Mahomes, Brown, Hopkins, Finalists, Kiper, Coaching Updates

The latest injury updates on Patrick Mahomes and AJ Brown + the cost to acquire DeAndre Hopkins  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Jan 26, 2023 [Sign up]( [Legit Football]( Together With: Stathead [Stathead](  Mahomes [Patrick Mahomes] Patrick Mahomes declares self 'ready' to play in AFC title game Details: Mahomes said his ankle has improved with rest and confirmed that he will start against the Bengals on Sunday. Full: The Chiefs listed Mahomes as a [full]( participant in practice on Wednesday, which — per the league’s definition — means he took 100% of the repetitions in both individual and team drills. - Videos from practice show Mahomes stretching, walking, and jogging [without]( much of a limp. - The practice was not fully open to the media, which has led some to take the ‘full’ designation with a grain of salt. Testing: Mahomes acknowledged that he’ll need to test the ankle in practice to determine what he’ll be able to do on Sunday. - The injury is likely to confine Mahomes to pocket passing. - Mahomes also said that he’ll need to be mindful of reaggravation. Odds Changed: The Bengals dropped from a 2.5-point favorite to a 1-point favorite following the release of the practice report. Image: Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire Brown [AJ Brown] AJ Brown says he is not dealing with an injury Background: After the Eagles’ Divisional Round victory over the Giants, Nick Sirianni said that AJ Brown was pulled late in the game because he was “going through a little something with his body that was hurting him.” - Brown — who only caught 3 passes for 22 yards — was seen limping in the fourth quarter. Ready to Go: Brown told reporters on Wednesday that there is ‘[no injury](’ and that he is ready to play against the 49ers on Sunday. - The 2x Pro Bowler was not listed on the Eagles’ practice report. Important: Vertical pass coverage is one of the 49ers’ only defensive vulnerabilities. - According to Next Gen Stats, San Francisco allowed the [fifth-most]( yards (1,248) to vertical routes in the NFL during the regular season. - Brown set career-highs in receiving yards (649) and touchdowns (7) on vertical routes in 2022. Image: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire Hopkins [DeAndre Hopkins] Albert Breer thinks DeAndre Hopkins can likely be acquired for a Day 2 pick Details: Breer thinks Hopkins’ [trade value]( will be driven down to a Day 2 draft pick for three reasons — 1.) Availability, 2.) Contract, and 3.) Age. Availability: Hopkins has only played in 19-of-34 possible games over the past two seasons due to injuries and a suspension. Breer expects the injury trend to continue given Hopkins’ mileage (853 career catches). Contract: Hopkins is due $19.45 million in 2023 and $14.92 million in 2024, which could dissuade some teams. There’s also a chance he demands a new contract from the acquiring franchise. Age: Hopkins will be 31 years old at the start of the 2023 season, which is the age when former superstar receivers like AJ Green and Julio Jones began to experience significant declines in production. Positive Signs: The 5x Pro Bowler was still very productive when on the field in 2022, averaging 7.1 catches for 77.9 yards and 0.3 touchdowns per game — a number of which were played with second and third-string quarterbacks. Interested Teams? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler [sees]( the Patriots and Ravens as potential fits. Image: Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire Finalists [Nick Bosa] Finalists announced for NFL awards MVP: The finalists are Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Justin Jefferson, and Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes (+325) is the betting favorite. Offensive Player of the Year: The finalists are Tyreek Hill, Jalen Hurts, Justin Jefferson, and Patrick Mahomes. Jefferson (-800) is the betting favorite. Defensive Player of the Year: The finalists are Nick Bosa, Chris Jones, and Micah Parsons. Bosa (-1100) is the betting favorite. Offensive Rookie of the Year: The finalists are Brock Purdy, Kenneth Walker III, and Garrett Wilson. Wilson (-200) is the betting favorite. Defensive Rookie of the Year: The finalists are Sauce Gardner, Aidan Hutchinson, and