Poll: Who Will Earn NFC’s No. 1 Seed?
The final four weeks of the season will see a number of playoff spots decided, along with the top seed in each conference. While the Chiefs have a degree of breathing space for the No. 1 slot in the AFC, the lone first-round bye in the NFC could come down to the last slate of regular season contests. 
The Lions have stood atop the conference for much of the season, something which comes as no surprise give the expectations the team faced entering the campaign. Given the strength of the NFC North, however, Detroit has not been able to generate a cushion in the standings. An 11-game winning streak placed the team at 12-1 on the year — prior to a Week 15 loss to the Bills — but plenty of work remains to secure the top seed.
The final stretch of the campaign will see the Lions host the Bills in a clash of the league’s two highest-scoring offenses. Detroit then has road contests against the Bears and 49ers, teams which are on track to fall short of the postseason. The regular season will conclude with the Lions and Vikings playing what could be a critical head-to-head matchup, although other results may have decided the No. 1 seed by that point.
Injuries on defense have led many to wonder if the Lions will be able to remain atop the conference but to date they have done so. Aidan Hutchinson will not be available down the stretch, but a return by the Super Bowl continues to be mentioned as a possibility. Before that hypothetical point, maintaining their run of success (which could include welcoming back other injured players) will be crucial in the Lions’ bid for the top seed.
The Eagles sat at 2-2 entering their bye week, leading to questions about their status as genuine Super Bowl contenders. The team has not lost since returning to action in Week 6, thanks in no small part to the performance of Saquon Barkley during his debut Philadelphia season. The former Giants Pro Bowler already holds the single-season franchise rushing record, and his 1,623 yards represent a career high while also leading the league. Remaining his production will be key for an offense which has not been consistent or efficient through the air for much of the campaign.
Of course, the Eagles’ strong play on the other side of the ball has played a central role in their 10-game winning streak and 12-2 record. Philadelphia leads the league in total defense and has allowed the second-fewest points per game (18), making Vic Fangio’s first season a stark contrast to where the unit sat late in the campaign in 2023. While the loss of Brandon Graham for the season represents a blow to the Eagles’ edge rush, the team could remain strong in that respect en route to (at least) the No. 1 spot in the NFC East standings.
Philadelphia’s remaining schedule includes a cross-state matchup with Pittsburgh, followed by a road matchup with the Commanders. While both of those teams figure to represent challenging opponents, the same cannot be said of the Cowboys and Giants. The Eagles will close out the season with home games against those divisional rivals, both of which are out of contention and missing several key players. A path exists for Philadelphia to make a late run past Detroit to secure the first-round bye.
If the Lions are to be unseated over the final month of the season, the Vikings could very well play a large role. The aforementioned Week 18 matchup represents Minnesota’s best opportunity to make up ground and in doing so claim the No. 1 seed or at least the top spot in the division (ensuring home-field advantage during the first two rounds of the playoffs). Over the next three weeks, the Vikings will host the Bears and Packers with a road game against the Seahawks in between. 
That schedule certainly represents a challenge with respect to maintaining Minnesota’s current six-game winning streak, something which will likely be necessary if overtaking Detroit is to remain possible on the final day of the season. In any event, the 2024 campaign has exceeded expectation in the Vikings’ case, with the play of Sam Darnold being one of the league’s top storylines. The former No. 3 pick is on track to be the top quarterback in this offseason’s free agent class, and a lucrative deal from an outside suitor would come as no surprise.
Of course, Darnold’s strong performance is a testament to head coach Kevin O’Connell’s work. The latter has not discussed an extension to date, but a new deal could be coming his way in the near future, ensuring stability on the sidelines. The more immediate attention of O’Connell and his team, though, will be aimed at the pursuit of the No. 1 seed.
Of the three contenders for the NFC’s top spot, which will ultimately secure it? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and have your say in the comments section.
Who will earn the NFC's No. 1 seed?
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Detroit Lions 40% (785)
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Philadelphia Eagles 38% (736)
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Minnesota Vikings 22% (424)
Total votes: 1,945
Browns RB Nick Chubb Suffers Broken Foot
Nick Chubb‘s return to action in 2024 has proven to be short-lived. The Browns running back left Sunday’s game on crutches while wearing a walking boot, and now, he will not be available for the final three games of the campaign. 
