The Average Age Of NFL Head Coaches In 2018
This year, seven NFL teams made head coaching changes. As a whole, the moves continued the NFL’s trend of moving in a younger direction. 
Here is the age of every NFL’s head coach, ordered from youngest to oldest at the start of Week 1 of the 2018 season:
- Sean McVay, Rams – 32
- Kyle Shanahan, 49ers – 38
- Matt Nagy, Bears – 40
- Adam Gase, Dolphins – 40
- Mike Vrabel, Titans – 43
- Matt Patricia, Lions – 43 (Note: Patricia turns 44 just days after the Lions’ season opener.)
- Sean McDermott, Bills – 44
- Vance Joseph, Broncos – 45
- Mike Tomlin, Steelers – 46
- Dan Quinn, Falcons – 47 (Note: Quinn turns 48 just days after the Falcons’ season opener.)
- Bill O’Brien, Texans – 48
- Anthony Lynn, Chargers – 49
- Steve Wilks, Cardinals – 49
- Doug Pederson, Eagles – 50
- Jay Gruden, Redskins – 51
- Jason Garrett, Cowboys – 52
- Hue Jackson, Browns – 52
- Pat Shurmur, Giants – 53
- Doug Marrone, Jaguars – 54
- Sean Payton, Saints – 54
- Todd Bowles, Jets – 54
- Mike McCarthy, Packers – 54
- Jon Gruden, Raiders – 55
- John Harbaugh, Ravens – 55
- Ron Rivera, Panthers – 56
- Frank Reich, Colts – 56
- Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers – 59
- Marvin Lewis, Bengals – 59
- Andy Reid, Chiefs – 60
- Mike Zimmer, Vikings – 62
- Bill Belichick, Patriots – 66
- Pete Carroll, Seahawks – 66 (Note: Carroll turns 67 just days after the Seahawks’ season opener.)
Just two years ago, Adam Gase was the league’s youngest head coach at the age of 38. That’s still young by NFL head coaching standards, but 38-year-old Kyle Shanahan is a ways behind Sean McVay of the Rams, who is the youngest head coach in the NFL.
The NFL’s oldest head coach is Pete Carroll, who was born about eight months before Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Using Week 1 as our starting point, the average age of NFL head coaches in 2018 is 51 years old. That shows a significant dip from 2016, when the average age of head coaches was 53.4 and 2017, when the average age was 52.5.
Could the average of NFL head coaches dip even further in 2019? It’s certainly possible with coaches over the average age on the hot seat including Hue Jackson, Dirk Koetter, Jay Gruden, John Harbaugh, and Todd Bowles.
Albert Breer On NFL Supplemental Draft
This year’s supplemental draft figures to be the most exciting in years. Those who have been keeping up with Pro Football Rumors in recent weeks are already familiar with Sam Beal, the former Western Michigan cornerback who many say could have been a first-round pick in the 2019 draft. Besides Beal, there’s also former Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander to consider, a player with tremendous measurables and real NFL upside.
There are others in this year’s class, but Albert Breer of The MMQB hears that Beal and Alexander may wind up as the only players selected. That’s bad news for Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant, who recently drew 40 scouts to his pro day.
“He’s a nightmare discipline-wise,” one AFC college director said. “Very unreliable, plays outside the scheme, not reliable in coverage, his eyes are all over the place. Just can’t trust him. He’s physical and quick and fast. Should he be draftable? Sure. But with all the other stuff …”
The odds seem even dimmer for Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu and Grand Valley State running back Martayveus Carter. Although he has some starting experience in college, Ugwoegbu has the size of the safety and clocked in at his pro day with the speed of a defensive tackle. Carter’s size is also working against him as evaluators feel he does not have the necessary bulk to break tackles and run inside at the pro level.
So, while Bryant, Ugwoegbu, and Carter may have a hard time convincing teams to forfeit a 2019 draft pick for them, it sounds like Beal and Alexander are very much on the radar. Beal may have some maturity issues, but that shouldn’t prevent him from finding an NFL home on July 11.
“He’s the more talented cover guy [compared to Alexander],” said an AFC scouting director. “A pure cover guy, fits a lot of schemes. He’s a skinny dude, and even though he presses well, you look at his body, how well does he project? … He’s not a bad guy, just kind of a knucklehead. The kind who’ll wear the wrong color socks or miss curfew or have 25 parking tickets and not pay them off.”
