The Chargers activated tight end Tucker Fisk from injured reserve on Saturday, the team announced.
Fisk went on injured reserve Dec. 8 with an ankle injury.
He has two receptions for 19 yards in 10 games this season, playing 233 offensive snaps and 27 on special teams.
The Chargers placed wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith on injured reserve in a corresponding move. He injured his hamstring in Week 18.
The team also elevated wide receiver Dalevon Campbell and cornerback Isas Waxter from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
Campbell, who spent the offseason and training camp with the Chargers, saw action in a pair of games early in the season with the Panthers before being inactive twice for the Chargers as a standard elevation.
Waxter has spent the season on the Chargers’ practice squad after initially signing with Seattle as an undrafted free agent in May.
Patriots Clips
Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown has secured a minor victory in the pending attempted murder case against him.
Via NBCMiami.com, Brown has secured permission to travel to Tampa for professional reasons. He is otherwise confined to house arrest in Miami.
Prosecutors opposed the motion, calling Brown a flight risk. After the initial warrant for his arrest was issued last year, Brown left the country for Dubai. He was eventually apprehended there and returned to the United States.
The case arises from a shooting at a May 2025 celebrity boxing event. Brown admits he fired multiple shots, but he contends he was acting with the confines of Florida’s “stand your ground” law. He will seek dismissal of the charge on that basis.
For now, Brown will be permitted to leave Miami for Tampa. Per the paperwork filed in support of the request, Brown has “several scheduled business engagements with Energetic Exotic, Florida’s premier exotic and luxury car rental company” (product placement!) and “multiple prearranged music studio sessions.”
He’ll shed a GPS monitor for his trip to Tampa. It will be installed again after he returns to Miami.
Brown spent 12 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Steelers, Raiders, Patriots, and Buccaneers. His final season was 2021.
Matthew Stafford’s 2025 regular season began with a real question as to whether he’d even be able to play, thanks to a back problem that popped up between the end of the offseason program and the launch of training camp.
It has ended with his first ever first-team All-Pro honor.
Usually, the first-team All-Pro quarterback becomes the MVP. That trend was broken last year, when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was named first-team All-Pro but Bills quarterback Josh Allen won the league MVP award.
That hadn’t happened since 1987, when 49ers quarterback Joe Montana was the first-team All-Pro but Broncos quarterback John Elway was named MVP. (49ers receiver Jerry Rice likely pulled some of Montana’s votes away.)
And to the extent that the difference in first-place votes (31 for Stafford and 18 for Maye) would suggest Stafford will be the no-brainer MVP, Jackson had 30 first-place votes last year and Allen had 18.
So it’s still possible that Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (or someone else) will win the MVP award. However, the bulk of history on this specific issue points to Stafford eventually being named NFL MVP.
Of course, there’s a far bigger prize that any football player would prefer over the regular-season MVP award: Super Bowl champion and, ideally, Super Bowl MVP.
That has happened only twice since 1999, when Rams quarterback Kurt Warner won the double MVP prizes. Three years ago, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ended a 23-year gap between the regular-season MVP winning the Super Bowl and, for Mahomes (like Warner), the Super Bowl MVP award.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record during the 2025 season and he also became one of three unanimous choices for the Associated Press All-Pro team.
All 50 voters selected Garrett as one of their choices at edge rusher in this year’s voting. Those voters also unanimously selected Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for this year’s first team.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford got the nod over Drake Maye at quarterback, which opens up the possibility of a split with MVP for the second straight season. Stafford got 31 votes while the Patriots quarterback got 18 with Bills quarterback Josh Allen getting the other one.
Stafford joins kicker Gary Anderson as the only players to be named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in their 17th season or later.
