February 6, 2025
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was named the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year on Thursday evening. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell finished in second place in the voting. O'Connell led the Vikings to a surprising 14-3 record in 2024, and they narrowly missed out on the NFC's top seed for the postseason after a Week 18 loss to the division-rival Lions. Nobody realistically expected Minnesota to even sniff the playoffs after rookie first-round quarterback
J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury before the regular season even started. O'Connell and his staff led QB
Sam Darnold to a career-best season, as he posted career-highs in passing yards (4,319), passing touchdowns (35) and completion percentage (66.2). In his three years guiding the Vikings, O'Connell has gone 34-17, including leading the team to an NFC North title in 2022.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 6, 2025
The New York Jets are hiring former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman to a full-time position as a senior football adviser, Spielman announced himself on his CBS Sports podcast "With the First Pick." Spielman will now join the Jets full time after he helped the Jets in their searches for a new GM and head coach. The 62-year-old will replace Phil Savage, who will remain with the organization as a consultant after finishing last year as the interim GM following the firing of Joe Douglas in November. Spielman should be a nice resource for new GM Darren Mougey, who is a first-time GM. Spielman and Mougey have close ties, as Mougey previously worked in the Denver Broncos front office alongside GM George Paton, who was a Spielman protege in Minnesota. Spielman will also be involved with the draft, but mainly in a supporting role.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
February 5, 2025
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently said that safety data doesn't discourage the league from expanding the regular season to 18 games, but NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. doesn't feel the same way. "Frankly, we're not sure how he's reaching that conclusion based on the data we've been given access to," Howell said. "No one wants to play an 18th game. No one." Howell said that NFL players are against another regular-season expansion after the league just added a 17th game in 2021. Any discussions about an 18-game schedule between both sides has purely been informal at this point. Howell said there is "more to be done" regarding the schedule and amount of travel teams are asked to do, citing that multiple teams played three games in 10 days in 2024. Number of bye weeks, roster size, practice-squad size and length of the offseason are all issues that need to be addressed.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
February 5, 2025
The NFL announced on Wednesday that the Los Angeles Rams will host a game in Melbourne, Australia, for the first time in NFL history during the 2026 season. The game will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as part of the league's multi-year commitment to play regular-season games in Australia. The Rams' opponent will be announced at a later time. Australia is one of the Rams' six international home marketing areas, in addition to China, Mexico, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. Beginning this year, the NFL can schedule up to eight international regular-season games per year.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Sarah Barshop
February 5, 2025
The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes that it's probably a no-brainer decision for the Denver Broncos to bring back veteran kicker
Wil Lutz in 2025 despite the fact that he has no guaranteed money left on his current deal. If the Broncos wanted to, they could cut Lutz this offseason for a savings of at least $3 million with limited dead money left behind. Lutz is scheduled to make $3.89 million in 2025, but after being one of the most accurate and trustworthy kickers in the NFL this past season, it would be a surprise if the Broncos cut him. Not only does head coach Sean Payton have plenty of trust and history with Lutz, but Lutz also kicked for the New Orleans Saints under Darren Rizzi, who is likely to become Denver's next special teams coordinator. The 30-year-old finished as the No. 7 kicker in overall fantasy points by making 31 of his 34 field goal-attempts and all 46 of his extra points in 17 regular-season games.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
February 4, 2025
Long-time NFL kicker
Mason Crosby officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after a 17-year career. During Crosby's lengthy NFL career (all but one season with the Green Bay Packers), he was a Super Bowl champion, the Packers' all-time leading scorer and finished 11th all time in points in NFL history. The 40-year-old was originally a sixth-round selection by Green Bay in the 2007 NFL draft out of the University of Colorado. Despite his lengthy career, Crosby was never selected to a Pro Bowl or as an All-Pro. He finishes his career with an 81.3 success rate (400-for-492 on field goals) while making 97.2 percent of his 760 career extra-point attempts. Crosby went 44-for-80 on field goals of 50-plus yards in his career. He did not kick at all in 2024 and only played in three games in his final season in 2023 with the New York Giants.
--Keith HernandezSource: 105.7 The Fan
February 4, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he has no plans to retire following Super Bowl LIX this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl will be Reid's 45th career playoff game as a head coach, which will pass former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (44) for most playoff games by a head coach all time. Reid needs four more playoff wins to pass Belichick (31) for most career playoff victories. "Yeah, I was always surprised when I heard those rumors because I know how much fun Andy's having," Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. "He in a lot of ways I think is rejuvenated by the success the team's had, certainly he's matched with the quarterback that's a perfect complement for him in Patrick, and I know he loves what he's doing."
