Pete Carroll Addresses Job Security; Raiders Interested In Jesse Minter?
The Raiders took a step toward securing the first overall pick by losing yesterday. Vegas now has a record of 2-14, though, and the team has lost 10 straight games. 
The fate of head coach Pete Carrol therefore remains something to watch closely as ‘Black Monday’ approaches. The Super Bowl winner has been named a strong one-and-done candidate on multiple occasions, although he fully plans to remain with the Raiders beyond the final week of the season. Carroll spoke after Sunday’s loss and reiterated his stance that ownership still backs him.
“I do. From all the guys I’ve talked to, I do feel like I have their support,” the 74-year-old said (video link). “What does that mean? I don’t know, but our conversations have been really good.”
Such remarks are commonplace late in the season for coaches in danger of being dismissed. As Carroll is no doubt well aware, dialogue with ownership in no way guarantees stability from one year to the next. The Raiders in particular have cycled through a long list of HC and GM combinations in recent years, including the organization’s reshaping in 2025. Carroll was hired during Tom Brady‘s first offseason as an official minority owner, one in which John Spytek was brought in as general manager.
Things have certainly not gone according to plan this year. Carroll has already fired a pair of coordinators – including the highly-compensated Chip Kelly – with production on offense proving to be a major challenge. The Raiders also rank 25th in the NFL in scoring defense, an illustration of the extent to which widespread improvement will be required in 2026. Two HC vacancies currently exist around the league, and more will soon open; whether or not Vegas joins the list of suitors for a new coach will be interesting to monitor over the coming days.
In the event a change is made on the sidelines, several staffers with a defensive background are set to dominate the pool of replacement candidates. One of those is Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, whom Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated identifies as a “name to keep an eye on” with respect to Vegas. Minter developed a strong track record in the college ranks before following Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to the Bolts in 2024. Los Angeles has thrived defensively under Minter. The 42-year-old has not served as a head coach yet during his career, but that could soon change and the Raiders could find themselves amongst his suitors.
Browns Have Spoken With Chris Grier, Tom Telesco
Andrew Berry has survived the Deshaun Watson trade and, thus far, avoided many rumors about being on the hot seat in Cleveland. But the longtime Browns GM probably should not be considered a lock to return in 2026, given the state of the team since its 2023 playoff season.
The Browns are 7-26 over the past two seasons, naturally leading to rumblings about Kevin Stefanski being on the hot seat. Berry’s seat may not be as warm, despite Stefanski’s two Coach of the Year honors. The Browns, however, have been meeting with some experienced GMs.
Chris Grier and Tom Telesco have spoken with the team, according to The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson. It is not uncommon, as Anderson notes, for teams to hold discussions with available front office execs at this point on the calendar. Neither Grier nor Telesco are presently employed by a team, leaving both eligible to discuss potential roles with the Browns.
This could be about coming on in a role under Berry, as Anderson notes these meetings are being classified as exploratory about potentially adding senior voices in the building. Adding one or both of these staffers could be a half-measure for the struggling team, as Telesco and Berry have more than 20 combined years on the GM job.
Both execs were ousted in 2025. Telesco received his Raiders pink slip after just one year on the job. That brought a historically quick trigger for a GM, but new minority owner Tom Brady eyed alignment rather than sticking Antonio Pierce‘s successor (Pete Carroll) with a holdover GM. Ex-Brady college teammate John Spytek, later a Buccaneers exec when the legendary quarterback finished his career in Tampa, landed the job. Telesco has nearly 12 years’ experience as a GM, holding that role for the Chargers from 2013-23 and then last year with the Raiders.
The Dolphins and Grier came to a disagreement after the team’s 1-7 start. Unlike Telesco, a host of hot-seat rumors followed Grier before his October exit. In place as the Dolphins’ GM from 2016-25, Grier did not receive full autonomy in the role until football ops president Mike Tannenbaum’s exit before the 2019 offseason. Grier’s Dolphins undoing came as the team’s direction trended south during this decade’s midpoint. The embattled GM was believed to be eyeing seller’s trades on the level that conflicted with ownership’s views. The Dolphins removed Grier from the GM role but kept Mike McDaniel, who is not certain to return in 2026.
