- WHERE: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.)
- WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET
- HOW TO WATCH: Prime Video, NFL+
The Christmas Day combatants might not be home for the holidays, but most of them will be for the playoffs. That doesn't mean there isn't intrigue in the tripleheader, however.
The Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys reignite their rivalry in the first game of the day.
The desperate Detroit Lions, who enter Week 17 with remote playoff odds, face the Vikings in the middle game of the three-game slate. Minnesota is again turning to Max Brosmer (who had four picks in his first start this season) to replace the injured J.J. McCarthy.
The Broncos, who head to Kansas City for the nightcap, are locked in the playoffs, but there's unfinished business with the AFC's top seed theirs for the taking with two more victories. It's also possible that it's Travis Kelce's final home game – if he retires – as the Chiefs try to salvage something in a lost season.
Two must-know storylines
1) Broncos look to rebound, continue march toward playoff bye
The Broncos are dusting themselves off after their first loss since September, and they have work to do to lock up the AFC West title and the top overall seed in the AFC playoffs. Although the Chiefs are down to their third-string QB, Denver will be without linebacker Dre Greenlaw and wide receiver Pat Bryant, who were injured Sunday, as well as center Luke Wattenberg. Denver's defense will be seeking a more complete performance than Sunday, when the Jaguars started and finished slowly but were red hot offensively in the middle of a 34-20 win. Likewise, Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense also hope for more drive-to-drive consistency on Thursday, knowing that the Chiefs still boast a quality defense that held them to 22 points and 59 yards rushing in the Week 11 meeting between the teams. The Broncos can win the West by beating or tying the Chiefs, followed by a Chargers loss against the Texans on Saturday. There are other clinching scenarios, but that's the simplest one.
2) Is this Kelce's final home game for the Chiefs?
Speculation about Travis Kelce's NFL future beyond this season started before the 2025 campaign even began, and the talk of Thursday possibly being his final home game ever has only gotten louder as the Chiefs' season has fallen apart. Head coach Andy Reid has been coy on the matter, saying he doesn't know Kelce's plans, instead choosing to say that his tight end was a "phenomenal person" and "everything you want from a player representing an organization." Even with a reduced target share from recent seasons, Kelce leads the Chiefs in catches and receiving yards and is tied for the team lead with five TD catches. Chris Oladokun was thrown into a tough spot last week when Gardner Minshew injured his knee, completing 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards in his 31-snap performance against the Titans. The Chiefs lost, but Oladokun handled himself well. Kelce caught his only pass last week from Oladokun after Minshew was 0 for 3 passing in Kelce's direction. Whether or not this is Kelce's final game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, he might have to be busy against the Broncos, with Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thorntonon the injury report and their statuses unclear heading into the Christmas Day. And one way or another, figure for the crowd to give their biggest remaining star a rousing ovation after 13 brilliant seasons in Kansas City.
Broncos' Week 17 injury report
| Player | Game status | Mon. practice | Tues. practice | Wed. practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Adkins, TE (knee) | Out | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Pat Bryant, WR (concussion) | Out | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Dre Greenlaw, LB (hamstring) | Out | DNP | DNP | |
| Riley Moss, CB (ankle) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Ben Powers, G (biceps) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Karene Reid, LB (hamstring) | Out | FP | FP | FP |
| Justin Strnad, LB (foot) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Luke Wattenberg, C (shoulder) | OUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Chiefs' Week 17 injury report
| Player | Game status | Mon. practice | Tues. practice | Wed. practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Briningstool, TE (hamstring) | Out | FP | FP | FP |
| Mike Edwards, S (shoulder) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Kristian Fulton, CB (knee/wrist) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Noah Gray, TE (shoulder) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Nazeeh Johnson, S (shoulder) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Trent McDuffie, CB (knee) | IR | DNP | DNP | |
| Jaylon Moore, OL (knee) | Questionable | LP | FP | LP |
| Derrick Nnadi, DT (illness) | Questionable | LP | LP | LP |
| Esa Pole, OL (knee) | FP | FP | FP | |
| Nikko Remigio, WR (knee) | Questionable | FP | DNP | DNP |
| Rashee Rice, WR (concussion) | IR | DNP | DNP | |
| Trey Smith, G (ankle) | FP | FP | ||
| Tyquan Thornton, WR (concussion) | IR | DNP | DNP | |
| Jaylen Watson, CB (groin) | IR | DNP | DNP | |
| George Karlaftis | Questionable | LP | ||
| Nick Bolton | Questionable | LP |
