2025 January - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Patriots Fire Jerod Mayo

January 5th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots have acted quickly in making a coaching move. Jerod Mayo is out after one season at the helm, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The decision is now official.

“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” a statement from owner Robert Kraft reads in part. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. … When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. … Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.

“I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.”

The former All-Pro linebacker spent his entire eight-year career with the Patriots, and not long after hanging up his cleats he joined the team’s staff as linebackers coach. Mayo emerged as a staffer often mentioned as a potential heir apparent to Bill Belichick (as a coach, but not as a de facto general manager) and by the end of the latter’s tenure that arrangement was officially in place.

Once Belichick and Kraft parted ways last offseason, Mayo ascended to his first head coaching role at the college or NFL levels. This came due to a contract arrangement, rather than Mayo beating out competition for the job. Kraft clearly grew to regret passing on a true HC search. A year later, a Patriots HC search will be on tap.

Expectations were tempered given the state of the Patriots’ roster heading into the 2024 campaign. Questions were raised about the offensive line and skill positions, among others, but the decision to select quarterback Drake Maye made his development (once inserted into the starting lineup) a central priority. While the No. 3 pick has shown flashes, the team as a whole has not delivered consistent performances. New England entered Week 18 at or near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories, an underwhelming development given the team’s continuity from 2024 on that side of the ball.

As the Patriots’ losses piled up during the year, speculation increased with respect to Mayo’s job security. Last month, indications emerged suggesting Kraft would allow for at least one more season at the helm, but a disappointing late-season performance was named as a possibility which could sway the situation. Indeed, questions have grown louder in recent weeks, and Sunday’s result leaves the Patriots with a record of 4-13. With the pendulum having swung, the latest updates on the matter pointed to another coaching change being made on Kraft’s part this winter. That has now proven to be the path he has taken.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Mayo firing has not been matched with any dismissals in the front office at this point. No assistant coaches have been let go as of now, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated adds. That could of course change in the near future, but for now Eliot Wolf – in place as the Patriots’ top executive since May – is safe as he prepares to oversee the next phase of the team’s rebuild. That will include considerable cap resources and a premium Day 1 draft pick.

The Patriots’ win on Sunday cost them the top selection in April’s draft, but even that end-of-the-year outcome has proven insufficient for Mayo to be retained. The 38-year-old certainly has a long runway in terms of his coaching future, but in the wake of a poor first showing as a head coach it will likely take several years for him to receive his next opportunity in that capacity. Roles as a position coach or defensive coordinator could of course still await him in the future, though.

Kraft will now turn his attention to another head coaching search. Belichick was in place for 24 years, but his departure has now been followed by another after only one campaign. Mike Vrabel has been named as a candidate to watch, although that is the case for many other teams looking for a new coach. It will be interesting to see if another former Patriots player will be tapped for the gig, or if the team will ultimately move in another direction for 2025.

Browns Fire OC Ken Dorsey, OL Coach Andy Dickerson; HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry To Be Retained

January 5th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Rory Parks

Hours after their dismal 3-14 campaign came to an end, the Browns have made major changes to their offensive staff. The team has fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network was first to report.

Dorsey, 43, appeared in five games at quarterback for the Browns between the 2006 and 2008 seasons, and he began his coaching career as a quarterbacks coach for the Panthers in 2013, a role he held for five years. He took the same job with the Bills in 2019, and his work with Buffalo QB Josh Allen encouraged the club to promote him to offensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 campaign, following Brian Daboll‘s departure to become head coach of the Giants.

Dorsey’s first season in charge of the Bills’ offense went as well as could be expected, as the team finished second in the league in terms of both yards per game and points per game. In 2023, however, the unit appeared to stagnate, and Dorsey was given his walking papers at a time when Buffalo was 5-5 (even though the team was still in the top-10 in total and scoring offense).

