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Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders enter a pivotal offseason with a win — and many questions
The Commanders beat the Eagles, 24-17, to finish 5-12. They will have the seventh pick in the draft and big decisions to make on free agents and coaches.
The Commanders beat the
Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, 24-17, to finish 5-12 on the season — the mirror opposite of the regular season record that preceded their magical run to the NFC championship game here a year ago.
As a result of their victory and other results this weekend, they will hold the No. 7 pick in the NFL draft in April. What they do with that selection will be a significant part of an eventful offseason for Washington, with hopes of preventing another spiral such as this one in 2026.
Last season, these games between Washington and Philadelphia carried some weight. On Sunday, the starting quarterbacks were Tanner McKee and Josh Johnson. The Eagles rested many of their key starters ahead of the playoffs. The Commanders played without many of their own because of injuries.
For Washington, the resulting performance in Week 18 contained many of the same highs, lows and maddening inconsistency as Weeks 1 through 17. The offense strung together a 17-play drive on its first possession then later labored to punch it in from inside the 5. Kicker Jake Moody clanked a 24-yarder off the right upright but also drained a 56-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Both Johnson and McKee had woeful interceptions, and Johnson whiffed on a snap for a fumble.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders end brutal season with moment of joy for three veteran players
For Washington, numbers bubbled to the surface in the 24-17 win.
For Bobby Wagner, the number was 2,000 career tackles, making him the third player in NFL history — along with Ray Lewis and London Fletcher — to amass that many.
Von Miller’s number was $500,000, the bonus he reached late in Sunday’s game with his ninth sack of the season.
And, for Josh Johnson, the number was two — his second career victory as a starter, having played 10 NFL seasons for 14 teams since his rookie year in 2009.
Yes, this was a brutally bad season for the Commanders, and there are many questions and problems the organization will have to figure out and solve in the coming weeks. We will start to get some answers Monday, when Adam Peters speaks to the local media.
The Commanders will spend the next few months conducting an autopsy of this awful season. They will have to self-scout, unsentimentally, to determine what went wrong, and who is best equipped to fix it. They may find that getting better means moving on from all of Wagner, Miller and Johnson, and replacing each with younger men with longer runways.
Such is life in the NFL. For one last day, though, those three veterans, who’ve been on football fields their whole lives, could grab at success, one more time, and capture it, and hold onto it, one moment of success amid so much failure.
The Athletic (paywall)
Eagles-Commanders takeaways: Philadelphia loses out on No. 2 seed after resting regulars
The Philadelphia Eagles needed to beat the Washington Commanders in Week 18 and get some out-of-town help to clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs for a second year in a row.
But they were foiled Sunday in the regular-season finale by the most unlikely character: third-string Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson — a 39-year-old journeyman who hadn’t won an NFL start since 2018.
Washington’s 24-17 road win left the Eagles as the No. 3 seed in the NFC. Philadelphia (11-6) will face the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers (12-5) in the opening round. It will be a rematch of the 2023 NFC Championship Game, a 31-7 Eagles win.
Because the Detroit Lions upset the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Eagles would have been the No. 2 seed had they beaten the Commanders (5-12).
McKee finished 21-for-40 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown, and he was sacked three times and threw an interception. The Eagles’ three fourth-quarter drives ended in a punt and two turnovers on downs.
Johnson, meanwhile, brought the Commanders back from a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit with two touchdown drives, scoring the decisive touchdown on a third-and-goal scramble from the 1-yard line with 2:32 left.
The performance of the Eagles’ secondary once again revealed its lack of depth. Apart from his interception, Johnson was 14-for-22 passing for 131 yards and a touchdown. The Commanders converted six of 11 third downs, converted their only fourth-down situation and scored three touchdowns on their four red-zone trips. Backup defensive backs Jakorian Bennett, Mac McWilliams and Kelee Ringo were each flagged for pass interference. (Bennett was flagged twice.)
Commanders.com
Instant analysis | Commanders wrap up 2025 season with 24-17 win over Eagles
The Commanders didn’t have a banner night on either side of the ball, but they did enough to get out of Lincoln Financial Field with a win. The Commanders only put up 274 yards but controlled the time of possession by nearly 10 minutes [and benefited from 123 penalty yards assessed against the Eagles, including 3 defensive pass interference flags thrown in the end zone]. They leaned on 143 rushing yards, led by Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s 65 yards on 16 carries that included a one-yard touchdown that tied the score in the first quarter.
