NFL Week 6 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips

We’re cruising into Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season, and insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been making calls to sources around the league for the latest news and buzz on key situations.

This week, they got the pulse of the Raiders after Geno Smith had another iffy game. He’s now up to nine interceptions on the season and hasn’t delivered on the promise of Las Vegas’ offseason trade. Is the franchise concerned? On the flip side, Daniel Jones has wildly exceeded expectations in Indianapolis. But do people around the league think the Colts quarterback can sustain his early-season success?

Jeremy and Dan also break down what they’re hearing on players who could get contract extensions over the next few months and coordinators who are putting themselves in position to get head coaching job interviews in the offseason. It’s all here, as our national reporters answer big questions and empty their notebooks heading into Week 6.

Note: New updates are at the bottom, as of 10:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Jump to:
Growing Smith concern | Belief in Jones
Extension candidates | Rising coordinators
More notes for Week 6

Are the Raiders worried about Geno Smith‘s start to the season?

Fowler: I would classify it as mildly concerned. The Raiders know Smith has to play better — and soon — but there’s no sentiment that Smith is a broken quarterback. So I’m not expecting him to get benched or anything this week. Scouts I’ve talked to believe Smith has been too late with the ball this season and is relying on arm talent to force throws into tight windows. On the flip side, the Raiders were without their top two tight ends (Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer) and left tackle Kolton Miller on Sunday against Indianapolis. And the receiver depth is not great overall.

Also, his two picks against the Colts weren’t blatantly bad decisions. The Colts appeared offsides on one of them, resulting in a batted pass, and Smith said he threw to a spot where a receiver was supposed to sit against Cover 2 coverage on the other. The situation is obviously not good, but as was pointed out to me by someone with the team, Raiders coach Pete Carroll and Smith have enough sweat equity together from their Seattle days that Carroll could stick with him a little longer as a result.

Graziano: If the season spirals down the drain, could the Raiders look at Kenny Pickett? Possibly. That’s what the Browns were trying to do before they drafted two quarterbacks and Pickett got hurt in camp before landing in Las Vegas on a trade. But for now, it sounds like the Raiders will ride it out with Smith. What I’m hearing from a lot from people around the league is that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme isn’t creating enough advantages to overcome the Raiders’ personnel deficiencies, and there’s no margin for error if Smith keeps turning the ball over as much as he has.

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Fowler: The Raiders are operating in a weird space between rebuilding and trying to win now, and those two worlds appear in conflict. New general manager John Spytek took over a deficient roster and believes in building through the draft. That takes time. But 74-year-old Carroll was essentially a win-now hire. He doesn’t have the personnel to do that in Year 1 of this regime. The roster is lacking premier players — save for Bowers and edge rusher Maxx Crosby — particularly on defense.

Smith was a sensible offseason quarterback acquisition for a team with scarce options in the draft. But he’s quarterbacking a squad that might not be ready to win for another two seasons.

Graziano: What’s interesting to me is that the contract Smith signed with the Raiders after the trade doesn’t really tie them to him beyond this year. He has an $18.5 million salary guarantee for 2026, after making $40 million this year. If the Raiders cut him after this season, they’d have paid him $58.5 million for one (presumably disappointing) year. That’s a lot, but as Jeremy said, this team wants to win soon. If absorbing $18.5 million in dead money next year to move on helps them do that, I doubt it would stand in the Raiders’ way.

What are people around the league saying about Daniel Jones‘ hot start? Are they believers?

Graziano: Most people I talk to believe Jones can continue to succeed in Shane Steichen’s system if he stays healthy. He had turnover problems early in his career, but less so in later seasons with the Giants. And with RB Jonathan Taylor running the way he’s running, a strong offensive line in front of him and Jones’ own ability to create plays with his legs, there seems to be a belief that the infrastructure around Jones is solid enough to sustain — again, assuming he stays healthy. It does feel a little bit like the 2022 Giants season when they went to the playoffs with Saquon Barkley running wild and Jones gutting out tough, low-scoring wins. Except the Colts aren’t a low-scoring team!

