Mike Rutenberg ‘Leading Candidate’ For Titans’ DC Job
New Titans head coach Robert Saleh has found an offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll, but the team’s D-coordinator position remains open. That may change soon, though, as Falcons defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg has emerged as a “leading candidate” to take over as the Titans’ DC, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. The Titans requested an interview with Rutenberg last week.
The 44-year-old Rutenberg is coming off his first season in Atlanta, whose pass defense ranked a respectable 13th in the NFL. The Falcons also tied for sixth with 16 interceptions, five of which came from rookie third-round pick Xavier Watts, and 11th in passer rating against (88.2).
A few weeks after his productive first season with the Falcons ended, Rutenberg could reunite with Saleh in Tennessee. The two already have a long history together that began in Jacksonville over a decade ago.
Saleh was the Jaguars’ linebackers coach in 2014, and Rutenberg was their assistant defensive backs coach. Six years later, Rutenberg worked under Saleh, then San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, as the 49ers’ passing game specialist in 2020. Saleh then brought Rutenberg with him to New York when he became the Jets’ head coach in 2021.
Rutenberg coached the Jets’ LBs through last season, Saleh’s final year on the job. Jeff Ulbrich finished the campaign as the Jets’ interim head coach after they fired Saleh in October 2024. With Ulbrich on his way out to take the Falcons’ defensive coordinator gig last offseason, Rutenberg accompanied him to Atlanta.
Since beginning his career as an intern with Washington in 2003, Rutenberg hasn’t worked as a defensive coordinator at either the pro or college levels (he coached at UCLA and New Mexico from 2006-12). Past play-calling experience isn’t a must in this case, though, with Saleh set to handle those responsibilities in 2026.
Aside from Rutenberg, here’s the small list of DC candidates Saleh has considered to replace the fired Dennard Wilson:
- Aaron Whitecotton, defensive line coach (Cowboys): Interview requested; hired as DL coach
- Al Harris, defensive backs coach (Bears): Interviewed 1/24
- Dino Vasso, defensive backs coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/24
Giants, Browns Picking Apart Old Ravens Staff
For new Giants head coach John Harbaugh, having to completely build a new staff for the first time in 18 years was going swimmingly as he cleared out several incumbent staffers and started to import assistant coaches from his old staff in Baltimore. That strategy hit a snag when the Browns hired Harbaugh’s former offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their new head coach. 
To start, there had been rumors that Harbaugh had wanted Monken to follow him to New York and coordinate his offense led by Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers. Not only does Harbaugh now have to go back to the drawing board on hiring an offensive coordinator, but he now also has to fend off his former coordinator for former Ravens staffers that both men might want in their new cities.
The first instance of this saw Monken win out as offensive line coach George Warhop decided to follow Monken to Cleveland. Warhop had only arrived in Baltimore two years ago to serve as an interim OL coach when longtime Ravens OL coach Joe D’Alessandris was hospitalized over the summer. When D’Alessandris unfortunately passed away eight days later, Warhop stepped into the full-time role. Harbaugh had expressed strong interest in bringing Warhop to New York, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, but ultimately, Monken won the battle for his services.
Shortly after that, Monken named Travis Switzer as his offensive coordinator. Switzer had spent his entire coaching career in Baltimore, joining the team in 2017 as an administrative assistant. He worked his way up the ladder, serving as a performance staff assistant in 2018, then two years as a coaching analyst for the offense, two years as an offensive quality control coach, and three years as run game coordinator. The 33-year-old has now earned his first offensive coordinator opportunity with the Browns.
Monken also worked quickly and is expected to hire former Ravens offensive assistant Danny Breyer, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, elevating him in the process to the title of pass game coordinator. Per Zenitz, Breyer worked closely with the Ravens’ talented tight ends group anchored by Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely during his three years with the team. He now heads to Cleveland where another talented pair of tight ends — veteran David Njoku and rookie sensation Harold Fannin Jr. — just finished the year with a combined 105 receptions for 1,024 yards and 10 touchdowns.