Meanwhile, Breer hears that Alexander’s size could make him a fit for the Seahawks. His 40-yard-dash time at his pro day might not have helped him, as he clocked in at 4.50 seconds on one run and 4.60 on another.
“If he’d run faster, I wouldn’t have been shocked to see him in the second or third round,” said an NFC exec. “I think the absolute highest he’d go now is third round. He’s so big and long.”
This Date In Transactions History: NFL Suspends Gates, McClain, Richardson
The days leading up to the Fourth of July aren’t necessarily a hotbed of activity in the NFL. But, sometimes, the league office will use the cover of the holiday weekend to drop some unfavorable news. That’s what the NFL did on July 2, 2015 when it announced the suspensions of three notable players. 
Three years ago today, the league announced suspensions for Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, and Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain. All three players were banned for the first four games of the season – Gates for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy and McClain and Richardson for substance abuse policy violations.
Gates issued a statement soon after the suspension came down, saying that he tested positive for a substance that he was unaware was on the league’s banned list. At the time, it felt like the ban could signal the end of the Gates era in San Diego and the beginning of the Ladarius Green era. Green had flashed his immense physical tools in the past, but was buried behind Gates on the tight end depth chart. Green was productive in Gates’ absence, but Gates came storming back when he took the field and finished ahead of Green in all major statistical categories. In the following year, Green went on to sign an ill-fated contract with the Steelers and Gates remained as the team’s primary tight end.
Richardson’s suspension, meanwhile, probably hurt his standing with his team. Richardson’s suspension gave rookie Leonard Williams a chance to shine and further reinforced the perception of him as a bad teammate. The former first-round pick turned in the worst season of his career to date and lost upwards of $600K in salary and bonus money as a result of the suspension. The Jets tried hard to trade Richardson throughout the 2016 season, but could not find any takers. Then, just before the start of the ’17 campaign, they shipped him to the Seahawks for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and a second-round pick.
McClain’s suspension was the result of violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a fourth time in his NFL career. In a statement, McClain vowed that he would “not break the rules of [his] profession in the future.” Unfortunately, he was unable to keep that promise. In 2016, McClain was suspended for substance abuse yet again, this time for ten games. He later failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. McClain has reportedly battled an addiction to “purple drank” (a mixture of codeine-based cold medication and soda) and there has been no word of a potential comeback in some time.
Buccaneers’ Jameis Winston Changes Agents
After reaching a compromise with the league on his suspension, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has fired his agents, according to PFT. The change has been in the works for a few months, but the timing is still curious. 
Under the league’s personal conduct policy, Winston could have easily been suspended for up to six games after being accused of sexual assault. Instead, Winston’s reps – with help from the NFLPA – negotiated a settlement in which he will miss the first three games of the 2018 season. The suspension also comes with the caveat that Winston could be banned from the league if he commits another infraction.
According to one source, Winston simply wants agents with more experience in the NFL to negotiate his next contract. Winston, for now, is under team control for the next two years as he enters the final year of his original rookie deal plus his 2019 fifth-year option worth $20.9MM. His previous agents – Greg Genske and Kenny Felder – are well-known in the baseball world, but have yet to work out a football contract on this level.
It’s possible that bigger agents will want to steer clear of Winston given his damaged reputation, but the Bucs QB still has tremendous earning potential. If the former first round pick puts up career numbers in 13-game season, he could command a lucrative extension from the Bucs to put him near the top of the QB market.
NFC Notes: Carson, Falcons, Barr, Rams
The Seahawks have struggled not just to replace offensive linemen from the Marshawn Lynch era but to replace Lynch himself. Last season, they went through several running backs but saw none emerge as a surefire answer. Five backs — Eddie Lacy, Mike Davis, Thomas Rawls, Chris Carson, J.D. McKissic — received more than 45 carries, but none surpassed 70 in a strange season. Now, the team is hoping one of these players in particular will be the leader in 2018. Carson’s been the clear No. 1 back throughout the offseason, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times expects him to be the starter in Week 1, should he stay healthy. Carson averaged 4.2 yards per carry prior to breaking his ankle early in the season. The Seahawks also added Rashaad Penny in the draft, but at this point, Carson is running ahead of the San Diego State alumnus few expected to be a first-round pick. Condotta also expects Prosise and McKissic to vie for the third-down back role, mentioning Prosise — should he stay healthy after an injury-prone career thus far — as a threat to factor into the starter conversation.
