Rams Likely To Open Quentin Lake’s Practice Window In Week 18
When Rams safety Quentin Lake underwent elbow surgery on Nov. 19, the hope was he’d be ready to come off injured reserve in time for the postseason. With the 11-4 Rams having clinched a spot since then, it appears Lake is on track for a playoff return.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said the team will “most likely” open Lake’s 21-day practice window next week (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). Lake is “making great progress,” per McVay, who hasn’t ruled the defender out for the Rams’ Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cardinals.
Lake, a fourth-year man, emerged as a full-time starter in 2024. After totaling 111 tackles, five passes defensed and two sacks last year, he returned to start in his first 10 games this season.
Lake has notched 61 tackles, a sack, a personal-best 10 passes defensed and the first interception of his career in 2025. He played 100% of defensive snaps before dislocating his elbow. The vast majority of the versatile Lake’s 634 snaps have come in the slot (424), but he has also worked in the box (89), at free safety (84), and along the edge (32).
Set to face Atlanta on Monday, Los Angeles will go without Lake – Pro Football Focus‘ 12th-ranked safety among 99 qualifiers – for a sixth straight game. Josh Wallace has played well in the slot in Lake’s absence, but the latter has still been missed. The Rams’ defense ranked third in the NFL in both EPA per play on dropbacks and against the run when Lake went down. The unit is a much less effective 11th and 20th in those categories without him, Adam Grosbard of the Orange County Register notes.
Regardless of whether Lake comes back over the next two weeks, the Rams should be able to run the table through the regular season. While the Rams dropped to sixth in the NFC with a Week 16 loss to the division rival Seahawks, now the top seed, the No. 1 spot remains a possibility if they win out and get some help. Securing first place would lead to a bye and give Lake more time to heal. Otherwise, should the Rams play in the wild-card round, it appears they’ll have Lake back by then.
Brian Flores’ Contract Expires After Season; Vikings Looking To Re-Up
Brian Flores‘ contract with the Vikings expires this offseason, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Unsurprisingly, the team would like to keep Flores in Minnesota, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. However, Flores is expected to receive interest in other head coaching jobs. He interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, and Jets last offseason and has likely raised his stock further with the Vikings’ strong defensive showing this year.
Flores, 44, came aboard in 2023 and his unit finished 13th in scoring and 16th in total defense. The next year, they ranked fifth in the former and stayed at 16th in the latter. This season, the Vikings have surrendered just 4.8 yards per play and 292.7 yards per game, the fifth-lowest marks in the league, while their 20.6 points per game ranks 10th.
Flores’ blitz-heavy defense is uniquely suited to disrupt opposing passing games, which have averaged just 168.8 yards per game against Minnesota. His players have spoken glowingly of both the creativity of his scheme and his ability to implement and teach it.
Perceptions of Flores around the league may have changed in the wake of the Dolphins’ struggles over the last few years, Jones also noted. Clashes with owner Stephen Ross and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa signaled that Flores’ personality might not be conducive to a head coaching job, but it become clear that he was not the only – and perhaps not even the biggest – problem in Miami.
Flores’ ongoing class-action suit against the NFL and several teams is another factor in his candidacy for head coaching gigs. One of those teams is the Giants, who have one of the two current head coaching vacancies in the league, which immediately rules him out for that job. Others beyond the Titans’ could become available
Fred Warner Could Return During Playoffs
DECEMBER 27: A playoff “cameo” is on the table for Warner, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, but it likely wouldn’t come until the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl. With the 49ers not wanting to risk further injury to Warner, chances are he would work in a limited role.
DECEMBER 26: The 49ers lost a pair of heart-and-soul defensive stars in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to major injuries earlier this season. Bosa will not return after tearing his ACL in Week 3. Warner went down with a dislocated ankle three weeks later.
At 11-4, the 49ers have somehow overcome the long-term absences of their two best defensive players. San Francisco will earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC if it closes out the regular season with wins over two other conference contenders in Chicago and Seattle.
If the 49ers secure the top spot and land a first-round bye, it could make a Warner comeback more likely. Odds were heavily against the linebacker playing again this season when he underwent surgery in mid-October, though he has been pushing for it all along. There’s now a possibility Warner will factor in during the playoffs.
