Week 17 runs from Thursday, December 25 through Monday, December 29, with 16 games and playoff seeding on the line across the entire league. Six starting quarterbacks are either OUT or DOUBTFUL heading into the holiday stretch – QB Jayden Daniels and QB Marcus Mariota both OUT for Washington, QB Jordan Love OUT in Green Bay, QB Lamar Jackson DOUBTFUL in Baltimore, QB Anthony Richardson OUT in Indianapolis, QB J.J. McCarthy OUT in Minnesota, and QB Kurtis Rourke OUT in San Francisco. Offensive line injuries compound the quarterback chaos, with OT Tristan Wirfs, OT Lane Johnson, OT Laremy Tunsil, and multiple other front-five starters unavailable, while OLB T.J. Watt’s lung injury removes Pittsburgh’s most disruptive pass rusher from a divisional matchup. The Colts enter with eight players OUT, the Patriots with seven, and Detroit with 11 players carrying QUESTIONABLE tags – the injury report for this week is among the most crowded the league has produced in the 17-game era.
Below is a game-by-game breakdown of the most critical injury statuses for every Week 17 matchup, drawn from the official NFL.com injury report, covering key players ruled out or in doubt, who steps in, and what the absence means for the game.
Cowboys vs. Commanders: Jayden Daniels OUT, Washington turns to emergency QB options
Washington is without both of its quarterbacks for a Christmas Day game at Northwest Stadium. QB Jayden Daniels is OUT with a left elbow injury, and QB Marcus Mariota is OUT with a right hand and quad injury, leaving the Commanders in uncharted territory at the position. OT Laremy Tunsil (oblique), DT Daron Payne (back), and LB Nick Bellore (concussion) are also OUT.
Dallas is managing its own attrition: RB Phil Mafah (shoulder), OT Tyler Guyton (ankle), DE Payton Turner (ribs), LB DeMarvion Overshown (concussion), and CB Josh Butler (knee) are all OUT, with RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness), WR Ryan Flournoy (knee), G Tyler Booker (ankle), DT Quinnen Williams (neck), and CB Caelen Carson (hamstring) all QUESTIONABLE.
The loss of both Commanders quarterbacks is the dominant storyline of the entire week – no team has started a game with their top two QBs unavailable this late in a playoff-relevant season without significant fallout. Washington’s offensive game plan will be entirely dictated by whoever takes the snap, and that uncertainty extends deep into their playoff seeding calculus.
Lions vs. Vikings: Detroit’s depth tested with 11 QUESTIONABLE; J.J. McCarthy OUT
Minnesota enters Christmas Day without QB J.J. McCarthy (right hand), RB Jordan Mason (ankle), TE Gavin Bartholomew (back), TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder), and C Ryan Kelly (concussion) – five players OUT across skill and line positions. OL Brian O’Neill (heel) is QUESTIONABLE.
Detroit is not short of its own concerns: OT Giovanni Manu (knee) and DB Avonte Maddox (back/illness) are OUT, while 11 players carry QUESTIONABLE designations including WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee), RB David Montgomery (knee), and OL Taylor Decker (shoulder). That many QUESTIONABLE tags on a division leader carry the familiar look of a team managing bodies ahead of a deep January run.
McCarthy’s absence shifts Minnesota’s offensive identity considerably. The Vikings have enough around the quarterback position to function, but losing the rookie starter alongside Hockenson and Mason strips the offense of three of its most versatile weapons simultaneously.
Broncos vs. Chiefs: Kansas City playing it close with five QUESTIONABLE
Denver is without WR Pat Bryant (concussion), TE Nate Adkins (knee), C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), LB Dre Greenlaw (hamstring), and LB Karene Reid (hamstring) – five players OUT. Kansas City’s only confirmed absence is TE Jake Briningstool (hamstring).
The Chiefs have five players QUESTIONABLE in WR Nikko Remigio (knee), OT Jaylon Moore (knee), DT Derrick Nnadi (illness), DE George Karlaftis (illness), and LB Nick Bolton (illness) – a cluster of illness tags that often resolve by game time but add uncertainty to Kansas City’s preparation. The Prime Video Christmas night game carries seeding implications for both teams.
