Broncos Interim HC Jerry Rosburg Interested In Remaining HC
The Broncos terminated first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett late into this season, naming senior assistant Jerry Rosburg to serve as the interim head coach in his stead for the two remaining games of the season. As Denver looks to find their head coach for the 2023 season, Rosburg has expressed his desire to be considered, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. 
Rosburg has been coaching football in some capacity for at least the past 44 years. Despite his experience as a defensive position coach in the ranks of college football, Rosburg’s entire focus in the NFL has been on special teams. His first position in the league came with the Browns in 2001 as the team’s special teams coordinator, a role he kept for six years. After a single season in the same role with the Falcons, Rosburg took the special teams coordinator position in Baltimore, which would remain his home for the next 11 years.
In 2018, Rosburg decided it was time to hang up the whistle and announced his retirement from coaching. When Hackett was hired to lead the Broncos, Rosburg was brought out of retirement with the intention that he would assist Hackett in game management. When Hackett was fired, the interim job was originally offered to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who reportedly declined the position out of loyalty to the former head coach.
As a result, Rosburg was given the interim role. Rosburg was not stagnant as head coach. He reportedly claimed that it was his decision to fire special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry. Rosburg also told the media that it was general manager George Paton who lured him out of retirement, not Hackett. During Rosburg’s two-game tenure, the team showed a new level of competitiveness, rebounding from a blowout Christmas Day loss to the Rams to take the Chiefs down to the wire the next week and defeat a playoff-bound Chargers team that inexplicably ran its starters for most of the game the week after that.
Rosburg is not considered a favorite for the job, according to Fowler, but his performance as the interim head coach was well-received by team executives, leading to them allowing a lengthy end-of-season meeting with the 67-year-old for him to state his case. The favorites are likely to remain former Saints head coach Sean Payton, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and former Stanford head coach David Shaw, but Rosburg’s success in a small sample size has at least earned him the courtesy of consideration.
Latest On Sean Payton
JANUARY 22: A league source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that, since the Chargers’ head coaching job will not become available this year, the Panthers’ and Texans’ posts will be of most interest to Payton. In Volin’s opinion, the fact that Wilson called Payton to sell him on the Broncos’ job is not a good omen for Denver, and if Payton were to be lured to Houston, he may ultimately push general manager Nick Caserio out and take over as de facto GM. Both Houston and Carolina have the cash to pay Payton the salary he wants.
JANUARY 20: Payton’s Panthers interview has not been cancelled. He will meet with the team Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That will be the former Saints HC’s third interview in a week. He met with the Texans on Jan. 16 and Broncos on Jan. 17.
JANUARY 19: The Broncos search for their fifth head coach since 2014 has been rolling this week as the franchise moves quickly and effectively in their plans. Denver’s three-person team of Broncos CEO and owner Greg Penner, owner Condoleezza Rice, and general manager George Paton has been cruising through initial interviews with a potential plan to move one to three finalists forward for second interviews next week, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. 
Most speculation is that a final three is emerging, similar to last year’s trio of finalists which consisted of Nathaniel Hackett, Kevin O’Connell, and Dan Quinn. The obvious frontrunner in his year’s search is former Saints head coach Sean Payton. Quinn is projected to join Payton as a finalist for the second straight year, while former Stanford head coach David Shaw is reportedly a sleeper candidate to round out the top three.
Payton interviewed on Tuesday and appears to have lived up to the hype in the meeting. Contradicting earlier reports that the Broncos and Saints were “on the same page” with respect to the trade compensation necessary to acquire Payton’s contract, Klis avers that the two parties “have not engaged in trade talks.” There is also a rumor that, despite interest from essentially every other team in the NFL with an open position, Payton will either end up with the Broncos or back on television with FOX, a belief reported by Denver7’s Troy Renck.
Payton was scheduled to interview with Carolina tomorrow, but those plans are “on hold” as Panthers owner David Tepper is spending time with the grieving players of his MLS team, Charlotte FC, following the passing of young defender Anton Walkes in a tragic boating accident today in Miami, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Russell Wilson has reportedly reached out to Payton, according to Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd who was quoted on his show saying, “Wilson has contacted Sean, legally, by the way, through channels. He wants Sean Payton. He needs fixing. He knows he needs fixing.”
