NFL Week 14 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips

We’re on to Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season. Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been calling sources around the league for the latest news and buzz on key situations — including some nuggets that might matter for fantasy football.

This week, they have the newest intel on two quarterbacks: Carolina’s Bryce Young and Cleveland’s Shedeur Sanders. Young is extension-eligible this offseason, and the Panthers also have a decision to make on his fifth-year option. Has he played his way all the way back from a 2024 benching into a new contract with Carolina? And what are people around the league saying about Sanders, now that the 2025 fifth-round pick has two starts under his belt? Has he shown any signs of being the future for the Browns?

But first, we have the latest buzz around the NFL on tight division races and key injuries. Which divisions could come down to the wire? And which injuries might affect those races? It’s all here, as our national reporters answer big questions and empty their notebooks heading into Week 14.

Jump to:
Tight division races | Key injury updates
Young’s next deal | Sanders’ future
More notes for Week 14

Which division race is getting the most buzz around the league?

Graziano: Does anybody want to win the AFC North? The Steelers started hot but have lost five of their past seven to drop to 6-6. The Ravens won five in a row to recover from a tough start and get to 6-5 but lost to the Bengals last week and are now tied with the Steelers for first place. The Bengals, with Joe Burrow back from his injury, are 4-8 and only two games out of first place with another game against the Ravens still to come.

The Steelers and Ravens have two games left to play against each other, starting with Sunday’s meeting in Baltimore, so those head-to-head matchups could settle things, but it’s possible they won’t. Baltimore and Pittsburgh haven’t looked very good lately, and there are those who wonder whether the Bengals can steal the division with a hot finish. The sentiment I get is that the Bengals’ chances would look a lot better if they had simply held one of the fourth-quarter leads they had against the Jets or the Bears.

At this point, it seems anything is possible in the AFC North, where no one currently has a winning record. It has led some to wonder whether a team can win the division with nine or even eight wins.

Fowler: The tension is also palpable in the AFC South, one of two divisions featuring three teams with at least seven wins (the NFC West is the other). It’s particularly thick in Indianapolis, which is coming off back-to-back losses and faces a unrelenting finishing stretch. The teams left on the Colts’ schedule have a combined record of 33-15. Among those games is two meetings vs. Jacksonville, which is tied with the Colts at 8-4 but holds the tiebreaker because of its record against common opponents.

The Colts were looking forward to this difficult stretch, which started with a Week 12 loss to the Chiefs, believing it would test their January football mettle. How they play over the next month will be closely watched by many in the league. The Colts have lost three of their past four games, quarterback Daniel Jones is noticeably hobbled, and cornerback Sauce Gardner is probably out multiple weeks because of a calf injury. Meanwhile, Jacksonville keeps finding a way to win without a dominant passing attack, while Houston’s defense can hang with anybody. All of this deepens the intrigue of a normally overlooked division.

Graziano: Since you mentioned the NFC West, I’ll dive in there. It’s possible the two best NFC teams play in the West, and when the Rams and Seahawks met earlier this season, the Rams prevailed, but only after a missed last-second field goal attempt. The rematch in Week 16 in Seattle could decide the division champ, as both teams are 9-3. But the injury-riddled 49ers miraculously sit a half-game behind them at 9-4 heading into their bye week.

This is an outstanding three-way race that could still tip San Francisco’s way if the Rams and Seahawks slip up slightly. The Niners have benefited from a bit of a soft schedule, and they emerge from the bye with a Week 15 matchup against the woebegone Titans. But they finish with games against the Colts, Bears and Seahawks, each of whom occupies at least a share of first place in their respective divisions. The Rams still have two games against the 3-9 Cardinals along with a trip to Atlanta, but their toughest non-Seattle game takes place at home against the Lions in Week 15. The Seahawks have road games left in Atlanta, Carolina and San Francisco to go with home games against the Colts and Rams.

