Jets GM Darren Mougey Has Scouted QBs Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore In Person; Latest On Team’s 2026 QB Plans
If the season ended today, the 2-9 Jets would hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft. Even if they do not end up with that pick – and it is certainly feasible they lose enough games down the stretch to find themselves even higher on the draft board – they should be in prime position to select one of next year’s top quarterback prospects.
To that end, GM Darren Mougey has scouted Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore in person, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Unfortunately for Mougey, the 2026 class of signal-callers, once viewed as a promising one, has seen its stock drop over the course of the 2025 season.
Mendoza has been among the most impressive collegiate QBs and is viewed by many as the top prospect likely to declare for the 2026 draft. Although the game that Mougey attended featured Mendoza leading a dramatic, game-winning drive against Penn State, opinions are split on his ceiling at the NFL level. Moore, meanwhile, is only 20 and could benefit from another year of development in the college ranks.
If players like Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, and Texas’ Arch Manning decide to stay in school for one more season, that will strengthen a 2027 class that is already set to include Florida’s DJ Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. We had heard one of the reasons Mougey was willing to accept a 2027 first-round pick from the Cowboys in this month’s Quinnen Williams trade was because of his belief that the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than its ‘26 counterpart. So, while the first-year GM is obviously doing his due diligence, he may wait another year to make a high-end draft investment in a QB (though Cimini says in a separate piece that there is “growing buzz” in league circles connecting Mendoza to the Jets).
Whether it is Mendoza or someone else, Cimini thinks the Jets will add a rookie QB in the 2026 draft, and he also believes Mougey will acquire a veteran passer. Despite the fact that Justin Fields’ 2026 salary includes $10MM in guaranteed money, Cimini indicates Mougey will likely release the recently-demoted signal-caller – which jibes with previous reports on the matter – and will not try to re-sign his replacement, Tyrod Taylor.
As per usual, the 2026 crop of free agents offers little by way of starting-caliber quarterbacks, and the one that does qualify as such, Daniel Jones, may not make it to free agency. Mougey could therefore look to the trade market to acquire a bridge passer, and Cimini names Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, and Kirk Cousins as potential targets (Murray and Jones, at least, could also be in the Vikings’ crosshairs).
UDFA rookie Brady Cook has spent most of the year on the Jets’ practice squad, though he has been elevated on several occasions to operate as a backup (he has not, however, seen any regular season game action). In response to a question about whether Cook would get into a game in 2025, head coach Aaron Glenn conceded it was a possibility, but he offered no guarantees.
Vikings Made QB Sam Darnold Offer Similar To Seahawks’ Proposal
A June report from Michael Silver of The Athletic indicated the Vikings did not make a multiyear offer to quarterback Sam Darnold, who parlayed a surprising run as Minnesota’s starting signal-caller in 2024 into a three-year, $100.5MM free agent contract with the Seahawks this offseason. As the ‘Hawks and Vikes prepare to face each other on Sunday, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (video link) provides some additional context.
According to Pelissero, the Vikings did, in fact, make an offer very similar to the one the Seahawks made. Pelissero acknowledges that the offer only contained a one-year commitment, but the contract Seattle authorized for Darnold also includes a “pay-as-you-go” structure. Indeed, the only guaranteed compensation for future years that Darnold presently enjoys is a $17.5MM injury guarantee, which does not convert to a full guarantee until after Super Bowl LX.
So, depending on how one plays with semantics, Silver’s and Pelissero’s respective reports are not necessarily contradictory; after all, neither Seattle nor Minnesota made Darnold an offer that tethered them to the USC product beyond 2025, even if their respective proposals were multiyear commitments on paper. Pelissero says the only reason the Vikings did not increase their offer was not because of Darnold’s disappointing end to the 2024 campaign, but because of their faith in J.J. McCarthy (although the team may be regretting that decision at the moment).
