Dan Campbell Endorses Kelvin Sheppard
Despite the regression of the Lions defense under Kelvin Sheppard, head coach Dan Campbell signaled his support for his first-year defensive coordinator this week.
“‘Shep’ has really grown this year,” Campbell said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot and you learn along the way.”
Sheppard had a tough task this year. Aaron Glenn left some big shoes to fill when he departed for New York, and Detroit’s defense has been decimated by injuries over the past few months. The secondary has been particularly devastated, with star safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph and cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Ennis Rakestraw all spending time on injured reserve. Branch, Joseph, Arnold, and Rakestraw all saw their seasons end early and were not available down the stretch as the Lions lost four of their last five games and missed the playoffs.
“There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep,” Campbell added.
Campbell also offered some words of support for quarterback Jared Goff after a rough performance against the Vikings in Week 17 contributed to the Lions’ elimination from postseason contention.
“We’re fortunate to have him as a quarterback,” Campbell said. “He’s a winning quarterback in this league. He played at a very high level all season long. He played even better than he played the year before, and he’s continued to play better.”
Statistically, Goff may have slightly regressed from last year, but he still led the Lions to the third-most points and the sixth-most yards in the league. Among qualified quarterbacks, he ranked second in touchdowns (33), third in yards (4,233) and passer rating (107.0), fourth in interception rate (1.3%), fifth in completion percentage (68.3%), and eighth in yards per attempt (7.9). This all happened after the departure of Ben Johnson, one of the league’s foremost offensive minds who built the Lions elite offense practically from the ground up.
In other words, Goff is still producing like a top-10 quarterback and is “going nowhere,” per Campbell.
Colts Likely To Retain GM Chris Ballard
The Colts will become just the sixth team since the 1970 merger to start 8-2 and miss the playoffs. This had not happened previously since the 1995 Raiders pulled it off. Considering Chris Ballard‘s time on the GM job in Indianapolis, it is logical to wonder if ownership pulls the plug here.
Ballard engineered a blockbuster trade at the deadline, surrendering two first-round picks and second-year wide receiver Adonai Mitchell for Sauce Gardner. The All-Pro cornerback’s calf injury wounded Indy’s defense considerably, and the team has now lost six straight games. Philip Rivers‘ arrival has shined a spotlight on this losing streak. Beyond the human-interest angle, the 44-year-old passer lost his three starts to move the Colts out of the playoff race.
[RELATED: Riley Leonard To Start Over Rivers In Week 18]
This will be Ballard’s fifth straight season without a playoff berth, with Rivers’ one-and-done first stint being the most recent qualification. The Colts then lost a win-and-in game as a double-digit favorite in Jacksonville — where the team has not won throughout Ballard’s tenure — before striking out on Anthony Richardson in the 2023 draft. Plenty has gone wrong for Ballard, who has nevertheless retained much of the core he had built dating back to Andrew Luck‘s final season. The Colts have also not won the AFC South on Ballard’s watch.
All this said, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes Ballard is believed to be safe for what would be a 10th year at the helm. Ballard has a good working relationship with new controlling owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Fowler colleague Dan Graziano adds. While Fowler notes some around the league believe Ballard would be the first to go if Irsay-Gordon signs off on changes, the quality working relationship with the former Jim Irsay hire represents a plus.
Irsay-Gordon effectively challenged Ballard and Shane Steichen upon taking over for her late father, and the third-generation NFL owner has become famous for wearing a headset on the sideline to learn more about the Colts’ gameday inner workings. She has worn the headset for years, and although she does not communicate with coaches in-game, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue indicates one team called Ballard to complain about the new owner wearing the headset. Not that Ballard is in a position to indicate he doesn’t want the team’s owner on a headset, but the veteran exec vehemently expressed support (via Rodrigue) for her doing so.
Steichen was in his first months on the job when the Colts drafted Richardson, who underperformed in 2024 — as woeful inaccuracy and maturity concerns defined his second season — and has battled extensive injury trouble. Richardson’s orbital injury led to Rivers’ unretirement, and the former No. 4 overall pick will not be activated from IR this season. He is a decent bet to be elsewhere in 2026, the final year of his rookie contract.
