NFL Nation reporters assess the biggest injuries across the league for Week 9.

NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West

NFC EAST

All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith sat out of practice, but that has become a normal Wednesday occurrence lately because of back tightness. Rookie defensive back Chidobe Awuzie went through a limited practice for the first time in three weeks as he works back from a hamstring strain. The Cowboys will be cautious with him as this is something he has not been able to shake since the preseason. Once he is ready to go, then he could be a full-time safety. -- Todd Archer

This should be the week that wide receiver Sterling Shepard returns from an ankle injury after missing two games. Last week's bye helped. Shepard even said Wednesday that he's straight this time after suffering a minor setback prior to the Seahawks game. His presence should help the Giants' offense. -- Jordan Raanan

Eagles corner Patrick Robinson has cleared protocol after suffering a concussion last week against the 49ers, and has returned to practice. He should be available this week against the Broncos. Fellow cornerback Ronald Darby, meanwhile, started the week as a limited participant. He's still working back from a dislocated ankle sustained in the opener against Washington, With a Week 10 bye in sight, the Eagles could opt to give Darby some extra recovery time before bringing him back. -- Tim McManus

The Redskins don't have just one pressing injury issue. Ten players didn't practice Wednesday and the big concern is the offensive line where four starters sat out: left tackle Trent Williams (knee), left guard Shawn Lauvao (stinger), center Spencer Long (knee/quad) and right guard Brandon Scherff (knee). There's definite uncertainty regarding who will be available Sunday. Williams was told to rest a couple weeks to let his bone bruise settle down, but he might try to play Sunday. "I've given up trying to guess or predict," coach Jay Gruden said. On Monday, he said he doesn't expect tight end Jordan Reed (hamstring) to play. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Coach John Fox called right guard Kyle Long (hand) and center Cody Whitehair (elbow) "day-to-day" but Chicago is under no obligation to discuss injuries during the club's bye week. However, the Bears hope to have wide receiver Markus Wheaton (groin), cornerback Sherrick McManis (hamstring) and linebacker John Timu (knee/ankle) back in the near future -- possibly against Green Bay in Week 10. -- Jeff Dickerson

Taylor Decker (shoulder) started his three-week return-to-practice window off PUP on Wednesday, so his status will be monitored. It would be a surprise if he played Monday against Green Bay, but the Lions need him badly. His replacement at left tackle, Greg Robinson, continues to recover from an ankle injury. When practice starts Thursday, he'll be one to watch. If neither can play, it'll be Brian Mihalik for the second straight game -- and he didn't fare too badly against the Steelers. Receiver Kenny Golladay and his mysterious hamstring injury will once again be important. Detroit could use him as a deep threat and red zone threat. -- Michael Rothstein

The Packers are obviously without their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers (broken collarbone), but they've been without their quarterback on defense, too. Safety Morgan Burnett, the Packers' signal-caller in the secondary, missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. Burnett returned to practice this week for the first time since he dropped out of the Oct. 8 game at Dallas. After his first practice, a light workout, he said: "We didn't do much, but I felt good." If that continues, he has a good chance to return Monday night against the Lions. -- Rob Demovsky

The Vikings bye couldn't have come at a better time for an offensive line dealing with multiple injuries. They've been without starting left guard Nick Easton (calf) since the end of Week 5. and his replacement, Jeremiah Sirles, missed the second half of the Ravens game and Week 8 against the Browns with a knee injury. Some time to heal could do wonders for a unit that has proven to be the backbone of this offense. On Nov. 8, the Vikings will make a decision regarding the status of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. At that point, the team will either move Bridgewater off the PUP list and to the 53-man roster or put him on IR for the rest of the season. They also hope to receive good news concerning Sam Bradford after the break. After leading the Vikings to a win in Week 1, the quarterback played one half of football in Chicago when he reinjured himself and has not been able to practice for more than three weeks. -- Courtney Cronin

NFC SOUTH

Devonta Freeman wore a black no-contact jersey during Wednesday's practice after suffering a neck/shoulder injury in last week's win over the Jets. Coach Dan Quinn said Freeman would be limited, so the black jersey was no surprise. And if Freeman, for some reason, is unable to play at Carolina on Sunday or is limited in any fashion, the Falcons have a more-than-capable replacement in Tevin Coleman. -- Vaughn McClure

Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil appears at least a week away from returning after missing his sixth game in the past seven with a neck injury. He worked on the side with the trainer, so Tyler Larsen appears set to start again. -- David Newton

