Commanders QB Marcus Mariota leaves game against Eagles with an injured right hand The Associated Press LANDOVER, Md.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota, starting in place of the shut-down Jayden Daniels , hurt his right hand and was replaced by third-stringer Josh Johnson early in the third quarter Saturday night against the Philadelphia Eagles .
Mariota was shaken up at the end of the opening drive of the second half. He went into the blue medical tent on Washington’s sideline, then later jogged toward the locker room, and the Commanders said Mariota was evaluated for a concussion and cleared. But the team also said he was questionable to return with an injured right hand.
Mariota was 7 for 14 for 95 yards when he left. Washington led 10-7 at the time, but Philadelphia then put together 17-play, 83-yard TD drive to go ahead 14-10.
This was Mariota's eighth start of the season in place of Daniels for the Commanders, who are sitting last season's AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year the rest of the way.
Johnson had made brief appearances earlier this season but hadn't thrown a pass.
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Bears activate LB Tremaine Edmunds from injured reserve prior; Jacobs, Watson available for Packers The Associated Press CHICAGO
CHICAGO (AP) — The NFC North-leading Chicago Bears activated linebacker Tremaine Edmunds from injured reserve prior to their showdown against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
Edmunds had missed the previous four games due to a groin injury. He had four interceptions and was third on the team behind league leader Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright.
For the Packers, star running back Josh Jacobs and receiver Christian Watson were available after being listed as questionable. Right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams were out.
Jacobs, a three-time Pro Bowler, reinjured his knee early in last week's loss at Denver, though he continued to play and finished with a rushing and receiving touchdown. Watson (chest/shoulder), Tom (back/knee) and Williams (knee) exited that game.
The Bears (10-4) held a narrow lead over Green Bay (9-4-1) in the division. They were looking to get payback for a loss at Lambeau Field two weeks ago that briefly knocked them out of first place.
Chicago rebounded with an easy win over Cleveland and regained the division lead with the Packers losing at Denver. Green Bay also lost star pass rusher Micah Parsons to a season-ending knee injury in that game.
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3 players are ejected after a brawl late in the Eagles' game against the Commanders By HOWARD FENDRICH AP National Writer The Associated Press LANDOVER, Md.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The heated rivalry between the Eagles and Commanders boiled over in the fourth quarter Saturday night, when three players were ejected after a fight broke out among several members of both teams in the aftermath of Saquon Barkley's 2-point conversion that increased Philadelphia's lead to 19 points with about 4 1/2 minutes left.
Two players on Washington's defense — lineman Javon Kinlaw and safety Quan Martin — and one Eagles player — offensive lineman Tyler Steen — were disqualified after being flagged for unnecessary roughness during the brawl in the 29-18 victory that allowed Philadelphia to clinch a second NFC East title in a row.
There was some punching, a ton of pushing and shoving, and a lot of jawing, too, as the scrum spread across the grass. Six flags were thrown by officials as the chaos ensued.
“I guess it was a theme. ... The fans were fighting ... and I guess it carried over to the game. It’s chippy out there, and we have a lot of history with this team, especially since I’ve been here,” said Barkley, who gained 132 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown. “This team don’t like us. It’s just the truth. And we don’t like them, either.”
Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn't directly answer the question when he was asked at his postgame news conference whether it was disrespectful for the Eagles to go for 2 after the late TD in a lopsided game.
But Quinn did issue something that sounded akin to a warning, noting that these NFC East rivals meet on Jan. 4 in Philadelphia to close the season.
“If that’s how they want to get down, all good,” Quinn said. “We’ll play them again in two weeks.”
When Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner was asked a question about respect, too, this is what he had to say: “It is what it is, Bro. I don’t care. Is it disrespectful? Maybe. But we’ve still got to stop them. That’s how I look at it.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said he was not running up the score and considered his decision a simple case of numbers, preferring a 19-point lead to an 18-point edge.
“We wanted to make sure we went up that way, just in case. That was what our math told us in that particular case,” Sirianni said. “It’s a division game. It’s always back-and-forth. … That’s the team we played in the NFC championship game last year. I know how badly they wanted to beat us. I know how badly we wanted to beat them. We’ve always got to keep our cool in moments like that. But that’s NFC East football. … They’ve got tough guys. We’ve got tough guys.”
