Kansas City Chiefs have listed wide receiver Sammy Watkins as active for Saturday's AFC divisional-round game against the Indianapolis Colts.Meanwhile veteran safety Eric Berry and running back Spencer Ware are inactive.The Chiefs listed Watkins as questionable due to a foot injury after he returned to practice on Tuesday. The wideout hasn't played since the team's Week 11 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Rams.Berry is dealing with a heel injury. He returned to the lineup in Week 15 after being sidelined since Week 1 of the 2017 campaign with a ruptured Achilles, playing two games before sitting out the regular-season finale. Ware missed the final three games of the regular season with a hamstring injury.Watkins' return provides a boost to Kansas City's dynamic passing attack, led by Patrick Mahomes, that already features Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Chris Conley. The Colts finished with the NFL's 10th-ranked scoring defense during the regular season.The 25-year-old recorded 40 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns over 10 games in 2018 after signing a three-year, $48-million contract as a free agent in the offseason.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sarah Thomas is set to make history again.The Mississippi native will become the first woman to ever officiate an NFL playoff game during Sunday's AFC divisional-round game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers. She'll be working as a down judge in referee Ron Torbert's crew, according to Cameron Filipe of Football Zebras.Now in her fourth season, Thomas was the first full-time female official to be hired by the NFL. She was also the first woman to officiate a college bowl game."I've never set out to (be a trailblazer), but I'm telling you it's an honor," Thomas told NFL.com's Judy Battista when she was hired in 2015. "And I'll just say, for anybody, male or female, go and do something because you love it, not because you're wanting to prove somebody wrong or you want recognition for it."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gary Kubiak still has an interest in being an offensive coordinator despite turning down the role with the Denver Broncos, and he is likely to have several suitors, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.The Broncos were linked to their former head coach, who has since served the team as a senior personnel advisor, but after lengthy talks, the two sides were unable to come together on staffing and offensive philosophy.Denver hired defensive mastermind Vic Fangio as its head coach on Thursday and the assumption was Kubiak would handle the offense.Jacksonville fired Nathaniel Hackett in November after the team struggled to score points in 2018. He was the Jaguars' offensive coordinator since 2016.Kubiak is still under contract with the Broncos, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, but the two sides are amicable and the team won't stand in his way to pursue other opportunities.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Saturday's slate features the Indianapolis Colts visiting the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Dallas Cowboys at the Los Angeles Rams. Here are the five best individual player prop bets for those games.Colts QB Andrew Luck over 39.5 pass attempts (-120)It was a get-in and get-out business trip last weekend for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who pushed his team to an early three-touchdown lead in a 21-7 Wild Card Weekend rout of the Houston Texans.Luck recorded 222 yards on 32 pass attempts with two touchdowns through the air. He should be called upon more often on Saturday while trading punches with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. This feels like a good spot to bet the over on all Luck-related props, as he's averaging a whopping 47 pass attempts this season when Indianapolis is an underdog.Chiefs TE Travis Kelce over 84.5 receiving yards (-120)A Colts defense that uses zone coverage more than any other team in the NFL might need to try other looks against the Chiefs. Mahomes has been deadly against zone defenses, completing 64.1 percent of his passes with a 14:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season, according to Rotoworld's Evan Silva.If he tears apart a zone defense again, expect tight end Travis Kelce to stuff the stat sheet. The Colts allowed the most yards per game to tight ends during the regular season, per Football Outsiders.Colts TE Eric Ebron over 4.5 receptions (+120)We came up short on Eric Ebron's reception number last week against the Texans, but let's go right back to the well.Luck should be throwing a lot, and the Chiefs' defense performs well against No. 1 and No. 2 receivers, ranking No. 9 and No. 5, respectively, according to Football Outsiders. However, Kansas City's flaw lies in covering tight ends, as the Chiefs allowed 8.4 catches per game to the position during the regular season.WR Amari Cooper over 67.5 receiving yards (-120)Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been a godsend for the Cowboys' offense since joining the team following a midseason trade. He's given quarterback Dak Prescott a true No. 1 receiver and has recorded 75-plus receiving yards in half of his 10 games with the Cowboys (playoffs included), along with six touchdowns.He has a good matchup against a Rams defense that ranked No. 29 in DVOA against opposing No. 1 wide receivers during the regular season, allowing 82.7 yards per game. The Cowboys will likely be playing from behind as seven-point underdogs, so look for an increase in pass attempts from Prescott and more targets for Cooper.Rams WR Brandin Cooks under 64.5 receiving yards (-120)Rams receiver Brandin Cooks was mired in a mini-slump to close out the regular season, failing to gain more than 62 receiving yards over his final five games after hitting that number in each of the previous five.Saturday's game should be another tough one for the speedy Cooks, who faces a Cowboys defense that ranked No. 6 in DVOA against opposing No. 1 wide receivers during the regular season, and No. 8 in deep-ball DVOA.