The defense allowed the Eagles to convert 43% of their 14 third-down attempts but held them to 0-for-3 on fourth downs, the last of which essentially ended the game. The Commanders sacked Tanner McKee three times, the last of which came from Von Miller, who finished the season with nine sacks for the first time since 2021.
The Eagles had two opportunities to tie things up, and both ended in turnovers on downs. Miller sacked McKee on third-and-10, and since the Eagles had used all their timeouts, they had to rush to run one last play, which resulted in an incomplete pass to Dotson.
After the game, Johnson was all smiles at the podium.
“It’s unexplainable, man,” Johnson said of the win. “I know to the rest of the world, this might not mean nothing, but…for us to not waver and get this ‘W,’ it was a great one.”
NFL.com
NFL Week 18 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday’s 14 games
Commanders 24 – Eagles 17
- Johnson leads a complete team win. Josh Johnson, 39, entered Sunday without having thrown a touchdown pass since 2021, after he spent most of 2025 on the sideline as the Commanders’ third-string quarterback, and only started Sunday because he was all Washington had left. None of that mattered in this game. With a win very much in reach, Johnson channeled his 10 years of NFL experience and engineered two scoring drives, capitalizing on mistakes made by Eagles backups (for a combined 56 penalty yards between the two possessions) to move the Commanders into the Eagles’ red zone. From there, Johnson embraced the moment, firing a sharp pass to tight end John Bates for a touchdown early in the fourth, then expertly executed a play action bootleg, rolling to his left, swiveling his shoulders just enough to send the nearest defender retreating in coverage, then trotting through the space that defender (Kelee Ringo) vacated for a rushing score. Yes, in 2025, Josh Johnson accounted for two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a road win, a game in which Johnson kept Washington moving forward with his arm and legs. What a beautiful moment on one of the most winding football journeys we’ve ever seen.
- McKee’s stock takes a dive. Lost in the undying buzz that surrounds the Eagles (both positively and mostly negatively) is the optimism regarding their backup quarterback, Tanner McKee. A preseason hero who carries intrigue that stretches beyond Philadelphia, McKee received the start in a backup-heavy game for the Eagles on Sunday and showed why he’s an understudy. McKee’s stat line does him more favors than the tape. On multiple (often key) occasions, McKee struggled with accuracy and/or wasn’t on the same page with his intended receiver. He threw an ugly interception in the end zone on a pass he anticipated would be open if Washington’s Jeremy Reaves had carried the nearest pass-catcher in coverage, but Reaves instead sat on the throw McKee eventually fired, picking him off to stop an Eagles drive that likely would have finished in the end zone. Throughout the game, McKee sailed passes over open targets and when the Eagles desperately needed a touchdown drive to preserve their chances of victory or extending to overtime, McKee looked unqualified, struggling with pressure and missing targets. McKee has thrived in preseason action to a degree that has even led some to wonder whether he might become a starter elsewhere (or, depending on the week and which Eagles fans you speak to, in place of Jalen Hurts). He didn’t look anything like that on Sunday.
- Washington ends disappointing season on high note. The Commanders had every reason to quit on Dan Quinn weeks ago, but that’s not how this squad is built. Washington didn’t live up to the preseason hype created by its magical run to the NFC Championship Game a season ago, and while the 2025 campaign would indeed end in the same place its playoff run did last year, that didn’t inspire any doubt. The Commanders — a team initially built on veteran talent, but now including a handful of aspiring youngsters fighting for a future — took advantage of a matchup against Eagles backups Sunday and won with effort. Reaves and Mike Sainristil accounted for the three combined passes defensed by the Commanders (per Next Gen Stats), while Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran hard through Philadelphia’s defense, battling to stay in a game that seemed destined to end in a narrow Eagles win before the fourth quarter arrived. Teams with lopsided losing records typically don’t close like this, but while Quinn’s group was a disappointment in total for 2025, the Commanders ensured they’d go out like worthy competitors by winning a Week 18 rock fight.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Commanders-Eagles (via NFL Pro): Tanner McKee completed just 1 of his 14 passes under pressure for 12 yards, while completing 20 of 26 passes for 229 yards, a touchdown, and an interception when not pressured.
