Two Teams Have Expressed Interest In Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick‘s return to football as head coach at North Carolina could not have gone much worse. Despite an underwhelming product on the field and an unusual amount of news off the field, Belichick is still apparently attracting some interest from the NFL.
[RELATED: Bill Belichick Expected To Draw Interest From Multiple Teams]
According to Josina Anderson, two unidentified NFL teams have recently expressed interest in the future Hall of Fame coach. This follows a report from last month that Belichick was expected to receive interest from multiple organizations.
While Anderson doesn’t mention any definitive suitors, she does note that “upper-level personnel” with the Falcons, Giants, and Browns are “still fond” of Belichick. It’s only natural to connect the Giants to the iconic head coach, as Belichick had a long and successful stint as the team’s defensive coordinator, a stretch in which he earned a pair of Super Bowl rings.
After the Giants moved on from coach Brian Daboll in November, there were some rumblings that the organization could take another look at Belichick. The coach was quick to deny any interest in the opening while restating his commitment to the Tar Heels. Similarly, there were reports that Belichick wasn’t included in the team’s “shortlist of candidates.” Either way, depending on the results of the Giants’ initial survey of coaching candidates, it wouldn’t be completely unfounded for the team to land back on Belichick.
Browns ownership doesn’t have any connection to the coach; in fact, Belichick coached the iteration of the Browns that ultimately transformed into the Baltimore Ravens franchise. The 73-year-old still represents a major “what if” for the city of Cleveland. Belichick never had the same success as he would later have in New England. In five seasons with the Browns, he only had a single winning season, and he finished his tenure with a 36-44 record. The coach did help lay the groundwork for the franchise’s future success in Baltimore, and there’s been a sentiment that he would have continued with the Art Modell-iteration of the organization had they stayed in Cleveland.
The Falcons’ lone connection to Belichick is a public flirtation back in 2024. Atlanta appeared to be the lone serious suitor for the coach following his ouster with the Patriots, but the Falcons ended up opting for Raheem Morris instead. There’s already been whispers that Morris could be on his way out in Atlanta, and perhaps Arthur Blank ends up turning back to one of his main alternatives from several years ago.
Belichick hasn’t done much in 2025 to help his case for a future NFL gig. He had a dreadful first season as North Carolina’s head coach, guiding his squad to a 4-8 record. The Tar Heels also failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time in seven years. At the same time, Belichick was embroiled in a number of off-the-field stories. From his continued pettiness with the Patriots to his handling of recruits and incumbents to his his very-public dalliance, Belichick’s legacy would have done better had the coach stayed off the field (and out of the headlines).
Of course, Belichick’s illustrious resume will always keep him in the NFL coaching cycle. It’s hard to blame teams from being enticed by Belichick’s eight Super Bowl rings, including six as the head coach of the Patriots. Even if he doesn’t garner a job this offseason, this surely won’t be the last we hear his name connected to open jobs.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/25
Wednesday’s NFL practice squad transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Montrell Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: C Wesley French
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Nash Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Marcus Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Jimmy Holiday
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: G McClendon Curtis
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OLB Andre Carter II
- Released: TE Tanner Conner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Caleb Etienne
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Amari Gainer
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR John Rhys Plumlee, RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S D’Anthony Bell
- Released: CB Tyler Hall
Martinez parted ways with San Francisco a week ago and signed with the Jets, who elevated him on Sunday to back up undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook. New York released him from their taxi squad yesterday, so Martinez has found his way back to the Bay Area.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/25
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: LB Jay Higgins
Buffalo Bills
- Designated for return from IR: WR Mecole Hardman
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return from IR: WR David Moore
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: LB Winston Reid
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: LB Karene Reid
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return from IR: T Giovanni Manu
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: G John Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Micah Parsons (story)
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Darrell Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: QB Patrick Mahomes (story)
- Opened practice window: TE Jake Briningstool, DB Nazeeh Johnson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: DE Jahfari Harvey
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: LB Jackson Woodard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: S Rashad Wisdom
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Ali Gaye, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, WR Bryce Oliver
Probably the most overqualified transaction we’ve ever listed in this space, Mahomes is heading to IR for the first time. The superstar Chiefs quarterback suffered ACL and LCL tears and has undergone surgery. Generally, Chiefs IR-return moves are impactful at this stage of the season. In the cases of Briningstool and Johnson, they are returning to practice for a 6-8 team. The Chiefs designated both for return in August, meaning both have already counted toward the team’s eight-activation total. As our IR return tracker shows, Kansas City has not used any other injury activations this season.