Fowler: Dan, the people I’ve talked to about Jones are buying the hype, though with slight apprehension. What’s becoming clear with these reclamation QBs is that belief and confidence are powerful. Steichen is a skilled playcaller with a deft quarterback touch who happens to believe wholeheartedly in Jones as a player and person. That carries a lot of weight and has helped Jones rebound.

In New York, Jones was plagued by overthinking. He’s playing more freely now. The Colts have helped him improve his footwork. And let’s be honest, he’s playing behind one of the best offensive line-tailback combinations in the league. That’s a huge aid to any quarterback. I know the Vikings were bummed to lose Jones — who has ideal size and a ton of tools — in the offseason after his short stint there.

Graziano: Yes, the way the Vikings’ season has begun makes one wonder if they have some level of regret about losing him. But that’s a story for another time. I think the best way to look at the Indianapolis situation is that Steichen seems to have a good sense of what Jones’ strengths are and how best to lean into them while minimizing the impact of his weaknesses.

There’s an easy comparison to be made to what Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings were able to do with Sam Darnold last season, and I think that’s the template. Of course, the hope would be for a stronger finish to the season than the one Darnold had. But if and when that time comes, it should help that Jones has some playoff experience, whereas Darnold did not.

Fowler: There are a few areas of apprehension. Jones’ deep ball is still a bit spotty. He’s underthrowing some of those attempts, which resulted in a late-game interception in the Week 4 loss to the Rams. Alec Pierce‘s jump-ball ability helps bail Jones out at times, but he has been out of the lineup because of concussion protocol. And there’s plenty of time (12 games) for a Jones gaffe that became a signature in New York to resurface in Indianapolis. Interceptions and fumbles were once part of the Jones experience. Can he prevent the turnover snowball when mistakes happen? The Colts believe he can.

Which player is most likely to get an extension over the next two months?

Fowler: I’m going to start on defense. Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson looks destined for a new deal. Both sides have had exploratory discussions about an extension, for which Hutchinson is eligible as a fourth-year pro. Top pass rushers now make quarterback money, punctuated by Micah Parsons‘ four-year, $186 million deal with Green Bay.

While I’m not sure Hutchinson tops that number, he’ll be among the highest paid at his position whenever this deal gets done. He looked destined for a Defensive Player of the Year award last season before suffering a leg injury in mid-October, and he has picked up where he left off with five sacks and three forced fumbles through five games. Detroit has shown an eagerness to extend its marquee players, and there’s none bigger than Hutchinson.

But the real answer might be the Indianapolis quarterback whom we just discussed.

Graziano: Hutchinson is a good one, and I’m fascinated to see whether the Colts would do something with Jones in-season. That one is complicated, because the rules say you must wait a year after signing a guy if you want to adjust his contract in a way that makes his cap number go up. But there are certainly ways the Colts could do that if they chose. But what would they do with Anthony Richardson Sr. if they did?

As for pending extensions, the Eagles are always proactive, and they have a lot of young defensive players coming up for extensions over the next year or two. I have my eye on defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who’s playing well in his fourth season and is extension-eligible. The Eagles picked up his fifth-year option for 2026, so they have time to figure out what they want to do. But with fellow DT Jalen Carter eligible for an extension next offseason and defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean the offseason after that, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Eagles try to get ahead of things and get some cost certainty on Davis.

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Fowler: Good call on Philly. There are few other extension candidates on my radar. Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor has kept lines of communication open with New Orleans in recent months. Taylor has inside-out scheme flexibility and three pass deflections through five games. His situation could be like the 49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir, who got a five-year, $89.8 million extension last midseason. Also, Quentin Lake is a do-it-all chess piece for Sean McVay’s defense, and the Rams are interested in retaining him if a deal makes sense.

On offense, Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely and Packers receiver Romeo Doubs are on my radar in the coming weeks and months, depending on how things shake out on the field.

Graziano: The Ravens were talking with at least three of their players — Likely, center Tyler Linderbaum and safety Kyle Hamilton — about extensions during camp. They got Hamilton’s done, but the other two are still on the to-do list. They also need to do something about quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s contract, too, as his cap number balloons to $75 million for 2026, but there doesn’t seem to be much movement on that.

