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NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/25

January 6th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Ben Levine

With the regular season having come to an end, many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts. This allows organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Still Undecided On Potential Coaching Change

January 6th, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 6: Jones and McCarthy will meet later today as part of the Cowboys’ end-of-season process, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports. It is unknown at this point if a formal contract offer will be made at that time, or if Jones will indicate a change is being contemplated. The wait continues for McCarthy and the remainder of his staff.

JANUARY 5: Cowboys brass avoided questions about head coach Mike McCarthy‘s future in the build-up to Week 18, something which is commonplace when changes on the sidelines are considered imminent. Dallas’ season has now ended, but it remains to be seen if McCarthy will be replaced.

After the Cowboys’ loss to the Commanders, owner Jerry Jones spoke to the media. He was asked the latest round of questions about McCarthy, whose contract is set to expire next week. During the year, he has routinely spoken highly of the former Packers Super Bowl winner, and to no surprise that continued on Sunday.

“I don’t know that I am considering making a change is really what I’m trying to say,” Jones replied (via ESPN’s Todd Archer) when speaking about McCarthy’s future. “Mike’s one of the best coaches that I think there is. He was made the coach here because I thought that, and he’s done absolutely nothing to diminish my opinion of him as a coach.”

That falls in line with much of Jones’ sentiment from the past several months. The 2024 season did not go to plan, as the Cowboys dealt with major injuries at a number of key positions en route to a 7-10 finish. McCarthy guided the team to three straight 12-5 campaigns prior to this year’s disappointment, but a lack of playoff success led to doubts he would be retained for this past season. Jones elected not to offer a contract extension, leaving McCarthy in a lame duck situation.

As things currently stand, Dallas is not looking into other candidates, a notable indication McCarthy has a strong chance of receiving a new contract shortly. As Jones noted, though, no timeline is currently in place regarding a final decision on that front. McCarthy and the rest of his staff are on expiring deals, so changes on the sidelines will need to be made soon if Jones elects to move in a different direction and avail himself to the top candidates in the 2025 hiring cycle. McCarthy, meanwhile, made it clear he hopes to remain in place.

“I have a lot invested here. And the Cowboys have a lot invested in me,” the 63-year-old said. “And then there’s a personal side to all these decisions. They all point the right direction… I believe in building programs. I believe in developing young players. So, at the end of day, it is about winning and you have to have those components in place to get this thing where it needs to be. I think we have a very good foundation here.”

McCarthy could be a head coaching candidate for outside suitors in this year’s hiring cycle provided the Cowboys choose not to retain him. The Saints were recently named as a team which could target McCarthy if possible, but for now there is still (at least publicly) a mutual desire for his time with Jones in Dallas to continue next year and beyond.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Houston Texans (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  24. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  26. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Detroit Lions (15-2)

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Cowboys Not Looking At Other HC Candidates; Mike McCarthy In Play To Stay

January 5th, 2025 at 8:13am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 5: Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears form “Dallas sources” that McCarthy will receive a new contract — perhaps a four-year pact as opposed to a five-year accord — to remain with the Cowboys. To be clear, no one is willing to confirm as much because no contract talks have taken place at this point. Still, with McCarthy reportedly a viable candidate for other jobs, Dallas brass may not want to let him get away, and McCarthy himself loves the Dallas area and prizes his relationship with Prescott.

JANUARY 3: McCarthy’s contract will expire Jan. 14, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note. This would mean the Cowboys could block McCarthy from interviewing elsewhere between season’s end and that date. Reminding of the Cowboys’ two offseasons in which Garrett was on an expiring deal, the team will have barely week between season’s end and that expiration date to negotiate an extension without the threat of other teams looming.

While the Cowboys have not closed the door on McCarthy staying, Rapoport and Pelissero indicate no substantive extension talks have taken place. With teams not being able to meet in-person with candidates until after the divisional round, McCarthy would not run the risk of being frozen out of this coaching cycle by this contract timeline. He should be expected to draw HC interest elsewhere, Rapoport adds.

JANUARY 2: Coming off a 41-7 loss to an Eagles team missing Jalen Hurts, the Cowboys saw their late-season momentum blunted. Mike McCarthy‘s contract covers one more game, the team’s season-ender against Washington. Will that be it for him in Dallas?

The Cowboys took the highly unusual step of letting McCarthy coach out his contract, driving numerous headlines about his future and how the organization plans to replace him. But some buzz about McCarthy receiving a second Cowboys contract has surfaced in recent weeks. At least, no definitive indication the team will fire McCarthy has emerged.

[RELATED: Jones Does Not Believe McCarthy’s Contract Affected Season]

McCarthy and his assistants are on expiring deals, which would make for a cleaner transition. Waiting until season’s end to make a call, the Cowboys are not tipping their hand. They plan to meet with their fifth-year HC next week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. McCarthy’s contract makes this one of the stranger situations over the past several coaching carousels, however.