The four-time first-team All-Pro’s rehab has gone so well that the 49ers are reexamining a potential postseason return, general manager John Lynch told KNBR (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group). It’s a surprising turnaround in light of comments Lynch made three weeks ago.
“Well, medically, no,” Lynch said on Dec. 5 of a possible playoff comeback for Warner. “I mean, the docs say it’s probably on the wrong side of the range that they would suggest. But even the docs with Fred say, ‘You know what, let him rehab as if he’s coming back for something and we’ll see where he’s at.’”
The playoffs begin on Jan. 10, which will mark 90 days since Warner incurred his gruesome injury on Oct. 12. The 49ers fell to 4-2 with a loss to the Buccaneers that day, but they’ve rallied to win seven of nine since. Tatum Bethune, a 2024 seventh-round pick, has taken on the monumental task of working as Warner’s primary replacement.
Bethune was almost exclusively a special teamer when he grabbed the reins in the middle of the 49ers’ defense, but the second-year man has done well filling in for a franchise icon. Over 12 games (six starts), Bethune has recorded 76 tackles and two passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranks Bethune 43rd among 86 qualifying linebackers. While respectable, that’s a far cry from Warner, who’s still PFF’s top-ranked LB for 2025.
Warner won’t factor in again in 2025, but January 2026 may prove to be a different story if his rehab continues moving at a lightning-quick pace. Depending on how healthy he is a few weeks from now, Warner could give the 49ers a major boost as they vie for their third Super Bowl berth (and first win) of his eight-year career. Should the 49ers run through the NFC next month, they’ll play the Super Bowl at their home field, Levi’s Stadium, on Feb. 8.
Jadeveon Clowney Intends to Play in 2026, Interested In Re-Signing With Cowboys
After the Panthers released Jadeveon Clowney last May, the veteran pass rusher’s stay in free agency dragged into the regular season. He finally agreed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Cowboys after Week 2, which enabled the 32-year-old to avoid the rigors of training camp.
The Cowboys’ 30th-ranked defense has struggled enough that coordinator Matt Eberflus is in serious jeopardy of losing his job, but Clowney has been a bright spot. The former No. 1 overall pick has recorded 35 tackles, 34 pressures, eight TFL, seven QB hits and 5.5 sacks in 12 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus ranks Clowney’s performance this year an impressive 20th among 112 qualifying edge rushers. He has offered strong work as a pass rusher and a run defender.
Clowney chipped in 1.5 sacks in the Cowboys’ win over the Commanders on Christmas Day. Afterward, he told Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com that he intends to play in 2026. He also has interest in continuing with the Cowboys.
“Oh yeah, [I’d re-sign in Dallas] if they’re willing to bring me back, but, yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m definitely gonna play,” Clowney said.
The nomadic Clowney, who began his career with the Texans in 2014, is on his seventh NFL team. Other than spending his first five years in Houston, where he earned three Pro Bowl nods, he hasn’t lasted more than two seasons with any of those clubs. Clowney has signed five one-year contracts since he first reached free agency in 2020. Three of those pacts – a 2020 deal with the Titans, a 2023 accord with the Ravens and his current agreement with the Cowboys – came together deep into the summer. Clowney missed camp in those instances, but that’s not something he’s aiming for in 2026.
“I got a lot left in the tank. I ain’t gonna go sit on my couch,” he said. “I’m gonna stay ready. Maybe sign a little bit earlier, and I’m trying to go to camp next year so I can get the rust off me and get going. I’m looking forward to it.”
Clowney’s willingness to sign early should only add to his appeal around the league. Although Clowney hasn’t lived up to the hype he received coming out of South Carolina, he has been productive at almost every NFL stop. He’ll head into Week 18 with 63.5 sacks on his resume.
Giants DL Coach Andre Patterson Battled Cancer This Season
Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson recently revealed (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) that he has been battling prostate cancer this season.
He was diagnosed earlier this year and opted to continue coaching while undergoing treatment, though assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox was on hand for any of Patterson’s absences. Cox was fired at the beginning of December due in part to his objection to a seating rearrangement on the Giants’ plane home from their Week 13 loss in New England, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.
