Bo Nix Expected To Return By OTAs
While a blinding snowstorm ground the AFC championship game to a halt, the Broncos’ offense largely struggled in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots. A “what if?” component loomed after Bo Nix suffered a fractured ankle late in Denver’s divisional-round win over Buffalo, as the Broncos were unable to reach Super Bowl LX with Jarrett Stidham at the helm.
Stidham could be needed for some more QB1 reps in a few months, as Nix rehabs from ankle surgery. But it is quite possible the Broncos’ two-year starter returns for OTAs. Sean Payton said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) Nix’s surgery went well, and the three-year Denver HC expects his top quarterback to be ready by the time OTAs begin in late May, per 9News’ Mike Klis. This recovery timeline matches up with a weekend assessment from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who pegged a 12-week rehab timetable.
Nix suffered a broken ankle on a designed run during the Broncos’ game-winning overtime drive against the Bills. Payton quickly ruled him out for the season postgame. Although Nix had not missed an NFL game due to injury and holds the record for most Division I-FBS starts by a QB (61), he has experienced ankle trouble at multiple points in the past. Nix has undergone two prior surgeries on his injured ankle, Payton said, adding his QB
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed where they always find a little bit more when they go in and it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when,’’ Payton said of Nix suffering an ankle injury. “When you look at the play, the surgeon said this was going to happen sooner than later.”
This would certainly invite questions about Nix’s durability moving forward. The Broncos have used the former Auburn and Oregon signal-caller as a runner frequently; he carried the ball a season-high 12 times against the Bills and 83 times during the regular season. Nix attempted 92 runs as a rookie.
Neither Payton nor CEO Greg Penner expressed any reservations Nix would become a health risk, with the latter indicating (via the Denver Post’s Troy Renck) he has “zero concerns” about the QB’s ankle being a recurring health issue moving forward. Schefter also indicated doctors are not concerned about Nix’s ankle trouble long term. This break occurred in a different spot compared to two prior breaks — one in high school and another in college. Still, ankle issues are piling up for the passer.
Playing well in the Broncos’ biggest games this season, Nix has now undergone two ankle surgeries since entering the NFL. He also dealt with a transverse process fracture in his back. The previous ankle surgery — performed after last season — addressed an issue that nagged the QB at the Combine and during his rookie slate. It is obviously notable a more serious ankle malady occurred to end his second NFL season, and it will be worth monitoring moving forward in Denver. Stidham’s two-year, $12MM contract runs through the 2026 season.
The Broncos are entering a pivotal offseason, as they will be able to build a roster around Nix’s rookie contract without the constraints the Russell Wilson dead cap albatross brought. Wilson’s $84.6MM dead money charge was spread over the 2024 and ’25 Broncos payrolls, but it is now off the books. After Nix established himself as a promising starter over the past two years, 2027 extension talks will be expected. His health in 2026, however, will be a chapter to follow ahead of that point.
Bengals, Chase Brown In Contract Extension Talks
Fresh off the best season of his three-year career, Bengals running back Chase Brown is eligible for a contract extension. While Brown will become a free agent if the Bengals don’t lock him up by March 2027, the two sides are making an effort to prevent that.
Brown told Ben Baby of ESPN that his representatives and the Bengals have been “working hard” on a new deal. The soon-to-be 26-year-old is hopeful they’ll hammer out an agreement.
“I would love to do something and be a part of this team,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere else.”
A fifth-round pick in 2023, Brown accrued just 44 carries in 12 games while backing up Joe Mixon as a rookie. Cincinnati traded Mixon to Houston during the ensuing offseason, though, and Brown has taken over as the Bengals’ primary back since then.
Brown burst on the scene as a major dual-threat scorer in 2024, when he found the end zone 11 times (seven rushing, four receiving) in 16 games. He also rushed for 990 yards on 229 carries (4.3 YPC) and added 54 receptions for another 360 yards.
