NFL
Vikings place LB Ivan Pace on injured reserve and sign 5-Star LB off Packers practice squad
Vikings place LB Ivan Pace on injured reserve and sign 5-Star LB off Packers practice squad
Minnesota Vikings Place LB Ivan Pace on Injured Reserve, Sign Jamin Davis from Packers Practice Squad
The Minnesota Vikings made significant adjustments to their linebacker corps, announcing that standout rookie Ivan Pace Jr. has been placed on injured reserve. In response, the team has bolstered its depth by signing linebacker Jamin Davis off the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. These moves come as the Vikings push to solidify their defense in a crucial stretch of the season.
Pace’s Injury a Tough Blow
Ivan Pace Jr., an undrafted rookie who quickly became a key contributor, has been a revelation for the Vikings’ defense this season. Known for his relentless motor, physicality, and high football IQ, Pace earned significant playing time and became one of the most reliable pieces of Minnesota’s linebacker unit.
Details about the nature of Pace’s injury have not been disclosed, but his placement on injured reserve means he will miss at least four games. This is a significant loss for a Vikings defense that has relied heavily on Pace’s versatility and ability to disrupt opposing offenses.
Jamin Davis: A Fresh Addition
To address the void left by Pace’s absence, the Vikings moved quickly to sign Jamin Davis, a former first-round pick who has been on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. Davis, originally drafted by the Washington Commanders in 2021, brings a wealth of potential to Minnesota.
At 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, Davis possesses the physical attributes and athleticism that made him a coveted prospect. While his time in Washington and Green Bay was marked by inconsistency, he showed flashes of brilliance, particularly in coverage and as a sideline-to-sideline defender.
Signing Davis is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Vikings. With proper coaching and a defined role in Minnesota’s defense, he could revitalize his career and provide immediate help during Pace’s absence.
Vikings’ Defensive Outlook
The Vikings are in the thick of the NFC playoff race, and maintaining defensive stability will be crucial in the coming weeks. Losing Pace, who was not only a productive player but also a fan favorite, adds pressure to the rest of the linebacker room. Players like Jordan Hicks and Danielle Hunter will be expected to step up and anchor the unit.
Jamin Davis’s arrival offers a fresh dynamic, and he could see the field quickly given the team’s need for depth. His ability to contribute both in run defense and pass coverage could prove invaluable as the Vikings navigate a challenging schedule.
Next Steps for Minnesota
For the Vikings, the focus remains on maintaining momentum despite this setback. Head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed confidence in the team’s ability to adapt, emphasizing the importance of “next man up” in situations like this.
As for Ivan Pace Jr., the hope is that he can recover quickly and return to action later this season. In the meantime, the addition of Jamin Davis gives the Vikings a chance to uncover a potential gem while keeping their defense competitive in the high-stakes race for playoff positioning.
The Vikings’ success moving forward will depend on how effectively the team adjusts to this unexpected change, but the organization has shown it is committed to finding solutions to stay in contention.
NFL
BREAKING: Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers Reveals shocker on his next move following…
BREAKING: Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers Reveals shocker on his next move following….
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stunned his team and fans alike with a shocking announcement. In a recent interview, Rodgers explained his decision to step back from the game, leaving many puzzled and searching for answers. Known for his leadership and resilience, Rodgers’ unexpected revelation sent ripples through the Jets organization and the NFL world.
The star quarterback, who joined the Jets after a high-profile trade from the Green Bay Packers, had been expected to lead the team to a new era of success. However, Rodgers’ sudden decision to potentially step away from football raised questions about his future with the franchise. Many were left wondering whether his commitment to the game had waned or if there were other factors at play.
In his interview, Rodgers shared that his decision was rooted in personal reflection and a desire for growth. He explained that after years of playing at the highest level, he had reached a point where he needed to reassess his priorities and think about his life outside of football. “I’ve been through a lot, and sometimes you need to step back to truly understand what matters most,” Rodgers said.
Though Rodgers didn’t completely rule out returning to the field, he expressed a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunities he had in the NFL. “I’ve accomplished so much, and now it’s time to focus on other things,” he continued, emphasizing that the future remains uncertain, but he is at peace with his decision.
His announcement came as a surprise to many, but it also showcased the quarterback’s self-awareness and maturity. Whether or not he returns to the field, Aaron Rodgers’ journey will continue to be one of intrigue and inspiration for both fans and athletes alike.
NFL
Jets Predicted to Add Star 6-Foot-6 OL Who Can ‘Dominate’
Jets Predicted to Add Star 6-Foot-6 OL Who Can ‘Dominate’
LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell reacting after a college football game.
Regardless of who is playing quarterback for the New York Jets in 2025, they will need some protection.
NFL draft analyst Bucky Brooks helped add some more in his latest mock draft for the NFL Media Group. With the No. 7 overall pick, he predicted that the green and white would select LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell.