Patterson, 65, has coached football for more than 40 years with time at the high school, college, and professional levels. He has been in New York since Brian Daboll was hired in 2022; prior to that, he spent 2014 to 2021 as the Vikings defensive line coach under Mike Zimmer. This is his 21st season coaching in the NFL.
Patterson shared his diagnosis with the Giants’ defensive line room, but not with the entire team. Players said that they did not notice a difference in Patterson’s energy or demeanor during his ordeal.
“There’s no drop-off. So he’s still the same dude,” defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris said. “If he didn’t tell us anything, we wouldn’t have known. That’s what kind of dude he is. There’s no drop-off. Like I said, he’s the same guy every day.”
Patterson revealed his diagnosis publicly to raise awareness about prostate cancer and encourage others to get checked. He has also used this personal struggle to teach his players.
“I tell my guys all the time, if all I do is teach you how to be a good football player, I’m cheating you,” Patterson said. “I have to help you with life’s journey. So we talk about things other than football a lot because my job is to also prepare them for what life is going to give them when they are no longer a football player.”
Raiders Shut Down DE Maxx Crosby
With the Raiders approaching a critical game regarding their chances at the No. 1 pick, they are moving forward without another critical player in the lineup. Maxx Crosby will not play against the Giants on Sunday. 
Vegas informed Crosby he will be inactive on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The five-time Pro Bowler wants to play down the stretch despite the fact the Raiders have long been out of playoff contention. The team’s preference would be for Crosby to be sidelined for the final two weeks of the season, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer adds. Head coach Pete Carroll has since confirmed (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) the team is shutting down its top player.
Per Glazer, Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the decision to sit him and left the team facility upon learning the news. He adds this episode could invite a new round of speculation regarding the decorated edge rusher’s future in Las Vegas. Crosby has of course been tied to trade talk over the years, but owner Mark Davis has fiercely denied any suggestions about a parting of ways receiving consideration.
“Yeah, I don’t give a s— about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said earlier this week when asked about the No. 1 selection in April’s draft (h/t Rapoport). “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. Being a great leader, being an influence.”
This Crosby decision comes shortly after standout tight end Brock Bowers was moved to injured reserve. That ended his season in time for the Sunday Giants matchup which will see the NFL’s two 2-13 teams play each other. The loser will secure an inside track for the top pick; doing so for Vegas in particular would be critical. Drafting first overall would allow the Raiders to land a quarterback capable of taking over from Geno Smith as the team’s starter over the long term.
Crosby has dealt with a knee injury for much of the year, but he has managed to play all 15 games so far in 2025. A second-team All-Pro selection on two occasions, he has remained one of the league’s top EDGE producers this season. Crosby has totaled 10 sacks, reaching double-digits in that regard for the fourth time in his seven-year career.
This past spring, Crosby worked out a three-year, $106.5MM extension. That pact very briefly made him the league’s highest-paid pass rusher in terms of AAV, but five players now sit ahead of Crosby at this point. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2029, but it will be interesting to see if today’s developments make any difference with respect to his commitment to the franchise.
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 12/26/25
Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 3pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
Latest On Bengals, Joe Burrow
Nearing the end of an injury-wrecked 2025 campaign, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss out on postseason play for the third year in a row. It’s not what he or the Bengals envisioned when they won the AFC in 2021 and followed it up with a second straight conference title game appearance the next season.
A toe injury kept Burrow out for nine games earlier this season. Since he returned in Week 13, questions about Burrow’s future in Cincinnati have persisted.
Burrow shut down the possibility of an Andrew Luck-esque early retirement or a trade request a couple of weeks ago. The 29-year-old added last week that he expects to remain with the Bengals in 2026. Indeed, there’s no indication Burrow wants out of Cincinnati, per Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“I truly think he wants to be here,” a team source told Fowler.
Assuming that’s the case, the Bengals will hope for a healthier season from Burrow in 2026. That alone would give them a far better chance to contend, but it may not be enough without significant improvements elsewhere. Consider that in 2024, Burrow’s lone 17-game season to date, the Bengals only managed nine wins despite brilliant production from the two-time Pro Bowler.
