The holiday season is here, but the news around the NFL is non-stop.
That’s especially true this week, with a tripleheader on Christmas Day and two more games on Saturday ahead of the usual Sunday slate. With only two weeks of the regular season left, every bit of news is all the more consequential.
Who’s hurt? Who’s practicing? Who’s starting? Who’s on the hot seat?
Here’s the latest on what’s happening around the league entering Week 17:
Injury updates for Eagles’ stars
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown did not practice on Wednesday after reportedly having his wisdom teeth removed in surgery. In addition, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who was expected to return, wasn’t seen at practice on Wednesday.
On a positive note, defensive tackle Jalen Carter returned to be a full participant in practice ahead of the Eagles’ matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX).
Chiefs placing stars on injured reserve
The Kansas City Chiefs placed a slew of their key players on season-ending injured reserve. Wide receivers Rashee Rice (concussion) and Tyquan Thornton (concussion) will both miss Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos, as will cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (knee) and Jaylen Watson (groin).
Watt returns to practice for Steelers
T.J. Watt is back. Sort of.
The Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker returned to practice on Wednesday, two weeks after he had surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung following a dry needle treatment.
Watt was a limited participant on Wednesday. While coach Mike Tomlin said he’s hopeful that Watt will be able to return this weekend when Pittsburgh (9-6) tries to wrap up the AFC North title with a win at Cleveland, Watt’s availability to face the Browns remains uncertain.
Still, having Watt’s familiar No. 90 on the practice field is a good sign for a team that hopes to have him back in time for the playoffs at the latest, should Pittsburgh qualify for the third straight year.
“TJ is one of our leaders, so I love having him around,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Not sure what his status is going to be, but just his presence is good for the team.”
Watt was named to his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl on Tuesday. The 30-year-old is having a somewhat down year by his standards, with just seven sacks through 13 games played, though he also has two forced fumbles and an interception.
Falcons CB Hughes unlikely against Rams
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes is expected to miss a second consecutive game with an ankle sprain, leaving undrafted rookie Cobee Bryant and backup C.J. Henderson in key roles for Monday night’s game against the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams. Coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday that Hughes is unlikely to return this week.
Bryant and Henderson were forced into important roles for the Falcons (6-9) in last week’s 26-19 win at Arizona. Henderson, who was signed from the practice squad the day before the game, clinched the win with a late interception.
Henderson was needed because A.J. Terrell left the game with a sore shoulder. Morris said Terrell, who returned to the game, will “be fine” to start against the Rams.
Even with a healthy Terrell, Hughes’ expected absence means the Falcons’ depth at cornerback will be tested this week. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, an MVP contender, has thrown 40 touchdown passes with only five interceptions. Receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams have a combined 174 catches, including 22 for touchdowns.
Cornerback Clark Phillips III was designated to return from injured reserve on Wednesday. Phillips, who has seven career starts, spent 10 weeks on IR with a triceps injury and illness. He participated in Wednesday’s practice.
Fields placed on IR, Glenn mum on future
Justin Fields’ season is officially over. And perhaps, too, his brief tenure with the New York Jets. Coach Aaron Glenn announced Tuesday that Fields was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury that sidelined him the past three games.
Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal — with $30 million guaranteed — with New York in March, was the starter for most of this season until he was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor last month. He popped up on the team’s injury report on Dec. 3 with what Glenn said then was “soreness” in a knee.
It was uncertain if Fields, who was inactive for the Jets’ past three games, will need surgery.
“I’m going to let the docs really hone in on that and if he does, this would be a great time to get it done so he can get it knocked out and get himself healthy,’ Glenn said. “But again, I don’t want to place that on him. I just know this, that we want to make sure that he gets this thing healthy and gets it ready.”
Asked about the possibility of Fields returning to the Jets in 2026, Glenn said, “We will see how that goes. We are focused on New England right now,” per Heavy. If the Jets release Fields, they owe him $10 million guaranteed, but will also take a $22 million dead cap hit, which can be split over two seasons if the Jets cut him before June 1.
Raiders placing TE Bowers, S Chinn on IR
Brock Bowers’ season is now over, as the Raiders placed the tight end on injured reserve on Wednesday, per NFL Network. Bowers has been dealing with a knee injury throughout the entire season, but with the Raiders just 2-13 and long eliminated from the playoffs, Las Vegas decided to end his season now in order to begin work on treating the injury.
