HOF QB Sonny Jurgensen Passes Away
Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen passed away Friday at the age of 91, his family announced.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our husband, father, and grandfather, Sonny Jurgensen,” Jurgensen’s family stated. “We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm, but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the greats in Canton.”
A former Duke Blue Devil whom the Eagles chose in the fourth round of the 1957 draft, Jurgensen evolved into one of the greatest signal-callers in the history of the sport. After serving as a backup over his first four seasons, including to fellow Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin during Philadelphia’s championship-winning campaign in 1960, Jurgensen became a full-time starter in 1961.
In his first year leading the Eagles’ offense, Jurgensen broke through with league highs in completions (235), yards (3,723) and touchdown passes (32). He earned his first of four All-Pro selections and his first of five Pro Bowl nods that season.
Jurgensen again led the league in passing in 1962, but the Eagles spiraled to a 3-10-1 record after going 10-4 the previous year. The team posted another dismal record of 2-10-2 in 1963, including a 1-6-1 mark in Jurgensen’s starts, and traded him to Washington for quarterback Norm Snead and defensive back Claude Crabb in the ensuing offseason.
The move to Washington rejuvenated Jurgensen, who played his last 11 seasons with the team formerly known as the Redskins. He spent his first seven seasons in Washington as a starter. Jurgensen went to four Pro Bowls and led the league in passing three times during that span. He wound down his career as Billy Kilmer‘s backup from 1971-74 before retiring at the age of 40.
Jurgensen, who became a member of Washington’s Ring of Fame, ranks second in franchise history to Joe Theismann in completions, attempts, yards and touchdown passes. With 31 TD passes in 1961, he continues to hold the single-season franchise record 65 years later. The team retired his No. 9 in 2022.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said. “He was a brilliant leader, Hall of Fame quarterback, and had one of the best arms the game has ever seen. … Our hearts and prayers are with Sonny’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him.”
Also a member of the Eagles’ Hall of Fame, Jurgensen sits fifth on their all-time TD passes list. Despite playing during the pre-1978 “Dead Ball” era, Jurgensen ranks 26th all-time in TD tosses (255) and 51st in yards (32,224). He led all “Dead Ball” era QBs in passer rating (82.62). Jurgensen is a member of the 1960s All-Decade Team who earned enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. He enjoyed a 38-year career as a broadcaster after he hung up his cleats.
Packers To Hire Penn State WRs Coach Noah Pauley
The Packers are expected to hire Penn State wide receivers coach Noah Pauley for the same job in Green Bay, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
2025 was Pauley’s first season at Penn State. He did not have much immediate success with the Nittany Lions’ wide receivers, but his previous work at Iowa State and North Dakota State are much stronger parts of his resume.
As the Cyclones’ wide receivers coach from 2022 to 2024, Pauley played an instrumental role in the development of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The two made huge strides under Pauley’s tutelage and combined for 167 receptions, 2,377 yards, and 17 touchdowns in their final college season. Both were drafted by the Texans last April – Higgins with the 37th overall pick, Noel with the 79th – and put up solid but unspectacular rookie seasons.
In a way, it is surprising that the Texans have not looked into hiring Pauley considering their investment of the players he developed in college. Houston also drafted Xavier Hutchinson in 2023, a year after Pauley coached him to career- and Big 12-high stats of 107 receptions and 1,171 receiving yards.
Before Iowa State, Pauley coached now-Packers wide receiver Christian Watson at North Dakota State. The two will reunite in Green Bay, though Watson is in the last year of his contract. So are Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, while Matthew Golden and Savion Williams were both drafted last year.
