NFL roundup: Antonio Brown expected to play in Divisional Round
By Brad Weiss
With the NFL Playoffs entering the Divisional Round, the Steelers are expected to get wideout Antonio Brown back for their game against the Jaguars.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, in a matchup of two teams looking to clinch their berth in the AFC Championship Game. After missing the final game of the regular season, star wideout Antonio Brown is expected to be ready to go for the Jaguars game, adding a huge boost to the Steelers offense. Brown was a full participant in practice this week, and all signs point to him playing a big role for the Steelers on Sunday.
The Chicago Bears did not take long to name their new head coach, as they hired Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on Sunday. The stint with Chicago will be Nagy’s first as a head coach in the NFL, and he is fresh off helping lead the Chiefs to consecutive AFC West titles. The Chiefs saw their season end unceremoniously on Saturday, as they blew a 21-3 halftime lead at home to the Tennessee Titans.
Staying with new head coaches, and a familiar face is heading back to Oakland. Jon Gruden will be announced as the team’s latest head coach at a press conference on Tuesday, signaling the beginning of his second tenure with the team. Gruden led the team to consecutive playoff appearances in his first stint with the team but ended up beating his former team in the Super Bowl the year after he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Kirk Cousins saga in Washington is about to hit a fever pitch, as head coach Jay Gruden wants a long-term solution when it comes to his contract. The Redskins have placed the franchise tag on Cousins in each of the last two seasons, but that is not expected to happen for the third year. Washington holds the No. 13 pick in a quarterback-heavy 2018 NFL Draft, and franchising Cousins would cost the team around $34 million, so expect a long-term deal, or a goodbye.
The Green Bay Packers have added a new general manager, as the team signed Brian Gutekunst this past weekend. Gutekunst is a former director of player personnel for the Packers, having been with the team since starting out as a scout back in the 1990s. Gutekunst will replace Ted Thompson in the role, and after letting defensive coordinator Dom Capers go, it looks like the team is intent on making wholesale changes this offseason.
Next: Chiefs choke, Falcons rise and Jon Gruden gets his cash
Is there going to be a Johnny Manziel sighting north of the border? The former Texas A&M star quarterback blew his chance as a starter in the NFL, after the Cleveland Browns drafted him in the first round two years ago. Manziel was offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and while he would only make around $50,000 with the team, it could be his first step in making a comeback to the NFL down the road.