NFL Player News
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Drew Lock QB | SEA
Giants' Drew Lock: Five total TDs in upset win
Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 45-33 win over the Colts. He also rushed five times for no gain and scored a rushing touchdown.
Lock threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Malik Nabers in the first quarter, then added touchdowns of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and five yards to Wan'Dale Robinson in the second. After a quiet third quarter, Lock came alive with a 59-yard touchdown pass to Nabers in the fourth quarter, then ran in a game-sealing five-yard touchdown with 2:57 remaining. This productive outing came out of nowhere considering Lock came in with a 1:4 TD:INT in three previous starts this season. After posting his best passing yardage total since a 339-yard performance in Week 18 of the 2021 season with the Broncos, Lock will look to put on an encore in Week 18 against an Eagles team that has already wrapped up the NFC East.
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Josh Allen QB | BUF
Bills' Josh Allen: Three total TDs add to MVP case
Allen completed 16 of 27 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns while rushing five times for 17 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 40-14 win over the Jets.
Allen capitalized on a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone on Buffalo's opening drive, powering in a one-yard rushing score on the next play. Neither team scored another touchdown until Allen connected with Amari Cooper for a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter. That touchdown pass brought Allen up to 40 total touchdowns for the fifth consecutive season (27 passing, 12 rushing and one receiving), and he tacked on his 28th passing score with a 14-yarder to Keon Coleman to put the Bills up 33-0 in the final seconds of the third quarter before letting Mitchell Trubisky mop up for the entire fourth quarter. Allen has started 104 consecutive regular-season games for the Bills, so it wouldn't be surprising if he made a brief cameo against the Patriots in Week 18 to extend that streak before the Bills rest him and the rest of the starters in preparation for the playoffs, as Buffalo's locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
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Kenny Pickett QB | LV
Eagles' Kenny Pickett: Departs early Sunday
Pickett exited Sunday's contest against the Cowboys due to a rib injury, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Pickett came in for Jalen Hurts last Sunday at Washington after the latter suffered a concussion, but the former emerged from that game with a rib issue. While Pickett had some practice limitations this week, he was named the Eagles' Week 17 starting quarterback in place of Hurts, who was ruled out Friday. Pickett was wearing extra protection around his midsection due to the aforementioned injury Sunday, but he took two big hits from Dallas defenders on the first possession of the second half and was unable to finish the drive. Pickett then went to the locker room, yielding QB duties to Tanner McKee.
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Brett Rypien QB | MIN
Vikings' Brett Rypien: Emergency QB again
Rypien (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Packers, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The QB cannot enter unless Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens exit due to injury, illness or ejection. Rypien has played this role all season for the Vikings, and he has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
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Jameis Winston QB | NYG
Browns' Jameis Winston: Serving as emergency QB in Week 17
Winston (shoulder) is inactive Sunday against Miami and will serve as Cleveland's emergency third quarterback.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson would have started behind center for the Browns regardless of Winston's status, but the latter's inactive designation will push Bailey Zappe to the No. 2 QB role Sunday. Meanwhile, Winston will be eligible to enter the game only if both Thompson-Robinson and Zappe are forced out of the game due to injury, illness or ejection.
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Tyler Huntley QB | BAL
Dolphins' Tyler Huntley: Starting in place of Tagovailoa
With Tua Tagovailoa (hip) inactive, Huntley is slated to start Sunday's game against the Browns, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
As a result of Tagovailoa (who had been listed as doubtful) being unable to helm Miami's offense Sunday, Huntley will be making his fourth start of the season. In that fill-in role, Huntley offers a lineup option for fantasy managers in Superflex formats or who are otherwise in need of Week 17 QB help. However, given the rate of production that he put up while previously subbing for Tagovailoa (377 passing yards with a TD and an interception/16 carries for 67 yards and a rushing score in three games), expectations should be tempered for Huntley, as well as Miami's Week 17 pass catchers, a group led by WR Tyreek Hill and TE Jonnu Smith.
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Bailey Zappe QB | NYJ
Browns' Bailey Zappe: Backing up DTR again
Zappe will serve as Cleveland's backup quarterback to Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the second week in a row Sunday, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Former starter Jameis Winston is serving as the emergency third QB for the second straight week due to a shoulder injury, per Easterling. Zappe has yet to appear in a game this season after playing in 14 across his first two campaigns in the NFL in 2022 and 2023, both with New England.
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Tua Tagovailoa QB | MIA
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa: Inactive Sunday
Tagovailoa (hip) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Browns.
Tagovailoa, who was initially deemed questionable for the contest after being listed as limited at practice this past week, was downgraded to doubtful Saturday, so it's not surprising that he's been made inactive Sunday. As a result, Tyler Huntley is slated to start in his place while being backed up by Skylar Thompson, a scenario that figures to hamper the Week 17 fantasy upside of Miami's available pass catchers.
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Patrick Mahomes QB | KC
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes: Expected to rest in Week 18
The Chiefs are likely to rest Mahomes and other key starters dealing with minor injuries in their Week 18 game in Denver, Jay Glazer reported on "Fox NFL Sunday."
With its win over the Steelers on Christmas Day, the Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and thus have little at stake in the regular-season finale. While head coach Andy Reid likely won't disclose his plans for how the team will approach the Denver game until later in the week, Glazer specifically mentions that Mahomes and Chris Jones (calf) -- both of whom have appeared on injury reports in recent games -- will be rested, along with any other key player nursing an injury. Mahomes sustained a mild high-ankle sprain in the Chiefs' Week 15 win over the Browns, but he's managed to play through the injury at a high level over the last two games, completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 580 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions and adding 45 yards and a score on the ground. Carson Wentz will likely step in as the starter next weekend, which would give Mahomes three weeks of healing time before the Chiefs' postseason opener in the divisional round.
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Michael Pratt QB | TB
Buccaneers' Michael Pratt: Inactive in Week 17
Pratt (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's matchup with the Panthers.
Pratt was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, but he wasn't designated as the emergency third quarterback, so Kyle Trask will be the only signal-caller available behind Baker Mayfield in Week 17. The seventh-round pick of the Packers has yet to enter a regular-season game in his rookie campaign.