NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/2/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures deals on Monday. Here are the latest updates:
Dallas Cowboys
- QB Will Grier
Kansas City Chiefs
- QB Jake Haener
New York Jets
- DT Jack Heflin
Haener, 26, was offered a futures deal by the Saints, per Jeff Duncan of The Times Picayune, but sought a better opportunity instead. Kansas City may present one. The Chiefs only have one quarterback – Chris Oladokun – under contract for the 2026 season other than Patrick Mahomes, who will spend the next several months working his back from a torn ACL. Mahomes is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, so the Chiefs will be evaluating alternative quarterback options this offseason. It seems like Haener will be one of them.
Declan Doyle Left Bears, Joined Ravens To Call Plays
Declan Doyle was planning to stay in Chicago for at least one more year. The 29-year-old withdrew from the Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator, telling them he would remain with the Bears, who were under the same impression.
Then, the Ravens came calling, and their offer – to work with Jesse Minter and call plays for Lamar Jackson – was too good to turn down. Ben Johnson‘s presence in Chicago would keep Doyle from ever becoming the Bears’ play-caller. With many (though not all) teams looking for such experience when hiring new head coaches, Doyle accepted the job in Baltimore.
While Minter and Jackson were major draws, Doyle was already working with one of the league’s most exciting head coach-quarterback duos in Johnson and Caleb Williams. Instead, the opportunity to develop and call his own offense put the appeal of the Ravens’ offensive coordinator gig over the top, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Jackson was named MVP in his first season with his last two offensive coordinators, Greg Roman and Todd Monken. The latter’s success with Jackson is a major reason he was named the Browns’ new head coach last week.
Similar results from Doyle will keep him on the radar for future head coaching gigs. He is already seen as a fast riser in the coaching world with time under Johnson and Sean Payton, two of the most respective offensive minds in the league. He played a key role in revitalizing the Bears in 2025, and success in Baltimore will further boost his resume for future hiring cycles.
Cowboys To Interview Georgia OLBs Coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is looking to the college ranks to fill his new staff in Dallas. Georgia outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe will interview for a position on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Uzo-Diribe, 33, has spent the last decade working in a variety of roles at the college level. He was a starting defensive lineman at Colorado, and after a brief stint with the Saints, returned to Boulder in 2016 as a graduate assistant.
Uzo-Diribe then went to Kansas as a defensive quality control coach in 2019 and received a promotion to outside linebackers coach the following year. One-year stints as the defensive line coach at SMU and TCU followed after which Uzo-Diribe was hired by Kirby Smart to lead the OLB room at Georgia. The Bulldogs churned out three first-round outside linebackers – Nolan Smith in 2023 and Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker in 2025 – during Uzo-Diribe’s tenure.
Interviewing an outside linebackers coach is yet another sign that the Cowboys will be switching their base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 under Parker. Ejiro Evero, Vance Joseph, and Vic Fangio – the last three defensive coordinators under whom Parker worked – all run 3-4 schemes, which typically requires separate coaches for inside and outside linebackers.
This would be a major departure from the Cowboys, who have run a 4-3 since Jason Garrett was hired as head coach in 2013. His first defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, installed a 4-3 scheme to replace the 3-4 system first brought to Dallas by Bill Parcells. Every subsequent Cowboys DC – Rob Marinelli, Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer, and Matt Eberflus – used a 4-3 defense, a trend that seems very likely to end with Parker.
Todd Monken Was Browns’ ‘Strong No. 1 Choice’
The Browns’ decision to hire Todd Monken surprised many around the NFL, but very few in Cleveland. The former Ravens offensive coordinator was the “strong No. 1 choice” of the team’s entire search committee, including general manager Andrew Berry, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Monken, 59, beat out Nate Scheelhaase and Jim Schwartz for the job. Scheelhaase, the 35-year-old Rams’ passing game coordinator, is viewed as a future head coach around the league, including by the Browns. Schwartz has been the Browns’ defensive coordinator since 2023 and is currently trying to force his way out of Cleveland after being passed over for the head coaching gig.
The trio of finalist was determined by the Browns’ unorthodox hiring process that prioritized coaches’ resumes and reviews from former players and colleagues over their interviews, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Monken has a strong history with younger players dating back to an impressive stint as the head coach at Southern Miss, and his references included Jameis Winston, one of his quarterbacks in Tampa Bay; Kirby Smart, his head coach at Georgia; and Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens’ longtime front office executive.
That information, obtained early in the hiring process, kept Monken in the running even as younger candidates with hotter names interviewed for the job. Kevin Stefanski emerged as an early favorite in 2020 for similar reasons.
These reports could be interpreted as spin from the Browns after criticism of their coaching search, which featured several candidates who withdrew from consideration. Their decision to tap Monken over Scheelhaase is understandable, given his relative youth and inexperience, but opting not to promote Schwartz could cost them a coach they had been planning to keep all along.