Three starting offensive linemen missed practice Wednesday. But it's possible that left tackle Terron Armstead (shoulder) and left guard Andrus Peat (hip) were just getting a day of rest, since both have missed practice time and continued to play in recent weeks. Right guard Larry Warford (abdomen) is not expected to play this week against Tampa Bay. The Saints have had a lot of moving parts on the O-line this year, with right tackle Zach Strief also on injured reserve. But they have held up remarkably well with replacements like rookie tackle Ryan Ramczyk and veteran guard Senio Kelemete.-- Mike Triplett

Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes didn't practice Wednesday and missed all practices last week and the game against the Panthers. There's a good chance he won't play against the Saints this week. "Brent is improving but I'm not sure if he will be able to go this week," coach Dirk Koetter said. It'd be a big loss without him. The last nine games that Grimes has faced Drew Brees, he has picked off the QB three times, the most in the NFL. He also had five pass breakups. If he can't go, Ryan Smith will step in again. Smith showed a lot more confidence against Carolina than he did against the Vikings in Week 3. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

The only injury for the Cardinals to keep an eye on coming off their bye week is Andre Ellington's quad. He didn't practice Tuesday, but was limited on Wednesday. If Ellington is limited in Sunday's game at San Francisco or can't play, then the Cardinals' passing game out of the backfield could be hampered. He's Arizona's second-leading receiver with 257 yards and second-most targeted receiver on first down. -- Josh Weinfuss

The Rams' only real injury concern coming out of their bye was center John Sullivan, who tweaked his left knee in a Week 7 win over the Cardinals. But coach Sean McVay expects him to be fine. Said Giants coach Ben McAdoo: "Each year you go through and there are a couple of teams, a handful of teams, that have a chance to stay healthy." The Rams have been that team so far. -- Alden Gonzalez

For the second straight week, the 49ers are flush with questions on the offensive line. Left tackle Joe Staley (eye) will miss at least a few weeks and backup tackle Garry Gilliam (knee) is out for the year. Of more concern for Sunday is what will happen with right tackle Trent Brown (concussion) and right guard Brandon Fusco (biceps). Brown is progressing after sitting out last week, but still needs to get through the week of practice in order to return. Fusco did not practice Wednesday after playing through the injury last week, but will have to be monitored as the week goes on. The Niners are already short-handed on the O-line but could at least benefit from having Brown and Fusco ready to play the Cardinals. -- Nick Wagoner

The Seahawks are hoping the hamstring injury Earl Thomas suffered last week isn't serious, but coach Pete Carroll acknowledged that there's some concern about the All-Pro free safety's availability against Washington. The Seahawks signed Bradley McDougald in free agency to give them a more viable backup option than what they had last season, when their pass defense fell apart after Thomas went down with a broken leg. Seattle might need to tap into that insurance policy now. -- Brady Henderson

AFC EAST

The Bills ruled out cornerback E.J. Gaines (hamstring) and tight end Charles Clay (knee) for Thursday night's game against the Jets, which was expected. Safety Jordan Poyer (knee) and linebacker Ramon Humber (thumb) are both listed as questionable. Poyer said in the locker room Tuesday that he most likely will play after missing last Sunday's game with a sprained MCL. Humber has not played since breaking his thumb Oct. 1, but returned to practice this week. -- Mike Rodak

Quarterback Jay Cutler practiced for the first time in two weeks Wednesday after fracturing multiple ribs. Cutler threw the ball with good zip and likely will start Sunday's game against the Raiders. The big question is whether Cutler can still take the hits after the injury. -- James Walker

The Patriots are on their bye and the following players weren't healthy enough to practice Wednesday: starting right tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle), starting defensive tackle Malcom Brown (ankle), kicker Stephen Gostkowski (unknown) and receiver Chris Hogan (shoulder). None of the injuries should threaten the season for those players, so it's more of a maintenance situation at this point. -- Mike Reiss

There are two key injury questions for Thursday against the Bills: defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (foot/shoulder) and cornerback Morris Claiborne (foot), who are both listed as questionable. Wilkerson has a better chance of playing than Claiborne, who was hurt on last week and has yet to practice. It's a tough situation on a short week. He'd likely be replaced by Darryl Roberts. The Jets are hopeful that Wilkerson can play. He's coming off two good games despite not having practiced in a few weeks. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Quarterback Joe Flacco ended any drama about his availability Wednesday when he announced he would is "definitely ready to go" for Sunday's game at Tennessee. Flacco suffered a concussion last Thursday and was a full participant in practice six days later. He said he hasn't had any concussion-related symptoms since taking a hit to the head from Kiko Alonso. Flacco has been one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL, playing every game in nine of 10 seasons. -- Jamison Hensley

Wide receiver John Ross is officially off the injury report for the first time in weeks, but his chances to play could come down to the status of the other wide receivers. Cody Core cleared concussion protocol and is back at practice, but Brandon LaFell (hamstring) was on the injury report Wednesday. Ross played sparingly last week as the Bengals try to bring the first-round pick up to speed. -- Katherine Terrell

