NFL Notes - 12/28

jared goff won't have surgery until the offseason

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff broke and dislocated (and put it back into place on his own, on the field) his thumb during Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. More tests are coming Monday, and his status for Week 17 is up in the air. Goff hopes to play through the injury and hold off on any surgery until the season is over, which the Rams hope is later rather than sooner. Los Angeles can make the postseason with a win in Week 17 or a Chicago Bears​ loss.

#Rams QB Jared Goff, who suffered a broken and dislocated thumb, can put off surgery to repair it until after the season, source said. Goff has more tests today, but he is adamant about attempting to play through it. How his thumb responds this week will determine his status.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 28, 2020

washington expects alex smith to start sunday

The Washington Football Team is essentially playing a playoff game next week against the Philadelphia Eagles; if they win, they're in. The problem is, they have a large question mark at the most critical position. QB Alex Smith is expected to start, but he's missed the past two weeks with a calf injury. If Smith cannot play, Taylor Heinicke will go. It's... unsettling.

washington releases dwayne haskins

In further Washington news, the team released QB Dwayne Haskins on Monday. Their 2019 first-round draft pick will now be on waivers and looking for a new home, should another team decide to take another chance on him. Haskins had a troubled time in Washington, to say the least, from bad on-field play to various off-the-field antics (most recently, a maskless party that made its way onto social media). The Football Team released this statement on the matter.

We have released QB Dwayne Haskins pic.twitter.com/KRrWxWra7E

— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) December 28, 2020