Michigan Interested In Browns’ Tommy Rees
Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has been under consideration for multiple college head coaching positions over the past year. He was a finalist at North Carolina before the hiring of Bill Belichick last December. Rees interviewed with Penn State earlier this month, but the Nittany Lions chose Matt Campbell instead.
Shortly after finishing as a runner-up to Campbell, Rees is already a candidate for another high-profile college opening. Michigan has interest in the 33-year-old, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. The Wolverines are scrambling to find a replacement for Sherrone Moore, who was stunningly fired on Wednesday over an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Michigan has not yet set up an interview with Rees. However, it’s “likely” he’d be willing to discuss the position, according to Cabot.
A former Notre Dame quarterback, Rees began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Northwestern in 2015. He later worked as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Fighting Irish from 2020-22. He served in the same roles at Alabama in 2023, the final season of head coach Nick Saban‘s legendary career. Rees oversaw a breakout campaign from then-sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe, who’s now a backup with the Seahawks.
After his lone season under Saban, Rees joined the Browns as their tight ends coach and pass game specialist. Head coach Kevin Stefanski promoted Rees to offensive coordinator after firing Ken Dorsey last January.
The Browns rank an uninspiring 29th in scoring and 30th in total offense, but Stefanski has called the plays for most of the season. He gave the keys to Rees ahead of Week 10. Cleveland’s offense has continued to underwhelm, though fifth-round rookie QB Shedeur Sanders has provided an upgrade over third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel since taking over in Week 12. Sanders is coming off a 364-yard, four-touchdown performance in a 31-29 loss to the Titans last Sunday. The Browns put up 412 total yards after amassing under 300 in each of Rees’ first four games calling plays.
Colts Open DeForest Buckner’s Practice Window
DECEMBER 11: Buckner revealed on Thursday (via Chappell) that he has been dealing with a herniated disc in his neck pressing against a nerve. If the issue is not resolved, surgery will be a possibility in the future. For now, the Colts will hope to have him available for the final four games of the season.
DECEMBER 10: The Colts have gone without defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, one of their most important players, for four straight games. Buckner is now working toward a return from IR. The Colts opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday, Mike Chappell of FOX 59 relays.
Buckner, who last played in a loss to the Steelers in Week 9, has been on the shelf with a neck injury for a month. The Colts were 7-2 when Buckner went down, but they have lost three of four without him. Once the top seed in the AFC, 8-5 Indianapolis has dropped to eighth during what has been an injury-plagued several weeks.
Quarterback Daniel Jones is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward went on IR with his third concussion of the season on Wednesday, and fellow top CB Sauce Gardner seems likely to miss his second game in a row with a calf injury this Sunday. Gardner will not practice Wednesday, according to Chappell.
While the Colts’ defense won’t have Ward for the rest of the regular season, it could welcome back Buckner sometime in the next 21 days. The three-time Pro Bowler, 31, was enjoying another standout campaign before he went on IR. Buckner has notched 42 tackles, nine TFL, and four sacks in nine games. Despite a lengthy absence, he’s still tied for second among Colts in sacks, trailing only Laiatu Latu‘s 5.5. Pro Football Focus ranks Buckner as the league’s 12th-best interior D-lineman of 2025.
In the wake of Jones’ injury, it’s unclear who will quarterback the Colts for the rest of the season. Newly signed Philip Rivers, brought out of retirement at age 44, sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard, and journeyman Brett Rypien are their options. Considering the Colts’ questions at QB and a daunting slate of remaining opponents in the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans, their chances of rallying for a playoff spot appear slim. Getting Buckner back would improve their odds.
Cardinals RB Trey Benson Will Not Return This Season
The Cardinals opened running back Trey Benson‘s 21-day practice window on Nov. 19. Three weeks later, Benson isn’t ready to return from injured reserve. He’ll miss the rest of the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Benson hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury in a Week 4 loss to the Seahawks. The 2024 third-round pick from Florida State will wrap up his second season in the NFL with 160 rushing yards on 29 carries (5.5 YPC). He added 13 catches for another 64 yards.
The Cardinals lost Benson a week after James Conner went down with a season-ending foot injury. With Benson, Conner, and mobile quarterback Kyler Murray largely unavailable because of injuries, Arizona ranks 26th in the NFL in rushing. The Cardinals are one of seven teams averaging fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground. That’s among the many reasons they’re 3-10 and on track to pick near the top of the 2026 draft.
Zonovan Knight leads the team with 271 rushing yards, but he has averaged a meager 3.3 per attempt. Emari Demercado has posted a whopping 7.8 YPC on just 31 totes, though an ankle injury has held him out of three straight games.
