Raheem Morris, Anthony Campanile, Mike LaFleur Leading Candidates For Cardinals’ HC Position?
The Cardinals are one of four teams which still have a head coaching vacancy. A hire could be coming soon, though, with a trio of top candidates in place. 
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Arizona considers Raheem Morris, Anthony Campanile and Mike LaFleur to be the “leading” options at this point. All three have interviewed at least once with the Cardinals as part of their ongoing search. Campanile met with the team for a second time on Thursday, something other candidates are also set to do shortly.
The current Jaguars defensive coordinator has been a popular head coaching candidate during this year’s cycle. Campanile interviewed with the Ravens and Dolphins, but both teams have since gone in a different direction to fill their HC positions. 2025 marked the 43-year-old’s first season as a coordinator at the NFL level, so taking on a head coaching gig would represent another major career move.
LaFleur has a more extensive history as an NFL coordinator, having served as an OC with the Jets from 2021-22 and with the Rams for the past three seasons. He has not handled play-calling duties in Los Angeles while working under Sean McVay, but the 38-year-old has helped his stock over the course of his Rams stint. A follow-up interview was not possible in LaFleur’s case this past week with the Rams advancing to the NFC title game. One could be arranged in the near future, however.
Morris is the only member of the trio who has worked as a head coach at the NFL or college levels. He was at the helm of the Buccaneers from 2009-11; Morris also served as the Falcons’ coach for a total of 45 games across two different stints. Over that span, his teams posted a winning record just once. Morris, 49, is regarded as one of the game’s top defensive minds but his head coaching winning percentage sits at .398. Interest in multiple D-coordinator positions could be coming in this case in the even Morris does not land the Cardinals gig, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Plenty remains to be seen over the coming days, but SNY’s Connor Hughes reports LaFleur is “believed to be the frontrunner” for the Arizona HC position at this time. For now, his attention will be focused on the Rams’ game against the Seahawks with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Nevertheless, a deal bringing with it a first head coaching opportunity allowing LaFleur to remain in the NFC West could be coming soon.
Here is an updated look at where Arizona’s search stands:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): To conduct in-person interview
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Patriots): Interview requested
- Matt Burke, defensive coordinator (Texans): Interviewed
- Anthony Campanile, defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Conducted second interview 1/22; leading candidate?
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Contacted
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed 1/10, considered “strong candidate”
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/10
- Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16; leading candidate?
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/13
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Interviewed; leading candidate?
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/9
- Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/15
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): To conduct second interview 1/25
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/26
Here are today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Conference Championship teams not covered in larger posts:
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: DE Larrell Murchison, LB Elias Neal
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers, RB Velus Jones Jr.
Following a season-ending ACL tear to RB2 Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks are calling up Akers and Jones to assist recently activated running back George Holani in backing up Kenneth Walker for the NFC Championship game.
Arthur Smith Departing NFL For Ohio State OC Job
In the wake of the news of Mike McCarthy‘s agreement to become the next head coach of the Steelers, Pittsburgh’s incumbent offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has some plans of his own. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Smith is expected to be named the next offensive coordinator at Ohio State. 
This marks a departure not only from Pittsburgh – as could be expected – but the NFL coaching ranks altogether. Smith received a head coaching interview request from the Cardinals as part of their ongoing search. He also spoke with the Titans before Robert Saleh was hired. Even in the absence of a second NFL HC opportunity, Smith loomed as an offensive coordinator candidate elsewhere in the league.
The 43-year-old interviewed with the Chargers and Titans for their respective OC vacancies. Tennessee’s remains open at this time, but instead of a potential return Smith will now spend at least one season at the college level. He is the latest veteran coach to join Ryan Day‘s Buckeyes staff.
Diana Russini of The Athletic notes Smith had been in contact with the Titans but also the Eagles. Philadelphia moved on from Kevin Patullo after the team’s wild-card loss in a decision which came as no surprise. The team does not have a replacement in place at this time, and Smith had not previously been linked to Philadelphia’s OC gig or any other positions under Nick Sirianni.