Fowler: All three of those NFC West teams are a problem if they make the playoffs, Dan. I’m also watching the NFC South, which Tampa Bay has dominated the past four seasons. But the Panthers are a half-game back and keep finding ways to pull off upsets. Panthers coach Dave Canales will get two chances — in Weeks 16 and 18 — to knock off his former boss, Bucs coach Todd Bowles. Meanwhile, Bowles’ roster is finally getting healthy, and he has a 7-2 December record over the past two seasons.

Which injury holds the biggest playoff race implication, and what are you hearing on the fallout?

Fowler: We mentioned Jones earlier, and he’s trying to play through a fibula injury. But he’s clearly not 100 percent, and coaches I’ve talked to who have watched the Colts closely say his mobility appears compromised. Based on my understanding after asking around, it’s also an injury that he can play through. In other words, I’m not so sure a few weeks of rest will make the issue better. And Jones is very tough and willing to push through. But the Colts are on the ropes and will need him at his best. Their scoring output has dipped 12 points per game since Week 9. Another signature huge game from Jonathan Taylor would alleviate the pressure on Jones … and his leg.

Graziano: I spoke with some folks in Houston after the Texans-Colts game Sunday and they said they felt Jones really couldn’t move at all. He was able to hit some shots downfield when the pocket held up, but the mobility part of his game is missing, which makes the offense seem more limited. I personally think the injury that has most affected the Colts was the one to defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and their inability to get the Texans’ mediocre run game off the field Sunday shows his injury is still being felt.

Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown still has a chance to play Thursday against the Cowboys but hasn’t practiced this week. It’s possible the sprained ankle he sustained on Thanksgiving could keep him out of what amounts to a must-win game. Detroit is already without tight end Sam LaPorta and probably can’t afford to be without St. Brown in a game in which they’ll need to score to keep up with the Cowboys.

Also, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had surgery Monday to repair a fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand. He has said he plans to play Monday night against the Eagles, but we will see how much he can practice in advance of that game (if at all) and whether that will affect his performance if he does play. The Chargers are in the middle of an extremely tough, cluttered AFC wild-card race and are two games behind the Broncos in the AFC West.

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Schefter: Herbert treating injury as if he’s playing vs. Eagles

Adam Schefter tells Pat McAfee that it’s uncertain if the Chargers’ Justin Herbert will play next week after hand surgery.

Fowler: The Patriots have injuries to two key players — defensive tackle Milton Williams (high ankle sprain) and rookie left tackle Will Campbell (knee sprain) — that loom large. Williams has validated his massive free agent contract with impressive play, and Campbell has ferociously protected Drake Maye‘s blind side. Both should be back before the playoffs, but how New England holds up in the meantime bears watching.

This provides a big opportunity for Vederian Lowe, Campbell’s replacement and a 2026 free agent. Capable swing tackles get paid, so money is literally on the line for Lowe. Things went well Monday night, as Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns.

Graziano: I really thought those Patriots injuries might show up more Monday night than they did. Good on them for playing well despite them, and I guess shame on the Giants for not being good enough to exploit them. The Patriots go on bye this week and maybe they come out of that healthy (though Campbell is on IR and must sit out at least three more games).

Could the Panthers extend Bryce Young this offseason?

Graziano: I covered the Panthers this past weekend and asked a bunch of their people about Young. And from what I can tell, they still believe in him. They’ve used 10 different offensive line combinations this season and have a young receiver group, so the team seems to think the ups and downs can be blamed on more than just the quarterback. Young was excellent Sunday in beating the Rams, but he was far less than that against the 49ers the Monday night before. The week before that, he set a single-game franchise record for passing yards in a victory over the Falcons.

It’s hard to really know what the long-term outlook is when the swings are this wild week to week. The Panthers will have to decide by the first week of May whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2027. I expect them to do that because the cost will be reasonable (around $26.5 million), but then the question becomes what to do after that.

Fowler: This feels like the classic wait-and-see situation. Despite showing flashes, Young hasn’t progressed beyond midtier starter status. The Panthers have overachieved a bit this season and have viewed 2026 as their true jump year. Whether they want to allocate heavy resources to a Young extension during a crucial offseason remains to be seen. Picking up his fifth-year option and having him play at least a portion of his fourth season on his rookie deal is a sensible play.

