January 26, 2026
New England Patriots quarterback
Drake Maye certainly did not have his best game as a passer in his team's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, completing 10 of 21 pass attempts for 86 yards and taking five sacks. However, the 23-year-old rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts and did not commit a turnover after coughing up five turnovers over New England's first two postseason games. Given the snowy conditions in Denver and the fact that the Broncos' offense was without QB1
Bo Nix (ankle), it made sense for Maye and the Patriots to opt for a more conservative approach. He will likely be forced to take a few more chances in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who have scored a combined 72 points across two games so far this postseason. Seattle finished the regular season ranked first in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0), so Maye has a difficult task ahead of him.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
January 26, 2026
Former NFL quarterback
Philip Rivers has withdrawn from the Buffalo Bills' head coaching search, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Garafolo reports that NFL head coaching "might very well be in (Rivers') future, just not right now." After initially hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2020 season, Rivers came out of retirement at age 44 and finished the 2025 season as the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. He has coached high school football, but has no coaching experience at the NFL level. Buffalo moved on from long-time head coach Sean McDermott after the team's recent AFC Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos. McDermott went 98-50 in the regular season across nine years as the head man in Buffalo and led the team to seven consecutive double-digit win seasons from 2019 through 2025. However, Buffalo has not yet broken through past the AFC Championship Game since the emergence of star quarterback
Josh Allen. A clear favorite to replace McDermott has yet to emerge, but the Bills appear to be casting a wide net in their search.
--Will BradySource: NFL Network - Mike Garafolo
January 25, 2026
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Jordan Whittington (chest) returned to Sunday's NFC Championship game during the fourth quarter. He had exited in the third quarter and was initially listed as questionable before being cleared to re-enter. Even though he climbed further up the depth chart with
Tutu Atwell (coach's decision) inactive, Whittington had not been targeted prior to his departure. However, he did contribute on special teams with five kick returns for a total of 116 yards. On offense, he and
Konata Mumpfield will occupy depth roles behind
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's NFC Championship against the Seattle Seahawks. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, Turner had two tackles and two quarterback hits. The 26-year-old amassed seven sacks and one fumble recovery through 17 regular-season games, and he continued to establish himself as a top weapon on defense. As a result, his departure from Sunday's game could be pivotal as the Rams look to mount a fourth-quarter comeback against Seattle. As long as Turner is on the sideline, Tyler Davis will earn more snaps on defense.
--Andersen PickardSource: Los Angeles Rams
January 25, 2026
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Jordan Whittington (chest) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's NFC Championship against the Seattle Seahawks. He is officially listed as questionable to return. He had not been targeted at the time of his departure, but he was third on the depth chart with
Tutu Atwell (coach's decision) inactive for the second week in a row. Most of Los Angeles' passing game funnels through
Puka Nacua,
Davante Adams, and
Colby Parkinson, so Whittington's exit doesn't have enormous implications for the Rams. Nevertheless, with Atwell inactive, Los Angeles could use all the wide receiver depth it can get. As long as Whittington remains on the sideline,
Konata Mumpfield should operate as the No. 3 receiver behind Nacua and Adams.
--Andersen PickardSource: Los Angeles Rams
January 25, 2026
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Tutu Atwell (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship. Atwell is a healthy scratch for the second game in a row after he did not appear on the Rams' injury report all week long. The 26-year-old had an underwhelming regular season and also dealt with a six-week injury absence. He finished the year with six catches, 192 yards, and one touchdown, and he was not targeted in the Rams' Wild Card win over Carolina. In his absence last week,
Jordan Whittington and
Konata Mumpfield both stepped up with two catches apiece. With Atwell inactive again, we expect Whittington and Mumpfield to continue to handle increased involvement behind
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams.
--Andersen PickardSource: Adam Grosbard
January 25, 2026
Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end
Elijah Arroyo (coach's decision) is officially inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle activated Arroyo from injured reserve on Saturday, and the fact that he didn't have an injury designation seemed to indicate that he would play. In the end, though, he'll be a healthy scratch as the Seahawks look to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Arroyo was held to a modest 15 catches and 179 yards during the regular season, and it's been more than a month since he last played in an NFL game, so his absence on Sunday is not necessarily surprising.
AJ Barner will continue to lead the tight end room against the Rams, while
Eric Saubert and
Nick Kallerup round out the depth chart.
--Andersen PickardSource: Seahawks PR
January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Pat Bryant (hamstring) exited during the first half of Sunday's AFC Championship against the New England Patriots. He was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded to out. He finishes the game with one catch for two yards. It has been a rough two weeks for Bryant, who also left last week's game early due to a concussion. This time around, he reportedly injured his hamstring on the opening drive and initially tried to play through it before exiting the game. His absence leaves the Broncos short-staffed at wide receiver, as they're also without
Troy Franklin (hamstring) on Sunday.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey and
Elijah Moore will continue to earn more snaps behind
Courtland Sutton and
Marvin Mims Jr. The good news for the Broncos is that, if they advance to the Super Bowl, Bryant will have a full two weeks to recover.
