January 12, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons interviewed former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh for their head-coaching position on Monday, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. The Falcons are looking for both a head coach and a new general manager after firing Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot, respectively, following the 2025 season. Reports suggest that Harbaugh could be down to the Falcons and New York Giants as he searches for a new head-coaching gig. Because Atlanta could let Harbaugh in on the decision to hire a new GM, it could be more attractive than the Giants' job. He was with Baltimore for 18 years from 2008-25 and helped take the Ravens to 12 playoff appearances, including four AFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl win. The Falcons' quarterback situation is unsettled, but they have nice building blocks on offense in running back
Bijan Robinson, receiver
Drake London, and tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr.--Keith HernandezSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Tori McElhaney
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that the team is opening the 21-day practice window for defensive tackle Ed Oliver (biceps, knee) this week, according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. In addition to a torn biceps, Oliver is also recovering from meniscus surgery on his knee. The 28-year-old interior defensive lineman will be eligible to come off Injured Reserve to play in the AFC Divisional Round this Saturday against the Denver Broncos. Whether Oliver is actually active this weekend will depend on how he looks in practice this week. Getting Oliver back would be a big boost for the Bills' defense against a Broncos offense that hasn't been great at running the football since the midseason injury to RB
J.K. Dobbins (foot). In just three games played in 2025, Oliver had 12 tackles (10 solo), three sacks, seven tackles for loss, five QB hits, and a forced fumble.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring) is considered week-to-week and will not play on Saturday in the Divisional Round against the hosting Denver Broncos, according to Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. Poyer won't be available this weekend after injuring his hamstring in Sunday's Wild-Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It remains to be seen if the 34-year-old veteran will be able to return for the AFC Championship next weekend if the Bills knock off the Broncos. It's a notable loss for the Bills' defense this weekend, as Poyer has 70 tackles (31 solo), half a sack, three pass breakups, and one interception this year. Jordan Hancock will step into a starting role for Buffalo's secondary against Denver with Poyer sidelined.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Buffalo News - Katherine Fitzgerald
January 12, 2026
The Buffalo Bills are opening the 21-day practice window for wide receiver
Curtis Samuel (elbow) this week, according to head coach Sean McDermott. Samuel has been on Injured Reserve due to an elbow injury since Nov. 28, but he'll be eligible to be activated to play this Saturday in Denver against the Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round game. It's good news for the Bills after
Gabe Davis (knee) tore his ACL in the Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, although Samuel isn't guaranteed to play against the Broncos. Wideout
Tyrell Shavers is also dealing with a knee injury and could be questionable this week. If the 29-year-old Samuel returns in the Divisional Round, he'll likely be eased back into action and won't be much of a fantasy football option. In his six games played in 2025, Samuel had seven catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that kicker
Matt Prater (quadriceps) "is in a good spot" going into the Divisional Round of the playoffs this Saturday against the Denver Broncos, according to The Buffalo News' Katherine Fitzgerald. Prater will have a similar practice schedule to last week, but he might do more this week. The 41-year-old veteran placekicker kicked field goals and extra points in Sunday's Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he was not available for kickoffs. Prater aggravated a right-quad injury in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets, but he was able to play on Sunday against the Jags and made both his field-goal attempts (one from 50-plus yards) and all three of his extra points. Prater will have the altitude on his side in Denver this weekend, making him slightly more attractive to fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Buffalo News - Katherine Fitzgerald
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that wide receiver
Tyrell Shavers (knee) is still being evaluated after suffering a knee injury in Sunday's Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. Shavers briefly left the 27-24 win on Sunday before getting back on the field. The 26-year-old pass-catcher had just one catch on two targets for 14 yards. As of right now, Shavers should be considered questionable to play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Saturday against the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, fellow wideout
Gabe Davis (knee) suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the year. Buffalo's receiving corps could be a little thinned out going into a tough matchup on the road against Denver. If Shavers can't play this weekend,
Keon Coleman and
Brandin Cooks will have elevated roles behind
Khalil Shakir.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Buffalo News - Katherine Fitzgerald
January 12, 2026
Houston Texans running back
Nick Chubb will have an elevated role as the team's RB2 on Monday night against the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild-Card playoff game, with
Jawhar Jordan (ankle) ruled out. Chubb was a healthy scratch in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts, with Jordan taking over RB2 duties behind rookie starter
Woody Marks. The 30-year-old should be more involved against Pittsburgh, but he by no means should be considered a standalone starter in fantasy lineups on Monday night. Chubb saw one carry in two of his final three regular-season games. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry on his 122 rushing attempts for 506 yards in 15 regular-season contests.
