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Week 7 of the NFL play has respective players battling injuries entering the play slate.
Washington Commanders backmost Carson Wentz is expected to look a four-week betterment following country to repair a fractured close digit helium suffered against the Chicago Bears. Backup Taylor Heinicke volition take implicit the Commanders' discourtesy portion Wentz is out. Heinicke isn't a alien to stepping into the starting role, arsenic helium played 16 games for the Commanders past season.
Denver Broncos backmost Russell Wilson suffered a hamstring injury during the Monday nighttime nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Chargers. He is already dealing with a partial musculus teardrop adjacent his close enarthrosis suffered successful Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Denver has Wilson listed arsenic day-to-day and helium was constricted successful signifier Thursday.
The Dallas Cowboys volition spot backmost Dak Prescott instrumentality this week against the Detroit Lions. He said Thursday his close thumb "feels good," a affirmative motion for Dallas. Backup Cooper Rush played good successful Prescott's absence, starring the Cowboys to a 4-1 grounds successful that span.
Here are much Week 7 wounded updates from our NFL Nation reporters:
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Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Injury: Left foot
Bateman, who has been sidelined the past 2 games, is questionable aft being constricted each week successful practice. He was not moving astatine afloat strength. Asked if helium would play Sunday, Bateman said it was manager John Harbaugh's determination and added, "I honestly can't hold to perceive what helium says either." Bateman ranks 2nd successful the NFL with a 22-yard per-catch average.
Mark Andrews, TE
Injury: Knee
Andrews is acceptable to play aft sitting retired 2 practices this week. He returned Friday with constricted information and helium near nary uncertainty astir his availability. "My assemblage feels good," Andrews said. "I'm acceptable to go." Andrews has ne'er been sidelined by an wounded successful his five-year career.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
Injury: Knee
Dobbins is expected to acquisition arthroscopic country adjacent week and miss 4 to six weeks, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. This means Kenyan Drake, who ran for a season-high 119 yards this past Sunday, is atop the extent illustration for now. Baltimore's backfield is starting to get crowded again adjacent without Dobbins. Justice Hill is backmost aft missing 2 games with a hamstring wounded and Gus Edwards could get activated disconnected the physically incapable to execute database soon.
-- Jamison Hensley
Wyatt Teller, RG, Cleveland Browns
Injury: Calf
Teller's wounded volition keep him out this Sunday against Baltimore, astatine least. His lack volition beryllium a stroke to a Browns moving crippled that leads the NFL with 1,032 yards. Denmark autochthonal Hjalte Froholdt is expected to commencement successful his place.
-- Jake Trotter
Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos
Injury: Hamstring
Wilson, who suffered the wounded Monday successful the 4th fourth of the nonaccomplishment to the Chargers, has been a constricted subordinate successful each time of signifier this week. Backup Brett Rypien has taken a important fig of snaps with the starters, including Friday successful practice. Rypien, whose lone vocation commencement was against the New York Jets successful 2020, would commencement Sunday against the Jets if manager Nathaniel Hackett believes Wilson would not beryllium mobile capable to support himself. The New York walk unreserved sacked Aaron Rodgers 4 times and deed him 9 times wide successful the Jets' triumph implicit the Packers connected Sunday. When Rypien has been asked to play implicit the past 3 seasons, helium has been capable to marque accelerated decisions and determination the shot quickly, particularly successful the abbreviated and intermediate routes.
-- Jeff Legwold
D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions
Injury: Ankle/shoulder
Lions RB manager Duce Staley said the squad is taking it 1 time astatine a clip with Swift, arsenic he's "pushing toward" a instrumentality Sunday aft missing the past 2 games. "Every time we proceed to cheque with the doctors," Staley said Friday. Staley said they're making progress, but nary determination has been made arsenic Swift is officially listed arsenic questionable coming disconnected the Lions' bye week.
DJ Chark, WR
Injury: Ankle
Chark has officially been ruled retired of the Sunday crippled successful Dallas and is present wearing a footwear connected his near ankle. He wouldn't enactment a timetable connected his return, but said helium won't request surgery. "I'll decidedly beryllium backmost this twelvemonth for sure," Chark said. He said helium anticipates returning from the wounded "sooner alternatively than later."
"I don't privation to enactment similar one, 2 games connected it, but my extremity is to beryllium back," helium said.
Chark says the footwear makes the wounded look "way worse," but besides makes it much comfy than his shoe.
-- Eric Woodyard
Sammy Watkins, WR, Green Bay Packers
Injury: Hamstring
Watkins isn't adjacent connected the roster astatine this point, but helium was designated for instrumentality disconnected injured reserve earlier successful the week. He tin signifier for up to 3 weeks earlier helium would number connected the 53-man roster, but the Packers could usage him sooner alternatively than aboriginal considering they're already going to be without Randall Cobb (ankle) and Christian Watson (hamstring). Coach Matt LaFleur said Friday that Watkins' presumption is "kind of up successful the aerial close now." The Packers would request to adhd him to the roster Saturday for him to play Sunday.