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Chubb suffered a broken foot during the Browns’ Week 15 loss that will shut him down for the remainder of the season, one which offered optimism from a health perspective given his return to action in October. While the four-time Pro Bowler managed to heal from the major knee injury he suffered in 2023, his display upon being activated was not in line with his previous production.
Chubb had handled a notable workload heading into Sunday’s game, handling double-digit carries all but once in his seven appearances on the year. He managed to score three touchdowns on the ground over that span, but his 3.1 yards per attempt average represented by far the lowest of his career. That inefficiency is understandable given the nature of Chubb’s injury and the absences Cleveland has dealt with up front, but it could have an impact on his future with the organization.
While the immediate damage is to the Browns’ 2024 season, a season in which they’ve already been eliminated from the postseason, the eventual damage could come as Chubb seeks a new contract. After missing most of 2023, Chubb was heading into 2024 on the last year of a three-year extension. In fact, Chubb even accepted a pay cut in order to remain in Cleveland this season.
With free agency on the horizon and the injuries starting to compound, Chubb could find difficulty getting a new deal. Any team that signs him will want to do so on a reduced deal because of his recent injury history.
His best chance may be to re-sign with the Browns, a team that knows what he can do and may be more willing to work with him as he comes back from injury. Cleveland, though, may be looking to get new, young talent in the running backs room, along with a hometown discount in order to retain Chubb. The 28-year-old has already expressed interest in re-signing with the Browns and may be open to getting creative in order to make a reunion happen.
For now, though, the focus will be on recovery. Chubb will get off his feet, which should help make sure that by the time his foot is healed his knee may be closer to full health, as well. His free agency will depend upon just how healthy he can get, so his future in the NFL starts tomorrow with healing.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Michigan TE Colston Loveland Declares For Draft
As a sophomore last year, tight end Colston Loveland was celebrating a national championship victory with the rest of his Wolverine teammates. A year later, after a disappointing team effort out of Ann Arbor, Loveland is looking to join a number of those former teammates in the NFL. It was on Instagram that Loveland authored a post announcing that he would forgo his senior year and leave for the 2025 NFL Draft. 
The top prospect coming out of the state of Idaho, the Gooding HS alumnus was considered a top 10 tight end as a recruit. Loveland fielded a range of offers from some of the best schools, including Alabama, Auburn, and LSU out of the SEC and Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, Colorado, UCLA, and Utah out of what was then the Pac-12. He also pulled obvious offers from in-state Idaho State and Boise State, but ultimately, he opted for the only Big Ten school to offer him, signing with Michigan.
As a true freshman, Loveland played second fiddle to Luke Schoonmaker as TE2. He took over TE1 duties in his sophomore year and was the second-leading receiver on the offense for the national champion Wolverines, finishing behind only Roman Wilson in receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4) while finishing third in receptions (45). This season, Loveland took over as Michigan’s top receiving option. Despite failing to reach his yardage total from 2023, Loveland led the team in receptions (56), receiving yards (582), and receiving touchdowns (5) by a wide margin.
Those numbers also aren’t near the production put up by some of the more productive tight ends in the NCAA, but that hasn’t stopped draft pundits from listing Loveland as one of the top options, if not the top option, for tight ends coming into the NFL next year. This is reflected in analytics, where Pro Football Focus (subscription required) lists Loveland as the fifth-best tight end in college football this year.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper lists Loveland as the 21st-best overall prospect and the second-best tight end, behind only Penn State’s Tyler Warren, the NCAA’s Mackey Award winner for best tight end in college football this year. Kiper’s colleagues — Jordan Reid, Matt Miller, and Field Yates — rank Loveland at first, second, and first, respectively, flip-flopping spots with Warren. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Loveland as the 13th-best overall prospect and the top tight end, with Warren slotting in as the 26th-best overall prospect.
It’s clear that Loveland and Warren are viewed as TE1 and TE2 in whichever order for this year’s draft class. The only thing left to determine is where they will fall in the draft come April. Brugler and Kiper seem to be of the mindset that both players are deserving of a first-round pick, but as always, it will be up to general managers around the league to set the draft stock for the tight end position. If any tight ends are going on Day 1, expect to hear one or both of Loveland and Warren’s names.
