Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Several dominoes have fallen so far in Week 16 with respect to the NFL’s playoff picture. The Cowboys have been eliminated while the Patriots, Seahawks, Bears, Eagles and 49ers have locked in a postseason berth.
The final two weeks of the campaign will determine the remaining playoff spots, but they will also sort out the top of the draft order. Six teams remain within striking distance of the No. 1 pick, although the Titans’ win on Sunday greatly weakened their chances of landing the top selection for the second year in a row. One contest in particular will be worth monitoring next week with respect to draft positioning.
The Giants and Raiders each sport a record of 2-13. They will play each other in Week 17, meaning the loser of that contest will have the inside track for the No. 1 pick. New York already has a head coaching vacancy while Pete Carroll is in danger of going one-and-done in Vegas. Plenty of incentive for winning will exist for Carroll in particular, but the outcome of that game will have major implications on the draft order.
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 (2-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Washington Commanders (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- Miami Dolphins (6-9)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
- Detroit Lions (8-7)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
- Houston Texans (10-5)
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Chicago Bears (11-4)
- New England Patriots (12-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
Matt Nagy Considered ‘Serious Candidate’ For Titans’ HC Job
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is considered a “serious candidate” for the Titans head coaching job, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Ironically, Chiefs are playing in Tennessee on Sunday. The Titans cannot discuss their head coaching vacancy with Nagy, but he will get an up-close look at the roster he would inherit if he gets the job.
Nagy, 47, has been the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. He has worked under Andy Reid for virtually all of his NFL coaching career, starting in Philadelphia in 2008. Nagy followed Reid to Kansas City in 2013 as the team’s quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2016. He took over play-calling at the end of the 2017 season and was hired by the Bears as their head coach in the subsequent offseason.
In his debut season in Chicago, Nagy led the Bears to a 12-4 record and a first-place finish in the NFC North. Those are still the team’s best results since 2006, though the 2025 Bears could reach 13 wins this season.
Nagy’s Bears regressed in his next three years with two seasons at 8-8, and a 6-11 finish in 2021 was enough to get him fired. He returned to Kansas City as a senior offensive assistant and took over as offensive coordinator after Eric Bieniemy‘s departure.
The Chiefs offense statistically got worse under Nagy. After six straight years with top-six finishes in both points score and total offense, they have not been able to reach the same heights in either category since. Instead, Kansas City’s runs to the Super Bowl in 2023 and 2024 were largely powered by their top-10 defense.
Nagy’s top priority in Tennessee would be developing No. 1 pick Cam Ward, but he does not have a strong history with young quarterbacks. Mitch Trubisky put up a career-best season under Nagy in 2018, but could not replicate those results in the next two seasons. Justin Fields looked lost as a rookie in Nagy’s final year in Chicago, and upon returning to Kansas City, he immediately got to work with a veteran Patrick Mahomes.
The Titans are also expected to reach out to several defensive coordinators, per Russini, including Lou Anarumo (Colts), Jeff Hafley (Packers), Anthony Campanile (Jaguars), Chris Shula (Rams), Matt Burke (Texans), and Jesse Minter (Chargers). However, hiring a defensive head coach with the intention to bring in a young offensive coordinator to work with Ward runs the risk of that OC being poached by another team as their head coach.
Chiefs Fear Torn ACL For Gardner Minshew
Sunday’s action represented the second straight game in which a Chiefs quarterback exited due to a knee injury. Gardner Minshew was unable to finish Kansas City’s Week 16 contest, and he will not be expected to return this season. 
The Chiefs fear Minshew tore his ACL, as first reported by Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com. He and ESPN’s Adam Schefter report further testing will take place, including an MRI. Based on the initial indications, though, Minshew seems to be on track for a lengthy recovery just like Patrick Mahomes.
[RELATED: Previewing Chiefs’ Upcoming Roster Challenges]
Late last week, Mahomes suffered his own ACL tear during the game which ensured Kansas City’s playoff elimination. That set up Minshew to handle QB1 duties the rest of the way, but instead he is now in store for a lengthy spell out of the picture. Mahomes is of course not in danger of having his Chiefs tenure come to an end any time soon, but Minshew is a pending free agent.
