Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Seahawks Request HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Frank Smith, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris

January 15th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn came up as the first known candidate to replace Pete Carroll in Seattle. The ex-Carroll lieutenant will indeed land on the Seahawks’ request list.

The Seahawks sent out a slip to the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Quinn, 53, enjoyed multiple stints in Seattle, the second of which coming when he spent both Super Bowl seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator in the 2010s. While Quinn’s Dallas defense disappointed Sunday, he is now likely to conduct HC interviews with at least five teams.

The former Falcons HC has been a popular name on the interview circuit for three years now. After Quinn bowed out of the 2023 interview process early, he appears set to stay on this year’s carousel longer. Quinn has been Dallas’ DC for three seasons, though it will be interesting to see how the organization handles the Mike McCarthy situation following the Packers’ runaway win.

Dolphins OC Frank Smith and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero have also received an interview request from the Seahawks, Pelissero adds. Smith has been Mike McDaniel‘s OC in Miami for the past two seasons. McDaniel and Smith’s offense fared miserably Saturday night in frigid Kansas City, but the team turned a corner under McDaniel. The Seahawks join the Panthers in showing interest in McDaniel’s right-hand man on offense.

Evero has been a coveted HC candidate despite spending his two DC years on bad teams. Evero’s defenses outshined the offenses in Denver last season and in Carolina recently, and he has now secured interview requests from the Falcons and Seahawks — in addition to his Panthers meeting.

This fast-moving process also includes Raheem Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has spent the past three seasons in the NFC West, working as the Rams’ DC. He joins Quinn in bringing HC experience to the table, having coached the Buccaneers for three seasons and having served as the Falcons’ interim coach following Quinn’s 2020 ouster. Morris spent six seasons on Quinn’s Atlanta staff, serving in myriad capacities.

A usual-suspects list thus far, the Seahawks are jumping onto the HC carousel a bit later. They reassigned Carroll to an undetermined role, in what amounts to a firing due to the 14-year HC making a case to keep his job, and it is unknown if the longtime leader, who is 72, will coach again. But longtime Carroll leadership partner John Schneider is steering the ship right now; the GM will be likely to explore a reunion with Quinn, who helmed the Seahawks to back-to-back first-place finishes in scoring defense from 2013-14. He parlayed that into a Falcons HC gig, which started to go south following the Super Bowl LI collapse. Quinn has rebuilt his stock in Dallas, though it will be interesting to see how Sunday’s shocking loss affects his chances of securing a second HC position. Quinn initially worked in Seattle from 2009-10, being hired by Jim Mora Jr. and then retained by Carroll as D-line coach.

Evero, 43, worked with Morris in 2021 while also working alongside OC Shane Waldron with the Rams in prior years. Waldron, however, is far from guaranteed to stay. The Seahawks have greenlit a Waldron Bears OC interview. As for Evero, he has garnered respect for his work to keep the 2022 Broncos in games — during their mess of a season under Nathaniel Hackett — and his Panthers defense ranked fourth in yards allowed. DVOA was less kind to Evero’s defense (25th), but eight teams over the past two years have sought HC interviews.

Miami’s offense ranked second in scoring and first in yardage, but the frontrunning label and the team’s struggles against quality opposition will be inescapable after the egg the team laid against the Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if Smith, 42, garners serious consideration in the wake of Miami’s inconsistent season. Morris, 47, is 21-38 as a head coach. But he was just 32 when he landed the Bucs’ top job in 2009. Morris is now best known for collecting a Super Bowl ring as the Rams’ DC. He did well to develop some Aaron Donald pass-rushing sidekicks this year, in third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner.

It should be expected Ravens DC Mike Macdonald will receive a request; the two-year Baltimore defensive boss joined Quinn in early rumors pertaining to the Seahawks’ HC gig. Teams are already interviewing candidates virtually, and Quinn has four Zoom meetings scheduled for this week. No in-person interviews can occur until the divisional round concludes, marking a delay from the NFL’s usual schedule.

