NFL Player News

To make room on the roster, the Bolts waived Chris Peace and released Dontae Johnson. Patton will be a depth option with Mike Williams out and Travis Benjamin doubtful for Week 4. Gordon being activated was the last step to him playing Week 4. Multiple beat reporters have suggested Gordon will take on a limited role in his season debut.

Johnson suffered the injury in question against the Ravens last weekend, landing hard with his arm outstretched before sliding multiple feet across the snowy field. He still has a few days to get right but the Bills obviously would prefer to have their stud slot cornerback at full health with a game against the Chiefs on tap. Both safety Taylor Rapp (hip/back) and perimeter cornerback Christian Benford (concussion) are ailing as well.

Rapp is now on the wrong side of questionable, beginning the week with two absences. The Bills’ secondary is in rough shape, with two starting cornerbacks also ailing. Hopefully, Rapp can return to practice tomorrow.

Benford began the week on a high note, participating in a limited capacity. His inability to graduate to Full Participant status today is a bit worrying though. The Bills’ banged-up secondary is tasked with slowing the Chiefs’ offense this weekend and having their No. 1 perimeter cornerback on-field would go a long way toward that end.

Dawkins missed Wednesday’s practice due to an illness, but the veteran left tackle was never considered a risk of missing Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. The Bills’ bookend tackle appears good to go for the weekend with one day of practice left to go.

Hughes also said Caley “is the latest... branch off of the [Sean] McVay tree that’s probably in line to eventually get a head coaching job.” McVay’s former understudies hold myriad high-profile roles across the league so it is hardly surprising to hear yet another NFL team hopes to hire McVay’s current pass game coordinator. Hughes notes Caley’s superior, OC Mike LaFleur, was fired by the Jets after a 2021-2022 stint. Hughes indicated he does not expect LaFleur to give Caley “a ringing endorsement for what it’s like to” work in the Jets’ organization. The potential opportunity to advance his career while playing for a highly respected coach like Glenn could outweigh LaFleur’s theoretical warnings though. We will report back with new information.

With the Raiders GM vacancy now filled by former Buccaneers’ assistant GM John Spytek, the team can shift all of its focus to hiring a head coach. Carroll, 73, has been on a handful of teams’ coaching radars this offseason, and it was reported earlier this week by The Athletic’s Tashan Reed that he is “believed to be” the “backup” option to fill their head coaching vacancy. With former Lions OC turned Bears HC Ben Johnson the presumed top choice at the time, Carroll could now slide into the pole position for the Raiders job. Palmer cites Carroll’s familiarity with Tom Brady as something that could give him an inside edge on the job, while also highlighting Carroll’s track record as a proven winner. With one Super Bowl title under his belt and two Super Bowl appearances during his 14-year tenure with the Seahawks, it’s easy to see why he would be an attractive hire for a franchise in desperate need of wins and stability at head coach.

Foote’s multifaceted role makes him an intriguing option for the Lions. Steeped in Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy scheme, Foote could bring an aggressive mentality to a talented defense that suffered myriad injuries in 2024.

Hurts could be seen dressed for practice and with his helmet in hand. The Eagles’ QB1 was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday and will likely carry a similar designation on Thursday. Hurts isn’t expected to do too much in practice as he deals with a knee injury he suffered in Sunday’s win over the Rams, but there’s little reason to be concerned about his availability for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at this time.

Beat reporter Brooks Kubena observed Jurgens wearing street clothes as practice began so it is safe to assume the Eagles’ starting center will not be practicing today. Kubena asked head coach Nick Sirianni about his level of concern regarding Jurgens’ NFC Championship availability, to which “Sirianni said it was too far out to be say anything definitive.” The response indicates Jurgens could be a game-time decision. Hopefully, Jurgens is able to suit up. The Eagles will undoubtedly attempt to keep the ball out of Jayden Daniels’ hands with a high-volume rushing attack and Jurgens plays a key role in the Eagles’ ground game.

Rodgers is a long-time defensive line coach who most recently worked with the Buccaneers from 2019-2024. Former Lions defensive line coach Terrelle Williams recently left to become the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, which opened the door for Rodgers to join the staff. Rodgers added defensive run game coordinator to his title in 2022, and saw his run defense rank in the top-10 in yards per attempt in two of his three seasons. He’ll now get a fresh start as the Lions’ DL coach, and could also see a similar coordinator position with his new team.