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When Josh Allen is your quarterback, simply making the playoffs every season isn’t going to cut it. Sean McDermott found that out the hard way Monday, as he was fired by the Buffalo Bills despite a 98-50 record with the team.

Despite that excellent regular-season record, McDermott’s Bills faltered in the playoffs. The team went just 8-8 under McDermott in the postseason, and while he managed to lead the team to multiple AFC championship games, that wasn’t good enough for Bills ownership.

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That puts plenty of pressure on the next head coach in Buffalo. And with two of the most successful head-coaching candidates already off the market — John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski — the Bills’ search will be more limited compared to other teams. Given the timing of McDermott’s firing, the Bills are prohibited from interviewing coaches on still-active playoff teams, which could further complicate matters for Buffalo.

There are still plenty of interesting candidates the Bills could hire this offseason. Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing options the team could consider.

Joe Brady

Most recent role: Bills offensive coordinator (three straight top-6 finishes in points per game)
Why it’s an intriguing hire for Buffalo: Brady already has familiarity with the team and quarterback Josh Allen. Under Brady, the Bills have ranked sixth, second and fourth in points per game over the past three seasons. Firing McDermott at this point in the offseason — when other teams already have a massive head start with interviews and some of the top candidates are already off the market — likely wouldn’t happen unless the team felt comfortable it could find an adequate replacement. Maybe it’s the guy the Bills already know?
Why it doesn’t make sense: The next Bills head coach will be expected to win the Super Bowl immediately. Does the team really want to put that expectation on a coordinator who has never been a head coach before? Brady has been successful in his role, but he has Allen as his quarterback. How much of the team’s offensive success was Brady’s play-calling and schemes and how much was just Allen being one of the best players in the NFL? Given that Brady played a role in the team’s early playoff exits the past few seasons, would hiring him really change anything?

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[Get more Bills news: Buffalo team feed]

Klint Kubiak

Most recent role: Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator (team ranked No. 3 in points scored in 2025)
Why it’s an intriguing hire for Buffalo: Kubiak is a young offensive coordinator with upside, and could bring a new perspective to the Bills. After two middling stops early in his career, Kubiak really hit his stride in 2025, getting another strong year out of Sam Darnold and helping the Seahawks clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. He’s been an in-demand coordinator this offseason, already interviewing with at least four teams for their head-coaching positions. He also has a strong pedigree within the game, as his father coached the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos, and his brother currently serves as the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator.
Why it doesn’t make sense: The Bills already have a young, promising offensive coordinator on staff in Joe Brady. When weighing Brady vs. Kubiak, wouldn’t the team want to go with the guy who has proven he can work well with Allen? For as much success as Kubiak experienced with the Seahawks, his previous stops in Minnesota and New Orleans weren’t as fruitful, so he has only one strong season on his résumé. The Vikings ranked 14th in offensive scoring in 2021 and the Saints ranked 24th in offensive scoring in 2024 under Kubiak. Similar to Brady, Kubiak lacks head-coaching experience and the Bills might not be in a place where they can afford to take that risk over a more proven candidate. Kubiak’s team is still active, so the Bills can’t speak with him until after the Seahawks are eliminated from the playoffs.

Brian Flores

Most recent role: Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator (led team to two top-10 defensive finishes)
Why it’s an intriguing hire for Buffalo: With Harbaugh and Stefanski off the market, there’s an argument to be made Flores is the best candidate available. He posted a 24-25 record in three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and nearly took the team to the playoffs in 2021 despite a 1-7 start. Since being fired, Flores spent a year under Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh before joining the Minnesota Vikings, where he’s continued to receive high marks for his exotic blitzes and ability to confuse quarterbacks. Unlike some of the other options the team could consider, Flores actually has head-coaching experience and has led a team to two winning seasons. He might be better equipped to handle the lofty expectations in Buffalo compared to other candidates who have never been an NFL head coach before.
Why it doesn’t make sense: Flores deserves credit for leading the Dolphins to two winning seasons, but he never made the playoffs in Miami. So, while he’s more experienced than other candidates, he’s unproven in the postseason. Additionally, Flores received criticism from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa once the coach was fired. Tagovailoa called Flores a “terrible person” who was extremely critical. Flores, to his credit, said he would learn and grow as a coach following Tagovailoa’s statement. Flores still has a pending racial-discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, so the Bills would need to be prepared to handle questions about that if the team hires Flores.