Tariq Woolen. Gardner (-1200) is the betting favorite. Comeback Player of the Year: The finalists are Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Geno Smith. Barkley (+175) and Smith (+175) are the betting co-favorites. Coach of the Year: The finalists are Brian Daboll, Sean McDermott, Doug Pederson, Kyle Shanahan, and Nick Sirianni. Sirianni (-175) is the betting favorite. NFL Honors: The winners will be announced at the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 9. Image: Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire Kiper [Stetson Bennett] Mel Kiper thinks Georgia QB Stetson Bennett will go in the third round, mocks Texas RB Bijan Robinson to the Cowboys Background: Bennett — a two-time national champion and Heisman finalist — has mostly been regarded as a late Day 3 pick, due to concerns about his size (5-11, 190) and arm strength. Believer: Kiper, who is one of the league’s most plugged-in draft analysts, thinks Bennett will draw comparisons to Drew Brees during the pre-draft process and ‘[probably](’ go in the third round. - Bennett completed 68.1% of his passes for 4,127 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions across 15 games in 2022. Robinson: Kiper’s decision to [mock]( Robinson to the Cowboys is an acknowledgment that the Ezekiel Elliott era in Dallas has likely come to an end. - The Cowboys are expected to release Elliott (3.8 yards per carry) in the offseason and use the cap savings to retain Tony Pollard. - Robinson led the nation with 1,894 total scrimmage yards (1,580 rushing, 314 receiving) and was second in total touchdowns (20) during the regular season. Fit: A Robinson-Pollard duo would instantly become one of the league’s top backfields. Image: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire Coaching Updates [Frank Reich] Head Coaching Updates: Sean Payton, Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers, Colts, Texans Payton: Multiple reporters expect Sean Payton to pass on coaching this season and [return]( to FOX Sports. - Payton — who has interviewed with the Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers, and Texans — does not seem overly interested in any of the openings. - Waiting for the 2024 cycle could lead to more desirable opportunities with teams like the Cowboys and Chargers. Broncos: With Payton unlikely to take the job, Denver is expected to [target]( Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, former Stanford HC David Shaw, and 49ers DC Demeco Ryans. Cardinals: Albert Breer [thinks]( Steelers LBs coach Brian Flores is emerging as a possible frontrunner for the job in Arizona. Flores has an existing relationship with new GM Monti Ossenfort. Panthers: There’s been a lot of smoke [connecting]( Frank Reich to the Panthers in the last 24 hours. Owner David Tepper has apparently shifted from wanting a young offensive-mind coach to an experienced one. - Interim coach Steve Wilks remains in contention. Colts: According to Josina Anderson, owner Jim Irsay wants to make Jeff Saturday the permanent coach, but is getting [pushback]( from others in the organization. Saturday went 1-7 as interim coach. Texans: The [top target]( in Houston is reportedly 49ers DC Demeco Ryans. Though the team has conducted second interviews with Giants OC Mike Kafka and Broncos DC Ejiro Evero. Image: Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire More News - [Cowboys]( part with multiple assistants - [49ers]( will continue to play DE Charles Omenihu while legal proccess plays out - [49ers]( RBs Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Elijah Mitchell (groin) did not practice - [49ers]( WR Deebo Samuel (ankle) was limited in practice - [Dolphins]( interviewed Vic Fangio for DC vacancy - [Bengals]( LT Jonah Williams (knee) and RG Alex Cappa (ankle) did not practice Together with Stathead Question of the Day Which RB has the record for single-game rushing yards in the Conference Championship Round? - Terrell Davis - Raheem Mostert - Wilbert Montgomery - Thurman Thomas Sign up for a monthly subscription and get your first month free, or use “[LEGIT20](” to save $20 off one year of Stathead Football. [See Answer]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © 2022 Legit Football. All rights reserved. 710 Main Street South #572, Southbury CT 06488