(All prop bets were taken from Bet365.com. Always shop around for the best numbers available.)Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from 'Rounders' and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Cowboys appear certain Jason Garrett is their head coach of the future.Dallas intends to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Garrett following the team's playoff run, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The extension is expected to be lucrative, per Rapoport, considering he signed a five-year, $30 million contract in 2015.Garrett may have been on the hot seat earlier this season, but he led the Cowboys to victory in seven of their last eight games.The 52-year-old is the sideline boss for a team that won its second NFC East crown in three years and then defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round.Dallas will battle the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional round on Saturday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NFC Divisional Round

Los Angeles Rams star running back Todd Gurley was taken off the team's injury report Thursday and is expected to play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year missed Los Angeles' final two games of the regular season due to a knee injury. He returned to practice in a limited capacity Wednesday.It's unclear if head coach Sean McVay will allow Gurley to play his usual amount of snaps or opt to keep him fresh by using C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 299 yards combined in the two games Gurley missed.In 14 contests this season, Gurley rushed for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding another 580 yards and four scores through the air.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

AFC divisional round

NFC Divisional Round

Antonio Brown took to Instagram on Friday to tease a future explanation for the recent drama surrounding him and the Pittsburgh Steelers."On a serious note, I'm going to address stuff at a later date, deeper details," Brown said in a live video, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "All positivity, all encouraging. That's all it's about, man. My actions will speak louder than my words. My actions speak louder than anything I can ever say."

The Chicago Bears have hired Chuck Pagano as their new defensive coordinator.

The Browns are ironing out a deal with former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks that would make him Cleveland's new defensive coordinator, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.A former defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, Wilks would join the staff being assembled by new Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens.More to come.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There is "no way" the NFL would move the AFC title game if the Los Angeles Chargers host the contest, a team source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.It was previously reported by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that concerns about the Chargers hosting the AFC championship in a 30,000-seat venue could prompt the NFL to relocate the game from Dignity Health Sports Park.The stadium would house the conference title bout only if the fifth-seeded Chargers and sixth-seeded Indianapolis Colts advance past the AFC Divisional Round.If the Chargers end up hosting the AFC Championship Game, La Canfora reported the league has considered moving the contest to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where the Los Angeles Rams play.But the Chargers' contract with AEG requires a home playoff game to be played at the team's home stadium, according to Florio.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fans tuning in to Super Bowl LIII can expect a high-tech viewing experience.CBS announced Wednesday its plans for the Super Bowl broadcast, which will feature "a live, wireless handheld camera showing augmented reality graphics and up-close camera tracking on the field."The network notes this will give viewers "different perspectives and angles, including never-before-seen field-level views of these graphics."CBS will also deploy 16 4K cameras, 28 pylon cameras, and multiple 8K cameras offering "dramatic close-ups" of the action from the end zone.Super Bowl LIII will be held Feb. 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Miami Dolphins are targeting New England Patriots defensive coach Brian Flores for their vacant head coaching position, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The Dolphins completed interviews with in-house candidates Dowell Loggains and Darren Rizzi on Friday but the team is now zeroing in on Flores for the job.Flores has been a member of the Patriots' coaching staff for 11 seasons and spent the past three years specializing with the linebacker unit. He took over defensive play-calling duties after former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia left to become head coach of the Detroit Lions last offseason.The Patriots ranked 21st in total defense this season and seventh in points allowed per game.The Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals are the only teams yet to name a new head coach. The Bengals reportedly want to hire Los Angeles Rams quarterback coach Zac Taylor for their vacancy when L.A.'s postseason is concluded.