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49ers LT Trent Williams Intends To Play In WC Round

By | at January 10, 2026 10:11 pm

Trent Williams suffered a hamstring injury early in Week 17, beginning a tenuous recovery process. The 49ers’ left tackle plans on suiting up tomorrow, but his status is still uncertain.

Williams sat out San Francisco’s regular-season finale. That came as little surprise and allowed for additional time to rest. Nevertheless, the 37-year-old is forcing the issue with respect to his recovery timeline by attempting to play in the wild-card round. Williams in unsure at this point if he will be able to finish Sunday’s contest.

“It’s always going to be a little bit — a little bit of a concern,” the 12-time Pro Bowler admitted (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “I mean, obviously I’m kind of pushing the limits on the time that’s required for it. So it will probably be in the back of my mind for a little bit. But once you get out there and the juices get flowing and adrenaline, I don’t think it should be a big problem.”

Williams’ status will of course be a main talking point leading up to the 49ers’ game against the Eagles. He is among the players listed as questionable going into Sunday. Losing Williams for some or all of the game would of course deal a notable blow to San Francisco’ O-line, a unit which has depended in large part on his availability and performances over the years.

After not practicing at all last week, Williams sat out Wednesday’s session. The 15-year veteran managed to practice on a limited basis for each of the next two days, however. He and the team will hope that proves sufficient for a full outing against Philadelphia’s defense tomorrow. If that does not prove to be the case, Austen Pleasants will be tasked with handling blindside duties.

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Minor NFL Transactions: 1/10/26

By | at January 10, 2026 7:37 pm

Here are Saturday’s moves around the NFL as the first day of wild-card weekend continues:

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

  • Designated for return from injured reserve: LB Drew Sanders

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Sanders was limited to four games last season due to an Achilles tear. The 25-year-old then suffered a foot injury in training camp which kept him sidelined for the entire regular season in 2025. As Mike Klis of 9News notes, Sanders will not be available in the divisional round but a return deeper into the postseason will be at least a faint possibility with him now on the practice field.

3 comments Buffalo Bills Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Chargers New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Transactions

Dolphins To Interview Klint Kubiak, Request Interview With Robert Saleh

By | at January 10, 2026 12:33 pm

Klint Kubiak is officially the most popular head coaching candidate in this year’s hiring cycle.

Six team have now requested an interview with the Seahawks offensive coordinator, the most of any candidate thus far. The latest is from the Dolphins, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, and Kubiak is set to interview with them today.

The Dolphins join the Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, Raiders, and Titans in expressing interest in the 38-year-old. Other coaches from teams in the wild card round as well as John Harbaugh could catch up with their interviews for next week, but for right now, Kubiak is the hottest name on the market.

It is easy to see why. He came up under his father and longtime offensive guru Gary Kubiak in Denver and in Minnesota; the latter spot also included time with Mike Zimmer until 2021. After returning to Denver for one season, Klint Kubiak was hired by Kyle Shanahan to be the 49ers pass game coordinator in 2023. Like others in that position before him, he quickly earned an offensive coordinator gig. San Francisco finished with fourth-most passing yards in the league in Kubiak’s debut year, even more impressive considering they also had the fewest passing attempts.

The Saints then hired Kubiak as their offensive coordinator in 2024, but after an exciting start, the unit faded down the stretch. When New Orleans brought in Kellen Moore last offseason, Kubiak departed for Seattle to work under Mike Macdonald. He immediately molded the Seahawks’ offense into one of the best in the league. Among his success were quarterback Sam Darnold, who answered questions about his ability to match his 2024 performances; wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the league in receiving; and running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, who were one of the league’s best one-two combos.

The Dolphins have gone with offensive coaches for five of their six head coaching hires dating back to 2006, but they could also be looking for a stronger culture-setter as they head for at least a semi-rebuild. Another coach with connections to Shanahan – 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh – could fit that bill. The Dolphins requested an interview with Saleh, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, though that cannot take place until next week.

Saleh’s success as a defensive coordinator is undeniable. Four years in San Francisco got him hired in New York, but his tenure as the Jets head coach did not go according to plan. The team went 20-36, though it is hard to argue that Saleh was their biggest problem. Owner Woody Johnson, general manager Joe Douglas, and quarterback Zach Wilson were just as reponsible, if not more so, for the Jets’ struggles in that time. If the Dolphins share that perception, they may be more willing to give Saleh a second chance in the top job.