Following up his 2024 breakout, Brown put together his second straight 11-TD showing this season (six rushing, five receiving). He also played all 17 games, surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time (1,019 yards on 232 attempts; 4.4 YPC), and caught 69 passes for 437 yards. With 1,456 yards from scrimmage, Brown ranked 11th in the league.
Brown is scheduled to make approximately $3.7MM in 2026. As far as a long-term arrangement goes, his camp may look to the the extensions the Bills’ James Cook and the Rams’ Kyren Williams signed before last season as potential comps. Cook inked a four-year, $48MM pact with $30MM in guarantees. Williams signed a three-year, $33MM deal with a guaranteed $23MM. Both Cook (seventh) and Williams (eighth) rank near the back half of the league’s top 10 in AAV at their position.
While the Bengals want to keep Brown, it remains to be seen how far they’ll go to keep him under wraps. They already have their three best offensive players, quarterback Joe Burrow and the wide receiver tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, eating up a massive chunk of cap space for the foreseeable future. Every member of that trio is signed through at least 2028.
The Bengals have a superb offensive core in place, but they’ll also need to pour resources into fixing a defense that was among the worst in the league in 2025. With an injured Burrow missing nine games and their defense struggling to stop anyone, the Bengals largely wasted Brown’s high-end performance during a 6-11 season.
Cowboys To Interview Shane Bowen, Dismiss Defensive Staffers
Dismissed by the Giants late in the season, Shane Bowen has not resurfaced on the coordinator carousel. But the two-time DC is back in the mix for another potential position.
The Cowboys hired Christian Parker from the Eagles as defensive coordinator, and they are now looking into adding the Giants’ previous DC. Bowen is interviewing for a Cowboys job, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. It is not known which position Bowen is discussing, but he coached the Titans’ outside linebackers prior to his Tennessee promotion under Mike Vrabel.
Dallas also interviewed Steelers OLBs coach Denzel Martin, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz. This meeting will be about Martin making a lateral move to Dallas. Martin spent the past 10 seasons with the Steelers, working his way up to OLBs coach. He was at the helm when T.J. Watt tied the single-season sack record in 2021 and was a central figure in Alex Highsmith‘s development to an extension-worthy Watt sidekick.
With the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin, there will be staff turnover. The same goes in Dallas, where some of the defensive assistants are not being retained. Defensive pass-game coordinator Andre Curtis, who doubled as the team’s safeties coach, will not be back. Neither will secondary coach David Overstreet nor linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins notes.
Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton is joining the Titans as their D-line coach, veteran Tennessee reporter Paul Kuharsky adds. Whitecotton, who also interviewed for Tennessee’s DC job, will also serve as the team’s run-game coordinator on that side of the ball, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Whitecotton has an extensive history with Robert Saleh; he served as the Jets’ D-line coach from 2021-24. Whitecotton was also a 49ers assistant in 2020 and a Jaguars staffer from 2014-16, a period where Saleh was on the Jacksonville staff.
The Giants hired Bowen in 2024, and he played a memorable part in their infamous Hard Knocks: Offseason series. The Giants ranked 21st defensively in 2024 but dropped to 26th this past season, plummeting despite the additions of Abdul Carter, Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland. The team fired Bowen not long after canning Brian Daboll. Bowen, 39, has not been connected to other jobs during this year’s cycle.
Prior to New York, Bowen spent six years on the Titans’ staff under Vrabel. The final three came as DC, where he served as the team’s primary play-caller. Bowen came over from the Texans, following Vrabel from Houston to Tennessee. It would stand to reason Vrabel would consider adding Bowen to New England’s staff, but the two-time DC is on Dallas’ radar presently.
Packers To Hire Bobby Babich As Defensive Pass Game Coordinator
After two years as Buffalo’s defensive coordinator, Bobby Babich is leaving for Green Bay. The Packers are hiring Babich as their defensive pass game coordinator/secondary, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
This closes the door on a long run in Buffalo for Babich. After joining the team in 2017, he worked in various roles (including assistant DBs coach, safeties coach and linebackers coach) under Sean McDermott for the head coach’s entire nine-year tenure.
