JUST IN: J.J. MCCARTHY OUT, SEE THE SHOCK NFL CHRISTMAS QB DISASTER NOW
J.J. McCarthy and Patrick Mahomes are out for Christmas. See the SHOCK backup QB lineup REVEALED for Netflix's games.
Looks like the Minnesota Vikings' QB, JJ McCarthy, has a hairline fracture in his hand and won't play against the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day.
This is bad news for Netflix, which is paying a lot—like $150 million each year—to have exclusive rights to NFL games on Christmas Day. They had a doubleheader last year and planned a tripleheader for December 25, 2025.
The games sounded cool initially, but it turns out that most of the teams playing are already out of the playoffs. Injuries to big-name guys like Patrick Mahomes haven't helped either, and now McCarthy is out for the Vikings.
McCarthy is just one of several QBs who won’t be playing on Christmas Day. The Vikings are saying Max Brosmer will start against the Lions, who aren't likely to make the playoffs.
The first game of the tripleheader is the Washington Commanders playing the Dallas Cowboys, but both of those teams aren't going to playoffs. The Commanders have had a rough year with injuries, and backup QB Marcus Mariota got hurt on Saturday.
Their main QB, Jayden Daniels, has been out most of the year with an injury, and Mariota had to leave their 29-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, Josh Johnson, the third-string QB, might start against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
The second game is the Vikings versus the Lions, with Brosmer stepping in for McCarthy. Detroit only has a tiny chance (like 7%) of making the playoffs after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, 29-24, because of a call that people didn't like.
For the Lions to get to the postseason, they need to win their last two games and hope the Green Bay Packers lose twice. The last game was going to be a big one between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos, but things haven't gone as planned.
The Chiefs used to own the NFL recently, but they won't be in the playoffs this year, which is the first time that's happened with Patrick Mahomes. Travis Kelce will be there, but Chris Oladokun, the third-string QB, will be leading the Chiefs' offense.
Mahomes hurt himself badly in their 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers a while back, and things got worse on Sunday. Gardner Minshew hurt his knee against the Tennessee Titans and is out.
Oladokun is going to start for the first time for the Chiefs against the Broncos on Christmas Day. Even though the Lions barely have a shot at the playoffs, this game matters a lot for the Broncos.
Denver has already made the playoffs and is the No. 1 seed in the AFC Conference right now. They are at the same level as the New England Patriots, and both teams are 12-3.
If the Broncos win against the Chiefs, they could lock up the No. 1 seed and win the AFC West. They are just one win ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers, who are 11-4.
DEXTER LAWRENCE TRADE REQUEST LOOMS OVER GIANTS' PREPARATIONS FOR PITTSBURGH NFL DRAFT
Dexter Lawrence wants out! Discover why the Giants are considering a trade before the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
The New York Giants might have no choice but to trade Dexter Lawrence before the NFL Draft. Negotiations on a new contract with the star defender have hit a wall, and Lawrence already asked for a trade earlier this month. He's skipped the team’s first offseason practices under new head coach John Harbaugh, which hasn’t helped matters.
At this point, the Giants have been talking with several teams about a possible deal for Lawrence. With the draft coming up in Pittsburgh next week, the pressure is on. They need picks, and right now they only hold two selections in the top 100. Harbaugh’s trying to breathe new life into the roster, but he needs more draft capital to do it.
News of the stalled negotiations came just hours after GM Joe Schoen sounded pretty upbeat, saying talks had been "productive". He explained that he, Harbaugh, and senior VP Dawn Aponte were all in regular contact with Lawrence’s reps, looking for some kind of resolution. Schoen insisted they want Dexter to stay, but he admitted it’s out of their hands now. They’ll just have to see what happens.
Lawrence, 28, signed a four-year, $90 million extension last year. Since then, defensive contracts have exploded, so his deal has dropped to just 11th among league defenders. On top of that, the team’s shaken up its roster, letting go of many Lawrence’s close teammates like Saquon Barkley.
Lawrence has been with the Giants since they drafted him 17th overall in 2019. He’s played his whole seven-year career in New York, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro honours. His career stats include 30.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception. But last year wasn’t great; he only managed half a sack, eight QB hits, and a pass rush win rate of 8.3 per cent for a team that finished 4-13. It’s hard to tell if he’ll stay with the Giants much longer.
RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE
No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.
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Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.
He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.
He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.
“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”
So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.
Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.
Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.
“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”
