HEADLINES

Dillon Gabriel Clears Concussion Protocol; Browns To Start Shedeur Sanders In Week 13

November 24th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shedeur Sanders made his first career start yesterday. His ascension to the top of the depth chart was made out of necessity, but his second start will come by way of a coaching decision.

Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that Dillon Gabriel has cleared concussion protocol. Nevertheless, the Browns will give the nod once again to Sanders in Week 13. Cleveland won 24-10 in Vegas yesterday, and the team will give its fifth-round rookie at least one more look as a result.

“The number one job of a quarterback is to win,” Stefanski said (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi). “So, excited to get that first win under his belt. And the next thing is improvement, and that’s what young players do… You get one game better, and that’s just from working at it. So, that’ll be our focus.”

Gabriel’s concussion left him sidelined for Week 12, ending a run of five consecutive starts. The third-rounder was limited to the first half of the Browns’ game against the Ravens the previous week. That allowed Sanders to finish the contest in his place. During that time, Sanders completed just four of 16 pass attempts while being intercepted once and sacked twice.

A full week of practice with the starting offense – a first in Sanders’ case given Cleveland’s logjam at quarterback through training camp and the start of the season – resulted in increased expectations for his first career start. The Colorado product had an up-and-down day highlighted on one hand by a 52-yard completion to Isaiah Bond and on the other hand by an avoidable interception. Overall, Sanders went 11-for-2o passing for 209 yards, one touchdown and one pick.

Improvement on those numbers will obviously be a goal moving forward, and future opponents will in many cases prove to be more challenging than the Raiders. Cleveland’s next game will be at home against San Francisco. Sanders and the Browns will look to build off the momentum from yesterday’s contest in Week 13 and moving forward.

When asked if this is a permanent decision, Stefanski said his attention is only focused on this week. As a result, the door could be open to Dillon – who has posted only a 5.1 yards per attempt average while completing just 59.2% of his passes – returning to the QB1 spot. Much will of course depend on how Sanders fares this coming Sunday. A win against the 49ers would make him the first rookie Browns passer since Bernie Kosar in 1985 to begin a career 2-0.

Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy In Concussion Protocol

November 24th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.J. McCarthy could be in line to miss further time this season. The first-year Vikings starter is in concussion protocol, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced.

O’Connell said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) McCarthy reported symptoms during the flight home from yesterday’s loss. It is very rare for players to clear concussion protocol within one week, so at least one missed game should be expected. Turning to veteran Carson Wentz will not be an option, since he is recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery.

In the event McCarthy is unable to suit up for Week 13, it will be Max Brosmer getting the nod. The undrafted free agent has made four appearances so far during his rookie season, throwing eight passes. A first career start will be something to watch for over the coming days depending on McCarthy’s ability to clear the protocol.

The Vikings allowed Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to depart in free agency this offseason. On both fronts, that came as little surprise given McCarthy’s presence. The 2024 first-rounder was sidelined for his entire rookie season while recovering from meniscus surgery. Expectations were nevertheless high in his case for the current campaign.

McCarthy has shown flashes at times when on the field, but largely speaking he has not produced as the Vikings hoped in 2025. The 22-year-old has completed only 54.1% of his pass attempts, throwing 10 interceptions and just six touchdowns. A high ankle sprain left McCarthy sidelined earlier in the year, leading to five straight Wentz starts.

As McCarthy recovered, Wentz played at well below full strength before ultimately undergoing surgery. That paved the way for McCarthy to handle QB1 duties the rest of the way, but a new injury threatens to once again result in missed time in this case. The Vikings have lost three straight games and they are now 4-7 as a result.

A playoff berth is likely unattainable at this point, but any late-season run will now presumably depend – at least for one week – on the outcome of Brosmer’s first career start. The Vikings will play the Seahawks on Sunday and are on track to do so with their third different QB starter of the season.

