NFL notebook: Lions likely to hire Patricia as head coach

The Detroit Lions are likely to hire New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as their new head coach, according to multiple reports Sunday. Patricia, 43, was one of six candidates who were known to have interviewed for the Lions' position. Patricia has a strong relationship with Detroit general manager Bob Quinn, the Patriots' former director of pro scouting. The Lions will have to wait until after New England's playoff run before working on contract details with Patricia. The Patriots will host the AFC title game against the Jacksonville Jaguars next weekend. --The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to use their franchise tag on RB Le'Veon Bell for the second consecutive season, setting up another likely standoff with the star running back. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers are prepared to use the tag, which would mean a $14.5 million one-year deal for Bell, who earned $12.1 million on the franchise tag this season. Bell sat out most of this offseason after being tagged. --Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has hinted at retirement for a while, but all indications are that he plans to play next season. Roethlisberger was asked about his future after the Steelers' 45-42 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC divisional playoff game on Sunday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. "I definitely have a desire to play football," he said. "I love this game. I love these guys. It's tough, it stings, you hate to lose at home. I feel bad because I feel like I let the fans down, let my teammates down. "I don't know about contracts and who's coming back, but I know the guys up front are, and that makes it good for me, so I look forward to next year with those guys." --Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley's future with the team is in doubt because his relationship with Roethlisberger has soured, Rapoport reported. Communication between Haley and Roethlisberger has worsened and is one of the reasons why quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner was moved from the coaches booth to the sideline, according to the report. The move was reportedly Roethlisberger's idea, backed up by coach Mike Tomlin. A source told Rapaport that Haley is a free agent after this season, and the team has not yet met with the coaching staff to discuss the future. Such a meeting will likely happen once the season ends. --Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Bradford, the starter at the beginning of the season before becoming injured, backed up Case Keenum when the Vikings hosted the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round. Bradford was activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday after spending nine weeks on injured reserve. He returned to practice Jan. 3. Teddy Bridgewater was listed as inactive for Sunday's game. Since coach Mike Zimmer arrived in 2014, Minnesota has never had three quarterbacks active for a game. --The Buffalo Bills hired former Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to fill that same role, the team announced. Daboll, who spent one season with the national champion Crimson Tide, replaces Rick Dennison, whom the Bills fired last week after one season. This will be Daboll's fourth stint as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He previously was the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Kansas City Chiefs (2012). He had two stints as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots. Daboll is taking over a Bills offense that finished 29th in average yards per game (302.6) and was tied for 24th in offensive points scored (17.6) this season. --Tennessee Titans RT Jack Conklin suffered a torn ACL in Saturday's loss to the New England Patriots in an AFC divisional-round game, head coach Mike Mularkey announced. Mularkey said Conklin will have surgery in the next two weeks. Conklin's length of recovery could extend to the start of the 2018 regular season, the coach added. "He will be a possible PUP candidate once we get though training camp just based on the timing of the injury, which is unfortunate," Mularkey said. Mularkey also announced that tight end Jonny Smith tore his MCL in the loss to the Patriots at Foxboro, Mass. He's expected to be ready to resume football work well before Conklin. --Buffalo WR Zay Jones will undergo shoulder surgery this week to repair a torn labrum that plagued his rookie season, his father told Bills Wire. Jones, a second-round pick out of East Carolina, where he set the NCAA record for career catches, caught 27 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns this season. "Here's a guy that's going into surgery on Tuesday to get his shoulder repaired and people hardly knew that he played the entire season with, you know, a torn labrum," Jones' father, former NFL linebacker Robert Jones, told Bills Wire. Zay Jones caught 399 passes at East Carolina. --USC junior DE Rasheem Green, who finished second in the Pac-12 with 10 sacks, announced that he will enter the NFL draft. Green, a graduate of powerhouse Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., finished his USC career with 117 tackles, including 20 for loss, and 16.5 sacks. --Marshall QB Chase Litton is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, the school announced Sunday. Litton (6-foot-6, 232 pounds) started 34 games for the Thundering Herd and leaves fourth on the school career list in completions (727), fifth in passing yards (8,332) and fourth in touchdowns (72).