Commanders DE Drake Jackson Will Make 2025 Debut In Week 16
Commanders defensive end Drake Jackson will make his 2025 debut on Saturday against the Eagles, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
Jackson, 24, has not played since 2023 due to a torn patellar tendon that sidelined him for 2024, as well. The 2022 second-round pick was waived by the 49ers in May and took visits with other teams in October. Jackson eventually signed with the Commanders but was moved to injured reserve as soon as he arrived in Washington to continue his rehab.
Jackson made his practice debut a month later and was activated just before his 21-day practice window expired. He still needed a few more weeks to ramp up, but he is finally ready for his first in-game action of the season.
The former USC standout only appeared in 23 games in his first two seasons, but he did flash some potential before his knee injury, Jackson recorded six sacks and five tackles for loss while playing a rotational role on the 49ers defensive line. After such a major injury and an extensive recovery process, though, a return to his previous form is no guarantee.
Those factors may also cause the Commanders to be cautious with Jackson on Saturday. Their defensive end room has been ravaged by injuries this year, but the group has found some stability in recent weeks after the acquisitions of Clelin Ferrell and Keion White. A number of minor injuries have continued to plague the unit, so Jackson will provide reinforcements for the next few weeks. Washington has already been eliminated from the playoffs and may give him some more run if his debut goes well so they can evaluate him for next year.
Jets Place S Tony Adams On IR
The Jets placed veteran safety Tony Adams on injured reserve, per a team announcement.
Adams, 26, suffered a groin injury in New York’s Week 15 loss to the Jaguars. With only three games left in the regular season and the Jets eliminated from the playoffs, the fifth-year safety will not return this year. He appeared in 12 games this season with a 61% snap share, representing a drop from bigger roles in 2023 and 2024. He still ranks sixth on the team with 49 tackles and five passes defended.
Andre Cisco underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in November and Isaiah Oliver was placed on IR earlier this week, so the Jets will have to look elsewhere to fill their safety snaps next to rookie Malachi Moore. That wil likely be undrafted rookie Dean Clark, as the team’s other two safeties, Jarius Monroe and Keidron Smith have yet to play a defensive snap this season.
Adams was playing on a $3.26MM RFA tag this season and will hit free agency this offseason for the first time. The mid-level safety market has not been especially strong in recent years, so Adams may not see a significant pay increase on his next contract.
In a corresponding move, the Jets signed defensive tackle Payton Page from their practice squad. The undrafted rookie was elevated to the game day roster in Weeks 8 and 10 but only played five snaps on defense and nine on special teams. He will be the sixth defensive tackle on the 53-man roster, but the Jets could give him some playing time as they evaluate their young players heading into the offseason.
Colts Open QB Anthony Richardson’s Practice Window
Anthony Richardson may not play again in 2025, but he will at least see time on the practice field late in the year. The Colts have designated Richardson for return from injured reserve, Shane Steichen announced on Thursday. 
Steichen said (via Fox59’s Mike Chappell) the orbital bone fracture which left Richardson sidelined has now healed. However, the third-year quarterback has still not regained full vision. Richardson will not be available for Week 16 regardless of how things go at practice over the coming days, Steichen added.
Philip Rivers is set to remain the Colts’ starter after unretiring to become the team’s QB1 last week. The 44-year-old nearly helped lead Indianapolis to a win in Week 15, and he will look to keep the team’s postseason chances alive with a victory against the 49ers. Rookie Riley Leonard will once again handle backup duties in Week 16.
Richardson, meanwhile, will return to practice in the hopes of being activated late in the campaign. The former No. 4 pick has been limited to two games – and as many pass attempts – in 2025. Free agent Daniel Jones was enjoying a career year before suffering an Achilles tear. With Richardson still sidelined at the time, Rivers was auditioned and signed last week following discussions involving Steichen and a number of Colts veterans. It will be interesting to see if the team’s depth chart undergoes any further alterations down the stretch.
Richardson was handed the reins right away as a rookie, but he played in only four games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Injuries and poor play remained an issue in 2024, prompting the Colts to add Jones in advance of a training camp competition. Retaining Jones for at least next season is, understandably, a team priority. Provided that happens, Richardson’s situation will be worth watching closely.
