Texans’ Jimmie Ward Out For Season; Shaq Mason To Miss Time
Tank Dell‘s injury headlined the Texans’ issues coming out of their Week 16 loss in Kansas City, but Houston also lost a key presence on defense. With Jalen Pitre out, Jimmie Ward had filled in back in a slot cornerback role. The veteran safety, however, is out of the picture for the season’s remainder.
Ward is set to undergo season-ending foot surgery. While it is believed the 11th-year defender dodged a fracture and did not sustain structural damage, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicates the second-year Texan is out indefinitely. Ward could not put weight on his injured foot and left Saturday’s game on a cart.
Injuries have been a regular issue for Ward over the course of his career. As he has toggled between pure safety and slot corner, the former first-round pick has missed 51 games as a pro. This included seven absences last season and five more coming into Week 16. The Texans still reached a second contract agreement with the longtime 49er this summer, giving him a one-year add-on. The second Texans deal brought Ward $8.8MM at signing, putting him under contract through 2025, though it would cost Houston only $4.6MM in dead money to move on.
Ward’s injury troubles may prompt the Texans to have that conversation, but the 33-year-old cover man has played four seasons under DeMeco Ryans during the latter’s time as a head coach or defensive coordinator. Overall, Ryans has been on staff — as a quality control coach or position coach, initially — in eight of Ward’s 11 seasons. He has operated exclusively as a starter since following Ryans to Houston in 2023.
The Texans placed Pitre on IR due to a partially torn pectoral muscle, an injury expected to sideline the recent second-round pick for the season. Ward’s injury further thins a secondary that appears in some trouble. Houston used Myles Bryant initially to replace Ward in the slot, before then sliding rookie boundary corner Kamari Lassiter inside and moving Jeff Okudah to the perimeter position opposite Derek Stingley Jr. One of these two plans will be needed moving forward, as the Texans deal with another setback in their secondary. The Stingley-Okudah-Lassiter play is expected to be Houston’s play here, per Wilson. Signed to a one-year, $4.75MM deal this offseason, Okudah has only played in five games (with zero starts) with the Texans.
While Ward has battled injuries throughout his career, the Texans also saw their most durable offensive lineman go down. Shaq Mason, who had not missed a game since the 2021 season, left the Chiefs matchup with a knee injury. The 2023 trade pickup, however, is believed to have avoided a serious injury, Wilson adds. Though, Houston’s right guard starter is still expected to miss between two and four weeks, Wilson adds. This could affect the former Patriots and Buccaneers starter’s playoff availability, but this timetable also at least keeps him in play to come back before season’s end.
Kendrick Green replaced Mason, who had been the only Texans player not to miss time during Ryans’ first season. Mason entered Week 16 having started 60 straight games. The Texans had already moved Tytus Howard from right tackle to left guard, with Juice Scruggs out with a foot injury. Scruggs is not on IR and could return in Week 17.
Packers To Activate TE Luke Musgrave
Luke Musgrave is set to make his return to the Packers’ lineup tonight. The second-year tight end will be activated from injured reserve in advance of Green Bay’s Week 16 contest, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
Musgrave has been on injured reserve since October due to an ankle injury which required surgery. It remained possible at that time that he could return to the lineup at some point late in the campaign, and signs have continued to point in that direction. The 24-year-old had his practice window opened earlier this month, giving the Packers 21 days to activate him.
Provided the move is made in time for tonight’s contest, Musgrave will be in line to play Green Bay’s final three regular season games. The Packers will still have five IR activations once the Oregon State product returns to the lineup, meaning they will retain considerable flexibility in that respect through the postseason (during which all teams receive an additional two IR-return slots). Getting Musgrave back in action will give Green Bay another option at the skill positions.
That group is littered with recent draft picks, and their development since the start of last season has been a central aspect of the Packers’ success on offense. Musgrave posted 34 catches for 352 yards and one touchdown as a rookie, adding another score during the team’s postseason run. During his four appearances in 2024, however, the Oregon State product saw his playing time drop considerably (39% offensive snap share compared to 66%). That resulted in a drop in production.
Tucker Kraft has been a key contributor atop the TE depth chart this year, posting a 41-555-7 statline to date. He will be expected to remain productive down the stretch, but the return of Musgrave will give the Packers additional options at the position. Green Bay can clinch a playoff spot tonight with a win over New Orleans.
Darren Rizzi Aiming To Become Saints’ Full-Time Head Coach
When Dennis Allen was fired in November, it came as little surprise that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over as head coach on an interim basis. As expected, the latter sees the team’s stretch run as a means of auditioning for the position on a full-time basis. 