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gary Kubiak will not be the Denver Broncos' next offensive coordinator, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.The Broncos were linked to their former head coach since the end of the regular season, but after lengthy talks, the two sides were unable to come together on staffing and offensive philosophy, according to Schefter. Both the Broncos and Kubiak will now head in other directions.Denver hired defensive mastermind Vic Fangio as its head coach on Thursday and the assumption was Kubiak would handle the offense. Kubiak was the Broncos' offensive coordinator from 1995 to 2005 and returned in 2015 as head coach. He led the team to a Super Bowl victory in his first season back and retired after the 2016 campaign for health reasons.The impasse stems from Kubiak's desire to bring offensive assistants Rick Dennison and Brian Pariani back with him, Mike Klis of 9News reports. Both were fired upon Kubiak's departure in 2016.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Baltimore Ravens are shaking up their coaching staff, as the team announced Friday that senior offensive assistant and tight ends coach Greg Roman has been promoted to offensive coordinator.Roman will replace Marty Mornhinweg, who coordinated the team's offense for the last three seasons. Despite being asked to remain on the staff in a different role, Harbaugh said Mornhinweg will be moving on, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.The Ravens' offense ranked ninth in the NFL during the regular season. Rookie Lamar Jackson sparked the unit after he took over as starting quarterback.Roman's previous experience as an offensive coordinator came with the Buffalo Bills from 2015-2016, and the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014. He worked with another dual-threat quarterback in San Francisco, coaching Colin Kaepernick for the three most productive campaigns of his career.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas assistant football coach Aaron Feis, one of the 17 people killed in the mass shooting at the Florida high school last February, has been nominated by the Miami Dolphins for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.Feis, who also worked as a security guard at Marjory Stoneman, was killed while shielding students from bullets during the massacre. He was one of 32 nominees the NFL announced on Wednesday.

The Arizona Cardinals officially hired former Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph as their new defensive coordinator on Friday.Joseph spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Broncos, posting an 11-21 record. He coordinated the Miami Dolphins' defense for one season before going to Denver and was a longtime defensive backs coach prior to that.The Cardinals are also close to adding Steve Sarkisian as their offensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Sarkisian held the same role with the Atlanta Falcons for the previous two seasons, and he's had head-coaching jobs at USC and Washington.New Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury noted his desire to install more experienced coaches in coordinator positions when he was introduced in Arizona.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Jets are discussing their vacant defensive coordinator position with former Cleveland Browns interim head coach Gregg Williams, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The two sides are reportedly expected to strike a deal, putting Williams in charge of the defense for incoming head coach Adam Gase.Williams boasts a great deal of experience as a defensive coordinator. He was in that role for the Browns from 2017-18 until his promotion to interim head coach on Oct. 29 following the firing of Hue Jackson.The 60-year-old went 5-3 after taking over for Jackson, but it wasn't enough to keep the job on a permanent basis. He wasn't retained by the Browns when Freddie Kitchens was named their new full-time head coach.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Stanford running back Bryce Love told Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel that he tore his right ACL during the team's final regular-season game.Love will attend the NFL combine but will be limited in his participation. There is no timetable for his return. He is, however, expected to make a full recovery.The former All-American underwent surgery on Dec. 18 and is hoping to be cleared for the 2019 NFL season."I'm very grateful to Dr. Andrews and his team for making the surgery a seamless process," Love said in a statement to Yahoo Sports. "Obviously, there's no such thing as an ideal injury, but I'm on the path to recovery, and my goal remains the same - getting drafted by an NFL team and being the ultimate professional. I'll be back better than I’ve ever been."Love suffered the injury during the fourth quarter against California on Dec. 1. He didn't participate in Stanford's Sun Bowl victory over Pittsburgh in order to focus on his health ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft.The star ball-carrier ranks fourth on the Cardinal's all-time rushing yards list. Love's junior season was one to remember, as he totaled 2,151 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was among four Alabama standouts to declare on Friday for the 2019 NFL Draft, according to Michael Casagrande of AL.comOffensive tackle Jonah Williams, running back Josh Jacobs, and tight end Irv Smith Jr. also