From Darnold’s perspective, with money being more or less equal, the Seahawks were a more logical destination, since McCarthy’s presence and status as a 2024 first-rounder represented more of a threat than anyone Seattle had on its depth chart at the time. The ‘Hawks did add Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 draft, but he was always viewed as a player who would take some time to develop.
Despite a nightmarish, four-interception outing in a narrow loss to the Rams in Week 11, Darnold largely has justified his contract and appears to be in line to unlock his 2026 payout. Seattle boasts an 8-3 record, and Darnold presently sits fourth in the league in terms of traditional quarterback rating (106.2) and sixth in QBR (69.4).
Vance Joseph’s Head Coaching Stock Rising; Broncos DC Discusses Future
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who also served as the team’s head coach from 2017-18, interviewed for the Raiders’ and Jets’ HC posts in this year’s carousel. While he did not appear to be a serious contender for either job, an October report suggested he would be back on the head coaching radar in a more meaningful way in 2026, and Mike Klis of 9News confirms as much.
According to Kils, Joseph is the candidate who has been mentioned most frequently with respect to one of the HC vacancies in the upcoming cycle. After working as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 2019-22, the 53-year-old joined Sean Payton’s first staff in Denver in 2023. Although his ‘23 unit finished near the bottom of the league in terms of both total defense and points per game, his 2024-25 defenses have been among the NFL’s best.
As Klis notes, Joseph is particularly well-regarded for his ability to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which is perhaps the most important attribute of a defense in the modern game. The Broncos have amassed a league-leading 112 sacks in the past one-and-a-half seasons, which is one of the reasons why Joseph is expected to generate so much HC interest (he has already been connected to the Titans’ vacancy).
When asked earlier this week about the attention his work has earned, Joseph predictably downplayed his HC aspirations while acknowledging that working under Payton has provided him with valuable insight as to how to “fix” a team (which is similar to what Commanders offensive coordinator and former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Joseph’s ex-boss, recently said about working under Dan Quinn).
“It’s flattering, but my second time through the process, or my third or fourth time through the process, I don’t think about it,” Joseph said. “I really don’t because I know it’s about winning. Everyone wants to hire winners. They want to hire someone who’s fixed something. And there’s no better example than what we’ve done here the last three years. Being with Sean Payton helped my learning with how to fix a team.”
Joseph posted a disappointing 11-21 record in his two seasons as the Broncos’ bench boss, but Denver’s quarterback situation during that time left much to be desired. Additionally, Joseph’s team was 6-6 in 2018 before injuries to Pro Bowlers Chris Harris and Emmanuel Sanders helped key a four-game skid to close that season.
As of the time of this writing, the 9-2 Broncos are just a half-game behind the Patriots for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Naturally, Joseph indicated his attention is focused on his team’s postseason push, and he said he will be happy to return to Denver if he does not land an HC job in 2026.
“The key is to win. And not worry about the process,” he said. “It’s the Broncos’ season right now and that’s my focus, honestly. If it happens, I’ll be happy. And if it doesn’t, I’m still going to have a good job. I have good players. I’m in a great city. I have no worries, honestly.”
His accomplishments aside, there could be another reason for the buzz around Joseph. As our Sam Robinson recently wrote in a subscribers-only piece, the would-be 2026 crop of offensive-minded HC talent (like Kingsbury) has not generated much momentum in 2025, which could make teams more inclined to consider defensive-oriented candidates.
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan Expected To Begin Practicing This Week
A recent report suggested Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan is close to seeing regular season game action for the first time in 2025, and Sunday brought more good news in that regard. As Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network writes, McMillan has received clearance from a spine specialist and is expected to begin practicing this week.
McMillan had a strong rookie showing in 2024 but has been on injured reserve since the current season began due to a neck injury he sustained in an exhibition contest in August. Originally described as a “severely strained neck,” we subsequently learned the second-year pro was also dealing with a fracture in his neck, although the ligament issue (the strain) was actually more problematic and was what forced McMillan to wear a brace.
