Commanders To Start QB Josh Johnson In Week 17
With Jayden Daniels shut down for the season and Marcus Mariota dealing with hand and quad injuries, the Commanders will call on Josh Johnson to start on Christmas, per The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala.
Johnson, 39, has appeared in three games this year, though he threw his first pass of the season on Saturday night against the Eagles. After Mariota went down on Saturday night, Johnson completed five of his nine passes for 43 yards and an interception to close out the game. He will, undoubtedly, be looking for better results in a full game.
Jeff Driskel, who re-signed with the Commanders on Monday, will back up Johnson, while Sam Hartman will be signed from the practice squad to serve as the emergency third quarterback on game day. (A quarterback elevated from the practice squad cannot be the emergency QB3, so Hartman had to be signed to the active roster to fill that role.)
In theory, Dallas’ bottom-ranked pass defense could be a relatively welcoming matchup for Johnson’s first start since 2021. However, the Commanders’ passing offense has been one of the league’s worst, due in large part to injuries that are still taking their toll. Johnson will be Washington’s third different starting quarterback this year with a short-than-usual week between games, so success is no guarantee.
Panthers Designate Robert Hunt For Return From IR
Carolina has gone through most of 2025 without starting right guard Robert Hunt, but a late-season return from IR is on the table. The Panthers opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, per Darin Gantt of the team’s website.
After spending his first four NFL seasons with the Dolphins, Hunt joined the Panthers in March 2024 on a five-year, $100MM agreement. Hunt, who became the fourth guard in history to sign for $20MM-plus per year, started in 16 games and earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season.
This year has been a lost campaign for Hunt, who hasn’t played since suffering a torn biceps in Week 2. The Panthers have still managed an 8-7 record, and they’re holding a slim lead over the Buccaneers in the NFC South with two games left. Carolina won the first meeting between the two teams last Sunday. A rematch in Week 18 could decide the division. It’s unclear whether Hunt will be ready by then.
Hunt’s injury has led to the Panthers using several different options at right guard. Chandler Zavala, Jake Curhan, Brady Christensen, and Austin Corbett have all seen time there in Hunt’s absence. Zavala is now on IR with a knee injury, while Christensen tore his Achilles in late October.
Although Hunt is considered a better run blocker than pass blocker, Carolina ranks a respectable 11th in rushing. Lead back Rico Dowdle has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, but his production has declined since early November. Hunt’s return would aid his cause and perhaps boost the Panthers’ chances of winning the division and making noise in the playoffs.
Buccaneers Open Calijah Kancey’s Practice Window
Having lost six of seven, the once-thriving Buccaneers are sitting at 7-8 and out of the playoff picture. Still with a chance to win the NFC South, the Buccaneers may welcome defensive tackle Calijah Kancey back from IR soon. They opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, per Scott Smith of the team’s website.
Kancey, the 19th overall pick in the 2023 draft, started in all 26 appearances in his first two seasons. He hoped to build on a 7.5-sack showing from 2024, but a pectoral tear has limited him to two games. Kancey underwent surgery after Week 2, his most recent appearance.
While Kancey missed five games last year, he still finished second among Buccaneers defensive linemen in snaps. Standout nose tackle Vita Vea led the way then, and that remains the case this season.
With Kancey out of commission for most of 2025, Logan Hall, Elijah Roberts, and Greg Gaines have logged the most playing time alongside Vea. Those three have combined for just 4.5 sacks, three fewer than Kancey posted a year ago.
The Bucs rank a respectable 11th in total defense, but they’re 16th in sacks and 24th in points allowed. A potential Kancey return, whether in the regular season or playoffs, should improve the unit. However, it may not happen until next season if Tampa Bay doesn’t rally for a playoff berth.
With a 23-20 loss to Carolina last week, the Buccaneers fell behind the 8-7 Panthers in the division race. Nevertheless, Tampa Bay still controls its own destiny. If the Bucs beat the Dolphins this Sunday and defeat the Panthers in a Week 18 rematch, they’ll win the NFC South for the fifth straight year.
Vikings Activate RB Ty Chandler From IR
The Vikings will welcome back Ty Chandler for the final two weeks of the season. The team announced that they’ve activated the running back from injured reserve.
Chandler suffered a knee injury way back in Week 1 that ultimately kept him off the field for several months. He returned to practice earlier this month, and now he’ll be activated to the active roster for the final stretch of the season.
The former fifth-round pick has seen an inconsistent offensive role through his three-plus seasons in the NFL. He got his most work as a sophomore in 2023, when he finished with 620 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 123 touches. In his other three professional seasons, Chandler has been limited to 244 yards on 68 touches.
