NFL Player News

He was the only questionable Bears player, but after being activated from injured reserve earlier today it would have been surprising if he hadn’t gone. Inactive for the Bears are: QB Case Keenum, DB CJ Gardner-Johnson, LB Ruben Hyppolite II, DL Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, WR Jahdae Walker and OL Luke Newman.

The Dolphins were the first team to interview Sheppard this coaching cycle. The first-year defensive coordinator saw his defense rank 22nd in points allowed and 18th in yards allowed in his first year at the helm, but the Lions again dealt with several injuries on the defensive side of the ball.

Weaver now has second interviews scheduled with both the Ravens and Steelers, and is scheduled to meet with the Ravens on Tuesday. Weaver spent four seasons with the Ravens as a player from 2002 to 2005, and also worked under John Harbaugh from 2021 to 2023. He’s received several head coaching interviews in recent years since joining the coaching ranks, and could finally be on the verge of securing his first head-coaching gig this coaching cycle.

The recently-fired McDermott will be one of the hottest names on the market and is now free to speak with other teams. With seven other teams still looking to secure their next head coach, McDermott will have plenty of suitors to consider as interviews start lining up. McDermott led the Bills to eight postseason births in his nine years at the helm, while going 98-50 in the regular season. Even if he’s unable to land a head coaching gig, McDermott will be in high-demand for several defensive coordinator positions that need filled.

Loveland was injured late in the fourth quarter in Sunday’s loss to the Rams and was not available for any of the team’s offensive snaps in overtime. Loveland, who caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, should make a full recovery in the coming days and will be primed for a breakout 2026 campaign after an impressive rookie year.

Vrabel said the team is “still working through everything with some of those guys that could be back,’ so it’s unlikely we learn much about Hollins’ availability before the Patriots release their first injury report on Wednesday. Hollins hasn’t played since Week 16 and has yet to practice since going down. The veteran receiver has come up big on various occasions for the Patriots this season and would be a welcomed addition to the offense against a top-flight Broncos defense.

Hudson, 31, was playing on an expiring deal this season but is now locked in for 2026. The veteran tight end played on 148 offensive snaps this season, per PFF, and has never been used as anything more than a backup since entering the league in 2019. He caught 19 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns this season.

It was reported over a week ago that McCarthy would interview with the Titans on January 17th, but according to Schefter, the team also spoke with McCarthy “once in late December in Green Bay,” while the season was still going on. This certainly throws a bit of a wrinkle in how we should view the Titans’ head-coaching vacancy, as the early decision to speak with McCarthy in-season could hint at him being the favorite in the clubhouse. McCarthy is also expected to speak with the Steelers in the coming days, giving him another potential suitor if things don’t work out with the Titans.

If the decision to retain Beane for next season came as a surprise, then the decision to promote him to President of Football Operations will evoke similar feelings. Beane joined the Bills in 2017, and while the team has enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with him calling the shots with roster management, his inability to surround Josh Allen with premium talent is a notable red flag. Beane’s first order of work is finding a new head coach to replace the recently fired Sean McDermott, but the Bills can’t continue with the receiving corps they rolled out in Saturday’s divisional round loss to the Broncos. While the likes of Brandin Cooks and Gabe Davis are almost certain to be let go this offseason, 2024 first-rounder Keon Coleman continues to look like a bust, and Khalil Shakir, while solid, can’t carry the passing game as a low ADOT slot receiver. Beane’s promotion will come with added pressure to get premium talent around Allen, who will be 30 at the start of next season. It goes without saying that the 2026 offseason will be one of the most important offseasons for the Bills in recent memory.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has officially locked in his defensive coordinator. The newly minted Falcons coach opted to stick with Ulbrich, whose lone season with the team under Raheem Morris yielded a defense that ranked 15th in yards allowed, 19th in points allowed, and set a franchise record with 57 sacks. The Falcons denied a request from the Cowboys’ earlier this month to interview Ulbrich for their defensive coordinator vacancy, which hinted at the team retaining him even through a regime change.