Commanders Sign QB Jeff Driskel Off Cardinals’ Practice Squad
As they prepare to play on a short week, the Commanders are adding depth under center. Jeff Driskel is being signed off the Cardinals’ practice squad, per veteran reporter Ben Standig. The move is now official. 
Driskel was Washington’s third-string passer in 2024, so he represents a familiar face. With the team known to be seeking out depth at the QB spot, today’s move comes as little surprise. Marcus Mariota is dealing with a hand injury, and the Driskel addition suggests he will not be able to suit up for Week 17.
Dan Quinn said it remains unclear at this point if Mariota will be able to play on Christmas against the Cowboys. He added (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington) that Josh Johnson will receive the majority of first-team reps during practice. The 39-year-old took over for Mariota against the Eagles in Week 16, completing five of nine pass attempts and throwing one interception. Second-year Commanders QB Sam Hartman resides as another option, with the same now being true of Driskell.
A former sixth-round pick, Driskell has made a total of 25 appearances and 12 starts in the NFL. The 32-year-old logged just one snap during the regular season with the Commanders last year, but depending on how things play out his workload with the team could soon change. With Driskell departing Arizona, a Cardinals team which is already without Kyler Murray for the remainder of the season will be thin at the QB spot barring a move of its own.
In a corresponding transaction, the Commanders have placed guard Sam Cosmi on injured reserve. The fifth-year blocker suffered a concussion against the Eagles, and this move ensures he will not return in 2025. Cosmi has been limited to just nine games this season as he recovered from an ACL tear. That resulted in an absence until mid-October, but not long after returning to action his attention will now turn to 2026.
Commanders To Explore QB Addition
With Jayden Daniels out of the lineup, Marcus Mariota handled starting duties for the Commanders on Saturday. He was unable to finish the game, however, meaning a short-term QB addition could be coming. 
Mariota cleared concussion protocol upon exiting Washington’s Week 16 loss to Philadelphia. The veteran also suffered a laceration on his throwing hand, however. That puts Mariota’s availability for the final two weeks of the season in question. To little surprise, then, head coach Dan Quinn said (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington) the team will look into a quarterback addition.
Daniels has been shut down for the remainder of the year, and Quinn confirmed he will not play regardless of the Commanders’ situation under center. As a result, attention will turn to Mariota’s ability to heal in time for Week 17. Washington will host Dallas on Christmas Day in a game featuring two teams already eliminated from playoff contention.
Josh Johnson took over QB duties once Mariota went down. The 39-year-old has thus made 48 regular season appearances in the NFL as part of his incredibly nomadic football career. That figure could increase depending on how the next few days play out.
Mariota, 32, remained in the nation’s capital this past offseason by signing another one-year pact. He is a pending free agent as a result, so his availability for the closing stages of the campaign will be key in determining his value. It remains to be seen if Mariota will be able to add further to his list of 2025 appearances with Daniels staying on the sidelines. Johnson could make his 10th career start, but in that case Washington will look to bring in depth for the end of the season.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Several dominoes have fallen so far in Week 16 with respect to the NFL’s playoff picture. The Cowboys have been eliminated while the Patriots, Seahawks, Bears, Eagles and 49ers have locked in a postseason berth.
The final two weeks of the campaign will determine the remaining playoff spots, but they will also sort out the top of the draft order. Six teams remain within striking distance of the No. 1 pick, although the Titans’ win on Sunday greatly weakened their chances of landing the top selection for the second year in a row. One contest in particular will be worth monitoring next week with respect to draft positioning.
The Giants and Raiders each sport a record of 2-13. They will play each other in Week 17, meaning the loser of that contest will have the inside track for the No. 1 pick. New York already has a head coaching vacancy while Pete Carroll is in danger of going one-and-done in Vegas. Plenty of incentive for winning will exist for Carroll in particular, but the outcome of that game will have major implications on the draft order.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Washington Commanders (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- Miami Dolphins (6-9)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
- Detroit Lions (8-7)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
- Houston Texans (10-5)
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Chicago Bears (11-4)
- New England Patriots (12-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
Commanders Likely To Retain Dan Quinn, Move On From DC Joe Whitt
Joe Whitt came over from Dallas with Dan Quinn, but after Washington’s defense has underwhelmed, it looks like a change will be coming. Although Quinn appears safe heading out of the 2025 season, a new defensive play-caller may be coming soon.
