After Saturday’s win over the Panthers, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford left the door open to the possibility that the index finger injury he suffered on his throwing hand could turn out to be a problem.
So far, it’s not.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, X-rays on the finger were negative, and there was no dislocation.
Said Stafford in his post-game press conference: “I got a finger bent back. They saw it on the TV, on the sideline or whatever. I didn’t, obviously, know exactly what had happened. It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great. We’ll see what it is. Was obviously able to finish the game and throw it decent. You know, once the ball’s snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good. So we’ll hopefully, you know, just keep it going.”
Frankly, it’s hard to imagine Stafford not playing next weekend, whatever the status of the finger. Stafford made that clear during his rookie season of 2009, when he suffered a left shoulder injury on the last play of regulation against the Browns. Pass interference in the end zone gave the Lions an untimed down. And Stafford refused to stay out of the game.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons for an injured player to not play. Stafford has yet to find a single one. Based on his 17 years in the NFL, the safest assumption for next weekend is that Stafford will play.
Even if the finger falls off between now and then, there’s no way Stafford will miss a return to Seattle, where the Rams and Seahawks staged an epic overtime thriller last month, or Chicago, where Stafford played plenty of games as the starting quarterback in Detroit.
Seahawks Clips
If the Packers hadn’t blown a 21-3 halftime lead to the Bears, the Seahawks had a chance to avoid playing either of their two division rivals that currently are in the NFC postseason. Thanks to Chicago’s comeback, there’s a chance Seattle will host both of them.
Next week, Seattle will definitely see one of them.
If the 49ers win on Sunday at Philadelphia, it will be San Francisco at Seattle in the divisional round. If the Eagles win, the Rams will face the Seahawks.
Seattle, which went 14-3 for the season, was 2-2 against the Rams and 49ers. In Week 1, the Seahawks lost at home to San Francisco. In Week 16, the Seahawks beat the Rams in an overtime classic at Lumen Field.
If the Seahawks survive a visit from the Rams or the 49ers next weekend, the Seahawks could see the other one the next weekend. Which gives a very different vibe to winning the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Falcons completed interviews with Klint Kubiak and Anthony Weaver for the franchise’s head coach position, the team announced Saturday.
Kubiak spent the 2025 season as the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks, after one season (2024) as offensive coordinator with the Saints.
He served as the offensive passing game specialist for the 49ers in 2023, after spending the 2022 season as the offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Broncos.
Kubiak was with the Vikings for two different stints in three different jobs. He was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2021, quarterbacks coach in 2019-20 and began his NFL career in 2013-14 as quality control/assistant wide receivers coach. From 2016-18, he was the Broncos’ offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach.
Weaver has spent the past two seasons (2024-25) as defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. He previously was assistant head coach/defensive line coach for two seasons (2022-23) with the Ravens after one season (2021) as Baltimore’s run game coordinator/defensive line coach.
Weaver also spent five seasons (2016-20) with the Texans, serving as defensive line coach from 2016-19 before being promoted to defensive coordinator/defensive line coach in 2020.
Weaver began his NFL coaching career as an assistant defensive line coach with the Jets in 2012 before going to Buffalo as the defensive line coach for the Bills in 2013 and was defensive line coach for the Browns from 2014-15.
Last Saturday night, Marshawn Lynch dropped a pair of curse words on the ManningCast. The next day, a pair of Browns players paid homage to Lynch’s classic touchdown plunge.
This Saturday, the financial penalties were announced.
Browns linebacker Devin Bush received a $10,000 fine for a flying crotch grab at the tail end of a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown. Browns cornerback Sam Webb was fined $6,111 fine for the same move (albeit with less flair) to cap a 47-yard fumble return for a score.
They were the only Cleveland touchdowns in a 20-18 win over the Bengals.
Lynch famously broke out the move as the final flourish to the epic Beastquake run during a 2010 playoff win over the Saints. He later described the move as “grabbing my ding-ding sauce.” He was later fined multiple times for repeatedly doing it.
The Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new General Manager on Friday and the team moved forward with its head coaching search on Saturday.
According to multiple reports, they had an interview with Seahawks offensive Klint Kubiak for their vacancy. The Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday.
Kubiak also interviewed with the Falcons on Saturday. The Ravens and Raiders have also met with him in recent days and Kubiak will have to complete any remaining
interviews before the end of the wild card round. Teams interested in speaking to Kubiak after that point will have to wait until the Seahawks are eliminated or the week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl.
The Dolphins have not held any other interviews at this point, but the Sullivan hiring should spur things along on the head coaching front.
The Falcons hired Matt Ryan as their president of football on Saturday morning and he’ll move right into the interview process for the team’s next head coach.
According to multiple reports, the team will interview Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver on Saturday.
Kubiak has already interviewed with the Ravens and Raiders this week. He’s also been linked to the Cardinals and Giants, which makes him one of the most popular names in this year’s cycle.
A number of teams have also requested interviews with Weaver, who just completed his second season in Miami.
The Falcons are also expected to speak with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and more names will likely be added to the list now that Ryan is officially in place at the top of their football operations.
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
The Lions will be speaking to an external candidate for their offensive coordinator vacancy.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, Detroit will interview Seahawks offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz for the role.
Peetz, 40, joined Seattle’s staff in 2024 after spending two seasons with the Rams. He worked under offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb in 2024 before sticking around to work under Klint Kubiak in 2025.
Peetz has been an offensive assistant at both the college and pro level throughout his career, spending time with Jacksonville, Washington, the Raiders, and Carolina. He was also an offensive analyst for Alabama in 2018 and LSU’s offensive coordinator and QBs coach in 2021.
Detroit fired John Morton earlier this week after he was hired to replace Ben Johnson as OC last year. Head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling duties midway through last season but said earlier this week that he hasn’t decided if he’ll keep them for 2026.
The Ravens have wrapped up another head coaching interview.
The team announced the completion of an interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. They interviewed Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph on Thursday.
Kubiak is expected to speak to a number of teams in the coming days and has an interview with the Raiders scheduled for Thursday as well. He’s in his first season with Seattle and the team’s No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs is both a big reason why he’s in the mix and why he’s available to speak to teams right now.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores are also scheduled for interviews with the Ravens and that number will likely grow before the Ravens are ready to hire their first head coach since John Harbaugh.
The Browns interviewed a pair of head coaching candidates on Thursday and they’re set to meet with two more on Friday.
Albert Breer of SI.com reports that they will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde and Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. They interviewed their own offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on Thursday.
Interviews at this stage in the process are held remotely. Durde would not be available for a second, in-person interview until the Seahawks are eliminated or the week off between the conference title game and the Super Bowl.
The Browns have also requested an interview with Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
