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Bills To Hire Cardinals’ STC Jeff Rodgers

By | at January 30, 2026 5:50 pm

The Bills are expected to hire Cardinals special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers for the same job on Joe Brady’s new staff in Buffalo, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Rodgers, 48, has spent the last eight seasons in Arizona with the added title of assistant head coach for the last seven. He previously served as the special teams coordinator for the Panthers (2010), Broncos (2011-2014), and Bears, (2015-2017). Before that, he worked as a special teams assistant for the 49ers (2003-2007) before his first coordinator gig with at Kansas State.

Rodgers will be replacing Chris Tabor, who was hired by the Bills last offseason after previously working for the Panthers. He overlapped with new head coach Joe Brady in Carolina, but the two will not continue working together in Buffalo. Tabor accepted an offer to be the Dolphins’ new special teams coordinator before Brady was officially name the Bills’ head coach.

Buffalo’s special teams unit received an 88.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2025. Running back Ray Davis received a first-team All-Pro nod as a returner after averaging 30.4 yards on his kick returns, the most in the league. Tabor helped keep the kicking and punting units afloat amid injuries to Matt Prater and Cameron Johnston.

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Cowboys Nearing Zach Orr Hire

By | at January 29, 2026 10:39 am

Zach Orr was not hired as the Cowboys‘ new defensive coordinator. He could nevertheless soon find himself on Dallas’ coaching staff.

After two years as the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, Orr is a candidate to depart the team. Since head coach John Harbaugh was fired, he has received interest in other DC gigs. Orr interviewed with the Cowboys and Chargers for their respective openings.

Both teams ultimately went in a different direction, but Dallas remains interested. Orr is “in line” to join Brian Schottenheimer‘s staff, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports. An “elevated” linebackers coach role is expected in this case, per Hill. Orr played as a middle linebacker and coached that position for two years in Baltimore prior to being promoted to defensive coordinator.

Orr’s unit did not meet expectations during the 2025 season in particular, but he could add value as a position coach. The 33-year-old worked with Schottenheimer in Jacksonville for one season (2021), and Hill notes he has a relationship with new Cowboys DC Christian Parker as well. A Dallas hire would represent a homecoming for Orr, a native of DeSoto, Texas.

The Cowboys struggled in a number of areas during their one season with Matt Eberflus leading their defense. Dallas ranked 23rd against the run in 2025, and improvements at the linebacker position will no doubt be targeted this offseason. Presuming a hire is worked out, Orr will be tasked with playing a key role in Dallas’ efforts to rebound at the second level. A departure would also confirm Baltimore’s need for a new DC under first-time head coach Jesse Minter.

Meanwhile, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports the Cowboys are expected to hire Ryan Smith. Smith spent the past three years coaching the Cardinals’ cornerbacks. He has previously done so at the collegiate level, so a similar title with Dallas would come as no surprise.

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Cardinals Expected To Conduct Second HC Interview With Klint Kubiak

By | at January 29, 2026 8:58 am

The NFL is down to two head coaching vacancies. Both may remain unfilled until Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has the chance to conduct a follow-up interview in each case.

Kubiak is scheduled to meet with the Raiders for a second time on Saturday. The same will likely be true of the Cardinals. Arizona is expected to arrange an in-person Kubiak meeting, ESPN’s Peter Schrager reports. According to colleague Jeremy Fowler, both interviews are expected to take place on Saturday. Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds candidates for each position have been informed at least one more interview with another target will be taking place, a likely reference to Kubiak.

Per Fowler, Kubiak is currently believed by some to be the leading candidate regarding the searches in Arizona and Las Vegas. The Raiders have seen a pair of candidates withdraw from their search as it has unfolded. The team spoke with the likes of Joe Brady, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter and Brian Daboll, but they have each taken jobs elsewhere around the NFL.

That leaves Kubiak as a name to watch closely. Since he already met virtually with both the Cardinals and Raiders, he is free to conduct a follow-up before the Super Bowl. Arizona has been linked to a longer list of finalists than Vegas, with a Ron Rivera interview taking place on Tuesday. A number of experienced staffers such as Rivera and Vance Joseph have been linked to the opening.

