NFL Week 11 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips

Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season is here, and insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been making calls to sources around the league for the latest news and buzz on key situations.

This week, they asked around about the Giants’ big coaching change. New York fired Brian Daboll on Monday after a 2-8 start. What’s next for the Giants, Daboll and GM Joe Schoen?

Jeremy and Dan also checked in on Kyler Murray’s future and what might happen with the Cardinals’ quarterback situation in the offseason. And finally, they shared what they’ve heard on Super Bowl contenders who might be flawed and which names could headline the 2026 free agent class. It’s all here, as our national reporters answer big questions and empty their notebooks heading into Week 11.

Jump to:
Giants’ coaching change
Cardinals’ QB situation
Contenders vs. pretenders
Intriguing 2026 free agents
More notes for Week 11

What are you hearing around the league on the Giants’ decision to fire Brian Daboll, and what comes next?

Graziano: There were just too many negatives piling up around Daboll. He’s 11-33 since the start of the 2023 season after winning Coach of the Year and making the playoffs in 2022, his debut season. He has had sideline blowups. He got himself and the organization fined for his behavior around a Jaxson Dart concussion evaluation a couple of weeks ago. Dart got hurt Sunday. They’ve lost four games this season in which they had leads of 10 points or more … you get the idea.

We could point to injuries, as the Giants have had more than their share of top players go down this season. But one of the head coach’s jobs is to be a problem-solver, and Daboll wasn’t solving enough problems. I think what’s interesting here is that the team decided to keep GM Joe Schoen and even said in its announcement that Schoen would lead the search for the next coach. It seems clear that Giants ownership believes this is a talented team built the right way — it just needs to be coached better. We’ll see whether that’s true, but it’s definitely an eyebrow-raiser that Daboll is gone and Schoen might get to stay.

Fowler: Yeah, firing Daboll while keeping Schoen was a mild surprise among people I spoke to around the league, given the ghastly three-year clip you mentioned. Daboll’s ouster is easy to explain, from bad clock management to the futility of pairing a lame-duck coach with a rookie quarterback (see: Titans, Tennessee). And interim coach Mike Kafka, who is well-regarded around the league, will attempt to earn the job going forward. But those same people mentioned above wonder whether the direction of the coaching search could affect Schoen’s future somehow. Hiring a new coach with an embattled general manager can go one of two ways:

Schoen probably falls more in line with Poles than Baalke, but if the Giants’ desired coaching candidate insists on his own guy, it will test the franchise’s mettle.

Graziano: That’s well said, and those are very good recent examples of the different ways this could go. But this will be an appealing job, based on conversations I’ve had recently. Dart looks like the real deal at QB. Wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo will be back next season. They have a legitimate left tackle in Andrew Thomas and a talented defensive line anchored by Brian Burns and outstanding rookie Abdul Carter.

Kafka will be the sixth head coach (counting interims) that the Giants have had in the nine years since they moved on from Tom Coughlin, so it’s incumbent on ownership to get this right and restore some stability. But there should be no shortage of interested candidates.

Fowler: The job needs stout leadership in the worst way. Schoen has played a role in some of those roster highlights you mentioned above. And ownership has let so many people go over the past decade that it probably couldn’t stomach one more (the buyout money on New York’s books is incredible). That’s why the Giants should explore all options for the head coach, looking for the best fit above the shiniest new toy. The coordinator pool is weaker than it has been, which I believe could bring collegiate candidates or retread NFL head coaches more into play.

Get out your crystal ball: Will Kyler Murray stick in Arizona, and if not, where will he be playing in 2026?

Fowler: I’m leaning toward Murray not sticking in Arizona in 2026. Murray has spent seven seasons under center, and Arizona has one winning season and zero playoff wins to show for it. It feels like it’s time. It’s hard to envision any scenario in which the Cardinals want to guarantee $19.5 million of 2027 salary for Murray, which would be the case if they don’t trade or release him by the fifth day of the upcoming league year. Moving any of his nearly $37 million in 2026 guarantees would be a challenge but not impossible if there’s a market for his services.

