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Panthers Hope To Open RG Robert Hunt’s Practice Window Soon

December 14th, 2025 at 8:35am CST by Rory Parks

The 7-6 Panthers find themselves at the top of the NFC South standings, a half-game ahead of the spiraling Bucs. As it pushes for a division title, Carolina hopes to have Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt back for at least a portion of the stretch run.

Hunt, one of the Panthers’ two big-ticket free agent investments at the guard position in 2024, sustained a torn biceps in Week 2 and has been on injured reserve ever since. Earlier this week, head coach Dave Canales expressed his hope that the club will be able to open Hunt’s 21-day practice window before the end of the regular season (via Joe Person of The Athletic).

A better run-blocker than pass-blocker, Hunt’s return would add further support to an offense that has produced the 10th-most rushing yards per game in 2025. The two-headed attack of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard has buoyed an offense that has failed to generate much production through the air, though third-year quarterback Bryce Young has led four fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives this season.

Hunt, 29, was limited to 11 games due to injury during his platform year with the Dolphins in 2023, but he had otherwise been durable since Miami made him a second-round pick in 2020. In his absence, a number of players have been shuffled through the right guard slot.

Third-year pro Chandler Zavala relieved Hunt in Week 2 and started at RG in Weeks 3 and 4. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury in the Week 4 contest and landed on IR himself. Brady Christensen was the next man up and started four games before a torn Achilles brought a premature end to his 2025 campaign.

In his return to action in Week 9, Zavala sustained an elbow injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the game. He was replaced by Jake Curhan, and then Austin Corbett lined up at RG for Week 10.

That was the first ime Corbett had taken snaps at right guard since 2023, and it did not go well. He was relegated to the bench in Week 11, and Zavala again took the right guard reins. He managed to make it through that game unscathed, but a calf injury sustained during the Panthers’ Week 12 loss to the 49ers forced Curhan back onto the field. Curhan went on to start in Week 13 and played every offensive snap in an upset victory over the Rams.

Now, fresh off their Week 14 bye, the Panthers are giving Corbett another shot at right guard in Week 15 (via Person). The 30-year-old blocker beat out Cade Mays for the starting center job this summer, but Corbett suffered an MCL injury in Week 2 and joined Hunt on IR after that game. That allowed Mays to take over at the pivot, and the impending free agent has played himself into consideration for a second contract with Carolina.

In light of all of the above-referenced injuries, it is perhaps not surprising that Mays also missed each of the last two games with an ankle injury. He has been cleared for Week 15, and he will start on Sunday, with Corbett lined up to his right.

49ers Place WR Brandon Aiyuk On Reserve/Left Squad List

December 13th, 2025 at 10:37pm CST by Ely Allen

If there were any chance at reconciliation between the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk before today, it’s likely gone now. Today, San Francisco placed the former first-round pick on the reserve/left squad list, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. As a result, he will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season, making an offseason departure all the more likely.

Aiyuk hasn’t played since tearing his right ACL, MCL, and meniscus in Week 7 of 2024. The injury came a couple of months after he signed a four-year, $120MM extension with the 49ers. The relationship between the two sides has fallen apart since then.

Aiyuk didn’t attend offseason appointments to rehab his knee in the offseason, leading the 49ers to void his 2026 guarantees last July. And while Aiyuk had a 50-day window to file a grievance through the NFLPA, he didn’t take any action during that span. He lost out on over $26MM as a result.

Still recovering from last year’s injury, Aiyuk spent the season on the reserve/PUP list before today. Earlier this month, general manager John Lynch expressed hope that the team would open Aiyuk’s practice window at some point soon. Doing so would have given the playoff-contending 49ers 21 days to evaluate Aiyuk. That will not happen, though, and this will go down as a lost season for Aiyuk.

The placement on reserve/left squad list is a unique one, usually reserved for players who plan to retire or quit on their team. In addition to all of the money Aiyuk has already lost throughout this season-long saga, Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com claims that the 49ers may be allowed to go after Aiyuk’s signing and option bonus money in the wake of how things have now played out.

There was already plenty of speculation that Aiyuk’s time in the Bay Area was coming to an end, but this all but confirms it. Whether through offseason trade or an outright release, it’s just hard to picture Aiyuk playing in red and gold again.

