Giants Fire Assistant DL Coach Bryan Cox
The Giants have fired assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson remains in place.
Cox’s dismissal is the latest change to a New York staff that has gone through upheaval during a dismal campaign. The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10, replacing him with interim choice Mike Kafka. Two weeks later, Kafka let go of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
Cox, who had a long and successful NFL career as a linebacker, coached with the Jets, Browns, Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Falcons before joining the Giants. Daboll hired Cox when he assumed the reins in 2022.
Cox’s Giants tenure began with coordinator Wink Martindale running the defense. He survived Martindale’s January 2024 firing and stayed in place under Bowen. Two weeks after waving goodbye to Bowen, the Giants are going in another direction under Kafka and interim D-coordinator Charlie Bullen.
No specific reason has been given for the firing of the 57-year-old Cox, though the Giants’ last-ranked run defense surely didn’t help his cause. A long line of coaches could follow Cox out the door in the coming weeks. Although it seems improbable, Kafka has a shot to earn the job on a full-time basis. If that happens, he’ll likely continue shaking up the staff he inherited from Daboll.
Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan Out For Week 14
DECEMBER: 5: Bowles said on Friday (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) both Evans and McMillan have made progress this week during practice. However, neither of them will play in Week 14.
DECEMBER 3: Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that injured wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan could return to practice this week. It’s official in Evans’ case, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Buccaneers are also expected to open McMillan’s practice window on Wednesday, Rapoport adds. The team has 21 days to activate the wideouts from IR.
Evans entered the season tied with the legendary Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard showings, but injuries will prevent him from claiming the all-time record for himself. After missing time with a hamstring issue earlier this season, Evans broke his clavicle in a Week 7 loss to the Lions. The future Hall of Famer has played in just four games this year and logged 140 yards on 14 catches.
McMillan, meanwhile, has been unable to contribute at all in 2025 after suffering a severe strain and three fractures in his neck during the preseason. As a rookie in 2024, the third-round pick from Washington was a force toward the end of the season. McMillan caught an eye-opening seven touchdowns in his last five games, averaging five catches and 63 yards per contest during that span.
Evans and McMillan were key factors in the NFL’s third-ranked passing offense a year ago. With minimal help from those two and Chris Godwin, who has missed eight games with injuries, the Bucs’ Baker Mayfield-led attack has dropped to a pedestrian 19th. That figures to improve with Evans and McMillan joining Godwin and rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka as Tampa Bay’s top options at receiver.
Despite the myriad injuries they’ve dealt with, the 7-5 Buccaneers are on track to win the NFC South for the fifth year in a row. The 7-6 Panthers are nipping at their heels, though, and the rivals still have to face each other in Weeks 16 and 18. If Evans and McMillan are back for those matchups, it should bolster the Buccaneers’ chances of holding off the Panthers.
Poll: Will Chiefs Make Postseason?
It would have been hard to fathom entering the 2025 campaign, but the Chiefs are on the outside of the AFC playoff bracket heading into Week 14. Owners of a mediocre 6-6 record, the perennial Super Bowl contenders are in 10th place in the conference with five games left in the regular season.
The Chiefs are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014, the second year of head coach Andy Reid‘s brilliant run with the franchise. Patrick Mahomes, now one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport, was a freshman at Texas Tech then.
The Chiefs haven’t won fewer than 11 games in a season since Mahomes took the reins in 2018. One more loss would be a career-worst total for Mahomes, and it could be a near-knockout punch for the Chiefs.
Kansas City will enter this Sunday’s game against Houston (7-5, eighth in the AFC) with a 35% chance to rally for a postseason berth, per Next Gen Stats (via Ali Bhanpuri of NFL.com). A win would increase the odds to 49%, while that figure would plummet to 11% with a loss.
The good news for the Chiefs is that they’ll play at home, where they’ve gone a dominant 63-14 in the Mahomes era. On the negative side, they’ll battle the league’s No. 1 defense with what could be a patchwork offensive line. Left tackle Josh Simmons will miss the game with a wrist injury. Meanwhile, right tackle Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) and right guard Trey Smith (ankle) haven’t practiced this week. Going without as many as three starting linemen may prove too much to overcome against a pair of superb pass rushers in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
Looking beyond their showdown with the Texans, the Chiefs’ remaining schedule includes games against the bottom-feeding Titans (Week 16) and Raiders (Week 18). However, they’ll also face formidable opponents in the Chargers (Week 15) and Broncos (Week 17), both division rivals.
