NFL Player News

Coach Lovie Smith’s Monday update was a “sprain,” but that’s what coaches always call knee injuries before tests are taken. Dislocated knees are rare, and it’s unclear if Carimi will need surgery. Regardless, it’s a major blow to a Bears offensive line that has made no strides in pass protection since last year. Carimi gave up a sack in Week 1, but was Chicago’s best all-around lineman in Week 2.

As Rapoport points out, Spytek was in the Bucs’ front office when they brought it Tom Brady and won a Super Bowl. Brady is now a part-owner of the Raiders and is heavily involved in their search for a new head coach and general manager. Spytek also had interviews with the Titans this offseason. His first order of business will be landing the aforementioned head coach. Ben Johnson was the team’s top target but took the Bears’ gig instead. With fellow Buccaneer Liam Coen deciding to stay in Tampa Bay and Lions DC Aaron Glenn likely headed for New York, the coaching pool is thinning out rather quickly, leaving the Raiders scrambling once again.

Hardman suffered a knee injury during practice ahead of Week 14 and was placed on injured reserve. The team opened his practice window nearly three weeks ago, meaning they had to make a choice whether to activate him or not this week. He had yet to get in a full practice, so it’s possible the knee issue didn’t progress the way Kansas City thought it would. On the other hand, the return of Marquise Brown meant there wasn’t much of a role for Hardman on offense. Reid may not have had a roster spot to spare for Hardman. Either way, the speedy special teamer ends his sixth NFL season with 12 catches for 90 scoreless yards. He will look for a return role in free agency in the spring.

Hurts sustained a knee injury in last week’s win against the Rams and was seen limping during and after the game. It’s good news for his NFC title game prospects that Hurts will be able to go through the team’s walk-through ahead of Sunday’s matchup against Washington. If Hurts is able to get in a limited practice on Thursday and/or Friday, he should be good to go against the Commanders. Hurts threw for 221 scoreless yards in his only full game against Washington in the regular season.

Saleh is scheduled to meet with the Jags’ front office and ownership on Thursday and Friday. He may now be considered a favorite for the Jacksonville job after Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen — who had been considered a strong candidate for the Jags job — signed a new deal with Tampa on Wednesday morning. A defensive minded coach, Saleh was 20-36 over three and a half seasons with the Jets before being fired. Jacksonville’s defense in 2024 allowed the league’s fifth most points and second most yards.

It’s quite the turn of events, as Coen was widely expected to take the Jaguars head coaching job after Ben Johnson was signed by the Bears. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Coen’s new deal with Tampa will make him one of the NFL’s highest paid coordinators. Coen’s offense finished the 2024 season with the league’s fifth highest EPA per play and the third highest offensive success rate, trailing only Johnson’s Lions and the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens. Baker Mayfield thrived in Coen’s system, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024. The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports there “is no coach in waiting stipulation in his new contract similar to what the Patriots did with Jerod Mayo.” Coen remaining in Tampa is a big blow to Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville offense. Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh would seem to be the favorite to land the Jags head coaching job with Coen out of the picture.

After the Chargers’ devastating loss to the Texans in the Wild Card round, Mack said he wasn’t sure if he would return for his 12th NFL season. Mack, entering his age-34 season, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said last week that the team would be interested in bringing back Mack for 2025 after he recorded six sacks and 35 quarterback hurries over 16 games in 2024. LA had the league’s sixth lowest QB pressure rate (19 percent) in 2024.

The Jets and Aaron Glenn have been flirting with each other through the coaching cycle and the Divisional Round elimination of Glenn’s Lions is speeding things up. He interviewed with the Jets on Tuesday and is expected to be named their head coach soon. Rosenblatt adds the Jets’ staff “has been operating as if it will get done” and the team is “informing candidates that they are going in another direction.” Glenn has been the Lions’ defensive coordinator since 2021, keeping the team afloat through major defensive injuries this season, prior to the playoff exit. The 52-year-old will be a first-time head coach, faced with rebuilding the Jets after a short-lived Aaron Rodgers era.

We can’t say that comes as a real surprise. McDaniels reportedly completed an interview with the Patriots for their offensive coordinator vacancy today. The former Pats OC from 2006-2008, then again in 2012-2021 obviously has a ton of familiarity with how things operate in New England. The Raiders head coaching role was a tough fit for him and exposed him as a little rigid at times — there were certainly games where Davante Adams disappeared in the process — but he has the best resume of anyone we’ve seen connected to this job. McDaniels did not coach in 2024 after being fired in November 2023. He was tied to the Patriots often last offseason as well. Now we’ll get to see if he can take Drake Maye to the next level in 2025. If the Patriots add some more weapons around Maye, they could be an intriguing fantasy offense next season.

Washington called signals for the Bears down the stretch after they canned Matt Eberflus. He had spent the previous four years with the Bills as their defensive line coach and, in 2023, assistant head coach. He also coached the Panthers defensive line from 2011-2017 and the Bears’ line in 2010. In short: He’s a fairly experienced defensive line coach and would make a solid add for the Packers.

There has been no official reports of contract years added or money, but O’Connell was entering the final season of his coaching contract and gets a huge multi-year extension after starting his career 34-17, including a 14-3 record in 2024. O’Connell turned Darnold into wine before the scrapheap quarterback fell apart in his final two starts of the season against the Lions and Rams and is likely on the shortlist for Coach of the Year honors. The #sources are going off about an extension for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as something that is down the road as well. It’s a well-earned reward for O’Connell, one that ends a few wishful thinking storylines out of places without a locked-in head coach. After wrapping up a Adofo-Mensah extension, the Vikings will get to work on how to build on their upstart campaign.