This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 9 AM ET on Sunday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.
*This article does not include injured players for Sunday morning's Browns-Vikings game in London.
Week 5 brings us our first set of byes, but there's still plenty of big names on the injury report, headlined by two elite wide receivers that suffered season-ending knee injuries in Week 4. We also have major absences on tap at each of the other three skill positions, so without further ado, let's catch up on the latest as of early Sunday morning:
QUARTERBACKS
The Commanders' Jayden Daniels is off the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers after practicing in full all week following a two-game absence due to a knee sprain. As per Friday reports, Daniels is expected to wear a knee brace versus Los Angeles, but it is not expected to hinder his mobility. In his return, Daniels won't be working with a full pass-catching arsenal, as Terry McLaurin will remain sidelined for a second straight game due to a quadriceps injury.
The Ravens' Lamar Jackson (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Texans after missing practice all week following his early exit from the Week 4 loss to the Chiefs because of the injury. In his absence, Cooper Rush, who completed nine of 13 passes for
This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 9 AM ET on Sunday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.
*This article does not include injured players for Sunday morning's Browns-Vikings game in London.
Week 5 brings us our first set of byes, but there's still plenty of big names on the injury report, headlined by two elite wide receivers that suffered season-ending knee injuries in Week 4. We also have major absences on tap at each of the other three skill positions, so without further ado, let's catch up on the latest as of early Sunday morning:
QUARTERBACKS
The Commanders' Jayden Daniels is off the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers after practicing in full all week following a two-game absence due to a knee sprain. As per Friday reports, Daniels is expected to wear a knee brace versus Los Angeles, but it is not expected to hinder his mobility. In his return, Daniels won't be working with a full pass-catching arsenal, as Terry McLaurin will remain sidelined for a second straight game due to a quadriceps injury.
The Ravens' Lamar Jackson (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Texans after missing practice all week following his early exit from the Week 4 loss to the Chiefs because of the injury. In his absence, Cooper Rush, who completed nine of 13 passes for 52 yards in emergency duty against Kansas City, will take the reins of the offense against Houston. Rush had two different extended starting tenures during his time with the Cowboys because of injuries to Dak Prescott, and in his most recent over the last eight games of the 2024 season, he completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 1,677 yards with an 11:4 TD:INT.
RUNNING BACKS
The Panthers' Chuba Hubbard (calf) is out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins after missing practice all week. Rico Dowdle, who's only averaged 3.0 yards per carry on his 28 rush attempts thus far in his four-game Carolina tenure, will assume lead-back duties versus a Miami defense allowing the third-most rushing yards per game (158.0), while rookie Trevor Etienne will serve as his backup.
The Buccaneers' Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) is out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks after missing practice all week. In his absence versus Seattle, Rachaad White, who has plenty of past starting experience during his time with the Buccaneers, will take on the bulk of the work in Tampa Bay's ground attack. Sean Tucker, who notably recorded a 136-yard day on the ground against the Saints in Week 6 of last season when White was sidelined, will serve as the primary back and rotate in for complementary snaps.
The Cardinals' Trey Benson (knee) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum. In his absence beginning with Sunday's game against the Titans, Michael Carter, who rushed for 113 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in an expanded role in Weeks 17 and 18 last season, will likely assume the bulk of early-down duties, while Emari Demercado will serve as a change-of-pace option behind him.
The Cowboys' Miles Sanders (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets after missing practice all week. If Sanders were unable to suit up, rookie Jaydon Blue, who's been a healthy scratch over the first four games of his NFL career, would be in line to serve as the primary backup to Javonte Williams.
The Jets' Braelon Allen (knee) was placed on injured reserve Thursday and is expected to miss 8-12 weeks per reports. In his absence beginning with Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Cowboys, Breece Hall should be in line for an even bigger workload than usual as New York's No. 1 back, while a combination of veteran Khalil Herbert and speedy Isaiah Davis will absorb complementary snaps behind him.
The Titans activated Tyjae Spears (ankle) from injured reserve Saturday and he is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per early Sunday reports, Spears is expected to play versus Arizona, although how much he'll eat into Tony Pollard's workload in Spears' first game since Week 17 of last season remains to be seen.
The Giants' Tyrone Tracy (shoulder) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Saints after only getting a limited Friday practice in this week. In Tracy's likely second straight absence, rookie fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo, who netted 90 total yards on 27 touches as the clear lead back in Week 4 against the Chargers, will once again helm New York's ground attack.