In a follow-up to Rapoport’s story, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times added that McMillan actually suffered three fractures in his neck while reiterating that the strain was the more significant concern. In any event, the Bucs surely will be happy to open McMillan’s practice window, which will give them 21 days to activate him or shut him down for the rest of the season. Obviously, the fact that they are planning to have him return to practice suggests they are optimistic about his ability to play.
And his return will be especially welcome for a 6-5 team that has dealt with major injury concerns this season and that has just a half-game lead in the NFC South as of the time of this writing. McMillan’s fellow wideouts, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, have combined to play in just seven games in 2025, and while Godwin returned to action on a pitch count in Week 12, Evans remains on the shelf with a broken clavicle (though he is also expected to return soon). RB1 Bucky Irving is set to return in Week 13 after a lengthy absence, and starting quarterback Baker Mayfield was unable to finish the Bucs’ Week 12 loss to the Rams due to a sprained AC joint (he will nonetheless play in Week 13).
For a time, it appeared Tampa Bay would easily capture its fifth straight division title, but a three-game losing streak has kept the Panthers (6-6) and even the Falcons (4-7) alive in the NFC South race. The Bucs appear to be getting healthy at the right time, and they may soon have the loaded WR corps they expected to field when they selected Emeka Egbuka in the first round of this year’s draft.
Egbuka has played well in his rookie campaign, and a WR contingent comprised of him, Evans, Godwin, and McMillan, to go along with Irving and Rachaad White in the offensive backfield and Mayfield under center, will make the Bucs a tough out in the playoffs if they should qualify.
Saints Waive Brandin Cooks; Latest On WR’s Contract Restructure
NOVEMBER 24: As expected, Cooks has cleared waivers (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). He is now a free agent.
NOVEMBER 23: The Saints have officially put veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on waivers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio passes along a few of the “contractual technicalities” that were referenced in prior reporting on Cooks’ impending departure, technicalities which held up the transaction.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football had reported that Cooks negotiated his contract downward to facilitate his exit, which appears to be true to a degree. Per Florio, the 32-year-old wideout gave up his right to $420K in termination pay, which would not have been offset by the salary an acquiring team will have to give him.
In exchange, the team that originally drafted Cooks increased his guaranteed pay for 2026 – the final year of the two-year pact he signed this offseason – from $1.69MM to $5.94MM. A team claiming Cooks off waivers would have to absorb his contract, so bumping up the guaranteed money on the deal makes it more likely he will pass through waivers unclaimed, thus making him a free agent and therefore able to sign with any team he wants (read: a playoff contender).
Of course, the perennially cap-strapped Saints would not willingly put themselves on the hook for more money for a player they are trying to remove from the roster, so the revised contract also created a window for New Orleans to cut Cooks in a way that absolves the team of its 2026 obligation to him. The problem, according to Florio, is that league rules specifically prohibit a team from modifying a contract to deter a waiver claim, which is precisely what the Saints have done.
However, it presently appears as if the NFL is allowing the waiver process to move forward. One high-ranking official with another club expressed shock at the league’s willingness to do so, and the NFL has not responded to Florio’s request for comment or clarification.
Absent some sort of about-face on the league’s part, it looks like Cooks and the Saints will achieve their desired outcome and Cooks will soon hit the open market. As our Connor Byrne noted in the story linked above, a number of contending teams – including the Bills, Broncos, and Steelers – were in the hunt for a receiver at the trade deadline but were unable to land one. They are among the clubs that could show interest in Cooks if he does, in fact, become an FA.
The former first-round pick has 19 catches for 165 scoreless yards in 2025.
Bengals’ Duke Tobin On Hot Seat?
Duke Tobin has served as the Bengals‘ director of player personnel and de facto general manager since 2002. Despite his lengthy tenure, Tobin’s job security may be in doubt.
