Stafford, 37, is coming off his best season as a pro, throwing a career-high 46 touchdowns alongside just eight interceptions. Stafford’s 2025 adjusted yards per attempt (8.82) was the best of his 17-year NFL career. “It’ll be a lot that goes into it,” Stafford said. “It’s a physical, a mental and emotional decision, a personal and a family decision as well. So, we’ll figure all that kind of stuff out with some time. ... I know I had a ton of fun playing football this season and had so much fun playing for the Rams. So when I’m ready to figure that out, I’ll be ready to figure that out. That moment isn’t right now.” Stafford is signed through the 2026 season and would count as a $48.2 million cap hit for the Rams.

Reich, if he’s hired by the Jets, is expected to call plays for the team’s offense, per Hughes. That would mean current offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand would be demoted following a 2025 season in which the talent-bare Jets offense had the NFL’s fourth lowest EPA per play and third lowest success rate. Hughes said Engstrand could maintain his OC title. Reich, a former NFL quarterback, served as offensive coordinator for the Chargers and Eagles before becoming the Colts’ head coach and then the Panthers’ head coach. Both head coaching tenures proved disastrous.

Wells has a connection with newly hired Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. Wells coached Dallas tight ends throughout McCarthy’s Cowboys coaching tenure and stayed in Dallas with Brian Schottenheimer, who took over when McCarthy was fired. Wells in early January got an offensive coordinator interview with the Commanders. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him follow McCarthy to Pittsburgh as the Steelers undergo yet another offensive transition.

McDaniel continued to entertain head coaching offers even after it was rumored he would join the Chargers. Now, after much deliberation, McDaniel is officially joining the Chargers to pair with Justin Herbert and company. McDaniel’s offense finished 11th or better in points scored in two of his four seasons with the Dolphins, but his final two seasons proved forgettable as Tua Tagovailoa’s limitations became apparent and defenses took advantage. McDaniel gets a top-flight QB and talent young playmakers in Ladd McConkey and Omarion Hampton to help guide his offense into 2026. All will make for enticing fantasy picks, and Herbert should enjoy a bounce back if his offensive line can stay healthy.

Udinski becomes the third coach to remove his name from consideration for the Browns job, joining Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter. Udinski was a finalist for the job, but is now eyeing the Bills as a potential landing spot for his first head coaching gig. If he doesn’t join the Bills, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports Udinski and the Jaguars already have a new deal in place for him to remain with the team. Udinski, 30, has emerged as one of the hottest names on the market and would become the youngest head coach in NFL history if hired by the Bills.

Smith-Njigba opened with a sensational one-handed catch in what would be a masterpiece game from both the third-year receiver and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak schemed Smith-Njigba wide open out of the backfield for his touchdown, and continued to pepper him with short slants against zone and play-action routes late. Smith-Njigba hauled in only one catch in the fourth quarter, but it was an outstanding second-and-10 route that left his defender in the dust and set Seattle up to drain most of the remaining clock. He’ll be priority No. 1 for the New England defense in Super Bowl LX.

Darnold had little help from the running game – 64 total rushing yards from his backs – and still managed to shred the Rams defense. He was turnover-free for the first time all season against Los Angeles. Seattle’s pass protection held up amazingly well against the Rams front. Klint Kubiak trusted Darnold to hit several throws on the final drive to drain clock and Darnold managed a third-and-7 conversion to Cooper Kupp as well as a 14-yard pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on second-and-10 that all but sealed the game. Darnold will get a bye week before he takes on the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

Stidham’s best play of the game came on the Broncos’ second possession, when he caught the Patriots defense sleeping and aired out a 52-yard completion to Marvin Mims on a third-and-ten. Stidham would follow up that play two plays later with a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to give the Broncos their only points on the day. A controversial fumble on a backwards pass by Stidham late in the second quarter put the Patriots in prime position to score their only touchdown of the game, and a late interception in the fourth quarter officially sealed the Broncos’ fate. Stidham did what he could against a stout Patriots defense, but the added wrinkle of snowy elements in the second half further amplified his struggles. Sunday’s game marked the first time since 2023 that Stidham attempted a pass in a meaningful NFL game. The veteran quarterback remains under contract through the 2026 season and is unlikely to go anywhere this offseason.

Maye struggled through the air all afternoon, completing less than 50 percent of his passes while taking five sacks from the No. 1 sack defense in the league. Despite his offensive struggles, Maye and the Patriots took advantage of a turnover late in the second quarter, when Jarrett Stidham was ruled to have thrown a pass behind the line of scrimmage, which was recovered by the Patriots on Denver’s 12-yard line. Maye would complete a six-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte on the following play, then run up the middle on a QB draw on the following play for the six-yard score, tying the game before the half. On the opening possession of the second-half, Maye again relied on his legs, breaking free for a 28-yard run on third down to move his offense into the Broncos’ red zone. While they weren’t able to find the end zone on the drive, a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregales to cap the drive proved to be more than enough for Maye and the Patriots, who spent much of the the second half grinding out the clock in snowy conditions. Now headed to the Super Bowl, Maye will become the second-youngest quarterback in NFL history to start Super Bowl (Dan Marino, 23 years and 127 days), and the first from the 2024 NFL Draft Class to make it to the big game. The game was far from pretty, but Maye again came up clutch and is one game away from hoisting his first Lombardi Trophy in just his second season. The Patriots now wait to see who they will play between the Rams and Seahawks.

Gannon lasted three years as the Cardinals’ head coach before the team fired him at the end of the 2025 season. Gannon’s defenses finished 31st, 15th, and 29th in points allowed. While the Cardinals undoubtedly lacked talent on Gannon’s side of the ball, his inability to string two decent seasons together on defense was one of the many reasons Arizona showed him the door. Gannon is replacing Jeff Hafley, who was hired as the Dolphins’ head coach. The hope is that with a full cupboard on defense, headlined by Micah Parsons, Gannon will get better results in Green Bay.