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On paper, the New England Patriots find themselves in the exact same position they were in a year ago, coming off a 4-13 season that was good for last place in the AFC East. However, unlike last year, there are some glimmers of hope that the organization will soon drag itself out of the NFL’s basement.

The Patriots have seemingly found their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, and have now paired him with head coach Mike Vrabel after moving on from Jerod Mayo after one season. That coach-quarterback duo has the promise of getting New England back into contention, but this offseason will be critical in that endeavor as there is plenty to be done to increase the talent across the roster. Luckily for the Pats, they enter this offseason armed with the most amount of cap space in the entire NFL and have the No. 4 overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft in their quiver as well. So, the tools are there to vastly improve the team, but now it’s time for Vrabel and the front office to execute.

As we await the unofficial start to free agency with the legal tampering window opening on March 10, let’s take an overall look at the Patriots and where they stand entering this key period on the calendar.

Patriots free agency lookahead
Unrestricted free agents: Jonathan Jones (CB), Jacoby Brissett (QB), Deatrich Wise Jr. (EDGE), Chukwuma Okorafor (OT), Sione Takitaki (LB), Austin Hooper (TE), Daniel Ekuale (IDL), JaMycal Hasty (RB), Jaylinn Hawkins (S), Oshane Ximines (EDGE)

Projected cap space: $128,071,728

Team needs: OT, WR, EDGE, CB, DT, IOL, LB, RB

Key free agents
Jonathan Jones: Jones has been with the Patriots since the club signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn in 2016. He’s helped the organization to two Super Bowl titles over that tenure, serving as a solid figure in the secondary. He started 14 of his 17 games played last season and totaled 58 tackles and six pass breakups. Jones (or any free agent the Patriots currently have) shouldn’t be too costly to retain, but it could come down to whether or not New England wants to inject more youth into the position with the veteran set to turn 32 over the first month of the 2025 campaign.

Jacoby Brissett: Brissett began the year as the Patriots starting quarterback, getting the nod in the first five games of the season before ultimately giving way to Maye. Brissett is a serviceable backup, who has 53 starts under his belt over the course of his career. That said, New England does have Joe Milton III currently on the roster and he could prove to be the backup to Maye in 2025, especially after a promising showing in Week 18. If Milton is traded, however, that possibly paves the way for Brissett to stay in Foxborough.

Austin Hooper: Hooper could end up being one of the free agents who sign elsewhere this offseason with the tight end market across the league pretty thin. The veteran is set to enter his 10th season in the league and was one of the few solid contributors in New England’s passing game in 2024. He caught 45 of his 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns. His receiving yard totals were his highest since his Pro Bowl season in 2019.

Deatrich Wise Jr.: Wise, a team captain, has spoken about his desire to stay with the Patriots, but it will be interesting to see how he possibly fits in the new defensive scheme run by new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. Wise, who’ll turn 31 in July, has spent his entire career with the Patriots since he was drafted by the club in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Arkansas.

2025 NFL mock draft: Abdul Carter goes No. 1 despite foot injury; Jayden Daniels gets new weapon in pass game
Josh Edwards
2025 NFL mock draft: Abdul Carter goes No. 1 despite foot injury; Jayden Daniels gets new weapon in pass game
How does New England spend its money?
As we mentioned, the Patriots have by far the most cap space in the entire league at $128 million. For reference, the next-highest team is the Las Vegas Raiders, who currently clock in with $96.7 million in available space. This is a great place to be if you’re New England, which has an array of needs across the roster. Luckily, quarterback isn’t one of them, and have Drake Maye currently playing on his rookie deal, which should drive the franchise to spend aggressively around him. While there is money to spend, the question is how they’ll ultimately use it.

The obvious candidate to throw a bag of cash at is wideout Tee Higgins. The Patriots have been starved of a top-tier wideout and Higgins could be the closest they get to securing one, but he will cost a pretty penny. Of course, there’s the question of whether or not Higgins will even be available to the Patriots when free agency unfolds as the Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly been working to keep him and could possibly deploy the franchise tag.

There’s also the recent report from The Athletic, that New England isn’t going to pursue Higgins altogether, and instead focus on bolstering both lines.

If Higgins is off the board or not pursued, Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs and Marquise Brown are a handful of potential free agent receivers who could be on the market, but none command the sizable contract that Higgins will.