Following a brief Jacksonville stint and two years as a backup in Philadelphia, Minshew spent one year with the Colts and another with the Raiders. He totaled 22 starts over that period, but upon reaching the open market this past spring the 29-year-old was viewed as a high-floor backup option. That was confirmed when he became Kansas City’s latest veteran QB2. Presuming further tests confirm an ACL tear, Minshew’s value for 2026 will obviously take a serious hit.
Chris Oladokun handled quarterback duties after Minshew went down. The former seventh-round pick will presumably continue to do so for the Chiefs’ two remaining games this season. Oladokun is also a pending free agent, so Kansas City’s QB room could look much different by the start of the 2026 campaign. Mahomes’ progress in recovery will of course be a major storyline for the team over the coming months, but Minshew is in danger of finding himself in the same situation for the offseason.
Andy Reid Not Planning 2026 Retirement; Matt Nagy Declined Chiefs Extension Offer
An offseason tradition on the coaching front has featured Andy Reid swatting away retirement rumors. This season, however, will end with a rare set of meaningless Chiefs games. The three-time reigning AFC champions are eliminated from playoff contention. That separates this year even from the 2014 season, when Kansas City remained in the mix later into a 9-7 campaign — Reid’s only non-playoff showing with the franchise.
Reid and Patrick Mahomes have formed one of the best QB-HC combinations in NFL history, trekking to five Super Bowls and winning three championships together. But Mahomes is now set for extensive ACL and LCL rehab while Reid will turn 68 in March. Despite the Chiefs being set for unusual territory — as they navigate Mahomes rehab during an offseason in which they are unlikely to be labeled Super Bowl frontrunners — NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note Reid is not planning to retire in 2026.
[RELATED: Unusual Chiefs Season Set To Precede Roster-Building Challenges]
The Chiefs extended Reid in 2024; the deal is believed to have made the six-time conference champion the NFL’s highest-paid HC at around $20MM per year. Reid’s contract runs through the 2029 season, covering the Chiefs in this important area. Reid will bid to become the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl. Bruce Arians currently holds that title, having guided the 2020 Buccaneers to a championship at age 67.
It will be interesting to see how Reid’s offense looks to start the 2025 season. Mahomes’ timetable points to a decent chance he is back by Week 1, but that will not be a lock. How Mahomes looks as far as mobility goes will be a defining factor for the 2026 Chiefs, as they have derived plenty from the quarterback’s dual-threat skillset during a run that up until this season brought seven AFC championship game appearances in seven QB1 seasons.
The Chiefs also figure to make a real investment in the backfield. The Jets rejected a fourth-round offer for Breece Hall at the deadline, and both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco — a player who has seen injury trouble headline his past two seasons — are set for free agency. Travis Kelce is also not a lock to come back. The future Hall of Famer is unsigned for 2026. While Kelce has long said he would finish his career with the Chiefs, he would need a new deal to return for a 14th season.
Also set for free agency: OC Matt Nagy, who figures to draw some HC interest after three seasons back in a role he held briefly in the late 2010s. Nagy is believed to have turned down a Chiefs extension offer this past offseason, per Rapoport and Pelissero. As a result, the veteran Reid sidekick/ex-Bears coach will need a new deal to stay in Kansas City.
Nagy, 47, interviewed for the Jets’ HC job last year and has been connected to the Titans’ vacancy on a few occasions since Tennessee fired Brian Callahan. The former NFL Coach of the Year (with the 2018 Bears) worked with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi previously and figures to interview for that post.
While this Chiefs season being the one to launch Nagy back onto the HC level would be a bit odd given the disappointing performance, Kansas City’s offense has been a touch better this season. That said, the Chiefs enter Week 16 ranked 15th in points yet again.
The Chiefs made the Super Bowl with No. 15-ranked scoring offenses in 2023 and ’24, using Steve Spagnuolo‘s sound defenses to provide enough support for Mahomes and Co. post-Tyreek Hill and amid a Kelce decline. While it is possible Nagy rejected an extension offer coming off a clunky offensive season, the reasons for his declining the deal are not known.
These defensive-oriented teams did not garner Spagnuolo a second HC chance; the accomplished DC’s age (66 today) and woeful three-year run as the St. Louis Rams’ HC figures to keep him from a second chance. In a year set to feature a host of defense-oriented coaching candidates, Nagy will likely draw interest. Going 2-for-4 in playoff berths with the Bears with Mitch Trubisky as the primary quarterback has aged well, and it will be interesting to see if Nagy advances far into the process as an interviewee come January.
