Month: January 2025

Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury wants to be a head coach again, but

Kingsbury discusses his future — and his present.

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was in the news Wednesday when ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that he thought Kingsbury would interview with the Chicago Bears. 

Here’s what Fowler said in his report:

I expect Kingsbury to interview there. As was told to me, most or all the names that have been linked to the Bears are people Chicago would like to interview. Observers believe experience will be a key factor in the hiring process, and Kingsbury has experience coupled with quarterback cachet.

Then, Fowler followed up with this:

Kingsbury will also be selective, I’m told. He’s still getting paid head coach money from Arizona and gets to coach Daniels on a Washington team that should be even better next season. I don’t think he’s ironing shirts for job interviews just yet. Keep in mind, Kingsbury was down the road with the Jets in 2019 before he took the Arizona job, so New York could double back with him.

In no way did Fowler say Kingsbury was taking a job or that he would even be offered a job.

During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Kingsbury’s future was a prime topic, and he was asked directly if he wanted to be a head coach again.

“Yeah, I’m sure at some point,” Kingsbury said. “Yeah, at some point.”

Then, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post asked Kingsbury if he planned to take any interviews for this upcoming cycle.

“I won’t comment on that, but yeah, we’ll see how everything plays out. But I’m very happy here. Yeah, this has been an awesome, awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport.”

It was a good question, but what did you expect him to say?

Kingsbury is in a unique position. He can take interviews but remain very selective. He’s coaching the hottest young quarterback in the NFL, and the Commanders should be even better next season. Kingsbury reportedly signed a three-year deal with Washington. He could coach another year or two and see which job opens with the structure he sees with Adam Peters and Dan Quinn in Washington.

Oh, did we mention that Arizona is still paying him?

Kingsbury is in a terrific spot.

Wide receiver Dane Key officially signs with Nebraska

It’s official for the former Kentucky wide receiver.

A former Kentucky Wildcat wide receiver is officially a Cornhusker. Wide Receiver Dane Key officially signed with Nebraska on Wednesday afternoon. Key committed to the Huskers just before Christmas.

He recorded 47 catches for 715 yards and two touchdowns last season. He had two games of at least 100 receiving yards in 2024. The first game was against Ohio on September 21. He caught seven passes for 145 yards in a contest. He followed that up with an eight-catch, 105-yard performance against the Ole Miss Rebels the following week.

Key gives the Huskers a veteran body in the wide receiver room. He will be able to provide production right now and help bridge the gap between the freshman and upperclassmen wide receivers.

It will be interesting to see Key’s role in this offense in 2025. This was a solid acquisition for a wide receiver room that continues to be loaded up. The program also landed another solid weapon for quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Find a photo gallery of Dane Key’s Kentucky career below.

These Commanders could bank some extra cash Sunday vs. Cowboys

This could be a big week financially for some Commanders.

We are at the point of the season where players are playing for personal reasons. Yes, football is the ultimate team sport, but football contracts are often the most complex. While MLB and NBA contracts are all guaranteed, NFL deals have several bonuses tied to team and/or individual performance.

Last week, Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz had a big day. Ertz caught six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, but it was also a financial success for the 12-year veteran. Ertz’s performance triggered three bonuses in his contract:

  • His sixth TD catch of the season triggered a $250,000 bonus.
  • Ertz earned another $250,000 by going over 60 catches this season.
  • Ertz earned yet another $250,000 by going over 600 yards receiving.

Yes, Ertz received $750K worth of bonuses for his performance. It’s tough for anyone to get much better than that.

Also, wide receiver Terry McLaurin earned $250K on Thursday when he was named to the Pro Bowl.

As for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Cowboys, these Commanders could earn some extra cash. And yes, Ertz can bring in even more money. Contract details are courtesy of Spotrac.

Zach Ertz

  • If Ertz catches nine passes, he would reach 70 on the season, earning him another $250K.
  • If Ertz finishes with 90 receiving yards, he would have 700 on the season, earning another $250K.
  • If Ertz catches two touchdowns, that would give him eight, earning him yet another $250K.

Dante Fowler Jr.

  • If Fowler has a half-sack against the Cowboys, it would give him 11 for the season, triggering a $1.5 million bonus. Fowler has collected $1.125 million of the bonus.

Jeremy Chinn

  • If Chinn has two sacks, it would give him three on the season, triggering a $250K bonus.
  • If Chinn has two interceptions, it would give him three on the season, triggering a $250K bonus.

Frankie Luvu

  • If Luvu gets two sacks Sunday, it would give 10 for the season, triggering a $975K bonus. He has already collected $650K of the bonus for reaching eight sacks.

We named the incentives that could be reached on Sunday. Most are attainable, especially if you’re Ertz, Luvu, or Fowler.

Joe Burrow eyes MVP at Steelers expense in Week 18 matchup

Can the Steelers defense hold off Joe Burrow’s MVP-worthy performance in Week 18, or will they fuel his case for the award?

The NFL MVP race was initially down to two candidates: QBs Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. That changed when Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow led his 4-8 team to four straight victories. Now at 8-8 and on the verge of making the playoffs, Burrow must first face the 10-6 Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18.

