Lions ‘Hopeful’ TE Sam LaPorta Will Return This Season
The Lions’ offense lost a significant weapon when the team placed tight end Sam LaPorta on injured reserve this past Saturday. LaPorta will miss at least four games with a back injury, and it doesn’t seem certain that he’ll return this season.
“I’m hopeful, but I really don’t know,” head coach Dan Campbell said of a potential LaPorta comeback (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
Campbell’s comments came after a 16-9 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. Detroit’s offense endured a miserable night in its first game without LaPorta this season. The unit finished 3 for 13 on third downs and failed to convert any of its five fourth-down tries. Quarterback Jared Goff completed just 14 of 37 passes for 255 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Backup tight end Brock Wright, LaPorta’s replacement, caught two passes for eight yards.
LaPorta has established himself as one of the NFL’s top tight ends since debuting as a second-round pick in 2023. He hasn’t caught fewer than three passes in a game or recorded a drop in 2025. The 24-year-old has pulled in 40 of 49 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. LaPorta ranks in the top three among Lions in catches, targets, yards, and TDs.
If all goes well in his recovery, LaPorta will return in Week 15 against the Rams, which is setting up as an important game for both teams. The 8-2 Rams are currently the second seed in the NFC. The Lions were the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs last January, but they’re now No. 8 after falling to 6-4 on Sunday.
Having already doubled last year’s loss total, the Lions have to make up ground over the next three weeks (if not longer) without LaPorta. That stretch includes a crucial Thanksgiving Day meeting with the NFC North rival Packers (6-3-1), who defeated the Lions in the teams’ first matchup this year.
NFL Return Still Possible For Bill Belichick?
Head coach Bill Belichick‘s first season with the University of North Carolina hasn’t gone well. While the Tar Heels entered the weekend on a two-game winning streak, that ended with a 28-12 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday. They’re now 4-6 with two games left. North Carolina will need to close out its regular season with wins over Duke and North Carolina State just to gain eligibility for a bowl game.
If we’re to believe Belichick, he’s committed to North Carolina, which signed him to a five-year, $50MM contract with the first three seasons guaranteed. Before the Wake Forest loss, Belichick took to Instagram on Friday to shoot down any potential interest in the Giants’ head coaching position or any other NFL vacancy that could open up in the next couple of months.
While the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach may not sound eager to return to the pros, “at least one team has done very initial homework on Belichick and the situation at North Carolina,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network says. Pelissero adds that Belichick’s Instagram statement may have been issued in part to reassure recruits, and it doesn’t mean he’ll reject NFL interest if teams seeking a head coach come calling in January.
Belichick’s name came up in connection to NFL vacancies last winter, but he didn’t interview with anyone. That came a year after Belichick was a serious candidate to take over as Atlanta’s head coach. The position instead went to Raheem Morris, leaving Belichick “surprised and embarrassed,” according to Pelissero.
Belichick’s pursuit of the Falcons job was public knowledge. Now, if he does come back to the NFL, it’s going to occur “in the dark of night,” Pelissero reports. It wouldn’t be a public process. An interested team would go through the league-mandated protocol before offering its HC job to Belichick.
Along with the Giants, who moved on from Brian Daboll last week, the Titans fired their head coach (Brian Callahan) earlier this season. They and other franchises that dismiss their HCs between now and January will consider a slew of candidates. Belichick would carry a better resume than any other potential hire, but it’s very much in question whether anyone will show major interest in the soon-to-be 74-year-old.
In the event Belichick does make an improbable NFL comeback, it would renew his chances of chasing down Don Shula as the all-time regular-season wins leader among head coaches. Between his 29 years with Cleveland and New England, Belichick amassed 302 wins. Shula piled up 328 victories in 33 years between the Colts and Dolphins. Belichick trails only Shula and Bears legend George Halas (318 wins in 40 years) on the all-time list.
Latest On Eagles, A.J. Brown
NOVEMBER 16: Brown met with owner Jeffrey Lurie during practice on Thursday, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reports. The conversation – arranged by security chief Dom DiSandro – resulted in Brown promising he will no longer air his grievances on social media. His discontent with the offense was repeated to Lurie, though, so this storyline will remain one to watch
NOVEMBER 15: At 7-2, the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles are once again among the NFL’s premier teams. It hasn’t been a drama-free start, though, as three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown has expressed frustration with the Eagles’ offense throughout the campaign. Although Brown has been integral to their success, the Eagles reportedly listened to offers for him ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. As expected, they ended up keeping him.