“It all depends on what the organization’s looking for,” Rizzi said when discussing the Saints’ HC search (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell). “Sometimes when you go with the hot name or the hot coordinator, I don’t think that a lot of times owners or GMs take into account the things that they haven’t done. They haven’t worked with the players on the other side of the ball and they don’t have any experience with special teams.”
[RELATED: Tracking NFL’s 21st Century Interim HCs]
Indeed, Rizzi’s third phase experience makes him unique compared to many other head coaching candidates. For many staffers, the path to an opportunity to lead a team involves a track record of success on the defensive or (especially recently) offensive side of the ball. Rizzi has worked exclusively as a special teams coordinator at the NFL level, but he has served as a head coach in the past.
The 54-year-old coached New Haven from 1999-2001, and he also took charge of Rhode Island for the 2008 campaign. Those tenures came at the Division II and FCS levels, respectively, however, and other candidates with experience in higher-profile positions (including NFL gigs) will be available during the 2025 hiring cycle. The Saints are joined by the Jets and Bears so far in needing a full-time coach, and others will no doubt join them after the regular season ends.
New Orleans went 2-7 this year before Allen’s dismissal, making a run to the postseason all-but impossible for Rizzi. The team (which was officially eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday) has gone 3-2 since the coaching change despite dealing with numerous injuries on offense. Continued performances along the lines of those seen so far could help Rizzi’s case for taking on the full-time gig.
As he acknowledged, though, it will still be a challenge to get the posting for 2025. Rizzi interviewed with the Dolphins in 2019 before Brian Flores was ultimately hired, and he received another look in 2021 after Sean Payton departed the Saints (preceding Allen’s promotion to HC). A report from last month indicated Rizzi could be a strong contender to have the interim tag removed; it will be interesting to see if that winds up being the case once the season is over.
Bears Believe LT Braxton Jones Suffered Fractured Ankle
Braxton Jones exited the Bears’ game on Sunday, and the severity of his injury suggested a lengthy absence would be forthcoming. The third-year left tackle is indeed facing a long road to recovery. 
Jones had his left leg placed in an air cast before being carted off the field during Chicago’s loss to Detroit. Further examination is required at this point, but the initial indications point to a season-ending injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Jones is believed to have suffered a fractured ankle.
Per Rapoport, Jones is currently thought to have suffered a break in his fibula, but not his tibia. While that diagnosis could of course change based on further testing, a four-month recovery timeline is now in place. At a minimum, the 25-year-old will not be available for the Bears’ final two games this season. Jones will indeed undergo season-ending surgery, per Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network.
Jones has operated as Chicago’s starter on the blindside since arriving as a rookie. The former fifth-rounder has remained consistent in terms of PFF evaluation throughout his career, ranking 19th amongst qualified tackles in overall grade in 2022. That matches where Jones currently ranks this season, one which has been defined in no small part for the Bears by an inability to consistently provide strong blocking up front. Jones has been charged with five sacks and 26 pressures allowed, but his absence will be felt to close out the campaign.
Kiran Amegadjie is in an option to take over blindside duties in the wake of Jones’ absence. The third-round rookie has seen 126 total snaps in 2024, all at the left tackle spot. Amegadjie got the nod for Week 15 against the Vikings with Jones out due to a concussion, but he struggled in that contest. Overall, quarterback Caleb Williams has taken a league-leading 60 sacks partially due to the Bears’ struggles along the O-line.
That unit will be the subject of considerable scrutiny this offseason, and few certainties exist up front for Chicago heading into 2025. Jones has one more year remaining on his rookie contract, meaning he will be eligible for an extension shortly. Regardless of if he receives one, he will not be on the field again until next year.
Mike Zimmer’s Cowboys Future Could Be Tied To Mike McCarthy’s
Mike McCarthy‘s job security with the Cowboys has been a key talking point throughout the campaign, and it will not be resolved one way or the other until at least the end of the regular season. Owner Jerry Jones has consistently praised the team’s head coach, who like the other members of his staff is on an expiring contract. 
“All I can say is what a good job, how good a job he’s doing,” Jones said of McCarthy after the Cowboys’ win on Sunday night (via Stephen Hawkins of the Associated Press). “Don’t have thoughts that I would share as to anything about what we do… after we’re through playing this year.”
