| Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com on why Super Bowl 62 in the ATL could be played well after Valentine’s Day: The NFL inevitably will expand the regular season to 18 games. It’s a matter of “when” not “if.” As to the when, it could still happen the season after next. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the lingering absence of a specific date for Super Bowl LXII in Atlanta is tied directly to the possibility of the season expanding for the 2027 season. With 17 games, the game would be played most likely on Sunday, February 13. With 18 games, it would slide to Sunday, February 20. And if 18 games comes with a second bye, the NFL likely would have to start the 2027 season on Labor Day weekend. That hasn’t happened since 2001. Last Monday, Commissioner Roger Goodell said it’s “not a given” that the regular-season will expand. The next day, interim NFL Players Association executive director David White said the players have “no appetite” for adding another game. Once the NFLPA hires a permanent executive director, the league apparently plans to make a move on moving the season to 18. And the door for 18 by 2027 will remain open until Super Bowl LXII locks into February 13, 2028. |
| NFC NORTH |
| DETROITA longtime Lions player, rusher Tracy Scroggins, has passed too soon: Former Detroit Lions defensive end Tracy Scroggins, who ranked third in franchise history with 60.5 sacks, has died, the team announced Monday. He was 56. The Lions did not provide a cause of death for Scroggins, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, all with Detroit. On the Lions’ career sack list, he trails only Michael Cofer (62.5) and Robert Porcher (95.5). |
| NFC EAST |
| WASHINGTONDan Quinn talks about the Commanders offense after the parting with Kliff Kingsbury. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Commanders will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026 and head coach Dan Quinn said at a Tuesday press conference that he expects some new wrinkles with David Blough calling the team’s plays. Blough was on the staff last year as a quarterbacks coach, so he knows Jayden Daniels well but Quinn said that wasn’t the deciding factor in the decision to promote Blough to his new role but that maximizing Daniels’s output is a significant part of any offensive decisions they make. While Blough worked under Kliff Kingsbury, Quinn said the offense will “look different” in 2026. “This is going to be like an aggressive, balance attack that will probably have more under center than we have in the past,” Quinn said. “That’s also for run action and play passes to generate explosive plays. We’re going to feature every part of Jayden that makes him unique and special, but also the run action and the runs and the play action game that goes with it.” Daniels missed 10 games with injuries in 2025 and his health will be at least as significant as any schematic tweaks to what the Commanders are able to do on offense in Blough’s first season running the show. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOThe 49ers have QB MAC JONES under contract for another season – and they don’t expect to move him. Torahn Finley of YahooSports.com: The quarterback who most closely fits the Darnold archetype has reportedly already been taken off the market. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers plan to keep Mac Jones as the team’s backup quarterback behind Brock Purdy rather than trade him. Jones performed admirably when Purdy went down last season, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and was 5-3 in the eight games he started. Jones started his career with the Patriots before being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. Jones then signed a two-year, $7 million prove-it deal under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to play behind Purdy, a step that Darnold called pivotal to his revival. While Jones has expressed his desire to get another chance as a starting quarterback, he reportedly told ESPN he rediscovered his joy this season. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch also spoke highly of Jones and said they expected him to be back after the season ended with their loss to the Seahawks in the divisional round. Jones is under contract for another year at a salary cap number of $3.07 million.– – -A famous rapper tried to crash the private Super Bowl party of 49ers LB KEION WHITE. Now White has a bullet wound in his ankle. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: More details are emerging regarding the Monday shooting of 49ers defensive lineman Keion White. And those details involve Grammy-winning rapper Lil Baby. Via Jonah Owen Lamb of the San Francisco Standard, the incident occurred at Dahlia’s, a bar and nightclub on Mission Street in San Francisco. White had a private party in the downstairs area of the facility. Per the police report, Lil Baby (whose real name is Dominique Jones) and his entourage tried to enter White’s private event. At that point, White and Lil Baby got into an argument. A witness told police that he went upstairs to get assistance from management in an effort to defuse the situation. At that point, the witness heard two gunshots. When he returned to the downstairs event, White had been shot in the left leg. Police found a 9mm shell casing and a .45-caliber shell casing near the scene of the shooting. White reportedly was uncooperative when asked who had shot him. No suspect has been named. Initial reports indicated that White was not believed to be involved in the altercation that resulted in the shooting. That obviously conflicts with the contents of the police report. And then there’s this memorable quote from the officer who prepared the police report: “As I entered, I saw numerous scantily clad females picking up dollar bills that were strewn all over the floor. Some of the females were topless and appeared to have been adult entertainers.” Whether an arrest is made remains to be seen. If White, who presumably knows something about the shooting, refuses to talk, it becomes more difficult to crack the case. White was shot in the ankle and underwent successful surgery on Monday. The 49ers have not commented on his timetable for returning to practice. The offseason program opens in April. |
