NFL Player News
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Sam Howell QB | PHI
Eagles' Sam Howell: Serving as No. 3 QB again Sunday
Howell (coach's decision) is inactive but will operate as the Eagles' emergency third quarterback for Sunday's wild-card matchup versus the 49ers.
Howell will continue to serve as Philadelphia's emergency option, and he'll only be able to enter the game if both Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee are forced out.
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Davis Mills QB | HOU
Texans' Davis Mills: Added to report, iffy for Monday
The Texans added Mills to their injury report and list him as questionable for Monday's wild-card game against the Steelers due to a personal matter.
According to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, Mills wasn't part of the Texans' traveling party to Pittsburgh, but the quarterback is set to board a commercial flight and is expected to join the team in advance of its postseason opener. In the event Mills runs into travel issues that prevent him from being available Monday, the Texans would still have Graham Mertz as a third quarterback on the roster to step in as the top backup to starter C.J. Stroud.
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Malik Willis QB | GB
Packers' Malik Willis: Plays well in relief
Willis completed 30 of 35 passes (85.7 percent) for 422 yards and three touchdowns while logging 22 carries for 123 yards and two scores across four regular-season games (one start) for the Packers in 2025.
Willis was thrust into a starting role in Week 17 against the Ravens after Jordan Love suffered a concussion during the Packers' Week 16 overtime loss to the Bears. Willis ended up aggravating a right shoulder injury during the fourth quarter against Baltimore and was replaced by Clayton Tune, and that game ended up being the former's last appearance of the 2025 season. Willis was cast away by the Titans in August of 2024 in favor of Will Levis, but the former has played well in his two years as the Packers' backup behind Love. Willis enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and while his familiarity with the Packers' offense could sway him to stay in Green Bay, the 2022 third-rounder will have the opportunity to explore his options and sign with a team who can provide a clearer path to winning the starting quarterback job.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Avoids dislocated finger in win
Stafford suffered an injury to a finger on his throwing hand during Saturday's 34-31 wild-card win over the Panthers, but he's believed to have avoided a dislocation after X-rays returned negative, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Stafford appeared to jam his finger in the first half of Saturday's contest, and though he didn't end up missing any snaps, the injury may have affected the accuracy and velocity of his throws early on in the second half. The newly minted first-team All-Pro selection didn't seem to be compromised in the fourth quarter, however, as he tossed a pair of go-ahead touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to help the Rams seal the win. Stafford could require further treatment for the finger during the upcoming week, but he doesn't appear to be at any real risk of missing the Rams' divisional-round matchup next weekend against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
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Jordan Love QB | GB
Packers' Jordan Love: Tosses four TDs in playoff loss
Love completed 24 of 46 passes for 323 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions while adding one rush for 11 yards in the Packers' 31-27 wild-card loss to the Bears on Saturday. He also fumbled once but recovered.
Love was cooking over the first two quarters of Saturday's wild-card matchup, connecting on first-half touchdown passes of seven, 18 and one yard to Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, respectively. Following a quiet, scoreless third quarter, Love capped off a six-play, 54-yard drive with a 23-yard scoring toss to Matthew Golden that answered a Bears TD just past the midway point of the final period. However, Love couldn't counter either of Caleb Williams' two subsequent scoring strikes, although a Brandon McManus missed field goal and a pair of late drops didn't do the veteran signal-caller any favors. Love also mishandled the snap on the final play, which seemed to disrupt his timing and led to some frantic scrambling before he threw incomplete into the end zone as time expired. The furious comeback by the Bears -- the largest in Chicago's postseason history -- sends the Packers into the offseason with an extremely sour taste, but Love enjoyed a solid third year as a starter where he completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,381 yards with a 23:6 TD:INT and added a 47-199-0 rushing line and seven fumbles (two lost) across 15 regular-season games.