Brian Daboll

Most recent role: New York Giants head coach (20-40-1 in four seasons)
Why it’s an intriguing hire for Buffalo: Want a former NFL head coach with strong ties to the Bills and a proven ability to work well with Allen? Daboll is your man. Prior to joining the Giants, Daboll emerged as a viable head-coaching candidate thanks to his work as the Bills’ offensive coordinator. He spent four seasons in that role, leading the team from the 30th-ranked offense in his first year to the third-ranked offense in his final season. He also oversaw Allen’s development from extremely raw, mistake prone player to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Unlike Flores, Daboll has postseason experience, winning one game in the playoffs in his first season with the Giants.
Why it doesn’t make sense: After a promising start, the Daboll era didn’t end well in New York. Daniel Jones looked viable in his first season under Daboll before regressing. After ranking 15th in offense in Daboll’s first season as head coach, the team fell to 30th and 31st in points for over the next two years. Jones left the Giants ahead of the 2025 NFL season and immediately looked like a much-improved player after leaving Daboll behind, which isn’t a great endorsement of the coach’s ability. The Bills didn’t miss a beat when Daboll left initially, so how much of an impact did he really make on the team’s offense?

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Bill Belichick

Most recent role: North Carolina Tar Heels head coach (4-8 record in 2025)
Why it’s an intriguing hire for Buffalo: The last time Belichick was paired with a generational NFL quarterback, things went pretty well. Of all the possible candidates on the head-coaching market, Belichick has the most experience and success in the NFL, and that’s just what the Bills need after repeated playoff failures. Why take a shot on a first-time head coach or another franchise’s washout when you can hire a future Hall of Fame coach and pair him with a future Hall of Fame quarterback?
Why it doesn’t make sense: Belichick is 73 years old and just went 4-8 with North Carolina. There’s no denying what Belichick accomplished with the Patriots, but his time as a legendary head coach might be over now. After Tom Brady left, Belichick’s Patriots didn’t exactly rise to the occasion. His first year with the Tar Heels didn’t end well and invited plenty of off-field weirdness thanks to Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson. Are the Bills a team that can afford to deal with that level of drama right now?

Chris Shula

Most recent role: Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator (team ranked 10th in points allowed in 2025)
Why it’s an intriguing hire for Buffalo: Hiring from the Sean McVay coaching tree is always en vogue. Shula is the latest young upstart coordinator who has worked under McVay who is getting head-coaching buzz. After a modest first season as a coordinator, Shula showed improvement in Year 2, when the Rams ranked 10th in points allowed on the season. He has a strong pedigree in the NFL, as his grandfather is legendary Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula.
Why it doesn’t make sense: Hiring from Sean McVay’s coaching tree doesn’t guarantee success. Matt LaFleur and Liam Coen have performed well, but Brandon Staley and Raheem Morris didn’t work out. While Shula’s Rams were solid in 2025, he doesn’t have a truly elite season on his résumé as a coordinator. Other defensive coaches the Bills could consider have been more successful in that regard. Shula also lacks head-coach experience, and the Bills would be taking a big risk in hoping he would not only be able to make that adjustment, but also deal with the immediate pressure of winning a Super Bowl in Year 1. With the Rams’ win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Shula can’t interview with the Bills until the Rams are eliminated from the playoffs, meaning Buffalo would have to wait potentially multiple weeks before speaking with him.

The Chicago Bears were one of the biggest surprise stories of the 2025-26 NFL season, cruising over their preseason win total of 8.5 and earning the NFC North division title and No. 2 seed in the NFC with an 11-6 record.

Earlier in the season, after an impressive 24-15 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday in late November, one bettor placed a large wager on Chicago to win its first Super Bowl since the 1985 season.

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After that win, a bettor at BetMGM in Illinois wagered $50,000 on the Bears at 66-1 odds to win Super Bowl LX. The bet would’ve won $3.3 million, and was the largest reported Super Bowl futures bet by total liability at any legal sportsbook in the United States. BetMGM moved Chicago’s Super Bowl odds as a result of the wager.

The bet already had survived the Bears trailing 21-3 at halftime in the wild-card round against the Packers — after Green Bay scored a touchdown on each of its first three possessions — before coming all the way back for a wild 31-27 victory.

The ticket was hanging by a thread again Sunday night in the NFC divisional round game against the Los Angeles Rams, as the Bears trailed 17-10 late in the fourth quarter. But on a fourth-and-10, Caleb Williams drifted backward and heaved the ball toward the end zone for a miraculous touchdown to force the game into overtime.

Williams was leading Chicago downfield before throwing an untimely interception. Matthew Stafford calmly led the Rams down the field and kicker Harrison Mevis nailed a 42-yard game-winning field goal to give Los Angeles a 20-17 win.

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The Rams moved on to the NFC championship game in Seattle, while the Bears will have a long offseason to think about what could’ve been.

Hopefully, the bettor was able to hedge to monetize an impressive futures wager.

