NFL's Christmas games lose major star power as key quarterbacks sidelined with injuries

On paper, Netflix had large divisional matchups connected Christmas Day for Week 17 erstwhile the play began.

Of course, the NFL play ne'er goes arsenic planned, and the 3 matchups scheduled for the vacation is not what anyone had planned.

The reason? Star quarterbacks won’t beryllium playing successful each game.

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Dallas Cowboys backmost Dak Prescott walks disconnected the tract aft the team's NFL shot crippled against the Baltimore Ravens successful Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.  (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Christmas Day’s archetypal kickoff volition beryllium an NFC East conflict betwixt the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders, some teams already eliminated from playoff contention.

And portion Dak Prescott and institution are looking to decorativeness the play strong, the Commanders unopen down Jayden Daniels, their second-year backmost who led them to the NFC Championship Game successful his rookie play conscionable a twelvemonth ago, aft reaggravating his elbow injury.

In fact, the Commanders won’t adjacent beryllium seeing Marcus Mariota, Daniels’ backup who has had to commencement 8 games this season, arsenic he’s dealing with an wounded arsenic well. It volition beryllium seasoned Josh Johnson making the commencement successful Landover, Maryland connected Christmas Day for a 4-11 Commanders squad that hoped to astatine slightest marque the playoffs aft a fantastic decorativeness successful 2024.

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"When you bash ellipse those matchups, that’s precisely what you’re thinking: This is going to beryllium cool. How it’s each laid retired — part games close present astatine the extremity betwixt 2 games of Philadelphia with a Dallas crippled successful between," Commanders caput manager Dan Quinn said.

"Playing these part games, they inactive mean a lot."

Unfortunately for some squads, it volition lone beryllium for bragging rights.

Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders looks connected from the sidelines aft leaving the crippled during the 2nd fractional against the Minnesota Vikings astatine U.S. Bank Stadium connected Dec. 7, 2025 successful Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

In the 4:30 p.m. ET slate, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, a storied NFC North rivalry, the location squad successful Minneapolis volition beryllium without its ain second-year awesome caller — J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy suffered an wounded successful the triumph implicit the New York Giants past week, and it volition beryllium Max Brosmer having to commencement again for Kevin O’Connell’s group.

The Minnesota product’s archetypal vocation commencement didn’t enactment retired excessively good successful Seattle, arsenic the Seahawks had their mode connected defence against Brosmer. Perhaps a location assemblage volition bash him and the Vikings’ discourtesy better, but the Lions astatine slightest inactive person thing to play for.

Detroit heads into this crippled pursuing a pugnacious nonaccomplishment to the Pittsburgh Steelers, wherever a game-winning touchdown was called backmost aft Amon-Ra St. Brown was penalized for violative walk interference, negating Jared Goff flying into the extremity portion aft a pitch-back from the prima receiver.

FILE - Kansas City Chiefs backmost Patrick Mahomes chews his rima defender during warmups earlier an NFL shot crippled against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 successful Kansas City, Mo.  (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

The Lions request to triumph their remaining 2 games, portion besides needing the Green Bay Packers to suffer their past 2 games to unafraid the last NFC chaotic paper spot.

Finally, and possibly the biggest disappointment for Netflix, is the Kansas City Chiefs not having Patrick Mahomes connected the tract this vacation season.

Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, which helium rapidly had country to repair, pursuing a nonaccomplishment that knocked them retired of playoff contention 2 weeks ago. The Chiefs were hoping that his backup, Gardner Minshew, could decorativeness retired the season, but helium tore his ACL past week successful a nonaccomplishment to the Tennessee Titans.

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That leaves USF alum Chris Oladokun, who filled successful for Minshew past week, starting against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos — a 12-3 squad who already clinched their playoff berth. Denver volition inactive beryllium playing hard, arsenic they’re competing for the No. 1 wide effect successful the AFC, which would guarantee location games passim the playoffs.

These games were expected to beryllium imaginable division/playoff clinching matchups, but the NFL and its fanbase volition beryllium hoping these games are not arsenic lopsided arsenic immoderate judge they could crook retired to be.

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