January 22, 2026
New England Patriots wide receiver
Mack Hollins (abdomen) returned to practice on Thursday, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Head coach Mike Vrabel said the team wouldn't open Hollins' 21-day practice window on Wednesday, but they did so a day later. It's good news for the veteran 32-year-old pass catcher, who has been on Injured Reserve since Dec. 27, but it doesn't mean he'll officially be activated and play in the NFC Championship game this Sunday versus the hosting Denver Broncos. In his first year with the Patriots in 2025, Hollins served as a deep threat for young quarterback
Drake Maye, hauling in 46 of his 65 targets for 550 yards and only two touchdowns in 15 regular-season games. If Hollins returns this weekend, his snap count could be limited, making him hard to trust for fantasy purposes against a strong Denver defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: Boston Herald - Doug Kyed
January 22, 2026
Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons to become their offensive coordinator, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski didn't waste much time bringing of play-caller from the Browns over to the NFC South. To begin the 2025 season in Cleveland, Stefanski called the plays for the Browns' offense, but Rees was allowed to take over once the team went with rookie quarterbacks
Dillon Gabriel and
Shedeur Sanders. It's unclear at this time who will call plays to start the year in Atlanta next season. The lack of success from Cleveland's offense under Rees wasn't a huge surprise, given the lack of experience in the room, but in Atlanta, Rees and Stefanski will have a lot more to work with on offense with running back
Bijan Robinson, receiver
Drake London, and tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr.--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
January 22, 2026
The Miami Dolphins have requested to interview Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for their offensive-coordinator role, a source told Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Quarterback
C.J. Stroud thrived while working with Johnson in his rookie campaign in 2023, but he's regressed in each of the last two seasons. If Johnson were to land in Miami, it's unclear who he'd be working with at the QB position, with the Dolphins likely to move on from
Tua Tagovailoa now that previous head coach Mike McDaniel is no longer in town. Johnson was a candidate to replace former OC Bobby Slowik in Houston, but the job eventually went to Nick Caley, who is expected to stick around for a second season in 2026. The 37-year-old has also been an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, and Minnesota Vikings.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
January 22, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles requested to interview Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for their offensive-coordinator position, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Doyle was hired last offseason as the league's youngest offensive coordinator, and he previously coached under head coach Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos. With a move to Philly, Doyle would be able to call the plays for the first time in his career. Under Doyle in 2025, Chicago's offense finished ninth in points per game and made it all the way to the Divisional Round, where they nearly beat the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. Quarterback
Caleb Williams also showed marked improvement in his second NFL season under Doyle and first-year head coach Ben Johnson. If Doyle joins the Eagles, he will be looking to spark an Eagles offense that became stagnant this past season.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 22, 2026
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that quarterback
Jarrett Stidham's football IQ and his composure/calmness are "elite," according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. Payton continues to build up Stidham's confidence as the 29-year-old backup prepares for his first NFL start since 2023 in the AFC Championship this Sunday against the New England Patriots. Stidham will be the No. 4 fantasy QB going into this weekend's action after starter
Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. Stidham has a strong arm, is accurate, and knows Payton's system well, so he might not be much of a downgrade over Nix if he performs up to his capabilities against New England. It won't be easy, though, against a Patriots defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs over the last five weeks.
--Keith HernandezSource: DNVR Sports - Zac Stevens
January 22, 2026
NC State tight end Justin Joly has been one of the most productive players at the position over the last three college football seasons. The 21-year-old New York native began his career at UConn before spending his junior and senior seasons with the Wolfpack, hauling in 92 receptions for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns. He enjoyed great success at NC State, but his breakout campaign came as a sophomore with the Huskies in 2023, when he tallied 56 catches for 578 yards and two scores. The 2025 first-team All-ACC selection is viewed as one of the top five tight ends in the 2026 NFL Draft class, and he's currently projected to be a third-round selection in April. Joly thrives running intermediate and deep routes, making him a strong TE2 and second tight end in 12-personnel at the next level. His landing spot will determine his upside and placement in dynasty rookie drafts as part of a shallow incoming rookie tight end class.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
January 22, 2026
The New York Giants have requested to interview Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach/running backs coach Willie Taggart for their offensive-coordinator role, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The former Florida State and Oregon head coach was a member of former Ravens head coach and new Giants head coach John Harbaugh's staff in Baltimore for three seasons. Taggart's job as the Ravens' RBs coach was made easier by the fact that he had one of the most dominant players in the league in
Derrick Henry, who steamrolled his way to 3,516 rushing yards the last two seasons. If Harbaugh can't get former offensive coordinator Todd Monken to follow him to New York -- he's a finalist for the head-coaching job with the Cleveland Browns -- Taggart could be the fallback option. The Giants' OC position is very attractive, with high-end talent at quarterback (
Jaxson Dart), RB (
Cam Skattebo), and receiver (
Malik Nabers).