Doubs is interesting because the Packers are overloaded at wide receiver. They definitely had trade talks about Doubs this offseason, but he’s also a reliable favorite of quarterback Jordan Love. Green Bay is going to have to make some choices there in the coming year or two.

How about “Monday Night Football” hero Devin Lloyd? The Jaguars declined to pick up the linebacker’s fifth-year option for 2026, so he’s a pending free agent. Might they regret that decision and try to head off his free agency if he keeps playing at this level?

Which coordinator has boosted his head coach candidate stock the most this season?

Graziano: I think the answer is probably Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, but the names I’m hearing in terms of coordinator head coaching candidates aren’t necessarily new — guys like the Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury, Bills’ Joe Brady, etc. And the Broncos’ Vance Joseph on the defensive side. But there haven’t been any out-of-nowhere, red-hot starts outside of a place like Indianapolis, where Steichen runs the offense.

Fowler: From the sleeper candidate files, it’s hard to ignore what Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is doing. Jacksonville leads the NFL in turnovers created (14) by a wide margin. The league’s second-worst defense in 2024 is playing with a serious edge under Campanile, a first-year NFL coordinator who came up in the New Jersey prep scene. Jacksonville gave up yards against the Chiefs on Monday but was highly disruptive and confused Patrick Mahomes in the biggest moment of the game, a 99-yard pick-six from Lloyd. Campanile probably fits in that Mike Vrabel mold as a tough-minded defensive leader, so if a team is into that, he could get a few looks.

I’m really intrigued by the young defensive coaches this year. We highlighted that a few weeks ago with Minter, the Packers’ Jeff Hafley and the Rams’ Chris Shula. Add Campanile into the mix. He has juice.

Graziano: I think the key is trying to figure out what from the first five weeks is sustainable. If the Falcons or Colts have great seasons on defense, does that mean Jeff Ulbrich or Lou Anarumo will reappear on the radar? I don’t want to sit here and throw out a ton of names, since this could all look a lot different in a month, much less two or three. But we need to look at who’s winning, and which coordinators have contributed to significant improvements on those teams.

Fowler: It’s also worth noting that the Tampa Bay offensive pipeline is pipelining again. Josh Grizzard has taken over, and the Buccaneers’ offense hasn’t missed a beat. It still ranks high in most offensive categories despite a rash of injuries, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is still dealing. Todd Bowles’ previous two coordinator picks — Dave Canales (Carolina) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville) — have moved into head coaching jobs, and Grizzard has three months to show that he belongs in that group. But the early returns are good for the former Yale football captain, a status that will intrigue some owners.

What else are you hearing this week?

Graziano’s notes:

• When Joe Burrow got hurt, the Bengals truly did believe that Jake Browning would be a capable fill-in and play better than he has over the past four games. They weren’t intending to trade for a quarterback. But after a third straight loss, they spent Sunday and Monday calling around to pretty much any team that had more than two quarterbacks on its roster. I’m told that neither of the Giants veterans — Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston — were ever real possibilities, nor was Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins. There was some chatter about Drew Lock in Seattle, Sam Howell in Philadelphia — guys like that. But teams aren’t eager to trade from their QB depth.

The Bengals ended up with 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco. While it sounded pre-trade like the Bengals weren’t expecting any new acquisition to be able to play right away, post-trade it sounds like they think Flacco might be able to start for them this week against the Packers (and if not, then next Thursday against the Steelers). Cincinnati is 2-3 in an AFC North that has been turned upside-down by the Burrow injury and everything the Ravens are dealing with at the moment, and it feels obligated to try to stay in the race, especially if it stills has any hope of Burrow returning by season’s end.

• Speaking of the Ravens, a couple of eye-catching moves by them Tuesday in the secondary, signing veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and trading edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman. The Ravens need pass-rush help, so it’s a head-scratcher on its surface, but the fact is Oweh wasn’t helping much in that area. Plus, Baltimore wasn’t planning to re-sign him when he hits free agency after this season. So the Ravens save about $8 million in cap space, which they can use to add another front-seven player or two before the early-November trade deadline.

