| The Rams are the current Super Bowl favorites. And the Chiefs are not on the board: There is still plenty of football left to be played, but which teams are the favorites to win it all in what has been a wonky season? Below, we will break down the latest Super Bowl LX odds, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Super Bowl LX odds Los Angeles Rams +310Seattle Seahawks +650Denver Broncos +800Buffalo Bills +800Philadelphia Eagles +1100Houston Texans +1100Green Bay Packers +1500New England Patriots +1500Jacksonville Jaguars +1700San Francisco 49ers +2200Los Angeles Chargers +2200Baltimore Ravens +2200Chicago Bears +3000Detroit Lions +3000Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5000Pittsburgh Steelers +7000Carolina Panthers +30000Indianapolis Colts +40000Dallas Cowboys +60000 The DB is plenty impressed with the Texans, but we must admit our surprise at Houston having the same odds as the Eagles, and a smaller payout than the Packers and Patriots. |
| NFC NORTH |
GREEN BAYThe Packers may have WR CHRISTIAN WATSON for Saturday’s game with the Bears. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday that he wasn’t sure if wide receiver Christian Watson will be able to play against the Bears on Sunday and Wednesday brought some good news about the wideout’s condition. LaFleur told reporters that Watson is expected to take part in practice on a limited basis. Watson is listed with chest and shoulder injuries that he suffered while trying to catch a pass in the third quarter of last Sunday’s loss to the Broncos. LaFleur said that defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness (foot) and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) are also due back on the field. |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSDianna Russini of The Athletic has a list of Giants coaching prospects that includes Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman: The New York Giants have a list of candidates for their head-coaching vacancy. I’m told the names on it include Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak … and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. I also expect Freeman to garner interest from other NFL organizations. The 39-year-old has spent the past four years leading Notre Dame, taking the Irish to the national championship game last season. Last December, he agreed to a lucrative contract extension through 2030. And though he has never coached in the NFL, his leadership, people skills and ability to thrive in one of the most high-profile jobs in the country are what’s drawing the interest of general managers and owners. |
| PHILADELPHIAWe forgot about this little factoid. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: For 20 consecutive seasons, the reigning champion of the NFC East has failed to repeat as division winner. That streak could come to an end on Saturday. The Eagles won the NFC East last year, and if they beat the Commanders on Saturday, the Eagles will clinch the NFC East this year as well. They would become the first repeat champions in the NFC East since the Eagles won four straight division titles from 2001 to 2004. Even if the Eagles lose to the Commanders on Saturday, they’re almost certain to win the division. All they need is one more win in their remaining three games, or for the Cowboys to lose one of their remaining three games. In any scenario other than the Eagles losing out and Cowboys winning out, the Eagles win the NFC East. The NFC East was created in 1967. The Cowboys have the most division titles with 25, followed by the Eagles with 13, Washington with nine, Giants with eight and St. Louis Cardinals, who were realigned out of the division in 2002, with two. 2004 Philadelphia Eagles 13–3 2005 New York Giants 11–5 2006 Philadelphia Eagles 10–6 2007 Dallas Cowboys 13–3 2008 New York Giants 12–4 2009 Dallas Cowboys 11–5 2010 Philadelphia Eagles 10–6 2011 New York Giants 9–7 2012 Washington Redskins 10–6 2013 Philadelphia Eagles 10–6 2014 Dallas Cowboys 12–4 2015 Washington Redskins 9–7 2016 Dallas Cowboys 13–3 2017 Philadelphia Eagles 13–3 2018 Dallas Cowboys 10–6 2019 Philadelphia Eagles 9–7 2020 Washington Football Team 7–9 2021 Dallas Cowboys 12–5 2022 Philadelphia Eagles 14–3 2023 Dallas Cowboys 12–5 2024 Philadelphia Eagles 14–3 |
| NFC WEST |
| SEATTLESince the departure of Pete Carroll, Seattle GM John Schneider is on a roll. Dianna Russini of The Athletic: Two years ago, Seahawks general manager John Schneider walked into a Baltimore Starbucks around 8:40 a.m., expecting a quiet moment with his coffee before a big interview with a head-coaching candidate. Then his phone buzzed. It was Mike Macdonald, the 35-year-old Ravens defensive coordinator, texting to say he was ready whenever Schneider was — 20 minutes early. Schneider texted back that he was grabbing coffee and asked whether Macdonald wanted one. He waited for the order, then felt someone standing close behind him … and turned to find Macdonald. No handshake. No dap. They hugged. Two hours into the interview back at the hotel, Schneider had to be the one to call a timeout and suggest a bathroom break. It felt like the best first date ever. They both knew it. Less than 12 hours later, they were on flights to Seattle to spend more time together, this time with their wives. The job was offered. Macdonald said yes, despite an aggressive push from the Commanders. And before he even officially settled in, they were already building a staff. At one point early in the process, Macdonald paused mid-conversation and asked, “Do I have to sign a contract or something?” He did, for six years. Now, after winning 10 games in each of his first two seasons, it’s becoming clearer by the week: Hiring Macdonald might go down as one of