In addition to the transaction that effectively ended Aiyuk’s tenure in San Francisco, the 49ers also announced that linebacker Jalen Graham and defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez would serve as standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s game. This will be Graham’s third and final elevation of the season. If the team wants to see him play in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Falcons Owner Arthur Blank To Evaluate Atlanta’s Football Ops For Rest Of Season

December 13th, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After another disappointing year from the Falcons, major changes could be coming in Atlanta this offseason.

Owner and chairman Arthur Blank will spend the rest of the season evaluating the team’s football operations, including head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Falcons were already eliminated from the playoffs before their Kyle Pitts-driven win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night. However, their Week 14 loss to the Seahawks locked in their eighth losing season in a row. Atlanta finished with an 8-9 record in 2024, their first year under Morris, but the team’s lack of improvements this year have raised doubt about his future. The same is true of Fontenot, who is in his fifth year as GM without much year-to-year progress.

Of the two, Fontenot feels more likely to leave Atlanta this offseason. He has struggled to find starters in the draft and does not have a strong record outside of the first round, though he has built a strong offensive line over the years. Fontenot also drove the Falcons’ controversial quarterback moves in the 2024 offseason. He signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $160MM deal with $90MM fully guaranteed and drafted Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick less than two months later.

Individually, both decisions were questionable, but together, they set up a difficult dynamic in Atlanta. Cousins was surprised by the Penix pick, which immediately put a clock on his time with the Falcons. The veteran quarterback played well to start the 2024 season, but a rough stretch of five games in the second half inspired an earlier-than-expected transition to the rookie. Penix showed some flashes in his three starts and entered 2025 as the clear starter while Cousins attempted to force an offseason move out of Atlanta.

Fontenot then made another controversial decision in the 2025 draft by trading up from the second round to select edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the 26th overall pick despite already adding Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall. He gave up a bevy of picks in the deal, including second- and third-rounders in 2025 and a first in 2026, which could be a top-10 pick.

Morris has not led the Falcons to the immediate success for which Blank was likely hoping, but his team has been decimated by injuries this season, especially on offense. Right tackle Kaleb McGary suffered a leg injury in training camp that knocked out the left-handed Penix’s blind side blocker for the entire season. Penix then went down with a season-ending injury after nine starts, and Drake London has missed multiple games, too.

The Falcons had a decent start to the year with a 3-2 record on the back of a defense that didn’t allow more than 300 yards of total offense in that five-game span. Atlanta then lost five straight, a stretch that included some rough defensive showings and ended with Penix’s injury. The result was a season that fell well short of Blank’s expectations and will spur plenty of conversations in Atlanta about the futures of Morris and Fontenot. Giving Morris another year to see what he can do with a healthier roster makes sense, but Blank may be running out of patience with Fontenot’s inability to build a competitive roster.

Top QB Prospect LaNorris Sellers To Return To South Carolina In 2026

December 13th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, one of the top draft-eligible college quarterbacks, will return to school for the 2026 college football season, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Sellers reached an agreement on an NIL deal with the school for his redshirt junior year that will keep him in Columbus – and out of the NFL – for at least one more year. He was viewed as one of the top quarterbacks eligible for the 2026 draft; now, he will likely join what is considered to be a loaded 2027 class.

Sellers, 20, is a two-year starter who burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2024. He dazzled with his dual-threat capabilities and earned plenty of recognition at the end of the season, including SEC Freshman of the Year, third-team All-SEC, and Freshman All-American honors. That positioned him as one of the top prospects to watch in 2025, but he regressed statistically and raised concerns about his readiness for the pros.

Though many early draft rankings – including those from Pro Football Focus, The Athletic, and multiple ESPN analysts – ranked Sellers as a top-five quarterback prospect in the 2026 class, some scouts and league insiders believe he would benefit from another year in college. Apparently, Sellers and his team at Equity Sports agree.

With the growing payouts of NIL deals, Sellers can continue to make money as a college quarterback while improving his perception in the NFL. Right now, he could be taken late in the first round or sometime on Day 2, but improving his stock could make him a surefire first-rounder and a potential top-10 pick, which could mean a difference of tens of millions of dollars on his rookie contract.

However, there is risk in Sellers’ decision. If he does not take a step forward next year, teams may hesitate to use a top draft pick on a quarterback who has not demonstrated the ability to develop from one season to the next.

