With the NFL offseason comes potential rule changes. Last year, we of course saw the move to the dynamic kickoff, as well as the league awarding a third challenge to a team following one successful challenge. We also saw the hip-drop tackle “outlawed,” although it was more often fined after the fact than called on the field.
What rule changes could be coming down the line this year? First of all, the proposed changes have to be approved by 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners to go into effect, and those votes could take place at the NFL’s owners meeting next month in Palm Beach, Florida. Let’s take a look at some of the issues being raised around the league.
Virtual measurement The chain gang could become a thing of the past. Well, it will still be on the sidelines, but not the main authority when it comes to ruling first downs. According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the NFL plans to recommend the use of virtual measurement as the primary way to determine first downs beginning in the 2025 regular season.
Sony Hawk-Eye’s SkeleTRACK system is the future, and the NFL has been working with this technology since 2021. Jones actually detailed this a couple weeks ago at the Super Bowl. Check out his article, here.
“… A 14-camera system that specifically monitors more than two-dozen skeletal points on a player’s body. That system, along with the chips in the footballs and the 18 other specific cameras strategically placed around the stadium, can all be combined to harvest a fully computerized model that potentially tracks where the ball is when players are down, if someone has achieved a first down or if they have scored.”
‘Tush Push’ One of the main takeaways from the NFL Scouting Combine is that other NFL teams still hate the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Tush Push.” The Green Bay Packers, who lost to the Eagles in the playoffs this year, issued a proposal to the league’s competition committee to ban the special quarterback sneak, according to The Athletic.
“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less,” Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy wrote on the Packers website. “I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play. There used to be a rule prohibiting this, but it is no longer enforced because I believe it was thought to be too hard for the officials to see. The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak. That worked pretty well for Bart Starr and the Packers in the Ice Bowl.”
The Packers aren’t the only team against the “Tush Push,” as Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said he’s not a fan of it either, while Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott believes there’s an injury risk associated with the play. Interestingly enough, CBS Sports’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported the league’s internal data on the “Tush Push” revealed there was a 0% injury rate when pushing tushes. Don’t expect the NFL to outlaw the Eagles’ special play this offseason.
Regular-season overtime rules According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the competition committee will look at adjusting the NFL’s regular-season overtime rules, and potentially change the format to what we see in postseason overtime games. In the playoffs, overtime is a 15-minute period where EACH TEAM has the chance to possess the ball — even if the team that receives the ball to begin overtime scores a touchdown.
In 2024, teams that won the coin toss in regular-season overtimes won 12 out of 16 games. There were just 11.6 plays per overtime in 2024, which was the second fewest in the past two decades.
Replay review This may be the biggest change we see this offseason. Last year, the competition committee expanded replay assist to include objective input on roughing the passer, late hits out of bounds and intentional grounding. Could more be coming?
NFL executive Troy Vincent said in December that the competition committee will discuss expanding replay assist to include certain penalties such as face masks, per NFL Media. However, there is plenty to debate when it comes to this potential change. Are we going to allow penalties to be called by people not on the field? Then, the competition committee hasn’t exactly appeared motivated to make — should we call them — subjective fouls, reviewable. Remember how it went when the league made pass interference reviewable in 2019? There is a lot to consider with this.
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL and its competition committee will look at potentially adjusting the league’s regular-season overtime rules that would, in effect, lessen the advantage of a team winning the overtime coin toss.
One of the strongest ideas for the NFL is to have the regular-season overtime rules mirror the current postseason overtime rules with the ability to still end in a tie. In the playoffs, overtime is a 15-minute period where each team has the chance to possess the ball.
“Overtime is one [topic] that, universally, the committee thought, ‘We need to address this,” said NFL EVP of football operations Troy Vincent.
In 2024, teams that won the coin toss in regular-season overtimes wound up winning 12 out of 16 games. There were just 11.6 plays per overtime in 2024, which was the second fewest in the past two decades.
NFL rule changes 2025: League to consider virtual measurement and potentially the ‘Tush Push’ Jordan Dajani NFL rule changes 2025: League to consider virtual measurement and potentially the ‘Tush Push’ The NFL changed the regular-season overtime rules in 2017 from 15 minutes down to 10. From 2017 through this year, the team winning the coin toss went 67-44-7 (a 59.7% win percentage.)
From 2012 until 2016, when overtime was 15 minutes, the toss-winning team went 40-38-5 for a far more equitable 51.2% win percentage.
