Jets Hire Seth Ryan As Passing Game Coordinator
After a year as the Lions’ assistant tight ends coach, Seth Ryan is taking over as the Jets’ passing game coordinator, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports. Ryan is the son of ex-Jets head coach Rex Ryan and the grandson of former Jets defensive line coach Buddy Ryan.
Set to turn 32 in March, Seth Ryan is a former Clemson wide receiver whose coaching career began with the Chargers in 2019. He spent two years on Anthony Lynn‘s staff, but the Chargers fired Lynn after 2020. With Lynn then becoming the Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ryan followed him to the Motor City. Although Lynn only held his job for a year, Ryan wound up lasting a half-decade on Dan Campbell‘s staff.
Ryan was the Lions’ assistant wide receivers coach from 2021-24, a period in which he mostly worked with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds. Unfortunately for Ryan, in his lone season with the Lions’ tight ends, starter Sam LaPorta missed eight games with a back injury.
Ryan will now take on a much bigger role in New York, where he’ll assist new offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The two will aim for massive improvements to a Jets passing game that easily ranked last in the NFL in 2025. The team will head into the heart of the offseason without an answer at quarterback after big-money pickup Justin Fields flopped this past season.
Although the Jets signed Fields for a guaranteed $30MM last March, head coach Aaron Glenn benched him for the rest of the year in mid-November. The Jets are expected to move on from Fields sometime soon. Journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor is slated to hit free agency, though the club is interested in re-signing him for what should be a fairly cheap deal. The Jets also have Brady Cook, but he was in over his head as an undrafted rookie.
Along with seeking a capable QB in either free agency or the draft, where they own two first-round picks (Nos. 2 and 16), the Jets will need to find more weapons in the passing game for Reich and Ryan. The Jets have a legitimate star in No. 1 wide receiver Garrett Wilson and a promising tight end in Mason Taylor. There’s little else in the cupboard, though receivers Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie did see their production increase after the Jets acquired them in trades before the Nov. 4 deadline.
As recent second-round picks (Metchie in 2022, Mitchell in 2024), the Jets may continue to hope at least one of them turns into a consistent contributor. Even if that happens, the Jets would benefit from adding more receiving talent this offseason. They have the cap space and the draft capital to make it happen.
NFC Staff Updates: Cardinals, 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur quickly hired Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator, and he is now looking for coaches to run his defense and special teams.
Arizona is interviewing a number of candidates for defensive coordinator, while Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has emerged as a leading candidate to take over as special teams coordinator, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Ghobrial, 37, has spent the last two years with the Giants. Before that, he served as the Jets’ assistant special teams coordinator on Robert Saleh‘s staff, overlapping for two years with LaFleur. Ghobrial previously worked for a number of college programs as well as the Lions in 2017.
The Giants had a solid year on special teams in 2025. They ranked fifth in yards per kickoff return (27.7) and 10th in average starting field position (31.3). Cornerback Deonte Banks also recorded one of the NFL’s five kick return touchdowns last year.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks across the NFC:
- Elsewhere in the NFC West, the 49ers are hiring former Dolphins offensive assistant Roman Sapolu to their staff, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He previously served as Hawaii’s offensive coordinator and Fresno State’s run game coordinator. He is also the son of former NFL offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu, who won four Super Bowls with the 49ers between 1983 and 1997.
- The 49ers also promoted team president Al Guido to Chief Executive Officer, per a press release. Guido first arrived in San Francisco in 2014 as the Chief Operating Officer before his promotion to president.
- The Cowboys are retaining Jamel Mutunga, who spent the 2025 season in Dallas via the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He will be the team’s assistant running backs coach moving forward, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
- The Lions are promoting assistant offensive line coach Steve Oliver to tight ends coach, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will replace Tyler Roehl, who left Detroit to become Iowa State’s offensive coordinator.
- The Buccaneers are making internal promotions to replace cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross (fired) and safeties coach Nick Rapone (retired), according to Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Rashad Johnson will take over Ross’ role while Tim Atkins will succeed Rapone. Both served as assistant secondary coaches in 2025.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Offseason Outlook: Detroit Lions
After finishing as the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2024, the injury-riddled Lions suffered a one-and-done exit in the playoffs. Expectations were high for another strong showing in 2025, a year in which Dan Campbell proceeded with several new faces on his coaching staff.
The expected departures of Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and others during last year’s head coaching hiring cycle led to questions about Detroit’s ability to remain among the league’s elite this time around. Many members of the Lions’ core were still present, but the team battled inconsistency throughout the season. Detroit salvaged a 9-8 record by upsetting Chicago in Week 18, but the three-game losing streak which preceded it ensured a return to the playoffs would not be possible.
That leaves Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes and Co. with a number of crucial decisions to make over the coming weeks. A few notable staffing changes have already taken place, but several ascending players currently face an uncertain future beyond 2026. With cap maneuvering and a potential offensive line rebuild on the way, the Lions figure to be busy managing a number of in-house situations this spring.
Coaching/front office moves:
- Fired offensive coordinator John Morton
- Hired Drew Petzing as OC replacement
- Added former Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka to staff
- Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard interviewed for Dolphins’ head coaching position
Campbell elected to go internal with one coordinator move last offseason but tapped Morton as an outside hire. The latter faced the tall task or replicating the success enjoyed under Ben Johnson, who led Detroit to three straight top-five finishes in scoring during his OC tenure. Under Morton – who worked with the Lions in 2022 – the team managed to finish fourth in points. A substantial regression in the running game proved to be a problem, however.
NFC North Coaching Updates: Vikings, Petzing, Packers
Barring a departure for one of the two remaining open head coaching positions, the Vikings have fulfilled their biggest offseason wish of retaining defensive coordinator Brian Flores, even securing him long-term with a contract extension. While Flores is still around, assistant head coach Mike Pettine has retired, passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones landed a coordinator job with the Commanders, and the team moved on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper and allowed defensive line coach Marcus Dixon‘s contract to expire. 
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been working to fill the roles left vacant by these departures in recent weeks. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team has brought in Frank Smith to fill Pettine’s former role as assistant head coach. Smith, a former offensive coordinator with the Dolphins, learned under former play-calling head coach Mike McDaniel and could bring some of his influence to the offense. He’s also expected to help in run game planning. To replace Kuper, O’Connell promoted Keith Carter to offensive line coach. He was the team’s assistant OL coach last year but has served as a full-time position coach in the past and will return to that role in Minnesota next year.
On defense, Gerald Alexander will replace Jones as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach. Alexander has bounced around since entering the NFL ranks of coaching in 2017, working DB coaching jobs with the Panthers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Raiders before landing in Minnesota. Flores worked with Alexander during his stops in Miami and Pittsburgh, so if he doesn’t get a head coaching position, Alexander will be reuniting with him in Minnesota. Replacing Dixon will be Ryan Nielsen, who will add defensive run game coordinator to Dixon’s original DL coach title. Nielsen has coordinator experience with the Saints, Falcons, and Jaguars and most recently served as a senior defensive assistant with the Bills.
Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFC North:
- Last year, the Lions took play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator John Morton and ended up parting ways with him at the end of the season. Head coach Dan Campbell took over play calling for the remainder of the season, but he doesn’t intend to retain those duties in 2026. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, general manager Brad Holmes told the media that new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will take the reins in calling plays for the offense in Detroit next season. Petzing will be running the show as the Lions look to get back on track after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
- Lastly, in Green Bay, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports that the Packers are expected to hire Sam Siefkes as linebackers coach. After a year at the collegiate level as defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Siefkes reunites with new Packers DC Jonathan Gannon. Siefkes previously served as Gannon’s linebackers coach in Arizona, where Gannon was head coach. Siefkes’ addition indicates that former linebackers coach Sean Duggan, who was reportedly expected to follow Jeff Hafley to Miami for a potential shot at a role as defensive coordinator, is officially departed from Green Bay.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/29/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures contracts on Thursday. Here are the latest updates:
Denver Broncos
- OT Marques Cox, C Michael Deiter, G Nash Jones, DT Kristian Williams
Detroit Lions
- TE Thomas Gordon
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR A.T. Perry
Lions To Add Mike Kafka, Retain Jim O’Neil
The Lions made their offensive coordinator choice recently, tabbing Drew Petzing to call plays in 2026. But they are adding another seasoned play-caller to their staff.
Mike Kafka is joining Dan Campbell‘s staff for an unspecified “high ranking” position, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The recent Giants interim HC called plays for most of his OC tenure in New York. Rather than hit the coordinator carousel, Kafka will step back and hold a key non-play-calling role in Detroit.
Campbell also reached an agreement to retain Jim O’Neil, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. A former NFL DC who interviewed for the Jets’ DC post, O’Neil has been in place as a defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024. The Lions also announced their Petzing hire Monday.
The Lions had interviewed Kafka for the job ultimately given to Petzing, and the former also met with the Eagles during their long-running OC search. Prior to that, the Buccaneers brought in Kafka about their OC vacancy. Other OC positions have opened and will open soon, as the HC carousel still spins, but Kafka will settle in Michigan for the 2026 season. This will be Kafka’s third NFL employer (as a coach), after stints with the Chiefs and Giants.
Taking what amounted to a courtesy Giants HC interview after being their interim leader to close the season, Kafka went 2-5 in that role. Though, the Giants’ two wins came over disinterested Raiders and Cowboys teams; the latter benched Dak Prescott midway through the Week 18 Giants matchup.
Kafka, 38, still received HC consideration during multiple previous cycles. He met with the Bears and interviewed twice with the Saints last year. He met with the Titans in 2024 and spoke twice with the Seahawks that year, later being blocked from interviewing for Seattle’s OC job. The Cardinals, Colts and Panthers met with Kafka in 2023, on the heels of the Giants’ surprising divisional-round trek.
The Giants have been unable to approach that level of success since, leading to their $20MM-per-year John Harbaugh contract. New York did show some promise with Jaxson Dart, even if it rarely translated to wins. The team ranked 17th in scoring offense and 13th in yardage, with Kafka taking back the play sheet in 2025 — after Brian Daboll called the shots in 2024. The team ranked 31st in scoring in 2024.
This will be an interesting dynamic for the Lions, who demoted one-and-done OC John Morton in Week 10. Campbell called plays the rest of the way, and the Lions finished fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage. Campbell now has two three-season play-callers on his staff, with Petzing having that responsibility from 2023-25 in Arizona.
Formerly the Browns and 49ers’ DC, O’Neil has been off that tier for 10 years now (though, he did serve as Northwestern’s DC from 2021-22). Settling in with the Lions over the past two seasons, O’Neil had worked with the Jets previously under Rex Ryan. Aaron Glenn has not made a decision on his next DC yet, but two of his candidates — O’Neil and Mathieu Araujo — have taken other jobs. The Jaguars hired the recent Dolphins CBs coach last week.
Ravens To Conduct OC Interview With Scottie Montgomery
Todd Monken has not officially departed the Ravens yet, but he is on track to coach elsewhere in 2026. Baltimore’s list of offensive coordinator replacement options is set to expand. 
The team will interview Lions receivers coach Scottie Montgomery, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. That makes him the fourth candidate connected to Baltimore’s OC vacancy. One of them – Mike McDaniel – officially accepted the Chargers’ offensive coordinator gig on Monday.
A different former NFL head coach in the form of Kliff Kingsbury remains a name to watch for the Ravens regarding their OC spot. Montgomery does not have as much experience leading a staff at the college of NFL levels but he has been a trusted voice on the sidelines several times in his career. In place with Detroit since 2023, Montgomery has held the title of assistant head coach all three years.
The 47-year-old has worked as a position coach at several stops during his coaching career. Montgomery – who took on his current role in 2025 after two years coaching Detroit’s running backs – has also been an NCAA offensive coordinator in the past. He led Maryland’s offense for two years (2019-20) before returning to the NFL coaching ranks. After a two-year run coaching the Colts’ running backs, Montgomery joined Dan Campbell‘s staff and became a key figure. This is the first known coordinator interview in Montgomery’s case during the 2026 cycle.
Monken guided the Ravens’ offense for the past three years, taking over from Greg Roman. The unit battled inconsistency in 2025, a year in which injuries to Lamar Jackson and others were prevalent. The 2023 and ’24 campaigns saw Baltimore finish in the top four in scoring, though, so expectations will be high for the team’s new OC with Baltimore aiming to return to the postseason.
New head coach Jesse Minter has a lengthy defensive background, and improvement on that side of the ball will be targeted in 2026 and beyond. The offensive coordinator spot will be critical as a play-calling presence, however, making this search one to watch closely.
Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, Kingsbury, Webb, 49ers, Falcons, Petzing, Lions, Fraley, Jaguars, Commanders
As the Steelers and Bills’ searches get underway, the Browns, Cardinals and Raiders’ processes have shifted into the background a bit. Two candidates (Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter) pulled out of the Cleveland search, while Kevin Stefanski exited the Vegas derby. No known candidates have interviewed for the Arizona job and withdrawn, but insider Jordan Schultz still expects the NFC West team to have a difficult time attracting a quality candidate. Citing an organizational reputation in paying lower-end money to coaches, as evidenced most recently by Jonathan Gannon‘s bottom-tier HC salary, Schultz also points to the Cardinals’ standing in the NFC West as a deterrent to candidates. The division produced three playoff teams this season, and the Cards have not booked a postseason berth since 2021. They also carry a significant QB decision, with some of Kyler Murray‘s 2026 money guaranteed. It is not a lock Murray will be traded or released, but the next HC has a sketchier path to landing a successor due to this draft’s makeup.
Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:
- The Cardinals’ three-year OC, Drew Petzing, landed on his feet by winning the race for the Lions‘ play-calling post. Petzing can thank former Vikings coworker Hank Fraley, in no small part, for this job. Detroit’s O-line coach made a recommendation for Petzing, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds the Lions’ push to keep Fraley — an OC candidate last year — made his word valuable on this year’s carousel. The Lions wanted some familiarity in their hire, Breer adds. While Petzing has never worked with Dan Campbell, his past with Fraley helped. Detroit was burned by familiarity last year, as John Morton‘s second Lions stint did not work out. But they will try their hand with Arizona’s previous play-caller (and ex-Vikings Mike Zimmer-era staffer).
- Jeff Ulbrich intends to retain some of his staffers under Stefanski. The second-year Falcons DC appears set on keeping DBs coach Justin Hood. The 49ers requested a meeting with Hood for a high-ranking job, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, but the Falcons blocked it. (This would not have been for a DC job, as the Falcons could not block that.) Hood, 39, has only been in the NFL since 2021 and was not an Ulbrich hire. Hood was part of Jimmy Lake‘s defensive staff in 2024; prior to that, he was a three-year quality control coach with the Packers. But he is now an Atlanta priority.
- Davis Webb remains in the Raiders’ HC search and has been connected to the Bills, impressing in interviews. The third-year Broncos QBs coach cannot complete another interview until next week, but a potential pairing with an OC has come up. Webb linking up with Kliff Kingsbury has circulated as a possibility, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would be interesting given the experience disparity, as Kingsbury was Webb’s coach at Texas Tech. Webb, 30, played under Kingsbury, 46, for three seasons in Lubbock before transferring to Cal in 2016. Kingsbury is no longer in the running for any HC jobs but has been linked to the Ravens and Titans’ OC posts.
- The Commanders are making another key promotion on their offensive staff. Darnell Stapleton, part of Dan Quinn‘s first two staffs, is moving up to the offensive line coach position, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets. Stapleton, 40, spent the past two years as Washington’s assistant O-line coach. That was his first NFL job, having come to the NFL after two seasons as Florida’s O-line coach. Stapleton has worked closely with new OC David Blough since coming to D.C., per Graziano. Shane Toub is moving into Stapleton’s former position. The son of longtime Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub, Shane spent the past three seasons as a quality control staffer. Dan Quinn kept him from Ron Rivera‘s final staff and is now promoting him to a position coaching role.
- The Jaguars are hiring Dolphins cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Among the Jets’ DC candidates, Araujo evidently will not land that job. Araujo reunites with former Dolphins coworker Anthony Campanile, though the Jags’ current DC is still up for the Cardinals’ HC job. Araujo was on all four McDaniel Miami staffs, three of those including Campanile.
Lions OL Dan Skipper Announces Retirement
Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his retirement via Instagram on Thursday.
The 31-year-old spent time with seven different teams in his seven-year career, though he is best known for his time in Detroit. He signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2017, but eventually made his way to Detroit for his NFL debut later that year. Skipper spent time with the Broncos and Patriots over the next two seasons before seeing his next regular-season action with the Texans in 2019.
Skipper returned to Detroit in 2019 where he would spend the rest of his career aside from brief stints with the Raiders and Colts. In 2022, he made his first start at left guard; he would go on to start five games that year, all at guard, a position he had not played in the NFL. Skipper then served as the Lions’ swing tackle from 2023 to 2025 with 10 starts at left tackle in the last two years.
The Lions also introduced Skipper’s now-signature role as the Lions’ sixth offensive linemen in 2022. Then-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would frequently roll out ‘jumbo’ packages which would typically feature Skipper as an extra blocker. He would occasionally run a route and caught two passes, including a touchdown in 2023. The strategy often confused the defense and sometimes the referees. It also made Skipper beloved among Lions fans.
Injuries were a factor in Skipper’s decision, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network. He will now move into coaching and already has his first gig set up as the offensive line and tight ends coach for the East/West Shrine Bowl next week.
At 6-foot-10, Skipper was also the NFL’s tallest active player. That title is now passed to a number of players who all stand at 6-foot-8.