We’re suddenly down to just three perfect teams left in the country, one of which is firmly holding down the No. 1 ranking.

Here’s everything you missed in the 11th week of the regular season and the latest Associated Press poll.

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Arizona holds as undefeated teams drop to 3

Last week it was Michigan that fell off. This time, it was Iowa State.

The Cyclones, who climbed up to a program-record No. 2 in the country after a 16-0 start, fell twice last week — first in a 21-point blowout at Kansas and then in a nine-point loss at Cincinnati. The latter marked the Bearcats’ first ever win over a top-two team at home since 1967. The hot start for the Cyclones simply came crashing down, hard.

As a result, that dropped Iowa State seven spots to No. 9 in this week’s poll. Arizona held strong at No. 1 and actually received all 61 votes to retain the spot unanimously. The Wildcats have now held the spot for six straight weeks. This, though, was their closest week in a while. They pulled away from Arizona State late on Wednesday, thanks to 24 points and 10 rebounds from Koa Peat, and then they did the same on the road at UCF on Saturday night to get to 18-0.

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UConn replaced Iowa State at No. 2, while Michigan, Purdue and Duke rounded out the top five.

There are now only two other undefeated teams left in the country. Nebraska is still perfect, and came in at No. 7 in the national polls this week. That’s now the highest ranking in school history, which is remarkable for a program that has still never even won an NCAA tournament game.

Miami (Ohio) is the other, but the RedHawks just barely made it past Buffalo on Saturday night. They needed a buzzer-beater in regulation to even force the extra period and then a huge 3-pointer from Peter Suder to win the game in the final seconds of overtime.

The RedHawks finally entered the poll at No. 25 for the first time this week.

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Things will get tough for Nebraska in the near future. After Washington and Minnesota this week, the Cornhuskers will travel to No. 3 Michigan and then host No. 11 Illinois next week. They’ve played just two ranked opponents up until this point, winning by a combined five points.

As for Arizona, the Big 12 truly seems like theirs to lose, especially now that the Cyclones have fallen back.

Games to watch this week

All times ET | * denotes neutral site

Tuesday, Jan. 20
No. 15 Vanderbilt at No. 20 Arkansas | 9 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, Jan. 24
No. 22 North Carolina at No. 14 Virginia | 2 p.m. | ESPN
No. 11 Illinois at No. 4 Purdue | 3 p.m. | Fox
No. 6 Houston at No. 12 Texas Tech | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Tennessee at No. 17 Alabama | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN

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AP Top 25

The full Associated Press men’s basketball poll from January 19, 2026.

1. Arizona (18-0)
2. UConn (18-1)
3. Michigan (16-1)
4. Purdue (17-1)
5. Duke (17-1)
6. Houston (17-1)
7. Nebraska (18-0)
8. Gonzaga (19-1)
9. Iowa State (16-2)
10. Michigan State (16-2)
11. Illinois (15-3)
12. Texas Tech (14-4)
13. BYU (16-2)
14. Virginia (16-2)
15. Vanderbilt (16-2)
16. Florida (13-5)
17. Alabama (13-5)
18. Clemson (16-3)
19. Kansas (13-5)
20. Arkansas (13-5)
21. Georgia (15-3)
22. North Carolina (14-4)
23. Louisville (13-5)
24. Saint Louis (17-1)
25. Miami (Ohio) (19-0)

Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 64, St. John’s 64, Iowa 30, Kentucky 27, Tennessee 20, Utah State 15, UCF 14, Miami 10, George Mason 10, Saint Mary’s 5, SMU 3, Villanova 3, Texas A&M 2, NC State 1

The top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers take on the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff national championship game tonight. If your NFL team is looking to address the trenches high in this spring’s NFL Draft (or if your team is simply the Las Vegas Raiders), there are several names to watch.

In this mock draft, which was originally published Jan. 6, Charles McDonald makes the odd-numbered picks, and Nate Tice makes the even. Draft order via Tankathon.

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More 2026 NFL mock drafts: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0

1. Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

The Raiders need a quarterback. Mendoza is the best one in the draft. Easy. He fits the profile of a top-10 pick with his ability to run the offense at a high level, strong arm talent and enough mobility to keep plays alive under duress. No one is confusing him for a Drake Maye- or Josh Allen-level athlete, but he’s not the stiff many have made him out to be. This is a fine and logical pick for the Raiders.

2. New York Jets — Dante Moore, QB, Oregon*

*Since this mock was first published, Moore announced that he’s returning to Oregon and not declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Yahoo Sports’ mock draft 5.0 will publish on Tuesday, Feb. 10 after the Super Bowl. In the meantime, Arvell Reese would be a great pick for the Jets in this spot, because while they’ll likely be disappointed to not have a shot at Fernando Mendoza, Reese is the kind of explosive, versatile talent that can accelerate their rebuild on defense.

