Cardinals Fire HC Jonathan Gannon
Rumblings leading up to Week 18 pointed to Jonathan Gannon being safe, but the Cardinals’ woeful season will result in a major change. Gannon is out, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official.
The Cardinals are retaining GM Monti Ossenfort, as expected. He will lead the search for Gannon’s replacement. Arizona hired Gannon and Ossenfort together in 2023, but the franchise has a history of giving its GMs much longer leashes. The Cardinals retained both Steve Keim and Rod Graves for 10 years apiece in that role, and Ossenfort will see a fourth.
Reports of Gannon being squarely in play to stay may not have been too far off-base; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the Cardinals showing more fight down the stretch could have saved the HC’s job. As a defensive coach, however, Gannon presided over a decline on that side of the ball. The Cardinals’ 3-14 season also included nine straight losses to close the show.
Allowing a coach to return after three non-playoff seasons is rare enough in the modern NFL, but doing so after separate seasons of fewer than five wins is nearly unheard of. The Cards went 4-13 in the first Gannon-Ossenfort year, and after an 8-9 2024 season, they slunk to 3-14 in a formidable NFC West. While Ossenfort will have a chance to bounce back, the Cardinals have plenty of questions to answer in Year 4 of the GM’s rebuild effort.
The NFL handed the Cardinals a tampering penalty — via a drop in the 2023 draft — for impermissible Gannon contact during that interview process, but he was coming off a two-year run as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. While the Eagles struggled mightily in Super Bowl LVII, Gannon had a deal in place with the Cardinals and headed west immediately following that close loss. Arizona’s defense made strides under Gannon and Nick Rallis in 2024, rising to 12th in points allowed and 15th in yardage. This season, however, brought a steep drop. The Cards finished 23rd in scoring and 29th in yardage, sealing Gannon’s fate.
Arizona committed more resources to its defense after fielding a skeleton crew in the wake of J.J. Watt, Zach Allen and Byron Murphy‘s 2023 departures. The Cardinals gave Josh Sweat a big-ticket deal in free agency and used first-round picks on defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson to go with multiple second-round picks on cornerbacks over the past two years. The team also added Dalvin Tomlinson and brought back Calais Campbell this past offseason. The end result, even with some solid individual efforts, was not good enough.
While Michael Bidwill gave Kliff Kingsbury four seasons (No. 4 coming after an extension), Gannon is out without the opportunity to oversee a quarterback his regime identified. Gannon and Ossenfort had consistently sung praises for Kingsbury-Keim-era QB Kyler Murray — until this year. Murray’s early-season foot injury did not produce a return, as the Cardinals effectively parked the former Pro Bowler on IR and allowed Jacoby Brissett to finish out the year. The team is widely expected to move on from its seven-year starter — by trade or release — rather than see a chunk of his 2027 salary become guaranteed.
A spree of close losses dropped the Cardinals out of contention this season, but Gannon’s defense caved in as the year progressed. The team allowed at least 37 points in four its final five games and six times total during the nine-game season-closing skid. Arizona lost six games by at least three scores during this seminal stretch, one that will lead Ossenfort and Bidwill to the drawing board.
The Cardinals did allow the 42-year-old coach the chance to inform the team he had been fired, per ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, but it will be difficult to envision him landing on this year’s HC carousel after his showing in the desert. A host of defensive coordinators will be up for HC jobs as the 2026 carousel starts, and Gannon may be a candidate to replace one of them. Two seasons remain on Gannon’s five-year contract, introducing the scenario in which Bidwill pays three HCs. That was viewed as a potential impediment, but the owner will follow through and replace Gannon anyway.
Replacing Murray will be tops on Ossenfort’s to-do list. He and Gannon inherited the former No. 1 overall pick shortly after he had suffered an ACL tear. Murray showed signs of his former self in 2024, ranking ninth in QBR and starting 17 games for the first time in his career. Never quite meshing with OC Drew Petzing, Murray is far removed from his Pro Bowl seasons (2020, 2021). He played just five games in his age-28 season.
The Giants gave Brian Daboll a chance to identify his own QB (Jaxson Dart), but he was largely fired after being saddled with a prior regime’s investment (Daniel Jones). Gannon did not get that far. He now joins Daboll, Brian Callahan, Pete Carroll and Kevin Stefanski on this year’s HC chopping block.
