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2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 6th, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Five teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the now-HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-6-25 (10:23pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Houston Texans (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  23. Los Angles Rams (10-7)
  24. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  26. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Detroit Lions (15-2)

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

January 4th, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 were eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.

This offseason also brought a second adjustment, with teams who qualify for the playoffs set to have two additional activations at their disposals. With the playoffs upon us, the two additional activations have been added to each team’s ledger. Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into the wild-card round:

Baltimore Ravens

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Activated

Activations remaining: 4

Denver Broncos

Designated for return:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Green Bay Packers

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

Houston Texans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Chargers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL Dylan Cook (waived Oct. 31)

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Commanders Activate Austin Ekeler From IR

January 4th, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders are getting healthy at the right time, getting an offensive reinforcement a week ahead of their first playoff appearance since a 7-9 campaign was enough to win the division in 2020. When they head on the road for the first round of the playoffs, Washington will be doing so with backup running back Austin Ekeler back on the active roster. The team has activated him off injured reserve today.

While technically a backup to starter Brian Robinson, Ekeler still holds tremendous value to the offense. Despite Robinson starting 12 games this season, the Commanders have made sure to get Ekeler on the field, as well, granting him six starts in his 11 appearances this year. The team’s leading rusher has been rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (864), but Robinson (789), Ekeler (355), Jeremy McNichols (261), and Chris Rodriguez (173) have all contributed to a rushing attack that ranks third in the NFL behind only the Eagles and Ravens.

Ekeler’s influence also comes as the primary pass-catching back in Washington. As has been the case in Ekeler’s career, his contributions this year have come through the air as much as on the ground. In his career, Ekeler has 4,230 receiving yards to 4,710 rushing yards, and this year, his 346 receiving yards are just as much a factor as his rushing contribution.

With Ekeler returning to the fold, Washington nearly has their full offensive battery back on the field. They’re missing wide receiver Noah Brown (on IR), and starting center Tyler Biadasz is listed as doubtful for this week, but the rest of the offense is primed for playoff action.

In order to make room for Ekeler on the active roster, undrafted rookie safety Tyler Owens has been placed on IR. The Texas Tech alum has played primarily on special teams in his rookie campaign, tallying 11 tackles and a forced fumble.

Joining Ekeler on the active roster tomorrow will be offensive tackle Bobby Hart and cornerback Bobby Price, who have been promoted as standard gameday practice squad elevations this weekend.

Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.

While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.

Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.

This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:

2022 draft:

Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.

This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.

2023 draft:

While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.

Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.

2024 draft:

The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.

Kliff Kingsbury Wants Another HC Opportunity

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has put together an excellent debut season in Washington; his offense is ranked fourth in yards and fifth in points, while quarterback Jayden Daniels is the runaway favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Kingsbury’s success in Washington has placed him among the top head-coaching candidates in this offseason’s hiring cycle and seems open to another opportunity after a disappointing four seasons leading the Cardinals.

When asked about the subject on Thursday, Kingsbury said that he would want to be a head coach again “at some point,” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post), though he declined to comment on potential interviews this year.

Kingsbury is an obvious candidate for the Bears’ vacant head coaching position after serving as a senior offensive analyst at USC during Caleb Williams‘ final college season. The two have a “solid relationship,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, which will be crucial to getting the most out of the 2024 No. 1 overall pick after a false start of a rookie year.

Kingsbury is expected to interview in Chicago, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, though he may not be in a rush to leave Washington. His contract with the Cardinals ran through 2027, so Kingsbury is still drawing a head coach’s salary in addition to his current pay from the Commanders. That gives him the flexibility to be “selective” – like Lions OC Ben Johnson – with his next opportunity, per Fowler.

Kingsbury also enjoys working with Daniels under Dan Quinn in Washington, according to Breer, and the Commanders could be even better in 2025 after their surprising playoff run this season. That would boost Kingsbury’s coaching stock further, potentially setting him up for an even better opportunity a year or two down the line.