Bowers appeared in 12 games in 2025, starting eight of those, and made 64 receptions on 84 targets for 680 receiving yards with 7 touchdowns. While the TDs represent a career-high for the second-year tight end, he had far fewer targets, receptions and yards than a year ago, when he played in all 17 games for the Raiders with 16 starts.
The Raiders also placed safety Jeremy Chinn on the IR. Chinn missed practice time last week because of a back injury.
The veteran defender has started every game and will finish with 114 tackles, three for loss, and a sack. He played his first four years for Carolina and was with Washington last season.
QB Josh Johnson to Start vs. Cowboys
The Commanders are preserving Jayden Daniels for next season, and Marcus Mariota is hurt. Next up is Johnson, who will start on Christmas against the Cowboys.
Johnson is 39 years old and is in his first season with the Commanders. He came into their loss against the Eagles late after Mariota got hurt and threw an interception that put the game — and the NFC East — on ice for Philadelphia.
Johnson’s career resume is staggering. He has been signed to the Buccaneers, 49ers, Browns, Bengals, 49ers again, Bengals again, Jets, Colts, Bills, Ravens, Giants, Texans, Ravens again, Washington, Lions, 49ers again, Jets again, Ravens a third time, Broncos, 49ers again, Ravens one more time and now Washington again. That doesn’t even include brief stints in the UFL, AAF and XFL.
In total, Johnson has appeared in 48 NFL games since his debut in 2009, making nine starts in which he is 1-8. He has a 58% completion percentage for his career with 13 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The last time he started a game was in 2021 with the Ravens.
Looking for a silver lining, Commanders fans? Johnson’s only win as a starter came back in 2018 during his first stint with Washington.
Titans place CB Harris on IR
Tennessee Titans rookie cornerback Marcus Harris will miss the final two games of the season with the knee injury that knocked him out of their last game, interim coach Mike McCoy said Wednesday.
Harris was injured early in the second quarter of the Titans’ 26-9 win over Kansas City while tackling Isiah Pacheco at the end of a 5-yard run.
“It’s tough because he’s worked so hard and what he’s done for this football team,” McCoy said. “But it’s just the way he’s worked, the way he has played, he’s gotten better every week. … He’s got a really bright future.”
This is the latest injury in the secondary for Tennessee (3-12), which traded away two cornerbacks earlier this season. The Titans put three safeties on injured reserve last week, and veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has been on IR since Oct. 23.
Harris was a sixth-round draft pick (No. 183 overall) out of California. He started five of his 14 games played with a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Browns place RB Judkins on IR
The Browns announced on Tuesday that running back Quinshon Judkins underwent successful surgery and was placed on Injured Reserve. Judkins fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle on Sunday against the Bills.
The second-round pick out of Ohio State went 36th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Judkins played in 14 games for the Browns this season – all starts – while rushing for 827 yards and 7 touchdowns in 230 attempts. He also made 26 catches for 171 yards on 36 targets, putting him just two yards shy of 1,000 from scrimmage for the year.
Chargers will be without LB Denzel Perryman for remainder of regular season
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman will officially be suspended for the remainder of the regular season after his two-game suspension was upheld Tuesday. Perryman made helmet-to-helmet contact with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy during Sunday’s game and earned a suspension because he’d “repeatedly violated player safety rules.” Perryman appealed the suspension, stating in a post on X that he apologized to Fluornoy and it was accepted. No matter, Perryman won’t return to the Chargers’ defense until their playoff run.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Dec. 23 that Watson won’t be activated for either of the team’s final two regular-season games and, therefore, won’t play at all this season. Watson has missed the entire 2025 season due to a ruptured Achilles that he suffered last season and later aggravated. Cleveland opened the 21-day practice window for Watson on Dec. 3, which created a roadmap for him to potentially be activated. Watson is entering the final season of a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal. He has started just 19 games for the Browns since being acquired from the Texans in 2022 due to both injuries and an 11-game suspension from the NFL.
McCarthy will miss the team’s Christmas Day home matchup against the Lions due to a hairline fracture in his right hand, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Dec. 23. Max Brosmer will start at quarterback for Minnesota.
McCarthy left the Vikings’ Week 16 win over the Giants with the hand injury — the third injury that has sidelined him this season (ankle and head injuries being the other two). Through nine games, McCarthy has totaled 1,450 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 71.2 passer rating, while completing 57.3% of his passes. He has also rushed for 174 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings (7-8 ) are already eliminated from playoff contention.