While it wasn’t pretty, Philadelphia pulled out a win in its first post-deadline game in Week 10, taking a 10-7 decision against the Packers. Quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted Brown just three times, connecting twice for 13 yards. Brown has caught three or fewer passes in three of his eight games this year and finished with fewer than 30 yards four times. That’s shockingly low for someone who has averaged 83 catches and 1,292 yards per 17 games during his six-plus years in the NFL.
On the heels of his latest quiet performance, Brown made his discontent known on a video game stream earlier this week (via Tim McManus of ESPN).
Asked if things were going well, Brown said: “I mean, no. Where have you been? Family is good. Everything else, no. It’s a s—show.”
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni then addressed Brown’s comments, saying: “I’m close to being done answering these questions with this. He’s working hard and he is a big part of this game plan [for Sunday’s game against the Lions] and he’ll be a big part of the game plan going forward. He’s working like crazy when he’s here, and I’m excited to have him.”
Brown further discussed his irritation on Wednesday and confirmed he made the comments on the video game stream. The 28-year-old made it clear that he’s frustrated with Philadelphia’s offense as a whole, not just his usage, and wants to win (via McManus).
“It’s been week after week sometimes we’re not doing our job on offense,” Brown stated. “You can’t keep slapping a Band-Aid over that and expect to win late in the year and think you’re going to go to that at the end of the year.”
Led by offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and a historically great season from running back Saquon Barkley, the Eagles finished 2024 seventh in yardage and eighth in points. Moore left after the season to become the Saints’ head coach, leading the Eagles to promote pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo as his replacement. The Patullo-led attack has fallen to 12th in points and 23rd in yards. Barkley’s production has plummeted, while Brown is on pace for a career-low 867 yards.
Meanwhile, already with 16 touchdown passes in nine contests, Hurts is on track to breeze past the 18 he put up in 15 games last year. Hurts has also thrown just one interception while posting a better completion percentage, a better passer rating, and a better QBR than 2024. Only two teams have thrown the ball less than the Eagles, though, and “multiple offensive players have grown frustrated” over Hurts’ approach, especially while facing zone coverage, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Those unnamed players (it stands to reason Brown is among them) are of the belief Hurts has become hesitant to go downfield or throw into tight windows, which has made him too reliant on checking down and scrambling.
Hurts and the Eagles will face another NFC Super Bowl hopeful, Detroit, in one of the best matchups of Week 11. Already a must-watch game, the drama surrounding the Eagles’ offense makes it even more intriguing. Regardless of how the rest of the 2025 campaign goes for the Eagles, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see general manager Howie Roseman give further consideration to trading Brown in the offseason.
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman To Emerge As Giants Candidate?
Having fired Brian Daboll on Monday, the 2-8 Giants are in the early stages of finding their next head coach. Mike Kafka will finish the season on an interim basis after a promotion from offensive coordinator. However, barring shockingly strong results from Kafka, it seems probable that Daboll’s successor will come from outside the organization.
General manager Joe Schoen, who hired Daboll in 2022, is leading the search for his replacement. Schoen and Giants ownership haven’t had “serious meetings” about the traits they want in their new head coach, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. For his part, Schoen isn’t guaranteed to remain with the organization for the long haul. He’s only under contract through 2026. The Giants will review Schoen’s work at the end of this season, but the belief around the NFL is that he’ll remain in place, Russini reports.
As for who Schoen will hire, there’s no doubt that plenty of potential candidates will come up in connection to New York’s opening in the coming weeks. The Giants “already have a shortlist of candidates,” Russini writes. It doesn’t include North Carolina’s Bill Belichick, according to Russini. Belichick issued a statement Friday saying he’s not interested in the Giants’ job or any other NFL opportunity that may come along. The Giants didn’t contact Belichick before he shot down a possible return to the pros, and it seems doubtful they were ever going to pursue him.
While Belichick isn’t in the mix, one early name to keep an eye on is Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. The soon-to-be 40-year-old could become the latest successful college coach to try his hand in the NFL.
If Freeman is interested in the job, there’s “some buzz” that the Giants may talk to him, per Dan Graziano of ESPN. Meanwhile, Dan Duggan of The Athletic regards Freeman as an early front-runner for the position, placing him behind Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and the out-of-work Mike McCarthy.
Freeman has gone 40-12 with the Fighting Irish since the former linebacker took over for the departed Brian Kelly in December 2021. He guided Notre Dame to the national championship game last season, but the team suffered a 34-23 defeat to Ohio State. Just days before Freeman & Co. lost to the Buckeyes in January, the Bears reportedly sought an interview with him. That didn’t come to fruition, though, and the Bears ended up hiring Ben Johnson.
