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The San Francisco 49ers‘ offseason is underway after their elimination from the playoffs after losing 41-6 in the divisional round to the Seattle Seahawks. One of the main storylines for the Niners heading into the 2026 NFL season will be the recovery of George Kittle.Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury during the 49ers’ wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. It was another blow for San Francisco, who couldn’t escape the injury bug all season to their top and even depth players. On Jan. 19, Kittle spoke with the media and shared the latest regarding his recovery, as the veteran will likely do his best to be ready for Week 1 later this year. “Overall, I’m fantastic,” Kittle said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “Surgeon went really, really well. The surgeon was incredibly happy with it. A little background into it: He said, ‘Best-case scenario when you tear an Achilles is that you tear it up high by your soleus,’ which is what I did. I had a clean tear. I didn’t have to drill into my heel. Where the repair was is where there was more blood flow. “It takes some time off the recovery time. He’s very excited about everything—my recovery, when I’ll be running, when I’ll be ready to play again. He’s very excited about it. That puts me in a really good mood. It’s not as bad as the other ones, so just excited about that.”49ers’ George Kittle Confirms Tequila StoryMoreover, Kittle also confirmed the tequila story, noting that he had the alcoholic drink in the locker room once the 49ers star knew he tore his Achilles tendon. “My first response to that is, ‘Can I get Jed fined? What’s the question? Can I get Jed fined by talking about tequila?’ I would stop,” Kittle added (h/t 95.7 The Game). “Yeah, it happened. Had a great time.”If the 49ers pursue a tight end either in the draft or free agency, perhaps it will allow them to take their time with Kittle and not rush him for Week 1 to ensure that the player is fully healthy once he’s ready to go for the 2026 season.49ers Need to Address Injury Woes This OffseasonInjuries have been a major storyline for the 49ers for a while. As a result, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones is urging San Francisco to find the root of the problem and address it as injuries have held this team back.“The Niners have to figure out how to get healthier,” Jones said during a Jan. 17 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “This continues to happen to them time and again because if you look at it, if they can stay moderately healthy, average health, they will make the playoffs every year. They will make noise in the playoffs. I can go on, and we could talk about how they need another wide receiver, and they do.“They need some depth on the defense and certainly they could use some pass rush and some corner help. There’s no doubt that if they ran it back with the team that they have and even lose the free agents that they’re going to have, if they could stay healthy, 75 to 80 percent healthy, they’re in the NFC Championship game. I absolutely mean that. But instead, they can’t.” Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post 49ers’ George Kittle Shares Big Achilles Injury Update appeared first on Heavy Sports.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has known only one head coach since entering the league in 2021, and that is Sean McDermott. McDermott took a chance on the sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Pittsburgh. He made Hamlin a full-time starter in just his second season in the league. He stuck by him after the traumatic cardiac arrest in 2023, which led to him becoming a 2024 Comeback Player of the Year finalist. And under his leadership, Hamlin signed a $2 million extension this offseason, going into his fifth year with the Bills. McDermott was fired early Monday morning after leading Buffalo to seven playoff appearances in eight years, and Hamlin, like many Bills players, was caught off guard by the news. “A True Leader Of Men,” Hamlin posted on X to his 724k followers. “Thank You For Everything! On & Beyond The Field. We Love You Coach.” A True Leader Of Men. Thank You For Everything! On & Beyond The Field. We Love You Coach. 🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/3EFaeybgVU — 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 19, 2026 This was Hamlin’s second post after the McDermott news dropped. His first was simply three broken heart emojis shared immediately after the story circulated. 💔💔💔. — 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 19, 2026 Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Bills Damar Hamlin Issues Heart-Felt Message After Sean McDermott Firing appeared first on Heavy Sports.