Despite the midseason ouster, the former Miami (Fla.) standout generated OC interest last offseason. With a roster that otherwise appeared playoff-worthy, the Browns hired Dorsey to replace Alex Van Pelt in the hopes that the former could work the same magic with Deshaun Watson that he had with Allen in Buffalo and Cam Newton in Carolina. Of course, those hopes were unrealized, as Watson struggled before succumbing to a season-ending injury in October.

Immediately after Watson’s injury, head coach Kevin Stefanski — who had been calling offensive plays up to that point — handed the reins to Dorsey. When the switch happened, Cleveland was 1-6 and was 29th in the league in scoring and last in total offense (h/t Zac Jackson and Larry Holder of The Athletic (subscription required)). And while there was some improvement when Jameis Winston was inserted into the lineup, including upset wins over division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Winston himself was benched in the wake of a familiar spate of interception-laden contests, and the team played out the last three games of the season with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe under center.

Clearly, Dorsey is not the primary reason for Cleveland’s failures this season, but Stefanski has proven that his offense — whose concepts did not mesh well with Dorsey’s — can work with anyone other than Watson at quarterback, and as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirms, the head coach will remain in place in 2025 (the same is true of GM Andrew Berry). Watson, by virtue of his albatross contract that was recently restructured yet again, will also be back with the Browns, though the team is expected to pursue another starter-caliber passer in the coming months.

A compelling plan in that regard will likely be necessary to convince a coveted external candidate to come to Cleveland, as it would be surprising to see a coach with other options hitch their wagon to Watson at this point. Should the Browns choose to promote from within, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports names tight ends coach Tommy Rees as a name to watch. The team could have competition for Rees, as he has been mentioned as a possible OC hire for Mike Vrabel if Vrabel — who just wrapped his consulting gig with the Browns — should become a head coach in the upcoming cycle.

Dickerson, 42, also lasted just one season in Cleveland. He had big shoes to fill when former O-line coach Bill Callahan left to join son Brian Callahan‘s first staff in Tennessee, and the difficulty of his job was compounded by the numerous injuries that the Browns’ front five sustained this year. As Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Jounral notes, left guard Joel Bitonio was the only OL who did not miss time in 2024.

By season’s end, Vrabel was also working quite a bit with the O-line, at which point the writing was on the wall for Dickerson.

49ers Unwilling To Authorize Top-Of-Market Extension For QB Brock Purdy?

January 5th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Parks

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be eligible for an extension at season’s end, and a report from last month indicated that San Francisco wants to hammer out a new deal for its starting signal-caller this offseason. Earlier this week, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported that the team could wait on a Purdy extension – perhaps with an eye towards franchise-tagging him in 2026 if need be – but Robinson confirms the Niners would prefer to strike a multiyear accord in the coming months.

After all, the QB market continues to boom, even for players below the top tier of the position. Although Purdy has regressed from his excellent 2023 performance and has been more inconsistent in 2024 – while also turning the ball over 15 times – players like Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence arguably had not proven as much as Purdy when they entered their own negotiations, which culminated in $55MM/year contracts for the former first-rounders.

It therefore stands to reason that Purdy could command at least that much in his impending talks with the 49ers, and according to Robinson, the success of the contract discussions will depend on how ambitious Purdy’s camp plans to be. If 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant shoots for the top of the market – in other words, if he aims for Dak Prescott’s record-smashing $60MM AAV or Joe Burrow’s $146.51MM in full guarantees – then San Francisco could balk (even though Purdy has had more postseason success than Prescott, the Cowboys’ passer had unique leverage due to his prior contractual dealings with Dallas).

On the other hand, if Purdy is more “reasonable” in his demands and would be willing to accept a deal akin to Love’s (four years, $210MM, with $100MM in fully guaranteed money), the Niners may be willing to play ball. Since Purdy, as a seventh-round pick, has made less than $3MM over his first three years in the league, even a payout on Love’s level would doubtlessly be quite tempting.

