Biggest Week 2 injury questions for all 32 teams
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Will either of the Bills’ starting linebackers play against Miami in Week 2? Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano left Buffalo’s Week 1 game with a shoulder and hamstring injury, respectively, and did not practice Wednesday. To complicate things further, backup linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Del’Shawn Phillips were both knocked out of Sunday’s game as well. As two of the most critical pieces on one of the better defenses in the league, Edmunds’ and Milano’s absences will be felt if they can’t play against the Dolphins. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Wide receiver DeVante Parker aggravated a lingering hamstring injury halfway through the Dolphins’ Week 1 loss to the Patriots, sending alarm signals to everyone who remembers his past soft-tissue injuries. The good news is he practiced Wednesday in a limited capacity, but the Dolphins have two games in five days coming up here, and with Parker’s injury history, it seems likely they will be cautious if the hamstring isn’t healed by this weekend. — Cameron Wolfe
Defensive tackle Adam Butler, who has a shoulder injury that limited him in practice Wednesday, is a top option as an interior rusher in sub packages. He played 34 snaps in the season-opening win, and his status bears watching. — Mike Reiss
Running back Le’Veon Bell (hamstring) is on injured reserve, meaning Frank Gore moves into the starting role. It’s a big ask for a 37-year-old running back to carry the full load, so look for Josh Adams and perhaps newcomer Kalen Ballage to get some carries. Rookie La’Mical Perine (ankle) still isn’t ready. — Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
There was a surprise surrounding All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley missing Wednesday’s practice. Earlier in the week, coach John Harbaugh said he expected Stanley to practice this week because his ankle injury wasn’t serious. But it was Stanley’s hip, and not the ankle injury that sidelined him Sunday, that forced him to sit out Wednesday. If Stanley can’t play at Houston, there is a huge drop-off with D.J. Fluker, who had played only one snap at tackle in the previous three seasons. — Jamison Hensley
The Bengals’ run defense could be in trouble against Cleveland’s rushing tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Cincinnati will be without two defensive tackles — All-Decade player Geno Atkins (shoulder) and Mike Daniels (groin), a recent addition who was signed to give the unit depth. The Browns could have success up the middle if the Bengals aren’t able to find adequate replacements. Atkins is missing his second straight week after making 96 consecutive regular-season appearances. — Ben Baby
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Stephania Bell explains that fantasy managers will have to wait and see if Michael Thomas and George Kittle will be able to play in Week 2.
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry (hip) was listed as questionable for Thursday after sitting out Tuesday’s practice. Given the short week, Landry’s absence was merely precautionary, as he’s coming off offseason hip surgery. — Jake Trotter
The Steelers were missing five offensive linemen from Wednesday’s practice, but for the second week in a row, the most concerning absence is guard David DeCastro. Stefen Wisniewski, who started in place of DeCastro, left Monday night’s win with a pectoral injury. Neither Wisniewski nor DeCastro practiced on Wednesday, leaving the Steelers without much depth on the offensive line. Without DeCastro and Wisniewski, the Steelers are down to their third-string guard, rookie Kevin Dotson, who played six snaps Monday night. The Steelers already had to replace right tackle Zach Banner with Chuks Okorafor after Banner’s season-ending knee injury, and they could face an even more inexperienced right side if DeCastro or Wisniewski can’t go Sunday. Not the best plan to protect a 38-year-old quarterback. — Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
Texans running back Duke Johnson was limited in practice on Wednesday after he left Houston’s Week 1 game with a sprained ankle. Starter David Johnson played 81% of the Texans’ offensive snaps in that game, and that number could go up even more if Duke Johnson does not play against the Ravens. Buddy Howell is Houston’s third running back, but he played only on special teams against Kansas City last week. — Sarah Barshop
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Depth at tight end has always been a concern for the Colts, and it could be an even bigger one on Sunday against Minnesota after Jack Doyle didn’t practice Wednesday because of knee and ankle injuries. The Colts continue to be without Trey Burton (calf), meaning Mo Alie-Cox and Noah Togiai could be the only two healthy tight ends if Doyle misses Sunday’s game. — Mike Wells
Starting free safety Jarrod Wilson was placed on injured reserve on Monday with a hamstring injury and he’ll be out at least three weeks. The Jaguars have several options to replace him: second-year players Andrew Wingard and Brandon Watson and rookie Daniel Thomas. Wingard went in for Wilson when he was hurt last Sunday against Indianapolis and picked off Philip Rivers in the fourth quarter, so he’ll get first crack at staying on the field for Wilson. “Going into the year, we felt like we had depth at that position,” coach Doug Marrone said. — Mike DiRocco
