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The Los Angeles Rams are done playing football for the 2024 season. After a hard-fought battle in the snow, the Rams fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round and now look ahead to 2025. There’s a lot to be hopeful for, with head coach Sean McVay still at the helm and the Rams employing two Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists in Jared Verse and Braden Fiske.
Verse and Fiske were the Rams’ first- and second-round draft picks in 2024, and were teammates together at Florida State. And the two made their presence known in both the regular season and postseason. But Fiske had to leave the Eagles loss early due to a knee injury.
In McVay’s first update since the loss, he revealed that Fiske’s knee injury will require a procedure. He spoke about the severity of the injury and what he expects from Fiske when it comes to a return, according to Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Rams head coach Sean McVay on Thursday said rookie defensive end Braden Fiske’s knee injury sustained in last Sunday’s Divisional Round loss to the Eagles will require a “minor procedure,” but it won’t affect Fiske’s availability for the beginning of the 2025 season.
“It’ll be a little minor procedure that he’ll have, but he’ll be ready to go, and it won’t affect his ability to be ready for next year,” McVay said in an end-of-season video conference with reporters Thursday morning. “Excited about his future.”
Knee procedures are rarely minor. However, McVay seems confident that the young defensive lineman will not need to miss any time in 2025. The 2025 season kicks off on Sep. 4, giving Fiske around seven months to recover from the knee procedure.
Fiske enters an exciting second year alongside Verse and a scrappy Rams defense. The unit hit a stride towards the end of the 2024 season, and it will be fascinating to see what additions the front office makes to turn them into one of the league’s elite units.
Sean McVay wants Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s status sooner
Matthew Stafford and the Rams have had a great partnership over the years, with the veteran immediately delivering a Super Bowl in his first year with the team and working alongside McVay. Stafford became underrated due to the lack of playoff success with the Detroit Lions, but he has shown the NFL that he is one of the best when it comes to postseason play.
However, there is some doubt as to whether or not Stafford will return to Los Angeles for the 2025 season as the team works to clear salary cap. The Rams have let go of popular stars in the past, and the sense is there’s a legitimate possibility that Stafford could be traded or let go.
Prior to training camp last year, Stafford and L.A. worked through contract details before agreeing on a restructured deal. This time around, though, McVay is hoping to have logistics sorted out much sooner than later.
More must-reads:
- Steelers receive massive Aaron Rodgers injury update ahead of Bears game
- Cowboys' Jerry Jones has made a decision about George Pickens
- The 'NFL QB rushing TD leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Chiefs React to Travis Kelce's Decision on Sunday
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce continues to make headlines on and off the field. Entering Sunday's Week 11 game against the Denver Broncos, Kelce has been one of the most reliable players on the Chiefs. In nine games this 2025, he has recorded 41 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. He actually leads in the team in receptions and receiving yards and is second in receiving touchdowns. Off the field, the Chiefs tight end has been the subject of plenty of interest due to his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. Not to mention, he has been growing his personal brand by diversifying his ventures — from going into acting to opening up his own restaurant with teammate Patrick Mahomes. Now, prior to their showdown with the Broncos, Kelce drew plenty of attention again with his off-field decision. The 36-year-old star arrived at Empower Field at Mile High wearing a black blazer with a subtle striped pattern, which he paired with matching pants. What stood out from his outfit were his bags, as he brought a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandouliere and Horizon 55 that cost over $9,000 combined, per Style By Kelce. Even the Chiefs couldn't help but react to Kelce's outfit, as they shared photos of him on social media. "Find you someone who cleans up like @TKelce," the Chiefs wrote. For what it's worth, fans agreed with the Chiefs' post, taking to the comment section to share their reactions. "He cleans up Nicely," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "He Polishs up real nice!" A fan added, "There’s only one Travis Kelce." "Looking good as usual Travis! Let's go Chiefs! Let's get those Broncos," a supporter remarked. A fifth follower shared, "He always keeps it tidy." Kelce's popularity remains sky-high. That being said, it shouldn't be a surprise that anything he does is talked about.
