The New England Patriots are aiming to fend off the Cleveland Browns and the Carolina Panthers by extending inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo's contract.

While Cleveland are looking for a new defensive coordinator after firing Joe Woods, while the Panthers want a new head coach.

There appears little appetite from the Patriots' side to let linebackers coach Mayo leave, however, with a team statement confirming talks on a contract extension were under way.

"The Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick have begun contract extension discussions with Jerod Mayo that would keep him with the team long-term," read a statement released to the media.

Mayo has spent his entire senior career with the Patriots since he was drafted by New England in the 2008 draft.

He retired in 2016 after three successive seasons derailed by injury, but joined the coaching staff in 2019.

New England also confirmed they are on the search for an offensive coordinator after a disappointing campaign saw them miss out on the playoffs.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson believes a capable quarterback is the only thing missing from a team he called "loaded and ready to go".

The Jets boasted the fourth-best defense in the NFL based on yards allowed, but their offense could only finish 25th, hamstrung by mediocre quarterback play.

They tried to address their quarterback void by selecting Zach Wilson second overall in the 2021 draft, but after a horrific second campaign where he threw more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six), the Jets are not willing to persist with the 23-year-old as the starter.

Johnson addressed Wilson's struggles, and pointed to the instability at starter – as Mike White and Joe Flacco combined for eight of the 17 starts this season – as a reason for the dysfunction.

"Zach had a tough year, there's no denying that," he said. "I still have confidence that I've seen some kernels of real talent there. 

"[His] confidence level, whatever it was, went down, so that was certainly frustrating for him. And then we had that rotation, which is very hard to do in the NFL – changing quarterbacks."

He spoke about his willingness to reverse the fortunes of the offense in a similar fashion to the defense from a year ago, which was ranked as the league's worst in 2021.

"This team is loaded and ready to go," he said. "Our defense was an unbelievable story you saw this year, from last-place to close to the top in defense in terms of every measurable.

"If you can do the same thing on offense, it looks pretty good, right?"

The Jets are unlikely to enter the new season with another rookie under center, so to address their need, the Jets will need to either make a trade or venture into the free agent market.

The upcoming free agent class is headlined by the legendary Tom Brady and former MVP Lamar Jackson – players who will likely not come at a discount – but Johnson said he is willing to spend.

"Absolutely," he said. "We've got a cap, so there's an amount you can spend. But, yeah, that's kind of the missing piece."

When asked if he would give the coaching staff a playoff mandate, Johnson shot down the idea, saying it is not the right way to approach the situation.

"No, I don't do mandates," he said. "We've had a long wait. 

"Fifty-four years from the last Super Bowl is too long, way too long. I'd like to change that fast, but mandates don't work."

The NFL announced that Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host a potential AFC Championship Game between the number two seed Buffalo Bills and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

In a statement released on Thursday, the NFL confirmed that the game would be played on Sunday January 29, with Atlanta only used as the venue if those two sides are matched up.

That came following the cancellation of the Week 17 game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals after Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in the first quarter and went into cardiac arrest.

The NFL had already confirmed that in the event of a Bills-Chiefs' AFC Championship Game matchup that the contest would be played at a neutral site, given both sides played an unequal number of regular season games due to the Bills-Bengals' cancellation.

The Bills are due to host the seventh-seed Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Highmark Stadium in the Wild Card round, while the Chiefs have a bye and will face the lowest AFC seed remaining in the Divisional round.

"We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement.

"We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process."

Mercedes-Benz Stadium was opened in 2017 and has an American Football capacity of 71,000.

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t had starting quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field in over a month and it does not appear he will be ready to play Sunday's Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson missed his 17th straight practice Thursday and then posted on social media that his left knee "remains unstable," putting his availability for Sunday in serious doubt.

"Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries," Jackson posted to Twitter. "I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.

"I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has not officially ruled out Jackson returning Sunday, but he has not practiced with the team since December 2, and has not appeared in a game since a 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos on December 4.

