The 49ers tweeted, "ALL GAS, NO BRAKE. WELCOME HOME, ROBERT SALEH."

Saleh led the Jets for three-plus seasons before a 2-3 start led to his firing in October. He posted a 20-36 record in New York, never guiding the team to the playoffs.

Saleh, 45, served as San Francisco's defensive coordinator from 2017-20 -- the beginning of current 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's tenure. San Francisco got to the Super Bowl following the 2019 season before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs.

After he was fired in New York, Saleh worked as a Green Bay Packers consultant late in the 2024 season.

The 49ers fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen this month after he was in the role only one season. San Francisco allowed the fourth-most points in the NFL this season, 25.6 points per game, despite allowing the eighth fewest yards per contest, 317.4.

Saleh began his career as assistant coach at Michigan State, Central Michigan and Georgia before arriving in the NFL as a defensive intern for the Texans in 2005. He stayed in Houston through 2010, then was part of the Seattle Seahawks' staff (2011-13) and the Jacksonville Jaguars' staff (2014-16).

The 49ers, who lost another Super Bowl to the Chiefs following the 2023 season, slipped to 6-11 and last place in the NFC West in 2024.

The son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, Brian Schottenheimer served as an assistant under McCarthy the past three seasons. He joined the Cowboys as an analyst in 2022 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023 when Kellen Moore was fired.

Moore, currently the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator, was also in the running to succeed McCarthy and participated in a virtual interview last week.

Schottenheimer, 51, also beat out former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Seattle Seahawks assistant Leslie Frazier, who interviewed for the role. Saleh was hired on Friday as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator.

Schottenheimer is the third Dallas assistant to be promoted to head coach under team owner Jerry Jones, joining Dave Campo and Jason Garrett.

The Cowboys have favored offensive coaches under Jones, who hired McCarthy in 2020 to replace Garrett. Garrett was head coach in Dallas from 2010-19. He took over for Wade Phillips, who spent most of 3 1/2 seasons as coach after following Bill Parcells.

Schottenheimer has been an NFL assistant for more than 25 years. He did not hold play-calling responsibilities with the Cowboys under McCarthy.

McCarthy broke into the NFL in 1993 as a quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, working for Marty Schottenheimer. In 1998, Brian Schottenheimer became an offensive assistant on the same coaching staff.

Peppers was accused of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and testified in the trial Thursday and Friday. He said on the stand that his accuser had fabricated her claims and claimed "she was trying to do all this to mess up my career."

A woman had alleged Peppers grabbed her, slammed her against a wall and choked her at an apartment in Braintree, Mass. Part of Peppers' defense involved showing video from the night of the incident showing him asking her repeatedly to leave his home.

The accuser was cross-examined on Thursday, when the extent of her injuries was questioned. She had also filed a civil suit seeking as much as $9.5 million from Peppers, which Peppers' attorney Marc Brofsky brought back up in court.

The jury revealed their verdict of not guilty on Friday.

"I had to be quiet for three months," Peppers told reporters in a video posted by WCVB outside the courthouse. "This was all I could think about. This was the first time in my life where football wasn't the most important thing on my mind. I had to just sit through everybody pouring dirt on my name. Everybody, for the most part, actually thinking that I did these things. But, to me, crimes against children and women are the most egregious things that you could do. And to be accused of that, it just hurt."

Peppers pled guilty to possession of cocaine on Thursday ahead of the domestic violence trial. Per the Boston Globe, that charge was "continued without finding" and will be dropped if he remains out of trouble for the next four months.

Peppers, 29, missed seven games in the 2024 season while on the commissioner's exempt list. He returned in December and played two games before multiple injuries sidelined him. The starting safety appeared in just six games in his eighth NFL season.

Coen initially was set to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a new contract that reportedly would make him one of the league's highest-paid coordinators.

The Jaguars parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday, and several hours later, Coen left his job as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator to take the top post in Jacksonville.

"To repeat my message earlier this week, I am deeply committed to building a winner here in Jacksonville," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said. "I also believe in being judged by actions, not words. That's why I took swift and decisive action this week to hire Liam Coen as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"I am pumped that Liam is accepting the challenge and opportunity to build the winner that Jaguars fans and partners fully deserve. I know our players feel the same."

Coen, 39, will take the post previously held by Doug Pederson, who was fired on Jan. 6 following a 4-13 season. The Jaguars finished 22-29 in three seasons under Pederson, reaching the playoffs just once, when they went 1-1 following the 2022 campaign.

"Becoming the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars is an opportunity of a lifetime, and one that I am going to run with to instill a championship culture and winning tradition here in Duval," Coen said. "This doesn't happen without the support and opportunities that my family and I have been afforded throughout my career, especially during this past season in Tampa Bay. We thank (Bucs head coach) Todd Bowles for his continued support and the entire Buccaneers organization for the experience, and know they will have success ahead.

"Most of all, we are grateful to Shad Khan for his belief in what we will bring to the Jaguars. We will work tirelessly to reward his confidence. As head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, I will hire a first-class coaching staff, establish a distinctive and effective brand of football on both sides of the ball, and our players will live for the black and teal. Shad and Jaguars fans should expect nothing less, and that's what we plan to deliver and more."

Coen just finished his first season overseeing the Tampa Bay offense.

In Coen's second stint as an NFL offensive coordinator, Tampa Bay averaged 29.5 points per game, fourth in the league in 2024. The Buccaneers ranked third in total offense with 399.5 yards per game, third at 250.4 passing yards and fourth at 149.2 rushing yards. They led the league by making 50.9 percent of their third-down attempts (110 of 216). Their total of 395 first downs was second in the league.

Leading that offense, Baker Mayfield set career highs with 41 touchdown passes, 4,500 passing yards and a 71.4 percent completion percentage under Coen's watch.

Coen in recent years has bounced between the NFL and the University of Kentucky, where he was offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2021. He was the Los Angeles Rams' OC in 2022, and he worked under head coach Sean McVay as the Rams' assistant wide receivers coach (2018-19) and assistant quarterbacks coach (2020).

The moves come six days after former New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was named the Falcons' new defensive coordinator.

Rutenberg, 43, spent the past four seasons as the Jets' linebackers coach after serving one year as the San Francisco 49ers' passing game specialist in 2020.

Ollie, 33, served as the assistant defensive line coach for the Houston Texans this season. He also worked with Ulbrich during his time as an assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in 2021.

The Falcons ranked 23rd in the league in both points allowed and total yards and 31st in sacks this season.

Per the Houston Chronicle, the Texans also are dismissing offensive line coach Chris Strausser and not renewing the contract of assistant offensive line coach Cole Popovich.

Houston's offense took a downturn following quarterback C.J. Stroud's impressive rookie season, finishing 19th in the NFL in average points per game (21.9) and 22nd in total yards (319.7) in 2024. The Texans ranked 13th and 12th, respectively, in 2023.

The Texans lost 23-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoff round last weekend to end their season.

Slowik, 37, spent two seasons with Houston after working several roles while employed by the San Francisco 49ers, where he worked with Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. Slowik joined the 49ers with the role of defensive quality control (2017-18) before becoming the team's offensive assistant (2019-20), passing game specialist (2021) and passing game coordinator (2022).

Slowik began his NFL coaching career as a defensive assistant for three seasons with the Washington franchise (2011-13).

After Stroud's rookie season, Slowik was a hot name on coaching circuit, interviewing for muliple head-coaching jobs without receiving an offer. This season, he interviewed for the job with the New York Jets that went to Aaron Glenn.

Head coach Sean McDermott announced Friday on WGR 550 radio in Buffalo that Rapp will miss the game because of a hip injury. Rapp has not participated in practice this week.

Cole Bishop and Cam Lewis could receive more playing time in the absence of Rapp, who was injured in the second quarter of Sunday's divisional playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens. Rapp was ruled out midway through the third quarter of the Bills' 27-25 victory.

Rapp, 27, recorded three tackles and an interception in the two playoff games.

A Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams, Rapp had 82 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble this season.

McDermott said Friday morning that linebacker Matt Milano (hamstring) and cornerback Taron Johnson (neck, shoulder) were expected to be full participants in practice later that day.

Two-time defending champion Kansas City, the top seed in the AFC, welcomes an opponent the Chiefs know all too well -- and not just because of a 30-21 loss at Buffalo on Nov. 17.

This is the fourth postseason meeting in five years between the Bills and Chiefs, with marquee quarterbacks front and center.

A new name in lights, rookie Jayden Daniels, orchestrated a landslide upset of the NFC favorite and No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions last week to set up the Washington Commanders for a third game in three months against East division rival Philadelphia.

The Eagles are crossing their fingers quarterback Jalen Hurts can be ready after a knee injury slowed him down in a 28-22 home win over the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoffs. Philadelphia's plan still centers around the man lined up behind Hurts -- running back Saquon Barkley -- who delivered the goods in both games with Washington in the regular season.

More details and all the dirt on Sunday's AFC Championship and NFC Championship in the capsules below:

--NFC Championship Game

No. 6 Washington Commanders (14-5) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (16-3)

Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Deportes

The NFC title game in Philadelphia completes a trilogy between rivals and the fifth time teams from the same division square off in the conference championship. This is Washington's first championship game appearance since 1991, when the franchise won its last Super Bowl.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has 52 wins in his first four seasons. Only George Seifert, who inherited a gunpowder-infused roster in San Francisco, has more victories (57). Joe Gibbs and Mike Tomlin are the only head coaches with two Super Bowl appearances in their first four seasons. Sirianni would join them with a win over Washington on Sunday.

Previously this season, the Eagles defeated the Commanders, 26-18, on Nov. 14 as Barkley rushed for 146 yards, including two rushing touchdowns in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to seal the win. In Week 16, Washington overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Philadelphia, 36-33, as Daniels set a career high with five TD passes. He threw the game-winning TD with six seconds left after Eagles backup Kenny Pickett's pass to likely seal the win was dropped by Barkley.

Philadelphia ranked No. 1 in total defense in 2024 and intercepted Daniels three times in two games. At the heart of the defense, second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter took over late in last week's win over the Rams with a key sack and forced fumble. Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury threw a few bouquets at Carter this week, calling him "maybe the best I've ever seen" at the position. The Eagles have more firepower behind Carter with Defensive Player of the Year candidate Zack Baun and all-rookie defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Mitchell's shoulder injury forced him out of last week's game.

Barkley has the third-most rushing yards (2,329) and is fourth in total yards (2,638) in the NFL's single-season record books. Broncos running back Terrell Davis set the record in 1998.

The game is a second homecoming for Commanders tight end Zach Ertz, who is second in Eagles franchise history to Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael with 639 receptions. Ertz caught a TD pass for visiting Washington when the teams played in November.

--AFC Championship Game

No. 2 Buffalo Bills (15-4) at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (16-2)

Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+

Buffalo beat the Chiefs after Kansas City's 9-0 start to the regular season, taking a 30-21 victory to push the Bills' regular-season winning streak over the Chiefs to four games. But Kansas City rattled off six consecutive wins to earn the No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the AFC. The Chiefs have three consecutive victories over the Bills in the playoffs -- the 2020 AFC Championship Game and 2021 and 2023 AFC divisional wins.

Quarterback Josh Allen is tightening the margins for opponents by taking care of the ball. Buffalo sports a plus-27 turnover margin and is the first team in NFL history with zero turnovers in four consecutive playoff games. Including the postseason, the Bills lead the NFL with 35 takeaways and a league-low eight turnovers in 19 total games. No team has ever reached the Super Bowl with 10 or fewer turnovers.

Counterpart Patrick Mahomes knows a thing or two about coming out on top in close games. Turnovers? It's been eight games -- since Week 12 of the regular season -- without losing the ball for Kansas City, as the Chiefs peak on schedule. The Chiefs have won eight playoff games in a row, the third-longest such streak all-time (2001-2005 New England Patriots - 10 consecutive wins; 1961-67 Green Bay Packers - nine) and since Week 12.

Stopping the run will be a vital element to winning Sunday, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo noted this week. He pointed to James Cook's 16 rushing touchdowns and Allen's game-sealing rumble that beat Kansas City earlier this season.

Buffalo allowed 176 yards rushing to the Ravens, who gained 416 total yards but had three critical turnovers.

Bills safety Taylor Rapp was ruled out with a hip injury on Friday. It's likely rookie Cole Bishop will be in the starting 11 against Mahomes on Sunday night.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is two TD receptions shy of tying the all-time playoff record held by Jerry Rice (22). Kelce hauled in a pair of Mahomes TD passes in the Chiefs' playoff win at Buffalo last year. He added a touchdown reception as part of a seven-catch, 117-yard game last week to beat the Houston Texans.

Mahomes and Andy Reid have the Chiefs in the AFC Championship for the eighth consecutive season. Mahomes' 16 playoff wins are second among all starting quarterbacks, he owns the second-highest postseason passer rating (105.6, minimum 150 attempts), fifth-most postseason touchdown passes (42) and eighth-most postseason passing yards (5,312) in NFL playoff history.

Only three teams have reached the Super Bowl three consecutive seasons: the 1990-93 Bills (four consecutive), 1971-73 Miami Dolphins (three) and 2016-18 Patriots (three).

Per ESPN, Carroll agreed to a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option. NFL Network reported that other potential candidates have been informed by the Raiders that Carroll is the team's new head coach.

By joining the AFC West, Carroll will resume a long rivalry with Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. The latter previously coached the San Francisco 49ers while Carroll was manning the sideline with the Seattle Seahawks.

Carroll, 73, won a Super Bowl during his 14-year tenure with Seattle and has the most wins of any Seahawks coach (137). He also set the record for most playoff appearances (10) and wins (10) in franchise history. Carroll served as an adviser in 2024 after he and team officials agreed the time was right for a coaching change following the 2023 campaign.

Carroll also guided the New York Jets (1994) and New England Patriots (1997-99) and has a 170-120-1 record as an NFL head coach.

He excelled in the college ranks, winning two national championships at Southern California during his nine-year tenure and finishing with a 97-19 record. Carroll is one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl and a college national championship.

The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Jan. 7, two days after concluding a 4-13 season.

Pierce, 46, went 9-17 over 1 1/2 seasons as coach. He first became the head coach on an interim basis after the midseason firing of Josh McDaniels in 2023.

Carroll joins a group of championship-winning coaches in the AFC West.

Harbaugh won a national title at Michigan. Andy Reid has led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowl wins and is bidding for a fourth this season. Sean Payton, the head coach in Denver, won the Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints following the 2009 season.

Saleh served as the New York Jets' head coach for three-plus seasons before he was fired in October after the team started 2-3. He wound up with a 20-36 record on the job, never leading the Jets to the postseason.

The 45-year-old Michigan native was the 49ers' defensive coordinator from 2017-20 -- the first four seasons of current San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan's tenure. The team reached the Super Bowl after the 2019 season.

After his ouster from the Jets, Saleh served as a consultant to the Green Bay Packers for the rest of the season.

Earlier this month, the 49ers fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen after he was on the job for just one season. San Francisco finished eighth in the NFL in total defense (317.4 yards per game allowed) but 29th in scoring defense (25.6 points per game allowed).

Saleh worked as a college assistant coach for Michigan State, Central Michigan and Georgia before breaking into the NFL coaching ranks as a defensive intern for the Texans in 2005. He remained in Houston through 2010, then was on the staff of the Seattle Seahawks from 2011-13 and of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2014-16.

The 49ers, coming off a Super Bowl appearance last season, slumped to a 6-11 record this season, finishing in last place in the NFC West.

Coen, who recently finished his first season as the Bucs' offensive coordinator, reached out to Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles after deciding to talk with Jacksonville, per the report.

The 39-year-old Coen had stepped out of consideration as a candidate to become Jacksonville's head coach on Wednesday, hours before the Jaguars parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke.

In a Jan. 6 news conference after the firing of head coach Doug Pederson following a 4-13 season, Jaguars owner Shad Khan kept Baalke on board. But Khan also said that day that he would be open to a discussion if a head coaching candidate took issue with the structure of the front office or working with Baalke.

In Coen's second stint as an NFL offensive coordinator, Tampa Bay averaged 29.5 points per game, fourth in the league in 2024. The Buccaneers ranked third in averaging 399.5 yards per game, third at 250.4 passing yards and fourth at 149.2 rushing yards. They led the league by making 50.9 percent of their third-down attempts (110 of 216). Their total of 395 first downs was second in the league.

Leading that offense, Baker Mayfield set career highs with 41 touchdown passes, 4,500 passing yards and a 71.4 percent completion percentage under Coen's wtch.

Coen in recent years has bounced between the NFL and the University of Kentucky, where he was offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2021. He was the Los Angeles Rams' OC in 2022, and he worked under head coach Sean McVay as the Rams' assistant wide receivers coach (2018-19) and assistant quarterbacks coach (2020).

Diggs missed the final six games of the 2024 season with a left knee injury and was eventually moved to injured reserve.

The surgery he needed was a chondral tissue graft procedure, which the Cowboys' website said "requires considerable time from the initial injury."

"Still, the Cowboys are hopeful Diggs can return next season at some point, even if he's not ready to start practicing at the beginning of training camp," the team website went on to say.

ESPN and the Dallas Morning News reported the timing of Diggs' surgery could force him to sit out the start of training camp, if not longer.

Diggs, 26, made 11 starts in 2024 before being shut down and recorded two interceptions and 42 tackles. His injury was to the same knee in which he sustained a torn ACL in practice two games into the 2023 season.

In 58 career games (57 starts) since Dallas drafted Diggs in the second round in 2020, he has recorded 20 interceptions, 63 pass deflections, 215 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro in 2021, when he led the league with 11 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns).

The NFL is working on its international games for the 2025 season and Brazil could reportedly land up to two games a year.

Brazil hosted its first NFL game in September with the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Green Bay Packers 34-29 in Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo tourism president Gustavo Pires told The Athletic that his entity is interested a longer deal, between four to six years.

"In a long-term contract, we can work together with the NFL to make the sport even bigger in Brazil and increase job and income generation with every game," Pires told The Athletic in a written statement.

The NFL game was a big hit in Brazil and displayed that the appetite was high enough for another. The contest generated $61 million in economic impact.

The NFL has announced five international games for the 2025 season and would like to hold eight.

Three of the for-sure games are in London and the others are in Berlin and Madrid. The NFL has staged multiple other games in Germany but this will be the first in Berlin. The game in Madrid will be the first held in Spain.

He remained quiet until Thursday, when Andrews finally addressed the 27-25 loss in an emotional message posted to Instagram that acknowledged both his regret and his resolve to move on.

"It's impossible to adequately express how I feel. I'm absolutely gutted by what happened on Sunday. I'm devastated for my teammates, my coaches and Ravens fans," Andrews said. "I pour every ounce of my being into playing at the highest level possible, because I love my team and the game of football like nothing else. That is why it's taken me until now to collect my thoughts and address this publicly.

"Even though the shock and disappointment are unlike anything I've felt before, I refuse to let the situation define me. I promise that this adversity will only make me stronger and fuel us as we move forward."

Andrews, an All-Pro who has spent seven seasons with the Ravens, finished the game with five receptions on seven targets for 61 yards. He also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that the Bills recovered and turned into three points. That was just his second career lost fumble.

Andrews, 29, has had the backing of his team.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson told a distraught Andrews on Sunday as he sat on the bench that the loss couldn't be pinned on him.

"We're a team. It's all of us, bro. It ain't just you," Jackson said.

And on Wednesday, coach John Harbaugh gave Andrews his support.

"Mark is a huge part of our future and we love him," Harbaugh said. "We're there for him. If anybody can take a tough circumstance like that and handle it with class and grace and dignity and mental toughness, it's most definitely Mark Andrews."

A Bills fan, seeking to help Andrews through tough times, started a GoFundMe campaign to support Breakthrough T1D, which supports diabetes research. Andrews is a Type-1 diabetic.

The campaign has raised more than $100,000.

"I thank everyone who has shown me and our team genuine support these past several days," Harbaugh said. "Despite the negativity, I've seen heartfelt love and encouragement, including from those who have generously donated to the Breakthrough T1D organization. Even when the moment seems darkest, perspective can reveal that there's still a lot of light in this world. I'm now going to do my part to bounce back and contribute to it."