While it’s unclear if Demercado will return against the Texans in Week 15, the Cardinals will go without left tackle Paris Johnson, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. Johnson, one of the league’s top tackles, is dealing with a sprained MCL. His absence will make it even more difficult for Arizona to pull an upset over Houston and its No. 1-ranked defense.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels To Miss Week 15; Marcus Mariota Will Start
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels aggravated a left elbow injury in a loss to the Vikings last Sunday and will miss Week 15, head coach Dan Quinn announced (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic). Backup Marcus Mariota will start on Sunday against the Giants.
Daniels dislocated his elbow in a loss to the Seahawks on Nov. 2. The injury kept the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year out for three games. While Daniels returned in Week 14, he didn’t make it through the entire afternoon. The Commanders removed Daniels in the third quarter after Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers knocked him down blocking on an interception return.
Although Daniels landed on his elbow last week, he avoided any structural damage. Nevertheless, Commanders doctors advised sitting him against the Giants. At 3-10, it may make sense for the Commanders to shut Daniels down for the season, but that isn’t the plan right now.
“As far as what decisions are ahead, we havent gone down that road,” Quinn said (via JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports). “He’s working really hard to get back with the guys.”
After going second in the draft last year, Daniels started in every Commanders game during a resurgent season for the franchise. Daniels starred during a 12-5 regular season and helped the Commanders advance to the NFC championship game, which they lost to the Eagles.
Expectations were that Daniels and the Commanders would build on last season’s success in 2025. However, several key injuries have played a role in torpedoing their chances. Daniels has already missed six games as a result of knee, hamstring, and elbow ailments.
Losers of eight in a row, the Commanders will turn back to Mariota for at least another week. Mariota, also a former second overall pick, re-signed with Washington last offseason on a one-year, $8MM deal. The 32-year-old has completed 62.9% of throws with nine touchdowns, seven interceptions, 7.2 yards per attempt, and an 84.8 passer rating in nine games (six starts). As a competent backup, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Commanders re-sign Mariota again in the next few months, especially considering Daniels’ injury woes this year.
Colts Place Charvarius Ward On IR, Announce Philip Rivers Signing
The Colts have placed cornerback Charvarius Ward on IR for the second time this season and announced the signing of quarterback Philip Rivers to their practice squad. The team also signed quarterback Brett Rypien and kicker Blake Grupe from its practice squad to its 53-man roster.
With four games remaining, Ward’s regular season is over as a result of his third concussion of 2025. He may have a chance to return if the Colts qualify for the playoffs, but the club is on the outside of the bracket heading into Week 15. Once 7-1, the Colts have fallen to 8-5.
Ward, a former Chief and 49er, joined the Colts on a three-year deal worth up to $60MM last March. The move has paid off when Ward has been healthy enough to play. The 29-year-old has totaled 25 tackles and seven passes defensed in seven games (all starts), and Pro Football Focus ranks him as the sixth-best cornerback of 2025.
Ward’s latest concussion means the Colts will have to go without their top two cornerbacks for at least some portion of their four-game closing stretch. The team took an enormous gamble at the Nov. 4 trade deadline in sending two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for star corner Sauce Gardner.
Quarterback Daniel Jones was healthy and enjoying a career season around the deadline, leading general manager Chris Ballard to take a home run swing for Gardner. Things have not gone according to plan since then. Jones is now done for the season after tearing his Achilles in a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday. The 44-year-old Rivers, who retired after 2020, may replace Jones down the stretch in a last-ditch effort to save the Colts’ season.
Before Jones went down for the year, Gardner strained his calf in his third game as a Colt, a Week 13 loss to the Texans. Gardner missed Week 14, and he’s likely to sit out again this Sunday in Seattle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. At the earliest, Gardner could return Week 16 against the 49ers.
With Ward out of commission and the Colts waiting for Gardner to come back, they’re down to Kenny Moore, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards, and Cameron Mitchell at corner. It’s a harsh development ahead of a meeting with the 10-3 Seahawks, who boast the NFL’s ninth-ranked passing attack. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, easily the league leader in receiving yards, won’t have to contend with Ward or Gardner.
Turning back to the offensive side, Rypien could at least serve as a backup option this week. Sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard is dealing with a PCL sprain that could force him to miss the game. Assuming the Colts elevate Rivers from their practice squad, Leonard’s absence would leave him and Rypien as the team’s choices under center. The 29-year-old Rypien, who joined the Colts’ taxi squad in mid-October, has combined for 17 appearances and six starts with the Broncos, Rams, and Bengals.
Grupe, a Dec. 2 practice squad pickup, has taken over at kicker since the Colts cut Michael Badgley after Week 13. Despite sloppy conditions in Jacksonville, Grupe hit both of his field goal attempts and converted his lone extra point last Sunday. Grupe, who began 2025 with the Saints, has gone 20 of 28 on field goals and 16 for 16 on PATs in 12 games this year.
