Gruden Rumors: ESPN, Morton, Guenther
Though he has not officially taken the job, Jon Gruden is expected to become the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday night.
“The more you talked to people, the more they were convinced Jon would reenter coaching this year,” Schefter said. The return to coaching would be Gruden’s first job on the sideline since he left Tampa Bay in 2008. The Super Bowl XXXVII-winning coach broke into the league with the Raiders in 1998 at the age of 35 and amassed a 38-26 record in four seasons with the team.
Despite the rumors, ESPN has said that Gruden will call Saturday night’s playoff game with the Monday Night Football crew. That, of course, is likely to change should the announcement be finalized.
Here is the latest on the Gruden front:
- News broke Sunday night that Jets offensive coordinator John Morton was expected to be a target for Gruden’s coaching staff. On Monday, the Jets are expected to let Morton out of his contract to join Gruden in Oakland, the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta hears (Twitter link).
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (Twitter link) that Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is expected to be pursued by Gruden for the same role in Oakland. Guenther’s contract expired following the Bengals’ 31-27 win over the Ravens on Sunday. If Marvin Lewis is not retained in Cincinnati, however, Guenther could be a candidate for the head-coaching gig.
- On Monday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported (Twitter link) that Gruden is expected to eventually say yes to the job after the team complies with the Rooney Rule. He also notes that Gruden is planning to call plays.
Bengals, Lewis To Wait On Future
The Bengals and head coach Marvin Lewis are expected to take time on deciding the long-tenured coach’s future with the team, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Jim Owczarski writes. 
Owczarski heard from multiple sources that Lewis met with team owner Mike Brown on Monday and the two did not come to a resolution. The pair may wait until Tuesday to come to a decision.
The Bengals surely want a speedy decision with the NFL’s coaching carousel already turning just hours after the season has ended. The Lions, Raiders, Colts, Giants and Bears have already fired their coaches and have begun lining up candidates to fill those roles.
Lewis, however, has coached the Bengals since 2003 and the team is sure to respect the coach’s wishes. Following the team’s 31-27 win over Baltimore, Lewis said his future with the team is “complicated” and he doesn’t know if he will return to the team. Earlier in December, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the team and Lewis were expected to part ways at season’s end when Lewis’ contract expired.
Rumors have already begun to swirl about members of the Bengals’ coaching staff, with the team’s defensive coordinator Paul Guenther being linked to Oakland.
Bears Fire Head Coach John Fox
After three losing seasons, the Bears have fired head coach John Fox, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (Twitter link). 
Rapoport also noted (Twitter link) that the team will look at offensive-minded coaches to work with first-round pick Mitch Trubisky, while defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will also be a candidate.
The Bears finished in last place in the NFC North in each of Fox’s three seasons with the team. In 2016, Chicago finished with a 3-13 record, its worst finish since 1969 (1-13). His .292 winning percentage is the second worst in franchise history behind Abe Gibron‘s .274 mark in the early 1970s.
Fox joined the Bears in 2015 following a productive four-year run in Denver, in which he led the Broncos to a 46-18 mark and advanced to the Super Bowl in his third season. Before joining Denver, Fox spent nine seasons as head coach in Carolina, where he led the team to its first Super Bowl appearance in just his second season on the job.
The Bears are expected to begin interviewing candidates this week and the coaching search is said to include names from the college ranks. Since the departure of Lovie Smith in 2012, the Bears have not had a winning campaign and will now be on their third coach in six seasons.
Lions Fire Head Coach Jim Caldwell
A day after defeating the Packers, 35-11, to cap their third winning campaign in four seasons, the Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
Caldwell twice led the team to the postseason, the most playoff trips by a Detroit coach since Bobby Ross in the late-1990s. Despite the regular-season success, Caldwell could not deliver a postseason victory, something that has eluded the Lions for 25 years.
Rapoport also reports (Twitter link) the team is expected to interview highly sought after Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for the vacant head-coaching position. He also notes Lions general manager Bob Quinn’s New England ties will help in the team’s pursuit of Patricia. Before ascending to GM in Detroit, Quinn spent 15 years in New England as a scout and director of player personnel.
The 62-year-old Caldwell has delivered winning campaigns in five of his eight seasons as a head coach and advanced to the Super Bowl with the Colts. His winning percentage of .562 as Lions head coach is the highest of any full-time coach of the franchise for more than one season since Buddy Parker recorded a 47-23-2 mark and a .671 winning percentage in the 1950s.
