January 14, 2026
Carolina Panthers linebacker Patrick Jones (back) is recovering nicely from surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. If the Panthers made a deeper run in the playoffs, it's possible that Jones could have been able to return. Jones went on Injured Reserve with his back injury after the Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He will continue his rehab after the Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Wild-Card weekend of the playoffs. The 27-year-old former third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 out of Pittsburgh had just nine tackles (six solo) and one sack in four games played in 2025 in his second year in Carolina. Barring a setback, Jones should be fully healthy for the offseason program, training camp, and the start of next season in the fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Charlotte Observer - Mike Kaye
January 14, 2026
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is "optimistic" that he will return in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this Saturday night against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and plans to be at full speed in practice on Wednesday, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Pearsall practiced in a limited fashion on Tuesday for the first time since Dec. 31 due to an aggravation of a PCL sprain in his right knee. The 25-year-old former first-rounder is also battling an ankle injury. Injuries continued to be an issue for Pearsall in 2025 -- he played in just nine games -- but he appears to be trending in the right direction to be active against Seattle. That would be a big boost to a Niners offense that just lost star tight end
George Kittle to a torn Achilles tendon. It would also be bad news for the fantasy upside of receivers
Jauan Jennings and
Demarcus Robinson.
UPDATE: Pearsall was limited in Wednesday's practice.--Keith HernandezSource: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi
January 14, 2026
The New York Giants are making a "massive push" to get a deal done with former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Wednesday, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. The Giants are willing to pay not only Harbaugh, but also give his staff whatever it wants. Harbaugh has a lot of respect for new Atlanta Falcons president of football operations
Matt Ryan, though, and might want to hear the Falcons' pitch before making his final decision. Sources say that the Giants are Harbaugh's No. 1 choice, so if he likes what they have to say on Wednesday, a deal could be struck within the next 24 hours. General manager Joe Schoen's role remains unclear, but his presence in the front office isn't considered a roadblock to securing Harbaugh as the team's next head coach. Harbaugh going to the Big Apple would be excellent news for young quarterback
Jaxson Dart.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
January 14, 2026
Buffalo Bills quarterback
Josh Allen finished Sunday's Wild-Card win over the Jaguars with 273 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns despite playing with a banged-up and underwhelming receiving corps. The Bills placed
Joshua Palmer (ankle) on Injured Reserve one day before the game and lost
Gabe Davis (knee) to a torn ACL early on Sunday. With a receiving depth chart topped by
Khalil Shakir and a 32-year-old
Brandin Cooks, Allen was able to will the team to victory, and he remains a must-start in fantasy playoff leagues, even as the difficulty of opponents ratchets up. Denver was a top-10 regular-season defense against opposing fantasy quarterbacks, but Allen remains RotoBaller's QB1 heading into the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 14, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Courtland Sutton saw double-digit targets in four straight games before a Week 18 win over the Chargers that saw many of the team's starters pulled early. Coming off an extended rest, Sutton hopes to pick things up where he left off, after finishing with at least 62 receiving yards in four of five games from Weeks 13 to 17, and scoring three times in that span. Sutton finished the year with his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, and some of his biggest games came against teams that were part of this year's playoff field. The Broncos open their playoff slate against a Bills team that saw
Parker Washington get loose for over 100 yards and a score in a Wild Card matchup that came down to the final drive. While Buffalo's defense has been more susceptible on the ground than through the air this season, Sutton is RotoBaller's WR4 for the week and a solid play in fantasy playoff leagues.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 14, 2026
Houston Texans wide receiver
Nico Collins (concussion) was not seen during the open portion of Wednesday's practice after leaving Monday night's Wild-Card win over the Steelers with a concussion. The Texans face the Patriots on Sunday, and if he hopes to suit up, Collins will need to clear the league's concussion protocol, which becomes complicated by his prior history of concussions. Collins suffered a concussion earlier this season and was forced to miss time in October. Despite exiting Monday's game early, Collins finished second on the team with seven targets, but was able to gather in only three catches for 21 yards on a night in which quarterback
C.J. Stroud was not at his best. If Collins is unable to play on Sunday,
Christian Kirk, who led the team with eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown, will again be tasked with leading an otherwise young and inexperienced receiver room.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Sam Warren
January 14, 2026
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford (finger) was able to shake off a relatively sluggish start and a minor finger sprain in Saturday's Wild Card win over the Panthers, finishing the day with 304 passing yards and three touchdowns to his one interception. Given that he was inches away from being credited with a fourth passing touchdown, he remains as viable an option in playoff fantasy leagues as he did throughout a brilliant regular season. In the Divisional Round, Stafford and the Rams face a Chicago defense fresh off an exhilarating shootout that saw them allow 323 passing yards and four touchdowns to
Jordan Love. Despite the sprained finger, Stafford is RotoBaller's QB2 for the weekend.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 14, 2026
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Demarcus Robinson caught six passes for a team-high 111 receiving yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Wild Card win over the Eagles. With the injury-stricken status of the 49ers' pass-catching depth chart, he could be tasked with handling a similarly heavy workload in a Divisional Round clash with the Seahawks on Saturday. Tight end
George Kittle (Achilles) saw his season come to an end when he ruptured his Achilles tendon on Sunday, and wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee) began the week as a limited practice participant after missing the playoff opener with knee and ankle injuries.
