NFL Player News
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C.J. Stroud QB | HOU
Texans' C.J. Stroud: Overwhelmed in playoff loss
Stroud completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Ravens. He added three rushes for nine yards.
In contrast to his performance in his playoff debut, Stroud looked overwhelmed for much of the loss and could not consistently move the ball. He started reasonably well by racking up 82 passing yards in the first quarter but ultimately averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt, with the team's only touchdown coming on a punt return. Despite the disappointing close to his rookie campaign, Stroud was impressive overall by throwing for 4,108 yards with a 23:5 TD:INT across 15 regular-season games. That leaves little doubt that he's the franchise quarterback, and he also has several young pass catchers who combine to have the trajectory of the offense headed in a positive direction.
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Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Four total touchdowns in win
Jackson completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 win over the Texans. He rushed the ball 11 times for 100 yards and an additional two scores.
Jackson and the rest of Baltimore's offense got off to a relatively slow start, as they didn't find the end zone until midway through the second quarter. However, he took over from there, throwing for touchdowns of three and 15 yards while also finding the end zone on the ground with rushes of 15 and eight yards. Jackson had thrown at least one interception in each his four postseason games entering Saturday's matchup, though he had no turnovers in the blowout win. He also now has at least 100 rushing yards in three of five career playoff games. Jackson became the first player in NFL history (regular or postseason) to have a game with multiple TD passes and multiple rushing scores while throwing and rushing for over 100 yards to go with a 100-plus rating. He and the Ravens will host either the Bills or Chiefs next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
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Brandon Allen QB | NYG
49ers' Brandon Allen: Emergency QB vs. Green Bay
Allen (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's NFC divisional-round game against the Packers, but he will serve as the 49ers' emergency quarterback, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
As the emergency quarterback, Allen will only see the field if both Brock Purdy and backup Sam Darnold are forced out of Saturday's game due to injuries.
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Josh Johnson QB | CIN
Ravens' Josh Johnson: No. 3 QB versus Texans
Johnson (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's tilt against the Texans.
With Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley healthy, Johnson will serve as the team's emergency quarterback if both of the former two players get hurt. The veteran quarterback has yet to appear in a game this season.
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Case Keenum QB | CHI
Texans' Case Keenum: Emergency QB again
Keenum (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's game against the Ravens, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official website reports.
No surprise here, as C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills are both healthy. Keenum would be called upon to serve as the emergency quarterback if both the aforementioned quarterbacks happen to get hurt.
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John Wolford QB | MIN
Buccaneers' John Wolford: Questionable for Sunday
Wolford (illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions.
Wolford popped up on the injury report as DNP on Friday due to the illness. He's not going to be anything more than the emergency third quarterback even if he is deemed healthy enough to be active Sunday.
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Marcus Mariota QB | WAS
Eagles' Marcus Mariota: Ends year with 15 completions
Mariota appeared in just three regular-season games as the Eagles' backup quarterback this season, completing 15 of 23 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
All but three of Mariota's passes came in Week 18. Mariota also added a brief appearance in the Eagles' 32-9 playoff loss to the Bucs, handing off twice at the end of the game to run out the clock with the result already decided. Given that Mariota was stuck looking for a backup job prior to this season, and given that he didn't get the chance to add anything meaningful to his resume this year, he'll presumably be stuck as a backup again next fall.
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Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Jets' Aaron Rodgers: Starting QB in last three practices
Rodgers (Achilles) led the Jets' first-team offense in the final three practices of the 2023 season, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
Rodgers didn't return to game action after tearing his Achilles just four snaps into his Jets tenure in Week 1, but he was designated for return from injured reserve down the stretch and eventually activated, which enable him to practice with the team. After running the scout team and working at less than full speed in his first few weeks back, Rodgers quarterbacked the first-team offense for each of the Jets' Week 18 practices, which were closed to the media. His teammates raved about Rodgers' performances in the final three practices, suggesting the veteran quarterback's surgically repaired Achilles is at or close to full health heading into the offseason.
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Stetson Bennett QB | LAR
Rams' Stetson Bennett: Future in L.A. looking uncertain
Head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that he's uncertain whether Bennett (illness) will remain with the Rams in 2024, saying it's "a conversation for another time," Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Bennett, a 2023 fourth-round pick, spent his entire rookie campaign on the reserve/NFI list due to an undisclosed non-football illness. His absence was felt during the portions of the season in which Matthew Stafford missed time, as the Rams struggled to find answers while cycling through an unimpressive carousel of backup options. McVay said he thinks Bennett is "doing better," but that he "wouldn't be in a position to answer that accurately right now."
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C.J. Beathard QB | JAC
Jaguars' C.J. Beathard: Solid season as backup
Beathard appeared in seven games this season, starting one, and completed 40 of 53 passes for 349 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also had eight carries for 35 yards.
The 30-year-old primarily worked in mop-up duty but saw significant action in Weeks 16 and 17 with Trevor Lawrence injured. Beathard played well in those contests, completing 28 of 39 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, helping Jacksonville to a victory in his lone start. He's under contract for 2024 and seems likely to work as Lawrence's backup once more.