And from 2005-2011 when the league had sudden death, the toss-winning team went 53-46-1 (53.5% win percentage.)
In 2022, following Buffalo’s playoff loss to Kansas City, the NFL team owners approved changes to postseason OT rules that would allow both teams an opportunity to possess the football. But those rules applied only to the postseason.
The current regular-season OT rules give what some in the league consider to be too great an advantage.
Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
I feel like I’ve been talking about the NFL Scouting Combine for two weeks now and the event HASN’T EVEN STARTED, but that will be changing today with the on-field activities finally kicking off. The on-field workouts will run from Feb. 27 thru March 3 (You can see the full schedule here).
With the combine kicking into high gear, we’ll be taking a look at some sleeper prospects today, plus we’ll be breaking down some huge rule NFL changes that could be coming in 2025.
As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.
Major NFL rule changes could be coming in 2025 nfl-shield-g.jpg Getty Images The NFL rulebook usually undergoes a few changes every offseason and it looks like there could be some big ones heading into 2025.
Let’s take a look at a few changes that the NFL is considering for the upcoming season:
Regular-season overtime could be modified. Under the current rules for regular season OT, each team is guaranteed an offensive possession in overtime UNLESS the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on its opening possession, then the game is over. In the postseason, both teams are guaranteed at least one possession even if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on its opening possession. It’s not yet clear what the OT change will be, but the NFL is thinking about having the regular-season rule mirror the postseason rule (You can read more about the possible OT changes here). Virtual measurement could finally be happening. CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones has reported that the NFL plans to recommend the use of virtual measurement as the primary way to measure first downs for the upcoming season. The NFL would be using Sony’s Hawk-Eye SkeleTRACK system, a 14-camera system that specifically monitors more than two-dozen skeletal points on a player’s body. “That system, along with the chips in the footballs and the 18 other specific cameras strategically placed around the stadium, can all be combined to harvest a fully computerized model that potentially tracks where the ball is when players are down, if someone has achieved a first down or if they have scored,” Jones writes. You can read more about the technology here. Replay assist could soon have more power. For the 2025 season, replay assist might be able to step in for objective penalties like a facemask. This version of replay assist would only apply if a flag is thrown that should NOT have been thrown. Replay assist won’t be able to throw a flag on a facemask penalty that wasn’t called, such as the one that happened against Sam Darnold back in Week 8 (You can see it here). You can check out our full story on possible rule changes here.
NFLPA survey: Players love playing for Dolphins and Vikings, hate playing for the Patriots If we learned one thing about the NFL this week, it’s that everyone hates playing for the Patriots. The reason we know that is because the NFLPA released its annual survey on Wednesday where players were asked to grade the working conditions of their current team. The NFLPA had 1,695 players rate how their current team handles 11 specific categories, including: treatment of families, food/cafeteria, nutritionist/dietician, locker room, training room, training staff, weight room, strength coach, team travel, head coach, ownership.
The players were asked to assign their team a letter grade from A+ to F- in each category. We’re going to take a look at the three teams that scored the best and the three teams that scored the worst.
TOP GRADES
Dolphins. Of the 32 teams in the NFL, the Dolphins were the ONLY team to score straight As. There were 11 categories and the Dolphins were ranked FIRST in seven of them. It seems that Stephen Ross definitely takes care of everyone in the organization because he was rated the best owner in the NFL. This marks the second year in a row that the Dolphins’ scored the highest in the survey.
Vikings. The Vikings didn’t earn straight straight As: They got an ‘A’ in 10 of the 11 categories. The Vikings also ranked first overall in the NFL in two categories: Best locker room and best treatment of families. The only category where the Vikings didn’t earn an ‘A’ came in the nutritionist/dietician section, so players clearly aren’t happy with the nutritional situation in Minnesota.
Falcons. A big reason the Falcons came in third is because they ranked second overall in five of the 11 categories. Raheem Morris, who just finished his first year with the team, was definitely popular with his players as he ranked second overall in the NFL in the head-coaching category (Only Washington’s Dan Quinn was higher). Arthur Blank also ranked second overall in the ownership category.
And now, here are the three worst scores:
Browns. The Browns are a disaster. They ranked in the bottom three of four different categories, including head coach, so it seems that Browns’ players didn’t really like Kevin Stefanski. Browns players also hate the team’s locker room, giving it a grade of an F-. The Browns also earned a D+ in the ‘treatment of families’ category and that’s because the players apparently feel that that the coaches’ families are treated better than players’ families.