Following their Tuesday morning meeting with Payton, the interview trio met with Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris who impressed them “with his preparation and plan to win.” The same three executives interviewed 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans today in San Francisco and will travel to Dallas for a meeting with Quinn tomorrow. This will conclude the initial interview process, and Denver will choose candidates moving forward out of the above-mentioned Payton, Quinn, Shaw, Morris, and Ryans and previously interviewed candidates Ejiro Evero, who is the team’s current defensive coordinator, and Jim Caldwell, who formerly served as the Colts and Lions head coach. The team also previously interviewed Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, but Harbaugh announced his decision to remain in Ann Arbor.
Whomever the franchise decides to move forward with will meet with a new group of executives consisting of Penner, his wife and co-owner Carrie Penner Walton, and controlling owner Rob Walton. Paton will reportedly also be available to spend time with the final candidates and participate in follow-up discussions.
It’s certainly sounding like Payton will be one of the few to move forward next week as both parties sound hellbent on the union. That being said, Quinn is being considered a “co-favorite” and Shaw’s Stanford connections to the Penners and Rice make him a candidate to be brought in next week, as well. We’ll just have to wait through the weekend to see how the next round in the process unfolds.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/21/23
Minor moves and standard gameday elevations for the final two games of the divisional round:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Eli Ankou, DE Kingsley Jonathan
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Nick Bowers, T Isaiah Prince
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: T Aviante Collins
- Promoted from practice squad: C Brock Hoffman, CB Xavier Rhodes
- Released: CB Trayvon Mullen
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Alex Barrett, CB Janoris Jenkins
Dolphins Expected To Consider Vic Fangio For DC
The Dolphins struggled to get consistent production from their defense this season, leading to the departures of defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and a few other defensive staffers. Now, in order to replace Boyer, Miami will reportedly look at former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
This is a lofty goal for head coach Mike McDaniel, whose first defensive coordinator, Boyer, was not actually hired but retained from the Brian Flores staff. Fangio has loads of experience including stints as a defensive coordinator as Carolina, Indianapolis, Houston, San Francisco, and Chicago, all leading up to his first head coaching gig with the Broncos in 2019. Fangio was fired after three seasons as the Broncos head coach, amassing a career record of 19-30 over his three years of work.
After being let go following the 2021 season, Fangio announced that he would not coach with a team the following year. A couple of months later, though, Fangio explained that he would be interested in returning down the line as a coordinator. Since then, as teams look to turn over their staffs in 2023, Fangio has interviewed with the Panthers and Falcons for their open defensive coordinator positions.
Another route that has been floated in NFL circles is the possibility that Fangio is looking to team up with returning head coach Sean Payton as Payton’s defensive coordinator. This would largely be Fangio’s decision as he is expected to be in an even higher demand than Payton. This situation might also become complicated if Payton chooses to take the job in Denver with the team that most recently axed Fangio.
Regardless, Fangio holds many options for his future. It is yet to be determined if Fangio has reciprocal interest in the Dolphins and McDaniel. Many teams with open defensive coordinator positions will likely be seeking the services of Fangio this offseason, and the Dolphins have thrown their hat in the ring.
Cardinals Hire Lions’ Dave Sears As Assistant GM
The Cardinals decided to go outside the building when choosing new general manager Monti Ossenfort‘s assistant general manager, hiring Lions director of college scouting Dave Sears, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network this morning. The move will be a reunion for Ossenfort and Sears who worked together for the Texans as college scouts.
Sears left Houston for Detroit in 2007 and has been with the Lions ever since working his way up from regional scout to his current role, which he’s held since 2019. Sears has been integral in the team’s draft process, serving as the intermediary between area scouts and the decision-makers of the draft.
Sears will become the No. 2 behind Ossenfort, who was hired as the Cardinals’ general manager earlier this week. The move to bring Ossenfort and Sears in from outside the building is an interesting one considering the Cardinals had two capable candidates for both positions in vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson and vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris, who served together filling the interim duties of general manager during Steve Keim‘s leave of absence.
Both Wilson and Harris interviewed for the open general manager position, and both are more than qualified for the assistant role. If the franchise is adamant on bring in new blood to the front office, it may be spelling the end for Wilson and Harris’s time in Arizona. The team had also interviewed Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, who reportedly turned down the job after receiving an offer, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports echoes Glazer’s report, saying that Cunningham was Arizona’s first choice and that Cunningham declined the position because the “fit” was not right.
The Cardinals are now set moving forward with Ossenfort and Sears leading in the front office. They currently also still have Wilson and Harris in their current positions creating a strong group of top executives in the player personnel office.
