NFL Player News

It’s a perfectly vague quote by Shanahan, who saw Mason exit in the second quarter after injuring his shoulder. It’s presumably the same shoulder Mason suffered a sprained AC joint in back in Week 6, but with a Week 9 bye on tap and Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) hoping to return in Week 10, this may be the last we see of Mason for a while. Mason finished the day with six carries for 18 yards, while rookie Isaac Guerendo ran for 14-85-1 and caught three passes for 17 additional yards. Mason will still be a player worth stashing, but he’s unlikely to have any standalone value once CMC is back in the fold.

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports Watson “went through stretch but then did not go outside for the beginning of practice.” Assuming he’s not practicing, this would mark two straight DNPs for Watson, who is on the wrong side of suiting up for Week 18 against the Bears. Watson also missed last week’s game. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Packers opted to play it safe with him given that their spot in the NFC playoffs is already secured.

Coen’s first season in Tampa Bay has gone better than expected. The 39-year-old offensive coordinator has the Buccaneers on the brink of a playoff berth and an NFC South title if they can pull off a win on Sunday against the Saints. Under Coen, the Buccaneers rank fourth in points scored and third in total yards. Baker Mayfield has also enjoyed the best year of his career under Coen, throwing for 4,279 yards and 39 touchdowns (both career highs) while also completing a career-high 71.7 percent of his passes. Coen will undoubtedly be on several team’s radars when coaching searches begin next week.

Rookie right tackle Amarius Mims will also be a game-time decision. When asked about the possibility of both players playing in the pivotal Week 18 matchup, head coach Zac Taylor said, “We’ll see.” It’s about what we’d expect from Taylor, who needs all hands on deck Saturday if he and the Bengals hope to sneak into the playoffs after a disappointing 2024. Brown was a DNP in all three practices this week, but it sounds like the Bengals will give him up until inactives are announced to decide whether or not he’ll play or if Khalil Herbert will serve as the team’s RB1 for the week.

According to Colts beat writer Joel A. Erickson, Richardson did not have his helmet with him and was not stretching with the quarterbacks. This comes a day after Richardson was listed as a DNP and puts his Week 18 availability firmly in doubt if he cannot get on the field in some capacity on Friday. There’s no reason for the Colts to play Richardson, who appears to be less than 100 percent, in a meaningless game to close out the season. It would not be surprising to see the team rule him out, giving way to Joe Flacco to start against the Jaguars.

Kingsbury declined to say whether or not he would take head coaching interviews this offseason but did note that he’s “very happy” in Washington. The Bears have been rumored to have interest in Kingsbury, who spent 2023 with Caleb Williams at USC before being hired by the Commanders last offseason. In his return to the NFL, Kliff has orchestrated an offense that currently ranks in the top 10 in points per game, yards per game, and yards per play, thanks in part to the play of rookie Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury’s first stint as an NFL head coach didn’t quite go as planned, as his offenses proved easy to neutralize and far less explosive than what we saw during his days at Texas A&M and Texas Tech. There’s no doubt that several teams will have Kingsbury on their radars, but his familiarity with Caleb Williams makes him an easy favorite to become the Bears next head coach if he’s interested.

We are rapidly approaching Khalil Herbert SZN. The severity of the ankle injury Brown suffered in Week 17 against the Broncos was downplayed the following day, but the optics weren’t great on the field. The Bengals’ RB1 was not able to practice at all this week, but we’ll see where things stand when they release their final injury report later in the day. It’s possible the Bengals are taking it easy on Brown ahead of a pivotal Week 18 matchup, but we’ll have some clarity on that soon.

Lockett is in the final year of a four-year extension he signed back in April 2021. The 32-year-old vet has taken a back seat to both DK Metcalf and second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba this season and only has 47 receptions for 572 yards and two touchdowns to his name. By the time the Seahawks’ season concludes in Week 18 against the Rams, Lockett will have had his worst statistical season since 2017, and will have gone under 100 targets for the first time since 2018. Far from the player he once was, Lockett won’t turn 33 until September, and could still bring reliable hands along with a veteran presence to any team in need of help on the outside. Whether or not he returns to the Seahawks will be decided after the season but there’s a chance Sunday’s game against the Rams may be his last in his 10 year career with the Seahawks.

A loss would secure the No. 1 overall pick for the Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Van Pelt added at Thursday’s presser that they are “playing the game to win the game.” The Patriots could very well escape with a win at home, as the Bills are expected to sit most of their starters with the division already won and their playoff spot secured. Maye is dealing with a hand injury and was listed as limited in Wednesday’s practice, but this appears to be a minor issue.

The Browns will have Deshaun Watson under contract next season, but the belief is he’ll “never play a meaningful down” for the team ever again. The Browns could kick the tires on a rookie signal-caller next season, but according to a source who spoke with Fowler, any quarterback “with starter’s talent” will be looked at — including guys like Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, unsurprisingly. They also won’t rule out bringing back Jameis Winston, who threw for 2121-13-12 in the 12 games he appeared in this season. Quarterback is one of several needs the Browns will need to address this offseason, but it’s arguably their biggest. According to Over the Cap, the Browns are roughly $17 million over the cap, but they’ll push some numbers around to get under the cap before free agency. It’s sure to be an interesting offseason in Cleveland, with potential staff changes also incoming after they conclude their season on Saturday against the Ravens.

In an article published by ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Rodgers joked that he wouldn’t need to go on a darkness retreat before deciding on his NFL future, but Cimini reports that it “sounded as if he’s thinking hard about retirement.” When asked about his future with the Jets, Rodgers said he’s “just more resigned to the reality of the situation,” while acknowledging he thinks a lot of change will be coming to the Jets this offseason. Rodgers and the Jets are a near lock to part ways this offseason, even if he does opt to return for another season. Set to start in the Jets’ season finale against the Dolphins, Week 18 may very well be the last game Rodgers plays as a pro. He needs just one more touchdown pass to become the fifth player in league history to achieve 500-plus passing touchdowns in their career.