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NFL Mailbag: QBs, Steelers, Eagles, Hawks

By | at January 29, 2026 11:02 pm

This week's edition of the PFR mailbag looks at questions about the upcoming quarterback decision teams face, the Steelers' outlook with a new head coach in place, the Eagles' OC position and the potential implications of the Seahawks' moves from last offseason.

Jose asks:

With Dante Moore going back to Oregon and no other first-round caliber QB available besides [Fernando] Mendoza, should a QB-needy team go after a backup that had a good year like Malik Willis, Mac Jones or even Davis Mills? Possibly pair them with a Day 2 pick and let them battle for the starting job in training camp. If it doesn't work out, they will pick high in what is expected to be a significantly stronger class next year.

Quarterbacks like the ones you mentioned were already going to be a focal point of free agency with so few other options on the market. Daniel Jones is the one major exception, but like everyone else I expect him to stay with the Colts.

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4 comments Front Office Originals PFR Mailbag

Klint Kubiak Emerges As Raiders’ HC Favorite

By | at January 29, 2026 11:00 pm

One of two HC openings remaining on a frenzied 2026 carousel, the Raiders have a pivotal meeting with Klint Kubiak slated for Saturday. The Raiders can meet a second time with the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator this week, but they cannot officially hire him until after Super Bowl LX.

This scenario has played out with some candidates in the recent past. The Saints waited until after Super Bowl LIX to hire Kellen Moore, though the sides had an agreement in place before the game, while the Colts and Cardinals did the same after Super Bowl LVII in hiring Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon. The 49ers proceeded this way with Kyle Shanahan, while the Colts had planned to before Josh McDaniels backed out of an agreement. The Raiders have company for Kubiak, though.

The Cardinals’ post-Gannon HC search also includes a Saturday second interview with Kubiak. It is possible the Seattle play-caller opts to stay with Sam Darnold — on a team favored to win Super Bowl LX — for a second season rather than accept one of the jobs other candidates have passed on. Klay Kubiak, Klint’s younger brother, was one of those who withdrew from the Las Vegas search. That could matter, as Klint Kubiak may be the favorite for the job.

The Raiders are believed to have Klint Kubiak as their HC favorite, according to the California Post’s Vincent Bonsignore. Davis Webb was viewed as the other frontrunner, but he has since backed out of the race. That sets the stage for Kubiak, who may have a Raiders-or-Cardinals decision to make.

Kubiak, 38, has yet to stay in an OC role longer than one season. His 2021 and ’24 gigs (in Minnesota and New Orleans, respectively) ended after those teams fired their HCs. The Saints’ Moore hire led Kubiak to Seattle, and he reunited with Darnold — the 49ers’ backup during Kubiak’s 2023 San Francisco stop. Darnold played well in the NFC championship game, guiding the Seahawks to a shootout win despite recently suffering an oblique injury. The Seahawks are now favored to win their second Super Bowl, giving Kubiak considerable momentum.

While Webb was viewed as the top Kubiak challenger, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes Panthers DC Ejiro Evero is not out of the running just yet. It would appear Evero is an underdog, but he did receive two interviews. This sets up an interesting duel between coworkers on the 2022 Broncos’ staff. Kubiak was Webb’s predecessor as Denver’s QBs coach, with Evero as Broncos DC that year. The Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership combusted quickly in a 5-12 season, but both Kubiak and Evero landed on their feet.

Evero has been the Panthers’ DC for the past three seasons. He signed an extension before the 2025 campaign began. The Falcons and Steelers sent Evero interview slips this year, but the Raiders are the only team to interview him twice. Evero presented a detailed offensive plan during his second Vegas meeting, per Fowler.

The Raiders will naturally be interested in pairing Kubiak with likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza; this reality came up recently, with Kubiak and Webb emerging as frontrunners after defense-minded leaders Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll busted. But the Raiders showed strong interest in Jesse Minter during his second interview, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. The Raiders did not extend Minter an offer yet, but Breer notes the team was warming to him as HC. But Minter met with the Ravens again soon after and agreed to return to Baltimore.

The loser of this apparent Kubiak derby would likely be forced further down their respective lists. Both teams had Joe Brady in the building before the Bills promoted him, and Anthony Campanile bowed out of the Cardinals’ search. Arizona is believed to have Rams OC Mike LaFleur as a finalist as well. He could be hired at any point, with the Seahawks eliminating the Rams last week.