It’s clear to everyone watching the Cardinals over the past month that the offense is running more smoothly with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. Murray’s 44.3 QBR ranks 26th in the NFL, but he is an immense talent who could use a change. Multiple teams will likely have quarterback openings, including the Jets and Browns. Does one particularly make sense for him, Dan?

Graziano: I’d add Miami to that list if it gets to the end of the season and doesn’t feel convinced Tua Tagovailoa is its long-term quarterback, which is certainly possible. I guess we could throw Carolina in for similar reasons if Bryce Young doesn’t turn things around. Most people I talk to about the Murray situation doubt that the Cardinals will be able to trade that contract, which means he’d likely be released before that 2027 money triggers next March.

If you’re a team with a need at QB and don’t have the draft capital to be able to draft a top guy in 2026 (or if you’re, say, the Jets, and have three first-round picks in the 2027 draft and might prefer the QBs in that class), then maybe it’s worth taking a shot at salvaging Murray. Problem is, that sounds a lot like what the Jets tried to do this season with Justin Fields.

Fowler: Coaches love reclamation projects, and I think Murray can be salvaged. Several former first-round picks have had success after leaving the teams that drafted them: Daniel Jones (Colts), Sam Darnold (Vikings/Seahawks), Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) and even Mac Jones (49ers) to a lesser extent. Murray is deeper into his career than those players were, but many league evaluators still considered him among the top 12-14 quarterbacks entering this season. What happened this season won’t change that outlook too much.

The NFL is starving for capable quarterback play, so he should find a home somewhere. The Rams would be an interesting option. With Matthew Stafford turning 38 in February, Murray could learn Sean McVay’s system and get a chance to potentially start down the road.

Graziano: That’s another good one. We obviously don’t know what will happen with Stafford after this season, but there was enough uncertainty around his situation last spring that we have license to speculate on it. The Rams have two first-round picks in next year’s draft, so they might have the means to move around and land a top rookie quarterback. But not everyone is going to be able to do that, and teams will be looking for upside plays in the trade and free agent markets.

There’s a lot still to sort out on this Murray situation, including whether the Cardinals give him another shot this season once he’s healthy. Opinions on Murray as a possible solution for 2026 and beyond could change based on the way the final weeks of this season play out.

Which contender is getting the most pretender buzz around the league?

Graziano: The Steelers are the only AFC North team with a winning record, yet everyone seems convinced the Ravens will run away with the division. Baltimore has recovered from a rough start and has both head-to-head matchups with the Steelers yet to come. Cincinnati is still kicking around despite two straight brutal losses and could get quarterback Joe Burrow back in a couple of weeks.

The Steelers have gotten a couple of gift wins from teams such as the Jets, Patriots and Colts, but they’ve lost three of their past four and looked totally overmatched Sunday night against the Chargers. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played quite poorly in that game, though up until that point he had been able to mask his age-related limitations with a bunch of quick passes and quick decisions. Coach Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith are getting what they can out of a Rodgers-led offense that’s heavy on tight ends and running backs, but there appears to be a ceiling on what the offense can be, and the defense has been a major disappointment.

We all know Tomlin has never had a losing season, and I don’t feel comfortable predicting that streak will end. But the Steelers look like the weakest of the current first-place teams, and they have sub-.500 challengers in their division who know they can beat them.

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Stephen A. is ‘disgusted’ with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Stephen A. Smith vents about the Steelers’ offense after their Week 10 loss to the Chargers.

Fowler: The Steelers are hoping Rodgers’ play Sunday in Los Angeles was an aberration. They’ve been pleased with his play leading up to that game, but that’s the first week in which he looked skittish in the pocket. They couldn’t pull off a move for a wide receiver at the deadline, and it’s obvious they need an additional option for when defenses load up against the TE-heavy sets.

