2025 NFL Week 15 Buzz: Chicago Bears Anticipate to Get Beginning WR Again

[ad_1] Who's beginning, who's damage, and who's on the transfer?

NFL information is nonstop, and we're breaking all of it down week by week this season.

This is the most recent on what's occurring across the league getting into Week 15:

Chicago is bullish that Odunze will play in its house matchup in opposition to the Cleveland Browns, per ESPN. Odzune, who's listed as questionable for Week 15, missed Chicago's Week 14 loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers attributable to a foot harm. By means of 12 video games, the second-year receiver has totaled 44 receptions for 661 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh Steelers outdoors linebacker T.J. Watt underwent surgical procedure to restore {a partially} collapsed lung sustained throughout a dry-needling session and can miss Monday's go to to Miami. J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt's older brother, posted on X that T.J. had the surgical procedure on Thursday.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated after follow Friday that T.J. Watt was house resting comfortably however can be unavailable when Pittsburgh (7-6) hosts the surging Dolphins (6-7). Requested if Watt might be out for an prolonged interval, Tomlin stated he hadn't appeared past this week.

Watt was hospitalized on Wednesday after reporting what the membership described as "discomfort" whereas being handled by Steelers medical employees on the crew facility. J.J. Watt stated T.J. was having a dry-needling session on the time.

Tomlin stated he had "no concept" in regards to the particulars of Watt's dry-needling session however added he was not ready to 'dispute one thing stated by somebody near him."

A seven-time Professional Bowler and the 2021 NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr, the 30-year-old Watt has seven sacks this season for the Steelers, who maintain a one-game lead over Baltimore for the AFC North lead with 4 weeks remaining.

Higgins (concussion) and Harrison (heel) will miss their respective crew's Week 15 matchups. Higgins has totaled 46 receptions for 667 yards and 9 touchdowns by means of 12 video games this season. Harrison has totaled 40 receptions for 594 yards and 4 touchdowns by means of 10 video games.

Colts coy on naming QB1 after including Philip Rivers to follow squad The Indianapolis Colts bolstered their injury-depleted quarterback corps by bringing 44-year-old Rivers out of retirement. However, with Week 15 on the horizon, head coach Shane Steichen praised Rivers' readiness however declined to call a starter.

"He is acquired nice command within the huddle. He was throwing it nicely," Steichen stated, per ESPN. "So we're excited for it. He is fired up for the problem, getting again into it, getting again within the fold feeling the cross rush. Obtained some good work in that."

The Colts have proven religion in Rivers since signing him to the follow squad on Wednesday. The transfer got here lower than 24 hours after Steichen confirmed starter, Daniel Jones, would miss the remainder of this season after tearing his proper Achilles tendon and backup quarterback Riley Leonard injured his proper knee through the Week 14 loss to the Jaguars.

Regardless of his historical past with Steichen on the Chargers, it stays to be seen if Rivers is snug with Indianapolis' playbook — or had sufficient time to work his means into sport form. The reeling Colts will attempt to snap a three-game dropping streak and preserve their playoff hopes alive on Sunday on the Seahawks.

Rivers hasn't taken a snap since ending his profession with a playoff loss following the Colts' 2020 season; that was the final time Indianapolis made the postseason. The eight-time Professional Bowler introduced his retirement in January 2021 and has been teaching at St. Michael Excessive College in Fairhope, Alabama, ever since.

Giants listing Lawrence as questionable for Week 15 New York might be with out star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence after itemizing him as questionable with a hamstring harm following a restricted follow on Friday.

Lawrence popping up on the harm report this late within the week might be an indication the three-time Professional Bowler may a rising listing of unavailable gamers for Sunday's house sport in opposition to the Commanders.

Cook dinner will begin at quarterback for the Jets of their street matchup in opposition to the Jaguars, head coach Aaron Glenn introduced on Dec. 12. Final week, Cook dinner entered the sport through the Jets' Week 14 loss to the Dolphins when Tyrod Taylor suffered a groin harm. Cook dinner totaled 163 passing yards, zero passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 35.8 passer ranking, whereas finishing 46.7% of his passe. New York signed Cook dinner as an undrafted free agent final offseason.

Dallas' star wideout has cleared concussion protocol and might be energetic for the crew's house sport in opposition to the Vikings, per NFL Media. Lamb left the Cowboys' Week 14 loss to the Lions with a head harm. Lamb, a four-time Professional Bowler, missed three video games earlier this season attributable to a excessive ankle sprain. In 10 video games performed, he has totaled 57 receptions for 865 yards and three touchdowns. Dallas is 6-6-1 and a pair of.5 video games out of the third NFC wild-card seed.

Baltimore has signed Jones to a three-year, $40.5 million extension, per NFL Media. The deal contains $25 million assured. This season, Jones has totaled one pressured fumble, one fumble restoration, 1.5 sacks, two passes defended and 34 mixed tackles by means of 12 video games. The Ravens chosen Jones within the third spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft out of UConn, and he has began 27 video games over the previous two seasons for Baltimore.

Giants HC will not touch upon fired DL coach Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka "once more declined" to share particulars on the latest information that assistant line of defense coach Bryan Cox was let go through the crew's Week 14 bye. There was reported rigidity between Cox and the remainder of the employees after ex-head coach Brian Daboll was fired earlier this season, and issues boiled over final week. Daboll introduced Cox onto his employees when he was first employed in 2022, and now their departure will occur, principally, in tandem.