Christian McCaffrey is likely to remain the primary option in San Francisco's passing game, as he has all season, but if Pearsall is unable to suit up on Saturday, the 31-year-old Robinson could be in line for another productive outing.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 14, 2026
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) will be on the practice field on Wednesday, according to Andrew Callahan of The Boston Globe. "I do anticipate him being out there," Vrabel said. Gonzalez is in the league's concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in the Wild-Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. The 23-year-old still needs to be cleared later this week, but he's on the right track to being able to play this Sunday in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans. There's a good chance that Gonzalez will be limited in Wednesday's practice. Having Gonzalez active for this weekend's game would be a big boost for New England's defense and bad news for Houston's top receiver,
Nico Collins. If Gonzalez cannot play, Charles Woods would likely start in his place.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Boston Herald - Andrew Callahan
January 14, 2026
Wide receiver
Adam Thielen announced his retirement from professional football on social media on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Thielen played 13 years in the NFL and was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Minnesota Vikings. The 35-year-old originally went undrafted before latching on with the Vikings in 2014. He played 10 years in Minnesota before two years with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 and 2024. Thielen began the 2025 campaign with the Vikings before latching on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had 19 receptions for 186 yards and no touchdowns during the regular season in 16 games with Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Thielen will wrap up his NFL career with 704 catches for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns in 178 regular-season games played. His two Pro Bowl seasons came in back-to-back years with the Vikings in 2017 and 2018.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 14, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Brian Thomas Jr. was a big disappointment to his fantasy managers in his second season in the NFL after he came out guns blazing in his rookie campaign with 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns on 133 targets in 17 games. This year, Thomas took a step back with 48 catches on 91 targets for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 14 regular-season games. "When you are part of a team that wins, the wealth will be shared. It will never truly be about one player. I will continue to pour into these guys... BT will 100% be a part of that," head coach Liam Coen said when asked about Thomas' future. The 23-year-old is going to remain involved in the Jags' passing attack, but the addition of
Jakobi Meyers in 2025 really hurt his upside. Although
Travis Hunter could play more defense in 2026, his presence will also be an obstacle to Thomas trying to rediscover his rookie form.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
January 14, 2026
The Arizona Cardinals are requesting to interview Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for their head-coaching job, a source told The Athletic's Dianna Russini. Smith is also interviewing for the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching opening on Wednesday. The 43-year-old is a Memphis native and spent 10 years as a coach with the Titans before becoming the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons, so his preference could be to return home. Smith has a connection to the Cardinals as well, serving alongside current Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort when he worked for the Titans. It's unlikely that Smith would stick around on Pittsburgh's staff after they bring in a new head coach to replace Mike Tomlin, who resigned on Tuesday. Smith served as the OC for the Steelers for the last two seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
January 14, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is interviewing for the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching opening on Wednesday, a source told Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated. Smith is well-liked in the Titans' building and will be looking for a new job after Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin resigned on Tuesday. In addition to Smith, the Titans are interviewing former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel for the head-coaching job on Wednesday. Smith spent 10 years as an assistant coach for the Titans before eventually being promoted to the OC role. He eventually left Tennessee to become the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons. The Arizona Cardinals have also requested to interview Smith for their head-coaching job. Smith's offensive philosophy would be an interesting fit in Tennessee with current tight ends
Chig Okonkwo and
Gunnar Helm.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sports Illustrated - Conor Orr
January 14, 2026
The Arizona Cardinals have requested to interview Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke for their head-coaching job, a source told Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Burke is the play-caller for the No. 1 defense in the NFL, and he previously coached the Cardinals' defensive line in 2022. The Cardinals are looking to replace Jonathan Gannon, who was fired last week after the team went 3-14 in 2025. Burke has been the Texans' DC for three seasons under head coach DeMeco Ryans. In addition to Houston being first in points allowed this year, they ranked second in yards allowed. Burke is well-traveled around the NFL as a coach, with stops in Tennessee (2004-08), Detroit (2009-13), Cincinnati (2014-15), Miami (2016-18), Philadelphia (2019-20), New York (2021), and Arizona (2022).
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
January 14, 2026
The Miami Dolphins requested an interview with Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their head-coaching job, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. In addition to interviewing for Miami's head-coaching job, the Washington Commanders are interested in Graham filling their DC job. Graham also received head-coaching looks last year but was not a finalist anywhere. Despite a tough season for the Raiders, he's still a respected defensive mind and head-coaching candidate. The Dolphins recently hired a new general manager and are now looking to replace Mike McDaniel, who was let go last week. Graham was the Dolphins' DC in 2019, but he'll likely be considered a long shot to get their head-coaching job. He has a much better shot at going elsewhere in 2026 in a DC role again.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
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