The Colts' Tyler Goodson (groin) is out for Sunday's game against the Raiders after missing practice all week. In his absence, rookie DJ Giddens will serve as Jonathan Taylor's primary backup, while veteran Ameer Abdullah could also rotate in for some snaps.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb (ankle) remains out for Sunday's game against the Jets after missing practice all week. In Lamb's absence, George Pickens will remain in the No. 1 receiver role that he filled admirably in Week 4 against the Packers, when he posted an 8-134-2 line on 11 targets. Meanwhile, running backs Javonte Williams, tight end Jake Ferguson and No. 2 receiver Jalen Tolbert are the likeliest candidates to benefit from additional targets in Lamb's absence.
The Dolphins' Tyreek Hill (knee) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, sidelining him for the rest of the season. In his absence beginning with Sunday's interconference matchup against the Panthers, Jayden Waddle will serve as Tua Tagovailoa's No. 1 receiver, while Malik Washington and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine should round out the top three at the position. Additionally, De'Von Achane, who's already averaging over six targets per game, and tight end Darren Waller, who recorded two Week 4 touchdown grabs in his first game action since 2023, should also help make up for the significant void created by Hill's absence.
The Giants' Malik Nabers (knee) was placed on injured reserve Monday, and he'll miss the rest of the season. In his absence beginning with Sunday's matchup against the Saints, Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton will serve as Jaxson Dart's top two wide receivers, while Jalin Hyatt moves into a No. 3 role. Nabers averaged 10.8 targets per game over his first 19 NFL contests, so extra work is likely for all three players, in addition to running back Cam Skattebo, who is an accomplished pass catcher.
The Buccaneers' Mike Evans (hamstring) remains out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks after missing practice all week. In his second straight absence, Chris Godwin, rookie Emeka Egbuka and veteran Sterling Shepard should line up as Baker Mayfield's top three receivers once again, and both running back Rachaad White and tight end Cade Otton could also be due for a bump in targets when factoring in the additional absence of Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder).
The Commanders' Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) remains out for Sunday's game against the Chargers after once again missing practice all week. In his absence and that of Noah Brown (groin), Deebo Samuel and rookie Jaylin Lane are likely to serve as the top receiver duo for the returning Jayden Daniels, although Luke McCaffrey and veteran Chris Moore could also be beneficiaries.
The Titans' Calvin Ridley (knee/elbow) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals after only getting in a limited Friday practice in this week. As per Saturday night reports, Ridley is thought to have a good chance of playing, although how he feels in pregame warmups will be the determining factor as to whether he's active. If the veteran wideout can't suit up, Elic Ayomanor, Tyler Lockett and Chimere Dike would be in line to serve as Tennessee's top three receivers, while tight end Chig Okonkwo could also see some extra targets.
The Commanders' Noah Brown (groin) remains out for Sunday's game against the Chargers after missing practice all week. In Brown's ongoing absence and that of Terry McLaurin (quadriceps), Deebo Samuel, Jayline Lane, Chris Moore and Luke McCaffrey are in line to serve as the returning Jayden Daniels' top four receivers versus Los Angeles.
The Cowboys' KaVontae Turpin (foot) is out for Sunday's game against the Jets after missing practice all week. In the speedy wideout/returner's absence, Ryan Flournoy will step into the No. 3 receiver role for Dallas, while a combination of Jalen Tolbert and Jaydon Blue could fill Turpin's kickoff- and punt-returner roles.
The Colts' Alec Pierce (concussion) remains out for Sunday's game against the Raiders despite practicing in full both Wednesday and Thursday before missing Friday's session. In his absence, Josh Downs should see a bigger role, and as per Saturday night reports, Adonai Mitchell, who lost a fumble as he was crossing the goal line in the Week 4 loss to the Rams, will see limited snaps and therefore leave Ashton Dulin to potentially serve as the true No. 3 receiver versus Las Vegas.
The Jaguars' Dyami Brown is off the injury report for Monday night's game against the Chiefs after practicing in limited fashion all week following a Week 4 absence due to a shoulder injury. In his return, Brown should slot back into the No. 3 receiver role, bumping Parker Washington back to No. 4 on the depth chart.
The Panthers' Xavier Legette (hamstring) is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Dolphins after practicing in full all week following a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury. In his return, Legette is projected to slot back into the No. 2 receiver role, while Hunter Renfrow should revert to third on the depth chart.
TIGHT ENDS
The Raiders' Brock Bowers (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Colts and missed the last two practices of the week after a limited Wednesday session. As per one Saturday night report, Bowers is "trending" toward not suiting up despite Friday comments from head coach Pete Carrol stating the two absences were rest days for Bowers and that the star tight end was fully expected to play. A separate early Sunday morning report – which doesn't provide specific insight on his availability for Sunday – indicates Bowers has been playing through both a PCL injury and bone bruise that he suffered in Week 1 against the Patriots, a pair of injuries which require more down time that Bowers has been willing to take to fully heal.