That said, the Iowa State product continues to be a QBR darling, as he presently ranks seventh in the metric after leading the league in that regard, along with “traditional” quarterback rating, in 2023. He ranks 13th in quarterback rating among regular starters in 2024 (coincidentally, one spot behind Love). This is despite the fact that invaluable skill-position players Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey have played a combined 11 games, with future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams also missing significant time.

Plus, Purdy has compensated for his downturn in passing output with an improvement in his efforts as a runner, as he has carried the ball 66 times for 323 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and five scores. He is not a perfect player, and he may need more talent surrounding him than a truly elite passer might, but when it comes to quarterbacks, clubs are understandably reluctant to pass on a bird in the hand, no matter the cost. The Niners’ competitive window still appears to be wide open, and unlike the Cowboys during their first round of extension talks with Prescott, they may want to lock down their QB1 before the market continues to soar.

Tyreek Hill Open To Dolphins Trade

January 5th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday saw the Dolphins drop to 8-9 on the season and fall short of the playoffs. The team’s season is over as a result, and Tyreek Hill‘s future is once again a talking point.

The All-Pro wideout has played in Miami for the past three seasons, and a contract agreement from this past summer seemed to ensure he would remain in place for years to come. Based on his post-game comments, though, Hill’s career could include another change of scenery. A trade is something Hill would welcome, as he indicated on Sunday.

“I have to do what’s best for me and my family – if that’s here or wherever the case may be,” the 30-year-old said (video link via Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald). “I’m about to open up that door for myself… I’m out. It was great playing here but at the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

Given those remarks, Hill’s future will certainly become a major talking point. The eight-time Pro Bowler referring to his Dolphins tenure in the past tense immediately after a game is a noteworthy element of his public stance on his career. Hill has since taken to social media to thank the Dolphins’ fanbase, although that by no means ensures he intends to demand a trade. Still, this is a surprise considering the new commitment the Dolphins made prior to this season.

Taking note of the latest jump in the WR market, Hill made it clear he was seeking a new contract last offseason (although he also insisted negotiations not reach the point where a trade would be on the table). In the end, team and player agreed to a restructure which saw the value of his pact increase to $90MM (including $54MM locked in at signing and $65MM in total guarantees) while keeping him in place through 2026. Nearly all of Hill’s base compensation ($27.75MM) for next season is guaranteed, and he is due a $3.17MM option bonus in late August.

As a result, a release or trade before June 1 would not be feasible from a cap perspective from the Dolphins. A deal sending Hill to a new team after that date would create a slight net positive from a financial standpoint ($14.95MM in savings against $12.73MM in dead money), but it would of course create a major vacancy at the receiver spot. The Dolphins – who have Jaylen Waddle signed through 2028 – have relied heavily on Hill since his arrival from the Chiefs. The former fifth-rounder topped 1,700 yards in his debut Miami campaign and led the NFL with 1,799 (along with an NFL-best 13 touchdowns) last year. His production dropped this season, one in which the Dolphins’ offense dealt with many injury problems.

That includes the torn wrist ligament Hill played through for the entire campaign. He elected not to undergo surgery during the year, but his health will be something to watch closely moving forward. Hill’s postgame comments included the revelation he was dealing with a right wrist injury today (whereas the year-long ailment affected his left wrist). He exited the Dolphins’ loss midway through the contest, noting he was aware of the Chiefs-Broncos score (which was heavily in favor of Denver, something which ensured Miami would not be able to reach the playoffs even with a win) at the time he departed the game.

The Dolphins have a number of important decisions to make this offseason, but sorting out Hill’s future was not expected to be one of them. Instead, addressing his willingness to play elsewhere in 2025 will become an organizational priority, and this situation has the potential to become one of the top storylines around the league depending on how successful that effort is.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

Tennessee Titans (3-14)
Cleveland Browns (3-14)
New York Giants (3-14)
New England Patriots (4-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
New York Jets (5-12)
Carolina Panthers (5-12)
New Orleans Saints (5-12)
Chicago Bears (5-12)
San Francisco (6-11)
Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
Miami Dolphins (8-9)
Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
Houston Texans (10-7)
Denver Broncos (10-7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
Green Bay Packers (11-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
Washington Commanders (12-5)
Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
Buffalo Bills (13-4)
Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
Detroit Lions (15-2)

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Dolphins Retaining GM Chris Grier, HC Mike McDaniel

January 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Ely Allen

As Black Monday approaches and NFL teams around the league are preparing to part ways with their team leaders, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has released a statement saying that general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel will continue in their roles in 2025. Grier will enter his 10th season as GM, while McDaniel is headed into his fourth year with the team.