Falcons Request HC Interview With Antonio Pierce

January 14th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons have added Antonio Pierce to the list of candidates for their vacant head coaching position. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Atlanta has requested an interview with the Raiders’ interim HC.

After Las Vegas’ in-season firing of Josh McDaniels, Pierce galvanized a dejected locker room and guided the Raiders to a 5-4 record to close out the 2023 season, despite the up-and-down performance of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell under center. Although Pierce’s coaching resume is quite thin — his first coaching job in the NFL came when the Raiders made him their linebackers coach in 2022, a position he held when he received the promotion to interim head coach this year — his leadership abilities have clearly caught the attention of execs around the league.

Pierce, 45, has also landed an HC interview with the Titans, and Raiders players are publicly pushing to have owner Mark Davis remove Pierce’s interim tag and name him the permanent head coach. Indeed, star pass rusher Maxx Crosby is reportedly prepared to demand a trade if that does not happen.

Davis is said to be impressed by Pierce, and the most recent reporting on the matter suggests that the former Washington and Giants linebacker has a strong chance to become the Raiders’ full-time HC. However, Davis is also rumored to be looking for a big name to lead his club, and just last week we heard that Las Vegas was making a push to land current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Raiders have also been connected to former Patriots HC Bill Belichick.

As of the time of this writing, Davis has not actually conducted any HC interviews — he wants to hire a permanent GM first — while the Falcons are well into their interview docket. As shown on our head coaching tracker, Atlanta has compiled a mix of offensive- and defensive-minded targets, and there are rumblings that the team is an ideal fit for Belichick. After all, the Falcons have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and could be a quarterback away from legitimate contention, which makes them an intriguing landing spot for any number of hot HC candidates.

Pierce would certainly qualify as an unorthodox choice for a club that could attract more accomplished talent, but the Falcons nonetheless want to take a closer look at the man who quickly earned the vocal and enthusiastic support of his charges.

Jaguars Exploring Options For Open DC Job, Scheduling Interviews

January 12th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the defensive staff, head coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars have started the process of finding replacements. That became clear with a series of reports today that several defensive assistants from around the league would be interviewing for the open position.

In a continuation of what looks like a future decimation of the Ravens‘ coaching staff this offseason, secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt will interview for the job, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Baltimore’s coordinators have both been garnering interest for multiple head coaching openings, and earlier today, we saw the team’s defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson interview with the Giants for their open defensive coordinator job. Even Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver has received head coaching interest.

Hewitt has been a staple in Baltimore, coaching with the Ravens since the team’s last Super Bowl season in 2012. The Jamaica-native started off coaching as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the college level for the Fighting Irish before spending eight seasons at Rutgers coaching running backs and cornerbacks. In 2012, Hewitt joined John Harbaugh‘s staff as a defensive backs coach. After another eight years, Hewitt was promoted to pass defense coordinator and has spent the past two seasons in his current role.

Jacksonville isn’t afraid to poach from a division-rival, scheduling an interview with Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

Also off the Titans’ coaching staff, the Jaguars will interview Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, according to Ben Arthur of NFL on FOX. Since entering the NFL in 2013 as a Bears defensive quality control coach, Harris went from assistant defensive backs coach for the Chargers to defensive backs coach for Washington before landing in his current role with the Titans this year. Harris also got some interest in last year’s coordinator search for the Texans.

Finally, the last candidate to receive a request to interview for the Jaguars open position was Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later. When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Like Harris, Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.

The Jaguars are certainly exploring plenty of options for who will coach the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville next year. The team reportedly also requested an interview with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen but were blocked access, per Jaguars beat reporter John Shipley. The Panthers also blocked an Ejiro Evero interview. There seems to be a concentrated focus on coaches with defensive back experience, which makes sense after the team gave up the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this year.

Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?; Team Not Yet In On Jim Harbaugh

January 12th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 12: In an update which may point further in Belichick’s direction, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes the Falcons are likely to favor coaching experience more this year than in past hires. While Harbaugh is certainly among the candidates to have spent time in charge of an NFL sideline, making his omission from Atlanta’s list of targets notable, it thus comes as little surprise the team is heavily interested in Belichick. The latter can join the Falcons or any other suitor at any time, whereas coaches employed by playoff teams must follow the league’s interview schedule.

JANUARY 11: Bill Belichick will not be a fit for every team with an HC vacancy. The six-time Super Bowl-winning leader will turn 72 in April; no team has hired a head coach older than 66. A rebuild effort would not seemingly be a fit, as Belichick is intent on breaking Don Shula‘s career wins record.

Now officially separated from the Patriots after 24 years, Belichick is a coaching free agent. While several teams have been tied to the all-time great, Falcons noise is growing louder. After previous connections emerged, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the Falcons are expected to have strong interest in Belichick.

Although Arthur Blank inherited Dan Reeves upon buying the Falcons in 2002, each of his head coach hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) had never been an NFL HC. Belichick laps 2024’s candidate field in accomplishments and NFL experience, having debuted in the league with the Baltimore Colts in the mid-1970s. The 29-year HC (five in Cleveland) would stand to appeal to Blank, who is 81 and has seen his franchise drift off the contender map since Belichick’s Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI.

This position could certainly appeal to Belichick as well. The Falcons used back-to-back-to-back top-10 picks on skill-position players, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. After some free agency dollars went to defense in 2023, the Falcons finished 11th in total defense and 18th in points allowed. The Saints’ 48-point finish dinged the latter placement, and DVOA was not as bullish, slotting the Falcons 24th. But the unit is improved from 2022.

Granted, Belichick going from one team without a quarterback answer to another would be a lot to ask — especially if the Chargers are legitimately interested — but the Falcons are expected to take a bigger QB swing after standing down and going with Desmond Ridder last year. Some close to Belichick view this as a good fit for the veteran coach, Graziano adds. The team looks to be planning to keep Terry Fontentot as GM, though it seems it is flexible regarding his power going into his fourth year on the job. That said, the Falcons value Fontenot, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, making it hard to believe they will push him out at this point.

Another NFC South all-in push would be fascinating, considering the blueprint the Buccaneers established upon signing Tom Brady in 2020. Granted, Belichick has not been known — in most offseasons, at least — for wild spending to fortify his roster, but his vision may change if a short-term plan is in place. He is 14 wins shy of Shula’s all-time record. In terms of cap space, the Falcons — who again hold the No. 8 overall pick after a 7-10 season — reside in the middle of the pack, being projected to carry more than $21MM.

While it does seem like a Belichick-Falcons interview will take place, the team has sent out eight requests to other staffers Thursday. Jim Harbaugh has not yet received a slip from the Falcons, and Fowler adds the team does not look to have launched a pursuit of Michigan’s national championship-winning HC just yet. Harbaugh figures to have options out west, but the Belichick-to-Georgia storyline is obviously one to monitor going forward.

Giants Conduct DC Interview With Ravens’ Dennard Wilson; Interview Request For Marquice Williams Blocked By Falcons

January 12th, 2024 at 1:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants added ex-defensive coordinator Don Martindale after his Ravens stint came to an end, and the team is again looking Baltimore’s way in their efforts to find his replacement. New York conducted a DC interview with Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Martindale’s future on Brian Daboll‘s staff was thought to be in flux after a November report pointed to tension between the two. The latter initially said he expected the former to remain in place for the 2024 campaign, after both sides attempted to downplay the issue. However, Daboll fired two position coaches who followed Martindale from the Ravens to the Giants, and Martindale is now out of the picture as a result.

Wilson is the first known candidate to interview for New York’s DC position. The 41-year-old joined the Ravens’ staff this past offseason after a stint with the Eagles. He was at one point considered the favorite to be promoted to defensive coordinator in Philadelphia following Jonathan Gannon‘s departure, but the Eagles ultimately hired Sean Desai instead. Wilson therefore moved on, taking the Baltimore gig after also being connected to the Browns’ DC opening.

