Cardinals Request HC Interview With Patriots’ Thomas Brown
Add Patriots passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Thomas Brown to the Cardinals’ list of head coaching candidates. The Cardinals have requested an interview with Brown, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
A running back with Atlanta and Cleveland from 2008-10, Brown climbed up the college coaching ranks before joining the Rams’ staff in 2020. He worked under Sean McVay as a running backs coach, assistant head coach and tight ends coach through 2022.
Brown impressed enough on McVay’s staff to land the Panthers’ offensive coordinator job in 2023, but it ended up as a one-and-done stint. The Panthers finished 2-15 during a season in which they fired head coach Frank Reich in late November. With Brown as their on-again, off-again play caller and rookie Bryce Young at quarterback, the Panthers ranked last in total offense and 31st in scoring.
With the Panthers moving on to a Dave Canales-led coaching staff in 2024, Brown spent the season with the Bears. He began the year as the Bears’ passing game coordinator before replacing the fired Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator in mid-November. That was the first of two in-season promotions for Brown, who finished the year as Chicago’s interim head coach after the firing of Matt Eberflus. The Bears went 1-4 under Brown, and their offense scored the fewest points in the league in quarterback Caleb Williams‘ rookie campaign.
Brown interviewed to become Chicago’s full-time head coach last January, but the role wound up going to Ben Johnson. That decision has worked out beautifully for the NFC North-winning Bears, while Brown has upped his stock as a Mike Vrabel assistant in New England.
Thanks largely to their passing attack, the Patriots pulled off a stunning 10-win improvement from 2024 to 2025. The 14-3 Pats won the AFC East and will enter the postseason as the second seed in the conference. With Brown’s help, second-year quarterback Drake Maye has quickly turned into an MVP front-runner. Maye finished the season first in completion percentage, yards per attempt, traditional passer rating and QBR. He also ranked third in touchdown passes and fourth in yards.
Unlike the Patriots, the Cardinals don’t have an obvious answer at quarterback. They’re expected to trade or release Kyler Murray in the offseason. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is under contract for another year, but he isn’t a long-term solution. It’s an area Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort and their next head coach, whether it’s Brown or another candidate, will likely address in the coming months.
Giants Hold John Harbaugh As Frontrunner For HC Job?
Prior to the news of John Harbaugh‘s Ravens exit, the Giants had been viewed as a team monitoring that situation closely. Now that Harbaugh is available, New York looks to have considerable interest.
The Giants are believed to have Harbaugh as their top choice, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter calling him a favorite to land the gig. The team had prepared for the possibility Harbaugh would become available, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. After Big Blue has struck out on coaches post-Tom Coughlin, Harbaugh appears a clear target.
Harbaugh, 63, is believed to have a high regard for the Giants’ job and Jaxson Dart, The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor tweets. After Week 18 began with a thin-looking talent pool for HC-needy teams, Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski have become available. Stefanski is already set to interview with the Giants this week.
Six non-Baltimore HC openings currently exist, but teams who have a head coach employed are believed to be in on Harbaugh too. Within an hour of Harbaugh’s ouster, Schefter reports at least seven teams have reached out to the newly available coach. Other teams without HC openings are likely to follow, Schefter adds. Considering Harbaugh’s experience and credentials, and this year’s crop lacking the level of candidates the Ben Johnson-Mike Vrabel 2025 pool included, it is unsurprising he is generating this much interest early.
Harbaugh has only worked for two NFL teams despite coaching in the league since 1998. Ray Rhodes hired him to be on the Eagles’ staff that year, and Andy Reid kept him on as special teams coordinator for an additional eight years. Hired by the Ravens in 2008, Harbaugh became the rare ST coach to rise to the HC level. He enjoyed immediate success and guided Baltimore to 12 playoff berths and Super Bowl XLVII, where he edged brother Jim in a Ravens-49ers shootout.
With so much interest in Harbaugh, the Giants could be in a competition. The team’s decision to retain GM Joe Schoen after a mostly woeful first four seasons becomes more interesting when it comes to attracting a top candidate. The Giants have gone 7-27 over the past two seasons,. The jury is still out on Dart, but the team will not enter this draft with a quarterback need. Big Blue’s QB situation compares favorably to a few of the HC-needy teams’ depth charts at the game’s marquee spot, though the roster needs plenty of repair.
