Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Not returning Sunday

Ben Roethlisberger typically likes to wait three seasons before making any declarations on a quarterback. While Joe Burrow's third season is technically not over yet, Roethlisberger is ready to declare the Bengals' 26-year-old quarterback as the real deal. A year after leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl, Burrow's continued...

Good morning to everyone but especially to... PATRICK MAHOMES AND THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS... When Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Jaguars, it didn't look good. Not for the rest of that game, and not for any potential games going forward. Yet, as he so often does while...

The San Francisco 49ers will aim for their 13th consecutive victory and a trip to the Super Bowl when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the 2023 NFC Championship Game. San Francisco (15-4) hasn't lost since Week 7 against Kansas City, reeling off 12 straight wins to match the franchise single-season record set in 1984. The NFC West champion 49ers are playing for the conference championship for the third time in four years after defeating Dallas 19-12 last weekend in the 2023 NFL playoffs. Philadelphia (15-3), which won its third NFC East title in six years, rolled past the division-rival New York Giants 38-7 in the Divisional Round of the 2023 NFL playoff bracket.

For the second year in a row, the 49ers are knocking on the door of the Super Bowl. Last season, their dreams of a title slipped through their fingers as they couldn't hang on to their fourth-quarter lead over the eventual-champion Rams. Fast forward to this year's campaign, and you'll...

The Jets found their new offensive coordinator this week, hiring former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The move reunites Hackett with coach Robert Saleh, more than a half-decade after the two worked together with the Jaguars. But what does the staffing change mean for the Jets moving forward? Easy: a splashy quarterback change.

Despite his impressive work as the Panthers' interim head coach, Steve Wilks was not chosen to be Carolina's permanent coach. The job instead went to Frank Reich, who was fired by the Colts nine games into the 2022 season. Wilks expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be the Panthers head coach for their final 12 games of the season, saying he will always be a fan of the team in a statement he tweeted on Friday morning.

Some team is going to trade with the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall to select one of the marquee quarterback prospects in this draft class. Last week, my mock featured the Panthers doing it. This week, let's run a simulation with the Raiders doing so. Also in this mock,...

Kelce (back), who was listed as a full practice participant Friday, is listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports. Though Kelce handled every rep in the Chiefs' final practice of the week, the tight end's official questionable designation...

Maddox (toe) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice. Maddox was back on the practice field for the first time since suffering the toe injury against Dallas on Dec. 24. Because he's been sidelined for just over a month, Maddox will likely have to log at least one full practice by Friday if he wants to avoid carrying an injury designation into Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers.

Happy Wednesday, everyone. We're just four days away from learning which teams will square off in Super Bowl LVII. Word is that John Breech demanded to take this day off so he could stitch an "LVII" patch onto his Joe Burrow jersey, but we're still waiting for confirmation on that. In the meantime, you've got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest from around the NFL.

Rubio has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Thunder due to left knee injury management. Rubio played 17 minutes off the bench and totaled five points (2-7 FG), seven assists, three rebounds and one steal during Thursday's win over the Rockets. However, the veteran forward is coming off a lengthy rehab following ACL surgery and will take the second night of Cleveland's back-to-back set off to rest his left knee. Donovan Mitchell (groin) is doubtful for Friday's contest, so it looks like Darius Garland and Caris LeVert will operate as the Cavaliers' starting backcourt, while Raul Neto and Cedi Osman could see increased roles off the bench.

Hurst (calf) was limited at practice Thursday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports. Hurst practiced fully Wednesday, so the tight end's addition to the Bengals' injury report makes his status worth tracking as Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs approaches. He dealt with a calf issue back in December, but it's unclear if his listed limitations Thursday are indicative of a setback in practice or a case of workload management.

Gordon has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Cleveland due to right knee soreness. Gordon has played at least 30 minutes in each of his last six appearances, averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 31.3 minutes per game over that stretch. However, he's dealing with a knee issue that will sideline him for the first time since Dec. 27. Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) is also out, so Kenyon Martin, Garrison Mathews and Tari Eason will likely see increased run Thursday.

Dallas signed Callaway to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. Callaway reached an injury settlement with the Chiefs at the end of August, and after clearing the knee injury, he latched on with the Cowboys' practice squad in mid-November. He was never elevated during the regular season and hasn't seen regular-season NFL action since 2020, but with his new contract, he'll be able to stick around Dallas' organization and compete for a roster spot during the offseason.

If the Philadelphia police are greasing poles around the city, it can only mean one thing: A big game is on the horizon. That's the case this weekend as the Philadelphia Eagles get set to host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. With a trip to Super Bowl LVII on the line, authorities are already preparing for a rowdy celebration if the Eagles emerge victorious.

There's something about the Chiefs' upcoming AFC Championship Game that is different from their previous four title-game matchups in their current run. The favored team each of the past four years, Kansas City opened as the favorite again this season, but the line flipped early in the week as K.C. became a 1.5-point underdog for Sunday's showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals. On Thursday the line flipped again, with the Chiefs now 1-point favorites, according to Caesars Sportsbook.

Rush completed 58.0 percent of his passes for 1,051 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions over nine games in 2022. The 29-year-old quarterback saw his most action yet in an NFL season, and Rush kept the Cowboys' year afloat by winning four of his five starts while Dak Prescott was sidelined with a thumb injury in September and October. Rush will be a free agent this offseason, while Will Grier is still under contract for another season, so it's possible Dallas doesn't bring him back in 2023. Given his success this past season, Rush could have multiple offers to sort through from teams looking for QB depth.

Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!. The NFL regular season ended on Jan. 8, which means we've now gone 18 days without a coach being hired. There are five open coaching jobs and not one has been filled yet. It's been so long that I'm starting to think that some of these teams are planning to go into 2023 without a coach, which might actually be better than what they had last year.

Turner is questionable for Friday's game against Milwaukee due to a right ankle sprain. Turner has appeared in the Pacers' last six matchups and has averaged 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game during that time. If he's unavailable against the Bucks, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor would be candidates to see increased minutes.

Hardman (pelvis) will practice Wednesday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports. Coach Andy Reid noted that Hardman, who last suited up in Week 9, "feels better than he did the last couple weeks" and "seems to be in a good place" as Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals approaches. The Chiefs' upcoming injury report will clarify Hardman's official participation level, but the wideout appears to be trending in the right direction at this stage of the week.