The 23-year-old could become a trade candidate if team and player opt for a fresh start. A Day 3 pick represents the expected value in a return for such a swap, an indication of how Richardson’s stock has plummeted during his brief NFL tenure. A small period of time to potentially offer a small boost to his value by returning to practice has now begun, though.
Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus On Hot Seat?
DECEMBER 18: When speaking to the media on Thursday, Eberflus acknowledged (via Machota) the Cowboys’ defensive performance down the stretch will play a role in deciding his status for 2026. He added an endorsement from the organization is not necessary at this point, although in the absence of a definitive one there will no doubt continue to be speculation about a potential change on the sidelines this offseason. Eberflus will call plays from the booth moving forward after doing so from the field.
DECEMBER 17: Although Dallas leads the NFL in total offense and ranks fifth in scoring, the team is all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs. After dropping to 6-7-1 with a loss to the Vikings in Week 15, the Cowboys’ chances of earning a postseason bid are under 1%, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. It’s fair to place most of the blame for the Cowboys’ lackluster season on their defense.
Under first-year coordinator Matt Eberflus, previously the Bears’ head coach, Dallas sits 29th in total defense. Only the lowly Bengals have allowed more points than the Cowboys.
With the Cowboys’ defense off to a dreadful start in 2025, owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones gave public votes of confidence to Eberflus leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. The Cowboys then made noteworthy deals to acquire defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets and linebacker Logan Wilson from the aforementioned Bengals. They also saw linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Shavon Revel return from long-term injury absences last month.
Thanks in part to an improved defense, the Cowboys ripped off three straight post-deadline wins over the Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs. They were firmly in the playoff mix at that point, but that momentum is gone after back-to-back losses to Detroit and Minnesota.
The Cowboys gave up 44 points against the Lions and surrendered another 34 to the Vikings. J.J. McCarthy, among the league’s least effective quarterbacks this year, played one of the best games of his young career. McCarthy finished 15 of 24 for 250 yards, three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), and an interception.
After McCarthy helped take a sledgehammer to the Cowboys’ fading playoff hopes, Jerry Jones sounded less bullish about Eberflus. It seems he’ll be under evaluation for the rest of the season.
“The adjustments that we should be making (defensively) should be with these next three games in mind,” Jones said on Sunday night (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “With three games left in the short time that we’ve got to play them in, then that will impact any adjustments that you make regarding coaching with the time frame we’re dealing with. That’s a legit question.”
One of the “adjustments” Dallas made in Week 15 was to give more playing time to Wilson. Jerry Jones noted that was a possibility leading up to the game (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News). Wilson then made his first start as a Cowboy and logged more defensive snaps than Kenneth Murray (29 to 22), but the results were uninspiring. Both players recorded one tackle apiece.
Asked about Wilson and Murray, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News) that the two “can improve in certain areas, and it’s kind of pretty consistent throughout our football team right now.”
Eberflus may need to get more from Wilson, Murray, and the rest of his defense if he’s going to remain on Schottenheimer’s staff next year. Otherwise, Eberflus could follow Mike Zimmer as the team’s second consecutive one-and-done defensive coordinator. The Cowboys haven’t had stability there since Dan Quinn‘s three-year run from 2021-23.
Cowboys Hope To Retain CB Trevon Diggs Beyond 2025
Given the way Trevon Diggs‘ season has played out, many have pointed to a Cowboys departure being likely this spring. The team’s preference would be to keep him in the fold, however. 
Diggs has been limited to just six games this season. The two-time Pro Bowl corner remains on injured reserve at this point even though he believes he is healthy enough to play. As he awaits a return to action, further clarity has emerged regarding Diggs’ situation.
Upon speaking with the 2021 All-Pro, NFL Network’s Jane Slater learned the home incident which resulted in his concussion was “far less nefarious” than speculation regarding the situation has implied (video link). Diggs has also been rehabbing a knee injury while recovering from the concussion, and his practice window opened on November 30. He will therefore need to be activated in the coming days to be able to play in Dallas’ three remaining games.
