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Gase has not coached since his 2019-2020 run as the Jets’ head coach. He served as the Dolphins’ head coach before that, from 2016-2018. The Chargers swapped out former OC Greg Roman for new OC Mike McDaniel this offseason, and are evidently not done adding new offensive staffers.

Crosby was asked to comment on a FOX Sports report that indicated his time with the Raiders could be coming to a close. The veteran pass rusher responded by saying that “any talk of wanting out of Las Vegas” did not come from him. Whether the Raiders try to move Crosby, 28, for a significant haul remains to be seen, but it appears as though Crosby is happy with his current team. It is also nice to hear that his rehab process is going well. Per Crosby, this is his “eighth surgery in seven years.”

Spillane got in two limited sessions to close the week, which is a good sign. The veteran linebacker aggravated an ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game that initially sidelined him in Weeks 14-18. Patriots LB Harold Landry (knee) was limited on Wednesday, sat out on Thursday and resumed practicing in a limited capacity on Friday.

Maye injured his right, throwing shoulder in the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Broncos. He was limited through last week’s first two practices before being sidelined on Friday by an illness. After resting and rehabbing through the weekend, he rattled off three straight full practice sessions this week. This year’s MVP runner-up is ready to go.

Up until Thursday, Darnold had been a limited practice participant since injuring his oblique during the Seahawks’ final Divisional Round practice. As of Friday evening, he has two full sessions under his belt. Last time we saw Darnold on the field, he threw for a season-high 346 yards and three touchdowns. He is good to go for Sunday’s game.

The Seahawks had Emmanwori take the day off to receive treatment on Thursday, after spraining his ankle on Wednesday. Emmanwori suffered a high-ankle sprain in September and sprained the same ankle this week, but imaging indicated he avoided a high-ankle sprain this time. He practiced fully today, which is a great sign for his readiness to play a normal allotment of snaps on Sunday. Seahawks LT Charles Cross (foot) was also cleared to play after practicing fully today.

Jones adds that he wants Pickens to be a Cowboy for “a long time.” We have no doubt this is true, but the Cowboys’ recent contract negotiations with their star players have been volatile, to say the least. In 2024, the front office signed CeeDee Lamb to an extension on August 27th, and waited until mere hours before the Cowboys’ Week 1 game against the Browns to sign Dak Prescott to an extension. Contract talks with Micah Parsons soured to the point that he ended up being traded. A report from NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk notes that the Cowboys will likely use the franchise tag on Pickens, an impending free agent, “which will buy the sides time to negotiate a long-term deal.”

It sounds like Mendoza does not plan to throw at the NFL Combine, though his statement was not definitive. He adds that he wants to throw at Indiana’s Pro Day with his teammate, in part because he wants to “make sure [he gives his] guys the best chance” to succeed as well. He declined to comment specifically on the idea of joining the Raiders via the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but had “good things to say about the work Klint Kubiak has done with Sam Darnold in Seattle this year.”

NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news, saying Kingsbury “wants to continue growing as a coach and learn more about what it takes to be a head coach in the NFL again.” This is a smart move. McVay has successfully balanced head-coaching duties while running the Rams’ offense since 2017. He won NFL Coach of the Year in his first season on the job and Super Bowl LVI in 2021. Kingsbury also ran the offense while serving as the Cardinals’ head coach from 2019-2022, though he did so less successfully.

Penix also said his goal is to “absolutely” be ready for Week 1. We’ll see how that goes. The 2024 first-rounder suffered his knee injury in Week 11 and is now in the process of recovering from his third ACL surgery. Penix struggled in his second season with the Falcons, throwing for 1,982-9-3 in nine games while rushing for another 70 yards and a score. He’s played only 14 games in his career, but the early production leaves much to be desired. When he does return to the field, Penix could be facing a make-or-break season in his third year with a strong 2027 quarterback class likely coming in, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski hoping to land a franchise QB after failing to do so at his previous stop.