Cincinnati also needs two other teams to win—the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets—to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Burrow’s offense looks to make an ‘MVP-sized’ statement against a struggling Steelers defense.

Burrow ranks fourth in MVP odds—according to Draft Kings—trailing Allen, Jackson, and Eagles RB Saquon Barkley despite similar statistical success. This could easily fuel Burrow heading into Pittsburgh for Week 18’s matchup.

The Steelers desperately need a win, having lost three straight to the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs. They are on the brink of letting Baltimore claim the AFC North title.

Can the Steelers stop Burrow’s MVP push, or will the Black and Gold lose their fourth straight to end the season?

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Steelers remain one of few franchises without any player-based incentives

There are no Steelers contracts to keep an eye on this week.

27 NFL teams have contracts for players that include some sort of performance-based incentives. The vast majority of these are based on individual stats but can include team performance such as the $1.25 million Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will get if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are among those five teams who have no player-based incentives coming due. This is because the Steelers front office doesn’t ascribe to the notion of building them into player contracts. In general, the Steelers operate with very basic contract structures in all phases compared to much of the league.

For the NFL, these incentives fall into one of two categories. Likely to be earned (LTBE) or not likely to be earned (NLTBE). LTBE incentives are already built into the salary cap and if a player doesn’t earn them, that money is credited to the salary cap the following season. NFLTBE incentives do not count until the following year’s salary cap.

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George Pickens refused to play reporter’s game regarding Week 17 INT

George Pickens showed maturity by avoiding controversy when questioned about the Week 17 interception.

George Pickens continues to have issues during the Steelers’ dedicated time for media availability, but fans may argue that the wide receiver showcased some maturity this time around.

Reporters have been digging for information regarding the Steelers’ costly Week 17 interception against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although QB Russell Wilson had shed light on what took place—confirming Pickens was to blame—reporters went straight to the horse’s mouth.

On Thursday, despite their previous struggles getting information out of the Steelers wide receiver, reporters asked Pickens to explain the miscommunication on the interception. Pickens, however, didn’t bite on the opportunity to throw his QB under the bus.

After being asked about Wilson’s comments on the mistake, Pickens attempted to shift the question back to the reporters:

“That’s what he said? Or is that what you said?”

He continued to play coy, choosing instead to decline further engagement with the question.

While he could be protecting his own self-interests, his ability to pull himself away from a situation that could only be described as a rock and a hard place proves his growth and maturity heading into Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Steelers must consider resting starters on Saturday vs Bengals

The Steelers might have very little to play for on Saturday night.

With just one game left in the 2024 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are finally getting healthy. In addition, the Steelers are going into the final week of the season for the first time in several seasons without a playoff spot on the line.

Having secured a spot a month ago, Pittsburgh finds themselves in a unique situation despite their most recent three-game losing streak.

But with the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town, and all the other circumstances around it, it does make us wonder about a few things. By the time the Steelers’ game starts, they will know the outcome of the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. The only hope the Steelers have to win the AFC North is for the Browns to somehow upset the Ravens.

We highly doubt that happens, which means the Steelers are the wild card. At that point it is just a matter of whether or not they would travel to Houston to take on the Texans or Baltimore and go against the Ravens.

In addition, the Bengals are holding onto the slimmest of playoff hopes and are playing as well as any team in the NFL. Is it worth risking injury this Saturday in a game Pittsburgh is going to struggle to win if there’s no home playoff game in it for them?

Pittsburgh might want to seriously consider benching their star players and anyone dealing with an injury if the Ravens win the early game on Saturday.

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49ers get versatile Michigan DL in 1st round of 2025 NFL mock draft

D-line help could be on the way in this year’s draft for the 49ers.

Any list of needs for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2025 NFL draft will have defensive line at or near the top.

They could use help on the offensive line as well, but given the organization’s philosophy and history in the NFL draft with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch running the show, it’s safe to assume they’d prioritize the defensive front.

That’s exactly what they do in a first-round mock draft from Athlon’s Luke Easterling where Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant falls to them at No. 11 overall.

While there may be some trepidation from the 49ers after the Javon Kinlaw selection in the 2020 draft went sideways, Grant appears to have all the tools to be a disruptive player who can be on the field for all three downs. He can flat out move at 6-3, 339 pounds, and earned his way onto Bruce Feldman’s ‘Freaks List’ at the Athletic.

Grant should be able to step in and offer an improvement for the 49ers on Day 1.

Via Easterling:

I wouldn’t count out an offensive tackle here, but if the board falls this way, the 49ers could opt for trench help on the other side of the ball. Landing a massive mauler like Grant would be a huge win for a San Francisco defense that desperately needs that kind of disruptive presence on the inside against both the run and pass.

Finding a run-stopping defensive tackle is a must this offseason for San Francisco, but there’s not enough value in a run stuffer to justify taking one with the 11th pick. Any DT that goes this high will have to rush the passer as well, and Grant did that effectively during his time with the Wolverines.

Grant over the last two seasons posted 49 pressures and eight sacks according to Pro Football Focus. He also had 10 pass breakups in that span.

If the 49ers believe Grant can be an effective run stopper who can also push the pocket as a pass rusher, it’s hard to imagine they’d pass on him at No. 11 overall.

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