Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/24
Here’s Wednesday’s minor moves throughout the NFL:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return from IR: T Prince Tega Wanogho
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return from IR: DT Kalia Davis
Wanogho and Davis’ 21-day practice windows will open now. Wanogho’s addition to the active roster could add some well-timed depth on the offensive line as the team deals with an injury to starting guard Joe Thuney that could force him to miss time. Davis isn’t expected to make much of an impact on a deep 49ers defensive line rotation, but allowing Davis to return to practice following a high ankle sprain in December could give San Francisco a good look at one of the few defensive tackles they’ll still have under contract in 2024. It should also give Davis a head start on any offseason training plan.
Browns Expect RB Nick Chubb Back In 2024, Also Want To Re-Sign QB Joe Flacco
It’s safe to say that the Browns’ 2023 campaign did not go according to plan. Still, thanks to some elite defense and wily moves from general manager Andrew Berry, Cleveland turned a seemingly lost season into a playoff appearance. Berry recently addressed the futures of both the player whose injury derailed their season and the player who may have salvaged it, per Jake Trotter of ESPN. 
After only two games, a season-ending injury to running back Nick Chubb completely changed the outlook of the 2023 season. Without their star rusher, the Browns were forced to depend on second-year running back Jerome Ford and a re-signed veteran in Kareem Hunt. Even combined the two weren’t quite able to replicate the production lost in Chubb’s absence, leaving the team to depend on the quarterback position. When injuries seemed to ravage the quarterbacks room, as well, the team signed veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who eventually unseated the Browns’ backups and took his place as a starter for Cleveland, leading them to a 4-1 record as a starter before a first-round playoff exit.
Berry made it clear that, despite Chubb holding a $15.83MM cap hit in 2024 and Chubb’s contract containing an out wherein the team can cut him with only $4MM of dead cap after the fact, he expects Chubb to be on the team in 2024. “No one in the organization, nobody wants to see that carry in Pittsburgh be the last time that he carries the ball for the Cleveland Browns,” Berry told the media. “Obviously, there are things that we’ll have to work through, but (moving on from Chubb) would not be our intention.”
One of the things to work through is likely that cap number in 2024. Chubb is heading into a contract year, so it’s naturally a good time to start looking into an extension, if that’s what the team prefers. Doing so would allow them to hold on to Chubb, who likely still has plenty left in the tank, while structuring new cap numbers that push big hits further into the future. Chubb has incentive to take a new deal, as well, since he has already received all the guaranteed money on his deal and that 2023 potential out could leave him high-and-dry.
Flacco, on the other hand, seems to hold a bit more leverage in his negotiations. Berry praised Flacco for playing winning football but stopped short of expressing an expectation for his return, as well, claiming that it will depend “on the availability and the cost.” Flacco has made it clear that his one-year deal in Cleveland was meant to give himself the flexibility to look for other deals at the end of the season, and he certainly played himself into a favorable position there.
Chubb is widely expected to return to Cleveland in 2024. It’ll likely be under a new deal that grants Chubb new guaranteed money while lessening his impact on the team’s cap space. Flacco, though, is expected to test the waters of free agency. He likes to take jobs that give him a strong chance at a starting role, so unless he feels that the Browns give him the best chance to start, it’s hard to picturing him returning.
Steelers To Extend DC Teryl Austin
The Steelers surpassed expectations this season, making the playoffs despite scoring the fifth-least number of points in the NFL and the eighth-least amount of yards. The reason for that may well be due to the work done by second-year defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and his defensive unit. Seemingly happy with what they’ve seen so far, Pittsburgh is working to finalize a new two-year deal with Austin, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. 
Austin has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for seven of the last 10 years. Before earning a coordinator position, Austin spent 23 years at the college level or coaching defensive backs for the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Ravens.
The Lions were the first team to give Austin a chance calling defensive plays, and he rewarded them in his first year with a top-three scoring defense that allowed the second-least number of yards in the NFL. His next three years in Detroit saw the team come back down to earth a bit, resulting in middling results for the defense. Austin left Detroit following the firing of then-head coach Jim Caldwell and accepted the defensive coordinator job in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, 2018 would be his only year with the Bengals as the team would finish 30th in points allowed while giving up the most yards in the NFL that season.