Elsewhere, offensive tackle is a massive need. The Patriots could use the No. 4 overall pick to address it, but one could make the argument that they need to double dip, finding a left tackle and a right tackle. Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley is atop the tackle free agent market, along with Minnesota’s Cam Robinson and Alaric Jackson of the Rams.

Another need for the Patriots comes on the defensive side of the ball at edge rusher. New England had the fourth-lowest pressure rate in the league last season, so it’d be wise for the club to look for some top-tier talent at that position. Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat is the top pass rusher on the market.

Trade possibilities
While free agency is largely about simply signing players on the open market, it’s also a window where trades are prevalent. In that spirit, here’s a look at a trio of players who have been in trade rumors and their possible fit in New England.

Cooper Kupp: The Rams have told Kupp that they are looking to trade him this offseason, and the former Super Bowl MVP could be an ideal weapon for Drake Maye. While Kupp may not be a long-term answer as he’ll turn 32 in June, he would be New England’s top receiver upon arrival. The Patriots saw firsthand that Kupp still has fuel left in the tank as he went off for 106 yards and two touchdowns against them last season. He’d also bring a level of gravitas that has been missing in the room since Julian Edelman’s retirement.

Deebo Samuel: The 49ers have permitted Samuel to seek a trade, and could be looked at similarly to Kupp from a Patriots standpoint. He’d certainly be a versatile weapon in Josh McDaniels’ offense, similar to how he’s been used in San Francisco as a receiver while also lining up in the backfield. The key concern with Samuel and his fit with the Patriots (or any team) is his durability.

Myles Garrett: Garrett, who requested a trade from the Browns earlier this offseason, would be a massive splash for the Patriots. The former Defensive Player of the Year would immediately become the face of the unit alongside ascending corner Christian Gonzalez. Given Mike Vrabel coming from the defensive side of the ball and also working with the Browns as a consultant last season, there is a connection to Garrett to at least toss this trade idea around. While inserting Garrett into this defense would be seismic, it’d also cost a pretty penny, likely in the form of multiple first-round picks.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of the most dominant Super Bowl runs in recent memory, crushing the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and ending Kansas City’s chances at a three-peat. There’s no rest for the weary, as the Eagles are preparing for a monumental offseason two weeks after their Super Bowl win.

Philadelphia has a lot of talent on its roster, but also has good players hitting the free agent market. The Eagles can’t re-sign them all, making the offseason more intriguing as general manager Howie Roseman will have to get creative in managing the team’s cap space. Don’t expect Roseman to have his typical offseason, even if he’ll continue to be aggressive in making the roster better.

“We have a lot of guys who I think are in the prime of their careers under long-term contracts, who are kind of in this 26-, 27-, 28-year old-range, and so really we have to do whatever we can to make sure that we keep this window open for as long as possible,” Roseman said at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. “The most important season — this one coming up, 2025 — and doing whatever we can to maximize that, but we have to get creative to make sure that we’re keeping as many of our good players as we can.

“I sat up here last year and I said that’s going to include playing young players, and I think that’s going to be a huge part of what we are going forward because we’re fortunate enough to have a lot of good players who are making a lot of money.”

As the Eagles head into another crucial offseason, let’s take a look at what they are up against heading into free agency:

Eagles free agency lookahead
Unrestricted free agents: Josh Sweat (EDGE), Brandon Graham (EDGE), Zack Baun (LB), Mekhi Becton (G), Avonte Maddox (CB), Milton Williams (IDL), Rick Lovato (LS), Le’Raven Clark (RT), C.J. Uzomah (TE), Fred Johnson (T), Jack Driscoll (RT), Nick Gates (C), Parris Campbell (WR), Oren Burks (LB), Kenneth Gainwell (RB)

Projected cap space: $22,375,816

Team needs: EDGE, LB, WR, G

Key free agents
Josh Sweat: Sweat performed in the final year of his contract, finishing with 54 pressures and 8.0 sacks for the Eagles. He also finished with 15 quarterback hits and a career-high 14.1% pressure rate. Sweat had 12 pressures and 2.5 sacks in the playoffs, having seven pressures and 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LIX. Sweat likely outperformed his previous contract with the Eagles, and should cash in this offseason as one of the best pass rushers available.

