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NFL Week 3 injury updates: News on Carson Wentz, Ben Roethlisberger and more

Week 2 of the NFL season was exciting, with entertaining games for every kind of fan. There were defensive slugfests, high-scoring affairs and chaotic endings. However, despite the appealing action that captivated fans, injuries also happened -- and there were plenty of them.

Unfortunately, some teams will be without certain star-caliber players for the time being. The Cleveland Browns' depth at wide receiver is limited as they put Jarvis Landry on the injured reserve list because of a medial collateral ligament sprain. The Houston Texans put quarterback Tyrod Taylor on IR because of a hamstring injury -- and we saw how that impacted them Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers.

The San Francisco 49ers' running back room is banged up, with every ball carrier having some kind of injury. Let's not forget the Philadelphia Eagles, who put offensive lineman Brandon Brooks (pectoral) and defensive end Brandon Graham (ruptured Achilles) on IR as well.

That is only the beginning of the injury news heading into the weekend. Our NFL team of reporters is back to give you the biggest names on the injury report and their status entering Week 3.

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DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Injury: Ribs

It's likely -- very likely, in fact -- that Hopkins plays Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but not practicing all week does cause a bit of concern for his game-day status. Coach Kliff Kingsbury said the next 48 hours are crucial but that Hopkins will be a game-time decision. -- Josh Weinfuss


Russell Gage Jr., WR, Atlanta Falcons

Injury: Ankle

Gage got hurt last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is considered "week-to-week." The Falcons can replace him in a multitude of ways, from lining up running back Cordarrelle Patterson or tight ends Kyle Pitts or Hayden Hurst outside to using Olamide Zaccheaus or Tajae Sharpe in a larger role. The bet, in coach Arthur Smith's offense, is they do a combination of all of it opposite Calvin Ridley. -- Michael Rothstein

A.J. Terrell, CB

Injury: Concussion

Terrell, Atlanta's top cornerback, is out Sunday against the New York Giants. It could cause Atlanta problems trying to cover Kenny Golladay, a tall receiver who doesn't often get separation. The Falcons will use T.J. Green, who converted from safety in the offseason, to replace Terrell in the lineup.


Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Injury: Ankle

Brown is listed as questionable after sitting out Thursday's practice and being limited Friday. But he dealt with the same left ankle injury last week and he totaled 113 yards receiving and one touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brown has scored eight touchdowns in his past eight games, and that trend could continue against Detroit, which has given up four touchdown catches in two games this season. -- Jamison Hensley


Levi Wallace, CB, Buffalo Bills

Injury: Knee

Coach Sean McDermott described Wallace as "trending in the right direction" Friday, and he fully practiced to close out the week. However, he was listed on the final injury report as questionable. Wallace missed most of the Week 2 game vs. the Dolphins because of cramping. Fellow cornerback Dane Jackson is also questionable for the game with a knee injury. Wallace appears more likely to play vs. Washington than not, but two questionable players at any position are worth keeping an eye on. -- Alaina Getzenberg


Andy Dalton, QB, Chicago Bears

Injury: Knee

Dalton is out for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns because of a left knee injury. Bears rookie Justin Fields will make his first career NFL regular-season start. Bears coach Matt Nagy said he does not envision Dalton going on injured reserve and that when healthy, Dalton is still Chicago's starting quarterback. -- Jeff Dickerson


Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Injury: Shoulder

Higgins was officially listed as doubtful for Sunday's AFC North battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he did practice on Friday after not participating earlier in the week. Despite the ominous designation, it's an encouraging sign for the second-year receiver. Bengals coach Zac Taylor said the team will wait as long as possible before making a final decision on Higgins' game status. This one will be worth watching right up to kickoff -- and it wouldn't be surprising if he ends up playing. -- Ben Baby


Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Injury: Ribs

Cooper was limited in the first two practices of the week because of a rib injury that first cropped up in the opener and was aggravated late in last week's win at the Los Angeles Chargers. He was a full participant for Friday's practice, however. Head coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence that Cooper will be available against the Eagles, but the receiver has not always put up big numbers when banged up. However, since it is the Eagles, perhaps that will change. He has more catches (33) and yards (614) in his career against Philadelphia than against any other team. He also has three 100-yard games vs. the Eagles since joining the Cowboys. -- Todd Archer


Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos

Injury: Hip

Patrick, who has turned eight targets into seven receptions and two touchdowns this season, was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Unless he has an unexpected setback, he is likely to play Sunday against the New York Jets. Another Denver wideout, Courtland Sutton (hip), was also limited in Wednesday's practice but practiced fully on Thursday. -- Jeff Legwold


Tyrell Williams, WR, Detroit Lions

Injury: Concussion

The Lions placed Williams on the reserve/injured list Thursday. He will miss his second straight week with a concussion stemming from a hard hit he took during the Week 1 loss to the 49ers. Williams was expected to be the Lions' top receiver entering this season, but in his absence, Quintez Cephus has emerged as a solid option in the offense with more targets from Jared Goff. -- Eric Woodyard


Elgton Jenkins, T, Green Bay Packers

Injury: Ankle

If Jenkins can't play, the Packers would be down to their third option protecting Aaron Rodgers' blindside Sunday night against the 49ers. Coach Matt LaFleur listed Jenkins as doubtful. The Pro Bowl left guard has been filling in at left tackle for All-Pro David Bakhtiari, who started the season on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from ACL surgery in January. Jenkins suffered an ankle injury late in Monday night's win over the Lions but managed to finish the game. -- Rob Demovsky


Carson Wentz, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Injury: Ankles

Wentz will likely be a game-time decision for Sunday's game at Tennessee after practicing for the first time this week since injuring both ankles in Week 2. Wentz is 45-of-69 for 498 yards and three touchdowns with an interception through the first two games of the season, both losses. The most alarming stat with Wentz is that he has been sacked six times and hit an additional 21 times in those two games. Coach Frank Reich isn't saying If the Colts will start Jacob Eason or Brett Hundley if Wentz misses the game. -- Mike Wells


Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

Injury: Ankle

Jacobs dealt with turf toe in training camp, was sick entering Week 1 and has not practiced in two weeks after suffering an ankle injury in the opener. He's officially listed as doubtful to play against the Dolphins. In any event, Las Vegas, which has the third-worst running attack in the NFL despite having the top-ranked total offense, has to be more balanced against Miami. This means Las Vegas' constantly reshuffled O-line and running backs Peyton Barber and Kenyan Drake must step up. "We've got to get them some better looks in the running game," Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. "We misfired on some assignments ... we've got to block better. We've got to call better plays. We've got to execute better. Running the ball these first couple of weeks has been, obviously, not good enough." -- Paul Gutierrez


Joey Bosa, OLB, Los Angeles Chargers

Injury: Foot/Ankle

Bosa is listed as questionable against the Chiefs, but knowing how tough he is, I bet he plays. -- Shelley Smith

Justin Jones, DL

Injury: Calf

Jones is listed as doubtful because of a calf injury.

Chris Harris Jr., DB

Injury: Shoulder

Jones, a veteran presence in the Chargers' secondary, is out of Sunday's game.


Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams

Injury: Ribs

Rams coach Sean McVay says Henderson will be a game-time decision as he continues to deal with a rib cartilage injury that he suffered in the fourth quarter of a Week 2 win over the Colts. "It's a pain-tolerance thing," McVay said Friday. "We want to use as much time as we have, but we've got contingency plans in place." If Henderson is unable to play, watch for Sony Michel to start and for rookie Jake Funk to also play some snaps. -- Lindsey Thiry


Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

Injury: Fractured ribs

Dolphins coach Brian Flores ruled Tagovailoa out early in the week, paving the way for Jacoby Brissett to make his first start since the 2019 season finale. Flores called Tagovailoa "day-to-day," so his availability moving forward is yet to be determined. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques


Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Injury: Ankle

After being sidelined Wednesday and Thursday, Cook got a little work at practice on Friday. He is listed as questionable for the Vikings' contest against the Seattle Seahawks. Earlier in the week, coach Mike Zimmer indicated that Cook would really have to be hurting to be ruled out of the game, so it's possible this decision will be made after the running back goes through a pregame workout to determine whether he can go. Asked whether he believes running back is a position in which a player can sit out of practice for a week and be ready to go on game day, Zimmer said, "If you're asking about Dalvin, I think Dalvin can." -- Courtney Cronin


Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots

Injury: Finger

The Patriots' No. 1 rusher was limited all week in practice and wore white gloves during brief media-access-viewing periods, which was unusual for him. The good news is that he was taken off the injury report Friday and should be ready to go on Sunday. -- Mike Reiss


