Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is back on the field, throwing and training, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Thursday. McCarthy is working his way back from a right knee injury suffered in August. He had his meniscus repaired on August 14 and a second surgery in November to address swelling. But it sounds like McCarthy is trending in the right direction now and should be able to participate in the offseason program
Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) has a "very, very real chance" to play vs. the Chiefs, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on Friday morning. "Not a major injury," Rapoport adds of the ankle that landed Mixon on the injury report on Thursday. We're still projecting him to play close to his usual role against Kansas City but will continue to keep an eye on his status.
Lions RB David Montgomery (knee) put in a full week of practice and is not listed on the final injury report for the Divisional Round. He'll play in Saturday night's game vs. the Commanders -- and it looks like he might be ready for something close to his usual role. There are still questions about Montgomery's effectiveness in his first game back from his MCL injury, making him a risk/reward play in fantasy lineups.
Texans WR Robert Woods (hip) is listed as questionable for Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Chiefs. He didn't practice all week. Woods played 51% of the offensive snaps for an injury-riddled Texans WR corps in the Wild Card win over the Chargers. His absence would force WR Xavier Hutchinson and potentially WR Jared Wayne into more snaps against Kansas City. WR Nico Collins, TE Dalton Schultz, and WR John Metchie project as the top three targets.
Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Chiefs. After being added to the injury report and limited on Wednesday, Mixon did not practice on Thursday. He seems legitimately iffy for this one. Mixon's absence would leave Dameon Pierce as Houston's lead back and deal a big blow to the Texans' chances of pulling the upset in Kansas City. We'll keep you updated on Mixon's status and get Houston's inactives around 3 pm ET on Saturday.
Texans RB Joe Mixon was added to Wednesday's injury report and limited in practice with an ankle. We don't have any other details on his status right now. We'll see if Mixon practices on Thursday and then how he's listed on the final injury report for Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Chiefs. Mixon's absence would leave Dameon Pierce as Houston's lead back -- and likely mean a pass-heavier game plan.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers (knee) remained sidelined for Wednesday's practice. HC John Harbaugh said earlier this week that Flowers could play vs. the Bills on Sunday without practicing. But he seems more likely than not to miss that game at this point. We'll keep you posted on Flowers' status over the next few days.
The Ravens have claimed WR Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Texans, NFL Network reports. Johnson, of course, spent some time with Baltimore earlier this season after Carolina traded him away. The Ravens dumped him after four games.
Texans TE Cade Stover needs surgery for a shoulder injury he suffered in the Wild Card win over the Chargers, HC Demeco Ryans said Tuesday. Stover has been operating as Houston's No. 2 TE for most of the season, catching 15 of 22 targets for 133 yards and a score across 15 regular-season games. He caught all four of his targets for 28 yards in the playoff opener. We'll look for more details on Stover's injury and see when he's able to get back on the field. But with TE Dalton Schultz likely back in Houston for 2025, Stover is unlikely to be a fantasy factor.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur wants to get TE Tucker Kraft even more involved in the offense in 2025. He answered, "100%" when asked if Kraft can make a Travis Kelce or George Kittle-type of impact.
The Browns promoted TE coach Tommy Rees to OC. The 32-year-old becomes the youngest OC in the league. Rees was Notre Dame's starting QB just 12 years ago. He quickly flamed out in the NFL before getting into coaching. He most recently served as Notre Dame's OC from 2020-2022 and Alabama's OC in 2023 before joining the Browns last year. According to NFL Network, HC Kevin Stefanski is expected to take back over as the play-caller after giving those duties to former OC Ken Dorsey last year. The biggest question in Cleveland, of course, is who will be under center in 2025. QB Deshaun Watson is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season after re-tearing his Achilles. QB Jameis Winston is a free agent. We've already heard QB Kirk Cousins connected to Cleveland after he spent two seasons under Stefanski in Minnesota. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, meanwhile, notes that Rees coached QB Jalen Milroe at Alabama. Milroe is expected to be a first- or second-round pick in this spring's draft.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco (rib) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice. He's on track to play vs. the Texans on Saturday. Pacheco split backfield work with RB Kareem Hunt after returning from his leg injury, totaling 49 carries and eight targets in five games vs. Hunt's 45 carries and 10 targets. We're projecting a similar split against Houston.
Lions RB David Montgomery (knee) was listed as a full participant on Tuesday's practice report. Detroit only held a walkthrough, but this confirms that Montgomery is on track to play vs. the Commanders on Saturday. It's still unclear exactly how close to 100% he'll be for that one, a little less than five weeks after injuring his MCL. We'll keep tabs on his status.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Tuesday that he expects TE Tyler Higbee (chest) to play vs. the Eagles on Sunday. Higbee was hospitalized on Monday night after coughing up blood but will evidently be cleared to play six days later. We'll keep an eye on his status throughout this week. Higbee was a big part of the Rams' passing game before exiting the Vikings game, catching all five of his targets across two possessions. He'll face a tough task this weekend against Philadelphia's third-ranked TE defense.
The Texans have waived WR Diontae Johnson ahead of their Divisional Round playoff game against the Chiefs. That marks the fourth team that has sent him away since the end of the 2023 NFL season.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee was knocked out of Monday night's Wild Card win over the Vikings with a chest injury. HC Sean McVay said afterward that Higbee was taken to the hospital. "He’s in stable condition," McVay added. "It was something with his chest. I think he’s gonna be okay. What does that mean, in terms of his status moving forward, I don’t know." Higbee seems unlikely to be ready for Sunday's game vs. the Eagles. He was busy before going down against Minnesota, catching all five of his targets across two possessions. His absence would leave the Rams with TEs Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson, and Hunter Long.
Vikings RB Cam Akers (illness) is active for tonight's game vs. the Rams. He popped up on the injury report on Saturday but should be ready for his usual change-of-pace role behind RB Aaron Jones tonight.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that they're in "we'll see mode" with WR Zay Flowers' status for Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the Bills. Harbaugh added that Flowers could play without practicing, but it sounds like he's no better than 50/50 to be available for this one. We'll keep you updated on Flowers' status throughout the week. WR Rashod Bateman (78%), TE Mark Andrews (78%), and TE Isaiah Likely (74%) finished top three in route rate for Baltimore in the Wild Card win over the Steelers.
The Cowboys and HC Mike McCarthy are "parting ways," a team spokesman said. The two sides reportedly talked about a new deal but couldn't come to an agreement. So McCarthy becomes a coaching free agent after five seasons in Dallas. He went 49-35 with the Cowboys, making the playoffs in three of five years. McCarthy is expected to draw interest from multiple teams, including the Saints and Bears, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Cowboys, meanwhile, join the list of teams that will have a new coaching staff in 2025. They have QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb signed through 2028
Eagles LB Nakobe Dean left Sunday's win over the Packers with a left knee injury. NFL Network reports that it's a torn patellar tendon, which not only ends Dean's season but will challenge his readiness for 2025.
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