In seven NFL seasons, all with the Ravens, Andrews has 436 receptions for 5,530 yards and 51 touchdown catches.

But the matchups within the matchups are set to determine which teams advance on Championship Sunday to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9.

We reviewed the critical concerns in each game to determine five under-the-radar players who will determine the outcome this weekend. The first in the series moving Thursday-Saturday: Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz.

Under-the-radar might be a stretch considering Ertz has some kind of history in Commanders-Eagles lore. On Sunday, he'll be locked in as a key security option near the line of scrimmage for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Washington tries to dent the NFL's top-ranked defense.

He'll be performing on a stage and in a stadium that might feel like home.

Ertz was one of the best tight ends in Eagles' history. Only Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael has more receptions in Philadelphia history with 589.

Ertz caught 579 receptions and 38 touchdowns with more than 6,000 receiving yards in eight-plus seasons in Philadelphia before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

But after two-plus injury-ravaged seasons and at age 33, Ertz found a new home with the Commanders in free agency.

"When that whistle blows, it's not going to be about the previous nine years that I had there," Ertz said this week.

Ertz signed with the Commanders in a reunion with former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. It wasn't a challenge to get on the same page or tout his ability in the red zone. He leads the Commanders with 25 targets and 16 catches in the red zone, including the playoffs.

Already over the emotional curtain of returning to his old home stadium -- Washington visited Philadelphia in November -- Ertz said he'll be too focused on a game plan and making his presence felt than anything in his past.

"I'm not going out there with a chip on my shoulder or trying to prove to people X, Y or Z. I'm just trying to go out there and be the best version of myself," Ertz said.

Part of his responsibility is keeping Daniels upright. The Eagles intercepted Daniels three times in two regular-season matchups, but blitzing didn't work. Daniels leads the NFL in completions and touchdowns against the blitz and threw five TD passes the last time he saw Philadelphia, a 36-33 win Dec. 22 at Washington.

Daniels was sacked just once in that game, but the Commanders are shuffling their line with right guard Sam Cosmi (torn ACL) unlikely to play. We say unlikely because the Commanders haven't placed him on IR and list him as DNP on their practice reports.

Daniels has targeted Ertz 100 times this season -- nine in the playoffs -- with a finishing kick. He caught a touchdown last week at Detroit and has seven total TD receptions since the first visit to Philadelphia two months ago.

"I just wanted the opportunity to come out here and prove that I am still the same guy," Ertz said.

Expected to play in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, Hurts was injured in the third quarter of the divisional playoff win against the Los Angeles Rams last week. He finished the game but was less mobile and noticeably limited moving laterally. Hurts helped get the Eagles out front with a career-long 44-yard TD run in the first quarter.

Tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle) was also present at practice but there was no sign of center Cam Jurgens. Jurgens did not practice because of a back injury. Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson took snaps at center on Thursday with Tyler Steen lined up at left guard.

Jurgens is a vital piece to the Eagles' rushing attack and the left side of Philadelphia's line has been elite when Dickerson and left tackle Jordan Mailata are healthy.

Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. offered a warning of sorts Thursday when discussing Hurts being used more like a running back than quarterback by offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

"If he is going to run the ball, we are going to treat him like a running back. We are going to hit him that way," Whitt Jr. said. "That's their decision if they want to get him hit the way that he gets hit."

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni downplayed the comments later Thursday.

"Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back. Running with the football, they'll try to tackle him," Sirianni said. "We're ultimately cautious with how we use him. And how we think about each play. We know how important it is to have him out there. I wouldn't expect anything else. Jalen knows how to take care of himself."

After reaching the playoffs and beating the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round, Los Angeles ended its season with a road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional playoffs last week, thus restarting the cycle of Stafford questions for the coach.

"We don't want to have that go on again," McVay said of Stafford stringing out a final call on whether he'll play another season. "I don't think that's good for anybody. I think sooner than later, being able to get that clarity. Understanding clear, open and honest communication. I think there's a lot of love coming from our part. I think there's a lot of appreciation coming from his part as well. And I think a lot sooner than later is an ideal scenario."

