ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders will start 39-year-old Josh Johnson at quarterback for their Christmas Day home game against the Dallas Cowboys, coach Dan Quinn announced Wednesday.
Washington shut down Jayden Daniels for the final four games of his injury-plagued second season following an aggravation of a previously dislocated left elbow. His replacement, Marcus Mariota, suffered a quad injury and required stitches in his throwing hand during Washington’s 29-18 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend.
The QB changes epitomize Washington’s troubled follow-up campaign after finishing 12-5 and reaching the NFC championship game last season. The Commanders, 4-11, have lost nine of their last 10 games. That includes a 44-22 setback in Dallas (6-8-1) on Oct. 19. Both teams are eliminated from postseason contention.
The Commanders are likely to be without left tackle Laremy Tunsil (oblique) for a second consecutive game, defensive tackle Daron Payne (back) and linebacker Nick Bellore (concussion).
Daniels, the 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, started seven games but left three early because of injuries. Mariota has eight starts and 11 appearances.
Washington this week signed QB Jeff Driskel off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad to back up Johnson and is expected to sign Sam Hartman off its own practice squad as the emergency third QB. The Commanders also placed starting right guard Sam Cosmi (concussion) and rookie punt returner Jaylin Lane (ankle) on injured reserve.
Johnson, the NFL record holder for most teams played with 14, will make his 10th career start and first since playing for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. He completed 5 of 9 pass attempts for 43 yards with an interception after replacing Mariota against the Eagles.
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Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson passes against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed higher and reached more records Wednesday on a holiday-shortened trading day.
The S&P 500 index rose 22.26 points, or 0.3%, to 6,932.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 288.75, or 0.6%, to close at 48,731.16, and the Nasdaq composite added 51.46, or 0.2%, to 23,613.31
Trading was extremely light as markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will be closed for Christmas. Roughly 1.8 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, which is roughly a third of the average trading day.
Markets will reopen for a full day of trading on Friday; however volumes are expected to be remain light this week as most investors having closed out their positions for the year.
The S&P 500 is up more than 17% this year, as investors have embraced the deregulatory policies of the Trump administration and been optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence in helping boost profits for not only technology companies but also for Corporate America. Some of the strongest performers this year include Nvidia and Micron Technologies, both companies that make chips or other components that power the proliferation of data centers across the country.
Much of the focus for investors for the next few weeks will be on where the U.S. economy is heading and where the Federal Reserve will move interest rates. Investors are betting the Fed will hold steady on interest rates at its January meeting.
The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly strong 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the most rapid expansion in two years, driven by consumers who continue to spend in the face of ongoing inflation. There have also been recent reports showing shaky confidence among consumers worried about high prices. The labor market has been slowing and retail sales have weakened.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week and remain at historically healthy levels despite some signs that the labor market is weakening.
U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 20 fell by 10,000 to 214,000 from the previous week’s 224,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. That’s below the 232,000 new applications forecast of analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.
Dynavax Technologies soared 38.2% after Sanofi said it was acquiring the California-based vaccine maker in a deal worth $2.2 billion. The French drugmaker will add Dynavax’s hepatitis B vaccines to its portfolio, as well as a shingles vaccine that is still in development.
Novo Nordisk's shares rose 1.8% after the weight-loss drug company got approval from U.S. regulators for a pill version of its blockbuster drug Wegovy. However, Novo Nordisk shares are still down almost 40% this year as the company has faced increased competition for weight-loss medications, particularly from Eli Lilly. Shares of Eli Lilly are up 40% this year.
European markets moved between slight gains and losses. Asian markets were also quiet, with Hong Kong moving up 0.2% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.1%
Gold prices were flat at $4,502 an ounce, and silver rose 0.8% to $71.69. U.S. crude oil was flat at $58.38 a barrel.
Derek Orth works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
A board above the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange displays the closing number for the Dow Jones industrial average, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Anthony Matesic works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
FILE - A screen displays financial news as traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
A person walks in front of a chart showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
