NFL Player News

“To be honest with you, I just don’t have the urge to play right now,” Fitzgerald told Jim Gray during an interview on Sirius XM. “I don’t know how I’ll feel in September, October, November moving forward but I just, today, I just don’t have the urge. And I think I have to be respectful of that.” 38 at the end of August, it sounds as if Fitzgerald has all but formally announced the end of his illustrious 17-year career. With DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, Christian Kirk, and A.J. Green in place, Fitzgerald would merely return as a veteran leader if he (surprisingly) chooses to give it one last go in Arizona.

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.

Goedert’s ankle injury sidelined him for Wednesday’s practice, but the veteran tight end will be back on the field in some capacity on Thursday. Goedert’s injury appears to be a minor issue. He did not seem limited by it in last week’s win over the Rams, and should be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Commanders, barring any setback.

Anybody on contract watch in hopes of Belichick returning to the NFL may now resign from their post. While anything remains possible, Belichick signing his contract with the program puts multiple speculations to rest over whether or not he would be required to pay a $10 million buyout should he take an NFL head coaching job any time between now and June 1. Belichick seemed most closely “linked” to the Cowboys after they opted to not renew Mike McCarthy’s coach last week, but Belichick never had an official sit down with the team. Belichick appears ready to full dive into the college coaching ranks, as he continues to hit the recruiting trail for the Tar Heels after agreeing to become their head coach back in mid-December.

The betting markets appear to have known all along. Just days after it was reported that Schottenheimer was the odds-on favorite to land the Cowboys’ head coaching job, despite having never been interviewed beforehand, the current OC appears primed to turn head coach at any moment. Schottenheimer is the son of former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer, whose 200 career wins are good for eighth-most on the all-time wins list. Brian Schottenheimer, who first joined the NFL ranks as a QBs coach in 2001 has never held a head coaching position, and has underwhelmed at his last few stops as an offensive coordinator while with the Rams (2012-2014), Seahawks (2018-2020), and Jaguars (2021). He didn’t call offensive plays for the Cowboys in either of his two seasons as their offensive coordinator. Schottenheimer’s name didn’t emerge in the coaching conversations until people began linking him with the Cowboys. Now, it appears as if he’ll be the successor to Mike McCarthy barring an unforeseen change in plans.

The Jaguars will need to wait until the Eagles are either eliminated from postseason contention or have a bye week before the Super Bowl before they can speak with Moore. The Eagles’ OC has been a hot commodity on the coaching market and is still rumored to be in the mix for both the Saints and Cowboys head coaching vacancies, with both of those teams free to make an offer at any time. Moore’s Eagles are a win away from returning to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons. Should they defeat the Commanders in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, the Jaguars would only be permitted to do a virtual interview with Moore, which could also throw a wrench into the hiring process. We’ll see where things go from here but owner Shad Khan is clearly trying to exhaust all options for the team’s next head coach after going through two in four seasons.

Washington was hired by the Bears before the 2024 season and is officially one-and-done with the team. His dismissal can be partially blamed on the overturn at head coach, as Ben Johnson appears ready to bring on his own group of guys as he preps for his first run as a head coach. Washington didn’t begin calling plays for the Bears defense until Week 14. In his short stint as defensive coordinator, his team allowed 26.0 points per game and three games of 30-plus points. They also ranked 27th in EPA per play and 30th in success rate over that span. A veteran defensive line coach who joined the NFL ranks in 2008, Washington should have a decent market for work now that he’s available.