Category: Around the League

Is Robert Hunt trying to recruit Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill to the Panthers?

Robert Hunt was unable to suit up at guard for the Panthers in Week 18. But he might’ve found another way to help his team out on Sunday.

Carolina Panthers right guard Robert Hunt was unable to suit up for this afternoon’s regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons. But he still might’ve found a way to help out his team on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, a former teammate of Hunt’s, made some news following his squad’s Week 18 loss to the New York Jets. In a pretty surprising twist, the five-time All-Pro seemingly insinuated to reporters that he wants out . . .

Hill spent two teammates sharing a sideline with Hunt, who hit Twitter/X later on in the evening to post this . . .

“Home” may not necessarily mean Charlotte, guys. Come on now . . .

Hill, for one, is a Douglas, Ga. native—so Hunt could possibly be referring to the Falcons, right?

Or perhaps he’s hoping that Hill goes back to Kansas City, where he was a Chief for six years.

Or maybe, just maybe, Hunt does mean he wants Hill to be a Panther. After all, quarterback Bryce Young could certainly benefit from a little extra help.

Oh, and there’s another certain someone in Carolina—perhaps the executive vice president of football operations—who has worked with Hill before.

Hmmm . . .

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Report: Former Panthers HC Ron Rivera to interview for Jets’ opening

Could Riverboat Ron be pulling into the Port of New York?

Could Riverboat Ron be pulling into the Port of New York?

According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the New York Jets are scheduled to interview Ron Rivera for their head-coaching position.

Rivera got his start as a head coach with the Carolina Panthers in 2011. He’d go on to become the winningest head coach in franchise history (76-63-1), capturing three NFC South titles and leading the organization to their second-ever Super Bowl appearance over a near-nine-year run.

The Panthers parted ways with Rivera 12 games into the 2019 campaign. The former linebacker hopped back into the saddle the very next season, as he was hired as the head coach of the Washington Football Team (now Washington Commanders) in 2020.

Washington then dismissed Rivera, who went 26-40-1 in his second gig, following the 2023 season.

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Are the Chicago Bears a good fit for former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll?

Are the Chicago Bears a good fit for former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll?

On Christmas Day, a bombshell report emerged indicating that former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is interested in the Chicago Bears’ vacancy. Interestingly enough, the Bears are playing the Seahawks on a special Boxing Day edition of Thursday Night Football in Week 17. Carroll would be an interesting fit in Chicago.

The Bears relieved Matt Eberflus of his duties earlier this campaign. Interim head coach Thomas Brown hasn’t improved the struggling offense enough to garner realistic consideration to earn the gig on a full-time basis. The Bears will conduct a thorough search for Eberflus’ successor and Carroll could emerge as an intriguing candidate.

A perennial loser, the Bears face legitimate questions about their ownership and leadership structure. But the presence of rookie No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams makes their vacancy an appealing one. It’s rare that bad teams with coaching openings have a franchise QB on the roster. Williams will make Chicago’s job a desirable one this offseason.

And Carroll is the type of proven, experienced leader that would be a terrific fit for their organization.

Carroll apparently possesses a burning desire to return to coaching. The 73-year-old Super Bowl and National Championship winner departed the Seahawks this past offseason after 14 successful seasons in charge. The organization positioned the change as mutual, transitioning Carroll into an unclear “advisory” role. The more time that passed, the more it became clear that it wasn’t exactly mutual. The Seahawks wanted to make a change.

It’ll be interesting to monitor if Chicago takes Carroll’s approach seriously. Potential alternative candidates include Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. When the Seahawks take the field versus the Bears on Thursday, it’s possible that they’ll be squaring off with Carroll’s next team.

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Ravens officially cut ties with former Panthers WR Diontae Johnson

Well, now that’s three teams that didn’t want Diontae Johnson on their roster anymore in 2024.

Even with their injuries at the wide receiver position in Week 16, the Baltimore Ravens will not enlist the services of the seemingly disgruntled Diontae Johnson. In fact, they won’t be enlisting him in any capacity moving forward.

Baltimore announced on Friday that they have waived the former Pro Bowl pass catcher. Johnson, of course, was traded to the Ravens by the Carolina Panthers back on Oct. 29.