In Grier’s nine years, the Dolphins have cycled through three head coaches. Before the arrival of McDaniel, Grier’s Dolphins only made the playoffs once, finding the postseason in his inaugural season with then-head coach Adam Gase and then missing the playoffs in the next five years under Gase and Brian Flores. It is also worth noting Grier has only held full control since 2019, but he has held the GM title throughout three coaching tenures.

McDaniel arrived in Miami in 2022 and took the Dolphins to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons with the team, an immediate improvement. Still in all three playoff appearances under Grier, including the two under McDaniel, Miami has failed to register a single postseason win, going one-and-done in all three appearances. The Dolphins still gave McDaniel an extension this offseason.

In the statement released by Ross, he claimed that the “positive working relationship” between Grier and McDaniel “is an asset” to the team, adding that he believes “in the value of stability.”

He went on, saying, “However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough. We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.”

It’s hard to know exactly where that blame will fall and from where those changes will come. From the outside, lots of criticism has been directed at the building of an expensive roster that has returned middling team results, indicating an issue at the top of the personnel department, namely Ross. What those areas are where they deem themselves to “have fallen short” is yet to be seen.

Despite the obvious improvement since he’s arrived on staff, there were rumblings that McDaniel may find himself on the chopping block, too. Ross’ statement clears the air in that regard, as McDaniel will return for Year 4.

Going 24 years without a playoff win has Dolphins fans desperate for change and answers. Ross’ statement makes it clear that, if changes are indeed on their way, they won’t affect the job statuses of Grier or McDaniel.

Seahawks’ Ryan Grubb Could Be On Hot Seat

January 5th, 2025 at 9:36pm CST by Ely Allen

In the first year under rookie head coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks improved a game from last year’s 9-8 campaign, going 10-7 and finishing just one spot shy of a playoff berth in 2024. A defensive-minded head coach, Macdonald brought in nearby Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to serve as his offensive coordinator. A disappointing offensive performance this season, though, may force a change in that position.

In their first season, Macdonald, the former Ravens defensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator Aden Durde‘s unit finished ninth in scoring defense and 12th in total yards allowed. Grubb’s unit was a bit more middle-of-the-road, finishing 19th in points scored and 15th in total yards.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Grubb’s scheme disappointed in the run game, where they finished 30th in the league, despite the presence of two second-round picks in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The failure to establish themselves on the ground left quarterback Geno Smith in too many obvious passing situations that limited the effectiveness of the passing game.

Grubb, a well-respected offensive mind, was heavily studied by NFL teams during his time in the collegiate coaching ranks. He worked his way up through jobs in high school, the FCS, and multiple Division I FBS jobs before landing with Washington and helping them to their runner-up finish in the 2023 national championship.

Macdonald gave him his first NFL opportunity as a first-time head coach himself, and Grubb’s NFL offensive gameplan may just take a bit of time to grow and evolve. With the offense being the weak spot of the 2024 campaign, though, it makes sense that Macdonald may be interested in looking into a few changes.

Colts To Retain HC Shane Steichen, GM Chris Ballard

January 5th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite recent speculation that Colts general manager Chris Ballard‘s job could be in danger, team owner Jim Irsay has released a statement on X announcing that Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen will be returning to lead the team in 2025.