Patriots. For the first time in 24 years, the Patriots didn’t have Bill Belichick and everything absolutely fell apart. The Patriots were given a D or worse in three different categories, including ownership and team travel. Apparently, Robert Kraft isn’t very popular with the players because he ranked as the fourth-worst owner based on his grade, which was a D. The Patriots were given an F in the team travel category and that’s because the players seem to hate the team plane that Kraft bought. “Players want an upgraded team plane. The current plane is too small, there is no Wi-Fi available, and there are seats with ashtrays in the armrests,” the report states. That’s a big yikes.
Cardinals. Things are getting ugly in Arizona. The Cardinals came in last because they received a D or an F in six of the 11 categories. The Cardinals locker room and training room both ranked dead last in the NFL. The locker room got an F- grade because most players don’t feel like there’s enough space. The weight room was also give an F because players don’t feel like there’s enough room in there, either. Owner Michael Bidwill was given a D- grade, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that the players don’t feel like he’s investing enough in facilities.
If you want to see the full rankings from the player survey, then be sure to click here.
Breaking down the top sleeper prospects at the NFL combine usatsi-dillon-gabriel-oregon.jpg USATSI After waiting all week, the NFL combine is finally going to kick into high gear today with some actual on-field workouts. Starting today at 3 p.m. ET on NFL Network, you can watch the linebackers and defensive linemen hit the field for their drills (We’ll also have plenty of live coverage on CBS Sports HQ, and you can check out our free streaming site here).
With players now hitting the field, we thought now would be a good time to give you a few sleeper prospects to watch out for over the next few days.
This list of sleepers comes from Josh Edwards:
QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon. “The rookie quarterbacks who had the most success last season — Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix — have played an extensive amount of football. … Gabriel has his own story having started at three different schools. “ RB Bayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech. “Tuten spent two seasons at North Carolina A&T before transferring to Virginia Tech ahead of the 2023 season. At 5-feet-11 and 209 pounds, he has the size that would allow him to be a feature back in the NFL. He rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns last season — all made possible by his speed. “ WR Kyle Williams, Washington State. “Williams is a natural playing the position. He is a good route runner whose super powers are creating separation in the short-to-intermediate portion of the field. Although a bit smaller, there is some Randall Cobb to his game. Williams amassed 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns on 70 receptions last season.” If you want to see Josh’s full list of sleeper prospects, then be sure to click here.
JJ Watt might be coming out of retirement: How an English soccer star could make this happen JJ Watt has been happily retired for two years now, but he might soon be making a return to the NFL thanks to a wild bet he made back in December.
Here’s what you need to know:
The bet. Watt and his wife, Kealia, own a stake in Burnley FC, a soccer team that plays in the English Football League’s (EFL) Championship division. The goalkeeper for Burnley is James Trafford, who just happens to be a huge fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, which is a very notable aspect of this story. Back in December, Trafford asked Watt if he’d be willing to come out of retirement to play for the Bengals and Watt half-jokingly responded that he would do it, but only if Trafford went the rest of the EFL season without surrendering a single goal. Trafford is now having one of the best seasons in English soccer history. Considering the all-time English record by any keeper is 14 shutouts (clean sheets) in a row, it didn’t seem like Watt would have anything to worry about since Trafford would need to record 24 shutouts. However, that’s suddenly changed, because Trafford is now on one of the hottest streaks of any goalkeeper ever in England: The 22-year-old goalkeeper has recorded 12 straight clean sheets for Burnley, which is the second most by ANY keeper in English soccer history. Watt is standing by his word. With Trafford now halfway to winning the improbable bet, Watt was asked this week by Dan Patrick if he would actually come out of retirement and the answer is yes. “I’ll do it,” Watt said of returning to the NFL. “If he does that, which is insane. We have 12 or 13 games left. If he does it, it’s insane enough and respectful enough that I will absolutely follow through. Who knows if the [Bengals] even want me? I don’t even know. I haven’t talked to them, but I’m in shape, I’ll go play.” I covered all the details of this wild story, and you can check those out here.
Free agency needs for every NFC team jerry-jones-g.jpg USATSI Over the next two months, every NFL team is going to be looking to fill multiple needs in free agency and the draft. Since it’s hard to keep track of every need that every team has, we decided we’re going to do it for you, and we’re starting that today with Garrett Podell going over the needs for every NFC team.
