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 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 the Ravens’ loss to the Patriots, 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] and then see what it shows.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh later said that Jackson was dealing with “a bruise of some kind.”
“I don’t know how serious it’ll be,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll have to find out over the next couple of days.”
The Ravens must win each of their final two games and for the Steelers to lose at 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 straight year.
Packers monitoring health of both QBs ahead of Ravens matchup
As for who the Ravens’ Week 17 opponent, the Packers might also be shorthanded at quarterback for Saturday’s game. Jordan Love left Saturday’s loss to the Bears early after entering the league’s 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’ll make the playoffs if it wins one of its final two games or if the Lions lose once in the final two weeks.
Jets to start rookie Brady Cook at QB for final two games
The Jets are sticking with Brady Cook at quarterback for the rest of the 2025 regular season, head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters on Monday. With the Jets starting Cook for the final two games, the undrafted rookie could play a big role in the AFC East race as the Jets take on the Patriots and Bills in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively.
Cook has started the last two games for the Jets following Tyrod Taylor’s injury. He’s thrown for 527 yards, a touchdown and six interceptions over the three games he’s 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 Marcus 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 Chiefs are dealing with another injury at quarterback. A week after losing Patrick Mahomes for the remainder of the 2025 season with an ACL tear, the team fears Gardner Minshew suffered the same injury that caused him to leave their loss to the Titans early on Sunday, ESPN reported. If Minshew is indeed out for the rest of the season, third-string Chris Oladokun would be in line to start in Thursday’s game against the Broncos. The fourth-year quarterback threw his first career pass in Sunday’s loss to the Titans.
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