NFL News: January 18, 2023

The 2023 NFL Playoffs are rolling right along, and there have been plenty of big storylines over the past few days as well. Most of the focus is on the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, but there have been some other big events that have taken place as well. 

You can expect the NFL to continue to dominate the news over the next few weeks through the Super Bowl, but this is always a league that tends to dominate headlines. Here are some of the biggest news stories that are worth following.

Hamlin Spending Time at Team Facility

The news surrounding Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has mostly been all positive since he was revived on the football field in Cincinnati. It wasn’t long before he was sent from the Cincinnati hospital to Buffalo, and he didn’t spend a ton of time in that hospital either. 

Hamlin was back at the Bills training facility just days after being discharged from the Buffalo area hospital, and that has now become a common occurrence. Head coach Sean McDermott acknowledged that Hamlin is almost a daily visitor at the facility and that the entire team is inspired by his progress. 

It is unclear if Hamlin is going to be in attendance for the Divisional Round Playoff Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin was not in attendance for the playoff win over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card Game.

Carthon Named As New GM

The Tennessee Titans are taking the next step towards getting back on the winning track as they have hired a new general manager. Ran Carthon will be coming to Tennessee to be the new GM after serving as the Director of Player Personnel with the 49ers. 

This is a big loss for the 49ers as Carthon helped guide the team to a Super Bowl appearance and a pair of appearances in the NFC Championship Game. San Francisco is going to be receiving a pair of draft picks for this move as they developed a minority candidate that landed an executive job. 

Former general manager Jon Robinson was fired back in November after the organization did not like the direction that things were going. Robinson made some interesting trades over the last few years that came back to bite the Titans.

Cowboys Sticking With Maher

The Dallas Cowboys picked up a dominant win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs, but it wasn’t without a little drama. Kicker Brett Maher missed four extra-point attempts in the win over the Buccaneers, leaving some to wonder if the Cowboys would make a move to replace him.

According to members of the coaching staff, the Cowboys are sticking with Maher moving forward, and they are happy with how he has performed this season. Maher went 29 for 32 on field goal attempts this season, making him one of the most accurate kickers in the league. 

Dallas is an underdog on the road at San Francisco in the Divisional Round.

Keep up with your latest NFL news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.

All Media on this page by Associated Press.