January 28, 2026
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is already doing squats and said he thinks he'll be ready to go by April. Penix had successful surgery to fix a partially torn ACL in his left knee in late November and was expected to be facing a nine-month recovery. It's great news that the 25-year-old is doing well in his recovery, but even if he's ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall, it's hard to look past the fact that he's now had three reconstructive knee surgeries and two season-ending shoulder injuries. The Falcons will most likely be doing something to give them a fallback option in case Penix's injury woes continue, especially if they don't retain
Kirk Cousins. The 25-year-old was up and down in his second NFL season in 2025 before injuring his knee, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in only nine starts. Penix will head into Year 3 with only 12 starts under his belt.
--Keith HernandezSource: Zach Klein
January 28, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders tight end
Brock Bowers (knee) had a sophomore season to forget in 2025, as he only played in 12 games and ended the year on Injured Reserve. The 23-year-old former 13th overall pick in 2024 out of Georgia injured his knee in the Week 1 season opener and wasn't quite himself the rest of the year before eventually being shut down. Still, Bowers managed to finish as the TE10 in half-PPR scoring with 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. It was quite the disappointment for fantasy managers after Bowers had a 112-1,194-5 season in 17 games in his rookie campaign. Bowers is expected to be fully healthy for the start of the 2026 season, when he's expected to be working with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza -- the projected first overall pick by Vegas. Even though the Raiders are expected to have a rookie QB, Bowers should be a high-end TE1 target yet again.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle bounced back from the worst season of his career in 2024 by catching 64 of his 100 targets for 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 starts in his fifth year in the NFL in 2025. Waddle also had 28 rushing yards. It was good enough to put him as the WR22 in half-PPR scoring. It was nice to see the 27-year-old pass-catcher bounce back from a disastrous 2024 campaign, but it might have still been somewhat of a disappointment for him, considering
Tyreek Hill (knee) missed most of the year with a season-ending injury. Waddle thankfully had a larger target share, but the Dolphins' offense just was unable to find its explosiveness for a second straight season, and quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa was benched late in the year. Waddle still has the talent to provide plenty of value in PPR fantasy leagues, but his value is in major flux heading into 2026 under a completely new coaching staff. Hill's return (whenever that may be) will also be a negative for Waddle's ceiling.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
The Los Angeles Rams requested to interview Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone for their special teams coordinator job, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ventrone, who is considered one of the best in the league in his role, is not expected to stay on the coaching staff in Cleveland under new head coach Todd Monken. In addition to the Rams, the Pittsburgh Steelers want to talk to him about the same job. Monken is expected to bring in all new coordinators now that he's been named the next Browns head coach. The special teams unit in Cleveland gave up the seventh-most yards per kickoff return and the fifth-most yards per punt return last season. The Rams' special teams unit was a weakness for them this past season and cost them big time in the NFC Championship loss to the Seahawks.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
Although Minnesota Vikings wide receiver
Justin Jefferson reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the sixth straight season in the NFL in 2025, he was a massive disappointment for fantasy football managers. Jefferson was a top-10 fantasy selection in most fantasy drafts last year, but he finished as only the WR25 in half-PPR scoring. The difference in 2025 was his lack of chemistry with young quarterback
J.J. McCarthy, who played in only 10 games due to injuries. When McCarthy was on the field, he didn't show much chemistry with Jefferson and was way too inconsistent accuracy-wise. Jefferson caught 84 passes, which was his lowest total in six seasons, other than when he had 68 receptions in an injury-plagued 2023 season. His two touchdowns and 1,048 receiving yards were both career lows. Jefferson remains an elite fantasy wideout talent-wise, but he's going to drop in the 2026 rankings a bit until he and McCarthy can develop a more consistent connection.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
The future of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz with the Cleveland Browns is unclear after the team decided to hire former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Schwartz was visibly upset and told other coaches in the building that he was not coming back after the Browns informed him that they were choosing Monken over him. He remains under contract with Cleveland, and the Browns want to retain him. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the only way they were probably going to keep Schwartz around is if they promoted him to head coach after they fired Kevin Stefanski following the 2025 season. It's unclear if Schwartz will stick around and coach a talented Browns defense, but it may not be up to him, as Monken might decide to go in another direction at defensive coordinator.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
The New York Jets are hiring former Miami Dolphins passing-game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker as their next defensive coordinator, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Duker, 36, spent time with Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on the Detroit Lions' coaching staff from 2021 to 2023, when Glenn was the defensive coordinator, and Duker was a rising assistant coach. The Jets interviewed Duker for the job less than 24 hours ago. He beat out eight other candidates, including veteran defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. The Jets are also searching for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday. Duker and Glenn have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball going into next season, as the Jets became the first team in NFL history in 2025 to go an entire season without a single interception. They also ranked second-to-last with 29.6 points allowed per game.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers are requesting to interview Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator and assistant head coach Jim Leonhard for their vacant defensive-coordinator position, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Leonhard has also received interest from the Buffalo Bills, among other teams. The Chargers are looking for a new defensive coordinator after Jesse Minter left to become the next head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Leonhard has done a standout job with the Broncos' defense, one of the best units in the NFL, as they allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game (187.2) during the 2025 regular season. The Chargers' defense was sneaky good this past season, too, allowing the seventh-fewest yards per play and the fifth-lowest offensive success rate. Leonhard will have a lot to work with if he chooses to go to L.A.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 28, 2026
