Klint Kubiak Was Cardinals’ Preferred HC
During their search for a head coach to replace the fired Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals identified NFC West offensive coordinators Klint Kubiak (Seahawks) and Mike LaFleur (Rams) as favorites. Both coaches interviewed with Arizona twice, but LaFleur was the pick after Kubiak agreed to take the Raiders’ job.
If the Cardinals had their way, they’d have hired Kubiak instead of LaFleur, an NFL general manager told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. They’d have been willing to wait until after the Super Bowl to make it official, as the Raiders did.
“Trust me, Kubiak was their guy,” said the GM, who also had interest in hiring Kubiak. “They would have done whatever they could to get him, but it wasn’t going to happen. They would have waited as long as it took. And then they had to scramble.”
The Cardinals aren’t known for spending big on head coaches or assistants, as La Canfora notes, but they’d have veered from their usual modus operandi in this instance. It’s easy to understand why Kubiak went in another direction, though, and it begins with the presence of influential Raiders minority owner and legendary quarterback Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion “made a unique appeal to Kubiak,” La Canfora writes.
In joining Brady and the Raiders, Kubiak will grab the reins of a team that could reel in a long-term quarterback solution with the first pick in this year’s draft. After winning the Heisman Trophy and national championship at Indiana in 2025, Fernando Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to become a Raider in late April.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, don’t have an answer at the game’s foremost position. Although they drafted another former Heisman winner, Kyler Murray, first overall in 2019, they’re now hoping to trade him seven years later. Arizona joins Las Vegas in owning a premium draft pick (No. 3 overall), but barring an unexpected development, there isn’t a QB in this class worth taking that high. It’s not considered a strong group of signal-callers beyond Mendoza. That’s a harsh reality for the Cardinals and other QB-needy near the top of the first round.
In addition to the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Raiders possess the league’s second-most cap space ($91.52MM, per OverTheCap). The Cardinals are also in good shape in that regard, but at $42.19MM, they’re about $50MM behind the Raiders.
Both LaFleur and Kubiak have their work cut out in turning around long-suffering franchises, but it should be more difficult for the Cardinals. While Kubiak will walk into a very difficult AFC West and battle the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs, the NFC West was the best division in the league in 2025.
Kubiak’s Super Bowl-winning Seahawks, LaFleur’s Rams and the 49ers combined to go a dominant 38-13 in the regular season. All three swept the 3-14 Cardinals. Now, after losing out on Kubiak, the Cardinals are left to hope LaFleur will lead them out of the basement.
Packers Open To Re-Signing Romeo Doubs
Multiple mid-December reports suggested the Packers were unlikely to keep pending free agent wide receiver Romeo Doubs. That may end up being the case, but a breakup isn’t a given, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The two sides are at least expected to engage in dialogue before free agency starts on March 11, Fowler adds.
For his part, Doubs appears willing to continue his career in Green Bay, which chose him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The 25-year-old told Kay Adams in late January he “would love to be a Green Bay Packer,” but he also acknowledged it’s a business.
If they’re unable to retain Doubs, the Packers would still have Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams leading their receiver depth chart. Golden and Williams didn’t do much as rookies, but in selecting the former in the first round and the latter in the third, the Packers invested heavily in the pair at last year’s draft.
While Golden and Williams are under control for a few years, Watson, Reed and tight end Tucker Kraft are all slated to reach free agency after next season. An extension for Kraft is already on general manager Brian Gutekunst‘s radar, and there could be added motivation to lock up Watson and/or Reed if Doubs exits Wisconsin in March.
This year’s free agent crop will be light on high-end receivers, especially with the Cowboys all but guaranteed to place the franchise tag on George Pickens. The Colts could also tag deep threat Alec Pierce. If those two don’t get to the market, it would be a positive development for Doubs and the rest of an unsigned class that could also include Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed and Wan’Dale Robinson, among others.
Nobody would confuse Doubs with a star wideout, but after a solid showing on his rookie contract, he should secure a nice raise on a multiyear deal. A starter in 50 of 59 career appearances, the 6-foot-2, 204-pounder has averaged approximately 15 games, 51 catches, 80 targets, 606 yards and five touchdowns per season. Doubs started in 15 of 16 games in 2025 and caught 55 of 85 targets for a career-high 724 yards and six scores.
Packers Promote Luke Getsy To Quarterbacks Coach
After a year as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach, Sean Mannion left to become the Eagles’ offensive coordinator on Jan. 29. Almost two weeks later, the Packers will promote senior offensive assistant Luke Getsy to replace Mannion, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Briefly an NFL quarterback, Getsy spent 2007-13 coaching in college before joining Green Bay in a quality control role. The 41-year-old is now in his third stint with the Packers, with whom he has worked under head coaches Mike McCarthy and Matt LaFleur.