announced their decisions to turn pro early.Quinnen Williams and Jonah Williams are both expected to be early first-round picks, while the other two project as mid-round selections.In 2018, Quinnen Williams emerged as one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in college football. He finished the season with 71 tackles and eight sacks, and won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman.Jonah Williams was a unanimous All-American selection after an excellent campaign at left tackle as a junior. He earned two first-team All-SEC nods over three years at Alabama.Jacobs leaves the school after a career year when he posted 640 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as part of a crowded Crimson Tide backfield. The three-star recruit was one of the stars of Alabama's national semifinal victory over Oklahoma.Smith recorded 44 receptions for 710 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell announced Thursday that he will enter the 2019 NFL Draft, where he is projected to be a first-round pick.Ferrell was named a first-team All-American and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year this season after leading Clemson with 11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss as a redshirt junior. He also won the Ted Hendricks Award, presented to the best defensive end in the country.The 21-year-old was a key piece of the Tigers' dominant defense, which helped propel the team to two national titles in three years.Ferrell joins fellow Clemson defensive linemen Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and Austin Bryant in the draft. Wilkins and Lawrence are also expected to be first-round selections.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's important to remember these articles are not intended to be tiers for drafting. You can view our complete 2019 running back rankings here.2018 Fantasy reviews

The NFL is a copycat league, and this year's big trend appears to be finding a coach connected to Los Angeles Rams boss Sean McVay.The reigning NFL Coach of the Year's offensive coordinator from 2017 - Matt LaFleur - landed with the Green Bay Packers, the Arizona Cardinals hired McVay's friend Kliff Kingsbury - using McVay's endorsement to hype the hiring - while Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor is reportedly the Cincinnati Bengals' top target.McVay said Thursday he was flattered by teams' interest in finding the next version of him, but attributed the hype to the overall success of Los Angeles rather than his own talents."I think, really, what it is more than anything else is, it's a reflection of our organizational success over the last couple years," McVay said Thursday, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. "I think it's certainly flattering. It's extremely humbling to even be mentioned in that."But I know this: The reason that people are saying those types of things is because the Rams have had success. I know the Rams are having success because we've got great players. We’ve got a great coaching staff, and we've got a lot of people that are working in the same direction. I think that's key for continuity in anything that you do. But it certainly is very flattering, and it's a reflection of the Rams' success."McVay is looking for his first playoff win Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys after being bounced in the wild-card round last year.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Cincinnati Bengals want to hire Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor as their new head coach once the Rams finish their playoff run, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.Teams can't hire coaches from playoff teams until their teams are eliminated.If hired, Taylor will be the second coach who's worked under Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay to earn a top job in this coaching cycle; Matt LaFleur already landed with the Green Bay Packers.The 35-year-old Taylor would also become the second-youngest head coach in the league after McVay.Taylor has received interest around the league and also interviewed with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals after helping Rams quarterback Jared Goff turn things around following a poor rookie season in 2016.Before joining the Rams as an assistant wide receiver coach in 2017, Taylor was the offensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati.The Bengals mutually parted ways with Marvin Lewis in December after 16 seasons.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II said the team won't release Antonio Brown, but "all other options are on the table" for the star receiver's future, according to Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Rooney added that it was "hard to envision" Brown still being with the team when training camp opens in July."There's not much we can do right now; we have time to make a decision," Rooney said Thursday. "We'll look at all the options. We're not going to release him, that's not on the table. But I will say all other options are on the table."Whether the situation can be reconciled and have him back on the team next year, we're a long way away from thinking that can happen. We're not closing the door on anything at this point."The perennial All-Pro skipped practices and meetings ahead of Pittsburgh's crucial regular-season finale and was ultimately benched for the game. His absence reportedly followed a heated dispute with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.Brown seemingly knew of the owner's comments; he posted a picture of himself and Rooney on Instagram along with the vague caption: "Good business #Boomin."