3. Arizona Cardinals — Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State

Depending on what the Jets (and Dante Moore) do, this could be a quarterback pick, but if not, the Cardinals should run to turn this card in and take the best defensive player in the draft in Reese. He is an explosive, violent defender with tremendous upside as a long-term front seven player for the Cardinals. He won’t alleviate every problem this team has, but it’s a great start.

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4. Tennessee Titans — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

The Titans could stand to move back in this draft to accumulate as many selections as possible to build out their roster around Cam Ward and Jeffery Simmons. Here they select Tate, a player who can be a safety net and big play-option for Ward. Tate has length and excellent hand-eye coordination which gives him a large catching radius, especially near the sideline and in the red zone. His strides eat up ground and his route-running has added real polish this season, opening up his ability to attack at all three levels. There are a lot of flavors of wide receivers this year at the top of the draft (Denzel Boston, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon) and beyond. Tate’s all-around game and QB-friendliness seems like a natural pairing with the dynamic Ward.

The Giants have fallen out the range to consider a quarterback, which it was reported they might do. They still need several upgrades on offense. With Malik Nabers coming back from injury in the fall, offensive tackle makes a ton of sense here.

6. Cleveland Browns — Francis Mauigoa, OT/OG, Miami

There is a dearth of quarterback options in this year’s draft class, so the Browns’ attention turns to another dire position of need: offensive line. Mauigoa might have been the most consistent offensive lineman of this year’s class, at least among players who entered the season highly regarded. While Mauigoa would be best at guard at the next level, he’s more than earned the right to start out at tackle. The Browns are about to need both, so perfect.

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Washington desperately needs to get younger and more explosive in the front seven, and gets a gift with Bain falling to the seventh pick. There have been concerns about Bain’s arm length and how that will affect him in the NFL, but he’s got the build and athleticism to bully offensive tackles off the edge. He’d be a perfect fit in Dan Quinn’s front that will ask him to play with aggression.

McCoy didn’t play a snap this year while he recovered from a knee injury at the end of the 2024 season, but he still has a chance of being the first cornerback taken in this year’s class. The Saints could look at a few positions, and an edge like David Bailey or Keldric Faulk is tempting, but outside cornerback stood out as a position that needs to be addressed this offseason. There are a few options in discussion here, but McCoy brings true No. 1 upside because of his size and twitchiness (at least pre-injury) and would represent the potential to add a needle-moving type player in the defensive back room.

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The Chiefs can go a lot of ways with this pick, but here they take the best player in the draft in Downs, who plays a position of need anyways. Downs’ versatility and nose for the ball would be a perfect fit in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and he could be the instant impact defender Kansas City needs to shore up another run for the playoffs when Patrick Mahomes gets healthy.

10. Cincinnati Bengals — David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

Trey Hendrickson is a free agent and has seemed perennially unhappy in Cincinnati amid constant disputes over his contract. Regardless, the Bengals need to add firepower to their front seven. Linebacker could be looked at here, but the Bengals decide to go with a Hendrickson replacement in Bailey, a flamethrower off the edge who is constantly attacking and moving toward the quarterback. Pressures and sacks are why Bailey was brought to Lubbock and why NFL teams will be interested in him, and while defending the run isn’t his calling card, he has improved in that area, too.

11. Miami Dolphins — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Miami’s defense had its moments this season, but the Dolphins don’t have the personnel to get over the hump yet and play good defense for an extended stretch. The Dolphins’ cornerback room still needs multiple upgrades and they can get a good one here with Delane. He is a transfer from Virginia Tech who hit the ground running for LSU with a size-and-speed combination NFL teams will covet in man coverage prospects.

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12. Dallas Cowboys — Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn

While the thought of passing on a talented running back like Jeremiyah Love might be too much for Jerry Jones to handle, the Cowboys’ defense must add more talent this offseason. They currently don’t have a defensive coordinator, but Faulk’s versatility and strength against the run make him a fit regardless. Faulk is long, can hold up against the run, align at multiple spots, is young, and has developed more as a pass rusher this season, even if his box score numbers weren’t overwhelming. He can be more of a DeMarcus Lawrence replacement than Micah Parsons.

The Rams use their first of two first-round picks on Styles to solidify their linebacker room. Styles has an element of speed and range to his game that the Rams could really use, and he would give them a much sturdier front seven than the boom-or-bust one they have.

