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Chiefs RG Trey Smith To Miss Time; RB Isiah Pacheco Will Return In Week 13

November 25th, 2025 at 1:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

1:20pm: Pacheco will indeed play on Thursday, head coach Andy Reid confirmed (via Fowler’s colleague Nate Taylor). That could provide a boost to Kansas City’s running game against a Cowboys defense which has allowed just 90 yards on the ground across its past two games.

9:53am: The Chiefs are expected to be without Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith for Thursday’s game against the Cowboys, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Smith is dealing with both high and low ankle sprains and could miss multiple weeks. Thursday would be Smith’s second absence of the season – low back spasms sidelined him in Week 8 – after starting all but one game in the first three years of his career. Though Jaylon Moore is listed as the Chiefs’ backup right guard on their depth chart, Mike Caliendo will be tapped to start at right guard as he did in Week 8.

Meanwhile, running back Isiah Pacheco is hoping to return to the field in Week 13 after a three-game absence due to a knee injury, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pacheco was off to a rough start in 2025, with only 163 rushing yards on 39 carries across his first five games. He then rushed for 166 yards and his first touchdown of the year in his next three games before getting hurt.

Kareem Hunt has saw a significant uptick in offensive involvement during Pacheco’s stint on the sidelines with 54 carries in his last three games, including a career-high 30 attempts in Week 12. Pacheco will eat into that workload, especially since he was trending upwards before his injury. The Chiefs will be hoping that he can quickly return to, if not surpass that level of play.

Steelers Optimistic Aaron Rodgers Will Return In Week 13

November 25th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The fracture in Aaron Rodgers‘ left wrist left him sidelined for Week 12. With the Steelers coming off a loss, they will likely have their starting quarterback in the fold once more.

When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin said (via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) he has “great optimism” about Rodgers being able to suit up this week. Plenty will depend on how the coming days play out in practice, of course. At this point, though, Tomlin is “comfortable with [Rodgers’] general trajectory.”

That update comes as little surprise. It quickly became clear last week that Rodgers will not require surgery, and as such a lengthy absence has not been expected. The 41-year-old wore a brace on his non-throwing hand during practice, and pain management is not believed to be a major issue in this case. After Rodgers pushed to be able to play last week, he will no doubt do the same ahead of Week 13’s game against the Bills.

Pittsburgh turned to Mason Rudolph against the Bears. The veteran completed 24 of his 31 attempts, but that yielded just 171 yards and one touchdown (to go along with one interception). The Steelers lost 31-28 and they now sit at 6-5 on the year. With the Ravens riding a five-game win streak, Baltimore now sits atop the AFC North. Rebounding against the Bills will be critical for Pittsburgh’s postseason outlook.

While Rodgers is on track to be available, the news on other injury fronts is less positive. Tomlin said (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is dealing with a knee injury. He specified this is a separate issue from the MCL sprain which left the first-round rookie unavailable early in the season. Tomlin is unsure if the same knee has been affected by this latest ailment.

Harmon will be out for at least Week 13, and the same is also true of left tackle Broderick Jones. The third-year blocker is thus in line to miss a game for the first time in his career. Tomlin noted (h/t Pryor) swing tackle Calvin Anderson and offseason acquisition Andrus Peat will share first-team reps on offense this week. Those two will compete for the starting gig on the blindside while Rodgers continues to prepare for his return.

Saints To Swap Kickers By Signing Cade York, Waiving K Blake Grupe

November 25th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints are making a change at kicker. Cade York is set to join the practice squad in New Orleans, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, and Blake Grupe will be waived from the active roster as a result, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

York won the Saints’ kicking job with a successful tryout on Tuesday morning, beating out disgraced former Raven Justin Tucker.

Grupe has had a tough season, his third in the NFL. He made just 10 of his 15 field goal attempts in the first five games of the year with one miss inside of 40 yards and two more inside of 50 yards. He bounced back in his next four games, missing only a 53-yarder and converting all three of his other tries.