With Jackson likely unavailable, Huntley would be in line to start, but he has been battling shoulder and wrist injuries that kept him sidelined for the regular-season finale at Cincinnati last weekend.

Huntley resumed throwing at practice Thursday and was officially listed as a limited participant. It was the first time since January 1 that he was seen throwing passes.

"He looked good," Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "It’s day-to-day. He’s making progress. We take stock on it every day."

Rookie Anthony Brown started the final game of the regular season and was 19 of 44 for 286 yards with two interceptions in his only career start, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

Baltimore went 8-4 and averaged 23.1 points in games Jackson started this season, and were 2-3 while averaging 13 points in games without him.

"Obviously, Lamar is Lamar," Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. "You can’t replace that kind of guy, but I do still think that we have quarterbacks who can go out there and get the job done and play at a high level."

Wide receiver Mike Williams has been listed as questionable by the Los Angeles Chargers due to a back injury for their AFC Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

Williams left Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos with back spasms, though initial X-rays were negative, offering hope the problem would not impact his participation against the Jags.

The 28-year-old has not practiced all week, although head coach Brandon Staley said Williams needed time off, having had chronic back issues for years.

"He's progressing, getting treatment," Staley told reporters. "Just trying to get him as much rest as possible because of the short time frame of the week.

"We're at the point of the season where the reps aren't what matters – the rest is – in his case. Just trying to get him as much rest up until game time."

Under-fire Staley was criticised for not resting key players against the Broncos, given they were locked into the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs ahead of the game.

"I stand behind what we did in that football game," Staley added on Thursday. "I didn't want anybody to get hurt in that game regardless of their status."

Williams has 63 receptions for a team-high 895 yards with four touchdowns this season.

After nine years with the Las Vegas Raiders, Derek Carr appears to heading elsewhere in 2023 after saying goodbye to the fans.

The quarterback only signed a three-year $121.5million extension in Las Vegas last year, though with an exit option included and a dead cap number of $5.6m if the team decided to cut or trade him before June 1, 2023.

Three-time Pro Bowler Carr was sidelined by Josh McDaniels for the final two games of the season, though the coach cited a desire to give younger players a longer look, with Las Vegas essentially eliminated from playoff contention and Jarrett Stidham coming in.

Posting a message to the "Raider Nation" on Twitter on Thursday, Carr said: "It breaks my heart I didn't get an opportunity to say goodbye in person.

"We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our nine years together. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful and appreciative of the years of support you gave to my family and me. We had our share of both heartbreaking moments and thrilling game winning drives, and it always felt like you were there next to me.

"It's especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the off season. It certainly wasn't perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raider fans."

The 31-year-old was intercepted three times as the Raiders were held to 201 total yards in his last outing, the 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and had been picked off nine times in his last six starts, completing 55 per cent or fewer of his pass attempts in four straight games for the first time in his career.

Carr compiled a 68.7 per cent completion rate over the course of the 2018 to 2021 seasons, second only to Drew Brees among quarterbacks with at least 1,000 pass attempts during that time frame.

The Cleveland Browns have announced they will interview former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores for their vacant defensive coordinator position on Thursday.

Flores, who led the Dolphins for three seasons before being controversially fired following the 2021 campaign, spent this past season as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 41-year-old filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices following his dismissal from Miami.

The Dolphins were also included in the complaint, which is still pending, as well as two other teams, the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.

Flores, who is black, alleged he spoke with the Broncos and Giants for open head coaching positions only to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule that requires teams to interview minority candidates for such vacancies.

Prior to taking over in Miami, Flores spent 11 seasons on Bill Belichick's staff with the New England Patriots, including the last three as linebackers coach.

He handled defensive play-calling duties in his final season with New England in 2018, helping the Pats to a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

Flores compiled a 24-25 record with the Dolphins, with winning seasons in both 2020 and 2021, though Miami missed out on the playoffs both years.