The Packers previously employed Getsy from 2014-17, including two seasons as a wide receivers coach, and 2019-21 (QBs coach/passing-game coordinator). LaFleur rehired Getsy as a defensive consultant in 2024, which came after an in-season firing as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator.
Getsy, a two-time OC in the NFL, held the job with the Bears from 2022-23. His time in Las Vegas lasted just nine games.
Aaron Rodgers was the starter in Getsy’s first stint as the Packers’ QBs coach, but he also spent two years molding 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love. Since Love took over for a traded Rodgers in 2023, he has established himself as the Packers’ answer under center.
Last season was the third straight successful campaign for the 27-year-old Love, who completed 66.3% of passes with 3,381 yards (7.7 YPA), 23 touchdowns and six interceptions in 15 games. Love also finished third in QBR (72.7) and sixth in traditional passer rating (101.2).
Getsy will coach Love again in 2026, but the Packers will make other moves at the position this offseason. Backup Malik Willis is heading to free agency with plenty of momentum after a successful two-year run behind Love. Willis is a lock to sign elsewhere for a much richer deal and a chance to start, which will force the Packers to find a new No. 2 QB.
Mark Davis: Maxx Crosby ‘A Great Raider’
Even though defensive end Maxx Crosby has been in the Raiders’ building rehabbing from a left knee injury, he reportedly doesn’t want to play for them anymore. A blockbuster offseason trade centering on the five-time Pro Bowler could be in the offing, but rookie head coach Klint Kubiak and owner Mark Davis are hoping it doesn’t come to that.
Immediately after winning Super Bowl LX as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator on Sunday, Kubiak officially took the top job in Las Vegas. Before his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Kubiak had coffee with Crosby.
While Kubiak didn’t go into detail about his meeting with Crosby, who didn’t attend the news conference, he told the media his desire is for the pass-rushing dynamo to remain in place (via Ryan McFadden of ESPN).
“We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There’s no doubt about that,” Kubiak said. “He’s one of the best players in the NFL, so that’s a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with his organization.”
Also asked about Crosby, Davis stated: “He is a great Raider. He’s gone through a lifetime of development here for seven or eight years, and he still is a Raider. So, it’s all good.”
Whether it’s truly “all good” between Crosby and the Raiders is up in the air, especially after a contentious ending to 2025. With two games left and the Raiders vying for the No. 1 pick (which they went on to secure), they used Crosby’s knee injury as an excuse to shut him down for the season. That didn’t sit well with Crosby, who wanted to play through it. He has since undergone a meniscus repair that could prevent him from returning to full strength for a few months.
Crosby’s knee bothered him for a large portion of the season, but he still managed 73 tackles, 53 pressures, 20 QB hits, 10 sacks, six pass deflections and two forced fumbles in 15 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Crosby as the game’s 15th-best edge player among 119 qualifiers. Although he’s not 100% at the moment, the 28-year-old’s trade value should be sky-high.
If the Raiders deal Crosby, an acquiring team presumably wouldn’t have to work out a new contract after he inked a three-year, $106.5MM extension last March. The Raiders shut down trade rumors centering on Crosby then, and it appeared that would remain the case for the foreseeable future. But after a 3-14 campaign that ended with Crosby going on injured reserve against his wishes, the seven-year Raider’s future with the team is in question for the second offseason in a row.
Panthers Add Darrell Bevell To Staff
After serving as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach/passing-game coordinator over the past four years, Darrell Bevell emerged as a finalist to take over as the Jets’ offensive coordinator. The Jets ended up hiring Frank Reich for the position on Feb. 4, but Bevell has landed a different job a week later. He’s leaving Miami to join the Panthers’ staff as associate head coach/offensive specialist, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Carolina will be the seventh NFL team for the 56-year-old Bevell, whose pro career began in 2000 as an assistant quarterbacks coach in Green Bay. Between his six-year run with the Packers and his four seasons with the Dolphins, Bevell coached in Minnesota, Seattle, Detroit and Jacksonville. He was the O-coordinator with the Vikings (2006-10), Seahawks (2011-17), Lions (2019-20) and Jaguars (2021).
Bevell is best known for a successful tenure in Seattle, which won the Super Bowl in 2013 and then came within a yard of repeating the next year. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler had other ideas, though, as he intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line to seal a 28-24 Pats victory in Super Bowl XLIX.
Bevell and former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll have since drawn no shortage of criticism for passing instead of handing off to Marshawn Lynch in the game’s waning moments. Bevell nonetheless remained in charge of their offense for three more seasons.