Given a one-year, $4.75MM deal by the Texans, Taylor worked as a backup in four games before going down with an ankle injury. Despite his contract, the former Seahawks second-rounder played just 64 defensive snaps before hitting IR.
2025 NFL Dead Money, By Team
As we head toward the playoffs, three NFL teams are carrying more than $100MM in dead money. That represents more than a third of the salary cap. The 49ers are also on track to make the playoffs with more than $100MM allocated to players no longer on their 53-man roster. Here is where the 32 teams stand for dead money (via OverTheCap) with three weeks left in the regular season:
- New Orleans Saints: $107.83MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $103.77MM
- New York Jets: $102.1MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $87.79MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $87.27MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $86.1MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $85.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $83.22MM
- Miami Dolphins: $72.45MM
- Houston Texans: $66.44MM
- Tennessee Titans: $59.42MM
- Green Bay Packers: $57.98MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $56.23MM
- New England Patriots: $50.56MM
- Denver Broncos: $42.78MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $41.34MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.71MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $40.39MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $38.78MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $38.38MM
- Buffalo Bills: $37.58MM
- Carolina Panthers: $36.55MM
- New York Giants: $33.74MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $33.7MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $30.6MM
- Washington Commanders: $27.29MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $27MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $20.99MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $20.33MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $17.37MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $16.51MM
- Chicago Bears: $8.6MM
The $100MM trio dwarfs last year’s leaders — the Broncos — in this unwanted area. The Saints began taking some overdue medicine for their cap-gymnastics past by trading Marshon Lattimore last year. That move coming after June 1 pushed $31.67MM onto New Orleans’ 2025 cap sheet. Derek Carr also counts $19.2MM on this year’s Saints cap, while Ryan Ramczyk‘s retirement covers more than $11MM.
The Carr punishment covers $55.88MM in total, meaning nearly $37MM from the QB’s retirement will land on New Orleans’ 2026 payroll. Mickey Loomis‘ spree of restructures on that contract created that inflated figure.
Deebo Samuel brought a receiver-record dead money total to the 49ers, who absorbed $34.12MM by trading the seventh-year veteran in March. The second leg of the post-June 1 Arik Armstead transaction from 2024 created a $15MM dead cap hit this year, with void years on Charvarius Ward‘s deal covering more than $12MM.
Gang Green took on barely $20MM combined from the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades and will do the same next year, reflecting the low signing bonus figure on the Gardner extension. The Jets, though, have taken $56MM in total from the Aaron Rodgers release ($21MM this year, $35MM next). That is the second-highest total dead cap hit in NFL history.
The team that authorized the highest dead money sum in league annals — Denver, via the 2024 Russell Wilson release — is still carrying $32MM on that contract. It comes off the books next year, and the Broncos do not have any other player counting more than $3MM in dead cap on their 2025 payroll.
The Eagles and Seahawks are also moving toward the playoffs with higher dead money counts compared to the 2024 Broncos, though it should be noted the cap’s $24MM increase from last year plays into this. Philadelphia is still carrying a combined $26MM from the 2024 Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retirements. Josh Sweat void years also comprise $16.44MM of this year’s cap. The Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf trade brought $21MM in dead cap, while Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett and Dre’Mont Jones combine to cover more than $41MM in dead money.
Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith‘s 2024 Cleveland exits via trade tagged the Browns with more than $36MM in dead money together, while the Dolphins are dealing with more than $30MM combined from the post-June 1 designations on Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey. The latter counts $15.7MM in dead money this year and $20.9MM in 2026. That eclipses Lattimore’s defender-record total for dead cap.
Browns LB Devin Bush Found Not Guilty Of Simple Assault, Harassment Chargers
Browns linebacker Devin Bush was found not guilty of simple assault and harassment charges, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
Bush, 27, was arrested and charged in May after an altercation with his girlfriend, Shkurte Leka. He pled not guilty and scheduled a bench trial for December. A judge ruled on Tuesday that Bush was not guilty, though Leka could pursue civil action.
The incident came two months after Bush re-signed in Cleveland on a one-year, $3.25MM deal. After a rotational role in 2024, he has stepped up as a starter this season. Bush ranks second on the Browns in tackles (93) and third on passes defended (seven).
Bush’s arrest obviously created the potential for discipline from the NFL. Presumably, his acquittal will reduce the chances of punishment, but the NFL may conduct their own investigation into the incident.