| SEATTLEMatthew Coudon of Newsweek.com on what Mike Macdonald is thinking regarding a new offensive coordinator: “We’ve got some awesome coaches in-house that are gonna be great candidates,” he also suggested, adding, “We’re gonna go through our process like we did last time. It’s not gonna take as long as last year. We’re gonna try to move quickly.” Regarding making that decision, MacDonald indicated he didn’t really want to think about it quite yet, though. “Something that I don’t really want to think about right now, but unfortunately, that’s what we need to do,” the Seahawks coach said. Kubiak joined the Seahawks for this season’s run, and it proved successful. Before that, he had experience working on the coaching staffs of the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos, but never as a head coach. On Monday evening, ESPN reported that Kubiak was to receive a five-year contract as the Raiders’ new head coach. Regarding his potential replacements from the Seattle Seahawks’ current staff, top options could be passing game coordinator Jake Peetz and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, given their 10-plus years of coaching experience.– – -PK JASON MYERS is more than just the first PK to boot five FGs in a single Super Bowl. Michael Baca of NFL.com: Some might argue Jason Myers deserved to win Super Bowl LX MVP. The Seahawks kicker was instrumental in Sunday’s dominant 29-13 win over the Patriots after making a Super Bowl-record five field goals and scoring 17 of Seattle’s 29 points. Of course, running back Kenneth Walker III was named Super Bowl LX MVP after producing a game-high 161 scrimmage yards. Appearing on NBC’s Today show on Monday morning, Myers indicated that Walker’s stellar game was an integral part of an overall team effort that helped position him to make Super Bowl history. “It was a great day,” Myers said. “It was a great team win — that’s what we’ve been doing all year — so, nothing better than doing that in the Super Bowl. Yeah, amazing feeling.” Myers’ five FGs in Super Bowl LX broke a four-way tie between Jake Elliott (Super Bowl LIX), Harrison Butker (LVIII), Ray Wersching (XVI) and Don Chandler (II), who all made four FGs in their Super Bowl wins. In what was a defensive game between the Seahawks and Patriots, Myers was Super Bowl LX’s featured scorer through the first three quarters, nailing FGs from 33, 39, 41 and 41 yards out to secure a 12-0 lead during that span. After the teams traded touchdowns to begin the final frame, Myers chipped in a 26-yarder to secure the record with a little less than six minutes to play. While Myers’ makes weren’t long kicks, earning points for the Seahawks amid an offensive struggle was monumental, and part of a great special teams performance from Seattle that included a number of field-flipping punts from Michael Dickson. They also had to deal with the elements. “I mean, obviously, you know, most Super Bowls are played indoors,” Myers said of the conditions at Levi’s Stadium. “So, playing outdoors, there was a little bit of wind, but we felt confident all week. We had a great week of prep here in San Jose, so, yeah — we were ready for it.” Myers’ night didn’t end with him becoming the first kicker to win MVP in Super Bowl history. However, his 17 points on Sunday cemented him into NFL lore in a different way. His 206 total points in 2025 made him the all-time points scorer in a single season, including playoffs, which surpassed Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson’s incredible 2006 campaign when he scored 198 points in 17 total games. “Amazing weekend,” Myers said. “It doesn’t feel real yet. Maybe in a couple weeks, it’ll start to settle in a little bit. Right now, we’re just enjoying the moment.” Myers probably wasn’t even the best Seahawks specialist on Sunday. Reuters: Michael Dickson delivered one of the best performances by a punter in Super Bowl history as Seattle beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday, with the Australian celebrating his championship win with dreams of “chips and chicken salt”. The Sydney-born 30-year-old became the second Australian to win a Super Bowl, joining compatriot Jordan Mailata, who claimed a ring with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. “I love my family, I love my friends, I love Australia,” Dickson told ESPN on the field. “I can’t wait to get home, get some chips with some chicken salt, I’m craving that, and a parmi (chicken parmigiana). That’d be nice.” Dickson averaged nearly 48 yards on seven punts that kept the Patriots pinned deep in their own territory for most of the night at Levi’s Stadium. Three of his punts were downed inside the Patriots’ six-yard line and only two were returned for a total of four yards. His second-quarter punt forced New England to start from their own two-yard line, a crucial moment in the field position battle that helped Seattle control the game. The punter, who signed a four-year extension last year making him the highest paid at his position in the NFL, said he always believed this moment would come. “I have big dreams so I knew we were going to get here and I knew we were going to get it done and we did, so I’m very lucky and very happy,” he said. “It’s nice to know that I can play in these type of games, and if you ever feel any nerves you just look at your guys next to you and everyone’s having fun and making plays, so I mean, it’s the best feeling.” Which leaves us asking – what is chicken salt? Johnny Lieu of Mashable.com: “Chicken salt or plain salt?” It’s a question that’ll confuse the hell out of everyone — except Aussies — when ordering hot chips, a.k.a. fries. But damn, do Aussies love it. The condiment is a mainstay of takeaway food shops around the country, and considering there’s a fish and chip shop on basically every regional corner, that’s saying something. But what the heck is it? While Canadians load their chips with poutine, Belgians have them with mayo and Germans happily dip theirs in curry ketchup, Australians prefer to douse their fried potatoes with a fluorescent yellow (sometimes orange) salt substance. It has somehow become the country’s default condiment and honestly, it’s their best-kept secret. Featuring a very addictive umami flavour that has hints of garlic or onion, it sometimes even has a bit of paprika. With the right amount, it is delightful. Yet the unique condiment has somehow never had the same waves as other Australian staples like Vegemite or the humble, delicious lamington. It’s the taste of long summers by the beach; the taste of a sneaky after school snack; a reminder of whenever your parents couldn’t be bothered cooking and got you fish and chips instead. But just where did chicken salt come from? A brief historyMitani, a spices company in Adelaide, claims to be the first to have created chicken salt in the 1970s. Started by European immigrants Loui and Trianka Mitani, the business started