The Bengals are 4-2 in Burrow’s starts this year, but he reportedly believes the team has to “play perfect” to win. A defense that ranks last in the NFL in points allowed and 31st in yardage surrendered has been a major problem. The expected departure of defensive end Trey Hendrickson in free agency would only add to the Bengals’ issues on that side of the ball.
Burrow endorsed a Hendrickson extension last spring, but a multiyear pact didn’t come together. After a contentious battle, the Bengals agreed to increase Hendrickson’s 2025 salary from $16MM to $30MM. He only played seven games this year before undergoing season-ending core muscle surgery.
The Bengals are on track to enter the offseason with a projected $110MM in cap space (via Zak Koeppel of NFL.com). That could help the team retain Hendrickson if the two sides are open to continuing their relationship. Regardless, the Bengals will have plenty of money and a high first-round draft pick to play with as they aim to better their roster around their franchise signal-caller.
If the Bengals are in a similar spot a year from now, Burrow’s frustration could grow, but league executives Fowler has spoken with don’t expect them to ever consider trading him. As things stand, Burrow is in line to remain in Cincinnati through 2029 on the five-year, $275MM extension he signed in 2023.
DC Matt Eberflus Trending Down In Dallas
There’s been no shortage of coverage on this site concerning the diminishing job safety of Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. As team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones‘ negative comments on the situation continue to escalate, the likelihood that Eberflus gets a Year 2 in Dallas continues to fall. As Jon Machota of The Athletic so candidly put it, “at this point, a second season of Eberflus as DC would be a surprise.” 
Early on in the season, as the Cowboys ranked 32nd in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed, the team stood behind its defensive play-caller. Some of the early struggles were attributed to the growing pains of a defense that lost its best player only a week before the start of the regular season. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer preached patience and belief in his coordinator, asserting that things would improve over time.
Even Jones admitted that Eberflus was dealing with adversity and clung to his “tremendous experience” as some buyer’s remorse appeared to creep in. Just under three weeks later, executive vice president Stephen Jones echoed Schottenheimer and his father’s comments, expressing hope that the situation would “continue to evolve” and even expressing hope that Eberflus would return as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2026.
At that point in time, the Cowboys remained the second-worst scoring defense while just climbing out of the basement to be 31st in total defense, as well. A week ago, the unit had worked its way up two more slots in total defense while remaining at 31st in points allowed. For the first time last week, Jones brought up the potential of a coaching change, calling the consideration of making “adjustments…regarding coaching” a “legit question.”
Following a three-score loss to the Chargers in Week 16, Jones announced that no firings would occur in the final two weeks of the season but that a full evaluation of all coaches would occur when the season was over. Shortly following the team’s Week 17 win over the division-rival Commanders, though, Jones was quick to make it crystal clear that he still was not happy with the team’s defensive performance.
“No, no, not at all,” Jones replied when asked if he was pleased with the defensive coaching staff and scheme, per Machota. “We have a lot of work to do there. I’m sorry if I have let my enthusiasm for the win yesterday misrepresent. No, not at all. We got a lot of work to do over there, but we can do it.”
In the victory, Dallas allowed rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt just his second 100-yard rushing performance on only 11 carries. Additionally, the Cowboys only walked away victorious after just holding off a second-half comeback by Washington’s third-string veteran quarterback, Josh Johnson.
The issues of personnel seem to have been removed from consideration when defending Eberflus as of late. While the loss of Micah Parsons is certainly difficult to come back from and multiple injuries have made things even more difficult, the acquisitions of All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson have not been enough to turn the tide in Dallas. In fact, adding to Jones’ frustrations, Wilson didn’t play a single snap in yesterday’s game, despite not appearing on the injury report or being designated as inactive. What’s worse, Jones didn’t seem to know why Wilson didn’t play.
“I don’t have an explanation for you for why Wilson wasn’t in there,” Jones told the media. “We planned to have him in there. He needs to be in there. He has good instincts. The reason we got him was because he reads the play quick and can basically be in his lane of responsibility and react quick…that’s why we got him.”