4 comments Miami Dolphins San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks

Titans Request HC Interviews With Arthur Smith, Jeff Hafley, Robert Saleh

By | at January 8, 2026 1:22 pm

The Titan have submitted requests to interview Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and 49ers DC Robert Saleh, per Titans inside Paul Kuharsky.

Smith, 43, spent most of his coaching career in Tennessee. He started as a quality control assistant in 2011 with a season on both sides of the ball before spending six years working with the Titans’ tight ends. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019 and took a bottom 10 offense to top-12 ranks in points and yards in his debut season. Smith then led a top-five unit in 2020, which got him hired as the Falcons’ head coach the following offseason. He went 7-10 in three straight season in Atlanta and was fired in 2024. Mike Tomlin picked him up as the Steelers’ OC, but Smith has not found the same success as his time in Tennesee. Pittsburgh’s offense has ranked among the NFL’s bottom 10 teams in points and finished in the middle of the pack in terms of yardage.

Hiring Smith does not have obvious appeal outside of a reunion with a former coach. He does not have a strong history of working with young quarterbacks, a key part of the Titans’ current search, and his success has primarily come in the run game. Cam Ward has good movement skills, but he was not a dual-threat quarterback at Miami and will not be one in the NFL. His connections with Tomlin and Mike Vrabel could help him land a solid defensive coordinator.

Hafley, 46, has quickly risen up the list of hot coaching candidates after two successful years in Green Bay. His coaching career began in college in 2021 with stints at a variety of schools before moving to the NFL in 2012. He coached defensive backs in Tampa Bay (2012-2013), Cleveland (2014-2015), and San Francisco (2016-2018) before accepting a co-DC gig at Ohio State. Boston College hired Hafely as their next head coach in 2020; four years later, he took his current position with the Packers. In his debut year in Green Bay, Hafley led the team to a top-six finish in points and yards before taking a step back to a top-12 ranking this season.

Hiring a defensive-minded head coach to lock down one side of the ball while searching for a young OC to work with Ward seems like a viable strategy for the Titans, especially given this year’s hiring cycle. There are far more potential head coaches on the defensive side of the ball with a number of young offensive assistants who may be ready for an OC job.

Saleh is of course among the top options with a defensive background. He, like Smith, also has experience as a head coach at the NFL level. The 46-year-old returned to San Francisco for 2025, the first season after his Jets firing. Saleh’s unit dealt with a slew of notable injuries but still managed to finish 13th in points allowed. It thus comes as little surprise he is among the most in-demand staffers so far in the 2026 hiring cycle.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

11 comments Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Tennessee Titans

Falcons Request Robert Saleh HC Interview; Team To Speak With Mike Disner For Football Operations Role

By | at January 8, 2026 12:12 pm

The Falcons have a vacancy at the head coach and general manager positions. Atlanta will also soon have a new president of football operations.

A hire for the football ops role will take place before the other positions are filled. Matt Ryan remains the favorite in that capacity, but other options are (as required) being explored as well. Interviews will take place beginning today. Ian Cunningham (Bears) has received an interview request. The same is also true of Josh Williams (49ers), while Brandt Tilis (Panthers) will speak with Atlanta about the gig.

A fifth candidate has emerged for the new front office spot. Lions COO Mike Disner will interview today for the president of football operations gig, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. Cunningham’s interview will take place tomorrow, he adds. All five will have spoken with Atlanta by the end of Friday; a hire will be expected shortly thereafter.

Disner began working in the NFL with the Cardinals in 2013. His six-year run in Arizona was followed by a move to Detroit. Disner has been with the Lions since 2019, previously serving as the team’s senior vice president of football and business operations. Since 2022, he has worked in his current capacity. Disner was connected to the Panthers’ GM opening in 2024 but withdrew from consideration.

As for Atlanta’s head coaching search, another interview request has been filed. According to Breer, the Falcons are among the teams looking to speak with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. An interview cannot take place until next week in his case, but Saleh figures to be busy fielding interest from a number of teams. He has already received an interview request from the Cardinals, and more are expected over the coming days.

Saleh, 46, gained steam as a head coaching candidate during his first stint leading San Francisco’s defense (2017-20). Things did not go as planned with the Jets, but Saleh is among the top options in terms of coaches who could land a second HC opportunity during the 2026 hiring cycle. Atlanta went the route of a veteran, defense-oriented coach last time around by reuniting with Raheem Morris. It will be interesting to see if a similar approach is taken this year.

