Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s NFL future remains uncertain in the days following the team’s 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional round game.

Stafford finished his fourth season with the Rams and his 16th overall season in the league after spending the first 12 years with the Detroit Lions.

Despite dealing with injuries, the veteran quarterback played in 16 of the Rams’ 19 games this past season, including Sunday’s game in snowy Philadelphia. But how healthy was Stafford in that loss? His wife, Kelly Stafford, shared some insight into what he’s been dealing with for this past month.

Here’s what you need to know:

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Was Matthew Stafford playing with a rib injury?

Matthew’s wife Kelly Stafford mentioned on “The Morning After with Kelly Stafford & Hank” podcast that her husband has been playing with four cracked ribs “for some time.”

According to Kelly, Matthew had been dealing with the injury for over a month, after cracking his ribs on Dec. 12 against the San Francisco 49ers.

The ribs became an issue again, Sunday in Philadelphia.

‘He got his rib (aggravated) early,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters after the game against the Eagles. “He got dinged up. But he is a warrior. He’s so tough.’

Stafford completed 26 of 44 pass attempts for 324 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles. But, he was also sacked five times.

‘I’ve been dealing with those kinds of things to a varying degree for some time, but just kind of got them going again, but was able to kind of calm it down,” Stafford said after Sunday’s game. “I didn’t feel like it was much of a factor. It felt like I threw the ball pretty good.’

Will Matthew Stafford retire?

Stafford was not willing to comment in great detail about his future after the loss other than telling reporters that he’ll “take some time to think about it.”

Stafford has completed 5,174 of his 8,166 pass attempts for 59,809 yards, 377 touchdowns and 188 interceptions in his career.

The first half of the 2024-25 NBA season saw the rise of an unexpected contender – the Cleveland Cavaliers have the league’s best record – just like it saw a perennial power, the Golden State Warriors, stumble late.

There’s still so much basketball left, however, that pretty much anything can happen in the second half. And the Feb. 6 trading deadline presents a chance for teams to drastically alter the courses their seasons will take.

That means players like Jimmy Butler, Zion Williamson and Zach LaVine could find themselves in new locations playing for contenders – all of which sets up for a compelling second half.

Eight bold predictions for the second half of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Jimmy Butler will land in Phoenix … and the Suns still will miss the playoffs

As momentum builds for a Jimmy Butler trade to Phoenix – the Suns acquired tradable first-round picks in a supplementary trade with the Jazz on Tuesday – the situation with Butler in Miami is seemingly becoming more unsustainable. And while Butler presents a slight upgrade over Bradley Beal, the fit alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will almost certainly need some time to materialize. One potential issue, aside from Butler’s diminished production and age (35), is that he – like Durant and Booker – also thrives when the ball is in his hands. At a minimum, Butler should be engaged, at least far more than he was in his final days with the Heat. But the Suns (21-21) are 10th in the West, and Butler will not fix the team’s massive lack of depth.

The New York Knicks will reach the Eastern Conference finals

The Knicks have not played in the Eastern Conference finals since 2000. They have been close in the past two seasons but can’t break through. The Knicks have lost five of their past 10, and, yes, their defense has hit something of a midseason wall – they rank 24th in the past 10 games in defensive rating (116.5 points allowed per 100 possessions). But the Knicks also have several things going for them that should make them considerable threats in the East, even with the Cavaliers (36-6) and Celtics (30-13) looming. For one, they have a cohesive starting unit that has an absurdly high number of minutes on the floor together – a total of 1,632 minutes, 183 more than the next closest group. 

For Golden State Warriors, it’s going to get worse before it gets better

Their 12-3 start seems so distant. Golden State, now facing injury issues, is reeling, with losses in 18 of its past 27 games. Stephen Curry is still an elite player, but his ability to finish at the rim has diminished, and he can no longer mask the team’s weaknesses. Finishing at the rim is a larger issue; the only teams with a lower two-point shooting percentage are the New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets. Although Jonathan Kuminga showed some promise, the team may be looking to shop him. And, if it’s an indication of where the team is, Golden State could potentially be sellers before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

It’s Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals

Excusing Cleveland’s 134-114 loss to Oklahoma City on January 16, these are the two best teams in the NBA. Both are deep, have outstanding coaches and a well-constructed blend of stars and role players, including the potential NBA MVP in Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Such a matchup would be a referendum on what’s possible for small- and mid-market teams, roster construction and the league’s collective-bargaining agreement that attempts to foster parity/competitive balance.

