Here’s everything you need to know injury-wise for Week 15.
After being a late scratch for their Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, George Pickens will be out for the Pittsburgh Steelers again.
While head coach Mike Tomlin said there was an “outside chance” Pickens could play against the Philadelphia Eagles, the hamstring injury the wide receiver is dealing with is a “little bit more significant” than the team initially believed.
“We’re just in the mindset now of just getting him healthy as quickly as we possibly can,” Tomlin said earlier this week. “There’s a potential for this week, but it’s an outside chance. If you press me, I’d probably say he’s out or could be characterized as doubtful as we sit here, but again, like we always do, we’ll go through the normal procedure, we’ll let participation be our guide in terms of availability and then obviously the quality of that participation.”
Pickens has recorded a team-high 850 receiving yards on 55 catches with three touchdowns.
The 3-10 New York Jets have little to play for, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Breece Hall miss a second straight game on Sunday when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But on Friday, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said the running back might be well enough to play.
“He looks good right now, so it’s promising,” Ulbrich said. “It says questionable, but we’re hopeful and we’ll see how it goes.”
The second-year running back sat out last week’s loss to the Miami Dolphins with a knee injury. Hall suffered an ACL injury to the same knee in 2022.
Should Hall, who has 692 rushing yards and four touchdowns, along with 401 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, not be able to go, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis will step in to work again. The rookie running backs have produced with Allen rushing for 43 yards while also catching four balls last week and Davis picking up 40 rushing yards and a touchdown along with three receptions for 27 yards.
QB Jake Haener to start for Saints
New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, interim head coach Darren Rizzi announced on Friday.
“I’m going to be confident, I’m going to let it rip,” Haener said. “I feel like I’ve worked too hard to go in their with that mentality, ‘Oh, don’t screw up.’ I’ve been preparing for this, I’m going to do everything I can.
“I might never get an opportunity to start a game again, I’m going to show everybody what I’m capable of doing and let the guys know that I’m confident in doing that. You go and you win this game, things can change. So I think it’s just a 1-0 mentality. Beat the Commanders and show everybody what Jake Haener can do on Sunday.”
Derek Carr remains in concussion protocol and is also dealing with a fracture in his non-throwing hand suffered during their Week 14 win over the New York Giants. He was not ruled out and could serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback behind Spencer Rattler.
Evan Engram suffered the injury in Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday he expected the veteran tight end to play this week, but things changed over the last 48 hours.
“Unfortunately we’re going to lose Evan for the year,” Pederson said Friday. “After more MRI results, testing and all that, he’ll have a labrum to get fixed. So, he’ll have surgery and fix the shoulder and miss the rest of the year.”
Engram played nine games this season, recording 365 receiving yards on 47 receptions and one touchdown. He’s the fourth key offensive player to be ruled out for the season, joining wide receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
RB Kenneth Walker III doubtful vs. Packers
After missing last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals, running back Kenneth Walker III is listed as doubtful for Sunday night’s contest against the Green Bay Packers. An ankle injury has been bothering him and he has not practiced since last Wednesday.
The injury, according to head coach Mike Macdonald, is not a long-term concern.
“Anything can happen between now and the game,” Macdonald said, “but I’d say doubtful right now.”
Zach Charbonnet filled in for Walker last week and ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
Here’s the the rest of the Week 15 injury report: (Players will be added after teams release their reports.)