Via PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Raiders’ expansive search — which has featured a few names exit early — looks as of Thursday night:

21 comments Carolina Panthers Las Vegas Raiders Seattle Seahawks

Giants To Interview Chargers QBs Coach Shane Day For OC Job

By | at January 29, 2026 10:56 pm

The Giants have added Chargers quarterback coach Shane Day to their list of candidates for their offensive coordinator vacancy. He will interview for the job on Saturday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

Day, 51, joined the Chargers in 2024 on Jim Harbaugh‘s new coaching staff. He would be staying in the family if he gets the job in New York under Jim’s brother, John Harbaugh. But unlike most of the recent hires to the Giants’ coaching staff, Day has no direct connection to John Harbaugh himself.

Instead, Day has held a variety of roles with six different NFL teams in the last two decades, as well as brief college stints at Michigan and Connecticut. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Bears (2010-2011), 49ers (2019-2020), and the Chargers (2021-2022, 2024-present). Across his career, he has worked with Jay Cutler, Jimmy Garoppolo, Justin Herbert, and C.J. Stroud, among others.

Day was particularly instrumental in developing Herbert. He arrived in Los Angeles in Herbert’s second year in the NFL, in which he became one of three players to eclipse 5,000 passing yards since 2020. Herbert put up another strong year in 2022, saw a dip in 2023, and rebounded in 2024 and 2025 working with Day once more.

The success of Day’s partnership with Herbert is likely one of the main reasons for the Giants’ interest in hiring Day. They will be hoping that 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart can take a leap in his first full season as a starter, and Day could be the coach to pull that out of him.

However, Day has never called plays for a college or pro team. He would have those responsibilities under Harbaugh in New York, so hiring him could be a bit of a gamble. It might be worth the risk, though, if Day can take Dart to the next level.

3 comments Los Angeles Chargers New York Giants

Steelers Planning Scott Tolzien OC Interview, Hire James Campen

By | at January 29, 2026 9:27 pm

While Mike McCarthy spent five years as the Cowboys’ head coach, the early makeup of his Steelers staff reminds more of his Packers setup. After hiring one-year Green Bay assistant Patrick Graham as DC, McCarthy has one of his former players in the running for Pittsburgh’s OC post.

The Steelers are planning to interview Saints assistant Scott Tolzien for their OC vacancy, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Tolzien is New Orleans’ QBs coach, but prior to that, he both played and coached under McCarthy.

Tolzien was one of Aaron Rodgers‘ backups in Green Bay from 2013-15. He then spent two years with the Colts and retired from playing in 2018. He went back to Wisconsin to start his coaching career as an analyst, which quickly led to a job on Mike McCarthy’s staff in Dallas in 2020. Tolzien was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2023 and oversaw a career-best performance from Dak Prescott, who finished in second place in MVP voting. The Cowboys struggled after Prescott’s season-ending injury in 2024, though Tolzien helped backup quarterback Cooper Rush compile a 4-4 record as a starter to close out the year.

McCarthy was fired after the season, and Tolzien reunited with former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in New Orleans. Tolzien took the quarterbacks coach job on Moore’s staff and worked with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough this past season. Shough took over the starting job midway through the year, worked through some first-year bumps, and led the Saints to a 4-1 record in their last five games.

The Steelers are still working through their list of offensive coordinator candidates, but they have made one key hire on that side of the ball. Longtime offensive line coach James Campen will be joining McCarthy’s staff, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Campen spent 15 years under McCarthy in Green Bay, including 12 years as the Packers’ offensive line coach. He also developed a close relationship with Aaron Rodgers during that time, which could be another factor in the veteran quarterback’s return to Pittsburgh in 2026.

0 comments New Orleans Saints Pittsburgh Steelers

Davis Webb Withdraws From Raiders’ HC Search

By | at January 29, 2026 6:26 pm

Davis Webb entered Thursday a finalist for the Raiders’ HC position, but he is no longer interested in the job. The Broncos’ quarterbacks coach is withdrawing his name from consideration, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Webb is up for a few OC posts — including the Broncos’ now-vacant gig — but he will wait at least a year for more HC consideration. This is certainly an interesting move given Webb’s lack of experience. He has yet to call plays, but the recently retired quarterback may have that opportunity soon.

The Giants and Ravens have requested interviews with Webb, as the Eagles did. Philadelphia has since hired another recently retired backup, Sean Mannion, as their offensive play-caller. Webb met with the Ravens about their HC position but has not spoken with the Giants just yet. A meeting with one of his former teams appears on tap, but after the Broncos fired Joe Lombardi, an OC opening exists on Webb’s current team. Will the Broncos be able to keep him without play-calling responsibilities?

