NFL Injuries

Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns because of a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for at least a month.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Dobbins is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks.

The 23-year-old has already seen injuries become the major storyline of his career.

After a promising rookie season in 2020 that saw him rush for 805 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 18 receptions for 120 yards, he missed the entirety of the 2021 campaign with a torn ACL.

His recovery from that injury also cost him Baltimore's Week 1 win over the New York Jets, despite Dobbins being adamant in July he would be ready for the start of the regular season.

Okay I’m tired of being quiet… come to me for your source @RapSheet because I might not even go on PUP because that’s how good my rehab is going and I’m damn sure going to be ready for week 1. https://t.co/gH2TqCFLM4

— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) July 18, 2022

I would post videos but I want all you fake a** doctors and people who have never spoken a word to me to see what me and Jesus been up to on the biggest stage.

— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) July 18, 2022

Dobbins was activated off the physically unable to perform list in early August, fueling optimism he might be able to play in Week 1. But the Ravens played it safe with their top running back, hoping to keep him healthy for the entirety of the 2022 season.

JK Dobbins is ready to play but the Ravens are being extra cautious with their star running back. It’s more important to have him for many games rather than just one. https://t.co/Ruk3H5FpL7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2022

He made his return in Week 3, rushing seven times for 23 yards to go along with two catches for 17 yards.

"It felt great, (I'm) blessed to be back out there," he told reporters at the time. "I'm happy about that, but now it's time for me to try to do what I do. And that's run for 100 yards and stuff like that."

He's a key member of Baltimore's offense, alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews and wideout Rashod Bateman. A year after the Ravens were decimated by injuries at the position, the hope was to keep Dobbins healthy for the majority of his campaign.

Friday's news will be alarming for the team, which also didn't have Gus Edwards available for the first four games of the season as he recovered from an ACL tear of his own. He started the season on the PUP list.

With Dobbins out of action, Kenyan Drake figures to be the primary back after he ran for 119 yards and one touchdown in a Week 6 loss to the New York Giants.

Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz underwent successful surgery on his finger injury Monday and is expected to make a full recovery.

pic.twitter.com/POnPCA1bsh

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 17, 2022

While the team did not announce a timeline, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Wentz's doctor provided a four-week recovery timetable:

#Commanders QB Carson Wentz received from his doctor a four-week recovery timeline post-finger surgery, per source. Wentz is in Los Angeles for the procedure. Washington has yet to decide whether to place Wentz on IR.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 18, 2022

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo previously reported Wentz was expected to miss the next four to six weeks with the injury.

As a result of the potential recovery timeline, the Commanders reportedly are considering placing Wentz on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games.

Wentz's injury opens the door for Taylor Heinicke to run the offense, and the change may not be much of a downgrade to the offense.

Heinicke was serviceable as the starter in 2021, throwing for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He ranked 23rd in QBR (45.8), per ESPN.com, which is better than Wentz's current position (27th; 34.1).

The MMQB's Albert Breer speculated Heinicke's ascension "will open up the playbook for the offensive staff" because of the continuity he carries over from last year.

Amid a 2-4 start, Washington could decide to put its short-term fortunes aside to give fifth-round draft pick Sam Howell an extended look instead. Qualifying for the postseason is already going to be an uphill climb, so why not see whether Howell is worthy of QB1 status.

Regardless of whether it's Heinicke or Howell under center, it's not a stretch to say fans might have seen the last of Wentz as the Commanders' starter.

Washington can easily move on from him in the offseason since none of his $26.2 million salary hit will count against the cap if he's cut. The franchise has a vested interest in limiting his usage before then as well.

Will the #Commanders slow play Carson Wentz's return from injury to ensure he doesn't account for 70% of the snaps this season?

Keeping their traded 2023 pick to Indy a 3rd rounder instead of a 2nd rounder certainly benefits Washington.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) October 17, 2022

If things are going well with Heinicke, then head coach Ron Rivera can point to that as a reason to keep Wentz on the bench once he's healthy enough to play again. If the season continues going off the rails, then Rivera could plausibly argue there's no harm in playing Howell and looking toward next year.