Bengals Expect QB Joe Burrow To Play In Week 13

November 24th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Burrow has not experienced any setbacks since returning to practice two weeks ago. The Bengals have not yet activated him from injured reserve, but they appear very close to doing so.

When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Zac Taylor said (via ESPN’s Ben Baby) the plan is for Burrow to play on Thanksgiving against the Ravens. A return in time for Week 12 was seen as a possibility at one point, but the team elected to start Joe Flacco one more time. Flacco is now set for backup duties to close out the season.

Burrow pushed to return in time for yesterday’s game, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. The team’s schedule proved to be a critical factor in Cincinnati’s decision-making, however. To little surprise, Breer adds the Bengals kept Burrow inactive for Week 12 knowing they had a quick turnaround. Provided the coming days go well, Cincinnati’s starter will be back in the fold.

Having lost to the Patriots on Sunday, the Bengals sit at just 3-8 on the year. A third straight season outside of the playoffs is very likely as a result. Once Burrow returned to practice, though, it became clear he would suit up for the closing stages of the season regardless of Cincinnati’s record. The two-time Comeback Player of the Year will look to give the team a lift on offense even with a postseason berth essentially out of reach.

Scoring has not always been an issue during Flacco’s tenure atop the QB depth chart, but the Bengals sit 18th in the NFL in scoring and 23rd in yards per game through Week 12. Of course, defensive improvement will be needed if the Bengals are to make progress in the standing down the stretch; the team ranks last in points and yards allowed. A healthy Burrow could help the compensate for ongoing issues on that side of the ball.

The former No. 1 pick’s career has included numerous major injuries, but he secured a $55MM-per-year extension in 2023. Given Burrow’s compensation, an argument could be made in favor of the Bengals sitting him for the rest of 2025 and ensuring full health for next year. Instead, he will suit up for (if all goes according to plan) Cincinnati’s final six games.

In other injury news, Taylor added (via Baby) Trey Hendrickson‘s hip injury will sideline him for at least one more game. Last year’s sack leader is out for Week 13, as is receiver Tee Higgins (who suffered a concussion yesterday). The Bengals’ offense will not be a full strength on Thanksgiving as a result, but Burrow is on track to lead the unit.

Raiders Fire OC Chip Kelly

November 24th, 2025 at 12:32pm CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 24: To little surprise, it will indeed be Olson taking over offensive coordinator duties on an interim basis, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Olson has spent 14 seasons as an NFL OC, and in 2023 he worked with Carroll and Smith in Seattle. All parties will hope that familiarity results in improved production to close out the season.

NOVEMBER 23: Halfway through his first season back in the NFL after an eight-year hiatus, Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is right back out. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Las Vegas has fired Kelly.

Breaking into the NFL as an immediate head coach after major success at Oregon, Kelly initially found more success in Philadelphia, taking his team to the playoffs in his first year at the helm in 2013. Kelly was given control over roster decisions by owner Jeffrey Lurie, but after some questionable trades, some character complaints, and a losing record in his third season, Kelly was fired before he could finish Year 3. Several teams attempted to land him after his dismissal, and he signed with San Francisco, where he was quickly let go after a 2-14 season.

After taking a year away from coaching as a studio analyst at ESPN, Kelly took up the clipboard again to coach at UCLA for six years. Starting in 2022, Kelly started to appear on NFL radars again, and in 2024, following his final year with the Bruins, he began to emerge as an offensive coordinator candidate. He reportedly was aiming for the Raiders’ position under then-head coach Antonio Pierce, and even though he was reportedly interviewed twice, Kliff Kingsbury emerged as the favorite for that job. Kelly then emerged as a candidate for the Commanders’ job, which ultimately went to Kingsbury as Luke Getsy landed the job in Las Vegas.

Having missed out on both positions, Kelly settled back into the world of college football, replacing Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he coordinated the 12th-best scoring offense in the country en route to a National Championship victory over current-Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden‘s Notre Dame defense. The successful year led to more NFL attention as the Texans and Jaguars expressed early interest in Kelly, but he once again homed in on Vegas, and this time, he landed the gig, doing so as the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator.