Falcons Fire HC Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot
The first firing announcement comes out of Atlanta, where, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, head coach Raheem Morris has officially been fired. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports quickly followed up the coaching announcement with a report that general manager Terry Fontenot has also been removed from his position. 
In a statement, team owner Arthur Blank gave an explanation of today’s transactions.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons,” he began. “But I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward. The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Additionally, the team’s statement mentioned that they would use two different search firms to help fill the two jobs. ZRG Partners will assist Atlanta on their head coach search while Sportsology Group will assist with the search for a new general manager. Sportsology was already being utilized to perform a full assessment of the team’s football operations. It seems their evaluation was valued, as it led to Fontenot’s dismissal and further work to assist with the job to replace him. No timelines were proposed for the searches, but both will begin immediately and run concurrently.
Blank seems to be growing short of patience as time goes on. Before Morris, Mike Smith held the head coaching job for seven seasons. Dan Quinn only lasted six after that, Arthur Smith three, and Morris just two. The team’s quick response to act all comes naturally at this point as the organization will undergo it’s fourth head coaching search in seven years. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports that, behind the scenes, discussions on resetting the team’s structure have been going on for weeks now.
Voices around the league seemed to be pointing toward a departure from Fontenot, but sources also believed that Morris was likely to be retained in his position. A longtime assistant with the Falcons, Morris spent six years as assistant head coach while coaching various position groups before getting promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020. He stepped up into the interim head coaching job when Quinn was fired and went 4-7 in his first time back in the captain’s chair since his time with the Buccaneers back in 2011.
The Falcons did not choose Morris to take over the full-time head coaching gig, instead hiring Arthur Smith to the job. Morris returned to Atlanta after three years as defensive coordinator for the Rams, replacing Smith when he was fired after three straight 7-10 seasons. In his two years back at the helm, Morris improved on Smith’s streak, if only barely, recording two 8-9 campaigns, the first resulting in a second-place division finish and the second resulting in a three-way tie that ended with a third-place finish in the NFC South.
In order to force the three-way tie, the Falcons had to win their last four games, an impressive close to the season. These marked the Falcons’ only two eight-win seasons during their eight-year playoff drought, but this one enough to save Morris’ job.
Multiple players, including wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson, were vocal in support of Morris before his dismissal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Robinson specifically said he was “going to support Raheem no matter what” but that it’s “Arthur Blank’s decision” (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic). There’s plenty of room for criticism of the move as a bit early. Several coaches with worse results have been given longer leashes in NFL history, and Morris’ short leash came with handicaps from questionable draft and free agency decisions by Fontenot that left him with awkward quarterback situations.
Many are pointing to Fontenot’s failure to solve the team’s quarterback issues as the cause for his departure. With Fontenot as GM in Atlanta for five seasons, the Falcons went 36-48 during his tenure. Despite the clear signs that former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan was in the twilight years of his career, Fontenot failed to address the position in his first draft. The only player from that first draft class to really impact the team was first-round tight end Kyle Pitts, who still delivered a few disappointing seasons over his rookie deal. The Falcons then traded Ryan to Indianapolis and drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round of 2022’s draft, which also yielded them London and running back Tyler Allgeier. 
After Ridder failed to establish himself as a starter, as the Falcons had stood down rather than add an outside option in 2023, Fontenot and the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a huge four-year, $180MM deal with the understanding that they would not draft a first-round quarterback to stash behind him. About six weeks later, Fontenot and the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round to stash behind Cousins without notifying Cousins or his representation that they would be doing so.
Morris and the coaching staff were believed to have played a role in the QB double-up, becoming impressed with the left-handed QB. The Falcons spent two years shuffling a sometimes-injured, struggling Cousins with a sometimes-injured, struggling Penix, putting them in the situation they now find themselves.
The Morris hire came as Fontenot and CEO Rich McKay were believed to have played roles in swaying Blank away from hiring Bill Belichick. Neither were believed to have wanted to work with the former Super Bowl-winning HC. Politics partially played a part in the Falcons moving to Morris, who worked under McKay in Tampa. Morris was well-liked in the building stemming from his first go-round in Atlanta, but his HC stint ended up not even lasting as long as his Bucs stay. Following the Morris hire, Fontenot secured more organizational power as McKay stepped back from day-to-day operations.
