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The 2023 NFL season has seen far too many quarterbacks get sidelined due to injury. Heading into the second round of the fantasy football playoffs, that theme seems to be continuing. Our Week 16 fantasy football injury reports for quarterbacks as of Thursday, December 21 will give you the latest news on the statuses of C.J. Stroud, Joe Flacco, Trevor Lawrence, Will Levis, and more
Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league mates in fantasy football. Now that the fantasy football playoffs have begun, fantasy managers should stay locked into the latest injury headlines.
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C.J. Stroud Injury Update
Houston Texans rookie first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) remains in the league's concussion protocol and did not practice on Wednesday. Stroud has not practiced since suffering a concussion in Week 14 and missed the Week 15 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans.
On Monday, it was reported that the impressive young 22-year-old signal-caller was likely to miss a second straight game this Sunday against the visiting Cleveland Browns. It's bad timing for fantasy managers, but it looks like they won't have Stroud available in the semifinals in most leagues. Veteran Case Keenum saw his first action of the year, and while he wasn't great by any means, he also wasn't terrible and led the Texans to a victory.
Joe Flacco Injury Update
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (calf) is on the team's Week 16 injury report after having his repetitions limited on Wednesday. Flacco is probably just fine, but his status bears watching as we get closer to Sunday's road matchup against the Houston Texans. The 38-year-old has turned back time since joining the Browns and taking over as their starter with both Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion) injured.
In three starts, Flacco has mostly been solid, completing 57.89% of his 133 passes for 939 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. He's working in front of a banged-up offensive line, but Flacco has a nice matchup against the Texans' defense this weekend and should be considered a midrange QB2 in fantasy.
Trevor Lawrence Injury Update
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (concussion) was not seen on the field with the team at Wednesday's practice. Head coach Doug Pederson said that Lawrence is "progressing well" after suffering a concussion late in Sunday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but he remains in the league's concussion protocol and is going to need to improve throughout the week in order to gain clearance to play in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
As such, it makes the 24-year-old a pretty risky fantasy option this weekend, although we should have a better idea of whether Lawrence will play by this Saturday. If he doesn't clear the concussion protocol, C.J. Beathard would be forced into his first start this year and just the 13th of his career.
Will Levis Injury Update
Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis (ankle) did not practice with the team on Wednesday. As a result, veteran Ryan Tannehill was taking first-team snaps under center. Levis is probably on the wrong side of questionable for Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday after suffering a high-ankle sprain in last week's overtime loss to the Houston Texans. High-ankle sprains typically require players to miss several weeks of action, so it's possible Levis could miss multiple games.
Tannehill will return to a starting role if Levis misses any time. The 35-year-old suffered a high-ankle sprain of his own in Week 6 and hasn't played since, although he's been active since Week 11. In six starts before his injury and before Levis took over the offense, Tannehill struggled with a 62.03 completion percentage, 1,128 passing yards, only two touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Geno Smith Injury Update
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that quarterback Geno Smith (groin) was "full-go" in practice on Wednesday. Smith was active for Monday night's upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but he served as the emergency backup to Drew Lock. Smith hasn't played the last two games but is fully on track to suit up this Sunday to face the Titans on the road in Tennessee.
He threw for 334 yards and a season-high three touchdowns in a 41-35 loss to the Dallas Cowboys back on Nov. 30 and will be hoping to pick up where he left off when he returns as the team's starting QB this weekend. The 33-year-old hasn't been nearly as good for Seattle as he was in 2022, but he still represents a decent high-floor QB2 option for fantasy managers now that he appears to be past his groin injury.
Kenny Pickett Injury Update
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice for the second straight day this week. The Steelers are leaving the door open for Pickett to potentially return this Saturday to face the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals, but it's more likely he misses a third straight game due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 13. The plan for now for the Steelers is to start Mason Rudolph under center following two lackluster starts from Mitch Trubisky.
Pittsburgh is now 7-7 on the year and on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff picture. The 25-year-old Pickett is making progress, but his movements are still limited and he'll have a better shot to return to the starting gig in Week 17 on the road in Seattle to face the Seahawks. (Steelers.com)
Zach Wilson Injury Update
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (concussion) remains in the league's concussion protocol on Wednesday. The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that it seems unlikely that Wilson will play this weekend against the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve, especially since the Jets were officially eliminated from the playoffs with last Sunday's blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins. Wilson will not practice on Wednesday and is unlikely to be an option for fantasy managers in two-QB Superflex leagues in Week 16.
Instead, it appears that Trevor Siemian will make his first start of the year after replacing a concussed Wilson in Week 15 and promptly throwing two interceptions. He's been bad in spot duty the last two weeks, going 19-for-39 for 176 yards, zero touchdowns, and two picks. It wouldn't be a surprise if Brett Rypien replaced Siemian at some point this Sunday.
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