HEADLINES

Month: February 2025

Rick Spielman Takes On Full-Time Jets Role

February 6th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Upon clearing house midway through the campaign (by firing head coach Robert Saleh, and later general manager Joe Douglas), the Jets set themselves up for a lengthy offseason search process. The team took an unusual route to fill those positions, turning to the 33rd Team to play a leading role.

In particular, that included former GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman handling much of the work in identifying and interviewing candidates. The latter’s time with the franchise appeared to be over with Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey being hired, but that will not be the case. Spielman announced on Thursday (via his CBS Sports podcast) that he has accepted a full-time position with the Jets.

The 62-year-old will hold the title of senior football advisor with New York. This marks Spielman’s first role with an NFL team since his time with the Vikings came to an end. He operated as Minnesota’s general manager from 2012-21 (although he was also a central front office figure for the team in the six years which preceded that span). Spielman will obviously not have as large of a stake in decisions with the Jets as he did with the Vikings, though.

“Right now, my biggest project is trying to rebuild the football operation side of things,” Spielman explained of his new situation (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “There’s a lot of changes going on up there. I kind of feel honored and privileged that they called me to be part of it going forward.”

Spielman added that Mougey (who will have the final say on roster decisions) and Glenn will remain the central voices regarding major organizational moves. Still, his presence is noteworthy given his experience. Mougey, by contrast, is a first-time general manager; Glenn is likewise a rookie head coach. Having a veteran in the form of Spielman – who noted he is content to no longer be the top executive of an NFL team – could prove to be worthwhile.

In other Jets news (and as Cimini details), to replace recently departed co-director of player personnel Greg Nejmeh, Mougey has brought in a familiar face in the form of Rob Paton, with whom he worked in Denver. The nephew of Broncos GM George Paton, Rob had been with the Broncos since 2017 and worked as a scout. He will now take on new responsibilities in a Jets front office which includes Spielman.  

Bears Owner Virginia McCaskey Dies At 102

February 6th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears’ matriarch has passed away. The team announced on Thursday that owner Virginia McCaskey has died at the age of 102.

McCaskey’s father, George Halas, purchased the franchise in 1920 and participated in the meeting which founded the American Professional Football Association (later renamed to the National Football League). He remained the Bears’ controlling owner until his passing in 1983. At that point, McCaskey inherited the franchise.

Early in McCaskey’s time at the helm of the Bears, they won what stands to this day as their only Super Bowl title. She was still working as the team’s principal owner (a role which included voting on behalf of 13 family members on the board of directors) when Chicago most recently made it to the Super Bowl (2006). It is unclear at this point how the board will take shape moving forward as it pertains to the 80% ownership stake the McCaskey family represents.

“While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on Earth [late husband Ed McCaskey],” a family statement reads in part. “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans. Over the last 41-plus years, Mrs. McCaskey continued the steadfast mission set forth by her father to uphold the values of the City of Chicago, its people and its fans.”

George McCaskey took on the role of chairman in 2011, and he remains in that position to this day. With respect to day-to-day operations, president/CEO Kevin Warren has been at the helm since the start of last season, and that will remain the case moving forward. The Bears’ front office structure will see head coach Ben Johnson report to general manager Ryan Poles, who will in turn report to Warren.

Overall, McCaskey’s life spanned eight of Chicago’s nine NFL championships and her mark on the franchise is unquestionable. In recent years, George has made it clear the franchise is set to remain in the family moving forward, so continuity at the ownership level should be expected in the wake of his mother’s passing.

Browns Hire Christian Jones As TEs Coach

February 6th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns are hiring Christian Jones as their next tight ends coach, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Jones spent the 2024 season as the Giants assistant quarterbacks coach and will now reunite with Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. The two overlapped in Minnesota in 2019 when Stefanski was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator and Jones was in his first NFL job as an offensive quality control coach. He moved up to assistant wide receivers coach in 2020 and 2021, coaching Justin Jefferson to an NFL-record 3,016 receiving yards over his first two seasons.

Jones then joined the staff of Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka in 2022 as the Giants’ assistant quarterbacks coach. New York has struggled with inconsistent quarterback play over the last few years, but Jones pulled a few impressive performances out of undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito in 2023.