Anarumo, a well-respected coordinator, has been a popular figure in the rumor mill since the Giants moved on from Daboll. The Staten Island native is a former Giants assistant who was a candidate for the HC job before Daboll landed it. Anarumo’s son currently works for the Giants as a pro scout.
McCarthy, 62, brings vast experience as a head coach. His teams have gone an impressive 174-112-2 in the regular season. He led the Packers from 2006-18, winning one Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers during that 13-year period, and the Cowboys from 2020-24.
In limbo with the Cowboys last winter before Jerry Jones replaced him with Brian Schottenheimer, McCarthy interviewed with Chicago and New Orleans. After he began losing ground with the Saints, who chose Kellen Moore, McCarthy withdrew as a candidate. He hasn’t found another job since then, though perhaps the Giants will look in his direction.
The Johnson pick has worked out so far for the Bears, who are 6-3 and already guaranteed a better record than last year’s 5-12 mark. If they make the right hire, the Giants may have a chance to enjoy a similar turnaround in 2026.
Packers To Start Sean Rhyan At Center
The Packers’ offensive line took a serious hit in their 10-7 loss to the Eagles on Monday. Center Elgton Jenkins fractured his leg and suffered ligament damage when quarterback Jordan Love rolled into him. Jenkins is unlikely to return this season as a result.
With Jenkins out for the foreseeable future, the Packers will turn to Sean Rhyan as their new starter, per Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s website. Rhyan stepped in for Jenkins in Week 10, played 41 snaps, and earned a grade of 61.1 from Pro Football Focus. That doesn’t fall far below Jenkins’ season grade of 62.0, which ranks 24th among 37 qualifying centers.
After Rhyan stood out as a left tackle at UCLA, the Packers used a third-round pick on him in 2022. The versatile 25-year-old has moved to the interior in the NFL.
While Rhyan was a 17-game starter at right guard last season, he has come off the bench in five of nine games this year. Jordan Morgan has taken over as the Packers’ right guard. Rhyan will now land another opportunity as a full-time starter, albeit under unfortunate circumstances.
This isn’t the first time Green Bay’s center position has gone through upheaval in 2025. After a successful run at guard, where he earned two Pro Bowl nods, Jenkins shifted to center to accommodate LG Aaron Banks. The Packers signed Banks, a former 49er, to a four-year, $77MM contract in free agency last offseason. With Jenkins sliding to center, the Packers let former starter Josh Myers leave for the Jets’ one-year, $3.5MM offer.
Jenkins is the only Packers O-lineman who has started all of their games this year, but they’ll now have to rely on Rhyan. He’ll join Morgan, Banks, and tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom as starters against the Giants in Week 11.
Panthers’ Chandler Zavala Taking Over At RG
The Panthers are making a change along their offensive line ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the NFC South rival Falcons. Chandler Zavala will take over for Austin Corbett at right guard, head coach Dave Canales announced (via Joe Person of The Athletic).
Canales’ decision comes a week after the Panthers dropped to 5-5 in a disappointing 17-7 loss to the Saints, another division rival. Zavala missed the game with a knee injury, but Corbett and the rest of the Panthers’ starting five linemen played 100% of offensive snaps. The Saints held the Panthers to a lowly 175 total yards, including a meager 53 on 18 carries from running back and offensive focal point Rico Dowdle, and sacked quarterback Bryce Young twice.
Corbett’s demotion to the bench is the latest in a slew of O-line adjustments the Panthers have made this season, largely because of injuries. After opening the season as the Panthers’ starting center, Corbett suffered a a Grade C MCL injury in Week 2 and had to go on IR. Cade Mays played well at center during his absence, leading to Corbett’s shift to guard when he returned in Week 7.
After re-signing with the Panthers on a one-year deal last March, Corbett has started in five of six appearances this season. It’ll go down as his third straight injury-shortened campaign after he missed 13 games in 2023 and another 12 last year. Unless the Panthers reinstate him as a starter, the versatile Corbett will serve as interior depth down the stretch.
Like Corbett, Zavala spent time on IR with a knee injury earlier this season. The third-year man has mostly worked as a backup since the Panthers chose him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, having come off the bench in 20 of 32 games. With Corbett taking a seat and starting guard Robert Hunt on IR with a torn biceps since mid-September, Zavala will have a chance at a regular role. The 322-pounder has started in three of five games this year, though Pro Football Focus has assigned him a subpar 41.3 grade on 111 snaps. Zavala ranks last among the nine Panthers O-linemen who have taken 100-plus snaps this year.
