2025 NFL Week 18 Buzz: J.J. McCarthy's Future; Potential Giants Coaching Target

The holiday season is over, but the news around the NFL is the gift that keeps on giving.

With only one week of regular-season games left, every bit of news is all the more consequential as we inch closer to the playoffs and Super Bowl LX.

Who's hurt? Who's practicing? Who's starting? And who's on the hot seat? Here's the latest on what's happening around the league entering Week 18:

Will McCarthy's Week 18 start be his last?

The Minnesota Vikings announced that J.J. McCarthy will start at quarterback in Week 18. But, according to a new report, the start could be the second-year pro's last in 2026.

Minnesota plans to "explore established options via trade or free agency to strengthen its quarterback room" this offseason, per The Athletic's Dianna Russini. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, will return to the Vikings next season, but, as Russini stated, that "doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be the starter."

McCarthy missed Week 17 with a right-hand injury, but he will be active for Minnesota's regular-season finale. McCarthy has had an up-and-down season, much of which has been mired by injury. He missed six games earlier this season with a high-ankle sprain and sustained a concussion in Week 12. 

Could Giants add Jaxson Dart's former coach? 

As the Giants begin their search for a new head coach, a familiar name in Dart's past could be one to watch for any future coaching staff.

Charlie Weis Jr. was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ole Miss during Dart’s time there. If he stays in the college ranks, he’s going to join head coach Lane Kiffin’s staff at LSU.

According to ESPN, though, Weis’ name has come up as a potential name that could end up on the Giants’ coaching staff. The match makes sense given his history with Dart.

Nico Collins not playing

The Houston Texans' No. 1 wide receiver is a healthy scratch for the team's home matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, per ESPN. Collins, a two-time Pro Bowler, has totaled 71 receptions for 1,117 yards (15.7 yards per reception) and six touchdowns through 15 games this season. This is the third consecutive year that Collins has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. The Texans enter Sunday as the No. 5 seed in the AFC with an 11-5 record.

Marvin Harrison Jr. placed on IR

The second-year wide receiver's 2025 campaign is officially over, as the Arizona Cardinals placed Harrison on injured reserve on Jan. 2. Harrison, whom the Cardinals selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, was limited to 12 games this season due to an illness and a heel injury. He totaled 41 receptions for 608 yards (14.8 yards per reception) and four touchdowns. Arizona, 3-13, closes out the regular season with a road matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Jaguars Ink OL to Extension

The Jacksonville Jaguars locked down a key piece of their offensive line ahead of Week 18, agreeing to an extension with Cole Van Lanen on Saturday.

Josh Allen will start against the Jets

After missing the first two Bills practices of the week, Allen return on Friday. Head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Allen will be under center for the Bills' final regular-season game at Highmark Stadium against the Jets on Sunday.

The Bills will be on the road to start the playoffs and are currently the No. 7 seed in the AFC. They could move up, though. The Chargers are playing at the Broncos this weekend and are sitting quarterback Justin Herbert, which means Trey Lance will get the start. Denver needs to win in order to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

If the Chargers lose to the Broncos and the Bills beat the Jets, Buffalo will move up to the No. 6 seed. The Bills could move all the way up to No. 5 if both the Chargers and Texans lose, although Houston is a big home favorite against the Colts with quarterback Riley Leonard getting the start.

[NFL Playoff Picture Entering Week 18]

Lamar Jackson plans to play Sunday

Lamar Jackson said on Thursday that he's expecting to play when the Baltimore Ravens take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the AFC North title Sunday night. "A hundred percent," the star quarterback said. 'I'm going to be out there.'

Jackson returned to practice Wednesday and was a full participant, but he didn't talk with reporters at the podium until Thursday. He said he's feeling good after missing last weekend's game at Green Bay because of a back injury.

That was the fourth game this season Jackson has missed, the first three because of hamstring problems. Jackson addressed some of the skepticism that's come his way lately regarding his willingness to play through pain.

"I never quit on my team before. I never quit anything to be honest with you,' Jackson said. 'I don't know where that noise came from."Jackson said he believes he has a good relationship with coach John Harbaugh and "absolutely" wants to be in Baltimore.

The Ravens need a win this weekend to make the playoffs after they entered the season as a popular Super Bowl pick.

Colts QB Riley Leonard to start Week 18

The Indianapolis Colts announced that Riley Leonard will start at quarterback for their final regular-season game. Leonard, a rookie out of Notre Dame, came in during Week 14 after Daniel Jones sustained a knee injury, and finished that game. He was in position to start the remainder of the season, but the Colts brought Philip Rivers out of retirement and he won the starting job. So, after backing up Rivers for three games, Leonard will get his opportunity. 

Dolphins TE placed on season-ending injured reserve

The Miami Dolphins placed tight end Darren Waller on injured reserve Friday with a groin injury, effectively ending his season. It's Waller's second stint on the IR this season after missing four games (Week 8-12) with a pectoral injury. He also didn't appear for the Dolphins until Week 3 as he was ramping up from a return from retirement. Waller ended the season with 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season. 

Josh Johnson starting again for Washington

Johnson will start for the Commanders in their road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, as Marcus Mariota is inactive for the second consecutive week due to a hand injury, head coach Dan Quinn announced on Jan. 2. 

Last week, Johnson threw for 198 yards, completed 65.2% of his passes and posted a 92.3 passer rating in Washington's Christmas Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels has played in just seven games this season due to knee, hamstring and elbow injuries. The Commanders are 4-12.

Miami Dolphins working with Troy Aikman

The Miami Dolphins brought on Hall-of-Fame quarterback Troy Aikman as a consultant to help select the next general manager. Aikman played 12 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys before becoming an NFL analyst. Now he'll help find the replacement for Chris Grier, who was the Dolphins general manager for the last nine years. 