This sets the stage for Klint Kubiak, who appears a certainty to receive an offer from the Raiders. Kubiak is believed to be the Vegas favorite, but the Cardinals are set for a second interview with the Seattle OC as well. Both meetings are coming Saturday. This could put Kubiak to a Vegas/Arizona/Seattle choice, as he could decide to pass on this year’s cycle for potentially better 2027 openings.

Coaching Bo Nix for the past two seasons and helping to elevate Russell Wilson (following a disastrous Denver debut) in 2023, Webb earned the title of pass-game coordinator entering the 2025 season. Nix piloted the Broncos to the No. 1 seed and the AFC championship game. Webb could be preparing to face Kubiak’s Seahawks had Nix stayed healthy, but the Broncos were unable to pull off a conference championship upset with Jarrett Stidham at the helm. Still, Webb appears set for a move to an OC role — be it in Denver or somewhere else.

It would be interesting for the Broncos to fire Lombardi without a decent idea if Webb would accept the OC role. Some among the Broncos are concerned the Broncos will not be able to keep Webb long term without dangling a play-calling role (Sean Payton calls the plays in Denver and was at the controls for 15 seasons in New Orleans). The Raiders, Ravens and Bills interviewing Webb for their HC openings this year, though, would make him a strong 2027 candidate. Where Webb lands as an OC is one of the top storylines left in this year’s cycle, as the Giants or Ravens could offer a play-calling role.

2 comments Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders

Broncos Interview Ronald Curry For OC

By | at January 29, 2026 6:07 pm

Joe Lombardi is out as Sean Payton‘s non-play-calling OC, and while Davis Webb represents a natural promotion candidate, he remains coveted by teams for roles with more responsibility. Webb remains in the Raiders’ HC race, and the Broncos’ QBs coach is being sought by multiple teams as a play-calling option.

Payton calls the Broncos’ plays, and barring a scenario in which Webb needs to be given the call sheet to be convinced to stay in Denver, that is expected to continue. Payton has begun his second OC search with the Broncos, as the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reports the team has interviewed ex-Saints staffer Ronald Curry. The former NFL wide receiver spent the past two seasons as the Bills’ QBs coach.

The Broncos interviewed Curry for the job that went to Lombardi in 2023. Payton conducted a thin OC search during his first year at the helm, only interviewing Curry and Lombardi. The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one external minority candidate for OC and DC positions. Because Curry is Black, the Broncos are Rooney Rule-compliant.

It would stand to reason a Webb promotion will be strongly considered, and Gabriel confirms he is a strong candidate for the role. But the Broncos are only one of the interested teams. Webb has met twice about the Raiders’ HC job, and the Giants and Ravens have sent him OC interview requests. Webb also met about the Bills’ HC job, which went to Joe Brady earlier this week. Some in the Broncos’ organization believe it will be difficult for the team to retain Webb long term with Payton calling plays, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold. The coming days will put that to a test, as Denver’s QBs coach has seen his stock skyrocket during his three-year tenure.

While Webb has helped mentor Bo Nix, Curry’s first season as Bills QBs coach produced a Josh Allen MVP award. Considering that season came after the Stefon Diggs trade, the honor reflects well on Brady and Curry. The latter interviewed for the Jets’ OC position this week but has otherwise not been connected to any OC jobs since being hired by the Bills.

Curry, 46, was a college quarterback who spent eight seasons as an NFL wideout. He has extensive experience with Payton as well. The Saints employed Curry from 2016-23, with the ex-player rising to QBs coach by Payton’s final season (2021). Coaching New Orleans’ receivers before that, Curry stayed on as QBs coach under Dennis Allen from 2022-23. He interviewed for the New Orleans OC gig — which went to Klint Kubiak — in 2024, moving to Buffalo to work under ex-Saints coworker Brady soon after. Brady being promoted to HC could keep Curry in Buffalo, but that may not be a certainty just yet. For now, he is up for multiple OC positions.

0 comments Buffalo Bills Denver Broncos

Dolphins To Hire Nathaniel Hackett

By | at January 29, 2026 5:26 pm

Nathaniel Hackett‘s stock took a tumble for a few years, as his disastrous Broncos HC season preceded a Jets OC tenure that brought a demotion. But the second-generation NFL staffer is moving back up the ladder.