the best decisions the Seahawks have made. Seattle, led by Sam Darnold, is tied with the Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC and is preparing for Rivers, a player Macdonald once game-planned against as a Ravens linebackers coach in 2020. Baltimore held Rivers to 10 points that day. Several NFL executives and coaches I spoke with have said Schneider should be the lead candidate for NFL Executive of the Year. The moves speak for themselves: drafting Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023, moving on from DK Metcalf and Geno Smith, landing Darnold after carefully mapping an offseason wish list with Macdonald and the staff. And none of the offensive surge would be possible without offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Credit Schneider and Macdonald for making the hard call to move on from Ryan Grubb after just one year. As one AFC executive put it, “Think about how hard it is to tell an owner, ‘We picked the wrong guy, but we have the right one now.’” The defense? Still stingy. And better. Adding veteran DeMarcus Lawrence has only strengthened an already ferocious front. And here’s the thing: Every single one of those moves traces back to a Starbucks hug in Baltimore that set the tone for trust, vision and a willingness to make bold calls. The DB hears that Carroll is a loud voice on any decision his organization might make. And when it comes to personnel, his track record is mixed. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYAfter watching TE TRAVIS KELCE on a podcast: @MLFootballBREAKING: TRAVIS KELCE APPEARS TO BE DONE WITH THE #CHIEFS. On the Patrick Mahomes injury: “He’s gonna make sure he comes back stronger than ever. Hopefully, THE CHIEFS can get him back as soon as possible” For the last decade Travis has always said “WE.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIPaul Dehner, Jr. of The Athletic ponders who might be in and who might be out in Cincinnati: Sunday went about as badly as a single day can go for a pro sports organization. Let us count the ways. • Eliminated from the playoffs for a third consecutive season with Joe Burrow shut out for the first time in his career. • Beaten mercilessly and talked trash about postgame by a previously under .500 division rival. • Burrow, already under the microscope for unhappiness, in front of the microphone, pointing out as fact, “We haven’t been a good football team; bad football teams do losing things.” • Ushering fans into the stadium in frigid temperatures and not attempting to clear the seats of snow and ice. Leaving long lines of fans outside in a bottleneck trying to get in as kickoff neared, without all the gates staffed to alleviate the reported 45-minute delay. Then taking a viral beating from fans online in the process. Fans wore bags on their heads, booed consistently and chanted for firings before hitting the exits. • Star receiver Ja’Marr Chase was caught on camera yelling at fans who were heckling Burrow to back off. • Five-year NFL veteran and starting running back on last year’s team, Zack Moss, even posted, “Been telling people, easily the worst franchise in sports.” This was the kind of day that can leave an imprint on ownership. This was the kind of day consumers hold over a company’s head for years. Quite simply, this was a day that gets people fired. The question that remains now, as the Bengals (4-10) play for pride over the final three weeks of the season, is: Will the famously patient Cincinnati organization run this back or will somebody actually be fired for this? And, if so, who goes? Those are large, ominous, somewhat unanswerable questions at this point. There’s history, contracts, results, relationships and unique organizational dynamics that complicate what might seem obvious in other markets. Fans wanting heads to roll won’t like the current outlook. The obvious names being evaluated are director of player personnel Duke Tobin, head coach Zac Taylor and defensive coordinator Al Golden. Duke TobinYes, in most places, the de facto general manager of a team that missed the playoffs three consecutive years while employing Burrow, Chase and Tee Higgins would be on the hot seat. Specifically, when considering a bottom-quarter defense three years running, impacted by a debilitating series of roster-construction blunders. That’s just not the case here. There are cracks in the foundation, absolutely. There’s no way around the results and outrage currently directed at Tobin by the fan base. He’s never seen his role challenged or exposed to this level externally. Internally, however, it’s just not happening. Tobin is viewed as family in nearly the same regard as the actual Browns and Blackburns. There is zero thought that his job is in jeopardy. He will have to lead the Bengals out of this drought, and ownership trusts him to do so. Zac TaylorTaylor and team president and owner Mike Brown speak every week during the season about the state of things. So, there wouldn’t be surprises come Black Monday. There will have to be a more focused look at the organizational direction of the offseason. With such a notable conversation, uncertainty will follow. As will the final data points of the last three games, in which Burrow will be starting. That said, firing Taylor still sounds very unlikely right now. There are a few key points surrounding Taylor’s status. For one, his contract will be a factor. Contrary to prior reports, Taylor actually has two years remaining on his contract after this season, not one. He signed a five-year extension following the Super Bowl season. Then, after reaching the AFC Championship Game in the 2022 season, he signed another five-year extension through the 2027 campaign. This matters, considering the history and role contract status