Now under new head coach Pete Carroll and Kelly (not to mention new minority owner Tom Brady), the Raiders’ momentum seemed to be swinging in a majorly positive direction. Moves were made to improve the offensive side of the ball, starting with a trade that brought quarterback Geno Smith down from Seattle to reunite with Carroll.

Impact free agents like offensive guard Alex Cappa and running back Raheem Mostert were signed. The 2025 NFL Draft was offense-heavy for the Raiders with the consensus top running back, Ashton Jeanty, coming off the board at No. 6 overall, Senior Bowl favorite wide receiver Jack Bech coming out of the second round, two offensive tackles coming out of the third, and two FCS quarterbacks hearing their names called in the sixth.

12 weeks into the 2025 campaign, nothing seems to have panned out. After today’s games, every team in the NFL has played 11 games, and the Raiders sit with New Orleans at the bottom of the league with a league-worst 165 points scored. Las Vegas ranks 30th in the NFL with 2,958 yards of total offense. The team has a bottom-six passing offense and a bottom-two rushing attack.

Smith is having his worst season since reestablishing himself as a starting quarterback, leading to some concerns about his ability to lead the team. While showing flashes, Jeanty’s effectiveness has been a rollercoaster throughout his rookie season, while his fellow offensive rookies have been extremely quiet. The free agent additions, Cappa and Mostert, have been nonfactors, despite Cappa having spent most of his career as a full-time starter.

But the change that Las Vegas has keyed in on as the biggest factor to the lack of success appears to be the hiring of Kelly, and whether or not he was the key issue at play here, he’s become the latest victim of the Raiders’ quick decision-making. Since the dying days of general manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach Jack Del Rio, stability has been a challenge for staffers in Las Vegas.

Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock became the new established head coach and general manager, respectively, for the team’s transition to Vegas in 2019. In 2020, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was fired midseason. Gruden resigned five games into the following year, and Mayock and both coordinators were cleaned out at the end of that season. The new head coach (Josh McDaniels), general manager (Dave Ziegler), and offensive coordinator (Mick Lombardi) for the 2022 campaign all only lasted until Halloween of the following year.

That brings us almost up to date to last year, when Pierce, Tom Telesco, and Luke Getsy took over those respective positions. Getsy didn’t even get to finish the year, getting fired after the team’s Week 9 contest last year in a similar late-night November decision. Under yet another new head coach (Carroll) and GM (John Spytek), Kelly lasted just three more weeks than Getsy. And all the while, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has been learning new names since 2022. The only familiar face Graham had over the past three years was special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, who was let go earlier this month.

There’s been no word yet on who will serve as an interim coordinator. Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson seems to make the most sense, considering he held the position under Gruden from 2018 to 2021. Whatever the case, if the Raiders truly hope to turn this team around in the future, establishing some stability may pay major dividends.

As for Kelly, there may still be some significant interest in his abilities as a playcaller, though the interest may take him back to the world of college football. There is sure to be opportunities for Kelly to land on his feet after briefly dipping his toe back in the NFL waters.

Falcons DB Billy Bowman Jr. Suffers Achilles Tear

November 24th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Adam La Rose

During Friday’s walk-through leading up to the Falcons’ Week 12 game, Billy Bowman Jr. suffered an Achilles injury. Doubts have since been expressed about the chances of a return late in the year, and that will indeed not take place.

Bowman’s injury is an Achilles tear, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. That news comes as little surprise after head coach Raheem Morris noted the situation was “not good” in the wake of the fourth-round rookie going down. Bowman was moved to injured reserve on Saturday, and he will obviously not be activated before the end of the campaign.

