NFL Player News

Bowers’ usage is perplexing. It is possible he is still limited by the knee injury he suffered in Week 1. In a game where oft-used No. 2 TE Michael Mayer was sidelined by a concussion, Bowers totaled just two targets in the first half, one of which would have resulted in a touchdown had QB Geno Smith gotten it to him in stride in the end zone. Instead, the ball arrived late and Bowers was only able to paw at it with one hand. Eventually, OC Chip Kelly thought to assist Smith by dialing up two screen passes to Bowers in the second half. He caught both for a total of 27 yards and looked fairly smooth after the catch. Hopefully, Bowers’ health continues to improve and he bounces back for an elite TE1 finish against the Colts next week.

Merritt spent the last two seasons coaching running backs at the University of Miami. He previously worked for USF, Georgia Southern, Tennessee, James Madison, and Ohio State. Merritt also participated in two NFL coaching fellowships. The first was with the Bengals in 2016. The second was with the 49ers in 2019, where Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur then served as the passing game coordinator.

This was always the expectation, but we will continue to update Darnold’s practice participation level and his official game status. Darlington adds that Darnold was limited again today, as has been the case since he suffered the injury during the Seahawks’ final Divisional Round practice. He threw for a season-high 346 yards against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, assuaging all performance-related concerns.

Swinton coached with the Raiders over the last three seasons. He was hired as the Raiders’ assistant special teams coach in 2023 and was promoted to interim special teams coordinator in November 2025. He served as the Chargers’ special teams coordinator before that.

This will be the first time that an NFL game has been played in Australia. The NFL announced last year that the league had signed a multi-year commitment to host regular season games in Melbourne, as it expands the international market. The game will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which boasts a listed seating capacity of 100,024.

The low-ankle sprain diagnosis is good news. Emmanwori was sidelined in Weeks 2-4 after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1. Despite the multi-game absence, Emmanwori ranks second on the team in tackles (71), first in pass breakups (12) and ties for third in interceptions (one). He also accounts for 19 quarterback pressures and three sacks, having established himself as an effective blitzer in Macdonald’s creative defensive scheme.

Mahaffey is following new Philly OC Sean Mannion from Green Bay to Philly. Mahaffey has been working his way up the ranks with the Packers since 2021. The Eagles went from having the league’s best ground game in 2024 to an average (at best) rushing attack in 2025. Mahaffey doens’t need to get them back to the No. 1 spot in his first year on the job, but his biggest task will be finding ways to recreate the explosive running plays that vanished this past year.

Darnold has been dealing with the oblique issue throughout the postseason, though it seemingly hasn’t had any effect on his performance. He noted that the extra rest ahead of the Super Bowl has helped him get ready for the final game of the year. With both Darnold and Maye having no issues playing through their respective injuries, Seattle safety Nick Emmanwori is the biggest injury question mark ahead of Sunday’s game. Emmanwori injured his ankle in practice this week and is undergoing testing to determine the severity of the issue. The rookie has 11 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, and one interception this year.

Fangio contemplated retirement this offseason after two seasons at the helm of the Eagles’ defense. However, McLane reports that the 67-year-old will indeed return to Philadelphia for the 2026 season. Despite major shake-ups to the offensive side of Nick Sirianni’s staff, Fangio remains to coach a defense that ranked fifth in points allowed last season.

Emmanwori was listed as limited on Wednesday’s practice report as a result of an ankle injury he suffered in practice. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler, “we brought him in to look at it, and we’ll kind of go from here and figure out what are the next steps?” The rookie 21-year-old has been a key piece of the Seahawks defense and an absence would be largely impactful for Macdonald’s squad in the Super Bowl. For now, Emmanwori will be getting the ankle checked out and the Seahawks will make a determination on his status as the Super Bowl matchup against the Pats inches closer.

Spillane said Wednesday that he is confident he will play in the Super Bowl, despite missing practice with an ankle injury. The 30-year-old aggravated the injury in the AFC Championship game and has yet to hit the practice field. However, the DNP is early in the week and Spillane’s confidence in playing indicates he will suit up for the Super Bowl. Practice reports the rest of the week will tell if that is indeed the case.