NFL Rumors: Latest Reports Heading into 2021 Divisional Round

We're down to the last eight teams in the NFL postseason. While the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are focused on trying to reach Super Bowl LV, the rest of the league has moved onto the 2021 offseason.

And the offseason, it seems, is getting off to a very interesting start.

The Philadelphia Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson on Monday, while Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is "extremely unhappy" with the Texans organization—according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport—which has naturally led to plenty of trade speculation.

With free agency on the not-too-distant horizon, the college football season just wrapping and several front-office vacancies needing to be filled, there's no shortage of topics powering the rumor mill.

We'll just dive into some of the latest buzz here.

Texans May Be Trying to Satisfy Watson, Will Interview Bieniemy

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Much of Watson's unhappiness, it seems, stems from the lack of his inclusion in Houston's front-office search.

"Owner Cal McNair informed him he would be involved in the GM and coach hiring process and provide feedback... but then did neither in the hire of GM Nick Caserio, sources say," Rapoport tweeted.

According to TheMMQB's Albert Breer, Watson also pushed for the Texans to interview Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for their head coaching vacancy only to see the franchise not do so.

However, after several other teams did interview Bieniemy, the Texans have apparently decided to join the party.

"The Texans have officially requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, source said. Already a busy candidate, Bieniemy adds another to his list," Rapoport tweeted on Tuesday.

While Watson may view the development as a better-late-than-never situation, there's no guarantee it will fix his relationship with the franchise. The Texans weren't quick to listen to the quarterback's preference, and had Beiniemy been quick to take a job, Houston might never have gotten the chance to request an interview.

Pace, Nagy May Be Back with Chicago in 2021

Butch Dill/Associated Press

While the Texans have to assemble a new front office this offseason, the Chicago Bears may put that off for at least another year.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are likely to retain general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy.

"The rumor flying around the NFL right now is Bears will retain GM Ryan Pace & coach Matt Nagy into 2021. That's what folks working in the league have heard. We'll see if team has something this evening but that is the chatter that's out there right now," he tweeted on Tuesday night.

It would never have been that much of a surprise to see the Bears retain Nagy. While he was never able to install the sort of high-powered offense he helmed as the Chiefs offensive coordinator, he was also hampered by inconsistent and often bad quarterback play.

Still, he did help Chicago reach the postseason in two of his three years. Giving him one more opportunity—potentially with an improved quarterback situation—seems logical.

Bringing back Pace would be a bit more surprising, as he hasn't exactly nailed all of his decisions since getting the GM job in 2015. He was behind the decision to draft Mitchell Trubisky, traded a plethora of picks for Khalil Mack and brought in Nick Foles this offseason.

Retaining Pace makes a bit more sense if Nagy is coming back, though. The two can be tied together for another season, and if it doesn't go well, a full-on house-cleaning will likely be in order.

Trubisky May Not Be Back, Pagano to Retire

Brett Duke/Associated Press

While Pace and Nagy may be back in 2021, there's a good chance Trubisky won't be. He certainly didn't do anything to help his value during Chicago's brief postseason run.

Heading into the playoffs, Ian Rapoport told NFL GameDay Morning (h/t NFL.com) that Chicago is "not set right now" on bringing back the quarterback.

While the Bears defense played well against the New Orleans Saints during the 21-9 loss in the Wild Card Round, Trubisky and the offense did not. Chicago is now likely to at least examine other possibilities before re-signing the 26-year-old in free agency.

Unfortunately, Chicago's defense may also be in flux over the coming months. Chuck Pagano, the Bears' defensive coordinator over the last two seasons, is expected to retire this offseason, according to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns.

According to the report, Nagy will be in charge of hiring Pagano's replacement.

So, while there may not be a complete rebuild in Chicago this year, things could look quite different when the 2021 regular season kicks off.