Instead, Bowman’s attention will turn to surgery and the lengthy recovery process which will follow it. Being without him the rest of the way means Atlanta’s secondary will not have a key figure to close out the season. Bowman logged a defensive snap share of 80% while operating as the team’s top slot corner during his six games played (after being drafted as a safety). That made him one of four rookie playing a critical role on defense for the Falcons.

A hamstring injury cost Bowman time earlier in the season, but this ailment is of course a far more notable one. The Oklahoma product’s recovery timeline will be something to monitor through the offseason as he hopes to heal in time for the start of the 2026 campaign. Expectations will be high in Bowman’s case whenever he is fully recovered.

Atlanta ranks eighth in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, and Bowman has played a key role in the team’s success on that front. The 22-year-old posted 26 tackles, one interception, two pass deflections, one forced fumble and 1.5 sacks during what has turned out to be a short-lived rookie season. A large workload should nevertheless await him next year.

The Falcons won on Sunday, moving them to 4-7 on the year. The playoffs are likely out of reach, and Atlanta’s offense faces questions with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on the mend from a partially torn ACL. It remains to be seen if Penix will be back to 100% in time for the start of the 2026 season, and the same is now true of Bowman as well.

Saints To Host Justin Tucker, Cade York

November 24th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Adam La Rose

With Blake Grupe struggling, the Saints are l0oking into a number of free agent kickers. Visits are being lined up today, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

The total number of kickers being auditioned is unclear at this point, but one notable name is included in the list. As Underhill reports, Justin Tucker is among the free agents who will work out for the Saints. Cade York will also receive a look.

Tucker’s illustrious Ravens tenure came to an end in May. The move came as little surprise at the time with Baltimore having used a sixth-round pick on his replacement, Tyler Loop. Performance was named by the team as the reason for the release, but Tucker’s departure came about in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct dating back several years. The 36-year-old has denied any wrongdoing, but in June he accepted a 10-game suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Tucker has now served that ban, and as of October it was known he was on the radar of interested teams. The five-time All-Pro would represent a notable addition down the stretch for any number of suitors, although his off-field situation will no doubt be a central talking point in the event a deal is worked out. Tucker struggled through the middle of last season, leading to by far his least accurate campaign; issues from long range continued to be an issue, extending a trend in that regard from recent years. This will be his first known workout of 2025.

Even with Tucker having shown a decline in 2024, his career accuracy rate on field goals sits at 89.1%. The 2010s All-Decade Team member’s showing last season was his first with a FG success rate under 82.5%, and he has missed no more than two extra points in a single season. Expectations will be high in terms of performance in the event Tucker lands a contract for 2025.

York’s resume is far different from Tucker’s, but he will also try out for New Orleans. The former Browns draftee struggled during his rookie season and did not see any regular season game action the following year. In 2024, York made one appearance with the Commanders and five with the Bengals. Overall, he has connected on 33 of 45 field goal tries and 51 of 54 extra point attempts.

Grupe has been operating as the Saints’ kicker since 2023. The team’s Wil Lutz successor improved on his field goal accuracy last season compared to his debut campaign, but things have taken a turn for the worse in 2025. Grupe, 27, has missed eight field goals this year, including two during yesterday’s loss against the Falcons.

The Saints have Grupe on their active roster along with Charlie Smyth on the practice squad. The latter has yet to make a regular season NFL appearance and it appears that will continue with a number of veterans being auditioned. It will be interesting to see if these workouts produce an agreement.

Raiders Fire Offensive Assistant Bob Bicknell

November 24th, 2025 at 10:09am CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of Sunday’s loss, the Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. He is not the only staffer on that side of the ball being dismissed.

The Raiders are also moving on from senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Bicknell – like Kelly – was hired during the 2025 cycle as part of Vegas’ sweeping changes on the sidelines. He operated as a key lieutenant for Kelly on the offensive staff, so with one being fired it comes as little surprise the other is being replaced as well.

