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The Detroit Lions will head to OTAs this week, starting on Wednesday, and it will be a quick six-day event. Following this, the Lions will forgo their mandatory mini-camp in favor of starting training camp early in mid-July, allowing them to prepare for the Hall of Fame game.
While it's short, there are still some super important things that we can begin to learn during this time, since there will be some tackle-free and pad-free reps going on. This is what we need to pay attention to.
Aidan Hutchinson's first time back on the field
This is huge. This is going to be Aidan Hutchinson getting back on the field with the team for the first time since suffering a broken leg against the Cowboys in Week 6 of the 2024 season. There should be some rust to shake off and some things to get used to again, but we're going to see how things look athletically, and that's huge.
Giovanni Manu's growth
These won't be full-on live reps, but there will be opportunities to see how far Manu has come since last summer, when we last saw him on the field. He's prepped all season last year and then spent time with Taylor Decker in Arizona this offseason. Penei Sewell says he's gotten technically better, but still needs to improve the mental part of his game, which comes with reps. Let's see some reps.
Isaac TeSlaa possibly getting reps with the first team
Personally, my expectation is that by the end of the summer, Teslaa takes the WR3 spot from Tim Patrick. If not at that time, then at some point in 2025. OTAs are the beginning of that. The Lions should be working TeSlaa in with the first team as early as now to see what they have there.
How are players gelling with the new coordinators?
We know that both John Morton and especially Kelvin Sheppard have been around this team before, but they're both the Lions coordinators for the first time now. This is going to be our first look at how players gel with these guys being the new play callers. We'll see what's working fast and what needs some time.
More must-reads:
- Bengals' Zac Taylor explains shocking Joe Flacco move for Packers game
- Lions CB Terrion Arnold to return 'sooner than expected'
- The 'Most NFL QB two-rushing-TD games' quiz
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Lions appear 'destined' to make huge Aidan Hutchinson move
Star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson is once again a key contributor for the Detroit Lions, coming off the devastating injury he suffered last fall. For a piece published on Wednesday, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler suggested that the Lions could soon lock Hutchinson down beyond the ongoing campaign after the club picked up the 25-year-old's fifth-year option for 2026 this past offseason. Lions, Aidan Hutchinson have had "exploratory" contract talks "Lions edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson looks destined for a new deal," Fowler shared. "Both sides have had exploratory discussions about an extension, for which Hutchinson is eligible as a fourth-year pro." Back in July, Fowler noted that Hutchinson was leading the NFL in sacks (7.5), pressures and win rate last season before he went down with gruesome fractures of his tibia and fibula in October 2024. According to Pro Football Reference, Hutchinson enters Week 6 of the 2025 campaign tied for third in the league with five sacks and second with three forced fumbles. How much could Aidan Hutchinson make via extension? "Top pass-rushers now make quarterback money, punctuated by Micah Parsons' four-year, $188M deal with Green Bay," Fowler continued. "While I'm not sure Hutchinson tops that number, he'll be among the highest paid at his position whenever this deal gets done. ...Detroit has shown an eagerness to extend its marquee players, and there's none bigger than Hutchinson." Before Parsons put pen to paper on his deal, Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders received a three-year, $106.5M extension during the offseason. Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns later signed a four-year, $160M deal that included $123.5M guaranteed. During the summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers gave T.J. Watt a three-year, $123M extension that included $108M guaranteed. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell and quarterback Jared Goff are a few examples of Lions players who have received extensions from the club over the past couple of years. That said, both Detroit and Hutchinson may have reasons to drag contract talks out. Hutchinson could increase the value of his deal if he keeps playing well through January (or February). Meanwhile, everybody involved received a harsh reminder roughly 12 months ago that one play can drastically alter or even threaten a player's career. For now, Hutchinson and the 4-1 Lions will focus on preparing for the upcoming "Sunday Night Football" game at the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3). As of Wednesday, ESPN BET had Detroit as a 2.5-point underdog for that matchup.