After a lengthy run on the Titans’ staff in a number of roles, Smith was promoted to offensive coordinator. He held that position for two years and parlayed his time leading Tennessee’s offense into a head coaching opportunity. Smith guided the Falcons for three seasons, posting a 7-10 record each year. Upon being fired, he immediately landed another OC gig by joining Mike Tomlin and the Steelers in 2024.
Pittsburgh posted similar numbers on offense this season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback as the team did with a combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center. Once Tomlin stepped aside, the door was opened to widespread staff changes during this year’s hiring cycle. Smith’s departure confirms the Steelers will be among the teams hiring a new offensive coordinator in the near future. He handled play-calling duties during his Pittsburgh tenure, but it would come as no surprise if McCarthy did so upon arrival.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Broncos Activate C Luke Wattenberg From IR; RB J.K. Dobbins Ruled Out
After losing him for the final couple weeks of the regular season and missing him in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos have activated starting center Luke Wattenberg off their injured reserve in time for tomorrow’s Conference Championship. In a corresponding move, the team placed quarterback Bo Nix on IR following his season-ending ankle injury. 
After playing every snap of the season through 15 games for the Broncos, Wattenberg appeared on the injury report leading into Week 17 with a shoulder issue. Ultimately, it was determined that he would need to be placed on IR with the possibility that he may be able to make a return at about this point of the playoffs.
Denver turned to backup center Alex Forsyth, a third-year lineman taken out of the seventh round from Oregon, to take over in Wattenberg’s absence. Forsyth had previous subbed in as a starter for four games that Wattenberg missed in 2024, as well. In his role as the backup center, Forsyth ended up having some injury issues himself. In both his Week 18 and Divisional Round starts, third-string center Sam Mustipher was tasked with filling in for a couple snaps in place of Forsyth.
Now Wattenberg returns to close out the season for the Broncos, who are limping along at this point after the injury to Nix. The team is also without veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, who was officially ruled out yesterday and will remain on IR, per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Additionally, second-leading wide receiver Troy Franklin seems to be trending in the wrong direction as he attempts to work through a hamstring injury.
As a result, the Broncos are utilizing their two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore for Sunday’s game. Moore was called up last week, as well, but has still yet to make his Broncos debut. According to Tomasson, Moore was aware that he wouldn’t be playing last week and that the elevation was just a way of rewarding him with a full game check. Franklin’s hamstring issue opens the door, though, to some potential playing time for taxi squad pass catchers.
Though the offense isn’t at 100 percent, it’s the Broncos defense that’s gotten them this far. They’ll need that side of the ball to hold off the visiting Patriots enough to allow for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, rookie running back RJ Harvey, and the rest of the offense to find success at this most crucial point of the season.
Miami T Francis Mauigoa Declares For Draft
Considered one of the top lineman prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft and a consensus first-round talent, Miami (FL) offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa announced this week on his Instagram that he will forgo his senior year of college and declare for the draft. Following in the steps of last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Mauigoa projects as a potential top 10 pick after a strong finish to his college career under the brightest of lights. 
Unlike Cam Ward, who started out as a zero-star prospect and arrived in Coral Gables by way of Incarnate Ward and Washington State via transfer portal, Mauigoa arrived at the U as a consensus five-star prospect. Born in American Samoa, Mauigoa first got the attention of the recruiting world as a stellar two-way lineman at Aquinas HS (CA). He went back home for his sophomore year at Tafuna HS in American Samoa before transferring to the prestigious IMG Academy (FL), a school near Tampa known for bringing in top high school players from around the country to develop for college.
Mauigoa’s offers came early and often, rising him quickly to five-star status as the top schools in the country fought for his signature. After taking official visits to Alabama, Florida, USC, Miami, and Tennessee, Mauigoa committed to first-year Miami head coach Mario Cristobal before his senior year and became the headliner of the Hurricanes’ signing class. By the end of the recruiting cycle, 247Sports composite ranking listed him as the ninth-best overall recruit and the top offensive tackle in the nation.
As an early enrollee, Mauigoa got a headstart on his ability to make an impact as a true freshman but surprised many when he was named the starting right tackle in his first year with the team. He showed a ton of promise in his first season with the Hurricanes with elite size — listed at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds as a true freshman — and impressive strength for his age, but he still had plenty of room for improvement in his technique.
