49ers WR Deebo Samuel is not listed on the injury report for Sunday's NFC Championship. He hobbled off the field late in last weekend's win over the Packers but will be ready to play vs. the Rams.
Chiefs RB Darrel Williams (toe) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. That puts him on track to return for the AFC Championship after missing last weekend's win over the Bills. We're expecting Williams to be 3rd in line for RB touches behind Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The Broncos named Nathaniel Hackett their new HC. The 42-year-old has 13 seasons of NFL coaching experience with 4 different teams. That includes 7 seasons as OC -- 2 with the Bills (2013-2014), 2 with the Jaguars (2017-2018) and the last 3 with the Packers. Hackett's Buffalo and Jacksonville offenses were mostly disappointing, but he was working with QBs E.J. Manuel, Kyle Orton and Blake Bortles. Hackett didn't call plays in Green Bay under HC Matt LaFleur but had a big say in the game plans. Most notably, QB Aaron Rodgers is reportedly a big fan of Hackett. So this move can only increase the chances that Rodgers ends up in Denver via trade.
49ers WR Mohamed Sanu (knee) has been activated from IR and is eligible to play in Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Rams. Sanu has been out since Week 9, and WR Jauan Jennings has played well in his place. We'd expect Jennings to remain San Francisco's #3 WR this weekend, but Sanu could steal some snaps.
New Giants GM Joe Schoen threw his support behind QB Daniel Jones at his introductory press conference on Wednesday. "We'll build an offense around Daniel to accentuate what he does best," Schoen said. "I know he's a great kid ... The kid has physical ability. He's got arm strength, he's athletic, he can run. I'm really excited to work with Daniel." Jones has failed to show tangible improvement over his first 3 NFL seasons and missed the final 6 games of 2021 with a neck injury. We'll see when he's cleared from that injury -- and who Schoen and the Giants hire as HC and OC. But Jones can't be considered more than a low-end QB2 in early 2022 fantasy drafts.
Saints insider Nick Underhill reports that HC Sean Payton is retiring. Payton has been at the helm in New Orleans since 2006, leading the Saints to an incredible 13 top-10 finishes in total offense. He's 1 of the best offensive minds in the game, so this is a big loss for guys like RB Alvin Kamara and WR Michael Thomas. We're also curious to see what the new coaching staff's plans are for Taysom Hill.
Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski commented on his potential 2022 return during a chat with reporters on Monday. "I’m really going to basically do what’s best for myself in terms of the football world," Gronkowski said. "It's going to be a decision based upon of where I’m at in a couple weeks.” Gronk added that he might play another season -- even if Tom Brady retires. We’re guessing the 32-year-old will continue playing, but we might not get confirmation for a couple of months. Gronk, an impending free agent, ended this past season as the PPR TE7 despite missing 5 games.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel hobbled off the field after his final touch in Saturday night's win over the Packers, but it sounds like he'll be fine for the NFC Championship. “Deebo took a helmet to the side of his knee/leg on that last play, so he’s sore today, but we expect to see him on the practice field this week," HC Kyle Shanahan said Monday. We'll track Samuel's practice participation this week.
Rams HC Sean McVay expressed confidence in RB Cam Akers following a 2-fumble day at Tampa Bay. "[I] still have tremendous faith and confidence in Cam Akers, he's going to be a great player -- there will be a couple plays that he wants back. Then we had a little miscommunication on the one snap after we end up getting the turnover in their territory," McVay said via NFL.com. "Those are things that [we] can't have, but we were able to overcome it, and I'm excited for those guys." Akers fumbled once last year and 10 times in 36 career college games, so it’s an area to monitor going forward. Still, the fact that L.A. fed him 24 carries -- vs. just 1 for Sony Michel — says all we need to know about the team's plans in the NFC Championship.
Titans HC Mike Vrabel commented on QB Ryan Tannehill during a Monday press conference. “We have to be great around him, but he’s shown signs of accuracy, of decision-making, to the ability to extend plays and scramble, and leadership,” Vrabel said via USA Today. “So, those are all things you look for in a quarterback, and Ryan showed us that. Unfortunately, we turned the ball over on Saturday.” The 33-year-old was put in a tough position this year, losing Derrick Henry around midseason and getting little from Julio Jones. Tannehill, however, tossed 14 INTs — his most since 2013. He carries a dead-cap hit of nearly $58 million for 2022, making him a lock to return for year 4 in Tennessee. He profiles as a mid-level QB2 in early 2022 fantasy football drafts.
Bucs QB Tom Brady admitted that he's considering retirement on a Monday appearance on the Let's Go podcast. Brady pointed to his family, saying that his wife hates seeing him get hit and his kids deserve what they need from him as a dad. You know that it'll be painfully tough for Brady to walk away from the game, especially considering how well he's still playing. But it seems like there's a real chance that Sunday's loss to the Rams was his final game. Stay tuned.
The Chiefs waived WR Josh Gordon. The team is hoping to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Gordon caught just 5 balls in 12 regular-season appearances and was a healthy scratch for Kansas City's first 2 playoff games. The 30-year-old's dynasty value has just about vanished.
Packers RB A.J. Dillon fractured a rib in Saturday night's Divisional Round game vs. the 49ers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Dillon has the offseason to heal up after Green Bay lost that one on a last-second FG. He and RB Aaron Jones will be back with the Packers in 2022, making it a tricky situation to handicap for fantasy purposes.
Chiefs RB Darrel Williams (toe) is inactive for tonight's Divisional Round game vs. the Bills. Kansas City will roll with RBs Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon and Derrick Gore.
Bucs RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) is officially active for today's Divisional Round game vs. the Rams. He's joined in the backfield by Gio Bernard and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was non-committal on his football future after Saturday night's loss to the 49ers. "I'm still super competitive, still know I can play at a high level, so it's going to be a tough decision," Rodgers said. "I have a lot of things to weigh in the coming weeks." Rodgers added that he doesn't want to be part of a "rebuild." Green Bay might be headed in that direction considering the team is currently $44.8 million over the projected salary cap for the 2022 season -- with WR Davante Adams a free agent. Rodgers did say that he'll make a decision on 2022 by the start of free agency on March 16. His status will again be 1 of the bigger storylines of the offseason.
NFL Network's James Palmer hears that Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) is "good to go" for Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the Bills. "They're not really looking at a snap count ... it's gonna be play it by ear," Palmer adds. It doesn't sound like Edwards-Helaire's shoulder will be a factor, but he might still lose snaps to RB Jerick McKinnon after McKinnon's strong showing in the Wild Card win.
Bucs RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) has been activated from IR. That puts him on track to play in Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the Rams. Fournette has been sidelined since Week 15, which adds some uncertainty to his role. But we're expecting him to return as Tampa's lead back. RB Le'Veon Bell was waived to make room for Fournette.
Titans RB Derrick Henry (foot) is officially active for today's Divisional Round game vs. the Bengals.
The Panthers named Ben McAdoo their new OC. McAdoo flamed out after just 2 seasons as the Giants' HC. But that proceeded 2 mostly successful seasons as OC. New York finished top 13 in points, total yards and passing yards in both of those years. McAdoo was a balanced play caller, with the G-Men ranking 17th and 16th in situation-neutral pass rate in 2014 and 2015, respectively. He takes over a Panthers offense that has enough talent at the skill positions but needs to find a QB.
Search