Berry’s second Browns stint began in 2020, being hired along with Stefanski that offseason. This has been by far the most stable partnership during Jimmy Haslam‘s tumultuous ownership tenure — one that included numerous HC and GM firings before 2020. Although Berry will always be tied to the Watson debacle, he has been in place for two Browns playoff berths — after the team combined for one from 1999-2019 — and received an extension during the 2024 offseason.
The Telesco meeting would seemingly point to a role under Berry. The two worked together with the Colts from 2009-12. Berry was breaking into the scouting ranks at that point, while Telesco was further along, sitting as Indianapolis’ director of player personnel and then VP of football ops before taking the Chargers’ GM job. Telesco, 53, has been at Sirius XM Radio this season. Berry and Grier, 55, have never worked together; Grier spent 25 years with the Dolphins.
Cowboys Hope To Re-Sign Jadeveon Clowney
In the wake of the Cowboys’ Christmas Day victory, Jadeveon Clowney made it clear he intends to play in 2026. His preference would be to remain in Dallas for next season. 
That feeling is mutual. During a Monday appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said the team “would love” to bring Clowney back for next season. The former No. 1 pick has made 12 appearances for Dallas in 2025, serving as a key member of the team’s pass rush along the way. It would come as little surprise if a new pact were to be worked out as a result.
“We’ll be talking with his guys right away,” Jones said (via Tommy Yarish of the team’s website). “With his willingness to want to be here and us wanting him to be here, hopefully we can figure something out.”
Stability is certainly not an adjective which would appropriately describe Clowney’s NFL tenure. After five years in Houston, the three-time Pro Bowler has bounced around to the Seahawks, Titans, Browns, Ravens, Panthers and now Cowboys. Only his Cleveland spell (2021-22) lasted longer than one year upon leaving the Texans. A Dallas re-up would thus mark a departure from Clowney’s standard practice, as much as it would represent a logical fit for both parties.
The Cowboys have Dante Fowler and Payton Turner attached to one-year contracts. Sam Williams‘ rookie deal is set to expire in March, meanwhile, adding to the list of pending free agents along the edge. James Houston is under contract through 2026, while second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku figures to have a role in the team’s pass rush plans for years to come. That still leaves room for at least one notable addition this offseason even if Clowney is to be retained.
The 32-year-old was cut by the Panthers in May, and he remained on the open market into September. Clowney took a $3.5MM pact to join the Cowboys, a deal which has allowed him to produce 5.5 sacks, 16 pressures and eight tackles for loss. Remaining a steady contributor while handling a rotational role would be key in this case as Dallas looks to make needed defensive improvements for 2026. It will be interesting to see if one of the team’s top priorities after Week 18 will be to finalize a new Clowney agreement.
Andy Reid Not Planning 2026 Retirement; Matt Nagy Declined Chiefs Extension Offer
DECEMBER 29: During an appearance on Sports Radio 810 Monday (via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports), Reid confirmed he will return to the Chiefs in 2026. While questions remain about Nagy and other members of Kansas City’s staff, Reid will extend his tenure with the team into a 14th season.
DECEMBER 21: An offseason tradition on the coaching front has featured Andy Reid swatting away retirement rumors. This season, however, will end with a rare set of meaningless Chiefs games. The three-time reigning AFC champions are eliminated from playoff contention. That separates this year even from the 2014 season, when Kansas City remained in the mix later into a 9-7 campaign — Reid’s only non-playoff showing with the franchise.
Reid and Patrick Mahomes have formed one of the best QB-HC combinations in NFL history, trekking to five Super Bowls and winning three championships together. But Mahomes is now set for extensive ACL and LCL rehab while Reid will turn 68 in March. Despite the Chiefs being set for unusual territory — as they navigate Mahomes rehab during an offseason in which they are unlikely to be labeled Super Bowl frontrunners — NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note Reid is not planning to retire in 2026.