Browns OC Tommy Rees Interviewed For Penn State’s HC Job
Penn State ended its drawn-out head coaching search when it lured Matt Campbell from Iowa State last Friday. It turns out Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was also a candidate to take over for the ousted James Franklin. Rees conducted a virtual interview with Penn State last week, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
This isn’t the first time a college program has shown interest in hiring Rees as its head coach. He was a finalist for the North Carolina job before the high-profile Bill Belichick selection a year ago.
Rees, who quarterbacked at Notre Dame from 2010-13, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Northwestern in 2015. He rose through the ranks to serve as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Brian Kelly and Marcus Freeman from 2020-22. Rees held those same positions on Alabama’s Nick Saban-led coaching staff in 2023.
A few weeks after Saban retired, Rees joined Kevin Stefanski‘s staff as Cleveland’s pass game specialist and tight ends coach in February 2024. After finishing 28th in yards and last in scoring a season ago, the Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and promoted Rees to take his place.
The Browns continue to rank near the bottom of the league in points (29th) and yards (30th) this year, but Rees hasn’t called plays for the whole season. Stefanski handled those duties before passing the reins to the 33-year-old Rees in early November.
The Browns have averaged a paltry 17.2 points per game this season, though that number has improved to 19.4 under Rees. They’ve gotten better quarterback play since rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders took over for rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel in Week 12. Sanders threw for 364 yards, a season high for the Browns, in a loss to the Raiders last Sunday. The Browns also scored 29 points, their second-highest total of 2025.
The 3-10 Browns have four games left in what has been another disappointing season. Rees could be on the radar of NFL teams with head coaching vacancies after that. However, his preference is to remain with the Browns, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The Browns want to keep Rees, who’s “viewed as a rising offensive genius,” Cabot writes. Rees is also highly regarded outside the organization, though, and that could make him a name to watch during the upcoming hiring cycle.
Falcons’ Raheem Morris ‘As Good As Gone’?
The Falcons famously chose Raheem Morris over Bill Belichick in their January 2024 head coaching search. While it’s anyone’s guess how the Falcons would have fared under Belichick, the team has disappointed with Morris at the helm. The Falcons dropped to 4-9 last Sunday with a lopsided loss to the Seahawks. They’ve won just 12 of 30 games since the beginning of last season.
Including a three-year run with the Buccaneers and a previous stint as the Falcons’ interim choice, Morris is 33-56 as a head coach in the NFL. The 49-year-old’s .371 winning percentage ranks last among active head coaches, Josh Kendall of The Athletic notes. It now appears Morris’ time in Atlanta is running out, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, who writes that he’s “as good as gone.”
While that may prove true when the Falcons’ season wraps up in four weeks, Morris insists he still has the backing of owner Arthur Blank.
“Support is not an issue. He is absolutely outstanding,” Morris said of Blank (via Kendall). “His ability to listen to us, be there for us, be in it with us is 100 percent awesome.”
For his part, Morris is continuing to stick with his coaching staff. He’s not planning to make any changes this late in the season, saying they’re “irrelevant” at this point. It’s something Morris plans to evaluate after the season, though it’s up in the air whether he’ll continue in his current post.
Whether it’s Morris or someone else in 2026, Atlanta’s head coach will face an uphill battle in turning around a franchise that just extended its playoff drought to eight years. For one, the Falcons have major questions at quarterback after second-year man Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 11.
Penix, the initial first-round pick of the Morris era, didn’t perform particularly well during his first 14 NFL games. He also has a long-running history of serious injuries dating back to college, and it’s unknown if he’ll be ready for the beginning of the 2026 campaign. The Falcons are unlikely to retain struggling backup Kirk Cousins and his bloated contract next year, which means they’ll have to pick up QB insurance during the offseason.
Adding to the Falcons’ problems, they aren’t in position to address any needs in the first round of next year’s draft. General manager Terry Fontenot traded the team’s top 2026 selection to the Rams last spring. That move enabled the Falcons to grab edge rusher James Pearce 26th overall. Pearce has racked up a team-leading six sacks as a rookie, but the first-rounder the Falcons surrendered for him is on pace to end up in the top 10. The Rams – not Morris or his potential successor – will reap the benefits of that pick.
Colts Contacted Derek Carr During Quarterback Search
In the wake of Daniel Jones‘ season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14, the Colts stunningly lured 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers out of retirement on Tuesday. The Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist wasn’t the only retired signal-caller the Colts showed interest in signing. The team also contacted Derek Carr, Armando Salguero of OutKick reports.
At 34, Carr would have given the Colts a much younger option than Rivers. Carr also isn’t nearly as far removed from playing in the NFL as Rivers, who hung it up after the 2020 season. Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler, started in all 10 of his appearances with the Saints last year.