Jones has remained steadfast in avoiding any declarations about McCarthy’s future since confirming the former Packers Super Bowl winner would remain in place through the current campaign regardless of the team’s performance. He has since left the door open to McCarthy receiving a new deal, but the way in which the season ends will play a role in determining Dallas’ direction. Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers represented the Cowboys’ fourth victory in their past five games, and delivering strong performances during the remaining two weeks could help McCarthy’s stock.
Regardless of what happens on that front, the status of the rest of the staff will be worth following as well. In the case of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, it remains to be seen what will happen, particularly if McCarthy is not retained. Dan Quinn‘s decision to take the Commanders’ head coaching job created a vacancy, and Zimmer returned to the Cowboys as DC after previously holding that title. The former Vikings head coach made it clear this offseason he would welcome the chance to serve as a head coach again, although he does not expect that opportunity to arise. When asked if McCarthy and Zimmer are viewed as a package deal in Dallas, Jones answered in the affirmative.
“In a way I do,” Jones said (via WFAA’s Ed Werder).“Especially after the last ball games. I think you’re seeing the best of Mike Zimmer. I should say you’re getting to see some of the best, and maybe the best is still ahead of us. It’s been really impressive [with] the attrition we’ve had and the availability of our players. I give him that.”
Dallas has been hit hard by injuries on both sides of the ball, but the team’s 7-8 record offers optimism for the future if a return to health takes place in 2025. Plenty still needs to be decided in advance of next year (by which point team and player will hope to have a Micah Parsons extension worked out), but McCarthy and Zimmer may have helped their chances of remaining in Dallas beyond the next two weeks.
Bills’ Josh Allen Played Through Fractured Non-Throwing Hand For Most Of 2024
Prior to the Bills’ win over the Patriots on Sunday, details emerged on an injury Josh Allen had been playing through for most of the campaign. The MVP favorite’s left (i.e. non-throwing) hand had been fractured until recently, although the ailment did not affect his level of play. 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Allen suffered the injury in Week 1, and he appeared on subsequent injury reports for several weeks as a result. The 28-year-old remained on Buffalo’s injury reports past the team’s Week 12 bye, but he did not miss any game action as a result of the ailment. By the time the Bills took on the Patriots Sunday, the fracture had healed.
Clarifying the nature of Allen’s injury is notable since many quarterbacks miss at least some game action with hand injuries (even when the non-throwing hand is the one affected). The two-time Pro Bowler has led an offense which ranks second in the NFL in points and seventh in yardage, posting top-10 averages through the air and on the ground. Doing so has put him squarely in contention to win his first career MVP award, and having had much of his success at less than full health could help his chances of winning the award.
Allen’s left hand injury is now behind him, but during yesterday’s game he took a hard hit to his right arm. He managed to remain in the game but said afterwards he had “no feeling” in his right hand for a period after the hit. Allen delivered less of a statistical output than he has in many other games this season, but it was sufficient (along with the Bills’ performance on defense) to pull out a win. His status over the coming days will be worth monitoring, but given his ability to remain in the lineup so far this year, missed time would come as a surprise in Allen’s case.
The Bills’ win kept them in contention to land the AFC’s No. 1 seed. With games remaining against the Jets and Patriots to close out the campaign, a 14-3 record is feasible considering Buffalo’s head-to-head advantage over Kansas City. Regardless of how the race for the first-round bye shakes out, Allen’s ability to maintain his level of play through the remainder of the campaign into the postseason will be a key storyline.
Vikings Hope To Retain Sam Darnold; Browns Interested In QB?
Recent reporting on Sam Darnold’s future with the Vikings suggested that the team has resigned itself to the fact that Darnold’s play in 2024 has priced him out of Minnesota, and that the club has not engaged in extension talks with the resurgent quarterback. However, the Vikes may not be willing to give up on a Darnold return just yet.
Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Minnesota indeed hopes that it will be able to retain Darnold, who has piloted the Vikings to a 12-2 record and a shot at the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Jones’ sources confirm prior reports that the 27-year-old passer has set himself up for a contract that would pay him at least $25MM per season, which is of course a considerable raise on the one-year, $10MM deal he signed with the Vikings this year.
That said, Minnesota is projected to have upwards of $70MM in cap space in 2025, so a “middle-class” QB deal would be feasible. It may even be a bargain if Darnold, under the tutelage of head coach Kevin O’Connell, has truly blossomed into the player the Jets believed he would be when they made him the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 draft.