Outside linebacker Vic Beasley was inactive for the season opener and limited in practice this week because of a knee injury. Beasley worked on a separate field with pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney and coach Mike Vrabel during practice. He’s yet to be a full participant in any practices after spending all of training camp on the NFI (non-football injury) list. — Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
The Broncos have a pair of skill position players to watch. Receiver Courtland Sutton (shoulder) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, and the Broncos hope he can improve enough through the remainder of the week to play against the Steelers. Running back Phillip Lindsay (turf toe) did not practice Wednesday, and Broncos coach Vic Fangio said he didn’t know if Lindsay would improve enough to play. The Broncos hope Lindsay can practice on a limited basis either Thursday or Friday. Even if Lindsay plays some against the Steelers, the Broncos likely will limit his snap count and use Royce Freeman more than usual in the rotation with Melvin Gordon. — Jeff Legwold
Cornerback Charvarius Ward did not practice on Wednesday after fracturing a hand last week, but the Chiefs have yet to rule him out for Sunday’s game against the Chargers. The Chiefs are already playing without their other starter, Bashaud Breeland, because of an NFL suspension, so Ward’s absence would leave the Chiefs even more short-handed. Among their other corners are rookies L’Jarius Sneed and BoPete Keyes and veteran Antonio Hamilton, who has been playing some at safety. — Adam Teicher
Right tackle Trent Brown, who barely practiced in training camp, left the Raiders’ win at Carolina after one series with a right calf injury. And as The Associated Press noted, Brown has played 10 or more snaps in only 10 of the 17 games in which he’s played since signing that massive four-year, $66 million free-agent deal. Asked if he was concerned about Brown going out so early Sunday, Raiders coach Jon Gruden bit his lip, saying, “It’s obviously a concern, but I’m good at it. I’m good at being concerned. I’m really good at it.” Plus, Brown’s backup, veteran Sam Young, went out with a groin issue, though Denzelle Good, a guard by trade, acquitted himself well against the Panthers, and either he or tackle Brandon Parker, who was inactive at Carolina, will be the guy guarding Derek Carr’s front side Monday night against the Saints if neither Brown nor Young can play. — Paul Gutierrez
Center Mike Pouncey missed the opening game with a hip injury, the same one that plagued him for most of 2016, and he still wasn’t practicing as of Wednesday. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn didn’t provide a timetable for Pouncey’s return, calling it “a day-to-day deal.” But he did express confidence in Dan Feeney, who was going to be the Chargers’ starting center before the team signed Pouncey for the 2018 season. — Alden Gonzalez
NFC EAST
The Cowboys can be considered healthy, but they have had their share of injuries. Only cornerback Jourdan Lewis is on the injury report with an ankle and he was a full participant. He did not play last week, but his return would help the Cowboys in the slot. — Todd Archer
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More NFL coverage »Again it is wide receiver Golden Tate (hamstring). The Giants played it cautiously on Monday night knowing there were 15 games left in this season. Tate was on the field at Wednesday’s practice (essentially a walk-through) and the media saw only stretching. But it’s more likely than not, barring a late-week setback, that Tate will be on the field Sunday against the Bears. That means for the first time, quarterback Daniel Jones would have all his weapons on the field at the same time in a game. — Jordan Raanan
The Eagles are expected to get a pair of key players back and a boost to their running game, with running back Miles Sanders (hamstring) and tackle Lane Johnson (ankle) on track to play against the Los Angeles Rams, per Adam Schefter. Without Sanders, the team’s leading rusher last season, Boston Scott, led the Eagles with 35 rushing yards last week. — Tim McManus
After sitting out the season opener, cornerback Kendall Fuller practiced in full Wednesday. If Fuller, who missed the opener with a knee injury, can play, it solidifies their corner depth. Jimmy Moreland started on the outside and played inside in their nickel — the role Fuller would have played. Fuller is excellent in the slot and can rotate to safety in some coverages, so even if that’s all he plays, he’s still a big help. Both Moreland and Fabian Moreau intercepted passes last week and performed well. — John Keim
NFC NORTH
The plan is for veteran outside linebacker Robert Quinn (ankle) to have limited practice participation throughout the week. “We’re going to have a good chance to see him on Wednesday,” Bears head coach Matt Nagy said. Quinn sat out Week 1 because of the ankle after being relegated to individual drills for almost all of training camp — the residual effect of a personal matter Quinn had to attend to, per the Bears. Chicago signed Quinn to a five-year deal that contained $30 million in guarantees. Quinn will earn $18.5 million in 2020. — Jeff Dickerson
Receiver Kenny Golladay didn’t practice for the third straight day dating to last week and his status will continue to be one to monitor heading into Sunday against Green Bay. Coach Matt Patricia said they’ll be cautious with hamstring injuries early in the season to keep them from lingering too long. If he can’t play against Green Bay, look for a lot more of rookie Quintez Cephus and veteran Marvin Hall. — Michael Rothstein