COWBOYS Team needs: DT, CB, DE, RB, OG/C, WR, LB, S Cap space: -$1,714,316 (Yes, that’s a negative sign) Outlook: “The Dallas Cowboys front office needs to come to the conclusion that being the league’s lowest spender in free agency — $20.47 million spent in free agency in the 2024, per OverTheCap.com — isn’t a viable approach to win football games. They have too many needs to exclusively build the team through the draft. If the Cowboys aren’t aggressive in free agency, the 2025 season could go a lot like the 2024 season did.”
LIONS Team needs: DE, CB, OG, WR, DT Cap space: $49,194,317 Outlook: “Detroit has needed to acquire a legit edge rusher rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson for years now, and it should be their top priority in 2024. Hello, Myles Garrett? The Lions were also extremely young at corner opposite CB1 Carlton Davis, who is set to hit the open market. Reinforcing that spot will be key as will retaining right guard Kevin Zeitler, who was PFF’s third-highest graded offensive guard in 2024 (86.8 PFF offensive grade).”
SAINTS Team needs: EDGE, WR, TE, CB, OG Cap space: -$52,578,803 (Nope, you’re not crazy. That’s a negative sign) Outlook: “In order for the Saints to really get out of NFL purgatory, they’ll need to let to rip off the bandage and cut a slew of veterans in order to free up cap space and let young guys develop, for better or worse, in 2025. Cameron Jordan, Taysom Hill, Demario Davis, Ryan Ramczyk and Tyrann Mathieu simply don’t make sense for the Saints anymore at their respective ages and costs for a New Orleans franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2020 when Drew Brees was last in uniform.”
If you want to see the needs for EVERY NFC team, you’ll have to check out Garrett’s full story here.
Extra points: Top NFL Draft prospect dealing with injury It’s been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
Abdul Carter has foot injury. Earlier this week, Penn State’s Abdul Carter was touting himself as the top player in the NFL Draft, but his stock might now be falling due to a foot injury he recently suffered. Medical testing at the NFL combine this week revealed that Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot. This means he won’t be working out at the combine, but he’s hoping to be ready for PSU’s Pro Day on March 28. If Carter is forced to undergo surgery to fix the issue, he could be sidelined for eight weeks. You can read more about his situation here. Matthew Stafford drama continues. On Wednesday, it was reported that Matthew Stafford met with Tom Brady, and now, it’s also been reported that Stafford’s camp met with the Giants at the NFL combine. At this point, it seems like the Giants and the Raiders are the two leaders in the clubhouse to land Stafford if he doesn’t stay in Los Angeles. On the Raiders’ end, there’s actually been a dispute about whether Brady invited Stafford to a meeting in Montana or whether they “accidentally” bumped into each other. That’s only notable because if Brady planned the meeting, it could potentially be tampering. It’s also notable because it started a media fight that you can read about here (And seriously, you should definitely click over and get all the details). Saints likely sticking with Derek Carr. The Saints have been mostly noncommittal about Carr’s future in New Orleans over the past month, but that changed on Wednesday. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis made it sound like the team is planning to move forward with Carr as their QB for 2025. “I think we feel like we’ve got a guy we can win with,” Loomis said, via ESPN. New Saints coach Kellen Moore also added that the team is “fortunate” to have a “big-time quarterback” like Carr. The other part of this is that the Saints can’t really afford to cut Carr. By keeping him around, they’ll be able to restructure his contract, which will save just over $30 million in cap space, which is a lot of money for a team that’s $50 million over the cap right now. Jaire Alexander landing spots. The Packers are open to trading Alexander, who’s played well when he’s healthy, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. The cornerback has missed 18 games due to injury over the past two seasons and it seems Green Bay is now ready to move on. We took a look at five possible landing spots, including the Falcons, and you can check those out here. Rob Gronkowski not coming out of retirement. A report came out this week that Gronk was thinking about coming out of retirement, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. In an interview with Fox Sports, Gronk called the report “crazy.” You can read his full comments here.
PHILADELPHIA — If it wasn’t for Vic Fangio, Zack Baun would be just another special teams standout getting rotational snaps as a pass rusher. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator had other plans for Baun.
Fangio saw Baun learning a new position, and excelling in that role. The Eagles allocated their salary cap space to premium positions like quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and pass rusher. Philadelphia had to get creative at other positions — linebacker being one of them.
Enter Baun, a player Fangio thought could outplay his one-year, $1.5 million contract. Instead of being a special teams standout, Fangio had Baun play inside linebacker.