The Chiefs already lost to the Chargers (8-4) in Week 1 and the Broncos (10-2) in Week 11. It’s hard to imagine Kansas City making up enough ground on Denver to rally for its 10th division title in a row. A wild-card spot, something the Chiefs have never settled for with Mahomes at the helm, presents the more realistic path to a playoff berth.
While the Chiefs rank near the top of the league in offense (fifth), point differential (seventh), and defense (10th), coming out on the wrong end of one-score games has left them in an unenviable position. After finishing a stunning 11-0 in one-score affairs last year, regression in that department has haunted the Chiefs this season. Kansas City is 1-6 in one-score games, which isn’t lost on future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce.
“I’m sure everyone is sick of us saying it, but we’re a few plays away from being a one seed in my mind,” Kelce said this week on his “New Heights” podcast with brother Jason Kelce (via Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post). He added that “all of the losses are within one score, and there’s a handful of plays within those games that are determining the outcome.”
The 36-year-old Kelce has been one of the faces of the Chiefs’ dynasty, joining Reid and Mahomes to win three Super Bowls and five AFC titles. Kelce, who could retire after 2025, will decide his future in the offseason. In the meantime, he and the Chiefs have little margin for error as they seek their 11th straight playoff berth.
Titans HC Rumors: Nagy, McCarthy, Minter
After finishing with an NFL-worst three wins in 2024, the Titans’ 1-5 start this year was enough to cost Brian Callahan his job. Tennessee became the the first team of the season to fire its head coach when it gave Callahan his walking papers on Oct. 13.
Almost two full months since Callahan’s ouster, the Titans have logged even worse results. They’re 0-6 under interim head coach Mike McCoy, who likely has little to no chance of earning a full-time promotion after the season. That should put president of football operations Chad Brinker and first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi in position to find a new sideline leader from outside the organization.
With the hiring cycle still weeks from getting underway, Brinker and Borgonzi probably won’t make their pick until sometime in January. If they prioritize hiring an experienced candidate, Albert Breer of SI.com points to Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as names to watch.
Nagy has an obvious connection to Borgonzi, previously a longtime member of Kansas City’s front office. He also has some past success as an NFL head coach, having gone 34-31 with the Bears from 2018-21. Nagy took the Bears to the playoffs twice in that span.
McCarthy coached the Packers from 2006-18, winning one Super Bowl along the way, and Brinker was in their front office for most of that span. With a career .608 winning percentage over 18 seasons, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see someone give McCarthy a third opportunity.
As established coaches on the offensive side of the ball, either Nagy or McCarthy could aid in the development of quarterback Cam Ward. The first overall pick in last spring’s draft, Ward is the most important player in the organization. If Ward eventually lives up to his draft stock, it would go a long way in helping the Titans orchestrate a turnaround. Ward’s career has gotten off to a rough start, though, which isn’t a shock when considering the lack of coaching stability and the Titans’ dearth of talent.
While the Titans need more from Ward, they aren’t necessarily locked in on hiring an offensive choice or someone with head coaching experience. Two defensive coordinators, the Chargers’ Jesse Minter and the Rams’ Chris Shula, are among the “wide array of candidates” the Titans have considered so far, Breer reports. PFR’s Sam Robinson previously highlighted Minter and Shula as ascending defensive coaches to monitor during the hiring cycle, which will lack obvious slam-dunk picks on the offensive side.
The 42-year-old Minter and Shula, 39, don’t have head coaching experience at any level. However, they’ve drawn rave reviews in coordinator roles, which will lead to interest from other organizations.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh brought Minter with him to LA after a national championship-winning season with the Michigan Wolverines in 2023. The move has worked out for the Chargers, who have boasted upper-echelon defenses under Minter.
Shula, the grandson of legendary head coach Don Shula and the son of former Bengals HC Dave Shula, is also in his second year as a coordinator. Playing its first season of the post-Aaron Donald era, the Rams’ defense ranked an underwhelming 17th in scoring and 26th in yards in 2024. It’s a far more impressive second and 13th in those categories this year.