It seems like the Packers will not be signing Romeo Doubs, and the cap hits of quarterback Jordan Love, edge rusher Micah Parsons, and right tackle Zach Tom will get bigger and bigger in the coming years. The team will also need to extend tight end Tucker Kraft, so extending multiple receivers may be out of the question. Pauley will therefore be crucial to the Packers’ continued strategy of drafting and developing young wide receivers while avoiding pricey extensions and free agent contracts. His main task will be getting Golden, the No. 23 pick last year – back on track after his disappointing rookie year.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Bills Hire DL Coach Terrance Jamison
The Bills are set to hire Illinois co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Terrance Jamison as their DL coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Jamison will replace Marcus West, who joined the Buccaneers in the same role last week.
Like new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, Jamison played college football at Wisconsin. Their careers with the Badgers didn’t overlap, but they were on the Illinois coaching staff together in 2023. Leonhard left after one season to join the Broncos’ staff.
An assistant at a handful of colleges since 2008, Jamison coached Bengals star pass rusher and soon-to-be free agent Trey Hendrickson at Florida Atlantic from 2014-16.
More recently, Jamison spent the past half-decade at Illinois. The 38-year-old helped develop defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, now with the Commanders, into a 2024 second-round pick. Jamison also assisted with edge rusher Gabe Jacas‘ 11-sack effort in 2025. After earning first-team All-Big Ten honors, Jacas could come off the board sometime in the first few rounds of April’s draft.
Now heading to Buffalo for his first job in the pros, Jamison will work on a staff that will likely implement a 3-4 base defense in 2026. The Bills ran a four-man front under former head coach Sean McDermott and ex-defensive coordinator Bobby Babich.
Jamison stands to inherit linemen Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders, though it’s not yet clear if Leonhard regards all of those players as fits for his scheme. Meanwhile, after combining for upward of 1,400 snaps in 2025, Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa and DaQuan Jones are scheduled to reach the open market in March. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see all three walk in free agency.
Elsewhere on the Bills’ staff, rookie head coach Joe Brady will retain several of McDermott’s former assistants, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Kelly Skipper (running backs), Rob Boras (tight ends), Austin Gund (assistant offensive line), DJ Mangas (quality control/assistant wide receivers coach), Mark Lubick (passing game specialist/game management) and Kyle Shurmur (offensive quality control) will return in 2026. Brady, the Bills’ offensive coordinator before they promoted him to replace McDermott, is already familiar with all of those coaches.
Eagles RT Lane Johnson, LG Landon Dickerson Could Retire
After longtime offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland stepped down earlier this week, the Eagles may be facing even bigger changes up front. Right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Landon Dickerson could retire, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer said on his Uncovering the Birds podcast. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network hears similarly in regards to Dickerson.
Johnson, who signed an extension through 2027 less than a year ago, expressed confidence that he’d play out the contract. While McLane expects that to happen, Johnson is now contemplating his future in the wake of an injury-limited season. A Lisfranc sprain kept the 35-year-old stalwart out of the Eagles’ last seven regular-season games and their wild-card round loss to the 49ers.
At 27, it’s far more surprising that Dickerson may have played his last down. Dickerson inked an extension through 2028 two years ago. However, it’s clear that injuries have taken their toll on the five-year veteran.
Dating back to his college days at Florida State and Alabama, Dickerson has undergone 13 surgeries, including a right meniscus operation last August. Dickerson managed to make it back for Week 1, though an ankle injury later shelved him for two games.
When healthy enough to play, both Johnson and Dickerson have been full-time starters throughout their careers. Johnson has started in all 168 appearances since the Eagles chose the ex-Oklahoma Sooner fourth in the 2013 draft. He’s now a six-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro (three second-team selections, two first-team nods) and a two-time Super Bowl champion. Johnson, whom Pro Football Focus ranked 19th out of 86 qualifying tackles in 2025, is still capable of playing at a high level.
The same is true of Dickerson, PFF’s 28th-rated guard among 80 qualifiers this past season. Since the Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2021, Dickerson has started in 77 of 78 appearances and earned three Pro Bowl trips.
Like Johnson, he was an integral part of a line that helped lead the Eagles to their most recent Super Bowl title in 2024. They also played major roles in running back Saquon Barkley‘s 2,000-yard campaign, the ninth in league history.