Wilson impressed during his previous time with the Jets, and he is seen as a strong coordinator candidate. It thus comes as little surprise that the Giants have shown interest as they look for a rebound on defense from the team’s performance in 2023. The Ravens ranked sixth against the pass this season (allowing 192 yards per game through the air) and racked up 18 interceptions, the third-highest mark in the league.

The Giants have also, however, hit another roadblock in their search for a special teams coordinator. New York attempted to speak with Chargers ST coordinator Ryan Ficken, but Los Angeles blocked the request. The same has now happened with respect to the Falcons. Atlanta has denied New York’s bid to interview Marquice Williams, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Having yet to fill the vacancy filled by Arthur Smith‘s firing, the Falcons are not allowing their assistants to interview with outside teams.

While the Giants will therefore need to continue searching for candidates to replace Thomas McGaughey, they have at least had a meeting with Wilson. The latter could be a name to watch on the coordinator circuit once again in 2024 given his rising stock and the Ravens’ backend performance on his watch this season.

Patriots, Bill Belichick To Part Ways

January 11th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Bill Belichick‘s run in New England is set to come to an end in 2024. He and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have mutually agreed to part ways, ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter report.

As the report notes, the move – which will be officially announced later today – came after discussions between Belichick and Kraft over the past few days. Those talks occurred without “conflict” or “disagreement,” and now both sides have elected to go their separate ways. One of the key figures in the NFL’s preeminent 21st century dynasty now faces an uncertain future.

Belichick was under contract through 2024 as a result of an offseason extension. That pact was set to lengthen his stay in New England and give him a strong chance of breaking Don Shula‘s all-time wins record. However, the 2023 campaign saw the Patriots’ regression continue with a 4-13 record. That mark was the team’s worst during Belichick’s 24-year tenure with the team, and the season was punctuated with increasing speculation he would be gone by the start of next year.

A recent report indicated the six-time Super Bowl winner was willing to cede personnel duties as part of an agreement to remain with the Patriots. Belichick had served as New England’s head coach and de facto general manager since arriving in 2000. His missteps in a front office capacity (particularly in the draft) have limited the strength of New England’s roster over the past several years, though, which has in turn hurt his coaching performances. In four years after the free agent departure of Tom Brady – with whom Belichick partnered to go on an unprecedented run of success – New England has made the postseason only once and has not secured a playoff victory.

A key sticking point in speculation about the future of the Kraft-Belichick relationship was the manner in which it would come to an end. Still retaining the latter’s rights, the Patriots could have insisted on trading him to one of the numerous teams reported as having interest. That move would have ensured new England receive compensation, something which did not take place when Brady left. Belichick’s preference was obviously a path which made him a free agent, however, and that will now be the case. His market will be a major factor in the 2024 hiring cycle.

Schefter confirms Belichick will want to continue coaching in 2024 as his pursuit of Shula’s record continues. He needs 15 wins to move into first on the all-time list, so at least a two-year stint with his next team will likely be required. At the age of 71, questions about how long he will be willing to carry on his career have been raised, but ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes a robust market is expected to emerge for his services.

Many teams with HC vacancies – a list which now covers eight of the NFL’s 32 franchises – have been linked to one extent or another to the future Hall of Famer. The ESPN report names the Falcons in particular as one to watch as Atlanta seeks out an Arthur Smith replacement. After the rookie coach delivered three underwhelming campaigns, Belichick would represent a much more experienced option to take charge of a roster featuring a number of intriguing pieces (albeit a substantial hole at the QB position).

While Atlanta will no doubt have competition to pursue Belichick, at least one team on the lookout for a new coach is out of the running. The Commanders are not expected to have interest in a Belichick acquisition, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. As expected, Washington moved on from Ron Rivera on Black Monday. The team is undergoing a major restructuring under new owner Josh Harris, who had been reported as a potential Belichick suitor. Instead, Harris will turn his attention elsewhere.