North Carolina reportedly considering nuclear option with Bill Belichick, and that's justified
There may be a new big-name head coach available and a pursuit by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross would be a recipe for disaster — even if Miami fires Mike McDaniel
The Miami Dolphins may, eventually, have a head coaching vacancy before the end of the year. And, should that development materialize, team owner Stephen Ross will be faced with what very well could be seen as the defining decision of his legacy as the team's owner. Ross has been through a slew of coaches since assuming majority control of the Dolphins organization in 2009. Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and currently Mike McDaniel have served as the head coaches of the Dolphins under Ross — plus interim terms from both Todd Bowles and Dan Campbell. During his tenure, Ross has had an eye towards big-name head coaching candidates on more than one occasion. He flirted with Jim Harbaugh out of Stanford while Sparano was still under contract as the coach of the team, which drew ire and strife within the organization. And who can forget the inappropriate contact with Sean Payton, in which the Dolphins were reportedly primed to offer a $100 million contract to coach in Miami after sending compensation to New Orleans? Brian Flores' suit against the Dolphins squashed that quickly — and Miami was subsequently stripped of first and third-round draft choices for tampering charges for both Payton and quarterback Tom Brady that summer after investigation. As a potential vacancy for Miami lingers, there may soon be another big-name coach available on the market — one that the Dolphins are very familiar with. His name is Bill Belichick. And if it comes to be reality, my only words for Stephen Ross would be this: "Please don't." New report indicates Bill Belichick's tenure at North Carolina could soon be over — and he'd be a disaster hire for the Dolphins despite his coaching legacy A report from Ollie Connelly this afternoon highlights the tenuous state of affairs for former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his current team, the North Carolina Tar Heels. In an effort to extend his coaching career, Belichick dipped to the college ranks this year after a "gap year" in 2024. It has been an unmitigated disaster, with the Tar Heels sitting at 2-3 with wins over Richmond and Charlotte. They've been uncompetitive in their three contests against TCU, UCF, and Clemson. Unmitigated disaster is a suitable adjective not only for Belichick's time at North Carolina, but essentially also his entire career from the moment that Tom Brady packed his bags and headed south for Tampa Bay. There's a 29-39 record in New England, the decision to make a former defensive coordinator (Matt Patricia) serve as his offensive play caller for a second-year quarterback, tabloid headlines, being bypassed in the 2024 hiring cycle, landing at North Carolina, petty pissing contests with Robert Kraft and the Patriots, and now this. It's been one goofy, unserious development after another that has many questioning the legacy of Belichick beyond his experiences with Brady as his quarterback. Bill Belichick's coaching record with and without Tom Brady Belichick's coaching record with Tom Brady: 249-75 (.769 win percentage) Belichick's coaching record without Tom Brady: 84-104 (.447 win percentage) Belichick's current coaching record at North Carolina: 2-3 (.400 win percentage) as of October 8th 2025 Make no mistake about it — there's a wealth of football knowledge here that is unrivaled. Bill's seen more football than most would ever dream of and he's forgotten more about football than I'll probably ever know. Belichick will be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee when he's eligible. But he's given no one any reason to believe that he's still an effective head coach in the past half of a decade. The incubated nature of his coaching tree in New England posed major problems down the stretch for his ability to assemble a quality assistant staff. And, as we've seen for a decade plus now, those in his coaching tree that have tried to spread their wings and fly on their own elsewhere in the NFL have failed spectacularly any time they've been given an opportunity. The Dolphins know a little something about that, too — although Brian Flores' failures with the Dolphins were not because of defensive acumen or scheme. It was instead because of a power struggle over personnel, a failed bid to acquire embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2021, the inability to assemble a quality coaching staff on offense, and the alleged scar tissue from the organization's misdeeds during a 2019 rebuild year in which Ross, as accused by Flores, offered him significant bonuses for every loss. And all of that is before we acknowledge that Bill Belichick will be 74-years old next spring and would be the second-oldest head coach in the league if he were to re-enter the ranks of NFL lead men in 2026. That's not a long-term solution to Ross' lingering legacy as the Dolphins team owner. It's a bandaid. And a used one, at that. So please, Mr. Ross. If you find yourself seeking a new head coach for the 2026 season and the name Bill Belichick crosses your mind, I beg you. Just...don't. This is one big fish not worth attempting to reel in — go find your prized catch elsewhere if you need a new coach this winter. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Terry McLaurin's latest injury update leaves questions about his status on Commanders' offense for Monday Night Football
