HEADLINES

Rams TE Tyler Higbee Suffers Torn ACL

January 16th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 16: Higbee did indeed tear his ACL, an MRI confirmed (h/t NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). He now faces a steep challenge with respect to recovering in full in time for the beginning of the 2024 campaign, one in which he will look to return to form and the team will aim to repeat this year’s offensive success in particular.

JANUARY 15: The Rams’ campaign came to an end on Sunday night, and Tyler Higbee is likely to face an offseason of recovery. The veteran tight end is believed to have suffered a torn ACL during the team’s wild-card loss, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Higbee suffered the injury after being hit by Lions safety Kerby Joseph in the fourth quarter. He had not made a catch up to that point in the game (with the play in which he went down coming on his lone target of the contest), but his absence nevertheless dealt a blow to the Rams’ offense. Schefter notes an MRI will take place today to confirm the initial diagnosis.

The 2023 campaign was Higbee’s eighth in the NFL, all of which have come with the Rams. The former fourth-rounder has been a full-time starter since his rookie season, and he has served as a consistent option in the passing game over the course of his tenure. Higbee has played at least 15 games every year, and his durability has of course been a key factor in his success. Assuming he has indeed torn his ACL, he will face a challenging recovery period to be available for the start of next season.

Higbee recorded his fourth consecutive season with at least 521 receiving yards in 2022, seeing a career-high 108 targets along the way. His production and continued importance to the team’s passing attack earned him an extension in September. The 31-year-old is under contract through 2025 as a result, with scheduled cap hits of $11.6MM and $9.6MM. A return to form would be a welcomed development as the Rams look to build off of this year’s offensive success.

Higbee had a smaller share in the team’s overall production this year, posting a 47-495-2 statline. The emergence of fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua into one of the the league’s leading receivers played a large role in that, of course, but having he, fellow WR Cooper Kupp and Higbee healthy will go a long way in ensuring offensive production moving forward. The latter’s health situation could be a key storyline for the team in the offseason, however.

Latest On Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Negotiations

January 16th, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having interviewed with the Chargers yesterday, Jim Harbaugh is once again firmly in the running for an NFL return. His candidacy for a coaching gig at the pro level has helped give him substantial leverage in negotiating a new Michigan contract as well, however.

The national champions have long been in talks with Harbaugh on a new contract, and a number of terms on that hypothetical pact appear to have been worked out. A major sticking point, however, pertains to the matter of potential discipline handed down by the NCAA over Harbaugh’s involvement in Michigan’s various scandals. Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel reports Harbaugh is seeking a number of provisions in his new Wolverines contract if he elects to remain with the school

Specifically, Harbaugh is aiming to have a clause included in his pact which will prevent Michigan from being able to fire him as a result of any NCAA sanctions brought about by its ongoing investigations. In addition, the 60-year-old wants any potential ‘for-cause’ termination decision to be made by a three-member arbitration panel. Traditionally, such matters would be handled by athletic director Warde Manuel, who under Harbaugh’s proposed terms would still be able to fire him for on-field reasons.

After Michigan went undefeated en route to the national championship (a feat accomplished in spite of Harbaugh being suspended for the three games to begin and end the regular season), interest from the NFL has once again picked up. The Chargers have been connected to him early and often this offseason, but plenty of buzz linking him to the Raiders has existed as well. No matter how the 2024 hiring cycle plays out, Harbaugh will be able to secure a lucrative contract for 2024.

On that note, Wetzel adds Harbaugh is seeking to have the start date of his latest Michigan extension delayed. As things currently stand, an NFL team would be required to pay a buyout of $1.5MM to hire Harbaugh away. The school is aiming to raise that figure to roughly $4MM. Harbaugh wants to push back the point at which that happens to February 15 – in other words, after this year’s NFL coaching hires have been made – per Wetzel. That request, coupled with Harbaugh’s decision to hire an agent, continue to point toward an NFL return.

