HEADLINES

DeMeco Ryans, Deshaun Watson Trade Fuel Texans’ Defensive Ascent

December 6th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year's AFC has presented one of the stranger collections of contenders in the conference's history. After the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens -- with some memorable Bengals involvement -- controlled Super Bowl paths since Tom Brady's last stand in New England, the Patriots and Broncos' two-loss ledgers ruling the day remains odd. The 2025 Bills have glaring weaknesses, and the Chiefs' close-game mojo has faded. The Ravens are far from certain to be part of this season's seven-team field.

As Kansas City and Baltimore struggle to stay afloat and Buffalo faces the prospect of needing its road whites for the wild-card round for the first time since 2019, the other constant from the past two divisional-round weekends is surging. The Texans started 0-3; this Houston edition is attempting to become the first 0-3 team to book a playoff berth since the franchise's 2018 squad did so.

Plenty went down between the Deshaun Watson-directed efforts in the late 2010s and DeMeco Ryans' arrival, as the team reminded of the Astros as a Houston club bottoming out before reemerging with a trove of assets. While the now-controversial MLB team capitalized on a then-lottery-less draft system to nab prime draft picks, the Texans did the same and cashed in Watson for a historic bounty. This two-front effort helped the Texans recover from a rough ending to Bill O'Brien's short but memorable HC/GM overlap.

This Texans iteration sits 7-5, having won four straight -- three of which without C.J. Stroud -- and has moved to within a game of the AFC South lead. Although the Jaguars and Colts sit 8-4, the Texans' snarling defense represents a tool the Jaguars lack. The Texans beating the high-powered Colts offense in Indianapolis brought a strength-on-strength triumph for the resurgent visitors. With the Texans leading the NFL in scoring defense, yards allowed and EPA per play -- ahead of a pivotal game against the Chiefs -- it is a good time to examine how this unit came to be.

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Steelers Face Decision On HC Mike Tomlin’s 2027 Option

December 6th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers’ Week 13 loss sparked a new round of debates about head coach Mike Tomlin and his job security. No changes on the sidelines are imminent, but an important decision on his future will be coming after the season.

Tomlin is under contract through 2026, and the Steelers have a team option for the following year. A firing will not take place before the end of the current campaign, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports to no surprise. He adds, however, a decision on the option will need to be made before March 1.

For several years now, questions have been raised about Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh. The team has regularly worked out two-year extensions in alternating offseasons and by doing so avoided a lame-duck situation. That would of course be the case entering 2026 if the Steelers were to decline the option, though. Barring a long-term commitment, this situation is set to once again be a major talking point during the head coach hiring cycle.

This past June, it became clear Tomlin was not on the hot seat despite a drought for playoff success dating back to 2016. Shortly thereafter, a report confirmed this is being handled as a year-to-year situation, with Tomlin’s hypothetical departure being seen as something which will only take place when he chooses to leave. The 53-year-old is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL and one of the league’s best compensated staffers.

The Steelers have opted for stability along the sidelines throughout their history. Only three head coaches (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin) have been in place since 1969. Tomlin is in his 19th season at the helm, moving him closer to Noll’s franchise record of 23 years. With the team sitting at 6-6, extending his streak of non-losing seasons is a distinct possibility.

Nevertheless, the Steelers face questions at the quarterback spot as they have since the waning stages of Ben Roethlisberger‘s career. A number of moves – via free agency, trade and the draft – have not yielded a long-term solution under center. That has not stopped Tomlin and the team from generally being successful on a consistent basis in the regular season, but the issue of sustained production on offense remains a sticking point. Matt Canada became a rare in-season OC firing in 2023, but his replacement (Arthur Smith) has guided the team to middling results in total offense before and after Aaron Rodgers‘ arrival.