The Bills also have concerns, the main ones being whether they have enough skill position talent to adequately help quarterback Josh Allen and whether the defense can become a playoff-caliber unit. There have been several weeks when the defense hasn’t matched Sean McDermott’s standard. I went into last week thinking Buffalo would take control of the AFC East, but New England has a 1½-game lead over the Bills and won their first head-to-head meeting. The Patriots play the Jets, Bengals and Giants — who have a combined 7-21 record — over the next three weeks. New England is poised to create more separation.

Graziano: In the NFC, the Bears are 6-3 and tied with the Lions atop the NFC North, but a lot of the folks I talked to think they have a suspect defense and have benefited from some miracle comebacks that aren’t likely to keep happening. And the Jaguars started hot but cooled off to 5-4. They currently occupy an AFC playoff spot, but many around the league think they will eventually be overtaken by the Chiefs or Texans.

Fowler: I was in Denver on Thursday night, and it’s fair to say that Broncos players are concerned about the offense. Multiple offensive players acknowledged that the team is playing with fire if it doesn’t improve. Denver knows quarterback Bo Nix is better than how he played Thursday night, as Las Vegas had a good, defensive-linemen-heavy game plan on a short week that thwarted the Broncos’ attack. The Broncos missed receiver Marvin Mims Jr. more than one would think. He’s the easy yards guy when the offense struggles.

Nix still has a few things going for him: He has a knack for moving the ball downfield, even when it’s not pretty, and he’s clutch in the fourth quarter. But recent struggles from Nix and the passing game suggest the Broncos could be destined for an early playoff exit despite their defensive dominance if the offense doesn’t improve.

Who is the most interesting looming 2026 free agent, and where could he land?

Fowler: Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. The talent is off the charts. Pickens is on pace for 1,400-plus yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in his first season in Dallas, providing the perfect complement to CeeDee Lamb. Most people I talk to around the league expect he’ll do very well. Dallas has the option of using a franchise tag that would cost around $29 million.

Graziano: I believe there’s a strong likelihood that the Cowboys franchise Pickens, assuming they remain as happy with him by the end of the season as they’ve been so far. That’s why it’s tough to answer a question like this at this point of the season: Many of the top potential free agents never hit the market because of extensions or franchise tags. Daniel Jones would be an interesting answer here, except I think the Colts will extend him if he keeps playing well. If he doesn’t, then, well … he wouldn’t be as interesting a free agent.

How about Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd? He spent the early part of this season making huge splash plays for a takeaway-happy Jacksonville defense. He’s a 2022 first-round pick who didn’t have his fifth-year option picked up, and while he has had a strong season, he’s playing for a front office and a coaching staff that didn’t draft him. Lloyd is a guy I could imagine making it to the market and doing pretty well.

Fowler: Good call, Dan. The off-ball linebacker market can fluctuate depending on draft depth at the position. Lloyd figures to be one of the successful earners, along with Green Bay’s Quay Walker and a few others.

Jaelan Phillips’ free agency has my attention. He was knocking on the door of becoming a top-10 pass rusher in the NFL before injuries hit. But now he’s rounding into form and looks rejuvenated by the trade that sent him to Philadelphia, recording 6 tackles (1 for loss), 2 quarterback hits and a fumble recovery Monday night in Green Bay. If Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can help maximize Phillips, a massive payday might be waiting, in Philadelphia or elsewhere. This puts the Eagles in position to earn a strong compensatory pick for Phillips if he leaves.

Graziano: I’ll mention Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. Another 2022 first-round pick, he didn’t have his fifth-year option picked up, but it wasn’t because the Ravens don’t want him around long term. The issue is that all offensive linemen are valued alike in the fifth-year option formula, so the Ravens would have had to pay Linderbaum offensive tackle money if they picked up the option, and centers don’t make as much as tackles do.

Baltimore has had discussions with Linderbaum about a long-term contract, and it’s possible they will reach an agreement that keeps him off the market. Remember, everyone thought Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley was going to be a free agent last March and Baltimore signed him to an extension the day before free agency started. Linderbaum is a tricky case, though, because of how centers are compensated. He’s a critical part of their offense, but would they make him the league’s highest-paid center? Currently, that title belongs to Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey at $18 million per year.