As a result, 2026 will be crucial for Sellers’ ability to stand out among the rest of the 2027 quarterback class and raise his draft slot and earning potential.

Giants HC Rumors: Hafley, Freeman, OCs

December 13th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Connor Byrne

At 2-11 and in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Giants will likely bring in a new head coach from outside the organization in the next couple of months. Interim choice Mike Kafka, who replaced the fired Brian Daboll a little over a month ago, seems like a long shot for a full-time promotion. Now coming off their bye, Kafka’s Giants have gone 0-3, including a blowout loss to the Patriots in Week 13.

General manager Joe Schoen is leading New York’s head coaching search. After hiring Daboll in 2022, he’s in line to pick his second head coach despite a 20-43-1 record as the team’s GM. Schoen doesn’t expect his presence to push away candidates, though there’s some disagreement about that around the league, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post details.

With Schoen only under contract through 2026, an NFC assistant coach told Dunleavy: “The biggest deterrent to taking that job is a lame-duck GM. If you’re signing a five-year deal to become the head coach, you’d like to know that you can develop a vision for your program with a GM that’s aligned the same way. But if the GM is in win-now mode and you need time to bring in scheme-specific talent, that will not mesh very well.”

On the other hand, a different assistant who could receive head coaching interviews told Dunleavy: “Joe’s well respected around the league. It’s not going to be a deterrent. When you look at the quarterback and the game-changers they have, it’s going to be one of the more attractive jobs.”

First-round rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers, left tackle Andrew Thomas, and a talented group of pass rushers are among the reasons many consider the Giants’ position enticing. That group may appeal to Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who’s the “heavy favorite” to land the job, according to Conor Orr of SI.com. The 46-year-old New Jersey native would be a first-time NFL head coach, but he did take Boston College to two bowl games from 2020-23. Green Bay’s enjoying its second straight year as one of the league’s most effective defenses under his tutelage.

Hafley went 22-26 at Boston College. One of his losses came at the hands of a Marcus Freeman-led Notre Dame squad. Freeman, who came up as a speculative Giants candidate last month, is indeed on the team’s list, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Although Notre Dame’s season ended without a playoff berth, the Fighting Irish finished 10-2. They’re 43-12 since Freeman succeeded Brian Kelly in late 2021.

Freeman is under contract through 2030 on a lucrative extension, but Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua realizes there’s outside interest in the 39-year-old.

“Everybody has eyes on Marcus,” Bevacqua said (via Adam Rittenberg of ESPN). “College has eyes on Marcus; NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. … He’s the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop, one of the greatest college coaches in the country.”

To better its chances of keeping Freeman, Notre Dame will revise his contract on an annual basis, Bevacqua revealed. Doing so will keep Freeman among the nation’s highest-paid coaches.

Aside from Hafley, Freeman, and Colts DC Lou Anarumo (previously reported), Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak are also on the Giants’ radar, according to Russini.

Kingsbury is the only member of the quintet with previous head coaching experience in the pros. The Cardinals went 28-37-1 under him from 2019-22. Kingsbury helped quarterback Kyler Murray to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowls during that span. Murray hasn’t revisited that form since. Kingsbury also guided the Cardinals to an 11-6 record in 2021. That stands as their only playoff season of the past decade.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may join Kingsbury as an experienced possibility for the Giants. The Browns aren’t expected to fire the two-time Coach of the Year, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes, though he contends it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants trade for Stefanski.

It’s unclear what the Giants would have to give up for Stefanski, who would be part of the league’s eighth head coach trade since 1997 in this scenario. The most recent deal came when the Broncos dealt a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder to the Saints for Sean Payton and a 2024 third-rounder in February 2023. The Giants aren’t in position to surrender that type of compensation for Stefanski, but it appears he’s another name to keep an eye on during their high-profile search.

Ravens, DT Travis Jones Agree To Extension

December 13th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 12: Jones secured a signing bonus worth just over $9MM, as detailed by Over the Cap. His guarantee figure includes his $1.22MM base salary for next season and a $6.5MM option bonus. Jones’ cap hit will spike to $16.35MM in 2027 and remain the same the following year. A $1MM roster bonus is due on the fifth day of the league year in 2028.