Pittsburgh has invested heavily on defense in recent years, but in 2025 in particular things have not gone according to plan with respect to the unit. Tomlin’s influence on that side of the ball and his loyalty to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have increasingly become used as arguments against keeping him in the fold. On the other hand, owner Art Rooney II has not wavered in his support for Tomlin.

With that in mind, Rooney’s stance on the matter will be imperative when a decision on Tomlin’s future will be made. Winning the AFC North would certainly help the latter’s cause, although another one-and-done postseason would add further to the case against keeping him. Declining Tomlin’s option but retaining him for 2026 would make for an interesting situation to say the least.

A trade was raised as a possibility last offseason when the Bears showed interest in speaking with Tomlin. The Steelers denied Chicago’s request for a meeting, but in the event Pittsburgh were to decline the 2027 option Tomlin could look into the opportunity to move on. For now, such a scenario is strictly hypothetical. After the season, though, this situation will be one worth monitoring closely.

Poll: Who Will Win AFC South?

December 6th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Connor Byrne

As a back-to-back AFC South champion, Houston entered the 2025 season as the odds-on favorite to rule the division again. While few expected either the Jaguars or Colts to seriously contend, they’re ahead of the Texans entering Week 14. With the exception of the 1-11 Titans, who may be on their way to a second straight No. 1 overall pick, the AFC South is anyone’s to win with five games remaining.

Jacksonville and Indianapolis, both 8-4, will meet on Sunday with first place on the line. They’ll also square off in Week 17. The Texans (7-5) will go on the road to face the Chiefs (6-6) in something resembling a do-or-die game for the reigning conference champions. Having already beaten the Colts in Indianapolis last Sunday, the Texans will host them in a game that could decide the division or a playoff berth in Week 18. The Texans and Jaguars split their season series. They won’t see each other again unless they match up in the postseason.

The Colts have been atop the division for most of 2025, but they dropped to second place in Week 13. Thanks in part to an unexpected resurgence from quarterback Daniel Jones, a free agent addition who previously flamed out with the Giants, the Colts stormed to a 7-1 start. They held the No. 1 seed in the AFC at that point.

Acquiring star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets before the Nov. 4 deadline was supposed to bolster the Colts’ chances of at least winning the division. They’ve now lost three of four, though, and Gardner could miss multiple weeks with a calf strain. Jones is playing through a fibula injury, meanwhile, and league-leading rusher Jonathan Taylor is coming off back-to-back mediocre showings.

While the shine has come off the Colts in recent weeks, the Jaguars and Texans have surged. Despite losing prized first-round rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter to a season-ending knee injury in early November, the Jaguars have won three in a row. They’ve succeeded despite underwhelming numbers from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a major downturn in production from second-year receiver Brian Thomas.

The Texans have survived despite a significant injury to C.J. Stroud, who returned last week. The third-year signal-caller missed three full games with a concussion. The Texans went undefeated in that span under backup Davis Mills, who led a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback over the Jags in Week 10.

Mills’ heroics proved crucial against Jacksonville, but the Texans’ top-ranked defense is the main reason they’re still in the race. Winners of seven of nine and four straight, the Texans have a legitimate chance to become the latest team to rally for a playoff berth after starting 0-3. Only six, including the 2018 Texans, have done so since 1979.

Although Indianapolis is reeling while Jacksonville and Houston are trending up, the Colts are still slight favorites to conquer the South, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. At 41%, they’re narrowly edging out the Jaguars (40%) ahead of Sunday’s showdown. The Texans (19%) are a distant third.

How do you expect this three-team battle to play out over the final month of the season? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Titans Expected To Trade QB Will Levis

December 6th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans turned aside interest in the first overall pick last spring to select Cam Ward. He is set to handle starting quarterback duties for the foreseeable future, but it remains to be seen if Will Levis will remain in Tennessee for 2026.

Ward was of course widely expected to handle QB1 duties right away during his rookie season, but he did not spend training camp competing for the top spot on the depth chart. In late July, Levis underwent season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder. Provided he is fully healed in time for next year, the former second-rounder may find himself on a new team.