The Jacksonville Jaguars are apparently mending fences with running back Leonard Fournette.Jaguars executive vice president Tom Coughlin and the rest of the team's brass met with the fourth overall pick of the 2017 draft on Thursday to clear the air and move forward together for 2019, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who added that it supposedly "went well for both sides."The Jaguars reportedly voided the remaining guaranteed money in Fournette's contract in late December after he served a one-game suspension for a fight with Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson. That move came after Coughlin called out Fournette and fellow running back T.J. Yeldon for "disrespectful, selfish" behavior in the Jaguars' season finale, during which the pair sat alone together at the end of the team's bench.Fournette struggled mightily in 2018 while being limited to just eight games due to the suspension and injuries. He rushed 133 times for 439 yards and five touchdowns while adding 22 receptions for 185 yards and another score through the air.He'll turn 24 later in January and will carry a cap hit of more than $7.4 million in the third year of his rookie contract. That number's set to increase to $8.6 million in 2020.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is looking forward to having Adam Gase on board as the team's new head coach."I couldn't be more excited about this, to be honest with you," Darnold told the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta. "I'm really pumped about this opportunity to be with Coach Gase... with his mind and ability to lead a team. He's a good dude. The excitement and the passion that he has for the game is very contagious. I think that will rub off on a lot of the guys... I'm super pumped about this whole thing and couldn't be more stoked for the opportunity."Gase will reportedly be named the Jets' next sideline boss, replacing Todd Bowles. The Miami Dolphins dismissed Gase after the team finished with a 7-9 record in 2018.The coach's relationship with Darnold, both on and off the field, will be important for his success in New York. It appears the two are off to a good start, as the rookie signal-caller was impressed with Gase's resume."The reason that I'm so pumped is that I know - and I'm confident - that we're going to score a lot of points," Darnold said. "And at the end of the day, that's how you win games. Obviously, people say offense wins games, defenses win championships. But I think at the end of the day, if you score more points than the other team, you're going to win.""His mind for football and offense in general is amazing," he added. "I still have a lot to learn... I felt like I learned a ton and I feel I'm just going to continue to grow especially with Adam... I have the utmost confidence in myself to be able to grow as a player. I have the utmost confidence in this team to be able to grow as a unit and to see how far we can take this thing."Gase will be tasked with leading the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The team finished fourth in the AFC East in four of the last five years.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Yankees will have a Super Bowl winner at camp when spring training begins in February.Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will report to the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Fla. for spring training, his agent told MLB Network's Jon Morosi on Thursday.Wilson, 30, attended spring training with the Yankees last year, even briefly factoring into a game to take one at-bat - a five-pitch strikeout against Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried.Wilson was drafted twice by MLB clubs - the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 and the Colorado Rockies in 2011 - but he ultimately decided to pursue a career in the NFL, and went to the Seattle Seahawks 75th overall in 2012.In 2013, the Texas Rangers acquired Wilson's rights from the Rockies via the Rule 5 Draft. Prior to the 2018 season, Wilson's rights were traded to the Yankees - his and his father's favorite team.The Seahawks were eliminated from the NFL playoffs Saturday after losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC wild-card game.