[RELATED: Unusual Chiefs Season Set To Precede Roster-Building Challenges]
The Chiefs extended Reid in 2024; the deal is believed to have made the six-time conference champion the NFL’s highest-paid HC at around $20MM per year. Reid’s contract runs through the 2029 season, covering the Chiefs in this important area. Reid will bid to become the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl. Bruce Arians currently holds that title, having guided the 2020 Buccaneers to a championship at age 67.
It will be interesting to see how Reid’s offense looks to start the 2025 season. Mahomes’ timetable points to a decent chance he is back by Week 1, but that will not be a lock. How Mahomes looks as far as mobility goes will be a defining factor for the 2026 Chiefs, as they have derived plenty from the quarterback’s dual-threat skillset during a run that up until this season brought seven AFC championship game appearances in seven QB1 seasons.
The Chiefs also figure to make a real investment in the backfield. The Jets rejected a fourth-round offer for Breece Hall at the deadline, and both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco — a player who has seen injury trouble headline his past two seasons — are set for free agency. Travis Kelce is also not a lock to come back. The future Hall of Famer is unsigned for 2026. While Kelce has long said he would finish his career with the Chiefs, he would need a new deal to return for a 14th season.
Also set for free agency: OC Matt Nagy, who figures to draw some HC interest after three seasons back in a role he held briefly in the late 2010s. Nagy is believed to have turned down a Chiefs extension offer this past offseason, per Rapoport and Pelissero. As a result, the veteran Reid sidekick/ex-Bears coach will need a new deal to stay in Kansas City.
Nagy, 47, interviewed for the Jets’ HC job last year and has been connected to the Titans’ vacancy on a few occasions since Tennessee fired Brian Callahan. The former NFL Coach of the Year (with the 2018 Bears) worked with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi previously and figures to interview for that post.
While this Chiefs season being the one to launch Nagy back onto the HC level would be a bit odd given the disappointing performance, Kansas City’s offense has been a touch better this season. That said, the Chiefs enter Week 16 ranked 15th in points yet again.
The Chiefs made the Super Bowl with No. 15-ranked scoring offenses in 2023 and ’24, using Steve Spagnuolo‘s sound defenses to provide enough support for Mahomes and Co. post-Tyreek Hill and amid a Kelce decline. While it is possible Nagy rejected an extension offer coming off a clunky offensive season, the reasons for his declining the deal are not known.
These defensive-oriented teams did not garner Spagnuolo a second HC chance; the accomplished DC’s age (66 today) and woeful three-year run as the St. Louis Rams’ HC figures to keep him from a second chance. In a year set to feature a host of defense-oriented coaching candidates, Nagy will likely draw interest. Going 2-for-4 in playoff berths with the Bears with Mitch Trubisky as the primary quarterback has aged well, and it will be interesting to see if Nagy advances far into the process as an interviewee come January.
Bears Fear Achilles Tear For Noah Sewell
The Bears lost out on the opportunity to secure the No. 1 seed during their loss yesterday. The team’s defense was also dealt a blow in the process. 
Linebacker Noah Sewell was carted off the field Sunday and quickly ruled out with an ankle injury. Upon further testing, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports an Achilles tear is feared to have occurred. An MRI is pending, but Sewell is in danger of missing the rest of the season.
The linebacker position has been among those hit hard by injuries for Chicago in 2025. Sewell did not register any starts during his first two seasons in the league, but he has made nine this year. Handling a 50% snap share, the former fifth-round pick has registered 59 tackles and one forced fumble. It appears as though he will not be able to add to that production, however.
Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards were mainstays on defense last night. That will no doubt remain the case for Week 18 and into the playoffs. Losing Sewell for the remainder of 2025 will leave Chicago thin at the LB position, however, and how defensive coordinator Dennis Allen replaces him will be interesting to see. D’Marco Jackson is a candidate to step into an increased defensive workload, although even after Sewell’s injury he did not see any snaps last night against San Francisco.
