NFL Player News

Dealing with a lingering calf injury, Burrow — who returned to practice this week as part of a top-secret plan hatched by Bengals brass — should be able to suit up for the season opener against Cleveland. A potentially gimpy Burrow will face a ferocious Browns pass rush headed by Myles Garrett. Cleveland’s defense could be a decent Week 1 option for fantasy managers, and Burrow should be started as a low-end QB1.

This news comes on the heels of the team’s decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott. Beane, who was hired by the Bills in 2017 and signed a contract extension during the 2023 offseason, will now be tasked with finding the next coach to lead the Bills into next season. Beane’s track record as of late is questionable at best. The Bills’ 2025 draft consisted of five-straight defensive picks before finally selecting tight end Jackson Hawes in the fifth-round, and 2024 first-round receiver Keon Coleman has failed to deliver on his high draft capital. He was also a health scratch for multiple games this season. While Beane has work to do in finding a new head coach, it’s imperative he finds star playmakers to surround Josh Allen with next season after this year’s cast of characters left much to be desired late in the season.

This news comes via NFL Network’s The Insiders. Another playoff loss to an AFC West team, this time the Broncos, was the final straw for McDermott. The longtime Bills coach was reported as “safe for now” earlier this month by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that his job security at least partially depended on a successful postseason run, with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson all watching from home. McDermott’s Bills again came up short in Saturday’s divisional round loss to the Broncos, although, a controversial interception on an apparent catch by Brandin Cooks can be partly blamed for the latest shortcoming. McDermott coached the Bills to a 98-50 record after being hired by the team in 2017 and had only one losing season in his nine years at the helm. McDermott led the Bills to five-straight division titles from 2020 to 2024, but finished second to an emerging Patriots team this season. The Bills now become the most coveted job opening in the NFL, as they will likely line up several potential head coaching candidates in the coming days. Current offensive coordinator Joe Brady will likely receive an interview as a potential in-house candidate, but we would expect the Bills to cast a wide net in hopes of bringing in a coach who can capitalize on the remainder of Josh Allen’s prime in hopes of delivering the Bills their first ever Super Bowl. McDermott, should he wish to continue as a head coach in 2026, should also generate plenty of interest with seven other head coaching vacancies still open across the league.

Grizzard was one-and-done with the Buccaneers after being elevated to offensive coordinator for the 2025 season. Grizzard took over an offense that ranked among the top passing units in 2024, only to see it finish 22nd in yards per attempt and 20th in total passing yards this season. The Eagles are fresh off firing a one-and-done offensive coordinator of their own in Kevin Patullo, so a move to a coach on a similar trajectory could prove risky for head coach Nick Sirianni next season. That said, the Eagles are clearly exhausting all options in hopes of finding an adequate replacement for former OC Kellen Moore.

The Ravens are on a short list of teams interested in Campanile’s services, joining the Titans and Dolphins as potential suitors. The 43-year-old excelled in his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator in 2025, as his Jaguars finished eighth in points allowed and 11th in yards allowed while also boasting a top-10 run and pass defense on a per attempt basis. Should the Ravens move to hire him, Campanile would take over a defense that is already loaded with talent, but underperformed under second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr.

With the Rams advancing to the NFC Championship Game after Sunday’s win over the Bears, the Browns will be restricted from interviewing Scheelhaase until next Monday at the earliest. The 35-year-old coach has met with several teams this hiring cycle, but any teams seriously considering hiring Scheelhaase will have to delay all hiring decisions by a week as the postseason continues to play out. Scheelhaase first joined the Rams in 2024 and was elevated to pass game coordinator ahead of this season. The latest coveted coach off the Sean McVay coaching tree could soon land a head coaching job if he and the Rams continue their impressive postseason run.

Hafley has already met with other teams this coaching cycle and has a second interview with the Dolphins on tap. The 46-year-old coach has led top-12 defenses in back-to-back seasons since leaving the college game for the pros in 2024 and remains a hot name on the market with seven head coaching vacancies still left to be filled.

Minter is already scheduled to meet with the Browns for a second time and can now add the Raiders to that list. The 42-year-old defensive coordinator joined the Chargers in 2024 after opting to leave Michigan along with head coach Jim Harbaugh, and has led his defense to back-to-back top-10 defensive seasons. In 2024, the Chargers allowed the fewest points of any team in the league while also finishing 11th in total yards allowed. Minter could see more interviews come his way this week as teams continue to move past the first phase of the hiring cycle and narrow their list of candidates.

As far as head coaching vacancies are concerned, McDaniel now has second interviews with both the Browns and Raiders lined up for this week, and he still remains a highly sought-after offensive coordinator for other teams. Regardless of where he lands, the former Dolphins head coach won’t be without a job for long, as several suitors have emerged since his firing at the end of the season.

Weaver is also reportedly being targeted by new Giants head coach John Harbaugh to fill his defensive coordinator vacancy, but the long-time coach will continue to field interviews for head-coaching openings for the time being. Weaver has already met with the Ravens for their head-coaching vacancy, but the Steelers are the first time interested in giving him a second look. Weaver’s name has floated around a future head coach for the last several seasons. His Dolphins regressed in 2025 after finishing as a top-10 defensive unit the previous season, but with seven head coaching jobs still on the table, it wouldn’t be surprising if Weaver landed his first gig this offseason.

Kmet found himself on the receiving end of a miraculous fourth-down throw by Caleb Williams to keep the Bears’ season alive with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Kmet’s score would force the game into overtime, but the Bears came up short in the extra frame after the Rams made the most of a Caleb Williams interception on the Bears’ only drive. Kmet’s numbers have now fallen off in back-to-back years. After going for 73-719-6 in 2023, the sixth-year vet saw his fewest targets (45), receptions (30), and receiving yards (347) since his rookie year this season, and found the end zone just twice. As far as his work as a pass-catcher is concerned, Kmet took a backseat to rookie Colston Loveland this season, and now looks expendable heading into this offseason despite signing a four-year contract extension in 2023. Per OverTheCap, the Bears can release Kmet for a dead cap hit of just $3.2 million if the team makes him a pre-June 1 cut. A post-June 1 cut would carry a $1.6 million dead cap hit. Kmet will turn 27 next season and could have plenty to offer another team as a starter should he become available.