Here’s the latest from the NFC, pivoting to one of the Seahawks’ top rivals.
- Although the Rams drafted three linebackers and have emerging backup Matt Longacre due back from injury, the team that devoted substantial offseason resources to restocking its defensive line and secondary doesn’t have much in the way of certainty on its second level. The Rams traded Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree, shedding salary but creating lineup vacancies. The team is counting on Longacre, 2017 fourth-rounder Samson Ebukam and third-year UDFA Cory Littleton to be first-string presences, Joe Curley of USA Today notes. Los Angeles drafted edges Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Trevon Young in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively, and brought in ILB Micah Kiser with a fifth-round pick. However, Curley adds that ex-Chief inside ‘backer Ramik Wilson could be called upon as a possible starter as well in this still-muddled situation.
- Desmond Trufant may have a new sidekick at some point this season. The Falcons used second-round pick Isaiah Oliver at right cornerback throughout the offseason, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution notes Dan Quinn would like to have a bigger presence at that position (Robert Alford is 5-foot-10; Oliver is 6-1). While predicting Oliver will begin his career as a special-teamer, Ledbetter writes that Alford would be an option as the Falcons’ slot corner if Oliver moves into the starting lineup. The Falcons extended Alford in 2016 and are set to pay him over $9MM in each of the next three seasons, though they can get out of that contract relatively easily after 2018.
- Anthony Barr‘s effort level may be one of the factors involved in the Vikings‘ line of thinking regarding an extension for the fifth-year linebacker, Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. A Barr extension would probably require for him to either top or come quite close to exceeding Jamie Collins‘ OLB-high $12.5MM-AAV contract, and the Vikings already have a host of recently constructed extensions on their books. Barr’s been one of the best 4-3 outside ‘backers in the game for several years, but Mike Zimmer has questioned his effort in the past. The Vikings, who have already extended Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter this year, have begun re-up conversations with Barr.
Browns Rumors: Taylor, Njoku, Janis, Cribbs
Throughout the offseason, Hue Jackson has insisted there is no quarterback competition in Cleveland. Even before the Browns’ No. 1 overall pick became known, the third-year head coach said Tyrod Taylor will be his starter. And Jackson wants that to be the case for the duration of this season. As for why the Browns were steadfast with Taylor as their starter despite the team going 0-16 last season: the franchise wants to make this year about winning games rather than developing a rookie quarterback at any cost, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Mayfield’s progressing quickly, in Cabot’s view, and showing the kind of arm talent that had Browns execs and then-consultant Scot McCloughan convinced going into the draft he could turn the franchise around. Another argument could be made that the Browns’ status as a non-contender, talent added this offseason notwithstanding, should prompt them to get Mayfield some reps early this season. Cabot does believe the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner will play this year, but for now, it doesn’t look like the Oklahoma product will be fast-tracked into the lineup like 2017 first-rounders Mitch Trubisky or Deshaun Watson were with their respective teams.
Here’s the latest from northeast Ohio:
- One of the players Taylor will be targeting has enjoyed a strong offseason. Jackson expects David Njoku to make a major leap in his second season. “I expect to see a huge jump,” Jackson said, via Patrick Maks of ClevelandBrowns.com. “He’s very athletic. He can catch and run. He’s going to be one of our playmakers.” Njoku caught 32 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns last season, despite the Browns having probably the worst quarterback situation in the league. The Browns noticed significant improvement from the Miami alum this offseason, and QBs coach Greg Seamon said the 6-foot-4 pass-catcher should be a “dominant receiver in the red zone.”