The relationship between team and player has reportedly worsened over time in 2025. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been in contact with Diggs about not only his health situation but also the need to meet the team’s standards regarding on- and off-field matters. Under new DC Matt Eberflus, the Cowboys have largely struggled while attempting to implement his zone-heavy scheme. Diggs’ past success has come in man coverage, and he conceded to Slater improvement is needed if he is find his footing in the Eberflus-led defense.
Per Slater, the Cowboys “would love” to have Diggs in place beyond the closing stages of the 2025 season. She adds the 27-year-old’s preference would also be to remain in Dallas. Improved play down the stretch would be critical in this case given the ease with which a parting of ways could take place this spring. Diggs’ contract runs through 2028, but it does not contain any guarantees after this year. The Cowboys could release him and generate over $12.5MM in cap savings while incurring a dead money charge of just $5.88MM.
Of course, it is far from certain if Eberflus will still be at the helm of Dallas’ defense in 2026. A change on the sidelines could alter Diggs’ future in Dallas. For now, though, his attention will be aimed at remaining on the field for the final three games of the campaign and potentially playing his way into a more stable Cowboys tenure.
QB Joe Burrow Expects To Remain With Bengals For 2026
Comments made by Joe Burrow prior to Week 15 fueled a new round of speculation regarding his future. The sixth-year quarterback is not retiring any time soon, and a change in teams (unlikely as that would seem) should also not be expected. 
Burrow will continue playing for the final three games of the season even though the 4-10 Bengals are officially out of playoff contention. The two-time Pro Bowler could have been shut down to ensure he would remain healthy for the start of the 2026 campaign. Instead, Burrow will look to end the year on a high note amidst questions on the matter of his long-term outlook.
“It feels like everybody’s trying to do everything in their power to make me not play football and I feel like I’m fighting it,” he said (via ESPN’s Ben Baby). “I’m fighting everybody else. I just want to play ball. That’s all I want to do.”
Burrow is under contract through 2029, and his deal contains a no-trade clause. The thought of a swap would generally be a non-starter based on the $55MM AAV of Burrow’s pact, let alone his stated desire to remain in place. The 29-year-old has enjoyed success when healthy at times in his career – highlighted of course be a trip to the Super Bowl in 2021 – but injuries have marred his NFL tenure. Cincinnati is set to miss the playoffs for a third straight season, and it remains to be seen if major organizational changes will be coming.
It appears at this point as though head coach Zac Taylor and de facto general manager Duke Tobin will be safe for next year. Burrow is also in line to continue his Cincinnati tenure, and to no surprise he said he “can’t see” a scenario in which he plays elsewhere next season. The former No. 1 pick added, however, that “a lot of crazy things happen every year” in the NFL with respect to player movement.
Burrow cited this year’s Micah Parsons blockbuster as a recent example of unexpected trades taking place. The LSU product has remained consistent in terms of endorsing Taylor and Tobin, although he replied, “you think about a lot of things” when asked about the possibility of playing for a different team at some point in his career. Questions about a potential Burrow departure could continue beyond 2026 depending on how things play out.
For now, though, Burrow’s attention will be focused on ending the current season without hindering his availability for Week 1 next year. He reiterated his expectation of enjoying a long NFL career, and while the door could be open for a parting of ways down the road that will in all likelihood see him remain in Cincinnati for at least 2026.
Dolphins Bench Tua Tagovailoa; Quinn Ewers To Start In Week 16
On the heels of an ugly loss to the Steelers, the Dolphins are benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Rookie Quinn Ewers will start Week 16 against the Bengals.
Once 2-7, the Dolphins reeled off four straight wins to stay in the playoff picture. Their 28-15 defeat in Pittsburgh on Monday officially eliminated them from postseason contention. Tagovailoa went 22 of 28 for 253 yards and a touchdown, but he also took four sacks and threw his NFL-worst 15th interception. Head coach Mike McDaniel said afterward that the Dolphins’ QB play was “not good enough.”