plays with Brown, who will make this decision. In the final weeks of the 2017 season, longtime coach Marvin Lewis looked on the brink of departure following back-to-back nine-loss years. Despite loud rumors that it would end, Brown and Lewis agreed he’d stay around for the final year of his contract, adding to the pressure of a 2018 lame-duck season that descended into 10 losses following a 4-1 start. Taylor was hired soon after. Those are the points in time where change is increasingly more likely. Also, the relationship between Taylor, Burrow and Brown will carry weight. Burrow spoke openly in support of the coaching staff in recent weeks despite external echoes for their ousting. “A lot of confidence,” Burrow said when asked Sunday about his thoughts on the coaching staff and front office. “I know how hard people work at it, and we have the right people. It starts with players playing better, and today it was me.” Making and keeping Burrow happy will always be a considerable driver of organizational direction — now more than ever. He’s always displayed support for Taylor, who’s never been shy about admitting all things run through Burrow offensively. They’ve also been able to surround Burrow with players he’s asked for, completing contracts with all four of his requested pieces from his public push last offseason (Higgins, Chase, Mike Gesicki, Trey Hendrickson). The offense has rarely been the problem in Cincinnati and continued to thrive even when shifting to Joe Flacco on the fly this year or Jake Browning in 2023. They’ve been a top-10 offense over the course of the last four seasons, with Burrow among the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Blowing up that side of the ball with all the problems that need to be fixed on the defense would create an entirely new set of unnecessary issues. Beyond that, this is Cincinnati. This is an ownership group stoutly devoted to patience and a belief in the people it hires. Brown kept Taylor after a 6-25-1 start to his career and was rewarded with a Super Bowl appearance in 2021. This was Taylor’s first losing season since the original rebuild, and nine games of it came without Burrow. Another 11 will be without Hendrickson. Those factors all hold weight in the discussion. On the other side, how the team has continually lost close games in improbable ways, play-calling style and ownership’s view of his role in Burrow’s injuries will be in the conversation. Those will all pale in comparison to evaluating his role in helping the defense. Taylor and Al GoldenThe question and critical variable at the center of all this revolves around who is to blame for the state of the defense. The Bengals’ historically bad unit managed to get worse in the aftermath of coordinator Lou Anarumo being fired in January. As Anarumo landed with the Indianapolis Colts to once again find success and momentum, currently 13th in points allowed per drive, the Bengals, under a new coordinator in Golden, spent much of the season compared to the worst defenses in the history of the NFL. By DVOA, they were the worst defense in NFL history through 10 weeks. Who’s responsible for that fact now? Will Golden be the fall guy? Will it be attributed to Taylor, whose expertise isn’t on that side of the ball and hired Golden from Notre Dame to rejuvenate it? Or does that fall on a front office that added minimal pieces in free agency, left a gaping experience void that pigeonholed the Bengals into needing starters at multiple positions in the middle rounds of the draft? Was it Taylor’s decision to push Logan Wilson aside and start two rookie linebackers next to each other four games into the season that deserves the most blame? Or does this fall on everyone who had their hands in the Hendrickson debacle and failed to trade him for pieces and a pick in March or April? What’s viewed by Brown and the family as the reason for the defensive problem, and whether it’s deemed fixable with the current crop of coaches, could go a long way in shaping any potential moves. The positive turn on that side of the ball since the bye has been very much noted internally, and has built a belief that throwing the coordinator under the bus yet again is not the answer. While they are by no means a top group, since the Week 10 bye, a defense overflowing with inexperienced players and a young line that had trouble finding consistent pressure has managed to move in the right direction. “Nobody wants to hear it, but I do think there’s things on defense that have really improved, particularly since the bye,” Taylor said. “And there are some things that they’re improving on that we’re going to continue to build off of that. So I think that’s tangible, that’s showing up. Anybody who’s watching the game can see that that’s improvement being made and there’s a lot of young players that are participating in that, second-, third-year players that are showing growth through the season.” The Bengals have nearly the entire offense signed and returning next season. They rank eighth in cap space for 2026. Aggressively attacking free agency to solidify defensive spots manned by struggling or inexperienced players, plus another infusion of draft picks, could build on the uptick in the second half. Those facts are the current argument heard for running it back despite the ugly overall results this season. Nobody on the staff wants to be turning over the defensive coordinator job for a second consecutive season, giving Golden a good chance to earn another year to rebuild that group. It’s just a harder sell to blame the coordinator two years in a row. So, while the most likely scenario is Golden stays, how the final judgment comes down on the necessary blame and alignment on the direction of the defense will be a significant talking point not only for the coordinator, but the head coach. The final analysis on the future of the Bengals’ leadership is that it looks very likely that nothing will change. Three data points remain, and all of those will be taken into consideration after the season by Brown. Even the most patient of ownership groups can only endure so many Sundays like this last one. There is a long history in Cincinnati of a few wins late in the season helping keep a coach around for another year. That certainly wouldn’t hurt Taylor to add a three-game win streak at the end of the season to replace the bad taste of this past weekend, but Bengals fans who were screaming for changes should prepare themselves for the fact that, at this moment, making no major changes appears the most likely endgame. |
