49ers To Place Christian McCaffrey On IR
DECEMBER 2: Shanahan said Monday that McCaffrey did suffer a PCL injury in his right knee, an issue that will require a six-week recovery timetable. As it stands, it would be quite surprising if the NFL’s reigning rushing champion returned this season. He is heading to IR.
DECEMBER 1: This has been a forgettable season for Christian McCaffrey. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year missed nearly half the season due to a lingering Achilles injury; weeks after debuting, the star running back joined a few of the 49ers’ other standouts in being out of the mix.
McCaffrey left Sunday’s blowout loss in Buffalo with a knee injury, and Kyle Shanahan was quick to rule him out. Postgame, Shanahan said McCaffrey sustained a potentially season-ending PCL malady. An MRI is scheduled for Monday, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner notes.
This would be a tough blow for the eighth-year back while underscoring the importance of securing guaranteed money. The 49ers authorized a two-year, $38MM extension this offseason, with the deal coming with $24MM at signing. McCaffrey, 28, played the lead role in powering San Francisco’s offense last season. With the former top-10 pick missing most of this season, the 49ers are in danger of falling out of the playoff mix. The defending NFC champs are now 5-7.
After a grim 2023, the running back position has seen a resurgence of sorts — in a macro sense. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon are thriving on third contracts after changing teams. McCaffrey beat his peers in doing so, dominating between his October 2022 trade and Super Bowl LVIII. McCaffrey had shaken his Panthers-years injury trouble during the 2022 and ’23 seasons, not missing a game due to injury in that span. This season brought a regression for the dual-threat dynamo, and it has coincided with a brutal run of health for the 49ers.
San Francisco did not place McCaffrey on IR to start the season, but the Achilles issue did lead to such a move before Week 2. McCaffrey had been in play to suit up in Week 1, but the 49ers scratched him for that game. He then drifted out of the picture, going as far as making a trip to Germany for treatments that could potentially accelerate his recovery. McCaffrey did not debut until Week 10, but he immediately returned to a near-full-time workload. He logged 88% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps in Week 10 and then posted 82% and 94% snap rates over the past two 49ers games.
The 49ers had established a productive run game amid tonight’s Western New York snowstorm, and McCaffrey drove that effort during the early part of the game. He totaled 53 yards on seven carries, though his seventh tote brought lost yardage after a quick tumble to the turf. McCaffrey hobbled to the sideline, and the 49ers proceeded to fall behind 28-3. Both McCaffrey and Fred Warner exited the game due to injury, reminding of how far off track this 49ers season has veered.
Shanahan’s team played without Trent Williams and Nick Bosa tonight. Neither All-Pro is on IR or has been ruled out for Week 14, but the team has also battled numerous longer-term issues. San Francisco has missed Dre Greenlaw throughout the season, with the Achilles tear sustained while the veteran linebacker trotted onto the field for a first-half Super Bowl possession sidelining him throughout this season to date. Warner has played through a broken bone in his ankle. The 49ers lost recently extended wideout Brandon Aiyuk and high-priced defensive tackle Javon Hargrave for the season, and Talanoa Hufanga has joined McCaffrey in battling two significant injuries during the campaign. The All-Pro safety was still on the mend early due to the ACL tear sustained in November 2023, and he only squeezed in two games before a wrist injury shut him down.
This season reminds of the team’s previous NFC title defense, as the 2020 slate featured Bosa sidelined most of the way and then-QB1 Jimmy Garoppolo missing 10 contests. Both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle missed extensive time that year as well. The 49ers went 6-10 in 2020 but resurfaced by surging to the next three NFC championship games. The nucleus from San Francisco’s Super Bowl LIV team is still mostly intact. Bosa, Kittle, Warner, Greenlaw and Samuel are still rostered. But the group is obviously much older now. This season suddenly runs the risk of draining a year from several standouts’ primes.