Ravens Request Interview With Seahawks’ Dave Canales For OC
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters this week that the franchise will “cast a wide net” for what he considers to be “one of the top football coaching jobs in the world,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The team has followed through on that promise thus far, continuing a trend today as they made their third request to interview a candidate in the past two days. This time, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the target is Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales. 
Canales is a longtime Seattle staffer who has spent his entire life on the west coast. Growing up and schooling in California, Canales took the progressive steps from high school coordinator to community college position coach to Power Five strength coach all within a five-year period.
He left his position at USC, following then-head coach Pete Carroll, to join the Seahawks as a wide receivers coach in 2010. Canales stayed in the position for eight years before moving to the quarterbacks room. After two seasons as quarterbacks coach, Canales was granted the title of passing game coordinator for two years before going back to the quarterbacks coaching position this season.
As the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach, Canales ensured the seamless transition from one Pro Bowl quarterback to another. Working closely with quarterback Geno Smith, who had started five games in the previous six seasons, Canales coached Smith to a career year in the quarterback’s ninth season. During Smith’s first two seasons in the NFL, his only two as a full-time starter prior to this year, Smith had a paltry completion percentage of 57.5 and threw more interceptions (34) than touchdowns (25). This year, under Canales, Smith led the NFL with a completion percentage of 69.8 and was the only quarterback in the league to throw 30 or more touchdowns while tossing less than 12 interceptions.
The move to Baltimore may be a bit of a culture shock for the longtime westerner, but the Ravens would be rewarding him with a promotion to coordinator and the keys to an offense with an MVP quarterback if he gets the position. Lamar Jackson, while still completing a respectable 62.3-percent of his passes this year, finished the season with his lowest completion percentage since his rookie year. He has also seen his QBR plummet ever since his league-leading 83.0 rating during his MVP campaign. Bringing in a coach who has experience with a mobile quarterback like Russell Wilson and helped develop a veteran passer like Smith could be just what the doctor ordered in Baltimore.
For now, Canales is one of many coaches expected to fall under the widely cast net as Harbaugh and the Ravens look to fill one of the top football coaching jobs in the world. The team has also recently requested meetings with Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson and Browns wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea. There is likely to be several more names in consideration as Harbaugh, Jackson, and company decide who will best help them to take the next step.
Titans Plan To Hire Commanders’ Chris Harris For Defensive Role
The Titans and Bears both requested an interview with Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris yesterday, and according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tennessee plans to hire Harris to be their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. No deal has been finalized as of yet, as Harris likely has his door open for larger opportunities.
Harris has been critical during recent years in the development of a secondary that contains lots of youth behind veteran cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Bobby McCain. The youthful group proved to be one of the league’s best this year, giving up only 3,252 passing yards, good for fourth best in the NFL. The secondary struggled to force turnovers through the air but limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 59.9, the second best for an NFL defense this season. The performance is a stark change from last year, when Washington gave up the fourth most passing yards in the NFL.
Although Tennessee has made it known that Harris is their preferred man for the job, Harris certainly has incentive to hold on signing a lease in Nashville. The past couple of years have seen Harris participate in a few interviews for defensive coordinator positions. He was reportedly a finalist for the Packers coordinator job two years ago and interviewed with the Colts last year.
Harris has been a hot name in coaching circles lately. While the Titans defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coaching position would be a step up for the 40-year-old, if Harris has a chance to become a defensive coordinator in the NFL, he’ll likely hold out for that opportunity.
Rams’ Zac Robinson OC Candidate For Chargers, Ravens
After parting ways with offensive coordinators Joe Lombardi and Greg Roman, the Chargers and Ravens are both searching for new play callers to lead their young quarterbacks next season. Both teams took a step towards filling their empty roles today, requesting an interview with Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, according to reports from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. 
Robinson enjoyed a short career as an NFL quarterback after being drafted in the seventh round out of Oklahoma State in 2010. He bounced around from the Patriots to the Seahawks to the Lions all within his rookie season. After being waived by Detroit just prior to the 2011 NFL season, Robinson signed with the Bengals. He would remain in Cincinnati until injuries would effectively end his playing career in 2013.
After then-Rams quarterback coach Zac Taylor left to become the head coach of the Bengals, Robinson was hired as the assistant quarterbacks coach six years later in Los Angeles. He would momentarily be asked to change rooms as the assistant wide receivers coach but would switch back to assistant quarterbacks coach with the first departure of Liam Coen to Kentucky. When Coen returned as offensive coordinator, Robinson was promoted to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, officially dropping the assistant moniker from the title.
