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NFL injury tracker Week 13: Aaron Rodgers back at practice for Packers, should play vs. Bears

Ryan Young
·Staff writer
·6-min read

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills kicked off Week 13 with their win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night.

Here's everything you need to know injury-wise headed into Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers 'looked really good,' should play vs. Bears

The Green Bay Packers will likely have Aaron Rodgers available on Sunday when they take on the Chicago Bears.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur was optimistic Friday that Rodgers, who is dealing with both a rib injury that knocked him out of last week’s game early and a thumb injury, will play Sunday.

“I thought he looked really good,” LaFleur said Friday, via the NFL Network. “We’ll see how he feels today and how many reps he’ll take.”

If Rodgers can’t go, it’ll be Jordan Love leading Green Bay — which may not be a bad thing. Love kept the Packers in it last week against the Eagles when Rodgers went down, and mounted a quick touchdown drive on his first time on the field. Love, who the Packers took with the No. 26 overall pick in 2020, is widely seen as Rodgers' eventual replacement.

At just 4-8, Rodgers knows the Packers are nearly out of it. With that in mind, Rodgers said he wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up being benched before the season is over.

"Look, I'd love to finish the season out, but I understand this is a business and there's a lot of us kind of older guys who play a decent amount and they might want to see some younger guys play," Rodgers said Wednesday. "Hopefully we don't have to have that conversation. But if that conversation comes up, I'll approach that with an open mind and without any bitterness or resentment. Obviously, like I said, I want to win out and we don't have to have those conversations. I understand if we don't that's a possibility to have that conversation."

John Wolford to start for Rams

The Los Angeles Rams will go with John Wolford on Sunday.

Wolford, who first replaced usual starter Matthew Stafford, will return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Bryce Perkins will be available, too, and the Rams may end up using both quarterbacks.

Perkins went 13-of-23 for 100 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wolford hasn't played since Week 10, when he threw for 212 yards with a touchdown and an interception in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He's been sidelined with a neck injury ever since.

Stafford is still out with a neck injury of his own. With the Rams on a five-game losing skid and the season winding down, it's unclear if he'll return this season at all.

Browns TE David Njoku out

The Cleveland Browns will be without tight end David Njoku on Sunday.

Njoku has missed practice all week with a knee injury, and on Friday the team officially ruled him out of their game against the Houston Texans this weekend. It’s unclear when Njoku sustained that injury, though this game will mark the third he’s missed in their last five contests. Njoku missed Week 8 and Week 9 due to a high ankle sprain.

Njoku had five catches and a touchdown last week in their 23-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The touchdown, a one-handed grab, sent the game into overtime.

The Browns should also have cornerback Greg Newsome back after missing two weeks in concussion protocol.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson will return from his 12-game suspension, too.

Jaguars RB Travis Etienne ‘good to go’

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne is “good to go” for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions after dealing with a sprained left foot.

Etienne has been limited in practice all week after he left last week’s win over the Baltimore Ravens early with a foot injury. On Friday, though, coach Doug Pederson said Etienne “felt good yesterday” at practice and that he was “optimistic that he’ll play.”

J.K. Dobbins, Marcus Williams out for Ravens

Ravens coach John Harbaugh confirmed Friday that both J.K. Dobbins and Marcus Williams will miss Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Dobbins, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL and then went down with a knee injury in October, was designated to return from injured reserve earlier this week. The running back had 123 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries before he went to IR.

Williams went to IR in early October with a dislocated wrist. The safety has 33 tackles and three interceptions this season, his first with the team.

While both of them have been making progress, Harbaugh said the team will decide next week if either will be able to return before the end of the season.

As for quarterback Lamar Jackson, he was seen practicing on Friday after leaving on Thursday with a minor quad injury.

Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson returned to practice Friday after sustaining a quad injury the day before. (Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images) (Courtney Culbreath via Getty Images)

Bengals’ Joe Mixon still in concussion protocol, Ja’Marr Chase tracking return

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is still in concussion protocol, coach Zac Taylor confirmed on Friday. He has not been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it’s looking increasingly doubtful that he will be cleared to play.

Linebacker Logan Wilson is also being considered day to day while dealing with an illness.

Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, however, is on track to play on Sunday. He has been out since Week 7 with a hip injury.

Jets RB Michael Carter doubtful vs. Vikings

The New York Jets will likely be without running back Michael Carter on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Carter was listed as doubtful for the game with a low ankle sprain, the team said Friday, an injury he sustained last week against the Chicago Bears. He hasn’t practiced all week.

Carter has been the team’s leading rusher since he took over for Breece Hall, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 7. The Jets will now turn to Ty Johnson, James Robinson and Zonovan Knight.

Safety Ashtyn Davis was also ruled out with a hamstring injury, and offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi was listed as doubtful with a groin and illness.