Eventually, when order was restored, and Wagner, Barkley and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts spoke with each other on the field.
Barkley said later Wagner made a point that the Eagles running back understood: “Hopefully you don’t break your hand just to say you’re a tough guy. It’s not really worth it. And you lose a lot of money” because of fines.
“We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be smarter,” Barkley said. “I’ve got to be smarter. I shouldn’t put myself in that situation. It’s really not worth it.”
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin understood why Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided to go for 2 there. And like his teammate Wagner, McLaurin was not offended.
“Eagles vs. Commanders, man. That’s how it goes. ... There’s a lot of history, obviously. They were beating us. They’re not going to throw in the towel. They’re not going to take it easy on us. They were going for 2 to bury us. As a team, it’s not like you’re going to tell them, ‘Don’t go for 2.’ We have to stop them,” McLaurin said. “I don’t really take any bad blood from what they did, but you don’t want to see the game get out of hand and guys possibly getting hurt. It comes with this rivalry between us and them. I don’t think that will ever change, to be honest.”
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Jalen Hurts and the Eagles win their second NFC East title in a row by beating the Commanders 29-18 By HOWARD FENDRICH AP National Writer The Associated Press LANDOVER, Md.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — As the percussive horns of Steve Wonder's “Sir Duke” filled the air, Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni — wearing a black T-shirt bearing the words, “Been there, won that” — made the rounds in the locker room, offering hand clasps and back slaps to his players after they accomplished something that hadn't happened in two decades: win a second consecutive NFC East title.
“Gets better and better,” running back Saquon Barkley said as he walked through the scene Saturday night, “each time.”
This was not a terrific performance by the reigning Super Bowl champions, from a fumble on the opening kickoff to a pair of penalties on the tush push to three wide-left field-goal tries to a halftime deficit. Still, Barkley, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles eventually got going in the right direction and clinched their division yet again by beating the Washington Commanders 29-18.
“I'm just happy,” Hurts said, “we were able to check that off.”
The game included a late brawl when Barkley tacked on a 2-point conversion that increased the Eagles' lead to 19 points before the Commanders scored a meaningless TD.
Starting plays under center far more frequently than he did earlier in the season, Hurts completed 22 of 30 throws — with 15 of those caught by A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith — for 185 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. He connected with Smith from 5 yards out in the first half and with Dallas Goedert from 15 in the third quarter to cap a 17-play, 83-yard, 10 1/2-minute drive.
“We’ve slowly been playing better and better on the offensive side of the ball,” said Goedert, whose 10th TD reception this season tied a record for Philadelphia tight ends that was first set in the 1960s.
Hurts also did plenty of damage on the ground, gaining 40 yards on seven carries for the Eagles (10-5), who have followed a three-game losing streak by winning two in a row. They are the first team to top the NFC East in back-to-back seasons since Philadelphia did it every year from 2001 to 2004; the gap since then was the longest drought without a repeat champ for any division in NFL history.
Barkley added a 12-yard TD run for the Eagles, part of his 21-carry, 132-yard performance that raised his season rushing total above 1,000 yards.
A year after going 12-5, the Commanders have lost nine of 10 to fall to 4-11.
“It certainly feels terrible,” coach Dan Quinn said, “to hear that record.”
Chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” frequently rang out in the Commanders' stadium, and cries of “Cooooop!” greeted Cooper DeJean's interception of Josh Johnson, Washington's third-string quarterback, who came in when Marcus Mariota went out after the opening drive in the third quarter with an injured right hand while Washington led 10-7.
Mariota started Saturday in place of Jayden Daniels , the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year who led the Commanders to the NFC title game last season — where they lost 55-23 to Philadelphia — but has been shut down in 2025 after dealing with a series of injuries and appearing in only seven games.
The chilly evening started inauspiciously for Philadelphia. Will Shipley coughed up the opening kickoff when he was hit by Mike Sainristil. But just as they have over the course of the season, the Eagles got through what wasn't working and ended up in the right place.
“This division’s had so much parity throughout the years,” Sirianni said. “Obviously our goals are much higher. We’ve raised the expectations.”
