HEADLINES

Tom Brady Strongly Influenced Raiders’ Chip Kelly Hire; Latest On Pete Carroll

November 26th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders have somehow regressed despite moving from the Gardner Minshew/Aidan O’Connell quarterback situation to Geno Smith, with the Antonio Pierce-to-Pete Carroll transition also failing to move the needle in the win column. One domino has already fallen in Las Vegas, as Chip Kelly is out as OC. More may well be positioned to topple soon.

Kelly had loomed as a Raiders OC target for two offseasons, being hired shortly after the team installed Carroll as HC. Minority owner Tom Brady is believed to have wielded strong influence in the Kelly hire, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. This is unsurprising given how much power Brady is believed to have in Vegas, and Russini adds Mark Davis‘ preferred football czar is frustrated with the team’s overall performance.

Brady’s frustration likely contributed to the team’s decision to fire Kelly. It has now been three straight years of a Raiders OC being dismissed in-season. The team canned Mick Lombardi shortly after firing Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler in 2023, and Pierce booted Luke Getsy midway through the 2024 campaign. With Smith taking 10 sacks in an abysmal loss to the Browns, the Raiders acted early yet again. Kelly, who became the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator (at $6MM per year), is an NFL one-and-done once again. His most recent NFL post, as 49ers HC in 2016, ended after one year.

The Raiders firing Kelly now strips Carroll from having the chance to make this move in the offseason. Such an effort occurring then would have given the veteran leader a chance to frame that move as a way to convince Brady, Davis and GM John Spytek positive 2026 change would take place. With the firing coming in November, will Carroll have a chance to return as HC in 2026?

Some around the NFL are wondering if Carroll will join Kelly as a Raiders one-and-done, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The oldest HC in NFL history, the 74-year-old sideline staple has not come especially close to being the floor-raising presence expected in Vegas.

The Raiders made a stark pivot to Carroll after losing out on Ben Johnson, a coach Brady aggressively pursued this offseason (though, the team was not believed to have made an offer to the now-Bears HC). The team is 2-9 and ranks 31st in scoring offense (a unit that ranks 32nd in EPA per play). While EPA slots Patrick Graham‘s defense 20th, the Raiders have lost six games by double figures and have only beaten the one-win Titans since what looks to be a fluky Week 1 triumph in New England.

Carroll, who also fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon this month, is on a three-year contract that carries an option for a fourth season. Most HC deals cover five or six years, but Carroll’s age undoubtedly factored into the Raiders’ thinking upon designing this deal. No clear succession plan appeared to exist, and with the Raiders at two wins by Thanksgiving, it would shock if Carroll’s replacement was on staff.

Carroll also holds considerably less power than he did in Seattle, with Brady and Spytek heavily involved. Carroll held final roster say with the Seahawks; the 2024 Seattle change was partially structured around John Schneider receiving a chance to fully steer the ship. Brady is highly unlikely to be going anywhere, so the all-time QB great’s fingerprints figure to be on the coaching situation. Carroll, who sat out the 2024 season but became intrigued with the Raiders once Brady was approved as a part-owner, may well be coaching for his job down the stretch this season.

Bengals Activate Joe Burrow From IR

November 26th, 2025 at 10:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Burrow will indeed return before December. Despite the Bengals’ swoon, they are activating their star quarterback from IR, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms.

This moves Burrow in place to face the Ravens in what looms as a crucial divisional tilt — though, the game is not exactly pivotal for the Bengals at this point. While Baltimore and Pittsburgh are vying for the AFC North crown, Cincinnati has fallen to 3-8. Burrow’s latest injury, along with another woeful defensive effort, has buried the Bengals. With Cincy poised to miss the playoffs for a third straight season, questions about whether Burrow should return from his turf toe malady are valid. But he is coming back anyway.

Burrow returned to practice November 10, and while Week 14 initially loomed as his most likely return date, the Bengals have seen enough from their centerpiece player to pull the trigger without waiting for a post-Thanksgiving mini-bye. Considering Burrow’s extensive injury history and Cincinnati’s place in the AFC standings, this is a strange decision. But such a move clearly points to team and player being comfortable with this return.

The Bengals have lost four straight since their Joe Flacco-guided upset win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh prevailed in the rematch, with Cincy losses to Chicago, New England and the Jets also commencing. For all intents and purposes, the Bengals are out of the playoff race. Yet, they will redeploy probably the most important player in franchise history with six games remaining.

