play1:58Pat McAfee bummed by Daniel Jones’ Achilles injuryPat McAfee reacts to Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury and praises Jones for the positive affect he has had on the Colts.
play2:05Should the Steelers and Mike Tomlin want to mutually part ways?The “Get Up” crew discusses whether it’s time for the Steelers and Mike Tomlin to mutually part ways.
Jeremy FowlerCloseJeremy Fowlersenior NFL national reporterJeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.Follow on XDan GrazianoCloseDan Grazianosenior NFL national reporterDan Graziano is a senior NFL national reporter for ESPN, covering the entire league and breaking news. Dan also contributes to Get Up, NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, Sunday NFL Countdown and Fantasy Football Now. He is a New Jersey native who joined ESPN in 2011, and he is also the author of two published novels.Follow on XDec 10, 2025, 06:35 AM ET
Rich Eisen: Colts signing Philip Rivers is a ‘desperate move’ (2:05)Rich Eisen and his crew react to the Colts signing 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers to their practice squad. (2:05)
Pat McAfee bummed by Daniel Jones’ Achilles injuryPat McAfee reacts to Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury and praises Jones for the positive affect he has had on the Colts.
Pat McAfee reacts to Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury and praises Jones for the positive affect he has had on the Colts.
Should the Steelers and Mike Tomlin want to mutually part ways?The “Get Up” crew discusses whether it’s time for the Steelers and Mike Tomlin to mutually part ways.
The “Get Up” crew discusses whether it’s time for the Steelers and Mike Tomlin to mutually part ways.
What are you hearing on how Daniel Jones’ injury could affect free agency and the QB market?
What is one realistic offseason move that could help fix a fallen preseason favorite?
What’s the over/under on open head coaching jobs this offseason?
We’re on to Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been calling sources around the league for the latest news and buzz on key situations.
It’s all here, as our national reporters answer big questions and empty their notebooks heading into Week 15.
Jump to: Jones injury fallout | Moves for falling contenders Open coach jobs | What’s next for Vance Joseph
Graziano: I’ve heard a few theories in the couple of days since Jones injured his Achilles. One is that it makes sense for him to re-sign with the Colts, since they know him and know he can run their offense. He could rehab with them all offseason and hit the ground running whenever he’s cleared. That could be on another one-year deal or maybe a two-year deal with incentives that could make the second year more lucrative if he recovers fully and plays well.
Another is that it would make sense for him to go back to Minnesota, where he finished last season as Sam Darnold’s backup, and rehab there with a staff that knows him and wanted to retain him but couldn’t guarantee him the starting job this past offseason. Either way, the idea of a lucrative, long-term contract extension in Indianapolis (or somewhere else) probably slides to the back burner in light of Jones’ most recent season-ending injury.
So, the injury is a factor, but I’m not so sure it affects his market too much. As you know, Dan, the upcoming free agent class isn’t exactly loaded at quarterback.
Jones is still only 28, so there’s certainly plenty of hope for him to recover and still have a future in the league. But this is also the third season-ending injury of his career, and that history has to be a concern for whichever team is interested in signing him.
Fowler: That’s valid. My sense is Indianapolis will want to see how Jones is progressing in his rehab before deciding. That will help inform the team on how to proceed. If the Colts believe Jones will be a productive starter for them over the next three to four seasons, then perhaps paying him a respectable market deal now will be a discount in two years, instead of haggling over the level of discount required because of the injury.
Jones has been Indy’s most viable quarterback option since Andrew Luck, so the Colts might not be afraid to pay him big. Coaches and teammates there love him. And a few other teams could be facing a quarterback transition — the Browns, Jets and Raiders among them.
Fowler: The Chiefs and Ravens are both teams that need a classic boundary receiver on the outside and could address that with one big move in free agency. George Pickens would be a significant upgrade in Baltimore, and Alec Pierce would satisfy that need in Kansas City, which has been starved for explosive playmaking on the outside since Tyreek Hill was traded after the 2021 season.
Graziano: Running back makes sense for the Chiefs, as does diversifying their WR room. I wonder if missing the playoffs and having a reset forced upon them might not be the worst thing in the world — though I’m sure the Chiefs don’t see it that way.