With free agency a little over a month away and the draft coming up in April, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is surely hoping for answers on the futures of Johnson and Dickerson sooner than later. That’s especially true with reserve linemen Fred Johnson and Brett Toth slated to hit the open market.
Thanks to Lane Johnson’s injury, Fred Johnson made eight starts in 2025. Fred Johnson said last month he’d like to re-sign with the Eagles, but he also considers himself as a starting-caliber player. If the 28-year-old sees a clearer path to playing time elsewhere, he could exit Philadelphia next month.
It may be easier to retain Toth, who has only made six starts in his five-year career. He picked up a career-high four this past season while logging 199 snaps at left guard and 164 at center. Re-signing Toth would at least give the Eagles more depth along the interior, where they could lose Dickerson.
Even if both Johnson and Dickerson hold off on retiring, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Roseman focus on replenishing the offensive line in the draft. Roseman hasn’t picked an O-lineman in the third round or higher since he chose right guard Tyler Steen in Round 3 (65th overall) in 2023. Steen is now fresh off his first season as a full-time starter. Steen, left tackle Jordan Mailata and center Cam Jurgens are locked in as starters heading into 2026, but there are now serious questions surrounding the other two spots.
Greg Roman Expected To Join Giants Staff
FEBRUARY 6: Roman is expected to serve as a senior offensive assistant, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports.
FEBRUARY 5: Greg Roman is set to reunite with John Harbaugh in New York. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there’s a “strong possibility” the veteran coach joins the Giants in a “to-be-determined role.”
[RELATED: Giants To Hire Matt Nagy As OC]
Roman had a six-year stint on Harbaugh’s Ravens staff, including four as offensive coordinator. Baltimore had the league’s best offense during his first season at the helm, and they were a top-10 unit in 2020. However, when Lamar Jackson battled injuries in 2021 and 2022, the Ravens saw their offensive rank drop to the late teens. Roman resigned following that 2022 campaign. Roman also had a stint on Baltimore’s staff between 2006 and 2007, but he didn’t stick around when Harbaugh was hired in 2008.
Following his first Baltimore stint, Roman served as Stanford’s associate head coach under Jim Harbaugh. Roman followed his boss to San Francisco, where he served as the 49ers offensive coordinator for four seasons. While the passing attack struggled under the coach, the 49ers rushing game was one of the best in the NFL, with Roman guiding Frank Gore to four standout campaigns. He later joined Rex Ryan‘s staff in Buffalo, and despite guiding the Tyrod Taylor-led offense to nearly-top-10 showings, he only lasted two years with the Bills.
Roman’s stint in Buffalo was followed by his long tenure in Baltimore. After spending a year out of football, he caught on with Jim Harbaugh’s staff in Los Angeles, where he coached the Justin Herbert-led offense in 2024 and 2025. The Chargers ended up moving on from the offensive coordinator following a three-point showing during the team’s playoff loss to the Patriots. Despite his underwhelming performance with the Chargers, Roman was still a finalist for the Jets OC job that eventually went to Frank Reich.
With that opportunity settled, Roman is now set to reunite with John Harbaugh in New York. It’s uncertain exactly what role he’ll serve on the Giants staff. The team has already added Matt Nagy as their new offensive coordinator, but there are still plenty of open gigs on the staff. Roman has extensive experience coaching tight ends, although the Giants did bring in former Ravens TEs guru Danny Breyer as their new pass game coordinator. Considering his past success with RBs, perhaps Roman could find himself with a key role on that part of the Giants offense.
