Keith Carter

Coaching/Front Office Notes: Commanders, Moore, Desai, Eagles, Evero, Jets

January 1st, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ron Rivera almost definitely has one more game remaining as Commanders HC. While Martin Mayhew‘s Washington GM future may also consist of just one more contest, that is a bit less certain. Mayhew’s status aside, new owner Josh Harris is expected to consider updating the team’s power structure. Dan Snyder‘s successor will likely look into adding a president of football operations to oversee both the GM and HC, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero indicate.

Washington has adjusted its power structure on multiple occasions over the past several years. Rivera held personnel power essentially by himself in 2020, with the franchise waiting until 2021 to bring in a GM (Mayhew). Rivera arrived after Bruce Allen‘s 10-year tenure as team president. Allen’s final years did not feature a GM, as the franchise fired Scot McCloughan after two years in the role. The Harris-owned 76ers have Daryl Morey overseeing GM Elton Brand and HC Nick Nurse, though many NFL teams give GMs full control. If the Commanders are to hire both a GM and an executive to oversee that position, top GM candidates will naturally be less interested in the job. Harris is not believed to be interested in giving a head coach full autonomy.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

Signs the Eagles would demote DC Sean Desai were evident weeks before Nick Sirianni made the call. Sirianni chipped away at Desai’s authority by removing his final say of third-down game planning, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. This occurred between the Eagles’ losses to the 49ers and Cowboys, per McLane, who adds Desai is planning to finish out the season with Philadelphia. The team’s switch to Patricia has not moved the needle, as the Eagles endured an ugly loss to the Cardinals — one that likely cost the team the NFC East title. The Eagles, who were initially expecting to retain Jonathan Gannon for a third season, figure to be in the market for a new DC in the offseason.
Defensive coordinator on a bad team for a second straight season, Ejiro Evero does not appear to have seen his stock dinged much by the Panthers‘ 2023 performance. After we heard an arrangement in which the Panthers retain Evero as DC under a new coach is likely to be considered, Rapoport and Pelissero note Evero should be expected to receive an HC interview with the team. Of course, David Tepper has been again linked to another pursuit of an offense-oriented coach. Tepper’s uninspiring 2023, which looks to have ended with the owner tossing a drink at a fan in Jacksonville, could certainly have an impact on the caliber of candidates interested in the Carolina job. High-end option Ben Johnson already turned down the team in 2023, but the Lions’ OC is again in the Panthers’ sights.
The Chargers do not look to be interested in either of their coordinators for the HC job. Despite previously being an HC interviewee, Bolts OC Kellen Moore is unlikely to be considered for the organization’s top coaching job, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper (subscription required). Justin Herbert failed to take notable steps forward under the ex-Cowboys play-caller, who admittedly dealt with injury trouble — along with center Corey Linsley‘s early-season placement on the reserve/NFI list — in his first season in Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see if Moore — hired within a day after his Cowboys exit — will land another OC gig for 2024.
The Jets are giving their HC and GM a mulligan for 2023, but Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline offers that staff changes should still be likely to commence. O-line coach Keith Carter‘s job appears in jeopardy, per Pauline, who adds the ex-Titans O-line coach’s hire raised eyebrows at the Senior Bowl last year. Pro Football Focus ranks the Jets’ O-line 32nd, though it has seen injuries — including Alijah Vera-Tucker‘s season-ending malady in October — make a significant impact. Robert Saleh will be on the hot seat in 2024, and while Nathaniel Hackett is expected to stay, one of his lieutenants may not survive this disappointing season.

Jets Hire Nathaniel Hackett As OC

January 26th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nathaniel Hackett will receive an immediate opportunity to bounce back. The recently fired Broncos HC will be hired as the next Jets offensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Jets have since announced the move.

This represents a quick turnaround for Hackett, who became just the third head coach to be fired before his first season ended since the 1970 merger. But Hackett brings extensive experience as an OC, having held that title for the Bills, Jaguars and Packers over the past 10 years. The Jets are also hiring Keith Carter as their offensive line coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Jets conducted an expansive search to replace Mike LaFleur, and considering Hackett’s recent past, this is a rather surprising hire. The Broncos submitted a bizarre season under Hackett, falling to last place offensively despite trading for Russell Wilson. Hackett both hired a game management coach and removed himself as Denver’s play-caller this season, and the Broncos cut the cord after the Rams’ Christmas Day 50-spot.