Jones attracted interest from multiple NFL teams during this year’s hiring cycle. He interviewed for the quarterbacks coach job in Seattle that ultimately went to Andrew Janocko, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Instead, he will coach tight ends in Cleveland where David Njoku will be looking to rebound after finishing 2024 on injured reserve.

NFC West Notes: Rams, Seahawks, Cards

February 6th, 2025 at 9:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Rams are hiring former Ravens, Giants, and Patriots defensive assistant Drew Wilkins as their next defensive pass-game coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Wilkins started out as an intern in Baltimore in 2011 and worked his way up John Harbaugh‘s staff. When Don ‘Wink’ Martindale took over as defensive coordinator in 2018, he promoted Wilkins to outside linebackers coach. The Ravens parted ways with Martindale in 2022, and Wilkins followed his mentor to the Giants, where he continued in the same position. However, Wilkins did not follow Martindale to Michigan in 2024, instead choosing to join Jerod Mayo‘s staff in New England.

Like Martindale, Wilkins is known for his blitz packages that prioritized pressure over sacks. In his seven seasons coaching outside linebackers, only one reached double-digit sacks in a season (Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2023). The Patriots’ pass rush struggled under Wilkins in 2024, but he will have access to a more talented defensive line in Los Angeles. Wilkins will seek to get the most out of the Rams’ young, athletic quartet of Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske.

  • Fiske left the Rams’ divisional-round loss with a knee injury that will require surgery, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. However, head coach Sean McVay told media that it would be a “minor procedure” that “won’t affect his ability to be ready for next year.”
  • Mike Macdonald made a few hires heading into his second year as the Seahawks‘ head coach. Andrew Janocko will join Seattle as their quarterbacks coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. This will be Janocko’s third stint as quarterbacks coach under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The two first coached together in Minnesota in 2021 and reunited in New Orleans last year, where they were joined by offensive line coach John Benton. Benton is also set to follow Kubiak to Seattle, according to Pelissero, where he will look to improve an offensive line that allowed 54 sacks in 2024, the third-most in the NFL.
  • Kubiak will not be bringing in his own wide receivers coach; incumbent Frisman Jackson will be retained, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. After a disappointing rookie year from 2023 first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jackson joined the staff coached the former Ohio State star to 100 receptions and 1,130 receiving yards in 2024.
  • The Cardinals hired Cowboys assistant defensive backs coach Cristian Garcia to be their next inside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Dallas was hoping to retain Garcia, but he opted to take a promotion on Jonathan Gannon‘s staff.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Pack, Vikes

February 6th, 2025 at 7:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Lions are hiring former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski as an offensive assistant, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Originally a Buccaneers sixth-round pick in 2006, Gradkowski bounced between six different teams in his career, finishing with 37 total appearances and 20 starts. He briefly coached at the high school level before joining the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks as offensive coordinator in 2022.

The Battlehawks’ passing offense have generally been successful under Gradkowski. Ex-Alabama star A.J. McCarron ranked first in passing yards and second in touchdowns in 2023. After the XFL’s merger with the USFL, former Iowa State receiver Hakeem Butler led the newly formed UFL in receiving yards on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Given his playing and coaching history, Gradkowski’s role in Detroit will likely focus on their passing offense as the Lions attempt to reload their staff after it was pilfered by other NFL teams during this year’s hiring cycle.

  • The Lions will also be working to retain their pending free agents, including defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Marcus Davenport. The team has discussed returns with both players, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, with Davenport saying after the season that he wanted to stay in Detroit. Onwuzarike has already engaged in discussions about a deal, with Birkett adding the sides talked about a second contract previously. Davenport has missed most of the past two seasons, and his loss hurt a Lions defense that played without Aidan Hutchinson for much the season as well.
  • Lions general manager Brad Holmes is not planning to have the same aggressive approach as his former boss, Rams GM Les Snead. Holmes does not believe the Lions have an expiring Super Bowl window and said that he will “stay committed to the process,” according to Birkett.
  • The Bears made a trio of hires to Ben Johnson’s coaching staff this week. Dan Roushar will be the team’s new offensive line coach after holding the same position at Tulane for the past two seasons, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Former Colts linebackers coach Richard Smith and ex-Jaguars defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett will join the Bears in the same roles, per Biggs and Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
  • The Packers will promote Sean Duggan to linebackers coach to replace new Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Duggan has spent the last five seasons under Packers DC Jeff Hafley, four at Boston College as linebackers coach and one in Green Bay as a defensive assistant.
  • Vikings wide reciver Jordan Addison pled not guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges dating back to a July 2024 arrest in Los Angeles, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Addison did not receive any punishment from the NFL for the incident, but could face a fine or suspension after legal proceedings conclude.