Quinn yanked play-calling duties from Whitt midway through this season, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero point to the DC’s likely dismissal following this season. Whitt received interest from the Cowboys and Commanders in 2024; he eventually accepted the Washington job.
While the Commanders made one of the most surprising conference championship game runs in NFL history last season, their offense did the heavier lifting. Whitt’s defense ranked 18th in scoring, 13th in yardage and 17th in EPA per play. This year brought a regression. When Quinn took over play-calling duties in early November, the Commanders ranked 29th in scoring defense and 30th in yardage. Six weeks later, the unit is 26th and 31st in those respective categories.
Whitt, 47, worked as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach under Quinn from 2021-23 and was on Quinn’s final Falcons staff in 2020 (as Atlanta’s DBs coach). He took part in a wide-ranging Jets HC interview process this offseason, but a move south of the DC tier may well take place in 2026. The Commanders have not done well to replace Montez Sweat, and their Marshon Lattimore trade did not do well to address issues in the secondary. Age across the roster has hurt the team’s cause as well.
Washington’s surprise surge to the NFC title game is expected to buy Quinn another year. Josh Harris still believes in the second-chance HC, per Rapoport and Pelissero, though it should certainly be expected the former Super Bowl HC’s seat will be warm to start the 2026 season. The Commanders sank to 4-11 on Saturday, marking a faceplant follow-up to their 2024 success.
Like the Panthers before them and Raiders after them, the Commanders made an aggressive pursuit of then-Lions OC Ben Johnson in 2024. The high-end play-caller turned them down, leading to the Quinn hire. Quinn, 55, being a second choice could factor into Harris and Adam Peters‘ decision down the road. But the success he had in Year 1 would probably make it rather impulsive to consider firing him now.
It will be interesting to see if OC Kliff Kingsbury draws extensive HC interest as he did last year. Kingsbury was selective following Jayden Daniels‘ Offensive Rookie of the Year season, not conducting any official interviews. A few teams had the Washington play-caller on their radars, but he opted to stick with Quinn and Daniels. After Daniels’ injury-plagued second season, Kingsbury’s stock has cooled. This would give Quinn a boost for 2026, when Daniels will be back and aiming to craft a third-year bounce-back effort — one that will largely determine the fates of Quinn and Kingsbury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Jammie Robinson
- Placed on IR: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: OL Chase Lundt
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: DT Kris Jenkins Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: DL Brenton Cox Jr.
- Placed on IR: RB MarShawn Lloyd (story)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Designated for return from IR: LB Jalen McLeod
Las Vegas Raiders
- Claimed off waivers (from Steelers): DT Brodric Martin
- Waived: DE Jahfari Harvey
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: K Charlie Smyth
- Placed on IR: WR Devaughn Vele
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: TE E.J. Jenkins, CB Brandon Johnson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: S J.T. Gray
- Waived: LB Nick Jackson
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: TE Lawrence Cager
Cox will give the Packers another pass-rushing option after they lost superstar Micah Parsons to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 15. An undrafted pickup in 2023, Cox impressed last season with five tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble in just seven games. However, he hasn’t factored in this year after suffering a groin injury in the Packers’ season-opening loss to the Lions. Now returning from a 13-game absence, Cox could have an opportunity to make an impact down the stretch.
Vele, a seventh-round pick a year ago, racked up 41 catches, 475 yards, and three touchdowns during a 13-game rookie season in Denver. The Broncos sold high on the 6-foot-5, 210-pounder in late August, shipping him to the Saints for a 2026 fourth-rounder and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
Vele, who’s now dealing with a shoulder injury, will wrap up his first season in New Orleans with 25 receptions, 293 yards, and two scores in 13 contests. While those are underwhelming numbers, Vele was far more productive in recent weeks. He combined for 19 grabs, 239 yards, and a TD in his last four games of the year.
