Broncos Activate C Luke Wattenberg From IR; RB J.K. Dobbins Ruled Out

After losing him for the final couple weeks of the regular season and missing him in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos have activated starting center Luke Wattenberg off their injured reserve in time for tomorrow’s Conference Championship. In a corresponding move, the team placed quarterback Bo Nix on IR following his season-ending ankle injury.

After playing every snap of the season through 15 games for the Broncos, Wattenberg appeared on the injury report leading into Week 17 with a shoulder issue. Ultimately, it was determined that he would need to be placed on IR with the possibility that he may be able to make a return at about this point of the playoffs.

Denver turned to backup center Alex Forsyth, a third-year lineman taken out of the seventh round from Oregon, to take over in Wattenberg’s absence. Forsyth had previous subbed in as a starter for four games that Wattenberg missed in 2024, as well. In his role as the backup center, Forsyth ended up having some injury issues himself. In both his Week 18 and Divisional Round starts, third-string center Sam Mustipher was tasked with filling in for a couple snaps in place of Forsyth.

Now Wattenberg returns to close out the season for the Broncos, who are limping along at this point after the injury to Nix. The team is also without veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, who was officially ruled out yesterday and will remain on IR, per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Additionally, second-leading wide receiver Troy Franklin seems to be trending in the wrong direction as he attempts to work through a hamstring injury.

As a result, the Broncos are utilizing their two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore for Sunday’s game. Moore was called up last week, as well, but has still yet to make his Broncos debut. According to Tomasson, Moore was aware that he wouldn’t be playing last week and that the elevation was just a way of rewarding him with a full game check. Franklin’s hamstring issue opens the door, though, to some potential playing time for taxi squad pass catchers.

Though the offense isn’t at 100 percent, it’s the Broncos defense that’s gotten them this far. They’ll need that side of the ball to hold off the visiting Patriots enough to allow for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, rookie running back RJ Harvey, and the rest of the offense to find success at this most crucial point of the season.

Miami T Francis Mauigoa Declares For Draft

Considered one of the top lineman prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft and a consensus first-round talent, Miami (FL) offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa announced this week on his Instagram that he will forgo his senior year of college and declare for the draft. Following in the steps of last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Mauigoa projects as a potential top 10 pick after a strong finish to his college career under the brightest of lights.

Unlike Cam Ward, who started out as a zero-star prospect and arrived in Coral Gables by way of Incarnate Ward and Washington State via transfer portal, Mauigoa arrived at the U as a consensus five-star prospect. Born in American Samoa, Mauigoa first got the attention of the recruiting world as a stellar two-way lineman at Aquinas HS (CA). He went back home for his sophomore year at Tafuna HS in American Samoa before transferring to the prestigious IMG Academy (FL), a school near Tampa known for bringing in top high school players from around the country to develop for college.

Mauigoa’s offers came early and often, rising him quickly to five-star status as the top schools in the country fought for his signature. After taking official visits to Alabama, Florida, USC, Miami, and Tennessee, Mauigoa committed to first-year Miami head coach Mario Cristobal before his senior year and became the headliner of the Hurricanes’ signing class. By the end of the recruiting cycle, 247Sports composite ranking listed him as the ninth-best overall recruit and the top offensive tackle in the nation.

As an early enrollee, Mauigoa got a headstart on his ability to make an impact as a true freshman but surprised many when he was named the starting right tackle in his first year with the team. He showed a ton of promise in his first season with the Hurricanes with elite size — listed at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds as a true freshman — and impressive strength for his age, but he still had plenty of room for improvement in his technique.

He improved with each season he played in Coral Gables, getting named second-team All-ACC as a sophomore before leaving no doubt as a consensus All-American in Year 3. For much of his junior campaign, draft pundits assessed that his skillset was more aligned for a role on the interior of the offensive line, but as each piece of game film came through, those pundits became a bit more bullish on the idea of Mauigoa sticking at tackle in the NFL. The view of him as an NFL tackle started to solidify more and more on his team’s run through to College Football Playoff, which ended with a home loss to the Hoosiers in the Playoff’s final game. Still, though, against some of the NCAA’s top competition, including several of the draft’s top pass rushing prospects, Mauigoa continued to shine with everyone watching, allowing just one sack and two pressures in 16 games.

