Biggest injury questions for all 32 teams in Week 5

Rob Gronkowski (ankle) is racing against the clock as the Patriots host the Colts on Thursday night, with the short week of preparation not helping his hopes of playing. This is similar to last year when the Patriots visited the Buccaneers on a Thursday night and Gronkowski ultimately wasn’t active, and later said if the game was played on a Sunday, he probably would have played. “When Gronk does come back, we’re going to be hard to deal with,” receiver Phillip Dorsett said Tuesday, which might have been a hint that Gronkowski won’t be playing this week. — Mike Reiss

Tight end Neal Sterling (concussion), who missed the last two games, has a chance to play Sunday against the Broncos. The unheralded Sterling had a small role in the passing game in Weeks 1 and 2. His return would provide another target to Sam Darnold in the short and intermediate zones. — Rich Cimini

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AFC NORTH

Tight end Hayden Hurst, the Ravens’ top draft pick this year, was limited in practice after he expected to be a full participant. Coach John Harbaugh said earlier in the week that he would like to see Hurst complete an entire practice. It’s still likely that Hurst will make his NFL debut Sunday in Cleveland. “I feel really good with where I’m at,” Hurst said. He’s been sidelined all regular season after having foot surgery at the end of August. Hurst was starting for the Ravens in the preseason before the injury. — Jamison Hensley

Will Joe Mixon be able to return this week? All signs point to yes after Mixon was in pads for the first time since his knee procedure. Mixon certainly looked like his knee felt OK when he was sprinting down the sidelines to celebrate a win against the Falcons. Mixon might be needed even more this week since Giovani Bernard did not practice Wednesday with a knee injury that he likely sustained on the final drive of Sunday’s game. — Katherine Terrell

Both of the starting receivers missed practice on Wednesday to knee issues, but coach Hue Jackson said he’s very optimistic that Jarvis Landry and Antonio Callaway will play against the Ravens. Callaway, though, may lose some playing time to Rashard Higgins to lessen the burden the offense has placed on him. — Pat McManamon

The Steelers could be without their top inside linebacker, Vince Williams (hamstring), at the worst possible time. Pittsburgh has given up 400-plus yards in three straight games for the first time since 1954, according to ESPN Stats and Info, and Williams is responsible for making the on-field calls for the defense. The hamstring injury is considered mild, but since these injuries can linger, the Steelers likely won’t push him early in the week. Undrafted rookie Matthew Thomas would replace him. At least defensive backs Mike Hilton (elbow) and Morgan Burnett (hamstring) are trending toward playing. — Jeremy Fowler

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AFC SOUTH

The Texans’ Wednesday injury report had a long list of names, including running back Lamar Miller (chest) and receiver Will Fuller V (hamstring), who were limited participants in practice. Bill O’Brien said Miller “should be OK” for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, but that the Texans will have to “see how it goes this week” with Fuller. Cornerback Aaron Colvin, who left the Texans’ Week 3 game with an ankle injury, is out indefinitely, but cornerback Kayvon Webster (Achilles tendon) will likely make his Texans debut against the Cowboys. — Sarah Barshop

The Colts have ruled out seven players for Thursday’s game at New England. The biggest name on the list is receiver T.Y. Hilton (hamstring). The receiver leads the Colts in receiving yards (294) and receptions (21). So quarterback Andrew Luck will now not have his top receiver, tight end (Jack Doyle) and running back (Marlon Mack) while facing a Patriots team against which he’s 0-5 in his career. — Mike Wells

With running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring) already ruled out, the biggest concern is the offensive line. Four of the five starters are on the injury report and two — C Brandon Linder (knee/back) and LG Andrew Norwell (foot) — did not practice Wednesday. Linder normally gets Wednesdays off to rest his knee, but he’s also dealing with back spasms, and that’s an injury that can linger, especially for a big guy. RT Jermey Parnell (knee) and RG A.J. Cann (triceps) have been dealing with their issues for several weeks. The Jaguars are already on their backup left tackle, too. Expect Parnell and Cann to play, but whether Linder is available depends on how his back responds. Coach Doug Marrone said the team would know more about Linder and Norwell on Thursday. — Michael DiRocco

Who plays safety next to Kevin Byard? Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro is expected to be out for a few weeks after suffering a dislocated elbow in the second quarter against the Eagles. Tennessee will stay in house to replace Vaccaro temporarily. “I don’t think we’ll go outside the building to look for a safety. I think that we’ll look at who we have here and look at the practice squad,” Mike Vrabel said on Monday. Veteran safety Kendrick Lewis came in to replace Vaccaro but went down with a left leg injury. Rookie safety Dane Cruikshank came in after Lewis went down. Whether or not Lewis is able to go will depend on how he feels in practice this week. Practice squad safety Damon Webb may be an option. He and defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs spent last year together at Ohio State. — Turron Davenport

