NFL Player News
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Jordan Love QB | GB
Packers' Jordan Love: Practice status uncertain
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that he thinks Love (hand) is "going to be okay" but that it's not yet clear whether he'll be limited in practice heading into Sunday's wild-card round matchup against the Eagles, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Love was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Bears in the second quarter after falling early on his right elbow, an event which the quarterback said resulted in him losing feeling in his throwing hand. LaFleur called Love's withdrawal precautionary Sunday, but it's unclear at this point whether the starting quarterback will be 100 percent healthy by the time Sunday's road playoff contest rolls around. In the wake of Christian Watson (knee) sustaining a season-ending torn ACL, Love's top three wide receivers now will be Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs (illness) and Dontayvion Wicks, with Bo Melton and Malik Heath available as depth contributors.
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Deshaun Watson QB | CLE
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Hits snag in recovery
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Monday that Watson has experienced a setback in his rehab from Achilles surgery that will extend the quarterback's recovery timeline, Kelsey Russo of the Browns' official site reports.
Watson suffered the season-ending injury in an Oct. 20 loss to the Bengals and underwent surgery Oct. 25 to repair his torn right Achilles. According to Berry, the Browns weren't aware of Watson having suffered a setback until he was evaluated again Sunday during his end-of-season physical. As a result of the setback, Berry noted that Watson could require another surgery, though the quarterback presumably will receive multiple medical opinions over the next few weeks before deciding the next steps in his rehab program. Given the nature of Achilles injuries, Watson was already facing an uphill battle to be back to full health for the start of the 2025 campaign, and it's now even more likely that he opens next season on a reserve list. After agreeing to a restructured contract in late December, Watson remains on the Browns' books through the 2026 season, but his underwhelming play over his first three seasons in Cleveland in addition to the Achilles injury muddles his long-term outlook in the organization. The Browns will also be picking second in the 2025 NFL Draft, putting them in prime position to select Watson's successor.
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Carson Wentz QB | MIN
Chiefs' Carson Wentz: Unimpressive in Week 18
Wentz completed 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards in Sunday's 38-0 loss to the Broncos.
The Chiefs entered Sunday's game locked into the top seed in the AFC, so Wentz drew the start in place of the resting Patrick Mahomes. It's difficult to get a true gauge of his performance given that the Chiefs rested all their top playmakers while Denver played most of its top defensive players, but Wentz's stat line left plenty to be desired. Mahomes will be back under center when the Chiefs take the field next in the divisional round of the playoffs.
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Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Vikings' Sam Darnold: Dismal numbers in blowout loss
Darnold completed just 18 of 41 pass attempts for 166 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers while rushing for 10 yards on three carries in Sunday's 31-9 loss to Detroit.
Darnold picked the worst time to revert to his New York Jets form in Sunday's battle between juggernauts for both the NFC North crown and the No. 1 seed in the conference. His offensive line did him no favors while star wideout Justin Jefferson committed multiple drops, so the quarterback's horrid stat line can't be entirely placed on his shoulders. It is worth noting that Darnold had his ankle rolled up on by a teammate late in the contest, but he did not miss any game action after getting up gingerly. Minnesota's signal-caller will have to rally quickly to get his offense back to previous levels as the No. 5 seed Vikings prepare to visit the Rams in the wild-card round of the playoffs next Monday.
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Jared Goff QB | DET
Lions' Jared Goff: Guides Detroit to No. 1 seed
Goff completed 27 of 33 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 31-9 win over the Vikings.
Minnesota's buzzing defense made things difficult for Goff, but he maintained a high completion percentage and put Detroit's offense in manageable situations. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the way with four total touchdowns, including a 10-yard pass from Goff, and the defense stepped up to secure the top seed in the NFC for the Lions. Detroit will have a home game in the NFC divisional round following a bye. Goff finishes the regular season with 4,629 passing yards and a 37:12 TD:INT.