Of some of those major draft pundits, Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s midseason ranking of Mauigoa as the 16th-best overall prospect and second-best offensive tackle is currently his lowest major ranking. ESPN contributors Mel Kiper Jr. and Matt Miller both have Mauigoa as their top offensive tackle prospect, with Miller ranking him as the seventh-best overall prospect and Kiper slotting him in at No. 8.

After a stellar 2025 season, Mauigoa has likely cemented his first-round status. Plenty of teams will be open to adding a top offensive line prospect with a high floor and potential to start at tackle or guard. Though not likely, if the Jets were to take him No. 2 overall, it would reunite Mauigoa with his older brother, Francisco Mauigoa, a rookie linebacker taken by New York in the fifth round last year. With the elder Mauigoa’s first name encompassing all the letters of younger brother’s, the two go by “Kiko” and “Sisi” to avoid confusion.

Patriots Activate Mack Hollins From IR

An already strong Patriots offense will welcome back a key reinforcement against the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Patriots have activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve. Hollins landed on IR with an abdomen injury on Dec. 27.

After a solid 2025 showing with AFC East rival Buffalo, Hollins joined New England on a two-year, $8.4MM agreement in free agency. The move reunited Hollins with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who first coached the well-traveled wideout in Las Vegas in 2022.

Hollins posted career highs in receptions (57), targets (94) and yards (690) in his lone season with the Raiders, and he was similarly productive this year before his IR stint. In his first 15 games as a Patriot, the 32-year-old Hollins hauled in 46 receptions on 65 targets, racked up 550 yards, and found the end zone twice.

Despite missing the last two games of the regular season, Hollins led Pats receivers in snaps (657), edging out Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs. The Patriots and MVP-contending quarterback Drake Maye nonetheless rattled off four straight wins without Hollins, including playoff victories over the Chargers and Texans.

With a win in Denver over backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriot who will fill in for the injured Bo Nix, New England will earn its 12th trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will enter the game as rare road favorites, and the return of Hollins should further increase their chances of pulling it out.

Along with activating Hollins, the Patriots made a handful of other roster moves on Saturday. The team placed defensive tackle Eric Gregory on IR, elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson and DT Leonard Taylor from the practice squad, and released receiver Trent Sherfield from its taxi squad.

Sherfield, who played 10 games with the Broncos this season, signed with the Patriots on Jan. 13. There’s little doubt the Patriots quizzed Sherfield on the Broncos during his short stay in New England.

Klay Kubiak Withdraws From HC Searches

Although he has been a candidate in multiple head coaching searches this month, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has removed himself from consideration, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Kubiak will remain in San Francisco in 2026.

The 37-year-old Kubiak drew attention from the Steelers and Raiders in this winter’s hiring cycle. The news of Kubiak’s withdrawal came shortly before the Steelers agreed to hire Mike McCarthy as their head coach. Meanwhile, the Raiders haven’t found Pete Carroll’s replacement yet, but we know it won’t be Kubiak.

There’s still a possibility Klay’s brother, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, will land the Las Vegas job. Both Kubiaks have interviewed for the position. The Bills, Browns and Cardinals are the only other teams with vacancies.

A former Colorado State quarterback, Klay Kubiak has garnered all of his NFL coaching experience with the 49ers. He joined the organization as a defensive quality control coach in 2021. Kubiak spent the next two years as the 49ers’ assistant quarterbacks coach before working as their offensive passing game specialist in 2024.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan promoted Kubiak to offensive coordinator in 2025, a year in which the 49ers overcame a rash of key injuries to finish seventh in yards and 10th in scoring. Backup quarterback Mac Jones started in place of an injured Brock Purdy eight times, tight end George Kittle missed six games, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall sat out eight, and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk didn’t play at all.

Shanahan continued as the 49ers’ primary play-caller during their injury-ravaged 2025. Nevertheless, Kubiak is important enough to the coaching staff that Shanahan would block other teams from hiring him as an offensive coordinator.

“He’s our offensive coordinator, so I don’t know, why would you let him be somebody else’s offensive coordinator,” Shanahan said last week.

