Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt On Hot Seat?
Jerod Mayo is expected to make it to his second season as Patriots head coach, but it’s sounding like the same can’t be said for New England’s offensive coordinator. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Alex Van Pelt is considered a “potential one-and-done” with the Patriots.
[RELATED: Patriots Still Expected To Retain Jerod Mayo]
Drake Maye‘s occasional flashes have been the only bright spot for the Patriots offense in 2024, with the unit ranking towards the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. While Van Pelt has earned some praise for his work with the rookie QB, he’s also drawn plenty of criticism for his uninspiring play calling and a lack of development elsewhere on the roster.
In fact, team owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft, were recently spotted criticizing the offensive play calling, a clear indication that the OC could be on the hot seat. At the very least, the Patriots are expected to make some changes to their offensive staff, per Fowler.
Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal shares a similar sentiment, writing that Van Pelt will likely be the organization’s “sacrificial lamb” following a dismal overall season. Giardi lauded the coordinator for his rare accountability during the 2024 campaign, and Van Pelt even acknowledged that he could be on the hot seat following a rough first season with the Patriots.
“This is a business. We all signed up for this. When we win three games, it’s tough,” he said. “The thing that I can hang my hat on is that this team played hard. There have not been any games where they have not put out their full effort. That’s impressive. It’s easy for a lot of teams, and I’ve been around teams that are out of the playoffs and kind of just cruise to the end. We’re going to try to finish strong.”
Van Pelt mostly made a name for himself as a QB coach, including a stint as Aaron Rodgers‘ coach in Green Bay between 2014 and 2017. The veteran coach had a four-year stint as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator, and he was a somewhat surprising casualty last year despite the Browns finishing top-10 in points scored. He subsequently caught on with Mayo’s new staff in New England, but there’s a chance he could be looking for a new gig for the second-straight offseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Morice Norris Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Terrell Edmunds
- Released: S Emany Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Tarron Jackson
The Chargers added some veteran safety depth in Terrell Edmunds today. The former first-round pick most recently had a two-month stint with the Steelers, collecting seven tackles in five games. Alohi Gilman could soon return to the Chargers lineup, but the team will still be down two players at the position with Elijah Molden and Marcus Maye sidelined, so there could be some open snaps for their newest player.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: LB Nicholas Morrow
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: RB Kendall Milton
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Tom Kennedy
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: WR John Rhys Plumlee
- Placed on IR: TE Brady Russell
The Patriots signed Haggai Ndubuisi off the Commanders practice squad just yesterday, but the team is already waiving the defensive tackle. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes, Ndubuisi is being waived with a non-football illness designation, an indication that something popped up during the player’s physical.
Brady Russell landed on IR today after the tight end dealt with a foot injury for much of the season. The special teamer got into 11 games with the Seahawks in 2024. In his place, the team signed John Rhys Plumlee from the practice squad. The rookie was listed by the Seahawks as a WR, but the former UCF QB served as an occasional signal-caller on Seattle’s scout team.
Jets Complete GM Interview With Louis Riddick
The Jets have completed their fourth GM interview. The team announced that they interviewed ESPN analyst Louis Riddick earlier today. We heard last month that the Jets were planning to interview the former NFC East exec.
Riddick played nearly a decade in the NFL before spending time in Washington and Philadelphia’s front office. More recently, the 55-year-old has been serving as an analyst on ESPN, but his decade-long media role hasn’t stopped him from garnering GM interviews.
After interviewing for the Giants job in 2017, Riddick was an especially popular name in 2021, when he interviewed for GM jobs with the Jaguars, Lions and Texans. He left that hiring cycle without a gig, and after meeting with the Steelers in 2022, Riddick hasn’t been mentioned in the GM carousel over the past couple of years.
Now, he’s had a chance to sell himself to former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Vikings honcho Rick Spielman, who are running the organization’s GM and HC searches. Veteran executive Phil Savage has served as the team’s interim general manager since Joe Douglas was canned back in November.
Riddick marks the fourth candidate to interview for the Jets job. Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson, and Jim Nagy previously met Jets brass about the opening.
Patriots Expected To Prioritize WR, OL This Offseason
The Patriots offense has struggled mightily throughout the 2024 campaign, ranking towards the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. Unsurprisingly, the organization will prioritize two offensive positional groupings this offseason. Christopher Price of the Boston Globe believes the team will target wide receivers and offensive linemen via the draft, free agency, and trades.