The Browns fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods shortly after their season ended with Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Steelers.

Cleveland previously interviewed ex-Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, a former DC for the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, for the opening on Wednesday.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy says his side are "not living in" last year's premature playoffs exit ahead of their Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

The Cowboys crashed out of last year's postseason with a 23-17 Wild Card game loss to the San Francisco 49ers after topping the NFC East and finishing as the conference third seed.

McCarthy, who was assured of his job irrespective of Sunday's result earlier this week by owner Jerry Jones, is also seeking his first playoff win in three seasons with the Cowboys.

"We're not living in it, that's for sure," McCarthy told reporters when asked if last year's Wild Card exit had been discussed in the lead-up to Monday's game. "We've acknowledged it.

"The thing that we're really focused on is what we've done, who we are and making sure we have our plan as tight as possible going into this game to do what we need to do to win this game.

"We've had time for the theme speeches, they've been good triggers to talk about, as far as secret wound of losing a playoff game. We've definitely experienced that.

"We talked about the buffalos running through the storm and resiliency. That has served us well, all those experiences are the gold in our concierge. That's really who we are.

"The reality is we're not getting super philosophical, it's a ridiculously long answer here. The reality of it is we need to make sure our focus is tight and we're going into Tampa to win a game on the road against an outstanding football team."

The Cowboys finished the 2022 regular season with a 12-5 record, although they lost two of their final four games, including an uninspiring 26-6 defeat to the Washington Commanders last Sunday.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown an interception in each of the past seven games, including eight in their past five.

"Like how we function internally, we're evaluating everything we do," McCarthy said about Prescott. "Every walk-through, if there's a correction, every practice, you're always correcting to improve.

"That's part of your application and evaluation process. The things that haven’t gone well are the things you learn most from and that's life. That is our gold… We'll be ready to go."

The Baltimore Ravens appear increasingly likely to be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for Sunday's AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals after he missed practice again.

Jackson has been absent for 16 straight practice sessions due to a sprained PCL in his left knee that has seen him not play since Week 13.

The 2019 NFL MVP has missed the Ravens' past five games, where they have gone 2-3 and scored 13 points per game, which is the second-worst record in the NFL.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been reluctant to discuss Jackson's status over the past fortnight and simply replied "no updates at this time" when asked on Wednesday.

The situation is further complicated by top backup Tyler Huntley dealing with tendonitis in his right throwing shoulder. Huntley did not throw during the media portion at practice on Wednesday.

"He's doing a lot better," Harbaugh told reporters about Huntley. "He was out there in practice today and took a bunch of plays. I'd say he's on schedule, hopefully, and we'll see where it goes."

If Jackson and Huntley are both unavailable then undrafted rookie Anthony Brown, who has one career NFL start, would step in.

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews added: "You look at the two other guys [Huntley and Brown], there is so much trust in both of them.

"We know with whoever we put out there – Lamar, Snoop [Huntley] or AB – we'll be all right and ready to go."

Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce are among those selected by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for the 2022 All-Pro team.

It is the first time a selection has been made exclusively by players, with the most recognised All-Pro team being the one generated by votes from NFL writers and broadcasters, organised by the Associated Press.

NFLPA president J.C. Tretter issued a statement on Tuesday outlining why he felt it was important for players to have their say.

"For the first time ever, NFL players are honouring the best in the game by naming our Players' All-Pro team," he said. "Every active NFL player had the opportunity to cast their vote to decide who is really the best at each position.

"We compete against each other all season long, watching hours and hours of film week after week after week, and yet we have never had an opportunity to truly use our expertise to select the best of us.

"We think it is important that players take the time to define ourselves, because so far, we have allowed everyone else to either pick or dilute our voices."

The team was unveiled on Wednesday, with selections including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, and his team-mate Davante Adams and Minnesota Vikings' star Jefferson as wide receivers.

The Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers were the best represented teams, with four players each.