| CLEVELANDBrowns LB DEVIN BUSH is found not guilty of “assault” after an argument in Pennsylvania in May with his then-girlfriend. Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com: Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush was found not guilty Tuesday of assault and harassment charges stemming from an incident with his girlfriend in May, according to court records. According to TribLive, Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer said prosecutors failed to prove Bush had the intent to harm or injure the woman. A spokesperson for the NFL, which has been reviewing the matter under the personal conduct policy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bush was arrested and charged in the offseason after police responded to a report of an alleged assault at a home in a Pittsburgh suburb. The woman, who identified herself as Bush’s girlfriend, said Bush assaulted her and took her car keys. The two got into an argument that resulted in Bush allegedly becoming more aggressive, according to the complaint. As the woman began to record the argument on her cellphone, Bush chased her around the home in an attempt to get the phone, according to the complaint. She said she was pinned against a massage table in an office and that Bush put his full body weight on top of her before taking the phone and smashing it. The woman left with her daughter to a neighbor’s home, according to the complaint. Police discovered cuts on the inside of the girlfriend’s wrist and outside her right foot, as well as smashed pieces of the cellphone, according to the complaint. Bush admitted to smashing the phone but denied getting physical. Bush, a 2019 first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, ranks second on the Browns this season with 93 combined tackles. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMIThe starting QB for the Miami Dolphins against Cincinnati this Sunday on CBS is – QUINN EWERS, a 7th-round rookie. Chosen over former #2 overall ZACH WILSON, to displace TUA TAGOVAILOA. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: Mike McDaniel made his decision: Tua Tagovailoa is headed to the bench. The Miami Dolphins are benching Tagovailoa in favor of seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers ahead of Sunday’s Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday, per sources informed of the move. The benching doesn’t come as a surprise after McDaniel said Tuesday he was contemplating the move. When coaches begin waffling on a starter, a change almost always follows. On Tuesday, McDaniel said the quarterback play “was not good enough.” Now he’ll see if he can get better from Ewers. How Tua’s struggles led to benchingTagovailoa’s struggles aren’t a one- or two-week issue. The starter has been on the downswing for more than a month. In Monday night’s blowout loss, he put up 65 passing yards with an interception and two drive-killing sacks through three quarters. The bulk of his 253 passing yards and both of his touchdowns came in garbage time. During the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak that preceded their Week 15 loss, McDaniel had mitigated the passing game, leaning on an explosive rushing attack. Tua went four consecutive games with fewer than 175 passing yards. It was enough to beat mostly sub-500 teams, but not an indicator of a healthy passing attack. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions in 2025. His -0.06 EPA per dropback ranks fourth-worst among quarterbacks with at least 300 pass attempts, ahead of only Cam Ward, Geno Smith and Joe Flacco, per Next Gen Stats. His total QBR is also fourth-worst among qualifying QBs — Ward, Smith and J.J. McCarthy. We’ve seen little of the quick-decision, precision passing game that Tua deployed during his Pro Bowl season in 2023, when he led the NFL with 4,624 yards passing. Far too often, the sixth-year pro has looked lost, missing reads, spiking throws, struggling with pressure and making rookie-type mistakes. McDaniel’s conscious diminishment of the passing offense over the past month spoke volumes about what he thought of the quarterback’s play. The benching cemented those assumptions. Examining QB’s future in MiamiIf McDaniel remains the head coach in 2026, can he really turn back to a benched quarterback? Can Miami afford to move on? The Dolphins inked Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million contract in 2024. Less than two years in, he’s been sent to the bench for ineffective play. With three years remaining on his contract, Tua is due $56.4 million guaranteed in 2026. Cutting or trading him would not come cheap. Releasing him outright would carry a $99.2 million dead-money hit. Even a post-June 1 release would still count $67.4 million against the cap in 2026. A spring trade would be a little less, with $45.2 million in dead money hitting the books. But who is trading for an ineffective, benched QB with a $39 million base salary? We’ve