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Where does Bryce Young fit into fantasy lineups?

Matt Bowen shares how to get the most fantasy value for Bryce Young.

But Young has two things going for him. He’s proving to be clutch, orchestrating four fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives this season. And he’s showing touch on intermediate-to-deep passes, completing 30 passes of 20 or more yards. So he’s giving the front office something to think about long and hard. Should the Panthers engage, what’s the sweet spot on his market, Dan? Eleven quarterbacks are making at least $50 million per year.

Graziano: So, if Young is open to an extension in the 2026 offseason, I think it would have to be lucrative to make it worth his while. If the Panthers pick up the fifth-year option, they will have him under contract for two years at around $33 million, so it might be tempting for him take a below-market deal just to improve on that. It might make some sense to do a short-term bridge deal like the one the Packers did with Jordan Love after Year 3 (when he really hadn’t played much, because Aaron Rodgers was in front of him). But I don’t see what Young’s incentive would be to do an extension next spring or summer that averages less than $50 million per year.

The Jaguars extended Trevor Lawrence at $55 million per year after Year 3, and we still don’t know whether he’s their long-term answer. Teams do wild things when it comes to quarterbacks because they’re so scared about having to find one. So unless the Panthers are willing to give Young top-QB market value, he could bet on himself and bet on the team being incentivized to continue to improve around him. Then he could play out the 2026 season and put himself in position to negotiate a bigger deal after that, when the Panthers would have him for only one more year, which tilts the leverage Young’s way.

Fowler: Teams are only as good as their quarterback options, and Young is easily the Panthers’ best. He also seems to have good chemistry with Canales and his staff. But don’t be surprised if teams slightly shift their thinking when it comes to paying quarterbacks and show some level of restraint. If you don’t have a bona fide top-10 guy, why pay obscene market prices so early? That’s an easy call if you have a Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, etc. But Miami (Tua Tagovailoa) and Arizona (Kyler Murray) are among teams saddled with bloated guaranteed money for good, but not great, quarterbacks.

My point is that there’s no rush, barring both sides making concessions that work for them. I think Houston could be more inclined to pay C.J. Stroud, another QB from the 2023 draft class, early. He has higher-end traits as a passer.

What’s the buzz around the league on Shedeur Sanders after two starts?

Fowler: People I’ve talked to see a quarterback who has decent arm strength and is willing to stay in the pocket and wait for plays to develop. But they also see one who needs more seasoning.

“There were a lot of screens and boots [on Sunday vs. San Francisco],” noted one NFL personnel evaluator who watched the game. “You can tell they are trying to protect him, which you want to do with almost all rookie quarterbacks. But overall I thought he looked pretty comfortable in the pocket. He just needs time.”

The Browns entered Sanders’ Week 12 starting debut believing he could avoid turnovers, which he has done with one interception in two games. He struggled mightily with sacks in college, which the Browns knew would be a concern. So taking only four sacks in two starts is a modest victory. What’s your take on Sanders, Dan?

Graziano: To me, and to most of the folks I’ve asked, Sanders looks like a rookie quarterback. He has made some plays and throws, some of which Dillon Gabriel wasn’t making. Sanders has made some mistakes, some of which (like running out of the back of the pocket) align with concerns people have about him. I see no reason why the Browns shouldn’t continue starting him, because the point of the rest of their season seems to be finding out what they have at quarterback so they know how to approach the offseason. They have two first-round picks to help them address it if they want. Sanders won his first start, which is no small thing for this Browns team. The fans are into it. He has some talent. Let it ride and see what you’ve got.