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AFC WEST

Broncos coach Vance Joseph has consistently praised the work of backup tackle Billy Turner throughout the team’s offseason program, into training camp, and now in the regular season. And the Broncos may need Turner’s best Sunday against the Jets given that right tackle Jared Veldheer left this past Monday night’s loss against the Chiefs with a bone bruise on his knee. Veldheer played just 16 snaps on offense and Turner went the rest of the way as the Broncos rushed for 159 yards with a 7.2 yards-per-carry average. Veldheer was held out of Wednesday’s practice and is a significant question mark on a short week before the Jets game. “We’ll see how the week progresses,” is how Joseph put it after Wednesday’s practice. “(Veldheer) is getting better slowly. … I’m confident if (Veldheer) is not playing Billy will do a good job for us.” — Jeff Legwold

The Chiefs feel good about having both wide receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring) and linebacker Dee Ford (groin) available for Sunday’s game. Each practiced on Wednesday, though in a limited manner. The Chiefs could survive without Watkins over the short term. His replacement, Demarcus Robinson, had a big catch on the game-winning drive last week against the Broncos. Ford, who is tied for team lead in sacks, with three, would be much more difficult for the Chiefs to replace. — Adam Teicher

The Chargers could be without the services of left tackle Russell Okung when they face their AFC West rivals, the Raiders. Okung suffered a groin injury that forced him to miss the second half of last week’s 29-27 win over the 49ers. he did not practice on Wednesday, and head coach Anthony Lynn said the Oklahoma State product likely will be a game-time decision as to whether he plays on Sunday. — Eric D. Williams

Marshawn Lynch seemingly willed the Raiders to a 45-42 comeback victory in overtime against the Browns, and appears to have paid a price with his hard-charging running style steep enough to keep him out of practice on Wednesday. The punishing Lynch, who was in Oakland’s locker room and did not appear to be favoring an injury, is not one to miss practice, so it is unknown whether he was merely given a vet’s day off or if his availability against the Chargers is in jeopardy. If Lynch cannot go, expect Doug Martin, who coach Jon Gruden likes a lot, to be the featured back, with Jalen Richard the change-of-pace back. Elsewhere, DeAndre Washington is getting closer to coming back from arthroscopic knee surgery that occurred during training camp. — Paul Gutierrez

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NFC EAST

Ezekiel Elliott went through a full practice on Wednesday and said he felt as fresh as he has felt all season after carrying a season-high 25 times last week against Detroit. The Cowboys will monitor Elliott during the week to make sure he is ready to go, but the running back said he has “fresh legs.” On defense, DeMarcus Lawrence was listed as limited because of a shoulder injury but it will not keep him out of any game action Sunday at Houston either. The Cowboys don’t want to expose Lawrence to more work during Wednesday’s practices that generally focus on the running game. — Todd Archer

The Giants are again hoping this is the week OLB Olivier Vernon (ankle) and CB Eli Apple (groin) return. Vernon hasn’t played yet this season, and Apple has missed the past two games. Both practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday, so there is some optimism. — Jordan Raanan

Running back is the position to watch. Darren Sproles (hamstring) and Corey Clement (quad) were sidelined at practice once again to start the week, and are considered day-to-day. Their absence against the Titans hurt the Eagles, especially on third down. Those are the top pass-protecting backs on the roster. When they are out of the lineup, QB Carson Wentz is all the more susceptible to hits. — Tim McManus

Three key Redskins did not practice Wednesday: corner Josh Norman (hamstring), tackle Trent Williams (knee) and running back Adrian Peterson (ankle). The Redskins have maintained optimism about the latter two in particular. But the one new concern might be receiver Josh Doctson. He had his foot stepped on Wednesday and left early to see a doctor. He was later seen at the facility and in good spirits; an update will be provided Thursday. — John Keim

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NFC NORTH

Almost every team claims their bye week came at a good time. The Bears shouldn’t. They’re relatively healthy and are rolling, winning three straight games after losing their opener by a point. They will have to figure out how to replace outside linebacker Sam Acho, who sustained a season-ending pectoral muscle tear in Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay, but having Khalil Mack should more than make up for the loss of a rotational pass rusher. –Rob Demovsky

The Lions were without starting RG T.J. Lang (concussion) at practice Wednesday — not surprising considering he is in the league’s concussion protocol and is dealing with at least the fifth concussion of his career. That the Lions re-signed Andrew Donnal on Wednesday might be another sign Lang isn’t going to be ready to face his former team. Running back LeGarrette Blount also didn’t practice Wednesday, so that’ll be something to pay attention to as the week goes on. It could mean a bigger week for Kerryon Johnson if Blount is injured at all. In better news for the Lions, S Quandre Diggs (hand) practiced Wednesday with a black cast on his left hand. It’s not clear if he’ll play against the Packers, but the fact that he was practicing is a pretty good sign. — Michael Rothstein

