NFL Player News
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Will Grier QB | DAL
Cowboys' Will Grier: Serving as emergency QB on Sunday
Grier (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's matchup with the Commanders.
The quarterback was signed off the practice squad Saturday ahead of Sunday's game. To enter the contest, Grier will need starter Trey Lance and backup Cooper Rush to be injured, sick or ejected. The 2019 third-round pick of the Panthers last appeared in an NFL regular-season game during his rookie year.
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Cooper Rush QB | BAL
Cowboys' Cooper Rush: Serving as backup in Week 18
Rush will serve as the backup quarterback to Trey Lance in Sunday's game against the Commanders.
Rush has served as the starting quarterback for the Cowboys since Week 11 with Dak Prescott (hamstring) sidelined. While inconsistent, Rush managed a 12:4 TD:INT across nine games while averaging only 6.1 yards per attempt. The decision to start Lance on Sunday likely has more to do with giving him an extended chance to play rather than a true benching of Rush, but Rush will find himself as the Cowboys' No. 2 quarterback to close out the campaign in any case.
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Tim Boyle QB | TEN
Giants' Tim Boyle: Emergency QB for Week 18
Boyle (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Boyle will serve as the Giants' third-string emergency quarterback Sunday behind starter Drew Lock and backup Tommy DeVito. Boyle will only be allowed to see the field if both Lock and DeVito were to exit the game due to injury, illness or ejection.
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Trey Lance QB | LAC
Cowboys' Trey Lance: Drawing Week 18 start
Lance will start at quarterback in Sunday's game against Washington, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.
The Cowboys haven't made an official announcement on a Week 18 starter, but Tommy Yarrish of the team's official web site relays that Lance was seen taking some first-team snaps in warmups. Slater's report adds further credence to the notion that the Cowboys will turn the offense over to Lance, even though Cooper Rush is active after starting each of the last eight games. It's possible that Rush will end up seeing some snaps off the bench, but the likelihood that Lance sees the majority -- if not all -- of the playing time under center puts him on the radar as a lineup option in both DFS and season-long leagues that are still active in Week 18. Lance hasn't displayed much aptitude as a passer during his time in the NFL, but he's been a willing and productive rusher.
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Joe Milton III QB | DAL
Patriots' Joe Milton: Active for season finale
Milton is listed as active for Sunday's game versus the Bills.
As is starter Drake Maye, as well as veteran backup Jacoby Brissett. However, Milton, who has been serving as the Patriots' No. 3 emergency quarterback, could potentially enter the team's season finale at some point in order to have him log some snaps to see how he looks, with an eye toward assessing whether he might be a viable No. 2 option behind Maye in 2025, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.
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Tanner McKee QB | PHI
Eagles' Tanner McKee: Confirmed as Week 18 starter
McKee will start at quarterback in Sunday's game against the Giants, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Though Kenny Pickett is active for the contest after starting in the Week 17 win over Dallas in place of Jalen Hurts (concussion/finger), Pickett isn't likely to be available in anything more than an emergency after not practicing this week due to a rib injury. Pickett sustained the injury late in the Week 17 victory, allowing McKee to step in for his first NFL snaps. McKee completed three of four pass attempts for 54 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and he'll now get his first extended action to date in Week 18. However, with the Eagles holding out running back Saquon Barkley (rest), receivers A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith (wrist), offensive tackles Lane Johnson (rest) and Jordan Mailata (rest) and left guard Landon Dickerson (rest), McKee could struggle to produce.
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Kenny Pickett QB | LV
Eagles' Kenny Pickett: Active, but not starting
Pickett (ribs) is active for Sunday's game against the Giants, but he'll fill a backup role behind Tanner McKee, who will serve as the Eagles' starting quarterback in Week 18, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Pickett didn't practice in any fashion this week after exiting in the second half of his start in the Week 17 win over the Cowboys with the rib injury, so he could end up serving as the Eagles' No. 3 quarterback behind both McKee and Ian Book. Jalen Hurts is inactive for the regular-season finale, but if he can clear concussion protocol during the upcoming week, he should be ready to move back into the starting role in the Eagles' wild-card game. Pickett will likely leapfrog McKee and Book and settle back in as Hurts' top backup if Pickett can move past his own rib injury.
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Drake Maye QB | NE
Patriots' Drake Maye: Active versus Bills
Maye (right hand) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Bills.
Maye was listed as limited in practice this week, before approaching the 3-13 Patriots' season finale with a 'questionable' designation. With his active status versus a Bills team that's locked into the No. 2 playoff seed in the AFC now confirmed, Maye is in line to close out his rookie campaign in the starting lineup, though as Mike Reiss of ESPN notes, it's possible that 2024 sixth-rounder Joe Milton could enter Sunday's contest at some point, either by design (to get him some snaps for evaluation purposes) or as the result of Week 18 game flow.
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Jalen Hurts QB | PHI
Eagles' Jalen Hurts: Progressing, eyeing playoff return
Hurts has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants, but he's "progressing" through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol and appears on track to practice during the upcoming week and potentially start in the Eagles' wild-card playoff game, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Eagles' official injury report also lists Hurts with a left finger injury, but it's the concussion he sustained in the 36-33 loss to the Commanders on Dec. 22 that will keep him out for a second straight game to close out the regular season. With top backup Kenny Pickett (ribs) also not expected to play Week 18, third-stringer Tanner McKee is poised to start the regular-season finale, which carries no playoff implications for a Philadelphia squad that's already locked in as the NFC's No. 2 seed. Hurts didn't practice in any fashion this past week, so a return to even a limited session in the upcoming days would represent the first tangible step forward for the signal-caller as he works his way through the protocol. Until Week 18 action concludes, the Eagles won't know their opponent for the wild-card round, or if they'll host their playoff opener next Saturday, Sunday or Monday. A Monday game would be most ideal for the Eagles and Hurts, as it would provide him with extra time to potentially clear the protocol.
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Dorian Thompson-Robinson QB | PHI
Browns' Dorian Thompson-Robinson: Gets one drive in finale
Thompson-Robinson completed two of three passes for 13 yards and rushed twice for three yards in Saturday's 35-10 loss to the Ravens in Week 18.
Thompson-Robinson entered for Cleveland's third drive of the game after starter Bailey Zappe threw a pick-six on the second possession. That was it for DTR, who had started and played fully in both of the Browns' two previous games. Cleveland's quarterback situation heading into the offseason is a mess, and it's safe to assume Thompson-Robinson will not be part of the solution in 2025. He completed 52 percent (61-of-118) of passes and threw six interceptions over seven games in 2024.