The Rams offensive unit had an uncharacteristically poor statistical season this year. They were surely hampered by injuries and losses to key players such as quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and last year’s leading rusher Sony Michel. Still, for a Rams offense that has routinely finished top-ten in the league in yards and scoring since Sean McVay took over in 2017, finishing 27th in the league in scoring and dead last in yards gained this season is a stark change from the norm in Los Angeles.
This downturn in production hasn’t stopped the Chargers and Ravens from showing their interest in the 36-year-old assistant. The other Los Angeles team is set to interview Robinson on Monday, according to Albert Breer of NBC Sports. The date and time of his interview with Baltimore has yet to be determined.
Robinson has a connection to Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, who coached alongside him for the Rams in 2020, when Staley served as the team’s defensive coordinator. Los Angeles is a potentially attractive destination full of offensive talent. With a young quarterback in Justin Herbert, star running back in Austin Ekeler, veteran receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and others, Robinson would be gifted a full cupboard of weapons.
The Ravens pose a different challenge for a rookie coordinator. The team certainly has weapons with former-MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson expected to return, a dangerous one-two punch of running backs in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, a star tight end in Mark Andrews, and young wideouts Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, who were both having career years before getting injured. The challenge comes from the style of offense that Baltimore has run lately. Under Roman, the Ravens ran several run-pass option plays that utilized the team’s rushing ability while allowing Jackson to punish defenses with his arm, as well. With some speculation that Jackson and company could move towards a pro-style offense, similar to what Jackson ran at Louisville, Robinson or any other new offensive coordinator would be tasked with implementing a whole new playbook in Baltimore.
The name Matt Weiss had been floated around Baltimore, as well, for the offensive coordinator position, but after being fired by the University of Michigan as he undergoes criminal investigation, according to Josh Alper of NBC Sports, Weiss is likely no longer being considered. Weiss had spent 12 years with the Ravens in a vast array of roles before joining the younger Harbaugh brother in Ann Arbor. He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator for the Wolverines this season before his off-the-field activities led to his termination.
Regardless, Robinson will throw his hat in the ring for both jobs. The Chargers and Ravens are the first teams to kick the tires on Robinson, but they surely won’t be the last. Robinson looks to continue the branching out of McVay’s coaching tree, adding to the list of young assistants who have found success out from under McVay’s wing.
Bears Request Interviews With Commanders’ Chris Harris, Packers’ Jerry Gray
The Bears requested interviews yesterday with two names that have been brought up in defensive coordinator searches recently. They requested permission to interview Washington defensive backs coach Chris Harris for an unspecified position on the defensive staff, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS similarly reported that Chicago requested permission to interview Packers defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jerry Gray for an “as-yet-undefined” role on the defensive staff. 
Harris is a former All-Pro safety who began his NFL coaching career immediately after retiring as a player. He started off as a defensive quality control coach for the team that drafted him in Chicago. Harris was not retained after the firing of then-head coach Marc Trestman, and he joined the Chargers as the assistant defensive backs coach, moving with the team from San Diego to Los Angeles. When Ron Rivera was hired as head coach in Washington, Harris was granted a promotion to defensive backs coach, a position he’s held for the past three seasons with the Commanders.
The past couple of years have seen Harris participate in a few interviews for defensive coordinator positions. He was reportedly a finalist for the Packers coordinator job two years ago and interviewed with the Colts last year. Harris’s name came up today when Tennessee also requested to interview him. If he were to join the Titans, it’s presumed that he would come into the role of passing game coordinator, in addition to his usual position coaching gig.
Gray has actual coordinator experience from his time with the Bills and Titans. The 60-year-old coach was also requested to interview for the defensive coordinator position in Atlanta a week ago. After the Falcons’ former defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, announced his retirement, Gray’s name quickly came up as a replacement candidate. Gray’s defensive units have put up middling results over the years, but his experience calling plays makes him an attractive candidate to replace Pees, who has been doing so since 2012.
With defensive coordinator Alan Williams still in the position for the Bears, neither Harris nor Gray are likely being interviewed for his role. More likely, they are being considered for the role of passing game coordinator. Harris makes the most sense, considering his history with the franchise, but Gray has more experience in larger roles. The Bears should get to talk with both in the days to come.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/20/23
Standard gameday elevations for tomorrow’s playoff games:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: T Coy Cronk
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Marcus Kemp, C Austin Reiter
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Zyon Gilbert, WR Makai Polk
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: S Anthony Harris