The Packers are facing the possibility of playing the Lions without two of their top three receivers. Randall Cobb (hamstring) worked in the rehab group on Wednesday, while Geronimo Allison remains in the concussion protocol. So it could be Davante Adams and a combination of rookie receivers, who have previously played sparingly. Fifth-round pick Marquez Valdes-Scantling has played 74 snaps in four games (including 54 last week). Fourth-rounder J’Mon Moore has played 11 snaps (all last week) and sixth-rounder Equanimeous St. Brown hasn’t played on offense yet. Combined, the trio of rookies has two catches for 41 yards — both by MVS. — Rob Demovsky

The Vikings had Dalvin Cook on a pitch count against the Rams so he wouldn’t aggravate his left hamstring, but the running back said this week he’s still not at “100 percent.” Cook did not practice on Wednesday, and engaged in rehab work during the beginning of practice. It’d be ideal for the Vikings to have Cook available when they go up against the No. 1 rush defense (63.8 yards per game) in Philadelphia, and they’re hoping the extra days of rest following their mini-bye week (since they played on Thursday of Week 4) will help him return to full health. Cornerback Trae Waynes sustained a concussion before halftime in Los Angeles and was also held out on Wednesday. — Courtney Cronin

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NFC SOUTH

Running back Devonta Freeman, who missed the last three games with a right knee contusion, remains a question mark despite saying he is well enough to play. Coach Dan Quinn anticipated Freeman being a full participant in practice barring any setbacks. Well, Freeman was limited on Wednesday. Stay tuned. — Vaughan McClure

Tight end Greg Olsen, who fractured his foot in the opener, won’t play Sunday against the Giants, but coach Ron Rivera wouldn’t rule out the next week at Washington. Carolina will get back right guard Trai Turner (concussion) and likely wide receiver Curtis Samuel (irregular heartbeat). Both practiced in full pads on Wednesday and are on target to face the Giants. Turner’s return will solidify the injury-plagued offensive line and Samuel will add more speed to the receiving corps. He led the team in receptions during the preseason. — David Newton

The Saints will hold their first practice of the week and release their first injury report on Thursday since they’re on a Monday night schedule. But there aren’t expected to be any significant injury concerns outside of losing nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson to a season-ending broken ankle last week. And veteran P.J. Williams gave a solid performance in his place last week at the Giants, so even that is a little less concerning now than it was a week ago. — Mike Triplett

The Bucs have several key players who need to get healthy during the bye week. Tight end O.J. Howard has a sprained MCL and could be out 2-4 weeks — missing one game would be a heck of a lot better than missing a whole month. Safety Jordan Whitehead, who would have started against the Bears, suffered a hamstring injury last week and is also dealing with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Carlton Davis suffered a groin injury against the Bears. Defensive tackle Beau Allen has been dealing with a foot injury that’s kept him out of the last two games. — Jenna Laine

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NFC WEST

Cornerback Bene Benwikere (spine) was among the four Cardinals who didn’t practice Wednesday, but he’s expected to play Sunday against San Francisco, coach Steve Wilks said. Benwikere sufferd a spinal injury early in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, but played the rest of the game. The other three players who didn’t practice Wednesday — Larry Fitzgerald, Markus Golden and Corey Peters — are all also expected to play against the Niners. — Josh Weinfuss

After linebacker Mark Barron sat out the first four games because of a nagging Achilles tendon injury, the Rams are hopeful that he will return to his starting role against the Seahawks. “We’ve kind of got a plan in place where we anticipate him being able to go,” coach Sean McVay said. “That’s subject to change based on how he responds but he’s feeling good up to this point.” Barron’s potential return could provide a boost to a linebacking corps that lost Dominique Easley to a season-ending knee injury. — Lindsey Thiry

Once again, the 49ers have a number of players questionable entering the week, but the biggest area of concern is on the offensive line. Left tackle Joe Staley, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and center Weston Richburg are all dealing with knee injuries and didn’t practice on Wednesday. Coach Kyle Shanahan has said all three starting linemen would likely be questionable for Sunday’s game against Arizona. Richburg and McGlinchey were able to play through pain and finish last week’s game and Staley has rarely missed time in his career so there’s hope for all three to be ready to go. Cornerback Richard Sherman (calf) and receiver Marquise Goodwin (hamstring/quad) also will need monitoring this week. — Nick Wagoner

The Seahawks will get running back Chris Carson back for Sunday’s game against the unbeaten Rams, but linebacker K.J. Wright still isn’t ready to make his 2018 debut. And with Mychal Kendricks now suspended indefinitely, Seattle will need a new replacement for Wright at weakside linebacker. Austin Calitro sounds like the likeliest of Seattle’s options based on how well he’s played this season and what Pete Carroll said about him Wednesday, calling this a “crucial opportunity” for the second-year pro. — Brady Henderson

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