Zack Baun: Baun signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Eagles last March and moved to inside linebacker after defensive coordinator Vic Fangio thought he would be a good fit at a new position. He rewarded the Eagles with an All-Pro season, finishing with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four passes defended and an interception in 16 games. He upped his game in the postseason, finishing with 33 tackles, three passes defended, a forced fumble and two interceptions — including one in the Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Baun is the first player since tackles became an official statistic in 1987 to have 150+ tackles and five+ forced fumbles in a season. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist will be getting a major raise for the 2025 season and beyond, as one of the top free agents available.

Mekhi Becton: Signing a one-year contract last offseason, the Eagles moved Becton to guard and he became a force on the offensive line. Becton admitted he’d rather play guard for the Eagles or his next team, as he allowed three sacks and 22 pressures this season at guard (5.2% pressure rate allowed per dropback). He allowed three sacks and eight pressures in the playoffs (7.2% pressure rate allowed per dropback). There’s a strong chance Becton returns to the Eagles, as he hinted at a possible return and many of his teammates would like him back.

Milton Williams: One of the Eagles’ best pass rushers, Williams netted a career-high 40 pressures to go with five sacks in 2024. He had a team-high 14.8% pressure rate to go with 10 quarterback hits. In the postseason, Williams posted 14 pressures, two sacks, two batted passes and a 12.7% pressure rate. Williams will be hard to retain this offseason, as he wants a pay bump but also indicated he would return to Philadelphia if the price is right.

What could happen
The Eagles will have to replenish the pass rush, as it appears unlikely Sweat and Williams will be back. Philadelphia is also awaiting the final decision on Graham, who has stated in the past that last season was his final one in the NFL (Graham did leave a door open to a potential return).

If Sweat and Williams depart, that leaves Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt and Bryce Huff as the lone pass rushers on the active roster. The Eagles will have to make a decision on Huff as well, as he was inactive for the Super Bowl as a healthy scratch — the first year of a three-year, $51 million deal. There’s no way the Eagles can release Huff without suffering a dead cap hit of at least $12 million, so he may still be around.

The Eagles are likely to bring Becton back into the fold, even if Philadelphia has Tyler Steen to replace Becton at right guard should he depart.

The biggest decision will be with Baun, as the franchise historically hasn’t paid a linebacker under Roseman (or even prior to him). Baun is a crucial part of Vic Fangio’s defense and one of the best off-ball linebackers in the game. The Eagles will be thin at off-ball linebacker if they re-sign Baun or not, as Oren Burks is a free agent and Nakobe Dean is rehabbing from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee (Dean expects to be back by Week 1). Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the only off-ball linebacker remaining on the active roster, so bringing back Baun is paramount.

If the Eagles bring back two of the four of the key free agents, credit goes to Roseman for keeping important players intact.

2025 NFL mock draft: Abdul Carter goes No. 1 despite foot injury; Jayden Daniels gets new weapon in pass game
Josh Edwards
2025 NFL mock draft: Abdul Carter goes No. 1 despite foot injury; Jayden Daniels gets new weapon in pass game
Other free agents Eagles need to make decision on
Oren Burks had a successful year with the Eagles, especially during the playoffs when he filled in for Dean. Burks ended up with 24 tackles and a sack in the playoffs, also having a 79.2 passer rating allowed in coverage when he was the primary defender. Burks is likely seeking a multi-year deal after signing one-year deals with different teams in consecutive years. The Eagles will need off-ball linebacker depth, and can solve that problem by re-signing Burks — who has also proven he can start in the league.

Kenneth Gainwell is a running back Nick Sirianni likes, but the Eagles have money tied into Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley is ready for an expanded role in his second season. Gainwell had 290 rushing yards and averaged 3.9 yards per carry in the regular season, which will make it interesting to see what his market will be. The Eagles could bring Gainwell back or find a replacement later in the draft.

Myles Garrett trade?
Howie Roseman didn’t shut down a potential pursuit of Garrett, but he was also realistic regarding this offseason and the free agents the Eagles have to retain.

“I’m not going to talk about anyone under contract with another team,” Roseman said. “One thing I can promise our fans is that there will not be a player that’s available that we won’t study, that we won’t look at and see if we can help the team.”

“Sometimes those opportunities work. And sometimes they don’t.”

