NFL Player News

Masthay was set to earn $540,000 in 2012, the final year of his contract. Instead, he’s locked up through 2016 and gets a $1.2 million signing bonus. Last year, Masthay ranked just 22nd in net punt average (38.6 yards) and 17th in punt average (45.6 yards).

All eight players are starters and major contributors for the Bills, including three players on their starting defensive line; however, the Bills are locked into the second seed in the AFC, so there is no reason for any of them to suit up for this game. This would appear to be good news for Drake Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson, but the Patriots will secure the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with a loss today, so it’s hard to gauge just how motivated anybody will be in this game. It would be best to avoid any players if you’re still playing in fantasy leagues.

In a run-on sentence for the ages, Schefter added loads of caveats including but not limited to teams wondering if they should inquire about the Steelers’ willingness to move on Tomlin. He quickly said he doesn’t expect a move to happen. Neither do we. The Super Bowl champion head coach has yet to see a losing record in 18 seasons on the headset. Pittsburgh is coming off back-to-back seasons with 10 wins. While the team hasn’t made it out of the Wild Card Round in seven years, it’s hard to pin that on Tomlin given Pittsburgh’s lackluster quarterback play during that stretch. Another first-round exit will keep the rumor mill turning, but all signs point to Tomlin sticking in Pittsburgh for 2025.

Richardson recently referenced having back issues since he was young, but that was apparently news to the Colts. Steichen also said Richardson is not expected to require surgery, and that his recent spasms flareup is a short-term issue. Alrighty then. It would certainly appear there is a disconnect between coach and player. How severe is unclear. With both Steichen and Richardson at a crossroads, the Colts are set to be one of the offseason’s most fascinating teams.

Schefter noted that it also feels like there will be changes within the organization. He named GM Chris Ballard as a potential candidate before mentioning assistant GM Ed Dodds as a potential replacement. Steichen has failed to make much of the oft-injured Anthony Richardson, leading many to believe the team will move on from him after two losing seasons. That doesn’t appear to be the case. It’s possible the Colts go in a different direction at quarterback next year, giving Steichen a shot to show his worth sans Richardson. Either way, he is definitively on the hot seat heading into 2025.

Texas has made the College Football Playoff each of the last two years after hiring Sarkisian away from his job as Alabama offensive coordinator. Sarkisian has NFL OC experience as well, as he coached the Falcons in 2017 and 2018 after Kyle Shanahan was hired away by the 49ers. Sark’s offense has been up-and-down this year at times at Texas, but he’s lost a ton of NFL talent and Quinn Ewers has not exactly delivered him exemplary quarterback play. He’d be an interesting hire for a team looking to help build an offensive culture.

Gonzalez and Henry are both dealing with injuries and will miss the season’s final game. The Bills will be resting many of their top offensive playmakers, so the loss of Gonzalez shouldn’t be a huge issue on Sunday. One name not listed here is Joe Milton, who is active on Sunday and could see additional reps if the team wants to limit Drake Maye’s potential injury risk. A loss for the Patriots would secure them the top pick in the NFL draft, so there’s some thought that seeing what Milton looks like in game action could be of interest to them this weekend.

Schefter noted a shift in the organization over the past 30 or so days. Despite Mayo being Bill Belichick’s hand-picked successor and recently having buy-in from owner Robert Kraft, the Pats’ late-season collapse has turned the tides against Mayo. New England’s last win came in Week 10 against Chicago. Now the only thing they have to play for is the No. 1 overall pick, which they are currently in line to secure this weekend. With Drake Maye looking as good as promised and the first pick potentially in hand, starting over with a new head coach makes sense for the Pats as they look to find their footing in their post-Belichick, post-Brady era.

The Raiders’ lack of a viable starting quarterback, per Schefter, is not considered Pierce’s fault. Pierce, meanwhile, is confident he will return in 2025 for another season at the helm in Vegas. Pierce’s Raiders in 2024 have been solid on defense, allowing the eighth fewest yards and ranking 20th in yards per play allowed entering Week 18. They have been awful on offense, with only the Browns sporting a lower EPA per play than Vegas through Week 17. Schefter’s report suggested Pierce could get one more shot to turn things around in 2025.

Henry was questionable all week with a foot injury but his absence is a bit of a surprise. Henry will finish the year with 66 catches for 674 yards, both career-highs. He had just two touchdowns on the season, but was the Patriots leading receiver. He has two more years on his contract, but his base salary jumps up to $6.5 million next year, which could make for an interesting discussion in the offseason. Without Henry in the lineup today, there will be extra opportunities for seventh-rounder Jaheim Bell and Jack Westover to make an impression for 2025.