“When I evaluate players, there’s no check box, things you check off. You just watch the tape, watch the movement patterns, watch the player play,” Fangio said. “And [Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman] brought him up to me first, but he had a vision for him as a backup outside linebacker/special teams demon.”
Fangio deserves a pat on the back for Baun, who is the only player in the NFL with 80-plus tackles, two-plus sacks and an interception this season. Baun was awarded the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10, finishing with eight tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He’s only the second off-ball linebacker for the Eagles to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since 2000, joining Jeremiah Trotter Sr. in 2005.
“After I watched it, I said no, I think he’s an inside linebacker,” Fangio said. “Luckily it hit.”
Over Baun’s past three games, he has 30 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception. It shouldn’t be a surprise that his play is why the Eagles have allowed the fewest yards per game (213.7) and yards per play (3.9) in the NFL. The Eagles defense has thrived with Baun, as it is tied for fourth in the league in points per game allowed (17.9), second in yards per game allowed (274.1) and second in yards per play allowed (4.8). Philadelphia is also third in red zone defense (42.3%) and pass yards per game allowed (173.4), another product of Baun’s impact on a revamped defense.
When the Eagles had their Super Bowl appearances this century, the defense was paced by excellent linebacker play — Jeremiah Trotter in 2004, Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks in 2017, and T.J. Edwards in 2022. Baun may be leading the defense to another one at his current pace.
“I think I said in here a while back, it’s hard to play good defense in the NFL without good linebacker play,” Fangio said. “And that is 100 percent true.”
The New York Jets have hit rock bottom. They are 3-7 through their first 10 games of 2024 after a 31-6 faceplant against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. The 25-point defeat was their worst loss of the season as their Aaron Rodgers-led attack totaled its fewest points (six) and yards (207) in any game this season.
Rodgers threw for season-lows in passing yards (151) and yards per pass attempt (4.3) with his 4.3 yards per attempt serving as the third-fewest passing yards per attempt in any game of his 20-season career, minimum 15 pass attempts. His top target, Davante Adams, caught six of his season-high 13 targets for 31 receiving yards, which amounted to the six-time Pro Bowler’s fewest receiving yards among 44 career games with at least 12 targets. Defensively, the Jet surrendered their most yards per play allowed (7.1) and first downs allowed (28) in a game this season.
Entering 2024 coming off an Achilles tear in 2023, Rodgers spoke of wanting to play into the 2025 season. Have the struggles through the first 10 games of the year changed his stance on his football future?
“Not really, not for the negative, no. Not really” Rodgers said Wednesday, via SportsNet New York, when asked if New York’s 3-7 start has impacted his thought to play next season.
When asked directly if still wants to play in 2025, Rodgers had a similarly short but direct answer.
“I think so, yeah,” he said.
Through 10 games, Rodgers is off to his worst 10-game start in his 17 seasons as an NFL starting quarterback in terms of losses (seven), his team’s scoring offense (17 points per game), passing yards per attempt, passing yards per game (225.8) and passer rating (86.8).
AARON RODGERS CAREER RANKS THROUGH 10 GAMES OF A SEASON CAREER RANK* Losses
The Jets are also the only team in the NFL this season that hasn’t yet scored at least 25 points in a game. However despite all the doom and gloom, New York is only two games back of the Denver Broncos (5-5) for the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot.
Dallas Cowboys three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons said he and the defense have to “be the light, even when it’s dark as f–k” with the Cowboys’ injury-plagued offense struggling. Parsons backed up his talk with two sacks and a forced fumble of Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, but Dallas as a team was disappointing in a 34-6 home loss.
Parsons is now turning out the lights on his availability to the media, posting Monday that he will “just eat the fine” for skipping NFL-mandated, weekly media sessions.
“Loll damm yeah ima just eat the fine for now on! Because the way yall twist words and flip them around for content is nasty work!” Parsons posted on X.
Parsons stayed true to his word by not talking to the media on Wednesday. That’s the day the star pass rusher typically speaks to reporters every week, so it remains to be seen if he’ll continue to do so for the remainder of the season.
Loll damm yeah ima just eat the fine for now on! Because the way yall twist words and flip them around for content is nasty work!
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) November 11, 2024 Parsons’ decision comes on the heels of his comments about head coach Mike McCarthy’s job security following the Eagles loss, which came after team owner and general manager Jerry Jones openly spoke about his criteria for making coaching changes. Parsons’ words sounded like he was bashing McCarthy, who is in the final season of his Cowboys contract, despite his intent to say he felt more for players like perennial Pro Bowler lineman Zack Martin during Dallas’ 3-6 start to the year.
