Key injuries for each divisional team, plus the Cowboys next head coach, Josh Allen's past

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Today, a quick list of injuries impacting the divisional round, plus your thoughts on the Deion-to-Dallas idea, stories of Josh Allens college days and the latest in Pittsburghs QB room.

Key injuries to know Injuries change the course of each season, yet once we turn the page to new campaigns, the impacts of those injuries become easy to forget.

Remember the 49ers historically awful injury luck in 2020? Or Baltimores the year after? Losing seasons for otherwise winning teams.

Of course, no asterisks accompany those losses.

And none should.

Its a next-man-up league, and any successful team needs depth.

But replacement players can only take you so far.

Among 2024s 10 teams least impacted by injuries (through Week 16, per Sports Info Solutions ), eight made the playoffs, while the Falcons were one win away.

(This chart also includes the most- heavily injured team.

See if you can spot them.) That doesnt tell the full story, as significant injuries then occurred in the final two weeks, but it makes these Lions look more impressive.

Thank you, Dan Campbell .

Injuries to watch for each remaining team: Texans: RB Joe Mixon (ankle) joined yesterdays injury report, while starting RG Shaq Mason and LB Azeez Al-Shaair were limited (knee injuries), as was TE Dalton Schultz (shoulder).

All are expected to play.

Advertisement Chiefs: With most starters having not played since Week 17 giving them a very rare 23 days of rest Patrick Mahomes (ankle), DT Chris Jones (calf) and other key players are fully practicing.

Commanders: All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner played through a rolled ankle last Sunday.

He has missed every practice this week, but it would be surprising if he sits.

Lions: Two starters in RB David Montgomery (knee) and CB Terrion Arnold practiced in full, but elite RG Kevin Zeitler missed (hamstring).

Hes questionable.

Star DE Aidan Hutchinson has been eyeing a return for the Super Bowl.

Rams: They did not practice yesterday, having played Monday night.

When they do, Ill be watching for starters LT Alaric Jackson (chest), TE Tyler Higbee and CB Ahkello Witherspoon (thigh).

Eagles: They suffered the biggest blow among wild-card teams when breakout LB Nakobe Dean tore a patellar tendon.

Brooks Kubena explained why its such a big loss .

Ravens: Pro Bowl WR Zay Flowers hasnt practiced since Jan.

2.

Hes questionable.

Rashod Bateman sounds ready to step up .

Bills: Their injury report lists 12 players, 10 more than their opponent.

Fret not, Bills Mafia yesterday, zero starters and only two backups were limited: RB Ray Davis (concussion) and LG Alec Anderson (calf).

As for who might win this weekend, NFL insiders shared their predictions with The Athletic s Jeff Howe.

Hint: Theyre not high on Buffalo.

What Diannas Hearing: Wilson working as Steelers weigh future Russell Wilson is already back in the gym, posting photos to social media with captions about preparing for next season.

Will that season be in Pittsburgh, though? Thats the big question as the Steelers head into an offseason filled with uncertainty at quarterback.

While Wilson and Justin Fields had their moments in 2024, neither managed to stake their claim as the teams long-term solution under center.

Now both QBs are weeks away from free agency.

Head coach Mike Tomlin didnt shy away from addressing that uncertainty during his season-ending press conference.

Advertisement Were definitely open to considering those guys, Tomlin said.

But theres a lot of work to do before we make any decisions.

Sounds like the Steelers are keeping their options open, and I wouldnt be surprised if 36-year-old Wilson is in a different uniform next fall.

Back to you, Jacob.

Coaching Carousel: Your thoughts on Deion in Dallas In this weeks survey, we asked whether the Cowboys should seriously consider making Deion Sanders their next head coach.

22.1 percent of readers said yes, bring on the circus.

Most readers said, No, be serious, also referencing Sanders lack of experience (just five years as a college coach and none in the pros), the media hoopla it would bring and the current Cowboys quarterback room, which doesnt need Sanders son Shedeur.

(Deion has claimed theyre a package deal.) But if not Sanders, then who? Here were your top three: A headless chicken wearing a Tom Landry fedora also received one vote, as did Woody Johnsons teenage son.

We have fun here.

Their schedule: Dallas is interviewing former Jets HC Robert Saleh on Saturday and former Vikings HC Leslie Frazier on Monday.

Also, when our Cowboys beat reporters shared those results from their similar survey, this chart perfectly illustrated the frustration in Dallas: Throwback Thursday: Josh Allens college days Josh Allen has always believed in himself, as youll see below.

To understand how he became one of the NFLs most authentic leaders, The Athletic called his childhood friends, college teammates and coaches.

Their stories are worth reading .

Many made me chuckle, including this one from Tanner Gentry, Allens teammate at Wyoming and with the Bills: Fourth of July trip.

My grandparents own a cabin in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado.

We had a big crew there and its out in the middle of nowhere so were playing drinking games.

It was an unreal trip.

About a week and a half later, my grandma texted me that one of the trees was chopped down and the cover for the axe was still on it right by the tree.

I sent it to the group and was like: Who chopped this tree down? And Josh was like: That was me.

I was like: Dude, you left the cover on.

And he goes: Oh, thats why it was so hard to chop it down.

Each story illustrates a different aspect of Josh Allens authenticity as a teammate and leader.

Read them all here .

News: Ravens sign Diontae Johnson Wait, what? I thought to myself when reading that headline.

Im not alone, right? Yesterday, we noted the Texans had cut Johnson, previously released by Baltimore in late December.

Why would the Ravens re-sign him so soon? Its a clever move by a team that has gained a league-high 56 compensatory picks since the system was introduced in 1994.

Last offseason, The Athletic explained how this system works .

Real-life fantasy football.

Yesterdays most-clicked: Dane Bruglers latest 2025 mock draft .

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(Photo: Greg Fiume / Getty Images).

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