HEADLINES

Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins Aiming For Super Bowl Return

November 23rd, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.K. Dobbins‘ latest injury has him unavailable for the foreseeable future. The veteran running back has his eyes set on a Broncos return if their season goes the distance, however.

A Lisfranc injury suffered earlier this month will leave Dobbins sidelined through at least the remainder of the regular season. Surgery has already taken place, and a lengthy recovery process is underway as a result. If all were to go well on that front, Dobbins could find himself available at the tail end of the playoffs.

Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post reports there is a “hope” Dobbins will be able to return in the event the Broncos reach the Super Bowl. That would amount to a recovery timeline of roughly three months, something which would fall well short of how long severe Lisfranc injuries require to heal. Even a less severe version of the injury will require a notable period out of game action.

“If it’s a more subtle injury, it’s potentially something you can rehab more quickly and get back on your feet quicker,” Dr. Nicholas Strasser told Gabriel (while adding he is not involved in Dobbins’ particular case). “It’s not totally unrealistic for February, thinking through the timeline. A lot of things would have to go his way and probably have to have a lot of luck as well.”

Indeed, a Super Bowl appearance representing the best-case scenario in this situation illustrates how unlikely it is to take place. The Broncos are on their bye week, but with a 9-2 record the AFC West leaders are certainly in the mix with respect to contenders for a championship in 2025. The team’s running game will be determined in large part by the play of second-round rookie RJ Harvey, who has recorded 469 yards from scrimmage and scored six total touchdowns this season.

Injuries have been a consistent issue throughout Dobbins’ career. The 26-year-old had been enjoying a strong debut campaign with the Broncos (5.0 yards per carry, four touchdowns) before going down. Dobbins is a pending free agent, and another short-term contract is no doubt in store given the time he will miss down the stretch. At the moment, at least, the door is nevertheless open to him making a final contribution to the Broncos should they parlay their performances to date into a championship run.

49ers Voided WR Brandon Aiyuk’s 2026 Guarantees In July

November 23rd, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 23: Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) he and Aiyuk spoke early in training camp after the decision was made to alter the contract. He described those talks as “positive,” but things have clearly soured since then. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports, meanwhile, that Aiyuk is still considered close to being medically cleared for a return (video link). Whether or not he plays this season will remain something to monitor.

NOVEMBER 22: A Friday report pointed to a split between Brandon Aiyuk being likely for the 2026 offseason. The main reason pointing in that direction is the fact Aiyuk’s 2026 guarantees have been voided in a move he has not challenged through the NFLPA.

When speaking to the media for the first time since Friday’s report, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Aiyuk’s future guarantees have indeed been voided. Notably, though, he clarified that move was made by the team in July. Shanahan did not specify why the contract adjustment took place.

“I’ve been coaching over 20 years and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided,” he said, via Sam Jane, Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). “It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided. Never dealt with that. It was unusual, but it’s stuff I can’t get into right now.”

During the outset of training camp, Shanahan admitted he was “frustrated” with Aiyuk’s situation as it pertained to his knee rehab. ACL, MCL and meniscus tears ended the former first-rounder’s 2024 season after seven games. Aiyuk has not played since, despite a number of updates to his status suggesting a return would take place sometime in 2025. Shanahan added the 27-year-old is still considered week-to-week at this point, although it is unclear how much progress he has made in recovery.

Today’s Athletic piece on the situation notes how Aiyuk was a “mainstay” at practices during training camp and into September. Things changed afterwards, however, with Shanahan confirming the Arizona State product has missed meetings and other team activities recently. He added Aiyuk’s absences in meetings is not related to his contract but also reiterated the team’s frustration with an overall lack of communication in this case.

Tension between Aiyuk and Shanahan dates back several years, and it appeared at multiple points in 2024 as though a trade would end their time together in San Francisco. With a Steelers swap having been agreed to (and something Aiyuk was prepared to proceed with), a four-year, $120MM 49ers deal was instead ultimately worked out. That seemed to put an end to speculation about a parting of ways, but with no guaranteed money owed after the current season ends the team will be able to proceed with a release with relative ease.

The 49ers traded away Deebo Samuel this past offseason in a move which came as little surprise. That seemed to pave the way for Aiyuk and 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall to operate as the team’s top receivers for years to come, but an Aiyuk release would leave San Francisco in need of another notable WR commitment this spring. Without him in the fold, the team ranks second in the league in passing offense so far this season.

