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:
Chargers RB Omarion Hampton misses Thursday’s practice
Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton did not practice on Thursday due to a left ankle injury. It was his second straight day missing practice, a negative indication of his availability for the Chargers’ Wild Card game against the New England Patriots on Sunday night. Hampton missed eight games between Week 5 and Week 14 because of a left ankle injury, and missed Week 18 dealing with that same issue. Now there’s a chance he’ll be held out of Los Angeles’ playoff game because of the recurring ailment.
Maxx Crosby has meniscus surgery
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby went through successful surgery to 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 sacks and 73 tackles in 15 games.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ two-time All-Pro right tackle returned to practice on Jan. 7. Johnson hasn’t played since Week 11 due to a foot injury. Philadelphia hosts the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC wild-card round on Jan. 11 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app.
Bills place Phillips on IR ahead of playoff game
The Buffalo Bills are down another defensive tackle for the playoffs after placing Jordan Phillips on injured reserve on Wednesday.
The team did not disclose the nature of Phillips’ injury, though he missed two games with an ankle issue before returning to play 18 defensive snaps in a season-ending 35-8 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. The 33-year-old Phillips is an 11th-year player who was considering retirement before signing with Buffalo for a fourth stint last summer. He had one start in 11 games.
The Bills filled Phillips’ roster spot by signing cornerback Dane Jackson off the practice squad.
Buffalo (12-5) opens the playoffs at AFC South champion Jacksonville (13-4) on Sunday, and is already without starting tackle Ed Oliver (torn bicep/knee).
Buffalo also signed quarterback Shane Buechele and rookie cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. to the practice squad. Buechele rejoins the Bills after Kansas City signed him off Buffalo’s practice squad two weeks ago. He went unclaimed after being waived by the Chiefs this week.
Falcons, Kirk Cousins heading for split?
The Atlanta Falcons continued their busy week on Tuesday after agreeing to modify the final two years of quarterback Kirk 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 QB 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.
Steelers WR DK Metcalf back from suspension
The Pittsburgh Steelers officially welcomed their star wide receiver back into the fold Monday after Metcalf was reinstated following a two-game suspension. The penalty stemmed from Metcalf’s infamous altercation with a Lions fan during a Week 16 road win over Detroit.
Metcalf returns at the perfect time for Pittsburgh as he looks to help the club win its first playoff game since 2016 when they meet the Houston Texans next Monday in the wild-card round.
“We were definitely starting to hit our stride as an offense,” Metcalf said Monday. “I think we found our groove and hoping we can pick that back up.”
The Steelers (10-7) will have to try to do it against the NFL’s top-ranked defense. Houston (12-5) has won nine straight since a 3-5 start.
“Just looking forward to another great matchup against some NFL-caliber players,” Metcalf added. “They got some great edge rushers. They’re one of the top defenses in the league, so looking forward for that challenge.”
49ers lose another key defensive piece
The San Francisco 49ers and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh have had to deal with key injuries all season, and will continue to do so entering the postseason.
49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune will miss the entire postseason due to a groin injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday. Bethune, who filled in for the injured Fred Warner, suffered the injury in the Week 18 loss to the Seahawks. Shanahan added that Bethune may need surgery, but said a decision has yet been made.
Bethune started eight of his 14 appearances in 2025, racking up 94 tackles, four tackles for loss and one sack.
Chargers LB Perryman reinstated
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman is expected to be available for the playoffs after being reinstated from a two-game suspension on Monday.
Perryman missed L.A.’s final two regular-season games after being penalized by the NFL for “repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players.” The veteran linebacker has logged 47 tackles (30 solo) and three pass deflections across 10 regular-season games.
Von Miller back in Washington in 2026?
The Commanders had the NFL’s oldest roster this season, but one of their key veterans has expressed an interest in returning in 2026.
Von Miller announced Monday 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.
“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. But I definitely proved to myself that I can play next year. I would love to be a Commander. I got my house here. Kids got all type of Commanders’ gear and stuff. DQ [head coach Dan Quinn] does an incredible job of retaining me wholesome and able to go so far as vet days and relaxation, and I might love to have the ability to run that again.”
The ‘25 marketing campaign was Miller’s first full season since 2018. He began three of his 17 video games performed and collected 9 sacks, 26 tackles and 6 tackles for loss.
Dolphins making ready for QB competitors?
After one other season of failed expectations by which the Miami Dolphins missed the playoffs for the second straight yr, they enter one other offseason of uncertainty, beginning with who’ll be their subsequent common supervisor and beginning quarterback in 2026.
Head coach Mike McDaniel, who’s 35-32 in his 4 seasons, indicated Monday that he shall be a part of the decision-making in each processes. Although he didn’t particularly say he has been informed by Dolphins possession that he is returning subsequent season — nor has the crew made an official announcement — McDaniel mentioned he has spoken with proprietor Stephen Ross.
Past entrance workplace choices, the Dolphins might want to work out what they’ll do at quarterback after Tua Tagovailoa was benched for the ultimate three video games of the season due to poor play.
McDaniel mentioned Monday there shall be a quarterback competitors to find out Miami’s 2026 starter, and he’ll meet with Tagovailoa on Tuesday morning to debate the season.
Tagovailoa threw for two,660 yards with 20 touchdowns however confirmed a stark decline in accuracy and mobility, only one season after signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024. He completed second within the NFL with 15 interceptions, which was a profession excessive.
Tagovailoa is assured $54 million for 2026, and the Dolphins would incur important hits to the wage cap by releasing him. Releasing him subsequent yr would end in a $99 million useless cap cost. If the transfer is designated as a post-June 1 launch, these fees are cut up over two years, with $67.4 million allotted to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.
Bucs HC Bowles assured in ’26 return
Todd Bowles isn’t apprehensive about his job safety after an epic collapse by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All the things unraveled after a 6-2 begin and the Buccaneers (8-9) didn’t win their fifth straight NFC South title when Atlanta beat New Orleans on Sunday to provide Carolina a three-way tiebreaker benefit.
Bowles had led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in every of his first three seasons after changing Bruce Arians in 2022. He has three years remaining on his contract, and he’s working as if he’ll return for a fifth season.
“I’ve earned the possibility,” Bowles mentioned about coming again. “I’ve received three straight division titles, so that claims so much so far as I’m involved. I don’t actually have a message for followers aside from true followers are true followers, and we’re going to attempt to do our greatest to go on the market and win for them. They’re going to really feel how they really feel, however that’s not a coach’s downside. The coach’s downside is to make the crew higher and that’s all I’m trying ahead to.”
Bowles will meet with the Glazer household on Wednesday for a typical end-of-season dialog with the possession group. However there’s no indication Bowles’ job is in jeopardy and that may very well be because of the realization he merely didn’t have sufficient expertise on the roster.
Bowles wouldn’t put the blame on roster building.
“I really feel like we had sufficient expertise to win,” he mentioned. “The errors we made weren’t talent-driven, they have been extra mistake-driven.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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