He improved with each season he played in Coral Gables, getting named second-team All-ACC as a sophomore before leaving no doubt as a consensus All-American in Year 3. For much of his junior campaign, draft pundits assessed that his skillset was more aligned for a role on the interior of the offensive line, but as each piece of game film came through, those pundits became a bit more bullish on the idea of Mauigoa sticking at tackle in the NFL. The view of him as an NFL tackle started to solidify more and more on his team’s run through to College Football Playoff, which ended with a home loss to the Hoosiers in the Playoff’s final game. Still, though, against some of the NCAA’s top competition, including several of the draft’s top pass rushing prospects, Mauigoa continued to shine with everyone watching, allowing just one sack and two pressures in 16 games.
Of some of those major draft pundits, Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s midseason ranking of Mauigoa as the 16th-best overall prospect and second-best offensive tackle is currently his lowest major ranking. ESPN contributors Mel Kiper Jr. and Matt Miller both have Mauigoa as their top offensive tackle prospect, with Miller ranking him as the seventh-best overall prospect and Kiper slotting him in at No. 8.
After a stellar 2025 season, Mauigoa has likely cemented his first-round status. Plenty of teams will be open to adding a top offensive line prospect with a high floor and potential to start at tackle or guard. Though not likely, if the Jets were to take him No. 2 overall, it would reunite Mauigoa with his older brother, Francisco Mauigoa, a rookie linebacker taken by New York in the fifth round last year. With the elder Mauigoa’s first name encompassing all the letters of younger brother’s, the two go by “Kiko” and “Sisi” to avoid confusion.
Patriots Activate Mack Hollins From IR
An already strong Patriots offense will welcome back a key reinforcement against the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Patriots have activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve. Hollins landed on IR with an abdomen injury on Dec. 27.
After a solid 2025 showing with AFC East rival Buffalo, Hollins joined New England on a two-year, $8.4MM agreement in free agency. The move reunited Hollins with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who first coached the well-traveled wideout in Las Vegas in 2022.
Hollins posted career highs in receptions (57), targets (94) and yards (690) in his lone season with the Raiders, and he was similarly productive this year before his IR stint. In his first 15 games as a Patriot, the 32-year-old Hollins hauled in 46 receptions on 65 targets, racked up 550 yards, and found the end zone twice.
Despite missing the last two games of the regular season, Hollins led Pats receivers in snaps (657), edging out Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs. The Patriots and MVP-contending quarterback Drake Maye nonetheless rattled off four straight wins without Hollins, including playoff victories over the Chargers and Texans.
With a win in Denver over backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriot who will fill in for the injured Bo Nix, New England will earn its 12th trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will enter the game as rare road favorites, and the return of Hollins should further increase their chances of pulling it out.
Along with activating Hollins, the Patriots made a handful of other roster moves on Saturday. The team placed defensive tackle Eric Gregory on IR, elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson and DT Leonard Taylor from the practice squad, and released receiver Trent Sherfield from its taxi squad.
Sherfield, who played 10 games with the Broncos this season, signed with the Patriots on Jan. 13. There’s little doubt the Patriots quizzed Sherfield on the Broncos during his short stay in New England.
Klay Kubiak Withdraws From HC Searches
Although he has been a candidate in multiple head coaching searches this month, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has removed himself from consideration, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Kubiak will remain in San Francisco in 2026.
The 37-year-old Kubiak drew attention from the Steelers and Raiders in this winter’s hiring cycle. The news of Kubiak’s withdrawal came shortly before the Steelers agreed to hire Mike McCarthy as their head coach. Meanwhile, the Raiders haven’t found Pete Carroll’s replacement yet, but we know it won’t be Kubiak.
There’s still a possibility Klay’s brother, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, will land the Las Vegas job. Both Kubiaks have interviewed for the position. The Bills, Browns and Cardinals are the only other teams with vacancies.
A former Colorado State quarterback, Klay Kubiak has garnered all of his NFL coaching experience with the 49ers. He joined the organization as a defensive quality control coach in 2021. Kubiak spent the next two years as the 49ers’ assistant quarterbacks coach before working as their offensive passing game specialist in 2024.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan promoted Kubiak to offensive coordinator in 2025, a year in which the 49ers overcame a rash of key injuries to finish seventh in yards and 10th in scoring. Backup quarterback Mac Jones started in place of an injured Brock Purdy eight times, tight end George Kittle missed six games, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall sat out eight, and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk didn’t play at all.