off dealing with other food businesses, designing and supplying salts and spices for restaurants. Chicken salt found life in takeaway shops, but its original intention wasn’t for chips or scallops. “We were basically asked to make a salt for their chickens,” Lewis Mitani, Mitani’s marketing manager, explained to Mashable. “It was meant to be for rotisserie chickens, to give them good flavour and colour once they were cooked. It was the chicken shop owners who started seasoning their chips with chicken salt … and through that the average punter became accustomed to having chicken salt on their chips.” Starting from shops in South Australia, the once-mysterious chicken salt product slowly made its way around the country. “My uncle was basically our sole sales agent, and he’d go to every chicken shop he could get to around the country and personally sell this product to them,” Lewis said. The company now sells 70 tonnes of chicken salt every year. |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASKlint Kubiak is the new head coach and Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com explores the ramifications: In the Las Vegas Raiders’ search for their 25th head coach, they made a move that made sense. With running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers in the building, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza potentially on the way, Las Vegas’ hire of an offensive-minded coach is all about maximizing the potential of its current and future young stars. The Raiders landed Klint Kubiak, who just led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX win as offensive coordinator. The hiring of Kubiak, 38, which was made official Monday, was a move in the direction the franchise needed for its rebuilding efforts. Yes, Kubiak will bring an offensive system that’s proven — Seattle ranked third in points (28.4 per game) and eighth in total yards (351.4) in 2025. But his arrival also means the Raiders secured their top choice in the coaching search, a far cry from last year when they settled for Pete Carroll after striking out on Ben Johnson. Raiders general manager John Spytek led the coaching search in close collaboration with minority owner and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Ahead of the search that began in earnest Jan. 5 when the Raiders fired Carroll, Spytek said the team would be open-minded in its approach. However, it was clear that people with offensive backgrounds were emphasized. Of the 15 candidates who interviewed for the position, 10 coaches focused on offense, including Davis Webb, Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll and Kubiak. Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was the team’s backup option after Webb withdrew his name. Kubiak stood out in his virtual interview on Jan. 9, and he impressed the organization and Brady in person. Brady was the Fox color commentator for Seattle’s 41-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round and its 31-27 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The Raiders zeroed in on Kubiak the week before the Seahawks traveled to San Francisco for the Super Bowl. They officially met with him for a second time in Seattle on Jan. 31, along with the Arizona Cardinals. The wait might’ve seemed risky because of the head coaching vacancies across the league that were filling up, shrinking the team’s options. But the Raiders’ patience was rewarded. They signed Kubiak to a five-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Now, Las Vegas still has significant strides to make before it can contend. The offense, however, should be in a much better spot after finishing last in points (14.1) and total yards (245.2). Under Kubiak, the Seahawks’ offense was night and day from last season’s Ryan Grubb-led group that finished 18th in points (22.1) and 14th in total yards (332.2). The 2025 Seahawks’ points per game total (28.4) ranks second in franchise history behind the 2020 team, which averaged 28.7 points. Kubiak, son of former Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, hails from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree and runs his version of the West Coast offense. He’s heavy on player usage, such as 12 personnel (one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends) and 21 personnel (two running backs, a tight end and two wide receivers). By doing so, the Seahawks forced opponents to stop the run, allowing them to create mismatches and explosive plays in the passing game. The Raiders’ current wide receiver room doesn’t stand up to the Seahawks’. Seattle featured 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp. However, Las Vegas’ Bowers — who recorded 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games — has a chance to thrive in Kubiak’s system. The Raiders also have wide receiver Tre Tucker (57 catches, 696 yards and five touchdowns), who can stretch the field vertically. He has made strides in each of the three seasons he has been in the league and could take a bigger leap with Kubiak as the playcaller. Tucker was praised for getting open by winning his one-on-one matchups. Kubiak was good at scheming plays that created one-on-one matchups for his pass catchers. The Seahawks were among the best teams in using 12 personnel. During the regular season, Seattle used 12 personnel on 27.4% of its offensive plays (11th in the league, per NFL Next Gen Stats). They were first in total yards per play (7.5), first in passing yards per play (10.5), third in offensive EPA (47.01) and third in rushing yards (5.3). Kubiak’s outside zone run scheme was effective, as Seattle was tied for 10th in rushing yards (123.3) after it ranked 28th (95.7) in 2024. He did a solid job at using running backs Kenneth Walker III (221 carries, 1,027 yards and five touchdowns) and Zach Charbonnet (184 carries, 730 yards and 12 touchdowns). Walker was named the Super Bowl MVP after he rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries against the Patriots. The Raiders wanted to run a two-running-back system under former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, but that plan ultimately failed. Las Vegas finished last in rushing yards (77.5) per game. Jeanty ran the ball 266 times for 975 yards and five scores. And the player with the second-most carries was quarterback Geno Smith with 41. Jeanty, who averaged 3.7 yards per carry, should have consistent production with Kubiak’s scheme. But for him and the rest of the offense to have some form of success in Year 1, a handful of changes must be made through free agency or the draft. The Raiders are expected to invest heavily in the offensive line after the unit was the team’s biggest weakness in 2025. Las Vegas already has the left tackle spot solidified with Kolton Miller. It will be up to the new coaching staff for whether Jackson Powers-Johnson plays right guard or center. Still, adding two interior linemen and a right tackle would be wise. Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, Los Angeles Chargers guard Zion Johnson and Buffalo Bills guard David Edwards are among the free agent linemen. The Raiders could bring back starting left guard Dylan Parham, who has started in 63 of 64 career games with the organization. They will also need to add a top wide receiver who can take the attention away from Bowers. The Indianapolis Colts’ Alec Pierce and the Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed are two wide receivers the Raiders could target in free agency. Shaheed has familiarity with Kubiak’s system and can provide additional value as a returner. On top of that, the Raiders need to acquire another running back to complement Jeanty and allow Kubiak to replicate what he did with Walker and Charbonnet. In the likelihood that Mendoza is selected with the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, he and Kubiak should form a solid pairing. Kubiak has seen solid quarterback play up close. Seattle’s QB Sam Darnold earned his second Pro Bowl selection after recording 4,048 passing yards (fifth in the league), 25 touchdowns (tied for ninth), 14 interceptions (third) and 67.7% completion rate (seventh) in 2025. When Kubiak was the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, QB Derek Carr recorded 2,145 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, five interceptions, 60.2 QBR and a 67.7% completion rate in 10 games. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy had 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions when Kubiak was the passing game coordinator in 2023. During Kubiak’s three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, two as a quarterbacks coach (2019-2020) and one as an offensive coordinator (2021), Kirk Cousins threw for 12,089 yards, 94 touchdowns and a completion rate of 67.6%. Cousins was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 after throwing for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven picks. Mendoza — a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion — said on the Pat McAfee show that he was a “huge fan” of Kubiak and has watched a lot of the Seahawks’ film. “Throughout this entire season, we actually had a little bit of a Kubiak-[Sean] McVay system, not for our RPO system but our play-action,” Mendoza said in San Francisco during Super Bowl week. “The way [Kubiak] is able to incorporate outside zone and get the edge with the run game, where the running back can collect the edge, hit the hole or cut back and do play-action off of that, and the way he has developed Sam Darnold has been phenomenal.” “Just being a football fan, I watched a lot of breakdowns of his films.” |
| LOS ANGELES CHARGERSAdam Gase has returned from exile to collaborate with Mike McDaniel: Adam Gase is back in the NFL. Gase, who hasn’t coached since 2020, has been hired by the Chargers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Although Gase’s official title has not been revealed, he is expected to be an offensive passing game coach of some kind. The 47-year-old Gase hasn’t been a coach at any level since he was head coach of the Jets in 2019 and 2020. Before that he was head coach of the Dolphins from 2016 to 2018, and before that he was an offensive coordinator for the Bears and Broncos. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has shaken up the offensive coaching staff by firing coordinator Greg Roman and hiring Mike McDaniel to replace him. And now the Chargers have added a second former Dolphins head coach to their offensive staff. Joe Philbin, still just 64 years old, is another former Dolphins head coach who could be added. He was on Pete Carroll’s Raiders staff last year. Cam Cameron, 65, is another former Dolphins head coach with an offensive background. He last coached the Dolphins in 2007, and last coaches anyone in 2016 (at LSU). |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDTE DAVID NJOKU will be moving on to greener pastures – or at least a less Brown one. Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com: Impending free agent tight end David Njoku, who has played his first nine years in the NFL with the Browns, will not return to Cleveland in 2026. Njoku wrote in an Instagram post Monday night that “the time for me to find a new home has come and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The City of Cleveland will forever be home.” Njoku, 29, was the subject of trade rumors before the deadline but remained in Cleveland for the rest of the 2025 season. He told reporters in November that “I’m not going nowhere. I ain’t f—ing leaving.” As the season ended, though, Njoku acknowledged the uncertainty of his future when asked if he expected to be back. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Cleveland’s offense is set for “significant turnover” as the team, under new coach Todd Monken, looks to rebuild a unit that has scored the fewest points in the league over the past two seasons. Njoku is one of the most prolific pass catchers in Browns history, ranking second in team history in touchdown catches (34) and receptions (384) for a tight end, trailing only Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome. However, Njoku has missed 11 games because of injury in the past two seasons. His production also dipped in 2025, finishing with 33 catches for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Njoku’s 8.9 yards per reception was the lowest in a season since he was limited to four games in 2017 because of injury. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as the Browns’ top target as a rookie, recording a team-high 72 receptions for 731 yards and six touchdowns. The Browns selected Njoku with the 29th pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He was named to one Pro Bowl in 2023 after recording 81 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns, all career-best marks. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDAt the moment, the Patriots are sticking with T WILL CAMPBELL as their left tackle. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: Patriots left tackle Will Campbell’s struggles in Super Bowl LX have been well documented at this point. But even with all the criticism, New England has no plans to move the No. 4 overall pick of the 2025 draft off of his current position. “[You sign up to] play left tackle, you sign up to play corner, you sign up to play quarterback, you sign up to be the head coach, you get judged. You get scrutinized,” head coach Mike Vrabel said Tuesday, via Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. “Will’s 22 years old. He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger. [He had] moments where he played well, moments where he blocked the guy. There’s plays he’d like to have back. “We’re not moving Will to guard, or center, or tight end, or anywhere else. So, I don’t know what to tell you.” Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Campbell noted that he tore a ligament in his knee during the regular season — which is what caused him to miss several weeks late in the year. Regardless, Campbell will need to play better in the future to give the Patriots’ offense better opportunities for success. Like Campbell, QB DRAKE MAYE was injured during a postseason where he played less than his best. But he says he won’t need shoulder surgery. Sean Leahy and Tarohn Finley of YahooSports.com: Drake Maye says he will not need offseason surgery on the right shoulder that drew lots of attention ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl LX loss to the Seattle Seahawks. “Just get some time off. Time’s the best healer,” Maye told reporters on Tuesday. “Definitely just need time off. Nothing that needs anything to be done. Just some time away and time to get some rest and time away from football.” Maye said after the game that he received shoulder injections and that he “was good to go” and “it felt all right.” Heading into the Super Bowl, Maye was limited in practice with a shoulder injury he suffered in the AFC championship game win over the Denver Broncos. On the team’s initial injury report, the 23-year-old quarterback was listed as questionable with a shoulder injury and an illness that caused him to miss a practice. Despite being removed from the injury report and telling reporters he felt well heading into the game, Maye struggled against Seattle. He completed 27-of-43 passes for 295 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and a fumble, with most of his passing yards coming in the fourth quarter. Maye’s second interception was returned for a touchdown and all but closed the game. “I think it’s a case of having one hit in the AFC championship game that was just kind of unfortunate,” Maye said. “Unfortunate timing, the two weeks (before the Super Bowl) was great to have off to have a chance to be out there for my guys. You can’t blame things on injuries. Things happen like this all the time in the league. … You can’t (blame) it on one little thing, the shoulder. … I was feeling like I was able to make throws in the game and was myself.” Maye had a strong second NFL season, making his second Pro Bowl and being named a second-team All-Pro while also finishing second in the MVP race. The Patriots ended their three-season playoff drought and flipped their record from the 4-13 finishes from the past two seasons to 14-3 and AFC East champions in 2025. The 2025 season just concluded, but Maye is already eager to begin preparing for 2026. “Ten weeks until we’re back here,” Maye said in a final message to Patriots fans. “That don’t sound too far away. It turns around quickly on you. I’m looking forward to it.” |
| NEW YORK JETSVeteran coach QB Bill Musgrove will have the task of coaching the 2026 Jets quarterbacks per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The Jets don’t know who their starting quarterback will be in 2026. But they do know who their quarterbacks coach will be: Bill Musgrave. The Jets are hiring Musgrave for the quarterbacks coach position, the team announced. Thomas Merkle will be the assistant quarterbacks coach, Al Netter will be the assistant offensive line coach and Matthew Sargent will be an offensive assistant. The 58-year-old Musgrave was the Browns’ quarterbacks coach last year and has had several stints as an NFL quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator. The Jets signed quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract a year ago, but he did not pan out, and it’s hard to imagine he’ll be the starter this year. They also have Brady Cook, Tyrod Taylor and Hendon Hooker on the team, and they’ll surely bring in at least one quarterback via the draft, free agency or a trade. Unmentioned in the story is the offensive coordinator who will be Frank Reich. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| RANKING THE COACHING HIRESJeff Howe of The Athletic has a panel of nine insiders rank the 10 coaching hires. We’re surprised Robert Saleh with Tennessee finished so low: To be candid: If organizations did a better job of hiring and supporting head coaches, there wouldn’t have been 10 job openings last month. There have now been five consecutive hiring cycles with at least one coach fired within their first year on the job. In fact, the last time the NFL avoided a one-and-done coach in back-to-back hiring cycles was 2002 through 2005. The rush to hire the right candidate is only outpaced by the rush to fire him, as the combination of impatience from ownership and organizational disarray is often far too much for any one person to overcome. It’s a perilous endeavor. Newly minted Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel, coming off a Super Bowl appearance in his first season with the New England Patriots, was fired by the Tennessee Titans after the 2023 season. It’s not like he temporarily forgot how to coach. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen, who finished second in the Coach of the Year voting, got one interview request last year, despite there being seven openings. Think the Las Vegas Raiders, who fired 74-year-old Pete Carroll after a 3-14 record, tied for worst in the league, would like a do-over? Teams proudly pound the table over their process, but they rarely display the discipline to stick to it. While it’s easy to look at the 10 new head coaches and decide which team made the best hire on paper, the reality is that no coach can overcome a bad situation, and a great organization can lift any coach. “This isn’t a comment on the coach. It’s a comment on the match, the fit within the organization to be able to execute what they’re trying to do,” a team executive said. “These guys are all really good coaches. Do they have the resources? Does it fit with the personnel side? All that stuff is probably more important than whether he can coach.” The Athletic asked a panel of nine coaches and executives to rank their top-five head-coaching hires of the cycle. Coaches received five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote, three points for a third-place vote, two points for a fourth-place vote and one point for a fifth-place vote. Voters are not employed by any of the 10 teams that just hired a new head coach. 