NFL

In a shocking move, the New York Jets benched quarterback Zach Wilson in the third quarter of their Thursday Night Football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

At the time of his exit, Wilson had completed nine of 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception. Chris Streveler, who was elevated from the practice squad prior to Thursday's game, took over at quarterback for New York.

The Jets struggled to move the ball with Wilson under center, and it was clear that a change was needed as the fans grew restless. In the middle of a chorus of boos, the home crowd at MetLife Stadium chanted "We want Streveler."

This benching is the latest low point in a disappointing season for the 2021 No. 2 overall pick. Wilson has failed to live up to his draft status and looks to have stagnated in his development.

Things got off to a rocky start early, as Wilson suffered a knee injury in the first preseason game of the year that caused him to miss the first three weeks of the season. Upon his return in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jets embarked on a four-game winning streak, largely due to their strong defense and rushing attack.

However, rookie running back Breece Hall suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, leading to more of a reliance on the passing game. Wilson failed to demonstrate an ability to lead the offense, going 1-2 in the next three games. An abysmal performance in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots was the breaking point, as he was benched in favor of backup quarterback Mike White.

The Jets offense looked more efficient with White running the show, but the team suffered close losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. White injured his ribs against Buffalo, forcing the Jets to turn back to Wilson.

After last Sunday's loss against the Detroit Lions and Thursday night's benching, it's fair to wonder if Wilson's career in New York will come to an end sooner than expected.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams was released from the hospital after he was involved in a vehicle collision in Plano, Texas at 2:15 local time Thursday.

Williams was initially transported to the hospital for precautionary reasons.

According to the Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken, "Williams was transported to a local hospital today for precautionary reasons after he was involved in a vehicle collision around 2:15 p.m. in Plano, a police spokesperson said. He collided with a vehicle attempting to turn in front of him."

"The other vehicle's driver was also transported to hospital as a precaution," Gehlken added. "Police are investigating whether the speed at which Sam Williams was traveling on Preston Road was factor. Police have determined that neither drugs nor alcohol a factor."

Williams' status for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles has yet to be determined.

The Cowboys selected Williams with the No. 56 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. In 13 games, Williams has amassed 20 tackles (13 solo), three sacks and three fumble recoveries. Two of those sacks occurred in a 24-6 home win over the Detroit Lions on Oct. 23.

The 23-year-old starred at Ole Miss before entering the NFL. He notably set a school single-season record with 12.5 sacks in 2021 alongside 57 tackles. Thanks in part to his efforts, the Rebels finished 10-3 and ended the year No. 11 in the Associated Press poll.

The virtual Travis Kelce is now as unstoppable as the real one.

Madden NFL 23 released its latest batch of ratings updates Thursday, and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end returned to the 99 club:

That Kelce received the one-point boost to his rating comes as no surprise given how well he has played this season. He has 91 catches for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns through 14 games, which was good enough to clinch his eighth straight Pro Bowl berth.

Kelce is coming off a performance of 10 catches for 105 yards in a narrow 30-24 overtime victory over the Houston Texans. It was the fifth time this season he went over the century mark in yardage in a game.

Kansas City turned heads last offseason when it traded star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. It seemed like its grip on the AFC West might be in jeopardy after the move, especially with Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson and Derek Carr quarterbacking the division's other teams.

Instead, Patrick Mahomes and Kelce have kept the Chiefs on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders at 11-3, and the tight end is seeing the benefits on the virtual gridiron with the latest Madden boost.

He is not the only one to see a ratings change for the Chiefs, as Mahomes went up one point to a 98. The quarterback could be on his way to his second career MVP, especially if Jalen Hurts misses significant time with a shoulder injury.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is right behind them at 97 overall following a one-point boost of his own.

Jefferson posted 12 catches for 123 yards and one touchdown in a dramatic 39-36 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts that saw Minnesota overcome a 33-0 halftime deficit. It came after the LSU product posted 11 catches for 223 yards in a loss to the Detroit Lions.

Like the Chiefs, the Vikings are in ideal playoff position at 11-3. They likely won't catch the 13-1 Philadelphia Eagles in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed, but they will remain a postseason threat as long as Jefferson is on the field.