Either way, Wentz's injury may have hastened the inevitable.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown is expected to miss around six weeks after being diagnosed with a nonsurgical fracture in his foot, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Brown was injured in Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday the initial concern was he could be lost for the remainder of the 2022 NFL season.

The Cardinals already hedged their bets by acquiring Robbie Anderson from the Carolina Panthers.

Before Anderson can officially join the team, the Cardinals will have to create a roster spot. Given circumstances, it certainly seems like Hollywood Brown could go to IR.

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) October 17, 2022

The return of DeAndre Hopkins could help to offset the impact of Brown's injury as well. The five-time Pro Bowler is eligible to play in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints after serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Still, losing its leading receiver is bound to hurt Arizona's passing game.

Brown caught 43 passes for 485 yards and three touchdowns through the team's first six games. Tight end Zach Ertz is second in receiving yards (299).

Even if Anderson, who's averaging 15.8 yards per reception, provides his intended effect as a downfield threat and Hopkins is his usual self, receiver depth will continue to be an issue for the Cardinals.

For Brown, the injury couldn't come at a much worse time because he's on pace to have a career year. His 80.8 receiving yards per game are nearly 20 more than his previous best (63.0 in 2021).

The 25-year-old is at least under contract for one more season after the Cardinals picked up his $13.4 million option for 2023. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way in 2022, he'll still have next year to rebuild his stock and parlay his performance into a lucrative long-term deal with Arizona or another team.

Dak Prescott was listed as questionable for the Dallas Cowboys' Week 6 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it appears a more likely timeline for the veteran signal-caller to return is Week 8.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that he's pretty confident Prescott will return to the field against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 30.

"By the Bears game? I would feel pretty strongly that he'll definitely play by the Bears game. But we'll see," Jones said, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

Prescott is recovering from thumb surgery following an injury suffered in the team's season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 11. He completed 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and one interception in a 19-3 loss.

The 29-year-old has struggled to stay healthy of late. After four consecutive seasons of appearing in every game to start his career, Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury in Week 5 of the 2020 campaign that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

The Mississippi State product appeared in 16 games during the 2021 season but missed a few weeks of training camp entering the 2022 campaign after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

In Prescott's absence this year, Cooper Rush has been highly effective, leading the Cowboys to a 4-0 record while completing 61 percent of his passes for 839 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Cowboys are tied with the New York Giants for second in the NFC East with a 4-1 record.

It's Bailey Zappe season in New England.

Zappe is expected to start for the Patriots in a Week 5 matchup against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. It will mark his first career NFL start.

Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer started last weekend's 27-24 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers but was removed after just six pass attempts with a concussion. The 36-year-old has been placed on injured reserve.

Zappe, New England's third-string quarterback, replaced Hoyer against Green Bay. He completed 10-of-15 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown in his first NFL game.

The Patriots selected Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Western Kentucky. As a senior in 2021, he completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 14 games.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has spoken highly of Zappe since the start of training camp and told reporters after last weekend's loss to the Packers that the rookie signal-caller "competed well."

"He's gotten a lot more snaps [in practice], which is always a good thing for a quarterback, and timing, and communication," Belichick said of Zappe earlier this week, per NBC Sports Boston's Nick Goss. "So, definitely making progress. A little more experience and more opportunity. I mean, I couldn't put a percentage on it."

The Patriots signed veteran quarterback Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad this week, and he's expected to back up Zappe on Sunday.

New England enters Week 5 with a 1-3 record, last place in the AFC East. The team is in desperate need of a win to remain competitive in a tough division that has seen the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets win at least two games so far this year.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Myles Garrett is "good to go" for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

This would be Garrett's first game back since he was involved in a single-car crash on Sept. 26. The three-time Pro Bowler suffered strains to his shoulder and biceps as a result of the crash.