Jake Elliott, leaning left
The Eagles' Jake Elliott managed to send three field-goal attempts wide left in the first half. Elliott hadn’t missed more than one in a game this season. But he was off on a 43-yarder in the first quarter, couldn’t get a 57-yarder to go through the uprights in the second — and after that was wiped out by a penalty on Washington, Elliot went wide left once more, from 52. “I have the utmost confidence in Jake,” Sirianni said.
Brandon Graham, again
DE Brandon Graham, 37, whose two sacks last week made him the oldest Eagles player to record one, added another Saturday.
Injuries
Eagles: LB Nakobe Dean (hamstring) exited in the first quarter.
Commanders: Mariota was evaluated for a concussion and cleared, but his hand sidelined him. ... WR Jaylin Lane (ankle) left in the first quarter. ... RG Sam Cosmi and DT Johnny Newton were evaluated for concussions. ... OT Brandon Coleman hurt his shin.
Up next
Eagles: At the Bills on Dec. 28.
Commanders: Host the Cowboys on Thursday night.
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Jordan Love exits Green Bay loss with a concussion in latest injury for Packers By JAY COHEN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHICAGO
CHICAGO (AP) — The injuries are piling up for the Green Bay Packers.
It was Jordan Love on Saturday night.
The star quarterback exited with a concussion after he was hit hard in the second quarter, and Green Bay blew a late lead in a gut-wrenching 22-16 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears. John FitzPatrick also left with an Achilles injury, leaving the Packers thin at tight end.
The head injury for Love comes after defensive end Micah Parsons tore the ACL in his left knee during last weekend's 34-26 loss at Denver. While running back Josh Jacobs and receiver Christian Watson managed to play after they were listed as questionable, right tackle Zach Tom, safety Evan Williams and tight end Josh Whyle were sidelined by injuries.
“That's football, right?” coach Matt LaFleur said. “And you've got to stay resilient. ... You roll up your sleeves, you get back to work, and you continue to fight. And that's what our guys will do.”
Love was shaken up after a helmet-to-helmet hit by defensive lineman Austin Booker on a sack. Booker was flagged for roughing the passer.
The 27-year-old Love eventually jogged off the field and went into the blue injury tent on Green Bay’s sideline. Then he walked to the visiting locker room.
There was no update on Love after the loss.
“I hollered at him after the game, just really quickly,” said backup quarterback Malik Willis, who replaced Love. “I mean, I didn’t get to really get into it too much with him. Just let him know I’m praying for him and hope he’s ready to go.”
Willis gave Green Bay (9-5-1) a spark, going 9 of 11 for 121 yards and a touchdown — a beautiful 33-yard pass to Romeo Doubs late in the third quarter. Willis also had 10 carries for 44 yards on the ground.
Willis and the Packers were in control after they opened a 16-6 lead on Brandon McManus' third field goal, a 28-yarder with 5:03 left. But they were unable to close out a win that would have moved them back into first place in the NFC North.
“Just too many errors in critical moments that got us beat,” LaFleur said.
Green Bay went 0 for 5 in the red zone, after it was 1 for 4 in those situations against Denver. Doubs mishandled an onside kick that was recovered by Chicago. There was a botched exchange between Willis and Sean Rhyan in overtime, setting the stage for Caleb Williams' game-ending touchdown pass for the Bears.
“I just didn’t do the job right and like I said, I’ll take 100% of this game,” Doubs said.
Willis took the blame for the snap miscue in overtime.
“Just a miscommunication between me and Sean,” he said. “He wasn’t expecting me to change up the cadence, but the clock got low and I was just trying to hurry up and get a snap. So we’re just a little off timing, off kilter there. That’s on me.”
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Bears stun Packers 22-16 with improbable rally as Williams finds Moore for winning score in OT By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHICAGO
CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams felt it as soon as the ball left his hand. Then, in a flash, the Bears were celebrating yet another wild win.
Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime, and Chicago overcame a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter Saturday night for a 22-16 win over the Green Bay Packers, who lost quarterback Jordan Love to a concussion.
“I knew it was good,” Williams said. “You've got that belief. You've got that confidence. You've got that swagger as an offense. You've practiced well. You've hit plays like that in practice. It was pretty identical to practice. When the play gets called and the moment comes up like that, it's time to go hit it. It's time to go win the game.”