Raiders Add Joe Woods, Chris Beatty To Coaching Staff

February 6th, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Raiders are hiring veteran coach Joe Woods to serve as defensive pass-game coordinator on Pete Carroll’s staff, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Woods has 33 years of coaching experience – 11 in college and 22 in the NFL – including stints as defensive coordinator for the Broncos (2017-2018) and the Browns (2020-2022). He served as the Saints’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, but was not expected to return amid New Orleans’ coaching overhaul this offseason. Instead, Woods will reunite with the Raiders after spending the 2014 season as the team’s defensive backs coach when they were located in Oakland.

Woods is widely respected around the NFL for his experience as a defensive backs coach. Of his seven seasons as DC, his defense ranked in the top 10 against the pass on four different occasions.

The Raiders also hired Chris Beatty as wide receivers coach, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. He began his coaching career at the high school level and then spent 15 years in the college ranks in a variety of offensive roles. Beatty broke into the NFL in 2021 as the Chargers’ wide receivers coach, but was not retained on Jim Harbaugh‘s staff in 2024.

He then moved to Chicago, where he began the season as wide receivers coach before a promotion to interim offensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus was fired. Offensive play-calling duties remained with interim head coach Thomas Brown, though neither coach was retained under new HC Ben Johnson.

Beatty got career-best production out of Keenan Allen in 2023, but the rest of Los Angeles’ receivers group struggled in his tenure. In Las Vegas, he will take over a unit that lacks proven talent outside of Jakobi Meyers, who put up career-highs in 2024 despite the Raiders’ carousel at quarterback.

Panthers WR Adam Thielen Will Play In 2025

February 6th, 2025 at 3:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

FEBRUARY 6: Thielen confirmed to the team’s website on Thursday that he contemplated retirement after the 2024 season. He will suit up once again for the Panthers next year, though, and in doing so potentially set himself up for another trip to free agency during the waning stages of his career.

FEBRUARY 3: Adam Thielen faced an uncertain future following the end of the 2024 campaign, his second with the Panthers. The veteran wideout knows his career is nearing an end, but he will suit up for at least one more season.

“I definitely needed those two weeks to just get my energy back and spend quality family time, get away,” Thielen said while reflecting on the early offseason in an interview with Ben Nagle of the Daily Mail. “Yeah, I think I still have some more football in me. We’ll see how that plays out in the next few weeks.”

Thielen’s lengthy run with the Vikings came to an end after the 2022 campaign, but he still managed to land a three-year deal on the open market. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a $25MM pact with the Panthers in free agency, although none of his scheduled base salary for next season ($4MM) is guaranteed. Thielen is due a $1.5MM roster bonus in mid-March, and remaining on the roster past that point will of course be a strong sign he will play a third season in Carolina.

The 34-year-old had a strong debut campaign with the Panthers, recording the second most catches in his career (103) and topping 1,000 yards for the third time. Thielen was one of several receivers mentioned as a trade candidate in advance of the deadline, with a move to a contender representing something he would be on board with. Carolina did wind up dealing Jonathan Mingo midseason, but Thielen remained in place and was limited to only 10 games played.

The former UDFA noted the second-half progression shown by quarterback Bryce Young as a sign the Panthers could take a step forward in 2025. Thielen will be counted on to remain a key figure in the team’s passing attack next season, although his playing future will of course remain a talking point during the campaign given his age and status as a pending 2026 free agent. The Minnesota State alum acknowledged he is unsure of how much longer he will continue playing past the coming campaign.

“I think there’s probably more times now that you’re like, ‘all right, there’s probably not much more’ Thielen added. “So you know there’s an end in sight, but when that exactly will be is kind of a year-to-year thing.”