Seeing his rookie season marred by an ACL tear and his 2023 campaign end early due to wrist surgery, Burrow has already undergone a toe procedure after going down in Week 2 of this season. While it would seem risky for all parties to reinstall Burrow with little at stake now, a recent report indicated the team would proceed in this direction regardless of record.

Joining Chad Pennington as a two-time Comeback Player of the Year, Burrow delivered standout seasons in each of his three healthy NFL slates. He powered the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI upon returning from the ACL tear and then nearly piloted a title defense in 2022. Last season, Burrow put up MVP-caliber numbers — only to see the Bengals’ defensive struggles render that showing moot. The Bengals have Burrow signed through the 2029 season, but they have already seen their QB wield tremendous influence in the building. Burrow’s push to see Tee Higgins extended succeeded, and it will be interesting to learn if the sixth-year passer aggressively lobbied to return to action rather than being shut down.

This season is all but certain to mark a rare occurrence of a superstar quarterback missing the playoffs in three straight seasons. Though, Burrow’s play has little to do with Cincy’s struggles since the 2022 AFC championship game. This is also Burrow’s final season in his 20s; the 2020 No. 1 overall pick will turn 30 late in the 2026 season.

Burrow having missed 22 games due to injury as a pro, along with battling some summer attendance issues for health reasons, has made him an unreliable NFL great. The end of this season could at least provide some positive momentum for the standout passer, though it would also not surprise to see the Bengals reassess this situation if more losses ensued.

The former Heisman winner led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns last season. The Bengals finished 9-8 despite All-Pro seasons from Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson. A 25th-ranked defense — which keyed Lou Anarumo‘s firing — held Burrow back; the Bengals’ first Al Golden-led defense ranks 32nd. Chase will return from his one-game suspension, but Higgins will miss Week 13 due to a concussion. Not practicing again this week, Hendrickson has not played since October because of a hip injury.

For the time being at least, this will both end Flacco’s stay atop Cincinnati’s QB depth chart and inject an interesting wild card into the AFC playoff proceedings. Flacco has played fairly well since being acquired via trade, but the team’s plan of obtaining Flacco to keep its playoff hopes afloat failed. The team is 1-5 in Flacco starts. The Bengals are done with their Steelers matchups but still face the Ravens twice. They also match up with the Bills next week. Burrow certainly will give the struggling team a better chance of pulling off upsets in those games, but the Pro Bowler’s health will be the key element in this equation from a Bengals perspective.

Ravens Altering Lamar Jackson’s Weekly Prep After Injuries

November 26th, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Ely Allen

After a four-week absence earlier in the year, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson came back to salvage a 1-5 start to the year, building momentum off of a Tyler Huntley win over the Bears to continue what would become a five-game win streak that brought them up to 6-5 and first place in the AFC North. Despite the team success, there have been questions about whether or not Jackson is back to full health, and a look at his practice participation may provide clues to the answers.

It was a hamstring injury that held Jackson out for three games. He was able to get three practices in before his Thursday night return in Miami, and he got a full week of practices in for the trip to Minnesota right after. But, following the win over the Vikings, Jackson missed the team’s first practice of the week with a knee injury before fully participating for the rest of the week before the Cleveland game. Last week, we saw Jackson sit out on Wednesday, again, this time with an ankle injury, before, again, practicing fully leading up to the matchup against the Jets.

Early Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that, after doing this rest pattern over the past few weeks, Baltimore was considering intentionally resting Jackson every Wednesday, in order to keep him fresh for games. True to the reporting, with the Ravens having an altered practice schedule this week due to a Thanksgiving Day assignment, Jackson sat out of Monday’s practice, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, and returned to the field on Tuesday, mirroring the recently adopted routine. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, this absence was designated as a toe injury, after Jackson reportedly hurt the appendage at the start of the Jets game.

While Baltimore is calling it rest, reporters, opponents, and more are openly wondering if Jackson isn’t still actually dealing with something. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was one such member of the media who speculated that, having played through knee, ankle, hamstring, and toe issues so far this year, Jackson’s performance has been limited since coming back.

In the four games Jackson’s played since returning from injury, he hasn’t rushed for more than 36 yards in a game. And after a strong passing performance at Miami (78.3 completion percentage, four touchdowns), he’s struggled to be efficient as a passer in the team’s last three victories, completing only 57.1 percent of his passes while only throwing one touchdown to two interceptions. It can’t quite be said that he doesn’t have the ability to escape from pass rushers or tuck the ball and break off a 15-yard run, because we’ve seen him do a bit of that recently, but he’s seemed to lack his trademark explosive speed making both his run and pass game suffer as a result. Jackson insists that injuries aren’t affected his play, but until he’s seen breaking off 40-yard scrambles, teams will likely have their doubts.

