Dec 05, 2025 - 11:49
By espn.com

NFL players, coaches with most at stake in playoff push - ESPN

In what has been a chaotic and topsy-turvy NFL season, almost nothing has been decided. Five teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, but nobody has clinched a playoff berth as we enter Week 14. As I wrote about earlier this week, there are tight races atop nearly every division. The vast majority of the league's teams have everything to play for between now and the end of the season.

Players and coaches, on the other hand, find themselves in different spots. There are those who can feel confident that they'll be in the same place next year, either by playing well this season or being locked in to guaranteed money in 2026. Others have everything riding on what happens over the rest of the season. Journeymen are angling for that life-altering contract. Veterans are hoping to hang on for one more opportunity. Stars are hoping to confirm their legacies and Hall of Fame cases. Head coaches are trying to hold on to their jobs, and assistants are hoping to land one of those 32 opportunities the entire profession aspires to grab.

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I'm going to break down the players and coaches with the most to gain or lose by virtue of what happens over the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. Everyone wants to win a ring and get some good play on film, of course, but there are guys around the league who aren't quite locked in their roles or their deals. Let's run through the players and coaches who can change their paths with strong finishes.

Earlier this year, it was reasonable to see Brady as a potential head coaching