NFL Player News

Goff (thumb) has officially been ruled out of the Rams' regular-season finale against the Cardinals, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.

As expected, the Rams have ruled Goff out ahead of Sunday's game following surgery on his injured thumb. The team is hopeful he'll be available for the playoffs should it ultimately secure a spot. John Wolford will make his NFL debut under center in Goff's place.

Wolford has officially been named the starter for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cardinals.

Starting quarterback Jared Goff (thumb) has been ruled out after undergoing surgery on his injured hand, which means Wolford will make his NFL debut in a game with playoff implications. Wolford hasn't seen any competitive action since the 2019 preseason. Bryce Perkins is expected to be brought up from the practice squad to back him up, and the team will also try to bring Blake Bortles on board for depth.

Huntley reverted to the Ravens' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Huntley was active for the Ravens' Week 16 win over the Giants, though he ultimately never saw the field. He completed two of four passes for seven yards while rushing for 18 yards on four carries last Sunday in mop-up duty against the Jaguars. Other than that, Huntley remains without an appearance this season.

Goff (thumb) is expected to sit out Sunday against the Cardinals after undergoing surgery, but he's hopeful to be available for the playoffs, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Goff dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand in Sunday's 20-9 loss to the Seahawks. The Rams can secure a playoff spot with a win, but that will now presumably be in the hands of backup John Wolford.

Coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Hurts will start in the Week 17 game against Washington, Daniel Gallen of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

The Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday's 37-17 loss to the Cowboys. Hurts will close out the season under center for the Eagles, aiming to play spoiler for Washington. Through three games as a starter, Hurts has completed 62 of 113 passes (54.9 percent) for 847 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, and he's added 238 yards and a score on the ground. His accuracy could improve, but Hurts has still recorded a respectable 7.7 yards per attempt this season, on par with Drew Brees and Russell Wilson.

Garoppolo (ankle) isn't expected to be activated from IR in advance of Sunday's season finale against the Seahawks, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Assuming Garoppolo remains sidelined this week, he'll turn his focus to recovering from the significant high right ankle sprain that derailed his 2020 season. When asked Monday whether Garoppolo will be the 49ers' QB in 2021, coach Kyle Shanahan said, "I do believe Jimmy's going to be our quarterback next year." As for Week 17, C.J. Beathard is expected to draw the start against Seattle.

Stafford (ankle) hopes to suit up against the Vikings in Week 17, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Stafford was forced out of Saturday's loss to the Buccaneers after suffering an ankle sprain on the first drive, and he toughed out a rib-cartilage injury and a slight ligament tear in his right thumb during the Lions' previous two games. He doesn't anticipate undergoing offseason surgery to address the injury in his thumb, per Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. Stafford is set to undergo a medical evaluation Wednesday before the Lions make a call on his status for Week 17, but given Detroit is eliminated from playoff contention, it could make sense to simply sit the veteran signal-caller and preserve his health for 2021.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Monday that he's "hopeful" Murray (lower leg) will "be in position to play" against the Rams in Week 17, Kevin Zimmerman of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Kingsbury didn't provide more specifics of Murray's injury, per Zimmerman, other than calling it a lower leg issue. The second-year pro suffered the injury on the final drive of Saturday's 20-12 loss to the 49ers, and while it initially appeared worrisome, it now looks like he's avoided a severe issue. Arizona requires a win over the Rams on Sunday for any chance of getting into the playoffs, so Murray will no doubt do his best to suit up. Of course, if he's not at full health it could impede his vaunted scrambling abilities.

Wolford may be needed to make his first NFL start Week 17 against the Cardinals with top quarterback Jared Goff's status in question after he was diagnosed with a broken and dislocated right thumb following Sunday's 20-9 loss to the Seahawks, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Despite picking up the injury late in third quarter when his throwing hand was struck by the helmet of Seahawks defensive end Benson Mayowa, Goff remained in the contest and played every snap in the loss, finishing the day with 24 completions for 243 yards, no touchdowns and an interception on 43 attempts. Goff was able to force the dislocated digit back in place during the game, but since he's still dealing with a fracture, his ability to hold the football securely and throw it without discomfort could be compromised heading into Week 17. As a result, Wolford will stay ready for a potential starting assignment in a regular-season finale that will have playoff implications for both the Rams and Cardinals in Week 17. It's a tough spot for Wolford, who has yet to make his NFL debut and hasn't seen competitive action since the 2019 preseason.

Coach Andy Reid said Monday that "there's a good chance" Chad Henne starts Sunday's game against the Chargers rather than Mahomes, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

The 14-1 Chiefs have already clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by virtue of Sunday's win over the Falcons, so the team realistically could opt to not risk Mahomes' health in a meaningless regular-season finale. It also seems plausible that Kansas City's other key starters could receive an extra week of rest. If the star quarterback indeed sits Week 17, he'll wrap up the 2020 regular season with 4,740 passing yards and an impressive 38:6 TD:INT.