NFL Player News
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John Wolford QB | MIN
Buccaneers' John Wolford: Questionable for Sunday
Wolford (illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions.
Wolford popped up on the injury report as DNP on Friday due to the illness. He's not going to be anything more than the emergency third quarterback even if he is deemed healthy enough to be active Sunday.
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Marcus Mariota QB | WAS
Eagles' Marcus Mariota: Ends year with 15 completions
Mariota appeared in just three regular-season games as the Eagles' backup quarterback this season, completing 15 of 23 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
All but three of Mariota's passes came in Week 18. Mariota also added a brief appearance in the Eagles' 32-9 playoff loss to the Bucs, handing off twice at the end of the game to run out the clock with the result already decided. Given that Mariota was stuck looking for a backup job prior to this season, and given that he didn't get the chance to add anything meaningful to his resume this year, he'll presumably be stuck as a backup again next fall.
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Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Jets' Aaron Rodgers: Starting QB in last three practices
Rodgers (Achilles) led the Jets' first-team offense in the final three practices of the 2023 season, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
Rodgers didn't return to game action after tearing his Achilles just four snaps into his Jets tenure in Week 1, but he was designated for return from injured reserve down the stretch and eventually activated, which enable him to practice with the team. After running the scout team and working at less than full speed in his first few weeks back, Rodgers quarterbacked the first-team offense for each of the Jets' Week 18 practices, which were closed to the media. His teammates raved about Rodgers' performances in the final three practices, suggesting the veteran quarterback's surgically repaired Achilles is at or close to full health heading into the offseason.
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Stetson Bennett QB | LAR
Rams' Stetson Bennett: Future in L.A. looking uncertain
Head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that he's uncertain whether Bennett (illness) will remain with the Rams in 2024, saying it's "a conversation for another time," Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Bennett, a 2023 fourth-round pick, spent his entire rookie campaign on the reserve/NFI list due to an undisclosed non-football illness. His absence was felt during the portions of the season in which Matthew Stafford missed time, as the Rams struggled to find answers while cycling through an unimpressive carousel of backup options. McVay said he thinks Bennett is "doing better," but that he "wouldn't be in a position to answer that accurately right now."
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C.J. Beathard QB | JAC
Jaguars' C.J. Beathard: Solid season as backup
Beathard appeared in seven games this season, starting one, and completed 40 of 53 passes for 349 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also had eight carries for 35 yards.
The 30-year-old primarily worked in mop-up duty but saw significant action in Weeks 16 and 17 with Trevor Lawrence injured. Beathard played well in those contests, completing 28 of 39 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, helping Jacksonville to a victory in his lone start. He's under contract for 2024 and seems likely to work as Lawrence's backup once more.
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Jalen Hurts QB | PHI
Eagles' Jalen Hurts: Outdueled by Mayfield
Hurts completed 25 of 35 pass attempts for 250 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card round of the playoffs, adding only one rush attempt for five yards in a 32-9 loss to Tampa Bay.
Hurts' 2023 campaign comes to an abrupt halt after he and the Eagles mustered just one touchdown in a lopsided playoff defeat to the Bucs. The 2022 MVP runner-up turned in a pedestrian passing performance despite not carrying an injury designation from a dislocated right middle finger suffered against the Giants in Week 18. Hurts' one rushing attempt Monday checks in as his lowest total over 18 starts (including postseason) this year. From a fantasy perspective, the dual-threat superstar did his thing in the regular season with 4,463 combined yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns compared to last year's 35 total scores. The only complaint from Hurts' stellar 17-game regular season would be the dramatic increase in turnovers compared to his breakout 2022 (20 compared to eight). Philadelphia will have to lick its wounds and regroup this offseason after an ugly end to what was poised to be a promising season.
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Standout showing in wild-card win
Mayfield completed 22 of 36 passes for 337 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and added two rushes for 16 yards in the Buccaneers' 32-9 wild-card win over the Eagles on Monday night.
Mayfield had been struggling with rib and ankle injuries coming in, but neither appeared to inhibit him at any point during his latest impressive showing. The resurgent veteran averaged 9.4 yards per attempt after generating a season-low 4.3 figure Week 18 against the Panthers, and he impressively distributed the ball to nine different targets overall. Mayfield also remained turnover-free and posted his fifth multi-touchdown tally in the last six games by connecting with David Moore (44 yards), Trey Palmer (56 yards) and Chris Godwin (23 yards) for his three scores. Mayfield's final yardage figure was propped up by great run-after-catch work on the part of both Moore and Palmer, but the veteran signal-caller carries plenty of momentum heading into what could be a high-scoring affair against the Lions in a road divisional-round clash Sunday afternoon.
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Dresser Winn QB | LAR
Rams' Dresser Winn: Signs reserve/future deal with Rams
The Rams signed Winn to a reserve/future contract Monday, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.
Winn signed with Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent in early May and spent most of the season on the team's practice squad. He was elevated twice during the campaign but didn't get into any games. Winn's reserve/future deal will allow him to compete for a roster spot during training camp this summer.
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Josh Allen QB | BUF
Bills' Josh Allen: Accounts for four touchdowns
Allen completed 21 of 30 pass attempts for 203 yards and three touchdowns while adding 74 yards and another score on eight carries in Monday's 31-17 wild-card victory over the Steelers.
Allen and the No. 2 seed Bills took care of business against a banged-up Steelers unit in the opening round of the playoff schedule. The dual-threat quarterback had a strong game from the pocket (121.9 quarterback rating) while also ripping off a 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Buffalo a 21-0 lead. Allen would cruise to victory and finish the game scoring all four of Buffalo's touchdowns. With a strong showing out of the gates, Allen prepares to host long-time rival Patrick Mahomes when the No. 3 seed Chiefs travel to Buffalo to face the Bills on Sunday.
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Mason Rudolph QB | PIT
Steelers' Mason Rudolph: Solid numbers in playoff loss
Rudolph completed 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon. He also rushed twice for 16 yards.
Rudolph's final numbers were much better than what could been foreseen during a fairly disastrous first half for the Steelers as a whole. The fifth-year signal-caller threw an end-zone interception early in the second quarter to contribute to the struggles, but he was able to bounce back to lead a short five-play scoring drive he capped off with 10-yard touchdown toss to Diontae Johnson shortly before halftime. Rudolph subsequently recorded another scoring toss when he hit Calvin Austin from seven yards out early in the fourth quarter, but that would be the extent of Pittsburgh's points. Rudolph is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but his solid play over the last four games, including Monday's season-ending loss, could certainly lead to the Steelers offering him an opportunity to return.