The dismissal ends longtime speculation over the future of Caldwell in Detroit. After losing his last three regular-season games and the team’s wildcard matchup with Seattle in 2017, Caldwell was retained and given a contract extension. The terms of the deal, however, were not made available immediately and it was later discovered the extension only covered him through the 2018 campaign.
Instead of firing Caldwell, the team hired Quinn to replace former GM Martin Mayhew. With Caldwell now gone, Quinn is set to hire his first head coach on the job.
Jack Del Rio Out In Oakland
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was informed after the team’s Week 17 loss to the Chargers that he would not be retained, the coach told reporters including the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (Twitter link). 
In his postgame press conference, the coach told reporters he was notified “two minutes ago” by Raiders owner Mark Davis of his decision. Del Rio said, “He told me he loved me and appreciated all that I did to get this program going to right direction, but that he felt he needed a change.” Del Rio expressed gratitude for the opportunity Davis gave him when he hired him in 2015.
Following a breakout 2016 campaign that saw the Raiders go 12-4, Oakland entered 2017 as potential Super Bowl contenders with a loaded offense and a solid defense. Things didn’t go according to plan and the Raiders scuffled to a 6-10 mark.
The firing comes on the heels of the Raiders’ reported pursuit of the team’s former head coach Jon Gruden. Reports claim the Raiders could offer the ESPN analyst an ownership stake in the team to take over as head coach.
In his three seasons as head coach, Del Rio amassed a 25-23 mark and advanced to the postseason in 2016 for the first time since the team lost the Super Bowl in 2002.
With young stars Derek Carr and Amari Cooper on offense and a game-changing talent on defense in Khalil Mack, the Raiders head-coaching job is arguably the top gig that will become available this offseason.
Eli Manning To Sit Down With New GM
With an 18-10 win over the Redskins in the season finale, the Giants brought to a close one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, finishing 3-13. Quarterback Eli Manning isn’t ready to jump ship, however, and declared his hope to return to the team in 2018, ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan writes. 
The two-time Super Bowl winner and longtime Giants quarterback said he plans to sit down with recently hired general manager Dave Gettleman in the coming days to discuss Manning’s future with the team.
“I don’t want to go play football anywhere else,” Manning said. “This is where I want to play, this is my family, the New York Giants. So, hopefully they feel the same way and we can make that work out.”
Manning, who has two years left on his deal, was benched earlier in the season by head coach Ben McAdoo for the Giants to get a look at Geno Smith. McAdoo was fired soon after and Manning returned to his spot under center.
The Giants will pick at No. 2 in the 2018 NFL Draft and could have UCLA’s Josh Rosen or USC’s Sam Darnold in their crosshairs to replace Manning as the quarterback of the future. Even if the team does select a signal-caller, New York could keep Manning on as a mentor until the young quarterback is ready to take over.
Whatever route the Giants go, the team’s quarterback in 2018 will be in a favorable situation. With plenty of pieces on defense and a game-breaking talent at wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants have the necessary talent to make a drastic turnaround in 2018.
Lions Notes: Caldwell, Lang, Ansah
Following Detroit’s 35-11 win over division rival Green Bay, head coach Jim Caldwell addressed reporters and said he does not know what the future holds, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News reports (Twitter link).
Despite posting a 9-7 record, the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs following a loss to Cincinnati in Week 16. By missing the postseason, sources told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that the team was expected to let go of Caldwell at season’s end.
Hot-seat rumors have swirled around Caldwell for months and an answer to those rumors is likely to come in the next few days. In September, Detroit gave Caldwell a contract extension but the terms of the deal were not revealed until December, when NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported the deal ran through 2018.
“I don’t make any excuses,” Caldwell said. “It’s just not the way I live my life. So we go out, we do what we do and we’ll make an assessment from there. The real assessment is wins and losses. That’s the key. I think there are things that I’ve done, but I’m not done yet. So you know, we’ll see.”
Here’s more from the Lions:
- Guard T.J. Lang is not expected to require surgery for a foot injury that has lingered throughout the season, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reports (Twitter link). Lang missed the team’s Week 16 loss to Cincinnati, which eliminated the Lions from the playoffs. The right guard is signed through the 2019 season.
- Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah is “pretty confident” he can return to his 2015 form, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Over the last two season, Birkett notes the pass-rushing lineman has spent 25 of a possible 32 weeks on the injury report. Ansah told Birkett, “I’ve been dealing with a lot all year long … There is good days and bad days regardless of how healthy you are.” After recording 14.5 sacks during his breakout 2015 campaign, Ansah has managed just 11 in the two seasons since.