For his part, Kubiak prefers to continue working with Shanahan, according to Russini. Shanahan has been the 49ers’ head coach since 2017, but he has only given the OC title to Kubiak and Mike McDaniel. While McDaniel held the role for just one season before he left to become the Dolphins’ head coach in 2022, Kubiak is now poised for a multiyear stint. With another productive season in 2026, Kubiak may reemerge as a name to watch during next winter’s hiring cycle.

Raiders Interview Brian Daboll For HC

The number of open head coaching positions and top coaching candidates are both starting to dwindle as six of the 10 open positions this offseason have been filled. Having seen two of the three candidates they invited for second interviews land jobs elsewhere, the Raiders continue to expand their board. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, former Giants head coach Brian Daboll interviewed for the open job in Las Vegas today.

Since his midseason dismissal from New York, Daboll has remained a name to watch for head coaching jobs in this cycle. He was one of 18 coaches interviewed for the top job in Tennessee, and just recently interviewed for the Bills‘ open job. With his latest interest from the Raiders, Daboll only has two options available, but if Vegas thinks they’re ready to hire Daboll, they may want to move fast to make it happen, considering the 50-year-old made it known that Buffalo was his preferred destination. His four years as offensive coordinator with the Bills was what got him a head coaching opportunity in the first place, after all.

Daboll hasn’t just been getting head coaching interest coming out of his first tenure in a lead position. With some programs remembering the work he did as OC in Buffalo before he landed in New York, he’s garnered some offensive coordinator interest, as well. Daboll was set to interview for the open job with the Chargers before it became known that the team was expected to hire former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to the role, and he did interview this past week for the OC role in Philadelphia. McDaniel’s continued availability for other positions may mean that job isn’t quite closed to Daboll, though.

Daboll was also mentioned as a candidate for the Titans’ OC job, but he has yet to interview for it. Similar to what he said with a head coaching opportunity in Buffalo, Daboll made it known that the OC opportunity in Nashville would be his preferred destination, if he’s unable to land a head coaching gig.

As for Vegas, former Chargers DC Jesse Minter landed with Baltimore as head coach after two rounds of interviews with the Raiders, and former Packers’ DC Jeff Hafley came off the board before he could make it out to his scheduled second interview in Vegas, landing the job in Miami. The only candidate who has completed two interviews with the Raiders who is still available is another defensive coordinator in Carolina’s Ejiro Evero. After other candidates either landed elsewhere or withdrew from consideration for the position, Las Vegas has nine candidates, other than Daboll, with whom they’ve conducted a preliminary interview.

Here’s how the Raiders’ coaching search is shaping up at this latest point of the process:

49ers Don’t Expect To Trade Mac Jones

Then in the market for a capable backup to starting quarterback Brock Purdy, the 49ers brought in Mac Jones on a two-year, $7MM contract last March. The move paid off in 2025 for San Francisco, which earned a playoff berth despite turning to Jones as its starter for almost half the season.

With injuries holding Purdy out of eight games, Jones helped the 49ers to a 5-3 mark during a 12-win campaign for the club. Across 11 appearances, Jones posted career highs in completion percentage (69.6), yards per attempt (7.4), passer rating (97.4) and QBR (62.9). The 27-year-old fired 13 touchdowns against six interceptions along the way.

Before teaming up with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Jones endured a couple of down years as a Patriots starter and a Jaguars backup. The 15th overall pick in 2021, Jones finished second to Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. The Alabama product also helped lead the Patriots to the playoffs then, but the team peaked under Jones that season.

After back-to-back subpar years, the Patriots sold low on Jones in sending him to the Jags for a sixth-round pick in 2024. While logging seven starts in place of an injured Trevor Lawrence in his lone year in Jacksonville, Jones’ struggles continued.

Departing Jacksonville for San Francisco led to Jones’ revival under Shanahan, making it conceivable that quarterback-needy teams could inquire about his availability this offseason. Bringing in Jones and his $2.81MM base salary may be an attractive option for clubs seeking a veteran QB who can at least compete for a starting job. As you’d expect, though, the 49ers’ public stance is that Jones will remain in their uniform in 2026.

On the potential of dealing Jones, Shanahan stated (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area): “As any player on our team, including myself and John (Lynch), you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”

Lynch echoed Shanahan’s sentiments, adding, “Like Kyle said, you always listen, but I know we’re a better football team with Mac Jones on our roster.”