McVay did not fully commit to keeping Stafford as the QB1 in 2025. His plan, as usual, is to begin charting a course at quarterback, then expanding to other positions.

"The quarterback is always the first thing in mind as it relates to how you move forward with the team," McVay said.

Stafford was acquired from the Lions in a deal in which the Rams sent Jared Goff and draft picks that ultimately landed wide receiver Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta and others in Detroit. Thirteen months after the trade was completed, Stafford and McVay were celebrating a win in Super Bowl LVI in February 2022.

Asked whether the Rams are definitively committed to Stafford in his 17th NFL season if he doesn't retire, McVay was vague.

"We'll talk about all those things at the appropriate time," he said. "I love him. I love working with him."

Stafford is among the league's statistical greats, ranked 10th all-time in career passing yards (59,809) and touchdown passes (377), and ninth in both pass completions and attempts. He's 5-2 with the Rams in the playoffs after going 0-3 over his 12 seasons in Detroit.

Stafford said he feels like he's playing good enough football to return. He turns 37 two days before the Super Bowl and is recovering from a rib injury McVay confirmed was a factor in his performance, although it didn't keep Stafford out of practice. Stafford's wife, Kelly, said her husband played the final games of the season with five broken ribs suffered in a 12-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers last month.

McVay said tests on Stafford were taken after the game and "nothing showed up on that imaging."

"But he did have some irritation. And then before the Minnesota game when he did get an MRI scan there showed some stress reactions. That was what was communicated to me," McVay said.

Golden, 55, spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. That stint followed two years as the Bengals' linebackers coach from 2020-21.

"Al is a very highly regarded coach, and we are excited to welcome him back to the Bengals as defensive coordinator," Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said. "He understands football at every level and has had great success as a coordinator, position coach and head coach. Al has a great football mind and will bring a smart, physical, aggressive approach to our defense."

Golden replaces Lou Anarumo, who was dismissed on Jan. 6. Anarumo had been defensive coordinator of the Bengals since Taylor became head coach in 2019.

Taylor had to wait until the College Football Playoff championship game concluded before being able to talk with Golden. Notre Dame lost 34-23 to Ohio State on Monday night.

Under Golden in 2024, the Fighting Irish defense finished fifth in the nation in points allowed per game (15.5).

The Bengals finished this past season 25th in total defense (348.3 yards per game) and tied for 26th in points allowed (25.5 per game).

Lions general manager Brad Holmes doesn't expect the good times to come to an end for Goff now that Johnson has moved on to become the head coach of the NFC North-rival Chicago Bears.

"Obviously, he was very productive with Ben as a coordinator but he had a lot of prior success before he even got here as well in a completely different system," Holmes said on Thursday. "I think he's a better quarterback, a more mature quarterback now than he was then when he had early success. I don't foresee that. I think the guy's in his prime. He's gotten better and better every year. And when I say prime, I think, like, just entering it because he keeps ascending.

"I think every single year we've been here, the next year ... the levels keep improving. Again, I have a lot of faith in Dan (Campbell, head coach) and I know that he'll make sure Jared is in a good position."

Goff, 30, was named a finalist for the Associated Press 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player award on Thursday after completing a career-high 72.4 percent of his passes for 4,629 yards this season.

He joined fellow quarterbacks Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) as well as Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley as finalists for the award.

Under Johnson, Detroit boasted the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense this season (33.2 points per game) and finished second in total offense (409.5 yards per game). The Lions' points (564) and regular-season wins (15) this season were franchise records.

Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection with 35,058 passing yards and 222 touchdowns in 134 starts with the Los Angeles Rams (2016-20) and Lions.

Thomas was named a finalist for the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award and also was added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster. He also was named to replace Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers on a Pro Bowl roster that also includes Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik and punter Logan Cooke.

Flowers withdrew from the exhibition event in Orlando due to a knee injury that prevented him from competing for his team in the playoffs.

Thomas, 22, recorded 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games (16 starts) since being selected by the Jaguars with the 23rd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

In addition to Thomas, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, New York wide receiver Malik Nabers and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix were named as finalists for the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.