The full All-Pro teams appear below:
First team
Offense
Quarterback — Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Running Back — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Fullback — Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Wide Receivers — Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
All Purpose — Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Tight End — Trey McBride, Arizona
Left Tackle — Garrett Bolles, Denver
Left Guard — Joe Thuney, Chicago
Center — Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Right Guard — Quinn Meinerz, Denver
Right Tackle — Penei Sewell, Detroit
Defense
Edge Rushers — Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Will Anderson Jr., Houston; Micah Parsons, Green Bay
Interior Linemen — Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee; Zach Allen, Denver
Linebackers — Jack Campbell, Detroit; Jordyn Brooks, Miami
Cornerbacks — Derek Stingley Jr., Houston; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia
Slot cornerback — Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia
Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Kevin Byard, Chicago
Special Teams
Placekicker — Will Reichard, Minnesota
Punter — Jordan Stout, Baltimore
Kick Returner — Ray Davis, Buffalo
Punt Returner — Chimera Dike, Tennessee
Special Teamer — Devon Key, Denver
Long Snapper — Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville
Second team
Offense
Quarterback — Drake Maye, New England
Running Back — James Cook, Buffalo
Fullback — Patrick Ricard, Baltimore
Wide Receivers — George Pickens, Dallas; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit; Chris Olave, New Orleans
All Purpose — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Tight End — Kyle Pitts, Atlanta
Left Tackle — Trent Williams, San Francisco
Left Guard — Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Center — Aaron Brewer, Miami
Right Guard — Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta
Right Tackle — Darnell Wright, Chicago
Defense
Edge Rushers — Brian Burns, New York Giants; Danielle Hunter, Houston; Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit
Interior Linemen — Leonard Williams, Seattle; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh
Linebackers — Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville; Ernest Jones IV, Seattle
Cornerbacks — Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle
Slot cornerback — Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Safeties — Jessie Bates III, Atlanta; Talanoa Hufanga, Denver; Xavier McKinney, Green Bay (Hufanga and McKinney were tied for the second-team spot)
Special teams
Placekicker — Brandon Aubrey, Dallas
Punter — Michael Dickson, Seattle
Kick Returner — Kavontae Turpin, Dallas
Punt Returner — Marcus Jones, New England
Special Teamer — Del’Shawn Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers
Long Snapper — Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
It was already unlikely that the NFL would place Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs on the Commissioner Exempt list (i.e., paid leave) before the Super Bowl. It’s now virtually certain it won’t happen.
Via TMZ.com, the arraignment in Diggs’s criminal case has been delayed from January 23 until February 13. That’s five days after Super Bowl LX.
Diggs’s lawyer said in a court filing that Diggs has a “previously-scheduled professional commitment” on January 23.
For now, Diggs is the subject of a criminal complaint accusing him on felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery. Last week, the NFL explained, as to pending charges against Diggs and Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, that paid leave “may be considered following formal charges in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an arraignment in a criminal court.”
If Diggs had been arraigned on January 23, two days before the AFC Championship, things could have gotten awkward for the league, the Patriots, and Diggs.
It’s not a guarantee Diggs won’t land on the Commissioner Exempt list. On Saturday, the NFL told PFT via email that it is “not ruling anything out pending the legal process.”
“We will be closely monitoring all developments in the cases and will evaluate next steps as appropriate,” the league added.
The team has made it clear that it supports Diggs, who categorically denies the allegations from a chef he employed.
The status of Chargers running back Omarion Hampton for the team’s playoff opener in New England won’t be determined until closer to kickoff on Sunday night.
Hampton is listed as questionable to face the Patriots because of the ankle injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Hampton was on the field on Friday and told reporters that he plans on playing this weekend.
Hampton had 124 carries for 545 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season.
The Chargers are also listing tackle Austin Deculus (oblique), edge rusher Bud Dupree (hamstring), tight end Tucker Fisk (ankle), safety Elijah Molden (hamstring), and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips as questionable. Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) and safety Kendall Williamson (ankle) have been ruled out.
The Patriots have a few injury concerns for their wild card matchup with the Chargers on Sunday.
Head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters in his Friday press conference that defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga (foot) is out for the contest.
Receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) is questionable after he was added to the injury report as a limited participant on Thursday.
Linebacker Harold Landry (knee) and offensive tackle Thayer Munford (knee) are also questionable for the contest.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson was out of practice on Friday for personal reasons, but that should not affect his status.
Jared Wilson (concussion) is set to return and play left guard.
The Patriots added wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the injury report Thursday. Boutte was limited with a hamstring injury after not being on the report on Wednesday.
It is unclear whether Boutte’s injury is an aggravation of the hamstring injury that kept him out of two games in November or a new injury.
Boutte missed Week 17 with a concussion but returned last week.
He has 33 catches for 551 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games this season.
The Patriots placed wide receiver Mack Hollins on injured reserve last week. Kyle Williams will be in line for a bigger role if Boutte can’t play.
Offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee) was downgraded to a non-participant after being limited on Wednesday.
Offensive tackle Morgan Moses (illness) and linebacker Anfernee Jennings (illness) were back at practice and full participants on Thursday. Tight end Hunter Henry (rest), linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) and linebacker Jack Gibbens (elbow) also were full participants after limited work on Wednesday.
Center Garrett Bradbury (illness), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (illness), offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee) and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga (foot) remained out for a second consecutive day.
Cornerback Alex Austin (wrist), linebacker Harold Landry III (knee) and offensive lineman Jared Wilson (concussion) again were limited.
We used to post our regular-season awards one at a time. This year, we’re trying something different. Mainly because there’s too much other stuff going on.
All awards will be unveiled in one fell swoop. In one comprehensive post.
These aren’t my awards. The Associated Press doesn’t want any of the 50 voters to reveal their winners before the NFL Honors ceremony next month. We don’t need to wait that long to reveal the our own look at the folks who deserve recognition based on their performances during the 272-game season that ended four days ago.
So here they are, based on the input of the various PFT writers.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
The first-rounder finished with 1,017 receiving yards in 17 games for the NFC South champs. If Saints quarterback Tyler Shough had started more than nine games, he may have run away with it.
Also receiving consideration was Buccaneers first-round receiver Emeka Egbuka (938 receiving yards).
In the end, the 1,000-yard season and presence on a playoff team gave McMillan the nod.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
The first pick in round two emerged as the consensus top rookie on the defensive side of the ball, with 16 starts, 156 tackles, two interceptions, and 2.5 sacks.
Others considered were Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori and Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr.
Comeback Player of the Year: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Limited to four games in 2024 due to an Achilles injury that delayed his debut and a knee injury that ended his season, McCaffrey returned to full form in 2025. He had 2,126 yards from scrimmage (his third 2,000-yard performance) and came within 76 receiving yards of his second 1,000/1,000 rushing/receiving season.
McCaffrey’s ability to play every game helped keep the 49ers going amid an array of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, fueling a 12-5 season that ended with a playoff berth.
Also receiving consideration were Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who had a career-high 14.5 sacks after suffering a broken leg in 2024, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who finished with 4,552 passing yards a year after missing nine games with a serious hamstring injury.
Offensive Player of the Year: Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.
During the 2025 season, now-former Falcons coach Raheem Morris repeatedly called Robinson the best player in the NFL. Robinson led the league with 2,298 yards from scrimmage, and he proved to be a threat to score on any given snap. He had the longest run of the season — a 93-yarder — and 6.3 yards per touch.
Others receiving consideration were McCaffrey, Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (league-high 1,793 receiving yards), and Rams receiver Puka Nacua (league-high 129 catches).
Defensive Player of the Year: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
This one was the easiest of all. Garrett broke the single-season sack record, with 23.0. He had a four-sack game against the Ravens, and a five-sack performance against the Patriots.
Given that the Browns rarely had a late lead, allowing Garrett to pin the proverbial ears back and chase a quarterback who was passing the ball over and over again, Garrett’s ability to generate so many sacks was even more impressive.
