Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Aside from tonight’s Rams-Falcons game, Week 17 is in the books. Most of the playoff field has been set in both conferences, but there is still plenty to be determined regarding the first-round draft order.
By virtue of their loss on Sunday, the Raiders are now in pole position to secure the No. 1 pick. Vegas sits at 2-14 on the year, with four teams sporting a record of 3-13. Only one of those, however – the Giants – is still in contention to land the top selection. Vegas will play against Kansas City in Week 18, while New York’s season will end against Dallas.
Fernando Mendoza looms as the projected top quarterback option in the 2026 class, with the futures of Dante Moore and Ty Simpson still uncertain. Demand usually outweighs supply at the top of the draft when it comes to signal-callers, and scarcity at the position could very well come into play in April. Mendoza may find himself on the radar of teams not immediately in need of a quarterback depending on how things play out.
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:
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)
- New York Giants (3-13)
- New York Jets (3-13)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-13)
- Cleveland Browns (4-12)
- Washington Commanders (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-10)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Miami Dolphins (7-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1)
- Detroit Lions (8-8)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Carolina Panthers (8-8)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
- Buffalo Bills (11-5)
- Chicago Bears (11-5)
- Houston Texans (11-5)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
- New England Patriots (13-3)
- Denver Broncos (13-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
Marcus Freeman To Remain At Notre Dame
One of the top college coaches in the game will not transition to the NFL in 2026. Marcus Freeman announced on Monday that he is remaining at Notre Dame for next season. 
Freeman drew interest in the head coach hiring cycle last year, and he was firmly on the radar of teams set to be in the market for a new HC in 2026. There were lingering questions about his desire to leave the Fighting Irish for an NFL gig, though. Based on today’s news, Freeman will continue in his current role for at least one more year.
Situations such as this one often lead to high-profile college coaches leveraging NFL interest into a more lucrative deal with their schools. This one is no different. Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reports Freeman has agreed to a restructured contract with Notre Dame, one which moves him into the “top tier” of compensation for NCAA coaches. This agreement has also tacked on one new year to Freeman’s deal; he is therefore under contract through 2031.
Of course, the term remaining on a college coach’s pact rarely proves to be an insurmountable hurdle for NFL teams when a mutual desire exists regarding a hiring. In any case, Freeman’s name is no longer on the list of candidates for the 2026 cycle. The 39-year-old informed two NFL suitors he had been in contact with about his decision to stay put before making it public, per Forde’s report.
Notre Dame has gone 43-12 under Freeman, reaching the national title game last season. Things did not go according to plan in 2025, with the Irish posting a 10-2 record and being left out of the College Football Playoff. The team elected not to take part in a bowl game, meaning attention is focused entirely on the 2026 campaign. Freeman will stay in South Bend for at least that long before undoubtedly emerging once more as a strong candidate to take charge of an NFL team.
Packers OLB Micah Parsons Undergoes ACL Surgery
10:50pm: The surgery was a success. In a post on X, Parsons said it “went amazing.”
4:45pm: The Packers will take part in the NFC’s postseason, but they will do so without Micah Parsons. The blockbuster trade acquisition is sidelined with an ACL tear, and his lengthy recovery process is just beginning. 
Parsons posted on Instagram earlier today that he was set to undergo surgery (h/t Rob Demovsky). Once the procedure is complete, the All-Pro edge rusher will turn his attention to rehabbing. Parsons went down in Week 15, ending his debut Green Bay campaign in the process.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (video link), Parsons suffered a clean tear. That offers little in the way of consolation for the Packers as they prepare for the playoffs while riding what is now a three-game losing streak, but it should streamline his recovery process. Per Rapoport, a nine-month timeline is in place for Parsons to return to full health.
The 26-year-old recently earned the fifth straight Pro Bowl nod of his career based on his production with his new team. Parsons collected 12.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits and a career-high 48 pressures in 14 games prior to the injury. Green Bay’s pass rush in particular and defense in general has struggled without Parsons in the fold, and improving in time for the wild-card round will be key. The Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed, meaning they will begin the postseason on the road against either the Bears or the Eagles.