A return to the lineup for the 7-4 49ers at any point would be welcomed given the impact Aiyuk – who topped 1,000 yards in 2022 and ’23, totaling 15 touchdowns in that span – could make on the field. It is clear no certainty exists on that front, however, and the team has obviously been preparing for a split since the summer. This will remain a key San Francisco storyline for the foreseeable future while a potential release approaches.

Colts’ Alec Pierce In Line For Strong Market

November 23rd, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Entering the 2025 season, Alec Pierce appeared to be in line for a departure once his rookie contract expired. A new Colts deal is now something to watch for, though.

Indianapolis’ 9-2 start to the season has included a stronger-than-expected showing on offense. Pierce has played a major role in that regard, with the vertical threat showcasing a more varied receiver skillset along the way. As a pending free agent, his play down the stretch will be worth watching closely.

The Colts included Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner trade. As a result, retaining Pierce for 2026 and beyond would now be more feasible. The 25-year-old is currently on track to be one of the most in-demand wideouts on the open market given his performances to date this season. No thought is currently being given – at least publicly – to Pierce’s financial situation, however.

“All that’s on my mind is winning games, winning the division, get in the playoffs, make it to the Super Bowl,” the former second-rounder said when asked about a potential extension (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star).

As Erickson notes, the Colts have a history of working out big-money deals during a season. He writes it is therefore “not out of the question” a new Pierce accord could be agreed to before the end of the campaign. Doing so would prevent the Cincinnati product from testing free agency during his first opportunity to do so.

Erickson echoes a previous report that $20MM per year could represent the floor for a Pierce extension. The team’s skill-position group is led by fellow receiver Michael Pittman Jr., whose 2024 extension averages $23.33MM annually. Tight end Tyler Warren has impressed during his rookie season, but no long-term deal in his case will be possible until after the 2027 campaign. Running back Jonathan Taylor is under contract for next year, although without any of his base salary guaranteed he could be on the list of targets for an extension in the near future.

Of course, Indianapolis’ financial planning will revolve in large part on quarterback Daniel Jones. A major raise is in store in that case, and the Colts are expected to make a long-term commitment. Regardless of what happens on that front, Pierce – who is once again leading the league in yards per catch (20.9) – remains on track for a lucrative second contract. It will be interesting to see if team and player pursue an agreement soon or elect to wait until the spring.

Chiefs Unlikely To Retain CB Jaylen Watson

November 23rd, 2025 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson is not a household name, but he has established himself as a quality starter and has become an important piece of Kansas City’s stout defense. Watson’s success with the AFC powerhouse may lead the impending free agent elsewhere in the offseason, according to ESPN’s Nate Taylor.

The Chiefs selected Watson in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, and he operated in a rotational capacity during his first two years in the pros. The club’s trade of L’Jarius Sneed in March 2024 opened up more playing time for Watson, who started the first six games of the 2024 slate before a fractured fibula and tibia put a premature end to his regular season (though he did return in time for KC’s playoff run). This season, he has remained an every-down corner along with Trent McDuffie, and he presently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best CB out of 108 qualified players (just five spots behind McDuffie).

Kansas City moved Sneed in a tag-and-trade maneuver rather than authorize a lucrative extension for him – a wise decision, in hindsight – and Taylor believes the team will allow Watson to simply hit the open market. That is not reflective of the Chiefs’ view of Watson; it is simply a matter of resource allocation. Taylor reports the club will prioritize an extension for McDuffie, a 2023 First Team All-Pro who is reportedly seeking a market-topping contract, and a mega-deal for McDuffie may preclude a Watson re-up.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler likewise suggests McDuffie’s contract situation could force Watson out of Missouri. Watson, who checks in at No. 15 on ESPN’s most recent list of the league’s top 25 players slated for free agency in 2026, has generated some buzz around the league, per Fowler. One AFC executive told the ESPN scribe that Watson will “have a nice market” and “could surprise some people.”

Watson, 27, likely will not come close to the top of the cornerback market, which now includes two players at or above the $30MM/year threshold (McDuffie could join that group in short order). However, the Ventura College and Washington State product should land a deal featuring an eight-figure annual average, and his earning power will be bolstered by his ability to succeed both in press coverage and in zone.

One of GM Brett Veach’s Day 3 success stories, Watson has compiled 42 total tackles, four passes defensed, an interception, and a sack through ten games in 2025.