But Denver experienced a run of injury issues as well. The team lost starting wideout Tim Patrick in training camp, was down Javonte Williams and Garett Bolles by October and regularly played without multiple starting offensive linemen. Wilson also missed time due to injury. Hackett worked with Wilson to redesign Denver’s offense, and the results produced a spectacular failure. But this Jets hire will undoubtedly be connected to the quarterback many thought the Broncos were trying to lure last year.

Aaron Rodgers has spoken highly of Hackett, who held a non-play-calling OC role in Green Bay for three seasons. The Jets are among the latest teams connected to the all-time great, who is now in a third offseason of trade rumors. The Broncos were unable to lure Rodgers from the Packers to pair him with Hackett, but the rumblings about the 18-year veteran being on the move persist. Jets-Rodgers connections will intensify with the Hackett hire.

Hackett, 43, worked as Doug Marrone‘s OC in Buffalo and Jacksonville. Both jobs featured play-calling duties. While he was not gifted much at quarterback during these stints, four of the five offenses he oversaw ranked outside the top 16 — three of those finishing outside the top 20. The outlier came in 2017, when the Jaguars made a surprising run to the AFC championship game behind a strong defense and the No. 5-ranked scoring offense. The Jags upset the Steelers in the divisional round, scoring 45 points in that game, and held a two-score lead on the Patriots in the second half the following week. Jacksonville reached that stage despite losing Allen Robinson early in the season. The team crashed back to earth in 2018, with Blake Bortles regressing and Hackett being fired. But Hackett landed the Green Bay job soon after.

The Jets were the only team to interview Hackett for their OC gig this year. The Jets will now have employed both Nathaniel and Paul Hackett as OC; the elder Hackett worked in this role from 2001-04. Hackett and Robert Saleh were also on the Jaguars’ staff together in 2016, when the current Jets HC coached Jacksonville’s linebackers.

The Jets are placing a bet Wilson and the Broncos’ spate of injuries were the cause of Hackett’s shortcomings and/or that Hackett’s presence will appeal to Rodgers, who should have multiple suitors. The Packers have not committed to trading Rodgers, but GM Brian Gutekunst did say Jordan Love is ready to start. Jets owner Woody Johnson was in place when the team traded for Brett Favre before his age-39 season back in 2008. Rodgers turned 39 last month. Even if Rodgers is not bound for the Big Apple, the Jets should be expected to acquire a veteran passer. Johnson said he is prepared to pay up for one, after the team’s Zach Wilson experiment busted early. Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo are also set to be available, complicating a Rodgers path that may take longer to form.

The Titans axed Carter when they jettisoned OC Todd Downing this month. Carter served as Tennessee’s O-line coach for the past five seasons; that time overlaps entirely with Derrick Henry‘s surge and the team’s run of solid play with Ryan Tannehill. Other teams pursued Carter, SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets, but he will go with Hackett to New York.

Coaching Rumors: Lions, Titans, Tice, Cards

February 6th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Lions hire Paul Pasqualoni is expected to take on a “prominent role” on the club’s coaching staff, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Previous reports have indicated that Pasqualoni, who had been working as Boston College’s defensive line coach, could take over as Detroit’s defensive coordinator under Patricia (who figures to call his own defensive plays). The Lions are in need of a new DC after Teryl Austin, the team’s defensive play-caller for the past four seasons, took the same job with Cincinnati. However, Pasqualoni could instead receive an assistant head coach title, per Yates.

Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:

Like Patricia, new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel continues to fill out his staff, as Tennessee announced today that it has hired Keith Carter to coach the club’s offensive line and Tony Dews to lead the team’s running backs. Carter, who spent the past three seasons with Atlanta, will now be in charge of a Titans front five that ranked among the league’s best in 2016 but took a significant step backwards a year ago. Dews, meanwhile, has never coached in the pro ranks, but does offer 20 years of collegiate experience, including stops at Arizona, Pitt, Michigan, and — most recently — West Virginia. Tennessee has also retained assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News.
Mike Tice sounds like’s ready to call it a career. The former Vikings head coach recently told Dan Barrerio of KFAN (Twitter link) that he’s considering retirement because players “no longer want to be coached.” Whether that’s a serious threat or instead indicative of Tice’s inability to connect with today’s millennial players is unclear, but the 59-year-old Tice would be giving up a coaching career that began in 1996. Tice served as Minnesota’s head coach from 2002-05, and had spent the past three seasons as Oakland’s offensive line coach.
The Cardinals have hired former Titans quarterbacks coach Jason Michael as their new tight ends coach, as Marvez reports. The Cowboys also had interest in adding Michael to fill their vacant tight ends coach job, but Michael instead chose to head to the desert. Michael was previously Tennessee’s offensive coordinator from 2014-15, but was demoted when Mike Mularkey took over the Titans’ full-time head coach in 2016.
The Panthers had become something of a family business after hiring Norv and Scott Turner earlier this year, as the club subsequently boasted four Turners on its staff. However, Norv and Scott are the only members of the family staying on board in Carolina for the 2018 campaign, however, according to Bill Voth of Panthers.com (Twitter link). Assistant quarterbacks coach Cameron Turner is joining the University of Arizona staff, while offensive consultant Ron Turner won’t be with the club (though it’s presently unclear why).
The Steelers announced that they’ve hired Blaine Stewart as an offensive assistant. Stewart is the son of former West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, who gave Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin his first coaching assignment at VMI in 1995.

Extra Points: Broncos, Jags, 49ers, Falcons

February 8th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have been connected to quarterback Tony Romo, whom they could pursue in free agency if the Cowboys cut him, but head coach Vance Joseph insisted Tuesday that Denver’s 2017 starter is already on its roster. On whether he’s committed to Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, Joseph said (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com): “Absolutely, I am. They’re both smart guys. Obviously different skill sets, but I’m committed to both of those kids. They’re good football players and we’ve got to build around those guys.” Joseph’s offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy, echoed his boss, saying he’s “happy with the guys we have.”

After the Broncos hired Joseph and McCoy last month, Mike Klis of 9News reported that the club would rather start Lynch than Siemian next season. As a first-round rookie last year, Lynch sat behind Siemian – who fared OK in his first season as a No. 1 – but did see action in three games and pick up two starts.

NFC South Notes: Benson, S-Jax, Falcons

February 10th, 2015 at 6:09pm CST by Zachary Links

A court in San Antonio ruled yesterday that Saints owner Tom Benson needs help in managing his assets in Texas, as Katherine Sayre of The Times-Picayune writes. Meanwhile, Benson’s daughter Renee is seeking to overthrow Tom as trustee in the Texas trust, arguing he has mismanaged assets and is in declining health.

Benson, who owns the NBA’s Pelicans in addition to the Saints, suffered another loss in court today, when a New Orleans judge ruled that the 87-year-old must undergo evaluations by three different doctors to determine whether he remains competent to control his NFL and NBA franchises. As Andy Grimm of the Times-Picayune details, one doctor will be appointed by Benson, one by his daughter Renee, and the third will be named by those first two physicians.

Here’s more on the Benson story, along with a couple other notes out of the NFC South:

Saints owner Tom Benson issued a statement regarding his current situation and it sounds like he has no intention of backing down. “I have instructed my attorneys to spare no effort in defending my rights and the decisions I have made. The decisions I have made are well within my rights to make at any point in my life, and rest assured that I am making sound decisions. I need not look any further than to read the allegations made against me in these multiple lawsuits to rest easy that I have made the correct decisions,” Benson said in the statement (via Saints VP of communications Greg Bensel on Twitter).
Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t expect Steven Jackson to be back with the Falcons next season. McClure notes that Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan declined to address Jackson’s future with the team, though that would ultimately be more in the court of head coach Dan Quinn. Jackson, 32 in July, appeared in 15 games for the Falcons last season, running for 707 yards off of 190 carries with 6 TDs. Cutting Jackson would save Atlanta $3.75MM against the cap.
The Falcons officially announced the rest of their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Atlanta hired Keith Carter as assistant offensive line coach, Matt LaFleur as quarterbacks coach, Doug Mallory as defensive assistant/linebackers coach, Marquand Manuel as secondary coach/senior defensive assistant, Mike McDaniel as offensive assistant, Chris Morgan as offensive line coach, Jeff Ulbrich as linebackers coach, and Chad Walker as defensive assistant/defensive backs.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.