2026 Hall Of Fame Class Unveiled
As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been revealed. Here is the full breakdown of the five-member class:
Drew Brees, quarterback (2001-20)
Chosen by the Chargers in the second round after they had traded down (via the Falcons) from No. 1 overall, Drew Brees joined LaDainian Tomlinson in what is now a two-Hall of Famer 2001 Bolts draft class. It took a while longer for Brees to join the superstar running back on that Canton path, but he found it in New Orleans. Brees did begin to turn his career around by 2004, when he guided the Chargers to their first playoff berth in eight years and made the Pro Bowl (no small feat with prime Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the AFC at the time) in 2004. A John Lynch sack in a Broncos-Chargers Week 17 game in 2005, however, changed multiple franchises’ fortunes.
The Chargers gave the reins to 2004 first-rounder Philip Rivers, leading Brees to free agency. A Dolphins-Saints duel developed. Dolphins doctors not expressing confidence in Brees’ shoulder led the then-Nick Saban-coached team to bow out, and the Saints gave Brees a five-year, $60MM deal with $20MM guaranteed. He outplayed that contract and the rest of the deals he signed.
Brees lasted 15 years as the Saints’ starter. The franchise entered the Brees era with one playoff win in 39 years; the Saints now have 10 postseason victories, with the QB’s retirement marking a clear line of demarcation for the NFC South franchise.
Brees joined first-year HC Sean Payton upon signing with the Saints and guided them to the 2006 NFC championship game. That season followed a 3-13 campaign overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina. While the Saints lost to the Bears in the NFC title game, Brees earned his first and only first-team All-Pro honor. One of the best players never to win an MVP award — Tomlinson claimed the 2006 prize after scoring an NFL-record 31 touchdowns — Brees still lapped the QB field in other areas. The 13-time Pro Bowler has five 5,000-yard passing seasons. No one else has more than two.
Brees broke Dan Marino‘s single-season passing yardage record in 2008 and topped that total in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Brees broke his own single-season yardage record with 5,476 in 2011. That Saints team, which featured Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston as Brees’ top pass catchers, still holds the single-season yardage record (7,474) despite the NFL moving to a 17-game season in 2021. While Manning broke Brees’ yardage record in 2013, the New Orleans staple took down the ex-Colts and Broncos icon’s career marks later in the 2010s.
The Saints won their only Super Bowl thanks largely to Brees’ contributions. They started 13-0 in 2009 and earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Two fourth-quarter Tracy Porter interceptions helped the Saints hold off the Vikings and Colts. Brees earned Super Bowl XLIV MVP honors in the team’s 31-17 victory, completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately for Brees, a string of brutal playoff losses followed that coronation.
On the wrong side of Beastquake, a shootout loss to the 49ers the following year, the Minneapolis Miracle, and an infamous uncalled pass interference sequence that prompted the NFL try replay review for the play burned the Saints. But Brees extended his prime into his late 30s and set multiple career records.
Still holding the single-season completion percentage record (74.4% in 2018), Brees set the career touchdown pass standard with No. 540 in 2019. He had broken Manning’s career yardage record early in the 2018 season. Brady eventually caught Brees in both categories, but it took the Patriots and Buccaneers legend more time to do so.
While Rivers came out of retirement to delay his Hall of Fame case by five years, Brees’ San Diego successor was not certain to be enshrined in this class. Brees has been a first-ballot lock for a long time, playing through his age-41 season. Brees signed five Saints contracts, including a five-year, $100MM extension in 2012 and a pair of two-year, $50MM pacts (2018, 2020). His 2012 offseason helped set a precedent for franchise-tagged players, with an arbitrator ruling the Saints tagging him that year counted as his second tag (as the Chargers had tagged him in 2005). This helped protect players who changed teams, as the two-tag rule applied to a career rather than just one team.
Roger Craig, running back (1983-93)
As Bill Walsh‘s West Coast Offense was gaining steam, a former Nebraska cog became a pivotal chess piece in the Hall of Fame coach’s fifth San Francisco season. With the 49ers from 1983-90, Roger Craig shined as a dual-threat running back. Playing some fullback early in his career, Craig transitioned to the lead RB in Joe Montana‘s offense. The senior candidate became the first player to post a 1,000-1,000 season, doing so in 1985. Craig rushed for 1,050 rushing yards and accumulated 1,016 receiving yards that season. He led the NFL in receptions that year and finished with 15 touchdowns.
