Today’s Reserve/Futures contacts signed around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- FB Ben Mason
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Trey Edmunds and OT Chaz Green
The 49ers got some good news on Friday regarding their best pass rusher. Nick Bosa has cleared concussion protocol, clearing the way for him to suit up against the Packers, per a team announcement. 
Bosa suffered the concussion in the team’s Wild Card win over the Cowboys. His head snapped back following a collision with a teammate, causing him to spend a prolonged amount of time in the locker room before being declared out for the rest of the game. The fact that San Francisco is on a short week lessened his chances of clearing the protocol, but he is officially listed without an injury designation. That also holds true for star linebacker Fred Warner, who confirmed earlier this week that the ankle injury he sustained in the Cowboys’ game wasn’t serious enough to keep him out of the Divisional Round.
The 24-year-old’s third NFL season – only his second not severely shortened due to injury – saw him register 52 tackles, 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, enough to be named to a second Pro Bowl. Even with missing more than half of last week’s game, he still managed three tackles and a half-sack. He will no doubt play a huge role in trying to slow down Green Bay’s potent offense.
In the aftermath of last week’s win, things weren’t initially looking good for the 49ers’ two best defensive players. Now, they will have a very healthy unit traveling to Lambeau Field on Saturday.
Don Martindale will not lead the Ravens’ defense for a fifth season in 2022. The sides agreed to part ways Friday, making for an unexpected development.
The Ravens regressed defensively this season, dropping to 25th in yards allowed, but the team dealt with injuries throughout. Martindale had previously surfaced on the HC interview circuit, meeting with the Giants in 2020. The veteran defensive leader has not been connected to any jobs yet this cycle.
“After several productive conversations, Don and I have agreed to move forward in separate directions,” John Harbaugh said Friday. “Don has been a major contributor to the success of our defense since 2012, and especially since he became defensive coordinator four years ago. He has done a great job. Now it’s time to pursue other opportunities. Sometimes the moment comes, and it’s the right time.”
One year remained on Martindale’s contract. The Ravens had extended their DC in 2020. The 58-year-old assistant stands to be an intriguing commodity on the market, as several teams hire new coaches ahead of staff retools. He joins Vic Fangio and Mike Zimmer as proven defensive coordinators in coaching free agency.
Martindale has been a coordinator for two teams, also serving as the Broncos’ DC during a poor 2010 season. He revamped his reputation with the Ravens. Baltimore ranked as a top-10 defense from 2018-20, with Martindale’s units helping the team’s Lamar Jackson transition result in three straight playoff trips. Prior to being promoted to replace Dean Pees as Baltimore’s DC, Martindale headed up the team’s linebacking corps from 2012-17. The first of those seasons ended with the team’s second Super Bowl win.
The Rams will be without Andrew Whitworth against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The longtime left tackle will miss his team’s divisional-round game due to the knee injury he suffered Monday.
Whitworth went down on the Rams’ first play against the Cardinals but ended up returning. However, Sean McVay said the swelling in the injured right knee will force an absence Sunday.
Whitworth did play 30 of the Rams’ 60 offensive snaps against the Cards, but Joe Noteboom spelled him on the left side otherwise. A former starter, Noteboom replaced Whitworth in the Rams’ lineup in the two games the 40-year-old blocker missed this season. Noteboom also worked as Whitworth’s replacement during the 2020 season. Whitworth suffered a torn MCL in his left knee last season.
No IR designation has been made for Whitworth, keeping him eligible to play next week — should the Rams notch a second win over the Bucs this season. This will be the third time in the Bucs’ past four playoff games they have faced a team missing its left tackle, with Tampa Bay having gone against the Packers without David Bakhtiari in last year’s NFC championship game and the Chiefs without Eric Fisher in Super Bowl LV. Shaquil Barrett made a major impact in both championship-cementing contests, combining for four sacks and eight quarterback hits.
Safety Taylor Rapp, who remains in concussion protocol after missing the Rams’ wild-card game, will also miss Sunday’s Bucs rematch. Nick Scott and Terrell Burgess are in line to start a second playoff game for the Los Angeles, which used the recently unretired Eric Weddle in 19 snaps against Arizona.
Keeping tabs on the latest minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: DL Jack Heflin, CB Isaac Yiadom
Houston Texans
- Claimed: DL Kingsley Keke (from Packers)
New England Patriots
- Extended: LB Harvey Langi
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: CB Darqueze Dennard, LB Mark Nzeocha
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DB Chris Jones
The Packers’ collective return to full strength, or close to it, continues. They activated outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Whitney Mercilus from IR on Friday, putting each in position to return Saturday night.
This will be an interesting co-return effort, given that the Pack added Mercilus to fill the void Smith’s back surgery created. With each now on the 53-man roster, both are expected to be in uniform against the 49ers in the divisional round.
While the Packers have seen David Bakhtiari, Jaire Alexander and Randall Cobb steadily return from IR, Smith marked the last of the team’s injured stalwarts to resurface. But shortly after the regular season ended, the Pro Bowl edge rusher re-emerged on the radar for a postseason return. Smith has only played 18 snaps this season, aggravating his back injury in Week 1 and undergoing surgery.
A big-ticket offseason addition in 2019, Smith served as Green Bay’s top pass rusher from 2019-20. He combined for 26 sacks and two Pro Bowls in those seasons, proving his 2018 contract year in Baltimore was no fluke. It is uncertain if the 29-year-old defender will be with the Packers beyond these playoffs, given a monster 2022 cap number and some issues with a redone contract, but he will rejoin Preston Smith and Rashan Gary to give Green Bay a high-profile two-deep depth chart at this position.
