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.
Drafting First-Round QB Still On Table For Giants
At times this year, it seemed a low period for the Giants franchise was coming to an end and starting to head uphill as we saw early success with offensive rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. Some of those opinions have waned as the season has worn on, to the point that some see the Giants utilizing their first-round pick on a quarterback for the second draft in a row. 
After the Giants tried and failed to move up to No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft to take Cam Ward, there was some speculation that they may attempt to trade back into the back of the first round for another quarterback option, perhaps Shedeur Sanders or Dart. The Saints had been tied to Dart, as well, but after he slipped by their No. 9 overall pick, all eyes were on New Orleans to trade back into the first round, as well. Ultimately, it was New York that pulled the trigger and landed Dart.
Expectations for Dart’s first season varied wildly. Some viewed a short leash for veteran starter Russell Wilson, while others thought Dart could hold a clipboard throughout his entire rookie campaign. After an 0-3 start to the season in which the Giants scored fewer than 10 points in two of those games, the team turned the offense over to the rookie, and Dart delivered, immediately, with a win over the playoff-bound Chargers.
The following week, Dart showed some vulnerabilities in a game that would give the Saints their first win of the season, but he rebounded with a big win over the division-rival Eagles in his third start. A playoff gauntlet that included trips to Denver, Philadelphia, and Chicago and a home matchup with the 49ers prevented any more wins from being added to Dart’s record, but the young passer continued to show strong abilities and impressive instincts in his first several starts under head coach Brian Daboll.
As Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York points out, though, Daboll’s firing led to some regression in Dart’s overall performance. After throwing 10 touchdowns to just three interceptions and rushing for seven more scores in his first seven starts, Dart has only thrown three touchdowns to two interceptions while staying scoreless on the ground up until today’s win over the lowly Raiders. Post-Daboll, the team’s designed usage of Dart was altered in a way that perhaps now lends some justifiability to looking into a new passer next year.
To that end, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that, before making any concrete plans for the future, the Giants will be fully evaluating Heisman-winner and projected QB1 of the 2026 NFL Draft Fernando Mendoza. While not boasting talent that commands surefire No. 1 overall status à la Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence, the Indiana-product (by way of Cal) has been billed lately as the top passing prospect in the coming draft. With the finalized holders of the top two picks in the draft both being quarterback-needy teams, there’s a high likelihood that Mendoza could be selected with one of those two picks.
If the team does decide to draft a new quarterback, the expectation is that they would try to trade Dart to another team searching for an answer at the position. Dart’s early promise and strong attributes could make him a strong option for many teams lacking at the position, but if the Giants grade Mendoza highly and like him more than they currently like Dart, the rookie’s concussion history and reckless play style could make him an expendable asset in the eyes of the team.
Part of these decisions will come down to the staffers making them, and while general manager Joe Schoen has been expected to be retained in New York, his position is hardly secure. In fact, while Rapoport didn’t speak to this point in his segment linked above, the banner showing as he discussed the Giants reported that Schoen was “likely to remain with (the) team for (the) draft.” It’s hard to believe New York would allow Schoen to have input on something as impactful as the team’s 2026 first-round pick — or their next head coach — if they didn’t expect to retain him past that, but NFL Network’s wording seems ominous, nonetheless.
We’re still months away from any solid answers on what the future will bring for the Giants. Next week could determine if they have the No. 1 overall pick. Several stages of the pre-draft process could determine if Mendoza will be the likely draft choice. Who the team drafts could easily determine the futures of both Dart and Schoen. Lots of variables remain up in the air for what is setting up to be a newsworthy offseason in New York.
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.
Titans Fear Torn Achilles For CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
In today’s loss to the Saints, Titans cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis left the game early in the first quarter with what the team now fears could be a long-term injury. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, the fear is that Armour-Davis suffered a torn Achilles tendon. 