Fontenot’s drafting seemed to show some improvements, especially with some successful defensive picks this past year, but it was mostly first- and second-rounders making an impact from each class. Regardless, through Fontenot’s five seasons, the Falcons failed to see a single winning campaign, let alone a trip to the playoffs. The two won their final game with the team, were seen celebrating in the locker room with the players, then were called to meet with Blank a couple hours later to be delivered the bad news, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
There’s obviously no news to report so soon after the dismissals of the two team leaders, but The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman sees Morris having potential looks at defensive coordinator jobs in the offseason. Anderson reports that Ryan, the team’s former franchise quarterback, has been an “active” voice in the building already, with some starting to link his name to the now open general manager position.
Seahawks, LT Charles Cross Agree On Extension
As Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross missed his third game in a row with injury, he and the team were able to agree to a new extension. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Seattle and Cross have come to terms on a four-year, $104.4MM extension. The deal pays out $40.5MM in the first year and included $75MM in guaranteed money. 
The deal comes with little surprise. When Cross expressed his interest in an extension in the weeks leading up to his fourth season in the NFL, the Seahawks shut down any notion of that occurring during that time. The team had been operating under the notion that they don’t extend contracts that have more than a year left on them, and after Cross’ fifth-year option was exercised last April, the then-24-year-old still had two years left on his slate. As soon as one of those years was finished and Cross had only one year left, Seattle couldn’t even wait 24 hours to extend their blindside blocker.
The new contract makes Cross the fifth-highest paid offensive tackle (per annual average value) in the NFL behind Rashawn Slater, Tristan Wirfs, (right tackle) Penei Sewell, and Trent Williams. Perhaps more impressive, Cross’ contract is the largest for a non-quarterback in franchise history, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Cross is more than deserving of the new deal. Since getting drafted by the Seahawks at No. 9 overall in 2022, Cross has started in all but six games (consisting of two three-week absences). He established himself as one of the best tackles in the league last year as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him out as the ninth-best player at his position last year. He followed that up with a ranking at 27th out of 87 this year.
Though three of those six career absences have consecutively come in the past three weeks due to a hamstring injury, Cross is expected to be back in the lineup for the playoffs. Luckily for Cross and the Seahawks, the team’s victory over the division-rival 49ers secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, so the 25-year-old will have a little extra time to work his way back to the field. They’ve clearly decided to be productive with the two weeks they have until their next game as they checked one thing off the offseason checklist nice and early.
Jaguars Extend OL Cole Van Lanen
The Jaguars are making a surprising investment in offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen after the 27-year-old stepped up as a clutch injury replacement for the team this year. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Van Lanen will remain in Jacksonville on a three-year, $51MM extension that includes $32.5MM of guarantees and could see an increase of $4MM with incentives. 
Van Lanen’s deal comes on the heels of a similar extension for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Per Michael DiRocco, also of ESPN, the Jaguars felt the need to get both deals done, as “using the franchise tag was not an option for either player.”
Van Lanen, a sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin back in 2021, only played in one game for the Packers after his hometown team drafted him. He failed to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and signed to the practice squad with just the one elevation. He did sign a reserve/futures deal with Green Bay at end of the year, but after spending the offseason and most of the preseason with the team, Van Lanen was traded to the Jaguars in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
Van Lanen served mostly as a special teamer in his first season in Duval. Jacksonville only put him on the field with the offense for 18 snaps that year, but his versatility showed early as those snaps came at left tackle (1), right guard (11), and left guard (6). In 2023, Van Lanen’s role would’ve been reduced to just special teams or, even worse, a healthy scratch in several weeks, but injuries to right tackle Cam Robinson (and a few other backup linemen) put Van Lanen at that spot for parts of two games as an injury replacement.
Last year, Van Lanen didn’t appear in a game until Week 9, playing only three offensive snaps over his first four games of the season before finally earning his first career NFL start at right tackle. Two weeks later he was forced to sub into a game very early at left tackle before starting the final two games of the season at that position, which he had held down when he was a Badger in college.