2022 Players' All-Pro Team – Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Running back: Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders), Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco 49ers), Wide receivers: Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), Tight end: Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs), Left tackle: Trent Williams (San Francisco 49ers), Left guard: Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns), Center: Jason Kelce (Philadelphia Eagles), Right guard: Zack Martin (Dallas Cowboys), Right tackle: Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles), Edge rushers: Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers), Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns), Interior defensive linemen: Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs), Aaron Donald (Los Angeles Rams), Nose tackle: Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants), Off-ball linebackers: Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers), Roquan Smith (Baltimore Ravens), Cornerbacks: Pat Surtain II (Denver Broncos), Darius Slay (Philadelphia Eagles), Free safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh Steelers), Strong safety: Derwin James Jr (Los Angeles Chargers), Kick returner: Cordarrelle Patterson (Atlanta Falcons), Punt returner: KaVontae Turpin (Dallas Cowboys), Core teamers: Jeremy Reaves (Washington Commanders), Justin Hardee (New York Jets), Kicker: Jason Myers (Seattle Seahawks), Punter: Tommy Townsend (Kansas City Chiefs), Long snapper: Morgan Cox (Tennessee Titans).

Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to return ahead of the NFL playoffs, leaving Miami Dolphins rookie Skylar Thompson to start again at quarterback against the Buffalo Bills.

A promising season for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins has been rocked by repeated concussion concerns.

Tagovailoa hit his head against the ground twice in the same week in September, but only the second incident was logged as a concussion as he left a defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals. The first hit, against the Bills in Week 3, was described as a back issue.

The former Alabama QB missed two games then before returning, only to suffer another concussion against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day – one that was not identified until the following day.

Tagovailoa has not played since and will not line up against the Bills in this week's Wild Card round matchup.

Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed Tagovailoa was out, while the Dolphins are now preparing for Thompson to start as Teddy Bridgewater also remains sidelined after dislocating a finger.

Thompson's first NFL start was in Week 6, with Tagovailoa still out and backup Bridgewater also dealing with a concussion. The rookie left the game with a thumb injury.

He had to wait until Week 18 for both Tagovailoa and Bridgewater to be out again ahead of a crucial meeting with the New York Jets.

After five straight defeats, Thompson helped the Dolphins edge to a narrow 11-6 win that booked their place in the postseason, teeing up another meeting with AFC East rivals the Bills, against whom the seventh-round pick is again set to start.

Damar Hamlin has been discharged from hospital and allowed to return home to continue his rehabilitation.

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2 and had been in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

In an update provided by his doctors in Cincinnati on Monday, it was confirmed Hamlin had not only been discharged and allowed to return to Buffalo after showing sufficient recovery, but was also doing physical therapy, walking and tolerating a regular diet.

Just two days later, the Bills confirmed the 24-year-old had also been discharged from hospital in Buffalo, where he was sent to continue his treatment after returning from Cincinnati.

"Damar Hamlin has been discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, a Kaleida Health facility in Buffalo, NY," a statement on Wednesday read.

"Hamlin was admitted on Monday and went through a comprehensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday.

"Jamie Nadler, MD, critical care physician and Chief Quality Officer at Kaleida Health, and the care team lead for Hamlin said: 'We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills.'"

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard knows his team is in desperate need of a stable quarterback and admitted to reporters Tuesday that he "failed" in recent seasons.

Ballard added that the Colts are willing to be aggressive in trying to acquire a franchise quarterback this offseason, even if that means trading up from the fourth overall pick in April’s draft.

"I'll do whatever it takes," he said. "If we thought there's a player that we're driven to get that makes the franchise and the team better, that's what we would do.

"We understand the importance of the position. To get one that you can win with and to be right is the most important thing -- not if we take one or not. It's being right."

The franchise once fortunate enough to replace Peyton Manning with Andrew Luck under center has been searching for answers ever since Luck retired following the 2018 season.

