Biggest injury questions for all teams
Some fantasy-relevant players could be returning from injury this weekend….
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Some fantasy-relevant players — including Saquon Barkley, Devin Singletary and Mitchell Trubisky — could be suiting up again in Week 7.
Get the latest updates from our NFL Nation reporters.
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AFC EAST
Is Devin Singletary’s hamstring finally healed? The rookie has missed the Bills’ past three games after injuring his hamstring in Week 2, but things are looking up after Buffalo’s Week 6 bye. Singletary practiced in full Wednesday for the first time in four weeks, and though Sean McDermott said the team is taking it “day by day” with the third-round pick, all signs are pointing toward him playing Sunday against the Dolphins. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard missed the Week 6 game against Washington with knee soreness, but he mentioned Wednesday that he is “close” to playing. Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Howard is doing well, and it looks like he’s trending in the right direction, as he did practice. — Cameron Wolfe
Wide receiver Josh Gordon didn’t practice Tuesday after injuring his knee in Thursday’s win over the Giants. When seen walking the day after the game, he had a notable stiffness to his gait. But on Tuesday, he looked like he was walking more comfortably. He projects as questionable for Monday, and fellow receiver Phillip Dorsett — who missed Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury — indicated that he has a better chance to play this week. Tight end Matt LaCosse, meanwhile, isn’t expected to play due to a knee injury, which should thrust veteran Benjamin Watson into the mix alongside second-year pro Ryan Izzo and recently signed Eric Tomlinson. — Mike Reiss
Linebacker C.J. Mosley (groin), left tackle Kelvin Beachum and tight end Chris Herndon (hamstring) are the three biggest injury questions. Mosley, injured in Week 1, hopes to begin individual drills on Thursday, but it’s a wait-and-see game. Beachum and Herndon are less likely to play, which means Brandon Shell could make his first career start at left tackle. — Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Wide receiver Marquise Brown didn’t practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury after missing his first game of the season in Week 6. Ravens coach John Harbaugh described Brown as day-to-day. Without Brown, the Ravens are limited in stretching the field; he has accounted for half of Baltimore’s receptions of 30 yards or longer. Brown’s situation looms large looking ahead to Sunday against the Seahawks, who have given up the fifth-most passes of 30 yards or longer, with 10. — Jamison Hensley
Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has been out since he suffered an ankle injury during the first practice of the preseason. Although he’s making progress, he might not be back until next week. Green did not practice at all after being limited in drills last week. He needs to practice fully before he’ll have a shot to play in a game. “We’ll progress him day-to-day and see where it goes,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. — Ben Baby
The bye comes at an opportune time for the Browns, as Baker Mayfield nurses a hip injury. Mayfield didn’t practice Tuesday or Wednesday. But coach Freddie Kitchens said there’s “no doubt” that Mayfield will be ready to play Oct. 27 at the Patriots. — Jake Trotter
The Steelers’ bye week gives everyone a chance to get a little healthier — and it all but assures that Mason Rudolph will be back behind center when the team faces the Dolphins in Week 8. “There’s no extreme urgency in terms of getting him out of the protocol because we don’t work again until Monday,” Mike Tomlin said Wednesday. “He’s been fully cleared to participate in the things we’ve been doing.” Later in the day, Rudolph was cleared by an independent neurologist, which clears his path to playing against Miami. — Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
Cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby are both dealing with hamstring injuries. Although Roby is not expected to play Sunday in Indianapolis, Joseph could return after missing just one game. Without either starting cornerback available at the end of the Texans’ Week 6 victory over the Chiefs, cornerbacks Lonnie Johnson, Keion Crossen and Phillip Gaines played. — Sarah Barshop
There’s never a good time to be worried about the health of your top three defensive backs. It’s definitely not a good time when the team you’re about to face is averaging 42 points per game in its past two games. Safety Malik Hooker (knee), cornerback Pierre Desir (hamstring) and cornerback Kenny Moore (knee) all didn’t practice Wednesday. Hooker has missed the past two games. The Texans have scored 53 and 31 points, respectively, in their past two games, and quarterback Deshaun Watson is averaging 301 passing yards per game this season. “I think he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “He makes good decisions. He gets you out of plays, plays smart.” — Mike Wells
Tight end Geoff Swaim remains in concussion protocol. It’s a position that was thin to begin with, due to the loss of James O’Shaughnessy and the uncertain status of rookie Josh Oliver, who missed the first six games with a hamstring injury. The hope is that Oliver can play Sunday at Cincinnati, but what can the Jaguars realistically expect out of him? If Swaim is out, the Jaguars will have to rely on Seth DeValve and Ben Koyack. — Mike DiRocco