It may not only be coaches the two staffs are fighting for. We’ve already heard rumors that pending free agent center Tyler Linderbaum is a target of Harbaugh’s. With Likely also expected to hit free agency, he may want to keep working with Breyer in Cleveland. Njoku is also set to become a free agent, so Monken and the Browns may work to bring in a younger veteran who is more accustomed to working in a duo to pair with Fannin.
Harbaugh may have realized that the offense staff could be off limits. Today, it was announced that Chad Hall, who served as New York’s assistant quarterbacks coach in 2025, will stick around but with a new title. Hall is expected to be named wide receivers coach for the team in 2026, per Zenitz. Harbaugh hasn’t given up on picking apart the Ravens’ defensive staff, though. According to Zenitz, Baltimore’s former defensive backs coach, Donald D’Alesio, is set to join the coaching staff in New York. A follow-up report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us D’Alesio will join the Giants as defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach. He joins running backs coach Willie Taggart, defensive line coach Dennis Johnson, special teams coordinator Chris Horton, and assistant linebacker coach Matt Pees in the Ravens’ migration to New York.
As for Baltimore, new head coach Jesse Minter is working to fill out his first coaching staff, but as he does, he doesn’t have to worry about one aspect. Usually, pursuing a defensive coordinator hire requires an evaluation a coach’s play-calling abilities, but according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Minter has declared his plans to call the defense as head coach. Zrebiec also relayed that, much like Harbaugh enjoyed in Baltimore and demanded in New York, Minter will report directly to owner Steve Bisciotti, presumably on equal footing with general manager Eric DeCosta. In fact, DeCosta was the one who reported it to the media.
Following the filling of their offensive coordinator position, the Ravens are also looking at interviewing Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry for the same position, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. While there isn’t expected to be much change in Buffalo’s offensive staff after Joe Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach, Curry actually goes back even further with new Ravens OC Declan Doyle. The two spent four years together in New Orleans on staff with the Saints under Sean Payton.
Curry has interviewed for offensive coordinator openings with the Broncos and Jets and could still win either job, so he’s not necessarily locked in right now with Buffalo. Since the move to Baltimore would be a lateral one, Brady and Co. may opt to block him from interviewing, but if he does miss out on an OC position and get the opportunity to interview with the Ravens, it will be interesting to see if Curry gets his pick at choosing between the two most-recent MVP-winners.
Falcons Hire Alex Van Pelt As QBs Coach
Kevin Stefanski is bringing one of his former offensive coordinators to Atlanta. Alex Van Pelt, who worked under Stefanski in Cleveland from 2020 to 2023, will be joining the Falcons as their quarterbacks coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
Van Pelt, 55, served as a senior offensive assistant for the Rams in 2025. He was the Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023 with the added title of quarterbacks coach in his final year. Cleveland’s offense generally ranked in the middle of the league during his tenure, though that was a significant improvement over the previous decade. Before that, he occupied a variety of roles with the Bills, Packers, Buccaneers, and Bengals, typically as the quarterbacks coach, though he was the Bills’ OC in 2009 and the Packers’ running backs coach in 2012 and 2013. For the next four seasons, Van Pelt worked closely with Aaron Rodgers, who earned three Pro Bowls and was named MVP in 2014.
After leaving Cleveland, Van Pelt served as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2024 before he was hired by the Rams in 2025. New England finished as a bottom-three offense under Van Pelt, who struggled to get Drake Maye going in his rookie season. The Rams’ offense in 2025 was far more successful, but Van Pelt’s impact is harder to quantify given the presence of Sean McVay and Nate Scheelhaase in Los Angeles.
In Atlanta, Van Pelt will be tasked with continuing the development of Michael Penix Jr. He may also be asked to get a new quarterback up to speed quickly, as Penix’s availability for the start of the 2026 season is no guarantee.
Seahawks Would ‘Love’ To Keep RB Kenneth Walker
Seattle is preparing to face New England in Super Bowl LX, which could also be running back Kenneth Walker‘s last game in a Seahawks uniform. The fourth-year man is on track to reach free agency in March, but general manager John Schneider understands Walker’s importance to the team and doesn’t want to lose him in the offseason.
“Ken has been awesome,” Schneider told the media (via Mike Florio of PFT). “Explosive. I would say maybe a little bit more decisive the last month and a half. He’s a free agent. We’d love to have him back.”