- Though the Browns brought in Antonio Callaway and Damion Ratley in this year’s draft, and added Jarvis Landry via trade, there could be a spot for Jeff Janis on the 53-man roster. Cabot notes Janis has some fans in Cleveland’s new-look front office, given that he was a Packers draft pick when Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith were part of Green Bay’s operation, and believes that will help his case. Janis may well be competing against Sashi Brown-era draftees Rashard Higgins and Ricardo Louis. Cabot notes Higgins has probably had the better offseason of the two. Former first-rounder Corey Coleman is not a lock to be part of this year’s team, either, so Janis — a former seventh-round pick with 17 career catches who is at the same time well known well because of his heroics against the Cardinals in a divisional playoff game — could have an avenue to sneak onto the roster.
- Josh Cribbs is serving as a Browns intern coach this summer, and Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer reports the former star return man interviewed to be the team’s assistant special teams coach this offseason. That job, however, went to Sam Shade. This will be Shade’s first season as an NFL assistant. However, after the Browns chose Shade over Cribbs, new special teams coordinator Amos Jones was impressed enough with Cribbs to bring him on board as an intern, per Pluto.
Seahawks S Kam Chancellor To Retire
After eight seasons with the Seahawks, Kam Chancellor is announcing his retirement. An essential component of the famed Legion of Boom secondary will walk away from the game after being diagnosed with a severe neck injury last year.
Chancellor announced (via Twitter) he’s stepping away because of the injury. He turned 30 in April and played all eight of his NFL seasons in Seattle, where he became one of the NFL’s best safeties.
This doesn’t qualify as an official retirement, though, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting (via Twitter) Chancellor merely isn’t medically cleared to play and is walking away because of it. This detail matters because of his contract.
The hard-hitting defender said earlier this year he planned to play in 2018 if he received medical clearance. He was due to undergo additional medical testing in June but said Sunday doctors did not see any improvement on his latest scan.
Pete Carroll indicated on multiple occasions Chancellor may be forced to walk away because of the injury he sustained midway through last season. The safety had also lost a considerable amount of weight, with Rapoport tweeting he was down at around 200 pounds recently. So, this was not an unexpected conclusion.
This will represent the latest exit of a top-flight Seahawk.
Teaming with Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and a succession of right cornerbacks, the Seahawks formed an all-time great secondary. It helped the franchise to five straight playoff berths, two Super Bowl appearances and one championship. Chancellor played in 14 playoff games, the first of which coming after his 2010 rookie season when the Seahawks stunned the Saints in the wild-card round. Those two games would be the last two postseason tilts that featured Chancellor as a backup.
He started the next 12 playoff contests for the Seahawks and served as a menacing presence on their back end. The Virginia Tech product earned four Pro Bowl berths and notched back-to-back 100-plus-tackle seasons — both occurring during campaigns that ended with the Seahawks celebrating NFC championships. He finished with 12 career interceptions and nine forced fumbles.
The Seahawks are going to be on the hook for $6.8MM this year because Chancellor was on the roster after February 10. And since this is not an official retirement, Chancellor is due $5.2MM guaranteed in 2019, Rapoport notes.
Chancellor lobbied frequently for a new contract after seeing lesser-acclaimed safeties sign better deals, and the Seahawks finalized one with him in August of last year. Chancellor signed a three-year, $36MM deal and was the first of the LOBers to sign a third Seattle pact. He saw $13MM in fully guaranteed money because of that August re-up.
This injury, unfortunately, won’t allow him to reach the first season on that extension.
Now, the Seahawks will enter the 2018 season without Chancellor, Sherman, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril from their once-formidable defense. Only Thomas remains in the secondary, with Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright still around from the glory years at linebacker. Avril has not yet announced his retirement from what Carroll also said could be a career-ending neck injury, but he’s a free agent now after the Seahawks released him.
5 Key NFL Stories: 6/24/18 – 7/1/18
NFL officially suspends Jameis Winston. As expected, the league banned Winston for the first three games of the season after he allegedly groped an Uber driver in 2016. Winston has denied any wrongdoing, but did accept some responsibility for the incident in a public statement. The suspension, which will cost Winston more than $1MM, will force him out of action against the Saints, Eagles, and Steelers, leaving veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to start in his stead. If Winston violates that NFL’s personal conduct policy again, he could face a permanent ban from the league.
