Copyright Yardbarker
Each week of the NFL season, Yardbarker will be monitoring players who have suffered notable injuries. Here are five we're tracking after Week 9: Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft In the third quarter of Green Bay's 16-13 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, Kraft suffered a knee injury after colliding with guard Sean Rhyan on a run play. The Athletic's Michael Silver reported the Packers fear he tore his ACL. In a postgame news conference, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur didn't confirm that Kraft had torn his ACL, but admitted, "It doesn't look good." "Tuck means a lot," Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. "I think his leadership role, and then, obviously, his play on the field. We'll see what the injury is, but not having him for the rest of the game was huge." Love — who posted a below-average 80.1 passer rating against Carolina — relies heavily on Kraft, who led the team in receiving yards (469) entering Sunday. The TE missing time would place more responsibility on wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who recorded 350 receiving yards in his first seven games. Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud In Houston's 18-15 home loss to the Denver Broncos, Stroud exited in the second quarter after taking a brutal hit from cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine. He was subsequently placed into concussion protocol and ruled out for the rest of the game. Stroud must clear concussion protocol (a five-step program, which includes a clean bill of health from an independent neurologist) to play in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he can't, expect the Texans to turn to backup QB Davis Mills. Mills, a 2021 third-round pick out of Stanford, has a 5-19-1 starting record in the regular season. Against Denver, he completed 17-of-30 passes for 137 yards, logging a subpar 68.3 passer rating. Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua Nacua — who has already missed one game because of an ankle issue — left in the third quarter of the Rams' 34-10 home win over the New Orleans Saints. L.A. head coach Sean McVay doesn't seem too concerned about it. "He got his ribs," McVay said postgame. "He could've come back in the game, but we kind of had command, felt like it was the smart thing [to rest him]. He could've come back in, but we kind of erred on the side of caution. Other guys stepped up and did a really nice job." Exercising caution was wise. Nacua — who led the team in receiving yards (616) entering Sunday — is the Rams' No. 1 option in the passing game. Rams QB Matthew Stafford didn't need much from him against the Saints, either. He completed 24-of-32 passes for 281 yards and four TDs in the home blowout. Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt Alt already suffered a high right ankle sprain in a Week 4 loss to the New York Giants. He was spotted holding the same ankle while being carted off the field in the second quarter of the Chargers' 27-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. A source told ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter that Alt's reinjured ankle may need a procedure to repair it (h/t ESPN's Kris Rhim). In a postgame news conference, Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh said he feels "bad" for the second-year O-lineman, who has already missed three games this season. Alt missing time would be costly for the Chargers' injury-riddled O-line. Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending knee injury in August. Offensive tackle Bobby Hart, meanwhile, injured his groin against the Titans and didn't return to the game. A depleted O-line would make life even more challenging for Chargers QB Justin Herbert. Through nine games, he has taken 28 sacks. San Francisco 49ers DE Mykel Williams Williams — pick No. 11 of the 2025 NFL Draft — departed with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter of San Francisco's 34-24 win over the New York Giants. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't sound optimistic about his prognosis. "We're worried it's an ACL, but you never know until tomorrow," the coach said in a postgame news conference, via David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone.