Bengals’ Duke Tobin On Hot Seat?

November 23rd, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Rory Parks

Duke Tobin has served as the Bengals‘ director of player personnel and de facto general manager since 2002. Despite his lengthy tenure, Tobin’s job security may be in doubt.

Per Mike Jones of The Athletic (subscription required), league insiders are questioning whether team owner Mike Brown will keep his top lieutenant in the fold. After all, the 3-7 Bengals are just two losses away from clinching a losing season and, barring a miraculous turn of events, will miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

Of course, Cincinnati’s difficulties since the club advanced to the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 2022 campaign can largely be attributed to quarterback Joe Burrow’s health concerns. The star passer played in just 10 games in 2023 and has appeared in just two contests this year, and any team that loses its QB1 for long stretches of time – especially a player of Burrow’s caliber – is going to struggle.

But Burrow played a full complement of games last year, and the Bengals still failed to qualify for the postseason (Burrow finished fourth in MVP voting and may have fared better in that regard if Cincy had cracked the playoff field). The culprit for 2024’s failures was not Burrow’s health, it was the defense, which surrendered the eighth-most yards and the eighth-most points per game.

This year, the defense has performed even more poorly. The Bengals are dead last in total defense and scoring defense, so although 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco has kept the offense in decent shape after Jake Browning faltered in relief of Burrow – Cincy is averaging 28.6 points per game and 385.6 yards per game during Flacco’s five games at the controls – the team has just one win since Burrow went down.

Earlier this year, Tobin conceded he tried to keep the defensive core of the roster that advanced to Super Bowl LVI intact for a bit too long, which he believed was a factor in the unit’s 2024 struggles. In order to address last season’s deficiencies, Tobin devoted three of his first four picks in the 2025 draft to the defensive side of the ball, including first-round selection Shemar Stewart and second-rounder Demetrius Knight. 

Unfortunately, Stewart has appeared in only five games due to injury, and he generally has failed to impress when he has been on the field (Knight has also failed to live up to expectations in his rookie season). The team’s handling of Stewart’s and Trey Hendrickson’s contract situations have invited outside scrutiny, though Brown surely had a hand in those matters and may not hold them against Tobin. 

What will work against the 55-year-old exec is his recent inability to hit on defensive players in the draft. Those shortcomings have undermined DC Al Golden’s efforts in his first year in charge of the Bengals’ defense and have made the decision to fire Lou Anarumo in favor of Golden look like a poor one.

On the other hand, some rival executives believe Burrow’s injury and Brown’s frugality will give Tobin a reprieve and another chance to return the team to contention in 2026. Until Brown formally confirms as much, Tobin’s future in the Queen City will remain a talking point.

Seahawks, S Coby Bryant Held Extension Talks Before Season; RB Kenneth Walker Not In Team’s Future Plans?

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:47am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks engaged in extension talks with safety Coby Bryant before the 2025 season got underway, as ESPN’s Brady Henderson reports. There was too much of a gap to bridge in those discussions, but Henderson expects the parties to return to the negotiating table before free agency opens in March 2026.

Bryant, 26, was a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 and is therefore playing out the final year of his rookie deal. He is making a strong case for a notable second contract, appearing in a career-high 98% of Seattle’s defensive snaps this season and earning a 69.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which places him as the site’s 27th-best safety out of 93 qualifiers. He has added two interceptions and five passes defensed.

After spending most of his first two professional seasons in the slot, Bryant has become a starting safety, though he still sees action at nickel and in the box. Clearly, the team and head coach Mike Macdonald want to continue their relationship with Bryant, and their push for an extension may be informed at least in part by other contract situations on the roster.

As Henderson observes, a number of defensive backs are eligible for free agency in the upcoming offseason, including corners Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe, and Derion Kendrick, and Bryant’s primary running mate at safety, Ty Okada. While the 7-3 ‘Hawks ultimately elected to keep Woolen and outside linebacker (and fellow 2026 FA) Boye Mafe through this month’s trade deadline, it sounds as if the club is prioritizing a re-up for Bryant.

Indeed, Henderson confirms prior reports suggesting Mafe is not in Seattle’s long-term plans, and he says the same is true of RB Kenneth Walker. Walker and Zach Charbonnet have largely shared the workload in the Seahawks’ offensive backfield in 2025, with Walker seeing 136 carries to Charbonnet’s 105. 