McCaffrey became a hired gun to form a nucleus that featured four All-Pros at the skill positions, with Aiyuk earning second-team recognition last season. McCaffrey has burnished his credentials as a top-tier running back upon returning to the Bay Area; the Stanford alum won the rushing title last season (1,459 yards) and added 564 more through the air despite resting in Week 18. McCaffrey added 160 scrimmage yards in Super Bowl LVIII, a game that provided the most painful of the 49ers’ Shanahan-era big-game losses.
As McCaffrey appears likely to see his missed-games count balloon to 14 by season’s end, his career number would sit at 37 in that scenario. San Francisco’s top skill player would have been headed into a contract year in 2025, via his previous Carolina extension, but the offseason redo locks him in for 2025. No guarantees remain on McCaffrey’s deal beyond next season, but he did well to secure a guarantee that trails only Barkley’s among RBs this year, effectively ensuring he will be back in the 49ers’ plans in 2025.
Rams Claim CB Emmanuel Forbes
Despite being tied to a mid-first-round contract, Emmanuel Forbes will not clear waivers. The Rams are ensuring the 2023 first-round cornerback will remain tied to that deal.
Forbes is heading to Los Angeles via waiver claim, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Commanders’ Adam Peters-run regime moved on despite the 2023 No. 16 overall pick being signed through 2026. The Rams are bringing that contract onto their payroll, illustrating considerable interest on the NFC West team’s part. The Rams waived rookie UDFA cornerback Charles Woods to make room on the roster.
As significant changes occurred in Washington this offseason, Forbes was unable to secure steady playing time. This reached the point of the Commanders attempting to gauge his trade value before the deadline last month. The team ended up cutting bait, resulting in dead money this year and next. The Commanders are on the hook for all of Forbes’ prorated signing bonus ($8.2MM); that will leave a $4.1MM dead money hit in 2025 as well.
As our Ely Allen pointed out, Forbes is the only cornerback to be drafted after weighing in under 170 pounds at the Combine since 2000. Elite ball production led to the Commanders preferring the 166-pound defender to Christian Gonzalez, who went off the board one spot later to the Patriots. Forbes intercepted six passes in 2022 at Mississippi State, returning three for touchdowns. For his career, the 6-foot cover man intercepted a staggering 14 passes and totaled six pick-sixes. That enticed the Commanders to dive in, but neither last year’s nor this year’s coaching staffs liked enough about his game to deploy him as a full-time starter regularly.
Forbes has started seven games as a pro; six came last season. After allowing a 60.7% completion rate as the closest defender last season, Forbes ceded a whopping 75% number in limited duty this year. The Rams will still give him a second chance, pulling the trigger on a waiver claim to do so. They will be on the hook for guaranteed base salaries ($2.15MM in 2025, $2.85MM in 2026), which the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala adds will save the Commanders $5.3MM, but the NFC East team is still responsible for the bulk of the contract. On the Rams’ 2025 payroll, Forbes will only carry a $2.15MM cap number.
The Forbes pick came during one of the many Sean McVay-era first rounds in which the Rams did not hold a selection. This transaction will give the team a look at a player it clearly liked coming into the 2023 draft. The Rams have seen some issues form at corner, having already benched and traded Tre’Davious White this season. Pro Football Focus has no Rams CBs ranked inside the top 65 at the position; the team has given its most CB snaps to Cobie Durant and Darious Williams. PFF slots Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon 70th among corners this season, tabbing Williams — re-signed after two years in Jacksonville — 73rd.
Forbes, 23, will join an L.A. secondary that acquired more experience this year via the Williams and Witherspoon re-signings. The team also has a rookie UDFA (Josh Wallace) joining Quentin Lake in rounding out its CB group. Forbes will attempt to mix in for the 6-6 team.
Dallas Goedert Expected To Miss Time
Dallas Goedert has been one of the NFL’s best all-around tight ends for a few years now, and he has certainly been a central part of the Eagles’ surge to 10-2. But the veteran continues to struggle with injuries.
The seventh-year pass catcher’s latest setback is expected to key an absence. Goedert is now battling a knee injury that will sideline him on a week-to-week basis, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. While this is not expected to be a season-ending issue, a short-term IR stay may be in the cards. That would be familiar territory for Goedert.
