NEW YORK — Jan. 7, 2026 —Below are the players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones during the 2025 Wild Card playoffs, including:
- QB Aaron Rodgers
- QB Jalen Hurts
- QB Matthew Stafford
- QB Josh Allen
- QB C.J. Stroud
- RB Christian McCaffrey
- RB Saquon Barkley
- WR Puka Nacua
- DE Will Anderson
- LB Zack Baun
QUARTERBACKS PLAYOFF DEBUT
Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams and New England quarterback Drake Maye are expected to make their first career playoff starts on Wild Card weekend.
The quarterbacks with the most passing yards in their first career playoff start:
| PLAYER | TEAM | DATE | PASSING YARDS |
| Kelly Holcomb | Cleveland | Jan. 5, 2003 | 429 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | Jan. 10, 2010 | 423 |
| Randall Cunningham | Philadelphia | Dec. 31, 1988 | 407 |
| Kurt Warner HOF | St. Louis Rams | Jan. 16, 2000 | 391 |
| Neil Lomax | St. Louis Cardinals | Jan. 8, 1983 | 385 |
The quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes in their first career playoff start:
| PLAYER | TEAM | DATE | TD PASSES |
| Kurt Warner HOF | St. Louis | Jan. 16, 2000 | 5 |
| Lynn Dickey | Green Bay | Jan. 8, 1983 | 4 |
| Frank Reich | Buffalo | Jan. 3, 1993 | 4 |
| Aaron Brooks | New Orleans | Dec. 30, 2000 | 4 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | Jan. 10, 2010 | 4 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville | Jan. 14, 2023 | 4 |
The quarterbacks with the highest passer rating in their first career playoff start (minimum 15 attempts):
| PLAYER | TEAM | DATE | PASSER RATING |
| C.J. Stroud | Houston | Jan. 13, 2024 | 157.2 |
| Jordan Love | Green Bay | Jan. 14, 2024 | 157.2 |
| Lynn Dickey | Green Bay | Jan. 8, 1983 | 150.4 |
| Joe Theismann | Washington | Jan. 8, 1983 | 149.1 |
| Steve Fuller | Chicago | Dec. 30, 1984 | 143.8 |
AARON RODGERS
Pittsburgh quarterback and Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers is tied for third in NFL postseason history with 45 touchdown passes and fourth with 5,894 passing yards in 21 career playoff starts.
With two touchdown passes against Houston on Monday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Rodgers can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (45 touchdown passes) and Patrick Mahomes (46) for the second-most postseason touchdown passes in NFL history, trailing only Tom Brady (88).
With at least 79 passing yards on Monday night, Rodgers can surpass Ben Roethlisberger (5,972 passing yards) for the third-most postseason passing yards in NFL history, trailing only Tom Brady (13,400) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (7,339).
JALEN HURTS
Philadelphia quarterback and Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts has 1,813 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes for a 95.4 passer rating and 10 rushing touchdowns in nine career playoff games, the only quarterback in NFL history with at least 10 rushing touchdowns and 10 touchdown passes in the postseason. Hurts has led Philadelphia to a 6-3 postseason record since 2021, including a Super Bowl LIX victory last year.
On Sunday against San Francisco (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), Hurts, who has a passer rating of 90-or-higher in his last six playoff games, can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (nine games with San Francisco and Kansas City), Joe Flacco (eight with Baltimore) and Aaron Rodgers (eight with Green Bay; active streak) as the only players in NFL history with a passer rating of 90-or-higher in seven consecutive playoff games.
The quarterbacks with the most consecutive playoff games with a passer rating of 90-or-higher in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Joe Montana HOF | San Francisco, Kansas City | 9 (Jan. 1, 1989 – Jan. 8, 1994) |
| Joe Flacco | Baltimore | 8 (Jan. 15, 2012 – Jan. 10, 2015) |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 8* (Jan. 8, 2017 – Jan. 22, 2022) |
| Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia | 6* (Feb. 12, 23 – Feb. 9, 2025) |
| *active streak | ||
With a win on Wild Card weekend, Hurts can join Tom Brady (10 wins), Patrick Mahomes (eight), Ben Roethilisberger (eight), Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (eight), Eli Manning (seven) and Russell Wilson (seven) as the only quarterbacks since 2000 with at least seven wins in their first 10 postseason starts.
MATTHEW STAFFORD
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes this season, has 2,996 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes in 10 career postseason games.
With at least two touchdown passes on Saturday at Carolina (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), Stafford, who has seven consecutive playoff games with at least two touchdown passes, can become the third quarterback ever with multiple touchdown passes in eight consecutive postseason games, joining Aaron Rodgers (nine consecutive games with Green Bay) and Joe Flacco (eight with Baltimore).
The quarterbacks with multiple touchdown passes in the most consecutive playoff games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 9 (Jan. 10, 2016 – Jan. 24, 2021) |
| Joe Flacco | Baltimore | 8 (Jan. 15, 2012 – Jan. 10, 2015) |
| Terry Bradshaw HOF | Pittsburgh | 7 (Dec. 30, 1978 – Jan. 9, 1983) |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 7 (Jan. 21, 2007 – Jan. 14, 2012) |
| Joe Montana HOF | San Francisco | 7 (Jan. 1, 1989 – Jan. 12, 1991) |
| Matthew Stafford | L.A. Rams | 7* (Jan. 17, 2022 – Jan. 19, 2025) |
| *active streak | ||
With at least 300 passing yards on Wild Card Weekend, Stafford, who has six playoff games with at least 300 passing yards, can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards in at least seven postseason games, joining Tom Brady (19 games), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (nine), Drew Brees (eight) and Aaron Rodgers (eight entering the 2025 postseason).