Parsons, meanwhile, will look to return to full strength in time for training camp next summer. The Penn State product is under contract through 2029 thanks to the record-breaking extension he signed upon arrival in Green Bay. Expectations will be high in his case for continued production over the life of that contract, but before that becomes possible a successful recovery will be required.
Bills Release K Michael Badgley From Practice Squad
It sounds like the Bills will soon be getting starting kicker Matt Prater back from injury. The team announced today that they’ve released kicker Michael Badgley from the practice squad.
Badgley has earned journeyman status after spending time with seven different organizations throughout his eight-year professional career. He spent the first portion of the 2025 campaign with the Colts, where he connected on 10 of his 11 field goal tries and 18 of his 21 XP attempts. He was cut loose by Indy after missing a crucial XP in an eventual Week 13 loss to the Texans.
He later caught on with the Bills to replace an injured Prater. The veteran replacement has seen time in a pair of games for Buffalo. He converted his lone field goal attempt (for 41 yards), but he missed two of his four XP tries. That included a blocked attempt last night in what ended up being a one-point Buffalo loss.
Fortunately for the Bills, they should soon be getting Prater back on the field. Prater’s 2024 season ended early thanks to a torn meniscus, an injury that ended up spelling the end of his tenure in Arizona. He caught on with Buffalo in early September following an injury to Tyler Bass.
The veteran kicker has been sidelined since Week 15 thanks to a quadriceps injury, but it sounds like the team should get him back for the regular season finale. The 41-year-old has had a successful first season in Buffalo, connecting on 18 of his 20 field goal attempts and 43 of his 46 XP attempts.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/29/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Ameer Speed
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Seth Henigan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Kyler Baugh
- Released: CB Daryl Porter
The Steelers shook up their practice squad today by shuffling through defenders. The team brought back former Minnesota standout Kyler Baugh, who spent most of this season on Pittsburgh’s taxi squad. He was cut by the squad last week. In a corresponding move, the team moved on from Daryl Porter, who got into one game with the Steelers this season.
The Colts appear to be trending towards ending Phillip Rivers‘ comeback story and opting for Riley Leonard as their Week 18 starter at QB. The team started the process today by adding an extra signal-caller to the practice squad in Seth Henigan. The Memphis product spent the preseason in Jacksonville, and he spent about a month on the Jaguars practice squad before earning his walking papers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/25
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Chris Blair, EDGE Khalid Kareem
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Bears): DT Jonathan Ford
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: WR Justin Watson
- Waived: DE Solomon Byrd
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: OL AJ Arcuri, S Tanner Ingle
- Activated from IR: CB Roger McCreary
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed from practice squad: CB Zemaiah Vaughn
- Placed on IR: DL Elijah Williams
New England Patriots
- Waived: CB Miles Battle, OL Brenden Jaimes
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: LS Charley Hughlett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: RB Josh Williams
The Packers added a former Bear ahead of a potential playoff matchup with the division rival. Jonathan Ford actually started his NFL career in Green Bay, although the seventh-round pick never got into a game with the Packers. He appeared in 12 games with Chicago between 2024 and 2025, collecting 13 tackles while seeing time in about a quarter of his team’s defensive snaps.
Patriots OT Will Campbell Expected To Return To Practice
The Patriots are starting to get healthy at the perfect time. Following last week’s news that Milton Williams returned to practice, the Patriots are also expected to welcome back OT Will Campbell to the practice field this week, Mike Vrabel told reporters (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss).
[RELATED: Patriots To Open DT Milton Williams’ IR-Return Window]
Campbell landed on injured reserve in late November after spraining his MCL in a Week 12 win over the Bengals. It seems the rookie left tackle may only require a minimum stay on injured reserve, as this is the first week he can be activated. As the Patriots prepare for the playoffs, there’s a good chance the team will look for Campbell to knock off some rust in Week 18.
The Patriots used the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft on the LSU product. While there were some questions about Campbell’s ability to succeed at offensive tackle in the NFL, the lineman did plenty to quiet the critics through the first chunk of his rookie campaign. Pro Football Focus currently ranks Campbell 34th among 86 qualifying offensive tackles, including a top-20 positional grade for his pass-blocking ability.