As Jones seems to struggle to find anything nice to say about his defensive coordinator, it seems Eberflus’ position in Dallas is becoming more and more tenuous. If the team’s season finale against the Giants in any way resembles the two teams’ Week 2 40-37 overtime affair, Eberflus may not even last until his post-season evaluation.
Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson Declares For Draft
A week ago, Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson announced on Instagram that he was declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, forgoing his final season of eligibility. Tyson is projected to be a consensus first-round pick and is thought by many to be the clear WR1 of the class. 
Initially a three-star prospect out of Allen HS (TX), Tyson had a slow start to his recruitment. In a talent-rich area of an extremely talent-rich state, Tyson only saw offers rolling in from the likes of Sam Houston State, Campbell, New Mexico, Tulsa, Texas State, and Colorado State. So, in the summer before his senior season, when Tyson took an official visit to Colorado and earned an offer over a month later, he committed soon after to the Buffaloes and then-head coach Karl Dorrell.
In one of Colorado’s worst years in program history, Dorrell was fired only five games into what would be a one-win season. When new head coach Deion Sanders arrived, prompting one of the largest mass replacements in college football history that saw 57 outgoing transfers replaced by 52 incoming student athletes, Tyson joined the crowd in searching for a new home. Luckily for the true freshman, Tyson’s last three games at Colorado put up some pretty attractive film for the portal as he combined for 13 catches, 344 yards, and two touchdowns over that span.
Tyson found his way to Tempe in the transfer portal but was limited to only three games in 2023 due to knee injuries and had to take a redshirt year as the Sun Devils struggled to a 3-9 season following the implosion of star freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada. Last year, Arizona State rebounded to 11-3 with a berth in the College Football Playoff thanks to breakout campaigns from a redshirt sophomore Tyson and transfer running back Cam Skattebo. Recording a team-leading 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, Tyson delivered the first 1,000-yard receiving season for a Sun Devil since Brandon Aiyuk‘s 2019 campaign.
With Skattebo off to the NFL, all eyes were on Tyson to see what he might do in 2025 as the main event in Tempe. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury held him out of three-and-a-half games this season, but Tyson still dominated when on the field, leading Arizona State once again with 61 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns. Following his declaration, Tyson’s expected to sit out his team’s New Year’s Eve bowl game, so those numbers for 2025 should be final.
Bulking and growing into a 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame over his years as a Sun Devil, Tyson excites scouts with his pro potential. With strong top-end speed and elite route-running, Tyson is often an open target, but even more frustrating for defensive backs is that — even when he is blanketed by coverage — Tyson is one of the NCAA’s best when winning at the catch point and outmuscling the defense for 50-50 balls.
The draft’s potential WR1 isn’t perfect, though. An issue with drops (five as a true freshman in 2022) followed him from Boulder to Tempe as he logged seven in his first full season for the Sun Devils after redshirting. Scouts were hoping to see major improvement in that field this year, and Tyson delivered, only dropping one pass on 100 targets as he learned from one of the best in wide receivers coach Hines Ward.
The injury issues throughout his career may throw up a red flag, as well. After knee issues forced his redshirt in 2023 and a collarbone injury forced him to miss Arizona State’s playoff push last year, this year’s hamstring issue is only the latest challenge Tyson has worked through. The 21-year-old has shown enough, though, that his high ceiling may silence any concerns scouts may have about his durability.
So far in the pre-draft process, Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Tyson as his WR1 and his eighth-best overall prospect in his midseason rankings, two slots above his WR2, Carnell Tate of Ohio State. A few weeks later, ESPN’s Matt Miller gave Tate WR1 respect as his No. 8 overall prospect with WR2 Tyson coming in at No. 14. Miller’s ESPN peer Mel Kiper Jr. sided with Brugler, though, as he gave the nod to Tyson as his seventh-best overall prospect with Tate slotting in at No. 9 overall.
The two have a few months to make their case to be the first pass-catcher whose name is called on that fateful Thursday night in Pittsburgh. Tyson will likely be working to get as healthy as possible in preparation to combat any questions on his health in the interviews to come. It’s one of the few things he can do as he’s already put some of the NCAA’s best football on film over the past two years.