What else are you hearing this week?

Graziano’s notes:

• Kafka and the Giants made the decision that Jameis Winston, who has been the third QB on their depth chart all season, will start this week against the Packers if Jaxson Dart isn’t cleared from concussion protocol in time because they thought it would help spark the offense. Russell Wilson’s relief appearance Sunday was ineffective, and the team believes it needs Winston’s aggressiveness to keep the passing game going.

It’s unclear what this means for the Giants’ QB depth chart moving forward. Obviously, they hope Dart is back as soon as possible and able to start the rest of their games this season, but assuming Winston looks OK, there’s a good chance he’ll be Dart’s backup the rest of the way. Winston is signed through 2026, and the Giants’ original plan was to bring him back next year to be Dart’s backup while Wilson moves on to whatever’s next for him. A new coaching staff coming in could obviously impact those plans.

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Did Russell Wilson play his way out of the Hall of Fame?

Peter Schrager and Louis Riddick debate whether Russell Wilson can still make the Hall of Fame despite his struggles after leaving the Seahawks.

• The Patriots entered the week with at least some hope that running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) could return for Thursday night’s game against the Jets, but as of Tuesday evening, it looked as if that return would likely have to wait until Week 12. Once Stevenson is back, I do expect him to reclaim his former role as the Patriots’ main between-the-tackles runner, despite the way rookie TreVeyon Henderson has performed in his absence. The Pats still trust the veteran Stevenson more in certain spots and would like to continue using both of them. Henderson’s explosiveness on outside runs is something that hasn’t surprised the Patriots — they took him in the second round for a reason, after all — and they might look to incorporate more of those even once Stevenson is back.

• As for the Jets, they’re 2-0 since rookie head coach Aaron Glenn decided not to reveal the identity of his starting quarterback each week, so don’t expect him to change that now. Everything I’ve been told this week indicates that Justin Fields — who has started both of those games — will get another start Thursday night against the Patriots because the team wouldn’t want to make such a big change on a short week. But Tyrod Taylor, who was in line to start Week 8 before a knee injury knocked him out and gave Fields another chance, is healthy now and could get into the game Thursday if Fields starts and struggles again. Then, with extra time before their Week 12 game in Baltimore, the Jets could make the move to Taylor.

New York thinks Taylor would help evolve the downfield passing game a bit, which isn’t saying much. Fields threw for 54 yards Sunday, and 42 of those came on a screen pass that Breece Hall took for a touchdown. That 54 number is only the fourth-lowest single-game passing yardage total of the season for Fields, who played well in Week 10 against the Bengals defense but hasn’t consistently shown what the Jets hoped he would. With top wideout Garrett Wilson injured and another tough defense on tap this week, it’s starting to look like last-chance time for Fields. He theoretically offers the offense an explosive element due to his special running ability but is averaging only 27.6 rushing yards over his past five games after averaging 59.3 in his first three games with the Jets.

• A lot of the coordinators getting head-coach-interview buzz as we move toward that part of the calendar are on the defensive side of the ball. The league is very impressed with what Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph — who has head coach experience — is doing in Denver. He’s likely to get interviews along with the Packers’ Jeff Hafley and the Chargers’ Jesse Minter, who’s of the same coaching lineage as leading Coach of the Year candidate Mike Macdonald in Seattle. Any or all could end up on the Giants’ list of interview candidates, and it’s not out of the question they’d take a look at their own two-time former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has had Super Bowl success in that role in Kansas City.

On the offensive side of the ball, expect the usual suspects — Buffalo’s Joe Brady, Kansas City’s Matt Nagy and Pittsburgh’s Arthur Smith. Former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is a name bouncing around as someone who could get a third crack at it. And there could be some college coaches in the NFL interview mix this time around. For example, there’s some buzz that the Giants could want to talk to Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman if he’s interested in exploring NFL opportunities.

