Jaguars Not Expected To Tag RB Travis Etienne
The Jaguars are not expected to place the franchise tag on running back Travis Etienne, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, positioning the former first-round pick to hit free agency in March.
Etienne, 27, has been Jacksonville’s starting running back for the last four years and just finished a resurgent season following a disappointing 2024 campaign. He ranked 11th in the NFL with 1,107 rushing yards, 17th with 1,399 yards from scrimmage, and 10th with 13 rushing and receiving touchdowns. Etienne also registered the 14th-most missed tackles forced (46) and 10th-most yards after contact (831), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), who also gave him strong grades as a pass blocker.
Those are strong numbers, but they do not justify a franchise tag projected to be $14.5MM (via OverTheCap), which would be the third-highest APY among NFL running backs. A transition tag at $11.7MM is more reasonable, but it will be difficult for the cap-strapped Jaguars to carry that number into free agency. It would also set a high floor on a potential extension.
The Jaguars also have 2025 draftees Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen on the roster, though neither had a major role as rookies. Instead of pursuing a more expensive Etienne extension, the team could opt for a cheaper veteran to add to their young backfield. This year’s draft class is less strong at the position.
Etienne said immediately after Jacksonville’s season ended that he was not focused on his contract situation. He later told reporters (via NFLonFOX) that he did not intend to sign with a cold-weather team. That would seem to rule out several teams, though Etienne could always change his mind once the contract offers hit the table.
Bills Add John Fox To Coaching Staff
A little over two weeks after promoting Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach, the Bills announced their 2026 staff on Friday. While most of the staff was previously reported, the hiring of John Fox as a senior assistant counts as the most interesting new development from Buffalo’s announcement.
Fox last worked as a senior defensive assistant in Detroit in 2023. He’ll now return to coaching after a two-year layoff.
An NFL coach since 1989, Fox is best known for his HC tenures with the Panthers (2002-10), Broncos (2011-14) and Bears (2015-17). Fox combined for a 133-123 record in the regular season and an 8-7 mark in the playoffs. He guided the Panthers and Broncos to one Super Bowl appearance apiece, but his teams went 0-2 in those games.
Fox had his most success in Denver, where he posted an excellent 46-18 record in the regular season. However, the Broncos’ inability to finish the job in the playoffs when Peyton Manning was still playing at an otherworldly level led the team to go in another direction in January 2015.
Eleven years later, Fox will provide an experienced aide for Brady, a rookie head coach. Like Fox’s run with the Broncos, former Bills head coach Sean McDermott couldn’t get over the playoff hump despite benefiting from a superstar QB (Josh Allen). After the Bills lost to the Broncos in last month’s divisional round, owner Terry Pegula decided the team had “hit a playoff wall” under McDermott.
Although McDermott coached the Bills to eight playoff appearances in nine years and an overall 106-58 record, he went a Fox-like 8-8 in the postseason. The Bills never got past the AFC title game during his tenure.
Brady will retain several of McDermott’s former assistants, including tight ends coach Rob Boras. In his 10th season with the Bills, Boras will add run-game coordinator to his responsibilities. In further adjustments from Brady, Joe Danna will shift from safeties coach to secondary coach; Jason Rebrovich will go from assistant defensive line coach to senior defensive assistant; and Kyle Shurmur will jump from quality control to assistant QBs coach.
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Seahawks To Interview Cardinals’ Connor Senger For Offensive Coordinator
Klint Kubiak was only the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator for one season, but he made a huge impact during a Super Bowl-winning campaign. Kubiak’s success led to a promotion to the Raiders’ head coaching job, leaving the Seahawks to search for a new offensive leader.
Seattle may poach from an NFC West rival’s staff for Kubiak’s successor, having identified Cardinals pass-game specialist Connor Senger as a candidate. The Seahawks will interview Senger, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Senger was previously an OC possibility for the Bears, but they ultimately promoted Press Taylor to replace the departed Declan Doyle. He also caught the attention of the Bills and Packers when they were looking for quarterbacks coaches. Buffalo (Bo Hardegree) and Green Bay (Luke Getsy) have since filled those vacancies with more experienced names.
Still just 30 years old, Senger is a former college QB (Wisconsin from 2013-14, Wisconsin-Oshkosh from 2015-16) and coach whose NFL career began in Arizona in 2022. Senger started on a coaching fellowship, but he has gradually climbed up the ladder. He was an offensive quality control coach in 2023 and an assistant QBs coach in ’24, a year in which Kyler Murray enjoyed a bounce-back season.