seen teams take their lumps with dead money. Russell Wilson in Denver is the biggest example, with the Broncos taking on a record $85 million in dead money, including $53 million in 2024. The other factor in benching Tagovailoa is his injury history. The quarterback missed multiple games in four of his first five seasons, including multiple concussions and a hip injury that ended his 2024 season. Putting him in bubble wrap to close the season will avoid an injury that could hinder the Dolphins’ options this offseason. Miami is already in a salary-cap quandary, projected to be roughly $11 million over the cap next season, per Over The Cap. Tackling that and dead money from Tua’s contract would take gold-medal level cap gymnastics. The Dolphins could take a page from the Falcons playbook with Kirk Cousins, hanging on to the highly-paid quarterback as an uber-expensive backup — while possibly hoping a post-June 1 trade materialized to offer some relief. Even considering that move would require a cheap starter on a rookie contract to take the reins. There are no great options if Tua isn’t on the field earning his money. What can Ewers provide down stretch?The offseason steps in Miami could come down to how Ewers plays down the stretch. The seventh-round rookie gets the nod over former Jets first-rounder Zach Wilson, who had been the backup in recent weeks. The decision to leapfrog Wilson for Ewers feels like a move to see what the rookie has to offer. If he hits — say, like Brock Purdy — it would give Miami a potential cheap starter at the most expensive position in football. Ewers has appeared in one game this season, taking over for a benched Tagovailoa in a Week 7 blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns. In mop-up duty, the rookie completed 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards. Now he’ll get a chance to show what he’s got with a full week of prep. A three-year starter at Texas, Ewers passed for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns with 24 interceptions in 36 games in Austin. The 22-year-old doesn’t have the strongest whip, but he can get the ball out quickly, and works in rhythm. Those should benefit him in McDaniel’s offense. The rookie will have to display a solid understanding of his progression and avoid the negative plays that hindered him in his final season at Texas. With the Dolphins officially eliminated from the postseason, they’ll give the seventh-rounder a shot down the stretch. It’s a worthwhile move. If Ewers impresses, it would provide a massive low-cost answer at quarterback entering 2026. If he bombs, nothing is lost, and Miami could start to look at first-round rookies in April’s draft. This from Adam Schefter: @AdamSchefterThe numbers game: Tua Tagovailoa already has $54 million guaranteed to him in 2026. On March 15, $3M of his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed. Cutting him would leave $99M in dead money. Post June 1 cut would equal $67.4M in dead money in 2026, $31.8M in 2027. With QB TUA TAGOVIALOA now benched, Jared Stillman makes a good point: @JaredStillmanThe lesson to be learned from the failures of Tua, Kyler Murray, Derek Carr and countless others is that you cannot pay an average QB elite money. You can pay an average QB average money and win or an elite QB elite money and win with Josh Allen carrying your team.– – -And this: OLB Matt Judon is being released, NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per sources. Judon, 33, has started three of 13 games played this season, logging 19 total tackles, three QB hits and no sacks. The 10th-year veteran will be subject to waivers. |
| NEW YORK JETSMore on the Jets firing of DC Steve Wilks. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Jets still have three games to play this season, but they got a head start on their offseason changes this week by firing defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. The move came a day after a 48-20 loss to the Jaguars that saw the Jags score on eight of their first nine possessions of the game. The Jets are 30th in the league in points allowed and they’ve only had two takeaways on defense all season, which is the kind of performance that linebacker Quincy Williams pointed to while responding to the news of Wilks’ ouster. “I mean, it’s very unfortunate, but the reality is we weren’t playing good as a defense,” Williams said, via Dennis Waszak of the Associated Press. “And with him being the leader of the defense, I mean someone’s going to get it. Sad that it had to go down like that.” Williams said it is up to players to “make the call come alive” while discussing their role in what’s gone wrong on defense this season and said he feels he’s having the worst season of his career. That’s not the best way to go into free agency, but that is where Williams finds himself as the season comes to an end and it means he may be following Wilks out the door soon. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| THEY WILL BE BETTER IN 2026Charles McDonald of YahooSports.com has three teams – all big brands – that he thinks will rebound in 2026: The NFL playoffs will be without the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since the 2014 season. The Cincinnati Bengals will miss them for the third straight year. And barring a miracle, the Dallas Cowboys won’t be in them, either. That’s three big teams with some big-name players missing out. Let’s look at what’s next for each. Cowboys have set the stage for a big 2026Jerry Jones has had a strange season, but he’s put the Cowboys in position to take a major leap back to the top of the NFC in 2026. Trading Micah Parsons away for draft capital was certainly unconventional, but the acquisition of All-Pro talent Quinnen Williams has given the Cowboys a new elite difference-maker on their defensive line. That unit is in good shape, and the offense can score in bunches, but the rest of the defense … phew. That’s where there is still a lot of work to be done. Williams’ presence has given Dallas the chance to at least add some variance and disruption up front, which can help the porous secondary. His presence alone hasn’t been enough. The Cowboys are still one of the worst defenses in the league and just made the hapless Vikings offense look like a top unit on Sunday. Their group of corners and safeties need to get better or else it won’t matter how much pressure Williams and the rest of the defensive line get. They’re still allowing too many chunk plays that make it difficult even for one of the best offenses in the league (which needs to re-sign George Pickens; Jones has given every indication he plans on it) to keep pace with what they’re giving up on the other side. At the very least, Jones has left the Cowboys in a flexible spot to upgrade significantly in the offseason, given he still has an extra 2026 first-round draft pick in his back pocket from the Parsons trade. Whether or not the Cowboys package their extra first into something else remains to be seen, but they have the draft assets to stay flexible. They currently have major salary cap issues, ranking 32nd in projected cap space for 2026, according to Spotrac, with a figure of -$36 million. But they have some easy decisions, like moving on from Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele, that can immediately give them cap relief. Jerry Jones stumbled into a solid plan. Time to see if he can keep making moves to take advantage of a very good offense. Chiefs almost had a blessing in disguiseA reset is not the worst thing in the world for the Kansas City Chiefs after running on fumes for the past two seasons, but it came with a huge cost when superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL in the fourth quarter of their loss against the Chargers, which officially eliminated them from the playoff hunt. Mahomes had surgery to repair his ACL, and reportedly his LCL too, so he should be able to make a clean comeback, but the Chiefs clearly have major issues to address outside of him. Their offense improved, but their luck in one-score games took a major downturn, resulting in them sitting out most of January football. Even though the offense was better, it was clear that was mostly a product of having one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, and they need to restock this roster with premium talent. Health on the offensive line was a killer for the Chiefs this year, but the talent can’t be just in the same position next year. Xavier Worthy hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing, Rashee Rice has been inconsistent and the running back room has needed a legitimate investment for several years now. It’s been said ad nauseam, but offense should not be played on this level of difficulty with a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback in his prime. KC’s defense needs a blast of talent on the back end, with a shaky group of defensive backs that hasn’t panned out like the Chiefs thought they would since the first Super Bowl against the Eagles a few years ago. Steve Spagnuolo is still a great defensive coordinator, but they’re really feeling the talent strain on this unit. This is a lot to accomplish in one offseason, but as long as they get better at just a handful of spots they’ll be back in the Super Bowl hunt next year. Mahomes should be fine. If he’s fine, the Chiefs will be fine. Bengals still need the same things they always haveThe Bengals are going to run it back with the same offensive core in an attempt to go on another Super Bowl run before this window closes. This season was filled with familiar struggles, including injuries to Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, inconsistent play from the offensive supporting cast, and another putrid performance from the defense. Cincinnati hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2022 season and that streak will extend to another year following their official elimination at the hands of the Ravens. It’s undoubtedly frustrating for them to keep finding themselves in this spot, but figuring out what to do next is puzzling because they’ve attempted the plan most people would suggest. Cincinnati has paid out big contract money for its big-time players on offense and supplemented that effort by pouring high-value draft picks into its defense. Ultimately, the Bengals have missed so many times. Their defense is littered with recent top-100 picks, including multiple first- and second-rounders, but they haven’t gotten these selections right. It’s not like they haven’t tried to take a responsible approach to stocking the defense considering where their cap allocation is going, they just haven’t picked the right players. Fortunately, for the upcoming season, the Bengals will have a chance to really be aggressive in the offseason to upgrade their defense. According to Spotrac, they’re projected to have more than $110 million in cap space to spend. NFL free agency isn’t as robust as it used to be with big-name players hitting the open market, but the Bengals can easily find upgrades for what is arguably the least talented defense in the league. Spend on defense, pray for health on offense. That’s really all they can do unless they’re ready to break up their plan on offense and change things around. That probably isn’t necessary given the production they had on offense a year ago — a stroke of good fortune is really the most important thing here. |