The best news the Browns got during their bye was when first overall pick Myles Garrett was cleared from concussion protocol. However, cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun will miss time with a hamstring issue, and if Jason McCourty's ankle does not heal they could be down to starting Michael Jordan, who was claimed after final cuts following preseason. -- Pat McManamon

The Steelers hope to get safety Mike Mitchell back after he suffered a calf strain against the Lions. Mitchell should recover swiftly from the injury, but he's also dealt with hamstring issues this season, so his lower-body health is something to watch. Also, tight end Vance McDonald is hoping bye-week rest heals up his knee injury. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

After trading Duane Brown, the Texans are counting on left tackle Chris Clark to return from a calf injury that sidelined him in Week 8. He returned to practice on Wednesday. The injuries keep piling up for the Texans on the defensive line after Christian Covington tore his biceps and is out for the season. -- Sarah Barshop

The Colts aren't in any kind of position to be dealing with more injuries on the offensive line. But starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo missed practice Wednesday due to a knee injury. The veteran has missed only seven games in his seven-year NFL career. There will be reason to start having concern about Castonzo's status for Sunday's game at Houston if he doesn't practice Thursday, especially since the Colts don't have a player listed behind him on the depth chart. They've already lost offensive linemen Deshawyn Bond (quad) and Jack Mewhort (knee) for the season. Offensive lineman Le'Raven Clark has been excused from the team following the death of his father. -- Mike Wells

The Jaguars are pretty healthy now that running back Leonard Fournette, center Brandon Linder and left tackle Cam Robinson have returned to practice. In addition, wide receiver Dede Westbrook can be brought off injured reserve at any time. He's coming off core muscle surgery and the Jaguars need help at receiver, but the team hasn't yet decided if he'll be promoted to the active roster this week. If he handles practice well on Thursday and Friday, the Jaguars could promote him on Saturday. "The speed in what he can do with the ball is in his hands after the catch is extremely impressive," quarterback Blake Bortles said. "We got to see a little bit of that in the preseason. How explosive he was with the plays that he was able to make, so that is the exciting factor that he brings." -- Mike DiRocco

Wide receiver Corey Davis (hamstring) is finally healthy and expected to return for his first game since Week 2. He will come back into the starting lineup, even if he doesn't play the full game, in hopes of drawing attention and respect from defenses. Tight end Delanie Walker is battling a painful right ankle bone bruise, something he believes he can "deal with" in the long-term. He won't commit to playing against the Ravens just yet. Coach Mike Mularkey held Walker out of Monday and Wednesday practices. Walker's status for Sunday is uncertain, but there's optimism that it's a pain tolerance injury. Quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is no longer on the injury report, is also back to 100-percent. -- Cameron Wolfe

AFC WEST

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who has missed the past two games with a right ankle injury, was back in practice Wednesday. It was Sanders' first practice with the team since the injury, so he could potentially return Sunday against the Eagles. He was listed as questionable Monday night against the Chiefs, but had not improved enough to play in that game. He has been hopeful he could return by Sunday's game. It would enable the Broncos to get some of the extra attention Demaryius Thomas has received to have to worry about other things if Sanders is back in the lineup and the Broncos have made a change at quarterback as well with Brock Osweiler having replaced Trevor Siemian as the starter. -- Jeff Legwold

The Chiefs have a chance to have their regular starting offensive line together for the first time since Week 2 on Sunday against the Cowboys. Right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was a full practice participant on Wednesday, giving him a good shot at being available for the Cowboys game. He hasn't played since spraining his knee in a Week 4 game against Washington. Center Mitch Morse only last week returned to the starting lineup after spraining his foot in that Week 2 game against the Eagles. -- Adam Teicher

Out since August with a left ankle injury that required surgery, linebacker Denzel Perryman is expected to join the Chargers after this week's bye and play against the Jaguars in Week 10. Perryman started the regular season on the injured reserve, but has practiced with the Chargers for the past two weeks. The University of Miami product should help improve the Chargers' run defense that is among the worst in the NFL. "I think it's safe to say he could slide right back in and start," coach Anthony Lynn said about Perryman. -- Eric D. Williams

Second-year starting strong safety Karl Joseph missed last week's game with a groin issue and was limited in practice at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, on Wednesday. With Joseph out, and rookie Shalom Luani starting in his place, the Raiders rarely blitzed at Buffalo and Oakland is still without an interception eight games into the season. A healthy Joseph would help in both endeavors. During their six-day stay at a posh resort in nearby Sarasota, the Raiders brought in cryotherapy baths to help with recovery. -- Paul Gutierrez