The Bears (11-4) extended their lead in the NFC North to 1 1/2 games over the Packers (9-5-1) with two to play and got some payback for a loss at Lambeau Field two weeks earlier. It was Chicago's sixth win this season after trailing in the final two minutes and its most incredible — Green Bay had a win probability of 99%.
Chicago moved closer to its first postseason trip since 2020 with a rare victory in the NFL’s longest-running rivalry. Counting the playoffs, the Bears are 7-30 against Green Bay since 2008. They would clinch a berth if old nemesis Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
“This is a special group,” coach Ben Johnson said. “I felt that early in the season. You get with some of those wins — the Raiders game and the Washington game — and you start feeling it, the belief coming. This group — I'm talking about coaches and players combined — it’s rare. It really is.”
As for the Packers?
“It should hurt because these guys, all of us, we put a lot into this thing and we had opportunities," coach Matt LaFleur said. "You’re up two scores late in the game and unfortunately, it flipped pretty quick.”
Bears rally
Cairo Santos kicked a 43-yard field goal that got Chicago within 16-9 with 1:59 remaining. The Bears had no choice but to try an onside kick, and Josh Blackwell recovered it .
The Bears tied it with 24 seconds left when Williams beat an all-out blitz on fourth down and lofted a pass to a wide-open Jahdae Walker in the right corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. Johnson opted to have Santos kick the tying extra point rather than go for a 2-point conversion.
In overtime, the Packers had fourth-and-1 at the Chicago 36 when backup quarterback Malik Willis fumbled the snap. Chicago took over at the 36 and, four plays later, Moore hauled in the winning TD from Williams with Keisean Nixon draped all over him, setting off a wild celebration.
Two weeks earlier, Nixon sealed the Packers’ win when he intercepted Williams' pass in the end zone. This time, the Bears came out on top with a play they installed in the days leading up to the game.
“I just had to run, run like I did in practice and connect like we did at practice," Moore said. "It was really a practice rep but we did it in a game. Like I said, it was just amazing that we did it against the Packers.”
Love exits
Already missing Micah Parsons after the star pass rusher sustained a season-ending knee injury in a loss at Denver last week, the Packers had to get by without Love, who took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Chicago’s Austin Booker in the second quarter. Love jogged to the medical tent and then headed to the locker room.
Williams completed 19 of 34 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. With eight career fourth-quarter comebacks, he tied Bo Nix's NFL record for quarterbacks in their first two seasons.
Moore had 97 yards receiving with Rome Odunze missing his third straight game due to a foot injury. The Bears won their sixth in a row at home since a season-opening loss to Minnesota.
Love led two field goal drives and completed 8 of 13 passes for 77 yards before getting hurt. He had nine touchdown passes and only two interceptions in five previous games against Chicago.
Willis was 9 of 11 for 121 yards and a touchdown. Romeo Doubs had 84 yards and a touchdown catch, though he also injured his wrist during the game.
Injuries
Packers: LB Kristian Welch (ankle) was hurt making a tackle on a kickoff early in the second quarter. ... TE John FitzPatrick (Achilles tendon) was helped off the field in the fourth quarter.
Bears: CB C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee) exited in the fourth quarter.
Up next
Packers: Host Baltimore next Saturday.
Bears: Visit San Francisco on Dec. 28. ___
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Vikings shut down left tackle Christian Darrisaw for the rest of the season as knee trouble lingers By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings placed left tackle Christian Darrisaw on injured reserve on Friday, ending his season early to reset his uneven recovery from reconstructive knee surgery .
With the Vikings (6-8) eliminated from contention for the playoffs, the collaborative decision was made by the medical staff, the coaching staff and Darrisaw to shut the fifth-year player down, according to coach Kevin O'Connell.
“We thought this was the best decision for Christian in the short term, but at the same time, I think a lot of this can be a projection on a really positive outlook for 2026,” O'Connell said.
Darrisaw, the team's first-round draft pick in 2021, signed a contract extension through 2029 valued at $104 million with $77 million in guaranteed money prior to the 2024 season when he had two years remaining on his rookie deal. Darrisaw tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in a Week 8 game last season, and he progressed well enough through the rehabilitation program to join the team for training camp and avoid the physically unable to perform list.
After being held out of the first two games, Darrisaw returned to the lineup, but he didn't finish five of the 10 games he started. He removed himself twice with discomfort and three times was pulled early by the team to manage his workload, and he had at least one day off from practice each week for additional rest for his knee.