The Saints' Taysom Hill (knee) was activated from the reserve/PUP list Saturday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per Saturday reports, Hill is expected to be active for his first taste of regular-season action since Week 13 of the 2024 campaign, and he could walk back into a fairly sizable role if Juwan Johnson (ankle) isn't able to play through his ankle injury.
The Saints' Juwan Johnson (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants after finishing the week with two limited practices following a Wednesday absence. If Johnson is unable to play, the debuting duo of Taysom Hill (knee) and Foster Moreau (knee) may serve as New Orleans' primary tight-end options.
The Chargers' Will Dissly (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Commanders but finished the week with a full practice after logging consecutive limited sessions to open the week. If Dissly can play, he should move back into his customary No. 1 role, while rookie fifth-round pick Oronde Gadsden II should serve as his primary backup after posting a 7-62-0 line on 10 targets over the last two games in Dissly's absence.
The Bengals' Noah Fant is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Lions after finishing the week with two full practices and clearing concussion protocol following a Week 4 absence. In his return, Fant should be back atop the tight-end depth chart for Cincinnati, while Mike Gesicki slides back into more of a complementary role.
The Raiders Michael Mayer (concussion) has now been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Colts after practicing in limited fashion all week. In his absence, Ian Thomas, Carter Runyon and Albert Okwuegbunam could form a three-man committee at tight end since Brock Bowers (knee) is also projected to sit out versus Indianapolis.
The Panthers' Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) remains out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins after missing practice all week. In his absence, Tommy Tremble, who turned in a 5-42-1 receiving line on eight targets in Sanders' absence in Week 4 against the Patriots, will continue serving as Carolina's No. 1 tight end versus Miami.
The Saints' Foster Moreau (knee) was activated from the reserve/PUP list Saturday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per Saturday reports, Moreau is expected to be active against New York, and he could potentially serve as the No. 2 tight end behind fellow returnee Taysom Hill (knee) if Juwan Johnson (ankle) can't play.
KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
Cornerbacks
The Ravens' Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Texans.
The Jets' Jarvis Brownlee is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Cowboys following a two-game absence due to an ankle injury.
The Patriots' Carlton Davis (illness) is questionable for Sunday night's game against the Bills.
The Buccaneers' Jamel Dean (hip) is out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
The Ravens' Marlon Humphrey (calf) is out for Sunday's game agains the Texans.
The Cardinals' Max Melton (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans.
The Eagles' Adoree' Jackson is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Broncos after a one-game absence due to a groin injury.
The Cardinals' Will Johnson (groin) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans. As per early Sunday morning reports, Johnson is expected to play.
The Colts' Kenny Moore (Achilles) is out for Sunday's game against the Raiders.
The Lions' D.J. Reed (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum.
The Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon (knee) is out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
Safeties
The Ravens' Kyle Hamilton (groin) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans.
The Cowboys' Malik Hooker (toe) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum.
The Buccaneers' Christian Izien (quadriceps) remains out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
The Lions' Kerby Joseph (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
The Seahawks' Julian Love (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
The Giants' Tyler Nubin (groin) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints.
Defensive Linemen
The Chiefs' Mike Danna is off the injury report for Monday night's game against the Jaguars after a two-game absence due to a quadriceps injury.
The Jets' Jermaine Johnson (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.
The Bengals' Shemar Stewart (ankle) is out for Sunday's game against the Lions.
The Jaguars' Travon Walker (wrist) is questionable for Monday night's game against the Chiefs.
The Giants' Dexter Lawrence (illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints.
The Cardinals' Bilal Nichols (neck) was activated from the reserve/PUP list Saturday and is questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans.
The Giants' Rakeem Nunez-Roches is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Saints following a three-game absence due to a foot injury.
The Bills' Ed Oliver (ankle) is questionable for Sunday night's game against the Patriots.
The Panthers' Tershawn Wharton (toe) is out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
The Patriots' Milton Williams (ankle) is questionable for Sunday night's game against the Bills. As per early Sunday morning reports, Williams is expected to play.
Linebackers
The Seahawks' DeMarcus Lawrence (quadriceps) is out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
The Bills' Matt Milano (pectoral) is questionable for Sunday night's game against the Patriots.
The Cowboys' Kenneth Murray (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets.
The Ravens' Odafe Oweh (eye) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans.
The Ravens' Roquan Smith (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Texans.
The Patriots' Jahlani Tavai (calf) was activated from injured reserve Saturday and is listed as questionable for Sunday night's game against the Bills.
The Bills' Dorian Williams (knee) is out for Sunday night's game against the Patriots.
The Ravens' Kyle Van Noy is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Texans following a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury.
The Saints' Chase Young (calf) remains out for Sunday's game against the Giants.
The Panthers' D.J. Wonnum (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
