Updated November 2, 2026
Every NFL week, teams publish two kinds of injury information: a practice report that shows how much each injured player worked, and a game status report that says whether he is expected to play. The labels on the second report, Out, Doubtful and Questionable, are the ones fantasy managers watch. This guide explains what each term means under the league's Personnel (Injury) Report Policy, when the reports are due, and how they differ from injured reserve and game-day inactives. Definitions come from NFL.com's injury report revisions and deadlines from the NFL's 2026-27 important dates calendar.
Out, Doubtful and Questionable: The Three Game Statuses
The game status report uses only three designations. The league's wording is short:
- Out means the player will not play.
- Doubtful means it is unlikely the player will participate.
- Questionable means it is uncertain whether the player will play.
The policy does not attach a percentage to any of these labels. A doubtful player is less likely to play than a questionable one, but neither is a promise. A questionable player can start, and a questionable player can be ruled inactive on game day. The label describes the team's expectation at the time it files the report, not the severity of the injury.
Why "Probable" no longer exists
You may remember a fourth category, Probable. The Competition Committee removed it, according to an NFL.com article published in August 2016. The stated reason was that about 95 percent of players listed as Probable in prior years did play. Under the current rule, if there is any question about a player's availability, he should be listed as Questionable.
Why some injured players are not listed at all
The same 2016 revision changed what an absence from the report means. If a team is certain a player will play, he is no longer listed on the game status report, even if he appeared on the practice report earlier in the week. If that player is then deactivated, the team must explain it to the league and can be disciplined, per NFL.com. So a player who practiced on a limited basis midweek and then drops off Friday's game status report is, by the policy's terms, expected to play.
Practice Participation Codes: DNP, Limited and Full
The practice report has its own three levels, and they are separate from the game statuses above:
- Did Not Participate (DNP): the player did not practice that day.
- Limited Participation (LP): less than 100 percent of the player's normal repetitions.
- Full Participation (FP): 100 percent of his normal repetitions.
The 2016 revision also removed an "Out" category from the practice report so it would not be confused with the game status report, NFL.com reported.
Estimated reports
When a team holds a walkthrough or does not practice, it can list an estimate of what each player's participation would have been. The league's important dates calendar is explicit on the limit: on days that a team practices, an estimated injury report for practice status is not acceptable, regardless of what time practice is held. Estimates are common in short weeks. Estimates are common in short weeks, when teams often hold walkthroughs instead of full practices early in the week.
When Practice and Game Status Reports Are Due
Under the policy, each report is due by 4:00 p.m. New York time, or as soon as possible after practice ends. That is 1:00 p.m. Pacific. The schedule depends on the day of the game, per the NFL's 2026-27 calendar:
- Sunday game: practice reports Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Game status report Friday.
- Monday game: practice reports Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Game status report Saturday.
- Thursday game: practice reports Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Game status report Wednesday.
- Wednesday game: practice reports Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Game status report Tuesday.
- Friday or Saturday game: practice reports Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Game status report Thursday.
The policy also requires an update if a player's condition changes after the game status report is filed. That is why a status can change on Saturday for a Sunday game.
Thursday and Monday games shift the calendar
A Sunday team's final statuses come two days before kickoff. Thursday teams get the least notice: their first practice report is due Monday and their final statuses come out Wednesday, one day before the game. Monday night teams have the latest window and file final statuses on Saturday. For the current week's dates, our Week 9 injury report schedule lists the day each team's first and final reports are due.
Injured Reserve Is a Different List
A player on injured reserve is not on the active roster, so he does not need a weekly Questionable or Doubtful tag. Ravens coach Jesse Minter said on November 1, 2026 that quarterback Lamar Jackson will have surgery on his right thumb and go on IR, which will sideline him at least four games, per NFL.com's Jackson injury report. Under the league calendar, players placed on injured reserve during the season may be designated to return later in the season.
Roster moves that free a spot for an injured player often run through the practice squad. Our guide to NFL practice squad rules and elevations covers how teams fill those spots for a single game.
Inactives: The Final Answer 90 Minutes Before Kickoff
The game status report is not the last word. Each team must name its game-day inactives 90 minutes before kickoff, per NFL.com's report on the inactives deadline. A questionable player who is not on the inactive list will dress. NFL.com posts each week's lists on its NFL inactives page.
Reading the Report for Fantasy Lineups
For fantasy managers the practical sequence is the same every week. Watch the practice trend from the first report to the last, because a player who moves from DNP to Limited to Full is on a different path from one who stays at DNP. Then check the game status report on the final report day. If a key player is Questionable in a late game, plan a fallback before your earliest lineup deadline, since you may not know his status until inactives come out.
Thursday games deserve extra care. Their final statuses arrive Wednesday afternoon, and in leagues that lock each player at his own kickoff, Thursday players cannot be moved after the game starts. Our longer piece on fantasy football strategy covers broader roster strategy, and our earlier explainer on common NFL injuries covers the injury types players deal with most.
Official reports for every team are posted on NFL.com's injury report page and on each club's site, which you can reach through NFL.com's team directory.
Questions About NFL Injury Designations
What is the difference between questionable and doubtful in the NFL?
Questionable means it is uncertain whether the player will play. Doubtful means it is unlikely he will play. Both are game status designations under the NFL's injury report policy; neither comes with an official percentage.
Does the NFL still use probable on injury reports?
No. The Competition Committee removed Probable, as NFL.com reported in August 2016, because about 95 percent of players with that tag played. A player the team is certain will play is now left off the game status report.
When does the NFL injury report come out for Sunday games?
Practice reports are due Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and the game status report with Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags is due Friday by 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT), or as soon as possible after practice.
Sources: NFL.com, injury report revisions (2016); NFL.com, 2026-27 league calendar; NFL.com, Jackson IR news; NFL.com, game-day inactives deadline. Checked November 2, 2026.