While battling a debilitating shoulder injury, Carr decided to call it a career in May. The Saints announced then that Carr had “significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff.”
Seven months later, it’s unclear if Carr is even healthy enough to resume his career. However, as of September, Carr hadn’t closed the door on a potential NFL return. At least two teams have mulled adding him this year. Before acquiring Joe Flacco from the Browns in early October, the Bengals considered Carr as a potential substitute for the then-injured Joe Burrow.
With the Nov. 4 trade deadline still weeks away at the time, the Bengals could have swung a deal with New Orleans for Carr. The fact that the deadline has passed and the Saints still own Carr’s rights complicates matters. Even if Carr is motivated to play, he can’t sign with the Colts or anyone else unless the Saints release him from the reserve/retired list. Cutting Carr at this stage of the season would subject him to waivers. The Colts wouldn’t have first dibs on Carr in that scenario.
Carr to the Colts will go down as an interesting what-if. Should the Colts elevate Rivers from their practice squad, it would make them one of the league’s most fascinating teams to watch down the stretch. Having fallen to 8-5 since a 7-1 start, the Colts are now sitting outside of the AFC playoff picture after a brief run as the top seed in the conference.
With Jones and backups Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard all injured, Rivers may step in for part or all of an intimidating four-game stretch. The Colts’ remaining foes – the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans – have gone a combined 36-16 this season. All hold playoff spots at the moment, and the Colts are looking up at the Jaguars (9-4) and Texans (8-5) in the AFC South.
49ers Release K Matt Gay From Practice Squad, Add WR Javon Baker
After a two-game run as their kicker, the 49ers announced that they have released Matt Gay from their practice squad. The team also parted with taxi squad quarterback Adrian Martinez.
Gay began the season with Washington, which cut him after he converted just 13 of 19 field goals in 10 games. The 31-year-old quickly caught on with the 49ers, who needed a temporary replacement for the injured Eddy Pineiro. Gay went on to perform well for San Francisco, hitting all four field goals and each of his four extra points in a pair of victories.
The 49ers will now turn back to Pineiro, who was out with a hamstring strain. Pineiro opened 2025 without a team, but the 49ers scooped him up after Jake Moody went 1 for 3 on field goals in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks. The 49ers cut Moody for Pineiro, which has worked out well for the club.
While Pineiro has only connected on 18 of 22 extra points this season, he has converted all 22 of his field goals. That includes six from 50-plus yards. If Pineiro keeps that up, it could help the 49ers (9-4) chase down the 10-3 Rams and Seahawks in the ultra-competitive NFC West.
Martinez, a 2023 undrafted free agent from Kansas State, appeared in one of the 49ers’ games this season. They had a greater need for Martinez, who briefly spent time on the active roster, when starter Brock Purdy was on the shelf for several weeks with a toe injury. Purdy returned in Week 11, Mac Jones remains in the fold as the backup, and the 49ers opened rookie seventh-round signal-caller Kurtis Rourke‘s practice window on Monday. They’re now the only QBs left in the organization.
With Gay and Martinez on their way out, the 49ers signed wide receiver Javon Baker to their practice squad. The Patriots used a fourth-rounder on Baker in 2024, but he caught just one pass in 11 games as a rookie. The former Alabama and UCF wideout didn’t make the Patriots’ roster out of camp this year. He briefly caught on with the Eagles’ practice squad, but they released him in mid-October.
Browns Place Jerome Ford, Ethan Pocic On IR
Jerome Ford‘s season is over. The Browns announced that they’ve placed the veteran running back on IR with a shoulder injury. Center Ethan Pocic is also going on IR, an obvious move after he tore his Achilles in Week 14.
A Brown since they chose him in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, Ford was at his most productive in his second and third seasons. After totaling only eight carries as a rookie, Ford combined for 1,378 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 308 attempts from 2023-24. As a pass catcher, he added 81 receptions, 544 yards, and five scores (all in 2023) during that 31-game span.
This season will go down as a major step backward in usage and production for Ford, particularly on the ground. Rookie second-rounder Quinshon Judkins took over as the Browns’ lead back, which left Ford with a mere 24 carries for 73 yards in 13 games. While Ford did catch 26 passes, he chipped in just 103 yards through the air.
The emergence of Judkins left Ford as a potential trade candidate leading up to the Nov. 4 deadline. He ended up staying put, but Ford could find a new team in the coming months. Ford’s due to reach free agency in March, though it won’t be ideal timing after an injury-limited season in which he rarely touched the ball.
Along with putting Ford and Pocic on IR, the Browns made a few practice squad changes on Wednesday. They signed center Darrian Dalcourt and defensive tackle Keith Cooper. To make room for those two, the Browns released defensive end Ochaun Mathis and linebacker Mark Robinson from their taxi squad.