While Nagy, McCarthy, Minter, and Shula all seem like reasonable possibilities to end up as the Titans’ next sideline leader, there are surely more choices under consideration. The Titans are working to narrow down the list by season’s end, per Breer.
The next hire will bring in a new staff, but management will “likely” ask that individual to strongly consider retaining first-year sspecial teams coordinator John Fassel, according to Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. Fassel previously led ST units for the Raiders, Rams, and Cowboys. He was on McCarthy’s staff in Dallas from 2020-24. It could work in Fassel’s favor if the Titans hire McCarthy.
Browns Open Deshaun Watson’s Practice Window
The Browns have started three different quarterbacks this season. A fourth could be on the way. Cleveland opened Deshaun Watson‘s practice window on Wednesday. The team will have 21 days to activate Watson from the reserve/PUP list.
Watson hasn’t appeared in a game since Oct. 20, 2024, when he tore his right Achilles in a loss to the Bengals. The 30-year-old tore the same Achilles while rehabbing last January. He had to undergo surgery shortly after that.
Coming off two major injuries, it’s unclear if Watson will be healthy enough to take the field this season. He’ll only take individual practice reps for now before “potentially” moving up to the scout team at some point, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski (via Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland).
Asked if he wants Watson to play in 2025, Stefanski said (via Zac Jackson of The Athletic): “Really not my focus. Not his focus right this minute. His focus is putting a helmet on, shoulder pads, throwing a football.”
Watson’s Achilles injury was the latest unwelcome development in what has been a disastrous run in Cleveland. Then with the Texans, Watson sat out the entire 2021 season while angling for a new contract. He was also facing ongoing sexual misconduct allegations.
Despite his troubling off-field issues, the Browns sent four picks (three first-rounders and a third-rounder) to the Texans for Watson in March 2022. The trade has turned out to be one of the most lopsided swaps in NFL history, especially considering Cleveland immediately gave Watson a five-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $230MM.
The allegations against Watson led to an 11-game suspension to begin his first season with the Browns. The three-time Pro Bowler has not regained his past form since then. Watson has started just 19 games for the Browns, who have gone 9-10 with him at the helm. He has posted a lackluster 80.2 passer rating with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions since leaving Houston.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admitted last spring that the Watson trade was a “big swing-and-miss” move for Cleveland, which didn’t land the franchise QB it thought it was getting. The Browns are still searching for an answer under center.
Joe Flacco opened this season as the Browns’ starter, but they traded the 40-year-old stopgap to the Bengals in early October. Flacco’s departure led to the promotion of third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel, who struggled in six outings before suffering a concussion in a Week 11 loss to the Ravens. While Gabriel is now healthy, his injury allowed fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders to grab the reins. The 3-9 Browns have gone 1-1 under Sanders, who will start again in a meeting with the Titans on Sunday.
Cleveland will have four more games left after it faces Tennessee. It’s up in the air whether Watson will play in any of them. It’s also unknown if Watson will be in the mix to compete for the Browns’ starting job next season. He’s owed $46MM in 2026, the last year of his contract, and will count a league-high $80.7MM against the salary cap. Releasing Watson in the offseason would leave the Browns with an absurd $131.6MM dead cap charge.
Chiefs To Place LT Josh Simmons On IR
Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons underwent surgery on his injured left wrist, head coach Andy Reid announced (via Nate Taylor of ESPN). The team will place Simmons on IR. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 18.
Simmons will miss at least four games after dislocating and fracturing his wrist in the Chiefs’ loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The rookie first-round pick from Ohio State sat out four games earlier this season while dealing with a personal matter. Simmons has otherwise worked as a full-time starter through eight games. Pro Football Focus places Simmons 50th among 80 qualifying tackles.
Former 49er Jaylon Moore, whom the Chiefs added on a two-year, $30MM contract last March, served as Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside protector at left tackle during Simmons’ prior absence. Moore could reprise that role, but it may depend on the health of the Chiefs’ other offensive linemen.
The Chiefs could turn to Moore at right tackle if if an injured left tricep keeps Jawaan Taylor from playing against the Texans on Sunday. Wanya Morris would fill in for Simmons in that case.