Patriots wideouts have had to endure Jacoby Brissett‘s underwhelming starting stint and Drake Maye‘s growing pains, but no one in the room has established themselves as a definitive difference maker. Demario Douglas has somewhat separated himself from his position mates, as the former sixth-round pick has built on a solid rookie campaign to lead New England WRs in receptions (63) and receiving yards (587), and touchdowns (three) as a sophomore.
New England hasn’t gotten much from their two rookie wideouts. Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk has been limited to 12 catches, while fourth-round receiver Javon Baker has been limited to 51 offensive snaps. Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne do provide some worthy depth, but the team clearly needs a WR1 to pair with Maye.
That solution could easily come via the draft, as the Patriots are currently in prime position to select Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter. The organization could also easily look to free agency, especially since they should rank towards the top of the league in practical cap space. The Patriots have already been connected to Bengals star Tee Higgins, and the front office showed a willingness to pay for the position following their failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley last offseason.
The offensive line has allowed 51 sacks this season (fifth-worst in the NFL), and besides guard Mike Onwenu (and perhaps injured center David Andrews), the Patriots will be looking to improve every starting spot this offseason. Guard Trey Smith will likely lead the OL class, but the team should still have plenty of options to choose from at offensive tackle. The draft also remains an option for a sure-thing starter, although that would surely require the Patriots to trade back from their projected number-one pick.
The front office can rest easy knowing they have a handful of positional groupings handled. Maye has shown encouraging flashes during his rookie campaign, and the team has RB Rhamondre Stevenson and TE Hunter Henry signed to long-term deals.
Titans HC Brian Callahan Expected To Return Next Season
Brian Callahan‘s first season at the helm in Tennessee clearly hasn’t gone well. The Titans are positioned to have their fewest wins since the 2015 season, and despite Callahan’s offensive pedigree, quarterback Will Levis has failed to take a step forward during his sophomore campaign.
Naturally, pundits have started to question if the head coach could be one-and-done in Tennessee. However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport write that Callahan and most of his staff are expected to return next season.
The Titans made one of the surprise firings of the 2024 offseason when they moved on from long-time coach Mike Vrabel. It was always going to be difficult for the successor to immediately match Vrabel’s run; the former Patriots linebacker had winning records in four of his six seasons and made three-straight playoff appearances. However, following a pair of underwhelming showings, the Titans decided to move on.
They pivoted to Callahan, who had a reputation as one of the league’s best offensive minds. In Cincinnati, the former offensive coordinator helped guide Joe Burrow to superstar status. He also coached a trio of 1,000-yard receivers (Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd) and one of the league’s most consistent RBs in Joe Mixon. Callahan was going to be a natural choice for HC-needy teams, and he ended up finding his next gig in Tennessee.
As mentioned, things haven’t gone particularly well. Levis struggled under center before his benching, and the Titans’ special teams unit was a “major liability” at the beginning of the year (as Pelissero and Rapoport point out). Still, as the NFL Network duo note, the Titans have shown improvement despite their 3-12 record, and there’s a sentiment that Callahan has shown “long-term promise” in the role.
Team brass obviously won’t tolerate another dismal season, but it sounds like they’re willing to give their first-year head coach a relatively long leash. So, barring some unanticipated development, it sounds like Callahan will be staying put for the 2025 campaign.
Commanders Waive DL Phidarian Mathis
The Commanders are moving on from a former second-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is waiving defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis. Rapoport hints that the third-year player has a chance of catching on with a new squad via the waiver wire.
The Alabama product was selected with the 47th-overall pick in the 2022 draft. He suffered a torn meniscus in his NFL debut that kept him off the field for most of his rookie campaign. A calf injury forced him out of the lineup for the start of his sophomore season, and he got into about a third of his team’s defensive snaps once he returned in October.
Mathis saw a similar role in 2024, appearing in 257 defensive snaps in 12 appearances. When Jonathan Allen went down with an injury, Mathis initially saw an uptick in snaps opposite Daron Payne or Jer’Zhan Newton. However, Mathis has been inactive for each of the past three games, with the likes of Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes, and Carl Davis earning snaps at defensive tackle.
This move could ultimately be a precursor to the Commanders activating Allen from IR. The veteran has been working his way back from a pectoral injury suffered in mid-October. Allen returned to practice earlier this month and was a full participant this week.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Playing Through Torn Ligament In Wrist
While Tyreek Hill hasn’t missed any games this season due to a lingering wrist injury, he’s missed significant practice time. After dropping a couple of passes on Sunday, Hill attributed the struggles to his lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa (per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com).
