NFL Player News

The Panthers remains mostly healthy as they prepare to face the Buccaneers on the road with the divisional title on the line. The path to the postseason is simple for the Panthers - win and in. A win would mark the team’s first NFC South title since 2015.

He’ll be the steadying hand for Declan Doyle as the youngster calls plays for the Ravens. Lombardi was fired so late in the cycle that he had no real shot at an offensive coordinator job in this cycle. We suspect he’ll get interviews in 2027.

Monken brought former Ravens run game coordinator Travis Switzer on board as his OC. Switzer has never called plays at any level, so this news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Calling plays in Baltimore over the past three seasons, the Ravens finished fourth, third, and 11th in points per game. Monken has a proven trackrecord of success with an MVP-caliber quarterback. How he fares with the Browns’ messy quarterback situation will determine his fate in Cleveland.

He added that he’s “absolutely excited” to coach Sanders and the other Browns offensive quarterbacks. We’re not sure who else the Browns would bring in between a draft board that looks very iffy after the Raiders select Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall and a free-agency class at the position that looks depleted after Malik Willis. We’d give Sanders good odds of being the Week 1 starter here, but it’s clear the Browns are going to at least make him earn it.

Walters has received several OC interviews over the years. He would not call the plays in Chicago and currently works with the best wide receiver duo in the NFL, so he is understandably staying in Cincinnati for the time being. Walters has been with the Bengals since 2020.

Per Schultz, Tolzien was considered a top candidate for the Steelers’ OC job under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Instead, he will stay with the Saints, helping to mentor Tyler Shough in his second season. While an OC gig would certainly hasten Tolzien’s rise toward a head coaching job, he has a great setup in New Orleans at the moment. Shough looks like a surprising hit at quarterback and Kellen Moore is a great coach to learn the ropes of calling an NFL offense under. If things go well for the Saints in 2026, Tolzien should get to choose his spot as an OC next year.

Baltimore poached Bears OC Declan Doyle for the same role, leaving Ben Johnson in need of a new right-hand man. Senger spent a few years as a coach in the lower levels of college football before joining the Cardinals for four seasons. He was promoted to passing game coordinator in 2025. The Cardinals finished the season seventh in passing yards per game, though they sat at 20th in EPA per play. Senger would be a surprising hire, but Johnson’s immediate success in Chicago has earned him the right to make unconventional hires.

Nagy never worked directly with Harbaugh, but Schefter notes that Harbaugh coached under Andy Reid, who has been somewhat of a mentor to Nagy. The two have spent well over a decade together between Philadelphia and Kansas City. Reid even stumped for Nagy as a head coach this offseason. On the other hand, he just replaced Nagy, whose contract was up, with Eric Bieniemy as the team’s offensive coordinator. Nagy just spent three years in Kansas City and the team never finished better than 15th in points per game. Defenses have changed to stop teams like the Chiefs specifically, but the results speak for themselves. Perhaps the change of scenery will inject some creativity into Nagy’s offense, but we aren’t holding our breath.

Like Bill Belichick before him, Kraft will be kept out of Canton for at least a year. Unlike Belichick, it’s not clear that there was a concerted effort to keep Kraft out, though it’s still a puzzling decision by the voters. Kraft bought the team in 1994. Including Sunday’s upcoming game, they have gone on to appear in 11 Super Bowls with six wins under Kraft. A victory over the Seahawks would put New England in sole possession of the league record for Lombardi Trophies, all of which have come under Kraft. New England drafted the greatest quarterback of all time and hired the greatest coach of all time early in Kraft’s tenure as the principal owner. Their dynasty defined football in the 21st century. And yet, neither Kraft nor Belichick is in the Hall of Fame. Curious.

Both Stroud and Jets quarterback Justin Fields reportedly turned down invitations to the Pro Bowl Games, both citing their offseason preparations as the reason for the decision. It makes sense considering the crossroads of their respective careers, with Stroud set to play the 2026 regular season on the final year of his rookie contract prior to a team option in 2027. The fact that the Pro Bowl has become a glorified dog and pony show also likely influenced their decisions. Either way, there isn’t much to read into this non-news.

Fields reportedly declined the invitation to focus on his offseason training as he continues his bid to return as a franchise quarterback after a tumultuous beginning to his career. Fields enters 2026 in the final year of a two-year deal signed with the Jets prior to the 2025 regular season but appears to be on the outs with the franchise, potentially auditioning for a backup gig somewhere else. The dual threat quarterback has started 53 games during a five-year NFL career while playing for three different franchises in the three previous seasons.