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14. Baltimore Ravens — Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

ANOTHER first-round wide receiver for the Ravens, but this one is different, I swear! Rather than another undersized speedy route runner like Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, or Hollywood Brown, Boston is an outside ball-winner who will instantly be a top red-zone option for Lamar Jackson to work with. I’m higher on Boston than most. He has No. 1 receiver potential with juice to stretch the field (he was used as a punt returner at Washington at 6-foot-4) and the body control and route running to align anywhere. I can already picture Boston being Jackson’s best friend on extended plays.

Every position group on Tampa Bay’s defense could use an upgrade, but the Bucs get a strong cornerback prospect here in Terrell, younger brother of Falcons star cornerback A.J. Avieon can come in and make Tampa’s blitz-happy defense a little more sound by giving the Bucs sticky coverage on the back end they’ve been missing.

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16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts) — Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Woods had an underwhelming final season at Clemson but it’s hard to not get excited about the flashes he has displayed throughout his career, this season included. Woods is strong enough to eat double-teams but also disruptive enough to get into the opponent’s backfield and create defensive explosives. That lets him stay on the field for all three downs and get wielded however the play-caller wants. Woods could still end up as one of the best defenders in this draft, a building block the Jets desperately need.

17. Detroit Lions — Vega Ioane, OL, Penn State

The Lions aren’t far from getting back to being NFC contenders, but they’ll need to get a bit more talented on their offensive line to have a more consistent offense to close out seasons and games. Ioane has the size and athleticism that head coach Dan Campbell has grown to covet in his offensive linemen and fits Detroit’s bruising style of play.

18. Minnesota Vikings — A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon

The Vikings could add to any part of their defense and I would understand. After signing veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to add some juice to their defensive line for 2025 (both are under contract for 2026, but also now north of 30 years old), the Vikings add a player in Washington who can be a literal and figurative building block for them. Washington has emerged as another defensive tackle in this class who can hold the point of attack in the run game and bring some dynamic ability to get into the opponent’s backfield. Pairing him with Jalen Redmond could create a fun interior duo that can be the tip of the spear for the Vikings’ defense for years to come.

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19. Carolina Panthers — T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson

The Panthers still need a ton of playmakers on both sides of the ball, but getting after the passer has been a huge problem for them, and it was again for much of Saturday’s wild-card loss to the Rams. They start to attempt to alleviate that with the selection of Parker here.

20. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers) — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Jerry Jones can breathe easy because Love is still there for Dallas’ second selection, which is as high as can be reasonably expected thanks to the Packers’ early playoff loss to the Bears. The Cowboys have a young and talented offensive line with quality coaching under Klayton Adams, who turned the run game into a weapon in 2025. Love is a true first-round quality running back who can take any play to the house as a runner and receiver. Putting him behind the Cowboys’ line with a dangerous passing attack could make things go supernova on offense in Big D.

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DK Metcalf’s recent suspension has shown the Steelers’ wide receiver room is way too thin. Getting another player who can get open on their own would go a long way for whoever is playing quarterback for this team next season. Lemon would be an ideal secondary receiver across from Metcalf, giving the Steelers a strong wide receiver room for the first time in years.

Another quality defensive tackle in this year’s class, and it’s exactly what the Chargers need (besides health). Even if defensive coordinator Jesse Minter leaves, it’s a good bet the Chargers won’t verge too far from his scheme, and they’ve lacked the beef on the inside to hold up against the better run teams in the NFL. McDonald would do just that: eat double-teams for his faster teammates to make plays and create more third-and-longs to help put the screws on passing games.

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The Eagles can return to Super Bowl contention by building back up through the trenches, and they need to make another high-end investment at offensive tackle, even if it won’t pay off immediately. Lane Johnson isn’t going to play forever and flexibility at such an important position is how the Eagles built this juggernaut over the past handful of seasons. Lomu is one of the top players in the draft with serious long-term upside as a tackle, and now the Eagles can stash him for a year or two.

24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars) — Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon

You think we’re done with the Browns’ offensive line? It’s slim pickings at quarterback. Wide receiver could be looked at here, but why not take an offensive line unit that had the potential to be nuclearly bad in 2026 and inject some optimism going forward? Especially with Quinshon Judkins carrying the football behind it. Pregnon is an explosive blocker with light feet that could help shore up the interior of the pocket for whoever is playing quarterback for the Browns in the future.

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25. Buffalo Bills — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Tyson could have a chance to be the No. 1 wide receiver taken (he’s fighting for that spot on my big board), but his injury history in college will give NFL teams concern about his long-term health at the next level. When on the field, Tyson is explosive with excellent body control to contort for throws away from him. He also can turn underneath throws into big plays. Tyson would give Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense a different flavor of playmaker in their pass-catching group of zone beaters.

26. Chicago Bears — Christen Miller, DL, Georgia

The Bears’ defense has been effective, but inconsistent. Miller had an up-and-down season for Georgia, but closed out strong and looks like a viable starter as an interior defender in the NFL.

