Injury Updates: Wright, Giants, Adams
A handful of notable injury updates heading into Week 17:
- Set to face the 49ers on Sunday in a battle of NFC heavyweights, the Bears may go without right tackle Darnell Wright. The 24-year-old is questionable with an illness, and he will not join the team in traveling to San Francisco on Saturday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Since going 10th overall in the 2023 draft, Wright has started in all 47 NFL appearances, including 14 this year. If Wright can’t go on Sunday, it’s likely Theo Benedet will start in his place.
- Giants tight end Theo Johnson (illness) and center John Michael Schmitz (finger) are the latest starters the team has ruled out for Sunday, joining left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring). The Giants and Raiders, both 2-13, will square off with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft likely at stake. The Raiders decided earlier this week to shut down their two best players, defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers, ahead of what could be a franchise-altering game.
- The Rams are likely to go a second straight week without star wide receiver Davante Adams. He’ll be listed as doubtful for Monday’s matchup against the Falcons, Schefter relays. With the postseason nearing, the Rams are playing it safe with Adams, who aggravated a hamstring injury in Week 15. Adams, the Rams’ top Puka Nacua complement, leads the league with 14 touchdown grabs.
- The Jaguars have downgraded running back Bhayshul Tuten from questionable to out for Sunday’s meeting with the Colts. Tuten suffered a finger injury in a Week 15 win over the Jets and subsequently underwent surgery, keeping the rookie fourth-rounder out of last Sunday’s victory in Denver. Tuten ranks second among Jaguars RBs in carries (78), yards (284) and touchdowns (four), trailing Travis Etienne in those categories. LeQuint Allen will back up Etienne on Sunday as the hard-charging Jags go for their seventh win in a row.
Patriots Place WR Mack Hollins On IR
As the Patriots prepare to make a playoff run to cap off their surprising one-year turnaround under new head coach Mike Vrabel, they will be doing so without their second-leading wide receiver. The team announced today that Mack Hollins has been placed on injured reserve as he deals with an injury to his abdomen. 
Hollins has been a true journeyman since getting drafted to the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After winning a Super Bowl ring as little-used rookie in Philadelphia, Hollins spent his sophomore campaign on IR with a groin injury. In Year 3, an Eagles reunion with veteran DeSean Jackson led to the team waiving Hollins.
Hollins was claimed by the Dolphins, and he spent the remainder of that year and the next two seasons in Miami. While he never broke out as a high-volume pass catcher, he showed some strong redzone capabilities with four touchdown catches in 2021. The next year, on a one-year deal with the Raiders, Hollins broke out as a formidable WR2 behind Davante Adams, recording 57 receptions for 690 yards and four more touchdowns.
Despite the career-best campaign, Hollins continued to land one-year deals and delivered average seasons with the Falcons and Bills, though he did log a career-high five touchdowns in Buffalo. Those five scores may have just been enough for Hollins to be offered a two-year contract this past offseason in New England, where he has once again broken out at 32 years old as the team’s second-leading wide receiver behind Stefon Diggs. Hollins collected 46 receptions for 550 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games with the Patriots this year.
The team’s receiving corps may be even more shorthanded for its divisional trip to New York. Third-leading receiver Kayshon Boutte has been ruled out for the week with a concussion, and WR4 DeMario Douglas is listed as questionable after a hamstring issue held him to limited participation in practice this week. When they face off against the Jets tomorrow, Maye’s receivers beyond Diggs could be whittled down to third-round rookie Kyle Williams and undrafted rookie return man Efton Chism III.
With only two games remaining in the regular season, Mack will be forced to miss the Patriots’ first two playoff games before he will be eligible to return. In the meantime, New England will need to focus on getting Boutte and Douglas in shape for the postseason, knowing they’ll be relied on for, at least, the team’s first playoff matchup.
Taking Hollins’ spot on the 53-man roster will be defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr., while fellow practice squad interior defender Leonard Taylor III and cornerback Kobee Minor will be designated as standard gameday elevations. This will be Minor’s third and final elevation on this practice squad deal. If the Patriots want to see him appear in another game this season, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster like Pharms.