This unfortunate turn of events continues what has been a difficult first four years for the 26-year-old Alabama-product. Armour-Davis began his career as a fourth-round pick in Baltimore. He initially served as a developing rotational option behind starters Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters and then-CB3 Brandon Stephens. An early injury to Stephens gave Armour-Davis an opportunity to make an early impact, but his own injuries would cut those efforts short during his first career start in Week 3 of his rookie year. A hip injury would eventually end his rookie season after only four games.
The door was once again wide open in Year 2. The departure of Peters in free agency and an injury that held Humphrey out for nearly half the year left plenty of snaps for the taking. Unfortunately, lingering issues from the prior year hip injury may have limited Armour-Davis as he was listed as inactive for seven games, didn’t play in two games that he was active for, and spent most of his time on special teams for the eight games he did play. Instead, those snaps went to veteran free agents like Ronald Darby, Rock Ya-Sin, and Daryl Worley.
Last year, rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins joined the secondary as the tertiary option behind starters Humphrey and Stephens. It looked like Armour-Davis was going to finally get an opportunity as the next rotating option, and he even started the first game of the season, but his role diminished greatly to special teams work in the next two games before he failed to see the field for four weeks in a row. He did earn a start in Week 8 last year and played 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps for the first time in his career, but he was marked inactive for the following two weeks and fell back into his usual usage for the remainder of the season, before a hamstring injury ended it in January.
Going into the final year of his rookie contract, Armour-Davis failed to make the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster and was claimed off waivers by the Titans. The move reunited him with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who served as defensive backs coach in Baltimore for Armour-Davis’ second year. As injuries stacked up, Armour-Davis was given an early opportunity to step up as a starter, and he finally got some consistent heavy usage, starting eight straight games.
Since Week 13, though, Armour-Davis has been dealing with an Achilles issue that had held him out of a few games but that he was able to play through last week and today. When the issues ended his day early today, Tennessee feared the worst. They will undergo further testing in the days to come to determine the full severity.
If it is a torn tendon, it’s terrible timing for the young corner. With his rookie contract expiring with the close of the season, Armour-Davis was hoping that this season would serve as an audition for his upcoming free agency. Instead, a career that has been marred with injury early and often was underlined today by his most serious injury to date. If surgery is, indeed, necessary, Armour-Davis will need to quickly work through rehab in order to return in time to try out for teams during training camps next year. Otherwise, he’ll be looking to join his next team sometime during the 2026 NFL season.
Packers DL Jordon Riley, CB Kamal Hadden Out For Season
Last night’s loss ensured the Packers will wind up as the seventh seed in the NFC. Their final regular season contest could see a number of players rested as a result, but at least two will not be able to return in 2025. 
Defensive lineman Jordon Riley was carted off the field Saturday with an Achilles injury. Cornerback Kamal Hadden later suffered an ankle injury and also needed to be taken off the field via a cart. Neither player returned to the loss against the Ravens.
When speaking to the media today, head coach Matt LaFleur said (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky) both Riley and Hadden are out for the rest of the year. Green Bay will be without a pair of depth contributors in the postseason as a result. Hadden is a pending exclusive rights restricted free agent, whereas Riley is under contract through 2026.
Riley spent the past two years with the Giants, but he was among the team’s final roster cuts. The 27-year-old was retained via the practice squad and remained there until early this month. Riley was signed to the Packers’ active roster to provide a rotational presence along the defensive front, and he wound up playing 53 snaps across four games with his new team. His attention will now turn to a lengthy rehab process presuming his injury proved to be an Achilles tear, though.
Like Riley, Hadden entered the league as a Day 3 draft pick. A Chiefs selection in 2024, each of his 12 regular season appearances have come as a member of the Packers. Hadden played sparingly this year on defense as part of Green Bay’s renovated secondary, but he chipped in on special teams with a snap share of 26% in that regard. He too will miss Week 18 as well as the Packers’ upcoming playoff game(s), however, and Hadden will look to heal in time for the spring.
