NFL’s 10 most important people in Week 10

Each week, Yardbarker highlights the most important people leading into the week’s NFL games.  From players to coaches and beyond, here are the 10 most important people to keep an eye on in Week 10.  

RB Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers 

McCaffrey, who has yet to appear in a game this season because of lingering injuries to his calf and Achilles, is set to play Sunday in a road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5). 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the running back will be a game-day decision. The 49ers (4-4) are a half-game out of first in the NFC West, behind the Arizona Cardinals (5-4), and McCaffrey’s return will be a major boost to their offense. He rushed for 1,459 yards last season with 14 TDs and added 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven TDs. 

QB Daniel Jones | New York Giants  

If the Giants (2-7) lose to the Carolina Panthers (2-7) in Munich, Germany, it could be Jones’ last game as starting quarterback. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Jones isn’t a lock to be the starter the rest of the season. Jones has thrown for just eight touchdowns with five interceptions and ranks 24th in ESPN’s Total QBR (48.2). Backup Drew Lock (59.4 career completion percentage) can’t be much worse. 

HC Shane Steichen | Indianapolis Colts  

The Colts benched Anthony Richardson heading into Week 9 against Minnesota, but the results were mediocre, as backup Joe Flacco threw for 179 yards with one interception in a 21-13 loss. Next up for 4-5 Indianapolis is home game against the Bills (7-2). Flacco must perform better or Steichen will be ridiculed for benching Richardson, Indianapolis’ No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.   

QB Mac Jones | Jacksonville Jaguars 

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is unlikely to start at home against the Vikings (6-2). If he can’t go, Jones, who had a 18-24 starting record in three seasons for the New England Patriots, would get the start. This could be his opportunity for the 2025 unrestricted free agent to put out good film and show other teams that he still can be a starter.  

CB Patrick Surtain II | Denver Broncos 

Surtain has a tough matchup shadowing Kansas City wideout DeAndre Hopkins, who was stellar against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 (eight receptions for 86 yards with two touchdowns) in just his second game with the Chiefs. The good news for the Broncos is Surtain has shut down other elite receivers this season. Per ESPN, Surtain didn’t allow a touchdown when matched up against Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, the New York Jets’ Garrett Wilson, Seattle’s DK Metcalf and Pittsburgh’s George Pickens. The Broncos (5-4) must limit Hopkins to have a shot at beating the 8-0 Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.  

HC Matt Eberflus | Chicago Bears 

The Bears are 4-4 this season and 14-28 overall under Eberflus. Earlier this week, Bears star wideout D.J. Moore gave a less-than-inspiring answer when asked if the coach has lost the locker room, stating, “I wanna say no.” But Moore didn’t say no, and that could be a sign that Eberflus is indeed on the verge of losing the locker room if the team falls below .500 and misses the playoffs again. The Bears face the 2-7 New England Patriots at Soldier Field on Sunday.  

QB Cooper Rush | Dallas Cowboys 

Dak Prescott’s season is over, so Rush will take over as QB1 for at least this week. He has a 5-1 record as a starter in relief of Prescott, but the 3-5 Cowboys are a substantially worse team this season. This week, the Cowboys — who are 0-3 at home — play the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) in Arlington, Texas. The Eagles rank No. 7 in passing yards allowed per game (189).  

QB Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams 

After starting 1-4, the Rams have turned things around with three consecutive wins. Injured star wideouts in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have returned, and QB Matthew Stafford is back to form. He has thrown for six touchdowns and two interceptions the past two games for an offense that could become increasingly dangerous in the second half of the season. On “Monday Night Football,” Los Angeles is favored (per FanDuel) against the slumping Miami Dolphins (2-6). 

WR Garrett Wilson | New York Jets 

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams get most of the press for the Jets (3-6), but Wilson is one of the best players in the NFL this season. He ranks No. 1 in receptions (60), targets (94) and No. 3 in receiving yards (663). After the Jets traded for Adams, Wilson is getting less double-coverage and more one-on-one matchups. In a Week 9 win over the Houston Texans, he had nine receptions for 90 yards and two TDs. If he follows that up in the desert in Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals (5-4), he can breathe life into New York’s long-shot playoff hopes.  

QB Jared Goff | Detroit Lions 

Since Week 3, the Lions (7-1) have 26 offensive touchdowns and Goff has just 22 incompletions — stats that are unsustainable, but Detroit will surely take ’em while it can. Goff hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 3. He may not put up the same numbers in Week 10 at the Houston Texans (6-3), who have the league’s second-best pass defense (167.4 yards per game).