Harbaugh’s age does introduce a complication for interested teams. Clubs considering a rebuild would not appear to be fits for Harbaugh. No coach has ever been hired past the age of 66 (Bruce Arians). Harbaugh should still land a gig immediately, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicates he is expected to want one. But the age component is not one to entirely dismiss. That said, a few interviews will probably be set up soon. The Giants figure to be among those clearing part of their schedule to talk with the seasoned coaching vet.
49ers To Sign LB Kyzir White
Battling a slew of injuries at linebacker as they prepare for a first-round playoff matchup against the Eagles on Sunday, the 49ers are adding veteran insurance at the position. They have agreed to a deal with Kyzir White, insider Jordan Schultz reports.
The 49ers went through most of the regular season without their best linebacker, four-time All-Pro Fred Warner, who broke and dislocated his ankle in Week 6. Tatum Bethune stepped in as his replacement, but he suffered a season-ending groin injury in Week 18. Meanwhile, the statuses of fellow banged-up linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps) are uncertain as San Francisco’s trip to Philadelphia draws closer.
Warner may return if the 49ers advance a couple of rounds in the playoffs. In the meantime, they have another much-needed healthy option in White, though a hamstring injury shelved him for most of 2025.
After signing a practice squad deal with the Titans in early September, White’s only appearance of the regular season came in Week 3. The Titans waived him Dec. 5. The 29-year-old hoped to land with a contender when Tennessee cut him. A month later, he’ll get his wish.
White, who now has 93 games and 73 starts on his resume, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Chargers in 2018. Also a former Cardinal and Eagle, White has gone over the 100-tackle mark on three occasions and logged two 17-start seasons. He was a full-time starter in 2024 in Arizona, where he finished with 137 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Although White has barely played since his two-year Cardinals tenure ended, he could factor into the 49ers’ postseason plans at linebacker. Eric Kendricks (currently on the practice squad), Curtis Robinson and Garret Wallow are among the injury-riddled team’s other options.
Falcons Request Interview With 49ers Exec Josh Williams
Atlanta is expected to hire Matt Ryan as its president of football operations, but the team is required to interview other candidates for the role first. That may include 49ers director, scouting and football operations Josh Williams. The Falcons have requested a meeting with Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Falcons are the second team to show interest in the 38-year-old Williams since the regular season ended Sunday. He’s also on the Dolphins’ radar as they search for a general manager. Williams was a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM job a year ago. They interviewed him twice before hiring James Gladstone instead.
After finishing as a runner-up to Gladstone, Williams stayed in San Francisco’s John Lynch-led front office this year. Since joining the 49ers in 2011, Williams has garnered significant experience as a scout. In his current position, he “directs pro and college scouting efforts, supports player development, and assists in contract negotiations,” according to the 49ers’ website.
Williams could follow former Lynch assistants Martin Mayhew, Ran Carthon and Adam Peters in earning a major promotion elsewhere, but landing the Atlanta gig looks like a long shot. Barring an unexpected change of heart from owner Arthur Blank or Ryan, the former quarterback appears to be a near-lock for president of football ops duties.
At minimum, interviewing Williams would help the Falcons satisfy the Rooney Rule. It’s worth noting that they’re also in the market for a GM. That job could conceivably go to Williams, who would work under Ryan. Looking to fill that position, the Falcons have already requested an interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham.
Jason Garrett To Interview For Titans’ HC Position
Jason Garrett has made a somewhat surprising return to the NFL radar. The former Cowboys coach-turned-NBC analyst is on track to interview for the Titans’ HC job, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano reports.
Virtually off the PFR pages since the 2021 season, Garrett last worked in the NFL as Giants OC from 2020-21. He is best known, of course, for a nine-plus-season run as the Cowboys’ HC. Certainly a polarizing figure in the NFL, Garrett represents the second ex-Cowboys HC to land on the Titans’ radar during this cycle. The team has been linked to Mike McCarthy as well.
Now 59, Garrett has served as a Football Night in America analyst (with occasional booth work in place of Cris Collinsworth) and a Notre Dame announcer. He was linked to the Duke and Stanford jobs earlier this decade but has been off the coaching radar since.
Viewed as a high-end coaching candidate once upon a time, Garrett succeeded in spurts and certainly was on a long leash under Jerry Jones. Regularly viewed as a coach who avoided the chopping block, Garrett did lead the Cowboys to three playoff berths during his time at the helm. This included divisional-round trips in each season, though the second of those involved a one-and-done as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Cowboys missed the playoffs in 2019, representing a disappointment as Dak Prescott played the season on his fourth-round contract after failed extension talks, and Jones finally cut the cord several days after the season.
