Dolphins Narrow GM Candidates To Four
The Dolphins have reportedly narrowed down their list of candidates to replace fired general manager Chris Grier to four. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander, Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, and Miami’s interim general manager Champ Kelly are all moving forward to in-person interviews.
The Dolphins started their search requesting interviews for seven external candidates, including Alexander, Sullivan, and Williams. Also out of San Francisco, assistant general manager R.J. Gillen and vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad did not advance with their 49ers colleague, Williams, to the next round of the process. Neither did Eagles assistant general manager Alec Halaby or Rams assistant general manager John McKay. It’s unclear if every requested interview occurred, but the Dolphins simply stated that they had “completed the initial round of interviews” and would be moving on with the aforementioned four.
As Pelissero points out, Miami is working efficiently off of their two-month head start after firing Grier back in October, taking only two days to conduct their virtual interviews. Dianna Russini of The Athletic added on that the in-person, second round of interviews will begin tomorrow. The team is making good use of the interview group they put together led by senior vice president of football and business administration Brandon Shore and assisted by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman, a newly hired consultant, and special advisor Dan Marino.
The Dolphins’ indicated that they are looking for a GM with a scouting background, and that is certainly the case with the crop they’ve landed on. Kelly, who may be the first interview tomorrow, considering his current proximity to the club, started in the NFL as a college scout with the Broncos. After working his way up a bit, Kelly landed in Chicago as director of pro scouting and moved his way up a bit more before landing the assistant general manager job with the Raiders. He got his first interim GM hours in Vegas but eventually found his way to Miami after he wasn’t awarded the full-time job. He’ll hope history doesn’t repeat itself in the coming weeks.
Sullivan started as a scouting intern with the Packers in 2003 and has been with them ever since. Over 22 years in Green Bay, Sullivan moved into a full-time role, spent eight years as a regional scout, two years as director of college scouting, and four years as co-director of player personnel before landing in his current role. His first general manager interest came last year, as he was requested to interview with the Raiders, interviewed with the Jaguars, Jets, and Titans, and made it to the second round of interviews in Jacksonville and Tennessee.
Williams has been in San Francisco for 14 years, starting as an assistant in the scouting department in 2011. After two years of that, he worked three years as a pro personnel scout, five seasons as the team’s southeast area scout, and three years as a national scout before landing in his most recent role this year. Last year was also Williams’ first garnering interest in GM jobs, as he joined Sullivan in both rounds of interviews with the Jaguars. Unlike Sullivan, though, Williams was named a finalist for the position before Jacksonville ultimately hired James Gladstone. Williams was expected to garner lots of interest this year, and so far, he’s been linked to Miami and Atlanta.
Alexander was the latest entry on the list, only joining the candidate pool yesterday, when the team requested his interview. Like Williams and Sullivan, Alexander was also a first-year name that emerged in last offseason’s searches. He interviewed with the Jaguars and Raiders and was invited to participate in a second interview in Vegas. Though things have seemed safe lately for Miami head coach Mike McDaniel, there are thoughts that an Alexander-hire might put McDaniel in danger due to Alexander’s history with the Ravens and the newly jobless John Harbaugh.
With interviews already scheduled over the remainder of the week, expect the Dolphins to continue moving swiftly in their GM search. Unlike with coaches, general managers aren’t as guarded during the playoffs, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald points out that, should Miami want to hire one of the four external candidates, they would need written permission from their respective teams in order to bring them in before they’ve been eliminated from the postseason.
Eagles’ Lane Johnson Returns To Practice; Azeez Ojulari’s Practice Window Opens
The Eagles are expecting to get some reinforcements on both sides of the ball in the playoffs.
The most impactful player who could return is right tackle Lane Johnson, who has not played since mid-November due to a foot injury. Swing tackle Fred Johnson has held up, but not excelled in his All-Pro teammate’s place.
Johnson practiced on Wednesday, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He would be a major boost to an Eagles offense that has sputtered in the second half of the season. After their Week 10 bye, Philly scored more than 2o points in just three of their last nine games. Those performances all came against a handful of the worst defenses in the league. Johnson would no doubt fortify the offensive line
On defense, the Eagles are expecting to have Nakobe Dean back in the wild card round; defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said as much on Tuesday (via The Athletic’s Zach Berman). Dean has been out since Week 15 due to a hamstring injury. He also missed the first five games as he completed his recovery from a January 2025 torn patellar tendon. In between, he posted a career-high four sacks in just 10 games, an impressive number for an off-ball linebacker. First-round pick Jihaad Campbell has started next to Zack Baun for the past few games and will likely slide back to the bench upon Dean’s return.