Harbaugh enjoyed a successful run with the 49ers from 2011-14, and he discussed NFL openings in each of the past two offseasons. If 2024 proves to represent the year in which he made the jump, it will have come after a lengthy negotiating period with his alma mater. If not, he will have protection against NCAA discipline. something which would likely help his market with respect to future NFL opportunities.

Packers Fear Kingsley Enagbare Suffered ACL Tear

January 16th, 2024 at 12:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers pulled off an upset win over the Cowboys on Sunday, allowing their season to continue. Green Bay will likely be shorthanded on the edge the rest of the way, however. Kingsley Enagbare is believed to have suffered a torn ACL, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

The 2022 fifth-rounder logged a notable workload as a rookie, particularly after Rashan Gary suffered an ACL tear of his own. Enagbare wound up starting seven games and shouldering a 45% defensive snap share last year. He flashed potential with three sacks and eight quarterback hits. Even with Gary back to full health, Enagbare remained a key member of the Packers’ edge contingent this campaign.

The latter appeared in all 17 regular season contests for the second straight year, starting four. His playing time remained roughly on par with that of his rookie campaign, and posted similar numbers as a result. Enagbare registered two sacks, 37 total tackles, 11 QB pressures and a forced fumble. He added a pair of quarterback hits in Green Bay’s wild-card victory, and his loss will be felt on a Packers defense which faces a stiff challenge this weakened against the 49ers.

The Packers will move forward with Gary, Preston Smith and first-round rookie Lukas Van Ness in the pass rush room. Van Ness has found himself behind Enagbare on the depth chart with respect to playing time, but four of his five total sacks (regular and postseason combined) have come in the past seven games. He could be in line for an increased workload against San Francisco if further testing confirms Enagbare will indeed miss the remainder of the campaign.

Should that be the case, the 23-year-old will turn his attention to a lengthy recovery process in an attempt to heal in time for Week 1 of the 2024 season. Enagbare’s absence will leave Green Bay without a key rotational presence on the defensive front for the divisional round, an unwanted development for the team as it tries to continue an unexpected postseason run.

Mike Tomlin Undecided On Steelers Future?

January 16th, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Rory Parks

JANUARY 16: Tomlin’s Steelers fell to the Bills on Monday as many expected, bringing the team’s season to an end. To no surprise, Tomlin faced a question about his future, but he declined to address the topic. He instead elected to depart his press conference when his contract was mentioned (video link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). Until further clarity emerges as it pertains to the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, Tomlin’s status will be worth monitoring.

JANUARY 14: The Steelers will take on the Bills in a wild-card matchup tomorrow, a game that was pushed back a day due to heavy snow in Buffalo. Pittsburgh is a heavy underdog in that contest, and according to a number of high-profile NFL pundits, it is fair to wonder whether it will be head coach Mike Tomlin‘s last game on the Steelers’ sidelines.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that whenever Pittsburgh’s season comes to an end, Tomlin will discuss his future with his family and “reassess his situation.” While such a reassessment takes place at the end of every season, Florio suggests the situation is different this time around because Tomlin is only signed through 2024 and has never inked an extension with just one year left on his contract. In Florio’s estimation, Tomlin could certainly re-up with the Steelers, but he could also forego a new contract, finish out his current deal in 2024, and become a free agent in 2025. Alternatively, like current Broncos head coach Sean Payton did when he was under contract with the Saints, Tomlin could choose to sit out a year and see if another club pursues a trade for his rights (of course, regardless of whether Tomlin re-signs or chooses to enter 2024 as a lame duck, that may not prevent another team from trying to acquire via him via trade).

To be clear, the factual underpinning of Florio’s report is flawed. When Tomlin signed a three-year extension in April 2021, his existing contract at the time only kept him under club control through the end of the 2021 season; in other words, he has indeed gone into an offseason with just one year left on a contract. However, Florio is not the only one who believes Tomlin’s Pittsburgh future is uncertain.