• We talked about interesting potential free agents, but one of the interesting contract extension candidates coming up this offseason that I keep hearing about is Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. He is wrapping up his third season and is extension-eligible next spring. Nacua was not a first-round pick, so there’s no fifth-year option on his contract, and the Rams likely won’t want him to go into next year as a pending 2027 free agent.

Nacua’s outstanding production and his significant role in the Rams’ offense put him in line for a top-of-market wide receiver deal, and the top of that market right now is Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase at $40.25 million per year, followed by Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson at $35 million per year. Whether Nacua can keep pushing the ceiling of that market higher, or whether Chase represents a high point and a leveling off of the WR market, is being watched closely by a lot of teams who believe that market got out of control.

Fowler’s notes:

• Matthew Stafford’s MVP campaign only deepens the intrigue with his contractual future in Los Angeles. His contract has been a talking point in each of the past two seasons, resulting in restructures in back-to-back offseasons — the last of which dominated the NFL combine as the team and player entertained a trade. Stafford eventually received an enhanced new deal with stronger guarantees. As a result, Stafford is owed $40 million in 2026, which becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year. With the Stafford-Rams marriage thriving, perhaps L.A. will try to avoid the drama and simply ride out that last year at the current rate.

The Rams’ front office has been going year-to-year with Stafford, anyway, knowing retirement wasn’t off the table. And the offseason overtures from other teams only reinforced Stafford’s desire to stay in Los Angeles; he just wanted to be respected with a stronger deal. He has that now. If either side presses the red button — asking for a new deal or exploring a trade again — then Stafford will rival Daniel Jones for the most fascinating QB deal this offseason. No passer is playing better than he is, lending considerable leverage if he decides to use it. On the flip side, the Rams have been pretty firm that they aren’t interested in the $50 million per year market that 11 established (but much younger than Stafford) quarterbacks enjoy.

• The Jets’ messaging to players after making trades: With change comes opportunity. That’s what Glenn told his team after last week’s frenzy that saw Sauce Gardner head to the Colts and Quinnen Williams head to the Cowboys. And that messaging seemed to work: The Jets defeated the Browns to win a second straight game heading into Thursday night’s matchup with New England. The Jets have noticed more focus and buy-in over the past two weeks. Winning produces that. While external expectations for the Jets will remain relatively low — especially with the league’s last-ranked passing game — New York seems to be in a competitive state heading into Thursday.

• One issue with the Packers after Monday night’s struggles is the offensive line. The Eagles and others have noticed a lack of physicality with that group of late, causing Jordan Love to rush. The Eagles felt as if they could impose their will and were spotting tendencies with playcalls late, jumping on plays early. On this particular play, Philly knew the Packers were likely running one of two inside zone calls, sniffing out the play to the left.

The Packers have plenty of time to rebound, which a very good defense can help them do — but they have to get back to moving people up front. Elgton Jenkins’ stint on IR with a leg fracture could be a lengthy one, though. I’m told there’s a possibility he misses the rest of the season (while hoping to be back for the playoffs). He’s scheduled to undergo surgery soon.

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Stephen A.: The Packers have to get it together

Stephen A. Smith and Chris Canty express their concern for Jordan Love and the Green Bay offense.

• Coming out of the Week 9 bye, the Browns’ plan was to give Dillon Gabriel a fairly long runway of games to evaluate what they have in him. But as we see with young quarterbacks and teams in transition all the time, those plans can change. The public pressure in Cleveland is mounting. But I simply haven’t sensed that the Browns have been eager to turn to Shedeur Sanders.

• The Bucs are hopeful Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) will be ready for the stretch run, ensuring he has no setbacks. He won’t play this week. There’s some level of mystery surrounding this one, but the team is being careful with him and will see how he responds over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) is considered week-to-week, and I’d be surprised if he played this week.

• Washington will reevaluate Jayden Daniels (elbow) after the Week 12 bye, but this could very easily turn into an absence of five to six weeks, I’m told, especially if the Commanders continue to lose. A loss to the Dolphins in Madrid would push Washington to 3-8, and Daniels has suffered three injuries this season. There will be much to consider between the team and the player.