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Freeling hasn’t officially declared, but I am keen on seeing his decision. In an offensive tackle class that has talent evaluations all over the place, Freeling’s excellent tools and growth this season has made him start to stand out more as Georgia’s campaign went along. He is an explosive athlete with length that looks to have added strength to his game, especially with his ability to anchor. He’s added real polish to his game, he’s cleaned up mistakes and his hand usage and pop on contact is way more consistent. Freeling could be a big riser throughout the process, and his overall athleticism would make him a perfect understudy for Trent Williams.

28. Houston Texans — Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

This is a home run swing. Proctor has had a high-profile career going back to being a five-star recruit coming out of high school, but there are concerns about how he’ll handle NFL speed considering his playing weight is pushing 370. If he can figure out how to improve that part of his game, he has the athleticism to instantly become one of the most promising tackle prospects in the league.

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29. Los Angeles Rams — Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

A shiny toy for Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay to close out their second first-round pick. The Rams already have a couple talented tight ends in Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson, but Sadiq can be the true gamebreaking receiving threat that opens up another door for what’s already an elite offense.

Hunter is another transfer who has made an impact since he arrived in Lubbock. He is massive but still has the light feet to beat offensive linemen at the snap of the ball and stay on the field on pass rushing downs. The Patriots’ run defense fell off as the season went along, especially when Milton Williams (who has been worth every penny for New England) was sidelined with an injury. Hunter would help that out immediately with enough pass-rushing juice to impact the game on every down.

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31. Denver Broncos — CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

The Broncos could use a draft pick investment at middle linebacker for the long term. They can get the perfect fit for the personnel they already have in Allen. He has been a starter since his freshman season with a ton of experience in Kirby Smart’s defense. He might not be the fastest guy out there, but he’s tough, tackles well and keeps things in order.

32. Seattle Seahawks — KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a revelation this season as the focal point of the Seahawks’ passing attack, and has a real chance to win Offensive Player of the Year. But Seattle could still stand to add more juice to the wide receiver room for the future. Tory Horton has moments as a rookie, but he also battled injuries (a reason for his fall in the draft) and ended up on injured reserve. The Seahawks traded for Rashid Shaheed, who is explosive and has improved as a route runner, but he still fits more as an auxiliary option in a passing attack (and will be a free agent after this season). Concepcion adds a big-play element and more “real” wide receiving ability than you would think given his middling size. He plays big, is dynamic with the ball in his hands, and can also be used as a returner. The Seahawks have been explosive this season through the air. Concepcion turns the dial up even further.

The Seattle Seahawks dismantled the rival San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs Saturday, but it came at a cost. Running back Zach Charbonnet sustained a “significant knee injury” and will miss the rest of the playoffs, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Monday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that the injury was a torn ACL.

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Charbonnet, 25, led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns during the regular season.

While Macdonald didn’t reveal the exact nature of the injury, he said Charbonnet would face “a long road back,” potentially hinting at the running back missing time next season.

Throughout the regular season, Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker combined to give the Seahawks a fearsome rushing attack. The team ranked 10th in the NFL with 2,096 rushing yards in 2025. Walker led the way with 1,027 yards, but Charbonnet was the hammer, scoring 12 of the team’s 19 rushing scores.

Since being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Charbonnet has emerged as a strong power option and the perfect complement to the shifty Walker. After a quiet rookie season, Charbonnet showed promise in his second year, rushing for 569 yards and scoring eight touchdowns while filling in for an injured Walker.

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Both players stayed healthy in 2025, but that didn’t stop Charbonnet from putting up the best season of his career. The third-year pro rushed for a career-high 730 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

With the Seahawks securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Charbonnet was able to rest during the wild-card games. He returned to action against the 49ers, but carried the ball just five times for 20 yards in the contest. He left the game late in the first half, after taking a big hit. Macdonald said he was optimistic about Charbonnet’s injury after the contest, but that the running back would undergo further evaluation.

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That evaluation apparently revealed a much more worrisome injury, ending Charbonnet’s season.

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Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski recap a wild Divisional Round weekend in the NFL and provide their biggest fantasy takeaways and implications for each game. The two break down each of the four games and look ahead to the teams that face questions in the offseason and the four teams that are headed to championship Sunday.

(2:00) Bills fire Sean McDermott

(11:30) Broncos 33, Bills 30

(22:50) Seahawks 41, 49ers 6

(31:15) Patriots 28, Texans 16

(46:05) Rams 20, Bears 17

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The Houston Texans fell to the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs over the weekend, 28-16, to end their season. On paper, it looks like the Texans have everything they need to be contenders. An elite defense, a solid head coach and a quality young QB in C.J. Stroud. Well, at least we thought Houston had that last one.