Texans LT Aireontae Ersery To Miss Week 17 After Undergoing Thumb Surgery
DECEMBER 27: Ersery is inactive for Saturday’s game, the Texans announced. Fisher is expected to start at left tackle, per Wilson.
DECEMBER 26: Winners of seven straight, the Texans may go without both starting offensive tackles in a pivotal meeting with the Chargers in Week 17. Left tackle Aireontae Ersery underwent surgery on a broken thumb on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. He’s questionable as a result. The Texans have already ruled out starting right tackle Trent Brown, who’s dealing with knee and ankle injuries.
A former Minnesota Golden Gopher, Ersery earned Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2024. The Texans spent a second-round pick on Ersery in last spring’s draft, and he has emerged as a full-time starter as a rookie.
The 6-foot-6, 330-pounder leads Texans offensive linemen with a 98.4% snap share. Pro Football Focus ranks Ersery’s play 62nd among 82 qualifying tackles. PFF has given him a higher grade as a pass blocker (63.3) than in the running game (52.9).
Ersery will attempt to play while wearing a protective club on Saturday. If he misses the game, the Texans will turn to Blake Fisher to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud‘s blindside. Fisher has already made nine starts this year. The versatile Tytus Howard is expected to shift from left guard to fill in for Brown, while Jarrett Patterson is in line to take over Howard’s spot.
The Texans’ O-line shakeup comes at an inopportune time against the 11-4 Chargers, who boast the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense and have amassed the league’s eighth-most sacks. The Chargers are in a similar position, though, as they’ll face an elite Texans defense without either of their top tackles. They’ve gone all year without left tackle Rashawn Slater after he tore his patellar tendon in August. Joe Alt moved from the right side to the left to replace Slater, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 9.
The Chargers have overcome their problems up front to clinch a playoff spot. The Texans will punch their ticket to the postseason if they beat the Bolts or tie them on Saturday.
Quincy Williams Open To Re-Signing With Jets, Will Prioritize Scheme Fit
Linebacker Quincy Williams has been a prominent member of the Jets’ defense since 2021, but his time with the organization may be running out. While the pending free agent’s future is up in the air, he’s open to re-signing with the Jets under the right circumstances. Williams told Rich Cimini of ESPN that he’s prioritizing “getting put in the right defense” as he gears up for a potential trip to the open market.
“When I’m in the right defense, I ball out,” said Williams, who added: “If that’s at the Jets, that’ll be good. It depends on the D coordinator they bring in and the defense they run. I’m going to take all that into consideration.”
After the Jets claimed him off waivers from the Jaguars in 2021, Williams spent the majority of his first four years in New York under defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh. Williams was a fit in Saleh’s scheme. He combined for 61 starts over that span, tallied 100-plus tackles in each season, and recorded nine sacks. He was so effective in 2023 that he earned first-team All-Pro honors.
The Jets fired Saleh in October 2024 and rode out the season with interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who had been the team’s defensive coordinator. They didn’t promote Ulbrich (now with the Falcons) last offseason, instead hiring another defense-first head coach in Aaron Glenn. Steve Wilks was Glenn’s first defensive coordinator selection, an experiment that failed miserably. Glenn fired Wilks on Dec. 15 and promoted pass game coordinator Chris Harris to handle DC duties for the rest of the year.
Williams has put up 74 tackles, six passes defensed and a career-high 3.5 sacks in 11 games this season, but it hasn’t been a smooth ride. After back-to-back 17-game seasons, he missed four contests with a shoulder injury. The Jets later benched Williams ahead of Week 9, which came after they considered trading him at the Nov. 4 deadline.
“My coaches told me I was underperforming, that I’ve been underperforming since training camp,” Williams said to Cimini at the time.
To his credit, Williams quickly won the job back. Most recently, he was on the field for all 78 of the Jets’ defensive snaps in a 29-6 loss to the Saints in Week 16. Williams registered a season-high 11 tackles in that game, though Pro Football Focus has been down on him all year. PFF ranked Williams 57th among 82 qualifying linebackers at the time of his demotion. He has since fallen to 70th out of 86 qualifiers. His 39.9 grade in coverage sits in the bottom 10 at his position.