NFL Injury Updates: Lions, Nubin, Stover
The Lions spent Sunday afternoon going blow-for-blow with the Bills, combining for the highest-scoring performance in the NFL this season. They ended up falling just short of Buffalo, and that loss compounded with a number of injuries to make this a rough day for Detroit.
The first such injury occurred when cornerback Khalil Dorsey appeared to suffer a serious leg injury. He was carted off the field with the injured leg in an air cast. Per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard, head coach Dan Campbell told the media after the game that Dorsey’s injury was similar to what happened to Aidan Hutchinson. In short, Dorsey is not expected to play again in the 2024 NFL season.
Additionally, today’s game saw defensive tackle Alim McNeill and cornerback Carlton Davis depart with injuries, as well. McNeill left the field with a knee injury and, after a visit in the blue medical tent, was carted off to the locker room, while Davis suffered a jaw injury. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Campbell relayed that “he doesn’t feel good about the chances” of either player returning this year.
If all three players are placed on injured reserve, they would join 18 other players on IR. They would up the number of defensive players on IR from 13 to 16. The Lions have overcome incredible adversity so far this year and still currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Here are some updates on a couple other injuries around the NFL:
- We mentioned earlier this week that Giants rookie starting safety Tyler Nubin would miss the rest of the season on IR with an ankle injury. Per Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post Sports, head coach Brian Daboll believes that Nubin’s injury will probably require ankle surgery. This means that Nubin will likely spend most of the offseason working to recover in time for the 2025 season.
- The Texans needed to elevate practice squad tight end Irv Smith today as rookie fourth-round tight end Cade Stover was a surprise scratch from today’s game. Stover logged the first absence of his NFL career due to an emergency appendectomy performed last night, according to Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN. Stover is expected to make a full recovery.
Marshall Edge Rusher Mike Green Declares For Draft
With the collegiate regular season having come to an end, it’s become time for the elite at their positions to declare their intentions to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Right on schedule, Marshall’s Mike Green, the leader of the nation in sacks this season, has announced that he will forgo his remaining eligibility and head to the NFL, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid.
Green was not the most sought-after recruit coming out of Lafayette HS (VA). As a three-star athlete, Green fielded offers from schools like Ole Miss, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, and in-state colleges Virginia and Virginia Tech. He committed to the in-state Cavaliers, a short, two-hour drive away. After minimal use in Charlottesville as a true freshman, Green hit the transfer portal and found his way to Marshall.
At 6-foot-4 and nearly 250 pounds, Green was a physical specimen as a college athlete, but he needed time to develop his skills. Through his first 20 games, Green only managed a total of 5.5 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss. This season, Green broke out for an incredible 17.0 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss, leading the FBS in both categories as a redshirt sophomore. Green graded out well analytically, as well. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Green ranked as the top pass-rusher in college football.
Reid and ESPN’s Field Yates each ranked Green in their top eight pass rushers with Reid placing Green at seven and Yates ranking him fourth. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler slotted Green in as the eighth best edge rusher and the 37th best prospect overall.
Green obviously possesses the pass-rushing talent to be a Day 1 or 2 pick. With impressive performances at the NFL Scouting Combine and Marshall’s Pro Day, along with some strong interviews, there’s a chance that Green can convince a team to take a chance on him in the first round.
Stephen Jones Addresses Cowboys’ Upcoming Micah Parsons Negotiations
Just as the 2024 offseason was largely defined by high-profile extension negotiations, the Cowboys will again have a major contract matter to attend to this spring. Edge rusher Micah Parsons is on track to play on his fifth-year option in 2025, but a long-term deal will be the central aim of team and player once negotiations begin. 
Parsons was eligible for a monster second contract this past offseason, but the cases of quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb took precedence. Both players landed new deals to avoid a potential free agent spell, but by making major commitments in each case the Cowboys continued their trend of authorizing big-ticket contracts to players at the top of the depth chart. A busy spring in terms of outside spending should not be expected, and retaining Parsons will require signficant cap resources.