Dave Canales, now the Panthers’ head coach, was the Seahawks’ wide receivers coach during Bevell’s entire seven-year stay as their O-coordinator. Panthers general manager Dan Morgan was in the Seahawks’ front office for that stretch.
The three are now reuniting in Carolina, which won the NFC South in 2025 despite an 8-9 record. Quarterback Bryce Young, the former first overall pick, made enough progress in his third season for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. The jury is still out on whether Young will turn into a franchise signal-caller, but Bevell will now have a hand in his development after drawing mixed results from Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.
With assistance from Bevell, Tagovailoa led the league in passer rating (2022), yards (2023) and completion percentage (2024) in separate seasons. Tagovailoa also received a Pro Bowl invitation in 2023, but he bottomed out in 2025 – Bevell’s last year in South Florida – and the Dolphins now hope to trade him.
NFL To Review Falcons OLB James Pearce Jr. Incident
FEBRUARY 11: Jackson “remains cooperative and willing to testify at trial, if one is necessary,” her attorneys wrote in a court notice Tuesday in Miami-Dade County (via Raimondi).
FEBRUARY 10: On Saturday, Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested. He now faces five felony charges, and NFL discipline could be coming. 
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy has confirmed (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi) the league will review Pearce’s situation. A fine and/or suspension under the personal conduct policy will be possible as a result. The NFL has long adopted a stance of waiting for all legal matters to play out before arriving at a decision on supplemental discipline, however.
The criminal complaint from the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office details the alleged incident which resulted in Pearce’s arrest. The 22-year-old followed Rickea Jackson in a white Lamborghini SUV after a falling out between the two, per the complaint. Pearce and Jackson (who plays for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks) dated for roughly three years until recently, Jackson later told police.
Upon seeing Jackson’s vehicle stopped at a red light, Pearce is alleged to have exited his Lamborghini and attempted to enter Jackson’s vehicle by opening the driver’s door. It was at that point that Jackson drove away and attempted to reach the Doral Police Department. Per the complaint, Pearce then entered his vehicle and used it to strike Jackson’s multiple times to prevent her from reaching the police station. Officers attempted to intervene, and an affidavit states Pearce fled the scene by driving away.
Once Pearce crashed at an intersection while being chased, he fled on foot. Police eventually caught up to and arrested him, and Pearce was “triaged on scene” for injuries sustained during the incident. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center later that day. On Sunday, a $20,500 bond was posted allowing Pearce to be released from custody. Charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon along with aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren are now pending.
“We look forward to working with the State Attorney’s Office in fully investigating this case and uncovering the truth,” a statement from Pearce’s attorneys reads. “Mr. Pearce maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story. We look forward to vigorously defending our client and remain confident that he will continue contributing positively to both his team and the community he serves so well.”
Selected 26th overall during last year’s draft, Pearce enjoyed a standout rookie campaign with 10.5 sacks and played a central role in the Falcons’ improvement in the pass rush department. His contract runs through 2028.
Jets Hire Bill Musgrave As QBs Coach
The Jets finalized their offensive coaching staff on Tuesday, per a team announcement. Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, offensive assistant/assistant QBs coach Thomas Merkle, assistant offensive line coach Al Netter and offensive assistant Matthew Sargent are among their new additions.
Merkle, Nettle and Sargent all spent last season at Stanford, where they worked on interim head coach Frank Reich‘s staff. They’re now following Reich, the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, to the pros.
Musgrave, the most notable and established hire in this quartet, is a former NFL QB whose experience as a coach dates back to the late 1990s. He began as the Raiders’ QBs coach in 1997 and has gone on to hold that position with several other teams, including the Browns in 2025. The 58-year-old is also a multi-time offensive coordinator in the league, most recently with the Broncos in 2018.
Cleveland had a less-than-ideal situation under center last season, when Musgrave coached Joe Flacco before an early October trade to Cincinnati. Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders divided the rest of the season as the Browns’ starter, and the team went on to finish 31st in passing.
The only club that had less success through the air in 2025 was the Jets, who averaged a meager 140.3 yards per game (the Browns put up 165.2). They may wipe the slate clean at QB this offseason as a result, though there is mutual interest in re-signing journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor. The Jets are expected to release Justin Fields, which would leave Brady Cook and Hendon Hooker as the only signal-callers in the building if they don’t re-sign Taylor.
Considering they have no in-house answers at the position, the Jets are strong candidates to explore free agency and the trade market for QB additions this offseason. With that in mind, it’s worth pointing out a couple of Musgrave’s former pupils will be available.