Ballard and Steichen missing on Richardson — after a crowded QB carousel spun post-Luck — and then going from 8-2 to a playoff absence represents a tough sell, but not too much was expected of the Colts this season. The team also sitting 8-4 when Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles tear also provides a point of defense for Ballard, who looked to have done well to stop the carousel with the former Giants starter. Jones and the Colts are expected to enter some complex contract talks, based on the leverage the QB gained with the Gardner trade removing a first-round pick from the equation and then suffering another major injury, in the near future.
It should be expected Ballard will lead those conversations from the Colts’ side. While it would not be shocking to see Irsay-Gordon fire Ballard based on this year’s collapse, it currently appears he will be back. If that happens, the embattled GM should certainly be considered a hot-seat occupant come 2026.
Mike McCarthy, Antonio Pierce Among Giants’ HC Candidates
The Giants’ head-coaching search informally started immediately after firing Brian Daboll, but recent discussions have created an initial list of candidates to interview, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.
Several coaches are already known to be on the Giants’ radar, including Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman, Packers DC Jeff Hafley, Colts DC Lou Anarumo, Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak, and Browns HC Kevin Stefanski. Giants interm HC Mike Kafka is also expected to interview with the team after auditioning for the full-time job since Daboll’s removal.
Interview requests will be much stronger indications of the Giants’ interest. Their lengthy list of candidates is primarily focused on former head coaches and current coordinator, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The formal interview process has technically already begun, as candidates not employed by an NFL team can interview right away. Former Packers and Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy and and former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce are on the Giants’ list. Pierce, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, played in New York for five seasons and earned a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl ring in the process. That connection to the franchise – as with Jets HC Aaron Glenn – could give Pierce a leg up in the Giant’s hiring process, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
For coaches currently working for an NFL team, interview requests must wait until the regular season ends. The Giants’ interest seems to be focused on defensive coordinators, as Hafley (Packers), Vance Joseph (Broncos), Chris Shula (Rams), and Jesse Minter (Chargers) are all expected to receive interview requests. Hafley, a New Jersey native, in particular “seems to have some traction in New York,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Any coach for a non-playoff team can be interviewed as soon as Week 18 concludes. If the Broncos secure a first-round bye, Joseph (and any other coaches employed by a team with a bye) can only be virtually interviewed until the end of the wild card round. Coaches without a bye can be interviewed until the end of the divisional round. After the divisional round, teams can begin in-person interviews with coaches for teams eliminated by the playoffs.
Other coaches who have an “outside chance” to be interviewed by the Giants include Texans DC Matt Burke and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, per Raanan. Current head coaches that are fired at the end of the season, especially Stefanski, could also be considered by the Giants. They could also seek to follow the wave of hiring young offensive coordinators from the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching tree such as Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown or Jaguars OC Grant Udinski.
Dolphins Hire Troy Aikman As Consultant On GM Search
JANUARY 2: While Shore will play a major role in the Dolphins’ GM search, but ownership will be “leading the search,” per Jackson. That will leave the team’s final decision up to Ross, and he may very well be steering the process based on his perceptions about current candidates.
JANUARY 1: The Dolphins parted ways with former general manager Chris Grier back on Halloween and seem to have kept their attention on finishing out this season. Senior personnel executive Champ Kelly has been relied on as the interim general manager since then, reprising a role he also played in Las Vegas. While we’ve heard that there’s already plenty of interest in the job, at the moment, the only person known to be a candidate is Kelly. 
While résumés are probably being collected and names evaluated, there have been no reports before today that showed the search was underway. To that effort, according to a breaking report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hall of Fame quarterback and current ESPN analyst Troy Aikman has been hired by Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross to consult on the search for their new general manager. The three-time Super Bowl champion will not have to relinquish his ESPN contract, though, as the advising role is a temporary one only meant to last through the process of the search.
Several networks contributed to this report. Shortly after Schefter broke the seal, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated added that Aikman has already been active in the role, making “calls around the league to research candidates” and discussing “strategy with Miami ownership.” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network chimed in, as well, clarifying that Aikman “is not considered a candidate for the job” despite having “mused in the past about becoming a GM himself.” Adding to the responsibilities listed by Breer, Pelissero mentioned that Aikman “is doing background work ahead of interviews next week.” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald also contributed, adding that Aikman will also “sit in on interviews” and “discuss candidates with Ross.”