Inside linebacker Jayon Brown didn’t practice Wednesday after being removed from last week’s game after three plays due to a groin injury. Head coach Mike Vrabel said they will further evaluate Brown as the week continues. Veteran linebacker Wesley Woodyard took Brown’s spot in the lineup and played a solid game against Denver, finishing with six tackles and a sack. — Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders did not play in the second half of the Broncos’ win over the Titans due to a knee injury that limited him in practice in the days leading up to the game. On a short week, the Broncos did only walk-through practices leading up to Thursday night’s game against the Chiefs, and Sanders participated in those. The Broncos did give a practice approximation on their injury report and listed that Sanders would have been a full participant in a full practice Tuesday, so he is expected to play against the Chiefs. — Jeff Legwold
The Chiefs have been short-handed at a number of positions recently, and they added another to the list for Thursday’s game against the Broncos. The Chiefs will be without nickel back Kendall Fuller because of a thumb injury and might be without starting cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who is listed as questionable on the week’s final injury report. The Chiefs are thin at corner to begin with, and the situation is dire if Breeland doesn’t play; Mo Claiborne would join Charvarius Ward in the starting lineup, and rookie Rashad Fenton is the likely nickel back. After that, the Chiefs would likely switch either of two safeties, Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill, into coverage. — Adam Teicher
Out since the start of the regular season with a right groin injury, kicker Michael Badgley could be on track to be available for the Chargers for the first time this season. Badgley was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and kicked some before pregame warm-ups last week. — Eric D. Williams
Receiver Tyrell Williams has not practiced since before the Raiders’ victory Sept. 29 at Indianapolis, with a sore foot sidelining him for Oakland’s win against the Bears in London a week later. “We believe it’s plantar fasciitis or fascia,” coach Jon Gruden said. “Whatever that is, he has. And it’s not getting much better.” Even with the bye this week, Williams was not on the practice field Wednesday. Zay Jones, acquired in a bye-week trade with Buffalo, has had a crash course in the Raiders’ offense, though Trevor Davis, also brought in via trade this season, is listed as the other starting wideout opposite Williams. Rookie Hunter Renfrow is Williams’ backup. — Paul Gutierrez
NFC EAST
There are many questions this week. Tackles Tyron Smith (ankle) and La’el Collins (knee) are uncertain to play. Receivers Amari Cooper (quadriceps) and Randall Cobb (back) have issues. Cornerbacks Byron Jones and Anthony Brown have hamstring issues. It’s not a good week to go in hurting against Philadelphia in spots the Eagles could exploit (line, cornerback) or the Cowboys could exploit (facing the 29th-ranked pass defense). If Cooper and Cobb can’t play, then Michael Gallup will have to become a bigger factor in the passing game after dropping three balls last week. Devin Smith, who had a 51-yard touchdown catch in Week 2, would also be an option. Jourdan Lewis would move into a starting corner role if Jones and Brown are out, but that would leave the Cowboys with only three corners on the roster, which could require them to call up Mike Jackson from the practice squad. — Todd Archer
The Giants are hoping to get running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) and tight end Evan Engram (knee) back this week. Both were full participants at Wednesday’s practice. That’s good news, especially for rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. Barring a setback, Barkley and Engram should be ready for Sunday against Arizona. Engram thinks he will play, and Barkley wanted to return Thursday against the Patriots. — Jordan Raanan
The Eagles are getting healthier at cornerback — and not a minute too soon. Jalen Mills (foot) and Ronald Darby (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday and could see some action against the Cowboys, depending on how things go this week. DeSean Jackson (abdominal strain) remains sidelined and is listed as day-to-day. — Tim McManus
A handful of Redskins did not practice, but most are expected to play Sunday, including quarterback Case Keenum (shoulder/foot), running back Adrian Peterson (quad) and corner Josh Norman (thigh/hand). It will be tougher for running back Chris Thompson to play after suffering a turf toe injury against the Dolphins. Thompson did not practice, and interim coach Bill Callahan said they won’t have a better feel on him until later in the week. If he can’t play, it would be a big loss to the Redskins’ nickel package on offense; he’d be replaced by Wendell Smallwood, and they could promote one of their backs off the practice squad. Meanwhile, tight end Vernon Davis was limited in practice and feeling much better after missing two consecutive games because of a concussion. — John Keim
NFC NORTH
Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky appears to be on track to return from a non-throwing-shoulder injury and start on Sunday versus the Saints. “I feel close [to 100%],” Trubisky said Wednesday. Trubisky has practiced this week but admitted that he’ll need to wear a harness on his left shoulder to be medically cleared to play. Trubisky suffered a dislocated left shoulder and slight labrum tear versus the Vikings on Sept. 29. — Jeff Dickerson
The Lions had a walk-through on Wednesday, and six players would have been limited for Detroit had it been a full practice, including cornerback Darius Slay (hamstring), safety Quandre Diggs (hamstring) and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson (knee). Since Diggs missed last week, he’s going to be the player to pay the most attention to as the week goes along, as well as defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand (elbow), who continues to recover from an elbow injury in training camp. As to why Hand hasn’t played, Lions coach Matt Patricia said Wednesday that since the DL missed camp, they have been trying to build his reps up during padded practices. The Lions won’t have a padded practice this week, so it’s unclear how that might affect whether Hand will debut Sunday or hold off for at least another week. — Michael Rothstein
