While the NFL world waits for the Super Bowl between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday, fans were able to get a small dose of football with this year’s Pro Bowl.
In the game, the AFC was able to defeat the NFC 41 to 35. After going up 41-21 after three quarters, the NFC scored twice in the fourth quarter but still came up short.
Justin Herbert was named the Offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl after throwing for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Mark Andrews had five receptions for 82 yards and two scores in the win.
For the NFC, Kyler Murray led the way throwing for 160 yards and three scores. Mike Evans was the leading receiver as he had two catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.
While the Pro Bowl was a nice distraction as fans await next weekend’s Super Bowl, there has been plenty of other news circulating the NFL as well. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from the week.
Alvin Kamara Arrested After Pro Bowl
In some alarming news, New Orleans Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara was arrested Sunday after the Pro Bowl game.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, he was arrested for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm at a nightclub Sunday evening.
While Kamara played in the Pro Bowl and caught a handful of passes in the NFC’s loss, this obviously has become secondary to the charges he is facing. Details are still limited, but this is obviously something worth monitoring.
Coaching Decisions Taking Shape
With nine coaching vacancies this offseason, it is not surprising that news of hirings is at the forefront of the NFL news cycle.
While teams like the Chicago Bears and New York Giants decided on their head coaches a couple of weeks ago, a new crop of hirings were decided this week.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, they announced on Thursday that they have hired former Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson to take over as the next head coach.
With the Eagles, he went 42-37-1, and he will now be charged with turning around a Jaguars’ team that went just 3-14 this season. After the disastrous Urban Meyer tenure, Pederson will look to tap into Trevor Lawrence’s potential and help turn the franchise around.
Elsewhere, the Miami Dolphins also made a decision as they announced on Sunday that they have hired Mike McDaniel as their new head coach. McDaniel had been serving as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers prior to his hiring.
The Dolphins have also been in the news in regards to their previous coach Brian Flores, who is suing the NFL and the Dolphins in regards to racial discrimination. He has also accused Dolphins management of offering him monetary incentives to lose games.
Lastly, some interesting news came out Sunday as Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Houston Texans are interested in bringing in former Chicago Bear coach Lovie Smith to coach the team.
Most recently, Smith served as defensive coordinator for the Texans this season. While he has not officially been offered the position, it appears that he and Brian Flores are the two finalists for the Texans’ job.
Connor On Board To Return To Arizona
According to Josh Alper of NBC Sports, it appears that running back James Conner is in favor of returning to the Arizona Cardinals next season.
After signing a one-year deal with Arizona, Conner had a strong season this year. He rushed for 752 yards and 15 scores for the Cardinals. He also had 37 receptions for 375 yards and another three scores.
With Chase Edmonds also hitting free agency, it would not be surprising if there was interest from Arizona as well, given that Eno Benjamin is the only remaining running back on the roster.
Obviously, Conner will likely test the market, but don’t be surprised if a return to the Cardinals is in his future.