Philadelphia’s defense may also get outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari back on the field soon. He has been on injured reserve since the beginning of November and was designated to return on Wednesday, according to McLane. The fifth-year defender signed with the Eagles this offseason but was too far down the depth chart to play at the start of the year. After four healthy scratches, he finally got some game day action with both Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo landing on IR. Ojulari, however, only saw 32 snaps across three games before injuring his hamstring.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/7/26
Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: QB Shane Buechele
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Demani Richardson
- Released: CB Michael Reid
Denver Broncos
- Signed: T Geron Christian, C Michael Deiter, TE Marcedes Lewis
- Released: G Nash Jones, C Joe Michalski
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Anthony Campbell
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: WR Will Sheppard
Houston Texans
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Marcus Maye
- Released: C Josh Kaltenberger
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Tre Flowers
Richardson, Christian, Lewis, Wallace, Maye, and Flowers all cleared waivers after being cut from their respective teams earlier this week. They’ll all return to those teams via new practice squad deals.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/26
Wednesday’s midweek minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: LB Nick Niemann
- Placed on IR: WR Bo Melton
- Reverted to season-ending reserve/PUP: G John Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Reverted to season-ending IR: LB Jalen McLeod
Los Angeles Chargers
- Designated for return from IR: FB Tucker Fisk
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed from practice squad: LB Eric Kendricks
- Placed on IR: LB Tatum Bethune (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from IR: TE Elijah Arroyo
In Green Bay, head coach Matt LaFleur relayed that Melton doesn’t have a torn ACL, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but his knee injury is just going to take some time to recover. Meanwhile, the Chargers and Seahawks look to return two role players to offenses as they ready for their first playoff games.
The 21-day practice windows have come and gone for McLeod and Willams. Without an activation, both players will return to their respective injured lists.
Bills Designate Damar Hamlin For Return; Maxwell Hairston Out For Wild-Card Game
Damar Hamlin has missed much of this season, landing on IR in early October. The Bills, though, could have the veteran safety back for their wild-card matchup against the Jaguars.
Buffalo designated Hamlin for return Wednesday, giving him a chance for activation ahead of the Jacksonville trip. Hamlin has been out since Week 5 with a pectoral injury. The Bills also placed Jordan Phillips on IR, per a team announcement. That move will knock the veteran defensive tackle out for the season. Buffalo also signed cornerback Dane Jackson from the practice squad and signed cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. and quarterback Shane Buechele to the P-squad.
Asked to start in place of Micah Hyde for most of the 2022 season, Hamlin suffered a life-threatening injury in a Week 17 game against the Bengals that ended up being cancelled. Hamlin made an inspirational recovery for 2023, though he played sparingly — in a development that strangely cost him the Comeback Player of the Year award. Last year, however, the Bills turned to Hamlin as a full-time starter. This included starts in all three Buffalo playoff games. The Bills then re-signed him on a one-year, $2MM deal.
That money checks in south of the starter tier, and the Bills turned to Cole Bishop to replace him opening this season. Bishop has teamed with the re-signed Jordan Poyer at safety for most of the season. Poyer has missed the past two weeks with a hamstring injury but was a limited participant in Buffalo’s Wednesday practice. The team also has Darnell Savage and Sam Franklin on its roster as insurance. Hamlin would add to that insurance contingent if activated. The Bills are in fine shape for injury activations, holding six entering the wild-card round.
Phillips is out with a foot injury sustained in Week 18. The recurring Bills supporting-caster played in 11 games this season, serving mostly as D-tackle depth during his third Buffalo stint. The Jackson move comes as cornerback Maxwell Hairston has been ruled out for Sunday’s game, per BuffaloBills.com’s Alec White.
Hairston’s injury is a troubling development for the Bills, who have seen cornerback injuries go a long way toward swinging their recent postseason matchups with the Chiefs. Christian Benford missed the 2023 divisional-round game against Kansas City and suffered a concussion on the Ravens’ last-ditch onside-kick attempt to close the 2024 divisional-round matchup with the Ravens. Benford later went out early in last year’s AFC championship game.
Hairston has now suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ blowout win over the Jets. While Benford is healthy, the Bills will be without their first-round pick after playing much of the season without him.
An LCL sprain kept Hairston out for two months; he has since played 56% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps. The Bills will need to lean on Tre’Davious White opposite Benford. Jackson brings a proven backup-level player, albeit one who has been on the practice squad this season and only saw action in three regular-season games. Hairston is not on IR, keeping him in play for a possible divisional-round game. But it is obviously not a good sign when a player is ruled out the Wednesday before a game.
John Harbaugh Fallout: Ravens, Monken, Timing, Jackson, Kingsbury
The Ravens’ decision to fire John Harbaugh on Tuesday might be this offseason’s biggest move. The ramifications are already spreading around the NFL, and no team has more to handle than the Ravens themselves. This offseason was already a crucial one for Baltimore, as Lamar Jackson is due for another round of extension negotiations in the coming months.
The two-time MVP already has considerable sway inside the organization, and the leverage from his contract talks only boosts his current influence. That factored into this process, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. While Jackson did not necessarily engineer Harbaugh’s ouster, there still may have been some friction between the veteran quarterback and Baltimore’s coaching staff. The team has long been frustrated with Jackson’s offseason practice habits, and routinely skipping Wednesdays this season to rest and recover from a myriad of injuries may have re-raised the issue.
While Harbaugh and Jackson were still believed to have a good relationship, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens seem to be looking for a better fit with their franchise quarterback. According to Rapoport, the team is looking for someone who can “reach,” “invigorate,” and get the “absolute most” out of Jackson. The Ravens were believed to have pushed Harbaugh to fire OC Todd Monken. The HC’s refusal contributed to his own exit.
Here is the latest from this firing:
- Harbaugh himself felt unappreciated in his final years in Baltimore and seems ready for a new challenge, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. That aligns with his exploration of other jobs around the league, particularly those like the Giants’ with a young quarterback and a desire to rebuild.
- A number of teams are already interested in Harbaugh, including a few that still have head coaches under contract. Those teams will need to carefully weigh their chances of hiring the ex-Ravens leader. They are unlikely to axe their current coaches unless they are confident they can land Harbaugh, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Teams are permitted to reach out to Harbaugh as a coaching free agent.
- Though Harbaugh’s removal seems to be the culmination of several things in Baltimore, the timing still took team and coach by surprise, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Those in the building seemed to expect Harbaugh to go along with firing Monken but his refusal to do so precipitated his firing. As of Tuesday afternoon, a view in the building pointed to Harbaugh staying, Hensley adds. The firing coming soon after will bring sweeping changes for an organization that has exuded stability for many years.
- The Ravens are expected to have a “complete makeover, especially on offense,” according to Hensley. Jackson’s input on the direction of the unit will likely play a factor.
- One route the team could go down is hiring Kliff Kingsbury, who recently parted ways with the Commanders. The offensive guru has found success with mobile quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels, and Jackson would no doubt be an interesting move considering Jackson’s status as maybe the greatest running quarterback in NFL history. Baltimore has already been mentioned as a landing spot for Kingsbury, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and The Washington Post’s Mark Maske. The Commanders moved on from Kingsbury after a report indicated friction between he and GM Adam Peters, among disagreements between the front office and the coaching staff, took place this season.
Jets Unlikely To Fire OC Tanner Engstrand; Chris Harris Keeping DC Job In Play
Even compared to their Robert Saleh seasons, the Jets took a significant step back in 2025. The team tumbled to 3-14 and will hold the No. 2 overall pick. This comes after a season in which they were noncompetitive in many games.
The Jets will certainly consider drafting a quarterback second overall, though this could depend on which passers declare for the draft, and Aaron Glenn will be a key part of the decision. The Jets are not expected to fire Glenn, despite some rumors he was in danger of being a one-and-done HC, but his Year 1 showing obviously underwhelmed.
New York’s offense ranked 29th in scoring and yardage. Brady Cook, in particular, looked overmatched when making starts at the end of the season. The Jets benched Justin Fields midway through the year, a move that will likely precede a 2026 release. As for who will be calling the shots in 2026, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes OC Tanner Engstrand does not appear in danger of losing his job.
Engstrand did not have too much to work with this season. After the Jets lost Alijah Vera-Tucker for the year, Garrett Wilson went down seven games in. He somehow finished the season as the Jets’ leading receiver, with just 395 yards. This season marked the first time no Jet surpassed 500 receiving yards since the disastrous 1976 Lou Holtz-led campaign. The Jets did acquire Adonai Mitchell from the Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade, but adding to this room will probably be a priority after the team eschewed notable pushes for auxiliary weapons in free agency last year.
Glenn brought Engstrand with him from Detroit, where he served as the Lions’ pass-game coordinator. Engstrand, 43, held that role for two seasons under Ben Johnson. Engstrand was not closely linked to any other OC jobs during last year’s cycle, and he will assuredly enter 2026 on a hot seat based on what the Jets showed in his first season. The team also will need to re-sign Breece Hall, a long-stated goal, if it wants its leading 2025 skill player back.
