January 2017 4for4 Player News Articles

Kyle Shanahan is expected to be named the 49ers head coach sometime after Super Bowl 51 on February 5 as NFL rules prevent an official hiring of a coach on a playoff team until that team's season is over.

Shanahan has nine years of experience as an offensive coordinator and his offenses have finished in the top 10 in yards gained six times. He is a rising star after guiding the Falcons' offense to a #2 finish in yards gained and #1 overall in points scored this season.

Jets planning to hire Saints WR coach John Morton as their OC, per league sources. Deal expected to be finalized soon.

Morton most recently was the wide receivers coach for the Saints and previously served as offensive coordinator for USC.

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reports that Teddy Bridgewater is expected to miss the entire 2017 season.

Related players: Sam Bradford

It looks like Sam Bradford will continue to start for the Vikings. He led the league with a 71.6% completion rate and posted a 20-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He was also tied for the lowest yards per completion (9.8) in the league.

Fantasy football players take note: Tyreek Hill could average as many as 70 snaps a game as a wide receiver and returner in 2017.

So says the coach of Kansas City’s rookie sensation.

“He was averaging 35 plays a game (in 2016),” Andy Reid told co-host Kirk Morrison and me Thursday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Maybe he can double that or at least take it up a couple notches and allow him to get in more in a starting role.”

Per 4for4's Player Snap App, among players who played at least 40% of their team's snaps, Hill ranked first in fantasy points per snap in both standard and PPR formats. He was the #11 fantasy receiver (PPR) after his team's Week 5 bye.

Mike McCarthy said Packers RB Ty Montgomery will stick at RB. "He's a running back. He wants to change his number."

Montgomery started getting significant playing time in Week 6, and from that point on, he averaged 73 total yards and 0.27 TD, not including the playoffs. This resulted in 13.0 PPG in PPR formats and 9.0 PPG in standard. In two healthy playoff games (versus the Giants and the Cowboys) he gained a combined 149 yards and found the end zone twice. His fantasy stock in 2017 will depend largely on what else the Packers do at the position. Montgomery is best suited to be part of a committee since he's already shown a tendency to get dinged up. He'll be a PPR option in the middle rounds.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Tuesday he could not yet commit to returning to play another NFL season.

“I’m gonna take this offseason to evaluate, to consider all options, to consider health and family and things like that and just kind of take some time away to evaluate next season — if there’s gonna be a next season,” Roethlisberger said during his weekly radio show with 93.7 The Fan’s Ron Cook and Andrew Fillipponi.

It appears that Roethlisberger, who regularly plays up his injuries in order to get a reputation for being a tough guy, is going to follow the Brett Favre "will he, won't he" blueprint for the late stages of his career. Roethlisberger is 34, the Steelers are a perennial Super Bowl contender and he's under contract through 2019, so we're fully expecting him to play next season.

The Washington Redskins have promoted Matt Cavanaugh to offensive coordinator, the team announced on Monday. Additionally, the Redskins have hired Kevin O'Connell to be the team's next quarterbacks coach.

Prior to joining the Redskins’ coaching staff in 2015, Cavanaugh was previously quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals (1994-95), quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers (1996), offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears (1997-98), offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens (1999-04), quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets (2009-12) and quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears (2013-14).

In eight seasons as an offensive coordinator, Cavanaugh's offenses have never finished higher than 14th in yards gained, with an average ranking of 21.3.

Patriots Inactives

WR Michael Floyd
QB Jacoby Brissett
RB D.J. Foster
OT LaAdrian Waddle
CB Cyrus Jones
CB Justin Coleman
S Jordan Richards

Atlanta Falcons

Nick Williams
Terron Ward
Blidi Wreh-Wilson
Dashon Goldson
Josh Keyes
Wes Schweitzer
DJ Tialavea

Jones is dealing with a toe injury, so his ability to finish the game is in some doubt. He has a great matchup with a shaky Packers secondary.

Packers Inactives

QB Joe Callahan
WR Max McCaffrey
CB Herb Waters
FB Joe Kerridge
RB James Starks
T Kyle Murphy
DT Christian Ringo

They'll all be out there but there's no telling how effective they'll be. The Packers also made Trevor Davis active, so they have one extra receiver to lean on. This indicates that they don't feel confident that their injured receivers will all be able to make it through the game. We wouldn't expect normal production from Nelson or Adams, though they are intriguing tournament plays since their ownership levels will be depressed this week.

Redskins to promote Greg Manusky to defensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet. This will be his fourth stint as a DC.

He was previously the DC for the Colts (4 seasons), Chargers (1 season) and the 49ers (4 seasons). His defenses in Indianapolis were typically not good, but his San Francisco and San Diego defenses finished in the top 16 in yards allowed in four of his five seasons with the two teams.

Washington Redskins running back Robert Kelley underwent a surgical procedure on his right knee shortly after the season-ending loss to the New York Giants, a source has confirmed with Breaking Burgundy.

Kelley suffered a sprained knee injury in the Week 16 win over the Chicago Bears, but played against the Giants with a brace. The procedure, considered relatively minor according to a source, lasted approximately 30-45 minutes and dealt with the meniscus. Kelley resumed walking per usual within a couple of days and physical therapy soon after.

This sounds like a minor repair, so Kelley should be fine by minicamp/OTAs.

Former Jaguars HC Gus Bradley has agreed to become DC for then Los Angeles Chargers, per sources.