Za’Darius Smith and Mercilus have yet to suit up for a game together. The Packers signed the latter in October, doing so shortly after the Texans cut him. Mercilus has not played since Week 10 and was believed to be out for the season with a biceps tear. However, the longtime Texans edge returned to Packers practice last week. Mercilus registered four sacks this season, three of those coming with Houston, but profiles as an interesting off-the-bench option for the NFC’s top seed. The 10th-year defender has fared well in the playoffs, accumulating seven postseason sacks during his career.
On the precipice of a long-rumored return, Derrick Henry is all but set to take the field Saturday. The two-time rushing champion is back on the Titans’ active roster.
The Titans activated Henry from IR on Friday. This is a procedural move, with Henry needing to be bumped up to the active roster by this afternoon in order to play against the Bengals. Linked to returning in the playoffs for several weeks now, the bulldozing running back is now eligible to do so.
Henry has not played since Week 8 but returned to practice Jan. 5. Despite missing more than half the season, Tennessee’s sixth-year back finished in the top 10 in rushing. The Titans gave their superstar an extra week to rehab by securing the AFC’s top seed. It will be interesting to see how the team deploys Henry, considering his lengthy absence due to a foot fracture.
The NFL’s rushing champion in 2019 and ’20, Henry played a significant role in Ryan Tannehill‘s turnaround and in the Titans advancing to the playoffs during those seasons. He was on pace for another 2,000-yard season this year, but the Halloween injury stalled his run. During Henry’s hiatus, the Titans landed on D’Onta Foreman as their starter. The former third-round pick should still be expected to play a role against Cincinnati, but Henry has moved back into position to reclaim his starting job.
Now that the Giants have a general manager, their search to replace Joe Judge will accelerate. Some familiar candidates are on track to interview for the post.
Linked to this job for several days, Brian Daboll and Brian Flores are two of the candidates expected to interview, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Big Blue previously requested an interview with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and other candidates. Quinn wants to meet with the Giants, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the rebound candidate is in demand. An offer or two might come in before a Giants meeting commences.
A Brooklyn native, Flores has emerged as perhaps the most intriguing HC candidate of this cycle. The Dolphins fired him unexpectedly after back-to-back winning seasons, citing clashes with management in their decision. Flores has also interviewed with the Bears and Texans during this year’s cycle.
While the three-year Miami HC has been linked to teaming up with Deshaun Watson in New York, it is fairly premature to make those connections given the numerous hurdles that would need to be cleared in order for that to commence. But an early connection to the Giants is notable for Flores, whom the Texans zeroed in on quickly.
Daboll looms as the most obvious candidate here. He has worked with new GM Joe Schoen in Buffalo for four years now. Brought over from Alabama in 2018, Daboll has overseen Josh Allen‘s ascent into one of the NFL’s best players. Reporting linked the Buffalo OC to the New York HC job if Schoen became GM. Now that Schoen has been tapped to lead the Giants’ front office, Daboll has a key avenue to land his first NFL HC job.
The Vikings are moving toward a GM decision. They have identified Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as finalists.
While another finalist may emerge, Minnesota has thus far only requested second interviews with these two candidates, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Adofo-Mensah is expected to interview Tuesday, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeting Poles’ second Vikings meeting is likely to take place Wednesday.
Should Poles take the interview, it would be his second run as a GM finalist during this cycle. The Giants brought him in for a second interview, though Big Blue hired Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen earlier Friday. Just 36, Poles has interviewed with three of the four teams looking for a GM. The Bears also met with the rising exec.
Poles also took part in a second interview with the Panthers last year. On the cusp of a major rise, Poles would follow former Chiefs staffers Chris Ballard and Brett Veach were he to land a GM gig.
Adofo-Mensah joined Poles in interviewing with the Panthers last year, though he was not a finalist for that position. This marks the third-year Browns exec’s first time as a GM finalist. Before joining Cleveland’s front office in 2020 under Andrew Berry, Adofo-Mensah spent seven years with the 49ers. The Stanford grad worked in the business sector until 2013. Adofo-Mensah joined Poles in interviewing for the Bears’ GM gig as well. Chicago has not made its finalists known just yet, so Minnesota’s rival could have a say in this pursuit as well.
Here is how the Vikings’ GM search has shaped up thus far:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Second interview requested
- Brandon Brown, director of player personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/18
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/20
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed 1/16
- Ryan Poles, director of player personnel (Chiefs): Second interview requested
- Catherine Raiche, vice president of football operations (Eagles): Interviewed 1/17
- John Spytek, vice president of player personnel (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/17
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interviewed 1/20
The Panthers are expected to hire former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo as their offensive coordinator (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The two sides are still finalizing the contract, but it sounds like it’ll become official in the coming days. 
[RELATED: Pep Hamilton Passes On Panthers]
McAdoo, 44, worked under Jay Gruden with the Jaguars in 2020, coaching quarterbacks for that 1-15 team. Gruden also interviewed for this position, but the Panthers ultimately went for McAdoo, who is best known for his lackluster two-season term as the Giants’ head coach. He’ll replace Joe Brady, who was fired in December. At the time, the Panthers ranked just 28th in total offense under the 32-year-old.
Before the turmoil and the mid-season firing, McAdoo coached his 2016 squad to an 11-5 record and guided them to their first playoff berth in five years. And, previous to that, McAdoo made his name as Tom Coughlin‘s OC, when the Giants finished out with the No. 10 and No. 8 ranked offenses in 2014 and 2015.
McAdoo still has a ways to go before he can climb his way back into HC consideration, but the Panthers are enthusiastic about what he can do for their offense in 2022.