Texans vs. Chargers: Houston short-handed up front for Saturday matchup
Houston heads to SoFi Stadium without WR Justin Watson (calf), OT Trent Brown (ankle/knee), DE Darrell Taylor (ankle), LB Jamal Hill (calf/wrist), and CB Ajani Carter (hamstring), with OT Aireontae Ersery (thumb) QUESTIONABLE. Losing Brown at tackle is a notable front-five disruption for a team protecting a quarterback under pressure.
Los Angeles is without WR Derius Davis (ankle), S R.J. Mickens (shoulder), OT Jamaree Salyer (hamstring), and CB Benjamin St-Juste (shoulder), with G Mekhi Becton (knee), DL Teair Tart (groin), and RB Kimani Vidal (neck) all QUESTIONABLE. Both teams enter this Saturday afternoon game with meaningful attrition across secondary and offensive line positions.
Ravens vs. Packers: Lamar Jackson DOUBTFUL, Jordan Love OUT at Lambeau
This is the game with the most postseason weight attached to its injury report. QB Lamar Jackson is listed DOUBTFUL with a back injury – a designation that rarely results in a player taking the field – and DT Taven Bryan (knee) is OUT. LB Jay Higgins (knee) is QUESTIONABLE. Jackson has been the center of MVP conversation throughout the 2025 season, and his status for a Peacock Saturday night game at Lambeau amplifies the stakes considerably.
Green Bay is already without QB Jordan Love (left shoulder/concussion), OG John Williams (back), and LB Kristian Welch (ankle). QB Malik Willis carries a QUESTIONABLE tag of his own (right shoulder/illness), alongside WR Christian Watson (shoulder/illness), WR Savion Williams (foot/illness), RT Zach Tom (back/knee), LG Aaron Banks (neck/illness), C Sean Rhyan (knee/illness), CB Bo Melton (illness), and S Evan Williams (knee) – eight players QUESTIONABLE in Green Bay.
The possibility of two backup quarterbacks starting this game is real. A Ravens team without Jackson and a Packers team without Love turns a potential marquee matchup into one defined entirely by depth and play-calling adjustments. Baltimore’s rushing attack becomes the baseline game plan; Green Bay’s outcome depends almost entirely on whether Willis is healthy enough to start.
Panthers vs. Seahawks: Seattle down two starters on defense and line
Seattle is without OT Charles Cross (hamstring) and S Coby Bryant (knee). Carolina is missing DT Tershawn Wharton (hamstring) and LB Trevin Wallace (shoulder), with WR Tetairoa McMillan (illness) and G Robert Hunt (biceps) QUESTIONABLE. Cross’s absence is the headline for the Seahawks – he anchors their left tackle position and his injury affects pass protection regardless of who is at quarterback.
Cardinals vs. Bengals: Arizona missing four starters including Budda Baker
Arizona is OUT LT Paris Johnson Jr. (knee), LG Evan Brown (non-injury related/personal), CB Kei’Trel Clark (back), and S Budda Baker (concussion/thumb). Baker’s concussion designation removes one of the Cardinals’ most experienced defensive pieces from a game Cincinnati needs. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel), C Hjalte Froholdt (elbow), OLB Josh Sweat (ankle/knee), CB Will Johnson (thumb/chest), CB Max Melton (heel), and S Jalen Thompson (hamstring) are all QUESTIONABLE.
Cincinnati is without WR Charlie Jones (ankle), TE Cam Grandy (chest), C Matt Lee (knee), and DE Joseph Ossai (ankle), with TE Noah Fant (ankle), DT B.J. Hill (ankle), and CB Josh Newton (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE. Four players OUT on each side gives this matchup a notably depleted feel across both rosters.
Steelers vs. Browns: T.J. Watt OUT, Dillon Gabriel QUESTIONABLE
Pittsburgh loses OLB T.J. Watt (lung) for this divisional matchup – his absence removes the Steelers’ most disruptive pass rusher and a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate from a game that carries meaningful AFC North implications. WR Calvin Austin III (hamstring), LG Isaac Seumalo (tricep), CB Brandin Echols (groin), and CB James Pierre (calf) are also OUT.
