The holiday season is here, but the news around the NFL is non-stop.
That’s especially true this week, as we have a tripleheader on Christmas Day and two more games on Saturday ahead of the usual Sunday slate. And we only have two weeks of regular-season action remaining, making every bit of news 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:
The Minnesota Vikings‘ starting quarterback will miss their Christmas Day home matchup against the Detroit 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 New York Giants with the hand injury, which will mark 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 7-8 Vikings are eliminated from playoff contention.
Ravens HC Harbaugh discusses future
The 2025 season has been challenging for the Baltmore Ravens and head coach John Harbaugh, with the team’s latest setback coming in a narrow 28-24 Week 16 home loss to the Patriots.
On Monday, Harbaugh addressed questions regarding his job security for the first time this year with Baltimore (7-8) 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 each season strong.
“There’s no such thing as, like, ‘your job’ or ‘my job.’ 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. Because there’s no such thing as having a job — just doing a job.
“And so 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, with a 13-11 playoff record, since Harbaugh took the job in 2008. Harbaugh’s Ravens will have the final two games to keep up with the first-place Steelers (9-6) in the NFC North. If they fall short, the questions will likely linger with the 2012 Super Bowl champion and former AP NFL Coach of the Year under contract through the 2028 season.
The Ravens’ playoff hopes are on thin ice, and they might not have their quarterback available when their season is on the line against the Packers on Saturday. Lamar Jackson will undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering a back injury that forced him to miss the second half of Baltimore’s loss to New England, but he’s hopeful he can play in Week 17.
“Yeah, that’s the goal,” Jackson told reporters. “We’re going to do a little [MRI] scan [Monday] after which see what it reveals.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh later mentioned that Jackson was coping with “a bruise of some sort.”
“I do not understand how critical it will be,” Harbaugh mentioned. “We’ll have to seek out out over the following couple of days.”
The Ravens should win every of their remaining two video games and for the Steelers to lose on the Browns in Week 17 so as to make the postseason. At 7-8, successful the AFC North is the one approach for Baltimore to make the playoffs for a fourth straight 12 months.
Minshew’s ACL intact, Chiefs signal QB Buechele
Per week after dropping star quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the rest of the 2025 season with an ACL tear, the group feared that Gardner Minshew suffered the identical damage that prompted him to go away their loss to the Titans early on Sunday, ESPN reported. Whereas Minshew’s ACL turned out to be intact, he did undergo an damage all the identical, and is predicted to overlook time, per ESPN. In response, the Chiefs have signed QB Shane Buechele.
Now, third-string Chris Oladokun is probably in line to start out in Thursday’s recreation in opposition to the Broncos, as Minshew recovers and Buechele acclimates himself to the Chiefs. The fourth-year quarterback threw his first profession cross in Sunday’s loss to the Titans.
Buechele has by no means appeared in an NFL recreation, as his profession within the league thus far has principally been being waived and re-signed by the Buffalo Payments as a part of their observe squad. The 27-year-old – Buechele turns 28 in early January – performed quarterback in school for Texas and SMU from 2016 by 2020. His finest season got here as a junior with SMU, when he lead the American Convention with 34 touchdowns, 307 completions and 302.2 passing yards per recreation.
Derick Corridor’s suspension upheld
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Corridor had his one-game suspension for pointless roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct upheld on Monday. Corridor was suspended with out pay for stepping on the leg of Los Angeles Rams guard Kevin Dotson on the finish of a play within the Seahawks’ 38-37 additional time win on Thursday night time.
Listening to officer Ramon Foster, collectively appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA, upheld the suspension that was introduced Friday. The NFL mentioned Corridor, 24, was in violation of Rule 12, Part 2, Article 8, which prohibits pointless roughness and Rule 12, Part 3, Article 1, which applies to unsportsmanlike conduct, together with “any act which is opposite to the widely understood ideas of sportsmanship.”
Corridor will probably be eligible to return on Dec. 29, a day after Seattle’s recreation in opposition to the Carolina Panthers.
The third-year professional out of Auburn was chosen thirty seventh by the Seahawks within the 2023 NFL draft. He has appeared in 13 video games and began three for Seattle this season. He has 29 whole tackles and one sack.
Packers monitoring well being of each QBs forward of Ravens matchup
As for who the Ravens’ Week 17 opponent, the Packers may additionally be shorthanded at quarterback for Saturday’s recreation. Jordan Love left Saturday’s loss to the Bears early after coming into the league’s concussion protocol, whereas backup Malik Willis damage his throwing shoulder within the fourth quarter. Willis remained within the recreation, however he was combating by some ache after the sport.
“I would say he is fairly sore,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur informed reporters of Willis on Sunday. “That is a respectable deal that he is coping with, and he’ll be one other man that we’ll see the place he is at as we progress. That additional complicates the opposite downside.”
Love, in the meantime, should spend the week clearing concussion protocol so as to play on Saturday.
“That is a course of that takes a number of days to get by,” LaFleur informed reporters.
The Packers fell to 9-5-1 with Saturday’s loss, placing their hopes of successful the NFC North in peril. They will have to win out and for the Bears to lose their remaining two video games so as to win the division. Inexperienced Bay additionally hasn’t clinched a playoff spot but. Nonetheless, it will make the playoffs if it wins considered one of its remaining two video games or if the Lions lose as soon as within the remaining two weeks.
Jets to start out rookie Brady Prepare dinner at QB for remaining two video games
The Jets are sticking with Brady Prepare dinner at quarterback for the remainder of the 2025 common season, head coach Aaron Glenn informed reporters on Monday. With the Jets beginning Prepare dinner for the ultimate two video games, the undrafted rookie might play an enormous function within the AFC East race because the Jets tackle the Patriots and Payments in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively.
Prepare dinner has began the final two video games for the Jets following Tyrod Taylor’s damage. He is thrown for 527 yards, a landing and 6 interceptions over the three video games he is performed this season.
The Commanders have signed quarterback Jeff Driskel off the Cardinals’ observe squad, the group introduced Monday. The transfer is likely to be a sign that Marcus Mariota will not be capable of play in Thursday’s recreation in opposition to the Cowboys after leaving Saturday’s recreation in opposition to the Eagles early with accidents to his throwing hand and quad.
If Mariota cannot go, journeyman quarterback Joshua Johnson can be in line to start out in opposition to the Cowboys.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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