Of course, the way in which Kraft and the Patriots proceed in the coming weeks will be a major storyline. Linebackers coach Jerod Mayo (who turned down HC interest from outside teams last offseason and received a new Patriots deal to keep him in place) has frequently been named as Belichick’s heir apparent. The 37-year-old is indeed a top candidate amongst in-house options, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson confirms. She adds, however, that no coach from within the organization or amongst the outside options is firmly in the lead for the New England vacancy at this point.

Mike Vrabel has been named as a candidate to watch since his somewhat surprising Titans dismissal earlier in the week. Vrabel had a successful run as a player in New England and, by virtue of not being traded, he is free to pursue the New England gig if he wishes to hold the title of Belichick’s successor. Given the latter’s track record, whichever coach ultimately replaces him will face a daunting task given his illustrious career and lengthy list of accolades.

In all, Belichick will depart New England with a record of 296-133, 17 AFC East titles, nine Super Bowl appearances and six championships. His struggles without Brady – not to mention the numerous scandals the franchise was involved in during his tenure – will of course be a part of his legacy. However, his impact on New England and the NFL as a whole is undeniable, and his career is set to continue in a new setting for the first time in nearly a quarter century. Likewise, the coming changes on the sidelines and in the front office will make the 2024 offseason a seminal moment in Patriots history.

Falcons Request HC Interview With Mike Macdonald

January 11th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Ben Levine

We can add another team to the list of suitors for Mike Macdonald. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons have requested permission to interview the Ravens defensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy.

After not generating any head coaching interest last offseason, Macdonald has turned into one of the most popular names this time around. As our Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, the Falcons join the Titans, Commanders, Panthers, and Chargers as the teams that are currently pursuing Macdonald.

The second-year Ravens DC helped guide one the NFL’s top defenses this season, with Baltimore finishing the season as the top-scoring defense. Macdonald also got praise for his handling on the edge. Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy both caught on late with the Ravens, but the veteran duo still managed to finish the year with 18.5 sacks.

Macdonald joins a growing list of candidates for the open gig in Atlanta:

Bill Belichick, former head coach (Patriots): Team showing strong interest?
Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interview requested
Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Interview requested
Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): Rumored candidate
Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interview requested
Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator (Texans): Interview requested
Anthony Weaver, defensive line coach (Ravens): Interview requested
Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview requested

Despite the lack of a head coach, the Falcons are holding on to one of their coordinators. According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, the Falcons blocked defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen from interviewing for the Jaguars defensive coordinator gig. After spending the 2022 campaign as the Saints DC, Nielsen took on the same role in Atlanta for the 2023 campaign. The Falcons defense ended up having a bounce-back season, finishing 11th in the NFL in yards allowed.

Falcons Request HC Meeting With Ejiro Evero, Block Assistants From Interviews

January 11th, 2024 at 1:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, the Falcons attempted to interview Ejiro Evero for their defensive coordinator position. The Broncos blocked the move. Atlanta is taking similar actions this year.

Evero is again on Atlanta’s interview list, but with teams unable to block HC interview opportunities, it appears Evero will finally meet with the Falcons. The Panthers’ defensive coordinator received an interview request from the Falcons on Thursday, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, that interview will take place on January 14.

The Falcons eventually hired Ryan Nielsen as their DC, but with Arthur Smith now out of a job, uncertainty exists on the team’s staff. On that front, the Falcons are not letting their assistants under contract walk just yet. They are believed to be blocking assistants from interviewing elsewhere, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

This is not too uncommon, as the Panthers have shown this week, blocking Evero from a Jaguars DC interview. But some teams in coaching transitions have also allowed assistants to look elsewhere. The Seahawks have let Pete Carroll‘s assistants explore jobs, giving the next HC full autonomy to assemble a staff. The Rams did so while Sean McVay deliberated on returning or leaving last year. It is unlikely most of Smith’s Falcons assistants will be back. Thus, blocking interviews — a practice allowed for lateral moves, including any coordinator moves not involving a play-calling role — would impede Falcons assistants. That said, it is still early, as eight teams are now looking for head coaches, who are unable to conduct in-person interviews until after the divisional round.