Garrett would solve a significant problem with the Eagles pass rush, giving the Eagles a No. 1 pass rusher to pair with Nolan Smith and a dominant player on the edge to work with Jalen Carter in the middle of the defensive line. The Eagles would have to trade multiple first-round picks and a player to get into the conversation of acquiring a player of Garrett’s caliber, and the No. 32 pick isn’t as valuable as other first-round picks in 2025.

Acquiring Garrett is a long shot, but never rule the Eagles out of the sweepstakes. They are in their contention window, and Garrett would be a major piece toward a repeat. Keep in mind the Cleveland Browns still have no desire to trade Garrett, but it’s also early in the offseason.

How free agency unfolds will affect whether the Eagles make a serious pursuit of Garrett or not.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have already started renovations to EverBank Stadium as they transform it into the “Stadium of the Future.” During the renovations, the Jaguars will have to leave Jacksonville for one season and play in a temporary stadium.

That season will be in 2027, as the Jaguars provided an update on a temporary home.

“We’re probably within 30 to 45 days from submitting a report to the National Football League, which will summarize our evaluation of all the alternatives,” said Jaguars president James Lamping at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, via a team transcript. “We’ll also include a recommendation.”

Where will the Jaguars play? The team is considering either Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville or Camping World Stadium in Orlando as a temporary home.

Orlando is two hours (141 miles) away from Jacksonville. Camping World Stadium has hosted Pro Bowls and underwent a major reconstruction in 2014, holding 60,219 people. The facility would be more accommodating for visiting teams as well.

Gainesville is about 90 minutes away (72 miles away) from Jacksonville, but the facilities for visiting teams could be more difficult. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the home of the Florida Gators, as college facilities are significantly different than what players are accustomed to. The stadium holds 88,548.

If the Jaguars choose Gainesville, they certainly wouldn’t be the first team to play a season in a college stadium. The Minnesota Vikings played two seasons (2014 and 2015) at Huntington Bank Stadium (University of Minnesota) while U.S. Bank Stadium was being built. The Chicago Bears played one season at Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois) in 2002 while Soldier Field was being renovated and the Seattle Seahawks played the 2000 and 2001 seasons at Husky Stadium (University of Washington) while Lumen Field was being constructed.

Fleming pointed out three quarters of the owners have to approve on the site, which will either be Orlando or Gainesville.

“The approval process for a temporary stadium is the exact same as extending a lease,” Fleming said. “So, we not only have to have the league approval, committee’s approval, but also 75% of NFL owners agree.”

Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

I hope you don’t have any plans tonight, but if you do, you might want to go ahead and cancel them because we have a huge Thursday night game: Commanders at Eagles. Please make sure to enjoy this game, because we have the Browns coming up next Thursday and I’m guessing that won’t be as enjoyable.

Of course, we’ve got a preview of tonight’s game coming in today’s newsletter, plus we have some playoff projections and we’ll be breaking down the latest comments from Deion Sanders, who might be bringing some drama to the 2025 NFL Draft. As a fan of drama, I’m all for it.

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter or you can tell people you run into at the grocery store. That also works. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.

1. Thursday night preview: Picks and best bets for Commanders at Eagles
   jalen-hurts-eagles-usatsi.jpg
   USATSI
   The Washington Commanders (7-3) have been the biggest surprise in the NFL this year and they’ll have a chance to take over first place in the NFC East on Thursday night if they can go into Philadelphia and knock off the Eagles (7-2).

Here’s one reason why each team should be feeling confident:

Why the Commanders can win: Although the Eagles have one of the best defenses in the NFL — they’ve given up the second-fewest yards per game (274.1) this year and sixth fewest points per game (17.9) — that shouldn’t intimidate the Commanders. The Eagles have only played two teams that currently have a winning record (Atlanta and Green Bay) and those two teams had a lot of offensive success against Philly, averaging 399.5 yard 25.5 points per game. Basically, with the way Jayden Daniels has this offense playing, it won’t be surprising if Washington has some offensive success. The key will be for the Commanders to get their rushing attack going: Washington is 6-0 this year when they rush for at least 140 yards, but 1-3 when they don’t.
Why the Eagles can win: The Commanders are surrendering an average of 142.7 rushing yards per game this year, which is the fifth-worst number in the NFL. The Eagles have the perfect weapon to take advantage of a bad run defense and that weapon is Saquon Barkley, who is currently second in the NFL with 991 rushing yards. This feels like a spot where Barkley would have a big game, but if the Commanders go all in to stop him, that could open things up for Jalen Hurts and the passing attack. Either way, the Eagles offense could be primed to have a big night as they look to take control of the division.
You can get a full preview of the game from Jeff Kerr by clicking here.