Smith didn't follow Wednesday as a result of a shoulder harm, inserting his standing for Sunday in query. Head coach Pete Carroll termed Smith's standing as day-to-day. Kenny Pickett, who was Jalen Hurts' backup final season with the Eagles, took first-team snaps in follow. "I am going to simply wait and see what (Smith) seems like," Carroll stated.

Smith injured his proper (throwing) shoulder within the third quarter of Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Broncos. He was not out there for remark Wednesday. Pickett changed Smith and accomplished 8 of 11 passes for 97 yards and a rating.

Washington might be with out quarterback Jayden Daniels for its street matchup in opposition to the Giants attributable to a left elbow harm, head coach Dan Quinn introduced on Dec. 10. Daniels suffered the harm in Washington's Week 14 loss to the Vikings, which was the quarterback's first sport again from a Week 9 elbow harm. Marcus Mariota will make his seventh begin at quarterback for Washington, which is 3-10.

Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Yr, has seen his sophomore marketing campaign be mired by knee and elbow accidents, with the quarterback boasting simply an 88.1 passer ranking (Daniels posted a 100.1 passer ranking in 2024) and finishing 60.6% of his passes (Daniels accomplished 69% of his passes in 2024) within the seven video games that he has appeared in.

A quick hospital go to gained’t preserve Metcalf from enjoying subsequent week in opposition to the Dolphins. Metcalf was hit laborious within the stomach through the crew's 27-22 victory in opposition to the Ravens on Sunday and stayed behind when the difficulty persevered after Metcalf was handled with over-the-counter cures through the sport, in response to head coach Mike Tomlin.

"It [probably got] progressively worse after the sport, and so I’m appreciative of our medical specialists," Tomlin stated. "We simply exercised an abundance of precaution. We didn’t wish to get him within the air with out having a whole understanding about what he was coping with, and so they did a great job of that."

Metcalf completed with season highs in receptions (seven) and yards (148) as Pittsburgh regained management of the AFC North. The 2-time Professional Bowler additionally stuffed in as a gunner on punt protection late within the sport after particular groups ace Ben Skowronek exited with an harm, one thing Metcalf hadn't accomplished since highschool. Tomlin said that Metcalf is "shifting in the appropriate path" and he would not anticipate the difficulty jeopardizing Metcalf's availability.

Kelly, who leads Las Vegas with three interceptions, was positioned on IR on Dec. 9 with a season-ending tear in his patellar tendon. The crew signed cornerback Chigozie Anusiem off Arizona's follow squad in a corresponding transfer.

Kelly was injured within the Raiders' 24-17 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. "It was only a freak accident," head coach Pete Carroll stated Monday. "You didn’t see it buckle or something. He simply planted — and typically that occurs."

Head coach Dan Quinn introduced that Ertz would miss the remainder of the season after the 13-year veteran tore his ACL within the Commanders' 31-0 shutout loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Ertz, who was upended throughout an incomplete cross over the center thrown by backup QB Marcus Mariota after starter Jayden Daniels was sidelined after reaggravating his elbow harm, left the crew's locker room on crutches. Ertz was unable to place any weight on his leg when he was helped off the sector and was visibly upset as he reached the sideline earlier than being transported inside on a cart.

A second-round draft choose by Philadelphia and a Tremendous Bowl champion with the Eagles, Ertz had 50 catches for 504 yards in 2025. In his second season with the Commanders, Ertz has the second-most receptions by a good finish (825) within the NFL since his debut in 2013, trailing solely Travis Kelce (1,063 getting into Sunday).

Browns title rookie QB Shedeur Sanders as starter for remainder of season Following a robust efficiency in opposition to the Titans on Sunday, Sanders has formally been named the Browns' starter for the rest of the season. He threw for a career-high 364 yards and three touchdowns — plus a fourth on the bottom — within the slim 31-29 loss. Sanders joins Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow as the one rookie quarterbacks with no less than 350 passing yards, three landing passes and one dashing rating in a sport.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski can also be satisfied that Sanders can be taught from his errors, such because the ill-fated third-quarter interception the place he scrambled and threw a deep cross to the center of the sector — which was picked off by Tennessee's Xavier Woods. The interception would later result in the Titans scoring the go-ahead landing.

"I believe he has continually and persistently gotten higher in every considered one of these video games," Stefanski stated. "He’s been working very laborious, so I be ok with the place his growth is heading. He is aware of there are all the time going to be performs that he could be higher … however he’s very intentional about getting higher each sport he’s on the market."

Buccaneers welcome again two-time Tremendous Bowl champion cross rusher A well-known face has returned to Tampa Bay. The Bucs have signed defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul, 36, to the follow squad, setting him up for an opportunity to assist his former crew's cross rush and playoff push with 4 video games left within the common season.

A 2010 first-round choose by the New York Giants, Pierre-Paul beforehand performed for Tampa Bay from 2018 to 2021 and was a member of the membership's Tremendous Bowl LV-winning protection in 2021. Pierre-Paul has 94.5 sacks, 632 tackles and 21 pressured fumbles in 180 profession video games, together with his final motion coming in 2023 when he performed one sport for the Saints and two for the Dolphins.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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