[RELATED: Team Demotes Tagovailoa To Third-String Level]
With McDaniel indicating on Tuesday that a QB change was under consideration, it’s not surprising the Dolphins will sit Tagovailoa on Sunday. However, the Dolphins certainly didn’t expect it to come to this 17 months after signing Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4MM extension in July 2024. Miami agreed to hand Tagovailoa $167.1MM in guaranteed money. He’s due $54MM in guarantees in 2026, which will make it difficult for the Dolphins to move on from the soon-to-be 28-year-old in the offseason.
Tagovailoa has dealt with numerous concussion issues throughout his career, but that didn’t stop the former fifth overall pick from logging quality production under McDaniel in previous seasons. The ex-Alabama standout registered a passer rating upward of 101.0 in each season from 2022-24. He led the NFL in yards per attempt in 2022 (8.9), finished first in passing yards in 2023 (4,624), and paced the league in completion percentage last year (72.9).
Tagovailoa has stayed healthy this year, but along with already posting a career-worst INT total, his other numbers have underwhelmed. While Tagovailoa has reached the 20-TD mark for the third time and completed 67.7% of passes, he has averaged just 6.9 yards per attempt en route to an 88.5 rating. His 36.7 QBR ranks 30th among 33 qualifying signal-callers. Only J.J. McCarthy, Geno Smith, and Cam Ward have been worse in that regard.
Having already parted with general manager Chris Grier in October, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and the next GM will have to decide how to proceed with Tagovailoa and McDaniel in the offseason. As mentioned, Tagovailoa’s contract is onerous. Designating Tagovailoa a post-June 1 release would leave the Dolphins with $99MM in dead cap spread over 2026 and ’27, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes.
That would be the largest dead cap hit in league history, easily surpassing the $85MM the Broncos ate when they released Russell Wilson in March 2024. A trade would also be difficult to pull off, explains Jones, who points to Tagovailoa’s contract, his struggles in cold weather, and his less-than-stellar reputation around the league as roadblocks.
Even if he doesn’t reclaim the starting job, the Dolphins may have to ride it out for another year with Tagovailoa. Along with Tagovailoa, McDaniel has helped the Dolphins to the playoffs twice since 2022. He seems likely to return for a fifth season in 2026, but that’s not a sure thing yet.
For now, McDaniel will pin his hopes on Ewers, a seventh-rounder who enjoyed a strong starting career at Texas from 2022-24. The Dolphins have toggled between Ewers and veteran Zach Wilson in the No. 2 role this season. Wilson’s a former second overall pick who amassed 33 starts with the Jets from 2021-23, but he was a major letdown during that stretch. While the Dolphins gave Wilson a $6MM contract last March after he worked as a backup in Denver in 2024, this may go down as a second straight start-less campaign for the 26-year-old.
Unusual Chiefs Season Set To Precede Roster-Building Challenges
The Chiefs moved closer to completing a Super Bowl-era threepeat than any other team. While this space attempted to establish some distance between the 2022-24 Kansas City squads and some of the truly all-time great teams shortly before the Eagles' dominant Super Bowl LIX victory, it remains a tremendous accomplishment for Andy Reid's bunch to reach a third straight Super Bowl.
Kansas City's 2024 season turned out to have fool's-gold elements. DVOA ranked last year's AFC champions eighth, while EPA per play placed the 15-2 team's offense and defense outside the top 10. Even when the Broncos' 38-0 win over Chiefs backups is discounted, Kansas City's plus-97 point differential was the worst for any 14- or 15-win team in the Super Bowl era. Officiating- and injury-generated breaks also boosted last year's Chiefs edition that far, to a degree preventing some issues from bubbling to the surface for most of the campaign.
The 2025 team carries similar numbers to the 2024 squad that pounced on those breaks en route to a fifth Patrick Mahomes-era Super Bowl. This year's team outflanks last year's edition in EPA per play on offense and defense and is significantly better in yards per play (5.5) compared to 2024 (5.1). Kansas City's DVOA figure (14.5) nearly mirrors its 2024 number (14.7).