The 27-year-old has also earned himself some playing time with his special teams work. Chandler returned 12 kickoffs between 2023 and 2024, averaging 25.2 yards. He appeared to have the full-time KR gig in 2025, as he returned three kickoffs for 84 yards in the season opener.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason have led the depth chart this season, meaning Chandler would have been limited to backup reps even if he was healthy. The Vikings have also given looks to C.J. Ham, Zavier Scott, and Cam Akers. Chandler is set to hit free agency after this season, so he’ll have a final chance to show suitors that he’s fully healthy.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/23/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Eugene Asante
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB M.J. Devonshire
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Michael Reid
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Thomas Gordon
Denver Broncos
- Placed on practice squad/injured: S Delarrin Turner-Yell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Royce Freeman
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Jack Henderson
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Elijah Mitchell, WR Brandon Smith
- Released: OT Sebastian Gutierrez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Tyler Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Nick Jackson
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/23/25
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Designated for return from IR: OL Luke Newman
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: RB Quinshon Judkins (story)
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: CB Ajani Carter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: RB Jaret Patterson
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: OL Brenden Jaimes
- Placed on IR: DT Joshua Farmer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Returned to practice: RB Josh Williams
Washington Commanders
- Waived: WR Jamal Agnew
Buccaneers running back Josh Williams returned to practice today after serving his six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the player’s suspension has been officially lifted and he’s now attached to the exempt/commissioner permission designation, which doesn’t count against the 53-man roster limit. However, Williams will need to be activated to the actual roster if the Buccaneers want him on the field before the season ends. The running back has seen time in three games this season, collecting 11 yards on four touches.
Meanwhile, Jamal Agnew won’t be joining the Commanders after he was claimed off waivers yesterday. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the veteran wide receiver was waived today with a failed physical designation.
Cardinals Sign K Joshua Karty
The Cardinals have turned to a division rival for some extra depth at kicker. The team announced that they’ve signed Joshua Karty to the 53-man roster.
Karty was previously on the Rams practice squad, where he’s been lingering since getting replaced by Harrison Mevis in late November. The 2024 sixth-round lived up to his draft billing as a rookie, converting on 85.3 percent of his field goal tries. However, he struggled as a sophomore, converting 10 of his 15 FG tries before getting benched.
Now in Arizona, Karty will provide some competition for Chad Ryland. The former Patriots draft pick has served as the Cardinals’ full-time kicker for the better part of the past two years. He had a standout performance in 2024 but has similarly struggled in 2025, missing eight field goals. That includes a showing from this past weekend when Ryland miss two of his six field goal attempts.
“It’s disappointing when it doesn’t happen for whatever reason – operation, protection, kicker, whatever,” special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said of Ryland’s performance (via the team’s website). “[The Falcons game] did start off well … there were positives and negatives. I try to not focus too much on results and being consistent on technique, process, reps. I thought last Thursday was one of [Chad’s] better days striking the ball. On game day, we’ve got to be able to make those kicks, and we have to be good around him as well.”
With two games remaining, it seems likely that Karty will get the majority of the looks at kicker over Ryland. However, considering the incumbent’s restricted free agent status after this season, there’s a good chance he sticks around the roster for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
The Cardinals weren’t done making moves today. The team officially placed defensive lineman Walter Nolen III and cornerback Garrett Williams on injured reserve, moves that were anticipated. The team also signed cornerback Kalen King from the Panthers practice squad. The former seventh-round pick got into one game for Carolina this season.
Jets Place Justin Fields On IR
Jets quarterback Justin Fields‘ first (and likely lone) season with the organization will end on injured reserve. The Jets have placed Fields on IR with a knee injury, head coach Aaron Glenn announced (via Rich Cimini of ESPN).
Fields went 11th overall to the Bears in the 2021 draft, but he was unable to establish himself as their long-awaited answer under center. He spent 2024 in Pittsburgh and mostly worked as a backup behind Russell Wilson. The Jets’ new regime of Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey saw enough positives to hand Fields a two-year, $40MM contract in free agency last March. The deal came with $30MM in guarantees. It will go down as a regrettable investment, though, with the Jets “likely” to release Fields by the middle of March, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
Fields started in six of the Jets’ first seven games this year. His only absence came as a result of a concussion that kept him out of a loss to the Buccaneers in Week 3. Fields struggled when healthy, though, and Glenn pulled him for Tyrod Taylor in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers in Week 7. Owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields’ performance the next day.
“It looks like (Glenn) is turning around part of it,” Johnson said on Oct. 21 (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving. If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league. You have to play consistently at that position and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
In the wake of Johnson’s comments, it appeared Glenn would start Taylor over Fields in a Week 8 matchup in Cincinnati. However, a knee injury to Taylor prevented that from happening. Fields wound up enjoying one of his most productive passing days of the season in a 39-38 win. The 26-year-old completed 21 of 32 attempts for 244 yards and a touchdown.
Fields was unable to build on his strong showing against the Bengals in a post-bye, special teams-driven win over the Browns in Week 10. After a loss to the Patriots the next week, Glenn pulled the plug on Fields and replaced him with Taylor. It turns out that was Fields’ last appearance of 2025.
Over nine games (all starts), Fields connected on 62.7% of passes, averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, and threw seven touchdowns against one interception. Although Fields put up a passable 89.5 rating, his 37.3 QBR ranks 28th among 32 qualifiers. As has typically been the case, the mobile Fields was more a threat on the ground than through the air this year. He ran for 383 yards, posted a robust 5.4 YPC, and added four more TDs.