Garrett went 85-67 as Cowboys HC, and while he did interview for the Chargers’ HC job in 2021, the former Dallas quarterback has been mostly out of the mix for a top sideline role since his 2020 firing. The Giants fired Garrett in November 2021. Daniel Jones did not show much progress under Garrett, who coached the Eli Manning successor in his second and third seasons.
Garrett did do well mentoring Tony Romo, and Prescott emerged quickly despite being a fourth-round pick. Garrett was not the Cowboys’ play-caller throughout this period, though, regularly operating as a CEO coach. This interview, however, surely will not go over well with a sizable sect of Titans fans. A number of candidates are in the mix for this position, as GM Mike Borgonzi is running his first coaching search.
Ravens Fire HC John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh‘s lengthy Ravens tenure is coming to an end. The Super Bowl-winning head coach has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz describes this as a mutual parting of ways, although in the wake of Week 18 Harbaugh expressed a desire to continue in his current role. That will no longer be the case. The remainder of the coaching staff is currently being informed of the news, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.
Harbaugh believed he would be safe as of earlier today, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport notes (video link). A lengthy conversation with owner Steve Bisciotti resulted in today’s decision being made, Schultz adds. It appears a split existed between the two on the matter of coaching staff makeup.
Harbaugh refused to entertain the thought of dismissing offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. That proved to be a “key pressure point” leading to this unexpected news. Monken had overseen back-to-back Lamar Jackson first-team All-Pro seasons, but a rumor about the Ravens being ready to consider coordinator changes emerged shortly after the 26-24 loss to the Steelers. The Browns have requested an HC interview with Monken.
“Following a comprehensive evaluation of the season and the overall direction of our organization, I decided to make a change at head coach,” Bisciotti said. “Today I informed John that he has been relieved of his duties. This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity.”
Leading up to the regular-season finale, many suggested a firing would come as a surprise. In the aftermath of Baltimore’s last-second loss on Sunday night, though, it remained unclear whether or not the 18-year partnership between team and coach would continue. Harbaugh had three years remaining on his contract thanks to the extension he signed last March. Now, the Ravens will conduct a head coaching search for the first time since 2008.
Especially in the early portion of his Baltimore tenure, Harbaugh enjoyed a strong run of success. Baltimore won at least one playoff game during each of his first five years in charge. That span was highlighted by victory in Super Bowl XLVII against a 49ers team lead by his brother Jim. Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco (whose career began in 2008) quickly developed a reputation for playoff success. This culminated in a dominant postseason run that included road wins over the No. 1-seeded Broncos and No. 2-slotted Patriots, leading to that dramatic win in the Harbaugh Bowl.
Consistent turnover at the offensive coordinator spot in particular proved to be a common theme through much of the Harbaugh-Flacco era, and over time the postseason runs led by them became less frequent. Still, Harbaugh’s eight road wins in the playoffs remain an all-time NFL record (h/t Schefter). The 2025 campaign represents only his third in which the Ravens finished with a losing record.
As Flacco aged, his regular-season showings began to wane and questions were raised about a potential succession plan. In 2018, Baltimore traded back into the first round to select Jackson. A Flacco back injury opened the door for Jackson to take on starting duties as a rookie midway though the campaign, and a strong finish to the season avoided what would have been a fourth straight year outside of the playoffs at the time. Before the Ravens had clinched a spot, though, Harbaugh had already received a new commitment from Bisciotti.
Overseeing the Ravens’ transition to a far different offense with Jackson, things went well early on. Jackson unanimously won the MVP award in 2019, with Harbaugh taking home Coach of the Year honors. Baltimore was the AFC’s No. 1 seed that year and faced high expectations as a result. An upset loss to the Titans proved to be one of many shortcomings in January that Baltimore has encountered since then, however.
During Jackson’s eight-year career, the Ravens have reached the playoffs six times. Injuries (including in 2025) have played a factor in the instances where that was not the case, but all told Baltimore has reached just one AFC title game in that span. The Ravens lost to the Chiefs as the No. 1 seed. Breaking through in the AFC playoff picture will be a goal early and often for Harbaugh’s successor, someone who will inherit a roster led by Jackson and several other highly-regarded players on both sides of the ball.
Harbaugh, meanwhile, will instantly be seen as a top candidate in the 2026 pool presuming he decides to coach next season. The 63-year-old was mentioned early today as someone on the radar of HC-needy teams like the Falcons and Giants. Interest is expected to be widespread around the league.