Because McCarthy will have coached throughout a five-year deal, he will be free to explore other opportunities. Teams could interview the former Super Bowl-winning leader immediately, as only coaches under contract would need to wait until divisional-round week. Some around the league believe McCarthy has a “small” chance to stay in Dallas, per Fowler. While that is not especially optimistic, it also represents an improvement based on where the embattled HC’s chances were when Dak Prescott sustained a season-ending injury. Prescott has since provided a strong endorsement for McCarthy.

Third-chance HCs are not too common anymore. No active coaches are on their third try, though we do not have to too far back to find leaders who match that description. Jon Gruden received two shots with the Raiders, with his Buccaneers stay sandwiched in between, while Pete Carroll wrapped a third NFL HC stint last season and John Fox did so within the past decade. The Jets also are interviewing Ron Rivera about what would be a third opportunity, while Rex Ryan may be in the mix for a third chance himself. McCarthy being an active coach would seemingly boost his chances here, even if he might not be the first choice anywhere.

A candidate pool not viewed as especially deep would work in McCarthy’s favor in Dallas and potentially elsewhere. The weak candidate crop will affect McCarthy’s future in Dallas, per Fowler, who adds the coach could look at Chicago soon. Some around the league view this the Bears’ opening as one that would appeal to McCarthy, who is now 61. This is not to definitively say the Bears would be interested, but a veteran offensive mind would stand to be intrigued by the Chicago opening due to Caleb Williams‘ presence.

While McCarthy is 7-9 this season, he is 49-34 in Dallas. Jerry Jones cited the wild-card letdown against the Packers last season as why McCarthy did not receive an extension on the back of his three straight 12-win seasons. That certainly could push McCarthy to explore other options, should any arise, but Jason Garrett‘s tenure also shows Jones has been willing to stick with an unpopular coach for an extended period. Garrett coached the Cowboys for 9 1/2 seasons. McCarthy will need another contract soon if Jones has designs on him staying for a sixth.

Saints Expected To Have Interest In Matt Nagy For HC Job

January 4th, 2025 at 10:43pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard previously that Matt Nagy should be in the mix for head coaching vacancies this offseason, and the Chiefs offensive coordinator is now being connected to definitive gigs. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Saints are expected to show interest in the veteran coach.

[RELATED: Chiefs OC Matt Nagy Could Be 2025 HC Candidate]

After starting his coaching career with the Eagles, Nagy made a name for himself while guiding the Alex Smith iteration of Kansas City’s offense. Nagy ended up spending two years as the Chiefs offensive coordinator (plus an additional three as QBs coach) before getting a shot at the top job in Chicago.

Nagy hit the ground running during his first year as the Bears head coach in 2018, helping guide the squad to a 12-4 record before losing to the Eagles by one point in the Wild Card Round. The coach followed that up with two-straight underwhelming 8-8 showings, and the Bears had another one-and-done playoff appearance during the 2020 postseason. The team somewhat bottomed out in 2021, with the Bears finishing 6-11. That performance ended up spelling the end of Nagy’s tenure in Chicago, as the coach was fired following that campaign.

After being let go by the Bears, Nagy returned to Kansas City. He initially served as Patrick Mahomes QBs coach in 2022, and he was promoted back to offensive coordinator after Eric Bieniemy left for Washington ahead of the 2023 season. Nagy hasn’t been responsible for calling plays during his time in Kansas City, a factor that could work against him as he searches for another HC gig.

The Saints fired Dennis Allen back in November and promoted Darren Rizzi to interim head coach. Per Russini, Rizzi is also expected to get a shot at the full-time job, and even if the team goes in another direction, the coach is expected to stick around New Orleans in some capacity. Rizzi has served as the team’s special teams coordinator since 2019. Russini also mentions Mike McCarthy as a potential candidate for the Saints job if the coach isn’t retained by the Cowboys.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25

January 4th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.

Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.

Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).

Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.

Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.

While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.

Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.

This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:

2022 draft:

Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.

This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.

2023 draft:

While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.

Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.

2024 draft:

The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.

Cowboys’ Trey Lance To Play ‘Significant Reps’ In Week 18

January 3rd, 2025 at 8:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Since they are eliminated from the playoffs, the Cowboys are planning to use their Week 18 as an opportunity to evaluate their roster heading ahead of the 2025 season.

That will include quarterback Trey Lance, who is expected “to get significant reps” on Sunday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Lance has only appeared in three regular season games since arriving in Dallas via trade in August 2023 with just 38 total passing attempts since the beginning of the 2022 season. This year, he’s completed five of his seven passes for 22 yards and an interception across 20 total snaps.

Lance is set to hit free agency this offseason, so Sunday’s game will be an opportunity to audition for a new contract. He has never lived up to his billing as the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but his athletic tools could be tantalizing to a team searching for a new backup quarterback.

The Cowboys may still start Cooper Rush, per Rapoport, as they have since Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending injury in early November. However, an extended appearance by Lance could have significant financial consequences for Rush. He has already earned $250k for playing 45% of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps this year and could double that if he hits 55% by the end of Week 18, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.

“We’re aware,” said Rush with a chuckle about his incentive. The 31-year-old quarterback’s snap share currently sits at 52.3%. A full game could earn him another $250K, but the Cowboys’ desire to evaluate Lance could get in the way.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Dallas Cowboys

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

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