Along with Zavala and Mays, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, left guard Damien Lewis, and right tackle Taylor Moton will make up the Panthers’ line on Sunday. The unit will face an Atlanta defense that ranks a respectable 10th in the league in yards allowed per game. While Carolina only managed 224 yards in the teams’ previous meeting in Week 3, a lights-out defensive performance helped the Panthers to a 30-0 blowout.
Bengals To Place DE Shemar Stewart On IR
The Bengals are placing rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart on IR with a knee injury, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports. Stewart will miss a minimum of four games. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 15.
Stewart, whom the Bengals chose 17th overall out of Texas A&M, made headlines after the draft during a lengthy contract dispute. After a protracted battle over default language in his contract, the 22-year-old finally inked his first NFL deal on July 26. The agreement came after the Bengals agreed to adjust his signing bonus payment schedule.
Stewart, who didn’t practice with the Bengals at all before signing, has gotten off to a slow start in the pros. A polarizing prospect who totaled just 4.5 sacks in 37 college games, Stewart hasn’t recorded any in his first five contests (four starts) with the Bengals. He previously missed four games as a result of a Week 2 ankle injury.
When healthy enough to play, Stewart has amassed 177 defensive snaps and picked up six tackles, including a personal-best three in a loss to the Bears in Week 9. With the Bengals on a bye last week, the Chicago game will go down as Stewart’s last for a while.
Trying to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, the 3-6 Bengals are heading into a huge matchup with the AFC North-leading Steelers (5-4) on Sunday. The Bengals’ last-ranked defense will have to make do without Stewart and superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who will miss his third straight game with a hip/pelvis injury. Joseph Ossai, Myles Murphy, and Cameron Sample will serve as the Bengals’ top options at defensive end.
Colts More Open To Re-Signing Alec Pierce
Colts big-play wide receiver Alec Pierce is scheduled to reach free agency for the first time during the offseason. Pierce said back in July that he didn’t anticipate signing a contract extension with the Colts. A new deal hasn’t come together four months later, but it appears his chances of remaining in Indianapolis beyond this season have improved.
The Colts decided before the season that it wouldn’t be “financially prudent” to re-sign Pierce, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. Things have changed during the team’s unexpected 8-2 start, however. Pierce has been more productive than ever, in part because he has succeeded in running a greater variety of routes. As a result, “the idea of him returning is now very real,” Holder writes.
The Colts held out hope that the presence of 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell would help make up for a departed Pierce. That’s not going to happen, though, as the Colts sent Mitchell to the Jets in a blockbuster before the Nov. 4 deadline.
Packaging the disappointing Mitchell with a pair of first-round picks netted the Colts star cornerback Sauce Gardner. It so happens that Gardner is close friends with Pierce, a former Cincinnati Bearcats teammate.
Pierce entered the NFL with Gardner as a 2022 draft pick. The Colts used a second-rounder on Pierce, taking him 53rd overall. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder missed just two games in his first three years and averaged approximately 37 catches, 644 yards, and four touchdowns in those seasons. He easily set career highs in yards (824) and scores (seven) while working with quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco in 2024. Pierce led the league with a whopping 22.3 yards per catch.
A year later, Pierce has established a rapport with new signal-caller Daniel Jones, who beat out Richardson for the job in the summer. Thanks in part to Pierce’s help, Jones has enjoyed a stunning resurgence. While Pierce has only caught one of Jones’ 15 TD passes, he’s once again atop the league in YPC (20.9). With 28 receptions and 585 yards through eight games, Pierce is on track for career highs in those categories. He has joined rookie tight end Tyler Warren, fellow wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, and MVP-contending running back Jonathan Taylor in giving Jones a highly productive group of pass catchers.
With Pierce heading for his first 1,000-yard season, the 25-year-old is trending toward a lucrative second contract. A deal worth upward of $20MM per year is a possibility, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. The Colts currently have around $48MM in spending room for 2026, per Over the Cap, but that’s without taking a new Jones pact into account.
Jones, a former Giants starter and Viking backup, is playing this season on a $14MM agreement. That’s a relative pittance compared to what Jones is likely to earn on his next accord. The Colts plan to make Jones a long-term offer, which figures to eat up a sizable chunk of cap space. A best-case scenario would include Pierce continuing to catch passes from Jones in a Colts uniform in 2026, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll make the finances work.
George Pickens Open To Cowboys Extension; Franchise Tag In Play
Unsigned beyond this year, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens could become one of the most coveted free agents available when the market opens in March. Pickens said on Oct. 30 that he and the Cowboys had yet to discuss a new contract (via Jon Machota of The Athletic).