Austin took a step back in 2019, joining the Steelers under the title of senior defensive assistant & secondary coach. After three years in that role, Pittsburgh promoted Austin to defensive coordinator, once again giving him a chance to call plays. In 2022, the Steelers finished 10th in points allowed and 14th in yards allowed. This year, a bend-but-don’t-break mentality kept Pittsburgh in the playoff hunt as the defense finished sixth in points allowed while finishing 21st in yards allowed.
With his contract renewed, Austin will be under contract through the 2025 season. Many considered head coach Mike Tomlin‘s job to be in danger after a sixth straight year of failing to reach the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but for now, Tomlin’s job appears safe, so Austin’s will be, too.
Lions Place TE Brock Wright On IR, Promote DL Tyson Alualu
The Lions continue to tinker with their roster ahead of the team’s Conference Championship matchup against the 49ers. Third-year tight end Brock Wright was placed on injured reserve today as he continues to deal with a hip injury, and practice squad defensive lineman Tyson Alualu has been signed to the active roster to take his place.
Wright has been dealing with his hip troubles since Week 16, when the injury forced him to miss the final three games of the regular season. With star rookie tight end Sam LaPorta dealing with his knee injury, though, Wright toughed it out through the first two weeks of the playoffs to help Detroit get to this semifinal game. As his season ends on IR, he will also be a pending free agent. He’s started 19 games for the Lions over the last three years and has proven to be an effective blocker.
The Lions’ depth at tight end continues to take hits as Wright now joins James Mitchell on IR. This leaves a banged up LaPorta and former practice squad tight end Anthony Firkser as the only two tight ends on the active roster. Reinforcements of a big nature are likely on the horizon, though, after the team’s signing of veteran tight end Zach Ertz to the practice squad this week.
Ertz only played in seven games this year before being placed on IR with a quadriceps injury in Arizona. Over a month later, the Cardinals waived Ertz after the 11-year veteran asked for his release. Ertz informed the media that he wanted to join a contender, and now he has as he joins one of the four remaining teams vying for a Lombardi Trophy. He steps into a favorable position with the Lions, as well, as the team’s lack of tight end depth will allow him to step into a big role almost immediately. Obviously, chemistry and learning the offense will be hurdles, but Ertz could provide a big boost to a limping tight ends room.
Alualu is another veteran addition to the active roster. After 13 years in Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, the 36-year-old signed with Detroit’s practice squad. Alualu had been called up twice as a standard gameday practice squad elevation in the regular season, even starting a game for the Lions, and has done the same so far in the playoffs, appearing in two games off the practice squad and starting one in the postseason.
Eagles Fire DC Sean Desai
8:57pm: With Desai departing, some may think to look to Patricia as a potential successor. Well, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Patricia is not under contract with the Eagles for the 2024 season. Additionally, Pelissero reports that Patricia has plans to explore other opportunities outside of Philadelphia.
5:57pm: With their season over after losing six of their last seven games following a 10-1 start, the Eagles have made the call to fire defensive coordinator Sean Desai, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. For a time, both of the team’s coordinators seemed destined to leave for greener pastures, but following a brutal closing stretch, Desai will likely be aiming to land another coordinator job. 
The move is mostly ceremonial, as Desai had already been demoted, losing play-calling duties to senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia back in December. Desai was demoted after two straight losses following the 10-1 start; the team would go 1-4 the rest of the way with Patricia calling plays. Desai still retained the defensive coordinator title while remaining with the team in a different capacity, but having lost the responsibility he was hired to take, Desai became expendable in Philadelphia.
Before his time with the Eagles, Desai was the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, a season in which Chicago finished sixth in terms of total defense, though it’s points per game and defensive DVOA rankings were not quite as impressive. When head coach Matt Nagy was let go at the end of the 2021 season, his defensive-minded replacement, Matt Eberflus, elected not to retain Desai, who subsequently became associate head coach and defensive assistant for the Seahawks.
Still, Desai’s one season of relative success as defensive coordinator and his long track record as a defensive assistant at the collegiate and NFL levels made him a popular defensive coordinator target in the 2023 hiring cycle. He ended up taking interviews with five different clubs before ultimately choosing the Eagles and becoming the replacement for Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to take the Cardinals’ head coaching gig.
Desai’s departure was mostly expected as general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have reportedly been reaching out to other coordinator candidates throughout the week, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. This has all come after Sirianni met with owner Jeffrey Lurie about his own future. Between the calls to potential new coordinators and Siranni reportedly firing Desai himself, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it’s looking more and more like Sirianni’s job is safe for at least another year.
When looking to replace Desai, it appears that the team has reached out to former Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and former Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. The Eagles have also been reaching out to offensive coordinator candidates, with Brian Johnson interviewing for multiple head coaching opportunities. Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has been mentioned as a potential replacement.
Desai should be able to rebound this offseason, if he chooses to. There are many defensive coordinator jobs opening up in the offseason. New head coaches will be likely be interested in building their own staff, as well, providing more opportunities. Desai’s success in Chicago will likely continue to get him chances in the NFL. Whether or not that chance is a coordinator position in 2024 will be determined in the next few months.
Bears To Interview Titans’ Chris Harris For DC Position
For the second year in a row, Titans defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris has been a popular candidate to become a first-time defensive coordinator in the NFL. His most recent opportunity will take him back to Chicago, where he will interview for the Bears defensive coordinator position, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Harris’ NFL career began as a sixth-round draft pick for the Bears out of Louisiana-Monroe. Even as a late-round pick, Harris earned a starting role as a rookie and, after being traded back and forth from the Panthers, Harris left Chicago as a well-respected defender in the Windy City.
The former NFL safety began his coaching career almost immediately after announcing his retirement. Just like his playing career, Harris’ coaching career began with the Bears, as well. After two years as Chicago’s defensive quality control coach, Harris earned an assistant defensive backs coaching job with the Chargers. He got his first full position coaching job in 2020 in Washington, staying with the Commanders as their defensive backs coach until 2022. He joined Mike Vrabel‘s staff in Tennessee for the 2023 season, leaving Washington for the position he holds now.
Before officially heading to Nashville, though, Harris interviewed for a couple defensive coordinator jobs in Houston and San Francisco. Ultimately, he did join the Titans and spent 2023 in Tennessee. That trend from the 2023 offseason has continued into 2024, though, as, once again, multiple teams are interested in interviewing Harris to potentially call plays for their defenses. This past week, the Jaguars interviewed Harris as a potential option to replace Mike Caldwell as defensive coordinator.
Now, the Bears will have an opportunity to interview Harris, as well, and better yet, an opportunity to bring him back to Chicago. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus found himself serving double duty after defensive coordinator Alan Williams re-signed extremely early in the season. Eberflus remaining on staff would be ideal for a first-year coordinator like Harris, providing a safety net and sage advice in the first year calling plays for a rookie DC. Harris could end up being a perfect fit in a possible return to Chicago.
Falcons Request Second Interview With Panthers’ Ejiro Evero
The Falcons are preparing to move forward in the search for their next head coach. So far, Atlanta has interviewed 13 candidates to replace Arthur Smith and still plan to interview former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel this Wednesday. Despite Vrabel’s impending interview, Atlanta has begun the process of reaching out for second interviews. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is one of the candidates moving on to the second round of interviews. 
Evero was a popular candidate for open head coaching jobs last year following an impressive season coaching the Broncos defense. He interviewed with the Panthers and Broncos, made it to second interviews with the Texans and Colts, and was considered a potential finalist for the Cardinals job before eventually accepting the Panthers defensive coordinator job under Frank Reich. Under Evero, the Panthers went from 22nd in yards allowed in 2022 to fourth in 2023, only furthering many teams’ desires to see him as a head coach.
So far this year, Evero has interviewed for the Falcons, Panthers, and Seahawks open head coaching gigs. He continues to impress on the interview circuit as both Seattle and Carolina have invited Evero back for second interviews. With Atlanta joining the club, the 43-year-old defensive coordinator is batting 1.000 on getting second interviews this offseason.
The Falcons requested interviews with at least 14 candidates, that we know of. New Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is the only one who hasn’t been confirmed to have interviewed. As we mentioned above, Vrabel is still awaiting his first interview. Besides those two, former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, and 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks have all conducted interviews with the Falcons.
Of all those candidates, Belichick, Callahan, and Harbaugh join Evero as candidates who will receive a second interview. Rumors have named Belichick as a favorite for the position, but Atlanta may be tempted to go with a newer up-and-coming name like Callahan or Evero. There could still be weeks to go as several candidates will be in the playoffs for at least another week, but count Evero as one of the candidates moving forward for the next round of interviews.
49ers Activate S George Odum, Place DE Clelin Ferrell On IR
Shortly after losing starting safety Talanoa Hufanga for the year to a torn ACL, the 49ers were worried that they would be down another body in the secondary after George Odum suffered a biceps injury that the team feared could be season-ending. Luckily, they were wrong. San Francisco activated Odum off of injured reserve today, opening a roster spot for him by placing defensive end Clelin Ferrell on IR in his place. 
Odum, a former undrafted free agent, signed a three-year contract with the 49ers after a breakout year that saw him start seven games for the Colts. Up until that breakout season, Odum had seen most of his use coming on special teams. The patient defender was given his opportunity to start thanks to multiple injuries to starters Khari Willis and Andrew Sendejo. He took advantage of that opportunity, finishing sixth on the team with 55 total tackles while recording an interception and two passes defensed. While Odum may not be a game changer on the 49ers defense, the depth he provides at safety will be a welcome one as San Francisco starts their 2023 playoffs.
Ferrell, a former top-four pick out of Clemson, has ultimately failed to live up to his draft stock over his five years in the league. After seeing his fifth-year option declined by the Raiders, Ferrell signed a one-year deal to come to San Francisco. Despite not meeting expectations in Las Vegas, Ferrell stepped in as a full-time starter for the 49ers this season. Ferrell hasn’t been very productive as a pass rusher (only 3.5 sacks), but he hasn’t needed to be as Nick Bosa (10.5), Javon Hargrave (7.0), and Arik Armstead (5.0) have fed off of their combined pass rushing effort. With Ferrell out with a knee injury, trade acquisition Chase Young, who has been coming off the bench since being acquired before Week 10, will once again step into a starting role.
In addition to the two IR transactions, the team also announced their standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Defensive tackles Alex Barrett and T.Y. McGill will be called up to add some depth to the defensive line against the Packers tonight.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/20/24
With three games remaining this weekend, six teams were required to announce their roster moves today:
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: WR Andy Isabella, LB A.J. Klein
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: DL Tyson Alualu, FB Jason Cabinda
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: LB Keshawn Banks
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: DT Matt Dickerson, NT Mike Pennel
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: T Silas Dzansi, RB Patrick Laird
The Bills and Lions move forward with the same pair of standard gameday practice squad elevations as last week. The Packers and Buccaneers, on the other hand, will give Banks and Dzansi a chance to make their NFL debuts in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Chiefs Preparing For Potential Andy Reid Retirement?
We at Pro Football Rumors often report on actual transactions and recent news, but the word “rumors” is in our name for a reason. This most recent report comes from a rumor out of Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and crew who say that “the Chiefs have a possible Andy Reid retirement after the current postseason on their radar screen.” 
What does that mean, exactly? Not much, honestly. Reid hasn’t said much, if anything, to stir such rumors. The Chiefs’ brass hasn’t said anything hinting at such an attitude, either. Reid said in 2020 he was open to coaching past 70 and indicated following Super Bowl LVII he was coming back for the 2023 season.
Recently, the subject of retirement was only broached when Reid responded to a question about a potential retirement following the team’s win over the Dolphins last week. “I haven’t even thought about that,” Reid told reporters. “I’m thinking about one thing. I figured that would come up when you guys were asking these questions because I’m old, but (I’m) not that old.”
Reid, 65, is oft mentioned in those conversations concerning the top head coaches in the league, and he belongs there. In 25 years of head coaching experience with the Eagles and Chiefs, Reid holds a 258-144-1 regular season record (.641 winning percentage) and a 23-16 record (.590) in the playoffs. His time in Kansas City has rewarded him with two Super Bowl wins. It’s quite the resume to end with, but Reid’s Chiefs are still currently alive for a potential third Super Bowl, and despite taking a slight step back this year in the regular season, the team shows no signs of giving up ground in the AFC West.
There could be an easy solution to who may replace Reid in that unlikely scenario. It could also answer the question of why Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has been an annual name in head coaching vacancy rumors, has only so far been mentioned as a candidate to step in for the team he’s already on. If there’s any truth to the possibility that Reid steps down, Bieniemy may be the natural choice to step in and take over after he spent 10 years on the Chiefs’ coaching staff from 2013-22.
Regardless, all of this is mere speculation for now. If the Chiefs fail to advance in the playoffs this weekend, we should be provided some clarity on the matter sooner rather than later. The Chiefs would be put in a difficult position if Reid waits too long to vacate the position and all the best head coaching candidates get hired. If Reid is going to retire, it’s likely to come soon after the Chiefs 2023 season ends.