The Titans have a new front office in place compared to the one which drafted Levis. General manager Mike Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker will need to decide on keeping him in the fold or moving on. On that note, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports a “solid expectation” exists among those familiar with Borgonzi that the Titans will explore a Levis trade this offseason.

Drafted as the team’s Ryan Tannehill successor, Levis made a total of 21 starts across the 2023 and ’24 seasons. The Kentucky product did not develop as hoped, and it came as little surprise when Ward was drafted as his replacement. Levis’ rookie contract runs through 2026. Especially with the shoulder surgery taken into account, the return in any potential trade would be quite low.

As Robinson notes, the Titans’ preference for 2026 would be to insulate Ward with a veteran backup to aid in his Year 2 progression. Levis does not fit that description, and a fresh start would presumably be seen as rather feasible for the Borgonzi-Brinker duo. Recent years have produced several success stories in terms of quarterbacks seen as reclamation projects, and at the age of 26 Levis could be seen as one by a suitor willing to make a low-cost addition.

Of course, interested teams in this case will be cautious about Levis based on the status of his recovery. Provided his shoulder heals as planned, though, he could be a trade target this spring.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/25

December 6th, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Week 14 Sunday slate:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Dort becomes Arizona’s 26th placement on injures reserve this year. The Cardinals’ receiving corps has been stretched thin with Marvin Harrison Jr. out with a heel injury and Zay Jones on injured reserve with an injured Achilles tendon.

Earning more and more responsibility over the course of his sophomore campaign, former undrafted free agent Roland-Wallace will unfortunately head to IR after starting in the Chiefs’ two most recent contests. As a roaming safety, he’s been functioning lately as a nickelback alongside the versatile pair of starting safeties behind him.

With Bosa set to miss this weekend’s game with a hamstring injury, Fox has been called up from the practice squad in Buffalo to help bolster a thin group of defensive ends.

Smyth gets the call again this week as the primary placekicker in New Orleans. He’ll be kicking in his second straight game following the team’s dismissal of Blake Grupe.

For Spector in Buffalo, this will be his third elevation this season, meaning the Bills will need to sign him to the active roster in order for him to appear in another game in 2025. The same is true of Turner in Denver, Hanson in Kansas City, and Banks in Tampa Bay. On the other side of that, Tindall in Arizona, Lewis in Jacksonville, and Cook in New York were all signed to 53-man rosters today after they used up their three allotted practice squad elevations.

Texans Sign S Jalen Mills To Active Roster, Place S Jaylen Reed On IR

December 6th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans’ secondary is really starting to thin out with injuries. Friday’s injury report confirmed that rookie sixth-round safety Jaylen Reed will miss tomorrow night’s game in Kansas City with a forearm injury. With Jimmie Ward still on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and replacement starter M.J. Stewart recently placed on season-ending injured reserve, practice squad safety Jalen Mills has been signed to the 53-man roster to bolster the group.

In a corresponding move, Reed has been moved to injured reserve. The sixth-round rookie broke a metal plate in his forearm in Week 13, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Surgery will be required as a result. Today’s move ensures Reed will miss at least the next four weeks.

Mills signed to the Texans’ taxi squad following an 0-2 start to the season after he had spent two weeks of the preseason with the team but failed to make the initial 53-man roster. The 31-year-old defensive back has been elevated from the practice squad for three of the last four games, so with his presence on the defense still needed, Houston has promoted him up to the active roster.

While two of his elevations have simply seen Mills play in a special teams role with minimal time on defense, three weeks ago, the veteran was asked to start against the division rival Titans next to Calen Bullock. A similar situation can be expected for Week 14 given Houston’s injury situation in the secondary. Mills is of course familiar with heavy defensive workloads as a veteran of 92 starts (many of which, in fairness, came as a cornerback).