With the three-year, $18MM extension he signed in 2023 on the verge of expiring, the soon-to-be 30-year-old Williams will look for another payday on the heels of a down season. The previous regime of Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas at least considered another multiyear deal for Williams, but it doesn’t appear one will materialize under Glenn and GM Darren Mougey.
The Glenn-Mougey duo prioritized a different starting linebacker, Jamien Sherwood, whom they re-upped on a three-year, $45MM contract last offseason. With Williams potentially on his way out of New York in a couple of months, Sherwood may team with someone else in 2026.
Rams Likely To Open Quentin Lake’s Practice Window In Week 18
When Rams safety Quentin Lake underwent elbow surgery on Nov. 19, the hope was he’d be ready to come off injured reserve in time for the postseason. With the 11-4 Rams having clinched a spot since then, it appears Lake is on track for a playoff return.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said the team will “most likely” open Lake’s 21-day practice window next week (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). Lake is “making great progress,” per McVay, who hasn’t ruled the defender out for the Rams’ Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cardinals.
Lake, a fourth-year man, emerged as a full-time starter in 2024. After totaling 111 tackles, five passes defensed and two sacks last year, he returned to start in his first 10 games this season.
Lake has notched 61 tackles, a sack, a personal-best 10 passes defensed and the first interception of his career in 2025. He played 100% of defensive snaps before dislocating his elbow. The vast majority of the versatile Lake’s 634 snaps have come in the slot (424), but he has also worked in the box (89), at free safety (84), and along the edge (32).
Set to face Atlanta on Monday, Los Angeles will go without Lake – Pro Football Focus‘ 12th-ranked safety among 99 qualifiers – for a sixth straight game. Josh Wallace has played well in the slot in Lake’s absence, but the latter has still been missed. The Rams’ defense ranked third in the NFL in both EPA per play on dropbacks and against the run when Lake went down. The unit is a much less effective 11th and 20th in those categories without him, Adam Grosbard of the Orange County Register notes.
Regardless of whether Lake comes back over the next two weeks, the Rams should be able to run the table through the regular season. While the Rams dropped to sixth in the NFC with a Week 16 loss to the division rival Seahawks, now the top seed, the No. 1 spot remains a possibility if they win out and get some help. Securing first place would lead to a bye and give Lake more time to heal. Otherwise, should the Rams play in the wild-card round, it appears they’ll have Lake back by then.
Brian Flores’ Contract Expires After Season; Vikings Looking To Re-Up
Brian Flores‘ contract with the Vikings expires this offseason, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Unsurprisingly, the team would like to keep Flores in Minnesota, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. However, Flores is expected to receive interest in other head coaching jobs. He interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, and Jets last offseason and has likely raised his stock further with the Vikings’ strong defensive showing this year.
Flores, 44, came aboard in 2023 and his unit finished 13th in scoring and 16th in total defense. The next year, they ranked fifth in the former and stayed at 16th in the latter. This season, the Vikings have surrendered just 4.8 yards per play and 292.7 yards per game, the fifth-lowest marks in the league, while their 20.6 points per game ranks 10th.
Flores’ blitz-heavy defense is uniquely suited to disrupt opposing passing games, which have averaged just 168.8 yards per game against Minnesota. His players have spoken glowingly of both the creativity of his scheme and his ability to implement and teach it.
Perceptions of Flores around the league may have changed in the wake of the Dolphins’ struggles over the last few years, Jones also noted. Clashes with owner Stephen Ross and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa signaled that Flores’ personality might not be conducive to a head coaching job, but it become clear that he was not the only – and perhaps not even the biggest – problem in Miami.
Flores’ ongoing class-action suit against the NFL and several teams is another factor in his candidacy for head coaching gigs. One of those teams is the Giants, who have one of the two current head coaching vacancies in the league, which immediately rules him out for that job. Others beyond the Titans’ could become available
Fred Warner Could Return During Playoffs
DECEMBER 27: A playoff “cameo” is on the table for Warner, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, but it likely wouldn’t come until the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl. With the 49ers not wanting to risk further injury to Warner, chances are he would work in a limited role.