The Chicago Bears will not play any more meaningful football games until September, but there is a great deal to which fans can look forward in the interim.The first will be free agency, which begins when the new league year does in March. But roughly six weeks after the opening barrage of free-agent signings and probably a handful of meaningful trades across the NFL, the draft will take place in late April.Chicago’s exact position in that process was unclear until the team lost the final playoff game of the Divisional Round on Sunday night, January 18.The Bears (11-6) are now locked into the No. 25 spot, which is the highest available for teams that fell in the second round of the postseason. The Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans all finished 12-5 and will select at Nos. 26-28, respectively.Chicago owns a total of seven picks in the upcoming draft, including Nos. 25, 57, 89, 129 (via the Los Angeles Rams), 163, 239 (via the Philadelphia Eagles) and 241.Bears Likely to Focus on Edge-Rusher in Offseason, as Big Pickups in 2025 Failed to Pay Dividends GettyChicago Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. The Bears are likely to focus on the defensive side of the football after using the first three selections of Ben Johnson’s tenure as head coach on tight end Colston Loveland (No. 10 overall), wide receiver Luther Burden III (No. 39 overall) and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (No. 56 overall) in 2025.Specifically, Chicago needs help on the defensive front. The pass rush is probably the area of greatest need, as the Bears finished the year with the 29th-ranked defense and tallied just 35 sacks in 17 regular season games while producing among the lowest pass rush win rates in the NFL (31st).“The Bears’ inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks was a glaring weakness all season,” according to ESPN. “Despite spending big last free agency on defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (one sack in eight games before a season-ending injury) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (two sacks), the Bears got very little return on investment. The No. 1 focus must be a big swing on an edge rusher in free agency or the draft.”Bears Predicted to Select DE or DT With First-Round Pick in NFL Draft GettyClemson defensive end TJ Parker. Jordan Reid of ESPN suggested a player like defensive end TJ Parker out of Clemson in the first round.“In Round 1, TJ Parker (Clemson) would fit the prototype of the team’s defensive scheme, as he’s a power rusher who is also an NFL-ready run defender,” Reid wrote Monday.However, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus predicted on Monday that Chicago will use the No. 25 pick to select defensive tackle Christen Miller out of Georgia.“The Bears could benefit from some reinforcements against the run, and Miller should be able to make an impact in that regard from day one,” McGuinness wrote. “He earned a 90.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. While his 70.0 PFF pass-rush grade is far from bad, he will likely be most valuable in the run game as an NFL player.”Chicago may look to trade for an edge-rusher like Maxx Crosby or sign a free agent like Jaelan Phillips even if the team drafts a high-end defensive lineman in the first round, given how great the need is on that side of the football. Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Bears First-Round Draft Pick Revealed After Playoff Exit appeared first on Heavy Sports.

Just when the vacant head coach jobs were shrinking, another one opened up.The Buffalo Bills announced that they will be parting ways with head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons with the organization.McDermott’s dismissal comes after the Bills lost to the Denver Broncos, 30-33, marking the eighth time the Buffalo Bills have fallen out of the playoffs without reaching the Super Bowl in the nine seasons McDermott has been with the team.Looking forward, the Bills will need someone with big shoes to fill in for the former head coach.Rams Coordinator Top Option For New HC Job GettyA trust member of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff may be on his way out It would be a lot of pressure to replace Sean McDermott in Buffalo.The Bills only had one losing season during his nine-year tenure and made it to the playoffs 8 of times at the helm of the team. The former AFC East head coach accrued an overall coaching record of 98 wins and 50 losses.To replace someone of his caliber, the Bills would need someone who has the winning experience to fill his role.CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani released a list of the top five options who could be a good option to replace McDermott, naming Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Chris Shula as one of the options.“The grandson of NFL legend Don Shula is one of the hottest candidates this coaching cycle, and someone Buffalo should take a look at as well. Chris Shula has been on Sean McVay’s staff since his first season as the Rams’ lead man back in 2017, working in multiple capacities such as linebackers coach, pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach before receiving the promotion to defensive coordinator,” Dajani wrote.