Coaching Notes: Bears, Jaguars, Allen, Patriots, Lake
GM-centric workflow models are more common in the modern NFL than those that start with head coaches, though some teams still have their sideline leaders atop the personnel pyramid. The Bears are not one of them, and it does not sound like they intend to change that after this search concludes. Chairman George McCaskey confirmed (via the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs) the team’s next HC will still report to GM Ryan Poles, who will report to president Kevin Warren.
This will close the door on a coach power play or a change in which both the Bears’ HC and GM would report to Warren. The top-down model being non-negotiable could affect the franchise’s search to some degree, though the Bears have used this setup for a while. Additionally, the Bears’ first round of interviews will be entirely virtual, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. This applies to unattached coaches, who are not bound by league rules mandating virtual meetings before January 20, the day after the divisional round wraps.
Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:
- A Monday report did not make it clear if the Patriots would fire Alex Van Pelt along with Jerod Mayo, but the veteran OC apparently told friends shortly after the Bills matchup he and the HC were each fired, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes. This is not yet official, but coordinator statuses can go quiet as teams search for new HCs. Mayo had criticized Van Pelt during the season, leading to hot seat rumors. But the play-caller had drawn praise for his work with Drake Maye. The Patriots should expect plenty of staff turnover, the Globe’s Nicole Yang adds. That is generally the norm, but the Pats retained several staffers following their Bill Belichick-to-Mayo transition.
- Ben Johnson is set to go through a four-pack of interviews between Friday and Saturday, as summits with the Patriots, Raiders (both Friday) and Bears and Jaguars (Saturday) loom. Buzz around the league points to Johnson being intrigued by the Jacksonville job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes, but the in-demand assistant might want his own GM. The Lions’ OC has been notoriously picky when it comes to a job, and although more noise has come about him taking one during this cycle, Trent Baalke being retained could throw a wrench into the Jags’ process. It would seem unlikely if the Jags allowed Baalke to remain GM if Johnson preferred that not remain the case, and a Wednesday report indicated the team could be open to kicking Baalke to another role. That said, Fowler adds some among the Jags are skeptical a coach could run a power play to boot Baalke from his four-year post.
- Not much has come out about Dennis Allen‘s future post-New Orleans, but the recently fired Saints leader may have another DC chance again soon. The Colts have come up as an interested party, Fowler adds, noting the three-year Saints HC should be a candidate for the Indy DC job. The team has yet to conduct an interview, but Allen has been either a head coach or DC for most of the past 14 years. The Saints had played well defensively leading up to this season, with Allen at the helm when the team repaired a porous unit in the late 2010s.
- No Falcons coordinator changes have come out, but some in the league are keeping an eye on their DC situation, Fowler notes. Raheem Morris did not definitively endorse Jimmy Lake for a second year. Morris brought the former Washington Huskies HC with him from the Rams’ staff, doing the same with OC Zac Robinson. After improving under one-and-done DC Ryan Nielsen, the Falcons dropped to 23rd in scoring defense and yards allowed under Lake, a first-time NFL coordinator.
CB Justin Bethel Retires
Justin Bethel‘s playing days have come to an end. The veteran corner/special teams ace announced his retirement via Instagram on Wednesday. 
“23 years. 12 years pro,” Bethel wrote. “That’s how long I’ve played the game of football! Been blessed more than I can imagine. Met a lot of great people thanks to football and been to a lot of cool places. But my greatest years are ahead of me.”
Bethel entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2012. He played all 16 games in his rookie year but hardly saw the field on defense. With respect to special teams, though, his 70% snap share showcased his immediate contributions. It was in the third phase that Bethel would go on to make his most notable impact in the NFL. That included three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2013-15.
Following a six-year run in Arizona (including the 2017 campaign, in which he logged his heaviest defensive workload), Bethel spent one year with the Falcons. That, in turn, was followed by time with the Ravens, Patriots and Dolphins. He logged a full season in 2023 with Miami but was out of the league this past campaign. Rather than attempting a return for the 2025 season, Bethel has elected to hang up his cleats.
In all, the 34-year-old played 200 combined regular and postseason games in the NFL, collecting five interceptions and 282 tackles along the way. Thanks in large part to his first Cardinals extension, Bethel amassed roughly $20MM in career earnings.
2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker
The Titans and Raiders again became part of a GM carousel in the 2020s. Tennessee canned its front office boss after two seasons, while Las Vegas moved on after one. These two joined the Jets, and after two-plus offseason weeks, the Jaguars followed suit by firing Trent Baalke. With the Titans, Raiders and Jets landing on GMs, the Jags are the only team left searching. Here is how the GM market looks:
Updated 2-21-25 (4:00pm CT)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interviewed 2/13
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed 2/13; strong contender?