DECEMBER 26: The 49ers lost a pair of heart-and-soul defensive stars in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to major injuries earlier this season. Bosa will not return after tearing his ACL in Week 3. Warner went down with a dislocated ankle three weeks later.
At 11-4, the 49ers have somehow overcome the long-term absences of their two best defensive players. San Francisco will earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC if it closes out the regular season with wins over two other conference contenders in Chicago and Seattle.
If the 49ers secure the top spot and land a first-round bye, it could make a Warner comeback more likely. Odds were heavily against the linebacker playing again this season when he underwent surgery in mid-October, though he has been pushing for it all along. There’s now a possibility Warner will factor in during the playoffs.
The four-time first-team All-Pro’s rehab has gone so well that the 49ers are reexamining a potential postseason return, general manager John Lynch told KNBR (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group). It’s a surprising turnaround in light of comments Lynch made three weeks ago.
“Well, medically, no,” Lynch said on Dec. 5 of a possible playoff comeback for Warner. “I mean, the docs say it’s probably on the wrong side of the range that they would suggest. But even the docs with Fred say, ‘You know what, let him rehab as if he’s coming back for something and we’ll see where he’s at.’”
The playoffs begin on Jan. 10, which will mark 90 days since Warner incurred his gruesome injury on Oct. 12. The 49ers fell to 4-2 with a loss to the Buccaneers that day, but they’ve rallied to win seven of nine since. Tatum Bethune, a 2024 seventh-round pick, has taken on the monumental task of working as Warner’s primary replacement.
Bethune was almost exclusively a special teamer when he grabbed the reins in the middle of the 49ers’ defense, but the second-year man has done well filling in for a franchise icon. Over 12 games (six starts), Bethune has recorded 76 tackles and two passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranks Bethune 43rd among 86 qualifying linebackers. While respectable, that’s a far cry from Warner, who’s still PFF’s top-ranked LB for 2025.
Warner won’t factor in again in 2025, but January 2026 may prove to be a different story if his rehab continues moving at a lightning-quick pace. Depending on how healthy he is a few weeks from now, Warner could give the 49ers a major boost as they vie for their third Super Bowl berth (and first win) of his eight-year career. Should the 49ers run through the NFC next month, they’ll play the Super Bowl at their home field, Levi’s Stadium, on Feb. 8.
Jadeveon Clowney Intends to Play in 2026, Interested In Re-Signing With Cowboys
After the Panthers released Jadeveon Clowney last May, the veteran pass rusher’s stay in free agency dragged into the regular season. He finally agreed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Cowboys after Week 2, which enabled the 32-year-old to avoid the rigors of training camp.
The Cowboys’ 30th-ranked defense has struggled enough that coordinator Matt Eberflus is in serious jeopardy of losing his job, but Clowney has been a bright spot. The former No. 1 overall pick has recorded 35 tackles, 34 pressures, eight TFL, seven QB hits and 5.5 sacks in 12 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus ranks Clowney’s performance this year an impressive 20th among 112 qualifying edge rushers. He has offered strong work as a pass rusher and a run defender.
Clowney chipped in 1.5 sacks in the Cowboys’ win over the Commanders on Christmas Day. Afterward, he told Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com that he intends to play in 2026. He also has interest in continuing with the Cowboys.
“Oh yeah, [I’d re-sign in Dallas] if they’re willing to bring me back, but, yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m definitely gonna play,” Clowney said.
The nomadic Clowney, who began his career with the Texans in 2014, is on his seventh NFL team. Other than spending his first five years in Houston, where he earned three Pro Bowl nods, he hasn’t lasted more than two seasons with any of those clubs. Clowney has signed five one-year contracts since he first reached free agency in 2020. Three of those pacts – a 2020 deal with the Titans, a 2023 accord with the Ravens and his current agreement with the Cowboys – came together deep into the summer. Clowney missed camp in those instances, but that’s not something he’s aiming for in 2026.