A foot injury limited Murray to five games in 2025, but Senger still helped guide a passing game that was statistically above average. The Cardinals finished seventh in the league in passing despite backup signal-caller Jacoby Brissett starting 12 games. Their QBs tossed 29 touchdowns against 11 picks and ranked 13th in traditional passer rating (92.5). Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. fell well short of expectations in Year 2, but fellow wideout Michael Wilson had a breakout third season. Meanwhile, with 126 receptions, 1,239 yards and 11 TDs, Trey McBride was easily the league’s most productive tight end.
During Kubiak’s lone year at the controls, the Seahawks ranked third in scoring and eighth in total offense. Kubiak’s successor will inherit a title-winning group that boasts a quality QB in Sam Darnold and an all-world receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, among other pieces. Running back Kenneth Walker III is nearing free agency on the heels of winning Super Bowl MVP, but the Seahawks are unlikely to let him get away this offseason.
Retaining Walker would be an obvious plus for Seattle’s next OC, whether it’s Senger or someone else. Here’s where the Seahawks’ search stands in the early going:
- John Benton, offensive line coach (Seahawks): Rumored candidate
- Mack Brown, tight ends coach (Seahawks): To interview
- Hank Fraley, offensive line coach (Lions): Rumored candidate
- Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): To interview
- Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Rumored candidate
- Justin Outten, run-game specialist (Seahawks): To interview
- Jake Peetz, pass-game coordinator (Seahawks): To interview
- Connor Senger, pass-game specialist (Cardinals): To interview
Raiders To Interview Aubrey Pleasant For Defensive Coordinator
The Raiders have requested and received permission to interview Rams assistant head coach/pass-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant for their defensive coordinator job, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Pleasant will meet with the Raiders today.
With the Cardinals deciding to retain defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, there are only three DC openings left in the NFL. The Patriots and Browns have the other vacancies. While New England is expected to promote 2025 play-caller Zak Kuhr from inside linebackers coach, Pleasant is a candidate to wind up in Cleveland. He’d face the tall task of replacing Jim Schwartz on first-year head coach Todd Monken‘s staff.
Patrick Graham was the Raiders’ DC for the past four seasons, but the Steelers hired him for the same post on Jan. 30. The Raiders have since picked a new head coach in former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who knows Pleasant well from their time as former NFC West adversaries.
Kubiak was the 49ers’ offensive pass-game coordinator in 2023, the same year the division-rival Rams brought in Pleasant. The teams split their two matchups that season. While Kubiak left the division to run the Saints’ offense in 2024, he did face the Rams again in a 21-14 loss.
Kubiak returned to the NFC West last season to take on Pleasant and the Rams in three crucial matchups. The Seahawks picked up two wins, including a 31-27 triumph in the NFC title game. After the Seahawks cruised to a 29-13 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX last Sunday, Kubiak officially joined the Raiders. He’s now behind the 8-ball in scrambling to fill his coaching staff in mid-February, but Pleasant could be a strong pickup during the late stage of the coordinator hiring cycle.
Pleasant has no experience running a defense, though he has garnered significant experience as a coach since he began as an intern with the Browns in 2013. He has also served as an assistant with Washington, Detroit and Green Bay. Several teams have interviewed Pleasant for DC gigs since 2022, and this could be the offseason he finally lands one of those jobs.
Whether the Raiders hire Pleasant or someone else, trade rumors centering on their best defensive player, Maxx Crosby, are likely to persist. Thanks in part to a fifth straight Pro Bowl effort from Crosby, the Raiders ranked a respectable 14th in total defense in 2025. Trading the pass-rushing star wouldn’t do their next defensive coordinator any favors, but the Raiders may bite if another team makes a massive offer.
Cardinals Hire Michael Ghobrial As STC
The Cardinals are hiring Michael Ghobrial as their special teams coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Ghobrial spent the past two years in the same position with the Giants.
With Ghobrial on his way to Arizona, rookie head coach Mike LaFleur has filled all three coordinator positions just under two weeks into his tenure. LaFleur selected Nathaniel Hackett as his OC last week, and he retained DC Nick Rallis on Friday.