Adding to their problems along the offensive line, the Chiefs may also have to go without cornerstone right guard Trey Smith in Week 14. Smith, who’s battling a right ankle injury, didn’t play in Dallas. He’s not expected to practice on Wednesday, Nate Taylor reports.
The timing of the O-line injuries is terrible for the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who dropped to 6-6 last week. Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread heading into a matchup with 7-5 Houston, which owns the NFL’s top-ranked defense. The Chiefs will have to contain the dominant pass-rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter with a shorthanded group of blockers.
Giants Rumors: Carter, Kafka, HC Search
After stumbling to a 2-8 start, the Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10. The team lost four straight before Daboll’s ouster, and the results haven’t improved since then. Off to an 0-3 start under interim head coach Mike Kafka, the Giants have now dropped seven in a row. At 2-11, they’re on track to pick second in the 2026 draft after selecting third last spring.
The Giants were competitive in one-score losses against a pair of NFC playoff hopefuls (Green Bay and Detroit) in Kafka’s first two games at the helm. Things turned ugly on Monday, though, with the Giants failing to put up a fight in a 33-15 loss to the NFL-leading Patriots.
Rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter, the Giants’ top pick in this year’s draft, was conspicuously absent for the first quarter. Kafka said benching Carter was a “coach’s decision.” He didn’t offer any further details, but it turns out the punishment came after Carter missed a special teams meeting, Charlotte Carroll and Dan Duggan of The Athletic report.
Carter was confused regarding his role on the punt return team, which changes from week to week. Kafka previously sat Carter for the opening defensive series against the Packers after he missed a walk-through. While Kafka has insisted that it was his choice to bench Carter, general manager Joe Schoen is “very involved in trying to instill discipline,” Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes.
Daboll did not discipline Carter for tardiness when he was in charge, according to Dunleavy. Conversely, Albert Breer of SI.com reports that Daboll fined Carter multiple times for showing up late or missing meetings. Carter admitted on Monday that he needs “to be better,” but his attendance problems have gone on throughout the year.
With four games remaining in the Giants’ season, Kafka may be running out of time to get through to Carter. However, the Giants haven’t ruled out a full-time promotion for Kafka.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Schoen said Kafka will get a “real look” (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN). Kafka is on a list of roughly 10 candidates for a job that’s “highly coveted,” Breer relays.
The Giants have gone 11-36 since 2023, Schoen’s second season as GM, and he has drawn plenty of criticism as a result. Schoen is leading the coaching search, though, and he doesn’t expect his presence to scare away any candidates (via Raanan).
“From the calls we’ve gotten, I think we’re going to be able to fill that job,” said Schoen, who still sees a lot of positives on the roster.
Schoen noted that the team’s next head coach will inherit an offense with “some pieces in place to build around,” including potential franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart, No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers, and left tackle Andrew Thomas. Although the Giants rank 30th in total defense, Schoen contends they have a “pass rush” and “some pieces in the secondary,” which he believes will entice head coaching candidates.
Lions Rumors: St. Brown, Mahogany, Joseph
After a crushing loss to the NFC North rival Packers on Thanksgiving, the Lions are 7-5 and sitting outside of the playoff bracket with five games left in their season. This Thursday’s matchup against the 6-5-1 Cowboys will take on a postseason feel for a pair of teams that can’t afford many more slip-ups (if any).
The Lions may face an uphill climb this week if they go without No. 1 wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who suffered a low ankle sprain against the Packers. It seemed likely St. Brown would miss some time when he sustained the injury. However, head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday that he has not ruled St. Brown out for Week 14, per Dave Birkett and Rainer Sabin of the Detroit Free Press.
While St. Brown may play, fellow receiver Kalif Raymond is likely to miss his second game in a row with an ankle injury. That leaves Jameson Williams, rookie third-rounder Isaac TeSlaa, and Tom Kennedy as their top healthy options at the position.
The Lions’ injury issues at receiver are especially unfortunate after standout tight end Sam LaPorta underwent back surgery in November. LaPorta is unlikely to return this season, and backup Brock Wright could also miss significant time as a result of an injury to his trachea, Campbell revealed (via Birkett).