NFL Research: Josh Johnson, 39, finished with nine carries for 45 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown Sunday, becoming the oldest player in NFL history to have 40-plus rushing yards and one-plus rushing touchdowns in a game.
Commanders Wire
Commanders LT Laremy Tunsil makes intentions clear on social media
During Sunday’s game, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network broke some news: the Seattle Seahawks, who clinched the NFC West and NFC’s No. 1 overall seed on Saturday night, had agreed to a four-year extension with left tackle Charles Cross. The numbers: 4 years, $104.4 million — $26.1 million average per year, with $40.5 million due to Cross in year one of the deal. Rapoport also said that Cross would receive $75 million in guaranteed money.
Tunsil was paying attention and shared the following message on his Instagram.
Tunsil has earned a new contract. When the Commanders acquired him in March from the Houston Texans, he had two years remaining on a contract extension he signed in 2023. However, there were no guarantees remaining.
Tunsil started the first 14 games of the season for Washington, and he was outstanding. Coaches and teammates praised him for his leadership and on-field play. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said he was surprised at how good a run blocker Tunsil was. Tunsil also served as a mentor for first-round tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
Tunsil is in a unique position, having already signed two extensions since entering the NFL back in 2016. He’s reset the market twice. It’s easy to forget that Tunsil is still only 31 and plans to keep playing, much like former Washington tackle Trent Williams.
How much will Tunsil receive? Cross is 25, so Washington may not want to pay Tunsil a similar amount. However, Tunsil reposting those messages makes it clear: negotiations will begin at Cross’s numbers. [Bill-in-Bangkok: I think Tunsil will want a lot more than this; he’ll look to start and finish above $28.5m per year, which is what Rashawn Slater got last offseason to reset the LT market. Tunsil will want to reset it again.]
The Commanders want to keep Tunsil, and he wants to stay. Both sides should be motivated enough to get this done and not allow it to linger into the season as it did with Terry McLaurin in 2025.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders’ 2026 offseason guide: Biggest needs, draft capital, financials and more
No matter the final cap for 2026, Washington figures to have plenty of cap room; the contracts website Spotrac estimates close to $90 million in cap space for Washington, based on a $304.3 million projection for the 2026 cap. But don’t be misled here either: Washington has only 35 players under contract for 2026.
Coaching changes
Former quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard left during the season to become the new head coach at his alma mater, Stanford. Commanders assistant David Blough is a candidate to replace him, but the role is subject to the Rooney Rule.
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was stripped of play-calling duties in Week 11 and will likely be let go. Quinn could remain as head coach and defensive play caller, or he could bring in someone else, which would surely lead to new positional coaches.
Kliff Kingsbury could be on the move, too. His name has come up as a candidate for head-coaching jobs, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Saturday that the Commanders have had conversations about potentially moving on from Kingsbury, even if he doesn’t land a head-coaching job.
So, a year after feeling lucky that they were able to retain both coordinators, the Commanders could end up moving on from both.
Commanders.com
Game balls | 3 standouts from Washington’s win over Philadelphia
Jeremy Reaves
In his eight-year career in Washington, Reaves has forged a reputation built on a rare kind of relentless work ethic. In this case, it was the final bit of action in what’s been a rather disappointing season for Washington. Regardless, the 2022 All-Pro stepped onto the grass in Philadelphia with the same approach he always possesses, set to make an impact wherever he could find it.
The chance came in a big way near Washington’s own end zone with less than a minute to go in the first half. The Commanders’ offense had turned over the ball on the previous drive, and the Eagles seemed to be on the brink of taking advantage of the error. On third-and-10 from Washington’s 20-yard line, Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee threw a ball that Reaves easily read and picked off. It was the safety’s first interception since 2020, and he ran for 28 yards, which would go on to set up a Jake Moody field goal that gave Washington the lead heading into the locker room.
The 29-year-old kept wreaking havoc in the second half. Next time the defense was on the field, Reaves showed up for another brilliantly read play. This time it was a defended pass intended for wide receiver Darius Cooper. In the win, the safety finished tied for second on the team with six total tackles and showed once again that an opportunity to play an NFL game isn’t something he is ever going to take for granted.