Bradley coached back-to-back top 7 defenses (points allowed) in Seattle in 2011-12 before being hired to lead the Jaguars for four seasons. Last year, Jacksonville allowed the 6th-fewest yards while giving up the 8th-most points, an uncommon disparity.

Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins underwent a second foot surgery earlier this month, performed by specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, and is expected to be ready for training camp, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.

Watkins had three usable fantasy lines in his last six games, posting 3-80 against the Jagaurs, 4-54-1 against the Steelers and 7-154-1 against the Dolphins. He had a total of 79 yards in the other three games. His fantasy value will be a hot topic heading into the 2017 season.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy described WR Jordy Nelson (ribs) as practicing yesterday more than anticipated. Sounds relatively optimistic.

Related players: Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, Randall Cobb, Jeff Janis, Trevor Davis

Randall Cobb is the only healthy receiver of the Packers' top four wideouts. Nelson, Adams and Allison will be game-time decisions for a likely shootout against the Falcons.

Andrew recovering from successful outpatient surgery to fix right shoulder injury that had lingered since 2015. Will be ready for season!

This doesn't sound too alarming. Luck should have plenty of time to get ready for the season, though he could miss OTAs and/or minicamp while in recovery.

Jaguars name Nathaniel Hackett the offensive coordinator.

Hackett was promoted to OC in Week 9, and the offense actually got worse on a points per drive basis (1.76 before/1.56 after) and in YPA (6.62/5.86). The two noticeable differences were that the Jaguars had more rushing attempts (19.1/28.7) and Blake Bortles' interceptions (1.29/.78) dropped to a respectable level. However, his passing yardage (272/223) and touchdowns (1.71/1.33) were down.

Per sources, the Texans are promoting LBs coach Mike Vrabel to defensive coordinator. Romeo Crennel expected to stay, likely as ass't HC.

In the last two seasons, Houston's defense has ranked in the top 11 in both yards and points allowed, and last year it gave up the fewest yards in the league, and that was without J.J. Watt in the fold. Both coaches have been promoted and it's not entirely clear who will be running the defense, though Vrabel's job title indicates that he's in charge.

Coach Bill O'Brien is staying in Houston for the 2017 season. The same can't be said for offensive coordinator George Godsey.

The Texans and Godsey have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Monday.

Bill O'Brien has been calling the plays most of the year. The Texans were 29th in points scored and in yards gained, yet still managed to win the AFC South.

Wade Phillips has agreed to terms to become Rams defensive coordinator, per source.

It's not often that a coordinator of Phillips' caliber is available, so this is a good hire for the Rams. Phillips ran one of the best defenses in the league the last two years in Denver. Before that, his Texans D was in the top seven in yards allowed for three straight years. Before that, his Cowboys D finished in the top nine in yards allowed in three of his four seasons in Dallas.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy says WR Jordy Nelson, who has multiple rib fractures, will be out for Sunday’s game vs. Cowboys.

Related players: Geronimo Allison, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Jeff Janis

Geronimo Allison will likely pick up most of his snaps. He played 58% of the snaps against the Giants, and had a quiet game, but that was with Nelson playing 23% of the snaps. In the two previous games, with Randall Cobb sidelined, Allison played 73% and 81% of the snaps, posting 4-66 (on seven targets) against the Vikings and 4-91-1 (on six targets) against the Lions.

Ravens secondary coach Leslie Frazier has been hired as the Bills defensive coordinator.

Frazier has 12 years of experience as a defensive coordinator or head coach. His best years were in Minnesota when he guided the defense to a top eight finish in yards allowed in three straight seasons (2008-2010).

In need of a jump-start after just nine wins in two seasons, the Chargers believe Anthony Lynn can breathe some fresh air into this franchise in a new city.

Lynn took over as offensive coordinator in Week 3, and the team averaged 25.8 points in the final 14 games, an average that would have been good enough to score the 8th-most points in the league.

One day after giving Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay a second interview, the Rams will be making him the youngest head coach in NFL history. The Rams have announced that the 30-year-old McVay will be the next coach of the team.

Related players: Todd Gurley

McVay has been Washington's offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. In 2016 the unit posted the 3rd-most yards and the 12th-most points after scoring the 10th-most points in 2015. His rushing games have never finished higher than 19th in yards or 14th in attempts, so the hire doesn't necessarily mean that Todd Gurley is out of the woods.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mike McCoy, and former Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave were set to interview for the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator vacancy this week. CSN's John Middlekauff reported Wednesday night that the Broncos' new coach, Vance Joseph, chose to hire McCoy.

McCoy wasn't playing with a full deck this year in San Diego with both Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead injured, but his offense still managed to post the 9th most points in the league. In fact, his offenses have finished in the top 10 in total yards in three of the last five seasons. This is a good hire for Denver, who are a quarterback (Tyrod Taylor?) away from a great offense.

The Bills ended their latest head-coaching search Wednesday, agreeing to hire Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to succeed the fired Rex Ryan, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano.

McDermott is expected to bring a 4-3 defensive scheme back to the Bills, who finished fourth in yards allowed in 2014 while using former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's 4-3 system.

The hire is a good sign for the Bills' defense, but more importantly, who will McDermott hire as offensive coordinator? And will the franchise keep Tyrod Taylor?

The Broncos are expected to offer Vance Joseph their head coaching job, according to 9News.com's Mike Klis. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported earlier in the week that Joseph was the front-runner for the job heading into the interview process. Joesph, who served as the Dolphins' defensive coordinator during the 2016 season, would replace Gary Kubiak, who retired a year after leading Denver to a title in Super Bowl 50.

