Which Key Players Will Be Rested in Week 18? Find Out Here

• The Kansas City Chiefs have locked up the #1 seed in the AFC and have the luxury of resting stars in Week 18
• The playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills have clinched their divisions and can’t move up or down the standings
• See which NFL teams are resting starters in Week 18

Just one week remains in the NFL regular season and, while there are some massive games on the schedule when it comes to playoff berths and postseason seeding, the majority of teams have nothing on the line in their Week 18 game. Many playoff bound teams have announced that they will be resting some or all of their star players. The table below goes through which teams have made such announcements, game by game, and which stars are out of the lineup. The table will be updated as more coaches weigh-in.

NFL Week 18 Resting Starters

There are no Thursday Night Football or Monday Night Football games in Week 18, but there are back-to-back AFC North games on Saturday, starting with Browns vs Ravens at 4:30 pm ET, followed by Bengals vs Steelers at 8pm ET. If the Ravens, who are 17.5-point chalk, beat the Browns, they will clinch the division. That would mean Pittsburgh can’t do better than the #5 seed in the AFC playoff bracket, but head coach Mike Tomlin has hinted that his starters are likely to play no matter what happens in the Cleveland/Baltimore game.

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Playoff berths aren’t the only motivation, of course. A dozen NFL stars have money on the line in Week 18 due to incentives in their contracts, including Ravens RB Derrick Henry, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield, and Bills edge rusher Von Miller. See the full list of NFL Week 18 Player Incentives here.

Eagles Likely to Rest Almost Everyone

The first team to confirm they would be resting starters was the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly is locked into the #2 seed in the NFC and can’t move up or down. Running back Saquon Barkley is just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, but head coach Nick Sirianni is only focused on one goal: the Lombardi Trophy. Sirianni has already confirmed that Barkley will be in street clothes along with QB1 Jalen Hurts, who’s still recovering from a concussion, and his backup Kenny Pickett, who’s nursing a rib injury.

It’s unlikely that any of Philadelphia’s significant contributors suit up in Week 18 as they prepare to face either the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers on Wild Card weekend in about ten days’ time.

The Eagles opened as 3.5-point home favorites over the Giants and that line is on the move in NYG’s direction, currently sitting at 3.0 in the Week 18 NFL odds.

Chiefs Will Rest Mahomes and Other Key Starters

With a league-best 15-1 record on the season, the Chiefs have locked up the #1 seed in the AFC and have the luxury of relaxing in their Week 18 tilt with the Broncos. Head coach Andy Reid has confirmed that most of his starters will get the week off, which should QB Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, running back Isiah Pacheco, and star defenders Chris Jones and George Karlaftis.

This is very welcome news for Broncos fans as their team needs a win to clinch the final playoff spot in the AFC. It’s very unwelcome news for Bengals and Dolphins faithful. Miami would get in if they beat the Jets and the Broncos lose to the Chiefs. The Bengals would claim the final berth if they beat the Steelers and both the Broncos and Dolphins lose in Week 18.

Bills Going with a “Mix” or Starters/Backups

Much like the Eagles in the NFC, the Buffalo Bills are locked into the #2 seed in the AFC ahead of their Week 18 clash with the Patriots in Foxborough. Head coach Sean McDermott has confirmed that Josh Allen, the favorite in the NFL MVP odds, will start the game, but that backup Mitch Trubisky will handle most of the snaps.

Buffalo opened as a 3.5-point road favorite last Sunday night but that line has come down to Bills -2.0 after McDermott’s announcement that he would be resting players.

As the NFL regular season comes to a close, many teams have already secured their playoff spots and are looking to rest key players in Week 18 to avoid any potential injuries before the postseason begins. Resting key players can be a strategic move for teams that have already clinched their playoff berths and want to ensure their top talent is healthy and ready to go for the playoffs.

One team that is likely to rest key players in Week 18 is the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have already clinched the top seed in the NFC and have nothing to gain by playing their starters in the final week of the regular season. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, running back Aaron Jones, and wide receiver Davante Adams are all candidates to sit out Week 18 to avoid any unnecessary risks.

Another team that may rest key players in Week 18 is the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have already secured a playoff spot and are likely to rest some of their key players, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. Resting these players will give them an opportunity to heal up any lingering injuries and be fresh for the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams are also a team that could rest key players in Week 18. The Rams have already clinched a playoff spot and may choose to rest some of their top players, such as quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Resting these players will give them a chance to recover from any bumps and bruises they may have picked up during the regular season.

Overall, Week 18 is shaping up to be an interesting week as teams jockey for playoff positioning and look to rest key players ahead of the postseason. Keep an eye on your favorite teams to see who will be resting their top talent in the final week of the regular season.