Schultz allows that Vikings DC Brian Flores could get into the mix with a strong interview, but that would go as strongly as possible against Caleb Williams’ stated desire for an offensive-minded head coach. It would also be, frankly, not smart considering Flores’ checkered history with Tua Tagovailoa and the Bears’ entire near future being staked on Williams’ arm. This has to be a play-calling head coach, and Johnson and McCarthy are both qualified in their own way. Johnson, of course, would be vastly preferable to McCarthy, even if you can make the case McCarthy has somehow ended up a bit underrated for his work in Dallas and Green Bay.

Pacheco was a full participant in practice all week. With nearly three full weeks to recover from the rib injury he suffered in Week 17’s game against the Steelers, Pacheco is good to go for Saturday’s divisional tilt against a Texans team the Chiefs beat handedly back in Week 16. Pacheco managed just nine carries for 26 yards in the victory, and will likely split touches with Kareem Hunt.

The Chiefs also removed LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) from their injury report after both were listed on the report to start the week. Despite being listed on the report, Jones and Humphries were full participants in practice all week long, meaning there’s little to no concern about their health heading into Saturday’s game against the Texans.

This is one worth watching. After popping up as limited following an ankle injury he sustained in Wednesday’s practice, Mixon was a DNP on Thursday and officially carries a questionable designation into the weekend. It’s possible Mixon was sidelined on Thursday out of precaution, but his status will be one to monitor until the team officially confirms his availabilty. In addition to Mixon, LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and WR Robert Woods (hip) are also listed as questionable.

Jayden Daniels will have his trusty tight end available to him this weekend. Ertz practiced in full on Friday and can be trusted to handle his typical possession receiver role. The 34-year-old tight end has a chance to face his former Eagles team in the NFC Championship if the Commanders can pull off the upset and the Eagles successfully fend off the Rams.

Montgomery was trending toward a return after being a full participant in practice all week. The thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs’ lightning will officially be good to go for Saturday’s game, with a right to host the NFC Championship Game on the line. Montgomery averaged 15.8 touches per game during the regular season and should see plenty of work against a Commanders defense that has struggled to slow opposing ground games. In addition to Montgomery, the Lions also listed CB Ennis Rakestraw as questionable for Saturday’s game while ruling out guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) and DE Pat O’Conner (calf).

Players who miss practice due to illness seldom see that absence carry over to come day — especially with a playoff game on the line. It would be surprising if Goedert missed the Eagles’ NFC Divisional Round game against the Rams, but we’ll see how things look come Friday when they release their final injury report.

Last week, Brown’s practice participation went from limited, to absent, to full as the week progressed. He caught 1-of-3 targets for 10 yards. The Eagles are evidently handling things differently this week; Brown began Divisional Round practices by taking Wednesday off before logging a limited session on Thursday. The bottom line is this: Brown’s play is clearly hampered by the knee issue but it is not stopping him from playing. The immensely talented wide receiver bagged his third straight, second-team All-Pro nod last week, accurately reflecting his game-breaking ability. If he is on-field, as expected, the Rams’ defense will have to account for him.

John Harbaugh has already made clear that Flowers can suit up on game day without participating in practice but, were this scenario to play out, Flowers would likely be playing in a limited capacity and at risk for in-game setbacks. Friday’s injury report will give us a better indication as to his status but Flowers does not appear to be healthy enough to play at this time. The Ravens face the Bills on Sunday evening.

Speaking Thursday, Adofo-Mensah said he didn’t want to give reports “the stock answer” only to proceed to do exactly that. It was to be expected from a GM whose team just saw its season end in devastating fashion less than 72 hours ago. Mensah was diplomatic in his response regarding Darnold and his future with the Vikings, saying the team needs to look into how things fit into their “long-term picture” while adding that he believes they have “a lot of good options.” Darnold played at levels few thought possible in 2024, throwing for 4319-35-12 while leading the team to a 14-3 record and within one game of winning the NFC North. That said, rookie J.J. McCarthy is expected to be healthy at the start of next season, and the team just used the No. 10 overall pick on him in last year’s draft. They’ll undoubtedly want to get a look at him, and McCarthy looked good in the preseason before his injury. The Vikings have a lot to figure out. If they don’t want to offer a big contract to Darnold, they could hit him with a franchise tag in hopes of working out a trade with another team to get something back in return. Teams have until 4:00 PM EST on March 4 to determine whether or not they want to tag a player. We’ll learn more about discussions between Darnold and the team in the months to come, but the tag deadline could become something to watch if they aren’t able to agree to a new deal or wish to move on from him in favor of McCarthy.