Either Memphis Grizzlies or Houston Rockets will reach Western finals

Houston is in second place and Memphis is in third place in the West, and one will advance to the conference finals. Heck, they will play each other for a spot in the conference finals. The Rockets have one of the best young cores in the league, and the Grizzlies were headed in that direction before Ja Morant’s gun-related suspension in June of 2023 and recent injury. Memphis hasn’t played in a conference final since 2013, during the Grit and Grind era featuring Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen. Houston last reached the conference finals in 2018 and hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2020, but this is a rebuilt team under general manager Rafael Stone and second-year coach Ime Udoka. Top players Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Jabari Smith Jr. are all 22 or younger. Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green provide veteran leadership.

Forget the play-in, the Sacramento Kings will finish with a top 3 seed in the West

Sacramento, finally, has found its identity. The Kings (22-20) have won nine of their last 10 games and have launched their turnaround on defense. Over that span, Sacramento ranks fourth in the NBA in defensive rating (108.7) and is just 4.6 points per 100 possessions off the No. 1 team, the Thunder. Guard Keon Ellis has been unleashed as a backcourt clamp-down defender, rotational help defense has been crisper and everyone is being asked to swarm and deflect balls. Coupled with the offensive firepower of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, the Kings have the pieces in place to go on a run.

Boston Celtics won’t reach the NBA Finals to defend title

The Celtics have been among the best teams in the league for most of the past 10 years – most victories, six conference finals, two NBA finals and the 2024 championship since 2015. They have the talent – perhaps the best starting five in the league led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – and depth – Payton Pritchard is a leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate – and they know how to finish a series. Though the Celtics are the betting favorites and defending champions, winning consecutive titles is difficult. It hasn’t happened since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, and no team has even reached the Finals in consecutive seasons since the Warriors in 2018 and 2019.

Los Angeles Lakers fail to get out of the first round – again

Since LeBron James arrived in 2018, the Lakers have made the playoffs four times, losing in the first round in 2024 and 2021, winning the title in 2020 and reaching the conference finals in 2023. This season, a play-in game situation is possible, and a lower seed in the first round is likely. Unless the Lakers make a notable trade-deadline deal, it’s difficult seeing them make a deep run in the West. By record (22-18) and stats (No. 13 offensively, No. 24 defensively), they are barely an above-average team. In sixth place in the West, the Lakers are closer to 11th place than they are fourth place.

Trent Baalke won’t be leading the Jacksonville Jaguars into the team’s next era after all.

The team announced Wednesday it was parting ways with its general manager, a little more than two weeks after the organization initially announced it would retain Baalke but fire coach Doug Pederson.

“Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate, effective immediately,’ owner Shad Khan said in a statement. ‘Trent leaves us with my deepest appreciation for his efforts over the past five seasons.’

Ethan Waugh will serve as interim general manager, Khan said.

The news comes on the same day that Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen withdrew from consideration for the Jaguars’ coaching vacancy, per multiple reports. Coen had been scheduled to have a second interview with the Jaguars this week, along with former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, according to multiple reports.

All things Jaguars: Latest Jacksonville Jaguars news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Jaguars also lost out on former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who interview with Jacksonville on Jan. 11 but opted to take the Chicago Bears’ head-coaching position.

In explaining his initial decision to retain Baalke, Khan balked at the idea that the franchise was due for wholesale changes.

‘What is a complete overhaul of the franchise?’ Khan asked on a Zoom call with reporters. ‘Health and wellness of the players, medical statistics, analysis, scouting, and a number of other elements along with contract administration, all of those areas we have really changed (and) improved certainly over the last four or five years. So to change all of that is almost like suicidal.’

Baalke was hired by the Jaguars in 2020 as director of player personnel. He was elevated to the interim general manager role after David Caldwell’s firing in November 2020 and then was promoted to the full-time role.

The Jaguars finished 4-13 in 2024 after Khan made clear his high expectations by saying before this season that this was ‘the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever.’

After firing Pederson, Khan said he took issue with the tactical approaches that had been deployed, saying ‘we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball.’