Sewell, 23, is attached to his rookie contract through the 2026 season. He will soon be eligible for an extension for the first time in his career, but a major injury would of course lessen the chances of a new pact being worked out early. While Sewell’s attention will turn to a lengthy recovery process, the 11-5 Bears will look to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC during the final week of the regular season.
Jets HC Aaron Glenn’s Status Uncertain?
Week 17 saw the Jets’ disappointing end to the season continue. Attention will soon turn to free agency and the draft for first-year general manager Darren Mougey, but it remains to be seen if Aaron Glenn will be retained for 2026. 
Glenn’s first season as a head coach has not gone according to plan, especially in recent weeks. The Jets are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Their margin of defeat in those contests has been 24, 28, 23 and 32 points. New York currents sits 30th in the NFL in points allowed despite Glenn’s background as a defensive coordinator.
Of course, the decision to trade away cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams led to a decrease in expectations on that side of the ball for the second half of the campaign. Nevertheless, the Jets’ struggles in that regard led to DC Steve Wilks being fired. Glenn’s job security was viewed as being uncertain at that point, although a more recent report indicated he will remain in place for next season.
The 53-year-old’s job security is still a talking point at this time, however. Outkick’s Armando Salguero writes Glenn is not safe in the wake of his team’s underwhelming finish to the season. Glenn joined New York on a five-year deal following his tenure leading the Lions’ defense. Moving on after just one campaign would thus come as a surprise even with the team sitting at 3-13. Glenn’s latest comments on the matter point to continued support coming from owner Woody Johnson.
“I do know there’s a belief in me,” Glenn said of Johnson (via Salguero). “I do know I believe in him. That’s why I’m glad I took this job, is because of ownership and what he’s about… I’m disappointed. I know he’s disappointed. So, now we’ve got to figure out what we do to make sure that we get over that hump and move forward.”
Improved play in many respects will be required for the Jets to bounce back in 2026. At least one change will take place on the sidelines when Wilks’ full-time replacement is named. Other moves affecting the coaching staff could be made soon, and Glenn’s standing in the organization will remain something to watch closely through the final week of the campaign.
Raiders Now In Line To Land 2026 No. 1 Overall Pick
DECEMBER 29: ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports some in the Giants’ organization found the Raiders’ IR moves leading up to yesterday’s game to be suspicious. They certainly helped Vegas move into pole position for the top selection, however. Similar actions can be expected in future years when games critical to determining the draft order take place late in the season.
DECEMBER 28: In what would be a snoozer of a game any time before, say, Week 14, today’s matchup between the two teams with the worst records in the NFL held huge implications for each franchise’s future. With a loss today, the Giants could have all but locked up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but after New York blew out Las Vegas to the tune of 34-10, the Raiders now sit in the driver’s seat heading into the regular season finale.
It seems only two teams remain eligible to secure the top pick in the league’s next draft, and it’s still the two who played each other today. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Giants still hold a 20% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick by losing next week, when they host the Cowboys, and seeing Vegas beat the Chiefs. Raanan’s ESPN coworker, Adam Schefter, followed up Raanan’s report to point out the remaining 80 percent of probability belongs solely to the Raiders, who can secure the top pick with a Week 18 home loss to Kansas City.
A couple factors should give New York fans some hope behind their smaller odds. Todd Archer, another contributor at ESPN, reported shortly after the Cowboys’ Christmas Day game that quarterback Dak Prescott has “pride” in starting the final game of the 2025 season, giving the Giants a tougher matchup for the final week of the season. Additionally, the Chiefs offense will be led by QB3 Chris Oladokun after both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew suffered season-ending injuries.
Working against the Giants’ odds is the fact that the Raiders appear to be self-handicapping their team for what could be an easy matchup against the ailing Chiefs to close out the year. All before the penultimate week of the regular season, the Raiders shut down the seasons of starting offensive guard Jordan Meredith, star tight end Brock Bowers, and starting safety Jeremy Chinn, not to mention star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Additionally, after starting quarterback Geno Smith left today’s game with an injury, head coach Pete Carroll announced that Smith would miss the team’s regular season finale with a high ankle sprain, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The move to place Crosby on injured reserve seems especially blatant as Crosby has been banging the table, advocating for himself, wanting to play out the rest of the season. Crosby had started every game this year up until this week despite suffering a midseason knee injury that both player and team have known for a while would require a meniscus trim procedure to repair. Las Vegas made the move to place Crosby on IR yesterday and plan his surgery against the will of the star pass rusher, ending his season and causing him to walk out of the team facility.