In other injury news for Baltimore, safety Ar’Darius Washington has started getting some pregame work in as he continues rehabilitation for his Achilles tendon. Zrebiec reports that Washington could see his practice window open soon. This would be big for a Ravens defense allowing the 12th-most passing yards in the NFL. Lining up next to All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton last year, the two helped turn a historically bad Ravens defense into a top performing unit. The Ravens traded for Alohi Gilman early this year, as rookie first-round pick Malaki Starks experienced a bit of a learning curve to start his career, and adding Washington back to the fold would give Baltimore an insanely deep four-man rotation at the backend of their secondary.

Chargers Designate RB Omarion Hampton For Return From IR

November 26th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 26: A day after his 21-day practice window opened, Hampton revealed some previously unknown details on the injury that put him on IR for the past seven weeks. While we had known it was a left ankle injury that sidelined the North Carolina rookie, Hampton revealed that the nature of the injury was a fracture, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. He’ll have a chance to make his return as soon as this weekend, if Los Angeles opts to activate him by Saturday.

NOVEMBER 25: Najee Harris will not play again this season for the Chargers. The other member of the team’s backfield tandem from the start of the season could be back soon, however.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim) Omarion Hampton will return to practice today. That means his 21-day activation window will open. Hampton must be brought back onto the active roster within that time to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve.

Harris suffered an Achilles tear in Week 3, something which ended the chances of Hampton being eased into action in terms of workload. The first-round rookie was slated for a clear-cut RB1 role with Harris out of the fold, but that setup did not last long. Hampton suffered an ankle injury in early October, and he has resided on IR ever since. Getting him back in the fold at some point late in the season will be key.

The Chargers’ offense has been without left tackle Rashawn Slater all season. His replacement on the blindside, Joe Alt, thrived in that role when healthy be he too has been lost for the remainder of the campaign. Los Angeles traded for Trevor Penning at the deadline, but the team’s O-line will remain a major point of concern moving forward.

The Bolts find themselves in the top 10 in the league in scoring but they sit just 20th in total offense. Improvement on the ground would be welcomed, and having a healthy Hampton could go a long way in that regard. The North Carolina product received double-digit carries in four of his five appearances prior to going down. Overall, Hampton produced 450 scrimmage yards while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

Hampton could be back as early as Week 13, and the same is also true for defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia. The latter’s practice window is also being opened, per Harbaugh (h/t Daniel Popper of The Athletic). Ogbonnia has been sidelined since Week 7 due to an elbow injury, but he will likely be back in the fold shortly barring a setback in practice over the coming days.

The Chargers have been hit hard by injuries throughout the campaign, and they have only three IR activations remaining. Bringing back Hampton and Ogbonnia will leave them with one for the closing weeks of the regular season.

Lions Activate DE Marcus Davenport From IR

November 26th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

For the second year in a row, Lions pass rusher Marcus Davenport‘s season was put on pause after only two game appearances when he was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral strain that knocked him out of the team’s Week 2 contest. Unlike last year, though, Davenport will get to see the field again. The Lions announced today that they have activated Davenport from IR.

Injuries have played a significant role in Davenport’s NFL career to this point. Now in his eighth year in the league, Davenport has never appeared in every game of a season. Despite some offseason surgery after his rookie year in New Orleans, Davenport stayed relatively healthy throughout most of his first two years as a pro. He missed three games as a rookie then started every game of his sophomore campaign up until he suffered a foot injury that put him on IR for the final three games of the year.

He got a late start to the 2020 season, missing the first four games of the season, and as a result, he came off the bench for much of the year behind Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson. At that point in his career, Davenport had shown flashes but only totaled 12.0 sacks in three years. The Saints showed their confidence in Davenport, exercising his fifth-year option, and he returned to more of starting role the next year, rewarding the team’s faith with a nine-sack performance. Those sacks came despite the fact that he missed six games in 2021, including four from an IR stint due to a shoulder injury.

Davenport underwent five offseason surgeries before playing out his fifth-year option, including a partial amputation on one of his fingers, but he appeared in career-high 15 contests, starting nine of them. While his attendance was much improved, his production was not. In his contract year, Davenport logged only half of a sack. This led to him signing a one-year, $13MM prove-it contract with the Vikings in 2023, and a high ankle sprain ended his year in Minnesota after appearing in only four of the first six games of the season.