McCarthy ended up taking time out of his Monday morning to chat 1-on-1 with Parsons to resolve the situation, and they both left their meeting with an understanding that Parsons wasn’t trying to undermine his head coach.
Parsons missing his league-mandated media sessions could result in larger and larger sums of money missing from his pockets each week he opts to boycott them. It remains to be seen if the superstar edge rusher will then continue to avoid talking to the media.
Now that we are 10 weeks into the NFL regular season, all 32 clubs are dealing with injuries. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to his hamstring injury, tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta are dealing with knee and shoulder injuries that are worth keeping an eye on and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has already been ruled out for the second straight game due to a shoulder injury.
Let’s take a look at how each NFL team is faring from a health standpoint. Below, we will break down the midweek NFL injury report for Week 11, and analyze the final injury report for “Thursday Night Football” between the Commanders and Eagles.
All NFL sports betting odds courtesy of BetMGM.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) WAS: LB Nick Bellore (knee), CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), K Austin Seibert (hip) OUT; OT Brandon Coleman (shoulder), OT Cornelius Lucas (ankle), OT Andrew Wylie (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE PHI: NONE Lattimore is still not ready to make his Commanders debut, as he missed practice all week with his hamstring issue, but running back Brian Robinson Jr. is off the injury report and will return to the lineup. Seibert will not kick Thursday night due to his hip injury, meaning Zane Gonzalez will replace him in the lineup. There’s definitely concern for Washington’s offensive line, but Coleman, Lucas and Wylie were all limited participants in practice each session this week.
Every Eagle is set to fly this week. Linebacker Nakobe Dean (groin) tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle), cornerback Darius Slay (ankle) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) all missed practice on Monday, but they are good to go for Thursday.
Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at Chicago Bears Defensive lineman Colby Wooden was the only Packer to miss practice on Wednesday. He sat with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee), defensive lineman Kenny Clark (toe), running back Josh Jacobs (quadricep), running back MarShawn Lloyd (ankle/hamstring), offensive lineman Josh Myers (wrist) and safety Evan Williams (hamstring) were all limited participants.
Offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (calf), safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion), offensive tackle Teven Jenkins (ankle), defensive back Tarvarius Moore (concussion) and defensive end Montez Sweat (ankle) all missed practice for the Bears on Wednesday. Offensive tackle Braxton Jones, linebacker Noah Sewell, defensive end Darrell Taylor and offensive tackle Darnell Wright were all limited due to knee injuries.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions (-13) Lawrence has already been ruled out due to a shoulder injury. Other than him, running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) was the only Jaguar to miss practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder) offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland (ankle), wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder), running back D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring), offensive lineman Blake Hance (knee), pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder), offensive lineman Brandon Scherff (knee), defensive tackle Maason Smith (ankle), wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and safety Daniel Thomas (hamstring) were all limited participants.
LaPorta was the only Lion to miss practice due to his shoulder injury. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) were limited participants.
Minnesota Vikings (-6) at Tennessee Titans Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (right hand), running back Aaron Jones (ribs), outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy (knee), tight end Josh Oliver (wrist/hand), offensive tackle Cam Robinson (foot) and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (hip) were limited participants on Wednesday.
For the Titans, pass rusher Arden Key (back), cornerback Roger McCreary (knee), cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) and offensive tackle Leroy Watson (back) did not practice.
Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins (-8) Tight end Harrison Bryant (ankle), cornerback Nate Hobbs (ankle), center Andre James (ankle) and center Cody Whitehair (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday for the Raiders. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller was limited with an ankle injury.
For the Dolphins, offensive tackle Terron Armstead (rest/knee), cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (wrist) and offensive lineman Robert Jones (knee) missed practice. Offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn was a limited participant with quad and knee injuries.
Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) at New England Patriots Rams offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (ankle), defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (neck) and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Byron Young was limited with a knee issue.
Defensive back Marcellas Dial Jr. (concussion), defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck), linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee) and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (foot) missed practice on Wednesday for the Patriots. Safety Kyle Dugger (ankle), defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (abdomen), linebacker Christian Elliss (abdomen), tight end Hunter Henry (foot), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder) and safety Marte Mapu (neck) were all limited participants.
Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints (-1) Browns offensive guard Joel Bitonio was limited on Wednesday with a pectoral injury. For the Saints, offensive guard Lucas Patrick (ankle), linebacker Pete Werner (hand) and running back Jamaal Williams (groin) did not practice. Defensive back J.T. Gray (hip), safety Jordan Howden (shoulder), center Erik McCoy (groin), cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring) and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (shoulder) were limited.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets (-4) The Colts had a walkthrough on Wednesday. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (foot) and offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee) were estimated to have not practiced, while linebacker E.J. Speed would have been limited with a knee injury.
For the Jets, wide receiver Davante Adams (wrist/illness), cornerback Brandin Echols (concussion), offensive lineman Jake Hanson (hamstring), linebacker C.J. Mosley (neck), offensive tackle Tyron Smith (neck) and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (knee) all missed practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Michael Carter II (back), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (knee), cornerback D.J. Reed (hip), linebacker Chazz Surratt (heel) and offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) were all limited participants.
Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle) and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (illness) missed practice on Wednesday. Tight end Isaiah Likely was limited due to a hamstring injury.
For the Steelers, wide receiver Van Jefferson (quadricep), running back Najee Harris (ankle), cornerback Donte Jackson (hamstring) and linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle) missed practice. In what is good news, linebacker Nick Herbig was a full participant with his hamstring issue.
Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos (-2.5) Defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham (pectoral), tight end Charlie Woerner (concussion), defensive lineman James Smith-Williams (tibia), cornerback Antonio Hamilton (pectoral) and cornerback Dee Alford (hamstring) all missed practice on Wednesday for the Falcons. Defensive lineman Zach Harrison (Achilles), offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil (calf), offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (knee), linebacker Troy Andersen (knee), linebacker JD Bertrand (concussion), running back Tyler Allgeier (quadricep), cornerback Mike Hughes (neck), quarterback Kirk Cousins (right shoulder/right elbow) and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (concussion) were all limited participants. Wide receiver Drake London was a full participant with his hip injury.
Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (elbow/rest) and safety Brandon Jones (abdomen) were limited participants in practice on Wednesday.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (groin), tight end Brady Russell (foot) and defensive end Leonard Williams (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. Offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and linebacker Boye Mafe were limited participants due to knee injuries. In good news, star wide receiver DK Metcalf was a full participant with his knee issue.
For the 49ers, defensive end Nick Bosa (hip), defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin), tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and punter Mitch Wishnowsky (back) did not practice on Wednesday. Wide receiver Chris Conley (hamstring), offensive guard Jon Feliciano (knee) and running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) were limited participants.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2.5) Defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee), running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster were limited participants in Chiefs practice on Wednesday.
For Buffalo, offensive tackle Spencer Brown (ankle), wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Matt Milano (biceps) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) were limited participants.
Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie (hip), offensive tackle Orlando Brown (knee/fibula), defensive tackle B.J. Hill (knee) and wide receiver Charlie Jones (groin) did not practice on Wednesday. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson (neck), wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadricep) and linebacker Logan Wilson (quadricep) were limited participants.
Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack missed practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury. Pass rusher Joey Bosa (hip), running back Gus Edwards (ankle), cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring), linebacker Daiyan Henley (illness), defensive back Deane Leonard (hamstring), offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III (ankle) and tight end Stone Smartt (ankle) were limited participants.
That sound you hear this morning is applause across the entire NFL community.
The NFL Scouting Combine will return to Indianapolis for 2026, sources tell CBS Sports, continuing a nearly four-decade partnership with the city that has successfully hosted the event that is essential to NFL Draft preparation.
Members of the NFL community — from medical professionals to coaches and scouts — have been overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the combine in Indianapolis as the league has considered the idea of taking the show on the road in recent years. In 2022, the two sides agreed to a two-year extension, and this is now the second consecutive one-year extension.
Indianapolis has hosted the event since 1987. Its downtown location has been the cradle of the combine, with several hotels, Lucas Oil Stadium and access to local hospitals for the medical portion of the combine.
“Indianapolis and the NFL Combine have a proud history together, so we’re thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with Visit Indy, the Indianapolis Colts, and the local community for this 2026 event,” NFL EVP Peter O’Reilly said in a statement provided to CBS Sports. “Our partners in Indy have successfully hosted the football evaluation process for decades, and recently, we’ve collectively worked to grow and evolve the in-person fan experience, bringing tens of thousands of fans closer to the league’s future stars.”