PFF also credited Campbell with a 96.5 efficiency rating, with the website attributing five sacks to the rookie offensive lineman. Notably, Campbell allowed only one pressure and no sacks through the final three games before his injury.
As Vrabel explained to reporters, the rookie LT has still been a constant presence in the locker room over the past month. In addition to rehabbing at Gillette Stadium, Campbell also joined his teammates for trips to Baltimore and New Jersey.
“Will cares deeply about this team and the players on it,” Vrabel said (via Mark Daniels of MassLive.com). “That was his decision. I usually would rather these guys stay, get some rest, recover, and get treatment. Once he started feeling good enough to travel, he asked to go. It can only help him to be around his teammates and be in the game.”
While Campbell’s been out of the lineup, the team turned to Vederian Lowe to soak up reps at left tackle. After grading out as one of the NFL’s worst offensive tackles through his first three seasons in the NFL, the veteran has performed a bit better in 2025, with PFF ranking him 60th among 86 qualifiers.
Chargers To Sit Justin Herbert In Week 18, Trey Lance To Start
Justin Herbert‘s regular season has come to an end. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters today that his starting QB will not play in Week 18. Trey Lance will earn the start, with practice squad QB DJ Uiagalelei garnering an elevation to serve as the QB2.
The Chargers’ loss to the Texans on Saturday officially knocked them out of contention for the AFC West title and home-field advantage, meaning the team will solely be playing for playoff positioning in Week 18. With Herbert still nursing a hand injury that he’s been playing through for more than a month, Harbaugh decided to pull the trigger and bench his QB1 for the season finale. In fact, the coach indicated that a handful of starters may be kept out of Sunday’s matchup vs. the Broncos.
“Winning and health, being healthy, those are our two objectives,” Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). “And guys that we think — the doctors, the trainers, myself, organization — that have the most bruises and need that time the most, we’ve decided that’s the direction we’re going.”
Harbaugh also made it clear that his decision has nothing to do with manipulating the standings to secure a preferred first-round playoff matchup.
“Health and winning. That’s it,” the coach said. “There’s no way to predict. We’re going on the road, first round. All potential teams would be good, and we’ll get ourselves ready for that.”
Herbert’s 2025 season will end with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also compiled a career-high 498 rushing yards. For his efforts, Herbert earned his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Lance will now get an opportunity to show what he’s got. The former third-overall pick last started a game for the Cowboys in 2024, when he completed 20 of 34 pass attempts for 244 yards. Lance inked a one-year deal with the Chargers this past offseason to serve as Herbert’s primary backup. He’s seen time in three games, completing seven of his 13 pass attempts for 90 yards.
If the Texans defeat the free-falling Colts in the early window next Sunday, the Chargers will be playing for either the sixth seed (in which case they’d likely match up with the Jaguars) or the seventh seed (in which case they’d likely match up with the Patriots). Either way, the organization clearly believes that an extra week of rest for Herbert will only increase their chances of pulling off a first-round upset.
Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Bradley Chubb Among Those Chasing Incentives
Late-December/early-January football offers myriad playoff scenarios, but incentives also play a key part during this sector of the NFL season. Here are a handful of incentive storylines to follow as the regular season winds down:
- Sam Darnold, QB (Seahawks). As we touched on in March, Darnold’s three-year, $100.5MM deal includes $5MM per year in incentives. He can earn $500K apiece by eclipsing a 100.0 passer rating, throwing at least 28 TD passes and finishing with a completion rate higher than 67.5%. Darnold sits on 25 TD passes and carries a 67.2% completion rate into Week 18. The nomadic QB also holds a 99.2 rating entering the 49ers matchup, putting $1.5MM in play. Darnold also earned $500K by guiding the Seahawks to the playoffs, ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi notes. While no incentive exists for a Seattle wild-card win, the free agent signing would collect $1MM for a divisional-round win, $1.5MM for reaching Super Bowl LX and $2.5MM for winning it.
- Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers). Mayfield’s three-year, $100MM deal includes a $2.5MM incentive package that can fully or partially trigger depending on the QB’s finishes in five statistical categories. Mayfield can earn $500K apiece if he finishes in the top 10 NFL QBs or top five among NFC arms in passer rating, TD passes, yards, completion percentage and yards per attempt, Ramondi adds. Mayfield sits 12th in yards (sixth NFC) and 11th in TDs (fifth NFC) but outside the top 17 in the other three categories, likely putting only $1MM in play.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Dolphins). Chubb can do quite well by season’s end. After agreeing to an offseason rework, the injury-prone edge rusher is set to cash in based on playing time escalators. Sitting at 72% playing time, Chubb is on track to earn more than $3.1MM, which he will do by finishing the season north of 70%, per Raimondi. The former top-five pick has already cashed in a $1.23MM sack incentive by reaching six; he can earn another $900K with eight. Chubb sits at 6.5 through 16 games.
- Keenan Allen, WR (Chargers). Returning to the Chargers on a one-year, $3MM contract, Allen has earned $1MM in reception incentives already, sitting at 73. He is at $750K on his receiving yardage incentives, per Raimondi. The two-stint Charger also has banked $750K by reaching 60 catches and the Bolts qualifying for the playoffs.
- Morgan Moses, RT (Patriots). Moses’ three-year, $24MM deal included a $1.5MM bump for playing 90% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Moses, who has not missed a game in his 12th season, locked that in during the Pats’ Week 17 win over the Jets. This is good news for the Jets, who let Moses walk in free agency. This is expected to bump the value of the 2026 compensatory pick tied to his exit from the seventh round to the fifth, OverTheCap’s Nick Korte notes.
- Joey Bosa, DE (Bills). Avoiding injuries for the most part this season, Bosa has five sacks on his one-year, $12.61MM Bills deal. If he nets No. 6 in Week 18, the 10th-year veteran will earn an additional $250K, per Raimondi. Bosa (15 games played — his most since 2019) is also on track to collect an additional $750K for playing at least 55% of the Bills’ defensive snaps.
- Deebo Samuel, WR (Commanders). Washington did not extend Samuel upon acquiring him via trade, but his deal does include a number of incentives. Already netting $250K in receiving yardage bonuses, Samuel (707 yards) can bump that to $450K if he reaches 800 yards. Samuel already banked $450K by reaching 70 receptions, Raimondi adds.
- Three NFC defenders earned six-figure bumps recently. Cameron Jordan (Saints) collected a $600K bonus by reaching nine sacks, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell. The 15th-year defensive end, who has 9.5 sacks in a bounce-back year, agreed to a reworked contract in March. Fellow veteran D-end DeMarcus Lawrence earned an additional $500K by being selected to the Pro Bowl in his first Seahawks slate, according to Spotrac. Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson earned $500K for intercepting a fourth pass this season, ESPN’s Field Yates adds.
Vikings Discussing New Deal With DC Brian Flores
With Brian Flores on an expiring contract, Week 18 could mark the end of his time with the Vikings. If the team has its way, though, that will not be the case. 
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday conversations have taken place with Flores about his future. He repeated the team’s stance that Minnesota aims to keep Flores in the fold for 2026 and beyond. O’Connell is well aware, however, that head coaching interest is likely during this year’s cycle.
“I know he enjoys being here,” O’Connell said of Flores (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). “I know I’m excited about when… hopefully I can come to this podium and say he’s going to be here for as long as we can keep him here before another team makes him their head coach.”
The possibility exists Flores will depart for a different defensive coordinator gig. The Cowboys were named as a potential suitor on that front yesterday. O’Connell said, however, that he does not anticipate such a scenario playing out this winter. Alternatively, a new round of head coaching interest could see Flores land the chance to lead an NFL staff for the second time in his career. O’Connell admitted interest on that front will likely be strong again.
After being fired by the Dolphins, Flores launched a civil suit against the NFL and multiple teams alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices. Following one year out of coaching, the 44-year-old was hired by O’Connell as part of his initial Vikings staff. Flores has remained with Minnesota since then, and the team’s defense is on track to finish top 10 in points allowed for the second year in a row.
A number of coaches with a defensive background are set to be among the top candidates for the 2026 hiring cycle. That will include Flores, who met with three teams last winter about their HC spot but did not receive any offers. That could change soon but if not, he will be welcomed back to Minnesota.
“Yeah, things are in a really positive place right now,” O’Connell added. “I absolutely want Brian Flores to be the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings as long as we can have him.”