The Bills fired McDermott after the season and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to replace him on Tuesday. Babich was not among the Bills’ HC candidates.
With Brady expected to pursue Jim Leonhard for defensive coordinator, it quickly became clear Babich would coach somewhere else in 2026. A day later, the 42-year-old will take over for Ryan Downard in Green Bay and assist new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Downard followed former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, now the Dolphins’ head coach, to Miami earlier this month. Babich will also be replacing pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley, who is leaving the organization after losing his 2025 title, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Babich, who was among the candidates Hafley beat out to become the Packers’ D-coordinator two years ago, was at the helm of the NFL’s top-ranked pass defense in 2025. The Bills also ended the year a respectable 11th in interceptions.
The Packers, meanwhile, finished 11th in pass defense and a far less impressive 28th in picks this season. They intercepted just seven passes, and Keisean Nixon was the team’s only cornerback to register an INT. Babich, known for emphasizing the importance of takeaways, will work to significantly increase the Packers’ pick total in 2026.
“We talk about it constantly, just about taking the ball away and opportunities to do that,” Babich told BuffaloBills.com last year. “Then we emphasize it in practice. We show the whole defense when we take it away in practice. We’re just constantly talking about it. It’s not just me, it’s the coaching staff and the players.”
Replacing Babich will be one of Brady’s most important tasks at the outset of his head coaching tenure in Buffalo. While the Bills may have interest in Leonhard, he’s the only potential candidate whose name has come up so far.
Chargers Request DC Interview With Broncos’ Jim Leonhard
As they continue searching for a successor to former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, the Chargers have requested an interview with Broncos assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
If Leonhard interviews with the Chargers, he’ll become the seventh candidate to discuss their D-coordinator position since Minter became the Ravens’ head coach on Jan. 22. Minter earned a promotion after two stellar years in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the Chargers’ defense finished top 10 in the NFL in scoring twice in a row, including No. 1 in 2024, and fifth in yards allowed in 2025.
Leonhard doesn’t have any professional experience as a coordinator, but he held the role at Wisconsin from 2017-22. Since leaving the college ranks, the former NFL defensive back has garnered two years’ experience on Denver’s staff. He began as the Broncos’ defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2024.
While the Broncos ranked a below-average 19th in pass defense a season ago, cornerback Patrick Surtain II earned Defensive Player of the Year honors on Leonhard’s watch. The Broncos improved to seventh against the pass in 2025, but they couldn’t get past the Patriots in the AFC title game despite holding quarterback Drake Maye to 86 yards in inclement weather.
With the Broncos’ season over, Leonhard could head elsewhere for a promotion in the coming days. The 43-year-old interviewed with the Cowboys and Jets for defensive coordinator earlier this month, though Dallas has since filled its job with the hiring of Christian Parker. The Bills are also expected to pursue Leonhard, but they haven’t requested an interview yet.
Here’s a look at where the Chargers’ DC search stands:
- Steve Clinkscale, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Adam Fuller, safeties coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interview requested
- Zach Orr, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/23
- Aubrey Pleasant, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
- Dylan Roney, outside linebackers coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Dennard Wilson, former defensive coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/23
Bills Promote Joe Brady To HC
The Bills have elected to take the internal route regarding their head coaching position. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has been promoted to the role, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
The news is now official, per a team announcement. This is a five-year agreement, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds. After a nine-year run with Sean McDermott at the helm, the Bills will hope a familiar first-time head coach will be able to get them over the hump in the postseason.
Once McDermott was fired in the wake of Buffalo’s latest divisional round loss, Brady was named as a logical replacement candidate the team knows well. Indeed, the Bills showed interest in former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and ex-Josh Allen teammate Davis Webb while weighing their options. All three have received looks elsewhere on the market, but instead of departing Brady has elected to remain in place and take over Buffalo’s staff.
