Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones has tested positive for COVID-19 and is doubtful for Sunday’s game against Cleveland. Kyusung Gong/Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals will be without two starters — and probably a third — when they try to stay unbeaten Sunday in a road game against the Cleveland Browns.
Cardinals Coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed tight end Maxx Williams is out for the season because of a right knee injury he suffered last week in the team’s 17-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. He also said three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson (ribs) will miss the Browns game, while linebacker Chandler Jones is doubtful after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Kingsbury said Jones was experiencing symptoms and it “would be a stretch” to expect the linebacker to return in time for the Browns game.
The 31-year-old Jones has been is one of the league’s elite pass rushers and was the Week 1 NFC Defensive Player of the Week after a five-sack performance against the Tennessee Titans.
“That’s just the way it goes,” Kingsbury said. “We’ve been fully vaccinated now for a while. It’s unfortunate, particularly for Chandler, who was really playing at a high level. Hopefully he can get well rested and be back by next week’s game so we’ll see how it plays out.”
The Cardinals have a 5-0 record for the first time since 1974 and feature one of the NFL’s best offenses. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound Williams had been a big part of that and was on pace for a career year with 193 yards receiving through five games.
BROWNS: NFL sacks leader Myles Garrett and star running back Nick Chubb are two of several key Cleveland players not practicing because of injuries. Garrett, who has seven sacks and been dominant all season, is dealing with knee and ankle issues. The 2020 All-Pro defensive end sat out two practices last week, but played in Sunday’s 47-42 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Chubb rushed for 161 yards on Sunday. He’s dealing with a calf issue, the team reported before practice. Chubb has 523 yards and four touchdowns this season.
The Browns (3-2) host the Cardinals (5-0) on Sunday, and Cleveland plays again on Oct. 21 against Denver.
Before Wednesday’s workout, the Browns said Garrett will sit out along with Chubb, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (elbow, knee), starting right tackle Jack Conklin (knee), running back Kareem Hunt (wrist, knee), defensive end Takk McKinley (ankle, knee), tight end David Njoku (knee), linebacker Malcolm Smith (abdomen) and center JC Tretter (knee).
CHIEFS: Kansas City practiced without five key starters, including wide receiver Tyreek Hill and pass rusher Chris Jones, adding a long list of physical ailments to their battered pride five games into the season.
Hill was out with a bruised quadriceps that he sustained in Sunday night’s blowout loss to the Bills, when the Chiefs also lost running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to a sprained knee ligament. Jones continues to deal with a lingering wrist injury. Also missing practice with knee inflammation was linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who calls the plays in the middle of the defense.
Defensive back Charvarius Ward remained out with a quad injury that sidelined him against Buffalo, and starting guard Joe Thuney missed practice with a broken hand sustained against the Bills.
TEXANS: Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor won’t come off injured reserve this week, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil will have thumb surgery and is expected to be out at least a month.
Taylor injured his hamstring Sept. 19 against the Browns and was placed on injured reserve the following week. He is eligible to return this week, but Coach David Culley said he still needs more time. “He’s progressing very well, but he’s not ready right now,” Culley said.
Tunsil injured his left thumb in a loss to the Patriots on Sunday and will have surgery Thursday. Geron Christian will take over at left tackle while Tunsil recovers.
TITANS: Tennessee brought back linebacker Avery Williamson, signing the veteran off Denver’s practice squad. The Titans also announced Wednesday that safety Amani Hooker has been cleared to return to practice even as he remains on injured reserve.
Williamson was a fifth-round draft pick by the Titans in 2014 out of Kentucky. He spent his first four seasons with Tennessee starting 59 of 63 games before signing a three-year deal in 2018 with the New York Jets. Williamson missed the 2019 season with a torn ACL and was traded to Pittsburgh during last season.
• Wide receiver Julio Jones returned to practice after missing the past two games with an injured hamstring.
TV: ESPN signed a five-year agreement with the NFL to broadcast the Monday night game during the first weekend of the playoffs, beginning this season.
The NFL announced last month that it was moving the Saturday early afternoon game on wild-card weekend to Monday night.
There will be two games on Saturday (4:35 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.), three on Sunday (1:05 p.m., 4:40 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.), and one on Monday (8:15 p.m. ET).
The Monday night game will also air on ABC while ESPN2 will feature an alternate feed with Peyton and Eli Manning.
GIANTS: QB Daniel Jones has made some progress since suffering a concussion last weekend and there’s a chance he will play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Coach Joe Judge said Jones remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol. It is unlikely he’ll practice Thursday since the next step in the protocol would be either increased physical activity followed by a noncontact practice.
That would mean Jones, who threw a little away from the team early in the workout, would have missed most of the preparation for the Rams (4-1).
If that’s the case, the likelihood is backup Mike Glennon will start for New York (1-4) in the game at MetLife Stadium.
Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle), wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) also did not practice. Barkley and Golladay were hurt against the Cowboys.
The Giants did get a little good news on the injury front. Wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, who missed the last two games with hamstring injuries, practiced on a limited basis. Linebacker Cam Brown, who has been on injured reserve with a hamstring, returned to practice.
COLTS: Receiver T.Y. Hilton was back on the practice field for a light workout.
If all goes well over the next few days, he might be playing Sunday.
The four-time Pro Bowler has been designated for return from injured reserve after having neck surgery in August and Coach Frank Reich is optimistic Hilton will be cleared to play this weekend.
VIDEO GAMES: Jon Gruden is being dropped from the Madden NFL 22 video game after he resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders because it was reported that he used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language in emails.
EA Sports tweeted it was “taking steps to remove” Gruden from the latest version of its popular pro football game and would “replace him with a general likeness via a title update in the coming weeks.”
The game maker said it is “committed to taking action in maintaining a culture of inclusion and equity.”
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