O'Connell said there has been no new injury or setback with Darrisaw's existing recovery, only the challenge of him continuing to manage the normally difficult first year back from surgery. Darrisaw was inactive for two of the last three games.
“We’re just trying to defer to the medical staff and, most importantly, making sure Christian’s in a good place and everything," O'Connell said. "It has been just a really unique year for him and one that I think he’ll be able to really grow from.”
Darrisaw was the third starter shut down early this week by the Vikings, joining edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and safety Josh Metellus . Greenard and Metellus each need shoulder surgery.
The Vikings also ruled defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (thigh) out of their game on Sunday against the New York Giants. Right tackle Brian O'Neill (heel) was listed as questionable.
Justin Skule will start in Darrisaw's place. Blake Brandel, who has played left tackle, left guard and center this season, would fill in for O'Neill at right tackle if he can't play.
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Rams' latest narrow defeat could be difference in whether or not they secure top seed in NFC By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press The Associated Press LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have been reminded time and again how close the margins are between winning and losing. Their latest lesson, a 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, could prove to be the most costly.
Instead of taking control of the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, which would give them a bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, the Rams (11-4) dropped to fifth and would be looking at a cross-country flight to play whoever wins the NFC South.
No extra week to allow 37-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford to get refreshed or wide receiver Puka Nacua to recover from his intensely physical style of play. No extra week to get wide receiver Davante Adams up to speed in his return from a hamstring injury or potentially get safety Quentin Lake back from an elbow injury. No extra week to address inconsistencies in the secondary or erratic performances on special teams.
The Rams aren’t out of the race for the NFC West title and the top spot in the conference, but they will need help. And no matter where they end up, they will have to address the breakdowns which have cost them in each of their losses, setting aside the furor about how a key 2-point conversion was officiated.
There have been mistakes in the red zone . In this instance, right guard Justin Dedich was called for an ineligible lineman downfield penalty, taking a touchdown off the board on Los Angeles’ opening possession. They settled for a field goal instead.
There have been occasional lulls from the offense. Much like in their Week 3 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams’ offense fell into a rut for a long stretch of the second half after going up 30-14 in Seattle. Three straight three-and-outs ran a total of 4:13 off the clock, while allowing the Seahawks to capture and then build momentum in front of their raucous home crowd.
There have been issues in the secondary. The Rams struggled to contain wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba when the Seahawks had no choice but to throw the ball and knew it would be headed his way.
And there have been breakdowns on special teams . Whatever progress had been made in recent weeks evaporated by allowing Rashid Shaheed’s punt return touchdown that kick-started Seattle’s comeback.
Compounding matters was a controversial 2-point conversion that tied the game at 30 in the fourth quarter, where a backward lateral was knocked forward and casually recovered in the end zone after the play had been whistled dead. Head coach Sean McVay, who is typically extremely cautious and measured in his remarks to the media, was as angry as he has ever been after a game, and that ire was still evident Friday.
“I have total appreciation for the layers and semantics of all the rules, especially being on the competition committee, there’s a lot of empathy and difficult spots (for) some of our officials. But I do believe this, that is not something that we want in the game,” said McVay, with the tone of his voice and visible frustration on his face belying his seemingly benign words.
Stafford said immediately after the defeat that the Rams’ best trait this season has been their ability to respond to adversity.
“Whether we win the game or lose the game, there’s plenty to learn from, plenty of plays we’d love to have back in probably all three phases,” Stafford said Thursday. “We’re going to do what we always do. Look at the tape, find a way to, hey, tweak a couple of things, find a way to play better.”
That might be the saving grace for the Rams, getting one more chance to learn from their mistakes before the regular season wraps up. Once the playoffs arrive, those same issues could send them home for good.
“I love exactly where we're at,” McVay said Friday. “Just like every other situation that's come up this year, we're going to come back swinging. And this is going to be a setback that's going to be a setup for a phenomenal comeback for us.”
What’s working
The Stafford-Nacua connection was brilliant, resulting in a career-high 225 yards receiving on 12 catches with two touchdowns. Stafford finished with 457 yards and three scores, his eighth game this season with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions.
What needs help
Special teams. In addition to giving up Shaheed’s 58-yard return, K Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal and RB Ronnie Rivers had a lengthy kickoff return called back for a penalty.
