NFL News: Wednesday, January 25th, 2023

The biggest NFL news story this week is how the four remaining teams are preparing for the upcoming conference championship games. There are two great games on the schedule as the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles meet in one game, and the Cincinnati Bengals meet up with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC. 

The ankle injury of Patrick Mahomes is one of the biggest news stories surrounding the top four teams left standing. There are also some other news stories out there for the teams that have been eliminated, as those teams are already looking ahead to next year. 

Rodgers Looking to Return?

The Green Bay Packers failed to even make the playoffs this season as a Week 18 home loss to the Detroit Lions kept them out of the field. That loss immediately had people questioning the future of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and that decision will have a huge impact on the rest of the NFL. 

Rodgers has a big decision to make ahead of the 2023 season, and one of his options would be to return to the Packers to finish out his deal. Sources have indicated that Rodgers is willing to rework his current deal in an attempt to lower the cap hit that it’s going to have for the Packers. 

The future Hall of Fame quarterback is guaranteed nearly $60 million if he plays for the Packers next season, and that would limit the potential moves that the Packers can make. He could also seek out a trade with another team, but it sounds as if he prefers to rework his deal to stay in Green Bay as opposed to playing for a different team. 

This is going to be a significant news story to follow over the next few weeks, and a decision will be needed before the start of free agency. 

O’Brien Heading Back to New England

The New England Patriots were without an official offensive coordinator during the 2022 season, and it led to a bad offensive season. Matt Patricia handled many of the play-calling duties, but head coach Bill Belichick was looking for a new OC this offseason. 

Sources are reporting that the Patriots will indeed have an offensive coordinator in 2023, and it’s going to be a name that most are familiar with. Bill O’Brien is coming back to the Patriots, and his first stint with the team was highly successful.

O’Brien has been working with Nick Saban at Alabama over the last two seasons, and he was wanting to go back to the NFL. The Patriots have some question marks on offense, but they will have a proven signal caller leading the way.

NFL Announces Super Bowl Refs

The NFL has announced that it will be Carl Cheffers as the lead referee for the Super Bowl that is set to take place in February. NFL fans are probably familiar with his work, as this will be the third time in seven years that he has been given this honor. 

Cheffers has been in the league since 2000, and he is now the second-longest tenured referee in the NFL. The NFL evaluates and rates officials all season long in order to choose the top officials for the biggest game. 

The rest of the crew was announced as well, and it’s not the traditional crew that Cheffers works with throughout the regular season.

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

All Media on this page by Associated Press.