The Dolphins' defense gave up the 4th-most yards and were in the middle of the pack in points allowed. It will be interesting to see who the Broncos pick to run the offense now that Gary Kubiak is gone.

Raiders former OC Bill Musgrave had a contract that was expiring. OAK lets it expire. May have an in-house candidate in QB Todd Downing.

Musgrave's offense improved to 6th in yards gained and 7th in points scored, so the move is somewhat surprising.

Jordy Nelson's status Sunday's game against the Cowboys does not look good.

The wide out suffered at least two fractured ribs in their wild-card win over the Giants, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Rapoport adds it will take a tremendous effort for Nelson to play.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters earlier Monday that his star wide receiver has a shot to suit up for this Sunday's NFC divisional-round tilt with the Cowboys.

If Nelson can't play, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison will pick up the slack. If Nelson does play, we wouldn't expect a full complement of snaps.

Jacksonville planning to hire Doug Marrone as HC, league sources tell ESPN.

Tom Coughlin is joining the franchise as VP of Football Operations.

Marrone went 15-17 in Buffalo before joining the Jaguars as assistant head coach. He filled in as the interim coach for the last two games and the franchise apparently feels good enough about him to give him the job on a permanent basis.

The Steelers quarterback arrived to his postgame news conference Sunday with a boot on his right foot following Pittsburgh's 30-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Wild Card Weekend. He said that he hurt his ankle on his second-to-last play of the win.

"We don't know anything yet, but well find out soon enough," Roethlisberger said about his prognosis. "You're always worried about being hurt, but I'll be out there next week."

After the game, Roethlisberger underwent tests on his ankle, which confirmed the injury is not serious, sources informed of the injury told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Monday.

When it comes to injuries, Roethlisberger the league's preeminent drama queen, regularly overstating or drawing attention to his injuries so that he can develop a "tough guy" reputation for playing through them. He'll be out there against the Chiefs.

Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson was knocked out of Sunday's wild-card win against the New York Giants with a rib injury in the second quarter.

While Packers coach Mike McCarthy did not say whether Nelson broke any ribs, there was concern after the game that the injury might keep Nelson out of next Sunday's divisional playoff game against the Cowboys.

"I obviously have concern for Jordy," McCarthy said. "I don't have the information yet."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said "it would be a huge loss for us" if Nelson were unable to play.

"But [Geronimo Allison] has been playing a lot for us and he's been playing effectively," Rodgers said. "Randall [Cobb] being back healthy -- you know I said this week in my press conference we're better with 18 [Cobb's jersey number] on the field. And he showed it tonight, made a ton of plays for us. He was excellent. And having him out there is going to help. But you know Geronimo is going to have to step up and play extended time if Jordy is going to be out."

If Nelson is out versus Dallas (which looks likely), Allison will pick up most of his snaps. The Jeff Janis truthers will have to hope for another injury or two.

Steelers Inactives

Anthony Chickillo OLB
Justin Gilbert DB
Robert Golden SS
Ladarius Green TE
Ricardo Mathews DE
Zach Mettenberger QB
Brian Mihalik OT

Jesse James will see starter's snaps, but Eli Rogers tends to see a bump in work with Green out. he has averaged 4.1 catches for 49 yards and 0.22 TD (on 5.8 targets) in the nine games in which Green was either sidelined or played less than 20% of the snaps. In the other four games, Rogers has averaged 2.8 catches for 37 yards and 0.25 TD (on 3.5 T/G). James has averaged a modest 2.9 catches for 25 yards and 0.25 (on 4.3 T/G) with Green out or very limited. The Dolphins have been poor against both receivers (#28 in WR aFPA) and tight ends (#32 in TE aFPA).

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll has made it clear that Thomas Rawls will be the primary back.

"He’s been ready for about four or five weeks, and we can really see that he can turn it around and count on his legs and count on his quicks and all that kind of stuff," Carroll said. "We haven’t gotten him the ball as consistently as we would like, and any runner needs to get the football to start to get a feel for it.

"I hope, like I said last week -- I want him to get the ball 20 times this week. We’ll see what happens, we’ll see how the game goes. He’s been great about it, he’s been on point. He’s been tremendous in rehab through the process. Just to make it back physically is one, but mentally he made it back as well. We’re really proud of him."

Rawls has totaled 56 yards on 37 carries (1.5 YPC) in the last three weeks, so in this case, a large workload is no guarantee of better production.

Steve L Smith has retired from the NFL in true Steve Smith fashion:

"This is to notify you that as of today, I, Steve Smith Sr., will no longer be antagonizing defensive backs. I am retiring from the National Football League."

In his illustrious 16-year career, Smith made five Pro Bowls and was named First Team All-Pro twice. He is 12th in career receptions (1,031), 7th in receiving yards (14,731) and 26th in touchdowns (81). He will be missed.

Giants OC Mike Sullivan says Paul Perkins and Rashad Jennings complement each other well. I'd still expect Giants to use both good amount.

On Wednesday, Raanan said there was a "good chance" that Perkins would start against the Packers. He has out-carried Jennings 36-to-27 in the last two games, and has out-gained Jennings 170-to-96 in the same span. But it's unlikely that the Giants completely hand the RB1 job to a rookie in an elimination game against the Packers. Perkins is the better play this week, but Jennings is likely to stay involved.

The Buffalo Bills confirmed in a team statement Thursday that quarterback Tyrod Taylor chose to have surgery after seeking a second opinion this week. The statement read as follows.