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interviewed 2/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Conducted second interview 2/19
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): Hired
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Interviewed 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant general manager (Raiders): Interviewed 2/14
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): One of top candidates?; Interviewed 2/13
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice president of player personnel (Packers): Conducted second interview 2/20
- Ethan Waugh, interim general manager (Jaguars): Strong candidate?; Interviewed 2/20
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Conducted second interview 2/19
Las Vegas Raiders
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interviewed; to conduct second interview 1/20
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed; to conduct second interview 1/20
- Lance Newmark, assistant general manager (Commanders): Potential frontrunner?; interviewed 1/19
- John Spytek, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): To interview; hired
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Interview requested
- Sheldon White, director of pro scouting (Steelers): Interview requested
New York Jets
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/8; hired by Titans
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Conducted second interview 1/23
- Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): Interviewed 12/16
- Ray Farmer, senior personnel executive (Rams): Interviewed 1/9
- Brian Gaine, assistant general manager (Bills): Interviewed 1/14
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/10
- Ryan Grigson, senior vice president of player personnel (Vikings): Interviewed 1/11
- Alec Halaby, assistant general manager (Eagles): Interviewed 1/8
- Darren Mougey, assistant general manager (Broncos): Hired
- Jim Nagy, Senior Bowl director: Interviewed 12/19
- Lance Newmark, assistant general manager (Commanders): Conducted second interview 1/21; hire expected; still a candidate
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/2
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): Interviewed 12/17
- Phil Savage, interim general manager (Jets): Interviewed
- Chris Spielman, special assistant to president/CEO (Lions): Interviewed 1/11
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
Tennessee Titans
- Matt Berry, senior director of player personnel (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/11
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Hired
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Conducted second interview 1/15
- Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): Interviewed 1/10
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Conducted second interview 1/14
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Conducted second interview 1/14
- Catherine Hickman, assistant general manager (Browns): Interviewed 1/11
- Reggie McKenzie, senior personnel executive (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/10
- John Spytek, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview 1/16
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Conducted second interview 1/16
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/25
Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players through the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- DE Anthony Goodlow, OL Sincere Haynesworth, RB Zonovan Knight, NT P.J. Mustipher
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Makai Polk
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
- TE Jordan Murray
Cincinnati Bengals
- CB Micah Abraham, RB Gary Brightwell, CB Nate Brooks, WR Cole Burgess, OT Andrew Coker, DE Raymond Johnson III, S PJ Jules, S Jaylen Key, G Tashawn Manning, WR Kendric Pryor, LB Craig Young
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
- DL Tyler Manoa
Miami Dolphins
- WR Tarik Black, LB William Bradley-King, S Jordan Colbert, DT Neil Farrell, OT Ryan Hayes, OL Chasen Hines, LB Dequan Jackson, CB Isaiah Johnson, CB Jason Maitre, OT Bayron Matos, LB Derrick McLendon, TE Hayden Rucci
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Isaac Alarcon, WR Russell Gage, WR Isaiah Hodgins, OT Jalen McKenzie
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/25
With the regular season having come to an end, many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts. This allows organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Andre Baccellia, CB Jaden Davis, CB Darren Hall, OL Matthew Jones, WR Tejhaun Palmer, TE Bernhard Seikovits, DL Ben Stille
Atlanta Falcons