Like Fields, Taylor hasn’t been any kind of solution for the Jets this season. Now 3-12, they’ve started undrafted rookie Brady Cook in back-to-back games (both losses). Cook, who will start again versus New England on Sunday, could finish out the season as the Jets’ starter. Not long after the campaign ends, the Jets may wave goodbye to Fields and Taylor, a soon-to-be free agent. While Fields expects to garner more starting opportunities in the future, another chance will likely have to come with a different organization.
Vikings Claim QB Brett Rypien
With injured quarterback J.J. McCarthy set to miss Week 17, the Vikings are welcoming Brett Rypien back to the organization. They claimed Rypien off waivers from the Colts on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.
Rypien will quickly land on his feet just one day after the Colts waived him. The 29-year-old spent two-plus months with the Colts, but he didn’t see any game action as a member of the organization.
After Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in Week 14, Indianapolis shockingly brought Philip Rivers, 44, out of retirement. Rivers has started two straight games since then (and will keep the reins in Week 17), while rookie sixth-rounder Riley Leonard has backed him up.
Since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2019, Rypien has spent time with eight NFL franchises. That includes a run with the Vikings from August 2024 through last summer.
The Vikings elected to enter this season with McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer as their top three QBs, leaving Rypien as the odd man out. He caught on with the Bengals after the Vikings released him. While Rypien appeared in one game with Cincinnati, he hasn’t attempted a pass this season.
Over 17 games and six starts in the NFL, Rypien has completed 58.3% of passes with 5.7 yards per attempt, four touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 59.9 rating. Those aren’t impressive numbers, but Rypien will give the Vikings a second healthy QB option for this week’s game against the Lions. McCarthy will miss at least one game with a hairline fracture in his right hand, and Wentz is unavailable after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October. Brosmer, an undrafted rookie, will make his second career start on Thursday.
Browns Will Not Activate Deshaun Watson From PUP List
Wednesday marks 21 days since the Browns opened Deshaun Watson‘s practice window. Rather than moving the high-priced quarterback to the active roster and allowing more practice work, the Browns are shutting him down.
Watson’s journey back from two Achilles tears will end today, as Kevin Stefanski confirmed Tuesday (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) Browns will let his practice window close. This will prevent Watson from playing this season, though that was always a long-shot proposition. He will revert to the season-ending PUP list.
This will bring a second full Watson season to a close without a snap taken. The Texans made their then-franchise QB a healthy scratch throughout the 2021 season, after Watson had requested a trade before an avalanche of sexual assault or misconduct allegations surfaced to effectively stall the former Pro Bowler’s career. The Browns were undeterred, sending three first-round picks and more to the Texans for the embattled QB in 2022. That has proven to be a disastrous decision, as Watson was given an unprecedented contract and had not come close to delivering a return on investment before the October 2024 injury.
After submitting woeful on-field work to start the 2024 season, Watson suffered an Achilles tear. During his rehab process, the ninth-year veteran retore the tendon to set back his rehab. The Browns parked Watson on their reserve/PUP list after training camp, and although he did return to practice on December 3, it was never viewed as likely Cleveland would reinsert him into a game. The step toward that happening would have been an activation from the PUP list, which will not take place.
Shedeur Sanders is currently in place as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. The fifth-round rookie has shown flashes, but it is far from certain — regardless of Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry‘s futures in Ohio — the organization will prioritize the second-generation pro to the point he will receive a legitimate shot to become a long-term option. Sanders’ rookie contract does complement Watson’s albatross accord, but the Browns have two first-round picks in 2026. This could be an avenue for the team to finally make a big-ticket investment at a position doomed by the Watson trade.
Watson, 30, still has one season remaining on the five-year, $230MM extension. The Browns memorably guaranteed that contract in full to convince Watson to come to Cleveland, as the Falcons were believed to be where the QB — a Georgia native — was set to go had Berry and Jimmy Haslam not put the $230MM guarantee on the table. Haslam has since admitted a mistake on acquiring Watson, but in the NFL’s closest example of a contract genre the NBA and MLB have seen cripple teams, the deal has been too onerous to remove from the payroll. This pattern well persist into 2026.
As it stands, Watson is set to count $80.72MM on Cleveland’s 2026 payroll. The 2026 cap hit would have checked in south of $50MM as originally designed, but Berry has gone to the restructure well several times to save cap space over the course of this franchise-altering pact. It would cost the Browns $131.16MM in dead money to release Watson in 2026. Even with a post-June 1 designation available to spread that amount through 2027, the team is viewed as likely to retain the nonfunctional QB next year.
While a Browns party line has called Watson a valuable veteran presence for rookies Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, he assuredly would have been jettisoned long ago had the team not fully guaranteed the contract. Teams have not followed suit, much to the NFLPA’s chagrin, on anything close to a fully guaranteed long-term deal since this Browns extension emerged. Based on its calamitous outcome, Watson’s deal should remain an outlier for the foreseeable future in the NFL.