Bills QB Tyrod Taylor had a consultation visit yesterday with Dr. William Meyers and elected to have surgery this morning. The Bills were informed late yesterday of this morning’s procedure.

No other details on the procedure were provided.

There's some drama regarding Taylor's contract. If he can't pass a physical on March 11, the Bills are "stuck" with Taylor and a contract number of $27.5 M. Pro Football Talk: "The Buffalo predicament is the direct result of a convoluted contract extension aimed at giving Taylor a bump for 2016 along with the promise of a big payday in 2017, while protecting the Bills against a Kirk Cousins-style franchise tag dilemma after what would have been the last year of Taylor’s contract. If that device blows up on the Bills, with Taylor getting the $27.5 million at a time when the Bills would have liked to pull the plug and move on, the blame will fall on the two men who have managed to work their relationships with ownership into a high degree of job security: G.M. Doug Whaley and team president Russ Brandon." We're very interested to see where Taylor lands. From a fantasy standpoint, he should get out of Buffalo and start fresh elsewhere.

Jack Del Rio on starting Connor Cook 'we trust him to go out and lead us'.

Cook was 14-of-21 for 150 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his debut against the Broncos in Week 17. His YPA of 7.1 was significantly higher than what the Broncos allowed in 2016 (5.8 YPA). The Texans are similarly stingy against the pass, so this isn't shaping up to be an advantageous matchup.

Injured Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said in a radio interview Tuesday with 95.7 The Game in San Francisco that it “ripped [his] heart out” to watch the Raiders play on television last Sunday at Denver.

Carr suffered a broken leg on Christmas Eve and had surgery a few days later. That surgery revealed no ligament damage, which bodes well for Carr being back on the field this spring.

You build through the draft.

Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said as much Monday afternoon in an end-of-year news conference.

But Brown, who reflected on a trying 1-15 season alongside head coach Hue Jackson and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, said they’ll work in “lockstep” this offseason to build up the team’s roster by any means necessary.

“We want to take aggressive shots at adding talent to the roster, whether that’s at the trade deadline, free agency or in the draft,” Brown said. “The draft is going to be our primary pipeline of talent to the roster but it’s not going to be an exclusive pipeline. I think we’re going to go out and look at all the opportunities available to us come March.”

Brown’s comments echo a plan outlined by owner Jimmy Haslam, who spoke Sunday after an overtime loss to the Steelers. Haslam broke down Cleveland’s path forward in three parts. Cleveland wants to re-sign our key players, be appropriately aggressive in free agency and have a great draft.

Yes, the Texans are preparing for Saturday’s playoff game against the Raiders with Brock Osweiler as the staring quarterback. No, it won’t matter if Tom Savage clears the concussion protocol by then.

Coach Bill O’Brien made it clear on Tuesday that Osweiler is the starter for Saturday, period.

“I’m not going to speculate on when [Savage] might clear but yes he is in the concussion protocol,” O’Brien told reporters. “If he were to clear, then he would be the backup quarterback. If not, it’ll be Brandon Weeden.”

Joe Flacco threw for a career-high 4,317 yards and had 20 touchdown passes, but the Ravens averaged 42 passes and 23 rushes per game — an imbalance HC John Harbaugh wants to see corrected in 2017.

"Marty believes in running the football, and I believe in running the football," Harbaugh said. "We have not run the football well enough or enough, really, for the last two years. That has to change, and I think it goes hand-in-hand with being good at it and doing it a lot more than we do it."

Terrance West led the team with 774 yards rushing and rookie Kenneth Dixon had 382. Harbaugh expects both to be back next season, and hopes to add another couple of backs to the mix.

Dixon could be the back trending up the most here, and before he got hurt in the offseason, some who followed the team felt he'd eventually take over as the lead back in 2016. The Ravens never really trusted a rookie back to carry the load, but Dixon was certainly involved this season and has a chance to have a bigger role in 2017.

Ladarius Green remains in concussion protocol, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is hopeful the veteran tight end can play Sunday in the AFC wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field.

Green has not played since taking a blow to the head late in the Steelers' game at Cincinnati on Dec. 18.

“He is progressing rather well,” Tomlin said.

Green practiced on a limited basis twice last week but was withheld from the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns that had no impact on the Steelers' playoff positioning.

Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has retired, the team announced.

The 64-year-old oversaw an offense that regressed severely in 2016 as the Jets sputtered to a 5-11 finish. Jets quarterbacks combined for 25 interceptions.

“I informed Coach Bowles prior to the 2016 season that I would retire after this season,” Gailey said in a statement. “I thought it was best to tell him early, so that he could begin to think about how he would move the team forward on offense. While we did not have the season we all wanted to have, I think there are some great people here at the Jets and in the New York/New Jersey area. I wish them all the best moving forward.”

Quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo and running back coach Marcel Shipp were fired, along with three assistant coaches from the defensive side of the ball.

NFL Network reported Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo is on the Jets’ list of potential candidates to replace Gailey.

The Minnesota Vikings don't yet know whether Teddy Bridgewater will be their starting quarterback again. Their future, instead, could be with Sam Bradford.

Coach Mike Zimmer said in his season-ending press conference that Bradford "has earned the right to be the starting quarterback" after a year during which he set a NFL single-season record with a 71.6 completion percentage. Bradford, who came to Minnesota in a trade Sept. 3 with the Philadelphia Eagles after Bridgewater dislocated his left knee and tore his ACL on Aug. 30, threw for a career-high 3,877 yards and passed for 20 touchdowns against five interceptions.