Stroud had one of the worst performances by a QB in NFL playoff history against New England on the road. While it was in pretty bad weather conditions, Stroud was unable to get it done in a huge spot and has regressed in every season since he won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors back in 2023.

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Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski discussed whether or not Stroud will continue to be a fantasy football liability in 2026 on the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.

Harmon starts the segment by pointing out that Stroud’s performance against the Patriots ranked 418th among 429 QB performances in the playoffs since 2007 in EPA per dropback. Stroud finished the game with just 212 yards on 20/47 completed passes with one touchdown and four interceptions while taking three sacks. That was good for a passer rating of 28.0.

The regression is real and Harmon believes the Texans need to search for answers as to why Stroud hasn’t improved since his first year in the league. Pianowski points to the absence of top WR Nico Collins, who was out with a concussion, being a big factor as he struggled to stay healthy all season.

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Houston needs to figure out the offense or else it may end up missing the playoffs next season, which wouldn’t bode well for the fantasy prospects of Stroud, Collins and others surrounding them.

Stroud, 24, is still young but his career trajectory has been odd. In 2023 as a rookie, Stroud threw for over 4,000 yards with 23 TDs to just five INTs, In 2024, Stroud took a step back while the defense stepped up. He threw for under 4,000 yards while his INT total went up to 12 (his TDs down to 20). Stroud missed three games this season but had a passer rating below his mark from Year 1.

Yahoo analyst Justin Boone has Stroud ranked as the QB19 in his early fantasy football rankings for next season. Boone has Stroud has the QB14 in his dynasty rankings and trade value charts for 2026.

After nine seasons in Buffalo, one of the longest head coaching tenures in the league ended when the Bills announced the firing of Sean McDermott. The Bills had a total meltdown in terms of ball security against Denver and McDermott was the first piece of the failure to hit the chopping block. With general manager Brandon Beane, somehow, being promoted to president of football operations, the Bills will enter a new, pressure-cooked era where the new head coach will be expected to win immediately as Beane gets to select his own head coach with his newly wielded power.

McDermott’s firing was the 10th head coach change this cycle and now with eight slots open it’s fair to wonder: How difficult is it going to be to improve upon McDermott?

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[Get more Bills news: Buffalo team feed]

The opportunity to coach Josh Allen will thrust the Bills up the board in terms of desirable landing spots for head coaching talent, but even with Allen under center, it will be difficult to replicate McDermott’s six straight seasons of making it to the divisional round and a 98-50 overall regular-season record, including only one losing season dating back to his second season in Buffalo, 2018, when Allen was a rookie. Even with a franchise quarterback, it’s hard to be a team that wins and is a threat to contend every year. Being unable to break through to the Super Bowl ultimately did McDermott in, but it is interesting to think about where this team would be if the Bills didn’t have a multitude of turnovers that were the direct fault of chaotic and sloppy play by Allen and the Bills’ players.

Firing McDermott after that particular performance was odd, but it illustrates how palpable the tension in Buffalo is right now. In a year when Patrick Mahomes, their postseason boogeyman, wasn’t able to suit up for the playoffs, not even making it to the AFC championship is a tough pill to swallow. Especially considering the Bills absolutely could have won that game if it wasn’t for their five total turnovers. The expectation here is to be in Super Bowl contention every single year — an expectation that McDermott had a large role in crafting.

The Bills would have to make a catastrophically unqualified hire to bottom out, especially considering the state of the Dolphins and Jets in the basement of the AFC East, but assuming they’ll plop back into being a perennial divisional round team that’s come a drive or two away from the Super Bowl multiple times is easier said than done.

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Having Allen on the roster is a huge boost to their chances, but the AFC is loaded right now with quarterback talent and Drake Maye has emerged as a superstar talent in Buffalo’s division. Doing a halfway shakeup by firing McDermott and keeping Beane is a risk, but perhaps Beane’s recent promotion will assuage concerns candidates have about this being a situation where they’ll be insta-fired if Year 1 doesn’t go as planned.

Beane ending up being rewarded for how this season ended while McDermott was fired is confusing to parse, but it follows the trend of other teams this offseason. Of the nine teams that fired their head coach, only two of them (Miami and Atlanta) also fired their general managers. Perhaps Beane’s upgraded job situation will allow the Bills to get over the hump, but he has as much blame as anyone to hold for the Bills’ underwhelming talent acquisition over the past few years.

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Like with John Harbaugh in Baltimore and Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, next season will be a fun case study to try and acquiesce just how much influence McDermott had over the Bills’ success over the last eight years and how much of it was a result of having an elite quarterback during a down time in the AFC East. Regardless, one thing is 100% true about this opening: you better win.