As you may have heard, the Chiefs have struggled in close-game situations after going a preposterous 12-0 in one-score contests last year. Despite being 6-8, this is far from a broken team. That will make the autopsy more challenging compared to how Brett Veach repaired the offensive line in 2021 or executed the Tyreek Hill trade in 2022. Crucial tweaks are necessary, but challenges stand in the organization's way as it attempts to design another chapter of its dynasty.
Bears Exploring ‘Northwest Indiana’ For Stadium Site
The Bears have been on the search for a new home after playing 54 of the past 55 years in the NFL’s oldest stadium, Soldier Field. Earlier this year, they announced Arlington Heights as their target location for the new facility. Today, Bears president & chief executive officer Kevin Warren published an open letter to the public and mentioned a new potential destination sure to grab headlines: Northwest Indiana. 
According to Warren, Arlington Heights, a suburb just northwest of Chicago, would be the only viable site in Cook County, based on all of the requirements needed to host an NFL stadium. Unlike with many other stadium deals in the league, the Bears are reportedly not asking taxpayers to foot any portion of the bill, offering to invest over $2BB for the stadium and asking only in return that local and State officials commit to the development of “essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements),” which they considered a typical and reasonable ask.
While the team has not been definitively rejected in their plans and proposals, according to Warren, they “have been told directly by State leadership” that the Arlington Heights move will not be a priority in 2026. In his letter, Warren comments that “for a project of this scale, uncertainty has significant consequences,” and the consequences of reticence on behalf of the State of Illinois appear to be a threat to move elsewhere.
Boasting about all the potential perks of a local NFL stadium — significant growth of unionized jobs, year-round attractions and events, increased local business revenue as a result of increased traffic — Warren has suggested that the team may move towards other options, should Illinois continue to dismiss them. Due to the lack of commitment, Warren says the franchise will expand its search to more seriously evaluate other “opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.”
It’s a bold move from Warren but one that he clearly felt was necessary in order to get some movement in plans for a new deal. If State leadership in Illinois doesn’t respond well to Warren’s veiled threat, there’s apparently a possibility that, akin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, we could soon see the Chicago Bears of Gary, Indiana.
USC WR Makai Lemon Declares For Draft
We have already talked about how stacked this year’s draft class of wide receivers is, and one of the names we mentioned to underline this point was USC’s Makai Lemon. This evening, Lemon took to Instagram to make it official and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. As a result, he will be forgoing his final year of eligibility. 
A consensus top 50 recruit out of Los Alamitos HS (CA), Lemon surprised many when he committed to Oklahoma just before his junior year. By November, though, the nearby Trojans got in his ear and earned the flip before the fall semester was even over. He remained so committed to USC that, the next summer, they were the only official visit he took before eventually signing his Letter of Intent on early National Signing Day in 2022.
Lemon was buried on the depth chart as a true freshman, only catching six passes while Caleb Williams threw to Tahj Washington and Brenden Rice. The next year, though, Lemon led the Trojans in receptions (52) and receiving yards (764), while big-bodied fellow sophomore Ja’Kobi Lane dominated the redzone targets to the tune of 12 touchdowns.
This year was a different story. Lemon delivered on expectations of a breakout campaign, setting new personal highs with the team lead in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,156), and receiving touchdowns (11). Lemon put it all on the field this year, and he needed to. Lacking elite speed and weighing with a 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame, Lemon is not about to be a combine riser.
What Lemon does have, though, is an almost professional feel for the game and how to get open. He sees the ball to his hands and becomes an immediate YAC-threat. Again, it’s not speed that earns him those yards after catch but some crafty, fierce, intentional running that makes him so dangerous with the ball in his hands. His ability to make acrobatic, highlight-reel catches helped him earn the school’s second ever Biletnikoff Award (given to the NCAA’s best wide receiver).
In Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s midseason rankings, Lemon checked in as the 20th-best overall prospect and WR3 on the board, behind Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate. In his own recent Big Board, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. also slotted Lemon in as WR3 but had him all the way up at No. 10 overall. In a class full of talented pass catchers, Lemon appears, early on, to be a consensus top three receiver with an easy first-round projection. If teams can look past his size and see him as more than just an elite slot receiver, he could hear his name called very early on Day 1.