"I think Sam has played great this year," Zimmer said. "Right now all I'm worried about is Teddy getting better. He comes in here every single day, busts his rear end and I just want him to get better right now and so we'll worry about those things later. But Sam has done remarkable things this year, with all the things that he's had to do."

Bradford is signed through the 2017 season, and general manager Rick Spielman said before the season that the quarterback's contract was part of the reason the Vikings were willing to trade a first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles for Bradford. He will have a $18 million cap hit next year, with $4 million coming in a roster bonus due in March, and the Vikings will eventually have to decide whether to sign Bradford to a long-term contract. Meanwhile, Bridgewater has not talked to reporters since his injury, and declined interview requests during the Vikings' final open locker room session of the season on Monday. The Vikings said on Sept. 9 that Bridgewater had a multi-ligament reconstruction of his left knee, but have not disclosed which ligaments Bridgewater needed repaired other than his ACL.

When the New York Giants offense takes the field on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers in their wild-card game at Lambeau Field, there is a good chance that Paul Perkins is standing behind quarterback Eli Manning as the starting running back. There is also a good chance he’s nervous.

Perkins was handed a starting role in the regular-season finale on the road against the Washington Redskins. All he did was become the first Giants running back to rush for 100 yards in a game this season. The rookie had 102 yards on 21 carries despite admitting he was more nervous for the game than other since high school.

Given the way things have unfolded and the progress Perkins has made -- he’s increased his yardage total each of the past six games and shown improvement with his blocking -- it’s hard to imagine he won’t be starting against the Packers. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, the story said.

Brock Osweiler will be the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans in their AFC Wild Card game against the Oakland Raiders, head coach Bill O'Brien said Tuesday. Osweiler replaced Tom Savage, who left their Week 17 game against Tennessee with a concussion.

Savage had previously unseated Osweiler as the starter late in the season. Brandon Weeden will dress as the backup if Savage doesn't clear concussion protocol, O'Brien added.

For the first time in the Super Bowl era, it appears a rookie quarterback will be making his first start in an NFL playoff game.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Oakland Raiders are moving forward with "the expectation that" Connor Cook is their projected starter for Saturday's matchup against the Houston Texans. Matt McGloin suffered an injury to his trapezius muscle in a season-ending loss to the Broncos and will not be ready.

Cook, in relief, completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards, a touchdown and an interception. McGloin was 6 of 11 for 21 yards. Some even felt that Cook looked like the better QB.

We've got some ESPN drama on the Jimmy Garoppolo trade rumor mill.

It started last week when ESPN's Adam Schefter said that he believed the "starting point" for the New England Patriots backup quarterback would be a 1st-round pick and a fourth-round pick.

"I could be wrong ...and I might be low on the 1 and the 4. ... I will promise you that they're getting minimum first round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo, promise you," Schefter said.

Trade rumors for Garoppolo, who has one year left on his contract, will only heat up from here as we get closer to the offseason. There are a number of QB-needy teams in the NFL right now, and this year's draft class has been considered one of the weaker ones in recent years -- at least in terms of top-tier quarterbacks available.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills came clean with reporters on Monday and said he hit the rookie wall in Week 5. From injury rehab to the pre-draft process and then right into the NFL grind, his energy was sapped by mid-October.

Carson Wentz insists he avoided the crash, and in fact felt more in the flow in the season's latter stages. But as he sat in front of the assembled media on Monday, he looked like a young man ready to hibernate.

"It's been a lot of fun, learned a lot," he said of his first season in the pros, "but definitely been physically and mentally taxing."

The 24-year old plans on shutting it down for a while. He says he'll "fight the urge to touch a football here for at least three to four weeks maybe -- at least."

That right arm logged a lot of miles, as Wentz set a franchise record with 607 pass attempts.

At his peak, Kendall Wright was a top NFL receiver, pulling in 94 catches for 1,079 yards in 2013.

He’s moved steadily downhill since then and the 20th pick of the 2012 draft was a healthy scratch for the Tennessee Titans in their finale, which he seems certain was his last game with the franchise.

“[Sunday] I saw the 2017 Tennessee Titans and I’m not a part of the 2017 Tennessee Titans, that’s probably the plan,” he said. “So, it is what it is. I respect everybody in the building.”

His 29 catches ranked fifth on the team and were the fewest of his career.

The current Titans regime saw Wright as a slot receiver, but the team used three wide receivers on fewer snaps than any team in the NFL. The story pointed out Wright is likeable guy who can make some electric plays as he did for the Titans in the wins over the Browns and Jaguars. But he can be complicated and it all came to seem like too much work to make things go with him heavily involved.

Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian missed a game this season after suffering an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder and he’ll be taking care of lingering issues related to that injury this offseason.

Siemian said Monday that he will have surgery this week. Siemian said the operation is not a “major thing” and he’s expected to be fine in time for the start of offseason work in a few months.

“It’s optional surgery,” Siemian said, via KUSA. “It really only bothers me when I work out but I figure I’m going to have to keep working out for a while so I’m getting it fixed.”

Siemian missed one other game with a foot injury and ended his first year as a starter completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. General Manager John Elway said quarterback isn’t his biggest concern of this offseason thanks to the presence of Siemian and Paxton Lynch, but didn’t rule out exploring other options after missing the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert looked no worse for wear as he made his way out of the facility on Monday morning. Dressed in sweats and carrying a bag from his locker, he didn't look like a person who had just gone through back surgery mere days before. But while Eifert may be only 26, surgery and rehab have become a routine part of his life.