In recent days, Mike LaFleur has been named as the frontrunner for the Cardinals’ HC gig. With the Rams’ season having ended, he is free to accept an offer at any time. Arizona will at least speak with Kubiak before making a decision, though. Like the Raiders, the Cardinals are aiming to rebound from a three-win season. Their HC hire will of course be key in shaping the franchise’s direction over the coming years.

Kubiak, 38, has been an NFL staffer all but one year dating back to 2013. A Vikings and Broncos staffer multiple times, he has held important roles in both organizations (including offensive coordinator with Minnesota). Following a one-year stint with the 49ers, Kubiak guided the Saints’ offense in 2024. Sweeping changes in New Orleans led him to Seattle last year, and things have certainly gone well this season. Sam Darnold‘s first Seahawks campaign has been highly successful to say the least, something which has helped Kubiak’s stock continue to rise.

The Seahawks’ Super Bowl preparation will continue today and tomorrow. In Kubiak’s case, though, that process will be paused on Saturday. No official hire will be possible until after the championship game, of course, but an agreement with either the Cardinals or Raiders could be worked out shortly.

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Cardinals Interview Ron Rivera For HC

By | at January 27, 2026 5:08 pm

Three head coaching jobs remain vacant, and they have been unfilled since Black Monday. As the Ravens, Dolphins, Steelers and Bills made hires after post-Black Monday firings, the Browns, Cardinals and Raiders’ searches drag on. An unexpected name has emerged amid Arizona’s process.

Ron Rivera completed an interview for the Cardinals’ HC position, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. The former Panthers and Commanders HC is currently serving as Cal’s GM. Rivera, 64, took the Cal position in 2025; he has not coached since the 2023 season. This hiring cycle has seen two coaches over 60 hired, with John Harbaugh and Mike McCarthy landing jobs.

This is not Rivera’s first interview since being ousted in Washington. The Bears, Jets and Raiders met with him about their openings in 2025. Rivera has 13 years’ experience as an NFL head coach. The former Coach of the Year has a Super Bowl appearance on his resume, though the back half of his Panthers tenure and most of his Commanders years did not go especially well.

Rivera is 102-103-2 as an NFL HC. He guided the Panthers to four playoff berths in a five-year span, backing Cam Newton with a few stout defenses during that span. The Panthers stormed to Super Bowl 50 after a 15-1 season, but after losing to the underdog Broncos, the team did not approach those heights again. After making one playoff appearance from 2016-18, Rivera received his walking papers — by second-year owner David Tepper — during the 2019 season.

Receiving personnel control to help a Washington franchise find some stability late in Dan Snyder‘s tenure, Rivera did lead the then-Washington Football Team to the 2020 playoffs — albeit at 7-9. The team could not find a quarterback during Rivera’s tenure, missing on Carson Wentz and Sam Howell. Another new owner, Josh Harris, booted Rivera after the 2023 season. That ’23 campaign ended badly enough — with eight straight losses following the trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young — it helped the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn regime land Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in 2024.

The Cardinals have already seen Jonathan Gannon and Drew Petzing land on their feet. The three-year coworkers will be coaching against each other in the NFC North, with Gannon now the Packers’ DC and Petzing the Lions’ OC. Arizona’s search passed the three-week mark Monday, and a few names are out of the process. Joe Brady, Anthony Campanile, Jeff Hafley, John Harbaugh, Jesse Minter and Robert Saleh landed elsewhere or, in Campanile’s case, bowed out of the search. Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is how the search stands as of Monday evening:

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Anthony Campanile, Grant Udinski To Stay With Jaguars

By | at January 27, 2026 3:00 pm

Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski have received head coaching interest this offseason, but the team announced the two will return in 2026. Campanile agreed to a contract extension on Monday night, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Udinski, who also agreed to a new deal, withdrew from the Browns’ head coaching search on Monday. The 30-year-old wunderkind was still in the running for the job in Buffalo at the time, but that ended when the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Tuesday. It’s now official that Udinski will remain a prominent part of Jaguars head coach Liam Coen‘s staff in 2026.