However, Grupe regressed in Week 12 against the Falcons, missing from 38 and 47 yards to drop his conversion rate to 69.2% on the year, a significant drop from the 81.1% and 87.1% marks of his first two seasons. The Saints’ coaching staff decided they had seen enough and opted to make a change.

York, a 2022 fourth-round pick by the Browns, made 75% of his kicks as a rookie with five misses inside of 50 yards. The Browns released him during final roster cuts in 2023; he bounced around with a few teams but did not make any appearances that year. York eventually found his way back to Cleveland during the 2024 offseason but again failed to win the starting kicker job. He was traded to the Commanders to kick in Week 1, but missed both of his field goals and was released shortly after.

York was later picked up by the Bengals for five games, during which time he made nine of his 11 field goals and 13 of his 15 extra point attempts. Despite the bounce-back showing in Cincinnati, York did not receive any interest this offseason, but he will get a chance in New Orleans and could lock down the job for the rest of the year with a strong debut in Week 13.

Colts DC Lou Anarumo Expected To Draw HC Interest From Giants

November 25th, 2025 at 11:42am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is expected to draw interest from the Giants’ regarding their head coaching vacancy, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.

Anarumo, 59, is one of the most respected defensive coaches in the NFL. He began his career with the Dolphins in 2012, serving as their defensive backs coach until 2017 with a brief stint as interim defensive coordinator in 2015. After a year as the Giants’ DBs coach in 2018, Anarumo was hired by the Bengals in 2019 under incoming head coach Zac Taylor.

Anarumo turned a Cincinnati defense that ranked 30th in points and 32nd in yards allowed into a respectable one within a few seasons. However, the unit only ranked among the league’s top-10 in either category during his tenure, though that could also be attributed to the team’s poor draft-and-develop record with defensive players. After the Bengals regressed to the 25th-ranked defense in 2024, Anarumo was fired.

The veteran coach quickly drew DC interest and interviewed with the Colts and the Falcons. He was hired in Indianapolis and has been a major part of their 8-3 start. Though the offense has been the primary driver of the Colts’ success, their defense has more than held up their end of the bargain. The Bengals, meanwhile, are not just the league’s worst defense; they are a historically bad unit.

Anarumo’s success in Indianapolis will likely get him on the radar for open head coaching jobs during the 2026 hiring cycle, including the Giants’ vacancy. He has past experience in New York under the same ownership and a relationship with general manager Joe Schoen. The two overlapped in Miami from 2012 to 2016, where Schoen rose through the scouting department to eventually become the director of player personnel. The familiarity with Schoen as well as Giants owner and president John Mara could certainly be a factor in getting Anarumo an interview.

When asked about his interest in a head coaching position on Tuesday, Anarumo said (via Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star) that he would be lying if he said he did not want a top job, but added that his focus was on the Colts’ next opponent.

It will be interesting to see if New York pursues a defensive-minded coach. They have not hired a former defensive coordinator as a head coach since Bill Parcells in 1983.

Bills Sign DE Shaq Lawson

November 25th, 2025 at 11:22am CST by Adam La Rose

Shaq Lawson visited the Bills yesterday, and his workout clearly went well. A third Buffalo stint is in store to close out the season.

Lawson has signed to the Bills’ practice squad, per a team announcement. He could find himself in the lineup as early as Week 13 by signing to Buffalo’s active roster or by being made one of the team’s gameday elevations from the taxi squad. In any case, Lawson will provide depth along the defensive front on a team needing reinforcements in that area.

Buffalo has struggled against the run in 2025. The team has allowed an average of 149 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 30th in the NFL. Lawson will not be expected to handle a major workload upon rejoining the Bills once again, but he could provide an experienced depth presence up front. Similarly, the 31-year-old could chip in as a pass-rush contributor down the stretch.