“Last year, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Byron Young and Kobie Turner combined for 226 pressures — which ranked second-most among any foursome in the NFL… The Rams also recorded 16 sacks in the playoffs that year, which were the most in a two-game span in NFL postseason history. In 2025, Shula’s unit recorded the third-most pressures (274) and fourth-highest pressure percentage (41.7%).”The Rams’ defense was one of the best this season, with Chris Shula calling the plays, only allowing 20.4 points per game, the 10th-lowest in the NFL.As an upcoming coach, leading a playoff-experienced Bills would be a good first landing spot for Shula.The Rams’ DC has been receiving serious head coaching options around the league, meaning the Bills would have to swoop in quickly to get their guy.Top Option Could Be Familiar Face For Buffalo GettyThe Buffalo Bills could have a frontrunner for their vacant head coaching job With no time to waste in finding a new head coach, the Buffalo Bills may have a frontrunner who has a history with the team.According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, a name that keeps popping up for the next HC for the Bills is former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, holding the role from 2018 to the 2021 seasons. According to Russini, Josh Allen “loves” Daboll and pairing them up again would see the Bills’ offense be one of the best in the league.In his last two seasons as offensive coordinator with the Bills, before taking the New York Giants head coaching job, the Buffalo offense had the second (31.3) and third-highest (28.4) points per game.The 2020 season was also Allen’s best passing season as a professional, throwing for 4,544 yards and 37 pass touchdowns, both career highs in a season.If the Bills were to bring Daboll as head coach, or even as offensive coordinator, it wouldn’t take much time for Josh Allen to get accustomed to the playbook.Like Chris Shula, Daboll has been receiving head coaching and offensive coordinator interest, forcing Buffalo to move fast. Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Longtime Rams Coach Named Top Option For Bills Head Coach Job appeared first on Heavy Sports.

The Toronto Blue Jays started the offseason strong with a series of major roster additions, but have struck out on a pair of major pursuits as they aim to reload and return to the World Series. The Blue Jays could have a chance to turn their luck with a shot at Cody Bellinger, though one insider shared that it would come at a high expense. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Monday that the Yankees have a large standing offer to Bellinger — one that the Blue Jays can choose to beat. One insider believes the Blue Jays should jump at the chance, despite the high price tag. Blue Jays Get Another Chance to Improve Roster The Blue Jays had been connected to Kyle Tucker and reportedly had a short-term offer for Bo Bichette to return, but both ultimately landed elsewhere. Nightengale reported that the Blue Jays would have a chance to land Bellinger if they are willing to go over the top of the existing offer from the New York Yankees. “The Yankees open the week still waiting on decision by Cody Bellinger,” Nightengale reported in a post on X. “They are sitting with a 5-year, $160 million offer with no deferrals and two opt-outs. If the Toronto Blue Jays or Mets decide to beat it, they’ll be hit with 110% luxury tax penalties. The standoff continues.” The Blue Jays will still face some fierce competition, as the Mets have been particularly active. They made a significant offer to Tucker and later scooped up Bichette on a three-year, $126 million deal. The Mets are undergoing a major roster change, parting ways with longtime veterans Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo. The Yankees have also been active, including the $160 million offer to Bellinger that could ultimately be too high for the Blue Jays to top. Blue Jays Urged to Jump at Chance for Cody Bellinger Reporter Billy Heyen of The Sporting News suggested that the Blue Jays should jump at the chance to top their division rival and land Bellinger, despite the high cost to the organization. “Toronto missed out on Kyle Tucker, and Bellinger would go into the books as a cheaper but similar version of Tucker (and Bellinger can actually play centerfield if desired),” Heyen wrote. “The Blue Jays had such an exciting start to the offseason when they landed Dylan Cease for their pitching rotation. “They kept it going with the signing of Japanese star infielder Kazuma Okamoto.” The tides shifted after the Blue Jays lost out on Tucker and Bichette, but Heyen suggested they could still find an improvement by signing Bellinger. “The Blue Jays could use one more win. There’s really only the one remaining major victory in the form of Bellinger,” Heyen wrote. “His sweet lefty swing was great in the Bronx, but it appears the Yanks are dug in on their offer. All Toronto (or the Mets) has to do is beat that deal. If the Blue Jays were prepared to go $350 million over 10 years for Tucker, they surely can beat $160 million for 5 years that the Yanks are offering Bellinger.” Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Blue Jays Get Great News With Latest Cody Bellinger Update appeared first on Heavy Sports.