Stock up
DL Kobie Turner had 1 1/2 sacks, one tackle for loss, and an interception in one of the best games of his strong three-year career. He nearly batted down Sam Darnold’s 2-point pass in overtime that would have allowed the Rams to escape with the win.
Stock down
WR Tutu Atwell. When the Rams re-signed him to a one year, $10 million contract in March, it seems like the undersized playmaker would finally have a larger role. But even with Adams sidelined, Atwell played just eight of the offense’s 92 snaps (8%) and was not targeted.
Injuries
RG Kevin Dotson, the Rams’ best and most consistent offensive lineman, sustained what looked to be a serious ankle injury in the first quarter and did not return. McVay was not optimistic about Dotson's chances of playing in their next game against Atlanta. Adams is also unlikely to be available.
Key number
1 — The Rams were the first team in NFL history to lose a game where they had more than 500 yards of total offense and at least a plus-3 turnover margin.
Next steps
The Rams visit the Falcons on Dec. 29, looking to not only bolster their playoff positioning but their draft standing as well. Los Angeles has Atlanta’s 2026 first-round selection after trading the 26th overall pick in April so that the Falcons could take edge rusher James Pearce Jr., and it would be in the top 10 based on current standings.
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Buffalo Bills seek to muscle up pass rush by signing 10-year-veteran Matthew Judon to practice squad By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer The Associated Press ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills muscled up their injury-depleted pass rush by signing veteran defensive end Matthew Judon to their practice squad on Saturday.
The move comes after the 33-year-old worked out for the team a day earlier, and after the 10th-year player was released by the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday .
Judon was cut after he failed to register a sack and was credited with only three quarterback hits in 13 games, including three starts for the Dolphins. He combined for 9 1/2 sacks over the past three seasons after finishing with a career-best 15 1/2 during his All-Pro season in 2022 with New England.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Judon is now on his third team in two seasons after a three-season stint with the Patriots and spending his first five with Baltimore. He had 5 1/2 sacks in 2024 with Atlanta.
Overall, the 2016 fifth-round draft pick out of Grand Valley State ranks 13th among active players with 72 career sacks.
Judon goes from the Dolphins, who have been eliminated from playoff contention, to the AFC East rival Bills (10-4), who are in position to clinch their seventh consecutive playoff berth as early as Sunday, when the team plays at Cleveland (3-11).
Though Judon’s production has slipped, the Bills are hoping his addition can fill a part-time role in their defensive end rotation.
Coordinator Bobby Babich has expressed a desire to reduce Joey Bosa’s playing time in order to keep the team’s sack leader fresh. The 30-year-old Bosa has averaged playing 60% of defensive snaps while dealing with a wrist injury in his first season in Buffalo.
Bosa’s increased playing time is in part due to Buffalo losing Michael Hoecht, who tore his Achilles tendon in Week 9 last month, and rookie edge rusher Landon Jackson to a season-ending knee injury a week later.
The Bills freed up a practice squad roster spot to sign Judon by releasing defensive end Morgan Fox.
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Rams fire special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, AP source says By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
The Rams have fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn after his unit made several mistakes in Los Angeles’ loss at Seattle on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Saturday because the playoff-bound Rams (11-4) hadn’t publicly announced Sean McVay’s first significant in-season staffing change in his nine-year tenure. Assistant Ben Kotwica is expected to replace Blackburn, who was in his third season in the job.
The Rams’ special teams have been generally poor all season, and the team already changed kickers and long snappers last month after Joshua Karty and his unit missed multiple opportunities to win games against Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Special teams then played a major role in the Rams’ 38-37 overtime loss to Seattle, a defeat that likely will prevent the Rams from winning the NFC West or earning the No. 1 seed.
The Rams led 30-14 in the fourth quarter when they gave up a touchdown on a 58-yard punt return by Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed following a poor punt by Ethan Evans.
Harrison Mevis then missed a 48-yard field goal attempt with 2:07 to play, preventing the Rams from taking the lead.
Mevis took over after Karty missed five field goals and three extra-point attempts, and he hadn’t missed a kick all season before this crucial field-goal attempt went barely wide right.
Blackburn was a linebacker for the Giants and the Panthers before beginning his coaching career.
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