NFL Player News

The Steelers do get Donte Jackson back, but will have to rely on depth corners against Kansas City’s talented receiving corps. Porter Jr. did not practice in any of the three Steelers’ sessions this week and should be considered questionable for Week 18 at this point as well.

The Jaguars are presumably letting go of head coach Doug Pederson, though neither he nor Baalke have been shown the door yet. Pederson’s firing is a foregone conclusion while Schultz seems to think the same is true of Baalk. He noted, “It appears the decision-makers decided this week that a full sweep would be necessary.” Ben Johnson is the big name on every owner’s radar as the coaching carousel gets spinning. Johnson turned down jobs last offseason to stay in Detroit but is expected to make the leap this time around. Having a young nucleus on offense and the option to work with a fresh general manager would make Jacksonville a particularly attractive spot for Johnson or any other rising star in coaching circles.

Anzalone was activated from injured reserve over the weekend. He landed on IR after suffering a fractured forearm in Week 11. Per Rapoport, the Lions will monitor his snaps tonight and he will play with a special pad designed to protect his arm. Getting Anzalone back is a step in the right direction for a Detroit defense that has been plagued by injuries this season.

Hurts did not practice this week before being ruled out for a meaningless Week 18 game. While the NFL has taken concussions far more seriously in recent years, we don’t see any way Hurts doesn’t make it back in time for the Eagles’ Wild Card Round matchup with either the Commanders or Packers. Tanner McKee will start today with Kenny Pickett also banged up. Philly’s practice report will be one to monitor throughout the leadup to next week’s games.

Flowers suffered a knee sprain in Baltimore’s Week 18 win over the Browns and did not return. Per Rapoport, he will undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the issue. The good news is that the win gave Baltimore the AFC North crown and the No. 3 seed. They are likely to face a toothless Steelers team in the opening round of the playoffs, after which Flowers could make his return. Until then, Lamar Jackson will lean on Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, both of whom scored in Week 18.

Pickett suffered the rib injury in relief of Jalen Hurts in Week 16. He attempted to play through the issue last week but only made it three quarters before aggravating the injury and exiting the game. He failed to practice at all this week and was listed as questionable, a designation he was never going to play through with nothing on the line for Philly in Week 18. Tanner McKee will get his first career start today.

Now on the NFI list, Whitehead is required to miss at least four games, though Rapoport’s comments suggest even a deep playoff run would not be enough time for the veteran safety to return. Whitehead suffered a torn pec in Week 12 and was placed on injured reserve. The team had recently designated him to return from injured reserve and he was questionable for Week 18. Per Rapoport, Whitehead should be okay in the long term. His season ends with three pass breakups, two TFLs, and 79 combined tackles.

Jalen Hurts is out with a concussion and Kenny Pickett is listed as questionable with a rib injury. He did not practice this week meaning McKee was all but guaranteed to make the start after Friday’s injury report. A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, McKee was a successful pocket passer at Stanford. He also showed well in relief of Pickett last week, throwing for 54 yards and two scores on just four attempts. He will be playing with the backups this week as Philly rests their starters, so we shouldn’t expect much fantasy output from anyone involved.

Rapoport didn’t rule Mooney out but reiterated that it is an uphill battle for the veteran receiver to play this week. Mooney suffered the shoulder injury in practice and was downgraded to a DNP on Friday, a bad sign for his Week 18 outlook. Assuming he doesn’t suit up, KhaDarel Hodge will step into the three-receiver rotation alongside Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud.

As Schefter notes, Pollard needs 83 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to reach $450K in incentives from his contract. Facing a Texans team that is likely to pull their starters early, Pollard should be able to get the yardage total and at least one score. Pollard will see plenty of work with Tyjae Spears sidelined for the final game of the year, putting him at the top of the WR2 ranks for Week 18.

The team also fired offensive line coach Andy Dickerson. Having already decided to stick with 2023 Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, someone had to take the fall for this nightmare season. Even with a Sunday’s worth of games left, the Browns are all but guaranteed to finish last in the league in points per game (15.2) and EPA per play (-.18). Dorsey was let go by the Bills during a midseason slump last year, meaning he will be looking for his third team in as many seasons this spring. An offensive coordinator gig is not in the cards given his poor track record over the past two years. Dickerson took over the offensive line coach job from legendary linemen coach Bill Callahan after the former left for Tennessee after the 2023 season.