Minnesota running back Aaron Jones aggravated a left knee injury that he suffered earlier this season during the undefeated Vikings’ 16-10 home win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Jones was seen heading straight for the blue medical tent following a hit at the end of a 17-yard run. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game that Jones had the knee evaluated, and Pro Football Talk reported that the running back would undergo an MRI on Monday.
Jones sprained his left MCL in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears but has not missed a game. He finished with eight carries for 26 yards.
The Vikings did get back Jordan Mason (thumb) at running back for the first time since Week 1. He led the team with 68 yards on 15 carries.
–Carolina Panthers veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was carted off the field with a fractured left fibula during their 43-13 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Panthers coach Dave Canales acknowledged that Moton would be “out for a while” after the contest.
It was just Moton’s second game since returning from a serious blood clot issue. He was hurt when teammate Rasheed Walker, the left tackle, fell across the back of his legs in the opening minute of the third quarter.
Moton held his left leg and punched the turf while waiting for trainers to come on the field.
“It was the fibula. There is a fracture there,” Canales told reporters. “We’ll have to get the full run-up to be able to give you the extent of the whole thing.
“But it was just sick for ‘T-Mo.’ Working his way back, getting out there. Just kinda an end-of-the-play thing, guys just rolled up on him unexpectedly at that moment.”
–Denver Broncos receiver Jaylen Waddle exited his team’s 30-16 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals with a chest injury.
The injury occurred on a reverse with under five minutes remaining. Waddle fumbled the pitch from quarterback Bo Nix and dove to recover the ball as Arizona’s Josh Sweat landed on top of him. The receiver left for the locker room and didn’t return.
Waddle (four catches, 48 yards on Sunday) was dealing with a chest injury during the week and was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He was a full participant on Friday and received no injury designation.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton criticized his own play call per the reverse in which Waddle was injured.
“Why didn’t anybody ask me about the dumb reverse call?” Payton said during his postgame press conference. “… It was awful. I’m sorry.”
–The New York Giants came out of their 27-21 overtime win over the host Houston Texans with multiple injury concerns in the backfield.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. left in the first half with a hamstring injury, while Cam Skattebo also revealed he felt something in his hamstring after his 42-yard dash in overtime set up Devin Singletary’s 30-yard touchdown run to walk it off.
Skattebo had a career-high 124 yards as the Giants racked up 188 on the ground to support quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first start for the team. The Giants get a chance to rest and recover with a bye in Week 8.
For the Texans, running back Woody Marks briefly left with an apparent left knee injury but returned to the game. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said wide receiver Jaylin Noel had a turf toe injury, and Noel was seen wearing a boot.
–The banged-up Green Bay Packers’ offensive line received two more blows as centers Sean Rhyan (ankle) and Jacob Monk (quad) made early exits.
Both players left the game in the first quarter of an eventual 20-17 road loss to the Detroit Lions. John Williams served as Green Bay’s center the rest of the game.
Afterward, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he wouldn’t expect either Rhyan or Monk to be available on a quick turnaround for their next game Thursday against the Panthers.
The Packers already had lost tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (torn patellar tendon in his right knee) for the season, with starting guard Aaron Banks in and out of the lineup with multiple injuries.
Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (ankle) did not return after being hurt in the fourth quarter.
–In Paris, New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid sustained a concussion and running back CJ Donaldson hurt his shoulder during a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.