The Cleveland Browns are hiring former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 59-year-old spent the last three years running the Ravens' offense under head coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore. Monken served as the offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2019 under head coach Freddie Kitchens. This will be Monken's first head-coaching job in the NFL, although he did serve as the head coach in college at Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015. The Browns fired previous head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons at the helm after the team finished 5-12 in 2025. Monken will have his work cut out for him in his first head-coaching gig in the NFL. First and foremost, on the offensive side of the ball, the Browns must decide who their quarterback will be.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 27, 2026
Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Davis Webb is receiving some serious interest around the NFL this cycle for not only head-coaching jobs, but also offensive-coordinator positions. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that after Webb interviewed this week for the Las Vegas Raiders' and Buffalo Bills' head-coaching jobs, he received interview requests for offensive-coordinator jobs with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Baltimore Ravens. The former backup QB is a hot, rising name in the coaching ranks after the work he's done with
Bo Nix in Denver. The Broncos appear intent on not letting Webb leave, though, after firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Tuesday. The expectation is that head coach Sean Payton will try to promote Davis to OC to keep his bright offensive mind around.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 27, 2026
The New York Jets reached out to former NFL head coach Jon Gruden about the idea of joining head coach Aaron Glenn's coaching staff, multiple sources told Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. However, Gruden wasn't interested in the job. The report comes after the Jets parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday. The expectation is that former Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich will be brought in to call plays for the Jets' offense in 2026. It's unclear exactly what role the Jets had in mind for Gruden. Gruden has not coached in the NFL since he resigned as the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach after an email scandal that featured insensitive language in 2021. After finishing 3-14 in 2025 in Glenn's first year, the Jets need a lot of help on offense, but it must start with a quarterback.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
January 27, 2026
The Arizona Cardinals interviewed former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in-person for their head-coaching vacancy, a source told Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Rivera is currently the general manager for the football team at the University of California. The 64-year-old coached the Panthers from 2011 to 2019, which included a Super Bowl appearance and two NFL Coach of the Year awards. He wasn't as successful in a shorter stint as the Commanders' head coach from 2020 to 2023, as he never had a winning record in D.C. Rivera hasn't coached in the NFL for the last two seasons, but he's on Arizona's radar as they look to replace Jonathan Gannon. Rivera has plenty of experience in the NFL as a head coach, but it's believed that Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is the favorite to be named the Cardinals' next head coach.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
January 27, 2026
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who won eight Super Bowls, will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, according to Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN. Belichick fell short of the 40 of 50 votes needed for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility, according to four sources with first-hand knowledge of the outcome. Sources who spoke with the coach over the weekend described Belichick as "puzzled" and "disappointed." "Politics kept him out. He doesn't believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments," a source familiar with Belichick's thinking said. Per Ari Meirov, former Bills and Colts general manager and long-time Patriots rival Bill Polian told some voters that he thought Belichick should "wait a year" as penance for the Spygate and Deflategate scandals. Most fans considered Belichick to be a lock as a first-ballot Hall of Famer with an NFL coaching record of 333-178, including the playoffs.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham
January 27, 2026
Washington Commanders running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a fantasy darling during draft season last fall when the team's RB picture was unsettled. His fantasy stock rose even further after
Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending injury early in the year. The 24-year-old seventh-rounder ended up leading the team in carries (175), rushing yards (805), and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he was the RB29 in half-PPR scoring, and he averaged just 8.2 half-PPR points per game in his 17 contests. It didn't help JCM's cause that starting quarterback
Jayden Daniels missed most of the season with various injuries. Croskey-Merritt had two 100-yard games in his rookie season, but he also failed to eclipse 50 rushing yards in a game 12 times. The Commanders will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026, and it's hard to say how they'll attack the RB position in free agency and the draft. Croskey-Merritt will have a role next year, but there's a good chance he'll be more of a committee back than a workhorse.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Jalen Coker's stats in his first two NFL seasons don't stand out. He has produced 65 catches on 89 targets for 872 yards and five touchdowns in 22 regular-season games. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross has played in exactly 11 games in each of his first two years in the NFL due to injuries. A quad ailment was the reason he didn't debut in 2025 until Week 7. It took Coker a little while to get in the groove, but once he did, he was essentially Carolina's WR2 behind impressive rookie first-rounder
Tetairoa McMillan. In the last five games of the regular season, Coker had 19 grabs for 244 yards and three touchdowns, and he stepped up in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams for a 9-134-1 line. If Coker can finally stay healthy in 2026, he has the potential for a Year 3 breakout as the Panthers' WR2.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
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