Cleveland is without TE David Njoku (knee/non-injury related) and LB Winston Reid (back), while QB Dillon Gabriel (left shoulder) is QUESTIONABLE alongside RB Dylan Sampson (hand), TE Harold Fannin Jr. (groin), RG Wyatt Teller (calf), DT Sam Kamara (elbow), and CB Myles Harden (shoulder). Gabriel’s status is the Browns’ central question – if he cannot go, Cleveland’s offensive ceiling drops sharply in a game they need to be competitive.
Watt’s absence is one of the most significant single-player losses of the week. He leads the Steelers in pressure generation and his unavailability opens up every quick-passing concept Cleveland can deploy.
Jaguars vs. Colts: Anthony Richardson OUT, Indianapolis with eight players ruled out
Indianapolis is dealing with the most concentrated injury damage of any team in Week 17. QB Anthony Richardson is OUT with an eye injury, and the Colts are also missing WR Anthony Gould (foot), TE Andrew Ogletree (neck), RG Dalton Tucker (shoulder), C Tanor Bortolini (concussion), DE JT Tuimoloau (oblique), DT DeForest Buckner (neck), and S Daniel Scott (knee) – eight players OUT in total. RB Tyler Goodson (ankle) and LB Buddy Johnson (illness) are QUESTIONABLE.
Jacksonville is without RB Bhayshul Tuten (finger), RG Patrick Mekari (back), DE Danny Striggow (ankle), LB Jalen McLeod (ankle), and CB Jourdan Lewis (foot), with C Robert Hainsey (groin) and OL Anton Harrison (illness) QUESTIONABLE. Richardson’s eye injury, combined with Buckner’s absence on the defensive interior, guts Indianapolis’s identity on both sides of the ball.
Buccaneers vs. Dolphins: Wirfs OUT, Fitzpatrick OUT as both teams absorb key losses
Tampa Bay is without LT Tristan Wirfs (toe), DT Calijah Kancey (pectoral), and OLB Anthony Nelson (knee). Wirfs is one of the premier left tackles in the league, and his toe injury – which has limited him in prior weeks – materially changes how opposing defenses can attack Tampa Bay’s protection scheme.
Miami is without OL Andrew Meyer (tricep), DT Benito Jones (back), CB Isaiah Johnson (knee), and S Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf), with WR D’Wayne Eskridge (toe) listed DOUBTFUL and C Aaron Brewer (neck), LB Tyrel Dodson (chest), and K Jason Sanders (right hip) all QUESTIONABLE. Fitzpatrick’s calf injury removes the Dolphins’ most accomplished defender and a centerpiece of their secondary.
Patriots vs. Jets: New England with seven OUT as both rosters thin out
New England brings seven players OUT into MetLife Stadium: WR Kayshon Boutte (concussion), WR Mack Hollins (abdomen), LG Jared Wilson (concussion), DT Khyiris Tonga (foot), DT Milton Williams (ankle), LB Harold Landry (knee), and LB Robert Spillane (ankle). RB TreVeyon Henderson (concussion), FB Jack Westover (illness), WR Demario Douglas (hamstring), and CB Charles Woods (foot) are QUESTIONABLE.
New York is without TE Mason Taylor (neck), DE Will McDonald IV (knee), DT Jay Tufele (foot), and LB Francisco Mauigoa (neck), with OL Xavier Newman-Johnson (knee) QUESTIONABLE. Both teams enter this game with rosters thinned by a long season, and the Patriots’ seven-player OUT list is the second-highest single-team total of the week.
Saints vs. Titans: Alvin Kamara OUT, New Orleans missing core offensive pieces
New Orleans is without RB Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle), TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden (knee), RG Cesar Ruiz (ankle), and DT Bryan Bresee (knee). Kamara’s absence strips the Saints of their most dangerous skill player – his combined rushing and receiving production has been the offensive engine in New Orleans all season. WR Mason Tipton (groin), WR Chris Olave (back), and K Charlie Smyth (illness) are QUESTIONABLE.
Tennessee is without WR Bryce Oliver (knee), OLB Ali Gaye (knee), OLB Oluwafemi Oladejo (fibula), and CB Marcus Harris (knee), with CB Micah Robinson (illness) QUESTIONABLE. Olave’s QUESTIONABLE tag is the secondary concern for New Orleans – if he and Kamara are both unavailable, the Saints’ offensive options are dramatically compressed.