Garrett told reporters he's "feeling good" and doesn't believe the injuries will present a problem when he's on the field.

Myles Garrett says he’s feeling good, ready to make a difference Sunday; doesn’t think he’ll be hindered by shoulder/bicep injuries from the crash #Browns pic.twitter.com/KnRbSFnvEE

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) October 7, 2022

More Myles Garrett #Browns pic.twitter.com/0txYTgGfAC

— Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) October 7, 2022

Even more of Myles Garrett #Browns pic.twitter.com/qPxlugLlMR

— Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) October 7, 2022

The 6'4, 272-pound edge-rusher got off to a strong start this season. Through Cleveland's first three games, he had seven tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble.

Without Garrett in Week 4, the Browns didn't have much trouble keeping Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota in check. Mariota went 7-of-19 for 139 yards and an interception.

The Falcons did, however, run for 202 yards as a team. Atlanta's running game powered the team to a 23-20 victory, and a healthy Garrett might have made a difference in slowing down Tyler Allgeier (84 yards) and Caleb Huntley (56 yards).

At least the Browns are set to have him back when they're up against Justin Herbert and the Chargers' dynamic aerial attack. Herbert's 1,250 passing yards are the third-most in the league, and he's fifth in quarterback rating (102.2).

Getting consistent pressure on Herbert will go a long way toward Cleveland earning its third win.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts won't play in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a hamstring injury.

ESPN's Michael Rothstein noted the Falcons ruled out their second-year tight end on Friday.

It seemed unlikely Pitts would be given the green light to play after missing all three days of practice. He played a season-low 62 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns.

The 21-year-old was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft and hit the NFL as one of the most-hyped tight end prospects ever. Part of that hype was the 6'6", 245-pound Florida product possessing the ability and athleticism of a wide receiver in the prototypical tight end body. Few players combine his size, athletic ceiling and receiving talents

NFL legend Tony Gonzalez said before the 2021 season he believed "the sky's the limit" for Pitts at the NFL level if he works hard, stays healthy and is "self reflective," as he told CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr:

He'll be an All-Pro tight end for a long time. He'll set records. He'll do incredible stuff. I watched a preseason game where he caught a flat route and took it up the sideline and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this kid's special.' He can be right up there with George Kittle and Travis Kelce very soon. It might take him a year or two, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets close to that by the end of the season.

Pitts answered the hype with a productive rookie season, catching 68 passes for 1,026 yards and one score. He hasn't been nearly as effective thus far in 2022. The Pennsylvania native alum has just 150 yards on 10 receptions with no touchdowns in four games.

There isn't a natural replacement on Atlanta's roster for Pitts' unique skill set. But while he's out of action, look for Parker Hesse to step into the starting lineup. The 27-year-old has 32 yards on three receptions this season.

The Falcons and Bucs are tied for first place in the NFC South with identical 2-2 records. Atlanta has lost four straight games against its division rival dating back to 2020.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed Thursday's practice with a groin injury but dismissed any long-term worries.

"I'm fine," he told reporters. "We're good. ... I don't want to scare nobody."

Lamb entered the 2022 season as the clear No. 1 wideout for the Cowboys after they traded veteran Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns during the offseason.

Through four games this season, Lamb has racked up 23 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

After a solid rookie year, the Oklahoma product enjoyed a strong sophomore season in 2021 and finished with 79 catches for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns. He led the Cowboys with 120 targets, establishing a strong rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott.

Lamb was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career as a replacement for Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp.

If Lamb did miss time, it would be another significant blow to the team's offense. Prescott is still out while recovering from thumb surgery. The Cowboys also lost left tackle Tyron Smith to a hamstring injury in training camp that required surgery.

Fortunately for Dallas and fantasy players relying on him, it doesn't seem like he will.