Crosby spoke against the transaction, telling the media that he doesn’t care “about the pick” and that his “job is to be the best defensive end in the world.” Crosby even received two alternative medical opinions on his situation, both of which indicated that he could continue to play, provided he could handle any accompanying pain. Seemingly to speak out against his team’s decision and prove he could still play, Crosby posted videos to his Instagram story yesterday that showed him playing basketball and playing with his daughter on a trampoline, activities that would be difficult for someone with a season-ending knee injury.
Regardless, heading into the final week of the regular season, the Raiders will enter a winnable game against an injury-riddled Chiefs squad without Smith, Bowers, Meredith, Chinn, and Crosby, as well as earlier-injured starting offensive linemen Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. The Giants will head into a tough matchup against a favored Cowboys team, but their draft slot will likely be determined by the actions of the Raiders, who seem to unashamedly be aiming for the No. 1 overall pick.
Maxx Crosby To ‘Evaluate’ Raiders Future?
It was learned shortly before today’s game against the Giants that Maxx Crosby would be shut down for the remainder of the season. In response to learning his season was over, Crosby exited the Raiders’ facility. 
At the time, it was reported this episode could lead to a new round of questions about the Pro Bowl edge rusher’s standing with the Raiders. Crosby’s attention will now turn to recovering from a meniscus trim he was always going to undergo at some point. Multiple outside opinions on his knee injury suggested he could have continued playing to close out the season, however, and how Crosby reacts to the team’s decision could make for a storyline to follow.
Indeed, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (video link) this situation is going to cause Crosby to “evaluate his future” in Vegas. On more than one occasion, owner Mark Davis has insisted no trade is going to take place in this case. That stance was further cemented when team and player agreed to a $35.5MM-per-year extension. At the time of signing, the pact made Crosby the league’s highest-paid pass rusher on an annual basis.
That is no longer the case, but the 28-year-old has repeatedly stated his desire to spend his entire NFL career with one team. Crosby is under contract through 2029 thanks to the extension he signed this past spring. He is owed $30MM in guarantees for next year, and in mid-March his $29MM base salary for 2027 will vest in full. Any hypothetical change of scenery will no doubt take place before that date.
The Raiders face a number of key decisions in the near future. Head coach Pete Carroll intends to continue in his current capacity, but he has loomed as a strong candidate to go one-and-done in Vegas for some time now. The team sits at 2-13 entering Week 17, the same record as the Giants. A loss would go a long way in determining the No. 1 pick for either team, something which is of course critical whenever a new quarterback is being targeted.
Vegas has Geno Smith in the fold, but especially if the team finds itself in a position to do so it could add a signal-caller in the first round of the draft. Doing so could help spark a needed turnaround for the franchise, but before that point it will become clear whether or not Crosby’s decorated Raiders career will continue into 2026.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles Not In Danger Of Losing Job
The Buccaneers are in the midst of a downhill spiral, as they have lost three straight games – all of which were one-score defeats against division opponents – and six of their last seven. Tampa Bay’s struggles have led to questions about head coach Todd Bowles’ job security, which Bowles himself addressed earlier this month.
However, Bowles is not in danger of losing his job, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). Rapoport cites the thru-2028 extension Bowles signed earlier this year as one of the reasons for that.
Of course, coaches are often fired with multiple years remaining on their deals, so the possibility of a Bowles ouster should not be discounted because of his contract status alone. But Rapoport also says the 62-year-old’s overall resume will work in his favor.