Per Mike Jones of The Athletic (subscription required), league insiders are questioning whether team owner Mike Brown will keep his top lieutenant in the fold. After all, the 3-7 Bengals are just two losses away from clinching a losing season and, barring a miraculous turn of events, will miss the playoffs for a third straight year.
Of course, Cincinnati’s difficulties since the club advanced to the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 2022 campaign can largely be attributed to quarterback Joe Burrow’s health concerns. The star passer played in just 10 games in 2023 and has appeared in just two contests this year, and any team that loses its QB1 for long stretches of time – especially a player of Burrow’s caliber – is going to struggle.
But Burrow played a full complement of games last year, and the Bengals still failed to qualify for the postseason (Burrow finished fourth in MVP voting and may have fared better in that regard if Cincy had cracked the playoff field). The culprit for 2024’s failures was not Burrow’s health, it was the defense, which surrendered the eighth-most yards and the eighth-most points per game.
This year, the defense has performed even more poorly. The Bengals are dead last in total defense and scoring defense, so although 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco has kept the offense in decent shape after Jake Browning faltered in relief of Burrow – Cincy is averaging 28.6 points per game and 385.6 yards per game during Flacco’s five games at the controls – the team has just one win since Burrow went down.
Earlier this year, Tobin conceded he tried to keep the defensive core of the roster that advanced to Super Bowl LVI intact for a bit too long, which he believed was a factor in the unit’s 2024 struggles. In order to address last season’s deficiencies, Tobin devoted three of his first four picks in the 2025 draft to the defensive side of the ball, including first-round selection Shemar Stewart and second-rounder Demetrius Knight.
Unfortunately, Stewart has appeared in only five games due to injury, and he generally has failed to impress when he has been on the field (Knight has also failed to live up to expectations in his rookie season). The team’s handling of Stewart’s and Trey Hendrickson’s contract situations have invited outside scrutiny, though Brown surely had a hand in those matters and may not hold them against Tobin.
What will work against the 55-year-old exec is his recent inability to hit on defensive players in the draft. Those shortcomings have undermined DC Al Golden’s efforts in his first year in charge of the Bengals’ defense and have made the decision to fire Lou Anarumo in favor of Golden look like a poor one.
On the other hand, some rival executives believe Burrow’s injury and Brown’s frugality will give Tobin a reprieve and another chance to return the team to contention in 2026. Until Brown formally confirms as much, Tobin’s future in the Queen City will remain a talking point.
Chiefs Unlikely To Retain CB Jaylen Watson
Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson is not a household name, but he has established himself as a quality starter and has become an important piece of Kansas City’s stout defense. Watson’s success with the AFC powerhouse may lead the impending free agent elsewhere in the offseason, according to ESPN’s Nate Taylor.
The Chiefs selected Watson in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, and he operated in a rotational capacity during his first two years in the pros. The club’s trade of L’Jarius Sneed in March 2024 opened up more playing time for Watson, who started the first six games of the 2024 slate before a fractured fibula and tibia put a premature end to his regular season (though he did return in time for KC’s playoff run). This season, he has remained an every-down corner along with Trent McDuffie, and he presently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best CB out of 108 qualified players (just five spots behind McDuffie).
Kansas City moved Sneed in a tag-and-trade maneuver rather than authorize a lucrative extension for him – a wise decision, in hindsight – and Taylor believes the team will allow Watson to simply hit the open market. That is not reflective of the Chiefs’ view of Watson; it is simply a matter of resource allocation. Taylor reports the club will prioritize an extension for McDuffie, a 2023 First Team All-Pro who is reportedly seeking a market-topping contract, and a mega-deal for McDuffie may preclude a Watson re-up.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler likewise suggests McDuffie’s contract situation could force Watson out of Missouri. Watson, who checks in at No. 15 on ESPN’s most recent list of the league’s top 25 players slated for free agency in 2026, has generated some buzz around the league, per Fowler. One AFC executive told the ESPN scribe that Watson will “have a nice market” and “could surprise some people.”