CFP rankings: SEC in great shape after third reveal
The third College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season were released on Tuesday night with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A M, Georgia and Texas Tech making up the top five. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders each move up one spot with Alabama falling down to 10th after a 23-21 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Ole Miss, Oregon, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama round out the top 10. The Big Ten and SEC continue their dominance by claiming eight of the top-10 spots, but the SEC looks to be in the best position of any league with five teams in the top 10, even with Alabama's second loss of the season. Alabama clings to playoff spot as SEC's outlook only grows stronger Here is a look at what the 12-team bracket would look like as of Tuesday: The biggest takeaway from this week's rankings is the position the SEC finds itself in. Texas A M, Georgia and Ole Miss appear to be in excellent shape, while Oklahoma and Alabama still find themselves in the projected field. Texas was the biggest loser, falling seven spots to No. 17 after its loss to Georgia. Even for Alabama, which suffered its second loss on Saturday, it could still find itself in the SEC Championship game depending on how everything plays out over the final two weeks, which could only strengthen its case even more. Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 13, ahead of No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. With the five highest-ranked conference champions guaranteed to make the 12-team field, Miami would inherit the 11-seed as things currently stand. Following South Florida's loss to Navy, Tulane moves up to No. 24 and the 12th-seed as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. No. 11 BYU would be the first team out following the third reveal. There are two ranked matchups this weekend as No. 8 Oklahoma hosts No. 22 Missouri and No. 15 USC takes on No. 7 Oregon. With only two weeks of regular-season play remaining, time is running out to add quality wins to resumes, something each of these two games will certainly do. Assuming there are no more hiccups, the SEC has a realistic shot at getting five teams in the field. Week 12 presented an opportunity for other teams to move up, but after Texas A M completed its remarkable comeback over South Carolina and with Alabama remaining in the top 10, that does not bode well for the rest of the field.
Former Heisman winner has bold take on James Franklin, Virginia Tech
It makes sense for the Virginia Tech Hokies to be excited about the addition of James Franklin as their new head coach. Franklin was fired by Penn State for failing to live up to the championship expectations in Happy Valley. For a program looking to get back on its feet and reestablish itself in this new era of college football, though, Franklin is a home run hire. Virginia Tech now has a bona fide head coach who can win games and recruit at a high level. Let's not talk about winning "the big one" for now. Right now, the Hokies just need to get back into that conversation, and Franklin is great for them in that regard. Getting into the conversation is one thing. Staying there is another, and it's worth noting that one college football commentator, former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, thinks this will be the move that helps put VT back in that stratosphere. “Virginia Tech will become an ACC contender year in and year out with James Franklin as Head Coach,” Griffin said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. James Franklin will need time to turn things around at Virginia Tech It's one thing to be excited about this move for the Hokies because it is a big-time hire for them. To say that they'll be a contender "year in and year out" is a bit of a premature statement at this moment, though. Franklin can absolutely get them there, but it's going to take time for him to rebuild this program. The Hokies have pledged to put $229M into the athletics budget over the next four years, and you can bet a ton of that is going to go to Franklin so that he can hire good coaches and attract players with big-time NIL deals on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. The Hokies haven't had a 10-win season since 2016, though, so even in this era when quick turnarounds are possible, giving Franklin a year or two of cushion would be smart. His getting VT to the top of the ACC every season is an idea that also flies in the face of the reputation that he earned at Penn State. Sure, the ACC is in no way as stacked as the Big Ten, but Clemson, Florida State and Miami are huge brands with a ton of money and momentum behind them that won't be going anywhere. Though Franklin did get PSU into the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff last season, it's worth remembering that he was 4-21 against AP top-10 opponents at Penn State and 1-18 against top-10 opponents from within the Big Ten. That's a .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams, and that's not going to get magically better just because he's coaching in the ACC now. If he's going to get Virginia Tech back into the college football limelight, it's going to be much harder than just showing up when "Enter Sandman" starts playing. He's certainly talented enough of a coach and recruiter to do it, but let's pump the brakes and let him get settled into his new office before we start talking about Virginia Tech once again being a top program.
Reason for Khalil Shakir's two-day absence from Buffalo Bills practice revealed
Khalil Shakir popped up on the Buffalo Bills’ injury report leading into a Week 12 matchup and the likely reason for his non-participation was revealed on Tuesday evening. Shakir was listed as a DNP on both Monday and Tuesday, which led to questions regarding his absence. But on Tuesday, Shakir’s wife, Sayler, posted a photo to Instagram of the couple’s newborn baby girl, Sunny Haven, which quelled any uncertainty regarding his status. “11/17/25, Sunny Haven Shakir, you are oh so loved already,” posted Sayler to her IG account. The Bills wide receiver is at least the second Bills player this season to welcome a newborn into the world this season, joining long snapper Reid Ferguson, who celebrated the birth of his third child in September. Shakir has been a star for the Bills’ passing game this season, leading the team with 46 receptions and 454 yards receiving through Buffalo’s first 10 games of the season. His productive 2025 campaign comes on the heels of signing a lucrative contract extension this offseason, which will keep him with the Bills through the 2029 season. The Bills return to the practice field on Wednesday, their final day of preparation before they take on the Texans on Thursday in Houston. — Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —
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