DECEMBER 11: Travis Jones loomed as one of the Ravens’ top pending free agents for 2026. The fourth-year defensive tackle will not be reaching the open market, however.

Jones and the Ravens have agreed to a three-year extension, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. As a result, Jones will be under contract through the 2028 campaign. This news – which is now official, per a team announcement – means one of the league’s top pending free agents at the position will not become available in March.

The Jones pact is worth $40.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That works out to an average annual value of $13.5MM, a sharp increase in the former third-rounder’s compensation compared to his rookie contract. Given the nature of the DT market, however, this deal will be viewed as a team-friendly one provided Jones can maintain his current level of play against the run. Jones will receive $25MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds.

A rotational presence during his first two seasons in the NFL, Jones became a starter in 2023. The 26-year-old set a new career high with 42 tackles last year, a figure he has a strong chance of surpassing this campaign. Jones has only posted five sacks and 21 quarterback pressures to date in his career, and as such expectations will remain low regarding his future production against the pass. Still, his run-stopping presence will be welcomed in Baltimore for years to come.

The context leading up to this agreement helps explain its timing. As Zrebiec notes, a CBA issue meant Jones had actually been on track for restricted free agency this spring with one of his previous seasons not accruing for contract purposes. A grievance was filed on his behalf by the NFLPA, with a hearing scheduled for today. The outcome of that process would have determined Jones’ future regarding his free agent status. Being an RFA would have likely set him up for a second-round tender only covering the 2026 season.

Instead, that has now become a moot point. Negotiations between the Ravens and Jones’ agent prior to the hearing finalized this agreement, one which will ensure stability along the defensive interior for the foreseeable future. This extension comes amidst questions regarding fellow defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike‘s status. The All-Pro landed on IR in September due to a neck injury, and it was learned shortly thereafter that he would not return this season. Madubuike is on the books through 2027 on a pact averaging $24.5MM per season, so his recovery outlook will be critical moving forward.

In any case, Jones’ future is no longer in doubt. The UConn product was one of several pending free agents whom the Ravens viewed as high priorities for new deals. Another was tight end Mark Andrews, and team and player recently worked out a three-year deal in that case as well. As the 6-7 Ravens continue to push for top spot in the AFC North, it will be interesting to see if other agreements such as this one wind up being finalized prior to free agency.

Seahawks Activate C Jalen Sundell, TE Eric Saubert From IR

December 13th, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jalen Sundell has been sidelined for the Seahawks during each of the team’s past four games. Seattle’s starting center will be available for Week 15, however.

Sundell has been activated from injured reserve. The 26-year-old suffered a knee injury, prompting his shift to IR. Encouragingly, though, he has managed to recover after missing the minimum number of games.

On Monday, it became clear Sundell would return to practice this week. With no setbacks having been encountered, he will be in the lineup tomorrow against the Colts. It remains to be seen if the former UDFA will immediately reprise his role at center, the position he earned during training camp. Head coach Mike Macdonald declined to say how Sundell would be handled upon activation.

Olu Oluwatimi has served as the Seahawks’ starting center since Sundell went down. With both now healthy, Macdonald will need to decide to move Oluwatimi back to the bench or contemplate playing Sundell at right guard. Taking the latter route would see Anthony Bradford lose his first-team spot.

In any case, the Seahawks will have healthy depth up front for the closing stages of the campaign. At the tight end position, meanwhile, Eric Saubert is back in the fold. The journeyman has also been activated from IR on the day he and the team agreed to a one-year contract extension. Saubert has played a rotational role as a run blocking presence this season, but with rookie Elijah Arroyo now on IR himself, he could see a slight uptick in usage for a brief stint.

At 10-3, Seattle is still in contention to land the top seed in the NFC. The team now has two IR activations remaining for the stretch run of the regular season.

Colts Expect Daniel Jones To Recover From Achilles Tear By Training Camp

December 13th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

On Tuesday of this week, Daniel Jones underwent surgery on the Achilles tear which brought an early end to his 2025 season. A recovery timeline has now emerged for the pending free agent.

The Colts expect Jones to be sidelined for a period of six to eight months, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That is notably shorter than the standard recovery timeframe in the case of Achilles tears. If it holds true, however, Jones will meet the team’s target of receiving clearance in time for training camp next summer.