After a season back in Green Bay in an analyst role, Hackett will be called upon as a quarterbacks coach. The Dolphins are expected to hire him in this capacity, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets. Hackett worked with new Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley for a season in Green Bay.

Hackett’s arrival may not go over too well in Miami, as few coaches have seen their standing drop more this decade. The former Packers OC was fired 15 games into his Broncos HC tenure, and after landing the Jets’ OC job (due in no small part to the Jets’ interest in bringing Aaron Rodgers to New York), Hackett did not complete that stay as the team’s play-caller. New York demoted Hackett from that role during the 2024 season. Hackett will now work under Dolphins play-caller Bobby Slowik, either coaching Tua Tagovailoa or a to-be-determined QB1 replacement.

The Broncos’ Hackett hire preceded a trade for Russell Wilson. The partnership sputtered, with a host of clunky outings leading to Hackett demoting himself as play-caller. Hackett gave the play sheet to QBs coach Klint Kubiak, but as Wilson exerted tremendous influence in terms of preparation and the nature of the Broncos’ offense, the team fired its coach after 15 games. The Broncos finished last in scoring offense despite authorizing Wilson’s $49MM-per-year extension, but the Jets hired Hackett soon after. Although Hackett delivered on Rodgers becoming receptive to joining the Jets, his stock tanked in the Big Apple.

Hackett’s first season featured mostly Zach Wilson at the controls, and it went bad enough Robert Saleh conducted a stealth search for a veteran staffer who would oversee his OC in 2024. No hire commenced, and Hackett entered the ’24 season as the Jets’ play-caller. Not long after the Jets’ Saleh firing, they removed Hackett from play-calling duties. Wilson is technically still under contract with the Dolphins, but the backup QB’s deal expires in March.

While Hackett was also OC in Buffalo and Jacksonville, his most successful NFL period came as Matt LaFleur‘s non-play-calling OC from 2019-21. The Packers earned three straight playoff byes, and Rodgers won MVP honors in 2020 and ’21. Rodgers has long endorsed Hackett, to the point he is believed to have interceded when Woody Johnson wanted him gone after one Jets OC season. The Dolphins will now entrust Hackett to coach their QBs. Perhaps with no play-calling duties, the Dolphins believe they will see a better version of Hackett than what the Broncos and Jets received.

Miami is also hiring former Green Bay quality control staffer Wendel Davis, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The team is also adding Jahmile Addae as cornerbacks coach, according to ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel. Addae was most recently the Bills’ CBs coach.

6 comments Buffalo Bills Green Bay Packers Miami Dolphins

49ers Interview Gus Bradley, Raheem Morris, Joe Woods For DC Job

By | at January 29, 2026 3:54 pm

Robert Saleh‘s second exit as 49ers defensive coordinator will lead to the team’s fourth DC search in four years. The NFC West club has begun its interview process.

Gus Bradley, Raheem Morris and Joe Woods are the first interviewees, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Bradley spent last season on the 49ers’ staff, and Kyle Shanahan called him an obvious candidate. Woods was on the Raiders’ staff in 2025, while Morris — fired as Falcons HC after two seasons — has come up in connection with multiple DC posts.

Morris remains a candidate to become the next Cardinals HC. Arizona lost one of its frontrunners — Anthony Campanile — this week, when the Jaguars’ DC opted to stay with his current team. But Mike LaFleur and Klint Kubiak also booked second HC interviews with the Cards. This does not necessarily mean Morris is out of the running, but like Saleh last year, the veteran staffer is in the mix for jobs on multiple tiers of the coaching spectrum.

Saleh was believed to be the Jags’ second choice behind Liam Coen, but he resided as the 49ers’ DC-in-waiting in the event that fell through. The 49ers had Saleh positioned as one of the NFL’s highest-paid coordinators, but he bolted after one season back in town to become the Titans’ head coach. Bradley, Morris and Woods are all veteran defensive play-callers. Each has been either a two-time HC (in Morris’ case) or had at least three runs as a DC.

A recent rumor indicated Morris may move to TV if he did not land another HC job, but it seems the former Buccaneers and Falcons sideline boss is indeed surveying options if he does not land the Arizona job. The Falcons fired Morris after two 8-9 seasons, overhauling their football operation around Matt Ryan. Morris was a successful DC en route to that Atlanta job, serving as the Rams’ defensive play-caller for three seasons and collecting a Super Bowl LVI ring during that time. This creates considerable familiarity for Shanahan, though Bradley may still be the candidate to beat.

