NFL Player News

Metchie missed the team’s Week 16 loss to the Chiefs with a shoulder injury but got in a full session in the team’s first true practice of the week in preparation for a Week 17 meeting with the Ravens. We’ll get further confirmation from the team on Tuesday, but it certainly appears as if Metchie will return from his one-game absence.

Both skill position players came into the weekend listed as questionable but will ultimately suit up for the visiting Chargers, who look for an elusive road playoff win Saturday against the Texans. The Chargers will roll out a backfield consisting of Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Hassan Haskins, with notable free agent addition Ezekiel Elliott watching from the sidelines after joining the team five days ago. Johnston will likely be tasked with additional volume after setting career highs in receptions and yards in Week 18 in the absence of Joshua Palmer.

Both offensive offensive guard Juice Scruggs and wide receiver John Metchie will play after coming into the weekend listed as questionable. Scruggs should slot into the starting lineup for the absent Mason while Metchie should return to a starting role alongside Nico Collins on the perimeter. The Texans look to complete the rare home dog upset in the Wildcard Round against the visiting Chargers.

Palmer had been ruled out earlier in the week, leaving the biggest surprise tight end Hayden Hurst. Hurst began the season as the lead tight end before suffering injuries that forced him to miss eight of the team’s final 13 games. Will Dissly took over as the primary tight end in Hurst’s absence and never relinquished the role, backed up by both Tucker Fisk and Stone Smartt.

The Falcons move on from Lake after surrendering 24.9 points per game (24th) and 345.2 yards of total offense per game (23rd), both of which landed them in the bottom 10 in the league in 2024. The pieces are present for the Falcons to continue to be competitive in a relatively weak NFC South division, with the move at defensive coordinator a step in the right direction for the future of the franchise.

The Steelers have toyed around with specific packages for Fields throughout the season after he filled in as the starter for the injured Russell Wilson to begin the season. Up to this point, their hand has typically been played face up with Fields on the field, so it will be interesting to see the extent of his packages against the Ravens. Instilled as 9.5-point road underdogs in the Wildcard Round, the Steelers have nothing to lose as they chase an opening round upset.

Bonsignore cites sources saying the Colorado football coach has his eyes on the Raiders job and that NFL-connected associates of Sanders have reached out to team to express interest. As of now, an interview with the 57-year-old former defensive back isn’t on the books. It’s unclear whether Sanders’ interest in the Raiders will be reciprocated. His son, Shedeur Sanders, is one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft, though the Raiders are set to pick sixth overall and thus aren’t well positioned to acquire Shedeur without trading up.

Johnson has now completed interviews with the Patriots, Raiders and Bears. The 38-year-old offensive coordinator is also set to meet with the Jaguars Saturday. Johnson has been heavily linked to the Raiders of late, though it’s also been reported that he covets a quarterback, something the Raiders don’t have. He’s the sixth different candidate the Bears have interviewed so far joining Mike Vrabel, Anthony Weaver, Mike Kafka, Pete Carroll and Drew Petzing.

Schrager’s tweet comes on the heels of an Ian Rapoport article linking Johnson to the Raiders. The Raiders job comes with obvious drawbacks as Las Vegas is without a quarterback and in the same division as Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, though the team could be willing to pay top dollar for the Lions offensive coordinator. With the 38-year-old Johnson still set to interview with the Jaguars and Bears Saturday, these links to the Raiders could be setting up a leverage play for the Detroit coach who sat out the last two hiring cycles despite being one of the top candidates. It’s still possible that Johnson is actually interested in Tom Brady’s vision for the Raiders’ future, which could include Johnson having some say on who their next general manager would be.

Glenn has now completed interviews with the Saints, Jets, Raiders and Jaguars. The 52-year-old Lions defensive coordinator is still set to interview with the Bears while he declined to meet with the Patriots. Glenn played for the Saints, Jaguars and Jets during his 15-year playing career and coached defensive backs with the Saints before coming to Detroit with Dan Campbell. It appears that Glenn will have a head coaching job by the end of this hiring cycle.

Vrabel interviewed with New England on Thursday. Schefter echoed an earlier report from the Athletic’s Dianna Russini by stating that the Patriots will be charting their next steps in their coaching search this weekend. With Vrabel not currently tied to another team, he’s the obvious candidate for a team that appears to be moving quickly towards finding its next coach.