WR Hollywood Brown (shoulder): out
T D.J. Humphries (hamstring): doubtful
K Harrison Butker (left knee): questionable
WR Cedric Tillman (concussion): out
TE David Njoku (hamstring): questionable
G Joel Bitonio (back): questionable
DT Mike Hall (knee): questionable
LB Khaleke Hudson (abdomen): questionable
CB Myles Harden (tibia): questionable
LT Orlando Brown (fibula): out
LB Joe Bachie (groin): out
DT Sheldon Rankins (illness): out
WR Charlie Jones (groin): questionable
T Jaelyn Duncan (hamstring): questionable
CB Roger McCreary (shoulder): questionable
RB Tony Pollard (ankle): questionable
LB Otis Reese (ankle): questionable
WR Noah Brown (kidney): out
WR Jamison Crowder (calf): questionable
K Zane Gonzalez (left foot): questionable
DT Daron Payne (back): questionable
LB D’Marco Jackson (ankle): out
WR Bub Means (ankle): out
QB Derek Carr (left hand, concussion): doubtful
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles): questionable
OLB Adisa Isaac (hamstring): questionable
S Sanoussi Kane (hamstring: questionable
NT Michael Pierce (calf): questionable
CB T.J. Tampa (ankle): questionable
S Tyler Nubin (ankle): out
LG Jon Runyan (ankle): out
DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck, shoulder): out
LB Bobby Okereke (back): out
CB Andru Phillips (shoulder): out
QB Drew Lock (heel, left elbow): doubtful
CB Cordale Flott (quadricep): doubtful
CB Deonte Banks (rib): questionable
T Chris Hubbard (knee): questionable
LB Dyontae Johnson (ankle): questionable
C Austin Schlottmann (fibula): questionable
C Cooper Beebe (concussion): out
LB DeMarvion Overshown (knee): out
S Juanyeh Thomas (knee): out
CB Trevon Diggs (knee): questionable
CB C.J. Goodwin (hamstring): questionable
LB Buddy Johnson (illness): questionable
LB Eric Kendricks (personal): questionable
CB Jourdan Lewis (hamstring): questionable
LB Trevin Wallace (shoulder): out
RB Raheem Blackshear (chest): questionable
OLB Jadeveon Clowney (knee): questionable
LB Josey Jewell (hamstring): questionable
CB Jaycee Horn (groin): questionable
S Nick Scott (hamstring): questionable
RB Kene Nwangwu (hand): out
CB Brandin Echols (shoulder): out
CB D.J. Reed (groin): doubtful
G Xavier Newman-Johnson (groin): doubtful
RB Breece Hall (knee): questionable
T Morgan Moses (wrist): questionable
G Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle): questionable
TE Evan Engram (shoulder): out
WR Dee Eskridge (knee): out
T Terron Armstead (knee): doubtful
LB Bradley Chubb (knee): questionable
WR Grant DuBose (shoulder): questionable
LS Blake Ferguson (non-football illness): questionable
LB Cameron Goode (knee): questionable
T Kendall Lamm (back): questionable
S Jalen Pitre (shoulder): out
C Juice Scruggs (foot): out
G Kenyon Green (shoulder): questionable
G Nick Broeker (questionable
LB Christian Harris (calf): questionable
LB Jamal Hill (knee): questionable
WR Ashton Dulin (ankle): out
T Braden Smith (persona): out
LB Jaylon Carlies (fibula, shoulder): questionable
WR Josh Downs (shoulder): questionable
C Ryan Kelly (knee): questionable
TE Mo Alie-Cox (hip): questionable
CB Riley Moss (knee): out
CB Rasul Douglas (knee): out
TE Dalton Kincaid (knee): questionable
TE Quintin Morris (shoulder, groin): questionable
S Taylor Rapp (neck, shoulder): questionable
S Damar Hamlin (back, ribs): questionable
OT Tylan Grable (groin): questionable
DE Dawuane Smoot (wrist): questionable
DE Casey Toohill (ribs): questionable
LB Baylon Spector (calf): questionable
LB Trevor Nowaske (concussion): out
WR George Pickens (hamstring): out
S DeShon Elliott (hamstring): out
DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin): out
DT Montravius Adams (knee): questionable
OL Calvin Anderson (groin): questionable
WR Brittain Covey (neck): out
WR Javon Baker (concussion): out
DT Jaquelin Roy (foot): out
T Caedan Wallace (ankle): out
DT Christian Barmore (personal): questionable
S Kyle Dugger (ankle): questionable
CB Christian Gonzalez (shoulder): questionable
T Vederian Lowe (shoulder): questionable
G Cole Strange(knee): questionable
RB Emari Demercado (back): out
P Blake Gillikin (right foot): out
CB Elijah Jones (ankle): out
DT Naquan Jones (shoulder): questionable
DT Roy Lopez (ankle): questionable
S Mike Edwards (hamstring): out
S Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee): out
LB K.J. Britt (ankle): out
WR Kameron Johnson (ankle): out
LB Markees Watts (knee): out
RB Bucky Irving (back, hip): questionable
S Christian Izien (groin): questionable
CB Josh Hayes (hamstring): questionable
LB J.J. Russell (hamstring): questionable
WR Sterling Shepard (foot): questionable
LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (ankle): questionable
WR Jalen Reagor (finger): out
TE Will Dissly (shoulder): out
WR Ladd McConkey (knee, shoulder): questionable
LB Denzel Perryman (groin): questionable
CB Jaire Alexander (knee): out
S Javon Bullard (ankle): out
TE Luke Musgrave (ankle): out
CB Corey Ballentine (knee): questionable
CB Tre Brown (hamstring): out
S K’Von Wallace (ankle): out
S Jerrick Reed II (quadricep): out
TE Brady Russell (foot): out
CB Artie Burns (toe): doubtful
T Stone Forsythe (hand): doubtful
RB Kenneth Walker III (calf): doubtful
