NFL injuries: Patriots’ Hernandez injures ankle

Aaron Hernandez left Gillette Stadium in a walking boot and carrying crutches.

Not exactly a welcome sight for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The versatile tight end hurt his right ankle in the first quarter of the Patriots’ 20-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“Hopefully, he’s fine,” fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski said. “He’s a great player and we need him.”

The Patriots gave no immediate update on Hernandez, who had six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the opener but was held without a catch before he left Sunday’s game.

“Aaron’s in there almost every play,” wide receiver Wes Welker said, “so it changes quite a bit.”

Things could be a little different next week for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who lost quarterback Blaine Gabbert to an injured left hamstring in a 27-7 loss to Houston.

He was injured in the first half, played the third quarter and one series in the fourth before leaving the game with what coach Mike Mularkey called “a strain in the back of his leg.”

Gabbert completed 7 of 19 passes for 53 yards — his fewest passing yards as a starter — before Mularkey pulled him as a precaution since the game was out of hand.

Mularkey was unsure if Gabbert would be able to play against Indianapolis. Chad Henne replaced Gabbert and completed both of his passes before fumbling a snap.

St. Louis running back Steven Jackson sat out most of the final three quarters of the Rams’ 31-28 victory over the Washington Redskins with a groin strain that worsened on his last few carries.

Jackson didn’t play after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for spiking the ball in protest after he was ruled short of the goal line on a third-down carry from the 1. Coach Jeff Fisher said Jackson was held out because of the injury, not because he was being disciplined.

The Rams went with rookie Daryl Richardson while Jackson stood on the sideline, helmet in hand. During the game, a team spokesman said Jackson was fine.

The Redskins lost defensive end Adam Carriker and outside linebacker Brian Orakpo to injuries early in the first quarter, while Rams offensive tackle Rodger Saffold was helped off after hurting his right knee.

Carriker injured his right knee on the Redskins’ second snap on defense. He removed his jersey and tossed gloves to the stands, contradicting a team statement that his return was questionable.

Orakpo and Saffold were hurt on the same play. Orakpo stripped Rams quarterback Sam Bradford of the ball and Saffold recovered the fumble and carried it 7 yards, but crumpled to the turf on the tackle.

Kansas City tight end Kevin Boss will be evaluated after being knocked woozy with a blow to the head in the Chiefs’ 35-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Coach Romeo Crennel didn’t have any further details on Boss’ injury following the game, but added that cornerback Javier Arenas also hurt his neck.

Boss was hurt after making a 29-yard catch over the middle in the second quarter. Stumbling backward, Boss was falling down when Buffalo safety Da’Norris Searcy’s forearm hit the back of Boss’ head. The tight end’s head then hit the ground hard. Searcy was penalized for unnecessary roughness for the hit.

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, tackle David Diehl and wide receiver Domenik Hixon were knocked out of the team’s 41-34 win over Tampa Bay.

Hixon suffered a concussion after taking a hard helmet-to-helmet hit from linebacker Mason Foster following a 12-yard catch to the Bucs 4.

Diehl, New York’s most versatile offensive lineman, went down with a right knee injury. Bradshaw went to the locker room for X-rays on his neck during the second quarter and ruled out of the game just before halftime.

Philadelphia lost center Jason Kelce, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and offensive lineman King Dunlap to injuries in the Eagles’ 24-23 win over Baltimore.

Kelce was lost for the game with a sprained right knee, Dunlap, the Eagles’ left tackle, injured a hamstring, and Maclin left in the third quarter with a hip pointer.

Also injured Sunday were: Jets fullback John Conner (right knee), Indianapolis center Samson Satele (undisclosed knee injury), Oakland cornerback Shawntae Spencer (sprained foot) and running back Taiwan Jones (ribs), and Miami cornerback Richard Marshall (back).