The NFL coaching cycle will kick off in the next two weeks, and former Patriots assistant coach Brian Flores might be a candidate for a head coaching position.

Flores is in his third season as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator. However, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks Flores could be a good fit for the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Though Burrow’s extended absence significantly hurt the Bengals’ playoff chances, the organization should be concerned with Taylor’s inability to put together a quality staff,” Moton wrote on Thursday. “Last offseason, Cincinnati fired two key assistants, offensive line coach Frank Pollack and defensive coordinator Lou...

The Patriots are enjoying a remarkable season, yet despite having one of the top teams in the NFL, they still have a few weaknesses that could come back to haunt them in the playoffs.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon listed New England’s red zone defense as one of its weaknesses.

“The Patriots are clinging to the AFC East lead despite a lack of experience on both sides of the ball,” Gagnon wrote on Friday. “That’s been particularly revealing the last couple of weeks against the Bills and Ravens, where they’ve surrendered seven touchdowns on nine red-zone possessions. Statistically, they have the...

During the offseason, there was some buzz surrounding the possibility that the Cleveland Browns could have traded their star pass rusher, Myles Garrett.

Garrett requested a trade during Super Bowl week, but he and the Browns reached an agreement on a contract extension before free agency began in March. However, if Garrett had been more determined to push for a move out of Cleveland, the New England Patriots could have been a viable trade partner.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on Friday that he would have loved to see Garrett play for the Patriots this season.

“Imagine how his numbers...

The Cleveland Browns might be in search of a new quarterback next season, and they could consider bringing in a former New England Patriot to fill the gap.

The Athletic’s Browns reporter Zac Jackson identified potential quarterback options for Cleveland and suggested that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones could be a suitable fit.

“Now, the 49ers are positioned to trade Jones this offseason for a valuable asset — potentially even for a second-round pick,” Jackson wrote on Wednesday. “Jones went 5-3 this season as San Francisco’s starter and played well enough to create a trade market as the 49ers...

The New England Patriots escaped their Week 16 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens with a win, but they did not emerge from this game unscathed. The Pats left this one with a laundry list of injuries, and on Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel shared some worrying updates for the team.

For the most part, the Patriots have managed to avoid suffering any long-term, season-ending injuries this season. The short-term injuries are beginning to pile up, though, and it very nearly cost New England against Baltimore.

While the team’s Week 17 opponent, the New York Jets, is a significantly worse team,...

The New England Patriots will look to take another step towards wrapping up the AFC East division in Week 17 by taking down the New York Jets. Ahead of this game, the Jets ruled out a handful of key players, which will only make the Patriots’ life easier in this one.

With just two games left in the regular season, injuries are playing a bigger factor than ever across the league. Teams eliminated from playoff contention don’t want guys who are already banged up to suffer serious ailments, while teams in the playoffs want to keep their best guys as...

With two starters unavailable, the New England Patriots will have to rely on their wide receiver depth in Week 17 against the New York Jets.

Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, who are dealing with a concussion and abdominal injury, respectively, have both been ruled out by head coach Mike Vrabel on Friday. In turn, the spotlight shifts to the other options available at the position.

Stefon Diggs is the main man, and he likely will be involved heavily versus the Jets. The same is true for third-round rookie Kyle Williams, who already saw an uptick in opportunities earlier this season...

The New England Patriots will visit the New York Jets down seven starters.

Wide receivers Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte, guard Jared Wilson, defensive tackles Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga, as well as linebackers Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane have been ruled out for Sunday’s game, head coach Mike Vrabel announced.

But running back TreVeyon Henderson moves forward as questionable after shedding the red non-contact jersey for the final practice of the week.

Here’s the rest of the game statuses heading into the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium.

OUT

Patriots

• WR Mack Hollins (abdomen)...

The New England Patriots have gotten solid contributions out of their running back group this season, but also some uneven availability. Rhamondre Stevenson missed three games earlier this season with a toe injury, while Antonio Gibson’s year ended with a torn ACL in Week 5.

TreVeyon Henderson has been a comparative model of consistency, but his outlook for the upcoming game against the New York Jets is unclear. The second-round rookie was placed into concussion protocol last Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens, and was a limited participant in the lone practice of the week so far.

Should Henderson be out...

TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Jets updated Injury Report.
• Evan Lazar’s Patriots Gameplan: 3 keys to victory in final regular-season road game vs. the Jets. 1. Offense Key: Preparing for what worked for the Jets defense in Week 11 matchup.
• Mike Dussault‘s Three to Watch: Key matchups in Patriots vs. Jets on Sunday. Depth must step up.
• Broadcast Info: How to watch/listen to Patriots at Jets.
• Transcript: Mike Vrabel (Plus 12 min. video)
• Press Conferences: Stefon Diggs, Christian Gonzalez, Kyle Williams, Marcus Jones, Jaylin Hawkins, Brenden Schooler.
• Mic’d Up: Craig Woodson (10 min. video)
• **Do...

Ryan Fitzpatrick played for nine teams during his 17-year NFL career, including three AFC East teams. The only club in the division he didn’t play for was the New England Patriots, who went 11-3 against them.

Most of those matchups were against Tom Brady, so Fitzpatrick knows him well.

Now a TV analyst, the former quarterback recently compared Drake Maye to Brady after the Patriots’ stunning comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

“The Patriots, they finally made me a believer,” Fitzpatrick said this week on his “Fitz & Whit” podcast with Andrew Whitworth. “Watching them against...

The Keion White trade happened in late October, but the terms weren’t finalized until this week.

Ahead of the trade deadline, the Patriots sent White and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick. However, the details of the trade include a notable stipulation: If White is active in at least seven games for San Francisco this season, New England will keep the seventh-round pick.

That condition was on Monday when White played in the 49ers’ road win over the Indianapolis Colts. The finalized trade is White straight-up for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

A second-round pick...