On the possibility of an extension, Pickens said: “That’s kinda up to what (Jerry Jones) wants to do. All I can do is perform at my best.”
If Jones and Pickens’ camp don’t reach an agreement before free agency begins, the team’s longtime owner could place the franchise tag on the Cowboys’ No. 2 wideout. Doing so would cost Dallas approximately $29MM, but it has “a strong likelihood” of happening, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. That’s assuming the relationship between the two sides doesn’t hit a snag in the coming months, Graziano notes.
A second-round pick from Georgia in 2022, Pickens was productive over the first three seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. The Steelers bailed on Pickens last offseason, though, trading him and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Cowboys for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Pickens averaged around 16 games, 59 catches, 947 yards, and four touchdowns per year as a Steeler, but they moved on after some rocky moments. Toward the end of his tenure with the Steelers, he was late for their Christmas Day game against the Chiefs. That came a few weeks after Pickens took a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Bengals, leading head coach Mike Tomlin to declare that the offensive weapon needed to “grow up in a hurry.”
After the trade occurred in May, Steelers general manager Omar Khan told the media that “a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.” Six months later, the Cowboys surely don’t regret taking the gamble.
While the Cowboys are a lackluster 3-5-1, Pickens has done his part to keep the team afloat during a career year. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has racked up 49 catches, 764 yards, and six scores in nine games. He’s third in the NFL with 12 receptions of 20-plus yards and tied for fourth in TD grabs.
Pickens stepped up as the Cowboys’ WR1 when CeeDee Lamb missed three full games and most of another one with a high ankle sprain earlier in the season. Lamb returned in Week 7, but Pickens has continued to post strong numbers since then. They’ve given quarterback Dak Prescott an elite one-two punch.
Despite Pickens’ success this year, some league executives are concerned about his inconsistency, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Still, his production and age (he won’t turn 25 until March) are a tantalizing combination. A high-priced multiyear deal should be in order if Pickens reaches free agency. Jones hasn’t been shy about using the franchise tag for integral offensive pieces, though, having done so for Prescott, running back Tony Pollard, and tight end Dalton Schultz in recent years.
Barring an extension, Pickens has a realistic chance to become the first Cowboys receiver to get the tag since they placed it on Dez Bryant in 2015. The Cowboys and Bryant hammered out a lucrative extension several months later. Pickens could meet a similar fate, though other options – including playing out the 2026 season on the tag or ending up in another trade – may be on the table.
Bears Expect CBs Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon Back This Year
The Bears have gotten off to a 6-3 start despite the long-term absences of standout cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Johnson played in one game before undergoing core muscle surgery in late September. Gordon appeared in two contests before groin and calf injuries sidelined him. Both defenders are on IR, but head coach Ben Johnson is confident they’ll return this season.
“We should be able to get them back at some point at the end of the season here,” he said (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times). “To be determined on when the clocks start ticking here.”
A groin injury shelved Jaylon Johnson for a large portion of training camp and kept him out of the Bears’ season-opening loss to the Vikings. Johnson made his season debut in a Week 2 loss to the Lions, but he had to leave early with a new groin injury that required surgery.
A 2025 return was initially in doubt, though it now appears Johnson will have a chance to factor in as the Bears attempt to snap a four-year playoff drought. The two-time Pro Bowler is “hopeful” he’ll return to practice soon.
Gordon missed the first four weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. The slot specialist debuted in Week 6 and wound up going on IR after Week 7. He’ll miss his fourth straight game this Sunday against the Vikings. Gordon will be eligible to come back in Week 12, but the Bears haven’t opened his 21-day practice window yet. There’s no word on when that could happen.
Shortly after placing Gordon on IR, Chicago signed safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Oct. 29. Gardner-Johnson has held his own in two games since then while filling in for Gordon at nickel corner. The 27-year-old has already totaled 15 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. He played 72 of 73 defensive snaps during a nine-tackle, two-sack showing in a win over the Giants last Sunday.
While Gardner-Johnson has been a welcome addition for the Bears, their defense still ranks just 26th against the pass and 28th in points per game allowed. Looking to further upgrade the Bears’ secondary before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, general manager Ryan Poles pursued Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor.
Acquiring Taylor would have reunited him with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, previously the Saints’ head coach, but a deal didn’t materialize. The Bears are now left to hope that Jaylon Johnson and/or Gordon will return down the stretch to bolster their defensive backfield and boost their playoff chances.