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Caleb Williams QB | CHI
Bears' Caleb Williams: Spearheads historic comeback
Williams completed 24 of 48 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding four rushes for 20 yards in the Bears' 31-27 wild-card win over the Packers on Saturday. He also threw a two-point conversion pass and committed a fumble recovered by Chicago.
Williams started and finished strong, with the latter helping him and the Bears overcome some forgettable moments in between. The second-year signal-caller led a marathon 16-play drive that absorbed just under eight minutes of the first quarter and culminated in a field goal that opened the scoring, but Williams went on to throw an interception on his second possession that eventually led to a Packers touchdown. Chicago's other two first-half possessions ended on downs, and his second pick late in the third quarter short-circuited a surefire scoring opportunity since it came at the Packers' two-yard line. However, Williams would come to life late, leading a trio of touchdown drives and capping off the latter two with scoring tosses of eight and 25 yards to Olamide Zaccheaus and DJ Moore, respectively. Williams also connected with Colston Loveland for a two-point conversion after the first TD, and by night's end, he'd set the franchise's new single-game playoff passing yardage record. Williams and his teammates will now gear up for a divisional-round matchup next weekend against a to-be-determined opponent.
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Bryce Young QB | CAR
Panthers' Bryce Young: Valiant effort in loss
Young completed 21 of 40 passes for 264 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Saturday's 34-31 wild-card loss to the Rams. He added three rushes for 24 yards and an additional score.
The Panthers have tried to hide Young for significant stretches of the season, relying on a particularly run-heavy offense. However, the game plan was more aggressive Saturday, as he reached 40 pass attempts for only the third time in 17 total games this season. Young showed particular rapport down the field with Jalen Coker, connecting for gains of 52 and 37 yards. He also scrambled for a 16-yard touchdown just before halftime while delivering a seven-yard passing score to Coker to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. While Young's performance has been volatile throughout the early portions of his career, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Saturday morning that the Panthers are expected to pick up Young's fifth-year option this offseason. That makes it very likely that he will enter the 2026 season as Carolina's starting quarterback.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Avoids upset against Carolina
Stafford completed 24 of 42 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Saturday's 34-31 wild-card round win over the Panthers.
Stafford played well to start the game and led a pair of touchdown drives in the Rams' first three possessions. His first was a 14-yard strike to Puka Nacua, and the second also went to Nacua, though Stafford wasn't credited with a touchdown, as his pass was ultimately ruled a lateral. Late in the second quarter, he hit his hand on a defender with a follow-through, which seemed to affect his accuracy and power on throws early in the second half. However, Stafford led two touchdown drives in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, which he capped with passing scores of 13 and 19 yards. While there was some inconsistency during the game, Stafford ultimately delivered and avoided Carolina's upset bid to advance the Rams to the divisional round.
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Desmond Ridder QB | GB
Packers' Desmond Ridder: Serving as emergency QB
Ridder (coach's decision) is inactive but will serve as the Packers' emergency third quarterback during Saturday's wild-card matchup versus the Bears, Mike Spofford of the team's official site reports.
Ridder will serve as the team's No. 3 quarterback after being signed to the active roster from the practice squad earlier in the week. He is prohibited from playing unless both Jordan Love and Malik Willis were to exit the game due to injury, illness or ejection.
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Malik Willis QB | GB
Packers' Malik Willis: Active, backing up Love on Saturday
Willis (right shoulder/hamstring) is active for Saturday's wild-card game at Chicago, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.
Willis initially injured his right throwing shoulder in the late stages of a Week 16 loss in Chicago and then aggravated it in a Week 17 start against the Ravens in place of Jordan Love (concussion). Since then, Willis was inactive in Week 18 at Minnesota while Clayton Tune started and Love handled backup duties, and with coach Matt LaFleur announcing earlier this week that Love would start in the wild-card round, Willis' best bet was to return to the No. 2 gig. Now that he's confirmed to be active, Willis will take on that role while Desmond Ridder serves as the emergency third quarterback.