Of course, it remains to be seen if Indianapolis will still have Jones in place by that point. The former No. 6 pick inked a one-year free agent deal and took on starting duties for 2025. Largely speaking, things went far better than anyone expected and the Colts were 7-1 at one point this season. A drop in play on the part of the team occurred when Jones also attempted to play through a fracture in his fibula prior to suffering his Achilles tear.

That injury cast doubt on whether or not a new Colts pact will be agreed to during the coming offseason. As Schefter and colleague Stephen Holder note, though, the team expects to retain Jones for at least 2026. Per Holder, the timeline in place for the 28-year-old is likely to inform Indy’s plans at the quarterback position this spring. No talks on a new contract had taken place prior to Jones going down but will commence this offseason, per Schefter.

A new Colts pact would certainly not come as a surprise, but the structure of such a contract will no doubt be impacted by the injury. That leaves Jones’ financial future as a major storyline around the NFL leading up to a free agent period set to be devoid of other established starters (or at least those who are not approaching the tail end of their careers). Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard are also in place, but they are now viewed as QB1 options for the Colts at this point.

With Jones sidelined, Richardson on IR and Leonard dealing with a PCL sprain suffered in Week 14, it will be Philip Rivers leading the offense tomorrow. Indianapolis (8-5) is currently outside of the playoff picture, and Rivers could be counted on to handle starting duties the rest of the way. After the season, attention will turn to Jones and his ability to meet a loft recovery target.

Seahawks, Eric Saubert Agree To Extension

December 13th, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Eric Saubert‘s tenure in Seattle will continue beyond the closing stages of the season. The veteran tight end has agreed to a Seahawks extension, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.

This is a one-year deal, per Schultz. Saubert was on track for free agency this spring, but that will no longer be the case. Seattle is the eighth team Saubert has played for over the course of his career (and the 11th he has been a member of), and this news means it will be the third with which he has spent more than one year.

The Seahawks released Saubert in October. At that time, he was attached to a veteran salary benefit contract. Players on deals of that kind cannot receive in-season extensions, something which was a team goal in this case. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson explains, Seattle’s decision to immediately re-sign Saubert to a standard contract was based on the desire to keep him in place for 2026.

The Seahawks also have third-year tight end AJ Barner and second-round rookie Elijah Arroyo in place on the depth chart. Those two have combined to make 55 catches this season, and they will remain key elements of Seattle’s offense moving forward (although the latter has landed on IR). Saubert, as expected, has chipped in as a blocking presence when on the field. The 31-year-old has registered only one reception in seven games this season.

Nevertheless, Saubert has contributed on special teams in addition to his work as a run blocker. The former fifth-rounder will be tasked with continuing in that role through the end of this season but also into next year. With Barner and Arroyo attached to their rookie contracts, Saubert will round out a cost-effective TE trio through at least next season.

Giants Designate CB Art Green For Return From IR, Activate LB Darius Muasau

December 13th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 13: Green remains on IR at this point but Muasau has been activated, per a team announcement. That will allow him to return to action in Week 15.

DECEMBER 9: The Giants could have a pair of defenders back in the fold in time for their Week 15 game. Linebacker Darius Muasau and cornerback Art Green have been designated for return from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Muasau has been on IR for one month due to an ankle injury. Green, meanwhile, has been sidelined one week longer while recovering from a hamstring ailment. Both players now have up to 21 days to practice before they must be brought back onto the active roster.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

In the case of Muasau in particular, having him available for the closing stages of the season would be a welcomed development. The 2024 sixth-rounder made seven starts as a rookie, and he remained a first-team presence through the current campaign before being injured. Muasau has logged a 56% snap share in 2025, totaling 32 tackles and one sack in eight games. He will look to resume that level of production upon returning to action.

Bobby Okereke has remained a starter this season, his third in New York. Fellow linebacker Micah McFadden has not played since undergoing foot surgery in September, though, something which has created a vacancy in the Giants’ starting lineup. Muasau, 24, finishing strong would help his chances of securing his spot as a defensive regular for 2026.

Green will not be expected to see the field on defense when he returns. The former UDFA is also in his second season with New York, but he has strictly contributed on special teams to date. Having logged a snap share of 78% in that regard prior to his injury, Green will no doubt reprise his role as a key third phase presence once he is activated.

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