Fowler: The Browns must find out whether their 2026 starting quarterback is on the current roster. The body of work through 12 games suggests it’s probably not, but Sanders has a decent runway to give the team something to consider. And my sense is he’ll get the rest of the season to do just that. Gabriel is a good decision-maker whose experience showed up in his six starts, but he projects more as a quality No. 2. Coaches I’ve talked to think Gabriel is slightly further along in his development than Sanders, who has the bigger arm and frame. Armed with two first-round picks (including one in the top five as it stands), the Browns are in prime position to get their future signal-caller, with the chance to supplement him with either a veteran bridge option or a variation of Gabriel/Sanders.

Graziano: If nothing else, Cleveland can come out of this season with some idea whether Gabriel or Sanders can be a solid backup or if one of them is a project the team is willing to continue to work on. Best-case scenario is Sanders lights it up and the Browns enter the offseason thinking he can be the guy long term. I’m not sure how likely that is at this point, but there is no harm in finding out. I know Sanders has a lot of people very worked up on both extremes, but my position is that he’s a fifth-round rookie on a bad team that has been looking for a quarterback solution for three decades. The Browns would be fools not to explore every possible solution, and I think that’s what they’re doing.

What else are you hearing this week?

Graziano’s notes:

• Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who had surgery Monday to repair the fracture in his left hand suffered in Sunday’s game against the Raiders, still hopes to be able to play Monday against the Eagles, but the team has to assess what he can and can’t do once it gets on the practice field Thursday. Coach Jim Harbaugh said they’d use backup Trey Lance for some first-team practice reps in goal-line situations, where they want the quarterback to be under center; Herbert’s hand might not let him take snaps from under center.

If the Chargers decide the hand — braced or bandaged, however it might have to be for the game — won’t allow Herbert to function in enough basic ways or protect himself if he falls, then they would just go with Lance as the starter Monday. But I’m told Herbert is going to do what he can to play and believes he can get there.

• When the Cowboys acquired Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, we wondered how they would deploy all of their defensive linemen, since Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark are all now among their highest-paid defenders. What I was told (and wrote in this space at the time) was that all three would play in the Cowboys’ five-down fronts (meaning five defensive linemen on the field). At that time, this was already a front with which defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was experimenting.

After using that front for only 15 total snaps in their first eight games (including seven against Carolina in Week 6), they used it on a whopping 27 snaps in their Week 9 loss to Arizona. Then they went on their bye in Week 10 and returned post-deadline with Williams added to the mix. They used a five-down front on only nine defensive snaps in their Week 11 victory over the Raiders, but they used it for 20 snaps in their Week 12 upset of the Eagles (Landon Dickerson made mention of it postgame) and 11 times in their Thanksgiving Day victory over the Chiefs. For the season, only the Raiders (163) and Colts (123) have used a five-down front for more defensive snaps than the Cowboys’ 83. And since Dallas’ Week 10 bye, it’s the Raiders at 78 and Dallas in second at 40.

Deployment of the five-man front can vary from week to week depending on the opponent, but it’s clearly now a staple of what the Cowboys do on defense. What’s odd is that they haven’t been very successful with it; they have allowed an average of 7.3 yards per play over the past three weeks when in five-down fronts, versus 4.7 when they use four or fewer defensive linemen. And they allowed 7 yards per play in five-down fronts in the Eagles game versus 5.3 when they used four or fewer. But the changing looks are obviously affecting their opponents in some way, as Dickerson’s Week 12 postgame comments showed.

• I covered the Panthers’ upset of the Rams on Sunday in Charlotte, and kudos to them for pulling it off. But one thing I wanted to dig into was the Rams’ increasing tendency to throw the ball at the goal line instead of running it. Of Matthew Stafford‘s league-leading 32 touchdown passes, 22 have covered 10 yards or less, 14 have covered 5 yards or less and six have been just 1-yard touchdown passes. Wide receiver Davante Adams leads the league with 14 touchdown catches. Of those, four are 1-yard catches, two are 2-yard catches, one is a 3-yard catch and two are 4-yard catches. So that’s nine of Adams’ 14 touchdowns that have covered 4 yards or less.

