NFL Player News

Washington did little this week and was not targeted in Week 10. He would not normally be on the fantasy radar, but Gabe Davis left this game with a non-contact knee injury and did not return. With Christian Kirk already done for the year, Washington may be forced into the No. 2 receiver role following Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye. Fantasy managers with deep benched could do worse on the waiver wire this week, though expectations remain low for all Jacksonville players until Trevor Lawrence returns.

Covington spent last season as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator but first joined their staff in 2017 as a coaching assistant. He was promoted to their DL coach in 2020 and served in that role until 2023. It was reported earlier that Covington, who interviewed earlier this month for the Bengals’ defensive coordinator vacancy, was not expected to return to the Patriots after they went out and hired Mike Vrabel as head coach. Now, he’ll have a chance to start over in Green Bay. In addition to Covington, the Packers also hired former quarterback Sean Mannion as their quarterbacks coach.

Tobin said a new deal for Ja’Marr Chase is a top priority this offseason but added that the team is also interested in signing Higgins to an extension. “It’s going to be hard” to keep both players, Tobin noted, but he’s hopeful the Bengals and Higgins can agree to something comfortable for both sides based on his experience, playing time, and production over the first five seasons. The Bengals are saying all of the right things, but a number that might be “right” for the Bengals may not necessarily be right for Higgins, who is expected to field several lucrative offers on the open market. There will be plenty of time for the two sides to negotiate before free agency kicks off later this year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Higgins opted to test free agency regardless.

Tafur also points out that the Raiders still have to bring in other candidates to interview for the position, but Bevell continues to be the leader in the clubhouse. The long-time Seahawks’ offensive coordinator (2011-2017) has a great relationship with new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and saw his offense finish in the top 10 in scoring in four of his eight years with the team. Bevell also had brief stints with the Lions (2019-2020) and the Jaguars (2021) as offensive coordinator and currently works as the Dolphins QB coach and passing game coordinator.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first. After previous reports that the Raiders were “working on a deal” to bring Graham back, things became official overnight. Graham has served as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator since 2022 and interviewed for a handful of head coaching positions this offseason before finding his way back to Vegas. Last season, Graham’s defense ranked 25th in points allowed but 15th in total yards allowed. They also ranked in the top 16 in both EPA per play and success rate. The advanced stats suggest Graham’s defense was far better than the 25.5 points per game they allowed in 2024. With head coach Pete Carroll and Tom Brady taking on a bigger role as a part-owner, the best days could be ahead for Graham, who should have a much better roster to work with in 2025.

The Jaguars are beginning to build out their staff around new head coach Liam Coen. Pritchard is a former Stanford quarterback who was also a long-time coach in various positions for the Cardinal. He spent the last two seasons as quarterbacks coach for the Commanders, including working with rookie Jayden Daniels. The Jaguars seem to believe Pritchard played a big hand in Daniels’ development and are interviewing him for offensive coordinator. If hired, Pritchard would have a chance to work with Trevor Lawrence to bring the Jaguars offense back from the brink.

Janocko was the Saints’ quarterback coach last season, working with the likes of Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener through a middling 2024 season. With the Saints still searching for a head coach, ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports they would like to keep Janocko but are allowing more coaches to interview for lateral jobs. If he does leave for Seattle, Janocko would reunite with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to work with Geno Smith.

Stafford turns 37 in February but plans to play in 2025, according to Rapoport. The veteran finished the season with 3,762 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions as the Rams lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Though he is under contract through 2026, Stafford is slated to make a non-guaranteed $27 million next season. The Rams and Stafford will likely revisit that so he has more guaranteed money under his belt heading into year No. 17 in the NFL.

The move seemingly speaks volumes about Carberry, who helped coach one of the league’s best pass-protection units. The Bucs’ 84.0 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks second among NFL teams this season.

The long-time Doug Pederson understudy spent the 2013-2020 seasons with the Eagles and the 2022-2024 seasons with the Jaguars, with a 2019 Colts stint in between. The former quarterbacks coach will now help mold Caleb Williams as he enters year two.

Banjo is a former defensive back and core special teamer, spending 10 seasons in the NFL before joining the Broncos as a special teams assistant in 2023. He previously interviewed with the 49ers and Cowboys, but now joins new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn in New York as special teams coordinator. Glenn continues to round out his coaching staff after adding DC Steve Wilks and now Banjo to the group.