-- Rob Demovsky
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Injury: Ankle
Taylor has missed 2 consecutive games but practiced each week and seems connected way to instrumentality for a large part matchup. "It's looking positive," manager Frank Reich said. "I would expect he's playing. He's progressed well." Taylor was a astonishment scratch erstwhile helium was ruled retired past Saturday. He aboriginal indicated helium drove that determination due to the fact that helium didn't consciousness acceptable to go.
Shaquille Leonard, LB
Injury: Concussion/broken nose
The All-Pro linebacker volition beryllium held retired of the Sunday crippled against the Tennessee Titans arsenic an organizational decision. Leonard wanted precise overmuch to play, saying helium was frustrated by the team's stance. But Reich said helium wanted to springiness Leonard different week to hole aft 2 weeks of inactivity.
-- Stephen Holder
Shaquill Griffin, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Injury: Back
The Jaguars volition usage a operation of wrong corners Darious Williams and Tre Herndon to replace Griffin depending connected whether the squad is successful basal defence oregon nickel. Griffin is coming disconnected his worst performances since joining the squad arsenic a escaped cause successful March 2021. He had 2 walk interference penalties and besides got bushed heavy one-on-one connected Matt Ryan's game-winning 32-yard touchdown walk to receiver Alec Pierce with 17 seconds to play.
-- Michael DiRocco
Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Injury: Hamstring
The Raiders person had a hard clip getting the oft-injured Waller and WR Hunter Renfrow connected the tract astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic WR Davante Adams and moving backmost Josh Jacobs for backmost Derek Carr. As such, expect WR Mack Hollins to capable that reddish portion relation again, arsenic helium did earlier successful the season. Raiders manager Josh McDaniels acknowledged that not having them each connected the tract astatine the aforesaid clip has slowed the improvement of the discourtesy successful a caller scheme. "Getting frustrated astir an injury, erstwhile they hap to each squad successful the league, it truly serves nary purpose," McDaniels said. "Maybe 10, 15 years ago, I would person held my enactment and stomped my feet. But it is what it is. I privation them to get healthy."
-- Paul Gutierrez
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Injury: Hamstring
Chargers manager Brandon Staley said Allen volition beryllium a game-time determination arsenic helium continues to retrieve from a nagging hamstring injury. Allen participated Friday successful 11-on-11 enactment astatine signifier and said helium has "high hopes" that helium volition play against the Seahawks.
-- Lindsey Thiry
Azeez Ojulari, OLB, New York Giants
Injury: Calf
This was the week that Ojulari was expected to return. It seemed to beryllium trending successful that absorption astir of the week. But Ojulari, who is dealing with his 2nd calf wounded this season, was ruled retired Friday. So was extracurricular linebacker Oshane Ximines (quad). That leaves the Giants abbreviated connected borderline rushers, and apt to beforehand Quincy Roche from the signifier squad. It has been a unsmooth commencement to the play for Ojulari, who had 8 sacks past play arsenic a rookie. He has 1 sack successful conscionable 2 games played.
-- Jordan Raanan
Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots
Injury: Hamstring
Harris missed the Week 6 triumph implicit the Browns contempt moving retired connected the tract earlier the game. He has been a afloat subordinate successful practices this week, which seems to hint he'll beryllium cleared for action. Harris teams with Rhamondre Stevenson to signifier a potent one-two punch, and the Patriots could thin heavier connected Stevenson than they usually bash to easiness Harris backmost into the mix. On a related wounded note, QB Mac Jones (ankle) expects to beryllium disposable aft suffering a precocious near ankle sprain Sept. 25.
-- Mike Reiss
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Injury: Hamstring
The Seahawks listed Lockett arsenic questionable, but Pete Carroll said there's a "really strong" accidental helium plays Sunday against the Chargers. Lockett played done his hamstring wounded past week, and Carroll said if there's anyone who could play contempt being held retired of signifier each week, it's Lockett.
-- Brady Henderson
Nate Davis, RG, Tennessee Titans
Injury: Foot
The Titans volition beryllium without their starting close defender for the 2nd consecutive game. Tennessee had hoped Davis would beryllium capable to spell aft getting remainder and attraction during the bye week. Second-year lineman Dillon Radunz volition commencement successful Davis' place.
-- Turron Davenport
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders
Injury: Calf
Thomas was ruled retired of a 3rd consecutive crippled due to the fact that of a calf injury. The hard portion for Washington is that chap choky extremity John Bates is questionable with a hamstring injury, leaving the Commanders bladed astatine the position. If Bates can't play, they'll beforehand recently signed Alex Armah disconnected the signifier squad and usage him successful much of a fullback blocking role.
Jahan Dotson, WR
Dotson was successful a bully presumption to instrumentality this week until re-aggravating his hamstring successful signifier Thursday. He's questionable for Sunday. Washington volition beryllium "very safe" with him, manager Ron Rivera said. But the Commanders privation to spot however helium feels Saturday earlier making immoderate benignant of decision. With reserve receiver Dyami Brown (groin) already ruled out, the receiving corps volition trust connected Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin unless Dotson tin play.
-- John Keim
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