“What we noticed is that, a lot of times when you’re running the ball down there, there’s so much space that doesn’t get used, and with the opponent bulking up to stop the run, we’re seeing a lot of single coverage,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur told me. “And particularly with our skill players, if you’re going to give us one-on-ones, we’re going to take it. I’d rather be scoring more from outside the red zone, but for some reason we haven’t been doing that.

“So when we get in close, what can we do that gives us an advantage? Davante’s going to win on the release just about every time. If you can run a fade and you can run a slant, you’re going to be unstoppable in the red zone. And then you look at Matthew’s ability to put the ball exactly where he wants to put it, he takes chances because he can, because he’s earned that right. He can fit balls in where other guys can’t. So what you’ve got is just two dudes making plays at a high clip.”

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Why Field Yates is still confident in Matthew Stafford for Week 14

Field Yates breaks down Matthew Stafford’s fantasy Week 13 performance and outlook against the Cardinals in Week 14.

Thing is, it’s probably not going to let up, because if teams decide to double Adams and/or Puka Nacua down low, that’s going to open up the middle for running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum to run those short touchdowns in. So the Rams are going to be unstoppable inside the 10-yard line until Stafford starts missing throws down there, which doesn’t seem likely. “You only get that kind of green light if you’ve been in the league as long as Stafford has,” Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown told me.

• I also asked the Rams about their running back usage, because I’m always looking out for my fantasy football readers. They’ve been rotating Williams and Corum drive-to-drive and will continue to do so. LaFleur told me he thinks they’ve been seeing the best version of Williams because he’s fresher and not being asked to carry as much of the load, and the Rams have their sights set on January and February games and want everyone as fresh as possible. LaFleur is one of us, fellow Rams RB fantasy managers. He told me that since Williams and Corum are such similar backs and they wear uniform Nos. 23 and 22, sometimes he has to squint from where he is in the coaching box to remind himself which one is in the game and is celebrating the touchdown in the end zone.

On Sunday, Corum scored a touchdown at the end of a Williams drive because Williams had to leave the game briefly with an ankle injury. But Williams returned and scored one of his own later, and he should be fine for Week 14’s game against Arizona. They’re both eminently usable in fantasy, but if you’re expecting the split to start tilting toward one or the other, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.

• Interesting bit of buzz as we approach the head coach hiring cycle: There are a number of people in the league who think Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel could be saving his job with a strong finish. The Dolphins fired GM Chris Grier at a low point of their season but held onto McDaniel, who’s well-liked in the building and by team ownership. Obviously, Miami is headed into a transition period and anything is still possible. But the field of head coach candidates this year isn’t being perceived as very robust, and Dolphins ownership still thinks McDaniel can be a successful coach. It would not be a shock at all at this point to see him still coaching the Dolphins in 2026.

Fowler’s notes:

• Kevin Stefanski’s future comes up often in my conversations with people in the league due to the Browns’ 6-23 record the past two seasons. Another reason his name comes up: Several executives and coaches I’ve spoken to believe he’d be a prime candidate for a head coaching job elsewhere should Cleveland move on after the season. “He’s a good coach, experienced, two-time Coach of the Year — Cleveland is a hard place to win,” an AFC executive said. “He might need a fresh start elsewhere.”

This year’s candidate pool is considered weaker than in previous years, which benefits a coach with Stefanski’s credentials. If let go, Stefanski would have the option to pursue a head-coaching job right away or take a year off, which worked brilliantly for Mike Vrabel after his Tennessee departure. That typically depends on what might be open a year from now, the viability of the candidate and whether that coach is simply burned out and needs a year. But the two jobs currently open (Giants and Titans) could use a mix of offensive acumen and experience, a mold that Stefanski fits.

• Another name that is coming up in conversation is Atlanta coach Raheem Morris, whose Falcons slid to 4-8 after a loss to the Jets. Would Falcons owner Arthur Blank be compelled to make a change after two disappointing seasons? What I have been told is that Blank respects Morris a lot, so I don’t expect a rash decision one way or the other. Any sort of in-season move would be a mild surprise from my view. While there’s at least some smoke around this job, this feels far from finalized. And Atlanta has enough talent to turn things around over the final five weeks. If Morris gets a third year, I would expect more staff or coordinator changes. Special teams have been a liability, and the offense has regressed despite playmakers on that side of the ball.