Since taking over as head coach in 2022, Bowles has compiled a 34-32 regular season record. That mark is not terribly impressive, but it has been enough to land three consecutive NFC South titles. Plus, despite the Bucs’ ongoing swoon, they still control their own playoff destiny and can assure themselves of the division crown for the fifth straight year – they also won it in 2021, Bruce Arians’ final season as HC – with victories over the Dolphins and Panthers in the next two weeks.
On the other hand, the relative weakness of the NFC South has certainly aided Bowles’ cause, and despite qualifying for three straight playoff brackets, Tampa Bay has managed just one postseason win under Bowles’ leadership. He also serves as the club’s defensive play-caller, and the fact that his defense ranks in the bottom-10 in terms of both points and yardage this season contributed to the recent reporting about his future.
But Rapoport says Bowles is safe, no matter how the 2025 campaign ends. Naturally, another playoff appearance would bolster Bowles’ standing, whereas failing to make the postseason would invariably lead to more questions.
Bowles predictably downplayed any concerns during his recent comments on the matter.
“I don’t think I worry about it at all,” he said of his hypothetical place on the hot seat. “It doesn’t creep into the locker room. Players play and coaches coach. I got more years behind me than I do ahead of me. I think we’re in a situation where we’re right back in it and our only focus is on winning a ball game.”
Bills DT Ed Oliver Could Return During Postseason
DECEMBER 28: Following this afternoon’s Week 17 loss to the Eagles, McDermott told reporters that, while Oliver is still moving in a positive direction, the 28-year-old “suffered a bit of a setback with his recovery this week,” per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. The ninth-year head coach didn’t offer any update on Oliver’s recovery timeline, but what has been a nine-week absence was already expected to continue into the postseason, so there’s a chance the veteran defender could struggle to make it back before the Bills’ season ends.
DECEMBER 25: At 11-4, the Bills have already clinched a playoff berth with two weeks remaining in the regular season. They’ve done so despite the long-term absence of one of their top defensive linemen, Ed Oliver, but a playoff return is a possibility. The Bills hope to get the 287-pound tackle back from injured reserve sometime during the postseason, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.
Buffalo is still in play for the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, though that’s an extreme long shot. The likelihood is the Bills will finish second in the AFC East behind the Patriots, ending a five-year run atop the division. That would set the Bills up to go on the road on wild-card weekend, which looks like the earliest possible comeback for Oliver.
Now in his seventh NFL season, Oliver has appeared in just three of 15 games. He was the Bills’ best defender in a Week 1 win over the Ravens, but an ankle injury suffered in practice shelved the 28-year-old for the next four games. Oliver returned to play in two contests before going down with a biceps tear in Week 8. He has been on IR since then.
While Oliver has only amassed 108 defensive snaps this year, he has made a noticeable impact when healthy. The former first-round pick piled up 12 tackles, seven TFL, five QB hits, and three sacks during his brief regular season.
It’s a small sample, but Pro Football Focus assigned Oliver a career-best grade of 90.4 against the run before he landed on the shelf. With Oliver out for most of 2025, the Bills have yielded the third-most rushing yards in the league. They eked out a 23-20 win over the Browns last Sunday despite allowing 160 ground yards on 31 attempts.
Oliver’s absence has left DaQuan Jones as the Bills’ most reliable interior D-lineman. Fourth-round rookie Deone Walker, second-round rookie T.J. Sanders, and veterans Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis round out the group. There’s a steep drop-off from a healthy Oliver to any of those five.
Ogunjobi, who inked a one-year, $8.3MM deal with the Bills in free agency, has been particularly disappointing. The former Brown, Bengal and Steeler served a six-game PED suspension to begin his Bills tenure, and he has made little impact in eight games since returning. Head coach Sean McDermott made Ogunjobi a healthy scratch in Week 16.
It’s unknown if Ogunjobi will remain on the bench Sunday as Buffalo attempts to stay alive in the AFC East race for another week. Regardless, the Bills’ Oliver-less defense is in for a stiff test against the Eagles and their Saquon Barkley-led rushing attack. The Bills will then close out the regular slate with the Jets in Week 18, which may be the last time they’ll go without Oliver this season.