NFL rumors: Week 9 news on injuries, suspensions, more
By Brian Rauf, Chat Sports
Week 9 of the NFL season kicked off last night, and the Atlanta Falcons extended their lead at the top of the NFC South with a 43-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rest of the league is dealing with injuries ahead of this weekend's games.
Check out the latest NFL news and rumors below.
• Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy expects to play Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks after missing last week with a hamstring injury, reports Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News.
• Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston "feels great" despite leaving their loss to the Falcons with a knee injury, and isn't expected to miss any time going forward, reports Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.
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• Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans is in concussion protocol after leaving Thursday night's game, head coach Dirk Koetter told reporters.
• Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray is expected to play on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers after suffering a foot injury last week, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
• Oakland Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith is optimistic that the NFL will grant his reinstatement to the league soon, reports the Associated Press. Smith is set to return from a year-long suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
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• Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said the NFL's television ratings are declining because the league "isn't fun anymore," reports ESPN's Sheil Kapadia.
• The NFL is contemplating adding an eighth official to help protect quarterbacks, senior VP of officiating Dean Blandino told Pro Football Live.