Latest on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s injury, HC John Harbaugh’s future
The Ravens’ playoff hopes are on thin ice, and they might not have Jackson with their season on the line against the Packers on Saturday. He will undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering a back injury that forced him to miss the second half of Baltimore’s loss to the Patriots, but he’s hopeful he can play in Week 17. The Ravens (7-8) need to win both of their final two games and need the Steelers to lose to the Browns in Week 17 in order to make the postseason. At 7-8, winning the AFC North is the only way for Baltimore to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.
The 2025 season has been challenging for Harbaugh. On Monday, he addressed questions regarding his job security for the first time this year with Baltimore on the verge of missing the postseason. The longtime coach was open and honest about his outlook on the future, noting that he’s only focused on the present and finishing the season strong.
“We have responsibilities, we’re given opportunities to steward those responsibilities when you’re given a job to do that, until you’re not,” Harbaugh told reporters. “I try to do the job, not try to keep the job. … My focus is on always — it has been for the last 18 years here and the last 41 years in coaching — it’s been to try to do the best job I can today and fight as hard as I can, so the guys have the best chance to be successful today.
“And anything after today, I’m not thinking about, because it’s not given for us to think about. We don’t have control over that, except for the job we do today. If we do a good enough job today, then the opportunity to do that job or a different job will be there tomorrow. And that’s what you hope for.”
The Ravens are 179-112 in the regular season and 3-11 in the postseason since Harbaugh took the job in 2008.
A week after losing star quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the remainder of the 2025 season with an ACL tear, the team feared that backup Minshew suffered the same injury that caused him to leave their loss to the Titans early on Sunday, ESPN reported. While Minshew’s ACL turned out to be intact, he did suffer an injury all the same and is expected to miss time, per ESPN’s report. In response, the Chiefs have signed signal-caller Shane Buechele.
Buechele, 27, has never appeared in an NFL game, as his career in the league to this point has mostly been being waived and re-signed by the Bills as part of their practice squad. Now, third-string Chris Oladokun is possibly in line to start in Thursday’s game against the Broncos, while Minshew recovers and Buechele acclimates himself to the Chiefs.
On Monday, Hall had his one-game suspension for unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct upheld by hearing officer Ramon Foster, who’s jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA.
Hall was suspended without pay for stepping on the leg of Rams guard Kevin Dotson at the end of a play in the Seahawks’ 38-37 overtime win on Thursday night. The NFL said Hall, 24, was in violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8, which prohibits unnecessary roughness, and Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to unsportsmanlike conduct, including “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”
Hall will be eligible to return on Dec. 29, a day after Seattle’s game against the Panthers. The third-year pro was selected 37th by the Seahawks in 2023. He has 29 total tackles and one sack in 13 games (three starts) this season.
Packers monitoring health of both QBs ahead of matchup
The Packers might also be shorthanded at quarterback for Saturday’s game against the Ravens. Jordan Love left Saturday’s loss to the Bears early after entering concussion protocol, while backup Malik Willis hurt his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter. Willis remained in the game, but he was fighting through some pain after the game.
“I’d say he’s pretty sore,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters of Willis on Sunday. “That’s a legitimate deal that he’s dealing with, and he’s going to be another guy that we’ll see where he’s at as we progress. That further complicates the other problem.”
Love, meanwhile, will have to spend the week clearing concussion protocol in order to play on Saturday. “That’s a process that takes multiple days to get through,” LaFleur told reporters.
The Packers fell to 9-5-1 with Saturday’s loss, putting their hopes of winning the NFC North in peril. They’ll need to win out and for the Bears to lose their final two games in order to win the division. Green Bay also hasn’t clinched a playoff spot yet. However, it will if it wins one of its final two games or if the Lions lose once in the final two weeks.
Jets to start rookie QB Brady Cook for final two games
The Jets are sticking with Cook for the rest of the 2025 regular season, head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters Monday. The undrafted rookie could play a big role in the AFC East race, with the Jets taking on the Patriots and the Bills in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively. Cook has started the past two games for the Jets following Tyrod Taylor’s injury. He has thrown for 527 yards, a touchdown and six interceptions over the three total games he has played this season.
The Commanders have signed quarterback Jeff Driskel off the Cardinals’ practice squad, the team announced Monday. The move might be an indication that Mariota won’t be able to play in Thursday’s game against the Cowboys after leaving Saturday’s game against the Eagles early with injuries to his throwing hand and quad. If Mariota can’t go, journeyman quarterback Joshua Johnson would be in line to start against the Cowboys.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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