The New York Giants are working out quarterbacks Jake Fromm and AJ McCarron on Tuesday in light of injuries suffered by starter Daniel Jones (ankle sprain) and backup Tyrod Taylor (concussion) during the team's 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the news.

Free agent QB Jake Fromm is among #Giants workouts today. Team on the lookout for potential passing depth in light of QB injuries.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 4, 2022

Among the QBs working out for the #Giants today is A.J. McCarron, sources say. He was with the #Bills in 2018, so there’s your Brian Daboll/Joe Schoen connection.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 4, 2022

The Giants' only other quarterback is Davis Webb, who is on the practice squad.

Fromm, 24, played three games (two starts) for the Giants last year. He completed 27 of 60 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

McCarron was with the Bills in 2018 when Giants head coach Brian Daboll was on the coaching staff, per Garafolo.

The Giants are headed to London for a showdown on Sunday with the Green Bay Packers at 9:30 a.m. ET.

If Jones and Taylor can't go, then Webb will be the presumptive starter. The Giants selected Webb with a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. He's been with the G-Men (2017, 2022), the New York Jets (2018) and Buffalo Bills (2019-21) during his NFL career.

His only regular-season appearance occurred via a pair of kneeldowns to cap the Bills' 45-17 win over the New York Jets last year.

Webb was impressive this preseason, though, completing 60 of 81 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns.

Fromm did not fare well for the Giants last year, but he wasn't exactly put in a position to succeed. A struggling offensive line led to Fromm being sacked six times.

The Giants were also playing out the string of a lost season that saw them finish 4-13 en route to the second-lowest scoring offense in the NFL.

McCarron last started a game in 2019 with the Houston Texans, going 21 of 36 passing for 225 yards and an interception in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Ultimately, the hope is that Jones is healthy enough to play Sunday, although he's been unofficially termed "day-to-day" at this point, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

#Giants QB Daniel Jones, who left Sunday’s win with an ankle injury, is considered day-to-day, source said. While tests will continue, there is some optimism that he plays… which is good. That means Saquon Barkley can play running back.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 3, 2022

Art Stapleton of The Record speculated that Taylor is "improbable" for Sunday because of his status in concussion protocol.

I think Tyrod Taylor being in concussion protocol puts him into improbable status for Sunday, especially with likely protocol changes coming on heels of Tua experience.

TBD on Daniel Jones. We'll see on that front. I won't guess on severity without more info. https://t.co/F4XNQsdK9U

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) October 3, 2022

Webb is on deck, though, and it appears Fromm could be in line for the backup role if Jones and Taylor are out and Big Blue bring the ex-Georgia star back.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an injury scare in Sunday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, as star quarterback Tom Brady appeared to have some discomfort in his shoulder after taking a big hit. However, it appears that the team avoided disaster.

Brady was asked about how his shoulder is feeling during his Let's Go podcast on Monday and he replied, "My shoulder's doing OK, just some bumps and bruises. ... I'm sure I'll be fine in the end. Thank God for Alex [Guerrero], who's always taken care of me."

Late in the second quarter, Brady was sacked by Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and fumbled the ball. He appeared to land hard on his shoulder, and he was seen on the sideline working on his arm as backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert started loosening up. Despite the apparent discomfort, Brady didn't miss a snap and played the entire game.

The 45-year-old signal-caller put forth a strong effort in the 41-31 loss, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns. Tampa Bay fell behind early and was forced to rely on the passing attack, as Brady completed 39 of 52 passes while the team ran the ball just six times.

Through four games this season, Brady has taken a total of 11 hits, seven of which were sacks, per Pro Football Reference. At his age, it's obviously not ideal for him to be getting hit so much. Still, he's continued to perform at a high level and ranks eighth in the NFL with 1,058 passing yards.

Despite its second consecutive loss, Tampa Bay remains tied for first place in the NFC South with a 2-2 record. The team is expected to be one of the top contenders in the NFC this year, but it surely has some issues to address.

The Buccaneers will hope to get back on track when they take on the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) on Sunday.