Things have not gone as planned for the Raiders in 2025. Expectations were high for a rebound on offense with quarterback Geno Smith being acquired via trade in a reunion with head coach Pete Carroll. The Kelly hiring gave Vegas an experienced OC, and Bicknell also brough a lengthy resume in terms of coaching experience at the college and professional levels. Through 12 weeks, though, the Raiders sit last in the NFL in scoring and 30th in total offense.

Improvement will be sought out over the closing weeks of the season for Vegas. In the meantime, both Kelly and Bicknell will look to line up their next coaching gigs. It will be interesting to see if they are viewed as a package deal by interested NFL and/or college suitors during the upcoming hiring cycle.

A three-time champion of the World Bowl, Bicknell spent eight years early in his coaching career as a staff member across three different NFL Europe teams. Since then, the 56-year-old has worked as a position coach with the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, 49ers, Bengals, Saints and Patriots along with short college stints. He will offer his next team with a high level of experience in a number of offensive roles.

Patriots LT Will Campbell To Undergo MRI On Knee

November 24th, 2025 at 9:31am CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 24: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Campbell is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain. Today’s MRI will provide a confirmation on that front, something which would set up a notable absence. Indeed, Vrabel said during an appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show Monday morning (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) that Campbell’s injury “is going to probably be more than a week or two.” The Patriots have one game remaining before their bye.

NOVEBER 23: Will Campbell exited the Patriots’ win on Sunday. Head coach Mike Vrabel did not offer an update on the left tackle’s status after the game, but further testing is forthcoming.

Campbell suffered a knee injury during New England’s Week 12 contest. The first-round rookie was ultimately carted off the field and did not return to the game. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports an MRI will take place tomorrow. More on Campbell’s situation will be known at that point.

Losing the No. 4 pick for any extended period would deal a major blow to the Patriots’ offensive line. Upgrading that unit was understood inside and outside the organization to be a major offseason priority ahead of Vrabel’s first year at the helm. He and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have enjoyed a stellar campaign to date, with New England’s offense playing a major role in that regard. The team entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring.

The development of second-year quarterback Drake Maye has been a central storyline for the Patriots in 2025. His play (and that of the team, of course) will be greatly impacted in the event Campbell misses any significant time. The LSU product was – as expected – the top lineman selected in April’s draft. Upon entering the league, he faced concerns related to arm length. Campbell has worked exclusively on the blindside, though, ranking 27th amongst offensive tackles in PFF grade entering today’s game.

With a win over the Bengals, the Patriots sit at 10-2 on the year. The AFC leaders will look to maintain their strong showing down the stretch and into the playoffs, but Campbell’s status will be worth watching given his importance to the team. Fourth-year blocker Vederian Lowe filled in after Campbell went down, likely leaving him in line to start in Week 13 if necessary.

Giants Fire DC Shane Bowen

November 24th, 2025 at 8:05am CST by Adam La Rose

Further changes along the sideline are taking place in New York. Shane Bowen‘s defensive coordinator tenure with the Giants has come to an end.

Bowen has been fired, as first reported by NJ.com’s Art Stapleton. The move comes after interim head coach Mike Kafka‘s second game at the helm. The Giants once again found themselves in position to close out a win yesterday, but they wound up dropping a 34-27 contest in overtime to the Lions. With defensive breakdowns still an issue, Bowen is being replaced. The news is now official, per a team announcement.

On five occasions this season, the Giants have held a lead of 10 or more points but gone on to lose; that includes three blown double-digit leads in the fourth quarter. That trend has led to increasing calls for Bowen to be dismissed. The 38-year-old’s job security was a talking point after the 2024 campaign with owner John Mara publicly criticizing him. As of early September, Bowen joined then-head coach Brian Daboll as a candidate to be replaced during the season.

Kafka took over from Daboll two weeks ago, and he did not make any immediate moves in terms of coordinator changes. Nevertheless, it was reported at the time Bowen was on thin ice. Overall, the former Titans DC’s unit ranks 30th in both points and yards allowed, something which has played a major role in New York’s 2-10 record. Today’s decision thus comes as little surprise.