No wonder the Packers signed veteran receiver Ryan Grant; their top three receivers are all sidelined. Davante Adams (toe) continues to rehab, Geronimo Allison landed in concussion protocol following the hit that knocked him out of Monday night’s game against the Lions, and now Marquez Valdes-Scantling is dealing with both an ankle and a knee injury, even though he finished the game. It isn’t an ideal situation for the Packers, especially going through a shortened week. — Rob Demovsky
The offensive line is dealing with some good and some not so good circumstances. After missing the Eagles game with a foot injury, right guard Josh Kline returned to practice for the first time in more than a week. While Dakota Dozier has played an important relief role at left and right guard this season, the possibility of getting Kline back this week can help solidify the interior against a tough Detroit front. Left tackle Riley Reiff was held out Wednesday with the ankle injury he sustained against Philadelphia, but if he should miss time, the Vikings are in a good place with backup tackle Rashod Hill, who played 51 snaps in Reiff’s absence and earned the highest pass-blocking grade in Minnesota’s win over Philadelphia. — Courtney Cronin
NFC SOUTH
Starting cornerback Desmond Trufant‘s lingering toe injury continues to be a concern. Trufant didn’t play last week against the Cardinals and didn’t practice Wednesday in preparation for the Rams. Rookie Kendall Sheffield played well at left cornerback in a starting role, and Dan Quinn said Sheffield is ready for more time outside but stopped short of saying Sheffield would supplant Isaiah Oliver or Trufant. Trufant has had some struggles, but Quinn still believes in him as a starter. The Rams have a pretty solid receiver trio in Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks, all of whom average at least 11.5 yards per catch. — Vaughn McClure
The Panthers are on a bye amid a four-game winning streak, and the week off will give several key players a chance to return for their next game against undefeated San Francisco. Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner (ankle) and starting cornerback Donte Jackson should be ready to go by next week. Left tackle Greg Little (concussion) also appears close to a return, though his replacement (Dennis Daley) had the best grade of all NFL left tackles this past week, according to Pro Football Focus. The big one is quarterback Cam Newton. Although he could be ready to practice after missing four games with a left Lisfranc sprain, coach Ron Rivera would not commit to Newton replacing Kyle Allen against the 49ers. — David Newton
Saints running back Alvin Kamara could be questionable all week because of ankle and knee injuries. He did not practice Wednesday, and the Saints signed veteran Zach Zenner for some added insurance behind Latavius Murray and Dwayne Washington. But Kamara was able to finish Sunday’s game at Jacksonville despite the ailments. We should learn more about his status if he is able to practice Thursday or Friday. Same for tight end Jared Cook, who missed Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury. — Mike Triplett
The Bucs’ bye week couldn’t come at a better time for the right side of the offensive line. Coach Bruce Arians said right tackle Demar Dotson (hamstring strain) could return after the bye to play against the Titans, and right guard Alex Cappa (broken arm) is more likely to come back against the Seahawks in Week 9. Considering that Jameis Winston was sacked seven times by the Panthers, that would be huge. Outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul has also begun his 21-day practice window to return from a fractured neck. He practiced Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, doing one-on-one blocking drills with offensive linemen. He can be activated at any time within that period. — Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Wide receiver Christian Kirk is closer to playing this week than he was last week, coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday. Kirk, who missed last week’s game because he wasn’t at 100 percent, still needs to prove that he can make cuts after sustaining a high ankle sprain. The good news is the recovery has been progressing faster than expected. A week ago, he was able to run only in a straight line. Once that changes and he’s able to move more freely, he’ll be cleared to play. But whether that happens this week is yet to be seen. — Josh Weinfuss
Rams running backs Todd Gurley II (thigh contusion) and Malcolm Brown (ankle) are day-to-day ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the Falcons. Rams coach Sean McVay said Gurley, who was inactive Sunday, is on the mend. If Gurley and Brown are slowed or sidelined, rookie Darrell Henderson could again fill in. — Lindsey Thiry
Defensive tackle D.J. Jones is dealing with a hamstring injury that coach Kyle Shanahan has said will likely make him questionable for Sunday against Washington. Although he doesn’t get the credit of his other defensive line mates, Jones is an integral piece to San Francisco’s sixth-ranked run defense. He does all the dirty work, taking on double teams and allowing others to make the plays. If he can’t go, the Niners will likely turn to Sheldon Day to help slow down Redskins running back Adrian Peterson, who is coming off his first 100-yard game of the season. — Nick Wagoner
The Seahawks are looking at the possibility of being without Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown for the second straight week. Pete Carroll said if Brown’s biceps injury keeps him out against Baltimore, he’d have a great chance of being ready for Week 8 at Atlanta. Brown didn’t take part in the team’s Wednesday morning walk-through, which points to another start for George Fant. The Seahawks should have running back Rashaad Penny back this week, while right guard D.J. Fluker is day-to-day. Both have hamstring injuries. — Brady Henderson
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