The 49ers drafted Craig in the 1983 second round. The team had acquired Wendell Tyler from the Rams that offseason, but both backs totaled 176 carries in ’83. Tyler led the 49ers in rushing in 1984, but Craig punctuated that season with a three-touchdown Super Bowl XIX effort. Craig totaled 135 scrimmage yards in the 49ers’ rout of the Dolphins, one that cemented San Francisco’s ’84 iteration — an 18-1 team — as being among the greatest squads in NFL history. Craig commandeered lead RB duties in 1985 and held them for the rest of the decade.
Craig earned All-Decade acclaim for his 49ers contributions. Famous for a high-knee running style, Craig produced three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and four 500-plus-yard receiving slates. He rushed for a career-high 1,502 yards — 46 of those on this gem in Anaheim — in 1988, helping the 49ers as they held extended QB battle between Montana and Steve Young. Craig then assisted Montana to MVP honors in 1989 with his third 1,000-yard year.
While Craig finished his career with stints on the Raiders (1991) and Vikings (1992-93), he is best remembered as a 49er. He finished his career with 13,100 scrimmage yards and 73 TDs. Craig joins Montana, Young, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Fred Dean and Charles Haley as Walsh-era 49ers enshrined in Canton.
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver (2004-20)
The Cardinals had already found a wide receiver gem in 2003, selecting Offensive Rookie of the Year Anquan Boldin in the second round. That came after the team chose Bryant Johnson in the 2003 first round. But Arizona did well to take the best player available a year later, nabbing Larry Fitzgerald third overall. Drafted at just 20, Fitzgerald played his entire career with the Cardinals. Like Brees, this involved a few short-term contracts. It also featured a then-record-setting wide receiver pact (seven years, $113MM) in 2011.
Fitzgerald is almost certainly the best player in the Cardinals’ 100-plus-year history. The surehanded pass catcher earned 11 Pro Bowl honors and landed on the 2010s’ All-Decade team. The three-time All-Pro did not have some of the advantages at quarterback many of his Hall of Fame peers did. The Cardinals struggled to find a reliable arm between the Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer tenures, and they missed on Josh Rosen in 2018. But Fitzgerald earned one his All-Pro honors between the Warner and Palmer years. The Palmer-Bruce Arians stretch revitalized the veteran receiver, but his career peak occurred with Warner and Ken Whisenhunt.
Although Cooper Kupp made a strong argument for best wide receiver postseason, Fitzgerald’s totals still reign supreme. The 6-foot-3 wideout’s 546 receiving yards during the 2008 playoffs lead the field by a healthy margin (Kupp’s 478 in 2021 ranks second).
Helping a 9-7 Cardinals team — one that ranked outside the top 20 in DVOA — to Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald posted four 100-yard receiving games and caught a single-playoff-record seven touchdown passes. This included three in an Arizona NFC championship win over Philadelphia and two against a menacing Pittsburgh defense. Fitzgerald’s second Super Bowl TD — a 64-yard catch-and-run — gave the Cardinals a lead late in the fourth quarter. Their defense could not hold it, and Fitz did not advance to another Super Bowl.
The Cards did reach another NFC championship game, motoring to the 2015 third round after a franchise-record 13 wins. After three straight sub-1,000-yard seasons, Fitzgerald resurfaced with 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. Playing more of a slot role under Arians, Fitzgerald made a considerable difference in the Cardinals’ divisional-round win over the Packers. After two miraculous Aaron Rodgers-to-Jeff Janis heaves forced overtime, Fitz denied the Pack a possession with a 75-yard sprint and a 5-yard shovel-pass TD.