This story has been updated with new information.

Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson is the latest offensive guru to get his first NFL head coaching job before his 40th birthday − and the latest example of an ongoing trend in hiring by the league’s owners.

The Bears formally introduced Johnson, 38, as their new head coach Wednesday, making him the second-youngest coach in the league behind Mike Macdonald of Seattle, who was hired last year. He is also the 14th coach in his 30s to be hired as an NFL head coach over the past five years − a group that is mostly white and with an expertise on the offensive side of the ball, like Johnson.

Over the past five years, more than 1 in 3 of the head coaching vacancies in the NFL have been filled by someone in their 30s as the average age of NFL head coaches has continued to decline, USA TODAY Sports data shows.

The trend has been colloquially referred to as the ‘Sean McVay Effect’ following McVay’s success with the Los Angeles Rams, who hired him at 30. (McVay, despite entering his ninth season at the helm, is just four months older than Johnson.)

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

How did Ben Johnson get his NFL coaching start?

A former walk-on quarterback at North Carolina, Johnson spent a few years coaching in college at Boston College before getting his first NFL job in 2012, when the Miami Dolphins hired him as an offensive assistant. He was just 26 at the start of his first season as an NFL coach.

Johnson was later promoted to position coach and retained during a head-coaching change. He left Miami for Detroit in 2019, where he worked his way up to tight ends coach, passing game coordinator and, eventually, offensive coordinator.

Is Ben Johnson the youngest coach in the NFL?

No. At the time of his hiring, Johnson was just the second-youngest head coach in the league, behind Macdonald.

At the time of his hiring, there were still five other teams with head-coaching vacancies: The Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. The only other head coach hired so far this month was New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who is 49.

Who are the youngest head coaches in the NFL?

Here are the ages of the 10 youngest head coaches in the NFL, as of January 2025.

Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks (37 years, 6 months)
Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears (38 years, 8 months)
Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams (38 years, 11 months)
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings (39 years, 7 months)
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts (39 years, 8 months)
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (40 years, 5 months)
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans (40 years, 7 months)
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals (41 years, 8 months)
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins (41 years, 10 months)
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals (42 years old)

The New York Jets have taken the first major step in getting their rebuild off the ground.

The Jets on Wednesday hired Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their new head coach, the team announced.

Glenn, 52, held a second interview in person with the Jets on Tuesday, just three days after the Lions were eliminated in the divisional round playoff game, thereby freeing up the team’s assistants to be hired. He had been scheduled to have a second interview with the New Orleans Saints later this week, according to multiple reports.

Now, the former NFL cornerback will serve as the leader of the franchise for which he played from 1994-2001, earning two of his three career Pro Bowl nods. He also began his post-playing NFL career with the Jets as a scout.

“This place is special for me,’ said Glenn in a statement. ‘From the time I was drafted and practiced on Long Island, to the time I came back as a scout in New Jersey, this organization has always felt like home. I’m thankful to (owner Woody) Johnson for this opportunity. To our players, prepare to be coached with everything we have. That is our responsibility. I ask that we share the same vision and that’s working towards winning a championship. To our fans, simply put, expect a winning team that you will be proud of.”

All things Jets: Latest New York Jets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Glenn becomes the second Lions coordinator to leave for a top job with another team this week after Ben Johnson agreed to terms on a deal with the Chicago Bears on Monday.

In Detroit, Glenn deployed an aggressive defense that managed to rank seventh in points allowed in 2024 despite a rash of personnel losses, with 12 players from the unit finishing the year on injured reserve.

His scheme that runs heavy on man coverage and blitzes should carry over to New York, which features top talent in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, among others. But despite ranking third in yards allowed for the second consecutive year, the defense finished 20th in points allowed, with the unit wavering after defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim coach after Robert Saleh was fired.

New York finished 5-12 in 2024, extending the league’s longest active postseason drought to 14 seasons.

The Jets are still without a general manager after firing Joe Douglas in November.

Perhaps the biggest question facing Glenn will be whether Aaron Rodgers is part of the team’s plans for 2025. The quarterback remains under contract but has acknowledged his future with the organization is uncertain.

‘I think everybody understands that it’s going to come down to a GM and a coach and myself and whether we all want to do a dance together or if it’s not in the cards,’ said Rodgers on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ last week.