Even this season, Van Lanen began in a backup capacity, and even though he got a few snaps in Weeks 4 & 7, he didn’t actually start a game until Week 9 for Jacksonville this year. His first start came as just an extra lineman but saw him spend time at left guard, where he would start for an injured Ezra Cleveland the next week. Van Lanen then went back to starting at right tackle for two games in place of an injured Anton Harrison and subbed in for an injured Patrick Mekari at right guard for a week all before taking over for Walker Little at left tackle for the past four weeks of the season.
Van Lanen didn’t just stand in over the past five weeks for Mekari and Little. By the metrics of Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Van Lanen has seemingly outplayed the two veterans in their own positions. So much so, that even when Little returned from injury, the team continued to start Van Lanen and shifted Little inside to right guard to cover for an injured Mekari.
It will be interesting to see how the three players’ roles change into the postseason and next year. Mekari and Little have both held swing tackle roles as versatile linemen in their pasts before being named starters this year, and now Van Lanen has shown he can be more effective as a starter.
The outrageous size of Van Lanen’s extension (for a player who’s only started 12 games in his career and only the last four at left tackle) seems to indicate that he will be getting preference moving forward. The annual average value of his deal ($17MM) surpasses those of both Little ($13.5MM) and Mekari ($12.5MM) as Jacksonville continues to build a shuffleable offensive line full of versatility.
Packers Claim CB Trevon Diggs
JANUARY 1: The Packers were the only team to submit a claim in this case, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. Diggs could see time right away and a familiar face on the sidelines will help in that regard. As Rapoport notes, Packers defensive pass-game coordinator Derrick Ansley was Diggs’ secondary coach at Alabama. It will be interesting to see if that dynamic helps spark a rebound in play late in the campaign.
Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley expressed to the media that “he wants (Diggs) to play on Sunday against the Vikings.” Hafley made sure to emphasize that they “need to make sure that he’s ready to go” and didn’t make any promises, but both Diggs and his coaches seem to want him on the field this weekend.
DECEMBER 31: One day after the Cowboys cut him, cornerback Trevon Diggs will land with a playoff team. The Packers have claimed Diggs off waivers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
In claiming Diggs, the Packers will commit to paying his $472K game check for Week 18. He’ll earn another $58,823 if he’s active against the Vikings this Sunday, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Beyond that, there’s no guaranteed money left on Diggs’ contract. However, he remains under team control through 2028 on the five-year, $97MM extension he signed with Dallas in July 2023.
Diggs, a 2020 second-round pick from Alabama, scored his enormous payday after a scintillating start to his career. He made the Pro Bowl twice in his first three years, a stretch in which he intercepted 17 passes. He finished with a jaw-dropping 11 picks in 2021, the most in a season since former Cowboy Everson Walls came down with 11 in 1981, en route to first-team All-Pro honors.
Diggs’ 11-INT showing remains his only 17-game season to date. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has dealt with a laundry list of injuries since then. An ACL tear limited Diggs to two games in 2023. He missed six more games in 2024 as a result of a calf tear and another knee surgery. It was more of the same in Diggs’ last hurrah with the Cowboys, who placed him on IR with lingering knee problems and a concussion on Oct. 25. He played in just eight of Dallas’ 16 games this year before the team cut him.
The Cowboys opened Diggs’ 21-day practice window on Nov. 30, but they didn’t activate him until Dec. 20. It came as a surprise after Diggs indicated he was healthy enough to play the previous week. He said he was “upset“ the Cowboys didn’t activate him in Week 15. It wasn’t the first disagreement between Diggs and first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The decision to move on from Diggs reportedly came on the heels of Schottenheimer denying the Maryland-born defender’s request to remain in Washington after the Cowboys’ Christmas Day win over the Commanders. Diggs, who wanted to stay with his family, ignored Schottenheimer’s orders and skipped the team’s flight back to Dallas. That may have sealed his fate with the Cowboys.
While Diggs and Schottenheimer clashed, a massive decline in the corner’s effectiveness was likely the main reason Dallas parted with him. The 27-year-old has gone without an interception this season, and Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 80th among 113 qualifiers at his position. Worse yet, according to Pro-Football-Reference, Diggs has yielded a 77.3% completion rate to the nearest receiver and a 157.2 passer rating over a sample of 22 targets. A perfect rating checks in at 158.3.