They also added depth at safety with the moves, which could indicate a desire to use Swiss Army knife safety Kyle Hamilton more at linebacker once he returns from his groin injury. The Ravens know they need to change things up on a defense that has been league-worst in a number of categories so far this season.

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What does Oweh-Gilman trade say for Ravens, Chargers?

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• Neither Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring) nor 49ers QB Brock Purdy (toe) have been ruled out for their respective teams’ Week 6 games, and Jackson in particular has been lobbying to get back on the field before it gets too late for the 1-4 Ravens. But after checking in on both of those situations early in the week, I’d be surprised if either plays in Week 6. Baltimore is off in Week 7 and could seize the opportunity to give Jackson another couple of weeks to heal. The Niners brought Purdy back from the injury in Week 4 and he had a setback, so they’ll likely be more cautious this time, especially with backup Mac Jones playing so well.

• Some fantasy stuff:

• If you picked up Houston RB Woody Marks and started him last week, you were surely disappointed. The week before, it looked like the rookie had taken over the backfield from veteran Nick Chubb. But the Texans still view Marks as predominantly a passing-game back and one who had a bit of an injury history in college. So in games where they’re up big and running the ball — as they were Sunday against the Ravens — Chubb still has the playing time edge.

• Houston would like to find ways to work rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel into the lineup more. The Texans were much happier with their offense Sunday in Baltimore than they have been at any point this season and hope to build off that performance. It was the first time in their past four meetings with the Ravens that they scored an offensive touchdown.

• I’m expecting Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving to miss at least this week’s game against the 49ers and possibly next week’s with his foot and shoulder injuries. Obviously Tampa Bay is comfortable with Rachaad White in an expanded role in the meantime.

• Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is truly “week-to-week” with his hamstring injury, and it’s not out of the question he could return this week if he is able to get some practice time in.

• The Saints think RB Kendre Miller is running well and offers them something of an explosive element in their running game, so he’ll likely keep getting opportunities along with veteran Alvin Kamara, who is a potential trade candidate ahead of the deadline.

• The Raiders would like TE Brock Bowers‘ knee to heal fully before putting him back out there, since playing through the injury clearly wasn’t helping it, and they don’t want to make it worse. Bowers will continue to try to push through the injury, but the team would prefer to protect him from himself, even if that means missing another game or two to get healthy.

• Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. got some practice work in last week and could make his return to take some of the load off battering-ram rookie Cam Skattebo on a short week this Thursday night against the Eagles.

• The Chargers are down to Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal at running back following the injuries to Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton. It’s hard to recommend either for fantasy because of what’s going on with the Chargers’ offensive line, which has lost both starting tackles to injuries and is having a rough time protecting quarterback Justin Herbert. Whichever of those RBs the Chargers like better in pass protection should have the edge for playing time.

• The Panthers so far are standing by QB Bryce Young, who recovered from a rough start Sunday and brought Carolina back to beat Miami. But there are people around the league who are watching that situation to see whether Young, who hasn’t maintained the momentum that he finished with last season, could get benched again for Andy Dalton if he doesn’t show improvement soon. Young is 27th in the league in QBR, is completing just 60.9% of his passes and has seven touchdown passes to four interceptions. The Panthers will have a fifth-year option decision to make in May on the 2023 first overall pick, and it’s possible they could be in the market for a new QB next offseason.

Fowler’s notes:

• A few notes on the Browns dealing Flacco to the Bengals:

• Flacco did not ask Cleveland to trade him and was willing to wait things out in Cleveland, but his desire was to play, and he is thrilled to be throwing to Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and more.

• I’m told Flacco is “going to try” to play Sunday against Green Bay. The Packers will prepare for all scenarios, including Flacco playing. He has played in many systems over the years and will have at least some familiarity with Zac Taylor’s attack.