The deal saw Johnson go back to the AFC North, where he had previously spent his first five seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for a late-round 2025 pick swap. Carolina received a fifth-rounder while Baltimore took on a sixth-rounder along with the 28-year-old wideout.

Johnson, however, appeared in only four games for the Ravens following the deal—totaling just one catch for six yards. He would be suspended for refusing to enter Baltimore’s Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and was then excused from team activities at the start of Week 16.

Before his brief stint in Baltimore, Johnson appeared in seven games for the Panthers. He departed Carolina as their leading receiver, having amassed 357 yards on 30 receptions.

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Seahawks fighting for their playoff lives as Vikings look to win NFC North

Seahawks fighting for their playoff lives as Vikings look to win NFC North

The Seattle Seahawks suffered a costly defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. Seattle was knocked from both their perch atop the NFC West (as the Los Angeles Rams have now taken over due to their head-to-head victory earlier this year) and out of the NFC playoff picture entirely. The Seahawks’ postseason odds plummeted after the blowout loss in prime time.

Seattle’s path forward does not get any easier, as the now 12-2 Minnesota Vikings are coming to town this weekend. The Seahawks’ backs are against the wall and are desperate for a win, but unfortunately for them, the Vikings have plenty to play for as well.

Thanks to the Detroit Lions losing 48-42 to the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota now controls their own destiny for both winning the NFC North… and even earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Yes, that’s right. The Minnesota Vikings with Sam Darnold at quarterback could have a first round bye in the playoffs. Should the Vikes beat the Hawks on Sunday, as well as winning against the Packers in Week 17 (Minnesota won in Lambeau earlier this year) and defeat the Lions in Week 18, they will be the No. 1 seed. Even if the Philadelphia Eagles also finish 15-2, the Vikings still edge them out.

So yeah, the Seahawks won’t be catching any kind of “break” from an opponent who doesn’t necessarily “need” a win this weekend. Seattle will be getting the best Minnesota has to offer, because the Vikings know how difficult the next two weeks will also be for them.

The Seahawks better hope quarterback Geno Smith’s optimism for being able to play this weekend isn’t misplaced.

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Panthers 2023 draft pick claimed off waivers by Cardinals

Former Panthers safety and 2023 draft pick Jammie Robinson has been claimed by the team’s Week 16 opponent.

The Arizona Cardinals just got themselves a new defensive back, and perhaps a little intel, for Week 16.

As first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates late this afternoon, the Cards have claimed former Carolina Panthers safety Jammie Robinson off waivers. The second-year defender was waived by Carolina, Arizona’s upcoming opponent, back on Friday.

Robinson, who split his collegiate career between the University of South Carolina (2019 to 2020) and Florida State University (2021 to 2022), was selected by the Panthers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He’d go on to appear in 15 games, with a pair of starts, in his rookie campaign—amassing 17 combined tackles while playing primarily on special teams.

This season was similar for Robinson, who has played 97 of his 108 snaps as a special teamer. He totaled three tackles over six games.

After wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 5, Robinson became the second 2023 pick the Panthers have parted ways with here in 2024.

Mingo returned to Charlotte yesterday. He was targeted zero times in the Cowboys’ 30-14 win.

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The tumultuous 2024 season of ex-Panthers WR Diontae Johnson has taken another wild turn

Former Panthers WR Diontae Johnson seems to be on his way out in Baltimore.

The saga that is Diontae Johnson’s 2024 season has taken yet another turn.

In a short (and kind of awkward) statement released on Monday afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens say that they have mutually agreed—with Johnson—to excuse the sixth-year wide receiver from their team activities this week.

The Ravens previously suspended Johnson back on Dec. 4 for refusing to enter their Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Head coach John Harbaugh was asked about Johnson’s status prior to their decision to suspend him.

“I’m gonna to have to wait,” he told reporters the day after their loss to the Eagles. “There’s some moving parts there that we’re gonna have to figure out and explore and just see where we’re at. It’s the best I can do, in fairness to everybody.”

Prior to apparently ruffling some feathers in Baltimore, Johnson was a Panther. But after seven games of what also seemed like a bad fit, Carolina traded the former Pro Bowler to the Ravens in a deal involving a late-round 2025 pick swap.

Johnson has recorded just one catch for six yards in his four appearances for the Ravens.

