NFL Player News

McManis is a backup CB and core special teamer. He was ruled out late in the third quarter during the Bears’ Week 7 matchup against the Saints.

Badie has not played since October after suffering a back injury that caused him to collapse in October. It’s possible he’ll be active for the Wild Card game against the BIlls, but it’s unlikely he would receive many touches for that contest in Buffalo.

Goedert was able to play in the Week 18 finale against the Giants will catching four passes for 55 yards after coming off injured reserve. The 30-year-old tight end should be a safety valve for Jalen Hurts (concussion/finger) for the Wild Card round against the Packers on Sunday.

Pickett’s injury designation would be a bit more concerning for the Eagles if not for the fact that Jalen Hurts (concussion/finger) was upgraded to a full participant for Thursday’s session. If Pickett can’t go, Tanner McKee will be the backup quarterback behind Hurts.

The upgrade to full participant suggests he’s all but a lock to play in Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game against the Packers, as he’ll likely be cleared from concussion protocol before the weekend. Both the Eagles and Packers are banged up heading into the game, but getting Hurts back has the potential to pay big dividends for the Eagles on Sunday.

The upgrade to full participant suggests he’s all but a lock to play in Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game against the Packers, as he’ll likely be cleared from concussion protocol before the weekend. Both the Eagles and Packers are banged up heading into the game, but getting Hurts back has the potential to pay big dividends for the Eagles on Sunday.

Carroll, 73, has long been rumored to be interested in the Bears’ head coaching job long before the regular season came to an end. The former Seahawks head coach transitioned from head coach to a front office role with the team last offseason but is clearly ready to get back in the game after a year away. Carroll went 137-89 during his 14 seasons with the Seahawks, winning one of the two Super Bowls he appeared in. He also won double-digit games in eight of his 14 seasons. Long-known as a player’s coach, Carroll could be exactly the kind of guy who Caleb Williams needs to help him correct course after a forgettable rookie campaign.

Glenn already has five interviews lined up over the next three days. The Lions’ defensive coordinator is already scheduled to speak with the Jets, Saints, Raiders, Jaguars, and Bears and is not interested in setting up a sixth interview at this time — for one reason or another. Glenn is a near lock to land a head coaching job this offseason after keeping the Lions’ defense competitive despite multiple injuries to key players all season long. There’s a good chance he’ll meet with a few of these teams for a second time next week.

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.