The quarterbacks with at least 300 passing yards in the most games in NFL postseason history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Tom Brady | New England, Tampa Bay | 19 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis, Denver | 9 |
| Drew Brees | San Diego Chargers, New Orleans | 8 |
| Aaron Rodgers* | Green Bay | 8 |
| Matthew Stafford* | Detroit, L.A. Rams | 6 |
| *active in 2025 postseason | ||
JOSH ALLEN
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen has 3,359 passing yards, 668 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns (25 passing, seven rushing, one receiving) in 13 career playoff games.
With a rushing touchdown on Sunday at Jacksonville (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Allen can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (eight rushing touchdowns with San Francisco) for the second-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in the postseason in NFL history, trailing only Jalen Hurts (10 rushing touchdowns with Philadelphia).
The quarterbacks with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL postseason history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | RUSH TDs |
| Jalen Hurts* | Philadelphia | 10 |
| Steve Young HOF | San Francisco | 8 |
| Josh Allen* | Buffalo | 7 |
| Tom Brady | New England, Tampa Bay | 7 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 7 |
| *active in 2025 postseason | ||
Allen has at least one playoff win in each of the last six postseasons and can join Tom Brady (eight consecutive seasons with New England from 2011-2018) and Patrick Mahomes (seven with Kansas City from 2018-2024) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with a playoff win in seven consecutive postseasons.
C.J. STROUD
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has passed for 976 yards and four touchdowns with a 100.5 passer rating in four career playoff games.
With a win on Monday night at Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Stroud, who has a postseason win in each of his first two seasons since entering the NFL in 2023, can join Joe Flacco,Pro Football Hall of Famer Otto Graham and Russell Wilson as the only starting quarterbacks in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of their first three seasons.
The starting quarterbacks to win a playoff game in each of their first three seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASONS |
| Joe Flacco | Baltimore | 2008-10 |
| Otto GrahamHOF | Cleveland | 1946-48 |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | 2012-14 |
| C.J. Stroud | Houston | 2023-24* |
| *in third season | ||
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, who ranked second with 2,126 scrimmage yards (1,202 rushing, 924 receiving) and third with 17 touchdowns (10 rushing, seven receiving) this season, has 836 scrimmage yards (522 rushing, 314 receiving) and nine touchdowns (six rushing, three receiving) in seven career postseason games.
With a touchdown on Sunday at Philadelphia (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), McCaffrey, who has a touchdown in seven consecutive playoff games, can become the fourth player in NFL history with a scrimmage touchdown in eight consecutive playoff games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas (nine consecutive games with Buffalo), Emmitt Smith (eight with Dallas) and John Stallworth (eight with Pittsburgh).
The players with a scrimmage touchdown in the most consecutive playoff games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Thurman Thomas HOF | Buffalo | 9 (Jan. 17, 1993 – Jan. 2, 1999) |
| Emmitt Smith HOF | Dallas | 8 (Jan. 23, 1994 – Dec. 28, 1996) |
| John Stallworth HOF | Pittsburgh | 8 (Dec. 30, 1989 – Jan. 1, 1984) |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina, San Francisco | 7* (Jan. 7, 2018 – Feb.11, 2024) |
| *active streak | ||
With at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on Wild Card Weekend, McCaffrey, who has at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in his last five playoff games, can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in five consecutive postseason games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis (seven consecutive games with Denver), Marcus Allen (five with the Los Angeles Raiders) and John Riggins (five with Washington).
SAQUON BARKLEY
Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley has 765 scrimmage yards (613 rushing, 152 receiving) and seven rushing touchdowns in six career postseason games.
Barkley has three career playoff games with multiple rushing touchdowns and with at least two rushing touchdowns on Sunday against San Francisco (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), can become the fifth player in NFL history with multiple rushing touchdowns in four career playoff games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (five games), Terrell Davis (four), Franco Harris (four) and John Riggins (four).
With at least 75 scrimmage yards on Wild Card Weekend, Barkley, who has 75 scrimmage yards in each of his first six career playoff games, can join Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (eight games) and Terrell Davis (eight) as well as Frank Gore (seven) and Isiah Pacheco (seven) as the only players in NFL history with at least 75 scrimmage yards in each of their first seven career playoff games.
PUKA NACUA
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who led the NFL with 129 receptions and ranked second with 1,715 receiving yards this season, has 20 receptions for 322 yards and a touchdown in three career playoff games.
With 142 receiving yards on Saturday at Carolina (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), a mark he surpassed four times this season, Nacua can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (463 receiving yards) for the fifth-most receiving yards by a player in their first four career playoff games all-time, trailing only Larry Fitzgerald (546 receiving yards), T.Y. Hilton (496), Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Fears (495) and Anthony Carter (493).
WILL ANDERSON
Houston defensive end Will Anderson ranked tied for eighth with a career-high 12 sacks this season and has 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss in four career playoff games.
With two sacks on Monday night at Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Anderson can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Richard Dent (nine sacks), LaMarr Woodley (nine), Tim Harris (6.5 sacks) and Nick Bosa (6.5) as the only players since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 6.5 sacks in their first five career playoff games.
ZACK BAUN
Philadelphia linebacker Zack Baun has 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a forced fumble in six career postseason games.
With a takeaway against San Francisco on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), Baun, who has four consecutive playoff games with a takeaway, can join Felix Wright (five consecutive games with Cleveland) and Mark Kelso (five with Buffalo) as the only players in NFL postseason history with a takeaway in five consecutive games, surpassing Robert Griffith (four with Minnesota), Johnnie Harris (four with the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants), Rodney Harrison (four with New England) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams (four with Arizona and the St. Louis Rams).
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