Offensive lineman Billy Turner tried to give it a go last week but couldn’t make it after practicing on Thursday. He was back on the field Wednesday to give his injured right knee another test. Turner would have started at right tackle in last week’s opener, but he might be slotted in now at right guard after Lane Taylor’s season-ending injury against the Vikings. Rick Wagner held up OK in relief at right tackle. — Rob Demovsky
Cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who played 64 of a possible 78 snaps on defense in his rookie debut, was held out of practice with a rib injury on Wednesday. Fellow rookie cornerback Jeff Gladney, who had offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, showed up on the report with a knee injury but was a full participant. Given the fact that Gladney was not on the injury report last week and was limited to nine snaps on defense in the Vikings’ opener, it’s possible the first-year corner aggravated his recently repaired knee. — Courtney Cronin
NFC SOUTH
Starting left tackle Jake Matthews was held out of Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury. Matthews showing up on the injury report was a surprise considering he played all 79 snaps in a season-opening loss to the Seahawks. It’s hard to say what Matthews’ status is for Sunday right now. If for some reason he’s unable to go, it would be a serious blow to an offensive line lacking quality depth at tackle. Unproven Matt Gono has been working at left tackle behind Matthews and probably would be the first to fill in, and the Falcons just promoted veteran tackle John Wetzel from the practice squad. — Vaughn McClure
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short missed practice on Wednesday with an ankle/foot injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders. Coach Matt Rhule declined to speculate on whether Short, who finished the game, would play against the Bucs. If not, it would be a huge blow to a team that had only five pressures and no sacks on the quarterback this past week. No team had a lower pressure percentage. That’s particularly concerning since Bucs quarterback Tom Brady has a long history of excelling without pressure. His completion percentage is 71.0 and he has a 5-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, second to Aaron Rodgers since 2014. — David Newton
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Matthew Berry is back in on Rams TE Tyler Higbee, but he doesn’t expect him to put up the kinds of numbers he did in the last five weeks of the 2019 season.
The Saints’ first injury report won’t come out until Thursday since they play on Monday night this week. But we already know that receiver Michael Thomas’ status is in doubt with a high ankle injury. Sources told ESPN the team expects him to miss some time — though Thomas wants to try to fight through it. Obviously, that will be a big loss since he just set the NFL record with 149 catches last season. The Saints will lean mostly on new receiver Emmanuel Sanders, running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook to fill the void. But wide receivers Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris and Bennie Fowler, running backs Latavius Murray and Ty Montgomery and QB/RB/TE/WR Taysom Hill could all play bigger roles, too. — Mike Triplett
Wide receiver Chris Godwin is officially in the concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from D.J. Swearinger on fourth down Sunday. Godwin initially felt fine, and even did a Zoom call with the media Tuesday, describing it as a “bang-bang play.” Coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday, “He did not show any symptoms Monday or Tuesday and then showed up today with some, so we’re gonna be very, very cautious with that.” This doesn’t mean Godwin officially has a concussion. A player can enter the protocol if there is mere suspicion of one, so he’ll be monitored throughout the week. Godwin led the Bucs with 79 receiving yards Sunday. — Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Center Mason Cole is still out with a hamstring injury. He missed Wednesday’s practice after leaving Sunday’s game early when he suffered the injury. Should Cole miss this week’s game, Lamont Gaillard will take his place. Gaillard finished Sunday with high marks, but losing Cole, who started all of 2018, would be a short-term blow for the offensive line. — Josh Weinfuss
The Rams started two tight ends, Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, in a Week 1 win over the Cowboys, but Everett suffered a back injury during the game and his status for a Week 2 matchup against the Eagles is uncertain. Everett, who has one catch for 7 yards this season, did not practice Wednesday. If he is unable to play, Johnny Mundt would likely see an increased opportunity. — Lindsey Thiry
Tight end George Kittle is battling a sprained left knee that kept him out of practice Wednesday and likely will keep him out of Thursday and Friday sessions as well. That doesn’t mean Kittle won’t play on Sunday against the Jets, though. “He fully expects to be there Sunday like he always does and just like he always plays through the game when it happens,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “But Kittle is one that if he’s ready to go on Sunday and the doctors say he’s good to go, we have no problem with him going without practicing.” — Nick Wagoner
Coach Pete Carroll said it will take all week to determine defensive end Rasheem Green’s status for Sunday night’s game against New England. He injured a shoulder in Week 1, leaving the Seahawks’ win over Atlanta before returning, and underwent tests Wednesday. Green didn’t start in Week 1 but split time evenly with L.J. Collier, each playing 30 defensive snaps. — Brady Henderson