Others receiving consideration were Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (12.0 sacks and the captain of the NFL’s best defense), and Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (14.0 sacks).
Assistant Coach of the Year: Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The former Broncos head coach (from 2017-18) was essentially the head coach of the Denver defense, which continues to be among the NFL’s best. With Joseph, the Broncos secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That could earn Joseph another shot at a head-coaching job.
Others receiving consideration were Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke, and Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.
Coach of the Year: Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
This one was the closest call, between the first-year coach who took the Jaguars to the AFC South title (after only one year as Tampa’s offensive coordinator, following one year in 2022 as the Rams’ offensive coordinator) and Mike Vrabel, who immediately returned the Patriots to prominence. New England had an easy schedule (they didn’t pick it), and Vrabel’s track record made the overall turnaround less surprising.
Few expected Coen to take a team that had been 4-13 in 2024 to a division crown. Along the way, Coen sparked an eight-game winning streak after a 1-3 lull to hold off the Texans (who could be the best team in the entire conference) for the division crown.
Others receiving consideration were Bears coach Ben Johnson, Broncos coach Sean Payton, and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald.
Executive of the Year: Seahawks G.M. John Schneider.
The decision to trade quarterback Geno Smith and pivot to quarterback Sam Darnold was the boldest move the long-time Seattle G.M. made. But Schneider has otherwise put together a roster that is among the best in the league, helping to lay the foundation for a team that won the top seed in the NFC, despite stiff competition in the NFC West.
Others receiving consideration were Jaguars G.M. James Gladstone, Bears G.M. Ryan Poles, and Patriots executive V.P. of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
MVP: Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye or Stafford? Stafford or Maye?
Anyone can pick a stat and make the case for either Maye or Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford had the NFL’s most passing yards, with 4,707, and passing touchdowns, with 46. Maye had the highest average per attempt, with 8.93 (more than a full yard more than Stafford), and the highest passer rating in the league, at 113.5.
Here’s one that helped tip the scale toward Maye: He had an eight-game run with 200 or more passing yards and a passer rating of 100 or higher. Only three players in NFL history had ever done that before — Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning. Each won the MVP award when they accomplished that feat. Maye became the youngest to ever do it, at 23.
Stafford likely would have been our MVP, if the Rams hadn’t blown a 16-point lead with 13:34 to play against the Seahawks in Week 16. Five fourth-quarter drives by the Rams after that moment yielded zero points.
That same weekend, Maye engineered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives against the Ravens, turning a 24-13 deficit into a 28-24 win. The first covered 73 yards. The second started at the New England 11.
In those two prime-time games, the Rams lost both the No. 1 seed and the NFC West crown — and the Patriots moved a massive step closer to ending Buffalo’s five-year hammerlock on the AFC East.
Would it have been an easier call if the Patriots had secured the No. 1 seed? Yes. Still, Maye’s statistical achievements coupled with a division title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC (versus the Rams at No. 5) were enough to earn Maye the MVP title in only his second NFL season.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said he is rested and ready after sitting out last week’s game against the Broncos.
Herbert fractured his left hand in Week 13 and had played through it until being a healthy scratch on Sunday when the Chargers had only seeding on the line.
“I’d say definitely not taking hits on it last week was probably pretty helpful,” Herbert said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “It limited kind of the swelling and just getting back to making sure that you have got full strength, being able to hold onto a football.”
For the first time since his injury, Herbert took snaps under center in a Wednesday practice. He had avoided under-center snaps until Saturdays and game days to protect the hand.
“I would say that I was able to do most everything out there,” Herbert said of Wednesday’s practice. “It’s just making sure I can grip on the ball and have two hands on it in the pocket. . . . So I think that’s been good.”
Herbert made his second Pro Bowl after throwing for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in the regular season. What he has yet to do is win a playoff game. The Chargers lost his first playoff start in the 2022 season when the Jaguars rallied from a 27-point deficit to win 31-30, and he threw four interceptions in a 32-12 loss to the Texans last season.
