The Browns and Texans will kick off wild-card weekend Saturday afternoon. The Texans, who went 10-7 this season, won the AFC South for the first time since the 2019 season. The Browns, who finished second in the AFC North behind the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, will make just their fourth playoff appearance in the last three decades.

The Giants and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale have decided to part ways, the team announced Wednesday.

Martindale is free to sign elsewhere, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, and Big Blue will keep the $3 million he was owed.

Martindale completed two seasons with the Giants after coming over from the Baltimore Ravens following the 2021-22 season. The 60-year-old coordinator spent 10 seasons with the Ravens before joining Big Blue.

In his first season with the Giants, New York allowed 45 fewer points and recorded seven more sacks than they had the previous season. The defensive improvements helped the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and their first trip to the postseason since 2016.

The Giants did not replicate the same results in 2023, going 6-11. With the team struggling, there were reports of tension between Daboll and Martindale, but both downplayed them.

On Monday, New York let go of outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and his brother, Kevin, who was a defensive assistant. Wilkins was considered by many as Martindale’s “right-hand man,” and there were reports after the move that Martindale would look to resign.

The Dolphins continued making moves involving edge defenders on Wednesday.

The team announced that Melvin Ingram has been signed to the active roster from the practice squad and that Malik Reed has signed to the team’s practice squad. They signed veterans Justin Houston and Bruce Irvin on Tuesday to bolster a group that has lost Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Andrew Van Ginkel to season-ending injuries.

Ingram had seven tackles and 1.5 sacks in three regular season appearances with the team. He had six sacks with the Dolphins last season as well.

Reed had three tackles in four games for the Raiders this year and he had 25 tackles and a sack for the Steelers in 2022. Reed opened his career with 15 sacks over three seasons in Denver.

The 49ers’ search for more defensive backfield depth led them to schedule a visit with veteran cornerback Casey Hayward.

Hayward, 34, a 12-year NFL veteran, had a tryout with the 49ers on Tuesday at the team’s practice facility in Santa Clara.

There was no indication after the workout whether the 49ers planned to sign Hayward, as the club appeared likely to continue to consider its options.

The 49ers are seeking to replace cornerback Jason Verrett’s spot on the practice squad. Verrett sustained a torn rotator cuff last week after landing awkwardly on his shoulder during practice. He is scheduled for season-ending surgery with a time frame for recovery estimated from four to six months.

Teams are allowed to keep up to six veteran players on their 16-player practice squads.

“We like those veterans to be someone who can help us out in a pinch,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday on a conference call with Bay Area reporters.

“So losing J.V. was tough. But we wanted to make sure we get at least another corner in, and we want to take a look at some vets since that spot opened up.”

Hayward has appeared in 161 games, including nine in the postseason, with 123 starts. After four seasons with the Green Bay Packers (2012-’15), he played five seasons with the Chargers, and one apiece with Las Vegas and Atlanta.

Hayward is versatile with plenty of experience at nickel back. He has 25 career interceptions with 112 passes defensed in his career.