1. John Harbaugh, New York Giants (42 points, 6 first-place votes)Harbaugh was the runaway winner, much like Vrabel was last year. His peers loved the hire. The 63-year-old is coming off a remarkable 18-year run with the Baltimore Ravens, amassing a 193-124 record, including the playoffs. He won a Super Bowl and was integral in maintaining the organization’s stability between eras. This is the Giants’ fifth head-coaching hire since 2016, which was the end of the Tom Coughlin era. Pat Shurmur was the only coach among the previous four hires with prior experience as a head coach. Clearly, the Giants were looking for someone who could recharge the power structure. “Great coach,” a former head coach said of Harbaugh. “He has gotten the needed power in that organization. He will win.” League evaluators are generally optimistic about quarterback Jaxson Dart’s potential. The Giants’ personnel has improved over the past year, so Harbaugh has a portion of his young core in place. “Harbaugh seems like a really good fit,” a rival team executive said. “I think he’ll do well. They’ll be really good with their defensive personnel right away. I think they’ll take a Chargers-type of jump when Jim (Harbaugh) took over.” John Harbaugh received six of the nine first-place votes in this poll; the other three respondents ranked him second. 2. Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons (25 points, 1 first-place vote)Stefanski was the first coach since Marty Schottenheimer to bring the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs more than once. Simply put, the two-time Coach of the Year won for an organization that has never done so with consistency. What if the Browns never saddled Stefanski with Deshaun Watson’s contract? That question has been prevalent while attempting to project Stefanski’s true potential as a head coach. “Stefanski and (Falcons president of football) Matt Ryan’s relationship will have stability for an organization that has lacked it,” a former coach said. “He has already shown (he) can win with less. Just needs to fix the QB situation.” While Stefanski is no longer in Cleveland, he still must navigate the unknown. Falcons owner Arthur Blank revamped his entire power structure after an organizational audit, so they’re off to a good start. Still, Ryan lacks experience and it’s unclear how the new structure will flow with all the new pieces, including Ian Cunningham as general manager. The Falcons are expected to release quarterback Kirk Cousins, and 2024 first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. just suffered a third torn ACL. It’s rare to inherit a turnkey situation at quarterback, but Stefanski has to figure it out once again. “He’s a really good coach,” an executive said. “He’s a really good person. I like their staff. There’s something (different) about that organization, about the upper management and the way it all mixes. There might be too many cooks in the kitchen to enact their process.” Stefanski appeared on eight of the nine ballots and also received one second-place vote, four third-place votes and two fourth-place votes. 3. Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens (24 points, 1 first-place vote)Minter had been Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator for the past four years, including two at the University of Michigan and two with the Los Angeles Chargers. Minter also worked for the Ravens from 2017-2020. For an organization that’s thrived off consistency, the Ravens stuck to the formula with the Minter hire. “Jesse Minter is probably the cleanest fit out of all of them, the closeness to the scheme,” said an executive who picked Minter as the best hire. “It feels like they went for a younger version of the coach they had, a mix of John Harbaugh and (former Ravens defensive coordinator and current Super Bowl champion) Mike Macdonald. Jesse is a stud. They were able to rewind it in a very seamless way. They’re minimizing the transition. That’s a really important thing to do when you’re making a hire. That’s an easy one.” The Ravens have a franchise quarterback with Lamar Jackson and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, though Minter will have to tweak a defense that regressed over two seasons since Macdonald’s departure. “The best thing about this hire is the continuity of the organization,” a coach said. “It’s one of the best, if not the best, overall organizations. Just need to keep defense strong, kicking game elite and figure out getting over the hump with offense.” Minter appeared on six of nine ballots and also received four second-place votes and a third-place vote. 4. Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers (13 points)The Steelers summoned the 62-year-old Pittsburgh native after his one-year sabbatical, and McCarthy will continue his distinguished coaching tour after leading the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys earlier in his career. McCarthy knows how to establish culture and lead a program; he has a 185-123-2 record, including the playoffs. He led the Packers to a Super Bowl in 2010. “McCarthy has won games everywhere he’s been,” an executive said. “It’s the coolest story ever to coach Green Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh. He grew up there. It’s really cool. He’s a really good man. I assume they’ll play the same defense and same schematics. Can you fix the QB position and get some youth?” The Steelers have cycled through quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, though McCarthy’s arrival could squeeze another season out of Aaron Rodgers. Regardless, the Steelers will be looking for a long-term answer, too. They also must get younger across the board. No pressure, though. The Steelers have had three coaches since they hired a 37-year-old Chuck Noll in 1969. That led to a 34-year-old Bill Cowher in 1992 and a 34-year-old Mike Tomlin in 2007. “Everyone expected a long-term hire, but Mike can be a great hire for the short term to get the organization in the right direction,” a coach said. “With or without Rodgers, he will be good to give the offense an identity.” McCarthy appeared on six of nine ballots and received a second-place vote, two third-place votes and three fifth-place votes. 5. Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins (9 points)Hafley made a fairly surprising move two years ago when he jumped from Boston College’s head coach to the Packers’ defensive coordinator; it seems like the jump was worth it. Like Stefanski with the Falcons, Hafley gets a clean slate with newly hired general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. “Hafley and Jon-Eric is the cleanest combo coming in together,” an executive said. “Hafley being a coach at BC is going to benefit him tremendously with this. I think that’s a really cool fit. They have a way to go with the roster.” The Dolphins have to determine quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s future with the organization. If they move on, it could signify a total rebuild, which will be more difficult because of the salary-cap implications. It will be integral for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to give this duo a long runway to establish their system. But the organization has gone a quarter century without a playoff win, so it will have to keep tapping into that patience. Hafley appeared on five ballots and received a third-place vote, two fourth-place votes and two fifth-place votes. (tie) 6. Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders (7 points)Kubiak’s profile had been on the rise for a couple of years; he did his best work during his lone season as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator in 2025. Kubiak maintained quarterback Sam Darnold’s ascension, turned wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba into the Offensive Player of the Year and kept his discipline with a physical rushing attack. “From a football mind, an OC, Klint is a stud,” an executive said. “I think Klint will do great. Really good human, and he’s going to work his butt off. But there are institutional issues in Vegas.” The Raiders have fired four head coaches since 2021. They had a new general manager in place at the start of the past three seasons. The roster has been constructed by too many people with too many different visions in too short a time — it’s fair to wonder if they need a total teardown before getting into the rebuild. They do have the No. 1 pick in the draft, so the Raiders have the right of first refusal with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Kubiak should suit Mendoza’s playing style, so that’s a nice start. But the finish line is a long, long way down the road. Kubiak appeared on four ballots and received three fourth-place votes and a fifth-place vote. (tie) 6. Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans (7 points)This was a fairly surprising hire, as the Titans veered away from an offensive-minded coach to pair with 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward. General manager Mike Borgonzi tapped into his Kansas City Chiefs roots during the process — Matt Nagy was under consideration — but the Titans chose Saleh. The former New York Jets head coach and, most recently, the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator for a second time, Saleh also faces another long rebuild with the Titans. There’s uncertainty around the league as it relates to Ward’s potential, so it’s Saleh’s priority to turn the QB into a sure thing. There are very real concerns about the power structure with ownership in Tennessee. The recent stretch of turnover at coach and GM has only amplified the skepticism. “I thought they were going offense because of the QB,” an executive said. “(Saleh) is confident and organized. He’s going to put together a decent staff. But is the personnel side set up in a way for the head coach and pieces to have success? And will they have time to do it?” Saleh appeared on three ballots and received a third-place vote and two fourth-place votes. 8. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills (6 points, 1 first-place vote)Sean McDermott was somewhat surprisingly fired after nine seasons, and the Bills replaced him with his offensive coordinator. Brady joined McDermott’s staff in 2022, so his fit with quarterback Josh Allen was the most obvious attraction. Brady was on the fast track after working as LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2019, as Joe Burrow and company had one of the best seasons in college football history. He fell off the radar for a bit after the entire operation failed during his stint as the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator, but Brady has been an intriguing coaching candidate. Other teams had shown genuine interest. Still, as the Bills showed once more, Allen can’t do it on his own. “Brady obviously has a good relationship with the QB, so you’ll keep Josh happy,” an executive said. “But how much does that do?” Brady appeared on two ballots and also received a fifth-place vote. (tie) 9. Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals, and Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns (0 points)There’s just too much unknown with Monken, LaFleur and their respective organizations. Both are first-time, offensive-minded NFL head coaches coming from successful teams, and they’re joining two franchises that are perpetually rebuilding. Without enough of a track record for the coaches and the organizations’ instability, it’s understandable why our panel took a wait-and-see approach with these hires. |
| BUNNY BUSINESSShane O’Neill of the Washington Post (obviously not a member of the now-disbanded sports department) saw something lovely and benign in Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show: So how provocative was it? On a scale of 1 to 10 — with 10 being Justin Timberlake exposing Janet Jackson’s breast in the “wardrobe malfunction” that prompted a 2004 federal investigation, 1 being Up With People covering “The Monster Mash” in 1982 — Bad Bunny’s halftime show was a solid 3. If that. If you were looking for political commentary, the closest that you got was the moment at the end when he said “God bless America” in English — then proceeded to name all of the countries in the Western Hemisphere in geographical order from south to north. Weeks before he set foot on the stage, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance had already become a media event. There was rapturous anticipation from his millions of fans worldwide, and there was boycotting and indignation from right-wing figures who objected to hearing Spanish during the Super Bowl or erroneously claimed that Puerto Ricans are not Americans. The conservative youth juggernaut Turning Point USA streamed its own alternative concert from a soundstage featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert and two