However, it sounds like Hill may also be selling his injury short. As C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald writes, the wideout suffered a torn ligament in his wrist during the preseason. Dolphins WRs coach also recently revealed to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that Hill has been dealing with an ankle issue.
When you consider the growing list of injuries and Miami’s inconsistent QB play during Tagovailoa’s absence, it makes sense why Hill has put up some of the worst numbers of his career. After finishing the 2023 campaign with a mind-numbing 112.4 yards per game, Hill has seen that number drop to only 55.6 yards in 2024. His 63.1 catch percentage also represents a career-low. Still, the wideout has been unwilling to use any of these factors as an excuse for his performance.
“I have a certain standard that I want to set for my family and that standard is to never quit, never back down no matter what you’re going through in life because adversity hits us all,” Hill told Smalls. “My mindset is like ‘suck it up, wait til the end of season and continue to battle with my brothers’ because you never know when it’s going to end.”
The five-time All-Pro agreed to a restructured deal this offseason which has a base value of $90MM over three years. The pact includes $65MM in practical guarantees, meaning his health should be of particular importance to the organization.
Hill isn’t the only Dolphins offensive weapon to play through an injury. Per Jackson, running back Raheem Mostert has been playing through a fractured sternum. After finishing last season with a league-leading 21 touchdowns, the veteran has taken a step back behind De’Von Achane in 2024.
Panthers Place RB Chuba Hubbard On IR
Chuba Hubbard‘s standout season has come to a premature end. The Panthers are placing the running back on injured reserve, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Hubbard is coming off a Week 16 performance where he rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns en route to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The RB popped up on the injury report this week with a knee injury, and there was some optimism that he’d play tomorrow. However, the RB underwent an MRI after experiencing more pain during Friday’s practice, and he was ultimately diagnosed with a Grade 2 calf strain (per the team).
The former fourth-round pick started his career as a backup to Christian McCaffrey, but it didn’t take long for the fill-in to work his way into the starting lineup. Hubbard ended up starting 10 of his 17 appearances as a rookie, but he finished with only 786 yards from scrimmage. When McCaffrey was traded during the 2022 season, Hubbard found himself behind D’Onta Foreman on the depth chart, and the team brought in Miles Sanders in 2023 to help split the positional reps.
Hubbard ended up emerging as the preferred RB in 2023, but he still only finished with 1,135 yards from scrimmage while averaging 4.1 yards per touch. When the Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round of this year’s draft, it seemed likely that Hubbard would keep the seat warm until the rookie was ready to return from a torn ACL.
Instead, Hubbard ended up running with the starting gig. The fourth-year RB has started all 15 games for Carolina this season, and he’s already set career-highs in yards from scrimmage (1,366) and touchdowns (11). Thanks to this production, the Panthers handed him a four-year, $33.2MM extension ($15MM guaranteed) in November.
Brooks tore the same ACL earlier this month, leaving his status for 2025 in doubt. Hubbard should be back to lead the depth chart next season, but the Panthers could use the next few weeks to evaluate their backup options. Raheem Blackshear could temporarily slide to the top of the depth chart, with Velus Jones Jr. and practice squad RB Mike Boone also around as depth.
Bills Sign LB Nicholas Morrow
Nicholas Morrow has landed back in Buffalo. The linebacker is signing with the Bills, per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. Morrow will be joining Buffalo’s active roster.
Morrow spent the majority of this season on the Bills roster, but he was squeezed off the squad earlier this month. He went unclaimed on waivers, and per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he was set to fly to Green Bay to audition for the Packers. Instead, the Bills called and Morrow accepted their offer to return.
The journeyman joined the Bills this past offseason. After starting 29 games in stints with the Bears and Eagles between 2022 and 2023, Morrow found himself primarily playing special teams in Buffalo. He was limited to only 44 defensive snaps in 11 games, although his 182 ST snaps were among the highest on the team.
The Bills’ linebackers room looks a bit different than it did when Morrow was cut a few weeks ago. Matt Milano (groin), Dorian Williams (elbow), and Baylon Spector (calf) are all dealing with injuries at the moment, leaving Terrel Bernard as the lone healthy LB. There’s a chance Morrow finds himself with an increased defensive role during his “second” stint in Buffalo.