The Buffalo Bills didn’t waste any time setting social media ablaze on Monday morning by announcing the dismissal of head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons.

For the first time in a long time, there was no Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson to worry about in the postseason. Even with those veteran quarterbacks out of the mix, McDermott and Josh Allen still failed to get the job done, being eliminated in the divisional round on Saturday by Denver, 33-30 in overtime.

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Since the news broke of McDermott’s firing, there have been plenty of opinions circulating on social media. Everyone from former players and coaches to media personalities and even current players have hit social media to voice their views on Monday’s news.

Keep in mind that the Bills have retained general manager Brandon Beane. Not only is Beane staying with the team, but he’s been promoted with the added responsibilities of president of football operations. Beane, for some, gets just as much blame as McDermott or Allen for the team’s underachieving, particularly when it comes to roster construction.

Former Bills running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy apparently feels that way, and did not hold back in his criticism.

Legendary defensive mind and former Bills head coach Wade Phillips chimed in on X as well. Phillips had a lengthy run with Buffalo from 1995 through the end of the 2000 campaign, as both defensive coordinator and head coach.

Bills veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips also jumped on board and was not shy about what he thought about the move, using some NSFW language (since Monday is a holiday, maybe not many people are indeed at work).

Safety Damar Hamlin posted broken heart emoji in support of his now former coach.

Veteran cornerback Taron Johnson also posted his displeasure with the front office’s decision to move on from coach McDermott.

Former Bills players Shaq Lawson and Levi Wallace joined in the fun on social media as well, along with defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.

Tackle Dion Dawkins posted a heart-warming message in support of McDermott that highlights his now former coach’s leadership.

With McDermott out, the Bills’ job now becomes the top destination for coaching candidates. Whoever takes over this team will inherit an MVP quarterback in his prime, who is consistently available despite the criticism of not being able to get over the hump. The 2024 NFL MVP has started 16-plus games with 10-plus wins in each of his seven seasons as a starter.

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The Bills’ search for their next head coach began after John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski — two top coaching candidates in this cycle — had already been hired by the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, respectively.

The starting lineups for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game were announced Monday. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo were the top vote-getters from fans.

Dončić and Antetokounmpo also headlined the first and second fan voting returns the league released.

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Fans are responsible for 50% of the vote that selects each conference’s five starters. NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) account for the other slices of the vote.

This year’s All-Star Game will be played in Inglewood, California, at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome on Feb. 15. For the first time in the exhibition’s soon-to-be-75-year history, there are no positional requirements for lineups.

Notably absent from the list of NBA All-Star starters this year is LeBron James, whose 21-year streak as an All-Star starter has officially come to an end.

With that in mind, here are the starting fives for the Eastern and Western Conference:

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Eastern Conference

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks

• Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks

• Cade Cunningham, G, Detroit Pistons

• Tyrese Maxey, G, Philadelphia 76ers

• Jaylen Brown, F, Boston Celtics

Western Conference

• Nikola Jokić, C, Denver Nuggets

• Luka Dončić, F, Los Angeles Lakers

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors

• Victor Wembanyama, F, San Antonio Spurs

Here’s how the voting was split across players, fans and media:

Wembanyama and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards tied for the final West starting slot with a 5.75 weighted score. Wembanyama won the tiebreaker because he had 1,965,462 fan votes to Edwards’ 1,960,957.

So what’s next?

The conferences’ reserves will be selected by NBA head coaches on Feb. 1. Each conference will have seven reserves.

Previously, those seven reserves were made up of two backcourt players and three frontcourt players, plus two wild cards. Now they, too, will be picked without regard to position.

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What you need to know about the All-Star Game’s new format

This year’s All-Star Game will feature three teams: Two will consist of players from the United States, and a third will be made up of players from the rest of the world.

The process for assigning players to the two U.S. teams will be determined at a later date, according to the league.

Ideally, of the 24 total All-Star roster spots, voting will fill 16 of them with U.S. players and eight of them with international players, who, if necessary, can be American players with ties to other countries.

But if those numbers aren’t reached organically, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will pick additional All-Stars so that each group hits its mark. In that scenario, at least one team would end up with more than eight players.

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For instance, if there’s a 15-9 split among U.S. and international All-Stars, one extra U.S. player would get the commissioner’s nod, meaning that there’d be 25 total All-Stars and the international team would have nine players instead of eight.

In terms of the game itself, there will still technically be four 12-minute quarters, although each will be its own game, as each of the three teams will play twice during round-robin action. The fourth “quarter” will pit the two teams with the best records — point differential will be the post-round-robin tiebreaker if all three teams have 1-1 records — to decide a champion.