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL.com - Kevin Patra
February 3, 2025
When asked about potentially expanding the regular season to 18 games, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We haven't had any formal discussion on an extension." Goodell has had preliminary talks about it with the NFL Players Association and said an 18-game schedule is a possibility because of the "safety of our game." "We know that fans love football and want more football, but we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart about it," Goodell added. If the NFL were to approve an 18-game schedule down the road, they'd likely cut the preseason down to potentially just two games. The league and the Players Association could have more discussions on the topic during the annual meetings on March 30. Because of all the additional revenue the NFL could bring in with expansion, an 18-game schedule down the road feels inevitable.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 3, 2025
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday that the league will look into the "serious issues" involving multiple sexual-misconduct allegations that recently surfaced against Baltimore Ravens kicker
Justin Tucker. Goodell also noted that it could be both civil and criminal. In total, nine massage therapists in the Baltimore area have accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior, with all of the incidents reportedly happening from 2012-16, Tucker's first five seasons in the NFL. His lawyer's have called the allegations "unequivocally false." The 35-year-old had the worst season of his career in 2024, but he's a seven-time Pro Bowler and is still the most accurate kicker in NFL history with an 89.1% success rate on his 468 attempted field goals over 13 seasons. Depending on what the league finds in its investigation, Tucker could be subject to a lengthy suspension under the NFL's personal-conduct policy.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 3, 2025
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley reports that former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars over the weekend for an undisclosed coaching role, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. It would make logical sense for Rivera to join Jacksonville as a senior assistant for first-time head coach Liam Coen to lean on. In addition to Coen being a first-time head coach, they have a first-time defensive coordinator in Anthony Campanile. The 63-year-old Rivera interviewed for head-coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets this cycle, so he clearly has a desire to return to the NFL after he was out of football in 2024. Rivera went 26-40-1 with the Commanders from 2020-23 and led the Panthers to seven playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl, from 2011-19.
--Keith HernandezSource: SI.com - John Shipley
February 3, 2025
The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Hall of Fame left tackle Tony Boselli, who was the first pick in franchise history, as their new executive vice president of football operations. Boselli will be in charge of player engagement, football technology, football travel and logistics, equipment, sports performance, team security and football communications. He helped advise owner Shad Khan during the team's recent coaching search and sat in during in-person head-coaching interviews. "My job is not to pick players, my job is not to coach and surely my job is not to go play," Boselli said. "My job is to support (the coach and the GM), and that's what I'll do." He was a five-time Pro Bowler and spent seven seasons playing for the Jaguars, but his playing days in the NFL were cut short due to a botched shoulder surgery.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Associated Press - Mark Long
February 1, 2025
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the New York Jets hired Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry as their new linebackers coach and Denver Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo as their new special teams coordinator. Curry, 38, was a former first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks and has been the Steelers' inside linebackers coach for the last two years. He began as a coaching assistant with the Seahawks in 2019 and then became a defensive assistant. Curry also worked with Charlotte at the collegiate level from 2013-18. Banjo just finished his second season in Denver. In both seasons, the Broncos finished in the top 10 in the league in several special teams rankings. He became a rising young assistant coach under former Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff the last several seasons in Denver.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 1, 2025
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that former New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi is likely to become the Denver Broncos' special teams coordinator, although the Broncos will conduct a full search for the position. Although Rizzi was a candidate for the Saints' full-time head-coach position -- the Saints are also the only team with a vacancy at the position that hasn't been filled -- the job is expected to go to Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Philadelphia Eagles. Rizzi has 16 years of experience in the NFL, including the last six years in New Orleans, and he was initially hired by the Saints by current Broncos head coach Sean Payton. After the Saints fired Dennis Allen in 2024, Rizzi took over as the team's interim head coach and led the team to a 3-5 finish down the stretch in his first go as a head coach. If he joins Denver, he could bring long-time assistant Phil Galiano with him.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL.com
February 1, 2025
ESPN's Kevin Seifert reports that the NFL had its fewest number of concussions during the 2024 season since it began tracking the injury in 2015, according to the league. The total of 182 concussions reported during games and practices in the preseason and regular season represented a 17% drop from 2023. The previous low for the same timeframe was 187 concussions in 2022. "We're very pleased with the concussion numbers but not at all suggesting that the work is done," said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer. "We still have a lot to do to continue to make the game safer and reduce not only concussions, but to reduce avoidable head impact." The league attributed the drop in head injuries to a number of factors that included helmet quality and the mandatory use of Guardian Caps for most players during training camp and regular-season practices.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
February 1, 2025
According to The Baltimore Banner, Baltimore Ravens kicker is facing three more sexual-assault allegations from massage therapists that have accused him of misconduct. Nine massage therapists in the Baltimore area have now accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior, with all of the incidents reportedly occurring from 2012 to 2016, his first five seasons in the NFL. On Thursday, Tucker wrote that The Baltimore Banner "takes innocuous or ambiguous interactions and skews them so out of proportion that they are no longer recognizable. This is desperate tabloid fodder." Tucker's conduct caused some therapists to refuse to work with him and resulted in two spas banning him. The 35-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, but he could be subject to discipline under the NFL's personal-conduct policy heading into next season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Baltimore Banner - Julie Scharper, Brenna Smith and Justin Fenton
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