Grier had been with the Dolphins since 2000, when he started as a scout and worked his way up to assistant director of college scouting in 2003, director of college scouting in 2007, and general manager in 2016. Having a mind that’s been in the building since 2000 running the personnel show since 2016, Ross thought it was important to gain some outside perspective. With Grier being an interior hire, the team has not “run a full GM search since they hired Dennis Hickey in 2014,” according to Pelissero. Per Schefter, Aikman’s time as an NFL player and broadcaster over the past 37 years equipped him with the respected perspective and strong relationships across the league that Miami was looking for in the consulting position.
The idea of getting outside help is certainly not a foreign one. Two years ago, the Commanders utilized former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers in their coaching and GM searches; though, unlike Aikman, Myers stayed with the team after the searches were complete. Last year, Jets owner Woody Johnson employed former Dolphins executives Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman in New York’s coaching and GM searches. We’ve also seen teams utilize consulting firms for searches.
The process of hiring Aikman has seemingly been underway for weeks, even before he called the Dolphins’ game against the Steelers three weeks ago, per Jackson. In his commentary for that contest, Aikman was complimentary of head coach Mike McDaniel‘s playcalling, though he questioned the offense’s fourth-quarter pace. Per Jackson, these comments don’t have any effect on McDaniel’s future, as Aikman’s consulting role is limited strictly to the general manager role. Jackson added that Ross still has faith in McDaniel and that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the head coach return in 2026 with the new GM, but no final decision has been made.
Per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, Ross is looking for reasons to keep McDaniel as he weathers the end of the season without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Ownership wants to see McDaniel reidentify himself and his offense outside of Tagovailoa, who may still be on the roster next year, though the team will explore trading him to relieve themselves of the guaranteed money he’s tied to. Regardless, a new quarterback is expected to at least be competing with Tagovailoa for the starting job next year, and Ross wants to know McDaniel can establish success without him, if necessary.
For the general manager search, per Breer, the Dolphins have already done significant homework — Jackson phrased it, “laying the groundwork” — researching candidates since parting ways with Grier and “plan to hit the ground running on their GM search early next week,” after their 2025 season has officially concluded. NFL teams cannot interview candidates currently working in executive roles with other NFL teams until the regular season concludes anyway. Aikman’s services were uniquely attractive due to the relationships he has with his connections around the league due to his weekly Monday Night Football assignments, on which Pelissero says he “can lean on to gather info and shape the search.”
After the drama surrounding Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and his own access through the media, it will be interesting to see if any objections arise about Aikman’s participation in the search. Knowing that he’s been involved with the Dolphins since at least before Week 15, that means he’s worked games involving the Falcons, Colts, Rams, Steelers, and 49ers since then and will also work with the Seahawks and whatever playoff teams participate in the wild card and second-round playoff games Aikman is assigned to. If any interview candidates come from these teams, conflict of interest concerns may arise from Aikman’s work with the franchises as a representative of ESPN. 
Jackson did confirm that Kelly is expected to receive an interview, but the team is planning for the search to be a thorough one examining a wide range of candidates. In regard to what the Dolphins are looking for out of a potential GM, Pelissero stresses that their focus is on a strong scouting background. Jackson followed that comment up by underlining how much Miami values senior vice president of football and business administration Brandon Shore, whom they see “as someone skilled with the salary cap and other business-oriented aspects that are critical in a modern-day NFL front office.”
According to Wolfe, Shore is “expected to be the quarterback” of the search. Wolfe claims Shore’s role may become something similar to that of Rams team president Kevin Demoff, allowing him to handle the money while the new GM handles personnel decisions like scouting and the fates of McDaniel and Tagovailoa.
Aikman isn’t the only Hall of Fame passer on the search team. Wolfe mentions that Dolphins special advisor Dan Marino will also be involved in interviews. Aikman’s services were sought in addition to Marino’s because his experience is a bit more league-wide. Though Shore is quarterbacking the search that involves two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, ultimately, the decision on the who the next GM will be comes down to Ross. The search will hit the ground running Monday.
Bucs Not Eager To Pay HC Todd Bowles’ Buyout; OC Josh Grizzard In Jeopardy?
