The 2025 regular season is in the books, meaning it’s time for some to switch gears to the offseason and others to shift focus to the NFL playoffs.
Every bit of news is all the more consequential entering the postseason, as the march to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara officially kicks off.
Who’s hurt? Who’s practicing? Who’s starting? And who’s on the hot seat?
Here’s the latest on what’s happening around the league entering wild-card weekend:
The Seattle Seahawks‘ starting quarterback is questionable to play in the team’s divisional-round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) due to an oblique injury. In the regular season, Darnold totaled 4,048 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 99.1 passer rating, while completing a career-high 67.7% of his passes. The Seahawks went 14-3 in the regular season, which ended with them beating the 49ers on the road in Week 18 to clinch the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Bills down multiple defenders
Head coach Sean McDermott said on Jan. 15 that defensive backs Jordan Poyer (hamstring) and Maxwell Hairston (ankle) will be inactive for the team’s AFC divisional-round matchup against the Denver Broncos on Saturday. McDermott also said that running back Ty Johnson is questionable to play with an ankle injury.
Thielen announced his retirement after 12 seasons on Jan. 14. A two-time Pro Bowler, Thielen spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings (2014-22), followed by a two-year stint with the Carolina Panthers (2023-24) and splitting the 2025 season with the Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. He totaled 1,000-plus receiving yards in three seasons (2017, 2018 and 2023) and double-digit receiving touchdowns in two seasons (2020-21).
Despite an injury-shortened rookie campaign, the Jacksonville Jaguars intend on having the wide receiver/cornerback play both ways again in 2026, per ESPN. Hunter’s 2025 season ended after seven games due to a knee injury. Hunter, whom the Jags traded up to select with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, totaled 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. Hunter logged three passes defended and 15 combined tackles as a defensive back. Jacksonville went 13-4 and won the AFC South this season before losing to the Bills in the AFC wild-card round.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur extension on the horizon?
The Packers will discuss a new contract with their head coach after the season, according to NFL Media. LaFleur has one year remaining on his current deal. This season, Green Bay enters the playoffs 9-7-1 and plays the NFC North-rival Chicago Bears on the road in the wild-card round on Saturday; the two teams split the regular-season series. Under LaFleur, the Packers are a combined 76-40-1 in the regular season and 3-5 in the postseason since 2019.
Bears lose starting left tackle for remainder of playoffs
On the heels of a historic wild-card round win, head coach Ben Johnson announced starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffered a patellar injury and will miss the remainder of the season. Chicago will now have to account for the loss of Caleb Williams‘ blindside protection heading into its first divisional-round game since 2010.
‘I’m super excited’: RB Omarion Hampton set for playoffs
The Los Angeles Chargers officially listed rookie running back Omarion Hampton as questionable for Sunday, but the first-rounder said he is ready to go for Sunday’s AFC wild-card game against the New England Patriots. Hampton suffered an ankle injury in a Week 18 loss to the Broncos, which has been a recurring issue for Hampton this season. He missed eight regular-season games with an ankle injury but has been productive when he has seen the field. He was the Chargers second-leading rusher (545 yards) and has scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving).
Crosby went through successful surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee on Wednesday. He will have six months to recover before NFL training camp starts. Crosby missed the Raiders’ final two games of the 2025 season after posting 10.0 sacks and 73 tackles in 15 games.
The Falcons have agreed to modify the final two years of Cousins’ contract, per ESPN and The Athletic. According to reports, the move will likely lead to the Falcons releasing Cousins by the third day of the 2026 NFL league year on March 13, as it is unlikely any team would look to trade for him given his contract. As part of the restructure, Atlanta converted Cousins’ 2026 salary from $35 million to $2.1 million and moved the remaining $32.9 million to his 2027 base salary to increase the figure to $67.9 million. His 2027 salary would become guaranteed if he’s still with the team by March 13, while releasing him with a post-June 1 designation would cost the Falcons a dead cap hit of $35 million that can be split into payments of $22.5 million in 2026 and $12.5 million in 2027.
Cousins, who started eight of his 10 games played this season, will play in his 15th season in 2026. The veteran signal-caller led the Falcons to a 5-2 record in place of the injured Michael Penix Jr. (torn ACL) to end the year, completing 61.8% of his passes for 1,471 yards, 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions in that span.
The Commanders had the NFL’s oldest roster this season, but one of their key veterans has expressed an interest in returning in 2026. Miller announced that he’d like to continue playing at least one more season and would prefer to stay in Washington. Miller, who signed a one-year deal last offseason, will turn 37 in March, the same month he will also be a free agent. The 2025 campaign was Miller’s first full season since 2018. He started three of his 17 games played and accumulated 9.0 sacks, 26 tackles and six tackles for loss.
“I think I proved to myself I can play another year,” Miller said, per NBC. “I want to be here, but I’m not in a position to start making demands and saying where I want to play and where I want to be at. Whoever wants me, that’s where I’ll be. … I would love to be a Commander. … [Head coach Dan Quinn] ha hecho un gran trabajo manteniéndome saludable y listo para mis días de descanso y tiempo veterinario, y me encantaría poder volver a eso”.
delfín ¿Preparándose para la competencia de QB?
Después de una temporada inesperada en la que los Dolphins se perdieron los playoffs por segundo año consecutivo, entran en otra temporada de incertidumbre, empezando por quién será su próximo gerente general y quarterback titular en 2026.
El entrenador en jefe Mike McDaniel, cuyo equipo tiene marca de 35-32 en cuatro temporadas, dijo que participará en la toma de decisiones durante ambos procesos. Aunque no dijo específicamente que los propietarios de Miami le habían informado que regresaría la próxima temporada (el equipo tampoco hizo un anuncio oficial), McDaniel dijo que había hablado con el propietario Stephen Ross.
Los Dolphins también necesitan descubrir qué harán como quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa Tuvo que sentarse en el banquillo durante los últimos 3 partidos de la temporada debido a su bajo rendimiento. Tagovailoa tiene garantizados $54 millones para 2026, y los Dolphins recibirían un impacto significativo en el tope salarial si lo liberaran. Su liberación el próximo año resultaría en un impacto salarial de 99 millones de dólares. Si la medida se designa como una liberación posterior al 1 de junio, esos cargos se dividirían en dos años, con $67,4 millones asignados al límite de 2026 y $31,8 millones en 2027.
cazador de piratas HC Todd Bowles confía en regresar en 2026
Bowles no está preocupado por la seguridad de su empleo después del impactante colapso de los Bucs. Las cosas se desmoronaron después de un inicio de 6-2, y los Buccaneers (8-9) no lograron ganar su quinto título consecutivo de la NFC Sur. Bowles ha llevado a Tampa Bay a los playoffs en sus primeras tres temporadas después de reemplazar a Bruce Arians en 2022. Le quedan tres años de contrato y está operando como si fuera a regresar para una quinta temporada.
“Me gané la oportunidad”, dijo Bowles sobre su regreso. “He ganado tres campeonatos seguidos, lo que dice mucho de mí. Realmente no tengo un mensaje para los fanáticos, aparte de que los fanáticos son verdaderos fanáticos y vamos a hacer nuestro mejor esfuerzo para salir y ganar para ellos. Van a sentir lo que sienten, pero no es el problema del entrenador. El problema del entrenador es hacer que el equipo sea mejor y eso es todo lo que espero.
“Siento que tenemos suficiente talento para ganar. Los errores que cometimos fueron menos por talento y más por errores”.
La Prensa Asociada contribuyó a este informe.
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