NFL Player News
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Shedeur Sanders QB | CLE
Browns' Shedeur Sanders: Takes his lumps in loss
Sanders completed 20 of 29 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while adding four rushes for 49 yards in the Browns' 23-20 loss to the Bills on Sunday.
To his credit, Sanders kept the Browns in contention against Josh Allen and company for most of the afternoon despite short-circuiting a pair of drives with interceptions. However, Sanders could arguably be mostly exonerated in both instances, as the first came on a deflection off the hands of Quinshon Judkins (leg/ankle) and the second was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Sanders connected with his favorite target, fellow rookie Harold Fannin, for his one TD toss from 13 yards out to open the scoring in the first quarter, but he has just a 1:5 TD:INT in his last pair of contests. The rookie fifth-round pick will next tangle with the Steelers' veteran defense in a Week 17 home matchup next Sunday.
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Brady Cook QB | NYJ
Jets' Brady Cook: No TDs, two turnovers in loss
Cook completed 22 of 35 passes for 188 yards and an interception in Sunday's 29-6 loss to the Saints. He also rushed once for two yards and lost a fumble.
Cook threw for only 74 yards in the first half, as the Jets took a 9-6 deficit into the locker room after a touchdown-less first half. The Saints stepped up in the second half while Cook was a bit more productive through the air, but the Jets failed to score after halftime. Cook has a 1:6 TD:INT through three NFL appearances (two starts). Tyrod Taylor recovered enough from groin and knee injuries to dress as the backup Sunday, so it's possible the Jets could turn back to Taylor or Justin Fields (knee) under center against the Patriots in Week 17 over the struggling undrafted rookie Cook.
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Dak Prescott QB | DAL
Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Can't maintain quick start in loss
Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Chargers. He added 14 rushing yards on two carries.
The veteran quarterback led the Cowboys to points on their first three drives, hitting Ryan Flournoy (knee) for a TD in the first quarter and finding George Pickens for a 38-yard score in the second, but the Chargers defense shut him down the rest of the way. With Dallas already eliminated from the playoffs, Joe Milton took over at QB for the team's final two possessions, and he could sub in for Prescott more frequently over the final two weeks. Prescott will still take a strong 28:10 TD:INT on the season into a Week 17 clash with the Commanders.
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Comes up short in low-volume day
Mayfield completed 18 of 26 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing four times for 49 yards in the Buccaneers' 23-20 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.
The Buccaneers went with an extremely run-heavy approach in the first half, and although Mayfield was a lot busier in the second half thanks to game script, he still finished with his third sub-200-yard tally in the last four games. Mayfield also tossed a pick for the third consecutive contest, with Sunday's interception -- an apparent miscommunication with Mike Evans -- coming at the Panthers' 30 with 49 seconds remaining and Tampa Bay driving for a game-tying field-goal attempt, at minimum. Despite the stumble, Mayfield can still lead the Bucs to another NFC South title with a win over the Dolphins in Week 17 and a victory against Carolina at home in the regular-season finale a week later.
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Bryce Young QB | CAR
Panthers' Bryce Young: Leads key division win
Young completed 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while adding four rushes for 20 yards in the Panthers' 23-20 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Young turned in a relatively efficient effort in the grindy division win, and most important, he avoided any turnovers for the third straight game. The 2023 first overall pick connected with Tetairoa McMillan (22 yards) and Ja'Tavion Sanders (six yards) for his pair of scoring passes late in the second and third quarters, respectively, and he led a late seven-play, 43-yard drive that culminated in what would turn out to be the game-winning field goal. Young and the Panthers draw a tough Week 17 assignment, however, as the Seahawks drop in for a visit next Sunday afternoon.
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Tyler Shough QB | NO
Saints' Tyler Shough: First 300-yard passing performance
Shough completed 32 of 39 pass attempts for 308 yards and a touchdown while rushing twice for eight yards in Sunday's 29-6 win over the Jets.
Shough posted the first 300-yard passing performance of his NFL career, pushing past his previous career high of 282 passing yards. The highlight of the rookie second-round pick's impressive performance was a 23-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave in the third quarter, as Shough carried the offense with his arm while the Saints played with a depleted backfield. Shough and the Saints will take a three-game winning streak into an eminently winnable Week 17 road game against the Titans.
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Jaxson Dart QB | NYG
Giants' Jaxson Dart: Just 33 passing yards in loss
Dart completed seven of 13 passes for 33 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 16-13 loss to the Vikings. He also rushed twice for seven yards.
Dart's first completion of the game came with just 1:47 left in the first half. He was 0-for-3 with an interception prior to that point. He continued to struggle as a passer the rest of the way as the Giants fell to 2-13 with the low-scoring loss. The Giants' penultimate game of the regular season will be a Week 17 trip to Las Vegas, which holds significant implications in the race for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Dart provided some exciting moments earlier in the season, especially with his legs, but he has topped 200 passing yards only twice in his last four starts and may be looking to run less after having been asked to take a more cautious approach down the stretch.
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Joe Burrow QB | CIN
Bengals' Joe Burrow: Chucks four TDs in rout
Burrow completed 25 of 32 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 45-21 win over the Dolphins. He added six rushing yards on two carries.
One week after the Bengals got shut out for the first time with Burrow under center, the 29-year-old quarterback bounced back with his best performance of 2025. Burrow hit Tee Higgins for a nine-yard score in the first quarter before really getting going after halftime, finding Chase Brown for two short TDs in the third quarter before connecting with Mike Gesicki for a 17-yard touchdown in the fourth. Burrow has two four-TD games in the last three weeks and a 10:4 TD:INT in four games since returning from a toe injury, and he'll take aim at another struggling defense in a Week 17 clash with the Cardinals.
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J.J. McCarthy QB | MIN
Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Set to undergo further tests Monday
McCarthy, who left Sunday's 16-13 win over the Giants, appears to have avoided a broken bone in his hand, according to Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune, with coach Kevin O'Connell having confirmed that the QB's initial X-rays came up negative.
Following the game, McCarthy was spotted with his right hand in a fingerless glove in the Vikings' locker room. Per Goessling, McCarthy will undergo further testing Monday, but for now consider the QB day-to-day as Thursday's game against the Lions approaches. If McCarthy is unavailable for that contest, Max Brosmer would be in line to draw the start in his place.
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Malik Willis QB | MIA
Packers' Malik Willis: Tending to shoulder injury
Coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday that Willis is dealing with a shoulder injury in the wake of Saturday's loss in Chicago, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Willis entered in the middle of the second quarter Saturday after starter Jordan Love endured a hit to the helmet from a Bears defender, and the former finished out the contest after the latter was ruled out due to a concussion. Willis himself was taken the ground late in regulation and landed hard on his right shoulder, which he was favoring as he went to the sideline, and he ended the overtime defeat having completed nine of 11 passes for 121 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while rushing 10 times for 44 yards. Love will need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to play next Saturday versus the Ravens, but LaFleur also relayed to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site that Willis is "pretty sore. It's a legitimate deal that he's dealing with. He's another guy we'll see where he's at as we progress." The Packers currently roster QB Clayton Tune on the practice squad, but RB Josh Jacobs and WR Jayden Reed are emergency options at the position, as LaFleur told Hodkiewicz.