Fitzgerald retired in second place in career receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492). Fitz is more than 100 catches north of third place all time (Tony Gonzalez) and he sits more than 1,500 yards ahead of third place on that list (Terrell Owens). A model teammate and among the most dependable players in NFL history, Fitzgerald is among a handful of wide receivers enshrined on the first ballot.
Luke Kuechly, linebacker (2012-19)
Joining Cam Newton in driving the Panthers to their highest peak, Luke Kuechly is the most decorated player in team history. The star middle linebacker finished his career with seven straight All-Pro accolades. Five of those were first-team honors, elevating Kuechly to a high place among off-ball linebackers of any era.
The Panthers chose Kuechly ninth overall out of Boston College in 2012. Despite the lofty investment in a non-rush ‘backer, Kuechly immediately rewarded the Panthers and distinguished himself as an all-around player. Viewed as a top-notch coverage LB, Kuechly led the NFL in tackles during his rookie season – en route to a Defensive Rookie of the Year runaway – and in 2014. In between, Kuechly interrupted J.J. Watt’s Defensive Player of the Year reign, claiming that honor by making 156 tackles (10 for loss) to go with four interceptions. The Panthers claimed the NFC’s No. 2 seed that season.
Although Newton’s outlier MVP season powered the Panthers to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl 50 in 2015, Kuechly gave that No. 1-ranked offense backing by leading a Sean McDermott’s defense to a sixth-place finish.
Given a then-top-market extension (five years, $61.79MM) during the 2015 offseason, Kuechly followed it up with a four-INT season that included a Derrick Brooks-like TD rate. Kuechly notched two pick-sixes during the regular season and added two more in the playoffs, taking INTs back for scores in wins over the Seahawks and Cardinals. He later sacked Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50.
Concussion trouble prompted Kuechly to end his career early. He suffered three from 2015-17, with a 2016 head injury keying a shutdown. While Kuechly did not sustain any documented concussions during his final two seasons, he retired shortly after the ’19 season – at just 28. Kuechly was on pace to be one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, and he maximized his truncated run in the NFL. Becoming one of the highest-profile athletes in any sport to cite concussions in retiring early, Kuechly joins only former Lions great Joe Schmidt as the only off-ball LBs to earn five first-team All-Pro honors by 28.
Adam Vinatieri, kicker (1996-2019)
The NFL’s all-time leading scorer, Adam Vinatieri made three of the most important field goals in league history. The 1996 Patriots UDFA played until age 47, being one of just four players – joining kickers Morten Andersen and Gary Anderson and QB/kicker George Blanda – in playing into his late 40s. Passing Andersen late during his Indianapolis stay, Vinatieri’s 2,673 points more than 700 clear of the closest active player’s total.
While Vinatieri made two Super Bowl walk-off shots to launch the Patriots’ dynasty, his most impressive make came two weeks before Super Bowl XXXVI. The South Dakota State alum drilled a 45-yarder in the final minute during a snowy divisional-round game against the Raiders. Better known for the infamous Tuck Rule decision, that game also featured a Vinatieri game-winner after his previous make forced overtime.
Vinatieri stayed with the Patriots for 10 seasons and made a key difference in the AFC’s defining rivalry of that period. After Mike Vanderjagt shanked a game-tying try to leave the Colts eliminated as the No. 1 seed in Round 2 of the 2005 playoffs, they let their longtime kicker walk in free agency and gave Vinatieri – franchise-tagged by the Patriots in 2005 – a five-year, $12MM deal. Vinatieri signed five more Colts contracts, doing so after helping the team beat the Patriots in the 2006 AFC championship game and then defeat the Bears in the rain in Super Bowl XLI.
The four-time Super Bowl winner earned three first-team All-Pro nods, the last of those coming at age 42 in 2014, and while his 83.8% connect rate sits just 39th among qualified options, kickers continue to become more accurate. No one who entered the NFL before Vinatieri ranks above him on the all-time accuracy list. The 24-year vet joins Blanda, Andersen, Lou Groza and Jan Stenerud as Hall of Fame kickers.