Evero has become one of the more interesting HC candidates in recent years. This marks his second straight offseason as a sought-after candidate despite being tied to a team coming off a woeful season. The Broncos finished 5-12 in 2022, but Evero still interviewed — after Denver’s defense performed well — for all five vacant HC positions last year. Evero’s stock has dipped a bit, as the Falcons are his second HC interview request in this cycle (after the Panthers), but he remains on the HC/coordinator radar despite Carolina’s 2-15 season.

Carolina still views Evero as a potential coordinator under its next head coach, and until that is sorted out, the team could keep blocking its defensive play-caller from interviewing for DC jobs. But Evero will soon explore a Falcons opportunity.

Falcons Send Out Seven HC Interview Requests

January 11th, 2024 at 11:35am CST by Adam La Rose

11:35am: A seventh name can be added to the Falcons’ growing list of targets. Texans OC Bobby Slowik has received an interview request, per SI’s Albert Breer. Slowik followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco to Houston this offseason, and 2023 has marked his first stint as a coordinator. His and the team’s success has landed the 36-year-old on the HC radar this offseason. The Panthers and Commanders have also submitted interview requests for Slowik.

10:13am: The Falcons have been connected to two high-profile coaches in recent days, but the team has yet to line up any interviews with interested candidates. That is set to change soon, as Atlanta has now sent out six interview requests.

The Falcons are looking to speak with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who adds Atlanta is also interested in Bengals OC Brian Callahan. In addition, Lions DC Aaron Glenn and Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver are on the list of request recipients, colleague Ian Rapoport tweets. 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has also received a request, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Lastly, Atlanta has requested an interview with Rams DC Raheem Morris, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Johnson, as expected, has been one of the most sought-after candidates so far. In his second season at the helm of Detroit’s offense, the Lions have remained among the league’s most efficient teams on that side of the ball. The 37-year-old has been in the Motor City since 2019 and a coordinator only since 2022, but his relative lack of experience did not stop him from generating interest during last year’s hiring cycle. An aggressive Johnson pursuit is expected from the Panthers, but he is also on the radar of the Chargers and Commanders.

Callahan has likewise been connected to a number of openings this season after receiving interest last year. The Bengals fell short of expectations this season, and the offense struggled in a number of categories. Despite going much of the year without Joe Burrow, though, Cincinnati still managed to go 9-8 while finishing 16th in the league in scoring. Notably, each of the other candidates listed for the Falcons’ vacancy have a background on the defensive side of the ball.

That includes Glenn, whose unit has not matched Johnson’s in terms of effectiveness. Nevertheless, the former has received interest from the Chargers, Titans and Commanders so far. Weaver has served as a position coach during his three-year Ravens tenure, but he has held a coordinator role in the past, doing so with the Texans in 2020. Mentioned less frequently than fellow Baltimore staffers Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald, Weaver has nonetheless received an interview request from the Commanders in addition to today’s summons.

Wilks and Morris both have interim head coaching experience. The former finished off the season with the Panthers last year after Matt Rhule was fired. Wilks received support from several Panthers players to be retained on a full-time basis, but the team instead went in a different direction. That led him to San Francisco, where he has guided the 49ers’ defense to top-10 finishes in both points and yards allowed en route to securing the NFC’s top seed.

Morris, meanwhile, is an interesting name given his Falcons connection. The 47-year-old joined Atlanta in 2020 as an assistant head coach, later taking on the DC title in 2020. Midway through that season, Dan Quinn was fired and Morris finished the campaign as interim head coach. He has not received another opportunity to lead a staff since then, but his three-year coordinator run with the Rams has been well received and it has put him back on the HC radar this offseason.

After making the unsurprising move of dismissing Arthur Smith, the Falcons have been connected to both Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick. Links to the latter have continued in the wake of his long-rumored spilt with the Patriots having been confirmed. No Harbaugh or Belichick interviews have been lined up to date, of course, but the team will now have meetings with a host of other options as the Falcons look to take a step forward in 2024 and beyond.