On defense, Glenn fired Steve Wilks late in the season. Chris Harris replaced him, but the results were ugly to close out the campaign. The Jets gave up 35 first-half points to the Patriots in Week 17 and allowed a Bills team resting some starters, including Josh Allen, to score 35 in a one-sided Week 18 matchup. Bringing Harris back would not be a great look, but Cimini adds that will be considered. Outside options will also be on the table, however, as the Jets look to recover after a dismal 3-14 slate.
One of the outside options could be Don Martindale, Cimini offers. Martindale had a memorably explosive exit from New York two years ago, after a confrontation with Brian Daboll that led to his Giants ouster, and served as Sharrone Moore’s DC at Michigan over the past two years. Martindale, 62, and Glenn have not worked together previously.
TV Gig Would Await If Mike Tomlin Left Steelers
Mike Tomlin has now guided the Steelers to five playoff berths in the 2020s. Tyler Loop‘s missed field goal secured an eighth Pittsburgh AFC North title during the Tomlin era. His team is a home underdog to the Texans in the wild-card round, however.
The Steelers have not won a playoff game since their 2016 divisional-round victory over the Alex Smith-led Chiefs, going 0-6 since. They will now take on a Houston team carrying the No. 1-ranked defense. This creates another challenge for Tomlin, who has lost two playoff home games (to the Jaguars and Browns) since his most recent postseason win.
Rumblings about the Steelers and Ravens moving on from iconic coaches emerged before the teams’ Week 18 division-deciding tilt, and Baltimore has since moved on from John Harbaugh. A report indicating Tomlin might step away on his own accord after the season also surfaced just before Pittsburgh’s regular-season finale, and more has come out on the topic.
If Tomlin is to leave the Steelers on his own terms, a source informed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler a TV role would likely carry more interest than entering the coaching market immediately. This aligns with what we heard over the weekend. As it stands, Tomlin has “open invitations” for a network gig if he steps way from the Steelers.
Sean Payton and Bruce Arians took this path in the fairly recent past; both TV sabbaticals lasted one season. Conversely, Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson stayed in TV. Jon Gruden took nine seasons off in between coaching stints. Cowher left the Steelers after 15 seasons, doing so a year after winning Super Bowl XL. Sean McVay resisted TV rumors after a disappointing 2022 season. Rumors about Cowher coming back to coaching faded long ago. It will be interesting if Tomlin would take the Cowher path or the Payton-Arians route should he venture into the TV world.
At 53, Tomlin does appear at a career crossroads. The former Super Bowl-winning HC has appeared in a second Super Bowl and another AFC championship game (in 2016), but success has been fleeting since. That said, the Pittsburgh staple extended his streak of non-losing seasons to an unfathomable 19 this year by reaching 10-7. Tomlin doing this without quarterback stability since Ben Roethlisberger‘s 2019 elbow injury has added a degree of difficulty to the high-floor routine, though the trend of the Steelers securing playoff berths only to lose their first game has soured a sizable sect of the fanbase on the longtime HC.
Aaron Rodgers also has unsurprisingly waffled on retirement plans; it would certainly be worth wondering if Rodgers’ return would be contingent on Tomlin staying. Tomlin played a big role in convincing Rodgers to sign with the Steelers. Although Tomlin’s latest extension runs through 2026, the Steelers have a team option on him for 2027. It must be exercised by March 1. Tomlin confirmed shortly after the Steelers’ wild-card loss to the Ravens last year he would return. Clarity here will likely come not too long after this Pittsburgh season ends.
Ravens Request HC Interview With Anthony Weaver, Klint Kubiak
The Ravens have begun their search to replace longtime head coach John Harbaugh.
Baltimore’s first two interview requests have gone to Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Weaver, 45, is a former Ravens player and coach. He was drafted by then-general manager Ozzie Newsome in the second round of the 2022 draft and started for his entire time in Baltimore. He then spent three years in Houston before retiring and joining the coaching ranks, first at the college level before jumping to the NFL with the Jets. He then served as a defensive line coach for the, Bills, Browns, and Texans before a stint as interim defensive coordinator in Houston after Bill O’Brien was fired in 2020.
Weaver went back to Baltimore in 2021, this time as a coach with a dual DL coach/defensive run game coordinator role. In 2022, he added associate head coach to his title. The Ravens were consistently one of the league’s top run-stopping defenses under Weaver, and his unit was a huge factor in the team’s success under Mike Macdonald in 2022 and 2023.