Walker, whom Schneider chose in the second round of the 2022 draft, played a 17-game regular season for the first time in 2025 and put together his second 1,000-yard campaign. The former Michigan State Spartan totaled 1,027 yards and five touchdowns on 221 carries (4.6 YPC).
As Schneider noted, Walker has been especially successful in recent weeks. The 25-year-old has rushed for 95-plus yards in three of the Seahawks’ past five games. He ran roughshod over the 49ers in a 41-6 win in the divisional round, when he amassed 116 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Walker chipped in a more modest 62 yards on 19 carries in an NFC title game win over the Rams, but he added 49 yards on four catches and scored another TD on the ground.
Aside from an injury-limited 2024 in which he tallied a mere 573 yards on 153 carries (a career-low 3.7) over 12 contests, Walker has typically posted solid numbers. He averaged 223 carries, 994 yards and seven rushing TDs in approximately 16 games per year in his other three seasons. Walker hauled in a personal-best 46 catches in 2024, but he has otherwise hovered around 30 per annum.
While Walker’s traditional numbers have never been elite, Pro Football Focus nonetheless ranked him as its No. 1 back in 2025. That may be something Walker’s representatives point out when negotiating his next contract.
Notably, Walker hired Aura Sports Group earlier this month, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The agency has represented several other Seahawks over the years, including 2025 free agent pickup DeMarcus Lawrence, Brady Henderson of ESPN notes. Schneider’s strong working relationship with Aura may improve the Seahawks’ chances of retaining Walker. Regardless, with the fourth-most cap space in the league, Schneider and his front office will have plenty of wiggle room in the offseason.
If re-signing Walker wasn’t already enough of a priority, it may have become more important to the Seahawks after No. 2 back Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the divisional round. When healthy, Walker and Charbonnet have logged an almost equal number of snaps during their three years together. Walker accrued just eight more than Charbonnet (498 to 490) in 2025.
Given the timing of his injury, Charbonnet may miss at least some portion of next season. That would make it all the more difficult for Seattle to lose Walker. If a deal doesn’t materialize, though, Walker could join Breece Hall, Travis Etienne and Javonte Williams among high-profile free agent backs when the market opens on March 11.
Bills, Packers Request QBs Coach Interview with Cardinals’ Connor Senger
The Bills and Packers both requested to interview Cardinals passing game coordinator Connor Senger for their quarterbacks coach vacancies, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Senger, 30, has worked closely with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray over the past four seasons. Senger arrived in Arizona in 2022 as a coaching fellow and moved up in each of the last three offseasons. He became a quality control coach in 2022, the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024, and the pass game coordinator in 2025.
The Cardinals’ air attack has struggled for the most of Senger’s time in Arizona, though Murray has only played in 41 games in that span.
Before joining the Cardinals, Senger spent time with a number of college teams. In 2017, began his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a Division III program for whom he started at quarterback for the previous two seasons. He worked for two more D-III schools – Carroll and Wisconsin-Whitewater – before a two-year stint at North Dakota State, which preceded his entrance to the NFL.
The jobs in both Buffalo and Green Bay offer the appeal of working with clear face-of-the-franchise quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Jordan Love. The latter has not reached the same heights as the former, but both are under contract through at least 2028. Success as one of the two’s coach could lead to an offensive coordinator by then, if not sooner. To that point, Senger called plays at the East-West Shrine Bowl this week. While that is certainly not the same to a full-time coordinator gig, it shows that Senger is viewed by some as a potential future OC.
Vikings Fire GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
In a stunning move, the Vikings have fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Adofo-Mensah, 44, had been the Vikings’ GM since 2022.
As part of their official statement, the Vikings said: “Following our annual end-of-season organizational meetings over the last several weeks and after careful consideration, we have decided it is in the best interest of the team to move forward with new leadership of our football operations. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for Kwesi’s contributions and commitment to the organization over the past four years and wish him and his family the best in the future.”
Executive vice president Rob Brzezinski will take over for Adofo-Mensah on an interim basis, the team announced. Brzezinski will lead the front office through April’s draft, but the Vikings “intend to conduct a thorough search” for their next GM after that.