Steelers TE Darnell Washington Suffers Fractured Arm
The Steelers were unable to win on Sunday, meaning they have not clinched top spot in the AFC North. Week 18’s winner-take-all game against the Ravens will see Pittsburgh shorthanded on offense. 
Tight end Darnell Washington exited today’s loss against the Browns and was unable to return. Once the game was over, his arm was in a sling (h/t Mike DeFabo of The Athletic). Head coach Mike Tomlin has since announced (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) Washington suffered a fractured arm in Week 17.
The injury does not have a firm timetable at this point, but it all-but ensures he will not be available next week. Washington has emerged as a notable figure in Pittsburgh’s passing game this season, his third in the NFL. The 24-year-old was limited to two catches prior to exiting today’s game, but that brought his total in 2025 to 31, a career high. His absence will be felt presuming Washington is unable to suit up against the Ravens.
A lack of pass-catching production proved to be an issue throughout Week 17 for the Steelers. D.K. Metcalf served the first of his two-game suspension, while fellow receiver Calvin Austin was inactive as well. Pittsburgh struggled on offense for much of the day and wound up scoring just six points against Cleveland. A rebound on offense will be needed next week, but being without Washington while Metcalf serves the final game of his ban will leave the Steelers thin on targets.
Pat Freiermuth looms as a tight end option for Pittsburgh to close out the season, although his lack of usage on offense has been a talking point for much of the year. Offseason trade acquisition Jonnu Smith has chipped in during his latest season working with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and he will also look to fill in while Washington is absent. It remains to be seen how long that stretch will be – and a recovery timeline will of course become relevant if the Steelers reach the playoffs – but in any event Pittsburgh is set to remain shorthanded at the skill positions for the final week of the regular season.
Falcons, Matt Ryan Discussing Front Office Role
Matt Ryan‘s Falcons career ended in 2022. He spent one season in Indianapolis before retiring and turning his attention to broadcasting. 
As of now, Ryan works as an analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage. He could be on the verge of a return to Atlanta, however. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports the Falcons have discussed hiring Ryan as a member of their front office.
Nothing has been finalized at this point, but Glazer adds the former MVP is “seriously considering” the offer. The exact nature of the position being proposed is unclear for the time being, although the report notes that it is a “significant” one. This development comes amidst uncertainty regarding how the Falcons will proceed on the sidelines and in the front office once the season ends.
Head coach Raheem Morris‘ second stint in Atlanta has not gone according to plan. Meanwhile, general manager Terry Fontenot has been in place for five years; the team has not posted a winning record in any season during that span. Dismissing one or both has therefore become a talking point as the 2025 campaign has unfolded. A majority of PFR’s readers believe both Morris and Fontenot will be replaced in the near future.
Regardless of what happens on both of those fronts, bringing Ryan back into the organization in any capacity would be notable. Ex-players often turn to coaching once they hang up their cleats, and many have severed their former teams in a symbolic and/or ambassador role. Ryan could look to work in Atlanta’s front office, though, and it will be interesting to see if he finalizes a deal to join the team during or prior to the start of the 2026 hiring cycle.
Cowboys Interested In Brian Flores For DC Position
We recently heard that Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is on an expiring contract, and that Minnesota wants to re-sign him. While teams with head coach openings are expected to pursue Flores, at least one rival team in need of a new DC could target him as well.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there is “increasing chatter” that the Cowboys will be squarely in the mix for Flores’ services. Dallas appears likely to fire incumbent defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus at season’s end, as his unit has effectively counteracted the elite performance of the team’s offense and has kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs.
Obviously, the late-August trade of All-Pro edge defender Micah Parsons helped undermine Eberflus’ efforts, but the former Bears HC was never able to find his footing this season, even after the trade deadline acquisitions of Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson. Indeed, Wilson’s lack of usage in Week 17 seemed to ruffle owner Jerry Jones’ feathers.