“Obviously we’re totally all in on Dak and CeeDee,” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport) when asked about Parsons talks. “But after that, then you still shape things, including Micah. But Micah’s a great player. You don’t do well in this league letting guys like Micah, usually, leave the house.”
Parsons has remained productive in 2024 before and after the high ankle sprain he suffered midway through the campaign. He currently has 6.5 sacks, giving him a chance to reach double-digits in that regard for the fourth consecutive season. The three-time Pro Bowler has long been connected to a deal making him the league’s highest-paid edge rusher, and he could wait for the market to move when the likes of Myles Garrett (Browns) and T.J. Watt (Steelers) negotiate new pacts before engaging in serious Cowboys talks. Nick Bosa‘s 49ers pact carries an annual average value of $34MM per year, a figure which Parsons might not be entirely set on surpassing on his second contract.
While Jones did not offer a public guarantee Parsons will be retained beyond 2025 (when he is scheduled to collect $21.32MM), he added he “can’t imagine there’s a scenario” in which the 25-year-old would play for a team other than Dallas. Parsons has expressed a desire to stay with the Cowboys through the remainder of his career, and reaching agreement on a long-term accord will go a long way toward ensuring that.
Dallas’ commitments to Prescott and Lamb will lead to major cap implications for years to come, and other major financial decisions will be tied to new deals for pending free agents Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence or pacts for their replacements. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (who is out for the year) is on the books through 2028, and his salary for next season is set to vest early in the new league year. Adjustments and cuts will take place between now and then, but Parsons’ status will remain a situation worth watching closely.
OL Notes: Bolles, Chiefs, 49ers, Texans, Jags
For a second time, the Broncos allowed Garett Bolles to play deep into a contract year before extending him. After the sides previously reached an extension agreement in November 2020, Bolles inked his second Denver extension days before the team’s Week 15 game. Talks did not begin until recently. The sides did not begin to discuss a new deal — one Bolles had begun to lobby for back in 2023 — until after the Broncos’ win over the Browns, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. While Bolles held Myles Garrett without a sack, the Broncos’ upcoming bye week presumably had more to do with the timing of the negotiations.
Bolles is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid left tackle. Like recently extended edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, he may well have done better by reaching free agency. But Bolles wanted to stay with the team that drafted him back in 2017. The four-year, $82MM contract includes $23.7MM guaranteed at signing and features a similar guarantee structure to the one Mike McGlinchey secured. If Bolles is on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base salary becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. As the Broncos have part two of Russell Wilson‘s dead money due in 2025, they have predictably backloaded Bolles’ deal. This is a rather extreme effort, as five void years (through 2033) are attached to this deal. Bolles will count $5.8MM on Denver’s 2025 cap and just $9.2MM in 2026; the cap hits balloon past $20MM after that.
Here is the latest from the NFL’s O-line situations:
- Unable to find a reliable left tackle since letting Orlando Brown Jr. leave in 2023, the Chiefs are going with an emergency plan today. With recent signee D.J. Humphries declared out due to a hamstring injury he sustained in his Kansas City debut, the Chiefs are kicking Joe Thuney to left tackle. The left guard saw time at LT against the Raiders, who were besting second-year blocker Wanya Morris. Rather than go with Morris, the Chiefs are using Thuney at LT and backup Mike Caliendo at LG, per ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. This will cut into the Chiefs’ elite inside trio, but with the team seeing Patrick Mahomes hit with more frequency in recent weeks, it will use this patchwork adjustment to stem the tide. A 2023 UDFA, Caliendo is making his first career start.
- On the same note, the Texans are making a change. Right tackle Tytus Howard is moving back to left guard, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Both center Juice Scruggs and left guard Kenyon Green are out. As a result, Howard will return to the position he primarily played last season. Howard has shuffled between tackle and guard as a pro; prior to his 812-snap 2024 at RT, he played all 408 of his 2023 snaps at LG. Second-round pick Blake Fisher is in at RT.
- Trent Williams‘ recovery from an ankle injury has proven “a lot” slower than the 49ers expected, Kyle Shanahan said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). The team is not ruling him out for the rest of the season. That said, San Francisco is now 5-8; shelving the All-Pro the rest of the way would make sense. Williams, 36, secured significant guarantees via a September reworking. He has not indicated a 2025 return will commence, but his through-2026 contract contains enticements to come back.