Set to turn 30 next month, Goedert has landed on IR twice in his career. Ankle and shoulder injuries previously moved the former second-round pick off Philadelphia’s 53-man roster (in 2020 and ’22). A forearm fracture sustained last year did not, but Goedert still missed time. Goedert has already missed three games this season, with a hamstring injury sidelining him. Altogether, Goedert has missed 17 games as a pro. He has not seen any of his ailments require more than a five-week in-season recovery, however, and this one should be no exception.
The Eagles’ trade for Jahan Dotson notwithstanding, they still feature a well-defined target tree. Goedert operates as the third pillar alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Through nine games, Goedert has 38 receptions for 441 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores came Sunday in Baltimore. While injuries have impeded him from producing eye-popping stats as a pro, the South Dakota State alum has been integral to Philly’s passing and rushing attacks.
Philly released Albert Okwuegbunam earlier this season, doing so despite using one of its IR-return activations on him, but the team also added veteran C.J. Uzomah. Grant Calcaterra remains the team’s backup tight end. The Eagles used Calcaterra as an eight-game starter; he has 17 catches for 216 yards. An extended Goedert absence would hurt the Eagles’ passing attack, especially considering both Brown and Smith have missed time this season.
Smith has missed the past two Eagles games, though the now-Saquon Barkley-powered team has motored to an eight-game win streak anyway. Were Goedert to land on IR, he would not be able to return until Week 18. This would stand to impact the team’s push for its second NFC No. 1 seed in three years.
Giants Place Dexter Lawrence, Theo Johnson On IR; Cory Durden Signed Off Rams’ Practice Squad
Both Dexter Lawrence and Theo Johnson suffered notable injuries during the Giants’ Thanksgiving loss. Neither player is in line to suit up again this season. 
Lawrence and Johnson are now on injured reserve, per a team announcement. An absence of at least four games is thus in store, but Lawrence in particular is not expected to come back for the regular season finale. The two-time Pro Bowler is dealing with a dislocated elbow, and his attention will turn to rehab in advance of the 2025 campaign.
In his absence, the Giants will look for short-term replacements along the defensive interior. That could prove to be challenging given the other D-line injuries the team dealt with on Thanksgiving. In a move aimed at providing depth at that spot, Cory Durden has been signed off the Rams’ practice squad. The 25-year-old made four appearances last season but has yet to see any game action in 2024.
Lawrence led the league in sacks (nine) through seven games this season, demonstrating his status as New York’s most important defensive player and one of the league’s top interior linemen. The 27-year-old inked a big-ticket extension last offseason, so it comes as no surprise the team will avoid attempting to rush him back into the fold during the closing stages of the campaign. Sitting at 2-10 on the year, the Giants are officially out of postseason contention.
Johnson’s absence will be notable as well. The fourth-round rookie has handled a notable role in the wake of Darren Waller‘s retirement, posting 334 yards and one touchdown on 29 receptions. A foot injury threatened to shut Johnson down for the rest of the campaign, and today’s news all-but guarantees he will indeed be sidelined until 2025. His presence will be missed on a low-output New York passing attack.
The Giants are among the teams which could wind up with the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. Given their lack of a franchise quarterback, securing the top spot in the order would be critical. Playing without Lawrence and Johnson will lessen New York’s chances of adding further wins over the closing weeks of the season.
Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb, Cameron Goode To Return To Practice
The Dolphins’ front seven is set to receive a pair of reinforcements in the near future. Both Bradley Chubb and Cameron Goode could be back in the lineup as early as Week 14. 
Chubb and Goode will return to practice Wednesday, head coach Mike McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). That will start their respective 21-day activation windows; provided both players are moved to the active roster within that span, they will be eligible to suit up down the stretch. Chubb and Goode are on the reserve/PUP list, so bringing them back will not affect Miami’s remaining injured reserve activations.
Chubb suffered an ACL tear last December, making him one of several key defenders who was unavailable to the Dolphins during the playoffs. McDaniel recently expressed optimism the former Bronco would be able to play at some point in 2024, and today’s update is an encouraging one in that respect. Goode, meanwhile, was believed to be further ahead of Chubb in his rehab from a torn patellar tendon, but he will see his practice window opened at the same time.