The Vikings are something of a mirror image of the Cowboys. Flores’ defense ranks in the top-10 in both yards and points, whereas the club’s lackluster offense has been the primary culprit in its exclusion from the playoff field. But while Florio leaves open the possibility that Jones could open his checkbook and make Flores an offer he cannot refuse, the strong defense that Flores has established in Minnesota is a far cry from the overhaul the Dallas unit appears to require.
Speculatively, it would seem as if Flores would only leave the Vikings if he receives a head coaching offer, since he could be taking more of a risk vis-a-vis his HC stock if he were to go elsewhere. However, Florio also suggests Flores’ interpersonal style inherited from his days working under Bill Belichick with the Patriots may mean Minnesota does not truly want him back, reports to the contrary notwithstanding. If that’s the case, then he presumably would be willing to take a DC post with another club.
On the other hand, Florio does say Flores’ personality complements the more easygoing nature of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, whose opinion about one of his top staffers should certainly carry a great deal of weight. If O’Connell wants Flores to return, and if Flores does not land an HC gig, it would be fair to expect him back in Minnesota in 2026.
Lions Have Not Had Contract Talks With Impending Defensive Free Agents
After securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed last year, the Lions will not qualify for the postseason in 2025. One of the reasons for the disappointing campaign is a defense that is currently in the bottom-10 in the NFL in terms of points allowed, and since the Lions have 17 defensive players eligible for unrestricted free agency in the upcoming offseason, they have a chance to reset and reconfigure.
Of course, not every defender has underperformed, and it stands to reason that Detroit will want to retain some of them. DE Al-Quadin Muhammad, for instance, has been an unexpected bright spot for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit. After re-upping with the Lions via a modest one-year pact in March, Muhammad has achieved career-highs with 58 quarterback pressures and 11 sacks, thereby setting himself up for a nice raise.
However, Muhammad will turn 31 in March. His belated breakout, journeyman status, and the fact that most of his damage has been done in subpackages will prevent his next contract from breaking the bank, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Muhammad acknowledges that he and the team have not discussed an extension, though he would understandably welcome a new deal keeping him with the Lions.
Like Muhammad and all of the Lions’ other pending FAs on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Alex Anzalone has not had in-season dialogue with Detroit brass about a new deal. The 31-year-old expressed disappointment with his contract situation over the summer, and while the Lions did not extend him, they gave him a $250K raise and added another $750K of incentives.
Anzalone has justified that minor contractual adjustment by playing in 96% of the Lions’ defensive snaps, recording 95 tackles, and proving himself as the team’s best coverage ‘backer. Birkett confirms prior reports suggesting the Lions will pursue an offseason extension for 2023 first-rounder Jack Campbell, and the team already authorized a three-year, $25.5MM deal for Derrick Barnes in March (which includes $7.5MM in 2026 guarantees). Even though most teams do not have three linebackers on notable deals, Birkett believes the Lions could make an exception for Anzalone, who says his prior dispute has not dissuaded him from remaining with the club.
After giving DE Marcus Davenport consecutive one-year contracts in the hopes that he would serve as an effective piece of their pass-rushing contingent, the Lions seem unlikely to bring him back in 2026, as Birkett suggests. Detroit appreciates Davenport’s efforts to overcome his injury woes, but he has been limited to nine games and 1.5 sacks over his two years in the Motor City.
Unlike Davenport, cornerback Amik Robertson has more than lived up to his contract, a two-year, $9.25MM deal he signed in 2024, by displaying versatility and durability over the 2024-25 campaigns. While he does not explicitly say so, Birkett implies Detroit will be interested in a new deal for Robertson, as the club will need depth and experience at the CB position.
Defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez are also eligible for free agency, and if the Lions have to choose between the two, Birkett thinks they will pick Lopez. Although he has played fewer snaps than Reader and fellow DTs Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams, Lopez has been the most effective of the bunch. The 28-year-old is also three years younger than Reader and, in Birkett’s view, should not cost much more than the $3.5MM he earned in 2025.