The upcoming combine will take place between Feb. 27 and March 2. The dates of the 2026 combine are not yet public, but it’s expected to be around the same time. Should the NFL expand to an 18-game schedule that moves the Super Bowl another week into February, it’s possible the combine would be pushed back a week into early March. But there’s no indication an 18th game will be added for the 2025 season to effect change.
Cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Minneapolis have all expressed a desire to some varying degree to potentially host the combine in future years. It’s unclear if any city placed a bid with the league to wrest the combine from Indianapolis’s clutches.
The league has hoped to make the combine one of its tentpole media events for offseason eyeballs. The NFL has tinkered with the schedule of events in recent years in hopes of maximizing ratings.
The NFL has also had to deal with waning participation among the top players in recent years. More and more top picks have opted against running the 40-yard-dash or doing on-field drills, deciding instead to wait until their pro days in more familiar and controlled environments.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!
It’s finally here: the AFC’s battle of Goliaths between Patrick Mahomes and his 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen and his 8-2 Buffalo Bills has arrived in Week 11.
These two squads are their conference’s top two seeds through 10 weeks, and the two teams’ combined 17-2 record is the seventh-highest combined record entering a game in Week 11 or later since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, per CBS Sports Research. This is a game worth the hyperbole and excitement. It’s also a unique matchup given the way Mahomes and Allen have played this season.
Mahomes’ Chiefs are 9-0, but it’s by the lowest point differential (+58) of any 9-0 team in NFL history. Their high-flying offense that was once led by Mahomes’ cannon of a right arm and the explosive Tyreek Hill is still efficient but instead moves at a geriatric pace in the prism of NFL football. Kansas City is 11th in the league in scoring offense (24.3) while leading the NFL in in plays per game (67.0), plays per drive (6.8) and time of possession (33:01). That success is powered by clutching up on third down as the offense leads the NFL in third down conversion rate (52%) this season.
No offense in modern NFL history has moved slower than Kansas City in 2024: the Chiefs are averaging the most time of possession per drive (3:22) and plays per drive (6.8) by any team as far back as such data has been tracked, since 1991 for time of possession per drive and since 2000 for plays per drive. Their recent success is led by aging playmakers in running back Kareem Hunt (age 29), wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (age 32) and tight end Travis Kelce (age 35). Those three account for 68% of the Chiefs yards from scrimmage in three games as teammates, and all three were top four fantasy football producers in point per reception (PPR) leagues at their respective positions seven years ago in 2017, per CBS Sports Research.
Mahomes has played as inefficient as he ever has in his eight-season career with his fewest touchdown passes (12) and worst passer rating (90.3) through nine games of a season in his career, but the Chiefs keep zombie-walking their way to wins.
THE NFL TODAY will be live from Buffalo on Sunday. Fans can join the crew in Lot 6 at Highmark Stadium starting at Noon ET on Nov. 17.
The matchup that will decide the game Mahomes and the Chiefs offense are as consistent as it gets, and they will look essentially the same almost every week no matter what, for better or for worse. Here’s the deep dive on the side of the football that will determine the Week 11 outcome between the AFC’s two top teams: the Chiefs defense versus the Bills offense.
Kansas City blitzes on 36.9% of opponent dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the NFL this season, and they have the most defensive total expected points added (41.45) when blitzing in the entire league this season, per TruMedia. On the flip side, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has thrown for 705 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions vs. the blitz in 2024, which gives him the most passing touchdowns against the blitz in the entire league this season, per NFL Pro Insights.
A primary reason Allen has been elite against the blitz is because he altered his play style. Instead of playing like a deep ball hunting scrambler, he has thrown the ball quicker and shorter than ever before. That has resulted in him starting 2024 on a seven-game streak without an interception, the longest streak without an interception by a Bills starting quarterback ever. Allen has only six turnovers in 10 games this season after having 14 in his first 10 games of 2023. It’s also worth noting Buffalo’s stability up front: they are only one of two teams to have the same offensive line starting five in every game of 2024, along with the San Francisco 49ers per CBS Sports Research, and they have the most offensive snaps played of any five-man offensive line combination. The lineup of left tackle Dion Dawkins, left guard David Edwards, center Connor McGovern, right guard O’Cyrus Torrence and right tackle Spencer Brown has 547 offensive snaps together.
That change in play style plus offensive line stability is why Allen can and will stay ahead of the Chiefs four-time Super Bowl champion defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his trademark blitz schemes to guide the Bills to narrow 27-24 home win in Week 11.
