It’s Week 18 again — also known as preseason in January. It’s the most head-spinning week of the regular season from a news perspective, as teams that are both eliminated from the playoffs and locked into their spots rest their star players. Let’s just say there’s a reason that most season-long fantasy leagues end in Week 17, people.
Still, I’m always here to help. Let’s go game-by-game and break down the QB situation for every team this weekend.
List of NFL Week 18 Starting Quarterbacks
Saturday
Panthers at Buccaneers
CAR: Bryce Young
TB: Baker Mayfield
This game will pretty much decide the NFC South — there’s a weird Falcons element looming — so both teams will obviously start their usual QBs. That said, neither is entering this contest with all that much momentum. Baker Mayfield tossed a pair of interceptions and lost a fumble in last Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Dolphins, while Bryce Young threw for just 54 yards against the Seahawks in Week 17. Woof.
Seahawks at 49ers
SEA: Sam Darnold
SF: Brock Purdy
The same quarterback matchup that was featured all the way back in Week 1 will decide the No. 1 seed in the NFC in Week 18. Purdy would only start one more game before Week 11 due to injury, but the former Mr. Irrelevant has been red-hot since returning to action. In fact, Purdy has accounted for five touchdowns in each of his past two contests.
Sunday
Saints at Falcons
NO: Tyler Shough
ATL: Kirk Cousins
It’s a little odd that 37-year-old Kirk Cousins will be starting a mostly meaningless football game this Sunday, but the Falcons don’t have a younger option that needs reps with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) out for the season. Conversely, Tyler Shough will look to build on his surprising Rookie of the Year case after back-to-back 300-yard passing performances in Week 16 and Week 17.
Browns at Bengals
CLE: Shedeur Sanders
CIN: Joe Burrow
The Browns have a chance to lock down yet another top five pick in the NFL Draft this weekend, so the organization will want to keep getting a look at Shedeur Sanders before deciding if they’re going to spend even more capital on the QB position. Sanders has had flashes of brilliance in his six starts this season, yet he’s also been incredibly prone to turnovers, with seven interceptions in his past three games.
The Bengals don’t have anything to play for in Week 18, yet Zac Taylor has already announced that Joe Burrow will start. As Burrow said when he first returned from his early-season toe injury in Week 13, “we make a lot of money playing a kid’s game. I love playing.” There was little doubt that the former first-overall pick would be out there this Sunday.
Colts at Texans
IND: Riley Leonard
HOU: C.J. Stroud
While the Texans are still fighting for the divisional crown in the AFC South, the Colts have been eliminated after six straight losses. With no playoff aspirations left, Indianapolis is expected to start rookie Riley Leonard over the 44-year-old Philip Rivers, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Considering how wide-open the Colts’ QB situation is heading into 2026, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense — even if it is difficult to say goodbye to Rivers’ goofy antics all over again.
Titans at Jaguars
TEN: Cam Ward
JAX: Trevor Lawrence
It’s a pretty straight forward situation in Jacksonville this weekend. The Jaguars still have an outside shot at a first-round bye, so Trevor Lawrence will start a contest that his team needs to win. On the other side, Cam Ward will attempt to finish out his rookie campaign on a high note. The most recent No. 1 overall pick has looked good in December, throwing for six touchdowns and no interceptions over his last three starts.
Packers at Vikings
GB: Clayton Tune
MIN: J.J. McCarthy
Let’s start with the Packers, who it’s crucial to note are the only team in the NFL currently locked into their playoff spot. Green Bay will be the seven seed in the NFC, so there’s little incentive to rush Jordan Love (concussion) back from his injury. Heck, if it were me, I’d probably play it safe with Malik Willis (shoulder), too, as the QB exited Week 17’s loss to the Ravens in the fourth quarter. If I had to guess right now, I’d say the smart money is on Clayton Tune starting this contest.
UPDATE: Clayton Tune will start against the Vikings.
Injuries are creating a similar cloud of mystery on the Vikings’ depth chart. Under normal circumstances, I’d say it’s a near guarantee that J.J. McCarthy (hand) doesn’t play this weekend, as he continues to recover from a hairline fracture in his right hand. However, McCarthy’s only played nine games since being the 10th overall pick in 2024, and the results have been varied to say the least. I do believe Max Brosmer will end up starting this final contest, but I can see why Kevin O’Connell could be mulling getting more McCarthy snaps on tape.
UPDATE: McCarthy practiced in full on Thursday, which projects him as available to start.
Cowboys at Giants
DAL: Dak Prescott
NYG: Jaxson Dart
For the second week in a row, Brian Schottenheimer has come out and announced that Dak Prescott will continue to play in what has become yet another lost season for the Cowboys. Still, Prescott has his own individual accolades to strive for, as he’s set to lead the NFL in passing yards for the first time in his career.
Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart will make his 12th start of the year for the Giants, after being selected with the 25th-overall pick in the draft. Has Dart done enough to make New York shy away from using what could be the No. 2 pick on another quarterback? Will the Giants trade that pick to a team that doesn’t have a young pivot as promising as the Ole Miss product? We’ll see what happens in the offseason.