- DT Junior Aho, WR Phillip Dorsett, RB Elijah Dotson, WR Dylan Drummond, G Joey Fisher, G Jovaughn Gwyn, DB Lamar Jackson, QB Emory Jones, DE Khalid Kareem, WR Jesse Matthews, DB Benny Sapp III, OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- RB Emani Bailey, G Ja’Tyre Carter, TE Dominique Dafney, LB Kenny Dyson, LB Thomas Incoom, WR T.J. Luther, TE Jordan Matthews, WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- OL Theo Benedet, OL Chris Glaser, WR John Jackson, LB Carl Jones Jr., DL Jamree Kromah, QB Austin Reed, OL Ricky Stromberg, WR Samori Toure, TE Joel Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- G Javion Cohen, S Trey Dean, DE Marcus Haynes, OT Roy Mbaeteka, TE Tre’ McKitty, OT Julian Pearl, DE Elerson Smith, K Andre Szmyt, OT Lorenzo Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- G Jack Anderson, DB Luq Barcoo, DT Denzel Daxon, WR Kelvin Harmon, LB Brock Mogensen, WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper, DB Troy Pride Jr., LB Luiji Vilain, WR Seth Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Salvon Ahmed, LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, QB Jason Bean, S Marcel Dabo, CB Alex Johnson, G Atonio Mafi, TE Sean McKeon, WR D.J. Montgomery, DE Durell Nchami, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, DT Pheldarius Payne, G Josh Sills, WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- DE David Agoha, OT Gottlieb Ayedze, CB M.J. Devonshire, CB Keenan Isaac, WR Shedrick Jackson, WR Tyreik McAllister, DE Ovie Oghoufo, C Will Putnam, LB Brandon Smith, RB Isaiah Spiller, OT Dalton Wagner, WR Kristian Wilkerson
New York Giants
- K Jude McAtamney, DL Ross Blacklock, C Bryan Hudson, C Jimmy Morrissey, DL Casey Rogers
New York Jets
- OL Zack Bailey, RB Zach Evans, T Obinna Eze, TE Zack Kuntz, G Kohl Levao, QB Adrian Martinez, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Brandon Smith, DB Tre Swilling, WR Easop Winston
San Francisco 49ers
- DL Jonathan Garvin, OL Sebastian Gutierrez, DL Tarron Jackson, OL Zack Johnson, CB Chase Lucas, S Jaylen Mahoney, QB Tanner Mordecai, OL Drake Nugent, WR Terique Owens, TE Mason Pline, WR Trent Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Quinton Bohanna, CB Ryan Cooper, LB Michael Dowell, CB Tyler Hall, C Mike Novitsky, DE Kenneth Odumegwu, S Ty Okada, WR Cornell Powell, LB Jamie Sheriff, LB Tyreke Smith, CB Damarion Williams
Tennessee Titans
- DT McTelvin Agim, DT Abdullah Anderson, LB Curtis Bolton, OL Chandler Brewer, DT Isaiah Iton, CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, OLB Kyron Johnson, WR Stanley Morgan, TE Thomas Odukoya, S Gervarrius Owens, T Isaiah Prince, RB Jabari Small
Kirk Cousins Intends To Play In 2025
Kirk Cousins‘ days of maneuvering his way into windfall contracts are almost definitely over, as the Falcons came to regret the deal they authorized in March. Michael Penix Jr. replaced Cousins late in the season, leading to rumors of the veteran quarterback contemplating retirement.
The deliberation looks to have produced an answer. Cousins is aiming to continue his career next season, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes. This effort will, of course, be centered around landing with a fourth NFL team. The Falcons are expected to release the longtime starter, a move that will come sign significant dead money.
Atlanta guaranteed Cousins $90MM at signing, which will make a release painful. A 2025 cut will carry a $65MM dead money hit, one that will undoubtedly be spread out over two offseasons via a post-June 1 designation. The Cousins release, even in a world in which the Jets cut Aaron Rodgers, would rank second in NFL history for dead money (behind the Broncos’ Russell Wilson cut). If/once Atlanta designates Cousins a post-June 1 release at the start of the 2025 league year, a $40MM 2025 cap hit would hit the books. As Penix will have a full offseason to prep as the Falcons’ starter, his short-lived mentor will look elsewhere.
The Falcons had long planned to use Cousins as their starter for two seasons, but their top-10 Penix investment interfered with that reality from the start. As it turned out, the team pulled the trigger late in Year 1. Penix will enter the offseason as Atlanta’s unquestioned starter.
Cousins’ concerning 2024 form will drastically alter his market, though a degree of interest should still emerge. This may not be a good year to need a quarterback. The 2025 QB draft class is not viewed as a group on the level of the past two crops, and the Vikings could take Sam Darnold off the market via the franchise tag. The likes of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Daniel Jones would move up the free agency board in that event. Rodgers has not decided on playing in 2025; that will also be a variable that affects Cousins. The Steelers’ late-season swoon also stands to affect Wilson’s market, as the 36-year-old may not be too far north of where Cousins checks in financially come March.
The supply-and-demand issue at QB should still generate interest in Cousins, who turned 36 just before this season. Teams who will find themselves unable to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward will need to look into bridge options. Cousins carried strong enough value in 2024 he was seemingly able to avoid a bridge scenario — or, so he believed at the time of signing — but nothing in the realm of a four-year, $180MM contract is coming. It will, then, be interesting to see what kind of numbers the 10-year NFL starter commands.
Cousins led the NFL with 16 interceptions, despite being benched after 14 games. He did elevate the Falcons’ passing attack compared to where it was with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, helping the team to seven wins while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Now being nearly 18 months removed from the October 2023 Achilles tear also would stand to help the immobile vet, but his 2024 form will still factor prominently into his market.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.
One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.
With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.
Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- Cleveland Browns (3-14)
- New York Giants (3-14)
- New England Patriots (4-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
- New York Jets (5-12)
- Carolina Panthers (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-12)
- Chicago Bears (5-12)
- San Francisco (6-11)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
- Miami Dolphins (8-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
- Houston Texans (10-7)
- Denver Broncos (10-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
- Green Bay Packers (11-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Washington Commanders (12-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
- Detroit Lions (15-2)
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25
The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: S Andre Chachere
- Elevated: RB Tony Jones Jr., T Luke Tenuta
- Placed on IR: T Jackson Barton
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: OL Will Clapp, DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: RB Miles Sanders (story)
- Placed on IR: LB Amaré Barno
- Signed to active roster: DE DeShawn Williams
- Elevated: OLB Thomas Incoom, OLB Kenny Dyson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DT Domenique Davis, WR Kendric Pryor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: QB Will Grier
- Elevated: CB Troy Pride
- Placed on IR: CB Kemon Hall
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: DE Matt Henningsen
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: DB Morice Norris
- Elevated: DL Chris Smith, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB D’Angelo Ross
- Elevated: DE Solomon Byrd, S Russ Yeast
- Placed on IR: LB Jamal Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DE Joe Gaziano
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: LB Blake Lynch, QB Chris Oladokun
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE John Samuel Shenker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: S Alohi Gilman (story)
- Elevated: WR Dez Fitzpatrick, S Eddie Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: T AJ Arcuri, OLB Keir Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: T Ryan Hayes, QB Skylar Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: LB Calvin Munson, OLB Gabriel Murphy
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Miles Battle, DE Truman Jones, LB Monty Rice, TE Jack Westover
- Elevated: WR Alex Erickson, TE Mitchell Wilcox
- Placed on IR: C Ben Brown, S Jabrill Peppers, WR Ja’Lynn Polk
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: S Millard Bradford, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: RB Dante Miller
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, T Tyre Phillips
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: CB Sauce Gardner
- Signed to active roster: DL Bruce Hector
- Elevated: CB Tre Swilling, OL Zack Bailey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Alex Barrett, LB DaShaun White
- Elevations: G Drake Nugent, WR Trent Taylor
- Placed on IR: G Spencer Burford, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: CB Artie Burns, NT Brandon Pili
- Elevated: DT Quinton Bohanna, TE Tyler Mabry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: CB Dallis Flowers, LB Deion Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DE Khalid Duke, WR Tay Martin
- Elevated: S Gervarrius Owens, K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: LB Otis Reese
Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.
Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.
Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).
Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.
Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.
Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:
- New England Patriots (3-13)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-13)
- New York Giants (3-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-12)
- New York Jets (4-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
- Chicago Bears (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-11)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
- Miami Dolphins (8-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
- Houston Texans (9-7)
- Denver Broncos (9-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
- Green Bay Packers (11-5)
- Washington Commanders (11-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-3)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
NFL Coaching Rumors: Vrabel, Desai, Falcons
Following his first head coaching stint in Tennessee, Mike Vrabel has been serving as a coaching and personnel consultant in Cleveland. His job with the Browns was obviously a last-second alternative after he attempted to go after another head coaching gig in the offseason and failed.
We had heard rumors back in January following the hiring of Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles that Vrabel was the second option for the job. That rumor was reiterated by Diana Russini of The Athletic recently. Vrabel had reportedly nailed his interview with the Chargers, and there was legitimate concern that Harbaugh might have backed out of the agreement to become head coach. Unfortunately for Vrabel, Harbaugh returned to the NFL, leaving Vrabel in a quick search for work.
The next head coaching cycle should give Vrabel a bit more time to find a job, and according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, he may not be the only one who departs. Kay claims that, should Vrabel leave for his next head coaching gig in 2025, there’s an expectation that he will attempt to bring pass game specialist and tight ends coach Tommy Rees with him.
Rees doesn’t have much NFL experience. Starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern, Rees spent one season as an offensive assistant for the Chargers in 2016 before going back to the collegiate ranks. He spent three seasons as Notre Dame’s quarterbacks coach before earning the offensive coordinator title for three more years. Before joining Cleveland, he spent a single season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Alabama.
Here are a couple other coaching rumors from around the NFL:
- Another coach who took a small role in 2024 was former NFL defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Desai has spent two separate seasons as a coordinator in the NFL, both times failing to retain his position into the next year. After being fired by the Eagles following the loss of six of their final seven games, Desai took the role of senior defensive assistant with the Rams, calling the scout team defense against the team’s offense in practice. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Desai is expected to be a hot name in the upcoming cycle as a candidate to once again become a defensive coordinator.
- In the realm of college, Falcons pass game specialist Chandler Whitmer has been hired to serve as the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator for Indiana in 2025, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He is set to replace Tino Sunseri who will take the opportunity to call plays at UCLA next year. Whitmer brings four years of NFL experience, previously working as a quality control coach with quarterbacks for the Chargers. He also spent time as a graduate assistant with Clemson and Ohio State. This will be his first job as a full-time position coach.