If you’re thinking about betting on the game, here are a couple of props.

ONE PLAYER PROP I LIKE: Kenneth Gainwell OVER 13.5 rushing yards (-125 at BetMGM): This is an extremely low number for Gainwell, who has averaged 27.4 yards per game over the Eagles’ past five games. He’s also gone over this total in four of Philly’s past five games and I won’t be surprised if we see him do it again tonight.
ONE KICKING PROP I LIKE: Zane Gonzalez OVER 6.5 points (-135 at BetMGM): The Commanders have played nine games this year and in ALL NINE of those games, their kicker has scored at least NINE points. The Commanders kicker was Austin Seibert in the first eight games, but it was Gonzalez in Week 10 and he’ll also be kicking tonight. Last week, Gonzalez scored nine points and it won’t be shocking if he tops that total tonight.
And in case you’re wondering, my props are 26-19 on the season (13-8 on kicker props and 13-11 on all other props).

We also have a full betting preview from SportsLine that you can check out here.

And finally, here are our picks for the game.

PICKS FOR ‘TNF’

Kerr’s pick: Eagles 33-23 over Commanders
Prisco’s pick: Eagles 31-24 over Commanders
My pick: Eagles 27-24 over Commanders

Over on our CBSSports.com picks page, you can see who our eight experts are taking by clicking here.

2. NFL playoff projections heading into Week 11
   With the NFL schedule now in mid-November, you might be wondering which teams have the best chance of making the playoffs this year. Well, I was also wondering that, so to figure out who’s going to make the playoffs, we had Stephen Oh of SportsLine simulate the rest of the season. We then used those simulations to project the 14 teams we expect to make the playoffs.

Here’s how our projection breaks down for both conferences:

AFC

1. Chiefs
2. Bills
3. Ravens
4. Texans
5. Steelers
6. Chargers
7. Broncos
   First team out: Bengals

NFC

1. Lions
2. Commanders
3. Falcons
4. 49ers
5. Eagles
6. Vikings
7. Packers
   First team out: Cardinals

Tonight’s game will obviously have a huge impact on the NFC East race. Right now, the Commanders have a 58.4% chance of winning the division, but if they win tonight, that will shoot up to 80.2%. On the other hand, the Eagles will see their chances go up from 41.6% to 60.5% if they beat Washington.

In news that won’t surprise you, the Chiefs are currently the team favored to win it all, according to our projection. If you want more details on the projections, including the individual playoff chances for all 32 teams, be sure to click here.

3. Midseason superlatives: Voting on the most disappointing team and biggest overachiever
   I know we had our midseason extravaganza last week (You can see it here) and that it’s not even the midseason anymore, but we have one more midseason story coming your way and it’s coming right now. We rounded up 13 NFL writers and had them vote on several topics from the biggest disappointment to the biggest overachiever.

Let’s check out the results of our poll (Teams are only listed if they received more than one vote in their category)

Most disappointing team

1. Jets (6 votes)
2. Cowboys (3.5 votes)
   Breakdown: These were the only two teams that got more than one vote and it’s not surprising. Both of these teams were viewed as Super Bowl contenders, but the only way they’re going to be watching the Super Bowl this year is if they buy a ticket to the game.

Biggest overachieving team

1. Commanders (4.5 votes)
2. Steelers (2.5 votes)
   T-3. Vikings (2 votes)
   T-3. Cardinals (2 votes)
   Breakdown: The Commanders won this vote, but don’t sleep on the Cardinals. They’ve managed to put together a 6-4 record despite the fact that they’ve played the second-toughest schedule in the NFL through 10 weeks. Their first 10 opponents had a combined winning percentage of .581. Only the Buccaneers have faced a more difficult slate (.658).

Team most likely to break out during the second half of the season

1. Buccaneers (4 votes)
2. 49ers (3 votes)
3. Bengals (2 votes)
   Breakdown: If you’re wondering why the Bucs are on top, it’s because they have the easiest remaining strength of schedule in the NFL. Their final seven opponents have a combined winning percentage of .328. Only one remaining team on their schedule currently has more than three win (Chargers). As for the other two teams here, it’s pretty self-explanatory. The 49ers finally have Christian McCaffrey back while the Bengals seem to be on the cusp of being good if they can stop shooting themselves in the foot.