The Vikings’ decision to cut ties with Adofo-Mensah comes less than a year after they locked him up to a contract extension last May. The deal prevented Adofo-Mensah from entering 2025 as a lame duck, but the team will now go in another direction after finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs.
There was “tension” in the Vikings’ building leading up to Adofo-Mensah’s firing, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who hears that it had been “ugly” throughout the season. Jordan Schultz relays similar information, writing “there were relationship issues” at Vikings headquarters.
The Vikings brought in Adofo-Mensah after he divided 2013-21 between San Francisco and Cleveland. He impressed enough over two seasons as the Browns’ vice president of football operations to earn a promotion in Minnesota. With the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell three weeks later, Adofo-Mensah checked off his first key task atop the Vikings’ front office. The well-regarded O’Connell remains in place four years later, but he’ll pair with Brzezinski for now before potentially teaming up with a different GM.
The Adofo-Mensah/O’Connell tandem helped the Vikings to a 13-4 mark and an NFC North title in their first season together, though the team suffered a wild-card round upset against the Giants. The Vikings dropped to 7-10 in 2023, after which they allowed longtime starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to walk in free agency.
With Cousins heading to Atlanta on a massive contract worth up to $180MM over four years, the Vikings brought in veteran Sam Darnold on a one-year, $10MM pact and then used the 10th pick in the draft on former Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.
Adofo-Mensah traded up a spot for McCarthy, who went on to miss his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. That didn’t faze Minnesota, where Darnold enjoyed a long-awaited breakout campaign six years after the Jets drafted him third overall. The Vikings posted a tremendous 14-3 record en route to another playoff berth, but they once again lost in the wild-card round.
A couple months after a rough showing in a blowout against the Rams, Darnold signed with the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5MM deal. The Vikings made a similar offer, and they also tried to re-sign veteran passer Daniel Jones after he ended 2024 in their uniform, but they struck out in both instances. Jones saw a clearer path to playing time in Indianapolis, where he went on to revive his career before tearing his Achilles in early December.
Meanwhile, a Darnold-quarterbacked team finished 14-3 for the second year in a row. The Seahawks are now preparing to face the Patriots in Super Bowl LX after Darnold’s 346-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 31-27 triumph over the Rams in the NFC title game.
After Darnold and Jones slipped through their fingers last March, a season of subpar quarterback play was likely the main culprit in the Vikings’ disappointing 2025. Adofo-Mensah’s big bet on McCarthy hasn’t paid off to this point.
McCarthy battled multiple injuries in his first year at the helm, leading him to miss seven games, and was statistically among the league’s worst QBs when healthy. Journeyman backup Carson Wentz, who was a mixed bag filling in for McCarthy early in the year, required season-ending shoulder surgery in October.
Wentz’s injury left undrafted rookie Max Brosmer as McCarthy’s backup for the rest of the year. Brosmer was dreadful over eight appearances and two starts, including a four-interception outing in a 26-0 loss to Darnold’s Seahawks in Week 13.
Shortly after the Vikings’ campaign ended, Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell indicated they’d bring in competition for McCarthy this offseason. It’s not clear how aggressive Adofo-Mensah would have been, but that decision is now out of his hands.
While the Vikings’ lackluster QB performance this season likely contributed to Adofo-Mensah’s ouster, a poor track record in the draft also didn’t help his cause. As Kevin Seifert of ESPN points out, players the Vikings drafted from 2022-25 have only made 172 starts – the second-lowest total in the league during that span. To make matters worse, Adofo-Mensah’s drafts haven’t produced any Pro Bowlers. With Adofo-Mensah suddenly out of the organization, the Vikings will hope for better results from their Brzezinski-led front office this April.
Seahawks Franchise Expected To Be Sold Post-Super Bowl
About four years ago, following the death of former Seahawks owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Nike founder Phil Knight and Alan Smolinisky, minority owner of the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, offered to buy the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers from Allen’s estate, controlled by his sister, Jody Allen. At the time, Jody made it known that neither the Trail Blazers nor the Seahawks were up for sale but that that wouldn’t be the case forever. It appears that fateful day may soon be upon us, as Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson of ESPN report that the Seahawks franchise is expected to go up for sale after Super Bowl LX. 