Lawson played with the Bills from 2016-19 and then again from 2022-23. The former first-rounder has topped four sacks only once in a season during his career, but he has proven to be a consistent rotational contributor while racking up 110 appearances and 38 starts. Lawson’s last regular season game was his only 2024 appearance, which came with the Panthers.

Now, the Clemson product will join the likes of safety Jordan Poyer and wideout Gabe Davis as veterans brought back to Buffalo for 2025. The play of those three will be worth watching as the 7-4 Bills close out the season. Top spot in the AFC East will be difficult to attain this year, but a wild-card berth is still very much in play.

In a corresponding move, the Bills have released defensive end Andre Jones Jr. The 27-year-old has made 16 regular season appearances in his career, all of which were with the Commanders in 2023 and ’24. Jones did not survive roster cuts with Washington this summer, and he landed with the Bills on their taxi squad before the start of the season. After not seeing any game time so far in 2025, he is now a free agent.

Broncos Expect CB Patrick Surtain, LB Alex Singleton Back After Bye

November 25th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 25: During an interview with Good Morning America, Singleton confirmed he hopes to return in Week 13 against the Commanders. He has been cleared to practice, so the next few days will be key in determining his status.

NOVEMBER 22: The Broncos were able to pull off a crucial win for the division race last week despite being without star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and starting linebacker Alex Singleton. As they look to build onto an eight-game win streak, the team is optimistic that the defense won’t continue to be short-handed following this week’s bye, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Surtain hasn’t played since October, when he sustained a pectoral injury against the Cowboys. In the immediate aftermath, the Broncos called the two-time first-team All Pro “week-to-week.” They were aware that recovery could take over a week but weren’t willing yet to place him on injured reserve and guarantee a four-game absence.

When Surtain exited with injury four weeks ago, Denver turned to Kris Abrams-Draine, a fifth-round pick last year out of Mizzou, to finish the game in his place, keeping first-round rookie Jahdae Barron in his rotational role in the slot. Up to that point in the season, Abrams-Draine had only played two snaps on defense.

The Broncos did give Barron a chance to start across from Riley Moss the next week against the Texans, but some early struggles led to Abrams-Draine taking the first-team role back partway through the game. Abrams-Draine started each of the next two games, and even though Surtain’s expected return should reduce his role moving forward, he’ll likely get more defensive opportunities after playing the first half of the season mainly as a special teamer.

Last week was only Singleton’s first missed game of the year, but the nature of the absence left plenty of room for concern for his future availability. Singleton underwent surgery earlier this month to have a cancerous tumor removed from one of his testicles, but Fowler reports that, in his recovery, Singleton “has received encouraging results post-surgery.” Singleton is considered slightly less likely than Surtain to play in Week 13, but both players are reportedly trending very much in the right direction.

Giants Fire DC Shane Bowen

November 24th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Further changes along the sideline are taking place in New York. Shane Bowen‘s defensive coordinator tenure with the Giants has come to an end.

Bowen has been fired, as first reported by NJ.com’s Art Stapleton. The move comes after interim head coach Mike Kafka‘s second game at the helm. The Giants once again found themselves in position to close out a win yesterday, but they wound up dropping a 34-27 contest in overtime to the Lions. With defensive breakdowns still an issue, Bowen is being replaced. The news is now official, per a team announcement.

On five occasions this season, the Giants have held a lead of 10 or more points but gone on to lose; that includes three blown double-digit leads in the fourth quarter. That trend has led to increasing calls for Bowen to be dismissed. The 38-year-old’s job security was a talking point after the 2024 campaign with owner John Mara publicly criticizing him. As of early September, Bowen joined then-head coach Brian Daboll as a candidate to be replaced during the season.

Kafka took over from Daboll two weeks ago, and he did not make any immediate moves in terms of coordinator changes. Nevertheless, it was reported at the time Bowen was on thin ice. Overall, the former Titans DC’s unit ranks 30th in both points and yards allowed, something which has played a major role in New York’s 2-10 record. Today’s decision thus comes as little surprise.

