NFL Player News

Kraft opened his Monday presser by taking full responsibility for the firing of former head coach Jerod Mayo, who Kraft said was put in an “untenable” situation. Shortly after, he announced that Wolf and senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith would return to their roles next season while adding they will be “looking for people working together.” Kraft dodged any questions about the possibility of Mike Vrabel being at the top of his coaching wish list, but nobody would be surprised to see the former Patriots linebacker and Titans head coach return home if the two sides came to an agreement. It will be a busy few days in New England as the team looks to sort itself out and find the next coach to usher in the post-Belichick era.

Brown’s departure from Chicago felt inevitable after the team hired Lions’ OC Ben Johnson as its next head coach earlier this week. Brown made the leap from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach in his lone season with the Bears. He had a chance to interview for the team’s head coaching vacancy earlier this offseason, but with a new regime set to come in, the likelihood of him being retained was low. Brown also interviewed with the Patriots and Seahawks for offensive coordinator vacancies. While Josh McDaniels has since claimed the Patriots’ job, the Seahawks have not named a replacement for former OC Ryan Grubb. Whether it’s with these teams or somewhere else, Brown feels like a lock to have a coaching role somewhere in 2025.

After interviewing with the Cowboys Tuesday, Schottenheimer was brought in for a second interview, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. As the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons, he has a lot of familiarity with Jerry Jones and company. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports Schottenheimer’s second set of conversations with the team ended Wednesday night. The 51-year-old is still in the mix and is the only head coaching candidate to make it to two interviews for Dallas so far. Jones has been working with familiarity in head coaching candidates with former Cowboys and current Eagles OC Kellen Moore also in the mix. The Cowboys have shown the most interest in Schottenheimer thus far.

Both Brady and Moore have given first interviews with the Saints and are coaching the Bills and Eagles offenses, respectively, in conference championship games on Sunday. The Saints are hoping to conduct second-round interviews with both candidates, adding them into a mix that includes Mike McCarthy, Anthony Weaver, and Mike Kafka. With a few of the top candidates out of the way, the Saints look to be content waiting and fleshing out their second-round options for head coach. As Joe Brady and Kellen Moore gameplan for a chance to head to the Super Bowl, a head coaching job in New Orleans is also on the horizon.

Ben Johnson has not wasted time trying to put together his staff for the Bears. His first interview request for defensive coordinator is the Rams’ Aubrey Pleasant, who was named assistant head coach prior to the 2024 season. He has bounced around coaching staffs in the NFL, spending 2017-2020 with the Rams and re-joining them in 2023. Pleasant was a key piece in helping Rams DC Chris Shula build a formidable unit and now could join the Bears as defensive coordinator, a position he has yet to hold in his coaching career.

Dawkins was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday, ahead of the Bills’ AFC Championship game bout against the Chiefs. He was listed with an illness, which does not seem serious enough to put his status for Sunday’s game in doubt. It is still notable that he did not practice, but for now, Bills fans can expect their left tackle to still play in the biggest game of the season.

Spector landed on injured reserve with a calf injury towards the end of the season. He started four games in place of Matt Milano and is now headed to a potential return with the AFC Championship game on the horizon. If Spector is indeed activated, expect him to play a reserve or special teams role. Milano (hamstring) was limited in the Bills’ Wednesday practice, but expect him to start with Spector playing behind him on Sunday.

The Eagles have played things very conservatively on the injury front in recent weeks but Jurgens’ status should be closely monitored. The talented run-blocker has earned a 70.1 PFF run-blocking grade this season, ranking 13th among NFL centers with at least 500 offensive snaps.

Baltimore also signed QB Devin Leary, WR Malik Cunningham, WR Dayton Wade, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, OL Corey Bullock, OL Darrian Dalcourt, DL C.J. Ravenell, DE Adedayo Odeleye, and LB William Kwenkeu to reserve/future deals. Miller was a late-season call-up from the Baltimore practice squad after Zay Flowers got hurt. He caught four passes for 28 yards in two playoff appearances.

Brown told reporters today he was feeling better. He has been taking Wednesdays off in recent weeks, so a limited designation, even for a walkthrough, does suggest he is trending in the right direction. Brown has totaled just 60 yards over his past three appearances, though the Eagles haven’t been forced to pass much during that stretch. If the Commanders can push Philly’s offense with some points of their own, Brown should return to form for DFS players on Sunday.

Covey is technically still on injured reserve but the Eagles activated his 21-day practice window earlier today. While he is not expected to meaningfully contribute as a wide receiver, his return to the primary punt returner role is certainly helpful.