It would have been difficult to imagine at the midpoint of the season, but the Buccaneers will enter Week 18 fighting for their playoff lives. Once 6-2, the 7-9 Buccaneers will face the 8-8 Panthers on Saturday with the NFC South and a postseason berth at stake.
Despite the Buccaneers’ second-half disintegration, a report last Sunday indicated head coach Todd Bowles is not in jeopardy of losing his job. The Buccaneers then dropped their fourth straight game, a 20-17 decision against the Dolphins, potentially turning up the heat on Bowles.
It’s unknown whether ownership will reverse course on Bowles if the Buccaneers complete their collapse and miss the postseason. While the Buccaneers have managed a so-so 34-33 record in almost four full seasons under Bowles, the 62-year-old has earned some leeway from ownership after guiding the team to three straight division titles.
Last July, several months after Bowles completed his first 10-win season in Tampa Bay, the Bucs extended him through 2028. The deal includes a “hefty” buyout, which the team “doesn’t seem overly eager to pay,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Bowles’ extension could save him, but changes to his coaching staff are on the table, according to Fowler. Specifically, there are questions centering on first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, who worked as the Bucs’ pass game coordinator in 2024.
The Buccaneers finished last year third in total offense and fourth in scoring under OC Liam Coen, but he left to take the Jaguars’ head coaching job. Now leading a 12-4 Jacksonville team that looks like a Super Bowl contender, Coen figures to garner Coach of the Year votes. With Coen gone, Tampa Bay’s offense has plummeted to 22nd in yardage and 18th in points. While that doesn’t reflect well on the 35-year-old Grizzard, it would be unfair to place all the blame on him.
Although quarterback Baker Mayfield is on track for a third straight 17-game season, the Buccaneers’ offense has endured several injuries to major contributors. Wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan have combined to miss 30 games. Running back Bucky Irving has sat out seven, and his production when healthy has paled in comparison to his rookie output from 2024. That may have something to do with an offensive line that hasn’t been at full strength.
Center Graham Barton has played every offensive snap, but the rest of the unit hasn’t been as fortunate. Right guard Cody Mauch suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, fellow guard Ben Bredeson has been on IR with a knee injury since Dec. 9, and cornerstone tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke have missed sizable chunks of time. Wirfs has played 11 games to Goedeke’s 10.
Both Wirfs (toe) and Goedeke (ankle) have been limited in practice this week, but they’re not on the Buccaneers’ final injury report. That’s good news for Bowles and Grizzard as they prepare for a must-win game.
QB Philip Rivers Will Not Play In 2026
Philip Rivers largely impressed (considering expectations) during his three-game return to the NFL. After attempting to rescue the Colts’ season late in 2025, though, he will not continue his comeback into next year. 
In the wake of Daniel Jones suffering an Achilles tear, head coach Shane Steichen reached out to Rivers about unretiring. A deal was quickly worked out, and the 44-year-old made three consecutive starts. Indianapolis lost all three games, ending the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs. Rivers will not start in the season finale, and he will not attempt to land a spot with the Colts or any other team in 2026.
“There’s no chance,” the eight-time Pro Bowler said during an appearance on the Up & Adams show when asked about continuing his career (video link). “It was a place I’d been, a team I was familiar with, the offense was exactly the same, a coach I knew, it was all those things, our football season was over, all those things made it the perfect storm… This was a fun three-week blur that nobody saw coming, including myself. And that’ll be it.”
Rivers confirmed, to little surprise, his attention will return to his high school coaching duties. His two eldest sons will be together in 2026 on the team he coaches. The Colts, meanwhile, will look to retain Jones after the success he enjoyed on a one-year deal this season. Sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard – who will start this week – figures to remain in the team’s plans moving forward. (Seth Henigan will be the Colts’ backup this week, per Fox59’s Mike Chappell, opening the door to Rivers being inactive for his final game.) The same may not be true of Anthony Richardson, who looms as a candidate for a change of scenery depending on the nature of his trade market.
Rivers was a semifinalist for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Returning to the NFL reset his five-year eligibility clock, however. A lengthy wait will now ensue to see if he the longtime Chargers QB1 ultimately winds up in Canton.
On a few occasions prior to 2025, Rivers’ name emerged as a candidate for a post-retirement run of action. It appeared as though his window of opportunity on that front had closed before the Colts gig became available. Now, Rivers will reprise his role as a coach without giving further consideration to another short-term NFL stint.
