NFL Player News

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Jackson's (back) status for next Sunday's game against the Steelers is to be determined, but the Ravens should have a better idea Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Jackson didn't practice at all last week, but Harbaugh did say the quarterback felt a lot better at the end of the week than he did immediately following the Week 16 defeat to the Patriots. Jackson is dealing with a lower-back contusion. Tyler Huntley started in Jackson's place Saturday against the Packers and was efficient handing the ball off to Derrick Henry. Huntley also completed 16 of 20 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown, adding 60 rushing yards of his own on eight attempts.

Coach Pete Carroll clarified Monday that Smith avoided a high-ankle sprain but is still dealing with a significant ankle injury after exiting Sunday's loss to the Giants, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Smith seems highly unlikely to play in next Sunday's regular-season finale against the Chiefs. Kenny Pickett will likely draw the start against Kansas City. The Smith acquisition by Las Vegas has gone about as poorly as imaginable, as Smith is 2-13 across his 15 starts and leads the league with 17 interceptions. He'll likely be one-and-done with the Raiders.

Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that McCarthy (hand) is progressing and the swelling has come down, but his status for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Packers is to be determined, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

O'Connell said it's going to come down to McCarthy's ability to grip the football after he suffered a fracture in his throwing hand Week 16 against the Giants. Max Brosmer made the Week 17 start against the Lions but was borderline incompetent once again, completing just nine of 16 passes for 51 scoreless yards while absorbing seven sacks. McCarthy's status will be updated again no later than Wednesday.

Henigan signed with the Colts' practice squad Monday.

The 22-year-old was dropped by the Jaguars in late September, but he's since found a new home in Indianapolis. Henigan has yet to make his NFL debut after throwing for 3,502 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions during his final collegiate season at Memphis in 2024.

Coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that Burrow will start next Sunday's regular-season finale against the Browns, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Neither the Bengals nor Browns have anything to play for besides pride and personal statistics, so there was a small chance Burrow could sit for Week 18. However, the Bengals are trying to end the season on a high note after beating the Dolphins and Cardinals in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively. Since returning to the field in Week 13, Burrow is fantasy's overall QB5 with a pair of 300-yard passing games and a 12:4 TD:INT.

Leonard could be an option to start the Colts' regular-season finale next Sunday against the Texans, JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site reports.

Coach Shane Steichen said he'll make a decision on the Week 18 starter Tuesday. Indianapolis was officially eliminated from playoff contention Saturday when the Texans defeated the Chargers, but after Philip Rivers went through practice all week as the starter, the 44-year-old veteran got the nod for Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Jaguars. With Indy having blown a 7-1 start to the season and now sitting at home for the postseason, the team may use Week 18 to get a look at Leonard, a sixth-round rookie who has completed 18 of 33 pass attempts for 145 yards and a pair of interceptions so far in the NFL, including one INT on a Hail Mary at the end of Week 17's loss to the Jaguars. He's added six yards and one touchdown on three carries, but he showed more mobility in college, running for an impressive 906 yards and 17 TDs as a senior with the Fighting Irish. As it stands, Leonard should probably be viewed as the favorite to start against Houston next Sunday.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said after Saturday's 41-24 loss to the Ravens that Love (concussion) will resume starting over Malik Willis (shoulder) when healthy, but he declined to confirm whether the team would rest any players during Sunday's regular-season finale against the Vikings, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

"[Love] is our franchise quarterback," LaFleur said, "and when he is healthy, he's going to be our starter." Willis was forced out late Week 17 versus Baltimore and replaced by third-string quarterback Clayton Tune, which leaves Green Bay's QB situation very murky heading into Week 18. While Willis reportedly could have returned Saturday had the game still been close, the Packers are already locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, giving LaFleur plenty of incentive to allow both banged-up signal-callers a week to rest even if they are cleared to play versus Minnesota.

Allen (foot) underwent X-rays after Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Eagles and received negative results, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Allen began Week 17 as a limited participant at practice due to soreness in his right foot, but he upgraded to full reps by Friday and played the entire game Sunday. It's possible that Allen's postgame X-rays were merely precautionary, rather than indicative of a setback. With the Bills already locked into a wild-card spot but having no chance of catching the Patriots for the AFC East title, the star signal-caller could be shut down for the regular-season finale against the Jets in Week 18.

Williams completed 25 of 42 pass attempts for 330 yards and two touchdowns while adding 18 rushing yards on five attempts in Sunday's 42-38 loss to San Francisco.

Williams was engaged in a classic shootout with 49ers QB Brock Purdy (303 yards, five total TDs) with both signal-callers cracking the 300-yard mark while tossing multiple touchdowns. For Williams, it was the first time through 16 starts in 2025 in which he eclipsed 300 passing yards in a single game. The improving sophomore had an opportunity to throw a third score and win the game in the closing moments of Sunday Night Football, only to watch his pass come up a yard short of a fully extended Luther Burden (leg) in the end zone as time expired. Williams has now thrown multiple touchdown passes in four consecutive starts with an improved yardage total in each game. His recent hot streak coupled with a soft matchup against the Lions makes Williams a strong fantasy play in Week 18.

Purdy completed 24 of 33 pass attempts for 303 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while taking six carries for 28 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 42-38 win over Chicago.

Purdy followed up his career game against the Colts on Monday Night Football in Week 16 (295 yards, five TD passes) by dropping another five-score bonanza on the Bears in a second consecutive primetime victory. The 25-year-old looked Mahomes-esque in the third quarter while dancing through multiple defenders behind the line of scrimmage before ultimately dumping the ball off to an open Kyle Juszczyk for the second of three touchdown strikes. Purdy's improved movement and gaudy passing numbers since the 49ers' Week 14 bye (297.7 passing yards/game with 15 total TDs in three starts) indicate that the signal-caller is finally fully healed from the turf toe injury that derailed the earlier portions of his 2025 campaign. With the 12-4 49ers needing just one win to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, fantasy managers can expect to see Purdy's best against the Seahawks in Week 18.