--Andersen PickardSource: Zac Stevens
January 25, 2026
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford "does believe he has some good football left" and plans to return for the 2026 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport notes that he expressed this desire before the Rams clinched an NFC Championship berth, so it's possible that he could change his mind if Los Angeles wins the Super Bowl. However, at the very least, the veteran quarterback feels that he has plenty left in the tank and is trending towards playing next year. Indeed, he has shown no signs of slowing down, completing 65% of his pass attempts for a league-best 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns in his age-37 season. He also threw just eight interceptions. Stafford appears to be the MVP front-runner and has supported huge seasons for both of his top receivers,
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams.
--Andersen PickardSource: Ian Rapoport
January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Pat Bryant (hamstring) exited during the first half of Sunday's AFC Championship against the New England Patriots. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had one catch for two yards. Bryant, who cleared concussion protocol in time to play on Sunday, reportedly injured his hamstring on the opening drive and initially tried to play through it before exiting the game. His absence, even if temporary, leaves the Broncos short-staffed at wide receiver, as they're also without
Troy Franklin (hamstring) for today's game.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey and
Elijah Moore should now earn snaps alongside
Courtland Sutton and
Marvin Mims Jr.--Andersen PickardSource: Mike Klis
January 25, 2026
New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) exited during the first quarter of Sunday's AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had amassed two tackles. Spillane has been a major contributor during his first season with the Patriots. Through 13 regular-season games, he had 97 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. He was a major reason why the Patriots' defense performed like a top-10 unit this season, and he helped the Patriots secure an AFC East title. Jack Gibbens entered the game in his absence and will wear the green dot.
--Andersen PickardSource: New England Patriots
January 25, 2026
New England Patriots wide receiver
Mack Hollins (abdomen), who was listed as questionable going into Sunday's AFC Championship in Denver versus the Broncos, is officially active. The Patriots activated Hollins from Injured Reserve on Saturday, paving the way for him to make his first appearance since injuring his abdomen in the Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The 32-year-old will provide quarterback
Drake Maye as an extra deep threat on the outside, although fantasy managers should view him as a boom/bust sleeper for playoff lineups. During the regular season in his first year with the Pats, eight-year pro caught 46 of 65 targets for 550 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie
Efton Chism III is a healthy scratch with Hollins returning. Rookie
Kyle Williams and
DeMario Douglas could have fewer opportunities on the field with Hollins coming back as well.
--Keith HernandezSource: New England Patriots
January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Troy Franklin (hamstring) is officially inactive for the AFC Championship game on Sunday against the visiting New England Patriots, according to Mike Klis of 9 News. Franklin injured his hamstring early in the Divisional Round win against the Buffalo Bills and never returned. He was limited in practice all week, but the Broncos weren't comfortable making him active. Although Franklin saw his role decline late in the year, it's a notable loss for a Denver offense that is forced to start backup quarterback Jarrett Stidman against New England with
Bo Nix (ankle) out for the rest of the season. The second-year wideout from Oregon was the Broncos' second leading receiver during the regular season with 65 catches, 709 yards, and six touchdowns on 104 targets.
Marvin Mims Jr., rookie
Pat Bryant, and
Lil'Jordan Humphrey will need to step up behind
Courtland Sutton against a solid Patriots defense on Sunday.
--Keith HernandezSource: 9 News - Mike Klis
January 25, 2026
Minnesota Vikings defensive passing-game coordinator Daronte Jones will interview with the Washington Commanders on Sunday for their vacant defensive-coordinator position, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Jones has interviewed for several defensive-coordinator jobs around the league this cycle, including the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, before they filled their openings. Jones has been with the Vikings since 2022 and has had his current title since 2023. He also served as the DC at LSU in 2021 and has worked as a defensive backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins. The Vikings' defense ranked seventh in points allowed per game and led the league in passing yards allowed per game in 2025 under Jones. The Commanders are looking to replace Joe Whitt Jr., who was fired after the season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 25, 2026
The Tennessee Titans have requested to interview Atlanta Falcons defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg for their defensive-coordinator position, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Rutenberg has a long history working with new Titans head coach Robert Saleh, most recently coaching the linebackers with the New York Jets when Saleh was the head coach there. Rutenberg also worked with Saleh in San Francisco with the Niners before he brought him along with him to New York. He should be considered a favorite for the job in Tennessee because of his history with Saleh. Additionally, the Falcons' defense ranked 13th in EPA per drop back allowed and 12th in passing yards allowed per game during the 2025 season under Rutenberg.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
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