Texans GM Taking Leave Of Absence
Following Houston’s 22-13 loss vs. the Colts, Texans general manager and executive vice president Rick Smith announced he was taking an extended leave of absence to care for his wife, Tiffany, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Sarah Barshop reported. 
In a statement, Smith said, “I am eternally grateful to the McNair family for their unwavering support during this trying time. This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make as I love this organization and every member of this team both on and off the field. I remain committed to our quest to bring a championship to the city of Houston, yet my family needs me now and they are my priority.”
Smith has served as Houston’s general manager since 2006, when owner Bob McNair hired him as the youngest GM in the league at the age of 36. During his tenure with the team, Smith has constructed a team that claimed four AFC South division titles in a six-year span (2011-16). In his second season on the job, Smith helped the Texans to their first non-losing season in franchise history. He has only finished below .500 four times in 12 seasons.
Chuck Pagano Out As Colts Head Coach
Following Indianapolis’ 22-13 win over the Texans in the season finale, head coach Chuck Pagano was let go as the team’s head coach, WISH-TV in Indianapolis’ Anthony Calhoun reports (Twitter link). 
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that the team was expected to part ways with the coach following Sunday’s performance. The team followed through, firing the head coach less than hour after the final whistle.
Pagano, who was two years into a four-year deal with the team, served as the Colts head coach since 2012 and amassed a record of 53-43 that included three postseason appearances. During his tenure, Pagano ushered the team into a new era after the release of Peyton Manning. With the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the team tabbed Andrew Luck and pulled off three consecutive 11-5 campaigns with the Stanford product under center. In 2014, the Colts advanced to the AFC Championship game but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl-champion Patriots, 45-7.
In 2015, Luck missed nine of 16 games and the team skidded to an 8-8 mark. Following another .500 campaign in 2016, Indianapolis parted ways with GM Ryan Grigson but decided to keep Pagano on for another season.
The writing was on the wall early for Pagano in 2017. Luck never got on the field following a lingering shoulder injury and the team posted its worst record since 2011.
Team owner and CEO Jim Irsay issued a statement following the firing, saying:
“Chuck Pagano provided Colts fans with many exciting wins and memories as head coach of the Colts. Throughout his tenure in Indianapolis, he impacted the lives of the players he coached, those who he worked with in the organization and Colts fans across the globe. Chuck’s first season was one of the more inspirational stories in NFL history as he courageously battled and overcame leukemia. As a result, his CHUCKSTRONG Foundation has raised millions for cancer research. We are thankful for Chuck’s contributions to our franchise and community and we wish him, Tina and the entire Pagano family nothing but the best moving forward.”
Hue Jackson To Coach Browns in 2018
After the Browns fell to the Steelers, 28-24, to become the second 0-16 team in NFL history, team owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), that head coach Hue Jackson will return as head coach in 2018. 
Haslam also said he doesn’t believe “Jackson hasn’t lost his magic,” and that he is working well with new general manager John Dorsey.
Since taking over at the beginning of the 2016 season, Jackson has managed just a 1-31 record as head coach. Following the loss in the season finale, Jackson told reporters the team wasn’t as far away from competing as many people think they are and that the difference will be the addition of Dorsey. The former Chiefs GM took over after the team parted ways with Sashi Brown earlier in the season.
Shortly after the hiring of Dorsey, questions began to swirl about Jackson’s future in Cleveland, with many thinking the new GM wanted to hire his own coach. Haslam, however, has stated all along he planned to bring back Jackson, and Dorsey later dispelled the rumors. There were even rumors of the Browns trading Jackson to the Bengals, the team in which he served as offensive coordinator before moving to Cleveland.
Jackson has stood firm in his commitment to Cleveland. He was reportedly not interested in the Bengals job after Marvin Lewis announced he was leaving. He told reporters on Sunday, “I don’t think anyone else could’ve done this job for the past two years.” He also added, “We’re going to get this organization to winning as soon as possible.”
With the loss on Sunday, the Browns will hold the No. 1 pick, which they will presumably use to take one of UCLA’s Josh Rosen or USC’s Sam Darnold, should they declare for the draft. Thanks to a draft-day deal in 2016, the team will also holds Houston’s first-round selection, the No. 4 overall pick. Also loaded with tons of caps space, the Browns are set up to make strides in Jackson’s third season.