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
January 22, 2026
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finalizing a deal to hire Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson as their offensive coordinator, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Robinson will stay in the NFC South and join Tampa after running the Falcons' offense the last two years under previous head coach Raheem Morris. Before that, Robinson spent five years working under Sean McVay, eventually serving as the OC for the Los Angeles Rams for his last two years there. He had a lot to work with in Atlanta, but Robinson just couldn't get the Falcons over the hump, as they finished 24th in scoring offense in 2025. However, with
Bijan Robinson at running back, the team was in the top 10 in rushing yards in each of the last two seasons. Robinson will now look to help quarterback
Baker Mayfield bounce back in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 21, 2026
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Wednesday that Gus Bradley is the favorite to replace Robert Saleh as the defensive coordinator, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. "I'm going to say it's a wide net, but Gus is the obvious one to everybody, and us, too. We will go through the whole process and the requirements we want to do, too. Hope it's sooner than later," Shanahan said. Saleh took the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching job. Bradley worked with the Indianapolis Colts for three years before serving as the assistant head coach in San Fran in 2024. Saleh did a commendable job with the 49ers' banged-up defense this year, which means Bradley will have high expectations, especially since he's already been a DC with four different NFL teams, spanning 10-plus years.
--Keith HernandezSource: Bay Area News Group - Cam Inman
January 21, 2026
The Buffalo Bills interviewed offensive coordinator Joe Brady for their head-coaching job on Wednesday, according to Alaina Geztenberg of ESPN. Brady has been the team's offensive coordinator for the last two seasons, which makes him an obvious candidate to replace Sean McDermott, who was fired on Monday after nine seasons at the helm. Before being promoted to the OC role in Buffalo, Brady was the team's quarterbacks coach in 2022 and 2023, so he has plenty of experience working with quarterback
Josh Allen. In Brady's two seasons calling the plays, the Bills averaged 30.6 points per game in 2024 (second-most) and 28.3 points (third-most) in 2025. They ranked third in yards per game this season with 378.2. In addition to the Bills, Brady also interviewed for head-coaching jobs with the Falcons, Raiders, Cardinals, and Ravens.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 21, 2026
Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end
Elijah Arroyo (knee), who remains on Injured Reserve, was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to John Boyle of Seahawks.com. Arroyo landed on IR after injuring his knee in Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons, and he's missed each of the last five games. Now that he's practicing in full, though, he could be activated off IR and play in the NFC Championship tilt this Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. The 22-year-old second-rounder out of Miami wasn't a major factor during the regular season, so fantasy managers probably should avoid using him in playoff lineups if he returns this weekend. In 13 regular-season games, Arroyo had 15 receptions on 26 targets for 179 yards and only one touchdown.
AJ Barner is still the TE to use in fantasy despite his donut in the Divisional Round win over the 49ers.
--Keith HernandezSource: Seahawks.com - John Boyle
January 21, 2026
Houston Texans tight end
Cade Stover's (knee) MRI exam showed no damage to his ACL, a league source told Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Sports. Stover was unable to make much happen after fellow tight end
Dalton Schultz (calf) left the Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots before getting hurt himself in the fourth quarter. The 25-year-old caught one of his three targets for only two yards. The good news is that Stover should be a full-go for training camp in the summer and for Week 1 of the regular season in the fall. In his second year in the league, the former fourth-rounder caught just 12 passes for 76 yards and no touchdowns on 16 targets in nine regular-season games. As long as Schultz is healthy going into the start of the season, Stover won't be fantasy relevant. He had a 15-133-1 line in 15 games in 2024 in his rookie campaign.
--Keith HernandezSource: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
January 21, 2026
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that surgery "went well" for quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle), according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. Nix had surgery for a broken bone in his right ankle that he suffered at the tail end of Saturday's overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. The 25-year-old had one of his best games of the season, too, going 26-for-46 for 279 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. The Broncos haven't given a timetable for Nix's recovery, but we'd be surprised if he wasn't ready to go for the start of the 2026 campaign, where he'll easily be a top-12 fantasy QB. With Nix out for the AFC Championship this weekend against the visiting New England Patriots, the Broncos will go with backup
Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't started a game in the NFL since 2023.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
January 21, 2026
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores signed an undisclosed contract extension to stay with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. If Flores doesn't receive a head-coaching job this cycle, he will be back in 2026 to coach the Vikings' defense. His best chance to land another head-coaching job will be with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he has also interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens. The last two seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings' defense has been in the top 10 in points allowed. The 44-year-old spent 15 seasons on head coach Bill Belichick's coaching staff with the New England Patriots and won four Super Bowl rings. Flores then coached the Miami Dolphins for a couple of seasons before serving as the linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that, he joined Minnesota, where he's been for the last three years.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 21, 2026
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the Philadelphia Eagles' vacant offensive-coordinator position is not viewed as an attractive opening around the league. "I think coordinators on this list are aware that navigating Philly is difficult, and it's not the easiest place to step into--especially if you're looking for a successful few years," Russini said. Neither former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel nor former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll wanted the job, and the Eagles reportedly were willing to give them both "full autonomy" over the offense, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Eagles fired Kevin Patullo after one year in the role, but they're having a difficult time bringing in some of the top names on their wish list. The latest candidate to emerge is former Kansas City Chiefs OC Matt Nagy after he lost out on the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching gig.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
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