That's what he's facing again this offseason. It's frustrating for Eifert, who hates the "injury prone" label but can't escape it lately.

"I can’t control when I get hurt. it’s annoying when I get labeled 'injury prone' because I just go out and play," Eifert said. "I play hard and, you know, I’ve had some bad breaks."

The story outlines all of Eifert's injuries in his short career. Eifert missed eight games this year and missed 27 regular-season games due to injury to start his career. The back injury that ultimately ended his season early was one he had been fighting all year. Eifert thought he could push off surgery, but as the season went on, the pain became too much. There's no doubt Eifert is a red zone threat and one of the better fantasy TE plays week-to-week, but injuries are a concern.

Sammy Watkins can't catch a break. The wide receiver battled back from a broken left foot to play in the Bills' final six games of the season, but he isn't done dealing with that injury.

Citing two sources, the Buffalo News' Tim Graham reported Monday that Watkins will need to undergo another surgical procedure on that foot.

This is the opposite of a report we had earlier today that said Watkins was going to avoid foot surgery. Watkins' foot issues began in the offseason when he broke his foot and had surgery to repair it, which was reported in May. He recovered in time for the regular season but was shut down in September. He returned in late November, but eclipsed 100 yards in only one game. It's worth noting that Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn revealed in early December that Watkins was playing despite a broken bone. So, pain tolerance appeared to be the biggest issue.

One day after Matt McGloin left Oakland's season-ending loss early with a shoulder injury, coach Jack Del Rio doesn't know who his starting quarterback will be come Saturday.

"We'll see how the week goes," Del Rio told reporters Monday. "Between Connor Cook and Matt (McGloin), we'll see who can get the most reps and who we feel the most comfortable putting in the game."

Del Rio confirmed that McGloin got an MRI and defined his status as "just sore."

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Raiders are not optimistic about McGloin playing against the Texans, but have not ruled him out. In other news, the team has signed free agent Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad, and the signal caller could be active for the playoff game.

Jets running back Matt Forte had arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday, coach Todd Bowles said. Doctors performed the scope to repair Forte's ailing right knee, which had a torn meniscus.

Forte said earlier this season he had been playing the majority of the year with the injury. Eventually, the pain became too much. The Jets put Forte on the season-ending injured reserve late last week.

Bowles indicated Forte should be healthy come spring, when the Jets begin their offseason conditioning program. The team doesn't have an official timetable yet, though.

Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray, who led the AFC in rushing yards, could eventually need surgery to repair a toe injury he suffered in Week 8.

Murray said he suffered a torn plantar plate Oct. 27 in a Thursday night win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The plate is the ligament on the ball of the foot connected to the toe.

Murray said the injury impacted his ability to plant and explode. He said rest is the assigned treatment for the toe now.

Doctors could never provide Josh Doctson with a good answer, leaving him to rest ... and ponder a season-gone-wrong while looking ahead. It’s all he could do, thanks to the tendinitis in his left foot that has plagued him since May.

But Doctson said he already notices a difference in his foot. And he remains confident what sort of player he can be when healthy.

“Like I was at TCU, for sure, no doubt,” Doctson said.

Doctson missed most of training camp because of the injury, then returned for the first two games. He was inactive for the next four as the Redskins hoped a month of rest would help. However, he was placed on injured reserve before Week 7.

There’s a chance that neither Pierre Garcon nor DeSean Jackson will return next season. Both are free agents, which means the Redskins need a lot more from their 2016 first-round pick next year. He could form a nice duo with Jamison Crowder.

The NFL's annual wave of firings has -- so far -- spared anyone of note in Indianapolis. Colts coach Chuck Pagano doesn't expect that to change.

"No," Pagano said when asked Monday if there was any doubt about returning for next season.

"This is just based on your confidence?" asked a reporter.

"I just look at things and it's always half full," Pagano said. "And I don't have any reason to believe why I wouldn't be."

Still, Pagano confirmed that he has yet to meet with team owner Jim Irsay, who told NFL.com last month that it would be "unlikely for any changes to occur," with the caveat that he still planned to "sit down and thoroughly vet the season." The Colts haven't made the playoffs the last two season.

David Johnson is OK.

The Pro Bowl running back will not need surgery after suffering a scary-looking left knee injury during Sunday’s finale against the Rams in Los Angeles.

Johnson sprained his MCL, an injury similar to the one suffered by safety Tony Jefferson the week before in Seattle. He will not play in the Pro Bowl while rehabbing the injury. But he will be fine long-term after about six to eight weeks.

“Great news,” Johnson said.

He did watch the replay, and admitted there was a “tremendous amount of relief” once he knew for sure he didn’t have significant damage. The injury cost Johnson a chance at a couple of records he sought: Gaining 100 yards from scrimmage in all 16 games in a season, and reaching 1,000 yards receiving. Johnson had 44 total yards before his first quarter injury, including 38 receiving. He had needed 159 yards receiving to reach 1,000.

Adrian Peterson said he'd love to finish his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Whether he'd be open to taking a pay cut to make that happen remains to be seen.

Peterson would not say Monday whether he would entertain a smaller deal from the Vikings, who have a team option on the running back for 2017 that includes a $11.75 million base salary and $6 million roster bonus. He sounded more open to the possibility than he has in the past but stopped short of saying he would accept less money from the Vikings after missing 13 games following a torn meniscus in September.

The Vikings have to decide on Peterson's 2017 option by the start of the league year, and they would owe him the $6 million roster bonus if he was on the team by the third day of the league year. A restructured deal, then, would need to be completed sometime before the new league year begins on March 9.