If you want to see all the superlatives that we voted on, be sure to check out our full story here

4. Answering the NFL’s biggest questions heading into Week 11
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   Getty Images
   As we get ready to head into Week 11, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered around the NFL and the good news for us is that we have Jordan Dajani here to answer them.

Let’s take a look at two of his biggest questions this week:

Who’s in the best spot to land the top QB in the 2025 NFL Draft? “If the season ended today, the Jacksonville Jaguars would own the top pick. They just signed Trevor Lawrence to a record contract, so they probably aren’t drafting a quarterback. With the in mind, keep an eye on the Giants, the Titans, the Browns and Raiders as we inch closer to the end of the regular season. All four of those teams currently hold a top-five pick.”
Are the Steelers actually Super Bowl contenders? “The Steelers have an incredible defense and Russell Wilson has brought some consistency to the offensive side of things. They are a good team, but I don’t think we can call them ‘Super Bowl contenders.’ Pittsburgh has started four different seasons 7-2 or better under Mike Tomlin. They won zero playoff games in the previous three instances.”
Steelers fans, please direct your hate mail to Jordan and not me.

Also, you can check out the rest of Jordan’s story here.

5. Deion Sanders might throw a wrench in the 2025 NFL Draft
   The NFL Draft is usually a pretty simple process: A team picks a player and then that player signs a contract with the team. However, things may not be so simple next year, and that’s because it sounds like Deion Sanders might throw a wrench into things.

During an interview on FS1 Wednesday, the Colorado coach was asked if he might “step in” if the the wrong team tries to draft his son, Shedeur Sanders.

Here’s what Sanders had to say:

Sanders said he’ll step in if the wrong team tries to draft his son. “Yeah, but I’m not gonna do it publicly, I’d do it privately.” Sanders said of possibly stepping in. “I’m going to be a dad until the cows come home.” The Colorado coach also said he’d step in to make sure two-way star Travis Hunter doesn’t go to the wrong team, either.
What Sanders is looking in an NFL team. Deion didn’t name any specific teams for his son, but he did give a description of what he wants to see from a team that might draft Shedeur. “Somebody that can handle the quarterback that he is, somebody that can handle, understanding what he’s capable of. Someone that has had success in the past handling quarterbacks or someone in an organization that understands what they’re doing. Not just throwing you out there amongst the wolves, if you don’t have the support and the infrastructure of the team.”
Sanders won’t be worrying about the offensive line. Deion said the structure of the organization is way more important than that the line looks like. “Forget the line, he’s played with lines that haven’t been great, but he’s been able to do his thing, but just the infrastructure of the team, the direction of where we’re going.”
Sanders also responded to the Cowboys coaching speculation. When Michael Irvin brought up the possibility of Sanders coaching the Cowboys, Deion gave him a six-word response, “I love it where I am.” Deion then took the FS1 crew on a video tour of his office, which is inside Folsom Field and has a view of the mountains.
The craziest scenario would be Sanders going to the NFL and then drafting his son. As things stand now, our four mock draft writers have Shedeur headed to three different locations: New York (Giants), Las Vegas and Cleveland. Out of those three teams, I could see Deion and Shedeur teaming up with the Raiders.

If you want to know where our draft writers have Travis Hunter going, you can see all of our mock drafts here.

6. Extra points: Aaron Rodgers still planning to play in 2025
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   Getty Images
   It’s been a busy week in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.

Aaron Rodgers wants to play another season. With the Jets struggling and Rodgers taking a beating this season, there was some thought that he might want to retire after the 2024 season, but that’s not the case. During his weekly press conference on Wednesday, Rodgers said he would like to return in 2025. The four-time MVP turns 41 on Dec. 2.
NFL combine staying in Indianapolis for another year. The NFL has been tossing around the idea of moving the combine to a different location, but if that happens, it won’t be until 2027 at the earliest. The league reached a deal with Indianapolis that will keep the combine in the Indiana city through the 2026 season.
Jon Gruden lands a deal with Barstool Sports. The former Raiders coach has found a new job. Gruden will once again be working in the media after landing a multiyear deal with Barstool Sports. Gruden had been visiting with several NFL teams over the18 months, including the Chiefs and Saints, but he never landed a job. Instead, he’ll be taking his first media job since leaving ESPN to coach the Raiders in 2018.
J.J. McCarthy has second knee surgery. The Vikings rookie had to undergo a second knee surgery this week as he continues to work his way back from a torn meniscus. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft needed another procedure done on his right knee to mitigate swelling that occurred after he ramped up his physical therapy work. You can read more details on McCarthy’s situation here.