In a move which many predicted in the immediate aftermath of the Bowen firing, outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will take over as interim DC. Kafka has informed the team of Bullen’s promotion, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. This will be Bullen’s first stint as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels.

After beginning his coaching career at Iowa, Bullen began working at the NFL as a Dolphins assistant. He worked with the team’s linebackers from 2016-18 before doing the same with the Cardinals over a four-year span. Bullen served as Arizona’s outside linebackers coach during the final three years of that tenure before holding that same title with Illinois for the 2023 campaign.

Bullen joined the Giants in 2024, the same time Bowen was hired following the period which saw Don Martindale‘s feud with Daboll lead to his departure. Things have not gone according to plan since that move, with a number of notable defensive additions (such as the free agent signings of cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland this past spring) not yielding an improved showing in terms of defensive production in Bowen’s second season.

The Giants will play the Patriots in the final game of Week 13. The team’s bye will follow, and then Kafka and Bullen will have a four-game run to close out the campaign. How those two fare in their respective roles down the stretch will be a central storyline for the team and help determine how the coaching staff is handled ahead of the 2026 hiring cycle.

Dillon Gabriel Clears Concussion Protocol; Browns To Start Shedeur Sanders In Week 13

November 24th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shedeur Sanders made his first career start yesterday. His ascension to the top of the depth chart was made out of necessity, but his second start will come by way of a coaching decision.

Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that Dillon Gabriel has cleared concussion protocol. Nevertheless, the Browns will give the nod once again to Sanders in Week 13. Cleveland won 24-10 in Vegas yesterday, and the team will give its fifth-round rookie at least one more look as a result.

“The number one job of a quarterback is to win,” Stefanski said (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “So, excited to get that first win under his belt. And the next thing is improvement, and that’s what young players do… You get one game better, and that’s just from working at it. So, that’ll be our focus.”

Gabriel’s concussion left him sidelined for Week 12, ending a run of five consecutive starts. The third-rounder was limited to the first half of the Browns’ game against the Ravens the previous week. That allowed Sanders to finish the contest in his place. During that time, Sanders completed just four of 16 pass attempts while being intercepted once and sacked twice.

A full week of practice with the starting offense – a first in Sanders’ case given Cleveland’s logjam at quarterback through training camp and the start of the season – resulted in increased expectations for his first career start. The Colorado product had an up-and-down day highlighted on one hand by a 52-yard completion to Isaiah Bond and on the other hand by an avoidable interception. Overall, Sanders went 11-for-2o passing for 209 yards, one touchdown and one pick.

Improvement on those numbers will obviously be a goal moving forward, and future opponents will in many cases prove to be more challenging than the Raiders. Cleveland’s next game will be at home against San Francisco. Sanders and the Browns will look to build off the momentum from yesterday’s contest in Week 13 and moving forward.

When asked if this is a permanent decision, Stefanski said his attention is only focused on this week. As a result, the door could be open to Dillon – who has posted only a 5.1 yards per attempt average while completing just 59.2% of his passes – returning to the QB1 spot. Much will of course depend on how Sanders fares this coming Sunday. A win against the 49ers would make him the first rookie Browns passer since Bernie Kosar in 1985 to begin a career 2-0.

Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy In Concussion Protocol

November 24th, 2025 at 10:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.J. McCarthy could be in line to miss further time this season. The first-year Vikings starter is in concussion protocol, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced.

O’Connell said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) McCarthy reported symptoms during the flight home from yesterday’s loss. It is very rare for players to clear concussion protocol within one week, so at least one missed game should be expected. Turning to veteran Carson Wentz will not be an option, since he is recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery.

In the event McCarthy is unable to suit up for Week 13, it will be Max Brosmer getting the nod. The undrafted free agent has made four appearances so far during his rookie season, throwing eight passes. A first career start will be something to watch for over the coming days depending on McCarthy’s ability to clear the protocol.