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury sees a number of positive qualities in quarterback Josh Rosen.In an appearance on "Good Morning Football" on Thursday, Kingsbury outlined why Rosen made the Cardinals' vacancy appealing."I think (Rosen's) an extremely talented thrower of the football," Kingsbury said. "You watch him cut it loose, he can throw with anybody. (He's a) very cerebral young man, and competitive - ultracompetitive."Arizona struggled mightily during the 2018 season, finishing with a 3-13 record in Rosen's rookie campaign. The team's new head coach believes Rosen's resiliency is promising."I think this year, it was rough at times towards the end," he said. "He took a bunch of hits and big shots, and kept getting up, which is something that's exciting to see as a coach - that he'll continue to fight and continue to play hard for his teammates."The Cardinals hired Kingsbury on Tuesday after he briefly joined USC as offensive coordinator. Texas Tech fired him in November following six seasons as head coach.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn't involved in the Green Bay Packers' search for a new head coach, but a call he made to Matt LaFleur hours before the team offered him the job may have tipped the organization's hand."That's kind of how I had an idea that maybe I was in the running for it," LaFleur said, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.The 39-year-old LaFleur takes over for interim head coach Joe Philbin following the mid-season firing of Mike McCarthy.After previously working as an offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams, and a quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins, LaFleur says he's excited to coach Rodgers given all he's achieved over his 14 years in the league."The conversation went great," LaFleur said. "I can tell he's a passionate guy, and he wants to win. And I think that holds true for me as well. So I think we're in alignment there because, like I said before, this game is about winning. I know that he wants to add to his legacy, and the only way we're going to accomplish that is to win a world championship."Rodgers posted one of his worst statistical seasons in 2018, a year when the two-time MVP still completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 4,442 yards and 25 touchdowns, all while tossing only two interceptions. He added 269 yards and two scores on the ground, even though the 35-year-old battled through a knee injury for much of the season.Rodgers signed a four-year, $134-million contract during the 2018 offseason to become the NFL's highest-paid player annually.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Oakland Athletics expect reigning Heisman Trophy winner and Athletics draft pick Kyler Murray to declare Sunday for the upcoming NFL draft, multiple sources told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.Murray, an outfielder on the diamond, is due to report to spring training in Arizona on Feb. 15 - almost two weeks before the NFL's scouting combine takes place.It's still unclear if Murray will be at the combine, but a source told Slusser he's leaning toward football and that the A's might consider allowing their first-round selection to attend.Should he elect to play football over baseball, Murray would forfeit the entire $4.66-million signing bonus he received after the Athletics drafted him ninth overall this past June.Oakland would hold Murray's baseball rights in the event he returned to the sport but won't receive a compensatory pick in the 2019 draft if he chooses football, according to Slusser.Declaring for the draft would not affect Murray's bonus with the Athletics as he could still return to them; a source told Slusser there's "no harm" in looking at the NFL.Although Murray's agent, Scott Boras, said the 21-year-old was committed to Oakland immediately after he won the Heisman, questions about Murray's future in baseball have grown louder in recent weeks.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Adam Gase is reportedly the new coach of the New York Jets, but it appears he wasn't the team's first option.Baylor head coach Matt Rhule was New York's preferred choice but talks fell apart due to his desire to build his own coaching staff, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports it's not clear if the Jets actually offered the job to Rhule, but confirmed staff issues led to him being eliminated from contention.Rhule's Bears won just one game in his first season but the 43-year-old cemented his place among the hottest young head coaching candidates by guiding them to a seven-win campaign and a bowl victory in 2018.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Linebacker Thomas Davis will not be on the Carolina Panthers' roster when next season kicks off.Davis released a video Wednesday saying the Panthers informed him they are "(going) in a different direction" with the linebacker position. He vowed not to retire and says he will look for a new team to play for in 2019.