The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t lost a game all season. In fact, they haven’t lost since Christmas 2023. Despite their dominance in the last 15 games, they are underdogs heading into Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills are two-point favorites for the AFC showdown between the top two teams in the conference. While the betting odds are on Buffalo’s side, history is on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ side. The three-time Super Bowl champion has been an underdog 14 previous times as a starter and is 11-3 in those games.

The Chiefs were also underdogs in Week 7 in their Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers, who were 1.5-point favorites. They won that game 28-18 on the road and now face another road trip where they are not favored.

Mahomes has a .798 winning percentage as a favorite in his career and a .786 winning percentage as an underdog. The Chiefs were favored in every regular-season game in 2023, but were underdogs in three playoff games — Bills, Ravens and 49ers. As we saw, that didn’t matter and the Chiefs marched their way to a second consecutive Super Bowl win.

This is the most challenging game for the Chiefs for the remainder of the season (we’ll see about their road game in Pittsburgh on Christmas), so it likely will be the last time the Chiefs won’t be favored in the regular season.

Kansas City currently sits at 9-0, while Buffalo is 8-2. Buffalo has defeated K.C. in their last three regular-season meetings.

The Chiefs and Bills will face off in Buffalo Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS as the standalone national game.

THE NFL TODAY will be live from Buffalo on Sunday. Fans can join the crew in Lot 6 at Highmark Stadium starting at noon ET on Nov. 17.

Justin Fields played an integral role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ surprising 4-2 start to the 2024 season. But Fields hasn’t received any playing time since Russell Wilson replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 7. Wilson has won each of his three starts under center as the Steelers have improved to 7-2 entering Sunday’s big AFC North matchup against the 7-3 Baltimore Ravens.

Despite his recent absences on game days, Fields hasn’t been forgotten by Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who alluded to Pittsburgh’s backup quarterback possibly getting some snaps against Baltimore.

“We’ve had a package every week,” Smith said when asked about his plans for Fields moving forward, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It goes back to the flow of the game. It will be ready to go when we need it. Maybe it will be this Sunday. Maybe it will be next Sunday.”

Specifically, Fields’ mobility has been a component of Pittsburgh’s offense that has been missing since the quarterback change was made. Fields is still the Steelers’ second-leading rusher despite not playing in the last three games. Conversely, Wilson has rushed for just 13 yards on 10 carries during his time running the offense. He did score on a short touchdown run during his first start, a blowout win over the Jets in Week 7.

Speaking of that play, it was somewhat of a surprise that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn’t insert Fields into the game for that specific moment. But Tomlin wanted to see what Wilson could do in all facets of the game. And while Wilson is not Fields as far as running is concerned, he is still capable of making the occasional play with his legs, like his 6-yard run on a third-and-4 play during last Sunday’s 28-27 win over the Commanders.

So far, the Steelers haven’t needed Fields’ on-field presence to win games with Wilson under center. But that could change in the upcoming weeks, starting with their upcoming game against a Ravens defense that has allowed the least amount of rushing yards in football so far.

If not this week, it appears that Fields will get back on the field at some point this season. The 25-year-old is set to become a free agent next offseason, so it’s reasonable to expect that the Steelers have an invested interest to see Fields get more live reps before possibly re-signing him.

Either way, Wilson has seized control of Pittsburgh’s offense, largely because of his accurate deep ball passing and leadership skills that come with being a nine-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl champion. Wilson’s lengthy film sessions with Smith — that sometimes go well into Friday night — certainly help.

“We spend so many hours (working on film), sometimes my wife FaceTimes me, making sure I’m not somewhere on the South Side,” Smith joked on Thursday, via 93.7 The Fan. “I’m like, ‘There’s Russ.’ We’re here on Friday night, talking through those situational things.”

In the shadow of Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, with the game tied and with no time left on the clock, the football gods finally, finally, finally allowed 49ers kicker Jake Moody to have his moment.