Shanahan continued as the 49ers’ primary play-caller during their injury-ravaged 2025. Nevertheless, Kubiak is important enough to the coaching staff that Shanahan would block other teams from hiring him as an offensive coordinator.
“He’s our offensive coordinator, so I don’t know, why would you let him be somebody else’s offensive coordinator,” Shanahan said last week.
For his part, Kubiak prefers to continue working with Shanahan, according to Russini. Shanahan has been the 49ers’ head coach since 2017, but he has only given the OC title to Kubiak and Mike McDaniel. While McDaniel held the role for just one season before he left to become the Dolphins’ head coach in 2022, Kubiak is now poised for a multiyear stint. With another productive season in 2026, Kubiak may reemerge as a name to watch during next winter’s hiring cycle.
Jets Fire Several Assistant Coaches
The first year of Aaron Glenn‘s tenure as head coach of the Jets has come and gone, and with it, several coaches from his first assembled staff in New York have reportedly hit the road. 
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports quarterbacks coach Charles London, passing game coordinator Scott Turner, defensive line coach Eric Washington, linebackers coach Aaron Curry, and defensive assistants Roosevelt Williams and Alonso Escalante have all been let go after their first year under Glenn in New York. Despite the dismissal of several key offensive assistant coaches, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand notably remains in place, after Glenn dismissed defensive coordinator Steve Wilks midseason.
While it’s not uncommon for first-time head coaches to make adjustments to their staff after a first attempt, this is a pretty large amount of turnover for Glenn. After letting go of one coordinator in December, hanging on to Engstrand might have been a necessity, but per Wilson, after Engstrand’s unit finished 29th out of 32 teams in both total points and total yards, a change in structures, roles, and responsibilities was expected. That structure has yet to be strictly defined, but with the dismissal of London and Turner, it’s clear a change in the approach to the passing game is a top priority.
The Jets will obviously be looking to add a quarterback for 2026, and they’ll rely on Engstrand to build a strong support staff to either develop a young draft pick or implement a new veteran addition. New York has assembled a group of pass catchers that features Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and tight end Mason Taylor, but with free agency and the draft still to determine much of how the rest of the offense will look moving forward, putting together the right staff around the pieces they know are in place becomes a crucial consideration.
The dismissal of multiple defensive staffers was mostly expected. The unit was handicapped by the front office a bit after trades that removed star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the picture, and injury issues surely didn’t help. Still, the Jets defense allowed the second-most points of any defense in the NFL, allowed the most touchdowns through the air of any team in the NFL, and became the first defense in NFL history not to record a single interception (since interceptions became a stat).
Turning around this Jets team was already going to be a struggle for Glenn and Co., and that job got harder with the loss of some top talent over the course of Glenn’s first season. Now, New York is hitting a bit of reset in Year 2 of the 53-year-old head coach, who now needs to hire a defensive coordinator and fill three position coach openings. Once the staffing is complete, the Jets will turn their attention towards reinforcing their depleted roster with what Overthecap.com says is the fifth-most cap space in the league and two first-round picks.
Dolphins Promote Bobby Slowik To OC
Newly hired Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has found his offensive coordinator. The Dolphins are promoting senior passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik to the OC role, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
This will be the second NFL offensive coordinator job for the 38-year-old Slowik, who held the position with the Texans from 2023-24. Slowik got off to an auspicious start in Houston, which orchestrated an impressive turnaround under then-rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans.
The Texans’ offense finished 2023 11th in scoring and 14th in yards, helping the team to 10 wins and an AFC South title. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl nod.
On the heels of a successful first year in Houston, Slowik drew serious head coaching consideration in January 2024. The Panthers, Titans and Seahawks all interviewed Slowik, who emerged as a finalist for openings in Atlanta and Washington. Slowik didn’t get any of those jobs, but another strong offensive showing in 2024 may have convinced someone to hire him.