In a move which many predicted in the immediate aftermath of the Bowen firing, outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will take over as interim DC. Kafka has informed the team of Bullen’s promotion, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. This will be Bullen’s first stint as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels.

After beginning his coaching career at Iowa, Bullen began working at the NFL as a Dolphins assistant. He worked with the team’s linebackers from 2016-18 before doing the same with the Cardinals over a four-year span. Bullen served as Arizona’s outside linebackers coach during the final three years of that tenure before holding that same title with Illinois for the 2023 campaign.

Bullen joined the Giants in 2024, the same time Bowen was hired following the period which saw Don Martindale‘s feud with Daboll lead to his departure. Things have not gone according to plan since that move, with a number of notable defensive additions (such as the free agent signings of cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland this past spring) not yielding an improved showing in terms of defensive production in Bowen’s second season.

The Giants will play the Patriots in the final game of Week 13. The team’s bye will follow, and then Kafka and Bullen will have a four-game run to close out the campaign. How those two fare in their respective roles down the stretch will be a central storyline for the team and help determine how the coaching staff is handled ahead of the 2026 hiring cycle.

Bengals’ Duke Tobin On Hot Seat?

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Parks

Duke Tobin has served as the Bengals‘ director of player personnel and de facto general manager since 2002. Despite his lengthy tenure, Tobin’s job security may be in doubt.

Per Mike Jones of The Athletic (subscription required), league insiders are questioning whether team owner Mike Brown will keep his top lieutenant in the fold. After all, the 3-7 Bengals are just two losses away from clinching a losing season and, barring a miraculous turn of events, will miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

Of course, Cincinnati’s difficulties since the club advanced to the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 2022 campaign can largely be attributed to quarterback Joe Burrow’s health concerns. The star passer played in just 10 games in 2023 and has appeared in just two contests this year, and any team that loses its QB1 for long stretches of time – especially a player of Burrow’s caliber – is going to struggle.

But Burrow played a full complement of games last year, and the Bengals still failed to qualify for the postseason (Burrow finished fourth in MVP voting and may have fared better in that regard if Cincy had cracked the playoff field). The culprit for 2024’s failures was not Burrow’s health, it was the defense, which surrendered the eighth-most yards and the eighth-most points per game.

This year, the defense has performed even more poorly. The Bengals are dead last in total defense and scoring defense, so although 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco has kept the offense in decent shape after Jake Browning faltered in relief of Burrow – Cincy is averaging 28.6 points per game and 385.6 yards per game during Flacco’s five games at the controls – the team has just one win since Burrow went down.

Earlier this year, Tobin conceded he tried to keep the defensive core of the roster that advanced to Super Bowl LVI intact for a bit too long, which he believed was a factor in the unit’s 2024 struggles. In order to address last season’s deficiencies, Tobin devoted three of his first four picks in the 2025 draft to the defensive side of the ball, including first-round selection Shemar Stewart and second-rounder Demetrius Knight. 

Unfortunately, Stewart has appeared in only five games due to injury, and he generally has failed to impress when he has been on the field (Knight has also failed to live up to expectations in his rookie season). The team’s handling of Stewart’s and Trey Hendrickson’s contract situations have invited outside scrutiny, though Brown surely had a hand in those matters and may not hold them against Tobin. 

What will work against the 55-year-old exec is his recent inability to hit on defensive players in the draft. Those shortcomings have undermined DC Al Golden’s efforts in his first year in charge of the Bengals’ defense and have made the decision to fire Lou Anarumo in favor of Golden look like a poor one.

On the other hand, some rival executives believe Burrow’s injury and Brown’s frugality will give Tobin a reprieve and another chance to return the team to contention in 2026. Until Brown formally confirms as much, Tobin’s future in the Queen City will remain a talking point.

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