Since the late Allen’s passing, it’s been known that his intention was to eventually sell both franchises within his trust’s ownership. That said, at the moment, a spokesperson for the estate released a statement indicating that the announcement from ESPN cannot quite yet be confirmed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation,” the statement began. “And the team is not for sale. We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”
Allen’s wishes for the teams, directed at his sister, were to eventually sell both franchises and to donate the proceeds to charity. The long-term, future focus of the transactions was likely due to a timing issue that would’ve required the Allens to share 10 percent of the proceeds collected on the sale of the Seahawks with the state of Washington, a timing issue that no longer applies. Now, it seems the wheels could soon be in motion for the team’s eventual sale.
Bought in 1997 for $200MM, the franchise is now currently valued by Sportico at $6.59BB, giving them the 14th-highest valuation in the league. Sales, though, often exceed their valuations, and some have estimated that selling the Seattle franchise could earn up to $7BB or $8BB. Regardless, of the profit, though, Jody Allen intends to honor her brother’s wishes of dedicating the proceeds of the sale to philanthropic purposes.
When the first attempt to buy the Trail Blazers occurred back in 2022, Jody explained that an estate the size of her brother’s could take 10 to 20 years to wind down, so there wasn’t any deadline or expected timeline dictating the sale of the franchises. Things have begun to move in that direction, though, with the Blazers currently in the process of being sold for over $4BB to Tom Dundon, who owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
Allen has made it clear that her focus at the moment is on completing the sale of the Trail Blazers and winning another Super Bowl for the city of Seattle. Win or lose, though, it sounds like she may finally start the process of offloading the Seahawks from her brother’s estate after the season ends.
Falcons Expected To Release Kirk Cousins
Though the Falcons hired one of Kirk Cousins‘ former coaches, he is still expected to be on his way out of Atlanta in early March, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Cousins, 37, worked closely with new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski during their shared time in Minnesota. Stefanski was the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach when Cousins signed with the team in 2018 and was promoted to interim offensive coordinator during the season. He held onto the gig for the 2019 season and called plays for Cousins as he passed his way to his second Pro Bowl.
However, their reunion is expected to be extremely short-lived. Cousins’ contract was recently reworked to essentially force his release before the start of free agency. The Falcons would consider re-signing Cousins’ on a cheaper deal than his current contract, but he will likely look for a clearer starting opportunity elsewhere. Michael Penix‘s ongoing recovery from knee surgery could sideline him at the start of the 2026 season, but he is expected to retake the starting job once he is healthy.
If Cousins cannot find a more appealing situation, he may opt for a return to Atlanta to once again work with Stefanski. He would start until Penix comes back on the field, and theoretically, he could play well enough to keep the starting job. That seems unlikely given his performance in the last two years, but perhaps Stefanski could reinvigorate the veteran quarterback.
Stefanski acknowledged his connection with Cousins after he was hired by the Falcons, but did not provide any insight on his future.
“Obviously, I have a previous relationship with Kirk, but I don’t know if it’s the time yet to talk about all those types of things,” Stefanski said (via Kendall). “Those conversations will come in due time.”
Ravens To Hire Declan Doyle As OC
The Ravens are expected to hire Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for the same position on Jesse Minter‘s new staff in Baltimore, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Doyle, 29, has just seven years of NFL coaching experience and only one season as a coordinator. He previously served as an offensive assistant with the Saints (2019-2022) and a tight ends coach with the Broncos (2023-2024) before joining Ben Johnson in Chicago. He helped Johnson quickly install his offense and played a crucial role in Caleb Williams‘ second-year breakout, both of which contributed to the Bears winning their first playoff game since 2010.
Doyle’s success in those roles – as well as his time under Johnson and Sean Payton – attracted the attention of the Eagles and the Ravens in recent weeks as they look for new offensive coordinators. Though the Bears could block those interviews, they allowed Doyle to speak with other teams. He withdrew from the Eagles’ search, but traveled to Baltimore on Friday to interview with the Ravens. That meeting clearly went well, as the two sides quickly reached an agreement for Doyle to join Minter’s staff.