From a raw statistics perspective, Walker has been more effective, as his 4.5 yards-per-carry average is considerably higher than Charbonnet’s 3.3 mark (Walker is also PFF’s highest-rated running back as of the time of this writing). Additionally, Walker has not exhibited any ill effects from the injuries that cost him six games last year.

On the other hand, Pro Football Reference has assigned Charbonnet a slightly higher success rate (44.8%, compared to Walker’s 44.1%), and Charbonnet flashed both as a runner and a receiver in his first two NFL seasons. He is under club control through 2026, whereas Walker is eligible for free agency (and a considerable raise) in March. Perhaps GM John Schneider simply does not want to give a second contract to a running back at this point.

Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Focused on ‘Safety’ Over Pain Management; QB To Miss Week 12

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:03am CST by Nikhil Mehta

NOVEMBER 23: Rodgers will not play against Chicago in Week 12, per Rapoport and NFL Network colleague Tom Pelissero. The duo expected Pittsburgh’s QB1 to suit up againt Buffalo in Week 13.

NOVEMBER 22: Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a limited practice participant on Thursday and Friday and is listed as questionable on the official injury report for Sunday’s game against the Bears. He has been dealing with a fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist.

Rodgers said on Wednesday (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) that his priority is “safety” rather than pain management, suggesting that he is more concerned about sustaining additional damage to his wrist than he is about playing through discomfort. That said, Rodgers has been pushing to play, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports team doctors are taking a more cautious approach. The 41-year-old passer was seen wearing protective gear on his left wrist during practice this week, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Rodgers believes he can adequately protect himself in a game situation.

When asked about a more specific timeline for making a decision, Rodgers deferred to head coach Mike Tomlin.

Mason Rudolph will start on Sunday if Rodgers cannot go. The six-year veteran had two brief relief appearances earlier this season and an extended showing in Week 11 after Rodgers’ injury. Rudolph played well to close out a win over the Bengals, completing 12 of his 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, though that did come against the worst defense in the NFL.

The Bears have a bottom-10 defense and rank 30th with 6.2 yards per play allowed, but they lead the league with 22 takeaways. That sets up a somewhat simple challenge for Rudolph: take care of the football. In Chicago’s seven wins, they have forced 20 turnovers; in their three losses, they have forced just one.

If Rodgers does not play on Sunday, he seems trending towards a return in Week 13 against the Bills in a matchup that could have significant implications for AFC playoff seedings.

Jets Want To Retain Breece Hall; RB Expected To Have Strong FA Market

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding Jets running back Breece Hall in the offseason and before the trade deadline. At one point, it appeared 2025 would be Hall’s last season with Gang Green, but the club’s refusal to deal him for anything less than a third-rounder leads ESPN’s Rich Cimini to believe the Jets want to retain the Iowa State product.

It is not hard to see why. Hall, whose 2023-24 form was not on the same level as his dynamic but injury-shortened rookie campaign in 2022, is looking like his old self. He has maintained a robust 4.8 yards-per-carry rate on 152 totes in 2025, and thanks to his dual-threat capabilities, he is averaging nearly 95 scrimmage yards per game.

As such, a number of personnel evaluators tell ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the four-year, $48MM contract the Packers authorized for Josh Jacobs in the 2024 offseason is a reasonable comp for Hall (though it should be noted that Jacobs’ pact includes a team-friendly guarantee structure). Cimini believes Hall will indeed be seeking a deal paying him between $10MM-$12MM annually, and given the interest he garnered from other clubs at the deadline, it appears he will have a strong market.

The Jets could, of course, make him off-limits with a franchise tag that is estimated to be worth about $14MM, and New York may be forced to go that route to keep the 24-year-old RB on the roster. Although Hall refuted prior reports suggesting he requested a trade, he neither confirmed nor denied whether he would have welcomed one. In light of the Jets’ ongoing struggles and the trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams that portend a rebuild, Hall may prefer to join a team closer to contention.

New York does have two recent RB draftees under club control for the next two seasons in 2024 fourth-rounder Braelon Allen and 2024 fifth-rounder Isaiah Davis. Allen, currently on injured reserve with a knee injury, has posted a subpar 3.7 YPC rate across 110 rushes at the NFL level, while Davis has shown more juice, with a stellar 5.8 YPC average (albeit on just 52 career carries).

Even with Allen, Davis, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the mix, the Jets need all the skill-position help they can get, especially if they have a rookie quarterback lining up under center in 2026.