Miami coach Adam Gase said he’ll have a better idea on quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s availability for a Wild Card playoff game at Pittsburgh by Tuesday.

“I need to know what his movement skills are and the structure of his knee,” Gase said. “Once I get that update I’ll have a better idea. Any time you get a starter back no matter what position that’s what you want. But since Matt (Moore) has been in there he’s done a really good job.”

Gase is not ready to say if Tannehill can or will practice this week. Tannehill is healing from a sprained ACL and MCL.

Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor told reporters Monday that he will have surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his finger.

Pryor said he believes he will have to rehab for 3-4 weeks with the team following the surgery.

Whether or not that rehab will be his last act with the Browns remains to be seen. Pryor is eligible for free agency in March, and though he did a little early negotiating via the media last week, nothing has been settled. Pryor said Monday that he expects his agents to talk with the Browns “soon.”

Pryor caught 77 passes for 1,007 yards in 2016. He had one reception in three games in 2015 after the Browns claimed him via waivers, gave him a shot to transition from quarterback to wide receiver, then brought him back in December after cutting him in September.

A year after making the Pro Bowl in 2015, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor found himself in an unenviable game of organizational ping pong this season, which eventually led to him watching the season finale on the sidelines.

The Bills classified his absence, which gave way to an EJ Manuel / Cardale Jones combination on Sunday against the Jets, as injury-related and a "business decision" before more was known about a potential hernia surgery this offseason. Taylor told reporters on Monday that his job was taken from him.

While it's easy to understand the Bills wanting to see one more performance out of Manuel and a first performance from Jones, they are putting a lot of pressure on general manager Doug Whaley to nail the quarterback position this offseason, the story said. Taylor was not a top 10 quarterback but he was more than replacement level. In two seasons, he completed an average of 62.6 percent of his passes for 6,058 yards, 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also ran for another 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The silver lining to Cam Newton's turbulent 2016 campaign: His beaten-up body won't require surgery.

The Panthers passer confirmed Sunday that the throwing shoulder he injured against the Chargers in Week 14 will simply require a little TLC this offseason.

"Rest," Newton said, per The Charlotte Observer. "Rest. A lot of rest."

One year removed from a torrid MVP campaign, Cam finished 2016 with the NFL's lowest completion percentage among qualified passers (52.9) and a career-low passer rating (75.8).

This time, the possibility of Saints HC Sean Payton leaving seems even more serious, with NOLA.com reporting Sunday night that the Los Angeles Rams are expected to seek permission to speak with Payton and that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis would be open to a trade.

A source told ESPN that Payton and Loomis met on the subject following Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons and will continue meeting into the week. For any deal to be struck, it would have to be considered a win-win-win for the Saints, Rams and Payton, as Loomis and Saints owner Tom Benson really have ultimate control.

The Saints signed Payton to a five-year contract extension worth more than $9 million per year this past offseason, and multiple sources have told ESPN that they are happy with the direction the team has been headed this year. But, they won't force Payton to stay if he wants to leave.

Buffalo Bills receiver Sammy Watkins does not believe that he will need another surgery on his broken left foot this offseason.

"As of right now, no," he said after Sunday's season-ending loss to the New York Jets. "I think the biggest thing was finishing the season, and probably Monday when we do physicals or whatever, they'll basically give me the outline on my offseason, whether I should get surgery or not. I'm leaning towards not."

Watkins left for the locker room to be evaluated for a hip injury in the second half of Sunday's finale; he did not return. Watkins said he "got popped pretty hard" earlier in the game and began feeling tight at halftime.

If Watkins can avoid surgery this offseason, it will be his first full offseason in the NFL without undergoing a medical procedure.

The year that Sam Bradford has dubbed his most bizarre in the NFL also will go down as his best. The quarterback set an NFL single-season record by completing 71.6 percent of his passes. He threw for a career-high 3,877 yards, with 20 touchdowns and a career-low five interceptions while playing behind eight different offensive line combinations in 15 starts.

"You always believe in yourself, and I think you always believe you can go out and play at a high level," he said. "This year, just in terms of the trade [from Philadelphia] and showing up Week 1, it's been crazy. But, it's been fun and I've enjoyed being a part of this locker room."

There seems little doubt Bradford will be a part of it in 2017, as the Vikings remain unsure of what they'll get from Teddy Bridgewater. What the Vikings will have to decide, though, is how they want to approach Bradford's long-term future. His base salary will rise to $14 million, after Bradford hit a $1 million salary escalator clause by playing more than 90 percent of the team's offensive snaps.

Both Josh McDaniels -- and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia -- have been among the hottest candidates for a head coaching gig this offseason. The 40-year-old McDaniels was previously a head coach for the Denver Broncos in 2009-2010.

After his first run as a head coach ended poorly, McDaniels eventually ended back up in New England, where the general attitude is that the talented offensive mind had taken strides in improving on the subtleties of the job that tripped him up in his first run as a head coach.

A source said McDaniels could have three interviews this week while the Patriots are on a bye.

The Broncos announced Monday that coach Gary Kubiak informed the team that he officially stepped down.

"As I told our team last night, this is an extremely difficult decision to step down as head coach," Kubiak said in a statement. "I love to work and I love football, but ultimately the demands of the job are no longer a good fit for me."

On the heels of one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the 49ers fired Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke on Sunday.

Kelly, who was hired by San Francisco last January after he was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles, failed to turn around a 49ers team that limped to a 2-14 finish.