7 comments Atlanta Falcons Detroit Lions San Francisco 49ers

2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 7, 2026 9:50 pm

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Here are the candidates connected to all eight of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-11-26 (9:42am CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

10 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants PFR Originals Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/26

By | at January 7, 2026 9:37 pm

Today saw four teams establish reserve/futures deals for next year:

Cincinnati Bengals

  • WR Dohnte Meyers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

0 comments Cincinnati Bengals Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants San Francisco 49ers Transactions Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/26

By | at January 7, 2026 6:30 pm

Wednesday’s midweek minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

In Green Bay, head coach Matt LaFleur relayed that Melton doesn’t have a torn ACL, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but his knee injury is just going to take some time to recover. Meanwhile, the Chargers and Seahawks look to return two role players to offenses as they ready for their first playoff games.

The 21-day practice windows have come and gone for McLeod and Willams. Without an activation, both players will return to their respective injured lists.

0 comments Green Bay Packers Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Chargers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Transactions

49ers To Sign LB Kyzir White

By | at January 6, 2026 5:35 pm

Battling a slew of injuries at linebacker as they prepare for a first-round playoff matchup against the Eagles on Sunday, the 49ers are adding veteran insurance at the position. They have agreed to a practice squad deal with Kyzir White,  insider Jordan Schultz reports.

The 49ers went through most of the regular season without their best linebacker, four-time All-Pro Fred Warner, who broke and dislocated his ankle in Week 6. Tatum Bethune stepped in as his replacement, but he suffered a season-ending groin injury in Week 18. Meanwhile, the statuses of fellow banged-up linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps) are uncertain as San Francisco’s trip to Philadelphia draws closer.

Warner may return if the 49ers advance a couple of rounds in the playoffs. In the meantime, they have another much-needed healthy option in White, though a hamstring injury shelved him for most of 2025.

After signing a practice squad deal with the Titans in early September, White’s only appearance of the regular season came in Week 3. The Titans waived him Dec. 5. The 29-year-old hoped to land with a contender when Tennessee cut him. A month later, he’ll get his wish.

White, who now has 93 games and 73 starts on his resume, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Chargers in 2018. Also a former Cardinal and Eagle, White has gone over the 100-tackle mark on three occasions and logged two 17-start seasons. He was a full-time starter in 2024 in Arizona, where he finished with 137 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Although White has barely played since his two-year Cardinals tenure ended, he could factor into the 49ers’ postseason plans at linebacker. Eric Kendricks (currently on the practice squad), Curtis Robinson and Garret Wallow are among the injury-riddled team’s other options.

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Cardinals Request HC Interviews With Robert Saleh, Anthony Weaver

By | at January 6, 2026 3:00 pm

Jonathan Gannon was among the head coaches fired yesterday. That leaves the Cardinals as one of six teams in the market for a replacement.

A second target regarding potential hires has now emerged in Arizona’s case. The Cardinals have requested an interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. This comes shortly after Broncos DC Vance Joseph was named as a candidate expected to interview with Arizona. Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver has also received a slip from the Cardinals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Saleh joins Joseph as a former NFL head coach whose first shot didn’t go well. After a previous run as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2017-20, Saleh took over as the Jets’ head coach in 2021. He lasted three-plus seasons and finished 20-36 with no playoff appearances.

The Jets fired Saleh after a 2-3 start last year. It didn’t spark a turnaround for the Jets, who lost nine of 12 under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. That led to the end of the failed Aaron Rodgers era and the beginning of a new GM/HC regime with Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn grabbing the reins.

Saleh, who closed the 2024 season as an offensive consultant with the Packers, rejoined Kyle Shanahan‘s staff in San Francisco last January. Now one of the game’s highest-paid D-coordinators, Saleh will earn more head coaching looks after helping the 49ers overcome a slew of key injuries en route to a 12-5 season and a playoff spot. The 49ers have gone most of the season without their two best defenders, the injured Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. They ended the regular season just 20th in total defense as a result, but the 49ers ranked a much better 13th at keeping points off the board.

Currently in his first stint as a coordinator, Weaver’s defense in Miami finished a lackluster 22nd in yards and 24th in points in 2025. However, the unit was top 10 in both categories in his first year at the helm last season. The former Ravens and Texans defensive lineman earned head coaching interviews with the Bears and Saints a year ago, but those teams went in other directions.

While the Dolphins wrapped up a disappointing season on Sunday, the 45-year-old Weaver is again garnering outside consideration for a promotion. Along with the Cardinals, the HC-needy Falcons have requested a meeting with Weaver.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

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