Ballard, who just finished his eighth season as GM in Indianapolis, has been under heavy fire by the media lately. During his tenure, the Colts have failed to win a single division title. The team started season 4-3 with wins over the Steelers and Dolphins, but a three-game losing streak followed by alternating wins and losses to close the year left the Colts at 8-9 and two spots out of the playoffs. This is the sixth time in Ballard’s eight years that Indianapolis has missed the playoffs and the fourth season in a row.

While Ballard was considered to be on the hot seat, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Steichen was likely to return as head coach. Only in his second season as head coach, Steichen has gone a consistent 17-17 as the skipper of the Colts.

If there is indeed a problem in the leadership in Indianapolis, it may be communication. There have been rumblings of a lack of direction as well as some “public misconceptions due to the relatively high level of secrecy within the building.” This has been especially the case surrounding the handling of the starting quarterback position and the benching of top 2023 draft pick Anthony Richardson. The perception is that the communication issues have been in the building for years, but with Steichen as head coach, the issues have improved.

If there is a coaching change, though, Jones anticipates that it could come on defense. With the team entering Week 18 at 27th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley may not end up returning to coach the defense in 2025.

As for Ballard and Steichen, Irsay’s comments seem to indicate that no changes will be made. The team will hope to find it’s direction under year nine of Ballard and year three of Steichen.

NFL Interest In Steve Sarkisian?

January 5th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Ely Allen

In a leadup to today’s final regular season games, and in anticipation of the infamous Black Monday to follow, ESPN’s Adam Schefter did a deep dive on some of the latest rumors on the upcoming coaching carousel. In this deep dive, Schefter claimed that he expects there to be interest from some NFL teams in University of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. Let’s take our own look at this possibility.

Sarkisian, affectionately referred to as “Sark” by many in the media, has been the head coach in Austin for the last four years. A former dual-sport athlete in high school, Sarkisian chose baseball as the sport to follow in college, walking on at USC. After struggling in Division I, he transferred to El Camino College, a junior college at which he was encouraged to go back to football. After being named a JuCo All-American, he transferred once again to BYU. After graduation, Sarkisian’s playing career ended following three average years in the Canadian Football League.

Immediately following the end of his playing career, Sarkisian went back to one of his alma mater’s, El Camino, to coach quarterbacks. The next year, he went to another of his former schools, taking the same job at USC coaching quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel, and Matt Leinart; Palmer would become a No. 1 overall draft selection in 2003, and Leinart would be drafted in the top 10 in 2006.

After three years in the role, Sarkisian got his first NFL opportunity, taking the same role with the Raiders in Oakland in 2004 under then-head coach Norv Turner. He only coached over quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Rich Gannon for a year before returning to USC as quarterbacks coach in 2005, just missing out on a national championship with the Trojans. He finished out the career of Leinart and remained at USC until 2008, getting promoted to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2007. Over that time, he also coached future No. 5 overall pick Mark Sanchez.

Following his success molding quarterbacks in Los Angeles, Sarkisian got his first head coaching gig at the University of Washington. In five years in Seattle, Sarkisian never found much team success, going 34-29 with his best year being an 8-4 campaign in his final season. His time their did result in quarterback Jake Locker getting drafted No. 8 overall in 2011, though.

Despite a contract extension that would’ve kept Sarkisian in Seattle until 2015, the new head coach opted to head back home to California, accepting the newly open head coaching gig at USC, replacing an ousted Lane Kiffin. Sarkisian only lasted two years in the job himself, getting fired due to suspicions of being intoxicated on the job. Sarkisian claimed to have mixed alcohol with medication, but multiple reports indicated that he simply imbibed too much alcohol on multiple occasions.

This started a road of Sarkisian working his way back to a head coaching responsibility. He took a job in 2016 as an offensive assistant at Alabama, eventually replacing Kiffin as the interim offensive coordinator when Kiffin left to become head coach at Florida Atlantic. The next year, then-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hired Sarkisian on as offensive coordinator in Atlanta. In 2017 under Sarkisian, the Falcons offense finished 15th in points scored and eighth in total yards. The next year, Atlanta’s offense was 10th in points and sixth in total yards, but these were still considered regressions from 2016 when the team was first in points and second in yards, and Sarkisian was dismissed.