Wright isn’t much of a receiving threat, having averaged fewer than 20 catches per season since entering the league in 2021. He has amassed 401 offensive snaps this year, though, and a lengthy absence would leave the Lions perilously thin at tight end. Ross Dwelley and Anthony Firkser are next on the depth chart.
In better news for Detroit’s offense, left guard Christian Mahogany said he fully expects to return during the regular season after going down with a knee injury in Week 9. After mostly working as a backup in 2024, his rookie year, Mahogany started in his first eight appearances this season. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance a solid 30th among 79 qualifying guards. With Mahogany on IR, reserve Kayode Awosika has temporarily taken on a starting role.
Defensively, the Lions have been without key cog Kerby Joseph since Week 6. A nagging knee injury will keep the 2024 first-team All-Pro safety out of his seventh straight game on Thursday, though it’s not a “career-altering” issue, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. Joseph intends to play again this season, but it’s unclear when that will happen.
Thomas Harper, claimed from the Raiders in late August, has been filling for Joseph alongside Brian Branch. Harper has recorded 26 tackles, four passes defensed, and an interception in nine games. The 25-year-old has impressed PFF, which places him 24th among 93 qualifying safeties.
The banged-up Lions lost another member of their secondary when they put starting cornerback Terrion Arnold on IR on Monday. Arnold will undergo surgery on his shoulder. He first hurt his shoulder back in early October, and Campbell confirmed the same injury continued bothering him (via Eric Woodyard of ESPN). That led Detroit to shut Arnold down for good.
Texans Waive G Laken Tomlinson
Laken Tomlinson opened the season as the Texans’ starting left guard, but the team is moving on three months later. The Texans waived Tomlinson on Tuesday. The 33-year-old will be free to sign anywhere if he clears waivers.
Tomlinson joined the Texans on a one-year, $4.25MM contract last March after dividing the first 10 seasons of his career among the Lions, 49ers, Jets, and Seahawks. He was a consistent and durable starter during that span, coming off the bench in just eight of 163 contests. Tomlinson didn’t miss a game between 2018-24.
Tomlinson was Houston’s top option at left guard during most of his time there, starting in seven of 10 games. However, the Texans replaced him with Jarrett Patterson in Week 10, and Tomlinson was inactive in back-to-back games before they cut him. Pro Football Focus ranks Tomlinson’s 2025 performance a below-average 51st among 79 qualifying guards.
With the playoff-contending Texans parting with Tomlinson, they’re left with Patterson, Juice Scruggs, and Jarrett Kingston as reserves along the interior. Tytus Howard, who has lined up at multiple spots this year, and Ed Ingram are operating as their starting guards.
Colts Waive K Michael Badgley
After a costly missed extra point in Week 13, the Colts are moving on from kicker Michael Badgley. The team waived him on Tuesday.
Badgley’s PAT miss last Sunday proved crucial in a 20-16 defeat against the AFC South rival Texans. The four-point deficit prevented the Colts from potentially tying the game with a late field goal and sending it to overtime. They fell to 8-4 and into second place in the division behind the Jaguars, while the Texans improved to 7-5.
A Colt back in 2021, Badgley reunited with the team after starter Spencer Shrader tore his ACL and MCL in Week 5. Badgley hadn’t kicked in the regular season since 2023, but the 30-year-old went on to make 10 of his 11 field goal attempts in seven games with the Colts. However, Badgley hit a less impressive 18 of 21 extra points, which ultimately cost him his job.
The Colts have not lined up a replacement for Badgley, but that seems imminent after they worked out kickers on Tuesday. Former Saint Blake Grupe was among those to audition. It’s up for debate whether Grupe would be an upgrade over Badgley, though. While Grupe did convert all 15 extra points with the Saints this year, he connected on a paltry 69.2% of field goals (18 of 26). New Orleans waived him on Nov. 25 as a result.
Whether they sign Grupe or someone else, the Colts will turn to their third kicker of 2025 in a critical meeting with the Jaguars on Sunday. It will be the first time in franchise history that the Colts have used at least three kickers in a season, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan notes. That’s not ideal for an Indianapolis team that’s now clinging to a playoff spot after dropping three of its past four games.