Rob Gronkowski might be retired, but the door apparently isn't closed on a return to the NFL.

On Wednesday, the legendary tight end tweeted, "I'm kinda bored," which appeared to be teasing a partnership with FanDuel he subsequently announced.

Those three words were enough to at least pique the interest of two NFL teams. Gronkowski said on Up & Adams that he heard from a pair of franchises along with others asking if he was plotting a comeback:

The 33-year-old remained coy when asked whether either of the teams was the New England Patriots or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Although Gronkowski walked away from the NFL this past summer, his first retirement only lasted the 2019 season. You wouldn't put it past him to get the itch to play again, especially at a late juncture in the campaign.

The four-time All-Pro remained an effective option in his second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, too. He caught 55 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 12 appearances.

The old Gronk, who was arguably the most dominant tight end in history, is never coming back, but the older Gronk is basically a plug-and-play secondary target in any passing game.

But all signs indicate Gronkowski is planning to stay retired this time.

New England Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft invited fan Jerry Edmond, who was aggressively heckled by a Las Vegas Raiders fan following the Pats' shocking Week 15 road loss, to Gillette Stadium for Saturday's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Video of Edmond getting harassed went viral on social media:

Per Alexandra Francisco of Patriots.com, Kraft "called Edmond personally on Wednesday, inviting him to Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Edmond accepted the invitation, and will receive a customized jersey and pregame field passes to take in warm-ups."

Watching the Patriots blow a game in the most incomprehensible way possible was surely rough enough for Edmond before the insult accompanied injury. Saturday's experience should be a friendlier one.

The Tennessee Titans will turn to rookie quarterback Malik Willis as the starting quarterback for Saturday's matchup with the Houston Texans, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Veteran Ryan Tannehill has been ruled out for the game with an ankle injury.

NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky reported Wednesday that Tannehill was likely done for the season, opening up the chance for Willis to make an impression down the stretch.

The 23-year-old has made two starts this season, going 1-1 in those contests. For the year, the third-rounder out of Liberty has thrown for 177 yards and an interception, completing a woeful 44.7 percent of his passes while taking six sacks. He's added 80 rushing yards.

"I think the previous experience helped a lot, as far as just knowing what it takes and knowing what your routine is going to be in order to prepare," Willis told reporters Wednesday. "It's different every week, who we play. But the way you prepare is the same mostly. It's just understanding what it takes and going out there every day. Now I get the reps a little more, and it's just about going out there and getting better."

It will be a trial by fire for Willis at a crucial juncture in Tennessee's season, with the 7-7 Titans holding onto a tenuous one-game lead in the AFC South over the suddenly hot Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8), winners of four of their last six.

The Titans, meanwhile, have lost four straight.

The Jags won the first matchup between the teams by a 36-22 score, with the division potentially coming down to the final week of the season when the two teams face off in Jacksonville for the second time. The division winner will claim the No. 4 seed in the AFC.

It may be a moot point if the Titans can't get past the Texans and a Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. At least this week, Willis finds himself in the spotlight.

The Washington Commanders confirmed Chase Young will be activated for Saturday's game against the San Francisco 49ers.

This will be Young's first action since he suffered a torn ACL in November 2021. Head coach Ron Rivera indicated he plans on managing the young pass-rusher's workload.

Young, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, made an immediate impact. He totaled 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The ACL injury capped a slightly disappointing sophomore campaign. The 23-year-old had 1.5 sacks and 26 tackles through nine games before going down.

At 7-6-1, the Commanders occupy the final wild-card spot in the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions are hot on their heels at 7-7, and the Green Bay Packers are lurking a little lower down the standings at 6-8.

Young's return is obviously big news because he's a defensive cornerstone. Getting back on the field also gives him the opportunity to help seal a postseason berth.

Washington could use a boost off the edge. The team is 16th in total sacks (34) and 15th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

The Commanders face a 49ers offense that hasn't missed a beat with quarterback Brock Purdy at the helm, followed by matchups against the Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson and Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott.

Getting consistent pressure on the quarterback will be a priority for Rivera and his staff over the next three weeks, and Young can now factor into those plans.