Saints Waive Brandin Cooks; Latest On WR’s Contract Restructure

November 23rd, 2025 at 8:12am CST by Rory Parks

The Saints have officially put veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on waivers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio passes along a few of the “contractual technicalities” that were referenced in prior reporting on Cooks’ impending departure, technicalities which held up the transaction.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football had reported that Cooks negotiated his contract downward to facilitate his exit, which appears to be true to a degree. Per Florio, the 32-year-old wideout gave up his right to $420K in termination pay, which will not be offset by the salary an acquiring team will have to give him.

In exchange, the team that originally drafted Cooks increased his guaranteed pay for 2026 – the final year of the two-year pact he signed this offseason – from $1.69MM to $5.94MM. A team claiming Cooks off waivers would have to absorb his contract, so bumping up the guaranteed money on the deal makes it more likely he will pass through waivers unclaimed, thus making him a free agent and therefore able to sign with any team he wants (read: a playoff contender).

Of course, the perennially cap-strapped Saints would not willingly put themselves on the hook for more money for a player they are trying to remove from the roster, so the revised contract also created a window for New Orleans to cut Cooks in a way that absolves the team of its 2026 obligation to him. The problem, according to Florio, is that league rules specifically prohibit a team from modifying a contract to deter a waiver claim, which is precisely what the Saints have done.

However, it presently appears as if the NFL is allowing the waiver process to move forward. One high-ranking official with another club expressed shock at the league’s willingness to do so, and the NFL has not responded to Florio’s request for comment or clarification.

Absent some sort of about-face on the league’s part, it looks like Cooks and the Saints will achieve their desired outcome and Cooks will soon hit the open market. As our Connor Byrne noted in the story linked above, a number of contending teams – including the Bills, Broncos, and Steelers – were in the hunt for a receiver at the trade deadline but were unable to land one. They are among the clubs that could show interest in Cooks if he does, in fact, become an FA.

The former first-round pick has 19 catches for 165 scoreless yards in 2025.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. To Miss Start Of 2026 Season?

November 22nd, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Connor Byrne

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s season ended last week when he suffered a partially torn left ACL in a loss to the Panthers. It’s possible the recovery process will take long enough to jeopardize Penix’s availability for the beginning of the 2026 campaign, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.

Penix will undergo surgery “sooner than later,” head coach Raheem Morris said this week. Morris also expressed optimism that Penix will be ready for Week 1 next season, but he added “that’s a guestimation by me, not medical information.”

It’s doubtful that Penix will be a full participant in the Falcons’ offseason program, according to Kendall. That could decrease his chances of taking the field in the Falcons’ 2026 season opener, which would throw a wrench into Morris’ plans.

If Penix isn’t ready at the outset of next year, it’s unclear who will take the reins for the Falcons. Kirk Cousins will finish this season as the Falcons’ starter, but his time in Atlanta could end soon after that.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $160MM contract with $90MM fully guaranteed a little over a month before drafting Penix eighth overall in 2024. The decision to splurge on the former Washington and Minnesota starter has blown up in Atlanta’s face. Cousins performed poorly enough last year that Morris demoted him in favor of Penix in Week 15. Penix kept the starting job until his injury, leaving Cousins as a ridiculously overpriced backup since last December.

Cousins still has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s due to count an untenable $57.5MM against the Falcons’ salary cap in both 2026 and ’27. An offseason release seems likely. Cutting Cousins would allow the Falcons to spread a much more manageable $35MM hit over the next two seasons, Kendall notes.

Moving on from Cousins with Penix recovering from surgery would put the Falcons in the market for QB insurance during the offseason. They’ll likely consider various free agent and trade options. The Falcons could also draft someone, but it would have to come after the first round. They’re not in position to use another Round 1 selection on a signal-caller until 2027, having traded their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams at last year’s draft. With the Falcons off to a 3-7 start, that pick could wind up in the top 10.

In a best-case scenario for the Falcons, a healthy Penix will establish himself as a franchise passer next season. However, it’s concerning that the 25-year-old carries a lengthy injury history, including two right ACL tears in college. He also hasn’t offered high-level production over his first 12 starts in the NFL. The Falcons have gone 4-8 with Penix at the controls. It’s too soon to write Penix off, but the Falcons will have to come up with an effective backup plan this offseason in the wake of his latest injury.

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