With Week 16 in the books, only two games remain for each team in the 2025 NFL regular season. Almost no player is healthy at this point in the season, but a few more concerning injuries were added to the list late in the year.
Many missed the week due to injury — including Patrick Mahomes, Alvin Kamara and Rashee Rice, to name a few — but many more joined the list in Week 16.
Depending on where teams stand in the playoff race, injuries tend to be season-ending at this point in the season. However, some still affected players' long-term futures and potentially threatened their availability for 2026.
With the season coming to a close, take a look at some of the biggest injuries from Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season.
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins (fibula, ankle)
Quinshon Judkins suffered the biggest injury of the week in the second quarter of the Cleveland Browns' matchup with the Buffalo Bills. Judkins was blown up on a screen pass by Bills linebacker Matt Milano and immediately showed visible signs of pain before being carted off the field.
It did not take long for the Browns to rule him out for the remainder of the game before eventually revealing the nature of his injuries. Judkins suffered a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle on the play, sidelining him for the next four to five months.
Judkins' rookie season ends with 827 rushing yards, 171 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He will likely miss 2026 mandatory minicamps, but he could return in time for OTAs and training camp.
Packers QB Jordan Love (head)
One week after losing Micah Parsons, the Green Bay Packers watched their quarterback go down. Jordan Love suffered a concussion early in the team's Week 16 rematch with the Chicago Bears and did not return for the rest of the game.
Backup quarterback Malik Willis also suffered minor injuries late, but the Packers are certainly more worried about Love. The team is listing him as week-to-week for now, putting his Week 17 status in doubt.
Concussion protocol is always tricky, but Love is almost guaranteed to miss Week 17. The 9-5 Packers remain in the playoff discussion but are now clinging for dear life after ceding control of the NFC North to the Bears. If Willis is unable to go, Green Bay could be forced to deploy Clayton Tune for its upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens, who are also dealing with a quarterback injury.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (back)
Just when it seemed like the Baltimore Ravens were back on track, Lamar Jackson landed back on the injury report. Jackson exited the Ravens' Week 16 game against the New England Patriots with a back injury after getting hit from behind at the end of a run.
The team has since updated Jackson's status, saying he has a significant back contusion but no structural damage. Jackson is considered day-to-day, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, and will likely begin the week on the sidelines. He is questionable to play in Week 17 against the Packers, a game both teams absolutely need to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Tyler Huntley, who only threw for 65 passing yards in relief of Jackson, would earn his second start of the year if the two-time MVP is ruled out. Although Huntley looked out of sorts in Week 16, he is 1-0 on the year as a starter, leading the team to a 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 8.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (hand)
The Minnesota Vikings are already eliminated from playoff contention, placing their main focus on evaluating J.J. McCarthy as a franchise quarterback for the remainder of the year. McCarthy put those plans on pause with his second injury of the 2025 NFL season in Week 16 against the New York Giants.
The second-year quarterback injured his hand on a strip sack from the Pro Bowl-bound Brian Burns in the second quarter. He appeared to hit his hand on a Giants player's helmet earlier in the game, but the fumble would be his final play of Week 16.
McCarthy had been on a roll before the injury and scored a rushing touchdown against the Giants prior to exiting. However, he is on the wrong side of questionable with the Vikings turning around quickly to face the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.
Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson (head)
One week after posting a career-high 148 rushing yards, TreVeyon Henderson did a full 180-degree turn to record a career-low three rushing yards. On the same day he watched his former Ohio State teammate, Quinshon Judkins, go down with a gruesome broken leg, Henderson left with his own injury after just five carries.
Henderson suffered a concussion early in the game after slamming his head onto the turf at the end of a short run. Nothing seemed too significant at first, but Henderson would not return to the game, leaving Rhamondre Stevenson to close out the Sunday Night Football contest.
Henderson is now in concussion protocol, which could mark the end of his regular season. The Patriots have already cemented their spot in the playoffs and could opt to rest their star tailback over the next two weeks to prepare for their unprecedented Super Bowl run.
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota (hand, quad)
The Washington Commanders are already without Jayden Daniels for the rest of the 2025 NFL season and could now be without Marcus Mariota, who left the game early in Week 16. Mariota is dealing with multiple injuries, including a minor concussion, a hand laceration and a quad injury.
Mariota has already cleared concussion protocol, but his hand remains a significant issue. The Commanders closed out Week 16 with journeyman Josh Johnson under center in their 29-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
With Daniels already done for the year, Johnson could very well be in line for his first start of the year in Week 17. The Commanders had Jeff Driskel as their emergency third-string in Week 16 and currently have Sam Hartman on their practice squad.
Broncos WR Pat Bryant (head, neck)
Quinshon Judkins suffered the worst injury of Week 16, but another rookie was the victim of one of the scariest injury of the 2025 NFL season later that same day. After failing to catch an errant pass from Bo Nix, Pat Bryant took a massive shot from Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown and remained down on the field for several minutes before getting stretchered off.
Brown did not make contact with Bryant's head, but the rookie's entire body folded over itself. The hit was entirely legal, but Brown was still rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion before being released late Sunday night.
Bryant has been a revelation for the Broncos in the second half of the year, accumulating 301 of his 347 receiving yards since Week 8. He has emerged as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Courtland Sutton, but he will almost certainly miss the rest of the regular season, and possibly the remainder of the year.
49ers TE George Kittle (ankle)
George Kittle is coming off his first 100-yard performance of the 2025 NFL season in Week 16, but it came at a price. The 32-year-old tight end left the game with a sprained ankle before returning in the second half, only to reaggravate it on a route and exit again.
Kittle said after the game that he believes he avoided a high-ankle sprain, which he claims came from an illegal hip-drop tackle. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said it is still “too early” to tell, leaving Kittle's Week 17 status in question.
The San Francisco 49ers are well above the playoff threshold, giving them reason to potentially be cautious with Kittle in the coming weeks. Fantasy football managers might want to look elsewhere if they are relying on the six-time Pro Bowler for the fantasy championships.