This sent Sarkisian back to Tuscaloosa, where he officially got the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Crimson Tide. In his two years back at Alabama, Sarkisian took over the tutelage of first-round picks Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5 overall) and Mac Jones (No. 15), coaching over Jones’ incredible 4,500-yard, 41-touchdown, four-interception season with a 77.4 completion percentage in 2020.

This led Sarkisian to his third opportunity at a head coaching job, this one with the Longhorns. It took him a moment to find success in Austin, going 5-7 in his first season, but in 2022, transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers came to Texas and the team returned to their winning ways. Last year, the Longhorns made the four-team College Football Playoff for the first time, falling to the eventual runners-up of the season and his former team, the Huskies.

This year, Texas was dominant for much the year, falling only twice (both times to Georgia). They made the 12-team College Football Playoff, and after two wins against Clemson and Arizona State, they have advanced to the semi-finals for the second time in a row. They will play Ohio State this weekend and, if they win, will play the winner of a matchup between Penn State and Notre Dame for a national championship title.

The prospect of Sarkisian getting head coaching interest in the NFL is certainly an intriguing one. His history with alcohol abuse will be an obvious red flag in interviews, but he seems to have distanced himself from such issues with his time at Alabama, Atlanta, and Texas and has perhaps earned back some good will. His time in Austin has been his longest stint in one place since his five years with Washington, and his turnaround of the Longhorns’ program has certainly been impressive.

He’s considered a respected offensive name in the football world and has shown a strong ability as a head coach in recent years. As a molder of many NFL quarterbacks over the years, he could be an ideal fit for a team fielding a young quarterback or looking to draft one. It will be interesting to see where he draws interviews in the coming weeks.

Vikings Not Planning Kevin O’Connell Trade

January 5th, 2025 at 6:52pm CST by Rory Parks

6:52pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has been informed by a source inside the Vikings’ building plainly stating an O’Connell trade will not take place. That update may not dissuade interest from potential suitors, but it points further in the expected direction of a long-term Minnesota tenure being on tap for O’Connell.

12:33pm: The consensus seems to be that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel are the top two candidates in this year’s HC cycle. But if he were available, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell would be at the top of many wishlists, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that multiple teams are considering trying to trade for the Coach of the Year candidate (video link).

O’Connell’s contract with Minnesota expires at the end of the 2025 season. While a report last month indicated that the team is expected to discuss an extension with him, those talks had not commenced as of the time of the report, and Glazer says nothing has changed in that regard over the last 30 days. Because the 39-year-old is entering a theoretical lame duck campaign, rival clubs apparently feel it is at least worth making an overture to the Vikes to gauge trade interest.

Needless to say, it would be borderline shocking if Minnesota did not retain O’Connell. Over his first three seasons as the Vikes’ HC, O’Connell has posted a 34-16 record, including a 14-2 mark this season (and, if the team wins today’s regular season finale against the Lions, it will have captured the NFC’s No. 1 seed). He has also been lauded for the proficiency of his offensive system, which has coaxed quality performances out of Kirk Cousins and an out-of-the-blue Pro Bowl showing from Sam Darnold – who was signed merely as a bridge option last offseason – in 2024.

Indeed, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com says ownership is thrilled with O’Connell’s performance, and while the third-year coach is due for a hefty raise, the only way he is not with the Vikings in 2025 is if he for some reason wants to leave (and there is no indication that’s the case). Likewise, despite the lack of urgency to get a deal done before now, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports that ownership has every intention of talking contract with O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah whenever the team’s season draws to a close.

Perhaps, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com posits, Glazer’s report stemmed from O’Connell’s camp as a way to increase the coach’s leverage in impending negotiations. Regardless, barring a major turn of events, it seems that teams in need of a new HC will need to turn their attention elsewhere.

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