MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The prolific pace of school-switching among college players has helped some NFL prospects have breakout seasons and demonstrate they can adapt to a new system.
Let's play Six Degrees of Steve Wilks, a quick and easy way to connect the dots of racism in the NFL head coaching ranks.
— We'll start with Kliff Kingsbury, a white coach who was fired by Texas Tech in 2018 and somehow wound up as head man of the Arizona Cardinals the very next season.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Frank Reich is returning to the Carolina Panthers as their coach, more than 27 years after starting the franchise's first game at quarterback in 1995.
The Panthers announced Thursday they've agreed to terms with Reich to become the sixth head coach in franchise history.
DETROIT (AP) — Outside linebacker Jessie Lemonier, who appeared in seven games for the Detroit Lions in 2021 in a brief NFL career highlighted by a sack of Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, has died.
Jalen Hurts, Justin Jefferson and Patrick Mahomes are finalists for The Associated Press 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards.
The winners will be announced at NFL Honors on Feb.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers interviewed Sean Payton for their coaching vacancy on Monday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers completed a virtual interview on Saturday with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey for their vacant head coaching job, the team said.
Dorsey’s Bills face the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC divisional playoffs on Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers interviewed Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for their head coaching position on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the situation.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Kevin Warren is ready to tackle a new challenge as president and CEO of the Chicago Bears, and he has a big one going from Big Ten commissioner to leading a founding NFL franchise.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Schwartz has never been afraid of big challenges. He's tackling a new one in Cleveland.
Schwartz, who took a winless Detroit team to the playoff in three seasons, has been hired as the Browns' defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker was fined $13,261 by the NFL for the shove that led to his ejection from a 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday, a person familiar with the situation said.
NFL regular-season ratings saw a 3% decrease from last season, which was not unexpected with “Thursday Night Football” moving from Fox and NFL Network to exclusively airing on Amazon Prime Video.
The 272 regular-season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across television and digital platforms, The league also said that 185 million fans watched games at some point during the 18 weeks.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers can still perform “at a very high level,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said Friday, with the Packers awaiting a decision on whether the four-time MVP quarterback wants to play next season.
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Thursday, making him the first announced candidate for their head coaching vacancy.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Brian Flores landed in the AFC North last season. He might be ready to make a move inside the division.
Flores, who joined coach Mike Tomlin's staff in Pittsburgh following his messy departure in Miami, is interviewing with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday to be their new defensive coordinator.
Wild-card weekend is all about familiarity.
All six games feature teams that already faced off this season, including three matchups between division rivals going head-to-head for the third time and two clubs playing each other in back-to-back weeks.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Even before the events of last Sunday, veteran defensive lineman Shelby Harris was already enjoying the experience of playing the final few weeks of the season with the postseason at stake.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers coaching search is in full swing.
The Panthers have requested permission to interview four different NFL offensive coordinators for their head coaching vacancy, including Buffalo’s Ken Dorsey, Philadelphia’s Shane Steichen, Detroit’s Ben Johnson and the New York Giants’ Mike Kafka, according to a person familiar with the situation.
DENVER (AP) — If the NFL insists on calling the first round of the playoffs next week “Super Wild Card Weekend,” then Week 18 was the “Fantastic Frenzied Forerunner” or the “Harrowing Harbinger.”
HOUSTON (AP) — As Nick Caserio embarked Monday on his third coaching search in as many years, the Houston Texans' general manager was peppered with questions about the team’s failures and how he plans to turn things around.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers wants to think it over for a while before the four-time MVP decides whether he wants to return to the Green Bay Packers for a 19th season.
The 39-year-old quarterback also noted the choice isn’t solely his to make.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker apologized after the second ejection of his rookie season and said he has spoken directly to the Detroit Lions physician he shoved during the fourth quarter of Sunday night's game.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions opened and the closed the 2022 season with a lot of excitement and a dash of hope.
The Lions were featured on HBO's “Hard Knocks” in the preseason, firing up fans who enjoyed seeing and hearing coach Dan Campbell and players such as running back Jamaal Williams behind the scenes, and they ended the regular season by winning eight of 10 games.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was intercepted by Kerby Joseph on the final pass of what might be his last game, and the Green Bay Packers lost 20-16 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night to miss the playoffs.