Campanile, 43, interviewed for head coach openings with the Ravens, Dolphins and Cardinals this month. While the Ravens and Dolphins have since hired different candidates, the Cardinals’ job is still open.

As of last Saturday, Campanile was reportedly a leading candidate to take over in Arizona, but the team will have to look elsewhere. Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who has booked a second interview with the Cardinals, may end up as their pick.

Like Udinski, Campanile is fresh off a successful first year in Jacksonville, whose defense helped the Jags to a 13-4 record and an AFC South title. In Campanile’s first season as an NFL coordinator, the Jags’ defense finished second in takeaways, eighth in scoring and 11th in yards.

While either or both of Campanile and Udinski could be part of the head coaching market again next year, it’s a boon for Coen that he won’t have to replace either of them in 2026. Continuity in the coaching staff should improve the Jaguars’ chances of building on an impressive season that ended with a three-point loss to the Bills in the wild-card round.

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Cardinals Arrange Second Mike LaFleur HC Interview

By | at January 27, 2026 11:46 am

JANUARY 27: The Cardinals are one of three teams which have yet to make a head coaching hire at this point, but Connor Hughes of SNY reports LaFleur is still viewed as the frontrunner for Arizona. Once the follow-up between the parties concludes, a potential hire will be something to watch for.

JANUARY 26: With the Rams‘ season having ended on Sunday, their staffers are free to speak with interested teams about head coaching vacancies. That makes Mike LaFleur one of the top names to watch over the coming days.

LaFleur has been strongly linked to the Cardinals with their HC search ongoing. A second interview has now been arranged between the two. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Rams’ offensive coordinator will meet in person with Arizona today and tomorrow.

A Saturday report named LaFleur, along with former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile as the “leading” candidates for the Cardinals’ HC gig. As such, today’s update comes as little surprise. LaFleur has also met with the Raiders, one of four teams still in need of a new head coach.

Arizona fired Jonathan Gannon on ‘Black Monday’ in a move which ended his three-year run with the team. Since then, a number of other vacancies have emerged and – based on the level of activity regarding hires and interviews – many have proven to be more attractive. Indeed, six other HC hires have taken place at this point. Of the teams still looking for a head coach, only the Bills reached the playoffs in 2025.

After winning eight games in 2024, a postseason berth would not have been a major surprise in Arizona’s case. Instead, the team ended on a nine-game losing streak and finished 3-14. Improvement will be sought out by the Cardinals’ next head coach, someone who will have to make staffing decisions such as the hiring of a new offensive coordinator (to replace Drew Petzing) upon arrival. Gannon came to Arizona with a defensive background, whereas the opposite is true of LaFleur.

The brother of current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Mike worked as the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and ’22. Since then, he has worked a non-play-calling OC with the Rams. LaFleur, 38, has never been a head coach at the college or NFL levels. He is one of the top candidates still on the market at this point, however, and it will be interesting to see if this upcoming Cardinals interview produces an offer.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is a look at where things stand for Arizona:

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Raheem Morris, Anthony Campanile, Mike LaFleur Leading Candidates For Cardinals’ HC Position?

By | at January 24, 2026 11:10 pm

The Cardinals are one of four teams which still have a head coaching vacancy. A hire could be coming soon, though, with a trio of top candidates in place.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Arizona considers Raheem Morris, Anthony Campanile and Mike LaFleur to be the “leading” options at this point. All three have interviewed at least once with the Cardinals as part of their ongoing search. Campanile met with the team for a second time on Thursday, something other candidates are also set to do shortly.

[RELATED: HC Search Tracker]

The current Jaguars defensive coordinator has been a popular head coaching candidate during this year’s cycle. Campanile interviewed with the Ravens and Dolphins, but both teams have since gone in a different direction to fill their HC positions. 2025 marked the 43-year-old’s first season as a coordinator at the NFL level, so taking on a head coaching gig would represent another major career move.

LaFleur has a more extensive history as an NFL coordinator, having served as an OC with the Jets from 2021-22 and with the Rams for the past three seasons. He has not handled play-calling duties in Los Angeles while working under Sean McVay, but the 38-year-old has helped his stock over the course of his Rams stint. A follow-up interview was not possible in LaFleur’s case this past week with the Rams advancing to the NFC title game. One could be arranged in the near future, however.