Saints LB Demario Davis Intends To Play Year 15
Ahead of this weekend’s season finale, veteran Saints linebacker Demario Davis made it known that the team’s trip to Atlanta will not be his last game in an NFL uniform. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Davis told the media that he intends to return for his 15th NFL season. 
Davis is just wrapping up his 14th year in the league and his eighth in New Orleans. Since joining the Saints — to be more accurate, since his 2017 campaign that led to him signing with the Saints — Davis has routinely ranked amongst the NFL’s best middle linebackers. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he ranked as the 17th-best player at his position in 2017 and didn’t rank any lower than that until last year, when he graded out as the 19th-best linebacker in the league. He continued to excel in 2025 and currently ranks as the NFL’s sixth-best linebacker, in the eyes of PFF.
Davis has also been somewhat of an ironman in the NFL, never missing more than one game in any season of his career. As a third-round rookie out of Arkansas State, Davis only made three starts but played in every game of his first season in the league. Since then, out of a possible 212 games, Davis has been a starter in 209 and played in 210. Davis credited a lot of new developments in the culture surrounding the game of football for his ability to play this long and remain this healthy in his NFL career.
More important to him than his strict availability, as shown by his consistent PFF grades, is his continued ability to play at a high level. Because he was able to meet benchmarks he set for himself — which were just his prior year stats — he was able to decide that he would play another year and said it was probably the earliest point in a season in recent years that he’s known he wanted to continue to play.
“I’m not trying to plateau. I’m not trying to break even. I’m not trying to peak,” he told reporters today, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “I’m just trying to get better, and like, when I’m getting better, it’s like an indicator that I’m on the right track. And so, because I’ve done that, I think that gives me a lot of confidence that I’m looking forward to returning.”
As for whether or not he will still be wearing a Saints uniform in Year 15, Davis said he knows there’s a time and place for the business aspect of things. The five-time All-Pro, who turns 37 in 10 days, is set to become a free agent in the offseason.
“I don’t think in terms of the business element before the business element presents itself,” Davis said. “We’re in a game where contracts do matter, but that’s such a small part of your career. That happens in a little small window in the offseason once every other year or every couple of years. And when that time gets here, man, in 14 years, that’s always worked itself out.”
He continued, “I’ve never had to really negotiate a contract. They’ve always negotiated themselves. And so, when that time gets here, that’s like very low concern meter right now. What I’m focused on is finishing the season strong, kind of putting an exclamation point on what has been an individual and a collective good season for the defense and the team.”
He ended his comments by noting “good reason for optimism” for the Saints’ future, as rookie quarterback Tyler Shough aims to end the season on a five-game winning streak. He may see a strong Year 2 for the young passer coming, but Year 15 will be his focus after this week.
Packers Claim CB Trevon Diggs
JANUARY 1: The Packers were the only team to submit a claim in this case, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. Diggs could see time right away and a familiar face on the sidelines will help in that regard. As Rapoport notes, Packers defensive pass-game coordinator Derrick Ansley was Diggs’ secondary coach at Alabama. It will be interesting to see if that dynamic helps spark a rebound in play late in the campaign.
Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley expressed to the media that “he wants (Diggs) to play on Sunday against the Vikings.” Hafley made sure to emphasize that they “need to make sure that he’s ready to go” and didn’t make any promises, but both Diggs and his coaches seem to want him on the field this weekend.
DECEMBER 31: One day after the Cowboys cut him, cornerback Trevon Diggs will land with a playoff team. The Packers have claimed Diggs off waivers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
In claiming Diggs, the Packers will commit to paying his $472K game check for Week 18. He’ll earn another $58,823 if he’s active against the Vikings this Sunday, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Beyond that, there’s no guaranteed money left on Diggs’ contract. However, he remains under team control through 2028 on the five-year, $97MM extension he signed with Dallas in July 2023.
Diggs, a 2020 second-round pick from Alabama, scored his enormous payday after a scintillating start to his career. He made the Pro Bowl twice in his first three years, a stretch in which he intercepted 17 passes. He finished with a jaw-dropping 11 picks in 2021, the most in a season since former Cowboy Everson Walls came down with 11 in 1981, en route to first-team All-Pro honors.
