The landscape of the NFL is all over the place this season, making for one of the most intriguing Wild Card Weekends in a long time. On Saturday, the playoffs kick off with the Los Angeles Rams vs. the Carolina Panthers, then a historic rivalry with the Green Bay Packers vs. the Chicago Bears.
On Sunday, the three games include the Buffalo Bills vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, followed by the San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, and then the Los Angeles Chargers vs. the New England Patriots. Wild Card Weekend wraps up on Monday Night when the Houston Texans take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. There’s a lot of interest in the playoffs this season and just about every game is a toss-up, including on all the sports betting apps in the country. There are a lot of players who can impact these games across the board. Let’s take a look at who those players might be.Â
Trevon Diggs – Packers, CB
Trevon Diggs just got to Green Bay after being waived by Dallas and saw his first look in the Green and Gold in Week 18. In the small sample size, he looked good as he had one of the highest grades on the team last week. The Packers picked up Diggs to try and add a boost to a depleted and underperforming cornerback room.
Diggs himself hasn’t performed well with the Dallas Cowboys this year either but Diggs is a former All-Pro who still has some of the best ball skills in the league. That’s crucial for a team that fails to haul in interceptions when provided with great opportunities. There were even discussions that Diggs could slot in as CB1 during Wild Card Weekend. If he can turn back the clock and be even half of what he was in Dallas, Diggs could be a very impactful player for that Packers defense not only against Chicago but a potential run for the Packers if they are victorious this weekend.
Caleb Williams – Bears, QB
In order for the Bears to pull out a win against their arch-rival, Caleb Williams has to be the best version of himself in his first playoff game. He threw for just under 4,000 yards this year with 31 total TDs and seven interceptions. The Bears went from worst to first in the NFC North and come in as the No. 2 seed. That has a lot to do with Williams taking another step with first year head coach Ben Johnson. There’ll be a lot learned about Williams during Wild Card Weekend, and while it’s not all gloom if he loses, it’s a big test that the Bears would like him to pass.
Bryce Young – Panthers, QB
The jury is still out on whether Bryce Young can be the franchise quarterback for the Panthers. Carolina believes he can be but his first three years haven’t screamed that notion. He has had flashes of good play at the end of last season and at times this year as well. He’s led the Panthers to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and first division title since 2015, allbiet with an 8-9 record.
Young will be around for his fourth season next year but this feels like a huge game in making the decision to keep him around for a fifth year. The Panthers are heavy underdogs against the Rams, but Carolina beat them in the regular season at home, where they’ll be at for this game as well. It feels like if they win it’ll be because of Young and if they lose, it’ll also be because of Young.
Travis Etienne Jr. – Jaguars, RB
The Jaguars are one of the most intriguing stories in the NFL this season. They went from 4-13 to 13-4 and now have a real chance to make a run. The Bills are their first roadblock and many say it’s a true toss-up game. There’s a lot of pressure for Trevor Lawrence to perform, especially going up against Josh Allen. Another Jaguar people have their eyes on is Travis Etienne Jr.. He is the key to victory for Jacksonville against a Bills run defense that ranks towards the bottom of the league.
After a down season in 2024-25, many people were questioning Etienne’s place on this team but he bounced back this season with a 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown season. With Etienne due for a contract extension soon, performing in this wild-card game will be massive for him. He’s been really good this season and will be a big reason why the Jaguars can pull off the victory this Wild Card Weekend.
Christian McCaffrey – 49ers, RB
There’s no surprise that Christian McCaffrey made this list. He is undoubtedly one of, if not the most impactful player in the entire league and he’s going to need to be when the 49ers travel to face the Eagles. McCaffrey hasn’t let anything get in his way when it comes to being a bell-cow and being the best running back in the league.
If your quarterback is injured or the team has key players out, having a player of his caliber always gives you a chance. The 49ers have a tough matchup against the Eagles, but McCaffrey is going against a run defense that can be had. San Francisco is obviously going to need Brock Purdy to perform but if they have one player to lean on that can heavily impact a game, it’s McCaffrey.
Drake Maye – Patriots, QB
All eyes are on Drake Maye’s first career playoff start this Wild Card Weekend. The second-year quarterback has the Patriots in a great position, winning 14 games and is a favorite to make it out of the AFC. He is also an MVP candidate, joining Matthew Stafford as favorites for the award. What he’s done so far is nothing short of impressive but now it’s time to see if he can take that next step. Not everyone is bought into the Patriots as a whole but they’re bought into Maye. If the Patriots make a run, it’s because Maye is leading this team as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
T.J. Watt – Steelers, LB
The Steelers head into the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, one of the biggest stories of Wild Card Weekend. There’s no doubt there’s intrigue surrounding how Rodgers will perform in the playoffs and if he can still carry a team into a deep playoff run but they still have a complete game-wrecker on defense that has proven to heavily determine outcomes of a game and that’s T.J. Watt. He missed time towards the end of the season with a partially collapsed lung but came back against the Ravens in Week 18 and collected an interception.
He’s a complete game changer and can steal his team a win any given week. The Steelers offense could have a tough time against this Texans defense but if Watt impacts the game as he can, the Texans offense could also have a tough time against this Steelers defense.
Will Anderson Jr. – Texans, DE
As mentioned, the Steelers aren’t the only ones to have a game-changer on defense. In fact, the Texans have a few but one of them is Will Anderson Jr., who set a career-high in sacks with 12. He also finished second in quarterback pressures with 85.Â
He is one half of one of the best edge rushing duos in the league and can give any team he faces fits. It’s no coincidence that the Texans have made the playoffs in all three years since they inserted Anderson Jr. in this defense. He’s had 4.5 sacks in four playoff games, including a big 3.5 sacks in last year’s playoffs. He will be a big factor in the Texans’ Wild Card Weekend game against the Steelers.
Danielle Hunter – Texans, DE
Danielle Hunter is the second half of the Texans’ deadly pass rush duo. Hunter put up 15 sacks this season, which is good for third in the league. He had double-digit sacks in seven of his 10 NFL seasons, including his last four seasons. This year, he’s been remarkable with no signs of slowing down as his career progresses into his 30s. Hunter is another game-changer that the Texans can deploy and when they unleash the duo of Anderson Jr. and Hunter, there’s been no team to stop them from affecting the outcome of a game.
Aaron Rodgers – Steelers, QB
Going against that great Texans defense is none other than Rodgers, who needs no introduction. He will return to the playoffs in his first season in Pittsburgh, which will be the first time in four seasons. There have been concerns about how the Steelers’ offense operates and how it will play in the playoffs.
With a Hall of Fame quarterback in Rodgers, who’s won a Super Bowl and has been to many conference championships, Pittsburgh is hoping he can figure out this vaunting Texans defense. As much as these two defenses can affect this game for their teams, Rodgers turning back the clock in a challenging test would be what it’ll take to figure out this Texans defense.
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