The Vikings allowed Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to depart in free agency this offseason. On both fronts, that came as little surprise given McCarthy’s presence. The 2024 first-rounder was sidelined for his entire rookie season while recovering from meniscus surgery. Expectations were nevertheless high in his case for the current campaign.

McCarthy has shown flashes at times when on the field, but largely speaking he has not produced as the Vikings hoped in 2025. The 22-year-old has completed only 54.1% of his pass attempts, throwing 10 interceptions and just six touchdowns. A high ankle sprain left McCarthy sidelined earlier in the year, leading to five straight Wentz starts.

As McCarthy recovered, Wentz played at well below full strength before ultimately undergoing surgery. That paved the way for McCarthy to handle QB1 duties the rest of the way, but a new injury threatens to once again result in missed time in this case. The Vikings have lost three straight games and they are now 4-7 as a result.

A playoff berth is likely unattainable at this point, but any late-season run will now presumably depend – at least for one week – on the outcome of Brosmer’s first career start. The Vikings will play the Seahawks on Sunday and are on track to do so with their third different QB starter of the season.

Joe Flacco Hoping For Starting Opportunity In 2026

November 24th, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Connor Byrne

With Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow expected to return from injured reserve in Week 13, Joe Flacco‘s short run as the team’s starter is likely over. As a soon-to-be free agent, Flacco’s time with Cincinnati may be running out.

Although Flacco will turn 41 years old in January, it doesn’t appear he’s eyeing retirement. On the contrary, the former Super Bowl MVP believes he’s capable of serving as a starter in 2026, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Flacco began this season as a stopgap Browns starter in front of rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. After a 1-3 start, they benched Flacco in favor of Gabriel. Six days later, Cleveland sent Flacco to in-state rival Cincinnati in a surprising Oct. 7 trade.

The Bengals took a cheap flier on Flacco, giving up a fifth-round pick in exchange for him and a sixth-rounder. They deemed the move worthwhile after backup Jake Browning flopped filling in for Burrow, who suffered a toe injury in Week 2.

Flacco struggled over four starts this year in Cleveland, where he completed 58.1% of passes, averaged 5.1 yards per attempt, threw more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (two), and posted a ghastly passer rating of 60.3. His production has markedly improved since the trade. Flacco has started six games as a Bengal and connected on 61.6% of throws with 6.5 YPA, 13 TDs against four INTs, and a 91.3 passer rating. He has gone over the 300-yard mark twice (which he didn’t do at all with the Browns), including a jaw-dropping 470 in a Week 9 loss to the Bears.

Discussing his performance as Cincinnati’s starter, Flacco told Baby: “Hopefully it reinforces it in somebody’s mind that I can do it. I do still want to do it. I still feel like I can do it. This obviously does help with the confidence of being able to do it and all that stuff.”

Flacco’s comments came before a 26-20 loss to New England on Sunday. He tossed a costly pick-six and finished a lackluster 19 of 37 for 199 yards and a TD against the Patriots. It was the second straight subpar outing for Flacco, who fared similarly in a 34-12 loss to the Steelers in Week 11.

Although Flacco has been a clear upgrade over Browning, the Bengals have won just one of his six starts. They acquired Flacco with the hope that he’d help keep them in the hunt until Burrow’s return. It didn’t work out, however. Thanks in large part to defensive ineptitude, the Bengals are 3-8 and heading for a third straight season without a playoff berth.

The Bengals will have a chance to rebound next year with a healthy Burrow and a better defense. Meanwhile, if he leaves Cincinnati and continues his career, Flacco could end up with his seventh organization since his 11-year run with the Ravens ended in 2018. That’s assuming he doesn’t rejoin one of his ex-teams. The former first-rounder from Delaware has spent time with the Broncos, Jets, Eagles, Colts, and both Ohio teams since 2019. Flacco may land yet another contract in the offseason, though it remains to be seen if he’ll receive any starting offers.

“I would like an opportunity, but you just never know,” Flacco told Baby.

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