Thielen has amassed nearly $82MM in career earnings, and he could certainly afford to be picky when considering free agent options next offseason in the event he elected to continue his career. For now, though, his attention will turn to a third Carolina campaign.

Joe Burrow Addresses Bengals’ Pending Decisions On Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson

February 6th, 2025 at 2:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Burrow is on the books for the foreseeable future, but plenty of uncertainty currently surrounds the outlook for many other key Bengals players. Cincinnati’s franchise passer spoke on Thursday about the team’s financial situation and his role in helping to keep existing the core intact.

[RELATED: Bengals, Burrow Meet Each Offseason To Discuss Roster]

Tee Higgins highlights the list of pending Bengals free agents, and Burrow has repeatedly made it clear he views keeping him in place as a vital offseason priority. Higgins is by far the most attractive option set to hit the market at the receiver position, however, and he could approach or even surpass $30MM on a new contract. Retaining the 26-year-old at market value will be challenging given the looming mega-extension which the Bengals were unable to work out with Ja’Marr Chase last offseason.

Burrow also mentioned tight end Mike Gesicki as a pass catcher whom the Bengals should work to retain. The veteran inked a one-year, $2.5MM pact in free agency last year and had a strong debut Cincinnati campaign (65 catches, 665 yards, two touchdowns). He has likely earned a raise as a result, but the same is also true of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. The 2024 sack leader once again finds himself set to negotiate a more lucrative Bengals pact or entertain the idea of being traded. Burrow said keeping Hendrickson in place will be critical this offseason, while acknowledging a raise will be needed to do so.

“The cap is going up each year,” the former No. 1 pick added during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “We just got new TV deals. And, you know, we all want to stay together, so we’re all going to do what it takes to do that… They’re going to be paid what they’re worth, whether we do it or somebody else. I hope we do it.”

For his part, Burrow also indicated during an appearance on Up & Adams (video link) that he would be willing to restructure his pact to create additional 2025 cap space for the Bengals. As things stand, he is set to carry a $46.25MM cap charge next season; while Cincinnati is projected to sit in the top 10 in cap space this year, lowering that figure would certainly make new deals for Higgins and/or Hendrickson more feasible. It will be interesting to see how Burrow and the Bengals operate over the coming weeks in advance of the new league year in March.

Jaguars To Add Shane Waldron, John Van Dam To Coaching Staff

February 6th, 2025 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Liam Coen‘s initial Jaguars staff continues to take shape. Grant Udinski was hired as offensive coordinator yesterday, and more additions are coming on that side of the ball.

Jacksonville plans to hire Shane Waldron, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. His role will be passing game coordinator and will mark a reunion between Waldron and Coen. The two previously worked together on Sean McVay‘s Rams staff.

Waldron parlayed his time in Los Angeles into an offensive coordinator gig with the Seahawks, one he held for three seasons. The arrival of new head coach Mike Macdonald last offseason brought about sweeping changes to Seattle’s coaching staff, though, and Ryan Grubb replaced Waldron as OC. The latter was able to quickly find another coordinator opportunity by serving as the Bears’ play-caller.

Waldron did not fare well during his brief tenure in Chicago, however. The 45-year-old’s unit drew criticism from inside and outside the organization in the early stages of the season, with head coach Matt Eberflus hinting at a change during the Bears’ lengthy losing streak. Indeed, after only nine games at the helm of the offense, Waldron was fired. Things did not entirely go according to plan after Thomas Brown took over the unit, but it comes as no surprise a third straight OC gig is unavailable at this point for Waldron.

Coen’s efforts to build out his offensive staff will include at least one Buccaneers alum. John Van Dam is being added as a pass-game specialist, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Van Dam had been in Tampa Bay since 2019, handling roles such as tight ends coach and pass-game assistant along the way. His Buccaneers pact expired at the end of the campaign, leaving him free to continue working with Coen after the two did so in 2024.

The Bucs have (on more than one occasion) blocked Coen’s efforts to interview and hire other assistants as part of his process of putting together is his first Jacksonville staff. Given the nature of how Coen departed Tampa Bay to take his first career head coaching gig, that comes as little surprise. It will be interesting to see if any other former Buccaneers coaches wind up making the move to Duval County this offseason.

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