The 41-year-old Flacco, an ex- Jet, is scheduled to reach the open market next month. There’s also Derek Carr, who played under Musgrave in Oakland from 2015-16, as a potential trade target. Carr didn’t play last season, but the soon-to-be 35-year-old may come out of retirement in 2026. For what it’s worth, he’s a Musgrave fan.
“He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever been around when it comes to analytics numbers and percentages and things like that,” Carr said of Musgrave in 2018 (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “He’s one of the smartest people that I’ve ever been around.’’
Although the Saints still hold Carr’s rights, they’re not going to demand anything of real value in a trade. The Jets could end up among the teams interested in Carr as a cheap stopgap, especially given his connection to Musgrave. They pursued Carr when his stock was much higher in 2023, but he ultimately joined the Saints on a four-year, $150MM deal. After striking out on Carr, the Jets pivoted to an Aaron Rodgers trade with the Packers.
Giants To Hire Brian Callahan As Quarterbacks Coach
FEBRUARY 11: The Giants are hiring Callahan as their QBs coach and passing-game coordinator, per Garafalo and NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport.
FEBRUARY 10: Brian Callahan has been unemployed since his tenure as head coach of the Titans ended midway through the 2025 season. The veteran staffer was also shut out of the offensive coordinator hiring cycle. 
Nevertheless, Callahan may soon have his next gig lined up. He will interview with the Giants for the role of quarterbacks coach, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. That is a position familiar to Callahan. The meeting will take place today, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan adds.
After entering the NFL coaching ranks in Denver, Callahan worked as a QBs coach with the Lions for two seasons (2016-17). That was followed by a one-year stint with the Raiders in the same capacity. Callahan was then hired by the Bengals to serve as their offensive coordinator in 2019; he remained in Cincinnati for five years before receiving his first head coaching opportunity.
Callahan did not call plays over the course of his Bengals tenure, but he was tasked with guiding the Titans’ offense upon arrival in 2024. Tennessee went 3-14 during the 41-year-old’s first (and only) full season at the helm. Tennessee got off to a 1-5 start in 2025, resulting in Callahan’s dismissal. No interest in any of the league’s 10 HC openings emerged in his case during this winter’s hiring cycle.
Callahan did find himself on the radar of multiple teams during their searches for an offensive coordinator, however. That included a connection to the Giants while they contemplated their options upon finding out Todd Monken would no longer be available. New York wound up hiring Matt Nagy as OC, giving John Harbaugh an experienced member of his staff. Callahan would represent another veteran presence for the Giants.
2025 first-rounder Jaxson Dart took over starting duties after Russell Wilson was benched early this past season. The development of Dart, 22, will be the franchise’s top priority while Harbaugh and Co. aim to lead the Giants back to contention. That effort could soon include Callahan handling an important role in New York.
Cardinals Will Look To Trade Kyler Murray
The possibility of the Cardinals retaining quarterback Kyler Murray for 2026 came up three weeks ago, but his future in the desert remains iffy at best. The team is “likely to move on” from the 28-year-old, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Arizona is hoping to find a trade partner for Murray, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. He’ll “absolutely” be on the trade market, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom hears.
The Cardinals haven’t changed their stance on Murray despite their recent head coaching change, one general manager told La Canfora.
“He’s still gone,” said the GM, who’s seeking a QB but doesn’t have interest in Murray.
Arizona fired the defensive-minded Jonathan Gannon and replaced him with Mike LaFleur, previously the Rams’ offensive coordinator. The Cardinals seem more likely to keep Jacoby Brissett after he started most of 2025 in place of an injured Murray.
“We hear they are going with (Jacoby) Brissett and want to get Kyler out of there,” a top personnel executive informed La Canfora.
It would behoove the Cardinals to get rid of Murray by March 15, the day $19.5 million of his 2027 base salary becomes guaranteed. He’s already guaranteed $36.8MM for next season. The Cardinals would surely have to pay down some of Murray’s contract in a deal, but finding a taker would benefit their salary cap outlook.
Trading Murray before June 1 would save the team $34.74MM and lead to a $17.92MM dead cap hit in 2026. A post-June 1 swap wouldn’t be as helpful, but the Cardinals would still free up $24.94MM while spreading $34.72MM in dead money over two years ($27.72MM in ’26, $7.2MM in ’27).
Releasing Murray would point to a far worse cap situation for Arizona. If done before March 15, the club would absorb a $54.72MM dead money charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. Cutting him between March 15 and June 1 would create an untenable $77.25MM in dead money and take away $24.59MM in cap room. The post-June 1 option wouldn’t be much better. The Cardinals would spread the $77.25MM over two years (including $70.05MM next season) while losing $17.39MM in space in 2026.
Although cutting Murray would be a worst-case scenario for the Cardinals, it would be a positive development for teams in need of a starting signal-caller. On a minimum salary, Murray would be an “incredibly attractive” option around the league, Rapoport says.
Now coming off his seventh NFL campaign, Murray’s stock has sharply declined since he signed a five-year, $230.5MM extension in July 2022. At that point, the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick wasn’t far removed from earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019. He went on to pick up Pro Bowl nods in each of the next two seasons.
In 2021, still Murray’s best season, the dual threat helped the Cardinals to 11 wins and a playoff berth. The Cardinals, who took a brutal 34-11 loss to the Rams in the wild-card round, haven’t returned to the playoffs or even finished above .500 in any season since. They’ve axed two head coaches (Gannon and Kliff Kingsbury, who had some success with Murray) during their four-year postseason drought.
Murray’s career began trending downward in 2022, the first season after he landed his mega-deal. He struggled over the first two-plus months before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 14. Murray’s recovery kept him out until the following November, limiting him to eight games.
To his credit, Murray rebounded to a noticeable degree in 2024. During his lone 17-game season to date, he completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a personal-high 63.4 QBR. As a runner, he scampered for 572 yards on a robust 7.3 per carry and found the end zone five more times.
In the wake of Murray’s bounce-back season, the arrow was finally pointing up for him and the Cardinals 12 months ago. With improved play from a healthy Murray, the Cardinals went 8-9 and recorded a plus-21 point differential. It was an encouraging step forward for a club that combined for a grisly 8-26 mark and a minus-234 point differential from 2022-23.
Neither Murray nor the Cardinals were able to build on last year’s progress in 2025. They finished an awful 3-14, and Murray missed 12 games with a foot injury. Murray’s time in Arizona may now be on the verge of ending, but even he’s unsure how things will play out, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reports.
In the seemingly improbable event Murray stays put (which ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler contends is still on the table), Brissett would emerge as a trade candidate, Fowler relays.
On a manageable $4.88 base salary in 2o26, Brissett could be of interest to several teams looking for either a stopgap starter or a capable backup. The Falcons and Jets are among the clubs that could pursue Brissett, per Fowler.
As Fowler points out, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich are familiar with Brissett. He played for Stefanski in Cleveland in 2022 and under Reich (then the Colts’ HC) from 2018-20.
Browns, Dolphins, Steelers Interested In QB Malik Willis?
The Packers expect to see Malik Willis depart in free agency next month. His destination will remain unclear for the time being, but a list of suitors to watch has emerged. 
At least four teams are regarded as likely to make an offer in Willis’ case, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports. The Steelers are among them. La Canfora adds the Browns and Dolphins are viewed as being “particularly keen” in Willis’ case, making them logical candidates to make a free agent push.
Willis has spent the past two years as a backup to Jordan Love in Green Bay. During limited action filling in as the team’s starter, the former third-round pick has flashed enough potential to generate notable interest. The 2026 quarterback market is not on track to include many options seen as containing much in the way of upside. Willis represents an exception, and a bidding war could land him a starting gig ahead of next season.
The Dolphins have a number of ex-Packers staffers in the fold. That includes new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. The latter holds Willis in high regard, per the report. That would make a notable Dolphins pursuit unsurprising, although the team also has the matter of Tua Tagovailoa and his contract to attend to. Trading Tagovailoa will be a goal for Miami this offseason, and retaining money to facilitate a deal may be on the table. A cost-effective replacement – especially one familiar to the Dolphins’ new decision-makers – would of course be attractive.
Pittsburgh inked Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal last offseason. Connections between the two parties resulted in a long-running period before an agreement was ultimately reached. Moving on to Will Howard or another option could take place in 2026, but the Steelers expressed a willingness to retain Rodgers even before Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach. A QB-HC reunion dating back to the time both shared in Green Bay remains a distinct possibility.
An agent who spoke with La Canfora pointed to Cleveland as the team which could end up in pole position to land Willis. 2025 draftees Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are still in the fold after each saw time atop the depth chart as rookies. Deshaun Watson is likely to be healthy by the start of next season, and he could compete for the QB1 gig. More competition could nevertheless be brought in, something which could point the Browns in the direction of a Willis signing.
One GM predicted Willis, 26, will ultimately land a contract similar to the one Justin Fields signed last spring. Upon joining the Jets, Fields secured a two-year, $40MM pact with $30MM guaranteed. Any pact close to that one would represent a major raise relative to Willis’ rookie contract. Especially if multiple teams find themselves competing for his services, a multi-year contract could soon be in store.