Although Diggs has struggled immensely this year, the Packers aren’t risking much in claiming him. The Packers will be able to move on after the season if they want, and they desperately need healthy cornerbacks right now.
Locked into the seventh seed in the NFC with one game left, the Packers are dangerously thin at corner behind Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. Green Bay placed Kamal Hadden on IR on Tuesday and did the same with Nate Hobbs on Wednesday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Hobbs, who has played in 11 games and started five this year, will miss at least four contests with a knee injury.
Diggs, Shemar Bartholomew and Jaylin Simpson will provide the Packers a few more game-ready options at the position. The Packers signed Bartholomew and Simpson from their practice squad to their active roster on Tuesday.
Rams S Quentin Lake Extended, Designated For Return From IR
6:31PM: In addition to extending Lake today, the Rams announced that he has been designated to return from injured reserve. After missing the team’s last six games, the window is now open for Lake to return in time for the regular season finale in Los Angeles.
2:17PM: The Rams signed fourth-year safety Quentin Lake to a contract extension, per a team announcement.
The deal is worth up to $42MM over three years with $25.7MM guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Lake, a 2022 fifth-round pick, was set to hit free agency this offseason but will now be under contract in Los Angeles through the 2028 season.
The 26-year-old primarily played special teams as a rookie before carving out a role in the slot in 2023. He then broke out last year as a versatile piece of the Rams’ secondary with 511 snaps in the slot, 398 as a free safety, and 244 in the box, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This season, he has been the primary nickel in Los Angeles and ranks 12th in the league with 0.80 yards allowed per snap out of the slot (via PFF).
Lake’s contract ranks 11th among NFL safeties in terms of guaranteed money, per OverTheCap. The base value of his deal is unknown, but his maximum APY of $14MM would also rank 11th. That is a solid raise over Lake’s Day 3 rookie contract while also being a strong value for the team after the safety market rose above $25.1MM this offseason. Lake’s versatility is especially valuable to a Rams front office that does not invest a lot into their secondary. They can now approach the offseason hunting for value in free agency and the draft knowing that Lake can take on whatever role is needed to fill out the unit.
Extending Lake likely means that the Rams will not retain veteran safety Kamren Curl, whose contract expires at the end of the season. He will join a free agent class that no longer includes Lake, but does have a number of other rising talents like Jaquan Brisker and Ronnie Hickman, among others. Of course, other teams will likely seek to retain their top pending free agents before the offseason begins, so the ranks of available safeties could dwindle by the time free agency actually approaches.
Cowboys To Waive CB Trevon Diggs
Viewed as a clear release candidate in 2026, Trevon Diggs will instead become available earlier. The Cowboys are waiving him ahead of Week 18, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports.
This exit comes barely two years after Diggs signed a five-year, $97MM extension. Knee injuries have significantly limited the former All-Pro on this deal. Diggs has played in just eight games this season, bouncing in and out of Dallas’ lineup. That said, he played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps during a Week 17 win over Washington.
[RELATED: Latest On Dispute Between Diggs, Cowboys]
A team claiming Diggs would be responsible for his final 2025 game check, which NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes is worth $473K. No guaranteed money is on the contract following the 2025 season, though the pact runs through 2028. This figure would make a claim worth considering, particularly for contenders who have seen injuries affect their cornerback situations.
If Diggs goes unclaimed by 3pm CT Wednesday, he heads to free agency for the first time. The Cowboys will be tagged with $5.88MM in 2026 dead money due to this cut, per Spotrac. A post-June 1 designation would have only saved the Cowboys $4.25MM in 2026, NFL.com’s Jane Slater notes.
A specific incident is not believed to have prompted the Cowboys to move on early, per Pelissero, who notes a “culmination of factors” led the team to jettison the sixth-year corner now. This relationship has steadily deteriorated. The Cowboys were all but certain to release Diggs following Super Bowl LX, when cap-casualty transactions begin, but they will subtract from an injury-battered CB corps early. Considering the team is without DaRon Bland for the season and saw rookie Shavon Revel suffer a concussion against the Commanders, this is an interesting move. Though, the Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoff race for a bit now.
The Cowboys activated Diggs from IR before their Week 16 game. He had landed on the injured list due to the lingering knee injury along with a concussion. Diggs, 27, had said he was healthy enough to play before the activation. Playing 84% of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps against the Chargers ahead of his full-time role on Christmas, Diggs told Slater he is healthy enough to play and wants to join a playoff team soon.
Diggs had said he was upset after showing what he felt was sufficient form in practice only to be kept in the IR-return window for Week 15. This comment came after a meeting with Brian Schottenheimer. The Cowboys placed Diggs on IR in late October; the concussion he sustained occurred at his home, offering another complication for a player who was once the centerpiece of Dallas’ CB plan.
Although Diggs was ready to go by Week 1 after limited summer participation following knee surgery, he struggled this season and had proven to be a poor fit in Matt Eberflus‘ zone-based defense. But Diggs will not have a chance to redeem himself with the Cowboys, who are expected to fire their first-year DC after the season.
Pro Football Focus ranked the 6-foot-2 defender 80th among qualified corners, but Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics viewed even that as an oversell of the former second-round pick’s performance. As the closest defender in coverage, Diggs has been charged with allowing a 77.3% completion rate and a near-perfect passer rating (157.2) in his eight-game season. While these numbers came on just 22 targets, Diggs did not live up to the extension he signed before the 2023 season.
The Cowboys rewarded Diggs ahead of his contract year, agreeing to the five-year extension during the same summer stretch in which they paid right tackle Terence Steele. Dallas famously delayed paying both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb that summer, leading to windfalls for both players ahead of 2024 contract years. The Prescott and Lamb deals drew criticism regarding delays the Cowboys have become famous for, with the Micah Parsons saga following a similar timeline before the blockbuster trade. While Dallas and Diggs agreed on a long-term extension the organization typically prefers on second contracts, the corner ran into injury trouble almost immediately.
Diggs suffered an ACL tear in a September 2023 practice, finishing that season with just two games played. He has been unable to reestablish his pre-injury form, missing six games last season and eight contests in 2025. Diggs suffered a calf tear in 2024 as well, later being shut down due to another knee surgery. The Cowboys decided to extend Bland this summer, doing so after drafting Revel in Round 3. Those developments pointed to a Diggs exit.
Any team to claim Diggs would have him signed for three more seasons following this campaign, but seeing as he has not come close to living up to the contract, a contender could also submit a claim and then release the corner after the season.
Diggs, however, has shown top form in the past. While developing a reputation for being a gambler in coverage, the Alabama alum intercepted 11 passes in 2021 to lock down first-team All-Pro honors. Diggs’ 11 picks were the most anyone had snared in a season since Everson Walls‘ Cowboys rookie year (1981). Diggs (20 career INTs) also made the Pro Bowl in 2022, cinching up an extension candidacy.
It will be interesting to see if Diggs is claimed or lands anywhere before season’s end. Otherwise, he would have some time to prepare for free agency in 2026. The Cowboys will need to make another cornerback investment before their offseason program, among other moves to upgrade a struggling defense, as the Kaiir Elam trade also did not do much to help their situation this season. After seeing the Cowboys decline his fifth-year option, Elam is due for 2026 free agency.
Jaguars Extend WR Jakobi Meyers
DECEMBER 25: The Meyers pact contains $30MM guaranteed at signing, as detailed by Over the Cap. That figure consists of a $7MM signing bonus, a $10MM option bonus in 2026 and his full salary ($6MM) for next year. Meyers’ base pay for 2027 is already partially locked in, and his new deal contains annual per-game and workout bonuses.
DECEMBER 18: Jakobi Meyers has been in Jacksonville for just over a month, and the Jaguars are already committing to the wide receiver for the long haul. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are signing Meyers to a three-year extension. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the three-year pact is worth $60MM, including $40MM guaranteed. The $20MM average annual value will place Meyers 25th on the list of the league’s highest-paid WRs. The $40MM in guaranteed money now ranks 24th at the position.
The Jaguars acquired Meyers from the Raiders in early November for fourth- and sixth-round picks. The veteran has seen a significant role in his first six appearances with the organization, hauling in 27 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Most notably, the Jaguars have gone 5-1 in those six games and are second in points scored over that span. As James Palmer of NFL Network details, people in the Jaguars organization believe the receiver has “transformed” the offense, with Jordan Schultz adding that he’s never heard a team speak so “glowingly and positively” about a midseason acquisition.
With Meyers now locked in for the next few years, Trevor Lawrence can count on some continuity with his receivers corps. The Jaguars have used their last two first-round picks on wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. Thomas has taken a bit of a step back following a productive rookie campaign, while Hunter’s rookie season ended with only 298 receiving yards. Still, the trio should now lead one of the most intriguing WR rooms moving forward.
Meyers proved his consistency early on in his NFL career. Despite the Patriots alternating between Tom Brady, Cam Newton, and Mac Jones at QB, the wide receiver managed to carve out a role in each of his first three seasons. New England curiously decided to pivot to JuJu Smith-Schuster during the 2023 offseason, opening the door for Meyers to ink a three-year deal with the Raiders. The wideout experienced another carousel of QBs in Las Vegas, but he still managed to compile 1,881 yards and 14 touchdowns through his first two years with the organization.
As an impending free agent, Meyers seemed like a prime trade candidate heading into this year’s deadline. In seven games with the Raiders in 2025, the veteran hauled in 33 catches for 352 yards. In total, he’s snagged 60 catches for 707 yards and three touchdowns this season. Meyers’ extension will remove him from what was already an underwhelming WR free agency class. Mike Evans will lead that grouping, with the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson, Deebo Samuel and former Jaguar Christian Kirk representing the other top names on the market.
Chiefs, Kansas Reach Stadium Agreement
Over the past few days, indications have emerged that the Chiefs would finalize an agreement to relocate to Kansas. On Monday, that news became official. 
A new stadium will be built for the team in Kansas City, Kan., as first reported by Matthew Kelly and Sofi Zelman of the Kansas City Star. The Chiefs have since confirmed the news, ensuring the franchise will depart its longtime home (Jackson County, Mo.) in the relatively near future. The team will begin playing in Kansas in 2031.
“Today we are excited to take another momentous step for the future of the franchise,” a statement from Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt reads in part. “We have entered into an agreement with the State of Kansas to host Chiefs football beginning with the 2031 NFL season. In the years ahead, we look forward to designing and building a state-of-the-art domed stadium and mixed-use district in Wyandotte County, and a best-in-class training facility, team headquarters, and mixed-use district in Olathe.
“I want to thank the State of Kansas, and its legislative leaders. We have a lot more work to do to make this vision a reality, and I am excited to pursue this project together. I also want to thank the State of Missouri, Jackson County, and the City of Kansas City for their longstanding partnership. I look forward to watching Chiefs football at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium together over the next five seasons.”
A Kansas City Star report from this past Friday noted how discussions between the Chiefs and Kansas legislators were set to take place. At that point, no deal had been finalized but there were strong indications an agreement could be struck. It is now official, thanks to a unanimous vote which took place earlier today. The proposed stadium deal was worked out by Chiefs officials along with Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland on behalf of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
In 2024, a measure aimed at generating $800MM in funding for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and a downtown stadium in Kansas City, Mo., for the Royals failed to pass. Chiefs president Mark Donovan made it clear shortly before that development the team would explore relocating in the event of the measure being voted down. Rather than mere posturing, Donovan’s comments have proven to be quite substantive given today’s news.
Last April, Dallas mayor Eric Johnson publicly called for the Chiefs to return to Dallas, where the franchise originated prior to its rebranding in 1962. Nothing pointing to such a move transpired afterwards, but the Chiefs will nevertheless be on the move once their existing lease expires following the 2030 campaign. By July 2024, the state legislature in Kansas had passed a bill allowing for the funding of a new stadium. Since then, a relocation deal has loomed as a distinct possibility.
The Chiefs have called Arrowhead home since 1972. The franchise first played at Municipal Stadium upon relocating from Dallas in 1963, but the departure of Major League Baseball’s Athletics and the arrival of the Royals prompted the construction of a new, larger stadium. Renovations were completed on Arrowhead Stadium in 2010, but the team had been angling for another round for a while. Instead of Arrowhead being renovated over the coming years, it will be replaced as the team’s home beginning in the 2031 campaign.
Arrowhead had not played host to an AFC championship game until 2018, but many of the defining moments of the modern Chiefs dynasty have come at the western Missouri site. Six AFC title games have been at Arrowhead since that 2018 season. While much of the Patrick Mahomes era — provided the superstar quarterback (who is signed through the 2031 season) stays with the team — will continue to be played there, it is interesting the franchise would opt for such a major transition during its peak period.
The plan which was finalized today calls for the construction of a $3 billion domed stadium. Up to 70% of the project can be publicly funded through a subsidy, although no details on that front were immediately shared. In any case, the Chiefs will spend the coming years preparing for a new chapter in their history.
Dolphins Bench Tua Tagovailoa; Quinn Ewers To Start In Week 16
On the heels of an ugly loss to the Steelers, the Dolphins are benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Rookie Quinn Ewers will start Week 16 against the Bengals.
Once 2-7, the Dolphins reeled off four straight wins to stay in the playoff picture. Their 28-15 defeat in Pittsburgh on Monday officially eliminated them from postseason contention. Tagovailoa went 22 of 28 for 253 yards and a touchdown, but he also took four sacks and threw his NFL-worst 15th interception. Head coach Mike McDaniel said afterward that the Dolphins’ QB play was “not good enough.”
[RELATED: Team Demotes Tagovailoa To Third-String Level]
With McDaniel indicating on Tuesday that a QB change was under consideration, it’s not surprising the Dolphins will sit Tagovailoa on Sunday. However, the Dolphins certainly didn’t expect it to come to this 17 months after signing Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4MM extension in July 2024. Miami agreed to hand Tagovailoa $167.1MM in guaranteed money. He’s due $54MM in guarantees in 2026, which will make it difficult for the Dolphins to move on from the soon-to-be 28-year-old in the offseason.
Tagovailoa has dealt with numerous concussion issues throughout his career, but that didn’t stop the former fifth overall pick from logging quality production under McDaniel in previous seasons. The ex-Alabama standout registered a passer rating upward of 101.0 in each season from 2022-24. He led the NFL in yards per attempt in 2022 (8.9), finished first in passing yards in 2023 (4,624), and paced the league in completion percentage last year (72.9).
Tagovailoa has stayed healthy this year, but along with already posting a career-worst INT total, his other numbers have underwhelmed. While Tagovailoa has reached the 20-TD mark for the third time and completed 67.7% of passes, he has averaged just 6.9 yards per attempt en route to an 88.5 rating. His 36.7 QBR ranks 30th among 33 qualifying signal-callers. Only J.J. McCarthy, Geno Smith, and Cam Ward have been worse in that regard.
Having already parted with general manager Chris Grier in October, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and the next GM will have to decide how to proceed with Tagovailoa and McDaniel in the offseason. As mentioned, Tagovailoa’s contract is onerous. Designating Tagovailoa a post-June 1 release would leave the Dolphins with $99MM in dead cap spread over 2026 and ’27, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes.
That would be the largest dead cap hit in league history, easily surpassing the $85MM the Broncos ate when they released Russell Wilson in March 2024. A trade would also be difficult to pull off, explains Jones, who points to Tagovailoa’s contract, his struggles in cold weather, and his less-than-stellar reputation around the league as roadblocks.
Even if he doesn’t reclaim the starting job, the Dolphins may have to ride it out for another year with Tagovailoa. Along with Tagovailoa, McDaniel has helped the Dolphins to the playoffs twice since 2022. He seems likely to return for a fifth season in 2026, but that’s not a sure thing yet.
For now, McDaniel will pin his hopes on Ewers, a seventh-rounder who enjoyed a strong starting career at Texas from 2022-24. The Dolphins have toggled between Ewers and veteran Zach Wilson in the No. 2 role this season. Wilson’s a former second overall pick who amassed 33 starts with the Jets from 2021-23, but he was a major letdown during that stretch. While the Dolphins gave Wilson a $6MM contract last March after he worked as a backup in Denver in 2024, this may go down as a second straight start-less campaign for the 26-year-old.