That led to his current two-year stay in Detroit which has seen him — and several other Lions pass rushers — plagued with injuries. It looked at the start of the year that Davenport and star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson would shake off their prior year injuries, but Davenport will get another chance at that as he returns to the active roster. During Davenport’s absence, outside linebacker Derrick Barnes (4.0 sacks) and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (6.0) have filled in admirably opposite Hutchinson (8.5).

The Lions made several roster moves while activating Davenport from IR. They also activated LSU fifth-round rookie offensive guard Miles Frazier from the reserve/physically unable to perform list, where he started the season due to a knee injury. To make room on the 53-man roster, they waived backup running back Craig Reynolds. Detroit signed tight end Anthony Firkser and wide receiver Tom Kennedy to its practice squad and designated center Kingsley Eguakun and tight end Zach Horton as standard gameday practice squad elevations for its Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Packers tomorrow.

Panthers S Tre’von Moehrig Receives One-Game Suspension

November 26th, 2025 at 7:51pm CST by Connor Byrne

NOVEMBER 26: Per NFL senior vice president of football & international communications Michael Signora, Moehrig’s one-game suspension has been upheld on appeal. Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks was the hearing officer jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA.

NOVEMBER 25: The NFL has suspended Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig for one game without pay as a result of his actions in a loss to the 49ers on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Moehrig was caught on video punching 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings below the belt.

According to a league statement (via David Newton of ESPN), Moehrig’s punch violated “Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,” including, among others, “throwing a punch, or a forearm, or kicking at an opponent.”’

Moehrig will appeal the suspension, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. If the league upholds the ban, he’ll miss the Panthers’ game against the Rams on Sunday.

Jennings will not sit out any games, meanwhile, though the league is reviewing his actions for a possible fine, Pelissero relays. He struck Moehrig’s facemask with an open hand and shoved him in retaliation before the two were separated following the game.

Moehrig admitted afterward that he would “most likely” receive a fine (via David Kaye of the Charlotte Observer). However, he claimed Jennings provoked the attack with trash talking and “dirty stuff” after plays.

The Panthers fell to 6-6 on Monday. Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread heading into a meeting with the 9-2 Rams, the NFC’s top seed. Going without Moehrig would make it all the more difficult for Carolina to pull an upset.

After Moehrig spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders, he joined the Panthers on a three-year, $51MM contract last March. Moehrig has started in all 12 of the Panthers’ games this season while notching 81 tackles, an interception, and a sack. He’s tied with fellow Panthers safety Nick Scott for the team lead in defensive snaps. Fourth-round rookie Lathan Ransom and Demani Richardson are on hand as depth options if Moehrig misses Week 13.

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/26/25

November 26th, 2025 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves and some standard gameday practice squad elevations for the annual Thanksgiving slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Green Bay’s regular kicker Brandon McManus was off the injury report with three full practices this week, so Havrisik will take his leave after filling in for three games this year. The team had been keeping Havrisik close even during McManus’ healthy stretches, but after the backup missed two extra point attempts at MetLife this weekend, the Packers relinquished him to the waiver wire.

Jones missed most of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury, and the same has been true for most of his sophomore season. This time, though, he’s coming back with a bit more time left in the season.

O’Connell had already been called up as a gameday elevation three times this year, so if Seattle wanted to see him on the field again, this move was necessary. In his most recent elevation, O’Connell was asked to play a much bigger role, staying in for over half the team’s defensive snaps. In his first extended opportunity, O’Connell finished second on the team with nine tackles and even logged his first career sack.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/26/25

November 26th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s midweek practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Momentum Building For Mike McDaniel To Remain Dolphins’ HC?

November 26th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Viewed as a lame duck as the Dolphins cleaned house in the front office midway through this season, Mike McDaniel has responded by winning three games since the Chris Grier separation. The Dolphins are not exactly topping “In the Hunt” graphics at 4-7, but they have played better over the past month.

McDaniel led the team to back-to-back playoff berths — the first such instance for Miami since its 1997-2001 string of postseason qualifications — to open his tenure and went 8-9 despite Tua Tagovailoa‘s six missed games in 2024. As rumors about instability within the Dolphins’ organization swirled this offseason and into the campaign, McDaniel still entered the season on the hot seat. While the fourth-year HC’s seat should still be considered warm, momentum may be building toward the team retaining him.

