NFL Player News
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Gardner Minshew QB | ARI
Colts' Gardner Minshew: Quiet line in defeat
Minshew completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 141 yards and added one carry for nine yards in Saturday's 23-19 loss to the Texans.
It was the third start this season in which Minshew did not tally a touchdown, resulting in a mediocre fantasy performance to close out the regular season. The Colts' charismatic quarterback did a good job of protecting the football Saturday, which afforded Jonathan Taylor (ankle) the opportunity to post a monstrous rushing line (30/188/1) despite the losing effort. Minshew accrued 3,305 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 turnovers while appearing in 17 games (13 starts) replacing injured rookie starter Anthony Richardson (shoulder). The latter underwent successful shoulder surgery and is lined up to start for the Colts in 2024, leaving Minshew -- an unrestricted free agent -- a likely target for teams in need of a veteran signal-caller this upcoming offseason.
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C.J. Stroud QB | HOU
Texans' C.J. Stroud: Leads Texans to postseason
Stroud completed 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 23-19 win over the Colts. He added three rushes for 20 yards.
Stroud finished off his impressive rookie season with an outstanding performance in a must-win game. He delivered a deep strike to Nico Collins on the Texans' first play from scrimmage for a 75-yard touchdown and capped off an eight-play, 57-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. Stroud finished the regular season with a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt and will lead the Texans into the postseason -- potentially as the AFC South division champs.
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Mason Rudolph QB | PIT
Steelers' Mason Rudolph: Wins with conservative gameplan
Rudolph completed 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Saturday's 17-10 win over the Ravens. He also lost a fumble.
Rudolph and the Steelers were playing in rainy conditions in Baltimore, which led to a conservative offensive gameplan. As accurate as he was, his game was fairly unremarkable except for a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson -- a play that put Pittsburgh ahead for good. The Steelers still need additional help to reach the postseason, but Rudolph posted a 3-0 record as a starter to close the regular season, which should also boost his outlook for the 2024 season and beyond.
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Tyler Huntley QB | BAL
Ravens' Tyler Huntley: Modest output in Week 18 loss
Huntley completed 15 of 28 pass attempts for 146 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 40 yards on eight attempts in Saturday's 17-10 loss to the Steelers.
The veteran backup made his first start of the season with the AFC's No. 1 seed opting to rest superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson for an inconsequential Week 18 matchup. Huntley was harassed in the pocket by T.J. Watt (knee) and Co. to the tune of four sacks for a combined loss of 28 yards. Huntley wound up throwing the Ravens' only touchdown in Saturday's defeat, adding 40 rushing yards with no turnovers to produce a modest fantasy score. The 26-year-old will report back to the sidelines when Jackson starts for Baltimore in the AFC divisional round.
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Case Keenum QB | CHI
Texans' Case Keenum: Emergency QB for Week 18
Keenum (coach's decision) is listed as inactive for Saturday's game against the Colts, but he will serve as the emergency third quarterback, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site reports.
Keenum will the the QB3 for the second straight week after starting in Weeks 15 and 16. He'll only enter Saturday's game if both C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills are forced to leave due to injury.
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Jacob Eason QB | GB
Giants' Jacob Eason: Joins active roster
The Giants signed Eason to their active roster Saturday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Easmon rejoined the Giants' practice squad Thursday after being cut from the team Dec. 4. He'll likely operate as the QB3 behind Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito for Sunday's contest against the Eagles.
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Zach Wilson QB | NO
Jets' Zach Wilson: Moves to injured reserve
Wilson (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
It's an uneventful end to what could realistically be Wilson's final season with the Jets. The third-year quarterback missed the final three games of the 2023 campaign due to a concussion, but given how Wilson was yo-yo'd in and out of the starting lineup since Week 11, it's fair to question if the team had whittled away the 24-year-old's confidence to the point of no return. With Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) set to start next season, it's unclear what the future holds for Wilson in a Jets uniform.
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Trevor Lawrence QB | JAC
Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence: Hoping to play Sunday
Lawrence (right shoulder/left finger) is listed as questionable but is pushing to play in Sunday's contest against the Titans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Rapoport relays that Lawrence isn't at risk of further injuring his throwing shoulder, so his availability boils down to pain tolerance. The fact that the Jaguars can win the AFC South with a victory Sunday is another factor that would seemingly point toward Lawrence playing this week, though fantasy managers won't get official confirmation on that front until Jacksonville releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the game's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Kenny Pickett QB | CAR
Steelers' Kenny Pickett: Back in action Saturday
Pickett (ankle) is listed as active Saturday at Baltimore, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
This marks Pickett's first game in which he'll be active since sustaining a high right-ankle sprain Week 13 against the Cardinals and undergoing surgery to repair it Dec. 6. However, he won't be the Steelers' starting quarterback, with Mason Rudolph handling those duties. Rudolph has fared fine in back-to-back starts, but it remains to be seen if he'll be on a short leash with the team seeking a playoff berth.
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Mitch Trubisky QB | TEN
Steelers' Mitch Trubisky: Emergency option Saturday
Trubisky (coach's decision) is listed as inactive for Saturday's matchup with the Ravens, but he will be available as an emergency option, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official website reports.
Trubisky will only see the field if both Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett happen to get knocked out of the game. The veteran Trubisky started for a three-week stretch before getting demoted the previous two games.