On January 7, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (video link) reported that the Steelers would not fire Tomlin, which jibes with Florio’s own report from last month, when he wrote that Pittsburgh had no desire to move on from its head coach and had no reason to believe that Tomlin did not want to continue his tenure with the club. Glazer did add, however, that “it’ll be [Tomlin’s] choice if he goes back to the Steelers or not, but it will be his choice.”

Just one day later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter (video link via Awful Announcing) said that some league sources believe Tomlin could decide to take a year off, a la Payton. While Schefter did confirm that the Steelers have no intention of parting ways with Tomlin if the Super Bowl-winning head coach wants to return, he noted that Tomlin is a Washington, D.C. native and that his wife loves Los Angeles, thereby implying that the Commanders’ and Chargers’ HC vacancies may be appealing to him.

Although the 2023 campaign looked to be heading nowhere after three straight losses from Weeks 13-15 — including defeats at the hands of the woeful Cardinals and Patriots — Tomlin’s decision to insert quarterback Mason Rudolph into the starting lineup in Week 16 paid immediate dividends, as the Steelers rattled off three consecutive victories at the end of the season to sneak into the seventh and final spot in the AFC playoff field. That said, no matter what happens in the playoffs, Pittsburgh’s long-term QB situation is decidedly unsettled, and between the in-season firing of OC Matt Canada and some locker room tension, 2023 has doubtlessly been a trying one for Tomlin.

As such, it would not be as surprising as it might have been in past years to see Tomlin step away for a time or move on to a different team. If he opts for the latter course, there will be no shortage of interest in his services. Now that Bill Belichick and the Patriots have parted ways, Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in the league, but he is still just 51 (he will turn 52 in March). While the contingent of Pittsburgh fans that believe Tomlin should be fired are surely tired of hearing about it, Tomlin has famously never had a sub-.500 season, and he boasts a 173-100-2 regular season record.

Detractors will point out that Tomlin is 8-9 in the postseason and has not won a playoff game since 2016, both of which are fair criticisms. Nonetheless, his overall body of work has kept him in good stead in the Steelers’ front office and will make him a hot commodity elsewhere if he seeks a change of scenery.

Bears Interview Greg Roman For OC Position

January 16th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears’ search for an offensive coordinator has led to another interview. Chicago spoke with Greg Roman about the position on Monday, per Peter Schrager of NFL Network.

The Bears elected to retain head coach Matt Eberflus, but to little surprise OC Luke Getsy was dismissed at the end of the season. Improvement on the offensive side of the ball will be a clear priority for the team after it showed a significant defensive turnaround in the second half of the campaign. Chicago’s next offensive coordinator – the third in the past four seasons – will be tasked with either developing Justin Fields further or starting fresh with a new quarterback brought in to replace him. The latter route could very well include selecting Caleb Williams first overall after he declared for the draft yesterday.

Roman has experience as a play-caller at the NFL level, and in particular working with mobile quarterbacks. He has held OC positions with the 49ers, Bills and, most recently, Ravens. His Baltimore tenure included back-to-back seasons in 2019 and ’20 in which the team led the league in scoring. The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson-led attack developed a strong reputation for its success on the ground, which falls in line with Roman’s track record. Offenses he has guided have never ranked worse than eighth in the NFL in yardage on the ground.

However, Roman-led units have not matched that success through the air. The Ravens’ 13th-place finish in passing yards in 2021 represents the most productive campaign in terms of passing yards he has overseen in his career. Much of Fields’ success to date has come on the ground, although he did see an uptick in many passing categories in 2023. If the Bears decide to keep the 2021 first-rounder in the fold, an OC with a stronger track record in the passing game would likely represent a more suitable choice. Chicago has yet to make a determination with respect to moving on from Fields (clearing the way for Williams to be drafted) or giving him at least one more season to establish himself as a franchise passer.