Commanders.com
Commanders receive No. 7 overall pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Washington holds the No. 7 overall pick for the fourth time in franchise history. The last time they selected a player at that spot in the draft came in 1999, when they took cornerback Champ Bailey — a member of the franchise’s 90 Greatest Players list and a Hall of Fame inductee. In his five seasons with Washington — he was traded to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2004 season — Bailey recorded 18 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and 81 pass breakups, which earned him four Pro Bowls. The other players Washington selected with the No. 7 pick include Larry Isbell (1952) and Pat Richter (1963).
Bullock’s Film Room (free article)
Commanders 2026 Offseason Primer
Breaking down the timeline for the 2026 offseason and the key decision ahead for the Commanders
Free Agency
The new league year officially starts on March 11th at 4pm ET, which is when free agents are officially allowed to sign with other teams. The legal tampering period starts two days prior on March 9th at noon ET, which is when teams can start talking to players scheduled to become free agents. The Commanders are currently set to have the fifth most cap space in the NFL with around $80 million. That number could easily jump up towards $100 million or higher depending on how the team handles Tunsil’s potential contract extension, which could lower his cap hit, and with the potential cuts of Payne and Lattimore.
However, despite that amount of cap space, the Commanders do have a lot of holes to fill. The Commanders currently have just 36 players under contract for the 2026 season, and that’s including guys like Lattimore and Payne that could well end up cut. They have 35 players set to become free agents, so it’s a pretty even split between players under contract and players set to hit the market. That cap space can be stretched a fair bit, but with so many holes to fill, expect some more of the cheap one-year deals that we’ve seen the Commanders use a lot of to fill out the roster these past two years under Adam Peters.
Their first priority will be figuring out which of their own players they want to bring back. There’s a few guys that could end up deciding to retire, like Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, Von Miller and maybe even Tress Way. Then there are some glue guys that you’d think would be pretty easy to get back in a cost effective manner. Jeremy McNichols has never let the Commanders down at running back, nor has Chris Rodriguez. Treylon Burks has shown some flashes at receiver after joining mid-season this year. Defensive end Drake Jackson was signed with next year in mind too.
After that, there are players that the team needs to consider their true value compared to what they might get on the open market. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was a solid player for the Commanders this year, but he’s likely looking for one final payday this offseason now that he’s over 30. Would that be a wise long-term investment for Washington?
Left guard Chris Paul stepped in and made the left guard position his own this year, forming a good team with left tackle Laremy Tunsil. I’m sure the team would love to have him back, but offensive lineman often get paid in free agency. Just last year we saw middling offensive lineman, and in some cases back up offensive lineman, get paid in the $15 million to $20 million per year range. Chris Paul has developed nicely for Washington but has a very limited sample size as a starting guard in this league. If some team takes a chance out of desperation and offers him a huge deal, I don’t see how the Commanders can match it given they have the Tunsil contract to work out, the Cosmi contract on the books and Biadasz potentially also up for an extension.
Those are just some of the questions facing Adam Peters and the Commanders in free agency this offseason, and that’s before we even look at the available free agents that might improve the Commanders roster.
Riggo’s Rag
10 Commanders players who definitely won’t be back in 2026
Austin Ekeler – Commanders RB
The Washington Commanders traded Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers before the 2025 season. This was a supreme vote of confidence in the younger options on the depth chart. It also thrust veteran running back Austin Ekeler into a starting role once again.
Ekeler was considered among the league’s most prolific dual-threat backfield forces once upon a time. He played a more complementary role in Washington, but these plans changed once Robinson was deemed surplus to requirements. The Commanders were going to rely on him heavily. However, disaster struck in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers.
The former Western Colorado standout tore his Achilles and hasn’t been seen since. Ekeler hasn’t given up the prospect of playing again, working hard on his recovery in the hope of getting an opportunity to galvanize his career. Everyone in Washington wishes him well, but his time in D.C. is probably done.
Noah Brown – Commanders WR
Veteran wide receiver Noah Brown was the Hail Mary miracle man who brought in quarterback Jayden Daniels’ prayer to beat the Chicago Bears in 2024. The Washington Commanders deservedly gave him another one-year extension during the offseason, but a constant stream of disappointing injury problems made him an innocent bystander for the most part.
Brown got hurt at Washington’s mandatory minicamp and was brought along gradually all summer. This didn’t prevent him from going down in Week 2, and the Commanders eventually placed him on injured reserve when they weren’t satisfied with his progress.