Watson, 27, likely will not come close to the top of the cornerback market, which now includes two players at or above the $30MM/year threshold (McDuffie could join that group in short order). However, the Ventura College and Washington State product should land a deal featuring an eight-figure annual average, and his earning power will be bolstered by his ability to succeed both in press coverage and in zone.
One of GM Brett Veach’s Day 3 success stories, Watson has compiled 42 total tackles, four passes defensed, an interception, and a sack through ten games in 2025.
Seahawks, S Coby Bryant Held Extension Talks Before Season; RB Kenneth Walker Not In Team’s Future Plans?
The Seahawks engaged in extension talks with safety Coby Bryant before the 2025 season got underway, as ESPN’s Brady Henderson reports. There was too much of a gap to bridge in those discussions, but Henderson expects the parties to return to the negotiating table before free agency opens in March 2026.
Bryant, 26, was a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 and is therefore playing out the final year of his rookie deal. He is making a strong case for a notable second contract, appearing in a career-high 98% of Seattle’s defensive snaps this season and earning a 69.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which places him as the site’s 27th-best safety out of 93 qualifiers. He has added two interceptions and five passes defensed.
After spending most of his first two professional seasons in the slot, Bryant has become a starting safety, though he still sees action at nickel and in the box. Clearly, the team and head coach Mike Macdonald want to continue their relationship with Bryant, and their push for an extension may be informed at least in part by other contract situations on the roster.
As Henderson observes, a number of Seattle’s defensive backs are eligible for free agency in the upcoming offseason, including corners Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe, and Derion Kendrick, and Bryant’s primary running mate at safety, Ty Okada. While the 7-3 ‘Hawks ultimately elected to keep Woolen and outside linebacker (and fellow 2026 FA) Boye Mafe through this month’s trade deadline, it sounds as if the club is prioritizing a re-up for Bryant.
Indeed, Henderson confirms prior reports suggesting Mafe is not in Seattle’s long-term plans, and he says the same is true of RB Kenneth Walker. Walker and Zach Charbonnet have largely shared the workload in the Seahawks’ offensive backfield in 2025, with Walker seeing 136 carries to Charbonnet’s 105.
From a raw statistics perspective, Walker has been more effective, as his 4.5 yards-per-carry average is considerably higher than Charbonnet’s 3.3 mark (Walker is also PFF’s highest-rated running back as of the time of this writing). Additionally, Walker has not exhibited any ill effects from the injuries that cost him six games last year.
On the other hand, Pro Football Reference has assigned Charbonnet a slightly higher success rate (44.8%, compared to Walker’s 44.1%), and Charbonnet flashed both as a runner and a receiver in his first two NFL seasons. He is under club control through 2026, whereas Walker is eligible for free agency (and a considerable raise) in March. Perhaps GM John Schneider simply does not want to give a second contract to a running back at this point.
Jets Want To Retain Breece Hall; RB Expected To Have Strong FA Market
There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding Jets running back Breece Hall in the offseason and before the trade deadline. At one point, it appeared 2025 would be Hall’s last season with Gang Green, but the club’s refusal to deal him for anything less than a third-rounder leads ESPN’s Rich Cimini to believe the Jets want to retain the Iowa State product.
It is not hard to see why. Hall, whose 2023-24 form was not on the same level as his dynamic but injury-shortened rookie campaign in 2022, is looking like his old self. He has maintained a robust 4.8 yards-per-carry rate on 152 totes in 2025, and thanks to his dual-threat capabilities, he is averaging nearly 95 scrimmage yards per game.
As such, a number of personnel evaluators tell ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the four-year, $48MM contract the Packers authorized for Josh Jacobs in the 2024 offseason is a reasonable comp for Hall (though it should be noted that Jacobs’ pact includes a team-friendly guarantee structure). Cimini believes Hall will indeed be seeking a deal paying him between $10MM-$12MM annually, and given the interest he garnered from other clubs at the deadline, it appears he will have a strong market.