Overall, Harbaugh’s Baltimore tenure ends with 12 playoff appearances (including six division titles). His regular-season win percentage sits at .614 and his resume includes a 13-11 record in the postseason. Harbaugh signed six extensions as Ravens HC, including one that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid HCs earlier this year. A former special teams assistant during Andy Reid‘s Eagles stint, Harbaugh now faces an uncertain future for the first time in nearly two decades.
Klint Kubiak Receives HC Interview Requests From Giants, Cardinals, Raiders
To little surprise, Klint Kubiak is a popular early candidate for head coaching opportunities. The Seahawks OC has received plenty of interest from teams with a HC vacancy.
Kubiak was already known to have received an interview request from the Falcons. He is also expected to be a target for the Titans regarding their opening. In addition, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports the Giants, Cardinals and Raiders have submitted an interview slip. This marks the first offseason in which Kubiak has received an HC interview request. Giants rumors had emerged before the regular season’s conclusion.
Seattle clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed and with it a bye during the wild-card round. As a result, NFL rules permit Kubiak to interview virtually with interested teams this week. All interviews he conducts must take place before the opening round of the playoffs wraps up. Per Breer, Kubiak is currently in the midst of planning his schedule with his focus still mainly on the Seahawks.
Kubiak has worked as an offensive coordinator with three different teams (Vikings in 2021, Saints in 2024 and Seahawks this season). The 38-year-old has not lasted beyond one season in any of those roles, though the Seahawks certainly would be interested in retaining him for the 2026 season. The Vikings fired Mike Zimmer after the 2021 campaign, and the Saints dismissed Dennis Allen midway through the ’24 season. That led to new offensive play-callers arriving and Kubiak heading elsewhere.
The second-generation play-caller coached the Broncos’ quarterbacks during an eventful 2022 season in Denver; Nathaniel Hackett went around OC Justin Outten to give Kubiak play-calling duties as the season spiraled. Hackett then worked as the pass-game coordinator under Kyle Shanahan in 2023, helping Brock Purdy to a Pro Bowl season as the 49ers soared to Super Bowl LVIII. The Seahawks reunited Kubiak with Sam Darnold this past offseason, with the assistant’s presence a draw for the QB, and the Seahawks have booked the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in 11 years.
Seattle ranks third in scoring offense and eighth in yardage, and Darnold has delivered on his free agent contract. The Seahawks have seen some second-half inconsistency from their starter, but he has done enough to keep the offense afloat en route to a 14-3 record. Jaxon Smith-Njigba also smashed a Seahawks single-season record by tallying an NFL-leading 1,793 yards. With this coaching crop heavier on the defensive side, Kubiak was bound to receive requests. The Seahawks, who fired Ryan Grubb after one season, could face the prospect of replacing their OC for a third straight year.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Bills Add K Matthew Wright To P-Squad
With kicker Matt Prater battling a quadriceps injury, his status is uncertain for the Bills’ wild-card round meeting with the Jaguars on Sunday. In the event Prater is unable to play, the Bills added insurance on Tuesday in signing Matthew Wright to their practice squad. To clear a spot for Wright, the Bills released offensive lineman Richard Gouraige.
Prater initially injured his quad in Week 15, leading to a two-game absence. Looking for a temporary fill-in, the Bills worked out Wright and Michael Badgley on Dec. 16.
The Bills passed on Wright for Badgley, whose difficulties with extra points transferred from Indianapolis to Buffalo. Badgley made 18 of 21 extra points this season with the Colts, who cut him Dec. 2. The Bills parted with Badgley after he converted just two of his four PATs with them.
Prater came back for Week 18, but he aggravated his quad in a win over the Jets. If Wright has to take his place in Jacksonville, the nomadic 29-year-old will kick for a fourth team this season. He played in two games with the Texans and one apiece with the Titans and Commanders in 2025. Wright combined to go 5 for 5 on field goals and 4 for 4 on PATs.
Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent from UCF in 2019, Wright has garnered regular-season experience with eight teams. Over a 33-game span, Wright has hit 60 of 68 field goals (88.2%) and 45 of 47 extra points (95.7%).
Despite strong conversion rates, Wright typically hasn’t lasted long anywhere. His most extensive action in a season came with the Jaguars in 2021. Wright played in 14 of their games that year and made 21 of 24 field goals, though he was a less successful 13 of 15 on PATs. A half-decade later, Wright may have a chance to face Jacksonville in a do-or-die game.
Along with Wright, the Bills added fellow kicker Maddux Trujillo on a reserve/futures contract on Tuesday. Trujillo signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent from Temple last spring, but they waived him with an injury settlement in early September. The 22-year-old is now joining his second NFL organization four months later.