“Building up the trenches is a part of the Jets’ plan to compete with the AFC’s heavyweights. Campbell is a rock-solid offensive tackle prospect with the size, strength, and skill to dominate on the edges from Day 1,” Brooks wrote.
Campbell was the first OL off the board in Brooks’ simulation. The massive LSU hog molly is listed at 6-foot-6 and tips the scales at 323 pounds, per the LSU athletics website.
Campbell Could Be the Final Piece to the Jets O-Line Puzzle
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The Jets’ offensive line is actually considered a strength for once heading into the offseason. Four of the five starters are under contract.
Olu Fashanu at left tackle, John Simpson at left guard, Joe Tippmann at center, and you have Alijah Vera-Tucker at right guard. The only question mark is who will be playing right tackle in 2025.
Morgan Moses was the starter for the majority of the year but he is scheduled to hit the open market of free agency in March.
Moses has expressed a desire to return, but a new regime is in charge with Aaron Glenn at head coach and Darren Mougey at general manager.
The Jets would provide themselves a lot more flexibility heading into the draft if they brought Moses back. For example, last season the Jets signed Tyron Smith in free agency to play left tackle. That provided the team flexibility on draft day to go with the best player available, which happened to be Fashanu.
This provided the Jets with the luxury to slowly develop Fashanu instead of just throwing him into the fire from day one. The Jets could employ the same strategy with Campbell by re-signing Moses.
Jets Would Be Adding Elite Player to the Trenches
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NFL draft analyst Russell Brown of Fantasy Pros and Betting Pros also mocked Campbell to the Jets on “Boy Green Daily.”
“I know I said I haven’t graded everybody out [from this draft class], but Will Campbell is going to be one of the two or three best players on my board without question. This would be the player that I would select. I think he is a safe pick,” Brown explained to me. “I don’t know who the quarterback is going to be but if I’m them, I’m taking Will Campbell and that would be the guy. He is so consistent.
His stance is kind of sloppy – he looks like he just crawled out of bed but he is just so consistent with his post foot, his set foot, and he is able to create some separation there and keep guys at bay and keep them away from the quarterback. I love the way he strikes, I love the way he can climb, I think he can move in space. It’s a boring pick but we are talking about protecting your franchise.”
The Jets haven’t used a first-round pick in back-to-back years on an offensive lineman since 2020-2021. Gang Green took Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker in consecutive drafts.
In 2006 the Jets used both of their first-round draft choices that year on offensive linemen with Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson.
NFL
Dolphins Urged to ‘Swing’ for Projected $36 Million Defensive Lineman
Dolphins Urged to ‘Swing’ for Projected $36 Million Defensive Lineman
CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani argued the Miami Dolphins should target Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Milton Williams in NFL free agency.
Miami Dolphins insiders have argued this offseason that the team must find a way to get more physical. One of the best ways to do that, particularly on defense, is to add a defensive lineman such as Milton Williams to the roster.
On January 30, CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani identified Williams as the one player the Dolphins “should prioritize signing” during 2025 NFL free agency.
“The Dolphins have several pending free agents on the defensive line such as Calais Campbell and Benito Jones,” Dajani wrote. “Upgrading on the defensive interior is something Anthony Weaver will fight for, and Miami could swing for the former Eagle that recorded a career-high five sacks and 10 QB hits in 2024.”
A third-round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, Williams is coming off a breakout fourth season. In 2024, he registered 24 combined tackles, including seven tackles for loss, along with career highs of five sacks and 10 quarterback hits.
Williams also played a career-high 501 defensive snaps during the 2024 regular season.
Spotrac projected Williams to be worth about $36 million on a three-year contract this offseason.
How Milton Williams Could Fit With the Dolphins
On January 30, The Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad didn’t list defensive tackle among Miami’s top three needs this offseason. But Schad expressed that the Dolphins overall goal this spring and summer should be to add physicality to the roster to complement their speed.
It would help if the Dolphins could also address their pass rush. Miami finished the 2024 season ranked 27th with 35 sacks.
Adding Williams would certainly satisfy the latter need. While his sack total didn’t skyrocket, Williams took a huge step forward as a pass rusher in 2024 according to the Pro Football Focus player rankings.
In 2023, Williams earned a PFF pass rushing grade of 62. That grade jumped to 91 for the 2024 campaign.
The only defensive lineman in the NFL with a better PFF pass rushing grade this past season was Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones.
Granted, Williams struggled in run defense and tackling according to PFF. But he fared much better in those categories at the analytical website during the past two seasons.
The Dolphins could sign Williams, hoping he continues to pass rush at an elite level while getting back to his 2022 and 2023 levels in run defense and tackling.