Brady interviewed twice with the Ravens and Raiders for their HC vacancies. He also arranged an in-person meeting with the Cardinals, but that will not take place. A promotion always loomed as a strong possibility in this case, and after working in Buffalo the past four years Brady will now take on a head coaching position for the first time in his career by remaining in a familiar spot.
The 36-year-old spent two seasons as a Saints assistant before joining LSU’s staff for 2019. Brady’s work with the national champions that year drew attention based on the Tigers’ remarkable offensive production and boosted his coaching stock to a large extent. It immediately landed him an OC gig with the Panthers. Things did not go according to plan during Matt Rhule‘s Carolina tenure, but Brady did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity once his two-year Panthers run came to an end. He joined the Bills in 2022 as their quarterbacks coach.
Ken Dorsey was in place as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator at the time. That remained the case until midway through the 2023 campaign, when Dorsey was fired. Brady took over for the remainder of the season and stayed in place as the team’s play-caller through 2024 and ’25. During his two full years as an OC, Buffalo ranked second and then fourth in the NFL in scoring. The Bills also posted top-10 finishes in total offense under Brady.
Expectations will no doubt remain high for the team on offense with Brady still in place and a core highlighted by Allen under contract. Buffalo remained strong as a rushing team this past season, but struggles in the passing game proved to be an issue. The Bills will presumably aim to bring in at least one notable pass-catcher this offseason, but in the meantime Brady will now turn his attention to building a staff.
An OC replacement will need to be sought out, with a decision on whether or not Brady will call plays being required as well. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich remains in place at this time; Babich has worked as the team’s DC for the past two years but his Buffalo tenure dates back to 2017. It will be interesting to see how much Brady prioritizes experience as opposed to seeking out external options over the coming days.
As part of the decision to move on from McDermott, Bills owner Terry Pegula elected to promote general manager Brandon Beane to president of football operations. That elevated Beane’s standing in the organization and no doubt increased his sway during HC interviews. Allen also had input in the head coaching decision, and the coordinator in place from his 2024 MVP season will remain in the organization moving forward.
Candidates with a wide range of coaching experience interviewed with the Bills in the aftermath of McDermott’s dismissal. Other highly-regarded staffers such as Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak may have also received a look, but Buffalo was not eligible to speak with him until after the Super Bowl. Instead of waiting for Kubiak or any other external candidates, Pegula and Co. have decided to promote from within.
Titans Hire Brian Daboll As OC
11:28pm: The Titans announced Daboll’s hiring. It seems he’s no longer a contender to become the Raiders‘ head coach. Daboll agreed to a three-year contract, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. The Raiders still have another HC interview left, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. It is not known which candidate will meet with the Silver and Black this week.
11:18am: The Titans are set to hire Brian Daboll as their next offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. However, Daboll remains a candidate for the Raiders’ head coaching job. He conducted a second interview with Las Vegas on Tuesday, per Schefter. Daboll will join the Titans if the Raiders don’t hire him.
Daboll had been in the running to fill the Bills’ head coaching vacancy, which he reportedly preferred, but that’s now off the table after they promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Tuesday. The Raiders are now the only team the Titans will have to fend off for Daboll’s services.
Daboll has given Titans HC Robert Saleh his word that he’ll go to Tennessee if he doesn’t land a head coaching gig, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. In the event the Raiders hire Daboll, the Titans would have to pivot to a different play-calling choice. Along with Daboll, former Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, Packers OC Adam Stenavich and ex-Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis have all interviewed with the Titans.
For now, Saleh appears poised to reel in an accomplished offensive coordinator to join his first Titans staff. It also pairs up a couple of of former New York head coaches. Saleh coached the Jets from 2021-24, while Daboll led the Giants from 2022-25.
If he heads to Tennessee, the 50-year-old Daboll will receive his fifth try as an NFL O-coordinator. He previously held the position with the Browns (2009-10), Dolphins (2011), Chiefs (2012) and Bills (2018-21). The Giants hired Daboll after an excellent run in Buffalo, where he helped quarterback Josh Allen go from raw prospect to superstar.