Darnold’s 104.9 QB rating is the fourth-highest mark in the league, he has led four game-winning drives, and the Vikings are eighth in the league in scoring as of the time of this writing. That performance, combined with Minnesota’s win-loss record, make it no surprise that the team wants him back.
Of course, the Vikes signed Darnold this offseason with the intention of making him a bridge passer, not a long-term fixture under center. As such, the team selected J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick of this year’s draft, and McCarthy was the player deemed to be the quarterback of the future.
According to Jones, that has not changed. The Vikings’ level of faith in McCarthy is as high as it was when he was drafted, and the season-ending knee injury he suffered in August has not altered the club’s view of his career trajectory. However, Darnold’s efforts this season cannot be ignored, and one AFC executive told Jones that McCarthy could become Minnesota’s version of Green Bay’s Jordan Love (a first-round pick who sat behind Aaron Rodgers for several seasons before finally getting a chance to run the show).
Since Darnold’s combination of youth and ability could make him the most desirable QB in this year’s free agent class, it is still possible that his asking price goes beyond the Vikings’ comfort level. But his 2024 showing has afforded him the ability to be selective about his future home, and Jones says the USC product will naturally exercise caution to avoid undesirable situations, like those he found himself in as a member of the Jets and Panthers. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the Browns would have interest if Darnold hits the open market, though it is unclear whether Cleveland — despite the presumptive presence of a well-respected offensive mind in HC Kevin Stefanski — would qualify as a desirable situation.
Obviously, Minnesota has proven to be a perfect fit, and if the Vikings are willing to spend, it appears that the door to a multiyear pact between Darnold and the club remains open.
Lions OC Ben Johnson “Intrigued” By Bears’ HC Post
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has rebuffed the opportunity to be a head coach in each of the last two hiring cycles, and he has done nothing to hurt his stock in 2024. He is again expected to be one of the hottest HC candidates in the upcoming cycle, though he will remain highly selective about his destination.
Given the Bears’ abundance of salary cap space, skill position talent, and the presence of talented rookie-contract QB Caleb Williams, it is easy to see why they believe their HC post is the most desirable among those that are expected to be available in 2025. Bill Belichick, before he made the surprising decision to join the college ranks, reportedly shared that view.
The attractiveness of the job in a vacuum is one thing, but a November report suggested that Johnson may steer clear of the Bears due to perceived organizational dysfunction. However, subsequent reports noted that Johnson may indeed consider the Chicago gig, and today, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network said that the 38-year-old offensive guru is “intrigued” by the position and is willing to listen to the Bears’ pitch (video link). As we had previously heard that Johnson is not going to interview simply for the sake of interviewing, any summit he conducts with Bears brass would seemingly indicate that he is prepared to accept the job if offered.
While the Bears have been said to be prioritizing a “leader of men” type of head coach over a candidate with a specific background, Johnson’s reputation as an offensive mastermind is not only in keeping with the trend in today’s HC searches, but it would be especially beneficial to a team looking to unlock the potential of a blue chip prospect like Williams.
And, despite turning down what was generally regarded as a similarly appealing post with the Commanders in the 2024 hiring period, Johnson reiterated that he wants to take a team’s top job at some point.
“I think there’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made out of and push the limits and see if he’s got what it takes,” Johnson said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “And so yeah, there’s a fire there. Now, when that time is? I don’t know, when that’ll be, but there’s certainly a fire there.”
When asked specifically about Williams, Johnson was complimentary but conceded that he had not really studied the rookie’s tape.
“Listen, it’s been difficult to sit down and just study every throw but plenty of crossover tape over the course of the year and there’s no question this guy’s talented,” Johnson said. “I remember standing on the sideline last game and just you can hear the ball whistle by you. He’s got quite a fastball and has some creativity to him, can extend plays and is accurate down the field as well. Like I said, I haven’t really dove in and can tell you much more beyond that, but he’s been impressive from afar.”
Whether Johnson finally decides to move on from Detroit will be perhaps the top question when it comes to the 2025 HC carousel. If he does, it sounds as if the Bears will be firmly in the mix.
Interestingly, Johnson – a UNC alum – was not contacted by the school to discuss its head coaching vacancy, as Birkett notes in a separate piece. Of course, that job went to Belichick, who will continue his legendary career as the Tar Heels’ skipper.
Falcons Believed Michael Penix Jr. Could Start In Week 1; Kirk Cousins To Ponder Retirement?
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. will make the first start of his professional career today following Atlanta’s momentous (but obvious) decision to bench veteran Kirk Cousins in favor of the rookie passer. While Cousins — who had signed a four-year, $180MM deal this offseason to help lead the club on a championship run — was obviously given a long leash, the Falcons believed Penix was ready to take the reins from the jump.