Here are the players, coaches and contributors among this year’s finalists contingent that were not enshrined:
- Ken Anderson, QB
- Willie Anderson, T
- Bill Belichick, coach
- Jahri Evans, G
- Frank Gore, RB
- L.C. Greenwood, DE
- Torry Holt, WR
- Robert Kraft, owner
- Eli Manning, QB
- Terrell Suggs, EDGE
- Reggie Wayne, WR
- Kevin Williams, DT
- Jason Witten, TE
- Darren Woodson, S
- Marshal Yanda, OL
Belichick will likely be enshrined in 2027, but his omission this year proved shocking. Spygate and a voting system that lumps coaches and contributors with senior candidates is believed to be behind Belichick missing out. This could lead to a change in how the Hall of Fame inducts coaches. The North Carolina HC, he of eight Super Bowl wins (two as Giants DC), did not come up for a coaching job this offseason.
Eli Manning missed out for a second year. With the induction process altered to raise the bar for Hall induction, the postseason Giants hero continues to see his spottier regular-season work keep him out of Canton. The wide receiver logjam has gripped Holt and Wayne for a bit as well. Holt has been on the ballot for over a decade, with Wayne nearing that point.
Witten, who delayed his Hall of Fame clock by two years upon unretiring in 2019, sits fourth all time in career catches but was denied first-ballot enshrinement. A semifinalist this year, Rivers stalled his clock by five after his shocking return to the Colts. Gore sits third on the all-time rushing list, but he was only a one-time All-Pro. Still, Gore’s nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons will surely generate induction down the road.
Suggs, Yanda and Willie Anderson were among the final seven candidates considered for the Hall this year, according to Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. Since tackles for loss became an official stat in 1999, Suggs is the leader with 202. The former Defensive Player of the Year will need to wait a bit longer before joining ex-Ravens teammates Ed Reed and Ray Lewis in Canton.
Ditto Yanda, an 2010s All-Decade guard who joined Reed, Lewis and Suggs on Baltimore’s Super Bowl XLVII-winning 2012 team. Willie Anderson was one of the game’s best tackles during a banner era for the position, dominating at right tackle for the Bengals and Ravens. By making the final seven, Suggs, Yanda and Willie Anderson will be automatic 2027 finalists, Gantt adds.
Matthew Stafford To Return In 2026
Matthew Stafford claimed MVP honors tonight, becoming the first quarterback on a team that did not win its division to snare the award since Peyton Manning in 2008. Stafford also used his podium time to confirm he will return for an 18th season.
The Rams quarterback is under contract for one more season. Recent renegotiations have taken place, and it could be expected at least one more round of talks will commence between Stafford and the Rams soon. Barring more trade talks, Stafford is assured to head back to Los Angeles for a sixth season.
[RELATED: Rams Extend Sean McVay, Les Snead]
Edging Drake Maye by one first-place vote in the MVP balloting, Stafford finished his 17th season with an NFL-leading 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown throws. He enjoyed the benefit of targeting Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in a Sean McVay-piloted offense. While Adams was not yet committed to the Rams during Stafford’s trade-rumor stretch, it was always odd the star QB was that open to leaving the Rams given the infrastructure he has in L.A.
The Giants and Raiders engaged in aggressive trade pursuits, with the Steelers among the other teams in the derby. The Giants and Raiders had contracts worked out with the disgruntled passer, but cooler heads prevailed and Stafford remained a Ram on a reworked deal.
Stafford agreed to a two-year, $80MM pact that included a $40MM guarantee for 2025. Under the terms of his original four-year, $160MM agreement, no guaranteed money was in place that far into the deal. But Stafford, who missed much of the 2022 season due to injury, has sustained high-quality play into his late 30s. That has prompted the Rams to rework his deal twice since authorizing it in spring 2022.