The former Ohio State star eventually made it back. It wasn’t for long, with Brown hobbling off the field early in his second contest. Washington placed him on injured reserve again, and the Commanders would be wise not to give him another financial commitment when the time comes in the spring.
Zach Ertz – Commanders TE
When the Commanders signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz in 2024 free agency, nobody really knew what to expect. His previous accomplishments needed no introduction. However, a turbulent 2023 campaign made this a risky move for general manager Adam Peters.
As it turned out, Washington provided Ertz with the precise environment needed to galvanize his career. He was nothing short of sensational in 2024, giving rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels a dependable outlet in the passing game. The former Stanford standout also emerged as a respected locker-room leader, earning numerous performance incentives along the way.
Ertz got a little older and slower in Year 2 with the club. He was still highly effective when targets came his way, and his savvy football acumen enabled him to find the soft spots in defenses. Unfortunately, a late-season ACL tear could lead to his retirement.
Podcasts & videos
IDENTITY CRISIS: Washington Commanders Must FIND An Identity To Match The Culture In 2026
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Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles’ arrogance costs them the No. 2 seed in loss to Commanders
The Eagles did not do their part. They lost to the Commanders at home. Final score: 24 to 17.
It’s hard to argue that Nick Sirianni doesn’t look pretty foolish for resting the starters.
Of course, this isn’t just me saying this with the benefit of hindsight. We made the case for the Eagles to play their starters in Week 18.
Instead, the team’s hubris and arrogance results in them remaining as the No. 3 seed. And they’ll now host the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.
Maybe the Eagles beat the 49ers and go on a run to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Not impossible.
But it’s also quite possible that this team is going to regret not trying to maximize their chances at the No. 2 seed.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles vs. Commanders: The good, the bad, and the ugly
The Detroit Lions’ Jake Bates was kicking a walk off field goal in Chicago, while Tanner McKee was floating a pass over the head of an open Kylen Granson on a fourth-and-three play with 1:17 left in the Eagles’ game against the visiting Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field.
In that moment, the Eagles’ best possible playoff scenario was squelched in a 24-17 loss in which the Eagles not only lost a game, but lost the No. 2 seed in the NFC after the Lions gifted them a 19-16 win in Chicago.
So instead of an extra home playoff game, the No. 3-seeded Eagles will host the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers, a far more dangerous team to face than what would have been the alternative leaking Green Bay Packers, losers of their last four games.
Honestly, this game carried the aura of a junior varsity game played on a Monday afternoon, but when the takes grew grave, it was too late to recoil and do something about it. The Eagles were sloppy, drawing nine penalties for a whooping season-high 123 yards, three of which were pass interference calls in the end zone that led to two of Washington’s three touchdowns.
The Eagles backups were beaten by 39-year-old Commanders’ third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, who has played in so many different leagues and on so many different teams, many of them do not even exist.
It did not get in the way of the Eagles blowing an incredible opportunity.
McKee did not help his stock, completing 21 of 40 for 241 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. McKee made a critical interception late in the first half, went against his strengths by scrambling out of the pocket too often, and overthrew many receivers, including the big fourth down to Granson late in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles’ defense was sturdy for most of the game, before breaking down late to allow Washington two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
A week ago, after beating a very good Buffalo team, in Buffalo, the Eagles appeared to get their mojo back. Now, the backups may have made the road to repeat as Super Bowl champions a tad more difficult.
The Ugly
Kelee Ringo literally looking the other way when Josh Johnson rolled left for the go-ahead, fourth-quarter score with 2:32 left to play. The score came on third-and-goal. Johnson’s one-yard score was a bootleg left, after he faked a handoff. As he rolled left, Ringo was coming at Johnson from the end zone, then inexplicably stopped and looked for a receiver to cover, completely abandoning Johnson, who waltzed into the end zone untouched. Why would Ringo look for someone to cover when there was no one else to tackle Johnson? It was an incredibly poor decision, which no doubt drove Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio nuts—and resulted in the Eagles losing the game.
Rookie corner Mac McWilliams’ 29-yard interference call in the end zone with 11:55 to play. McWilliams was running with Deebo Samuel and had no idea the ball was thrown. It was the second time the Eagles were flagged for a 29-yard interference call that led to a second Commanders’ touchdown. The first flag came in the second quarter.