Vikings extend Danielle Hunter. After extending fellow defensive end Everson Griffen last summer, the Vikings have also handed a new deal to Hunter, inking him to a five-year, $72MM pact. Hunter’s $14.4MM annual salary will place him 11th among rushers, which given his age and contract leverage, makes Hunter’s deal extremely team-friendly. While full details have yet to be divulged (Hunter received $40MM in guarantees, but those almost certainly aren’t full guarantees), Hunter did receive a $15MM singing bonus. Up next on Minnesota’s docket? Finding new contracts for receiver Stefon Diggs and/or linebacker Anthony Barr.
Tamba Hali likely to retire. While he hasn’t made a final decision, Hali sounds incredibly likely to hang up his cleats. “I don’t want to focus too much on football,” Hali said. I don’t see myself getting back into football. I see myself being involved with the Chiefs somehow, maybe as a specialist being able to teach the guys. I don’t want to lie to myself. I think the time has come.” Hali, 34, only managed to appear in five games after an injury limited him for the majority of the season. He hasn’t posted double-digit sacks in five years, and hasn’t generated any known free agent interest since being released by Kansas City in March.
Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham suspended. The defending champs will play one game without a starting linebacker, as Bradham was banned a single contest due to a 2016 case in which he was charged with aggravated assault. Although Bradham avoided jail time for the incident, the NFL often suspends players regardless of legal outcome. Bradham signed a five-year, $40MM extension with Philadelphia after posting arguably the best season of his career in 2017. Without Bradham in tow, the Eagles will turn to either Corey Nelson, Kamu Grugier-Hill, or Nate Gerry to step into the starting lineup.
Bucs release guard J.R. Sweezy. Only two seasons into a five-year deal, Sweezy was cut loose by Tampa Bay last week. While health questions marks kept Sweezy off the field in 2016, he did manage to post 14 starts a season ago. Still, the Bucs could now use the money saved by releasing Sweezy to extend one of their young players such as linebacker Kwon Alexander or offensive lineman Ali Marpet. Sweezy, meanwhile, could logically reunite with the Seahawks, with whom he played four seasons earlier in his career.
PFR Originals: 6/24/18 – 7/1/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff over the past week:
- We covered six notable moves in our This Date In Transactions History series:
- Zach Links looked at wide receiver Joe Horn‘s retirement in 2010.
- Zach then analyzed the Panthers’ decision to franchise tag defensive end Julius Peppers in 2009.
- Ben Levine probed the Vikings’ ill-fated decision to sign linebacker Desmond Bishop in 2013.
- Zach went over Ed Reed‘s six-year, $40MM contract, a deal which made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
- Zach also covered Andrew Luck‘s 2016 contract extension, which made him the highest-paid player in NFL history (at the time).
- Finally, Ben touched on ex-Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain‘s 2016 10-game suspension.
- We also posted five polls last week:
- Andrew Ortenberg asked which NFC East had the most productive offseason.
- Zach asked which top-10 NFL draft pick will have the largest role in 2018.
- I asked which new head coach will experience the most success during the upcoming season.
- Zach asked which NFL club won the 2018 draft.
- Sam Robinson asked if the Steelers will extend running back Le’Veon Bell before a July 16 deadline.
- PFR looked at three candidates for a contract extension:
- In a pair of PFR Glossary entries, Zach went over both the supplemental draft and contract guarantees.
Free Agent DT Roy Miller To Retire
Free agent defensive tackle Roy Miller — who had been scheduled to serve a six-game suspension — announced on Instagram that he intends to retire from the NFL.
“I am officially retiring from the NFL,” Miller said. “Unfortunately my ex is trying everything she can to ruin any opportunity for me to work for my kids. This has caused me much pain. [H]ad some interest [from] teams but until the divorce goes through I can’t even contemplate putting a team through the drama.”
Miller, who will turn 31 years old next week, was arrested on a domestic battery charge last November, and was also reportedly involved in some sort of violent altercation last week, per TMZ Sports. Miller’s wife is filing for divorce and has asked for a restraining order, but the NFL veteran is claiming there’s more to the story.
On the field, Miller appeared in 119 games and 84 starts over a nine-year career after being selected in the third round of the 2009 draft. A University of Texas product, Miller split his first eight pro seasons between the Buccaneers and Jaguars, and played seven games with the Chiefs in 2017 before being cut.