Miami’s pass rush has been shorthanded all year, and Chubb’s absence has been key in that regard. The two-time Pro Bowler amassed 11 sacks last season, his first full one with the Dolphins. Expectations were high that he and Jaelan Phillips would be able to remain productive upon returning to health from their respective 2023 injuries. Phillips went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 4, though, which exacerbated Chubb’s absence.
The Dolphins sit 29th in the NFL with only 21 sacks on the year. Getting Chubb back in particular will help in that department (although expectations in his case will be tempered given his long time out of the fold), especially since Tyus Bowser is on injured reserve. Miami could have added a veteran presence along the edge in the form of Shaquil Barrett, but the team declined to activate him from the reserve/retired list last week.
Goode 26, was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft but he did not make his regular season debut until last year. The Cal product played 17 games in 2023, handling a heavy special teams workload. That will likely remain the case for the closing stages of the campaign once he is activated.
Missouri WR Luther Burden III To Enter Draft
Luther Burden III will turn pro this spring. The Missouri wideout confirmed on Monday he will declare for the 2025 NFL draft, foregoing the team’ bowl game in the process. 
“I feel like this is the best time to enter the draft,” Burden said (via ESPN’s Pete Thamel). “I’m confident in myself and what I can do at the next level. I’m ready for the next step.”
Burden made an impact as a true freshman in 2022. He recorded 375 yards on 45 catches, scoring eight total touchdowns (six receiving, two rushing). Last season saw him take a notable step forward with a statline of 86-1,212-9. That production earned him first-team All-SEC honors and helped Burden enter the 2024 campaign as one of the top draft-eligible receivers.
While the Tigers went 9-3 this season, their offense took a step back compared to 2023. Burden’s reception (61), yardage (676) and touchdown (six) totals all regressed, as did his efficiency (11.1 yards per catch). Still, the 5-11, 208-pounder should find himself squarely on the Day 1 radar come April’s draft.
Burden is seen as a top-five receiver prospect by ESPN’s draft analysts, with Matt Miller slotting him at the top of the board at the WR spot. The title of No. 1 option at that position may well belong to two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter, who as expected will also be in the 2025 class. It remains to be seen if Hunter will play on offense or defense at the NFL (if not both), though, and in terms of pure receivers Burden is joined by the likes of Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) and Isaiah Bond (Texas) as prospects who will not need to wait long to hear their names called.
Given his size and skillset – which entails plenty of production after the catch – Burden has drawn comparisons to Deebo Samuel. Teams in need of pass-catching help would certainly welcome the possibility of Burden enjoying a similar career to the 49ers All-Pro. In any case, he will be one of the top prospects to follow over the course of the pre-draft process.
Saints TE Taysom Hill Suffers ACL Tear
DECEMBER 2: Hill is indeed out for the rest of the year, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He suffered an ACL tear in addition to other damage, Rapoport adds. Attention will turn to recovery in anticipation of the 2025 campaign with Hill looking to reprise his role as a versatile figure on offense upon return.
DECEMBER 1: The Saints lost their do-it-all Swiss Army knife in today’s loss to the Rams. Veteran offensive weapon Taysom Hill was carted off with a knee injury, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the injury is feared to be season-ending. 
Hill hasn’t had much of a history with injury during his NFL career, only missing multiple games due to injury in one of his seven previous seasons. Today’s injury, though, will likely force the BYU product to miss the team’s remaining five games.
Hill’s role with the Saints has evolved over the course of his career. The versatile athlete was claimed off of waivers by New Orleans after initially signing with the Packers as an undrafted free agent. After not appearing much his rookie year, the Saints utilized Hill mostly in the rushing game, sparsely using him as a receiver or quarterback in 2018. 2019 saw him develop as a receiver, with Hill catching a career-high six touchdowns that year.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons saw Hill’s receiving impact reduced as he began finding starts at his college position of quarterback, making nine starts at the position in the two years combined. The team made use of his arm but mostly concentrated on his running ability, allowing him to rack up 13 rushing touchdowns in that time.