While Jones’ presence benefited the 49ers in 2025, Purdy is locked in as their starter. With that in mind, an offseason trade involving the 49ers’ clear-cut backup may be on the table if a competitive enough offer comes along. A mid-November report identified Jones as a “prime trade candidate,” and it’s worth noting that he turned down better offers last March before latching on with the 49ers. It’s unknown which teams lost out on Jones in free agency then, but perhaps they’ll circle back on the trade market this year.

Wink Martindale Set For Second Interview For Jets’ DC Job

Former Ravens and Giants defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale is in New York for a second, in-person interview for the Jets’ defensive coordinator vacancy, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.

Martindale, 62, is entering his 30th year as a coach. He spent the last two years as Michigan’s defensive coordinator but did not uphold the standard by his predecessors, Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter, two of his former assistants in Baltimore who are now head coaches for the Seahawks and the Ravens, respectively. Martindale was not retained by new Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham for the 2026 season, making him a free agent and positioning him for a move back to the NFL.

With a second interview, Martindale is emerging as a top candidate for the Jets’ DC job, if not an outright frontrunner. He has been in contact with head coach Aaron Glenn “throughout the process, going back a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The two coaches have not overlapped with the same team during their time in the NFL – including Glenn’s playing career – but they no doubt are familiar with each other given their time in the NFL.

Martindale’s blitz-heavy system could help the Jets get more out of a pass rush that only produced 26 sacks in 2025, the second-fewest in the NFL. Sending Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys at the trade deadline certainly did not help, but he only produced one sack in his first eight games. Jermaine Johnson only recorded three sacks, though he was only a year removed from a torn Achilles. But Glenn’s credentials as the Lions’ defensive coordinator got him the job in New York, so the team is likely expecting him to find ways to generate pressure regardless of his personnel.

Martindale, who had a heavy hand in creating the systems now run by Macdonald, Minters, and other NFL DCs, may not have the best recent history, but he is still a respected defensive mind with a knack for pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

Here is an overview of the Jets’ search for a new defensive coordinator:

  • Mathieu Araujo, cornerbacks coach (Dolphins): Interviewed
  • Ephraim Banda, safeties coach (Browns): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Packers): Interviewed
  • Chris Harris, interim defensive coordinator (Jets): Interviewed 1/18
  • Daronte Jones, defensive backs coach (Vikings): Interviewed
  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Conducting second interview 1/24
  • Jim O’Neil, defensive assistant/safeties (Lions): Interviewed

Cardinals Schedule Second HC Interview With Anthony Weaver

Continuing a busy week, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has booked a second head coaching interview with the Cardinals, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. That meeting will take place Sunday.

Weaver held second head coaching interviews with the Ravens and Steelers earlier this week. The 45-year-old is also a candidate in Buffalo, which will discuss its open job with him today.

Weaver remains “very much in the mix” to end up as Mike Tomlin‘s successor in Pittsburgh, Peter Schrager of ESPN reports. However, after he wraps up his summit with the Bills, he’ll turn his attention back to Arizona.

Weaver joins Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile as the first two candidates to set up second interviews with the Cardinals. Unsurprisingly, Campanile is “firmly in the mix” to land the position, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Either Weaver or Campanile would be a second straight defensive-minded hire for Arizona, which is coming off a subpar three-year run with Jonathan Gannon at the controls. The Cardinals fired Gannon after he went 15-36 and posted a dreadful .294 winning percentage.

A defensive lineman with the Ravens and Texans from 2002-08, Weaver has garnered over a decade of experience as an NFL coach since his playing career ended. The two-time defensive coordinator (with the Texans in 2020 and the Dolphins since 2024) has managed mixed results in that role.

Houston’s Weaver-led defense ranked 27th in points and 30th in yards, and he didn’t keep the job for a second season after the Texans moved on from head coach Bill O’Brien and interim HC Romeo Crennel. Weaver then returned to his former stomping grounds in Baltimore, where he coached the defensive line under coordinators Wink Martindale and Mike Macdonald from 2021-23.

Weaver parlayed his work with the Ravens into a promotion in Miami, whose defense was a significant strength in his first season at the helm. The Dolphins finished fourth in total defense and 10th in scoring. Although they fell to 22nd and 24th in those respective categories in 2025, it’s clear teams aren’t holding that against Weaver.