The LSU product is a pending free agent. As a result, his play down the stretch will be key in determining his value on a new Texans pact or one sending him elsewhere. In the meantime, Mills will look to chip in on a Texans defense which leads the league in points and yards allowed as the team aims to win the AFC South.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Commanders Activate Noah Brown From IR

December 6th, 2025 at 5:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders continue to return to health on the offensive side of the ball. Noah Brown will be back in the lineup for Week 14.

The veteran receiver was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a team announcement. Brown has not been a full participant in practice this week, but head coach Dan Quinn predicted yesterday that he would be able to play against the Vikings. Today’s news ensures that will be the case.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

Terry McLaurin was able to play in Week 13, and Jayden Daniels will make his return tomorrow. That will give the Commanders their highly productive QB-WR tandem late in the season, albeit far too late for a second straight playoff berth to be possible. Brown will look to resume his complementary role in the passing game upon returning to action.

The 29-year-old’s practice window was opened early last week, so Washington could have waited to activate him until after tomorrow’s game. Instead, Brown will be available for the first time since September. In 2024 – his debut season in the nation’s capital – the former Cowboy and Texan posted 453 yards and one touchdown on 35 catches. Matching that production will not be possible this year, but as a pending free agent Brown managing to serve a role of some kind down the stretch will be key in establishing his value.

In a corresponding move, the Commanders have waived fellow receiver Chris Moore. In 11 games this season, the veteran has logged a 55% snap share thanks to the absences of McLaurin, Brown and others. Moore will now hit the waiver wire and become a free agent in the event he clears.

S Julian Love, DT Jarran Reed Come Off IR For Seahawks

December 6th, 2025 at 3:21pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks are getting healthy at a good time in the season with two big names coming off injured reserve. The team announced this afternoon that safety Julian Love and defensive tackle Jarran Reed have both been activated from injured reserve.

Earlier this week, both Love and Reed had their practice windows opened. As such, today’s moves come as no surprise. Wideout Dareke Young also returned to practice on Wednesday, but at this point he remains on IR. Nevertheless, Seattle’s defense will welcome back a pair of key contributors in time for the stretch run.

Love played in the Seahawks’ first three games this season but a hamstring injury has kept him out of the lineup since. Getting the 2023 Pro Bowler back in the fold will be critical for the secondary. Seattle currently ranks 11th against the pass, a relative weak spot compared to the team’s other standout showings on defense. Love, 27, will reprise his starting role upon return.

Ty Okada has made nine starts in Love’s absence, finding success in his elevated role. It will be interesting to see if he manages to remain a regular defensive presence moving forward. In any case, Love’s return will represent a boost for the closing weeks of the season. The former Giant topped 100 tackles and reached double-digit pass deflections during each of his first two Seattle campaigns. A similar impact during the playoffs could go a long way toward a deep postseason run.

Reed has been on IR since November, and he has been recovering from wrist surgery since then. The 10-year veteran posted seven sacks as a full-time starter in 2023, but his playing time and production fell off. This season, Reed has only posted 1.5 sacks in eight games. He has been on the field for less than half of Seattle’s defensive snaps, and that will likely remain the case upon return with Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy set to continue as starters.

With Love and Reed now back on the active roster, the Seahawks have four IR activations remaining for the regular season. Young will account for one of those once he is brought back into the fold.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Jaguars S Eric Murray Activated Off IR

December 6th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars are set to see a key member of their defense return for an extremely important closing stretch of the season. Veteran starting safety Eric Murray is coming off of injured reserve with an activation made by the team today.

Murray joined Jacksonville early into free agency, after five years with the division-rival Texans. He had first arrived in Houston as a full-time starter, but he got benched for a five-week stretch in his second season with the team. He spent the 2022 season essentially as a special teamer and depth piece for the Texans before returning to a starting role the next year, just to have his season ended after six games with a knee injury.