Jets at Bills
NYJ: Brady Cook
BUF: Josh Allen
No shade to Brady Cook, but the real story to watch in this game is with Josh Allen. The Bills can not win the AFC East going into Week 18, and while the team still could wind up anywhere from the fifth seed to the seventh seed, there’s little incentive to play the reigning NFL MVP — especially considering Allen underwent X-rays on his foot following Week 17’s loss to the Eagles. In the past, Sean McDermott has opted to start Allen in meaningless Week 18 tilts, removing the QB after a couple of series. I doubt Buffalo even goes that far this time around. It’s also not like Mitch Trubisky can’t beat this hapless Jets squad on his own.
UPDATE: Allen returned to practice on Friday and should be “good to go” in Week 18, per Sean McDermott. Still, I doubt that means much more than Allen playing the game’s first series to push his consecutive starts streak to 140.
Lions at Bears
DET: Jared Goff
CHI: Caleb Williams
The Bears have the inside track on the two seed in the NFC, so I’d assume Ben Johnson will be motivated to play his starters — and beat-up on his former employer. As for the Lions, despite having already been eliminated from contention, I doubt Jared Goff will want to go into the offseason without making some amends for a five-turnover performance on Christmas Day. Also, it’s not like there’s much future value in starting Kyle Allen or C.J. Beathard, right?
Chargers at Broncos
LAC: Trey Lance
DEN: Bo Nix
I think we can all agree that Justin Herbert needed a break, as the former first-round pick has been playing with a fractured left hand over the past couple of weeks. Well, he’ll get just that in Week 18, as the Chargers will rest their starters now that the team is locked into a Wild Card spot. That leaves Trey Lance to make his sixth-career start on Sunday in Denver.
Cardinals at Rams
ARI: Jacoby Brissett
LAR: Matthew Stafford
I guess there’s an argument to be made that the Cardinals should start rookie Kedon Slovis in Week 18 against the Rams, but at the same time, it’s not like Arizona only recently got eliminated from the playoffs. It feels like if the team wanted a look at Slovis, it would have happened already, so it’s probably another week of 10-year NFL veteran Jacoby Brissett.
The Rams’ side of this matchup is a little more interesting. Sean McVay has already stated that he plans to play his starters in Week 18, despite the fact that Los Angeles can not win its division. However, the five seed is very valuable in the NFC, as teams would much rather face-off with the below .500 winner of the NFC South than the Bears or the Eagles. On top of all that, Matthew Stafford would probably appreciate the opportunity to pad his stats a little in Week 18, as the one-day Hall of Fame QB has yet to win an MVP award.
Chiefs at Raiders
KC: Chris Oladokun
LV: Kenny Pickett
With Patrick Mahomes (knee) and Gardner Minshew (knee) on injured reserve, there’s no reason to think that Chris Oladokun won’t start his second straight game on Sunday. For the Raiders, Kenny Pickett also seems in-line to start his second contest of the season, as Geno Smith (ankle) recovers from an ailment that forced him to leave Sunday’s loss to the Giants.
Dolphins at Patriots
MIA: Quinn Ewers
NE: Drake Maye
Pretty much that status quo in this matchup. With the Chargers having already announced they’ll be resting their starters against the Broncos, Denver is a 12.5-point favorite on the DraftKings Sportsbook. The Patriots’ only shot at the first-round bye requires the Broncos to lose, so it’s possible Mike Vrabel plays to the out-of-town scoreboard in this one, and pulls Drake Maye in the second half if Denver is winning by multiple scores. Still, expect Maye to start, and, just like with the aforementioned Stafford, it’s possible the sophomore’s MVP candidacy plays a role here.
As for the Dolphins, Quinn Ewers will get one more opportunity to prove why he should be given a crack at the full-time starting job in 2026. The Texas product did look solid in Week 17’s victory over the Buccaneers.
Commanders at Eagles
WAS: Josh Johnson
PHI: Tanner McKee
There’s a couple of variables to keep in mind in this tilt.
On Washington’s side, Marcus Mariota (hand/quad) could be available to return to action, but Dan Quinn called that possibility “a stretch” on Monday, meaning it’s more than likely we’ll get another helping of 39-year-old Josh Johnson.
For Philadelphia, it all comes down to how seriously the team wants to go for the two seed. Considering that the Bears have the inside track on the slot, I could see Nick Sirianni weighing the pros and cons of resting some starters. Not only could you get Jalen Hurts some time to clear his head, but you could allow Tanner McKee to build up some trade value with a spot start. You don’t think Howie Roseman wouldn’t love that?
Ravens at Steelers
BAL: Lamar Jackson
PIT: Aaron Rodgers
The biggest question mark of the week is Lamar Jackson (back), who sat out Week 17’s contest against the Packers. At that point, it seemed like Baltimore’s playoff fate was all but sealed, as the team’s only shot at survival to Week 18 included beating Green Bay at Lambeau Field and the Steelers losing to the lowly Browns. However, that’s exactly what transpired, and now here we are. Despite underwhelming play as of late, Jackson should get the nod if he’s able. He is, after all, Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP did not practice last week. That said, according to John Harbaugh, the team will have a clearer picture of who is starting on Sunday Night Football by Wednesday. Either way, maybe just give the ball to Derrick Henry 40 times, coach.
UPDATE: Lamar Jackson practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday; will start in Week 18.