After missing both of his two previous field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, Moody came through. He nailed a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give San Francisco a 23-20 over the Buccaneers, potentially saving the 49ers’ season.

Afterward, the mood in the San Francisco locker room leaned more toward relief than joy as star offensive lineman Trent Williams broke down the team huddle.

“This is just the beginning, man,” Williams told his teammates. “That’s the way to fight, but we’ve got a lot more fighting to go.”

Indeed, just nine months removed from being one fourth down stop away from winning the Super Bowl, the 49ers are fighting for their playoff lives. San Francisco (5-4) sits in second place in the NFC West, a half-game behind the division-leading Cardinals (6-4).

The battle for the division title is shaping up to be the last unknown in the NFC playoff picture. Though eight weeks still remain in the regular season, six teams already have strangleholds on a postseason spot. According to the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, six teams in the NFC already have at least an 74% chance of reaching the playoffs: the Lions (99.9%), Commanders (98.6%), Eagles (95.9%), Falcons (88.7%), Vikings (83.9%) and Packers (74.9%).

The only question, according to the model, is which team wins the NFC West. Though the Cardinals lead the division, the model says San Francisco has a better
Stephen Oh, SportsLine’s principal data engineer and the man behind the model, says that the NFC could have multiple pretenders make the playoffs.

“Arizona is only +18 in point differential (seventh best in NFC), and Atlanta is just +2,” he says. “Unlike in the AFC where every team is at a model top 12 team or better, the NFC could have multiple non-true contenders make the playoffs. Not only Arizona and Atlanta but also Minnesota if Sam Darnold keeps throwing multiple interceptions.”

As for the 49ers’ Week 11 game against the Seahawks, the SportsLine Projection Model has an A-grade spread pick, saying one team covers in well over 50% of simulations. The game is one of four with A-grade spread picks based on model simulations for Week 11. You can find those top-tier Week 11 NFL picks at SportsLine.

New England Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who has been out since being hospitalized with blood clots during the summer, practiced on Thursday for the first time since his diagnosis.

Barmore has been on the team’s non-football illness list since the time of his hospitalization. New England signed veteran Mike Purcell shortly thereafter as a possible replacement, but he was released less than three weeks later.

“Our principal concern at this time is Christian’s health and well-being,” the team said in a statement at the time of Barmore’s hospitalization. “Fortunately, Mass General Brigham provides some of the best healthcare in the world. While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care, and we look forward to his full recovery.”

Patriots DT Christian Barmore has returned to practice @RapSheet report officially confirmed! pic.twitter.com/Epdw0KdLt0

— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) November 14, 2024
The hospitalization occurred almost three months to the day after Barmore signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension with the Patriots. The deal, which averages $21 million per year and has made Barmore one of the NFL’s 10 highest-paid interior defenders, signaled New England’s plans to continue featuring the lineman as a core piece of new coach Jerod Mayo’s unit.

Originally a second-round draft pick out of Alabama in 2021, Barmore has appeared in 44 games for the Patriots to date, starting 11 contests. He logged a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023, when he also set personal-best marks in tackles (64), quarterback hits (16) and tackles for loss (13).

Barmore’s return to the practice field is yet another recent positive for the Patriots, who have won two of their last three games after a 1-6 start to the season. New England will play host to the 4-5 Los Angeles Rams this Sunday.

Deommodore Lenoir is staying in San Francisco for the long haul. The veteran cornerback has signed a five-year extension worth a reported $92 million contract with the 49ers, according to NFL Media. The team announced the deal on Thursday.

A 2021 fifth-round pick, Lenoir was in the final year of his rookie contract. He broke into the starting lineup in 2022 and has been a mainstay in the 49ers’ secondary ever since. Last year, Lenoir set career highs with three interceptions, 10 passes defensed and 84 tackles in 17 games. Through nine games this year, Lenoir has recorded his first career forced fumble in addition to two picks, six passes defended and 53 tackles.

Instead of hitting the open market next offseason, Lenoir will remain in San Francisco for the foreseeable future, much to the delight of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Yeah, DMo’s been a stud,” Shanahan recently said of his young defensive back. “He is exactly what you want a 49er to play like. He came in his first rookie camp and stood out, got me fined for illegally jamming people too hard and putting it on the internet. So, I always mess with him for that.”