darian Kinnard both sat out a recent practice, and Jacobs’ legal situation remains undetermined. 6. Detroit Lions Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has his extension in place, clearing the offense to focus on the season ahead. Center Cade Mays remains out eight to 10 weeks with a wrist injury, and Detroit is leaning on veteran Larry Borom as insurance. Safety Brian Branch could return to practice in late August or early September, and Kerby Joseph is on a similar recovery track, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Neither is a lock for Week 1, but the outlook has not worsened since last week. 5. Chicago Bears Safety Coby Bryant’s timeline worsened this week. After surgery, head coach Ben Johnson confirmed Bryant will be out four to six months, longer than the eight-to-10-week estimate that circulated right after the injury. Cornerback Kyler Gordon remains on the physically unable to perform list with no firm return date for his calf injury. Receiver Luther Burden III is expected to miss the rest of the preseason with a groin injury but remains on track for Week 1. Running back Kyle Monangai is week-to-week with a knee issue. Chicago’s secondary is taking on real risk before the season has even started. MORE: Predicting which NFL head coach gets fired first in 2026 4. San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey is back at practice and participating in team drills after sitting out with general tightness for the first stretch of camp. He said the absence was always part of a planned ramp-up and that he expects to be ready for Week 1 against the Rams. Receiver Ricky Pearsall remains out for the season after PCL surgery, and Christian Kirk and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling have both been in and out of practice with minor injuries. San Francisco’s receiver room is thinner than the Bucs’ extension news would suggest for most other teams at this point in camp. 3. Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith and rookie Makai Lemon are both expected back at full practice this week after hamstring injuries limited each of them for most of camp, a meaningful boost for an offense that traded away A.J. Brown. Smith returned in a limited role last week before ramping up further. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard remains out with a pectoral strain, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said this week he does not have a timeline for his return, raising real concern about Greenard’s Week 1 availability against Washington. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is installing an under-center, play-action system. 2. Los Angeles Rams Wide receiver Puka Nacua and edge rusher Myles Garrett are both still without a return-to-practice date as the preseason winds down, dealing with a psoas issue and knee swelling, respectively. Head coach Sean McVay said the team is not viewing either absence as a threat to Week 1 against San Francisco, but neither has practiced this week. Aaron Donald’s decision on an NFL comeback remains unresolved. 1. Seattle Seahawks Devon Witherspoon’s four-year, $132 million extension remains a top headline of the offseason, and safety Nick Emmanwori has since passed his physical, a positive step in his return from ankle surgery. Running back Zach Charbonnet remains on the physically unable to perform list as he continues rehabbing a torn ACL, with no public return date. Emmanwori appears to have a clearer path to Week 1 than Charbonnet does right now. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has looked great on Hard Knocks, and it’s tough not to root for what seems like a good group of guys. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —