Titans’ Cam Ward Suffers Shoulder Injury
Titans quarterback Cam Ward‘s rookie season came to an unceremoniously early ending today when he exited today’s season finale with an injury. Ward has been initially diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe and Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. 
Ward landed on shoulder of his throwing arm while reaching for the end zone on the Titans’ first drive of Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun landed on top of the No. 1 overall pick, driving him harder into the ground. Ward briefly went into the blue tent before making his way to the locker room and was seen later on the sideline in sweats.
Despite the injury, the 23-year-old started every game for the Titans in his rookie campaign. Though Ward had appeared on the team’s injury report back in Week 4 with ankle/calf issues, and though Ward was the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL this year (55, tied with Raiders quarterback Geno Smith), Ward had played 100 percent of the team’s offensive snaps up to that point of the season. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen‘s first snaps today were Tennessee’s first offensive snaps without Ward on the field this year.
AC joint sprain recovery times vary depending on the degree of severity. A milder Grade 1 sprain may take a couple weeks to shake off, whereas a Grade 3 sprain could take several months to recover from. The team saw former starter Will Levis suffer an AC joint sprain early in his second year with the team. He was cleared after the Titans’ bye week and started the next game without missing any time, but he reaggravated the injury in his first game after the injury and was sidelined for the next three weeks. Levis underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July before this season, but it’s unclear if the procedure was related to the AC joint sprain or a more recent injury.
Ward’s injury ended a rookie season that he will want to quickly move on from. Coming into the final week of the season, Ward ranked 25th in the NFL in passing yards per game and dead last in touchdowns per pass attempt. As mentioned above, he also led the league in sacks taken and yards lost from sacks. Many of these troubling stats can be attributed to Ward adjusting to the speed difference from college to the pros, but the quality of the players around him should not be ignored.
While Ward certainly needs to get the ball out quicker in certain situations, he was under pressure on 27.9 percent of his pass attempts, the third-highest percentage in the league. His receivers also racked up the 12th-most drops in the NFL and finished 27th in the NFL in yards after catch. Ward did show bright spots, though, like only throwing seven interceptions, good for an interception rate of 1.3 percent — the third-best such figure in the NFL this year. He also was able to keep plays alive with his legs and turn broken plays into highlights, something he was known to do in college, as well.
All-in-all, the Titans still believe that Ward is their franchise quarterback, but his development is going to be crucial as he looks to take another step forward in Year 2. The team will likely have Ward undergo some testing to determine the exact severity of today’s injury, and they’ll hope that the resulting recovery time won’t keep him from being available for OTAs in May.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Colts Expected To Retain HC Shane Steichen
The Colts’ end-of-season slide out of the playoffs has stirred some speculation about the future of head coach Shane Steichen, but he is expected to be retained for the 2026 season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Losing the last seven games of the year is a black mark on the record of any head coach, but Steichen has a massive mitigating factor: injuries to his starting quarterback. Daniel Jones was playing on a fractured fibula in November and then tore his Achilles at the beginning of December.
Up to that point, he was – as surprising as it sounds – one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season and the Colts had one of the league’s best offenses. Jones still ranks among the league’s top-10 passers in yards per game, yards per attempt, completion rate, passer rating, and total QBR. It would be difficult for any team to withstand that loss.
Steichen’s success with Jones, a former top-10 pick turned reclamation project, is the Colts’ main reason to keep him. While Jones’ exact future is uncertain after his injury, the Colts appeared to be interested in re-signing him for 2026 and beyond. Since Steichen has brought out the best version of Jones, it would make little sense to move on now.
What’s more, the Colts have improved on both sides of the ball in each year of Steichen’s tenure, and 2025 was set to be his most successful season by far until Jones went down. Again, firing that head coach three years into the job feels like the wrong move.
Sill, Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon is somewhat of an unknown heading into the offseason. Similar to her late father, Jim Irsay, she has taken a hands-on approach with running the franchise. Just as some have questioned Steichen’s job security, even more have wondered if general manager Chris Ballard could be on his way out. The Colts have never won the AFC South in his nine years as general manager, but he may be given some grace for the same reason as Steichen. Ballard built what appeared to be a competitive team this year, including his aggressive trade deadline acquisition of Sauce Gardner. His ability to make that move is an indicator that his job was relatively secure, though the Colts’ late-season struggles have re-raised those questions.
Ultimately, Ballard and Steichen are expected to stay in Indianapolis, but both – especially Ballard – could find themselves on the hot seat next year.
Steelers, Mike Tomlin Could Split After Season
What was unthinkable a few years ago has become a possibility: the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin could part ways this offseason.
Pittsburgh won their ninth game in Week 16, guaranteeing a winning record for the sixth year in a row and the 16th in Tomlin’s 19 years as head coach. He has never led the Steelers to a losing season.
However, Tomlin has not won a playoff game since 2016 with exits in the wild card round in four of the last five seasons. The Steelers’ lack of a franchise quarterback has been a clear limiting factor in the postseason, but they never play poorly enough in the regular season for a top draft pick. This has created a difficult cycle in Pittsburgh that can only be altered by an expensive trade-up in the draft or parting ways with Tomlin.
The latter has never seemed to be an option, until now. Firing Tomlin outright is unlikely, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but he and the team may mutually agree to part ways. The veteran head coach may be looking for a “reset” via a broadcasting gig before returning to an NFL head coaching job, according to both Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
Tomlin would no doubt be one of the hottest head coaching candidates if available, whether that happens this offseason or in the future. The Steelers might be best served by trading Tomlin, but the no-trade clause in his contract and the timeline of the NFL’s hiring cycle are two significant roadblocks, per Jones.
The Steelers have already considered the possibility of a post-Tomlin future. They had “internal discussions” about Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Multiple teams had interest in the 39-year-old, who opted to take an improved contract to stay in South Bend rather than entertain an NFL job. Freeman’s desires could change in the future and potentially offer Pittsburgh another opportunity to secure Tomlin’s successor, provided such a change does not happen this offseason.
Ravens Expected To Keep Lamar Jackson; John Harbaugh Future Uncertain?
Recent local and national media coverage of the Ravens has revived the idea that Lamar Jackson could be on his way out of Baltimore this offseason.
Obviously, it makes no sense for an NFL team to move on from a two-time MVP quarterback, and the Ravens are not expected to make such a colossal mistake. Less certain is the future of head coach John Harbaugh, who has overseen an uneven year in Baltimore.
“That seems to be a situation right now that’s up in the air, where both sides will meet and discuss after the seasons what they want to do and what direction they want to go,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Sunday. He believes Harbaugh’s job is “still leaning safe,” and does not expect an outright firing.
The same belief is held by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who said that both Harbaugh and Jackson are expected to remain in Baltimore for at least another year.
“I don’t expect a firing in any sense,” said Rapoport of Harbaugh, but noted that other staff changes could be on the way.
This kind of about Harbaugh’s job security is new, indicating that fans’ disappointment about this season is felt in equal measure inside the organization. It may not be enough for the Ravens to part ways with their longtime coach, but even having such discussions is a sign that pressure is building in Baltimore.
Ultimately, the decision will come down to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, who has long favored continuity and stability with his front office and coaching staff.
Though Harbaugh seems safe heading into Sunday night’s game in Pittsburgh, a loss could obviously change things. The Steelers would complete a season sweep of their rivals and take the divisional crown and a playoff spot. That would violate two of the Ravens’ core tenets: beat Pittsburgh, and make the playoffs. If Harbaugh can no longer achieve those goals, it may be time to move on.
Falcons Owner Arthur Blank To Evaluate Atlanta’s Football Ops For Rest Of Season
JANUARY 3: As part of his evaluation process, Blank has brought in the consulting firm Sportsology (which has worked with NFL teams in the past). Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes (subscription required) Rick Smith has played a role in Sportsology’s ongoing Falcons audit. The former Texans GM was among those who interviewed for Atlanta’s most recent vacancy before Fontenot was ultimately hired.
DECEMBER 13: After another disappointing year from the Falcons, major changes could be coming in Atlanta this offseason.
Owner and chairman Arthur Blank will spend the rest of the season evaluating the team’s football operations, including head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Falcons were already eliminated from the playoffs before their Kyle Pitts-driven win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night. However, their Week 14 loss to the Seahawks locked in their eighth losing season in a row. Atlanta finished with an 8-9 record in 2024, their first year under Morris, but the team’s lack of improvements this year have raised doubt about his future. The same is true of Fontenot, who is in his fifth year as GM without much year-to-year progress.
Of the two, Fontenot feels more likely to leave Atlanta this offseason. He has struggled to find starters in the draft and does not have a strong record outside of the first round, though he has built a strong offensive line over the years. Fontenot also drove the Falcons’ controversial quarterback moves in the 2024 offseason. He signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $160MM deal with $90MM fully guaranteed and drafted Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick less than two months later.
Individually, both decisions were questionable, but together, they set up a difficult dynamic in Atlanta. Cousins was surprised by the Penix pick, which immediately put a clock on his time with the Falcons. The veteran quarterback played well to start the 2024 season, but a rough stretch of five games in the second half inspired an earlier-than-expected transition to the rookie. Penix showed some flashes in his three starts and entered 2025 as the clear starter while Cousins attempted to force an offseason move out of Atlanta.
Fontenot then made another controversial decision in the 2025 draft by trading up from the second round to select edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the 26th overall pick despite already adding Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall. He gave up a bevy of picks in the deal, including second- and third-rounders in 2025 and a first in 2026, which could be a top-10 pick.
Morris has not led the Falcons to the immediate success for which Blank was likely hoping, but his team has been decimated by injuries this season, especially on offense. Right tackle Kaleb McGary suffered a leg injury in training camp that knocked out the left-handed Penix’s blind side blocker for the entire season. Penix then went down with a season-ending injury after nine starts, and Drake London has missed multiple games, too.
The Falcons had a decent start to the year with a 3-2 record on the back of a defense that didn’t allow more than 300 yards of total offense in that five-game span. Atlanta then lost five straight, a stretch that included some rough defensive showings and ended with Penix’s injury. The result was a season that fell well short of Blank’s expectations and will spur plenty of conversations in Atlanta about the futures of Morris and Fontenot. Giving Morris another year to see what he can do with a healthier roster makes sense, but Blank may be running out of patience with Fontenot’s inability to build a competitive roster.
No Indication Ravens HC John Harbaugh Is On Hot Seat
JANUARY 3: CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirms Harbaugh is believed to be safe even in the event of a Ravens loss tomorrow. While other staff changes could be coming, a move at the head coach spot would be seen as a surprise.
JANUARY 2: Though the Ravens still can make the playoffs with a win over the Steelers on Sunday night, their 2025 season has been undeniably disappointing.
Removing head coach John Harbaugh, however, is not an expected outcome of the season, even if his team loses in Pittsburgh this weekend.
“I do not have any indication right now that John Harbaugh is in danger of being fired,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on the Rich Eisen Show. “That would really surprise me. There is a reason that Steve Bisciotti has stuck with him for 18 seasons and running now.”
Baltimore is currently 8-8 after a rollercoaster of a year. Injuries to Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, and several other key players resulted in a 1-5 start. The team’s fortunes turned around after their Week 7 bye with a Tyler Huntley-led win over the Bears in Week 8 preceding Jackson’s return to the field for a spectacular win in Miami in their next game. The Ravens’ win streak extended to five games to get to 6-5 before three losses in four weeks dropped them back below .500.
A dominant Week 16 win in Green Bay – plus the Browns’ upset of the Steelers – has renewed hope around the team’s fortunes in the playoffs, should they qualify. Jackson just completed his first full week of practice since Week 10 and is liable to take over a game at any moment. Derrick Henry, as he demonstrated last week, his capable of doing the same.
But the Ravens’ defense, which has been a hallmark of Harbaugh’s tenure in Baltimore, has been unusually porous this season. Last year, defensive coordinator Zach Orr turned his unit around after a slow start. He was not able to do so this year. And despite the talent on the roster, the offense under Todd Monken has disappointed as well. While one could argue the buck stops with the head coach – especially with issues on both sides of the ball – recent reporting indicate that Baltimore’s coordinators are in danger of being removed.
Brian Daboll Expected To Land OC Gig
The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll in November, but he is not expected to remain unemployed for long.
Daboll, 50, will likely be hired as an offensive coordinator this offseason, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. He has previously held that position for four NFL teams – the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and Bills – as well as the University of Alabama.
He was most successful in Buffalo, building an offense that went from the league’s third-worst in his debut year to a top-5 unit in his third and fourth. He is also credited with molding Josh Allen into one of the league’s best quarterbacks. The foundation established by Daboll has helped the Bills remain one of the top offenses in the league since his departure, though it is worth noting that they have not reached the same peaks as they did during his tenure.
The Giants hoped that Daboll could develop Daniel Jones and inspire a similar offensive turnaround in New York. That has not come to fruition. The team ranked 31st in their final year under Joe Judge and immediately jumped to 15th under Daboll, but regressed to the bottom of the league in the next two years.
Still, Daboll is respected as a top offensive mind in the NFL who could receive interest from teams looking to add and/or develop a potential young franchise quarterback. He also has connections to a variety of other coaches across the league. If one is hired as a head coach by the Titans – or another vacancy, when they come available – Daboll would be a logical choice to come along as the offensive coordinator.
Titans Owner Amy Adams Strunk Will Give ‘Final Blessing’ In HC Search
11:45am: The Titans have rounded out their group of executives who will participate in initial interviews, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. A list that unsurprisingly includes Brinker and assistant GM Dave Ziegler. Vice president/football advisor Reggie McKenzie – a former Raiders linebacker and general manager – will also join, as will vice president of player personnel Dan Saganey.
10:35am: Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk announced a front office reshuffle in Tennessee on Friday, but she is expected to remain a part of the team’s search for a new head coach.
Both Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker are remaining in their respective positions as general manager and president of football operations, but Borgonzi will lead the hiring process in the coming weeks.
The Titans will conduct virtual interviews with about a dozen candidates, per Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. Strunk will not sit in on those interviews, though she may review them for in-person interviews of the team’s shortlist. Those she will attend.
This largely resembles the team’s approach to landing on Borgonzi last offseason. Brinker led that process, but Borgonzi received approval from Strunk before the hiring was made official. Similarly, she will give a “final blessing” for the Titans’ new head coach.
The extent of Strunk’s input on the Titans’ new coach remains to be seen. She has not been afraid to impose her will on the franchise when it comes to coaching and front office decisions, all the way down to specific moves regarding specific players. That was a source of friction with Mike Vrabel, who did a lot with a little in Tennessee, and ultimately led to his removal.
As a result, head coaching candidates may be wary of Strunk’s tendency to impose her will on the team. They may use their interviews to gauge compatibility not just with Borgonzi and Brinker, but Strunk as well.
Ravens Sign NT John Jenkins To Extension
The Ravens have signed veteran nose tackle John Jenkins to a contract extension, per a team announcement.
The deal is worth around $2.1MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, a slight raise over the $1.75MM deal that brought him to Baltimore this past offseason. The 36-year-old has emerged as a key part of the Ravens’ defensive line rotation this season, appearing in every game with 13 starts and a 46% snap share. His contributions have helped keep the unit afloat after losing Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington to injury early in the year.
Jenkins is a 13-year veteran who will be one of the league’s oldest non-quarterback or -specialists next season. Originally a Saints third-round pick in 2013, he earned a starting role by his third year in the NFL but was released before the end of his fourth. He then bounced around the league with one-year stints with the Seahawks, Bears, Giants, and Dolphins. He then returned to Chicago in 2020 before settling in Miami for two seasons. Jenkins then signed with the Raiders in 2023 and started every game over the next two seasons.
Jenkins is the second Ravens nose tackle to receive an extension this winter; Travis Jones was rewarded with a three-year deal last month. Both will return to Baltimore’s defensive line in 2026 alongside current rookie Aeneas Peebles, but the outlooks for Madubuike and Washington are unclear. Madubuike’s season-ending neck injury has stirred significant concern about his future in the NFL, while Washington could be a cap casualty as he enters the last year of his contract. The team will certainly be able to keep C.J. Okoye on an exclusive rights free agent contract, but he has yet to cement himself as a long-term contributor.
Still, it is possible that Jenkins’ abilities fall of a cliff when he enters his 14th NFL season. He has, however, improved over the course of his career and put up his best three seasons in the last three years. This deal could age poorly, but it accordingly comes at a reasonable price tag. Jenkins is an established veteran who will continue to bring leadership and experience to the Ravens’ defensive line room, which could be especially important if they have to remake the unit this offseason.
Dan Campbell Endorses Kelvin Sheppard
Despite the regression of the Lions defense under Kelvin Sheppard, head coach Dan Campbell signaled his support for his first-year defensive coordinator this week.
“‘Shep’ has really grown this year,” Campbell said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot and you learn along the way.”
Sheppard had a tough task this year. Aaron Glenn left some big shoes to fill when he departed for New York, and Detroit’s defense has been decimated by injuries over the past few months. The secondary has been particularly devastated, with star safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph and cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Ennis Rakestraw all spending time on injured reserve. Branch, Joseph, Arnold, and Rakestraw all saw their seasons end early and were not available down the stretch as the Lions lost four of their last five games and missed the playoffs.
“There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep,” Campbell added.
Campbell also offered some words of support for quarterback Jared Goff after a rough performance against the Vikings in Week 17 contributed to the Lions’ elimination from postseason contention.
“We’re fortunate to have him as a quarterback,” Campbell said. “He’s a winning quarterback in this league. He played at a very high level all season long. He played even better than he played the year before, and he’s continued to play better.”
Statistically, Goff may have slightly regressed from last year, but he still led the Lions to the third-most points and the sixth-most yards in the league. Among qualified quarterbacks, he ranked second in touchdowns (33), third in yards (4,233) and passer rating (107.0), fourth in interception rate (1.3%), fifth in completion percentage (68.3%), and eighth in yards per attempt (7.9). This all happened after the departure of Ben Johnson, one of the league’s foremost offensive minds who built the Lions elite offense practically from the ground up.
In other words, Goff is still producing like a top-10 quarterback and is “going nowhere,” per Campbell.