NFL Week 17 News Roundup

With just one weekend left in the regular season, all eyes are on the postseason as teams jockey for positioning and their playoff lives. While all attention is on the standings, there has been plenty of other news both on and off the field. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest news stories from the week.
Game With Big Implications Could Feature No Starting Quarterbacks
One of the most intriguing matchups of Week 17 is between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, a game that will have a huge impact on the playoff picture. If the Rams win, they are in as a Wild Card. If the Cardinals win, they are in as a Wild Card. With so much at stake, it would be a challenging game for a backup quarterback to have to take over under center, but that is exactly what could happen for both teams.
For the Rams, it is official. After breaking and dislocating his thumb last week, Jared Goff is out, and it will be John Wolford starting for the Rams.
To give them some extra depth and experience, Los Angeles signed Blake Bortles off the Broncos’ practice squad. Still, it will be Wolford under center, and it is his first NFL start.
While the Rams’ offense has sputtered a bit lately, Goff has still thrown for 3,952 yards and 20 touchdowns, so it is a big hit to the offense.
If the news wasn’t bad enough for Los Angeles, they put star wide receiver Cooper Kupp on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday. This season, Kupp has 92 receptions for 974 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the designation, it is still possible that he will be able to suit up Sunday.
For Arizona, they also might be turning to a backup. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who was already dealing with shoulder issues, injured his leg in last week’s loss to the 49ers. This season, Murray has thrown for 3,884 yards and 26 touchdowns while also rushing for 816 yards and 11 scores. While there is a much better chance of Murray playing than Goff, it is worth eyeing as next on the depth chart is Chris Streveler.
While both of their moneylines currently sit at -108, the Rams currently sit as a slight favorite as the spread features them laying a point to the Cardinals.
In terms of team futures, the Rams are +1200 to win the NFC while the Cardinals are +4000. To win the Super Bowl, the Rams are +2500 while the Cardinals are +10000.
Dwayne Haskins Released
Despite taking him in the first round just a year and a half ago, the Washington Football Team has released quarterback Dwayne Haskins. It is a frustrating parting for the two sides as Haskins not only played poorly when he had his opportunities but also became a liability as he had broken COVID-19 protocols on multiple occasions this season.
Haskins threw for 1,439 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions in seven games played this year. In seven games last season, he also had seven interceptions (to go along with seven touchdowns).
For Washington, they have a crucial Week 17 matchup against Philadelphia this week. If they win, they are in the playoffs as the NFC East champions but could be without starter Alex Smith again, who is dealing with a calf injury.
Jaguars Win Race For Trevor Lawrence
It came down to the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars in a battle of futility to secure the rights to the first overall pick. That “honor” goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars as they lost to the Chicago Bears while the Jets upset the Cleveland Browns.
The prize for only winning one game could be a generational quarterback. If Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence chooses to leave college for the pros, Jacksonville will likely welcome him with open arms.
This season, Jacksonville has relied on Gardner Minshew and Mike Glennon, both of whom leave something to be desired under center.
In Lawrence, they would be getting one of the best quarterbacks to come out of the college ranks in some time. This season, he has thrown for 2,753 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine games. He has also rushed for 211 yards and another seven scores.
While his addition wouldn’t make the Jaguars immediate contenders, it would undoubtedly be a good start. For Jacksonville, it appears they won by losing.