The Jets could, of course, make him off-limits with a franchise tag that is estimated to be worth about $14MM, and New York may be forced to go that route to keep the 24-year-old RB on the roster. Although Hall refuted prior reports suggesting he requested a trade, he neither confirmed nor denied whether he would have welcomed one. In light of the Jets’ ongoing struggles and the trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams that portend a rebuild, Hall may prefer to join a team closer to contention.
New York does have two recent RB draftees under club control for the next two seasons in 2024 fourth-rounder Braelon Allen and 2024 fifth-rounder Isaiah Davis. Allen, currently on injured reserve with a knee injury, has posted a subpar 3.7 YPC rate across 110 rushes at the NFL level, while Davis has shown more juice, with a stellar 5.8 YPC average (albeit on just 52 career carries).
Even with Allen, Davis, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the mix, the Jets need all the skill-position help they can get, especially if they have a rookie quarterback lining up under center in 2026.
Latest On Giants’ HC Search, DC Shane Bowen
NOVEMBER 17: The Giants aren’t making any changes to their coaching staff this week, Kafka told reporters (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN). Bowen will remain the team’s defensive coordinator. “Status quo,” Kafka said of his staff.
NOVEMBER 16: Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has been on the hot seat for some time, and Sunday’s loss to the Packers may have been the final straw. Connor Hughes of SNY.tv says the “odds are” that Bowen will be fired in short order.
Bowen worked under Mike Vrabel as the Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2021-23. When Tennessee cleaned house at the end of the 2023 slate, Bowen joined the Giants’ staff, though his first year on the job did not go especially well; Big Blue finished in the bottom-10 in terms of total defense and just outside the bottom-10 in terms of points allowed in 2024.
Nonetheless, the Giants retained head coach Brian Daboll and his top lieutenants, Bowen and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, this offseason. Of course, Daboll was fired just last week, and Kafka was elevated to interim HC.
According to Hughes, the only reason Bowen was not axed at the same time as Daboll is because the team did not want to put Kafka at a disadvantage. Instead, the Giants wanted him to spend a full week at the controls, attend defensive meetings – which is something he naturally had not done in his capacity as OC – and draw his own conclusions about the current staff.
After Sunday’s defeat, which marked the fourth time this season the 2-9 Giants have squandered a lead in the fourth quarter, Kafka certainly did not give Bowen a vote of confidence.
“We’ll evaluate everything,” Kafka succinctly stated (via Hughes).
In addition to the fourth quarter collapses, New York has allowed the fourth-most yards per game (383.0), and the club is 28th in points allowed (27.3 points per game). As such, a Bowen ouster would not be surprising.
Kafka has been linked to outside head coaching interest in the past, so while the Giants will not be vying for a playoff spot this year, their performance will impact Kafka’s own coaching future. In addition to their interim bench boss, of course, the Giants will also consider a number of other options for the full-time HC gig this offseason.
According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer (video link), that search – which will be spearheaded by GM Joe Schoen – will not be overly expansive. Schoen will have to determine if he prefers a candidate who will be directly responsible for quarterback Jaxson Dart’s development or if he thinks the so-called “leader of men” profile (e.g. Mike Tomlin, Dan Campbell) is more important. Either way, Glazer does not think a college coach will be under consideration.
If true, that would eliminate Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman from the Giants’ list, which contradicts a recent report naming Freeman as a viable target. Some of the names that Glazer thinks will make the cut (Mike McCarthy, Lou Anarumo, Steve Spagnuolo) have already been linked to the post, while three others (Matt Nagy, Arthur Smith, Chris Shula) had not been publicly connected to New York.
Glazer spent extra time considering Shula’s candidacy. The Rams’ defensive coordinator could be yet another member of the Sean McVay coaching tree to receive HC consideration elsewhere, and according to Glazer, McVay has worked more closely with Shula than any of his former proteges.
Shula, 39, was recently named as a “prime candidate” to land a head coaching job in the 2026 cycle.