As SI.com’s Albert Breer said during an interview on last week’s TNF Tonight program, Atlanta would have been comfortable starting Penix in Week 1 if necessary (video link). The Washington standout played collegiately for six years, and even when Cousins was at the top of the depth chart, Penix was getting about 10 first-team reps per week while seeing plenty of action with the scout team.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds further context, writing that Penix had the same listening device in his helmet as Cousins during practice and would watch film of what Cousins did and then go through it mentally himself before running the same plays with the club’s young receivers. Rapoport also noted that, each practice, there was a competitive period in which Penix would have the opportunity to run the Falcons’ plays instead of scout-team plays. Those opportunities could be the same first-team reps that Breer referenced, but in any event, Atlanta has long believed that Penix is physically and mentally prepared to assume QB1 duties.
Of course, his arm strength and running ability should also open up the playbook. Breer observes that Cousins hurt his shoulder and elbow during a Week 10 loss to the Saints, and that the veteran signal-caller had not been the same since. Indeed, prior to that New Orleans contest, Cousins was coming off a two-game stretch in which he threw for seven TDs and no interceptions while posting QB ratings of 145.9 and 144.8. But in the next five games, he threw just one touchdown against nine interceptions, and his physical ailments limited the Falcons from a play-calling standpoint.
There will be no such limitation with Penix at the controls, and the expectation is that Cousins will be released in the offseason. Rapoport acknowledges that a release is generally viewed as the most likely outcome, but he does leave open the possibility that the Falcons could retain Cousins as a high-end backup/insurance policy since they are obligated to pay his fully-guaranteed $27.5MM 2025 salary anyway (and since Penix will still be on his affordable rookie deal).
The bigger issue, at least from a financial perspective, would be the $10MM roster bonus for 2026 that locks in if Cousins is still on the roster on the fifth day of the 2025 league year in March. Still, a Cousins return remains on the table and is more plausible than a trade. The four-time Pro Bowler has a full no-trade clause, and since he is much more valuable to another team as a free agent who could be had for a veteran minimum deal than a trade candidate, he is not expected to waive the NTC (his situation is similar to Russell Wilson’s, who was able to sign with the Steelers for the veteran minimum following his Broncos release this offseason since Denver was on the hook for his 2024 pay).
Cousins may, however, contemplate retirement. He will turn 37 before the 2025 season begins, and Rapoport says Cousins is expected to take a month or so after the current campaign is over to consider his playing future. He would be walking away from a large sum of money if he were to call it a career, but the master of negotiation has already earned just shy of $300MM from his NFL contracts.
Steve Belichick To Join Father At UNC After Bowl Game
We’ve already written a bit on the topic of new University of North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick securing a job for his son, Steve Belichick, as part of his negotiations. An updated report discloses that the younger Belichick will head to Chapel Hill and join his father when his season concludes with bowl season, per Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports. 
Steve, 37, is currently concluding his first season as defensive coordinator at the University of Washington. Despite coming off a loss in the College Football Playoff final last year, the Huskies had plenty of room for improvement on defense. Belichick took a team that finished 99th in total defense and 56th in scoring defense in 2023, to 26th and 44th in those respective stats this year.
Before calling the defense in Seattle, Belichick worked a number of position coaching gigs under his father in New England. He joined the Patriots coaching staff in 2012, shortly after graduating from Rutgers as a lacrosse defenseman and football long snapper. He started as a defensive assistant, a role he held for four years, before getting his first position coaching gig over safeties. After three years in that role, he was given a more extensive role over all defensive backs for a season before moving to coach outside linebackers from 2020-23.
Steve will have his work cut out for him once again at North Carolina. He will inherit a defense that is 78th in total defense and 91st in scoring defense. With a change of coaching staffs, they can also expect a number of players to hit the transfer portal, though the portal may be more beneficial to them as kids may be intrigued with the idea of being coached by Bill Belichick.
Steve may not be the only former Belichick staffer to land his second college job in the last two years. Per NFL beat reporter Josina Anderson, Ole Miss senior analyst Joe Judge could be another name headed to Chapel Hill. Judge’s experience in coaching for most of his career was concerning special teams, but he did try his hand at some offensive position coaching here and there near the end of his tenures in New England. Anderson reports that Judge may be looking for an increased offensive role at North Carolina if he joins and if Belichick is willing.