Morris is the only member of the trio who has worked as a head coach at the NFL or college levels. He was at the helm of the Buccaneers from 2009-11; Morris also served as the Falcons’ coach for a total of 45 games across two different stints. Over that span, his teams posted a winning record just once. Morris, 49, is regarded as one of the game’s top defensive minds but his head coaching winning percentage sits at .398. Interest in multiple D-coordinator positions could be coming in this case in the even Morris does not land the Cardinals gig, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Plenty remains to be seen over the coming days, but SNY’s Connor Hughes reports LaFleur is “believed to be the frontrunner” for the Arizona HC position at this time. For now, his attention will be focused on the Rams’ game against the Seahawks with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Nevertheless, a deal bringing with it a first head coaching opportunity allowing LaFleur to remain in the NFC West could be coming soon.

Here is an updated look at where Arizona’s search stands:

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Cardinals Schedule Second HC Interview With Anthony Weaver

By | at January 24, 2026 11:10 am

Continuing a busy week, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has booked a second head coaching interview with the Cardinals, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. That meeting will take place Sunday.

Weaver held second head coaching interviews with the Ravens and Steelers earlier this week. The 45-year-old is also a candidate in Buffalo, which will discuss its open job with him today.

Weaver remains “very much in the mix” to end up as Mike Tomlin‘s successor in Pittsburgh, Peter Schrager of ESPN reports. However, after he wraps up his summit with the Bills, he’ll turn his attention back to Arizona.

Weaver joins Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile as the first two candidates to set up second interviews with the Cardinals. Unsurprisingly, Campanile is “firmly in the mix” to land the position, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Either Weaver or Campanile would be a second straight defensive-minded hire for Arizona, which is coming off a subpar three-year run with Jonathan Gannon at the controls. The Cardinals fired Gannon after he went 15-36 and posted a dreadful .294 winning percentage.

A defensive lineman with the Ravens and Texans from 2002-08, Weaver has garnered over a decade of experience as an NFL coach since his playing career ended. The two-time defensive coordinator (with the Texans in 2020 and the Dolphins since 2024) has managed mixed results in that role.

Houston’s Weaver-led defense ranked 27th in points and 30th in yards, and he didn’t keep the job for a second season after the Texans moved on from head coach Bill O’Brien and interim HC Romeo Crennel. Weaver then returned to his former stomping grounds in Baltimore, where he coached the defensive line under coordinators Wink Martindale and Mike Macdonald from 2021-23.

Weaver parlayed his work with the Ravens into a promotion in Miami, whose defense was a significant strength in his first season at the helm. The Dolphins finished fourth in total defense and 10th in scoring. Although they fell to 22nd and 24th in those respective categories in 2025, it’s clear teams aren’t holding that against Weaver.

Almost three weeks since Gannon’s ouster, here’s where the Cardinals’ HC search stands:

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Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, Kingsbury, Webb, 49ers, Falcons, Petzing, Lions, Fraley, Jaguars, Commanders

By | at January 22, 2026 7:50 pm

As the Steelers and Bills’ searches get underway, the Browns, Cardinals and Raiders’ processes have shifted into the background a bit. Two candidates (Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter) pulled out of the Cleveland search, while Kevin Stefanski exited the Vegas derby. No known candidates have interviewed for the Arizona job and withdrawn, but insider Jordan Schultz still expects the NFC West team to have a difficult time attracting a quality candidate. Citing an organizational reputation in paying lower-end money to coaches, as evidenced most recently by Jonathan Gannon‘s bottom-tier HC salary, Schultz also points to the Cardinals’ standing in the NFC West as a deterrent to candidates. The division produced three playoff teams this season, and the Cards have not booked a postseason berth since 2021. They also carry a significant QB decision, with some of Kyler Murray‘s 2026 money guaranteed. It is not a lock Murray will be traded or released, but the next HC has a sketchier path to landing a successor due to this draft’s makeup.

Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:

  • The Cardinals’ three-year OC, Drew Petzing, landed on his feet by winning the race for the Lions‘ play-calling post. Petzing can thank former Vikings coworker Hank Fraley, in no small part, for this job. Detroit’s O-line coach made a recommendation for Petzing, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds the Lions’ push to keep Fraley — an OC candidate last year — made his word valuable on this year’s carousel. The Lions wanted some familiarity in their hire, Breer adds. While Petzing has never worked with Dan Campbell, his past with Fraley helped. Detroit was burned by familiarity last year, as John Morton‘s second Lions stint did not work out. But they will try their hand with Arizona’s previous play-caller (and ex-Vikings Mike Zimmer-era staffer).
  • Jeff Ulbrich intends to retain some of his staffers under Stefanski. The second-year Falcons DC appears set on keeping DBs coach Justin Hood. The 49ers requested a meeting with Hood for a high-ranking job, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, but the Falcons blocked it. (This would not have been for a DC job, as the Falcons could not block that.) Hood, 39, has only been in the NFL since 2021 and was not an Ulbrich hire. Hood was part of Jimmy Lake‘s defensive staff in 2024; prior to that, he was a three-year quality control coach with the Packers. But he is now an Atlanta priority.
  • Davis Webb remains in the Raiders’ HC search and has been connected to the Bills, impressing in interviews. The third-year Broncos QBs coach cannot complete another interview until next week, but a potential pairing with an OC has come up. Webb linking up with Kliff Kingsbury has circulated as a possibility, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would be interesting given the experience disparity, as Kingsbury was Webb’s coach at Texas Tech. Webb, 30, played under Kingsbury, 46, for three seasons in Lubbock before transferring to Cal in 2016. Kingsbury is no longer in the running for any HC jobs but has been linked to the Ravens and Titans’ OC posts.
  • The Commanders are making another key promotion on their offensive staff. Darnell Stapleton, part of Dan Quinn‘s first two staffs, is moving up to the offensive line coach position, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets. Stapleton, 40, spent the past two years as Washington’s assistant O-line coach. That was his first NFL job, having come to the NFL after two seasons as Florida’s O-line coach. Stapleton has worked closely with new OC David Blough since coming to D.C., per Graziano. Shane Toub is moving into Stapleton’s former position. The son of longtime Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub, Shane spent the past three seasons as a quality control staffer. Dan Quinn kept him from Ron Rivera‘s final staff and is now promoting him to a position coaching role.
  • The Jaguars are hiring Dolphins cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Among the Jets’ DC candidates, Araujo evidently will not land that job. Araujo reunites with former Dolphins coworker Anthony Campanile, though the Jags’ current DC is still up for the Cardinals’ HC job. Araujo was on all four McDaniel Miami staffs, three of those including Campanile.
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Cardinals Arrange In-Person Anthony Campanile HC Meeting

By | at January 21, 2026 10:24 am

As nearly half the HC-seeking teams have landed a candidate, the Cardinals are among the others continuing theirs. A key candidate will take a meeting soon.

Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is set for an in-person interview Thursday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Campanile, who interviewed for the Dolphins’ HC job, remains in the running for the Ravens’ position as well.

While this is a new name connected to the Jags’ search, Rapoport and AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban confirm Campanile has already spoken with the team. It appears a virtual interview occurred previously. That certainly makes the upcoming visit one to closely monitor.

After a 13-4 season, the Jags have seen both their coordinators draw extensive interest. OC Grant Udinski is up for the Browns’ job, having a second interview planned for this week. He also received an interview request from the Bills on Wednesday morning. Campanile did not, but he submitted an impressive first season in Jacksonville and carried more responsibility than his OC counterpart during this surprising Jags resurgence.

The Jaguars rocketed from 27th in scoring offense in 2024 to eighth this season. They notched a pivotal win in Denver in Week 16, separating from the eventual AFC No. 1 seed in the second half. That highlighted an eight-game win streak to close the regular season. During that streak, the Jaguars gave up more than 20 points just once.

Campanile, 43, came to Duval County after a season as the Packers’ run-game coordinator. Prior to that, he spent four years on the Dolphins’ staff; Campanile was retained by Mike McDaniel after two years under Brian Flores.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is how the Cardinals’ process looks as of Wednesday morning:

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