Almost three weeks since Gannon’s ouster, here’s where the Cardinals’ HC search stands:

Dolphins Interview Clint Hurtt For DC

As he works to assemble his first staff with the Dolphins, Jeff Hafley has identified Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt as a defensive coordinator candidate. The Dolphins have interviewed Hurtt for the position, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Hafley’s interest in Hurtt suggests incumbent Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is on his way out, which isn’t a surprise. Weaver is a candidate for a handful of head coaching jobs. If he doesn’t land any of those, he’ll likely serve as an assistant on another staff in 2026.

If Hurtt takes over for Weaver, it would represent a homecoming of sorts for the 47-year-old. Hurtt is a former Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle who began his coaching career there in 2003 as a graduate assistant.

After going on to coach defensive lines at Miami, FIU and Louisville, Hurtt got his start in the NFL as the Bears’ assistant D-line coach in 2014. He became the Bears’ outside linebackers coach the next season and stayed in Chicago through 2016.

Hurtt’s tenure in the Windy City led to prominent roles on Pete Carroll‘s staff in Seattle. He served as the Seahawks’ assistant head coach and DL coach from 2017-21, and then Carroll promoted him to defensive coordinator. The results left plenty to be desired, though. The Seahawks’ defense ranked 25th in scoring in back-to-back seasons under Hurtt. The unit also finished 26th in yards in 2022 and 30th in 2023.

With Mike Macdonald replacing Carroll as the Seahawks’ head coach in 2024, Hurtt joined coordinator Vic Fangio‘s defensive staff with the Eagles. Part of a Super Bowl-winning team in his first year in Philadelphia, Hurtt has overseen two straight Pro Bowl campaigns for Jalen Carter. Jordan DavisMoro Ojomo and Milton Williams (now a Patriot) are among other D-linemen who have held their own on Hurtt’s watch over the past couple of years.

Whether the Dolphins hire Hurtt or another candidate, Hafley has made clear that he will call defensive plays in 2026, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

“it’s really important to me,” Hafley said. “The details will be exactly how I want them.”

The Dolphins hired Hafley after a successful two-year stint as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. The Packers were especially effective in 2024, when they ranked sixth in scoring defense and fifth in yards allowed. Hafley and his coordinator choice will have their work cut out in attempting to turn around a Miami defense that finished 24th and 22nd in those respective categories in 2025.

Bills To Conduct HC Interview With Philip Rivers

The list of Bills targets for their head coaching vacancy continues to grow. One of the more interesting names on the market will now receive a look.

Philip Rivers is set to interview with Buffalo today, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The eight-time Pro Bowler briefly resumed his playing career down the stretch, making three starts for the Colts after Daniel Jones was lost to an Achilles tear. Rivers later confirmed he would not play again.

[RELATED: Bills To Interview Mike McDaniel For HC Job]

The door is open to a coaching career, however. Prior to the 2026 head coaching hiring cycle beginning, Rivers was named as a wild-card candidate to watch. As of earlier this month, he had yet to receive an interest from around the NFL. With the Bills in the midst of their search, though, at least one interview will now take place.

Before he un-retired, Rivers had been coaching his eldest son’s high school team. The 44-year-old has stated a desire to return to that role for 2026 in the absence of an NFL opportunity. Rivers’ football acumen and leadership were sources of praise throughout his decorated career, making him a logical candidate for a coaching role of some kind.

On the other hand, Rivers has never worked as a head coach, coordinator or position coach at the pro or college levels. That lack of experience would make a jump directly to the HC ranks in the NFL a risky one to say the least. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if a mutual interest exists between the parties once this in-person interview concludes.

Sean McDermott was fired following Buffalo’s latest postseason loss. Owner Terry Pegula‘s actions and remarks since then have made it clear general manager Brandon Beane won out in a power struggle of sorts with respect to disagreements over roster construction; Beane was promoted to president of football operations earlier this week. Quarterback Josh Allen will be present for Buffalo’s upcoming interviews, and he is in position to have a “significant say” in the team’s eventual hire. It will be interesting to see how Allen feels about the possibility of Rivers (who played 17 full NFL seasons, including 16 with the Chargers) stepping into a head coaching role immediately after hanging up his cleats.

Here is an updated look at where things stand for the Bills: