Steelers To Hire Danny Crossman As Special Teams Coordinator
The Steelers have landed on a choice for their special teams coordinator vacancy. Danny Crossman is expected to be hired, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Pittsburgh lost longtime STC Danny Smith last month when he took the same position in Tampa Bay. The team has searched for a replacement ever since, with an interview request recently being submitted for Bubba Ventrone (who ultimately joined the Rams). The Steelers also spoke with Matthew Smiley as part of their interview process.
In the end, it will be Crossman taking charge of Pittsburgh’s special teams. He will bring considerable experience to the position. Crossman entered the NFL coaching ranks with the Panthers in 2003. He was eventually promoted to special teams coordinator in 2007, a role he held in Carolina for three years. That was followed by multi-year stints in Detroit and Buffalo in the same capacity.
Crossman joined the Dolphins’ staff in 2019 as special teams coordinator. The 59-year-old took on the additional title of assistant head coach for 2021, but that only wound up lasting one season. Once head coach Mike McDaniel arrived in 2022, Crossman returned to the role of special teams coordinator, remaining in Miami for another two years. After one season out of coaching, he will join Mike McCarthy for the coming season.
The Steelers have undergone a number of changes on the sidelines recently, highlighted of course by Mike Tomlin‘s resignation. A new defensive coordinator (Patrick Graham) is now in place, and the Crossman hire will fill another important vacancy. Attention for McCarthy and Co. will increasingly turn toward replacing Arthur Smith at the offensive coordinator spot as the hiring cycle continues to play out.
Cardinals Hire Mike LaFleur As HC
Once the news broke about Klint Kubiak’s agreement to join the Raiders after the Super Bowl, one head coaching vacancy remained. That has not proven to be the case for very long. 
The Cardinals are working to hire Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their new head coach, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. No deal has been finalized at this point, Schefter adds. The sides are nevertheless working toward a five-year agreement. A team announcement has since been made confirming the news.
LaFleur has long loomed as a strong candidate for this position. He was among the staffers who conducted an in-person interview with Arizona, a team which saw several others withdraw from consideration. Upon learning of Kubiak’s decision, the Cardinals were left with a trio of finalists. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, LaFleur, along with Raheem Morris and Anthony Weaver, were left waiting to hear from the team as of Sunday afternoon. The Cards have clearly gotten in touch with LaFleur in short order.
“We had the opportunity to speak with an outstanding group of candidates during this very thorough process and gathered tremendous insight from each of them,” a statement from owner Michael Bidwill reads. “At the end of that process, it was clear that Mike LaFleur possesses all the traits necessary to lead this team to success as its head coach. He is highly intelligent with an exceptionally sharp, creative football mind. Mike is also a dynamic and innovative leader and exactly the type of person we were looking for to guide our team as its head coach.”
This will be LaFleur’s first opportunity to be a head coach at the college or NFL levels. He has thus become the latest member of the Sean McVay coaching tree to take charge of an NFL staff. The Cardinals had a HC with a defensive background for the past three years in the form of Jonathan Gannon. As Arizona hoped, his replacement will arrive with a track record of work on the offensive side of the ball.
LaFleur has spent the past three years as an offensive coordinator with the Rams. He did not call plays during that stretch, but he was the Jets’ playcaller in 2021 and ’22. The 38-year-old has also been an OC in college and a pass-game coordinator with the 49ers before. This hire will see him work for a third NFC West franchise. Coming off a year where the Cardinals were the division’s only team to fall short of the postseason, quick improvement on a number of fronts will be sought out.
Arizona won four games during Gannon’s first year in place alongside fellow 2023 hire Monti Ossenfort. That HC-GM combo oversaw an improvement to eight wins last year, something which suggested another step forward could be possible in 2025. Instead, an injury-riddled Cardinals team finished the campaign on a nine-game losing streak. That led to Gannon’s ‘Black Monday’ firing, with Ossenfort remaining in place.
The Cardinals have a number of staffing vacancies at the moment, and former offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is among the staffers who now need to be replaced. It will be interesting to see if LaFleur will call plays on offense upon taking over head coaching duties for the first time. In any event, his attention will turn toward building a staff.
For the Rams, meanwhile, the search for a new offensive coordinator will begin once again. McVay has tapped external candidates for the gig in previous years, but an obvious in-house candidate looms for 2026. Pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase was among the most popular staffers who did not receive a head coaching opportunity, and his stock has risen quickly in short order. It would come as little surprise if, after a search which satisfies the Rooney Rule, Scheelhaase wound up being promoted to OC.
The Cardinals’ QB situation is unsettled at the moment, with Kyler Murray uncertain to be retained. Sorting out his situation will be a top priority for LaFleur and Co as the offseason unfolds. Regardless of how the team proceeds on that front, Arizona will look for needed improvement on offense and a stronger showing defensively, something which could be sparked in large part by better injury luck.
LaFleur is now joined by his older brother Mike as an NFL head coach, although the two will not meet head-to-head during the 2026 regular season. With this hire now official, all 10 HC vacancies around the league have been filled.
49ers To Hire Raheem Morris As DC
Raheem Morris was a finalist for the Cardinals’ head coaching position. With that gig going to Mike LaFleur, the ex-Falcons HC found himself in need of a new opportunity. 
In the wake of the LaFleur news, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Morris was a strong candidate to join the 49ers. Indeed, he will make a return to the NFC West for 2026. San Francisco is hiring Morris for the defensive coordinator position, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 49ers brought back Robert Saleh as their DC for the 2025 season. His success in that role resulted in another head coaching opportunity, with a Titans hire recently being worked out. That created the need for head coach Kyle Shanahan to find a Saleh replacement once again in San Francisco. In Morris, he has tapped a very familiar staffer for the gig.
Shanahan and Morris worked alongside each other in Tampa Bay (2004-05), Washington (2012-13) and again in Atlanta (2015-16). This latest reunion will see Morris return to coordinator duties. He has previously worked as a DC with the Rams and with the Falcons during his first Atlanta tenure. Morris returned to the Falcons as their head coach in 2024, but his second stint with the team did not meet expectations.
Coming off a second straight 8-9 season, Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot were dismissed immediately after the campaign ended. A number of interviews for head coaching openings followed, but only the Cardinals emerged as a serious suitor. With that opportunity coming and going, Morris will look to once again deliver a strong coordinator showing.
For the 49ers, stability at the D-coordinator position would be welcomed. Morris represents the fifth different hire in as many years Shanahan has made. Remaining in place could prove to be key for San Francisco, a team which dealt with a number of major injuries on defense in 2025. Missing the likes of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for most of the season proved detrimental, although Saleh still guided his unit to a 13th-place finish in total defense. The 49ers will have Bosa and Warner healthy next year, and Morris will face high expectations in his latest coordinator gig.
Via PFR’s OC/DC Tracker, here is a final look at San Francisco’s DC search:
- Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
- Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed
Dolphins To Hire Sean Duggan As DC
Another important hire on Jeff Hafley‘s Dolphins staff is being made. Packers linebackers coach Sean Duggan is heading to Miami to become the team’s new defensive coordinator, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
Once the Dolphins brought in Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager, signs increasingly pointed to Hafley following him to South Beach as head coach. As expected, that proved to be the case roughly two weeks ago. Hafley will have a familiar face at the coordinator spot on his first Miami staff.
The Dolphins interviewed Clint Hurtt for the position, but Duggan was recently named as the expected hire in this case. He and Hafley have worked together at the college and pro levels. Duggan worked as a graduate assistant at Ohio State before following Hafley to Boston College. The two continued to work alongside one another for Hafley’s two seasons as the Packers’ defensive coordinator.
Hafely will call plays on defense during his first NFL head coaching stint. The coordinator spot will still of course be an important one, though, and Duggan will take on increased responsibilities with this new title. The 32-year-old was a defensive assistant in Green Bay in 2024 before coaching the team’s linebackers this past season. He will see an expanded purview during his first DC gig at the pro level.
Today’s news comes as little surprise but it confirms incumbent defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will not be retained for 2026. Weaver spent the past two seasons as Miami’s DC, and he was a popular target for head coaching interviews around the NFL during this year’s hiring cycle. Weaver, 45, was a finalist for the Cardinals’ gig but it went to Mike LaFleur earlier today. Late in the coordinator hiring process, Weaver will now seek out a new opportunity.
Miami ranked 24th in total defense and 22nd in points allowed last season. Improvement across the board will be sought out under Hafley, Duggan and Co. this season with the Dolphins aiming for sustained success under their new regime. Mike McDaniel managed a pair of wild-card appearances during his four-year tenure, but he did not post a playoff win and oversaw a team which regressed over time.
Bobby Slowik had already been promoted to offensive coordinator prior to today’s move. Chris Tabor is also in place as Miami’s new special teams coordinator. With Duggan now in place, many of Hafley’s most important hires have been taken care of.
Jaguars Unlikely To Re-Sign Devin Lloyd?
Last spring, the Jaguars declined Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option. As a result, the productive linebacker is currently on track for free agency in March. 
2026 will mark Lloyd’s first trip to the open market unless a new Jacksonville pact can be worked out. It seems as though that will not take place, though. ESPN’s Rob Demosky writes the Jags will “likely” see Lloyd depart by taking a big-ticket contract elsewhere.
[RELATED: 2026 Salary Cap To Exceed $300MM]
The fifth-year option groups inside and outside linebackers together for valuation purposes. As a result, NFL teams have increasingly opted against picking up the option in cases like Lloyd’s. Similarly, the franchise tag does not differentiate between the two positions. That means tagging Lloyd would cost roughly $28.2MM in fully guaranteed compensation for 2026.
The top of the LB market is currently $21MM per year, so tagging Lloyd would come as a major surprise. A long-term pact is more feasible for the 27-year-old, and wherever it comes from it will no doubt include a considerable raise. Lloyd was held under 113 tackles for the first time in his career during the 2025 season, but he set a new career high with five interceptions while totaling 81 stops. His production and role in Jacksonville’s impressive defense resulted in second-team All-Pro honors.
Lloyd remained a full-time starter despite seeing a dip in his defensive snap share. The Utah product will be counted on as a key contributor for his next team, and the linebacker market will offer few alternatives in free agency which are younger than him. Lloyd’s second contract could see him join the list of linebackers attached to an AAV of at least $12.5MM. That would move him within the top eight at the position in terms of average annual value.
Foye Oluokun inked a new Jags contract in 2024; he has two years remaining on his pact. Jacksonville also has recent Day 3 picks Ventrell Miller and Jack Kiser in place at the LB position. One or both could be in line for a sharp uptick in defensive usage in the event Llyod were to depart in free agency.
WR DeAndre Hopkins Open To Re-Signing With Ravens
DeAndre Hopkins joined the Ravens in free agency last offseason by inking a one-year deal. The decorated wideout now faces an uncertain future, although he would welcome a second Baltimore campaign. 
“The reality of it, having a new offensive coordinator, being an older guy, I know football and I know how the business side works,” Hopkins said during an appearance on the Up & Adams show (video link). “I would love to come back, but not every offensive coordinator is wanting a veteran receiver on their team. Some guys have different dynamics of how they go about coaching. It’s nothing personal.”
The Ravens are in the midst of widespread coaching changes. The arrival of Jesse Minter as a first-time head coach, coupled with efforts by John Harbaugh‘s Giants and Todd Monken‘s Browns to recruit Baltimore staffers, has created a number of vacancies. One of those was filled yesterday with the team agreeing to hire Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator. It will be interesting to see if Doyle supports the idea of a new Hopkins deal.
In 2025, Hopkins got off to a strong start with 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns across his first two games. Despite remaining healthy through the remainder of the campaign, however, the five-time Pro Bowler totaled just 330 yards on 22 catches; he did not add any more scores along the way. That production is comfortably the lowest of Hopkins’ 13-year career, and it will no doubt lead to another modest free agent pact. He joined the Ravens on a $5MM deal last spring.
Baltimore’s receiver depth chart is set to be topped once again by Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman in 2026. Flowers is coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, and the two-time Pro Bowler is eligible for an extension this spring. Bateman, meanwhile, is on the books through 2029. Retaining Hopkins would once again consign him to a depth role, especially with tight end Mark Andrews still in the fold for next year and beyond.
Hopkins, who will turn 34 in June, noted he would have preferred a larger role in the Ravens’ offense (a unit which dealt with quarterback injuries for much of the year). Nevertheless, he would be amenable to another season working with Lamar Jackson and thus enjoying a degree of stability at the QB spot. Since the end of his Texans tenure, Hopkins has worked with several signal-callers during time with the Cardinals, Titans and Chiefs which preceded his Ravens stint.
Expectations will be tempered in this case given Hopkins’ age and drop-off in production relative to his best seasons. Still, he could offer a veteran presence to any receiving room. As the Ravens sort through their list of pending free agents, a decision will soon need to be made on offering a 2026 deal.
Falcons To Hire Tanner Engstrand
Tanner Engstrand has not needed to wait long to line up a new NFL gig. The recently-departed Jets offensive coordinator is heading to Atlanta.
The Falcons have an agreement in place to hire Engstrand as their pass-game coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Multiple suitors were in play in this case, Rapoport adds. Engtrand will take on a key role under Kevin Stefanski for at least one season.
Last weekend, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn moved on from a number of his assistants but briefly kept Engstrand in place. At the time, it was unclear if the latter would continue with New York in a lesser capacity or move on. Engtrand and the Jets parted ways on Tuesday. That decision paved the way for this Falcons hire.
Stefanski and Engstrand have never worked together, but they will now collaborate for the 2026 campaign. Prior to his one-and-done OC stint, Engtrand spent five years as a valued member of the Lions’ staff. The 43-year-old worked as Detroit’s pass-game coordinator from 2022-24. He has also been an offensive coordinator at the collegiate level and handled OC duties for the XFL’s DC Defenders in 2019 and ’20.
As expected, Stefanski brought Tommy Rees with him from Cleveland to Atlanta as the team’s OC. Rees will call plays, but Engstrand’s title will leave him with key responsibilities on offense. Finding consistent production in the passing game will be critical for Atlanta as part of the team’s effort to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is unlikely to still be with the Falcons by the start of next season, but the play of Michael Penix Jr. will be worth watching closely. A strong year in his regard would no doubt help Engstrand’s stock entering next year’s hiring cycle.
Cowboys Add Derrick Ansley To Staff
New Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker has been busy over the past few days working to piece together his staff. A notable name will be joining him in Dallas for 2026. 
Derrick Ansley has agreed to terms with the Cowboys, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports. This news marks an expected to end to his Packers tenure. Ansley worked as Green Bay’s defensive pass-game coordinator for each of the past two years. The team brought in Bobby Babich to fill that role earlier this week, however.
Ansley has not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity. The 44-year-old will join Ryan Smith in Dallas, per Archer. Smith was reported to be a Cowboys target recently, with the same also being true of outgoing Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Like Orr, Ansley has previously been a DC at the NFL level.
In 2023, Ansley was promoted to defensive coordinator of the Chargers. That move followed two years as a defensive backs coach with the Bolts but proved to be short-lived. Brandon Staley‘s midseason firing paved the way for a slew of changes on the sidelines and the eventual arrival of Jim Harbaugh. That led Ansley – who has also worked as a defensive coordinator at the college level (Tennessee in 2020 and ’21) – to Green Bay. He spent two years working under Jeff Hafley, who is now in place as the Dolphins’ head coach.
Ansley will hold the familiar titles of defensive pass-game coordinator and DBs coach, per Archer. He adds Smith will operate as Dallas’ secondary coach. Together, the two will be tasked with helping lead a needed turnaround in production from that unit. The Cowboys ranked last in the NFL in pass defense this season, a key reason why they fell short of the playoffs. A stronger showing in 2026 could help Ansley’s future coordinator stock; he interviewed for one DC opening during each of the past two hiring cycles.
Meanwhile, interviews with several other candidates for the Cowboys’ staff continued today. According to Archer, Steelers outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin, Eagles assistant linebacker coach Ronell Williams and former Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon all conducted in-person interviews on Saturday. USC D-line coach/defensive run game coordinator Eric Henderson will meet with the team tomorrow.
Steelers To Hire Patrick Graham As DC, Add Jason Simmons To Staff
January 30: The Steelers have officially hired Graham, per a team announcement.
January 29: As expected, Patrick Graham is heading to Pittsburgh. The veteran staffer is indeed being hired by the Steelers as their new defensive coordinator and departing the Raiders in the process, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. 
Not long after it was learned Graham would interview for the position this week, signs pointed to a hire in this case. Graham was previously hired by Mike McCarthy as a linebackers coach for the Packers in 2018. McCarthy was brought in as Pittsburgh’s new head coach recently, and the two are reuniting for 2026.
Another ex-Packers staffer is joining the fold. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday morning that Commanders defensive pass-game coordinator Jason Simmons would be joining Pittsburgh. According to Wilson, a deal has now been struck with Simmons (who also interviewed for the Steelers’ DC gig).
A “prominent” role on the defensive staff now awaits Simmons, Fowler adds. The 49-year-old worked in Green Bay from 2011-19, giving him considerable overlap with McCarthy. Plenty of other key staffing decisions remain at this point, but the Super Bowl-winning HC has largely begun by adding familiar faces.
For each of the past seven seasons, Graham has worked as an NFL defensive coordinator. He spent one year with the Dolphins and Giants before reuniting with former Patriots colleague Josh McDaniels in Vegas. Through the Raiders’ turbulence at the head coaching position since then, Graham remained in place as defensive play-caller for four seasons. It remains to be seen who the Raiders will hire as their new head coach, but Pete Carroll‘s replacement will need to add a D-coordinator shortly after arriving.
Graham helped lead Vegas to a ninth-place finish in scoring defense in 2023. The team posted middling (at best) numbers in many other categories during the rest of his tenure, with points allowed one of many issues for Vegas in 2025. The Steelers posted strong numbers during much of Teryl Austin‘s four-year defensive coordinator tenure. His final campaign in that role saw a regression in total and scoring defense, though.
Austin has been a strong candidate to depart Pittsburgh since Mike Tomlin stepped aside. Today’s news confirms Austin will be coaching elsewhere in 2026. The Steelers once again committed more financial resources to their defense than their offense this season; that can be expected to continue moving forward. Expectations will be high in Graham’s case given his experience and Pittsburgh’s roster construction.
The 47-year-old has found himself on the head coaching radar for several years. Graham has also been linked to a number of other defensive coordinator openings during recent hiring cycles. A change of scenery has long loomed as a distinct possibility in his case as a result, and one has now taken place. As the Steelers look to aim their drought for postseason victories, Graham and Simmons will each be counted on to handle key roles as members of McCarthy’s initial Pittsburgh staff.
NFL Mailbag: QBs, Steelers, Eagles, Hawks
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag looks at questions about the upcoming quarterback decision teams face, the Steelers' outlook with a new head coach in place, the Eagles' OC position and the potential implications of the Seahawks' moves from last offseason.
Jose asks:
With Dante Moore going back to Oregon and no other first-round caliber QB available besides [Fernando] Mendoza, should a QB-needy team go after a backup that had a good year like Malik Willis, Mac Jones or even Davis Mills? Possibly pair them with a Day 2 pick and let them battle for the starting job in training camp. If it doesn't work out, they will pick high in what is expected to be a significantly stronger class next year.
Quarterbacks like the ones you mentioned were already going to be a focal point of free agency with so few other options on the market. Daniel Jones is the one major exception, but like everyone else I expect him to stay with the Colts.