Roman, 51, joins Seahawks OC Shane Waldron, 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak, as well as Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Seahawks QBs coach Greg Olson in receiving interest for the Bears’ OC gig. After Roman’s four-year Ravens tenure ended last offseason, he took this past year off from coaching.

Falcons Interview Bill Belichick For HC Opening

January 15th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bill Belichick sweepstakes has officially kicked off. The Falcons announced this evening that they’ve interviewed the iconic head coach for their own HC vacancy.

[RELATED: Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?]

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Belichick recently met in person with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to discuss the opportunity. While no deal is imminent, Pelissero notes that there’s mutual interest between the two sides and “conversations are ongoing.”

Once the Patriots and Belichick made their divorce official, we heard that the Falcons could make a strong push for the head coach. There were also whispers that Blank was seeking more experience during this coaching cycle. While the owner’s previous hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) were first-time head coaches, Blank’s current focus on experience certainly made Belichick a logical target.

Of course, there’s a bit of history between the two sides. Belichick was famously on the sideline when his Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Since then, the Falcons have seen an NFC South rival, the Buccaneers, snag a future Hall of Famer from New England and win a Super Bowl. Blank and the Falcons brass are clearly banking on similar fortunes this time around.

The Falcons have loaded up on skill positions in recent drafts, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. Further, the front office invested some money into the defense in 2023, and the organization will presumably invest similarly in 2024 if Belichick takes over. The Falcons are expected to reside in the middle of the cap-space pack, with the organization projected to carry more than $21MM.

Of course, the team’s lack of certainty at quarterback could scare away some HC candidates, even with the organization expected to take a bigger QB swing heading into the offseason. Of course, Belichick has famously downplayed the significance of the QB position, a sentiment that played a role in the growing tension between him and Tom Brady. Belichick would surely welcome the question marks at quarterback, and he’d probably push against the instinct to invest significant draft or free agency capital into the position.

While it’s easy to assume that one of the most accomplished head coaches of all time would be atop the Falcons wish list, that hasn’t stopped the organization from eyeing other candidates for their vacancy. Belichick is now the 10th official candidate for the role, joining a growing list that includes:

USC’s Caleb Williams To Enter 2024 Draft

January 15th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

While connected to potentially bypassing the 2024 draft if he found his potential destination unsatisfactory, Caleb Williams will make his expected move soon. The USC quarterback is entering the draft, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel reports.

Williams has long been expected to declare, and he joins Drake Maye in doing so. The 2022 Heisman winner is favored to become the No. 1 pick, with the Bears firmly in play to move on from Justin Fields and draft the two-year USC star. That is not set in stone, however, and Fields’ status will play a major role in Williams’ NFL future.

Monday represents the deadline for players to make their draft declarations, and while Williams has made millions via the NIL component that has changed major college athletics, that pales in comparison to what he would make over the course of a fully guaranteed No. 1 overall contract. Bryce Young is tied to a $37.96MM fully guaranteed deal; the No. 1 pick in 2024 will slide in a bit higher.

The Bears have a fascinating decision ahead, and Williams will drive the seminal call. The former Oklahoma recruit has been viewed as a top-tier prospect for an extended stretch, with his ceiling as a passer separating him from Fields, who has shown elite abilities as a runner but has been inconsistent as a thrower through three seasons. The Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers last year, allowing Carolina to move up for Young. Williams brings a higher prospect pedigree than Young or C.J. Stroud, giving the Bears more to consider this year. After making the Carolina trade before free agency last year, GM Ryan Poles looks set to be more deliberate this time around.

Transferring from Oklahoma to follow Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles, Williams won the Heisman as a sophomore after throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns while limiting his interceptions to only five. This past season, Williams kept his interception total at five but failed to match his other Heisman numbers with 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, albeit in two fewer games.

