NFL Player News

It was a career year for Smith, who caught 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns – all career-highs – in his first season with the Dolphins. The explosive tight end bucked the trend of low-producing tight ends in Mike McDaniel’s offense and instead finished with the second-most targets (109) on the team while also ranking second in receiving yards. Smith joined the Dolphins on a two-year contract this offseason, and immediately looks like one of the best values at the position heading into 2025. We’ll see if he earns an extension after this season, but Smith, who turns 30 next summer, will have plenty of buzz as a TE1 next fantasy season.

The Jets are set to interview a plethora of candidates for their open GM job. That includes Gaine, who has worked in the Buffalo front office since 2019, first as a senior personnel advisor and then as an assistant GM under Brandon Beane. In New York, Gaine would take over a roster in flux and a likely teardown job under whoever the team hires as its next head coach.

Tennessee was 9-25 over Carthorn’s two seasons as GM. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement that she was concerned not only with the team’s win-loss record over the past two years, but the “long-term future should we stay the course.” Carthorn in 2023 was victorious in a power struggle with former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and was promoted to executive vice president. He then used the 33rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to take Will Levis, who was one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks in 2024 and appears to be a career backup at best. Carthorn’s front office also made curious signings like Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley in the offseason. Carthorn will likely land with another front office, though his days as a general manager are probably over.

It’s hardly a guarantee that Johnson, one of the best and most respected offensive play callers in the NFL over the past few seasons, would even take the Jets head coaching job if it were offered to him. Perhaps Jets ownership knows this and doesn’t want to waste time on the charade of Johnson taking on such a thankless head coaching job after he’s been patient in waiting for the right opportunity. The Jets are likely to hire a retread head coach — they’re interviewing former Jets head coach Rex Ryan Tuesday — who can make the team at least somewhat respectable in 2025 and beyond.

Jacksonville won’t be able to interview Coen until next week, as the Bucs are preparing to take on the Commanders in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Coen did a masterful job with the Tampa offense in 2024. The Bucs ranked fifth in EPA per play in 2024, with Baker Mayfield posting the league’s fifth best drop back success rate on this way to a career-best 4,500 yards and 45 touchdowns. Coen’s offense was particularly effective with screens and short area passes. It’s an element of the passing attack that could help Trevor Lawrence get his career back on track after a miserable 2024 campaign. In Jacksonville, Coen would scheme up plays for Brian Thomas, one of the most promising wideouts in recent memory.

Glenn, one of the league’s best defensive coordinators over the past four years, could have his choice of head coaching jobs depending on how quickly these teams move to fill their coach openings. Glenn, 52, would inherit a horrendous Jaguars defense if he took that job, while the Jets and Bears jobs would come with decent-to-excellent defensive units. The Lions could end up losing both of their coordinators if Glenn lands a head coaching job and OC Ben Johnson leaves for a head coaching gig this offseason.

Vrabel, who was passed over for head coaching jobs last offseason, will also interview with the Jets for their head coaching vacancy. Vrabel went 54-45 over six years with the Titans, running one of the most conservative offenses in the NFL and largely failing to adopt to the modern NFL. The Saints would represent a total rebuild project for Vrabel, 49. In Chicago, Vrabel would inherit Caleb Williams in Chicago after Williams’ borderline disastrous rookie campaign. Only Anthony Richardson and Will Levis had lower EPAs per play than Williams in 2024.

Elliott gets his wish to play for a Super Bowl contender while the Chargers get some much needed depth at running back as they begin their Super Bowl journey in Wildcard Weekend. Expect Elliott to play sparingly, if at all, when the Chargers travel to Houston to face the Texans on Saturday.

The franchise breathes a collective sigh of relief following the scary incident in the team’s Week 18 loss to the Cardinals, which required the cart to take Guerendo from the field. It likely means he will be ready for the start of offseason activities, including organized team activities. Guerendo filled in for the injured Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason admirably this season, presenting yet another draft day smash for a franchise known for cashing in on their draft picks.

Bradley’s three-year contract with the team ended this year, meaning he was not technically fired, although his defense’s performance down the stretch more than warranted it. The Colts allowed 25.1 points per game in 2024 while allowing the Broncos, Titans, Giants, and Jaguars to average 34.25 points per game over the final month of the regular season.

Gannon also said on Monday that Murray is “a top-level, franchise quarterback.” While opinions may differ on whether or not Murray is a “top-level” quarterback, it’s hard to argue against him remaining as the team’s starter next season. Not because of his play but because of the five-year, $230.5 million contract extension he signed in the 2022 offseason. Murray is under contract through 2028 and carries a cap hit just north of $45 million next season. It’s unlikely any team would want to trade for Murray given his cap hit, and the dead cap hit he carries in 2025 tops out at just over $63 million. The Cardinals don’t have many options outside of playing Murray, who threw for 3851-21-11 in his first full season as a starter since 2020.