Chiefs Place OT Jawaan Taylor, LB Leo Chenal On IR
The Chiefs made a flurry of roster moves on Saturday ahead of their Week 16 matchup with the Titans, per a team announcement.
Right tackle Jawaan Taylor and linebacker Leo Chenal were placed on injured reserve, ending their seasons. Taylor started the first 12 games in the season but has been absent for the last three weeks due to a triceps injury. He is the second Chiefs starting offensive lineman to land on injured reserve this month, joining left tackle Josh Simmons. Jaylon Moore has taken over the right tackle job in Taylor’s stead and will likely continue in that capacity.
Chenal commanded a 53% snap share in the first 14 games of the season before going down with a shoulder injury. He was the Chiefs’ third inside linebacker behind Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill; the trio have taken virtually all of the team’s snaps at the position. Chenal’s absence will likely put fourth-year linebacker Jack Cochrane into a bigger role, though Kansas City could also give rookies like Cooper McDonald and Jeffrey Bassa some opportunities.
To replace Taylor and Chenal on the active roster, the Chiefs signed offensive tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick and quarterback Chris Oladokun from their practice squad. Godrick will provide tackle depth amid the team’s current O-line injuries and Oladokun will back up Gardner Minshew for the rest of the year. Linebacker Cole Christiansen and offensive tackle Matt Waletzko were also elevated from the practice squad to provide depth at the Chiefs’ injured positions.
The Chiefs also waived running back Elijah Mitchell and replaced him with Dameon Pierce. Mitchell signed in Kansas City this offseason but has only appeared in one game during the regular season. Pierce was waived by the Texans in November and signed with Kansas City’s practice squad shortly after. Sunday will be Pierce’s Chiefs debut, and his promotion to the active roster suggests he’ll be in line for some touches during the game.
Latest On Patrick Mahomes’ Recovery
Three-plus months after opening the season among the NFL’s Super Bowl favorites, the Chiefs fell to 6-8 with a loss to the Chargers last Sunday. After earning seven straight trips to the AFC title game, the longtime juggernauts are officially out of the playoff race this year. Adding injury to insult, future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL in Week 15.
[RELATED: Unusual Chiefs Season Set To Precede Roster-Building Challenges]
With Mahomes out of commission for the rest of 2025, the Chiefs will ride out a bitterly disappointing season with Gardner Minshew as their starter. Beyond that, it’s unclear who will be at the helm when the 2026 campaign kicks off next September.
Mahomes underwent successful surgery on Monday. He’s already rehabbing, but it should take approximately nine months to recover. Mahomes looks iffy for Week 1 of next season as a result, but the Chiefs are hopeful he’ll return early in the year (via the Associated Press).
“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different,” Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder said. “[Mahomes] is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker. Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less.”
A 2017 first-round pick, Mahomes spent nearly all of his rookie season redshirting behind Alex Smith. Since then, though, Mahomes hasn’t made fewer than 14 starts in a season. The three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP has led the Chiefs to a 95-31 regular-season record. Despite his team’s uncharacteristic struggles this year, Mahomes didn’t look like he was slowing down in his age-30 season.
While Mahomes has been durable during his brilliant eight-year reign as Kansas City’s starter, the team has typically employed backups with significant starting experience. Chad Henne, Matt Moore, Blaine Gabbert, and Carson Wentz preceded Minshew in the No. 2 role. With Minshew on a one-year deal, the Chiefs will have to decide whether to re-sign him in the offseason. If not, it’s likely they’ll will bring in another battle-tested reserve with Mahomes’ early 2026 status up in the air.
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 to active roster: 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.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/16/25
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Marques Cox, S Patrick McMorris
- Released: T Trey Wedig
Buffalo Bills
- Released: CB M.J. Devonshire
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Dominique Hampton
- Released: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Denver Broncos
- Released: RB Sincere McCormick
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Keenan Garber
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Brandon Hill
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G LaDarius Henderson, G Bill Murray, T Zachary Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: G Nick Broeker, S Tanner McCalister
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
New York Jets
- Signed: S Jaylen Mahoney, LB Ochaun Mathis
- Released: QB Adrian Martinez
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Isaiah Bolden
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR River Cracraft, WR Gee Scott Jr.
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: CB Darius Rush