NFL Player News

Tucker pops up on the Raiders’ first injury report of the week with a knee issue. He was limited, so little cause for concern thus far and he is still trending to play in Week 13. If Tucker cannot go, Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech will see more opportunities, though we cannot recommend investing in any Raiders wide receivers outside of Tucker. The veteran Tyler Lockett (ankle) was a full participant in practice and is the best non-Tucker wide receiver option in Las Vegas.

It’s hard to know how seriously to take these nuggets in January, especially when Howard is one of only two quarterbacks currently under contract with the Steelers. Howard was selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of last year’s draft and threw for 4,010-35-10 in his final college season with Ohio State on his way to winning a national championship. Given the current state of the Steelers’ quarterback room and the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers, it’s possible Howard gets a chance to compete for the starting job in camp, but the Steelers are all but certain to add another quarterback or two to their room this offseason, whether it’s via the draft or free agency.

According to Rapoport, McDaniel is ultimately expected to take the Chargers’ offensive coordinator role, but until the Raiders officially rule him out as a candidate, he will remain an option for the Silver and Black. McDaniel most recently canceled his interview with the Bills on Friday and withdrew his name for consideration for the Browns before that. McDaniel has made several rounds this coaching cycle to speak with teams, but the Chargers seem like the most likely fit barring a team sweeps in and hands him a head coaching gig.

As Rapoport notes in his report, McDermott has not engaged with any coaching openings across the league, a signal that he could temporarily step away. Rap also adds that McDermott has spoken to other coaches who have taken a year away, who said the time off was “beneficial and worth it.” We’re less than a week removed from McDermott’s firing after the Bills lost to the Broncos in the Divisional Round, so it’s still possible he considers some openings, even as a defensive coordinator, once jobs continue to fill. That said, the fact he hasn’t spoken with any teams yet regarding their vacancies is certainly noteworthy.

Franklin was limited in practice all week after injuring his hamstring in last week’s Divisional Round win over the Bills. The second-year receiver hasn’t seen many targets when active as of late, and the return of Pat Bryant gives the Broncos another weapon in the passing game. In addition to Franklin the Broncos also declared S JL Skinner, LB Karene Reid, C Alex Forsyth, WR Michael Bandy, DL Jordan Jackson, and DE Sai’vion Jones inactive for Sunday’s game.

The Patriots enter Sunday against the Broncos in relatively good shape. Landry was ruled out before the weekend, but the team does have Mack Hollins returning for his first game since Week 16 against the Ravens, giving Drake Maye an added element in the passing game.

It would be a lateral move for Adams, so the Cowboys are allowed to block the interview and keep him in Dallas. Adams joined the Cowboys in 2025 after spending a few years as the Cardinals’ offensive line coach. Dallas erupted this year, finishing seventh in points per game and second in yards per game. Javonte Williams and George Pickens both had career years while Dak Prescott bounced back after a down 2024 campaign. Adams will be back with the team next year, though another elite showing from the offense could get him head coaching interviews next offseason.

Jones has had several DC interviews since the season ended, though some of those openings have since been filled. The Vikings ranked seventh in points per game allowed this year and led the league in passing yards per game allowed. Jones has primarily coached in Minnesota since joining the professional ranks, but does have stints with the Dolphins and Bengals. Having learned from Brian Flores in Minnesota for a few seasons, Jones should land a DC job sooner rather than later.

With Zach Charbonnet out for the remainder of the postseason because of a torn ACL, the Seahawks are considerably thin at RB2. Holani was just activated off injured reserve and Akers didn’t join the team until the middle of the season. Akers does not have a carry with Seattle this year and Holani has just 22 attempts. Though we do buy that both backs will see the field today, it’s hard to imagine Seattle doing anything other than leaning on Kenneth Walker. Walker gashed the 49ers for 116 yards and three scores on 19 carries last week. He remains the top fantasy option at running back for the Conference Championship slate.

Fowler also named Broncos pass-game coordinator Davis Webb as a “viable option,” according to his sources. With a handful of names already off the board for this hiring cycle, Kubiak is widely considered the top candidate left standing. He is the play-caller for the No. 3 offense in scoring and has experience under Kyle Shanahan, plus his father Gary Kubiak. Webb has only been coaching for three years and has held his current role for one season. He will likely need to gain some experience as an offensive coordinator before a team takes a chance on him as a head coach.

Prince has held the position of wide receivers coach across three teams since 2021. He has bounced between the college and pro ranks for over 30 years. Prince has received multiple offensive coordinator interviews over the years but has never filled that role for an NFL team. As USA Today’s Art Stapleton notes, Prince could be hired by the Giants in another role, even if they go in a different direction at OC.