- The Bears should be likely to be shoppers to fortify their O-line’s interior in 2025, with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs rating that area atop the team’s list of needs. Chicago whiffed on Nate Davis and devoted low-end money to center. Left guard Teven Jenkins is a free agent-to-be who has not engaged in substantive extension talks.
- Like Bolles, Walker Little secured an extension recently. The Jaguars revealed their long-term left tackle plan, post-Cam Robinson, by signing Little to a three-year, $40.5MM extension. The first two years of Little’s deal are fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. That comes out to $25.94MM. Although his 2027 salary is nonguaranteed, the 2021 second-rounder did well on the guarantee front as he bypasses free agency.
Browns Activate DT Michael Hall, To Make Kicker Switch
DECEMBER 15: Hopkins is a healthy scratch for the Browns’ matchup with the Chiefs. Cleveland has made its regular kicker — one it extended earlier this year — inactive, going with Patterson, who is now with a fifth team since February.
The Jaguars, Commanders, Jets, Falcons and Browns have employed Patterson since the 2025 league year began. Cleveland had used Patterson as a Hopkins injury replacement late last season, ultimately giving the veteran his job back once he recovered. Hopkins is not injured now, but the Browns are still going with Patterson.
DECEMBER 14: The Browns have announced their gameday transactions which include two activations from injured reserve and two standard gameday elevations. One of those elevations, that of kicker Riley Patterson, seems to insinuate a potential change in the depth chart. 
Regular kicker Dustin Hopkins has been having the worst kicking year of his career. On the season, Hopkins has missed nine of his 25 attempts, including a miss from inside 30 yards and five misses from inside 50. Adding to an abysmal 64 percent field goal conversion rate are two missed extra point attempts out of 18 tries. The veteran’s inconsistency has been on display all season, but in Cleveland’s last four games, Hopkins has gone an atrocious two for seven (three for nine in the last five games).
Hopkins signed a three-year, $15.9MM extension to stay in Cleveland after missing only three kicks in 2023, making all eight tries from beyond 50 yards. Earlier this week, following a loss in which Hopkins missed his only two field goal attempts, head coach Kevin Stefanski doubled down on the beleaguered veteran, claiming that Hopkins is their kicker. It’s not clear whether or not Hopkins will open tomorrow’s contest with a bit of a leash or if Patterson’s promotion makes him the primary kicker on Sunday, but the elevation is worth noting, regardless, after Stefanski’s comments.
The two IR activations are both rookies: second-round defensive tackle from Ohio State Mike Hall Jr. and seventh-round South Dakota cornerback Myles Harden. Hall played in four games earlier this year after a delayed start to his rookie season and factored into the defensive line rotation pretty significantly, averaging just over 40 percent of the snap count each game. He’ll return in time to try and get his rookie season back on track.
Harden, on the other hand, was placed on IR shortly after Week 1, a game in which he did not appear, and would be making his NFL debut, should he get on the field. Both players are listed as questionable on the injury report after full practices on Friday.
The other standard gameday elevation joining Patterson off the practice squad tomorrow will be wide receiver and return man James Proche. In five games for the Browns this year, Proche has only three catches for 21 yards but has contributed to the return game with 13 punt returns for 119 yards.
Chiefs WR Marquise Brown Designated For Return
DECEMBER 15: Not playing today, Brown may not be too far from making his elusive debut as a Chief. Good form in his return to practice has made the free agency addition a candidate to resurface in Kansas City’s Week 16 game against Houston, Rapoport offers. While Rashee Rice is done for the season, the Chiefs could have all their remaining wideouts ready to go soon.
DECEMBER 13: Brown is indeed set to practice today, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports. Activation in time for Week 15 could be in play as a result, although that would come as a surprise after very limited work in preparation for Kansas City’s upcoming game. Nevertheless, Brown should be back in the fold in time to see game action before the regular season ends.
DECEMBER 12: Marquise Brown has been cleared to practice, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, positioning the star wideout to get back on the field for the Chiefs after shoulder surgery on his SC joint in September put his season in doubt.