In 2022, Hill returned to a primarily rushing role, notching a career-high 575 rushing yards while adding on seven touchdowns on the ground and two receiving, matching his career high in total touchdowns. Last season showed perhaps his most versatile season as his 401 rushing yards (four touchdowns) and 291 receiving yards (two touchdowns) combined for the most scrimmage yards in a season for his career.
This year, Hill is the team’s second leading rusher with 268 yards while matching Alvin Kamara with six rushing touchdowns. In the receiving game, Hill is fifth on the team with 18 receptions and has added 150 yards to his scrimmage yard total. Juwan Johnson will continue to perform as the team’s primary receiving tight end, while Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller are sure to benefit from some additional touches in the run game.
Because of his history at BYU, Hill entered the league at 27 years old and is 34 today. The veteran is due a $10MM base salary in his 35-year-old season, and the Saints don’t have much incentive to cut him as it would only free up $277K in cap space and leave them with $17.71MM in dead money in his contract year. It will be interesting to see how a player of his age and usage will be able to rebound from such a severe injury, but if he can, he has every incentive to return in 2025.
The Saints will have Hill undergo an MRI in order to determine the severity of the injury, but all signs are currently pointing to the initial diagnosis of a season-ending knee injury. If confirmed, a move to injured reserve for the remainder of the season is likely in order to free up a roster spot.
Ravens Remain Committed To Justin Tucker
Week 13 marked a continuation of Ravens kicker Justin Tucker‘s struggles. Questions were once again raised about a change at the position, but nothing on that front is imminent. 
Tucker missed two field goals and an extra point during the Ravens’ five-point loss to the Eagles. It marked the first time in the five-time All-Pro’s decorated career he missed three kicks in a single contest, and it represented another poor outing in 2024. Tucker’s field goal accuracy now sits at 70.4% on the year, easily the lowest of his NFL tenure.
“If you’re asking me, ‘Are we going to move on from Justin Tucker?’ I’m not really planning on doing that right now,” head coach John Harbaugh said after the game (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “I don’t think that’d be wise.”
In place with Baltimore since 2012, Tucker has spent much of his career as one of the league’s top kickers. His resume includes a Super Bowl title, a spot on the 2010s All-Decade team, seven Pro Bowl nods and the all-time record for the longest made field goal in league history (a 66-yarder from 2021). At the start of the season, the 35-year-old’s career accuracy mark of 90.2% was the highest in NFL history.
On multiple occasions in 2024, however, Tucker’s misses have proven costly in close Ravens losses. Overall, he has gone only 9-for-17 on field goals beyond 40 yards while remaining perfect within that distance. The Texas product’s two missed extra points match the most he has had on that front in a single campaign. Baltimore’s bye comes in Week 14, giving Tucker and the team time to reset before the final stretch of the campaign.
Tucker signed a $6MM-per-year extension in 2022; at the time, that made him the league’s highest-paid kicker. Jake Elliott (Eagles) and Harrison Butker (Chiefs) have since matched and surpassed that figure, respectively, but expectations understandably remain high in Tucker’s case given his track record and his contract. He is due $4.2MM in 2025 and ’26, with an increase in pay to $5.15MM for the final year of the pact. No base salary is guaranteed beyond the current season, something which could lead to increased speculation about a kicker change relatively soon. For now, though, Tucker is set to remain in his current role.
NFL Reviewing Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair For Potential Suspension
Azeez Al-Shaair was ejected from the Texans’ Week 13 win after his hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. To no surprise, a suspension could be on the table. 
The NFL is reviewing the play in question, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. Al-Shaair made contact with Lawrence’s head while the latter was sliding, and it resulted in him being carted off the field. Lawrence is now in concussion protocol. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds a ban is currently “anticipated,” with the matter of length being the only remaining question.