The Seahawks, Chargers, Raiders and Colts have employed Bradley as DC since 2012. Although Bradley’s Jaguars HC tenure featured a historically low win percentage (.226 — fourth-worst all time), teams have continued to pursue him as a defensive play-caller. Shanahan calling Bradley the “obvious” choice — as the team may not cast a wide net here — bodes well for the current 49ers assistant HC. But Morris and Woods bring comparable experience, representing interesting external challengers.

Earning a Super Bowl ring as a Broncos DBs coach, Woods succeeded Wade Phillips as Denver’s DC in 2017. Woods later moved to the DC role in Cleveland and New Orleans, serving as Browns DC for three seasons and Saints DC for two. Woods served under defense-minded HCs in Denver and New Orleans, however, making his Cleveland stop the only time he was a team’s top defensive voice. The Browns did not rank lower than 21st on defense under Woods, rising to 13th in 2021, but the team fired him after an inconsistent 2022 season. Woods spent last season as the Raiders’ DBs coach/pass-game coordinator.

All three of these coaches have worked Shanahan. The current 49ers HC was in place as Falcons OC from 2015-16. The rare modern coach to serve as an assistant on both sides of the ball, Morris was a Falcons defensive assistant in 2015 and wideouts coach during Atlanta’s NFC championship 2016 slate. Woods served as the 49ers’ pass-game coordinator under Saleh in 2019, using the team’s Super Bowl LIV season as a springboard back to the DC level.

7 comments Las Vegas Raiders San Francisco 49ers

Giants Schedule Jim Bob Cooter OC Meeting, Send Alex Tanney Interview Request

By | at January 29, 2026 2:47 pm

Davis Webb is not the only former Giants quarterback on the team’s offensive coordinator radar. Alex Tanney is in this race as well. Multiple Colts staffers who coached Daniel Jones last season have received interview slips from the Giants.

The Giants sent Tanney an OC meeting request Thursday, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The team also has scheduled an interview with Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter about the job, per ESPN.com’s Peter Schrager.

[RELATED: Cooter Completes Second Eagles OC Interview]

With the Giants from 2018-20, Tanney was one of Jones’ backups. Hired by the Colts as their pass-game coordinator in 2024, Tanney spent last season coaching his former teammate. Cooter has been the Colts’ OC since 2023, but because the Giants’ OC post would involve play-calling duties, Indianapolis cannot block him from this lateral move.

Considering Jones’ mostly disappointing Giants tenure, it is interesting the Giants have two of his Indianapolis mentors on their OC radar. Tanney served as one of Jones’ backups for two seasons, spending time on the practice squad and active roster. Tanney, 38, only played in one game with the team (during the 2019 season). But he has resurfaced as a promising assistant coach.

The Eagles employed Tanney as their QBs coach in 2023, promoting him after he spent two prior years on Nick Sirianni’s staff. Sirianni hired Tanney two days after he retired. While Tanney only made his way into two career games, he bounced around as a backup/P-squad option from 2012-20 before calling it quits in 2021. Tanney and Webb overlapped briefly as teammates, both going to Giants training camp in 2018 — Eli Manning‘s final starter season.

The Colts hired Tanney in 2024, reuniting him with former Eagles boss Shane Steichen. Now, two of Steichen’s top assistants are in the mix to work under John Harbaugh in New York. Tanney was with nine NFL teams, but the Ravens were not among that group.

Weeks after the Giants cut Jones to wrap a six-year partnership, he drew free agent offers from the Colts and Vikings. Jones chose Indianapolis due to the better chance it presented for a starting role, and Cooter was a key part of his bounce-back season.

After never eclipsing seven yards per attempt in New York, Jones closed his injury-shortened Indy slate with an 8.1-yard average. The Colts were soaring on offense during the season’s first half, sitting at 8-2. Jones led the NFL in success rate and completed a career-high 68% of his passes to go with 3,101 yards despite finishing only 12 games.

Cooter and Tanney also were part of the crew that helped Philip Rivers resemble a viable option despite nearly five years away from the game. Rivers unretired and started three games. His effort against the Seahawks — which required a 56-yard Jason Myers game-winner to down the visitors — has aged rather well considering Seattle’s defense-powered Super Bowl charge. Rivers then tallied 277 yards and two touchdown passes in a Monday-night outing against the 49ers, reflecting well on Steichen and his assistants.

Via PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Giants’ process stands following would-be hire Todd Monken being named Browns head coach:

9 comments Indianapolis Colts New York Giants
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