Erik McCoy, C, New Orleans Saints

Injury: Calf

McCoy has been ruled out for the second straight week with a calf injury, which is obviously relevant considering how badly the Saints struggled with protection and communication issues last week while gaining just 128 yards at Carolina. However, we saw them dominate Green Bay in Week 1 even after McCoy got hurt on the opening drive, with second-year guard (and former college center) Cesar Ruiz sliding over to replace McCoy. The Saints have insisted they can clean up the communication issues after focusing on them all week in practice. The Patriots will definitely put that to the test Sunday by trying to confuse and overwhelm New Orleans up front. -- Mike Triplett


Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

Injury: Calf

Engram is likely to make his first appearance of the season. His debut could be timely against the Falcons, who have again struggled against opposing tight ends. Atlanta has allowed 12 receptions for 144 yards and three touchdowns to tight ends already this season. Engram has been limited in practice this week and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game. -- Jordan Raanan


Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets

Injury: Groin

Tevin Coleman, RB

Injury: Illness

The Jets will be without key players Crowder and Coleman. Coleman was third on the depth chart last week, so they can get by with Ty Johnson and Michael Carter. Once again, Braxton Berrios will replace Crowder in the slot.-- Rich Cimini


Jordan Mailata, LT, Philadelphia Eagles

Injury: MCL

He sprained his MCL during practice Thursday, and while it's not expected to keep him out of the lineup long term, he's in jeopardy of missing Monday night's game against the Cowboys. Former first-round pick Andre Dillard would start in his place. The Eagles would be down two starting linemen if Mailata is sidelined, with rookie Landon Dickerson playing at right guard in place of Brandon Brooks. -- Tim McManus


Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Injury: Pectoral

Roethlisberger, who was limited in practice Thursday because of a pectoral injury, participated in full on Friday. He doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday. -- Brooke Pryor

T.J. Watt, OLB

Injury: Groin

Watt said he did enough work during the week and that the "door is open" for him to play Sunday. He is listed as questionable. Watt declined to say just how much the door is open, but at the very least, the outside linebacker depth will be reduced. Fellow OLB Alex Highsmith, who missed practice all week with a lingering groin injury, was ruled out. The next man up is former undrafted free agent Jamir Jones, who could have an expanded role on Sunday.

Diontae Johnson, WR

Injury: Knee

Johnson, who injured a knee on the last play of Sunday's loss to the Raiders, is also out for Sunday.


Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Injury: Shoulder

This is as much about the running back position as a whole as it is Mitchell. He did not practice much this week and is listed as doubtful for Sunday against the Packers. But coach Kyle Shanahan is holding out hope that Mitchell will be able to play, in part because the Niners don't have many proven options at the position. One back who will be available is fellow rookie Trey Sermon, who cleared concussion protocol and is the likely starter just two weeks after he was a healthy scratch. With Raheem Mostert gone for the season and JaMycal Hasty out with a high left ankle sprain, it would be good news for the Niners to have Sermon and Mitchell available against the Packers. The other options? Trenton Cannon, Jacques Patrick and possible practice squad call-ups Kerryon Johnson and Chris Thompson, all of whom could figure into the mix, depending on Mitchell's availability. -- Nick Wagoner


Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Injury: Shoulder/Hand

Pierre-Paul will miss Sunday's game at the Rams as he's been encouraged to rest his injuries after getting a second opinion this week. He'll be replaced by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. -- Jenna Laine


Bud Dupree, OLB, Tennessee Titans

Injury: Knee

Dupree is listed as questionable after not practicing on Wednesday and Friday, and he was a limited participant on Thursday. He is nine months removed from tearing an ACL. That time frame is enough distance from the injury to expect him to be recovered. Coach Mike Vrabel said the story with Dupree comes down to how the knee responds to the pounding it takes on game day. Dupree played 75% of the defensive snaps against the Seahawks last week and 68% of the snaps in the season opener. -- Turron Davenport


Matt Ioannidis, DT, Washington Football Team

Injury: Knee

Ioannidis plays a key role in Washington's interior pass rush, which will be crucial vs. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen. Ioannidis hurt a knee in the Sept. 17 win over the New York Giants but returned to play in the game. However, the knee tightened up later and he was unable to practice this week. He's listed as questionable. Washington can win without him, but its interior rotation is much better with him. -- John Keim