While the Texans put together a second straight 10-win, division-winning campaign last year, their offense took steps backward. With Stroud’s numbers declining to a noticeable degree, the Texans ranked an underwhelming 19th in scoring and 22nd in total offense. After the unit mustered a mere 14 points in a loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round, the Texans fired Slowik exactly one year ago today.
A couple of weeks after his Texans tenure ended, Slowik reunited with then-head coach Mike McDaniel in Miami. The two first worked together on Kyle Shanahan‘s staff in San Francisco from 2017-2021. Slowik spent the first two of those seasons in a defensive quality control post before joining McDaniel, then the 49ers’ run game coordinator, as an offensive assistant.
The Slowik addition didn’t do much to help the Dolphins in 2025. The team sputtered to a 7-10 record, ending McDaniel’s four-year run as its head coach. A feeble passing attack was among the reasons the Dolphins’ offense slumped to a 25th-place mark in points and ranked an even worse 26th in yards.
With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the helm for most of the year, the Dolphins had the game’s eighth-worst passing offense. During the sixth (and worst) year of his career, Tagovailoa finished 26th out of 28 qualifying passers in QBR and posted a mediocre 88.5 passer rating.
With Tagovailoa’s 15 interceptions leading the league through Week 15, McDaniel benched him for seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. Tagovailoa didn’t play again in 2025, and the Dolphins have since replaced McDaniel with Hafley and Frank Smith with Slowik.
Before the Dolphins promoted Slowik, the Eagles showed interest in him for their vacant OC gig. Landing that job would have given Slowik a chance to work with a more talented offense and a clear-cut starting quarterback in Jalen Hurts. The Dolphins have at least a couple of legitimate weapons in running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the futures of Tagovailoa and wideout Tyreek Hill are up in the air as the offseason approaches.
Raiders Interview Brian Daboll For HC
The number of open head coaching positions and top coaching candidates are both starting to dwindle as six of the 10 open positions this offseason have been filled. Having seen two of the three candidates they invited for second interviews land jobs elsewhere, the Raiders continue to expand their board. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, former Giants head coach Brian Daboll interviewed for the open job in Las Vegas today. 
Since his midseason dismissal from New York, Daboll has remained a name to watch for head coaching jobs in this cycle. He was one of 18 coaches interviewed for the top job in Tennessee, and just recently interviewed for the Bills‘ open job. With his latest interest from the Raiders, Daboll only has two options available, but if Vegas thinks they’re ready to hire Daboll, they may want to move fast to make it happen, considering the 50-year-old made it known that Buffalo was his preferred destination. His four years as offensive coordinator with the Bills was what got him a head coaching opportunity in the first place, after all.
Daboll hasn’t just been getting head coaching interest coming out of his first tenure in a lead position. With some programs remembering the work he did as OC in Buffalo before he landed in New York, he’s garnered some offensive coordinator interest, as well. Daboll was set to interview for the open job with the Chargers before it became known that the team was expected to hire former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to the role, and he did interview this past week for the OC role in Philadelphia. McDaniel’s continued availability for other positions may mean that job isn’t quite closed to Daboll, though.
Daboll was also mentioned as a candidate for the Titans’ OC job, but he has yet to interview for it. Similar to what he said with a head coaching opportunity in Buffalo, Daboll made it known that the OC opportunity in Nashville would be his preferred destination, if he’s unable to land a head coaching gig.
As for Vegas, former Chargers DC Jesse Minter landed with Baltimore as head coach after two rounds of interviews with the Raiders, and former Packers’ DC Jeff Hafley came off the board before he could make it out to his scheduled second interview in Vegas, landing the job in Miami. The only candidate who has completed two interviews with the Raiders who is still available is another defensive coordinator in Carolina’s Ejiro Evero. After other candidates either landed elsewhere or withdrew from consideration for the position, Las Vegas has nine candidates, other than Daboll, with whom they’ve conducted a preliminary interview.
Here’s how the Raiders’ coaching search is shaping up at this latest point of the process:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/18
- Brian Daboll, former head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/24
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Conducted second interview 1/20
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): To conduct second interview 1/21
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Contacted
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed 1/8
- Klay Kubiak, offensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/18
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/9
- Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/19
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Conducted second interview 1/20
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/8
- Nate Scheelhaase, pass game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Kevin Stefanski, former head coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/8; withdrew from search
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/7