Weaver interviewed for the Ravens’ DC job when Macdonald left for Seattle, but it went to Zach Orr instead. Weaver was then hired by Mike McDaniel to replace Vic Fangio in Miami. The Dolphins defense improved from 22nd in points and 10th in yards in 2023 to 10th and fourth, respectively, in 2024. The unit regressed to bottom-10 numbers this past season, though Weaver was not helped by general manager Chris Grier. He virtually ignored the defense in the offseason, leaving his DC especially weak at cornerback and defensive tackle.
Weaver would return to Baltimore armed with two years of play-calling. experience and a few connections to potential offensive coordinators. Ex-Texans OC Bobby Slowik spent the 2025 season in Miami, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that Dolphins owner and Michigan alum Stephen Ross consideres replacing McDaniel with Harbaugh. That could make McDaniel an option to come with Weaver to Baltimore as OC, though he himself may garner head coaching consideration, too.
Kubiak, 38, is arguably the hottest offensive head coach candidate this hiring cycle, which is far stronger in defensive-minded coaches. He has been with five different teams in the last five years, which is a potential red flag, but it also gives him a number of connections around the league. He has also spent time under Kyle Shanahan and Mike Zimmer, two other experienced, well-respected coaches that add to Kubiak’s pedigree. That could help him build a strong staff – for example, bringing Seahawks DC Aden Durde to Baltimore. He also has play-calling experience for multiple offenses and could likely adapt his system to Lamar Jackson’s skillset.
Obviously, Kubiak’s last name is relevant to the Ravens, who employed his father, Gary Kubiak, as their offensive coordinator in 2014. Kubiak departed the next season for Denver, but he is still fondly remembered in Baltimore.
Dolphins GM Candidates Being Asked About Mike McDaniel Status; John Harbaugh Not In Play?
The Dolphins are conducting a GM search that could determine where they go at head coach. For the time being, Mike McDaniel remains employed as HC — to the point he is being given input on the GM search — but it is not certain he will receive a fifth season.
Miami’s set of GM interviews thus far have seen candidates asked about working with McDaniel, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. But the meetings have also included the search committee asking the candidates about thoughts on replacing the four-year HC and starting fresh. This prospect came up Tuesday as well.
Considering the issues mismatched timelines can cause, it is unsurprising the Dolphins are listening to candidates’ views about working with a coach on the hot seat. More teams as of late have opted to start their GM and HC timeclocks concurrently. But Dolphins ownership is believed to be fond of McDaniel, hence the interesting situation in which he has input on a process that involves his job status.
This is certainly not the smoothest setup, but it is how the Dolphins are proceeding with their first GM search in 10 years. McDaniel still appears to have a better chance to stay than be canned, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano note, indicating the embattled leader still has support in “important parts of the building.”
Chris Grier did not have full roster control until 2019, but the Dolphins promoted him to GM in 2016. Miami has not hired a GM from outside the organization since appointing Dennis Hickey to the post in 2014. This represents uncovered ground for the modern Dolphins, who have brought in Troy Aikman to help with the hire. Aikman’s old coach, Jimmy Johnson, suggested the team speak with the ESPN analyst, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes.
Following a rather publicized Cowboys breakup, Johnson ended up back in Miami coaching the Dolphins from 1996-99. Stephen Ross was not yet the team owner during Johnson’s tenure, but the Hall of Fame coach still clearly has a line to the franchise. Aikman joins Dan Marino and other staffers on the search committee.
Three of the Dolphins’ GM candidates — Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad, R.J. Gillen — are 49ers staffers who worked with McDaniel previously. Hiring one of them would point to the HC staying on. Hiring one of the other interviewees, however, may lead elsewhere. An interesting possible third door opened Tuesday night, as the Ravens fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh is believed to have received interest from at least seven teams, meaning at least one club without a coaching vacancy gauged his interest. Considering McDaniel’s tenuous status, it would stand to reason they would reach out to the new coaching free agent.
This may or may not have occurred. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports the Dolphins have been in touch with Harbaugh, adding team ownership is believed to have an affinity for the veteran HC. Countering this, however, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson indicates no engagement of any kind has taken place between the Dolphins and Harbaugh.
Considering Harbaugh’s accomplishments, it would be natural to assume the Dolphins would have interest. But the lot of HC-needy teams, most notably the Giants, does as well. Harbaugh has only coached with the Eagles and Ravens since entering the NFL in 1998. He would provide a proven option on a market that largely lacks them. The team that does end up with Harbaugh, though, would seemingly need to be a non-rebuilding operation presently.
Dolphins ownership did move on from Grier due partially to the GM’s interest in conducting a fire sale at the trade deadline, pointing against a rebuild. Then again, the team appears on the verge of dropping Tua Tagovailoa and looking for a new quarterback. That would at least present a key rebuild ingredient, which could make a Harbaugh fit clunky.