Two nonprofit watchdog groups—CharityWatch and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy—and an investigation by ESPN's Tisha Thompson found that the Washington Commanders' Charitable Foundation is "operating in a manner that calls into question whether it is upholding its charitable mission responsibly."

"There are so many red flags here, it's hard to keep score," CharityWatch executive director Laurie Styron told Thompson. "Taxpayers who subsidize the existence of public charities also have a stake in knowing that nonprofits aren't being used to forward the personal interests of the people running it."

The charity receives 75 percent of its donations from the public and the team's fans. In 2020, it allegedly raised $2.1 million in contributions and grants and gave away $697,000. In 2021, it is said to have raised $927,992 and gave away more $471,000.

The review found that the charity "lacks sufficient independent oversight"; failed to disclose that one of the companies it owes money to belongs to team owner Daniel Snyder; had a number of "unusual transactions" listed in its filings; and provided grants to organizations that don't align with its mission statement.

"The Washington Commander owners, players, donors, alumni, and staff have dedicated time and resources to helping others and we are very proud of the work that has been accomplished, while becoming even more integrated as a community partner in the Washington region," team spokesperson Jean Medina said in a statement.

John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, who are counsel for the Commanders, responded to the report in a statement:

ESPN chose to ignore the informed opinions of the Foundation's independent auditors, and additional outside legal experts who actually had access to the Foundation's records and finances, in favor of the uninformed opinions of individuals who had no such access, and who had affirmatively refused such access when it was offered to them.

Up until April, Commanders co-CEO Tanya Snyder was the sole voting board member in the foundation. Team president Jason Wright, senior vice president of corporate affairs and strategy Amina Bulman, Commanders' Charitable Foundation executive director, Valeri Biberaj and chief operating officer Greg Resh were then added as voting board members by Snyder.

Resh later left both the team and the foundation's voting board in September.

"The potential for abuse is really, really high," president and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Aaron Dorfman told Thompson regarding the board being comprised solely of team employees.

"The better practice would be to have some people on the board who are not beholden to the Snyders or to the team," he added. "People who have the best interests of vulnerable children, because the foundation says that is what it's working toward. And that would help guarantee that the foundation is used for its intended purpose of really benefiting the community."

It is the latest controversy for the Snyders and the Commanders, who have faced numerous investigations and inquiries in the past year, including a House Committee on Oversight and Reform probe that found Snyder had fostered a "culture of fear" within the organization. It also reported instances of "sexual harassment, bullying, and other toxic conduct" over the course of several decades.

In November, the organization announced that the Snyders had hired Bank of America Securities "to consider potential transactions," the first indication that the beleaguered owner may finally consider selling the franchise.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected to miss Saturday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Head coach Nick Sirianni indicated Gardner Minshew will likely be running the offense in Hurts' stead.

The NFL MVP candidate has led the Eagles to a 13-1 record by accounting for 35 touchdowns (22 passing, 13 rushing), 3,472 passing yards and 747 rushing yards.

He's proved to be a long-term solution at quarterback in Philadelphia, which has the No. 2 scoring offense in the NFL.

Hurts has been a full-time starter for the team since taking over for Carson Wentz in December 2020. In two years, the 24-year-old has shown the potential to become one of the game's top superstars for the next decade-plus.

The former Alabama and Oklahoma star went through the vast majority of the season without the threat of potentially missing time as Philadelphia racked up the wins.

Unfortunately, he suffered a sprained right (throwing) shoulder during the third quarter of his team's 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Dec. 18 after a tackle from defensive end Trevis Gipson.

He remained in the game and even uncorked a 68-yard pass to A.J. Brown late before running for a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Hurts finished out the contest, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he was in danger of missing the Cowboys game. Good news emerged, though, as Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, stated that they did not believe this was a long-term injury.

Sirianni offered hope that Hurts could play, however, while noting Minshew was preparing to suit up.

Hurts also said he had a shot.

Minshew is the next man up on the depth chart, and Ian Book sits behind him. The 26-year-old Minshew was the starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars for much of the 2019 and 2020 seasons before joining the Eagles as a backup in 2021. He has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 6,003 yards, 41 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 30 career games.