Bush entered the pros as the Steelers’ No. 10 pick in the 2019 draft. He never lived up to his draft billing – due partially to a torn ACL in his second year – and was not retained after his rookie contract expired. He signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks in 2023 before joining the Browns in the following offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: WR Jalen Brooks
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Steelers): WR Ke’Shawn Williams
Houston Texans
- Signed from practice squad: RB Jawhar Jordan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: RB DeeJay Dallas
- Opened practice window: LB Jalen McLeod
- Placed on IR: LB Jack Kiser
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: DT Leki Fotu
New England Patriots
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: LB Chad Muma
New York Jets
- Signed from practice squad: S Jarius Monroe
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S D’Anthony Bell
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): G Garrett Dellinger
A steady presence in Arizona a couple years ago, Fotu started four of six game appearances for the Raiders this year. The occasional starts were not indicative of his true usage, though, as he hasn’t gotten consistent time on the field for Las Vegas in 2025. The Raiders will move on from the veteran as they shift focus in a lost season towards evaluating young talent with more gametime.
As a practice squad elevation this weekend, Jordan became the first Texans running back to eclipse the century mark in a game this year. Houston wasted little time in returning him to the active roster
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Sunday’s action provided more clarity on a number of fronts relating to the playoff pushes in each conference. The list of teams still in contention for the top pick in the 2026 draft remains long, however.
Week 15 saw the Broncos and Rams clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings have each officially been eliminated from the playoffs. They will join the group of teams turning their attention to offseason planning. That of course includes extensive evaluation of the top prospects in this year’s class; several have already turned pro (with some exceptions).
Sunday’s results mean there are nine teams with two, three or four wins. Each of them remain candidates to secure the No. 1 selection, although victories by the Saints and Commanders yesterday will greatly hinder their chances of moving to the top of the order. Jockeying amongst teams like the Raiders, Jets and Cardinals (each on track to pursue a new quarterback this spring) will be a storyline worth following closely down the stretch.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Tennessee Titans (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-11)
- New York Jets (3-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- New Orleans Saints (4-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Miami Dolphins (6-8)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7)
- Detroit Lions (8-6)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Houston Texans (9-5)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Buffalo Bills (10-4)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- New England Patriots (11-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-2)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/15/25
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Jamari Thrash
- Waived: G Garrett Dellinger
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: DT Mario Edwards Jr. (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed from practice squad: LB Quinton Bell
- Elevated: OL Kion Smith
- Waived: OLB Andre Carter II
New England Patriots
- Waived: LB Caleb Murphy
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed from practice squad: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Elevated: OL Jack Driscoll, DE DeMarvin Leal
- Waived: WR Ke’Shawn Williams
Jamari Thrash is already back on Cleveland’s active roster after getting waived the other day. The former fifth-round pick has only seen time in a single game since the beginning of November. Before that, he tallied 10 receptions for 107 yards.
In other receiver news, Marquez Valdes-Scantling made his way to the active roster for tonight’s game against the Dolphins. The veteran got into 16 offensive snaps during his Steelers debut in Week 14. Before that, he hauled in four catches for 40 yards in five appearances for the 49ers.
Assessing Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ Chances Of Starting In 2026
Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders came into the season with plenty to prove. Once projected to be a top draft pick, Sanders entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick and the fourth in line at his position in Cleveland. Finally getting his chance to start, Sanders has been a mixed bag so far in his efforts to prove he belongs.
His NFL debut came in the exact manner the Browns had feared it might, as an injury replacement in an offense designed for another passer. Some ugly stats on the box score discredit the reality, which was that Sanders put his team in a decent position for a late-game tying score against the division rival Ravens.
The next week, in Las Vegas, Sanders logged both his first NFL start and his first NFL win. Working under a gameplan designed completely around him, Sanders showed small improvements. Browns coaches kept the gameplan simple, focusing on quick reads and easy completions. In his second start, against the 49ers, Sanders had a more efficient performance, sporting a higher completion percentage while being interception-free for the first time, but the offense ultimately struggled to create and Sanders took a few too many sacks.
Last week, he dueled with a fellow rookie, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Though Ward walked away with the win, Sanders owned the superior stat line. With Cleveland’s staff incrementally injecting more and more each week into the offensive gameplan, Sanders looked comfortable for much of the game as he put up a career-high 364 passing yards. Today, against the Bears, felt like a major regression, though. A blowout loss with three interceptions and five sacks had Sanders looking very much the part of the fifth-round rookie.