Reports of Brown’s potential to return this year initially emerged in November and intensified last week after the 27-year-old scheduled an appointment with his surgeon to receive final clearance to play. The appointment went well, according to Rapoport, setting up Brown to practice with his teammates for the first time in months.
Kansas City will still be cautious with Brown, who has dealt with several injuries in his football career dating back to his college days at Oklahoma. The team is expected to open Brown’s practice window on Friday or the following Monday. He will have 21 days to ramp up as the Chiefs figure out if he can contribute this season.
Brown’s return could be a massive boost for a Chiefs offense that ranks outside of the top six in passing yards for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. However, Brown is not guaranteed to have a major impact, as he has yet to play a single regular-season snap in Kansas City. He signed a one-year, $7MM contract this offseason, but injured his shoulder in mid-August, minimizing his practice time in a new offense.
Even if Brown is able to play again this year, he won’t be asked to shoulder an especially heavy snap count or playmaking role. Trade deadline acquisition DeAndre Hopkins has settled in well in Kansas City, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy has topped 40 yards in each of his last four weeks after doing so just twice over his first nine games. Putting Brown and Worthy on the field together would give Mahomes one of the fastest receiver tandems in the NFL, which could potentially open up more room for Hopkins and Travis Kelce to operate over the middle.
Jets To Interview Jon Robinson, Louis Riddick For GM Post
General manager candidates not tied to an NFL team can begin interviewing for vacant jobs at any point, whereas staffers currently employed elsewhere cannot. Two such candidates are set to factor into the Jets’ GM search.
The Jets are planning GM interviews with former Titans front office boss Jon Robinson and longtime ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Robinson will go first, with Schefter adding his Jets meeting is slated to occur this week. Riddick’s is on track to take place at a later date.
[RELATED: Bill Belichick Contacted Jets About HC Job]
Robinson, 48, has not resurfaced since his December 2022 Titans ouster. Amy Adams Strunk booted her seventh-year GM despite having given him a lengthy extension earlier in 2022. Robinson’s Titans contract ran through the 2027 draft, which has continued to cost the team money while he is out of the NFL. No possible offset has emerged yet, as is also the case with Mike Vrabel, whom the club canned in January. Vrabel is firmly in play to land another HC job in 2025, while his five-year decision-making partner is now back on the radar as well.
The Titans hired Robinson in 2016 and produced four winning seasons, including four playoff berths, with the ex-Patriots exec at the helm. Tennessee made a habit of surprising most during this span, rivaling the AFC’s top powers despite Ryan Tannehill not checking in near the top tier among quarterbacks. The Titans went 9-7 in 2017, upsetting the Chiefs in the wild-card round, and then replaced Mike Mularkey with Vrabel. Tennessee then voyaged to the 2019 AFC championship game, where a Chiefs team then armed with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback eliminated the resurgent Titans, and then won the AFC South in 2020 — Derrick Henry‘s 2,000-yard season. The 2021 Titans went 13-4 to deny the Chiefs the AFC’s top seed, doing so despite a number of injuries, but fell to the Bengals in that year’s divisional round.
Tennessee’s Robinson-built rosters running into regular injury trouble became an issue for Adams Strunk, who also fired her GM soon after A.J. Brown put together a strong revenge game in a December 2022 Titans-Eagles matchup. Robinson had traded Brown during the 2022 draft, doing so after underwhelming the standout wide receiver during extension talks. While Adams Strunk said she had made her decision regardless of the Brown performance, the timing of the separation nevertheless proved interesting.
Riddick, 55, has been a regular on the GM interview circuit. Though, he has not interviewed for a post since the 2022 offseason. The Steelers met with the former NFL exec that year, but three clubs — the Jaguars, Lions and Texans — conducted Riddick meetings in 2021. Riddick, who played in the NFL from 1991-99 before serving as an exec with Washington and Philadelphia, also interviewed for the Giants’ GM job in 2017.
Ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Vikings honcho Rick Spielman are running the Jets’ GM and HC searches. Tannenbaum and Riddick were each with the Browns in 1995, the former as a lower-level staffer and the latter a backup DB. More candidates will be included in this hunt, but two unattached aspirants will get the ball rolling here.