NFL Player News
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Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Seahawks' Sam Darnold: To be 'day-to-day' this week
Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Darnold (oblique) will be "day-to-day" this week, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.
Darnold suffered a left oblique injury last Thursday that left him questionable for this past Saturday's divisional-round game versus the 49ers, but he was able to suit up, start and play 47 of 53 offensive snaps en route to completing 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 41-6 win. The veteran QB wore padding over his left oblique to protect the issue, and Macdonald added Monday that the Seahawks will balance "making sure we get enough reps at the proper tempo, with the proper looks," and get him "the reps that he needs." That would seem to suggest Darnold will operate with practice restrictions this week, with Wednesday's injury report to reveal how much activity he logs in the first session ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Rams.
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Brock Purdy QB | SF
49ers' Brock Purdy: No offseason procedures anticipated
Purdy said Monday that he will not require an offseason procedure to address the turf toe injury that hampered him early during the 2025 campaign, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Purdy's turf toe injury bothered him as early as Week 1, and, in conjunction with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, he was forced him to miss two games. In his return to action Week 4, he then aggravated the toe issue, resulting in a six-game stretch on the sidelines. Purdy said he'll continue strengthening the toe this offseason, but the issue won't cause him any limitations during team activities or require surgery. Across his nine combined regular-season appearances and two playoff tilts, Purdy completed an impressive 230 of 342 pass attempts for 2,569 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing 47 times for 208 yards and three scores. Looking ahead to the 2026 campaign, however, Purdy's fantasy prospects look murky. George Kittle (Achilles) is recovering from a significant injury, while at wide receiver Jauan Jennings is staring down free agency, and injuries consistently hampered Ricky Pearsall in 2025.
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Ben DiNucci QB | DEN
Ben DiNucci: Signs with Denver
DiNucci was signed to the Broncos' practice squad Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
DiNucci will join Denver's practice unit ahead of the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots. Bo Nix (ankle) suffered a season-ending injury in the team's 33-30 divisional-round win over the Bills on Saturday, and DiNucci will provide the team with a third option at quarterback behind Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger.
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Caleb Williams QB | CHI
Bears' Caleb Williams: Comeback attempt falls short in OT
Williams completed 23 of 42 pass attempts for 257 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while taking five carries for 40 yards in Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss in the divisional round to the Rams.
Williams found himself in familiar territory in Sunday's divisional-round matchup when he was staring at a deficit in the fourth quarter that required him to pull off a heroic comeback. The sophomore signal-caller accomplished what appeared impossible when he scrambled backward 10-plus yards before chucking a prayer to the end zone on fourth down that TE Cole Kmet came down with to send the contest to overtime. The magic ran out for Williams and the Bears in the extra period when Rams safety Kamren Curl laid out for an athletic interception that ultimately ended Chicago's playoff run. The 23-year-old Williams made strides from the pocket in his first year under head coach Ben Johnson, amassing 3,942 passing yards with 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions across 17 starts in the regular season. The USC product struggled with turnovers in two postseason contests (four TDs to five INTs), something he will look to clean up in future postseason appearances, but Williams' overall performance has the future looking bright in Chicago.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Throws for over 250 yards in OT win
Stafford completed 20 of 42 pass attempts for 258 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions while losing one yard on a kneel-down in Sunday's 20-17 overtime playoff win against Chicago.
Stafford overcame blistery conditions at Soldier Field and threw for over 250 yards for the seventh straight game while navigating his club to an overtime win over the Bears. The 37-year-old coughed up the ball in the snow twice, but neither fumble resulted in a turnover for Los Angeles. Stafford was held without a touchdown for the first time in 19 starts this season, but the MVP candidate played like one in clutch moments while letting the ground game and defense cook Sunday. The Rams will shift their focus to the Seahawks for the NFC Championship Game next Sunday, with the two clubs splitting their regular-season series in 2025. Stafford threw for 587 yards and five touchdowns in those two games, which softens the prospects of having to face Seattle's dominant defense on the road.
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Drake Maye QB | NE
Patriots' Drake Maye: Tosses three TDs to advance
Maye completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the Patriots' 28-16 win over the Texans in the divisional round. He added 10 rushing yards on four carries but committed four fumbles, losing two.
In cold. wet conditions at Foxborough, ball security was the story of the day as the teams combined for eight turnovers. However, Maye was able to overcome his mistakes, hitting DeMario Douglas, Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte for scores to book New England's ticket for the AFC Championship Game. Maye has a 4:2 TD:INT through his first two career playoff games but has lost three fumbles, and he might need to tighten things up in Denver next weekend if he's going to get his team to the Super Bowl.
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C.J. Stroud QB | HOU
Texans' C.J. Stroud: Picked off four times to end season
Stroud completed 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown with four interceptions in the Texans' 28-16 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round Sunday. He added 11 rushing yards on two carries.
The two teams combined for eight turnovers in cold, wet conditions at Foxborough, and Stroud accounted for half of them, including a pick-six by Marcus Jones in the second quarter. It was a disappointing end to a promising year for Houston, but Stroud's seven giveaways in two playoff games will be a big point of discussion during the offseason. The QB ended his third NFL campaign with 3,041 passing yards and a 19:8 TD:INT during 14 regular-season games while completing a career-high 64.5 percent of his passes.
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Case Keenum QB | CHI
Bears' Case Keenum: Emergency QB versus Los Angeles
Keenum (coach's decision) is inactive but serving as the Bears' emergency No. 3 quarterback in Sunday's divisional-round contest against the Rams, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official website reports.
Keenum will once again operate as the team's third option at quarterback in the NFC Divisional round. The 37-year-old will only be eligible to enter the game if both starter Caleb Williams and backup Tyson Bagent are forced to exit the contest.
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Stetson Bennett QB | LAR
Rams' Stetson Bennett: Operating as emergency QB
Bennett (coach's decision) is inactive but serving as the Rams' emergency third quarterback in Sunday's divisional-round matchup against Chicago, Stu Jackson of the team's official website reports.
Bennett will operate in his familiar role as the No. 3 QB for Los Angeles as the team looks to advance to the NFC Championship Game. The 28-year-old will only be able to enter the contest if both starter Matthew Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo are sidelined.
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Jimmy Garoppolo QB | LAR
Rams' Jimmy Garoppolo: Good to go versus Chicago
Garoppolo (back) is active for Sunday's divisional-round contest versus the Bears.
Garoppolo popped up with a back issue on Thursday's injury report, but he'll still suit up and maintain his role as Los Angeles' backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford. Meanwhile, Stetson Bennett (coach's decision) will operate as the emergency No. 3 quarterback, and he will only be eligible to enter if both Garoppolo and Stafford are forced out.