NFL
CONFIRMED: New York Jets Steal Former Top-5 Pick From Steelers in Surprise Move
CONFIRMED: New York Jets Steal Former Top-5 Pick From Steelers in Surprise Move
The New York Jets have poached a talented coach away from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport shared on social media that the Jets are hiring inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry to be their new linebackers coach.
The #Jets are hiring #Steelers ILBs coach Aaron Curry as their new LBs coach, source says.
The former No. 4 overall selection has worked his way up in coaching and now takes a key role on the staff of HC Aaron Glenn and DC Steve Wilks.
curry had spent the previous two seasons with the Steelers in that role.
Jets Add Another Promising Young Coach to the Staff
Curry, 38, entered the NFL back in 2009 as the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.
He lasted in the league for four seasons before he decided to hang up his cleats. Curry appeared in 48 games and made 39 starts.
During that period, he racked up 5.5 sacks, 203 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, and 12 pass deflections.
After retiring from football in 2013, Curry immediately got into coaching. He spent six seasons at the college football level for Charlotte. Curry started as a strength and conditioning intern, became a graduate assistant, and then coached up the defensive line.
In 2019 he returned to the NFL and his old team the Seattle Seahawks as a coaching assistant and a defensive assistant. Most recently he has been with the Steelers as an inside linebackers coach.
“Aaron Curry received rave reviews in Pittsburgh and is seen as a coach on the rise,” The Jet Press wrote on X previously Twitter.
In other coaching news, the Jets have finally secured their next offensive coordinator.
“Sources: The #Jets are hiring #Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand as their new offensive coordinator. Engstrand, who has been with Detroit since 2020, will now take charge of the Jets’ offense under head coach Aaron Glenn,” NFL Insider Jordan Schultz shared.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini confirmed the news.
“He comes from the highest-scoring offense in the NFL, and Glenn has familiarity with him. The potential risk is that he’s never called plays on the NFL level. Another rookie OC,” Cimini said.
The good news for the Jets is that Engstrand has worked with some big names during his coaching career. However, the troubling or uncertain news is that he hasn’t called plays at the NFL level.
NFL
New Jets Hire Rules out Aaron Rodgers Return in 2025: but he insist on a return
New Jets Hire Rules out Aaron Rodgers Return in 2025: but he insist on a return
The New York Jets have hired Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand as the new offensive coordinator.
According to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, that is bad news for Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Jets.
” I was just gonna say this makes me think [there is a] zero percent chance Aaron Rodgers is in New York because I think that would be really risky as an organization with a new head coach to go hey we are going to take one of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of the league and pair him with a guy who likes to do it one way and pair him with a guy who has never called plays before in the NFL. He has only been in the NFL for four years,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s “NFL Live
Clearly the Jets Are Aaron Glenn’s Team Now
For the last two calendar years, the Jets catered to Rodgers and his demands. This was the Rodgers show and the team chose to live and die by that.
Now at the start of 2025, the Jets have handed the keys of the car to new head coach Aaron Glenn.
Glenn made it clear at his introductory press conference that no individual player is above the team and that this isn’t about Rodgers – it’s about the team.
If that wasn’t clear at the presser, it certainly is based on who he hired to run his offense.
Engstrand, 42, isn’t a Rodgers disciple. They never directly crossed paths in their respective coaching and playing careers.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini admitted that the Engstrand addition “adds to the uncertainty of a Rodgers return.”
“What I find interesting [is] if it is Aaron Rodgers which is the question hanging over everything, what Aaron Rodgers likes to do on offense is diametrically opposed from that under center, play action, Lions scheme. So this could be like tea leaves that maybe they do not expect the quarterback to come back,” ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes explained on “NFL Live.”
The assumption is Engstrand will run a “Lions-like system” according to Cimini. Engstrand has been with Detroit since the 2020 season.
“It’s different from what Rodgers did last season. The Lions ran a league-high 39% of their plays from under center, while the Jets ran 15% (15th), per NFL Next Gen Stats. Rodgers was comfortable in shotgun because it put less stress on his surgically repaired Achilles and other leg injuries that came up throughout the season. Also, no team used play-action more than the Lions (37%), significantly more than the Jets at 23% (17th),” Cimini revealed.
Rodgers, 41, just completed season No. 20 in the National Football League.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini told me on “Boy Green Daily” that Rodgers has only played in one maybe two different offenses throughout his entire career.
“Does Rodgers, at this stage of his career, want to learn a new system taught by a first-time playcaller? The last time he had to do it was 2019, Matt LaFleur’s first year with the Green Bay Packers — and that turned controversial when Rodgers complained about not having the freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage. Eventually, LaFleur relented,” Cimini recalled.
We still have more questions than answers.
Rodgers hasn’t decided if he even wants to play football in 2025. Once he reaches that conclusion, the Jets can then go through their own process to decide if they want him back or if they have to explore door No. 2 at the QB position.
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