Kingsbury may also draw renewed interest from the Jets after interviewing for their head coaching job in 2019. He impressed the Johnson family during his interview process, per Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated, though it’s worth noting that owner Woody Johnson was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom at the time. Kingsbury opted to join the Cardinals, but he could once again find himself on the Jets’ shortlist this time around.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Dallas Cowboys

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Commanders Designate RB Austin Ekeler For Return

January 1st, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Austin Ekeler was recently mentioned as a candidate to return to action before the end of the season. The veteran running back will indeed have the chance to suit up in Week 18.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

The Commanders announced on Wednesday that Ekeler has been designated for return from injured reserve. Head coach Dan Quinn said last week Ekeler could be back in the fold shortly, so the news comes as little surprise. Washington will now have 21 days to activate him.

Ekeler has been dealing with the effects of the concussion he suffered in Week 12, at least the fourth of his career. He has been on IR since the end of November as a result, but being back in the lineup would be a welcomed development for team and player. The Commanders clinched a playoff spot with the overtime in Week 17, but they are not guaranteed to finish in the No. 6 slot in the NFC’s standing they currently occupy.

As a result, Ekeler could be available as soon as this Sunday. The 29-year-old would likely return to splitting backfield duties with Brian Robinson Jr. upon return. Ekeler has recorded 107 touches this season, his first in the nation’s capital. As expected, he departed the Chargers in free agency and joined several veteran backs in finding a new team during the spring. Ekeler inked a two-year, $8.43MM pact to join the Commanders and has played in role in the league’s No. 3 rushing offense.

Robinson leads the team in production on the ground with 789 yards, though, and he will be expected to remain a key member of Washington’s offense heading into the playoffs. Ekeler could provide a notable change of pace along with production in the passing game provided he is activated no later than Washington’s wild-card game. Managing to remain healthy through the remainder of the campaign will also be key for team and player given his injury history.

Jets To Interview Ron Rivera

December 30th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ decision to move on from Joe Douglas created a vacancy for the general manager position. The team moved quickly in bringing in Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to lead the way in the search for his replacement along with a new head coach.

Several candidates for the GM position have already emerged, but the Jets are also set to begin looking into head coaching options. Only those not currently under contract with another NFL club can meet with the team at this point in the year, and a notable name in that regard has emerged. Ron Rivera will interview with the Jets this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Rex Ryan Expecting Jets Interview]

New York is looking for experience in both the head coach and general manager positions, and Rivera would certainly qualify in that regard. The 62-year-0ld’s NFL coaching tenure dates back 20 years, and he spent a total of six seasons as defensive coordinator of the Bears and Chargers. That was followed by a nine-year run at the helm of the Panthers, one which was highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance. Rivera’s time in Carolina came to an end with a midseason firing in 2019, but he took charge of the Commanders the following year.

In his debut campaign in the nation’s capital, Rivera guided the team to the postseason (despite managing a record of only 7-9). After that year’s wild-card defeat, seven- and eight-win seasons followed, and a lack of postseason appearances and questions at the quarterback spot lingered entering last year. Sam Howell was leaned on to handle QB1 duties, and his struggles in that role (along with a poor defensive outing especially after edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat were traded away) resulted in a 4-13 campaign. After a one-year observation period from owner Josh Harris, Rivera was fired in a move which came as little surprise.

The longtime staffer has not held a position at the pro or college levels this year, but he made it clear last winter he did not intend to retire. Rivera added a willingness to return to a defensive coordinator position in his next gig, and he drew notable interest in that respect. The Cowboys, Rams and Eagles each interviewed him for their respective DC openings, although all three teams went in a different direction. Rivera could once again be a name to watch on the coordinator front in this year’s hiring cycle.

Of course, that could also be true with respect to another head coaching opportunity. The Bears and Saints are also in need of a full-time coach for 2025, and more vacancies are expected in the near future. The Jets’ interest will produce at least one interview, though, and it will be interesting to see if more are soon to follow.

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