The New York Jets are expected to name Adam Gase as their head coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.The Miami Dolphins dismissed Gase after going 7-9 during the 2018 regular season.New York conducted interviews with newly-hired Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, and former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell for the position. Baylor head coach Matt Rhule was also reportedly linked to the job.Gase went 23-25 during his three seasons as head coach of the Dolphins, beating the Jets in five of their six meetings.His previous experience includes a brief stint as the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears in 2014, as well as the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator in 2013 when Peyton Manning threw a record-setting 55 passing touchdowns in a single season.Quarterback Sam Darnold supported the decision to hire Gase, according to NFL.com's Tom Pelissero.Dowell Loggains is expected to be named as an offensive assistant with the Jets, sources told ESPN's Jeff Darlington. Loggains was the Dolphins' offensive coordinator during the 2018 season.Former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph is a strong possibility for Gase's defensive coordinator, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.The Jets fired Todd Bowles on Dec. 30 after going 24-40 in four campaigns at the helm. The team hasn't had a winning season since 2015.The Cincinnati Bengals and the Dolphins remain the only teams yet to name their head coach for the 2019 season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sean Payton knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl, and the New Orleans Saints head coach used a unique stunt Wednesday to get his players focused ahead of Sunday's divisional round.Payton, along with four armed guards, wheeled the Lombardi Trophy and $225,000 into the team's locker room, running back Mark Ingram confirmed to Fletcher Mackel of WDSU News."Y'all want this? Win three f------ games," Payton told his players, according to Ingram.Saints players can earn a $225,000 bonus if they win the Super Bowl.Positioned as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, New Orleans is looking to add its second title of the Payton-Drew Brees era after being stunned by the "Minneapolis Miracle" in last year's postseason.The Saints will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday for the right to play in the NFC Championship Game. New Orleans blew out the reigning champions 48-7 during the regular season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis announced Wednesday he will return for his senior season and not enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast hosted by Justin Boone and David P. Woods.Find the show on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and Anchor.In this episode, Boone and Woods are joined by theScore's Dane Belbeck to discuss the recent coaching hires and the top prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft.Topics include:

The Arizona Cardinals surprised the NFL and hired Kliff Kingsbury as their head coach with the development of quarterback Josh Rosen a key concern."It is a quarterback-driven league," general manager Steve Keim acknowledged Wednesday during Kingsbury's introductory press conference. "The way he's developed a lot of young quarterbacks ... was certainly a plus."Kingsbury joined Arizona just 34 days after taking the offensive coordinator job at USC. He was coming off a six-year stint as head coach at Texas Tech, where he compiled a 35-40 record.Those underwhelming results didn't deter the Cardinals, who were determined to find an innovative offensive mind to push the franchise forward."Offense, overall, is the direction this league has gone," owner Michael Bidwill said.In the desert, Kingsbury will be tasked with developing Rosen into Arizona's franchise quarterback. Last year's 10th overall pick had the worst passer rating in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks in 2018, threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and was sacked 45 times."Josh Rosen is incredibly talented and one of the most talented throwers you'll see," said Kingsbury. "A young player that I'm excited to work with and develop. As a pure thrower, it's hard to find a guy that throws it better."The 39-year-old coach worked with eventual NFL quarterbacks Case Keenum, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Davis Webb, and Patrick Mahomes during his NCAA career. None of them came to him as a highly-ranked college recruit.Kingsbury plans to hire an offensive coordinator but will call plays, while the Cardinals will go fishing for a veteran defensive coordinator to pair with their new head coach.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Virginia State Police trooper who pulled Adrian Peterson over for speeding in November joked in court Tuesday that she would've let it slide if the Washington Redskins were playing better.Peterson was cited for reckless driving after being clocked going 78 mph in a 55-mph zone on Nov. 27. The misdemeanor reckless driving charge was reduced to speeding, and Peterson was ordered to pay a $250 fine, according to A.J. Perez of USA TODAY Sports."If the Redskins were winning, I wouldn't have written a ticket," trooper K.M. Freeman joked to a bailiff during a recess at Loudoun County General District Court.Washington had a 6-5 record at the time of the incident. The team finished the season 7-9, missing the playoffs for the third straight year.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Brandon Mebane intends to play in the AFC divisional round on Sunday, days after the death of his infant daughter.Makenna Mebane, who was born prematurely in November, died Jan. 3. She was born with trisomy 13, a rare chromosome disorder."She wasn't getting better so we had to make a decision," Mebane told reporters Wednesday, according to Charlotte Carroll of Sports Illustrated. "She kept having bleeds from the stomach, and then when they tried to feed her, it wasn't good for her liver."Mebane was absent Wild Card Weekend when the Chargers defeated the Baltimore Ravens. Los Angeles is slated to face the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon.

Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence announced Wednesday he'll forgo his senior season and enter the 2019 NFL Draft, in which he's widely projected to be a first-round pick.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Todd Bowles as defensive coordinator Wednesday after working out off-set language on his remaining contract with the New York Jets, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.Bowles had reportedly received interest from the Chicago Bears for the same role. He was fired as Jets head coach in late December.He'll once again work under head coach Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay. Bowles was Arians' defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-14 before being hired by the Jets.Arizona's defense ranked seventh and fifth in points allowed per game in 2013 and 2014, respectively.Only the Oakland Raiders allowed more than the Buccaneers' 29.0 points per game in 2018.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Stefanski is returning to the Minnesota Vikings as offensive coordinator, the team announced.Stefanski was reportedly a finalist for the Cleveland Browns' head coaching job, along with Freddie Kitchens, who won the job.The 36-year-old Stefanski began the season as the Vikings quarterbacks coach but was promoted to offensive coordinator after John DeFilippo was fired late in the campaign.Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer said at the end of the season he wants a more balanced offensive attack in 2019. The Vikings ranked 30th in rushing this season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bruce Arians is willing to overlook quarterback Jameis Winston's past - which includes a three-game suspension at the start of the 2018 season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy - and build the team around him."I've known him for a long time. We all make mistakes. He's made his, I've made mine," Arians said on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday. "I feel like I've got a great feel for him, his excitement for the game."His willingness to work is unbelievable. He's in the office at 5 o'clock in the morning. I have no qualms about that. ... The whole thing is going to be built around him."The No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 14,628 yards and 88 touchdowns with 58 interceptions over 56 games. He's added nine total scores on the ground, six of which came during his Pro-Bowl rookie campaign.Winston will carry a cap hit of $20.9 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal in 2019.Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, who'll turn 37 in 2019 and made seven starts this season, will become a free agent at the end of the league year in March.With h/t to The AthleticCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Denver Broncos hired Vic Fangio as their new head coach Wednesday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Dan Graziano. The deal runs for four years and includes a fifth-year team option.This will be Fangio's first head coaching job in either the NFL or the college level. He replaces Vance Joseph, who went 11-21 over the past two seasons with the Broncos.Former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak will become the team's offensive coordinator, as first reported by Schefter and later confirmed by Mike Klis of 9News. He was the Broncos head coach from 2015-16 and served as a senior personnel advisor the past two campaigns.The 60-year-old Fangio spent the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears and led the league's No. 1 scoring defense in 2018. His unit also ranked first in rushing yards allowed per game and seventh in passing yards allowed.Fangio's previous experience includes four years as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, and prior stints with the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints.The Broncos haven't made the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 under Kubiak. They went just 6-10 in 2018 with the league's 13th-ranked defense and 24th-ranked offense.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Todd Bowles remains a wanted man around the league.The former New York Jets head coach is being considered as an option to replace Vic Fangio as Chicago Bears defensive coordinator and hasn't yet signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Reports emerged Tuesday that Bowles would be joining new head coach Bruce Arians' staff in Tampa Bay.Bowles has ties to Matt Nagy as the Bears head coach's father taught Bowles in high school, Schefter notes.Fangio, who led the Bears' No. 1 scoring defense in 2018, was reportedly hired as Denver Broncos head coach Wednesday.Bowles worked under Arians as Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014 before being hired as Jets head coach.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Cleveland Browns relieved former defensive coordinator and interim head coach Gregg Williams of his duties on Wednesday, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano.The decision to part ways with Williams came on the same day that Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens was reportedly promoted to become the team's new head coach.Williams had been with Cleveland since 2017. He led the team to a 5-3 record as the interim head coach in the second half of the 2018 season after replacing Hue Jackson, as the Browns finished third in the AFC North at 7-8-1. It was their highest win total since 2014 and their best finish in the division since 2010.However, the defense ranked just 21st in points allowed during 2018 and gave up more total yards than all but two other teams.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.