Dare Ogunbowale may see the field more than Chubb on Monday night. Chubb hasn't seen double-digit carries in a game since Nov. 2 against the Broncos.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end
Pat Freiermuth had very limited fantasy football upside in 2025 while sharing TE duties with both
Jonnu Smith and
Darnell Washington (forearm). He finished as the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in 16 regular-season games, with 41 catches on 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Freiermuth and Smith should have slightly bigger roles going into the playoffs on Wild-Card weekend on Monday night against the Houston Texans with Washington out, but the 27-year-old still isn't an ideal option for fantasy managers in a bad matchup. Freiermuth did finish the regular season strong with six catches on 10 targets for 114 yards in the final two games, but he hasn't scored since Nov. 23. The Texans have the No. 1 defense in the league, and they've allowed only 775 receiving yards (seventh-fewest) and eight TDs all year to the tight end position.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Calvin Austin III stepped up with
DK Metcalf on suspension in the team's Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens, which helped them win the AFC North division. Austin caught three of his seven targets for 55 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the 26-year-old's third touchdown of the year and his first since back on Sept. 21 in the win over the New England Patriots. The week prior, with Metcalf out due to suspension, Austin caught his only target for an eight-yard gain. His touchdown catch in Week 18 against the Ravens came with help from cornerback Chidobe Awuzie slipping to leave him wide open. Austin had just 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games, so he wasn't really on the radar in 12-team fantasy leagues. With Metcalf returning from his suspension in the Wild-Card game on Monday night against the Houston Texans, we aren't expecting much from Austin against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins comes into Monday night's Wild-Card playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a touchdown in each of his last two games. The matchup against Pittsburgh is a good one, as the Steelers' defense has allowed the eighth-most half-PPR fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts. The 23-year-old second-rounder from Iowa State only caught two passes for 23 yards in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts despite playing a season-high 81% of the offensive snaps with
Nico Collins resting, but the rookie still managed to find the end zone for the second straight week. It's worth noting that he had another long touchdown catch called back due to a penalty. Higgins figures to be the WR2 behind Collins on Monday, where he'll be a boom/bust WR2 for fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that it was "precautionary" when asked why tight end
Dalton Kincaid (leg) was in a walking boot following Sunday's Wild-Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. McDermott also said that Kincaid "should be fine" to play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this Saturday versus the hosting Denver Broncos. The 26-year-old third-year tight end caught three of his five targets on Sunday for 28 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 win. However, he played only 28 offensive snaps after dealing with both knee and hamstring injuries late in the regular season. Fantasy managers would like to see Kincaid on the field more, but that might not happen if he's not 100% the rest of the postseason. Still, he'll be in play as a TE1 in fantasy football lineups if he's active against Denver. Kincaid has a team-high six receiving scores this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that wide receiver
Gabe Davis (knee) suffered a torn left ACL and will be out for the rest of the season, according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. Before injuring his knee in Sunday's Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Davis caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. The 26-year-old rejoined the Bills this year, but he didn't make his season debut until Week 11, and he played in only six games as WR depth. Davis finished his sixth year in the NFL with a career-low 12 receptions on 18 targets for 129 yards and one touchdown in six regular-season games. It's incredibly bad timing, as he'll be an unrestricted free agent in March. Because Davis could miss at least half of the 2026 season, he probably won't have many suitors on the free-agent market this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 12, 2026
The Cleveland Browns requested an interview with Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski for their head-coaching job, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Udinski is only 30 years old but has been rapidly rising through the coaching ranks at the NFL level. He will get his first look for a head-coaching job with Cleveland, which is looking to replace Kevin Stefanski. Udinski just completed his first year as Jacksonville's OC after the team lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs on Sunday. The 30-year-old did not call plays for the Jaguars offense in 2025. Udinski began his NFL coaching career as an assistant with the Carolina Panthers from 2020-21 before joining the Minnesota Vikings' staff in 2022 under head coach Kevin O'Connell. With no play-calling experience yet, Udinski is probably a long shot to land the Browns' job.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 12, 2026
The Baltimore Ravens have requested an interview with Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head-coaching job, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Schwartz has also interviewed for the Browns' head-coaching job, and Cleveland doesn't want to lose him after they fired former head coach Kevin Stefanski. Schwartz was hired by the Browns as their DC back in 2023, and he's been responsible for an elite defensive unit the last couple of years. In addition to being one of the brightest defensive minds in the game, the 59-year-old has previous head-coaching experience. Schwartz was the Detroit Lions' head coach from 2009-13, going 29-52 with one playoff appearance in 2011, three seasons after they were the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. His defense in Cleveland led the NFL in total defense in 2023 and was ranked fourth in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 12, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders are requesting to interview Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter for their head-coaching job, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans are other teams that have already requested to interview Minter for their vacant head-coaching positions. In addition to Minter, the Raiders have also requested interviews with Vance Joseph, Klint Kubiak,
Davis Webb, Matt Nagy, Kevin Stefanski, Jeff Hafley, Nate Scheelhaase, Mike LaFleur, Chris Shula, and Ejiro Evero. Minter has been the Chargers' DC for the last two years, and he has six seasons of NFL coaching experience. He could be a favorite to take over for John Harbaugh in Baltimore, where Minter was an assistant coach for four seasons. In Vegas, Minter would be taking over for Pete Carroll, who lasted just one season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
RADIO