Commanders DE Drake Jackson Will Make 2025 Debut In Week 16
Commanders defensive end Drake Jackson will make his 2025 debut on Saturday against the Eagles, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
Jackson, 24, has not played since 2023 due to a torn patellar tendon that sidelined him for 2024, as well. The 2022 second-round pick was waived by the 49ers in May and took visits with other teams in October. Jackson eventually signed with the Commanders but was moved to injured reserve as soon as he arrived in Washington to continue his rehab.
Jackson made his practice debut a month later and was activated just before his 21-day practice window expired. He still needed a few more weeks to ramp up, but he is finally ready for his first in-game action of the season.
The former USC standout only appeared in 23 games in his first two seasons, but he did flash some potential before his knee injury, Jackson recorded six sacks and five tackles for loss while playing a rotational role on the 49ers defensive line. After such a major injury and an extensive recovery process, though, a return to his previous form is no guarantee.
Those factors may also cause the Commanders to be cautious with Jackson on Saturday. Their defensive end room has been ravaged by injuries this year, but the group has found some stability in recent weeks after the acquisitions of Clelin Ferrell and Keion White. A number of minor injuries have continued to plague the unit, so Jackson will provide reinforcements for the next few weeks. Washington has already been eliminated from the playoffs and may give him some more run if his debut goes well so they can evaluate him for next year.
2025 NFL Dead Money, By Team
As we head toward the playoffs, three NFL teams are carrying more than $100MM in dead money. That represents more than a third of the salary cap. The 49ers are also on track to make the playoffs with more than $100MM allocated to players no longer on their 53-man roster. Here is where the 32 teams stand for dead money (via OverTheCap) with three weeks left in the regular season:
- New Orleans Saints: $107.83MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $103.77MM
- New York Jets: $102.1MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $87.79MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $87.27MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $86.1MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $85.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $83.22MM
- Miami Dolphins: $72.45MM
- Houston Texans: $66.44MM
- Tennessee Titans: $59.42MM
- Green Bay Packers: $57.98MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $56.23MM
- New England Patriots: $50.56MM
- Denver Broncos: $42.78MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $41.34MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.71MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $40.39MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $38.78MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $38.38MM
- Buffalo Bills: $37.58MM
- Carolina Panthers: $36.55MM
- New York Giants: $33.74MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $33.7MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $30.6MM
- Washington Commanders: $27.29MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $27MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $20.99MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $20.33MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $17.37MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $16.51MM
- Chicago Bears: $8.6MM
The $100MM trio dwarfs last year’s leaders — the Broncos — in this unwanted area. The Saints began taking some overdue medicine for their cap-gymnastics past by trading Marshon Lattimore last year. That move coming after June 1 pushed $31.67MM onto New Orleans’ 2025 cap sheet. Derek Carr also counts $19.2MM on this year’s Saints cap, while Ryan Ramczyk‘s retirement covers more than $11MM.
The Carr punishment covers $55.88MM in total, meaning nearly $37MM from the QB’s retirement will land on New Orleans’ 2026 payroll. Mickey Loomis‘ spree of restructures on that contract created that inflated figure.
Deebo Samuel brought a receiver-record dead money total to the 49ers, who absorbed $34.12MM by trading the seventh-year veteran in March. The second leg of the post-June 1 Arik Armstead transaction from 2024 created a $15MM dead cap hit this year, with void years on Charvarius Ward‘s deal covering more than $12MM.
Gang Green took on barely $20MM combined from the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades and will do the same next year, reflecting the low signing bonus figure on the Gardner extension. The Jets, though, have taken $56MM in total from the Aaron Rodgers release ($21MM this year, $35MM next). That is the second-highest total dead cap hit in NFL history.
The team that authorized the highest dead money sum in league annals — Denver, via the 2024 Russell Wilson release — is still carrying $32MM on that contract. It comes off the books next year, and the Broncos do not have any other player counting more than $3MM in dead cap on their 2025 payroll.