Over the past four seasons, Ballard has brought in four different opening-day starters at quarterback – Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan – all with disappointing results.

"Looking back on it, when you're changing quarterbacks every year, it's tough," Ballard said. "It's tough on everybody. It's tough on the team. Not getting that position settled has a little something to do with [the team's record].

"I failed. I'm not going to sit up here and make excuses. I failed a lot of people."

The Colts find themselves behind only the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals in April's draft order, with only the Texans having a glaring need at quarterback.

If division rivals Houston and Indianapolis were to get into a bidding war for the top pick, however, the Texans would appear to have the advantage, holding three extra picks in the 2023 draft as a result of trading away embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes told reporters on Tuesday he is confident in Jared Goff's ability to be the team's starting quarterback going forward.

Goff arrived in Detroit prior to the 2021 season as the Los Angeles Rams attached him to two first-round draft picks and a third-rounder to swap quarterbacks, bringing Matthew Stafford to the Rams where he guided them to a Super Bowl win in his first season.

The Rams were essentially dumping Goff – who has a Super Bowl appearance himself – but he has reinvigorated his career with a stunning bounceback campaign.

Starting all 17 games, Goff threw for 4,438 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, setting new franchise-records for lowest interception rate (1.2 per cent) and highest touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.14).

League-wide, Goff finished fifth in QBR (61.2), fifth in touchdown passes, sixth in passing yards, tied for sixth in yards-per-completion, and 27th in sacks taken.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Holmes indicated the Lions will not look for a new starting quarterback in the offseason.

"I think it's a lot easier to get worse at quarterback than to get better in this league," he said. 

"So, I think what Jared has done this year, he captained the ship of a top-three offense, and he was top-10 statistically in most of the passing categories.

"Again, you know how we approach the draft, we're never going to turn down a good football player, so if it's a football player we love, we're going to make sure every stone is turned. But I do think that Jared has proven to everybody that he is the starting quarterback for us."

Lions head coach Dan Campbell provided similar commentary after defeating the Green Bay Packers in their season finale on Sunday.

"[Goff has] played great," he said. "He's really a perfect fit for what we do and what we ask.

"I think the true sign of a pro is somebody who can take the coaching. He can look at himself in the mirror, he knows where he needs to improve, he listens to what recommendations you have to get better, and he goes at it now. 

"He doesn't shy from it; he doesn't get sensitive. He just wants to be good. That's our quarterback."

On locker clean-out day Monday, Goff told reporters "I've loved my time here" and that while he has not been approached by the front office about his future with the franchise as he enters the final two years of his deal, he knows he is appreciated internally.

"It feels great, because I've been on the flip side of that," he said. "To be in a place where you are appreciated, it feels good. And again, these people here, it's just a special place and I'm proud to be a part of it."

The Washington Commanders have fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner.

Turner had been in the role since 2020, when Ron Rivera, whom he had worked under during two spells with the Carolina Panthers, was named head coach.

They helped Washington reach the playoffs in 2020, but did so with a losing record. The subsequent two seasons have also failed to produced winning records.

Washington went 8-8-1 in 2022, a season that could prove to be controversial owner Dan Snyder's last with the franchise. The Commanders announced in November that Dan and Tanya Snyder were exploring a sale of the team.

A potential change in ownership may buy Rivera more time for the sake of stability, but Turner has paid the price for a season in which Washington's offense struggled for efficiency.

The Commanders averaged 4.93 yards per play in 2022, putting them 28th in the NFL, as they were again hamstrung by a lack of a definitive answer at the quarterback position. Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell all started at least one game under center for Washington.

"I met with Coach Turner today and informed him that we will be moving in another direction going forward with the offensive coordinator position," Rivera said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, we did not live up to the expectations and standard that I expected to see from our offensive unit.

"I felt it was best for a fresh start at the coordinator position heading into next year.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Scott and thanked him for his three years of service to our organisation. I wish Scott and his family all the best in the future."