Giants vs. Raiders: New York with seven OUT including Andrew Thomas
New York brings seven players OUT to Allegiant Stadium: WR Beaux Collins (neck/concussion), TE Theo Johnson (illness), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), OG Evan Neal (neck), C John Michael Schmitz (finger), DT DJ Davidson (neck/concussion), and S Tyler Nubin (neck). Thomas and Schmitz represent the loss of two starting offensive linemen simultaneously, which restructures the Giants’ run and pass protection entirely.
Las Vegas is without OT Kolton Miller (ankle) and DE Maxx Crosby (knee), with RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee) and WR Jack Bech (back) QUESTIONABLE. Crosby’s knee injury removes the Raiders’ most productive pass rusher from a game they are motivated to win at home.
Eagles vs. Bills: Lane Johnson OUT as Philadelphia’s line takes another hit
Philadelphia is without RT Lane Johnson (foot) and LB Nakobe Dean (hamstring), with OT Cameron Williams (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE. Johnson has been an anchor of the Eagles’ offensive line for years and his foot injury – similar in profile to the kind of late-season wear tracked in individual player updates like the Brock Purdy toe situation earlier this season – adds front-five pressure to a Philadelphia team protecting a quarterback-dependent offense.
Buffalo is without DT DaQuan Jones (calf), DT Jordan Phillips (ankle), S Jordan Poyer (hamstring), and K Matt Prater (right quad), with TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) and TE Dawson Knox (knee) both QUESTIONABLE. Losing both Kincaid and Knox would leave the Bills without their top two tight ends – a significant structural change to Buffalo’s short-to-intermediate passing game.
Bears vs. 49ers: Kurtis Rourke OUT, George Kittle QUESTIONABLE in prime time
San Francisco is without QB Kurtis Rourke (knee) and CB Renardo Green (neck), with WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) and TE George Kittle (ankle) listed QUESTIONABLE. Kittle’s availability is the key variable – his ankle has been managed through the second half of the season, and a QUESTIONABLE tag in a Sunday night game carries real uncertainty. The 49ers’ depth at quarterback has been a recurring theme throughout the year, and readers tracking this situation can find additional context in the Week 18 injury report as San Francisco’s roster situation develops into the final weekend.
Chicago is without WR Rome Odunze (foot) and CB Nick McCloud (illness), with eight players QUESTIONABLE including WR DJ Moore (illness), WR Olamide Zaccheaus (illness), RT Darnell Wright (illness), OG Luke Newman (foot), LB T.J. Edwards (glute), CB Josh Blackwell (illness), CB Nahshon Wright (hamstring/illness), and S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (knee). The volume of illness tags on the Bears suggests a locker-room bug making its way through the roster – a pattern that historically resolves closer to kickoff but creates genuine depth concerns if multiple players are downgraded Saturday.
Rams vs. Falcons: Davante Adams DOUBTFUL on Monday night
Los Angeles closes the week with WR Davante Adams (hamstring) listed DOUBTFUL – a designation that rarely results in a player taking the field. Adams joined the Rams mid-season to provide a veteran receiving option, and his unavailability Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium reorders the target hierarchy significantly. RG Kevin Dotson (ankle) and CB Josh Wallace (ankle) are OUT, with LT Alaric Jackson (knee) and DE Braden Fiske (ankle) QUESTIONABLE.
Atlanta is without DL Sam Roberts (knee/ankle), LB Josh Woods (personal), CB Mike Hughes (ankle), and CB Clark Phillips III (tricep/illness), with WR Drake London (knee) QUESTIONABLE. London’s knee is the Falcons’ most significant status to monitor – he is Atlanta’s primary receiving option, and a QUESTIONABLE tag on the league’s final game of the week will move through the analytics community before Monday evening.
With six starting quarterbacks either OUT or DOUBTFUL across Week 17 and cluster injuries at offensive tackle, pass rusher, and skill positions compounding the volatility, this is as unpredictable a holiday slate as the NFL has produced in recent memory. Final inactives post 90 minutes before each kickoff – that is when the full picture comes into focus. Which team’s injury situation stabilizes cleanly enough to clinch the seeding it needs heading into the postseason?