Al-Shaair has never been suspended in his career, but the sixth-year linebacker could be in line for supplemental discipline pending the outcome of the league’s review. Houston’s bye week is upcoming, so plenty of time remains for a decision on that front to be made before Al-Shaair would next be in line to suit up. The 27-year-old issued a statement on Monday addressing the matter.
“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that,” Al-Shaair said in part. “My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play… I genuinely didn’t see [Lawrence] sliding until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye. To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.”
The Texans secured a 23-20 win yesterday, bringing their record to 8-5 on the year. The AFC South leaders have relied heavily on Al-Shaair at the second level of their defense, with the former UDFA starting evert game he has played in to date. Al-Shaair spent last year with the Titans, but during the offseason he inked a three-year, $34MM deal which allowed him to reunite with head coach DeMeco Ryans after their time spent together with the 49ers.
The FAU product has amassed 68 tackles this season, which ranks second on the team. Al-Shaair has also matched his personal best with two sacks in 2024, and losing him for any period would deal a blow to Houston’s defense. That unit could be shorthanded depending on how the NFL proceeds.
Bears To Prioritize Leadership Ability In Next HC; GM Ryan Poles Expected To Be Retained
The Bears will be in the market for a new head coach this offseason, and per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the club believes its vacancy is the most attractive one that will be available. With a promising rookie-contract quarterback in Caleb Williams and a bevy of other offensive talent, over $80MM in projected salary cap space, and a new stadium project in the offing, Chicago is hopeful it will be able to land the candidate of its choice.
According to Jones, the Bears hope to hire a “leader of men” type of head coach. In other words, the candidate’s status as an offensive or defensive savant will not be as much of a priority as that person’s mental toughness and leadership abilities. The successes of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Dan Campbell in Detroit have underscored the importance of those qualities, and recent HC hirees Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Jerod Mayo, and Jim Harbaugh also fit the “leader of men” mold (although those coaches, like almost all coaches, also offer an offensive or defensive background).
Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network agrees that leadership skills, along with in-game management prowess, are traits the Bears will be seeking in their next HC. However, Bair does believe that a brilliant offensive mind, or someone that can bring such a mind on board, will also be a prerequisite, which jibes with earlier reports on the matter. He names Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Aaron Glenn, and Joe Brady as external HC candidates, while Jones adds Brian Flores and Bill Belichick as possible targets. As reported previously, interim head coach Thomas Brown will also have a chance at the permanent gig.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) acknowledges that the Bears’ opening will be coveted, and he also believes that Kingsbury will be under consideration. Of course, the team interviewed the former Cardinals’ HC this past offseason for its offensive coordinator post, although it was reported that the summit was really more of an intel-gathering session on Williams, whom Kingsbury coached at USC and whom the Bears were preparing to select with the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft. Naturally, the Kingsbury-Williams connection will drive a great deal of Kingsbury-Chicago speculation during the upcoming cycle.
Johnson, meanwhile, will again be one of the hottest candidates on the market, and he is expected to remain very selective about his next destination. On that note, ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously said that Johnson could opt to steer clear of the Bears due to perceived organizational dysfunction, although Schefter may have changed his stance. During his appearance on Sunday NFL Countdown today, Schefter said that Johnson might indeed have some interest in the Chicago job (video link).
Jones and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (video link) also see Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a dark horse candidate for the Bears’ HC post. Freeman, who was actually drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, has led the Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff field in his first year at the helm. Freeman was recently named as one of the college coaches expected to receive NFL HC interest in 2025.
Per Jones, it is unclear who will make the final decision on the club’s next HC. Of course, owner George McCaskey will have considerable input, but team president Kevin Warren will be heavily involved as well. One way or another, though, GM Ryan Poles’ job is safe, and he will be a part of the search.
There were some recent rumblings that Poles could be handed his walking papers at season’s end, but prior reports indicated that Poles and Warren are aligned in their vision for the team, and both Jones and Rapoport report that the GM – who was originally hired just two days before the recently-dismissed Matt Eberflus – will be retained. Interestingly, Rapoport says that Poles will “assist” Warren in running the search, which would seem to corroborate the league-wide perception that Warren is the one making the calls.