| AFTERMATH OF BAD CALLSStephen Holder of ESPN.com explores what happens after an NFL official makes a controversial call: WALT ANDERSON BEGINS his Mondays like many in corporate America: pondering what surprises might await in his company inbox. Anderson has learned to expect a series of mini-crises, with each sender believing their respective issue warrants an immediate and satisfactory reply. Anderson and his staff will do their best to comply because their company is the NFL, and those incoming messages are not from middle management, but from NFL coaches and team executives in search of answers to pressing questions. For Anderson, the NFL’s rules analyst and club communications liaison, his job is critical even if seemingly impossible: bringing clarity to how and why game officials make decisions that can heavily influence the outcome of games. And make it fast, will you? “Most of them will want answers Monday or Tuesday, because the NFL week does not wait on anybody,” Anderson said. The idea of hearing from potentially 32 annoyed coaches each week might not sound like a dream job. “It’s a tough job,” as one team executive put it. “Everyone is always bitching at you.” It was Anderson, for instance, who heard from the Baltimore Ravens last week after tight end Isaiah Likely’s would-be go-ahead touchdown catch with under three minutes left in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Likely was initially granted a 13-yard touchdown catch, but the play was overturned after a review and ruled incomplete. Ravens coach John Harbaugh spent the following day on the phone with Anderson and senior vice president of officiating administration Perry Fewell, and Harbaugh did not come away satisfied. The catch rule, Harbaugh said, “is about as clear as mud right now. That’s how I feel about it.” He added, the conversations “didn’t clear anything up.” Still, Anderson, a longtime referee and former senior vice president of officiating, has learned something perhaps unexpected in two seasons in his current role. “There have been very, very few instances when we have follow-ups or detailed conversations that we come away pissed at each other,” he said. “A lot of people think that’s always the case, but it’s just not like that.” That borderline penalty call that had your favorite team’s head coach barking at the referee Sunday? The team probably later sought clarity on that call. And what eventually transpired was probably much less combative. “I think what will surprise people is they will say, ‘We screwed up,'” said John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers president of football operations/general manager. “Does that make you feel better? No, but at least they’re being honest about it.” Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay added, “What I’ve always appreciated is, if there has been a missed call, there’s an accountability. And they just want to get it right, too. I think that’s one of the things that I’ve gotten a little bit better insight on.” But adjudicating the accuracy of calls is only one part of this process. Teams also seek guidance on teaching players how to avoid infractions. They even ask for help in coaching legal techniques in practice. A maximum of 10 plays per team can be submitted each week. “It can be any topic that’s covered in the 235 pages of the rule book,” Anderson said. Indeed, when a play concludes during an NFL game, the conversation around it might be only beginning. Here’s how NFL teams and the league’s officiating staff resolve disagreements in the aftermath of games, and how, exactly, the feedback is put to future use by all parties. WHEN THE KANSAS City Chiefs hosted the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, Chiefs coach Andy Reid — like many others — questioned whether the Eagles’ offensive linemen were committing false starts on their tush push plays. The Eagles “might have a couple that they got off early on. We’ll look at that,” Reid said after the game. Though he wasn’t explicit, it’s likely the Chiefs submitted one or more of the plays in question for further clarification because they were not flagged on the field. Reid and the Chiefs were not shortchanged by the follow-up. The situation received significantly more attention than a run-of-the-mill inquiry, which typically consists of a written response. More complex queries are elevated to virtual meetings between the team and league officiating staff, but this went even further. The NFL sent out a memo to all 32 teams stating that the plays should have been flagged for false starts and adding that there would be further scrutiny of push plays moving forward. The memo was also accompanied by the league’s weekly officiating video, which is circulated to teams and game officials to address numerous situations from the previous weekend. Additionally, Anderson produces weekly videos that are shared with the general public, addressing both correct and incorrect calls. In the case of the Eagles-Chiefs game, he appeared on NFL Network in the following days and addressed the missed calls during a rules segment. “When the ball is set, the center can be over the ball, but all the other linemen, they’ve got to be behind the football,” he said. “They’ve got to make sure they’re back far enough.” The whole thing probably provided little solace to Reid, whose team lost to the Eagles 20-17. But it’s all part of what the NFL says is its effort to increase transparency at a time when doing so is seen as critical. In this era of high-definition, large-screen televisions, and with the proliferation of sports betting and the skepticism it creates, being upfront is more important than ever. Think of this as the NFL’s answer to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report, which assesses each call made by officials in the final two minutes of each game and provides