NFL Player News
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Derek Carr QB | NO
Raiders' Derek Carr: Inefficient in playoff loss
Carr completed 29 of 54 pass attempts for 310 yards, one touchdown and one interception while running for 20 yards on one carry against Cincinnati on Saturday.
Carr has a history of struggles in colder conditions like these, so it's unsurprising that he got by more on volume than efficiency in this game. The unusually high pass attempt volume can't always be counted on, so it could have gone a lot worse for Carr's fantasy investors. While he'll never compete for elite distinction at quarterback, it's impressive that this year marked the eighth with Carr starting at quarterback for the Raiders, and the last three years in particular have marked a turned corner for him.
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Joe Burrow QB | CIN
Bengals' Joe Burrow: Solid playoff debut
Burrow completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 244 yards and two touchdowns against Las Vegas on Saturday.
The numbers are modest at a glance, but the Bengals controlled this game from start to finish and it's possible that they could have done more if they needed to. With that said, Burrow did most of his damage early, throwing one touchdown to each of Tyler Boyd and C.J. Uzomah in roughly the first third of the game and not doing a whole lot afterward. With higher stakes in the second playoff round it's possible that Burrow and the Bengals take a more aggressive approach.
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Mike White QB | CAR
Jets' Mike White: One scintillating start, three duds
White made four appearances (three starts) in 2021, completing 88 of 132 passes for 953 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.
White had never gotten into a regular-season game before the 2021 season, but the 26-year-old quarterback took the league by storm in his first NFL start, throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 8 upset win over the Bengals. Unfortunately for White, he was unable to replicate that success in any of his other outings, quickly putting an end to the brief quarterback controversy for the Jets. Zach Wilson is the clear quarterback of the future for the franchise after being selected second overall in the 2021 NFL Entry Draft, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Jets bring back White -- who is a restricted free agent -- to serve as Wilson's backup again next season.
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Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Season hindered by injury
Jackson (ankle) finished the season completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 games. He added 133 carries for 767 yards and two scores.
Jackson endured a health-challenged season, with an illness sidelining him for a game and a right ankle injury keeping him out for the final month. When he was available, Jackson showed improvement as a passer, especially in terms of generating explosive plays; his 41 completions of 20-plus yards nearly matched what he did in 15 games during his 2019 MVP season. He also led to Ravens to comeback wins from double-digit deficits against the Chiefs, Colts and Vikings. Still, it wasn't a perfect season from Jackson, who committed 16 turns in total, including a career-high 13 picks. It's important to note that the Baltimore offense was upended late in training camp with its top two running backs suffering season-ending injuries and its first-round receiver going out with a core-muscle injury that sidelined him well into the regular season. The absences of key skill-position players put more on Jackson's shoulders, and he still managed to put the Ravens in playoff position before the illness and injury railroaded his season. Jackson enters 2022 on the fifth year of his rookie deal, and he'll make north of $23 million unless the he and the team negotiate a long-term extension.
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Jimmy Garoppolo QB | LAR
49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo: Logs full practice Thursday
Garoppolo (thumb) practiced in full Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Garoppolo has been trending in this direction after appearing to handle a larger workload Wednesday than he did last week, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. Still, Garoppolo was listed as limited on the 49ers' first practice report of this week. With a full session now under his belt, he upheld his thoughts from Wednesday, when he told Lombardi that his right thumb was "feeling great" after experiencing a "little" soreness in the wake of the team's Week 18 win against the Rams. Garoppolo thus is set to start Sunday's wild-card game at Dallas.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Estimated as full participant
Stafford (toe) was a full participant at Thursday's walkthrough, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.
Coach Sean McVay stated Monday that Stafford came out of the Rams' Week 18 loss to the 49ers with a toe injury. While he was seen limping at one point this past Sunday, Stafford revealed Thursday that he picked it up on a third-down pass to Cooper Kupp, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Per the quarterback, his health is OK four days removed from getting hurt, and the issue shouldn't impact him during Monday's postseason opener against the Cardinals. Assuming he continues to string together uncapped practices, Stafford soon will earn his 18th start in as many chances as a member of the Rams.
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C.J. Beathard QB | JAC
Jaguars' C.J. Beathard: Activated off reserve/COVID-19 list
Beathard was activated off of the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.
The quarterback was placed on the COVID list Friday, which forced him to miss the Jaguars' season finale victory against the Colts. Beathard signed a two-year contract with the Jaguars in the offseason, appearing in two games as Trevor Lawrence's primary backup.
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Justin Fields QB | KC
Bears' Justin Fields: Officially off COVID-19 list
The Bears activated Fields (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Fields spent exactly one week on the COVID-19 list as a result of a positive test for the virus, forcing him to sit out the Bears' season finale. He thus ended his rookie campaign with 12 appearances, 10 of them starts, en route to 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 59 percent passing. The 2021 first-round pick also racked up 72 carries for 420 yards and two more scores. With Andy Dalton and potentially Nick Foles iffy to be around next season, Fields doesn't have any impediments to the starting quarterback gig in Chicago moving forward.
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Jacoby Brissett QB | ARI
Dolphins' Jacoby Brissett: Makes five starts in 2021
Brissett logged five starts (11 appearances) in 2021, and concludes the campaign with 141 completions on 225 pass attempts, for 1,283 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.
Brissett was only able to lead Miami's offense to two wins during his time at the helm, and on the season he only averaged 5.7 yards per pass attempt. Though Brissett added 19 carries for 3.7 yards and a score, he also lost three of six fumbles. The 29-year-old veteran is now scheduled for free agency, meaning he will likely have to pursue his next backup gig elsewhere.
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Jeff Driskel QB | WAS
Texans' Jeff Driskel: Back from COVID list, still on IR
Driskel (collarbone) was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.
Driskel was placed on the COVID list Thursday, missing about a week before returning to injured reserve Wednesday. The tight end will remain on IR going into the 2022 offseason where he will become a free agent.