Daboll didn’t have nearly as much success in New York with Daniel Jones, another former first-round QB. Despite early flashes, Jones didn’t develop into the answer under center for the Giants, which played a key role in Daboll’s struggles. Daboll worked with yet another first-round signal-caller, Jaxson Dart, in 2025. While Dart performed well as a rookie, Daboll wasn’t around for the entire season. The Giants fired him after a 2-8 start.
Catching on with the Titans would give Daboll another chance to work with a prized young passer in Cam Ward. The Titans chose Ward first overall in last year’s draft, but he wasn’t in an ideal spot to succeed in 2025. The Miami product took a league-worst 55 sacks, tying him with the Raiders’ Geno Smith, lacked weapons in the passing game and didn’t enjoy stability on the sidelines during a 3-14 campaign.
The Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan in October, leaving Mike McCoy to take over for the rest of the season. QBs coach Bo Hardegree called plays, but Daboll is now primed to play a major role in developing Ward going forward.
Broncos Fire OC Joe Lombardi
A day after their season ended with a 10-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game, the Broncos have fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
This closes out a three-year tenure in Denver for Lombardi and ends a long-running partnership with head coach Sean Payton. Lombardi previously coached under Payton in New Orleans from 2007-13 and 2016-20. He was the Saints’ quarterbacks coach for the majority of his 12 years with the team.
[RELATED: Three Teams Send Davis Webb OC Interview Requests]
Also a former NFL offensive coordinator with the Lions (2014-15) and Chargers (2021-22), Lombardi took on a non-play-calling role in Denver. Payton has continued to handle those duties. The Broncos did not rank among the league’s cream-of-the-crop offenses in any seasons with Lombardi on the staff, though, and Payton has decided to make a change heading into the third year of quarterback Bo Nix‘s career.
The Broncos are coming off a season in which they finished a respectable 10th in yards, but they were closer to middle of the pack in scoring (14th). Losing running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending Lisfranc injury in mid-November didn’t help matters.
Over 10 games and 153 carries, Dobbins hummed along on 5.0 yards per attempt. Second-round rookie RJ Harvey stepped in as the Broncos’ primary back after Dobbins’ injury, but despite notching seven rushing touchdowns, he averaged a meager 3.7 yards on 146 tries. Harvey’s production went backward in the postseason, a pair of games in which he ran for just 57 yards on 19 carries.
Thanks largely to a premier defense that led the league in sacks, the Broncos went 14-3, ended the Chiefs’ nine-year run atop the AFC West and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Broncos then got past the Bills in a 33-30 overtime shootout in the divisional round, but Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury late in the game.
With Nix out of commission, the Broncos had to turn to backup Jarrett Stidham as their starter against the Patriots. Stidham looked good early and completed a 52-yard first-quarter pass to Marvin Mims that set up a touchdown, but the Broncos didn’t score again after that. On a day in which the weather dramatically swung during a snowy second half, Stidham went 17 of 31 for 133 yards, a TD, an interception and a costly fumble. The Broncos amassed just 181 total yards.
Had Nix been available Sunday, there’s a good chance the Broncos would be preparing to face the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Instead, though, the Broncos are done for the year and shaking up their coaching staff. More changes could be in store, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who mentions the possibility of the Broncos eventually promoting pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to replace Lombardi. For now, Webb is a candidate to become the Raiders’ next head coach. They interviewed Webb for the second time on Monday.
Jets, OC Tanner Engstrand Part Ways
After just one season, the Jets are moving on from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The two sides are parting ways.
This doesn’t come as a surprise after a weekend report indicated Engstrand’s future was in limbo. It nonetheless continues a major staff shakeup for Glenn, who has cleared out several coaches – including both coordinators – dating back to the mid-December firing of DC Steve Wilks.
While Glenn and Engstrand discussed a non-play-calling position for 2026, they ultimately decided to go in other directions, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. Glenn is now on the hunt for a veteran replacement for Engstrand, someone to serve as a “head coach of the offense,” a source told Connor Hughes of SNY . Former Colts and Panthers head coach Frank Reich looks like the frontrunner to take over, but the Jets will need to interview at least one external minority candidate before that could take place.