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Former Panthers LB reportedly signing with Buccaneers

LB Deion Jones, who played in 13 games for the Panthers last season, is set to join the Buccaneers’ practice squad.

A former Carolina Panthers defender may be trying to complete the full circuit through the NFC South.

According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are planning to sign linebacker Deion Jones to their practice squad. Jones, who started his pro career with the Atlanta Falcons, spent the 2023 campaign as a member of the Panthers.

Jones was selected by the Falcons in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. The LSU product went on to earn a third-place finish in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 and made his first Pro Bowl the following season in 2017.

Over six seasons in Atlanta, Jones recorded 652 tackles, 11.0 sacks and 11 interceptions.

He’d then be traded to the Cleveland Browns for a 2024 sixth-round pick in October of 2022. In his 11 games for Cleveland—Jones totaled 44 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks.

The Panthers signed Jones in July of 2023. He’d go on to play in 13 games for Carolina.

Jones was most recently a member of the Buffalo Bills, who released him back on Aug. 25.

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Looking ahead: Could Seahawks vs Rams in Week 18 decide the NFC West?

Looking ahead: Could Seahawks vs Rams in Week 18 decide the NFC West?

The Seattle Seahawks are in control of their own destiny, and took further charge of it by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 30-18 on Sunday. The Seahawks went into the weekend in first place, and their status on top of the division was at stake. Had Arizona won, they would have reclaimed the lead and the NFC West would have been thrown back into chaos. Instead, Seattle prevailed in the desert and maintained their position.

Unfortunately, they were not the only NFC West team to win a big game. The Los Angeles Rams, facing the Buffalo Bills, upset one of the best teams in the league with an explosive 44-42 victory at home. Sadly, this was a game the Seahawks really needed the Rams to lose, especially when considering both teams upcoming schedule.

Moving forward, Los Angeles’ next three games looks like this:

  • at 49ers
  • at Jets
  • vs Rams

As for the Seahawks, here are their next three:

  • vs Packers
  • vs Vikings
  • at Bears

Those with keen eyes will notice I’ve only mentioned three games, when both have four left to play. That’s because the regular season finale will be between Seattle and Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium.

The Rams winning in Week 14 sets up a remarkably rosier outlook for them to close out the year. If Los Angeles wins out, they retake the NFC West, and they will most assuredly be favored in the next three games. Yes, Arizona obliterated the Rams 41-10 in Week 2, and it took a heroic comeback to take down the Niners earlier this year, but both teams are reeling.

True, anything could happen, but even if LA loses a single game, they are still in a good position because Seattle’s upcoming slate of games is brutal. If a trip to Chicago in late December is the “easy” game, then yikes. Minnesota and Green Bay will provide stiff challenges, as both squads are among the upper echelon of the league this year. The Seahawks are playing their best football of the year so far, and it’s a good thing too because they will need to be on their A-game if they want to survive this stretch with no worse than a 2-1 record.

Los Angeles took the first game between them and Seattle this year, prevailing 26-20 in overtime at Lumen Field. The Rams continue to have the Hawks’ number, and still present their biggest threat. The way things are going, Seattle is going to have to find a way to exorcize their demons if they want to win the West for the first time since 2020.

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Former Seahawks WR Laviska Shenault Jr. signs w/ Chargers

Former Seahawks WR Laviska Shenault Jr. signs w/ Chargers

It did not take long for former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and return specialist Laviska Shenault Jr. to find his next NFL home. The Seahawks signed Shenault this offseason, but the union did not last the entire 2024 campaign. On Monday, the Seahawks waived Shenault after his atrocious performance against the New York Jets in Week 13, which very nearly cost Seattle a win.

Shenault has not been unemployed for long, as on Thursday he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad. The Chargers will represent Shenault’s fourth team he has been a member of.

Shenault’s tenure with the Seahawks was a mixed bag. He did have an explosive 97-yard kick return touchdown in Week 6 against the 49ers. A touchdown that got Seattle back into a game they were on the verge of being blown out of the water in. However, fumbles persisted and ultimately doomed him. He had two in Week 13 alone, both of which followed other Seahawks special teams disasters, only compounding the mess Seattle found themselves in.

Now Shenault has a chance to reset and get his career back on track. He is still an explosive player who simply might need a new change of scenery. We at Seahawks Wire wish him the best of luck in this next stop on his journey.

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