other mid-tier country artists, its hosts slamming Bad Bunny for “politically charged statements” and recent Super Bowl guests for ostensibly risqué acts. “They don’t even have to learn Spanish,” he told radio hosts Ebro Darden and Zane Lowe from the stage. “It is better if they learn to dance.” At the Grammys last week, Bad Bunny started his acceptance speech by saying “ICE out,” fueling speculation that his halftime show would be an overt statement against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. No such statement materialized, though. A smattering of fans speculated online that the little boy to whom Bad Bunny handed his Grammy in one of the spectacle’s short, vivid tableaux of Latino life was Liam Conejo Ramos — a 5-year-old who was detained by ICE in Minneapolis. But upon closer inspection, the boy on-screen bore little resemblance to Ramos. The show did nod to historic injustices in Puerto Rico. The performance opened with a scene of workers harvesting sugar cane. Bad Bunny’s jersey bore the number 64. Its meaning is unknown, but some guess that it refers to the number of deaths the government initially reported on the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017, or the number worn by his late uncle who played football. Some fans wondered if his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, was born that year. During one segment, Bad Bunny climbed the set of a power line alongside dancers dressed as repair workers, alluding to the alleged corruption and setbacks that plagued post-disaster infrastructure repairs. But in general, the show had the kind of wholesome, traditional family values that would have fit right in with some of the more sentimental commercials that appeared during the game. There was a proposal, a (real!) wedding, a party. The sets were Technicolor, with the camera occasionally swooping above dancers in Busby Berkeley-style formations. Enhancing the cinematic effect was a formidable cast taking on the roles of barbers, boxers, nail technicians, pushcart operators and old timers playing dominos. It felt as if “Sesame Street” had worked up a reggaeton remix of “People in Your Neighborhood” or Richard Scarry’s “Busy Town” had made room for dancers ready to get busy. But not that busy. This remained a PG-rated affair with about as much dirtiness to the dancing as there was in the 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing.” The backup dancers were wild and exuberant but well short of lurid. Same for Bad Bunny, who offered trademark grabs of his crotch while singing about an anaconda and inspired pelvic gyrations. This may be the first time we’ve seen so-called “dwerking” on national television, but it was nothing compared with the flipping and flopping we’ve seen from Bad Bunny’s live shows on TikTok. And yes, the camera caught two men grinding from the waist up at one point, but Bad Bunny didn’t indulge his own penchant for gender play. You can’t get much more traditionally masculine than a football jersey and a men’s suit, can you? As for cameos, we got Ricky Martin singing by a banana tree, Lady Gaga singing “Die With a Smile” sans Bruno Mars, Pedro Pascal grooving with Jessica Alba and Cardi B, and the proprietor of the beloved Brooklyn social club Toñita’s doing a shot with Bad Bunny. Lovely, sunny stuff, performed on a lovely, sunny California evening. Surprising no one, President Donald Trump condemned the performance on Truth Social. No doubt commentators such as Megyn Kelly — who before the game suggested that ICE be sent to Bad Bunny’s home and implied without evidence that there was coordination between the Grammys and the NFL — will find something to be upset about. But if haters were hungry for provocation, Bad Bunny didn’t give them much to sink their teeth into. For viewers who don’t understand Spanish — like this reporter — Bad Bunny made his message abundantly clear at the end of the show, marching in front of a Jumbotron message of “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE” before spiking a football bearing the phrase “TOGETHER, WE ARE AMERICA.” You can’t get much more direct than that. But in the America we live in today, misunderstanding — intentional or otherwise — is never a surprise. That was the advantage for Mr. Bunny in having the show in Spanish. Because the lyrics of his song, if sung in English would have been an FCC violation (or so says a Republican Congressman from Florida). USA TODAY: A Republican member of Congress from Florida says someone must pay for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. Randy Fine posted on social media that he was alerting the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission about what he called the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican musical artist’s “disgusting halftime show” for Super Bowl 60. Bad Bunny made history as the first Latino solo artist to headline the show. USA TODAY described the performance as a celebration of Puerto Rico and Latino culture, which, as expected, was performed entirely in Spanish, was filled with cultural references, numerous moving parts, a real wedding and even one of his new Grammys handed to a little boy. Fine zeroed in on a different aspect of the show. “You can’t say the f-word on live TV,” Fine posted on X, calling the performance “illegal.” “Had he said these lyrics – and all of the other disgusting and pornographic filth in English on live TV, the broadcast would have been pulled down and the fines would have been enormous,” wrote Fine, a former state lawmaker elected to Congress in April 2025 to replace Mike Waltz, now the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “Puerto Ricans are Americans and we all live by the same rules. We are sending @BrendanCarrFCC a letter calling for dramatic action, including fines and broadcast license reviews, against the @NFL, @nbc, and ‘Bad Bunny.’ Lock them up.” Carr, an appointee of President Donald Trump, is known for his staunchly conservative stances and for pushing a Trump-aligned agenda. USA TODAY Network reporters who are fluent in Spanish listened to a replay of the performance. They said many of the explicit lyrics shared by Fine were genuine translations of songs, but weren’t part of the performance. A transcript of the Super Bowl performance that the Genius lyrics database translated online included some sexually explicit lyrics and expletives. But one of the reporters said Bad Bunny often mumbled through the expletives or cut off the word entirely in his Feb. 8 show. Now we know why many Spanish speakers couldn’t understand Mr. Bunny. He was bleeping himself. |