• Keon Coleman‘s fourth-and-goal touchdown catch Sunday in Pittsburgh held a little more importance than a run-of-the-mill score. The Buffalo receiver had gone through the proverbial ringer. The Bills sat him down in back-to-back weeks due to punctuality issues at the team facility. He was benched for Week 11 vs. Tampa Bay, and though he worked to get back in the lineup the following week in Houston, that was a Thursday night game, so the team stuck with its same offense on a quick turnaround. “It’s a professionalism thing — but he’s going to be OK,” a team source told me that week. “We need him.”

More pointedly, the Bills need receivers who can beat coverage consistently. While Coleman isn’t a speedster, he has the size and body control to make contested catches. He’s still learning how to operate in a Josh Allen offense where second-reaction routes can be just as important as the original route due to Allen’s scrambling. The Bills did not consider cutting Coleman through his midseason issue, I’m told, and it looks like they are sticking with him after he played 33 snaps Sunday. Let’s see if he can build on that.

• Minnesota’s problems hardly stop with the bad quarterback play. The offensive line is struggling, and receivers aren’t always making the plays. But teams who have played Minnesota recently still see an offense with enough pieces to at least play passable football. “It’s the quarterback,” an opposing coach said. “That’s affecting a lot of what’s happening around it.” The Vikings spent significant cap space to surround a rookie-scale QB with an adequate supporting cast. That plan hasn’t worked. But the good news is that J.J. McCarthy‘s issues pale in comparison to Max Brosmer‘s four-interception performance in Seattle. Perhaps that eases the tension for the young passer.

What multiple people in the league have also pointed out in retrospect is that the Vikings didn’t have their veteran backup plan sorted out until right before the season — Aug. 24, in fact, when Carson Wentz signed off the street. As a subsequent move, Minnesota traded Sam Howell to Philadelphia. While having a more established veteran on the roster throughout the offseason might not have tilted the season the other way, it couldn’t have hurt. Wentz had to jump into the fray in Week 3 and eventually got hurt. Now, with Minnesota out of contention, it’s looking like a five-game slate of McCarthy to see whether he can create any sort of positive momentum.

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Will the Vikings sort out their QB issues in time for next game?

Kevin Seifert details the ongoing issues at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.

• A few themes for the big Lions-Cowboys showdown Thursday in Detroit:

• Star Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who is fighting through a tough knee injury, is a long shot for this week but is hopeful to potentially return next week. He plans to play again this season.

• Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) also is a long shot, but as coach Dan Campbell said about St. Brown’s toughness, “If he can play, he’ll play.”

• Safety Brian Branch (shoulder) has a chance to play, depending how Wednesday goes.

• Right tackle Penei Sewell‘s status (shoulder) is still up in the air after not practicing Tuesday. Same for left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder), though I expect him to go.

Make no mistake: This is a team that is hurting and a bit worn down while dealing with all the injuries in real time — for the second straight year. The Lions also have the makeup to rally in a short week. On the Dallas side, the Cowboys are hopeful for pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney (hamstring) despite DNPs Monday and Tuesday. He will likely need to test out the hamstring pregame, though. Corner Trevon Diggs (concussion) is not a slam dunk to be activated. He’s working to get back but getting back into football shape after a month away takes time. That said, Wednesday’s practice will be big for him.

• Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) is targeting a Week 15 return coming out of the bye. Resting him for three games plus the bye has given Thibodeaux enough time to hopefully recover while avoiding injured reserve. While the Giants don’t have much to play for in the standings, Thibodeaux certainly does. He is set to play on a fifth-year option worth $14.75 million in 2026. Whether the Giants view him as an extension candidate this offseason is worth monitoring. The last few games could help determine the course of action for both sides.