• The youth movement is on in Cleveland. Most of the impact skill players on offense are rookies — quarterback Dillon Gabriel, tight end Harold Fannin Jr., running back Quinshon Judkins, wide receiver Isaiah Bond and others. While Cleveland is clearly in transition, this rookie class has been impressive, and Cleveland wants those players to coalesce together. I’m expecting a lengthy run for Gabriel. He will have a reasonable runway to play through his mistakes, despite the presence of Shedeur Sanders.

• Carolina’s Rico Dowdle just had the game of a lifetime one week before he will face his old team of four seasons. Dowdle — who burned Miami for 206 yards on 23 carries Sunday — told me going up against Dallas, possibly as his new team’s lead back, is “going to be great. I’m looking forward to it, for sure.”

On the run game dominating, Dowdle said, “That’s a wonderful feeling. Once you can get the run game established, it opens everything up.” That’s the plan for Carolina this Sunday. Coach Dave Canales wants to lean heavily into the run, but the Panthers struggled to do so consistently over the first month. Dowdle thrived in place of Chuba Hubbard, who missed last week and is considered day-to-day with a calf injury. Dowdle said he isn’t sure about Hubbard’s Week 6 status but “both of us will be ready to roll” in a two-back system — possibly with both players on the field at the same time.

The Panthers started the season with Dowdle playing every third series, but that could be changing by the way he’s playing. Dowdle holds no ill will toward Dallas for not re-signing him in free agency, instead focusing on Carolina’s desire to use him. He is familiar with Dallas’ defensive personnel. Will that give him an edge? “I’ll keep that to myself,” he said with a laugh.

• The Giants face a challenging week. They are short-handed offensively and face a talented Eagles defense that will try to force Jaxson Dart into mistakes. But what New York likes about Dart through the first two games is his confidence and his instincts. He communicates well at the line of scrimmage and doesn’t get rattled. The Giants are hoping that pays off on a short week, but they know they have to run the ball well on early downs. Third-and-long for the rookie against Vic Fangio probably won’t end well. And then, when the Eagles make adjustments, the Giants must decipher what they are doing and make their own adjustments.

Veteran receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) is expected to miss Thursday’s game, I’m told. He was hopeful to contribute, but a hamstring injury on a short week is too tough to overcome.

• Trades are starting to fly off the board leaguewide. Two got done Tuesday, nearly a month from the deadline. That the Ravens gave up on Oweh, sending him to the Chargers, was a mild surprise. League execs are already wondering which struggling teams could enter fire sale mode. In the AFC East, the Jets would have several attractive trade possibilities on the defensive side of the ball, as would the Dolphins on offense. It would not surprise me if teams start to call on Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle if the Dolphins continue to struggle, though I highly doubt Miami would entertain that at this point, especially with Tyreek Hill out for the season.

One other receiver from a struggling team to watch could be Jakobi Meyers. The Raiders and Meyers couldn’t reach a deal before Week 1 despite his trade request, and with the Raiders sitting at 1-4, interest in the player could tick upward. Anyway, there will be much movement leaguewide, and I suspect enough interest in the receiver position to forecast a move or two.

• Trevor Lawrence is breaking leaguewide narratives about his play. As Lawrence struggled last season, I had more than a few executives/coaches ask the question as they assessed his play: Does he love the game? They wondered aloud whether the talented passer ever put in the necessary work to go from decent to great at the next level. And the numbers sort of bore that out. He showed flashes but was largely unspectacular through his first four NFL seasons.

This Lawrence, however, is playing with a fire that Jacksonville has tried to encourage. Coach Liam Coen said on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week that Lawrence played “pissed off” in the thrilling win over Kansas City. That’s by design. The Jaguars love that he’s playing with juice and flare. Lawrence has bought into Coen’s process, organizing extra work with receivers after practice and emphasizing additional film work. He is taking on Coen’s personality a bit. Also, the Jaguars have encouraged him to use his legs more often for easy yardage when presented by the defense, similar to what the Chargers are trying to do with Herbert. These are big, athletic quarterbacks who don’t have to be statues in the pocket, as long as they can protect themselves.