McKee throwing an interception to Jemery Reaves at the goal line with 48 seconds left in the first half. McKee did not even see Reaves. The turnover led to Washington closing the first half with a field goal and 10-7 lead.
Cornerback Jakorian Bennett kind of had a tough day. The backup was called for a holding call on Washington’s first drive, flagged for trying to tackle Terry McLaurin on a second-and-eight at the Washington 44. But the bigger blow came when Bennett was called for pass interference on Washington’s second drive, a crucial third-and-nine at the Eagles’ 24. The 23-yard pass interference call on Traylon Burks in the end zone led to Washington’s first score and a 7-7 tie with 9:03 left in the first half. It looked like the Eagles would hold, when Bennett had no idea the ball was coming his way. He had a two-handed grip on Burks’ left arm. Two plays later, Washington scored. With 11:11 to play, Bennett was called for second interference call in the end zone, which Washington once again used to tie the score.
ESPN
For Jerry Jones, Cowboys’ 2026 season starts Monday
The Cowboys had consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2000-02, finishing 7-9-1 in coach Brian Schottenheimer’s first year after going 7-10 in Mike McCarthy’s final season.
With Sunday’s loss, it was the first time since the 2020 season that the Cowboys lost to the Giants. For Prescott, who sat out the second half, it was his first loss to their NFC East rival since he was a rookie in 2016.
Schottenheimer did not get into the exact priorities, but the defense has to be at the top of the list. The Cowboys finished the season allowing the most points in franchise history (511) with a seasonlong struggle defensively under coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Special teams had its struggles, especially with penalties. And the offense, despite leading the league in yards per game entering Sunday, had its issues, especially in the second halves of games. Dallas totaled one touchdown over the final two quarters of the last five games.
When asked if there was a chance for Eberflus to return, he did not answer directly, and said what matters more is “how” the Cowboys play defense as much as who is calling the defense.
This season marked the seventh time since Jones bought the team that a Cowboys defense allowed 400 or more points. In the previous six times, there has been a coordinator change or major scheme overhaul.
The Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought has reached 30 seasons. They have missed the playoffs as many times as they have made the playoffs (four) since 2018. They closed this season with four losses in their last five games.
But they will have two first-round picks in the draft — thanks to the Micah Parsons trade — and can be more of a factor in free agency than in recent years after reworking a number of contracts.
The Landry Hat
The Cowboys can finally get out of Terence Steele’s contract
As the front office looks to create more cap flexibility, right tackle Terence Steele could be next up on the chopping block.
As the front office looks to create more cap flexibility, right tackle Terence Steele could be next up on the chopping block.
The Cowboys can cut Steele with a post-June 1 designation and save $14 million against the cap while absorbing just $4 million in dead money. It would create a hole at right tackle, but Dallas can get an equal-to-similar level of play at a much lower cost.
Whether that’s Tyler Guyton if they move Tyler Smith to left tackle, Nate Thomas, or someone not currently on the roster, the Cowboys aren’t without options. Regardless, moving on from Steele will absolutely be part of the decision-making process.
Blogging the Boys
Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott streaks against New York Giants come to end with loss
Dallas entered the game riding a nine-game winning streak against the Giants which was the longest active streak of such kind in the NFL. The last time that Dallas had won nine straight games against an opponent prior to this was against the Carolina Panthers from 1998-2012.
Many Cowboys fans are aware of how there was a different streak at play that required some goalpost moving. While Dallas held a nine-game streak against the Giants as a team, quarterback Dak Prescott had won 14 straight games against the Giants in games where he was the starting quarterback. He had missed games if that was not clear which is why there was a disparity.
Prescott started this game and is therefore credited with the loss which means he has now lost to the Giants for the first time since his rookie season when Dallas was swept by New York. To be clear, the streak involved a 2018 win for Dallas against New York in the final game of the regular season that was meaningless for both teams like this one (although then Dallas was locked into their playoff position, not out of the postseason like now) so there was some wonkiness involved here in a lot of ways.
Whatever the case it is all over now. That feels appropriate given, uh, everything.
ESPN
How Cowboys wasted one of Dak Prescott’s best seasons
[T]he Cowboys’ season ended with Sunday’s 34-17 loss to the New York Giants. At 7-9-1, the Cowboys missed the playoffs and wasted one of Prescott’s prime years.
Jerry Jones has said on numerous occasions his biggest regret as owner and general manager is not having won a Super Bowl with Romo as quarterback. The odds say Jones could have the same regret with Prescott. Since 1980, there has not been a full-time starting quarterback for the team that drafted him who made his first Super Bowl appearance after his 10th season.
This is only the third time Prescott has missed the postseason when he has played at least 12 games. In 2017, the Cowboys failed to make the postseason with a 9-7 record, done in part by a six-game suspension for Ezekiel Elliott. In 2019, the Cowboys finished 8-8 in what turned out to be Jason Garrett’s final season as head coach.
But as Prescott, 32, approaches his 11th season, Jones believes the Cowboys will have a chance.
How many more chances does Prescott have left? Is it realistic to expect him to continue playing at this level? Can he avoid injury?
While the Cowboys are in Oxnard, California, for training camp in July, Prescott will turn 33.
When Troy Aikman was 33, he went 7-7 as the starter in 1999. The 8-8 Cowboys made the playoffs, but the glory days of their three Super Bowl wins was a fading memory. Aikman finished with 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions that season. His career ended the following season.
When Romo was 33, he had his second back surgery and missed the winner-take-all finale against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. He returned in 2014 and had his best season with the confluence of his experience, health and cast around him. The Cowboys finished 12-4 and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs. He would start only four more games the rest of his career after breaking his collarbone twice in 2015 and injuring his back again in the 2016 preseason, which opened the door for Prescott, a fourth-round pick.
Prescott is under contract through 2028 as part of the record-setting extension he signed in 2024. The belief in his work gives him optimism that Year 11 will be far different than Year 10 when it comes to wins and losses, promising the Cowboys would not be in this position a year from now.
ESPN
Sources: Giants GM Joe Schoen to return despite 4-13 season
Their last two draft classes appear promising as a result, seemingly guiding the decision to retain Schoen. Those drafts produced quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers, edge rusher Abdul Carter and running backs Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., among others.
“We feel like Joe has assembled a good young nucleus of talent, and we look forward to its development,” Mara said in a statement after the firing of Daboll.
Schoen has been handling the team’s coaching search over the past month, doing the heavy lifting while Mara battles cancer. Schoen, with the input of his inner circle, submitted a list of candidates to ownership last week.
The Giants’ coaching search is expected to kick into high gear this week now that the season is over, with Schoen part of the process. Interim coach Mike Kafka is expected to be one of the candidates interviewed.
Big Blue View
Kevin Stefanski is a top target for the Giants, John Harbaugh could be too
The Cleveland Browns have fired head coach Kevin Stefanski. In doing so, they may have provided the New York Giants with the top candidate in their own coaching search.
The two-time Coach Of The Year finished the 2025 season with two strait wins over division rivals in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, but that wasn’t enough to save his job. Likewise, he received vocal support from the locker room after the final game, but that wasn’t enough to sway ownership.
Stefanski started his tenure with two 11-win seasons in four years, each earning him Coach Of The Year Honors. However, his team finished with 3-14 and 5-12 records over the last two years. That finish is something he’ll have to answer for in interviews, but there’s a good argument that the Deshaun Watson trade forced by Browns ownership hamstrung Stefanski.
The Browns ownership and front office sunk significant resources into
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Steelers get in the playoffs as Ravens miss decisive kick wide right
After a wild fourth quarter, Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title and No. 4 seed, the final piece of the postseason puzzle.
The Pittsburgh Steelers play on. The Baltimore Ravens are finished for the season, done in by a would-be winning field goal gone awry.
So it went as the NFL’s playoff field fell into place Sunday on the final day of the regular season, going right down to the final second of the final game.
The Steelers won the AFC North. They’re the AFC’s No. 4 seed after rallying for a 26-24 victory over the Ravens.
The game ended with Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missing a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired, sending the ball wide to the right. It would have been the fifth lead change of a crazy fourth quarter.
ESPN
Ben Johnson rips Bears’ offense after loss to Lions
Despite a 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bears locked up with No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs Sunday because of Washington’s win over Philadelphia.
Though the prospect of playing multiple home games in the postseason has long been a goal of Bears coach Ben Johnson, he was in no mood to celebrate given how his team performed in the season finale.