The Commanders need pass-rush help, linebacker help, secondary help … all of it. I wouldn’t be stunned if they devoted most of their draft resources to the defense, though they don’t have any picks in the second or fourth rounds because of the Laremy Tunsil trade. On offense, Washington is a spot a lot of people have pegged as a potential destination for Brandon Aiyuk, as it’s believed he’d like to team up with former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels.
As for Cincinnati, Dan, the Bengals need everything on defense except maybe a cornerback. Up the middle, there’s a need at every level (defensive line, linebacker, safety).
Graziano: Trey Hendrickson seems certain to be leaving Cincinnati, which hasn’t exactly hit it out of the park with its recent, high-round edge rusher draft picks. The Bengals don’t spend big, but they hit in free agency once upon a time with Hendrickson, and I think they’ll look for a solution along those lines again this offseason.
Graziano: I’ll set it at six, since two (Titans and Giants) are already open and we’re watching for potential change in places such as Las Vegas, Atlanta, Arizona, Miami, Cleveland and Cincinnati. I’m not saying all of those will come open, of course, but it wouldn’t be shocking if three or four of them did.
So, if we’re sliding Miami out of the mix, that means four of the five spots you mentioned above would need to open to reach six. That’s entirely possible, especially with the smoke rising around Raheem Morris in Atlanta. If we’re forecasting potential surprises, what comes to mind? There’s usually at least one.
Graziano: Well, my stock answer to that is always, “If I knew that, it wouldn’t be a surprise!” But you’re right, there does always seem to be one that catches us off guard. I keep getting asked if I think the Steelers or Ravens jobs would come open if either team were to miss the playoffs. I don’t think they will come open, but the market would shake up in a big way if I’m wrong.
Should the Steelers and Mike Tomlin want to mutually part ways?
This week, we dive into Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury and its ramifications, which go beyond the Colts’ playoff chances. How will Jones’ injury affect his free agency and the quarterback market in general? Dan and Jeremy also evaluate several disappointing 2025 teams and the fixes they could make to bounce back next season. And we’re also diving headfirst into the upcoming coaching cycle. How many franchises will be looking for new head coaches, and which coordinator stands out most among the talent pool?
Fowler: The Colts’ brass had quelled the noise with this season’s hot start, Dan, but new owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will evaluate the full body of work. Since a repeat 8-9 season is still on the table, finishing with seven consecutive losses wouldn’t be the best thing for the future tenures of head coach Shane Steichen or general manager Chris Ballard. But I think everyone there recognizes that Indy has built a good team that thrived over the season’s first 10 games — especially Jones, who remains the top free agent quarterback available despite this injury.
If the Colts and Vikings pursue Jones, then he has a nice little market to drive up his demand. But maybe it doesn’t get that far … if Indianapolis puts the franchise or transition tag on Jones. That’s not totally off the table after asking around. Those numbers are projected somewhere between $39 million and $46 million. Either way, getting creative with the contract to cover both sides will be important, but Jones will need security beyond a one-year deal considering how late in the calendar year the Achilles tear occurred.
Both would be costly, and Pickens might be franchise tagged by Dallas. But if available, the Ravens could use some of their $40 million in 2026 cap space on Pickens, knowing John Harbaugh is good at managing big personalities. The Chiefs are much lower on space, sitting at minus-$42.8 million, but cuts are on the way for a team that might look drastically different this time next year. Also, adding an explosive running back such as Breece Hall or Travis Etienne Jr. is worth exploring for Kansas City.
Fowler: The Aiyuk-Washington connection makes a ton of sense. Speaking of the Commanders, it was shocking to me when they didn’t aggressively address pass rusher last offseason. As a result, their sack leader is Dorance Armstrong — who tore his ACL in Week 7 — with 5.5. Plenty of pass rushers should be available in free agency. But Washington could also identify rushers on rookie deals who might want a trade due to inactivity on a contract extension with their current team. The Jaguars’ Travon Walker, Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jets’ Jermaine Johnson are among players on expiring rookie deals who could be 2027 free agents.
So yes, I’m interested to see what the Bengals do on defense. Do they give Al Golden a second year as coordinator, or are we looking at another scheme change? The way they feel their linebackers have improved as the season has progressed makes me think they’ll run it back with Golden and add players he thinks fit his system. I always wonder if the Bengals will get creative with a player-for-player trade and bring in someone like Thibodeaux or Byron Young, who could be available toward the tail end of their rookie deals.