a public accounting of those decisions. The follow-ups don’t always end in agreement. Take, for instance, the recent example involving a field goal attempt by Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard, who insisted his missed 51-yard attempt against the Cleveland Browns in a game in London made contact with a cable used to operate an overhead television camera. The Vikings submitted the play for review, and the matter was escalated to the highest levels, even discussed at an October owners meeting. Ultimately, after an investigation, the league maintained that the ball did not contact the cable. What appeared to be an odd trajectory was, in effect, the result of an optical illusion from a field-level TV camera, the NFL said in a statement to ESPN. These exchanges between NFL teams and league officials aren’t new. It has always been considered prudent for teams to seek more information about rulings in the aftermath of games. But the more formalized process, and the permanent placement of Anderson in a newly created role, have helped make the process more productive. “When mistakes are made, you’ve got to own up to them,” Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “And I think they’ve done a much better job of that.” Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon suggested this process has allowed him to become more open-minded about officiating. “I feel like sometimes everyone wants it to be very consistent and the calls to be the same throughout all the different games and all the different crews,” he said. “There’s a human element to officiating. So, if you ask any two humans a question, there’s going to be a little bit of a difference. So, I think the human element to officiating, you’ve got to understand that piece, too.” Still, there are the inevitable mixed emotions that come along with occasionally learning that a team got a raw deal. “That’s why some days after games, I don’t even bother to turn them in,” LaFleur said. “It’s not going to change the outcome.” Said McVay: “It doesn’t make me feel any better. You try to keep it moving and control what you can. But, I mean, I think you can probably guess. I get pissed.” McVAY’S POINT RAISES a question: Is there a practical application for the information teams receive in this process? Without a doubt. “I take it to right to the meeting room, right then and there,” Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “Go right to our teachable moments when we talk every single week.” Morris added, “I don’t really need them to admit fault or admit anything they did wrong. I really just try to find out what we can do better in order for it not to happen again. For example, holding calls. Something happened and it got called a couple different times. Just trying to find different ways and different areas and what we can do differently if we’re doing something that looks illegal.” Anderson said most communication early in the week stems from events in games that were played the previous weekend. But as the next slate of games approaches, Anderson said his staff begins to receive inquiries that deal with topics specific to the upcoming opponents for teams. “It’s about helping us coaches learn, understand the ‘why’ behind it, and then we can do that for our players,” Gannon said. There probably will never be a panacea for officiating issues. It’s an imperfect process, full of subjectivity, prone to human error. But from league officials to coaches to team executives, there appears to be agreement that the dialogue is helpful and an important step in the right direction. “It’s great,” said Lynch, a member of the league’s competition committee, which makes recommendations to owners about rules changes and other parts of the game. “There’s no agenda. Well, there’s always an agenda. “Everybody’s trying to win. But I think for somebody who cares deeply about the game and has been around it for a long time, what I like is, at the end of the day, people are all just trying to make the game better.” |
| 2026 DRAFTIn the aftermath of the CFP committee’s machinations, we won’t see RB JEREMIYAH LOVE wearing a gold helmet again. ESPN.com: Jeremiyah Love, the star Notre Dame running back and Heisman Trophy finalist, made it official Tuesday night and declared for the 2026 NFL draft. Love made the announcement on social media, thanking his family, Fighting Irish coaches and teammates, among others, and saying he “could not have picked a better place for me to grow into the man I am today.” Love is widely expected to be the top running back selected in next year’s draft. The 6-foot, 214-pounder is projected to go No. 3 in Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board for ESPN, and Field Yates has him going 14th to the Kansas City Chiefs in his latest mock draft. Love scored 21 all-purpose touchdowns in 2025, passing Jerome Bettis (1991) for the most in a season in Notre Dame history. The junior also ended the regular season fourth nationally with 1,372 rushing yards and third with 18 rushing touchdowns, averaging 6.89 yards per carry. He finished third in Heisman voting behind winner Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback of No. 1 Indiana, and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia. And he was Notre Dame’s first winner of the Doak Walker Award, given to the top running back in college football. Love’s junior season already has ended because Notre Dame (10-2) didn’t make the College Football Playoff and opted against playing in a bowl. As a sophomore, Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns on 163 carries, helping Notre Dame reach the CFP championship game, which it lost 34-23 to Ohio State. He had 28 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns that season. |