Ghobrial, a former UCLA defensive end, has mostly coached at the college level since beginning as an undergrad assistant at his alma mater in 2009. He first worked in the NFL as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow on the Lions’ staff in 2017. After a year in Detroit, Ghobrial divided the next three seasons between Hawaii and Washington State.
Ghobrial returned to the pros as the Jets’ assistant special teams coach in 2021. He held the post for three years, and LaFleur was the Jets’ OC for two of those seasons. The two will now reunite in Arizona, where the 38-year-old Ghobrial will replace the long-tenured Jeff Rodgers. After eight seasons atop the Cardinals’ ST unit, Rodgers took the same job with the Bills in late January.
Elsewhere on the Cardinals’ staff, they’re expected to add Jake Moreland as their tight ends coach, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports. They’re also set to retain assistant offensive line coach Chris Cook.
Moreland, an NFL tight end from 2000-02, was on LaFleur’s offensive staff as the Jets’ assistant line coach in 2021. He went on to coach tight ends in Denver (2022) and Houston (2023-25) over the past four years. Moreland helped the Texans’ Dalton Schultz to three straight strong seasons, and he’ll walk into an even better situation in Arizona. Cardinals tight end Trey McBride easily led his position in catches (126), targets (169) and yards (1,239) in 2025. McBride also tied for the most touchdowns (11).
Stefon Diggs Pleads Not Guilty To Strangulation, Assault Charges
Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of strangulation and a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery on Friday, the Associated Press reports. He’s scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1.
The charges against Diggs, which came to light on Dec. 30, stem from an alleged incident that took place Dec. 2. Diggs’ former personal chef told police he entered her unlocked bedroom during a financial dispute and “smacked her across the face.” She added that Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
Although Diggs made a financial offer to settle the matter, his attorney, David Meier, has claimed the alleged victim’s version of events “did not occur.” Mitchell Schuster, another member of Diggs’ legal team, expressed confidence on Friday that his client “will be completely exonerated” (via TMZ).
Friday’s arraignment had been scheduled for Jan. 23, two days before the AFC title game, but it was postponed three weeks. That enabled Diggs to evade potential disciplinary action from the NFL during the postseason. The league otherwise could have placed him on paid leave.
Diggs and the Patriots beat the Broncos to win the AFC, but they fell 29-13 to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX last Sunday. While their season didn’t end well, the campaign was nonetheless a resounding success for the Patriots. Diggs, whom the Pats brought in on a three-year, $63.3MM deal last spring, ended up an integral part of their dramatic one-season turnaround in 2025.
After winning four games in 2024, the Patriots stunningly went 14-3 en route to AFC East and conference crowns. Diggs led the Patriots in receptions (85), targets (102) and yards (1,013), also adding four touchdowns. While his production was very good in 2025, the Patriots could move on from Diggs this offseason if they’re concerned with his off-field issues and age (32).
If Diggs is still a Patriot on March 13, $6MM of his $20.6MM base salary for next season will become guaranteed. Releasing him before then would open up $18.5MM in spending room and leave the team with $8MM in dead money.
Regardless of how the Patriots proceed with Diggs, the league will continue to closely monitor his legal situation during the offseason. Depending on how it unfolds, a suspension could be on the table at some point in 2026.
Cardinals To Retain Nick Rallis As DC
FEBRUARY 13: Rallis will indeed stay on as the Cardinals’ DC, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.
FEBRUARY 12: The Cardinals’ defensive coordinator search has dragged on much longer than its OC pursuit. Several days have passed since Nathaniel Hackett‘s OC hire, but Arizona looks to be fine retaining Jonathan Gannon‘s top lieutenant.
Nick Rallis is now expected to be retained as Cardinals DC, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports. Earlier tonight, Zenitz indicated this was a real possibility. Rallis followed Gannon from Philadelphia in 2023. Despite Gannon’s Arizona exit, it appears the Cardinals will go with the young coordinator for a fourth season.
[RELATED: Cardinals Expected To Hire Matt Schaub]
Hackett’s OC deal circulated Feb. 5, days after Mike LaFleur‘s HC hire. DC candidates have come up since, including Karl Scott‘s recent meeting, but it is now worth wondering if the outside candidates underwhelmed.
LaFleur keeping Rallis is a surprise considering the Cardinals’ struggles on that side of the ball despite more investments poured into the unit in 2025. The Cardinals dropped from 15th to 29th in scoring defense from 2024 to ’25. The 3-14 season drove Gannon’s exit. Now, Rallis is positioned as the top defensive voice in Arizona’s building.
Gannon, of course, held that distinction for three seasons. Gannon’s presence overshadowed Rallis’ in Arizona — to the point the PFR pages last discussed the 32-year-old DC in spring 2023. No head coaching interviews have come Rallis’ way, but while Gannon and OC Drew Petzing were removed from their respective positions, the Cardinals are expected to have DC continuity. Gannon (Packers) and Petzing (Lions) will join Rallis on the coordinator level in 2026.
Gannon gave Rallis play-calling duties from the start of his tenure, entrusting the NFL’s youngest active coordinator with running the show. Mixed results followed. The Cardinals were in a rebuilding stage in 2023, and their defense had lost J.J. Watt, Zach Allen and Byron Murphy. Not much in the way of replacements followed that year. After a 31st-place scoring finish in 2023, the Cards climbed to 15th. EPA per play, however, did not deem Arizona as making big improvements. The metric ranked Rallis’ unit 26th in 2024 and ’25.
Arizona gave Josh Sweat a big-ticket free agent deal and used first-round picks to bolster its D-line in 2024 (Darius Robinson) and ’25 (Walter Nolen). While Sweat had a solid season, Pro Football Focus ranked Robinson last among interior D-linemen. Nolen missed most of his rookie year due to injury. This came during a season in which the Cardinals lost 14 of their final 15 games.
The Cardinals are not the only team to retain their DC under a new coach. Kevin Stefanski kept DC Jeff Ulbrich on. Last year, Pete Carroll retained Patrick Graham as DC. Dave Canales did the same with Ejiro Evero with the Panthers in 2024. Considering the Cardinals’ nosedive last season, though, this was not their anticipated move.
This decision also comes after LaFleur met with recent Rams coworker Aubrey Pleasant about the job. Two candidates, however, withdrew from the search. Gus Bradley was a rumored candidate; he ended up as Titans DC. Texans DBs coach Dino Vasso received an interview slip but declined the meeting.
Rallis and LaFleur have no history working together. Rallis came over from Philadelphia as Eagles linebackers coach. He was on the Vikings’ staff over the previous four seasons, leaving Minnesota after Mike Zimmer‘s firing. Via PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Cardinals’ DC search shook out:
- Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Rumored candidate
- Charlie Bullen, outside linebackers coach (Giants): Interview requested
- Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Mentioned as candidate
- Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 2/9
- Nick Rallis, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Expected to retain job
- Karl Scott, defensive backs coach (Seahawks): Interviewed
- Dino Vasso, defensive backs coach (Texans): Interview requested; withdrew from search
Giants’ Charlie Bullen Withdraws From DC Searches, Signs Extension
Despite interest from the Browns and Cardinals, Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will stay put in 2026, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Bullen has withdrawn from defensive coordinator searches in favor of a contract extension with the Giants. He’ll also add run-game coordinator to his duties.
Next season will be the third in New York for Bullen, who joined then-head coach Brian Daboll‘s staff in 2024. Two weeks after the Giants fired Daboll last November, interim head coach Mike Kafka canned defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Kafka handed interim DC responsibilities to Bullen for the rest of the year.
Although the Giants’ defense improved on Bullen’s watch, his future had hung in the air since the Giants brought in new head coach John Harbaugh in mid-January. Harbaugh went on to pick Dennard Wilson as his defensive coordinator. However, evidenced by Bullen’s extension and promotion, the 41-year-old has clearly won over Harbaugh.
In his first season working with Harbaugh and Wilson, Bullen will play a key role in attempting to improve a bottom-of-the-barrel run defense. The 2025 Giants gave up 145.3 rushing yards per game, the worst mark in the NFC and the second-highest figure in the league. Only the Bengals (147.1) had a tougher time against opposing ground games.
Meanwhile, both Cleveland and Arizona have now seen two potential defensive coordinators withdraw from their searches. Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso elected to stay in Houston last week. Bullen is also content in his current role, leaving rookie Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur and first-year Browns HC Todd Monken to look elsewhere.
The Cardinals may already have their answer in incumbent D-coordinator Nick Rallis, whom they’re expected to retain. The next DC in Cleveland will have an especially difficult act to follow replacing the acclaimed Jim Schwartz, who resigned after the team didn’t promote him to head coach.
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