Stephen Ross still believes in McDaniel and wants to see him succeed, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, who adds the Miami sideline leader staying in place through 2026 is in play. This would make for an interesting dynamic, as the Dolphins will need a new GM after separating from Grier. But McDaniel’s success coaxing solid play from Tagovailoa, for the most part, will work in his favor — especially if Miami is to continue winning down the stretch.

I mentioned in last week’s PFR chat that a deeper pool of defensive-minded candidates — Vance Joseph, Chris Shula, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter, Robert Saleh among them — appears to exist compared to offense-oriented coaches with regards to a 2026 HC hire. Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury still figure to generate interest, but their stocks have not exactly soared this season. McDaniel being a proven offensive coach — one who would generate considerable interest on the 2026 OC carousel if fired — gives Ross something to think about, and Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler indicates McDaniel being a superior option to most offensive minds on the ’26 HC carousel will work in his favor.

While Tyreek Hill‘s 2022 arrival also played a significant role in Tagovailoa’s ascent, McDaniel’s arrival elevated the passer considerably after two uneven years. Tua’s legion of detractors notwithstanding, the left-handed passer has led the NFL in yards per attempt (2022), passing yards (2023) and completion percentage (2024) in separate seasons. To be fair, his 24th-place QBR placement this year leaves much to be desired. But if McDaniel can coax a solid finish from a player the Dolphins are pot-committed to — as his 2026 guaranteed salary will be difficult to move — that may be the difference in him receiving a fifth season.

As we discussed in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece, coaches and GMs being misaligned has proven to be an issue in recent years. Teams are shying away from not aligning their HC and GM hires; the Dolphins pairing McDaniel with a new GM hire would naturally keep the HC on the hot seat for 2026 as well. McDaniel’s extension also runs through 2028. Should the Dolphins stick with him for one more season or cut the cord and pair a new GM with his own HC?

Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins Aiming For Super Bowl Return

November 26th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 26: Sean Payton also did not dismiss a Dobbins return from a Lisfranc injury. Not generally forthcoming on injuries, the veteran HC said (via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel) a return “has a chance” to take place. The Broncos have five injury activations remaining, not using them on Patrick Surtain or Alex Singleton — who are both on track to return in Week 13 — and would receive two more if/once they make the playoffs.

Dobbins has told some in the building he wants to be back by the time Denver’s playoff docket starts, per Gabriel. Based on previous reporting, that sounds quite optimistic. But the prospect of the injury-prone running back not being shut down does provide some intrigue for the Broncos’ backfield, which is attempting to replace one of this season’s most productive runners.

NOVEMBER 23: J.K. Dobbins‘ latest injury has him unavailable for the foreseeable future. The veteran running back has his eyes set on a Broncos return if their season goes the distance, however.

A Lisfranc injury suffered earlier this month will leave Dobbins sidelined through at least the remainder of the regular season. Surgery has already taken place, and a lengthy recovery process is underway as a result. If all were to go well on that front, Dobbins could find himself available at the tail end of the playoffs.

Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post reports there is a “hope” Dobbins will be able to return in the event the Broncos reach the Super Bowl. That would amount to a recovery timeline of roughly three months, something which would fall well short of how long severe Lisfranc injuries require to heal. Even a less severe version of the injury will require a notable period out of game action.

“If it’s a more subtle injury, it’s potentially something you can rehab more quickly and get back on your feet quicker,” Dr. Nicholas Strasser told Gabriel (while adding he is not involved in Dobbins’ particular case). “It’s not totally unrealistic for February, thinking through the timeline. A lot of things would have to go his way and probably have to have a lot of luck as well.”

Indeed, a Super Bowl appearance representing the best-case scenario in this situation illustrates how unlikely it is to take place. The Broncos are on their bye week, but with a 9-2 record the AFC West leaders are certainly in the mix with respect to contenders for a championship in 2025. The team’s running game will be determined in large part by the play of second-round rookie RJ Harvey, who has recorded 469 yards from scrimmage and scored six total touchdowns this season.

Injuries have been a consistent issue throughout Dobbins’ career. The 26-year-old had been enjoying a strong debut campaign with the Broncos (5.0 yards per carry, four touchdowns) before going down. Dobbins is a pending free agent, and another short-term contract is no doubt in store given the time he will miss down the stretch. At the moment, at least, the door is nevertheless open to him making a final contribution to the Broncos should they parlay their performances to date into a championship run.

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