A number of NFL teams punched their playoff ticket in Week 16. Things are starting to take shape in the NFC, where the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are all in.
Things are more open in the AFC, where the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots are the only teams guaranteed playoff spots for now.
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If you weren’t a fan of one of those teams in Week 16, well, the news likely wasn’t so positive. For the Cleveland Browns, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins will miss the rest of the season due to a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle. It ends a promising season from the second-round draft pick and potentially puts him in jeopardy to miss the start of the 2026 NFL season depending on how quickly he can recover.
The disaster season continues for the Kansas City Chiefs. A week after being eliminated from the playoffs and losing star Patrick Mahomes, the team may have lost his backup to a season-ending injury.
Gardner Minshew may have also torn his ACL during the team’s 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The injury would leave third-stringer Chris Oladokun as the team’s starter in Week 17 barring a free-agent move. That’s a far cry from where the Chiefs hoped to be in Week 17 entering the season.
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Criss Partee
LA Chargers running back Kimani Vidal suffered a neck injury during Sunday’s win over Dallas and is now considered day-to-day after an MRI confirmed a neck strain. Although Vidal left the game and did not return, the injury is not considered serious.
Vidal has appeared in 12 games this season and started 10, recording 631 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Chris Cwik
Pittsburgh Steelers wideout DK Metcalf was suspended for two games following a sideline altercation with a fan during the team’s 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 16, the league announced on Monday.
As a result, Metcalf will miss the final two games of the regular season. He is expected to appeal the suspension.
The incident occurred in the second quarter of the contest on Sunday at Ford Field. While the Lions’ offense was on the field, Metcalf approached a fan wearing a blue wig and sitting in the front row. After exchanging words with the fan, Metcalf appeared to throw a punch at the fan’s head. It was unclear whether the punch connected.
While the incident was captured on the broadcast, it was not seen by officials.
For more on DK Metcalf’s suspension, click here.
Mon, December 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM PST
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is considered day-to-day with a serious contusion in his back, according to head coach John Harbaugh.
“It doesn’t look like it’s more than that,” Harbaugh said. “He’s in there getting treatment now.”
Jackson went down late after an awkward slide in the second quarter of Sunday’s 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots. Jackson was 7-10 for 101 yards and rushed for 7 before he went down.
Jackson was replaced by backup quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley. Huntley went 9-10 for 65 yards against the Patriots.
Jackson has battled injuries throughout the season, most notably a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss three games. Jackson’s explosiveness has also been limited. He ran for a career low of 340 yards so far this season.
After Sunday’s loss and Pittsburgh win against the Lions, the Ravens have little margin for error if they want to make the playoffs. The Ravens are 7-8 and are one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The Ravens face the Green Packers and the Steelers the next two weeks.
Mon, December 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM PST
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew did not tear his ACL, as initially feared in Sunday’s 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Despite the good news for Minshew, he is still expected to miss time.
The Chiefs are now down to their third quarterback after starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Chris Oladokun took over for Minshew after he went down.
The Chiefs are also signing quarterback Shane Buechele off the Bills’ practice squad.
Criss Partee
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams is feared to have torn his Achilles in Sunday’s loss to Atlanta. Williams will have an MRI done to confirm the injury.
Williams started all 10 games he appeared in this season, recording 46 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 interception. This was Williams’ third NFL season out of Syracuse. He was a third-round selection by the Cardinals in the 2023 draft.
Criss Partee
The Indianapolis Colts have activated veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the injured reserve list. This activation comes just before the Colts’ Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Buckner has been out with a neck injury since Week 9, and since then, the Colts have fallen out of the playoff picture, currently sitting in eighth place in the AFC at 8-6. The Colts need a win to keep pace, especially since Jacksonville and Houston won on Sunday and remain ahead of them in the AFC South.
Chris Cwik
The NFL will investigate Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver D.K. Metcalf’s sideline interaction with a fan during Sunday’s game, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
During the contest, Metcalf confronted, and may have thrown a punch at a fan on the sideline. The league will look into exactly what happened, and could punish Metcalf for his actions.
That punishment could come as early as Monday evening, per Rapoport. Given the nature of the confrontation, Metcalf could be looking at a possible suspension.
Chris Cwik
Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson’s status is “up in the air” for Week 17, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Jackson had to leave Sunday’s game due to a back injury and was unable to return. Whether he can play in Week 17 is unclear right now.
It’s been a frustrating, injury-riddled year for Jackson, who missed time with a hamstring issue earlier in the year.
Chris Cwik
Denver Broncos wideout Pat Bryant was released from the hospital late Sunday night with a concussion. Bryant sustained the injury in the final minute of the team’s 34-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Bryant took a big hit in the final minute of the game. He was placed on a backboard, taken off the field on a cart and then taken to a local hospital to be evaluated. Tests for a potential neck injury came back negative, per ESPN.
The Broncos are set to play the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. Bryant will have to pass the league’s concussion protocol if he wants to play in that game.