“I was not pleased with the offense today,” Johnson said.
He added: “We can’t dig ourselves in a hole like that. I was disappointed with the offense as a whole. I let those guys know that. And we’ll be better for it.”
One week after coming up short in a shootout against the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago suffered its second straight loss after being held scoreless for three quarters.
“That’s one we’ll have to take a look at the tape and figure out why that was,” Johnson said. “I didn’t feel like it was one of our more elaborate plans. I felt it was one of our simpler plans. We need to do a better job of executing it and coaching it up.”
Quarterback Caleb Williams said the Bears did not carry the right energy into the game, which forced them to play from behind throughout.
“We came out a little flat, and I think we’ve got to work on having urgency from the jump and get that going,” Williams said.
The Bears looked set to pull off another late comeback when they tied the score at 16-16 after Colston Loveland scored on a 1-yard touchdown followed by Cole Kmet converting a 2-point attempt.
Chicago got another scoring opportunity one possession later when Kevin Byard intercepted Lions quarterback Jared Goff with 2:23 to play, which marked the safety’s league-leading seventh interception of the season. The Bears quickly went three-and-out and decided to punt on fourth-and-5 from their 31-yard line “because we had three timeouts, and we felt like we were going to get the ball back,” Johnson said.
The Bears never got the ball back as the Lions drove 39 yards down the field to set up the winning field goal.
The Bears won the NFC North despite finishing 2-4 in division play. They join the 1971 49ers (2-4 in NFC West), 1982 Packers (1-2 in NFC Central during strike-shortened season) and 2010 Chiefs (2-4 in AFC West) as the only teams since the 1970 merger to win their division despite having a losing record in division games.
Chicago will host Green Bay, the NFC’s No. 7 seed, on Saturday.
Discussion topics
Front Office Sports
Potential TV ‘Bidding War’ for Mike Tomlin
Despite the 10-7 Steelers’ playoff-clinching win over the Ravens Sunday night, there’s a growing drumbeat that Tomlin’s considering a media career.
During NBC’s Football Night in America, insider Mike Florio noted “there’s a lot of steam about Tomlin maybe heading to TV.” Earlier, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport warned “there’s a possibility” the Super Bowl-winning coach could leave the Steelers in favor of a lucrative media position. “Step back, do some TV, maybe reassess his coaching future at another date,” mused the NFL insider.
But ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the 53-year-old Tomlin is likely to remain in Pittsburgh for his 20th season as head coach. By beating the Ravens, Tomlin tied Steelers coaching legend Chuck Noll with 193 regular season wins. After winning the AFC North for the first time since 2020, who would argue with Tomlin’s decision to stay? “He’s got one year left on his contract. There’s a feeling, from many, that he will fulfill what he started,” Schefter said. “He’s the longest-tenured coach in the National Football League.”
Tomlin makes $17 million a year as the Steelers coach. Given recent salary bumps for top NFL analysts, he might not have to take that much of a haircut. Tom Brady pockets $37.5 million a year at Fox, while Troy Aikman and Tony Romo earn $18 million, respectively, at ESPN and CBS.
Tomlin’s salary would depend on his position. With No. 1 NFL game analysts now serving as the face of their networks, those jobs pay the most. He’d earn far less as a once-a-week studio analyst, experts say.
“It depends on his role and whether there is a bidding war for him. Tony Romo raised the financial bar for No. 1 analysts—and Tom Brady doubled it,” notes Gary Myers, author of Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate. “Tomlin makes about $17 million a year with the Steelers. If he’s hired for a studio show, my guess is the bidding starts at $5 million to $8 million.”
Where could Tomlin go? A natural landing spot would be CBS Sports. Matt Ryan of The NFL Today has had talks with Falcons owner Arthur Blank about returning to his former franchise in a “significant front office role,” according to insider Jay Glazer of Fox.
CBS has found success with Bill Cowher, Tomlin’s Steelers predecessor, who’s been a mainstay of the pregame show since 2007, notes LeslieAnne Wade, the former CBS PR maven turned consultant. Could TV lightning strike twice?
Adds Myers: “Tomlin’s press conferences are must-watch and he is so articulate and insightful that he immediately would be a television star. He’s the perfect replacement on the NFL Today if Matt Ryan takes a front office job with the Falcons.“