Chris Olave out for Week 18 with blood clots

The Saints will be without wide receiver Chris Olave when they close the regular season against the Falcons on Sunday after it was discovered he developed a blood clot in one of his lungs, ESPN reported Thursday. Olave later shared a post on Instagram after undergoing treatment. 

Olave had a bounce-back season in 2025, logging 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. 

While neither the Saints nor Falcons can make the playoffs, Sunday's game could have postseason implications. The Buccaneers need the Saints to either tie or beat the Falcons in order to win the NFC South. 

Jordan Love clears concussion protocol

The Packers' starting quarterback will be ready to go when the playoffs begin. Jordan Love has cleared concussion protocol after missing the Packers' Week 17 loss to the Ravens, head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Thursday. However, third-string quarterback Clayton Tune will get the start for the Packers against the Vikings on Sunday as backup Malik Willis is also dealing with a shoulder injury, LaFleur added.

Green Bay is the only team that's locked into a playoff seed entering Week 18. It'll be the NFC's No. 7 seed for a third-straight season. 

Lamar Jackson practicing ahead of Ravens' regular-season finale

In a bit of a Wednesday surprise, Lamar Jackson is out on the practice field for the Ravens ahead of Sunday's de facto AFC North Championship Game against the Steelers. The star quarterback hasn't participated much on the first day of practice each week since his midseason return from a hamstring injury. He also missed the Ravens' Week 17 win over the Packers on Saturday due to a back injury he suffered in their Week 16 loss to the Patriots. Jackson had also missed the entirety of Ravens practice leading up to the game, which was his fourth missed start of the season.

The Ravens will need to beat the Steelers on Sunday in order to make the postseason for a third straight year. 

Bills DE Ed Oliver suffers setback

Buffalo Bills starting defensive tackle Ed Oliver had minor surgery for a knee injury this week, further delaying his return off injured reserve for playoff-bound Buffalo.

Coach Sean McDermott provided an update on Wednesday, stating that the injury occurred while Oliver was rehabbing from a torn left bicep he sustained in late October. Oliver was originally projected to return before the end of the season.

McDermott did not have a timetable for Oliver’s recovery, stating that the knee injury adds a level of uncertainty. He, however, didn’t rule out the player returning should the Bills make a deep playoff run.

Buffalo (11-5) closes the regular season by hosting the New York Jets (3-13) on Sunday. The Bills are currently the AFC’s No. 7 seed, with an opportunity to climb as high as No. 5, meaning they’ll open the wild-card playoff round on the road.

Packers sign Desmond Ridder

Green Bay has signed Ridder to its practice squad, per ESPN. This signing comes in the wake of Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffering a head/shoulder injury in Week 16 and Malik Willis leaving the Packers' Week 17 matchup with a shoulder injury; Clayton Tune came in at quarterback for Green Bay when Willis got hurt.

The Packers, who are locked into the third NFC wild-card seed, have a road matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Ridder, who has made 18 NFL starts and boasts a career 82.6 passer rating, spent time on the Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals' practice squads this season. 

49ers' stars miss Tuesday's practice

Running back Christian McCaffrey and offensive tackle Trent Williams missed the San Francisco 49ers' Tuesday practice, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Both McCaffrey (back) and Williams (hamstring) sustained injuries during the 49ers game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Williams, who got hurt on the first series of the game, has a more severe injury and may miss some time. The 49ers have a short week, hosting the Seattle Seahawks in a game that will decide the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Colts starting QB Riley Leonard

After starting 44-year-old Philip Rivers for three consecutive weeks in place of the injured Daniel Jones, Indianapolis, which is eliminated from playoff contention, will start the rookie Leonard at quarterback in its road tilt against the Houston Texans, per ESPN. Anthony Richardson remains on injured reserve. In the four appearances he has made this season, Leonard has thrown two interceptions, recorded a 40.6 passer rating and completed 54.5% of his passes, while rushing for one score. The Colts have lost six consecutive games after beginning the season 8-2.

Bills QB Josh Allen expected to sit out Week 18

A little battered and visibly frustrated, Allen can use a rest, and he's expected to get one Sunday in what’s essentially a meaningless regular-season finale against the Jets. Aside from taking the opening snap to extend his streak of consecutive regular-season starts to 122, the longest active run among NFL quarterbacks, Allen is expected to watch the rest of the game from the sideline.

It's likely to be Allen's final game at the Bills' 52-year-old stadium, affectionately called "The Ralph" in honor of the late franchise founder and Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson. Next season, the Bills are set to relocate across the street to a new $2.1 billion home, already dubbed "The Stadium Allen Built." 

More important, Allen will get an opportunity to allow his sore right foot time to heal before Buffalo opens the playoffs on the road in two weeks. Allen also certainly could use a mental break during a season in which he’s been relied upon to carry the offensive load too often. Competitive and remarkable as he’s been in combining for 39 touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing) and engineering four fourth-quarter comebacks, even Allen has limitations, which became readily apparent in a 13-12 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert will miss regular-season finale

Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced Monday that Herbert will not start for the AFC's No. 6 seed in Week 18 against the Broncos. Barring an unforeseen change, Herbert will finish his sixth NFL season with 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Backup Trey Lance will take over for the finale, allowing Herbert to enjoy some additional rest (particularly for his broken left hand) heading into the postseason.

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown considered day-to-day

The Lions may finish the 2025 season without their star receiver. Head coach Dan Campbell announced Monday that St. Brown is "day-to-day." He appeared to suffer the injury late in the Week 17 loss to the Vikings. With the Lions eliminated from playoff contention, it's possible St. Brown sits out of the season finale, ending his fourth straight Pro Bowl season with 106 receptions for 1,262 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!