Murray rebounded well last year in Houston, starting 14 games while playing in all 17. That strong final campaign as a Texan helped Murray land a three-year, $22.5MM deal in Duval, and he was looking pretty good to start his first season with the Jaguars before going down with injury.

In Murray’s absence, Antonio Johnson has stepped into the starting lineup. Johnson’s seen plenty of playing time over his three years in Jacksonville, often coming off the bench and making 10 starts in 30 games played. He looked to be shaking off some rust in his first start of the season in place of Murray, but over the last four weeks, Johnson has looked like one of the Jaguars’ best players on defense.

Luckily for Johnson, he won’t likely be demoted immediately upon Murray’s return to the field. Fellow starting safety Andrew Wingard has been ruled out this weekend with a concussion, so Johnson may be lined up next to the man he replaced as the team hosts the division-rival Colts tomorrow. Even once Wingard is healthy, Jacksonville may need to work on finding packages that put all three safeties on the field if the three continue to play at a starting level.

In order to make room on the 53-man roster, the Jaguars waived reserve running back Cody Schrader, who failed to appear in any games after joining the roster in early-October. Additionally, the team announced that undrafted rookie safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and wide receiver Austin Trammell will be called up tomorrow as standard gameday practice squad elevations. This is Silmon-Craig’s third such elevation, so if Jacksonville wants to see him in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.

Packers Activate WR Jayden Reed From IR

December 6th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Ely Allen

After 12 weeks of waiting, the Packers will finally see the 2025 return of wide receiver Jayden Reed. After placing Reed on injured reserve only two weeks into the season, Green Bay has activated him off the injured reserve list. The team waived wide receiver Malik Heath in order to make room for Reed on the 53-man roster.

Reed still had six days remaining on his 21-day practice window, but an early activation is a huge indicator that the 25-year-old pass catcher will be playing tomorrow afternoon against the Bears. It was a broken collarbone that sidelined the third-year receiver in Week 2, but the team utilized the extended absence to address another issue Reed had been dealing with. With clavicle surgery already on the books, Reed also underwent a foot operation for a Jones fracture he had been attempting to play through coming into the season.

It turned out to be a great move as reports came out about a month ago that Reed’s foot issues had been fully healed. There was no action bringing him back to practice just yet, since his clavicle still had some healing to do. It wouldn’t be until about two weeks ago that the Packers would designate Reed to return, and here he comes, just in time for Week 14.

The Packers’ young receiving corps mostly came in together, with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs getting drafted in 2022 and Reed and Dontayvion Wicks hearing their names called the next year. Quarterback Jordan Love has done a great job of spreading the ball around to the talented quartet over the last three seasons, but Reed has proven to be a top target in the Green Bay offense.

As a rookie, Reed led the team in receptions (64) and receiving yards (793) and tied with Doubs for the team-lead in receiving touchdowns (8). He certainly benefitted from the absence of Watson for eight games that season, but where Watson might’ve had him on scores (five in nine games), Reed averaged more yards per game over the course of the season. Watson missed two games in Reed’s second season, giving Reed the team-lead in receptions (55) and receiving yards (857) once again, but Reed’s six touchdowns were second on the team behind Watson as the two established themselves as WR1a and WR1b in the Packers offense.

This season, injuries have permeated throughout the receivers room; Doubs is the only wideout to have played in all 12 games thus far. Watson missed the first seven weeks of the season, Wicks missed two games just as Watson returned, and even first-round rookie Matthew Golden has struggled to stay on the field as of late. Doubs perfect attendance has helped him to be the No. 1 target for Love this year as he and tight end Tucker Kraft have kept the passing game afloat.

Watson has been a huge factor since returning from injury, and Reed may still add more on to that. An extremely challenging upcoming four-game stretch that sees the Packers faceoff against the division-leading Bears twice, in addition to the Broncos and Ravens, makes Reed’s timing all the more clutch. Love is looking to have a near full arsenal to throw to as the team attempts to chip away at Chicago’s hold on the NFC North.

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