Glenn, previously the Lions’ defensive coordinator, worked with Engstrand in Detroit from 2021-24. Engstrand shifted from offensive quality control coach to tight ends coach/passing game coordinator to passing game coordinator during that four-year span. Glenn saw enough positives from Engstrand to bring the former Ben Johnson understudy to New York as a first-time NFL offensive coordinator last January. However, Engstrand’s hiring only came after Nick Caley turned down the Jets. Then the Rams’ tight ends coach, Caley became the Texans’ offensive coordinator in early February.
Several weeks after hiring Engstrand, the Jets added former Bears and Steelers quarterback Justin Fields on a two-year, $40MM deal in free agency. The Jets guaranteed Fields $30MM, but they’re already poised to move on this offseason after an unproductive 2025 in which Glenn benched him for the rest of the year in mid-November.
With Fields, journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor and undrafted rookie Brady Cook playing in at least five games apiece, the Jets averaged a paltry 140.3 passing yards per contest. They easily placed last in the league in that category, falling short of the 31st-ranked Browns by 25 yards per game.
To make matters worse for Engstrand, knee issues limited star wide receiver Garrett Wilson to seven games. With Wilson down for 10 games, running back Breece Hall was the Jets’ only established offensive weapon. Hall put up the first 1,000-yard season of his four-year career, and tight end Mason Taylor had a 44-catch rookie campaign, but bright spots were otherwise few and far between.
After ranking 29th in both total offense and scoring under Engstrand, the Jets will employ a 12th different offensive play-caller in a 16-year span in 2026 (h/t: Cimini). Although Glenn will return after posting a 3-14 record as a rookie head coach in 2025, his staff will take on a much different look next season.
NFC North Notes: Walker, Doubs, Tom, Wyatt, Byard
This past weekend, Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker was arrested at LaGuardia Airport on gun charges, per a report from multiple contributors at the New York Post. On Friday morning, Walker was taken into custody after trying to check a bag that contained a handgun and ammunition.
Arthur Aidala, Walker’s attorney, explained that Walker legally owned the firearm but that it is licensed in Wisconsin, and he didn’t know that he couldn’t travel with the gun to New York. It was actually Walker’s attempt to disclose the contents of the locked gun box in his luggage that led to his arrest.
Walker was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. After an appearance at criminal court, Walker was released on his own recognizance with a return date of March 19. Aidala is confident that the case will be dismissed.
Here are a few other recent rumors from around the NFC North:
- In the Packers’ young receiving corps, pending free agent Romeo Doubs has been perhaps the most consistent contributor in the talented position group. When asked if he would be returning to Green Bay in a recent appearance on the Up & Adams Show, Doubs wanted to make it known that he “would love to be a Green Bay Packer” but that he knows the nature of the business.
- Packers right tackle Zach Tom was unable to finish out the season with his team in the playoffs this year due to a knee injury, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tom tried to get back on the field using a PRP injection, but he didn’t feel he would be able to pass block with it. He’s expected to undergo surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon with a recovery timeline of approximately six months.
- Silverstein also reported on the injury to Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, who reportedly suffered a broken fibula and torn ligament in his ankle. The soft tissue injury certainly lengthens any recovery time, but per Silverstein, Wyatt expects to be back in time for training camp.
- Following a surprising late-season run into the playoffs, Bears pending free agent safety Kevin Byard made it known that he “would love to be back” in Chicago on a new deal, according to Bears writer Gabby Hajduk. Byard expressed a desire to “finish what (the Bears) got started this year” as he “wants to be on a team that wants to win.” There’s no doubt Chicago will want to retain Byard, but the question will be if they can afford it. Byard led the NFL in interceptions this year for the second time in his career, earning a third first-team All-Pro selection as a result. Two picks in the two years before this season seemed to indicate a fall off as Byard ventured into his thirties, but he turned back the clock just in time for it to pay off in a big way on his next deal.