Diggs’ 11-INT showing remains his only 17-game season to date. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has dealt with a laundry list of injuries since then. An ACL tear limited Diggs to two games in 2023. He missed six more games in 2024 as a result of a calf tear and another knee surgery. It was more of the same in Diggs’ last hurrah with the Cowboys, who placed him on IR with lingering knee problems and a concussion on Oct. 25. He played in just eight of Dallas’ 16 games this year before the team cut him.
The Cowboys opened Diggs’ 21-day practice window on Nov. 30, but they didn’t activate him until Dec. 20. It came as a surprise after Diggs indicated he was healthy enough to play the previous week. He said he was “upset“ the Cowboys didn’t activate him in Week 15. It wasn’t the first disagreement between Diggs and first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The decision to move on from Diggs reportedly came on the heels of Schottenheimer denying the Maryland-born defender’s request to remain in Washington after the Cowboys’ Christmas Day win over the Commanders. Diggs, who wanted to stay with his family, ignored Schottenheimer’s orders and skipped the team’s flight back to Dallas. That may have sealed his fate with the Cowboys.
While Diggs and Schottenheimer clashed, a massive decline in the corner’s effectiveness was likely the main reason Dallas parted with him. The 27-year-old has gone without an interception this season, and Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 80th among 113 qualifiers at his position. Worse yet, according to Pro-Football-Reference, Diggs has yielded a 77.3% completion rate to the nearest receiver and a 157.2 passer rating over a sample of 22 targets. A perfect rating checks in at 158.3.
Although Diggs has struggled immensely this year, the Packers aren’t risking much in claiming him. The Packers will be able to move on after the season if they want, and they desperately need healthy cornerbacks right now.
Locked into the seventh seed in the NFC with one game left, the Packers are dangerously thin at corner behind Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. Green Bay placed Kamal Hadden on IR on Tuesday and did the same with Nate Hobbs on Wednesday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Hobbs, who has played in 11 games and started five this year, will miss at least four contests with a knee injury.
Diggs, Shemar Bartholomew and Jaylin Simpson will provide the Packers a few more game-ready options at the position. The Packers signed Bartholomew and Simpson from their practice squad to their active roster on Tuesday.
Rams S Quentin Lake Extended, Designated For Return From IR
6:31PM: In addition to extending Lake today, the Rams announced that he has been designated to return from injured reserve. After missing the team’s last six games, the window is now open for Lake to return in time for the regular season finale in Los Angeles.
2:17PM: The Rams signed fourth-year safety Quentin Lake to a contract extension, per a team announcement.
The deal is worth up to $42MM over three years with $25.7MM guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Lake, a 2022 fifth-round pick, was set to hit free agency this offseason but will now be under contract in Los Angeles through the 2028 season.
The 26-year-old primarily played special teams as a rookie before carving out a role in the slot in 2023. He then broke out last year as a versatile piece of the Rams’ secondary with 511 snaps in the slot, 398 as a free safety, and 244 in the box, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This season, he has been the primary nickel in Los Angeles and ranks 12th in the league with 0.80 yards allowed per snap out of the slot (via PFF).
Lake’s contract ranks 11th among NFL safeties in terms of guaranteed money, per OverTheCap. The base value of his deal is unknown, but his maximum APY of $14MM would also rank 11th. That is a solid raise over Lake’s Day 3 rookie contract while also being a strong value for the team after the safety market rose above $25.1MM this offseason. Lake’s versatility is especially valuable to a Rams front office that does not invest a lot into their secondary. They can now approach the offseason hunting for value in free agency and the draft knowing that Lake can take on whatever role is needed to fill out the unit.
Extending Lake likely means that the Rams will not retain veteran safety Kamren Curl, whose contract expires at the end of the season. He will join a free agent class that no longer includes Lake, but does have a number of other rising talents like Jaquan Brisker and Ronnie Hickman, among others. Of course, other teams will likely seek to retain their top pending free agents before the offseason begins, so the ranks of available safeties could dwindle by the time free agency actually approaches.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/26
2026’s first practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: G Tyler Cooper
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: P Trenton Gill
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Mark Perry
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE McCallan Castles
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Miles Battle, C Brenden Jaimes