Baalke, who served as GM since 2011 and whose firing he confirmed earlier Sunday morning, couldn't reverse a franchise trajectory that has been falling since the team's appearance in Super Bowl XLVII at the end of the 2012 season.

San Francisco will have its fourth coach in five seasons when it opens the 2017 season.

After finishing dead last in the AFC West two years in a row, the Chargers are parting ways with head coach Mike McCoy.

The team confirmed the move on Sunday following San Diego's 37-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

With San Diego mulling a potential move to Los Angeles, the franchise has extra incentive to start fresh with a coach unlinked to the team's recent string of failure.

Bills HC Anthony Lynn says RB LeSean McCoy has a high ankle sprain.

Reports said McCoy wanted to get back in the game but there was no reason for that. McCoy had a great fantasy year and should be a top back next summer when drafts come around.

Lamar Miller should be ready to go for the playoff game.

With the Texans already wrapping up the division, Miller didn't play in Week 17 but it appears he'll be good to go next weekend.

Initial tests on Cardinals' RB David Johnson's knee showed meniscus damage, ACL in tact, per source.

Johnson will have an MRI on Monday but this is potentially very good news for owners.

Packers Inactives
Joe Callahan QB
Randall Cobb WR
Jay Elliott LB
Josh Hawkins CB
Kyle Murphy OT
James Starks RB
JC Tretter C

Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams should continue to hog the targets for the Packers at WR.

The playoff-bound Oakland Raiders are down to their third quarterback.

Rookie Connor Cook replaced Matt McGloin late in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos after McGloin suffered a shoulder injury.

McGloin made his first start since 2013 on Sunday after starter Derek Carr suffered a broken fibula last week.

The Raiders were trailing 17-0 when Cook entered the game. McGloin was 6-for-11 with just 21 passing yards when he was injured. The team announced he was questionable to return in the second half. The Raiders would clinch the AFC West title and No. 2 seed with a win. With a loss and a Kansas City Chiefs win in San Diego, Oakland would instead be a wild-card team and play next week at Houston.

Cardinals RB David Johnson needed help walking off the field with what appeared to be a knee injury.

By all reports it wasn't a pretty injury. Based on those reports, it could be a lengthy recovery for Johnson which should have the attention of those in keeper and dynasty leagues. We'll continue to monitor.

Chargers Inactives
Travis Benjamin WR
Asante Cleveland TE
King Dunlap T
Kaleb Eulls DT
Melvin Gordon RB
Denzel Perryman ILB
Max Tuerk C

Benjamin (knee) was questionable and seemed like he had a shot to play in Week 17. Tyrell Williams and Dontrelle Inman should see a bulk of the targets at WR while Ronnie Hillman seems likely to see a heavy load at RB with Gordon out.

Chiefs Inactives
Tyler Bray QB
Justin Houston OLB
Justin March-Lillard ILB
Mike Person OG
Ross Travis TE
Spencer Ware RB
D.J. White CB

Ware was questionable and seemed to have a good shot to play this week but it out. Charcandrick West and Knile Davis should see a bulk of the workload against the Chargers with West likely the better play here.

Rams Inactives
David Arkin OG
Kenny Britt WR
Rob Havenstein OT
Lamarcus Joyner CB
Case Keenum QB
Matt Longacre DE
Cody Wichmann OG

This was expected as he was downgraded to doublful leading up to the game because of a shoulder injury.

Giants Inactives
Jerell Adams TE
Nat Berhe FS
Bobby Hart OT
Jason Pierre-Paul DE
Coty Sensabaugh CB
Ishaq Williams DE
George Winn RB

Related players: Odell Beckham Jr., Eli Manning

Giants stars will at least dress today. They could very well see a drive or two and then get pulled as this game doesn't mean much to the Giants. As a result, their players are risky fantasy plays.

Texans QB Tom Savage re-evaluated at halftime, out with a concussion.

Related players: Brock Osweiler

Savage's condition was back and forth, and at one time he was expected to return in the second half but instead it was Osweiler. Savage is considered week-to-week.

Redskins Inactives
Su'a Cravens ILB
Quinton Dunbar CB
Josh Evans DB
Matt Jones RB
Kory Lichtensteiger C
Vinston Painter OT
Nate Sudfeld QB

Related players: Jordan Reed

Reed said he was going to play through the shoulder injury in this must-win game for Washington. He struggled when we last saw him back in week 15 so he's a risky fantasy play. Vernon Davis should also be in the mix, but the Skins have - overall - seen a decrease in production from the TE position in recent weeks.

A year removed from guiding the Broncos to a Super Bowl title, coach Gary Kubiak is considering to retire after Sunday's game, sources with knowledge of his thinking told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

Kubiak's health has been a concern for a while, though he is said to be eating better and feeling much better, which is why he hasn't made a firm decision on his future, Rapoport reported.

If he steps away, expect Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to get serious consideration. Had Kubiak not been hired by the Broncos, it likely would've been Joseph's job, Rapoport added.

The 49ers will play the Seahawks on Sunday, and when they are done it will conclude another frustrating, disappointing season. In the first year under coach Chip Kelly, they went backward.

And now, San Francisco faces an offseason of change with the goal of returning the organization to the upper echelon spot it has held so often in the league's history.

Owner Jed York and the 49ers' key decision-makers are expected to replace both embattled GM Trent Baalke and Kelly, multiple sources say. A full house-cleaning is described as "likely" by several people with knowledge of the situation.

A final decision won't come until after Sunday's game. But it would be a major surprise if either Kelly or Baalke keep their jobs.