The Eagles and Seahawks are also moving toward the playoffs with higher dead money counts compared to the 2024 Broncos, though it should be noted the cap’s $24MM increase from last year plays into this. Philadelphia is still carrying a combined $26MM from the 2024 Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retirements. Josh Sweat void years also comprise $16.44MM of this year’s cap. The Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf trade brought $21MM in dead cap, while Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett and Dre’Mont Jones combine to cover more than $41MM in dead money.
Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith‘s 2024 Cleveland exits via trade tagged the Browns with more than $36MM in dead money together, while the Dolphins are dealing with more than $30MM combined from the post-June 1 designations on Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey. The latter counts $15.7MM in dead money this year and $20.9MM in 2026. That eclipses Lattimore’s defender-record total for dead cap.
Commanders Place WR Noah Brown On IR
Noah Brown‘s injury-marred season has come to an end. The veteran receiver has once again landed on injured reserve, the Commanders announced on Tuesday. 
Brown managed to play in Week 15, but that represented just his fourth appearance of the season. It would also prove to be his last. The move back to IR ensures at least a four-week absence. Having already been eliminated from the playoffs, the Commanders’ three remaining regular season games will be the last of their 2025 campaign.
[RELATED: Commanders Shut Down Jayden Daniels]
In his second season with the Commanders, Brown started the first two weeks of the season, drawing a healthy seven targets but only reeling in three catches for 36 yards. A groin injury would sideline him for the next 11 weeks. Injuries are nothing new for Brown, who hasn’t appeared in every game of a single season since 2020. Even that full campaign came on the heels of his 2018 season, in which he missed the first half of the year, and his 2019 season, in which he sat the entire year on the reserve/physically unable to perform list due to multiple knee surgeries.
This hasn’t only been a Brown problem, though. Injuries have been so rampant in Washington that, at one point, the team fielded a starting lineup that featured veteran Chris Moore and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane at wideout with Luke McCaffrey and Robbie Chosen coming off the bench. While stars Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel eventually returned, McCaffrey found his way to IR, where he would join running back Austin Ekeler and eventually be joined by tight end Zach Ertz. To really drive the point home, the team shut down starting quarterback Jayden Daniels today with three games left in the season as he recovers from an elbow dislocation on his non-throwing arm.
To fill Browns’ spot on the 53-man roster, the Commanders signed Moore back from the practice squad. Moore was initially signed off the practice squad to fill Ekeler’s spot on the active roster following his season-ending injury. Moore was waived to make room when Brown was activated just 10 days ago, but he’ll make a quick return to the 53-man roster.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/16/25
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Marques Cox, S Patrick McMorris
- Released: T Trey Wedig
Buffalo Bills
- Released: CB M.J. Devonshire
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Dominique Hampton
- Released: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Denver Broncos
- Released: RB Sincere McCormick
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Keenan Garber
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Brandon Hill
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G LaDarius Henderson, G Bill Murray, T Zachary Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: G Nick Broeker, S Tanner McCalister
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
New York Jets
- Signed: S Jaylen Mahoney, LB Ochaun Mathis
- Released: QB Adrian Martinez
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Isaiah Bolden
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR River Cracraft, WR Gee Scott Jr.
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: CB Darius Rush
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Sunday’s action provided more clarity on a number of fronts relating to the playoff pushes in each conference. The list of teams still in contention for the top pick in the 2026 draft remains long, however.
Week 15 saw the Broncos and Rams clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings have each officially been eliminated from the playoffs. They will join the group of teams turning their attention to offseason planning. That of course includes extensive evaluation of the top prospects in this year’s class; several have already turned pro (with some exceptions).
Sunday’s results mean there are nine teams with two, three or four wins. Each of them remain candidates to secure the No. 1 selection, although victories by the Saints and Commanders yesterday will greatly hinder their chances of moving to the top of the order. Jockeying amongst teams like the Raiders, Jets and Cardinals (each on track to pursue a new quarterback this spring) will be a storyline worth following closely down the stretch.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Tennessee Titans (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-11)
- New York Jets (3-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- New Orleans Saints (4-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Miami Dolphins (6-8)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7)
- Detroit Lions (8-6)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Houston Texans (9-5)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Buffalo Bills (10-4)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- New England Patriots (11-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-2)