The Rams have stacked six void years onto this contract, which expires in March 2027. Stafford retiring this year would have brought $48MM in dead money for the Rams. Los Angeles’ latest rework will reward Stafford with $40MM guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. That represents a player-friendly structure, but the team could lower his $48.27MM cap hit with another extension — one that would seemingly be completed before that mid-March vesting date. Though, it will be difficult for the Rams to commit future guarantees to their QB standout due to his year-to-year approach at this point in his career.
Stafford’s MVP award may well be what pushes his Hall of Fame candidacy over the goal line one day. The former Lions starter amazingly had only one original-ballot Pro Bowl nod — a requirement for Hall of Fame entry — through 16 seasons. He has since upped that count to three, delivering some of his best work from 2024-25. The Rams won two playoff games this season, including an overtime thriller in frigid Chicago, and pushed the Seahawks to the brink in an NFC championship game shootout. After that game, McVay took exception to a question about Stafford’s return; the coach indicated he would obviously take Stafford back.
L.A. has two first-round picks this year, thanks to a trade-down move that gave Atlanta James Pearce Jr. in the 2025 first round. The team has tabled a move for a Stafford heir apparent for a bit. But the 2026 quarterback class is not particularly appealing. The lot of potential first-rounders disappointed or returned to school, pointing to the 2027 draft as a much better class beyond this Fernando Mendoza-centered crop. The Rams did not see Stetson Bennett take off, and they have used Jimmy Garoppolo as their backup over the past two seasons. Garoppolo is once again a free agent.
For a stretch in training camp, it looked like the Rams would need Garoppolo for regular-season duty. A back injury kept Stafford off the practice field for weeks. This reminded of his elbow malady during the 2022 offseason. But the former No. 1 overall pick was ready by Week 1 and did not miss a start.
The Rams will hope for a smooth offseason with their signal-caller this year. If/once Stafford begins a sixth season as the Rams’ starting QB, it will mark the first time a Rams passer has started in Week 1 in six straight seasons since Marc Bulger (2004-09).
Offseason Outlook: Denver Broncos
Enjoying near-2024 Chiefs-level success in one-score games, the Broncos rode to a 14-3 record and the AFC's No. 1 seed. Denver far outdistanced longtime AFC West kingpin Kansas City and won the division by three games. The team's recent extension recipients led the way, with six players extended in 2024 or 2025 earning original-ballot Pro Bowl nods and four collecting All-Pro honors.
More impressively, the Broncos extended their season to the AFC championship game with Russell Wilson's $32MM cap figure topping their payroll. While Denver fell just short of Super Bowl LX -- with Bo Nix's season-ending ankle injury bringing one of the bigger what-ifs in recent NFL history -- the team has a clear window to continue as a top-tier operation in 2026. The Broncos are now clear of Wilson's record-setting dead money sum, and with Nix on a rookie contract, 2026 represents a sweet spot of sorts for the rejuvenated franchise.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi
- Davis Webb promoted as OC replacement
- DBs coach Jim Leonhard became Bills' defensive coordinator
- Senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael became Bills' OC
- DC Vance Joseph interviewed for Cardinals, Giants, Raiders, Ravens, Titans' HC jobs
- Webb interviewed for Bills, Raiders, Ravens' HC jobs, withdrew from Vegas search
- ST coordinator Darren Rizzi interviewed for Giants, Ravens' HC jobs
- Logan Kilgore promoted to QBs coach
Significant changes are on tap for Sean Payton's staff, though Denver's 2026 coach roster will include Joseph -- despite extensive HC interest -- and Webb even though teams pursued the latter for HC and OC jobs. Webb's status likely led to Lombardi's ouster. The longtime Payton underling was not viewed as a head coaching candidate despite the Broncos' recent success, and credit for Nix's development generally went to Payton and Webb. Lombardi, a three-stint Payton replacement, has landed with the Ravens.
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