The 6-foot-1 QB has drawn early Patrick Mahomes comparisons, and while that is a lofty standard, Williams will enter the NFL with a better accuracy profile compared to the Chiefs megastar. Williams completed 68.4% of his passes as a junior and averaged 9.4 yards per attempt, marks north of his Heisman-season totals. He also operated in a larger spotlight compared to any QB who has entered the draft over the past two years. Like Trevor Lawrence during his junior season, Williams entered his final college campaign as the runaway favorite to be the following year’s No. 1 pick.

Chicago passing on Williams at 1 would surprise. Fields showed progress as a passer in Year 3, but development and being the reason for passing on a No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year are different matters. Poles also did not draft Fields; predecessor Ryan Pace did. The Bears must decide on Fields’ fifth-year option by May. If the Bears trade him, they would do so before that point, giving Fields’ second NFL team that responsibility. Drafting Williams would also come with at least three years of rookie-deal salary, giving Chicago a chance to fortify its roster in other places. Picking up Fields’ option would start the clock on the Ohio State alum, whose rookie-deal salaries would stop in 2024.

The Fields case is not without considering for Chicago, either; it just comes with tremendous risk. Trading the top pick would fetch the Bears far more than trading Fields will, potentially requiring a Robert Griffin III-type haul for a team to move up — well, depending on where that team is currently slotted. But Poles and Co. would need to be convinced Fields will develop into a surefire franchise option for that route to be strongly considered.

Although some buzz about Fields still being the Bears’ future has emerged, more Williams-to-Chicago noise has come out. Either way, this will be one of the most interesting leadups to a draft in modern NFL history.

Seahawks Request HC Interview With Raiders DC Patrick Graham

January 15th, 2024 at 8:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Patrick Graham has earned another head coaching interview. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks have requested an interview with the Raiders defensive coordinator.

[RELATED: Seahawks Request HC Interview With Giants OC Mike Kafka]

The veteran coach worked his way up through the Patriots coaching staff, and following stints with the Giants and Packers, he was named the Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2019. He was recruited to the Giants by Joe Judge to serve in the same coordinator role (plus the title of assistant head coach) in 2020, and despite the change to Brian Daboll, Graham was expected to stick in New York in 2022.

Instead, he joined Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, where he’s spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator. Graham has been credited with an improved defense in 2023. The group finished the season ninth in points allowed, and the defense finished top-12 in most passing defense categories. Thanks to the Raiders’ performance, Graham also got an interview for the Chargers head coaching job.

The Seahawks list of head coaching candidates continues to grow. We learned earlier tonight that the team was eyeing Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, and the two newest candidates join five other potential names:

Titans Request HC Interview With Panthers OC Thomas Brown

January 15th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

For the third straight year, Thomas Brown is generating head coaching interest. According to ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin, the Titans have requested to interview the Panthers offensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy.

Brown worked his way up through the college circuit before being hired as the Rams running backs coach in 2020. He quickly earned a promotion to assistant head coach, and he eventually took on the role of tight ends coach. When Frank Reich was hired as the Panthers head coach last offseason, he brought on Brown to be his offensive coordinator.

The Panthers offense struggle was inconsistent in 2023 with rookie Bryce Young under center. Reich eventually relinquished play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator, but he briefly took them back before getting fired. Brown once again started calling plays under interim head coach Chris Tabor. While the Panthers offense finished towards the bottom of the NFL in most stats, Brown got the benefit of the doubt considering the turmoil on the staff. Still, he’s not expected to stick around Carolina in 2024.

Considering Brown’s rapid rise, this isn’t the first time he’s been a candidate for a head coaching gig. He was connected to the opening at Arizona State in 2022, and he interviewed for the Texans job last offseason.

As our 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Brown is now the 10th candidate for the Titans head coaching job:

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/15/24

January 15th, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

With a handful of teams getting eliminated from the playoffs this weekend, those front offices are starting to prepare for the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures deals, with the majority coming from recently eliminated squads:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

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