NFL Player News

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Vaughn and LB Stanley Arnoux (Achilles) would be held out of rookie minicamp due to injuries. It turns out they’re not participating because they’re no longer rookies. Both players are considered fully recovered from last year’s injuries.

At least part of this was expected. Pederson making it through the entirety of the season was surprising after the Jaguars opened the season with a 2-8 record in the 10 games Trevor Lawrence played this season. Pederson took over a team in distress after Urban Meyer went one-and-done with the Jags in 2021. He immediately elevated them to a 9-8 record and a comeback win in the playoffs over the Chargers, but things only went downhill from there. A hot start in 2023 that saw the Jaguars sitting on a 8-3 record after Week 12 ended with another 9-8 finish and the team missing the playoffs. Last year’s struggles carried over to this season, as Pederson’s future with the team felt all but solidified after a 2-6 start through the first two months of the season. With Lawrence already in two for the foreseeable future and Brian Thomas Jr. looking like a top-15 receiver in his rookie year, the Jaguars look like a prime landing spot for any head coaching candidate. We’ll see in due time how the decision to retain general manager Trent Baalke, who is now 0-for-2 in his head coaching hires, will affect the team, but the coaching search is back on, once again.

Joseph has long been rumored to make a return to the head coaching ranks ever since he was fired as the Broncos head coach at the end of the 2018 season. A strong stretch as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 2020-2021 put his name back on the map, and after returning to Denver in 2023, Joseph needed just two seasons to turn a bottom five defense into a top five defense. There’s a good chance Joseph will generate more interest from teams as the coaching cycle begins to ramps up.

The 53 yards saw Nailor finish second on the team in receiving, with Justin Jefferson’s 54 just one yards ahead of him. The brutal outing drops the Vikings to the No. 5 seed and also sends them to a road playoff game against the Rams, one of only two teams to defeat the Vikings this season, in the Wildcard Round.

To be fair to Hockenson, the entire Minnesota offense struggled against one of the best defensive game plans we have seen from Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. The return of linebacker Alex Anzalone played a massive part in locking down Hockenson, who routinely found himself in coverage of the veteran tight end. The loss sends the Vikings to a road matchup with the Rams, one of only two teams to beat the Vikings this season, in the Wildcard Round.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn put the clamps on the entire Minnesota offense, holding them to just 262 yards of total offense. Alpha wide receiver Justin Jefferson was notably erased from the game by Amik Robertson, who held Jefferson to zero second half receptions. Addison’s only reception came on a screen for no gain in the first half in a then-tight contest. Addison and the Vikings now prepare for a road matchup with the Rams in Wildcard Weekend next week.

Rosenhaus shared the information on his weekly Sunday evening radio appearance after Hill told reporters that he would like to play elsewhere in 2025. Rosenhaus is likely attempting to save face for Hill following the veteran wide receiver’s impassioned talk with reporters by painting Hill as a player who remained steadfastly committed to his team. Whether it works remains to be seen and one wonders why Hill was allowed to play through what may have been a serious issue. This saga is not over. Stay tuned.

Lions cornerback Amik Robertson was in Jefferson’s back pocket throughout the game, notably holding the alpha wide receiver without a catch after halftime on his way to a disappointing outing. The loss sends the Vikings to the No. 5 seed and to a road date with the Rams in the Wildcard Round, one of only two teams to defeat the Vikings this season (the Lions beat them twice). Jefferson did have 115 yards in that game, meaning fantasy gamers in playoff leagues can likely target Jefferson with confidence.

The highlight of the game for Akers was a 58-yard scamper at the beginning of the third quarter in a then 10-3 game. Akers started the second half with Aaron Jones remaining in the locker room for an undisclosed reason, failing to score on his next carry after the long run before giving way to Jones on the following play. Jones’ status could be something to monitor as the Vikings prepare for a road date with the Rams in the Wildcard Round.

Jones remained in the locker room after the half for most of the team’s first drive, before returning to the field of play in the red zone. He would then depart after a vicious hit down the sideline before giving way to Cam Akers for good with the game out of hand late. The team never passed an injury update for the veteran running back, which could be something to monitor after the loss sends the Vikings to the NFC’s No. 5 seed and a road date with the Rams in the Wildcard Round next weekend.