Man, if you looked at the injury report heading into Sunday, you probably thought it was a misprint. It wasn't. Week 3 of the 2025 season turned into an absolute gauntlet for some of the league's biggest stars. Honestly, it's kinda wild how many "franchise" players ended up watching from the sidelines in hoodies.
The NFL inactives week 3 2025 list was basically a Pro Bowl roster. We aren't just talking about depth guys or special teamers being "healthy scratches." We are talking about the guys you drafted in the first round of your fantasy league or the ones your team relies on to actually move the chains.
The Quarterback Quagmire: Why the stars stayed home
The biggest shocker was definitely in San Francisco. Seeing Brock Purdy on the inactive list felt wrong. He’s been dealing with a shoulder and toe issue that the Niners just didn't want to mess with. Mac Jones got the nod instead, which is a sentence I didn't think I'd be writing in 2025.
It wasn't just the Bay Area. Washington had to go without Jayden Daniels. The rookie has been the spark plug for that offense, but a knee injury kept him out against the Raiders. Marcus Mariota had to step in, and let's just say the "dual-threat" dynamic shifted quite a bit.
Then you have the mess in New York and Minnesota.
- Justin Fields was ruled out with a concussion.
- J.J. McCarthy sat with that nagging ankle.
- Joe Burrow... well, that's the big one.
Burrow's turf toe is serious. Like, surgery-serious. The Bengals had to roll with Jake Browning, and you could feel the collective sigh in Cincinnati. It's tough. You've got these elite arms sitting in the stands because their bodies just didn't cooperate this week.
Defensive holes that changed the scoreboard
Usually, we focus on the guys catching the balls, but the NFL inactives week 3 2025 defensive list was arguably more impactful for the actual game outcomes.
Take the Steelers. They were missing Joey Porter Jr. and Alex Highsmith. That's a massive chunk of their pass rush and secondary coverage gone in one go. They did start rookie Derrick Harmon, which was cool to see, but losing Porter Jr. against the Patriots' speed was a recipe for a headache.
✨ Don't miss: White Sox Record 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
Down in Tampa, things were equally grim on the defensive side. They were missing Tristan Wirfs on the line (which hurts the offense more, sure) but losing Chris Godwin meant the Bucs were playing a man down in the slot. It changes how a team schemes. When you know a specific lockdown corner or an elite edge rusher is inactive, you attack that side of the field. Simple as that.
Surprise scratches and fantasy heartbreaks
You've probably been there. It's 11:30 AM, you're checking your lineup, and suddenly your WR1 has a "Red O" next to his name.
The Chiefs ruling out Xavier Worthy was a gut punch for a lot of people. It was a shoulder issue that didn't seem that bad on Wednesday but became a "no-go" by Sunday morning. And the Cowboys? No DaRon Bland. That secondary is already thin, so sitting their best ball-hawk against the Bears was a massive gamble that didn't exactly pay dividends.
The Saints also had a weird list. Chase Young was out with a calf strain. Taliese Fuaga sat with a back/knee combo. When you lose your starting right tackle and your primary edge rusher, you’re basically fighting with one arm tied behind your back.
Notable Inactives by Team (The Heavy Hitters)
San Francisco 49ers:
Basically the "injury ward" this week. No Purdy, no Jauan Jennings (ankle), and no Jordan Watkins. It’s a miracle they moved the ball at all.
💡 You might also like: The Mercedes Le Mans Crash: What Really Happened in Racing’s Darkest Hour
Chicago Bears:
They were missing basically their entire secondary. Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson, and Jaylon Jones were all out. If you were a quarterback playing Chicago this week, you were licking your chops.
New York Jets:
No Fields, obviously. But also no Jermaine Johnson or Tony Adams. The Jets' identity is defense, and when you take out those pieces, the identity gets a bit blurry.
What this means for Week 4 and beyond
Look, being inactive in Week 3 doesn't always mean a season is over. For guys like Justin Fields, it's just about clearing protocol. But for others, like James Conner (who we later found out needs surgery) or Nick Bosa (the ACL scares are real), the "inactive" tag was just the start of a long road back.
The takeaway? Depth matters more than ever. The teams that won in Week 3 weren't necessarily the ones with the most talent; they were the ones whose "next man up" actually knew the playbook.
Next Steps for Your Roster:
- Monitor the Protocol: If your player was out with a concussion (like Fields or Alec Pierce), don't assume they'll be back for Week 4. Clearance is a fickle beast.
- Check the "Doubtful" Tags: Most players listed as "Doubtful" on Friday ended up on the NFL inactives week 3 2025 list. Use that as your early warning system.
- Watch the Waiver Wire: With guys like Najee Harris and James Conner facing long absences, the backups (like Omarion Hampton) are about to become the most popular guys in town.
Keep an eye on the Wednesday practice reports. That’s usually where the real story for the following week begins to leak out.