NFL Player News

Dawson will return from a one-game absence after getting in a limited week of practice. Matt McCrane handled kicking responsibilities for Arizona in last week’s loss to the Raiders.

Considered by many to be the favorite to land the Patriots’ head coaching gig, Vrabel met in person with his former team on Thursday to discuss his plans for turning around an organization that has gone 33-51 in the post-Tom Brady era. In his six seasons as head coach of the Titans, Vrabel went 54-45 with three postseason appearances and two double-digit win seasons. With a stud rookie quarterback in Drake Maye already in tow, and nearly $130 million of available cap space this offseason, the Patriots should be one of the more attractive jobs for head coaching candidates this offseason.

With one practice left to go in the week, Otton logging a full session is a great sign of his availability in the NFC Wild Card Game against the Commanders. We’ll have more clarity on his situation on Friday when the team releases its final injury report of the week, but it’s safe to say Otton is trending toward a return after missing the last three games of the regular season.

Shepard has been limited in both practices this week. The veteran receiver has seen an increased role with Chris Godwin out for the season but caught only seven passes for the Buccaneers over the final month of the season. Even if active, Shepard will be hard to trust as a fantasy/DFS play with Jalen McMillan’s recent emergence and Cade Otton (knee) likely on the mend.

That’s two straight full practices for Daniels, who is all but a lock to start in the Commanders’ NFC Wild Card Game against the Buccaneers. Daniels was pulled from the second half of the Commanders’ Week 18 win over the Cowboys due to the quad injury, but that appears to be a minor issue. There’s no concern about Daniels’ availability at this time.

The Saints become the first team to interview Kafka during this coaching cycle. A third-year offensive coordinator for the Giants, Kafka’s underwhelming quarterback situation doesn’t appear to have cost him this coaching cycle, as the Bears also hope to speak with the former backup quarterback. Kafka met twice with the Seahawks last offseason before they decided to hire Mike Macdonald. Whether it’s with the Saints or another team, Kafka appears to be on the verge of landing a head coaching gig sooner or later.

Palmer missed Week 18’s game against the Raiders with the same injury and could not get on the practice field this week. Palmer has caught 39 passes for 584 yards and one touchdown this season, and will now look to get right for the divisional round should the Chargers advance past the Texans on Saturday.

Townsend has served as a defensive backs coach for six NFL teams since 2011. He took on defensive passing game coordinator responsibilities as well while with the Jaguars from 2022-2023 before spending the 2024 season with the Lions in similar roles. The Lions’ defense has played well despite suffering myriad injuries this season, no doubt impressing head coaches across the league.

Johnston was a limited participant in two of three practices this week. If he’s active, the Chargers’ second-year receiver could see a slight increase in targets this weekend after Josh Palmer (foot) has already been ruled out. Johnston erupted for 13 catches for 186 yards in the Chargers’ Week 18 win over the Raiders and end the regular season with a line of 55-711-8.

Dobbins was limited in practice throughout the week, but this may have been more of a precautionary measure as the team prepares for their first game of the postseason. Over the final two weeks of the regular season, Dobbins rushed 37 times for 139 yards and one touchdown. He should be able to handle the majority of the Chargers’ backfield touches come Saturday, barring any setback.

The Seahawks are beginning anew with the offense, having fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after his first season coaching in the NFL. Kubiak’s successes and failures are difficult to determine, given the Saints’ poor 2024 health but early-season signs were promising. Kubiak smartly employs motion pre-snap though he tends to run a slower-than-normal offensive pace. Fowler also notes that Kubiak “could be a player” for the Browns’ vacant offensive coordinator position.