“I got a lot left in the tank. I ain’t gonna go sit on my couch,” he said. “I’m gonna stay ready. Maybe sign a little bit earlier, and I’m trying to go to camp next year so I can get the rust off me and get going. I’m looking forward to it.”
Clowney’s willingness to sign early should only add to his appeal around the league. Although Clowney hasn’t lived up to the hype he received coming out of South Carolina, he has been productive at almost every NFL stop. He’ll head into Week 18 with 63.5 sacks on his resume.
Giants DL Coach Andre Patterson Battled Cancer This Season
Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson recently revealed (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) that he has been battling prostate cancer this season.
He was diagnosed earlier this year and opted to continue coaching while undergoing treatment, though assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox was on hand for any of Patterson’s absences. Cox was fired at the beginning of December due in part to his objection to a seating rearrangement on the Giants’ plane home from their Week 13 loss in New England, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.
Patterson, 65, has coached football for more than 40 years with time at the high school, college, and professional levels. He has been in New York since Brian Daboll was hired in 2022; prior to that, he spent 2014 to 2021 as the Vikings defensive line coach under Mike Zimmer. This is his 21st season coaching in the NFL.
Patterson shared his diagnosis with the Giants’ defensive line room, but not with the entire team. Players said that they did not notice a difference in Patterson’s energy or demeanor during his ordeal.
“There’s no drop-off. So he’s still the same dude,” defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris said. “If he didn’t tell us anything, we wouldn’t have known. That’s what kind of dude he is. There’s no drop-off. Like I said, he’s the same guy every day.”
Patterson revealed his diagnosis publicly to raise awareness about prostate cancer and encourage others to get checked. He has also used this personal struggle to teach his players.
“I tell my guys all the time, if all I do is teach you how to be a good football player, I’m cheating you,” Patterson said. “I have to help you with life’s journey. So we talk about things other than football a lot because my job is to also prepare them for what life is going to give them when they are no longer a football player.”
Raiders Shut Down DE Maxx Crosby
With the Raiders approaching a critical game regarding their chances at the No. 1 pick, they are moving forward without another critical player in the lineup. Maxx Crosby will not play against the Giants on Sunday. 
Vegas informed Crosby he will be inactive on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The five-time Pro Bowler wants to play down the stretch despite the fact the Raiders have long been out of playoff contention. The team’s preference would be for Crosby to be sidelined for the final two weeks of the season, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer adds. Head coach Pete Carroll has since confirmed (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) the team is shutting down its top player.
Per Glazer, Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the decision to sit him and left the team facility upon learning the news. He adds this episode could invite a new round of speculation regarding the decorated edge rusher’s future in Las Vegas. Crosby has of course been tied to trade talk over the years, but owner Mark Davis has fiercely denied any suggestions about a parting of ways receiving consideration.
“Yeah, I don’t give a s— about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said earlier this week when asked about the No. 1 selection in April’s draft (h/t Rapoport). “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. Being a great leader, being an influence.”
This Crosby decision comes shortly after standout tight end Brock Bowers was moved to injured reserve. That ended his season in time for the Sunday Giants matchup which will see the NFL’s two 2-13 teams play each other. The loser will secure an inside track for the top pick; doing so for Vegas in particular would be critical. Drafting first overall would allow the Raiders to land a quarterback capable of taking over from Geno Smith as the team’s starter over the long term.
Crosby has dealt with a knee injury for much of the year, but he has managed to play all 15 games so far in 2025. A second-team All-Pro selection on two occasions, he has remained one of the league’s top EDGE producers this season. Crosby has totaled 10 sacks, reaching double-digits in that regard for the fourth time in his seven-year career.
This past spring, Crosby worked out a three-year, $106.5MM extension. That pact very briefly made him the league’s highest-paid pass rusher in terms of AAV, but five players now sit ahead of Crosby at this point. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2029, but it will be interesting to see if today’s developments make any difference with respect to his commitment to the franchise.