The track record of NFL rookies missing their entire first season with injury and going on to have successful careers is extremely grim. For every Travis Kelce there’s … essentially no one else? So it’s bad enough at any position. But quarterback? It’s nonexistent. Those were the odds J.J. McCarthy was staring down this season before he ever even took a snap. Then he took a snap, and things got so much worse.
McCarthy’s disasterclass first year under center has achieved perfect symmetry in at least one regard — both the computers and eye test agree he is the worst quarterback in football. The machines are particularly bleak. The Ringer’s Danny Heifetz found the One Perfect Stat to sum it all up: Amongst qualified players since the year 2000, McCarthy ranks 851-of-852 in EPA per dropback. The only player worse? One of the biggest busts in the history of the sport, JaMarcus Russell.
So that’s bad enough. It’s somehow even worse if you just sit and watch McCarthy play. His fundamentals are so shambolic as to be almost nonexistent. It is truly shocking McCarthy’s college career came under one of the masters of fundamental football, Jim Harbaugh. “Nine’s” feet move like an AI glitch, while his passes have a tendency to either frisbee or sail. He’s a complete wreck under pressure. Instead of extending plays with his athleticism, he’s getting destroyed for sacks and turnovers.
Aside from a few drives against the Chicago Bears, there have been no positives. That is very much true in fantasy football, as well. All-world wideout Justin Jefferson has finished as the WR19, WR42, WR25 and WR35 since McCarthy’s return. No one else is even remotely playable. The one-and-done quarterback is extremely rare. Especially in this era of complex offenses and even more sophisticated defenses, quarterback development is non-linear. But it’s just difficult to shake the feel the NFL has found its Josh Rosen 2.0, and that Vikings fans and fantasy managers will continue to pay a heavy price down the stretch.
Five Week 12 Storylines
Baker Mayfield wrecks non-throwing shoulder as Bucs’ season begins to circle the drain. Except, of course, in the NFC South, it takes a long time to reach the bottom. The Bucs are 1-4 over their past five games, with only a win over the lowly Saints to show for it. Their division stature? First. The season is not over, but the end will draw a lot closer if Mayfield is to miss multiple starts. He suffered a similar non-throwing shoulder injury in 2021 and played through it. It nearly ruined his career. You would like to think that would make him more cautious this time around, but caution will probably again be thrown to the wind with the division on the line. Even if it’s not, one-armed Mayfield or Teddy Bridgewater figure to have the same effect in fantasy. Fewer passes, and lower quality ones. Fewer fantasy points as the receiver corps begins to get more crowded with target competition as injured players make their long-awaited returns. For all intents and purposes, this offense is probably a spent fantasy force.
Alvin Kamara’s go-nowhere season further derailed by knee injury. Kamara has one touchdown on 164 2025 touches. Either he’s at the end of the line, or we are somehow underrating just how bad this Saints offensive environment is. It’s probably a little bit of both. Fantasy managers have long needed to move on, but Kamara keeps reeling them back in with things like his 25-touch Week 10. Week 12 hopefully disabused any notion this will be a profitable partnership down the stretch, especially with Kamara now set to miss multiple weeks with a sprained MCL. Kamara has had a legendary fantasy career. That is in the past, and Devin Neal isn’t much of a present.
Raiders throw pointless Hail Mary with Chip Kelly firing. Coach Pete Carroll would like you to believe this is the play-caller’s fault. Kelly certainly hadn’t been part of any potential solution, but no one was going to save this doomed Carroll/Geno Smith reunion, one officiated by Carroll’s offensive line-coaching son, Brennan. The Raiders have reached a level of futility where something indeed had to be done. This isn’t going to be enough, and might even make things worse. Unable to find usable game script against the Cleveland Browns, we shudder to think what might await vs. the Chargers, Broncos, Eagles and Texans over the next month. With bye weeks soon coming to a close, Ashton Jeanty is tumbling down the RB2 ranks.
Michael Wilson keeps feasting as Jacoby Brissett refuses to slow down. Brissett has 1,887 yards in six games since taking over as starter. That is the most by any quarterback during a six-game spain this season. Wilson, unbelievably, has been a huge reason why. His 303 yards over the past two weeks represent 18.3 percent of his career total. We have learned a lot about the Arizona Cardinals over the past month-plus, not all of it good. Brissett and Wilson’s ascension, of course, highlight the degree to which Kyler Murray was holding this offense back. It also illustrates just how far there still is for Marvin Harrison Jr. to go in his career progression. Brissett and Wilson aren’t long-term solutions in the desert. They’ve at least confirmed some of the problems.