An emotional week for the NFL filled with fear, tears, prayer and uncertainty ended with exciting games, dramatic finishes and a celebration for Damar Hamlin.
When Hamlin left the stadium in Cincinnati in an ambulance Monday night fighting for his life, football didn’t matter.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers will have the entire postseason to ponder his future.
The four-time MVP and the Green Bay Packers won't be participating in the playoffs.
Rodgers was intercepted by Kerby Joseph on what might have been the final pass of the future Hall of Famer's career, and Green Bay lost 20-16 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night in a game the Packers needed to win to reach the playoffs.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Getting eliminated from playoff contention about an hour before their season finale didn’t reduce the Detroit Lions' motivation.
They still had a point to prove. The opportunity to end the postseason hopes of a longtime nemesis provided even more incentive.
SEATTLE (AP) — Within minutes of the Seattle Seahawks winning to maintain their playoff hopes, the video boards inside Lumen Field flashed a message:
“Go Lions.”
For the Seahawks, that became “thank you Lions” several hours later after Detroit helped send Seattle back to the postseason.
The intersection of prayer and sports has been especially prominent in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s frightening collapse during an NFL game.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers know they will reach the postseason if they win Sunday night. The Detroit Lions’ playoff prospects are a little more complicated.
Even if Detroit (8-8) beats Green Bay (8-8), the Lions can reach the playoffs only if the Seattle Seahawks (8-8) lose to the Los Angeles Rams (5-11) earlier in the day.
DETROIT (8-8) at GREEN BAY (8-8)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Packers by 4½
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers didn’t make any bold proclamations about running the table this time around.
But the similarities between the Green Bay Packers’ current turnaround and their remarkable run to the NFC championship game back in 2016 otherwise are too obvious to ignore.
It was a horrific scene, no doubt. A young athlete just getting started on a promising NFL career, seemingly the personification of fitness and health, popping up from a rather innocuous-looking tackle — and then slumping back to the turf.
Falling into a 2-6 hole near the midpoint of a season is usually a recipe to look to the future for NFL teams, with only two teams ever climbing out of that hole to reach the postseason.
Headed into Week 18 of this season, three teams that lost six of their first eight games remain in the playoff hunt.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was critically injured Monday night in the first quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers enter their regular-season finale controlling their playoff fate in part because their lone Pro Bowl selection has cemented his status as one of the league's top cornerbacks.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Dan Campbell drew a lot of chuckles after he was hired to coach the Detroit Lions nearly two years ago and got fired up talking about his players being so tough and resilient that they would bite off kneecaps.
DETROIT (AP) — Jared Goff has played nearly mistake-free football for two months and his decision-making, along with a much-improved defense, has put the Detroit Lions in a position that seemed unfathomable at the end of October.
DETROIT (AP) — Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus considered taking Justin Fields out of Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Detroit Lions.
In the end, though, he decided to let his young quarterback do what he wanted to do — stay in the game.
ATLANTA (AP) — For the first time in three years, David Blough trotted on the field as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes moved into the rarest of company Sunday, joining Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks with multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons, and the Chiefs overcame another sloppy start to beat the Broncos for the 15th consecutive time and stay alive for the No.
ATLANTA (AP) — The quarterback carousel continues for the Arizona Cardinals, who now turn to David Blough as their fourth option of the season.
While for the Atlanta Falcons, 23-year-old Desmond Ridder is trying to show he deserves to be considered the long-term starter.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Quarterback Justin Fields looks like he'll have a little more protection when the Chicago Bears visit the Detroit Lions on Sunday, with right guard Teven Jenkins and left guard Cody Whitehair expected to return from injuries.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Two weeks after ending the Green Bay Packers’ three-year reign as NFC North champions, the Minnesota Vikings have a chance to give their division rival’s playoff hopes a devastating blow.
With two weeks remaining in the NFL season, only eight teams have been eliminated from the playoff race.
That’s why the league added a 17th game and a third wild-card team last year, plus the revenue gained by another game.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has spoken to the Chicago Bears about the vacancy at the top of the organization and is a candidate to become the team’s next president and CEO, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.