NFL Player News

Pioli said he wasn’t fired, isn’t sick and doesn’t have another job lined up. “I’m fine. My family is fine,” Pioli said. “This was my choice and it’s just time. Time for what, I don’t know, yet.” It’s possible that the former general manager had simply spent enough time playing second banana, even if it was to his good friend Thomas Dimitroff. It’s also possible Pioli could be eyeing media opportunities. He was surprisingly good on television in between his Chiefs and Falcons jobs.

Schottenheimer has been with the Cowboys for three years, serving as the team’s OC for the past two seasons under former head coach Mike McCarthy. This would be his first head coaching job in the NFL after being offensive coordinator for four teams over the past 18 years. Schottenheimer, 51, led the Cowboys to the second most points and the third most yards in 2023 before injuries doomed the team’s 2024 campaign. His work with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb could provide a seamless transition for the Dallas offense in the wake of McCarthy’s exit.

Pompei said Johnson — as he did with Jared Goff in Detroit — will give Williams more control over the Chicago offense, including free reign to change plays at the line of scrimmage. “He gave Goff authority with protection adjustments that not all QBs have, and eliminated plays that Goff didn’t love,” Pompei said, adding that the Bears’ offense will be more aggressive on fourth downs with Johnson in charge. The Bears in 2024 were the fourth most aggressive offense in fourth down situations. Johnson has been complimentary of Williams following his down rookie campaign. Williams, according to Johnson, has “quite a fastball and has some creativity to him, can extend plays and is accurate down the field as well.” Williams ranked 27th out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks last season in downfield accuracy.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Jets’ “goal is to keep him from leaving the building” and to sign him to a deal. Glenn is also in the running for the Saints and Jaguars head coaching jobs after four years as Detroit’s defensive coordinator. The Lions defense over the past two seasons has given up the league’s 12th lowest offensive success rate and the 11th lowest EPA per play. Glenn would face a total rebuild in New York after the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers experiment went belly up.

Kupp is still under team control through the 2026 season but the Rams worked an out into his three-year, $80 million contract signed prior to the 2024 season. He carries a $29 million cap hit with over $22 million in dead money into the 2025 season but the team could save over $20 million over the next two seasons by moving on now. Kupp started the season off hot before missing four games, never really appearing the same on the field following his absence. Injuries have been a common trend for Kupp in his advanced age, something that could factor into the equation this offseason.

Crow is linked to new head coach Mike Vrabel after coaching under him in Tennessee for six seasons. It appears Vrabel will have a big hand in selecting the rest of his coaching staff with his new franchise.

Rizzi has been linked to over a half-dozen teams in various capacities, with the report indicating he could be lured to the Bears to form a star-studded cast of new coaches under new head coach Ben Johnson in a complete turnover. The report comes after rumors swirled that Johnson was likely to bring on former Saints head coach Dennis Allen to serve as his defensive coordinator, potentially drawing another link to Rizzi, who previously served as the special teams coordinator under Allen in New Orleans. There are still many dominoes to fall in this year’s coaching cycle but top candidates appear to be flying off the shelf.

Coen clearly made a good impression in his first interview with the Jaguars and will now have a chance to sit down with them in person. The 39-year-old offensive coordinator shined in his first season with the Buccaneers, as his offense finished in the top five in both points and yards per game, while Baker Mayfield turned in his best season as a pro (4500-41-16) in his seven years as a pro. Coen has at least two more finalists to compete with in Robert Saleh and current Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, but he could be exactly what Trevor Lawrence needs to turn things around after a disappointing 2024.

Graham is one of at least three finalists to receive a second interview with the Jaguars. Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh and current Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen will also have second interviews with the team. Graham, who interviewed for the Seahawks’ and Chargers’ head coaching openings last offseason, is reportedly already a finalist for the Bengals’ defensive coordinator position. Even if he doesn’t land in Jacksonville, it sounds like his services will be in high demand for the 2025 season.

This news comes shortly after it was announced that Saleh’s chances at landing the Jaguars’ head coaching gig would “increase” after the Bears hired Ben Johnson. Saleh showed well during his initial interview with the Jaguars and could soon find himself back in the driver’s seat of a team just months after being dismissed by the Jets following a 20-36 record over four seasons. It’s possible we’ll know by Friday if Saleh has a new home in Jacksonville.

It’s the exact kind of vague statement we’d expect from Sirianni, who often spearheads the team’s vague approach when it comes to discussing injuries. Hurts said after the game that he expects to play in next week’s NFC Championship Game against the Commanders. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, we’d expect the same. Hurts will likely be limited in practice this week, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he logged a DNP or two along the way. That said, he feels like a near-lock to start on Sunday, barring a major setback.