Tee Higgins suffers sickening concussion as Bengals await Joe Burrow’s return. The second diagnosed concussion of Higgins’ professional career was one of the worst of the 2025 season. His head slammed into the turf and kind of just stayed there since the defender came down on top of him. Awful for Higgins, and another cursed blow for the 2025 Bengals, who were missing Ja’Marr Chase in Week 12 and supposedly finally getting back Joe Burrow for Week 13. Now Higgins won’t be out there against the Ravens. We would like to say fantasy managers can get weird with Andrei Iosivas and maybe even Mike Gesicki, but the Ravens have been a different defense since their Week 7 bye. It started raining early in the season in Cincy, and it hasn’t let up since.
Don’t forget, for the latest on everything NFL, check out Rotoworld’s Player News, or follow @Rotoworld_FB or @RotoPat on Twitter/Bluesky.
Five More Week 12 Storylines … that I somehow ran out of time to write. Accept my apologies. Is Patrick Daugherty experiencing mid-season fatigue? The answer may shock you. More, tonight at 11.
Questions
1. Is there any coming back from losing to Shedeur Sanders? Technically, yes, but spiritually? No. No there is not…
2. Is Kirk Cousins “back,” and why is the answer no?
3. Oh, what, you thought Harrison Mevis wasn’t going to be a K1? 😤
Early Waivers Look (Players rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)
QB: Tua Tagovailoa (vs. NO), Trevor Lawrence (@TEN), C.J. Stroud (@IND), Bryce Young (vs. LAR), Aaron Rodgers (vs. BUF), Tyler Shough (@MIA), Tyrod Taylor (vs. ATL)
RB: Devin Neal, Tyler Allgeier, Ollie Gordon II, Michael Carter, Devin Singletary, Nick Chubb
WR: Christian Watson, John Metchie, Parker Washington, Greg Dortch, Luther Burden III, Jayden Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, Chimere Dike
TE: Colston Loveland, Harold Fannin Jr. Brenton Strange, Dalton Schultz, Mason Taylor
DEF: Chargers (vs. LV), 49ers (@CLE), Falcons (@NYJ), Jaguars (@TEN), Colts (vs. HOU), Dolphins (vs. NO)
Stats of the Week
Per Ben Solak: Daniel Jones did not attempt a pass 20-plus yards down the field against the Chiefs. You can call that a Chiefs stat if you like, but the reality is, Jones has spent the better part of the past month reverting to his pre-2025 form. He can’t make plays on third down, i.e. obvious passing situations, and he’s loath to chuck the ball deep.
Via Matt Harmon: “Red meat for the internet: Shedeur Sanders’ 9.2 adjusted yards per attempt in Week 12 was the best mark by a Browns starting quarterback this season by a significant margin.”
Geno Smith became just the 11th player this century to take 10 sacks in a start. It got Chip Kelly fired, but it’s frankly long past time for Smith to be benched.
Kyle Monangai out-snapped D’Andre Swift for the first time all season. It was also the first time he’s out-carried Swift. One-game sample sizes are a dangerous thing, but this has had the feel of an overdue change for Chicago.
Via Underdog: “For the first time in his career, Lamar Jackson totaled zero touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.”
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 1,313 receiving yards are the third most in league history through a player’s first 11 games, placing him behind only 2013 Josh Gordon and 2023 Tyreek Hill.
John Metchie’s 18.5 PPR points were the most by a non-Garrett Wilson Jets wideout all season. There’s a little something here with Tyrod Taylor under center.
Awards Section
Week 12 Fantasy All-Pro Team: QB Jameis Winston, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Emmanuel Wilson, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, TE Hunter Henry
Week 12 All Bank Examiner Squad: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Kyren Williams, RB D’Andre Swift, WR Jameson Williams, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Emeka Egbuka, TE Mark Andrews
Tweet of the Week, from @JimmyKempski: There’s a guy toasting an English muffin screaming to all who will listen that Eagles fans have taken over the Hampton Inn and Suites DFW Airport South.
The, Ok, Whatever, I Will Admit It Award: I find Brian Schottenheimer kind of charming and I am rooting for him.
The Paused The Game To “Go To The Bathroom” But Never Came Back Award: The Raiders.