Lions Fire OC John Morton
Weeks after Dan Campbell took over Lions play-calling duties, the team will search for a new offensive coordinator. John Morton is out as OC after one season in the role, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. The Lions have since announced the move.
This was rumored to be the direction the Lions were heading, and it certainly makes sense given the abrupt removal of Morton’s chief responsibility. The firing also comes after the Lions went through a curiously thin search to replace Ben Johnson.
Neither Lions coordinator search was thorough. Campbell promoted Kelvin Sheppard to DC and added Morton from the Broncos, who had him in place as their pass-game coordinator. The Lions only satisfied the Rooney Rule during their OC search, with Campbell clearly having Morton in mind after losing Johnson to the Bears. It would surprise if the team replicated that narrow search this time around.
Morton, 56, had worked as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit during the 2022 season. This dismissal marks Morton’s second one-and-done in an NFL OC role. The Jets moved on after the 2017 season. Morton had the misfortune of leading the Jets’ offense during what turned out to be a gap year, when the team let Ryan Fitzpatrick walk in free agency and signed Josh McCown as a stopgap starter. Morton’s setup, however, was much better in Detroit. The offense took a step back after Johnson departed for Chicago.
The Lions still ranked fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage, but Campbell yanked Morton’s play sheet prior to Week 10. The move reminded of Campbell’s impatience with Anthony Lynn, the Lions’ OC during Campbell’s first year as HC. Campbell demoted Lynn, taking the play sheet, before the parties separated after the 2021 season. This brought Johnson to the forefront, and he excelled in the OC role for three seasons. Johnson drew significant HC interest in 2023 and ’24 but backed out of the running in both years. This gave Campbell some time to determine a replacement, but his first choice backfired.
While the Lions deserve criticism for not conducting much of a search to replace Johnson, continuity concerns motivated the decisions. Morton had been with the Lions three years ago and interviewed for the OC job Lynn landed a year prior. Following Morton’s Jets firing, he was on Jon Gruden‘s Raiders staff (as a senior assistant) for three years. The Broncos appointed him as their PGC in 2023. That season brought a Russell Wilson turnaround, and while Sean Payton has received most of the credit for that and Bo Nix‘s impressive career start, Morton parlayed Nix’s rookie season into an OC opportunity.
When Campbell took the call sheet, the Lions ranked 12th in yards per game. The second half brought an improvement, as Morton faded into the background. The Lions enjoyed good health at the skill positions, but Morton struggled to keep Jameson Williams involved in the offense. Detroit ran into some injury trouble along its offensive line, but the Jared Goff-piloted offense still stayed in the top five following Johnson’s departure.
The Lions have Goff, Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery and Penei Sewell signed long term. Jahmyr Gibbs is an extension candidate as well, creating obvious appeal for this job. Morton has spent a few years away at the college level, but he began his NFL coaching tenure in 1998. He has been a two-time Gruden staffer and three-time Payton assistant. A drop south of the coordinator level appears a near-certainty after this quick firing.
Rams Activate S Quentin Lake From IR
The Rams are getting one of their top defenders back ahead of a first-round playoff matchup in Carolina on Saturday. The team has activated safety Quentin Lake from injured reserve.
The Rams went a month and a half without Lake, who dislocated his left elbow in a Week 11 win over the Seahawks and had to undergo surgery. Los Angeles improved to 8-2 that day and looked like a strong contender for the NFC’s No. 1 spot, but a 4-3 mark without Lake led to a fifth-place finish in the conference.
A sixth-round pick from UCLA in 2022, Lake became a full-time starter in 2024 and continued in that role this year before landing on IR. Lake picked up 61 tackles, a sack, a personal-best 10 passes defensed and the first interception of his career over 10 games in 2025. He was on the field for 100% of defensive snaps during that span. Lake mostly played in the slot, but he also logged 80-plus snaps in the box and at free safety, and lined up along the edge at times.
Recognizing the versatile Lake’s importance to their defense, the Rams locked him up to a multiyear deal on Jan. 1. Lake had been on track to reach free agency in March before inking a three-year, $42MM deal with $25.7MM in guarantees. Healthy again, he’ll have a chance to make an impact during the postseason.
To make room for Lake’s return, the Rams placed linebacker Shaun Dolac on IR with a knee injury, ending his season. The undrafted rookie from Buffalo appeared in all 17 regular-season games and totaled 25 tackles. Dolac played 258 of his 300 snaps on special teams.