NFL Player News

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.

Coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Heinicke will start Week 17 if Alex Smith (calf) can't go, Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic reports.

Heinicke replaced a moribund Dwayne Haskins for Washington's final two drives of last Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Panthers, throwing for 137 yards and a touchdown while avoiding any turnovers. Rivera hinted that Smith could be trending in the right direction for Week 17, but Heinicke would be in line to suit up in Philadelphia if the 36-year-old veteran remains sidelined.

Watson (arm) said he expects to play Week 17 against the Titans, Jordan Cohn of 97.1 FM The Ticket reports.

Watson injured his arm/elbow on a strip sack late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Bengals, but he came back out on the field for Houston's final two snaps in the closing seconds. While the quarterback said he'll be fine for Week 17, interim coach Romeo Crennel sounded more cautious, noting that the team's medical staff will need to evaluate Watson before any decisions are made. AJ McCarron has been Houston's backup QB all season, so he'd likely get the nod for Week 17 if Watson ends up being ruled out. The Texans also have Josh McCown on their roster, but he's been a healthy scratch ever since signing with the team in early November.

Tannehill completed 11 of 24 pass attempts for 121 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions Sunday. He rushed three times for 55 yards and another touchdown but also lost a fumble in a 40-14 loss to Green Bay.

Tannehill and the entire Tennessee passing attack were under duress all evening after falling behind by two scores right out of the gate. The Titans' usually solid offensive line struggled mightily when asked to protect against the Packers' athletic edge rushers. A predictable gameplan combined with snowy conditions at Lambeau Field led to an inefficient and poor showing from every Titan aside from Derrick Henry. Luckily for his fantasy managers, Tannehill was able to rip off a big touchdown run to offset what would have been an ugly passing performance. Expect the Titans' signal-caller to perform better in a much softer matchup that will take place indoors against the Texans on Sunday.

Rodgers completed 21 of 25 pass attempts for 231 yards, four touchdowns and an interception in Sunday's 40-14 win over the Titans. He added 19 yards on three carries.

Rodgers was in his element on a snowy night at Lambeau Field under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. While the veteran gunslinger did throw his fifth interception of the season, his four incompletions marked a new low for 2020. The 36-year-old currently sits north of a 70 percent completion rate for the first time in his career while also eclipsing the 4,000-yard mark for the ninth time over 11 full seasons. With 44 touchdowns to the aforementioned five picks, Rodgers has put himself firmly in the MVP discussion. Look for the future Hall of Famer to end the year on a high note as the Packers attempt to lock up the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye when they take on the Bears in Week 17.

Dalton completed 22 of 30 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 37-17 win over the Eagles.

He also gained 15 rushing yards on five carries. In a battle between two of the worst secondaries in the league, Dalton and Jalen Hurts combined for 719 passing yards, but it was the veteran who came out on top with two TD strikes to Michael Gallup and one to CeeDee Lamb, with both Gallup and Amari Cooper piling up 121 receiving yards on the afternoon. Dalton has tossed multiple touchdowns in four straight games, posting a 9:2 TD:INT over that stretch, while his performance Sunday marked his first 300-yard effort as a Cowboy. He'll look to keep that momentum going in Week 17's clash with the Giants, as both teams remain alive in the hunt for the NFC East title.

Hurts completed 21 of 39 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and added 69 rushing yards on nine carries in Sunday's 37-17 loss to the Cowboys.

The rookie set a new career high in passing yards in his third NFL start, topping last week's 338 while once again posting strong numbers on the ground. However, he also committed multiple turnovers for the first time as the Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention. Hurts will at least get a chance to play spoiler in Week 17 as Philadelphia hosts a Washington club that needs to win to lock up an NFC East title.

Herbert completed 21 of 33 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-16 win over the Broncos. He added 26 rushing yards on four carries.

His second-quarter toss to Austin Ekeler for a nine-yard TD made history, as Herbert broke Baker Mayfield's rookie record for touchdown passes with his 28th of the season. Herbert may not be done re-writing the NFL's record book, either -- he needs just six more completions to break Carson Wentz's rookie record of 379 and 341 passing yards to break Andrew Luck's rookie record in that category. The Chargers phenom will take aim at both marks in Week 17's road clash with a Kansas City team that could be resting key personnel after clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Heinicke completed 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-13 loss to Carolina.

With Dwayne Haskins benched for the final two drives, Heinicke took his first regular-season snaps since 2018, facing the team for which he last played. His stat line could've been better if not for a couple mistakes by Washington pass catchers, though Heinicke did get lucky on a dropped interception. Ron Rivera praised Heinicke's performance, but the coach didn't say which QB will get the start Week 17 if Alex Smith (calf) still isn't ready.