The Washington Commanders have an extra day this week to prepare for the Chicago Bears and heal up, which is needed for some of the injuries on the team. The team has been getting healthy at the right time, but they're still missing three key players who have missed time over the last few weeks. They would love to get them back for a primetime NFC matchup against the Bears, who are getting their own impact players back from injury. The biggest name for the Commanders to watch this week is wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and we got our first update on Wednesday. Terry McLaurin did not practice on Wednesday Everyone is wondering when McLaurin will make his return, especially with Jayden Daniels back from his own injury, and the hope is this week, with the extra day. Head coach Dan Quinn said on Monday that the team was optimistic about McLaurin's return, along with right guard Sam Cosmi and wide receiver Noah Brown, but they had to wait until the team practiced to see their availability. Well, the team showed up to practice on Wednesday, and McLaurin did not participate like Quinn warned right before the players took the field in his press conference. "You'll see Noah out at practice today," Quinn said. "Terry won't. And then with the extra day, we'll just kind of work our way through with Terry to see where we're at and just kind of watch as we're going through it with him and Noah both.” The team will practice again on Thursday before taking Friday off as a recovery day, then take the field again on Saturday and Sunday to get a final game status on players' availability for Monday night, including McLaurin. McLaurin didn't need surgery and avoided going to the IR, which would've put him out for four games, and the team is going into the third game since he was injured, making his return likely this week or next. The good news, however, is that Brown looks like he will be available this week for the first time in a while. Noah Brown is back at practice Regardless of whether McLaurin returns or not, getting Brown back would help the offense while Deebo Samuel and Luke McCaffrey have been carrying the load over the last two weeks. Brown is the one who caught the Hail Mary touchdown last season in this matchup, and who knows what plays he could make on Monday. The more weapons, the better. The offense should continue to lean on the run game, especially against a really bad Bears' run defense, but getting more weapons back for Daniels, who looked much better last week, will long a long way on Monday night. Hopefully, that includes McLaurin, but we will have to wait and see through the rest of the week.
Bengals QB Jake Browning angry about being benched for Joe Flacco, but team had no choice
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has officially been benched, and he is not taking it lightly. Browning has started the last three games for the Bengals in the wake of a toe injury that Joe Burrow suffered in Week 2. After going 0-3 in those games, the Bengals decided to acquire Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Wednesday that Flacco will start in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. That means the new guy is taking Browning's job right away, which is hardly a surprise. Jake Browning is not happy about losing his job Browning spoke with reporters shortly after Taylor revealed that Flacco will start in Green Bay. The 29-year-old quarterback said the situation "sucks" but that he understands how the business of the NFL works. "I think it sucks but, like I said, everyone's in the middle of a season. I think, 'Welcome to pro football,'" Browning said. "If you don't play well, you're gonna get replaced, and that's what I'm going through." Browning also admitted he is angry over being benched. Though, he said he is not willing to shoulder the blame for everything that has gone wrong for Cincinnati since Burrow went down. "For me, I'm trying to respond the right way. Obviously, I'm pi--ed. If I wasn't pi--ed, then I shouldn't be in this locker room," Browning added. "I'm aware of the role I played in the offensive struggles over the last few weeks, but I'm also not shouldering the entire situation. I went through yesterday, watched my throws, tried to come up with some stuff I want to work on, and just doing that." Zac Taylor had no choice but to make a switch Browning threw three interceptions in Cincinnati's 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns as well, but anything positive that the veteran did came when the game was essentially out of hand. In his two starts prior to the Lions loss, Browning threw for a total of 265 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Bengals scored 13 points in the two games combined. Ja'Marr Chase looked extremely frustrated at times and even had a heated exchange with Taylor on the sideline. Taylor had been facing tremendous pressure from fans to make a quarterback change. It would not be a surprise if Cincinnati's front office and some players expressed a desire for Browning to be benched, as well.
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