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Joshua Dobbs QB | NE
49ers' Joshua Dobbs: Fills box score in losing effort
Dobbs completed 29 of 43 pass attempts for 326 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing eight times for 17 yards and a third score while coughing up a fumble in Sunday's 47-24 loss to Arizona.
Dobbs showed mixed results in his first official start with San Francisco after finishing last week's contest in place of Brock Purdy (elbow). The Passtronaut took DFS players on a wild ride that resulted in gaudy fantasy totals despite committing three turnovers against Arizona. The journeyman backup likely cemented a similar role next season, whether he returns to the 49ers or latches on with another club.
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Aidan O'Connell QB | LV
Raiders' Aidan O'Connell: Throws momentum-changing pick
O'Connell completed 24 of 34 passes for 214 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Chargers. He added four rushes for 13 yards.
O'Connell had effective moments early in the contest, particularly on a drive early in the second quarter during which he threw for 47 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown strike to Jakobi Meyers. However, he threw an interception just before halftime that resulted in the Chargers cashing in a touchdown, shifting the momentum in the game and seemingly taking the Raiders out of any offensive rhythm. O'Connell was also shaken up on a play during the came and backup Desmond Ridder came in for a short spell and ended up throwing two passes before O'Connell returned. Las Vegas struggled to settle on a starting quarterback throughout the season, and the team is likely to look for an upgrade at the position this offseason, potentially shifting O'Connell down the depth chart.
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Tanner McKee QB | PHI
Eagles' Tanner McKee: Goes distance in Week 18 win
McKee completed 27 of 41 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 20-13 win over the Giants. He added one yard on three carries.
Kenny Pickett was cleared for action after missing practice all week due to a rib issue, but he didn't see a snap as McKee played the whole game in his first NFL start. Despite not having top stars like Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at his disposal as the Eagles rested players ahead of the postseason, McKee still put together an impressive effort, hitting Ainias Smith for a 15-yard TD in the first quarter and E.J. Jenkins for a seven-yard score in the fourth. McKee will return to the bench when Philly begins its playoff run next weekend with a home game against the Packers, but the 2023 sixth-round pick may have shown enough late this season to give the team confidence that he can be the No. 2 QB behind Jalen Hurts (concussion) in 2025.
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Kyler Murray QB | ARI
Cardinals' Kyler Murray: Tosses four TD passes in Week 18
Murray completed 25 of 35 passes for 242 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions and reeled off 22 yards on three carries during Sunday's 47-24 win against the 49ers
In leading the Cardinals to their highest point total in a game this season, Murray played turnover-free football for the sixth time in 17 contests and also tossed a campaign-high four TD passes, connecting with WR Greg Dortch twice (from 23 and two yards), TE Trey McBride (two yards) and WR Marvin Harrison (12 yards). Murray ends the season with a 68.8 completion percentage, 226.5 passing yards per game and a 21:11 TD:INT while notching 78 carries for 572 yards and five more scores. This season marked the first of the five-year, $230.5 million extension he signed in July 2022, and he'll welcome back all of Arizona's key skill-position talent, including RB James Conner (knee) and WR Michael Wilson (hamstring), once the team reconvenes for the offseason program.
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Justin Herbert QB | LAC
Chargers' Justin Herbert: Rips through Raiders
Herbert completed 28 of 36 passes for 346 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 34-20 win over Las Vegas. He added four rushes for 42 yards.
It took until late in the second quarter for Herbert and the Chargers to find the end zone, but he was impressive throughout the game and ultimately posted his second-highest yardage total of the season. Herbert combined plenty of volume with efficiency to post the impressive stat line, which included four completions of more than 35 yards and touchdown strikes of six and two yards. He closes the season with a modest 3,870 passing yards, but Herbert's 7.7 yards per attempt was the best mark of his career, and he also turned the ball over only five times across 17 games. Herbert is now set to lead the Chargers into a wild-card round matchup against the Texans.