The highs and lows in this short sample of his rookie campaign rightfully has fans asking: does he deserve a chance at the starting job in 2026? Or should the Browns continue in their presumed plans to draft a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks next year? Mike Sando, Jeff Howe, and Zak Keefer of The Athletic touched on the topic in a round table yesterday.
Even without the knowledge of today’s brutal performance, the consensus was much more short-sighted. Essentially, The Athletic staffers asserted that Sanders hasn’t quite earned anything that far in the future just yet, but he has earned the right to keep proving himself this season. With more games like he had against the Titans, Sanders could absolutely show the Browns he’s worthy of strong consideration. Any more performances like today, though, and Sanders may rule himself out quicker than expected.
Another consideration they discussed was the fact that potential leadership changes in the offseason could even alter who is making the decision to give Sanders a chance next year. Regardless, whoever is making decisions when the draft comes around will be highly encouraged to draft a quarterback if they like that prospect more than Sanders. The current rookie has not yet done enough to prevent that from being a priority next year, but he’ll continue to get every opportunity for now.
Giants HC Rumors: Hafley, Freeman, OCs
At 2-11 and in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Giants will likely bring in a new head coach from outside the organization in the next couple of months. Interim choice Mike Kafka, who replaced the fired Brian Daboll a little over a month ago, seems like a long shot for a full-time promotion. Now coming off their bye, Kafka’s Giants have gone 0-3, including a blowout loss to the Patriots in Week 13.
General manager Joe Schoen is leading New York’s head coaching search. After hiring Daboll in 2022, he’s in line to pick his second head coach despite a 20-43-1 record as the team’s GM. Schoen doesn’t expect his presence to push away candidates, though there’s some disagreement about that around the league, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post details.
With Schoen only under contract through 2026, an NFC assistant coach told Dunleavy: “The biggest deterrent to taking that job is a lame-duck GM. If you’re signing a five-year deal to become the head coach, you’d like to know that you can develop a vision for your program with a GM that’s aligned the same way. But if the GM is in win-now mode and you need time to bring in scheme-specific talent, that will not mesh very well.”
On the other hand, a different assistant who could receive head coaching interviews told Dunleavy: “Joe’s well respected around the league. It’s not going to be a deterrent. When you look at the quarterback and the game-changers they have, it’s going to be one of the more attractive jobs.”
First-round rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers, left tackle Andrew Thomas, and a talented group of pass rushers are among the reasons many consider the Giants’ position enticing. That group may appeal to Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who’s the “heavy favorite” to land the job, according to Conor Orr of SI.com. The 46-year-old New Jersey native would be a first-time NFL head coach, but he did take Boston College to two bowl games from 2020-23. Green Bay’s enjoying its second straight year as one of the league’s most effective defenses under his tutelage.
Hafley went 22-26 at Boston College. One of his losses came at the hands of a Marcus Freeman-led Notre Dame squad. Freeman, who came up as a speculative Giants candidate last month, is indeed on the team’s list, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Although Notre Dame’s season ended without a playoff berth, the Fighting Irish finished 10-2. They’re 43-12 since Freeman succeeded Brian Kelly in late 2021.
Freeman is under contract through 2030 on a lucrative extension, but Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua realizes there’s outside interest in the 39-year-old.
“Everybody has eyes on Marcus,” Bevacqua said (via Adam Rittenberg of ESPN). “College has eyes on Marcus; NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. … He’s the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop, one of the greatest college coaches in the country.”
To better its chances of keeping Freeman, Notre Dame will revise his contract on an annual basis, Bevacqua revealed. Doing so will keep Freeman among the nation’s highest-paid coaches.
Aside from Hafley, Freeman, and Colts DC Lou Anarumo (previously reported), Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak are also on the Giants’ radar, according to Russini.
Kingsbury is the only member of the quintet with previous head coaching experience in the pros. The Cardinals went 28-37-1 under him from 2019-22. Kingsbury helped quarterback Kyler Murray to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowls during that span. Murray hasn’t revisited that form since. Kingsbury also guided the Cardinals to an 11-6 record in 2021. That stands as their only playoff season of the past decade.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may join Kingsbury as an experienced possibility for the Giants. The Browns aren’t expected to fire the two-time Coach of the Year, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes, though he contends it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants trade for Stefanski.
It’s unclear what the Giants would have to give up for Stefanski, who would be part of the league’s eighth head coach trade since 1997 in this scenario. The most recent deal came when the Broncos dealt a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder to the Saints for Sean Payton and a 2024 third-rounder in February 2023. The Giants aren’t in position to surrender that type of compensation for Stefanski, but it appears he’s another name to keep an eye on during their high-profile search.