In Baltimore, Doyle will get to work rebuilding the Ravens offense around Lamar Jackson after a disappointing 2025 season. The unit regressed significantly from their elite numbers in 2023 and 2024 and finished 11th in points and 16th in yards. A number of injuries to Jackson played a role, though they were also symptomatic of bigger issues. The offensive line could not consistently keep Jackson clean in the pocket or open up holes at the line of scrimmage, and the Ravens went from being one of the league’s best red-zone offenses to one of its worst.
The Bears were confident that Doyle would remain in Chicago after he withdrew his name from the Eagles’ search, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. However, the opportunity to work under Minter and call plays Jackson on a Ravens team that is expected to return to championship contention in 2026 was too much to turn down. Johnson will now have to find a new offensive coordinator heading into his second season as a head coach, and he will not be able to offer play-calling duties to entice candidates with interest from other teams.
The Ravens, meanwhile, will now work with Doyle to build out the rest of his offensive staff. They have already made key hires to coach their offensive line, but former coaches John Harbaugh and Todd Monken have been poaching assistants from their previous staff in Baltimore. With Doyle hired, the Ravens will be able to make decisions on the rest of their incumbent coaches, including important figures like quarterbacks coach Tee Martin.
Here is an overview of Baltimore’s now-completed offensive coordinator search:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Hire expected
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/12
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Scottie Montgomery, wide receivers coach (Lions): To interview
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
Bills To Hire Pete Carmichael Jr. As OC
Just a couple days into his tenure as the Bills’ head coach, Joe Brady has already found his offensive coordinator. The team has agreed to terms with Pete Carmichael Jr., Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
Carmichael, who spent the past two years as a senior offensive assistant with the Broncos, has worked with Brady in the past. The two were on Sean Payton‘s staff in New Orleans from 2017-18, when Carmichael was the Saints’ offensive coordinator and Brady served as an offensive assistant.
This will be the second NFL O-coordinator job for the 54-year-old Carmichael, who held the post in New Orleans from 2009-23. Carmichael won’t call the plays in Buffalo, however, as Brady will continue handling those duties in 2026.
Brady has run the Bills’ offense since taking over for the fired Ken Dorsey midway into the 2023 season. The Bills promoted the 36-year-old to head coach on Tuesday to replace the ousted Sean McDermott.
Brady will have a lot on his plate as a rookie head coach, but the hiring of Carmichael will add a trusted and experienced voice to his offensive staff. Carmichael began his NFL career as a tight ends coach and offensive assistant in Cleveland in 2000. He went on to serve in various positions with the then-Redskins and Chargers before Payton, then a rookie HC, tabbed him as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach in 2006.
Carmichael spent the vast majority of his 18-year Saints tenure working with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. He’ll now join a team with another superstar signal-caller in Josh Allen, who was at the helm of an offense that finished fourth in scoring and yards in 2025. The Bills also had the league’s leading rusher in James Cook, though the receiver position was a problem throughout the campaign.
Slot target Khalil Shakir was the only wideout on the team to reach the 700-yard mark during the season. He continued as the Bills’ most productive option during a two-game playoff run that ended with a 33-30 loss to Carmichael and the Broncos in the divisional round.
The Bills likely expected second-year receiver Keon Coleman, the 33rd pick in 2024, to take a step forward. Instead, though, Coleman caught just 38 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. Professionalism has been an issue for Coleman, who was a healthy scratch on four occasions in 2025.
After the firing of McDermott, owner Terry Pegula revealed “the coaching staff pushed to draft Keon.” General manager Brandon Beane then took ownership of the pick in saying it was his decision. Regardless, Coleman’s future in Buffalo seemed in doubt after Pegula publicly called him out. Now, though, it appears the soon-to-be 23-year-old will remain part of the Bills’ receiving corps next season.
“I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady said Thursday (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN). “I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman.”
If we’re to take Brady’s comments at face value, Coleman will be among the players he and Carmichael work with in 2026. Meanwhile, with the loss of Carmichael, Payton and the Broncos are now in position to replace multiple offensive staffers after falling one win shy of a Super Bowl. Payton fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Monday. Bills QBs coach Ronald Curry is among the candidates to become the Broncos’ OC, though it’s unclear if Brady considered him for the same job before he hired Carmichael.