Only time will tell if the Browns’ out-of-the-box approach to finding their new head coach will yield better results than more standard hiring practices. Monken has a tough task in front of him – Cleveland has won just eight games in the last two years – but the team seems confident that he can get the most out of their young roster.
Bills To Hire Jim Leonhard As DC
After starting his NFL playing career in Buffalo in 2005, Jim Leonhard is headed back to western New York. The Bills are expected to hire the 43-year-old as their defensive coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Leonhard spent the last two seasons in Denver as their defensive pass game coordinator. He additionally held the title of defensive backs coach in 2024 and assistant head coach in 2025. In that time, the Broncos defense has been one of the best in the NFL, ranking second in yards per attempt last year and leading the league this past season. He is the team’s second assistant to join Joe Brady‘s new staff in Buffalo; Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael accepted a job as the Bills’ new offensive coordinator earlier this week.
Leonard has now completed a remarkable rise from walk-on safety at the University of Wisconsin to NFL defensive coordinator. Despite three straight All-Big Ten nods to end his college career – and a strong pedigree as a returner – Leonhard went undrafted in 2005. He signed with the Bills and made the 53-man roster, kicking off a decade-long career that featured stints with five other teams.
Among them were the Broncos, who gave Leonhard his first NFL coaching job, and the Ravens, who requested to interview him for their defensive coordinator vacancy. He also interviewed with the Cowboys, Chargers, and Jets, but they all went with other candidates. Instead, he will join Brady in Buffalo as the play-caller for a Bills defense that was one of the league’s best from 2021 to 2023 but faltered in the last two years.
The Bills’ coaching jobs were viewed as some of the most desirable in the league due to the franchise’s recent success and the presence of star quarterback Josh Allen. But a closer look at the roster reveals significant holes. The defensive line features only two proven impact players in Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver, veteran linebackers Matt Milano and Joey Bosa are set to hit free agency, and the secondary either needs more veteran depth or some development from their younger players.
Leonhard can certainly address that final issue right away. A number of Broncos defensive backs have taken significant steps forward under Leonhard, including cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian. Safety Talanoa Hufanga earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2025, his first year in Denver, and Patrick Surtain won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
Leonhard starting his coaching career at his alma mater in 2016. After a year as defensive backs coach, he was promoted to defensive coordinator and eventually served as the interim head coach in 2022. He then spent a year at Illinois as an analyst before joining Sean Payton‘s staff in Denver.
Falcons Hire Alex Van Pelt As QBs Coach
Kevin Stefanski is bringing one of his former offensive coordinators to Atlanta. Alex Van Pelt, who worked under Stefanski in Cleveland from 2020 to 2023, will be joining the Falcons as their quarterbacks coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
Van Pelt, 55, served as a senior offensive assistant for the Rams in 2025. He was the Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023 with the added title of quarterbacks coach in his final year. Cleveland’s offense generally ranked in the middle of the league during his tenure, though that was a significant improvement over the previous decade. Before that, he occupied a variety of roles with the Bills, Packers, Buccaneers, and Bengals, typically as the quarterbacks coach, though he was the Bills’ OC in 2009 and the Packers’ running backs coach in 2012 and 2013. For the next four seasons, Van Pelt worked closely with Aaron Rodgers, who earned three Pro Bowls and was named MVP in 2014.
After leaving Cleveland, Van Pelt served as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2024 before he was hired by the Rams in 2025. New England finished as a bottom-three offense under Van Pelt, who struggled to get Drake Maye going in his rookie season. The Rams’ offense in 2025 was far more successful, but Van Pelt’s impact is harder to quantify given the presence of Sean McVay and Nate Scheelhaase in Los Angeles.
In Atlanta, Van Pelt will be tasked with continuing the development of Michael Penix Jr. He may also be asked to get a new quarterback up to speed quickly, as Penix’s availability for the start of the 2026 season is no guarantee.
Bills, Packers Request QBs Coach Interview with Cardinals’ Connor Senger
The Bills and Packers both requested to interview Cardinals passing game coordinator Connor Senger for their quarterbacks coach vacancies, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Senger, 30, has worked closely with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray over the past four seasons. Senger arrived in Arizona in 2022 as a coaching fellow and moved up in each of the last three offseasons. He became a quality control coach in 2022, the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024, and the pass game coordinator in 2025.
The Cardinals’ air attack has struggled for the most of Senger’s time in Arizona, though Murray has only played in 41 games in that span.
Before joining the Cardinals, Senger spent time with a number of college teams. In 2017, began his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a Division III program for whom he started at quarterback for the previous two seasons. He worked for two more D-III schools – Carroll and Wisconsin-Whitewater – before a two-year stint at North Dakota State, which preceded his entrance to the NFL.
The jobs in both Buffalo and Green Bay offer the appeal of working with clear face-of-the-franchise quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Jordan Love. The latter has not reached the same heights as the former, but both are under contract through at least 2028. Success as one of the two’s coach could lead to an offensive coordinator by then, if not sooner. To that point, Senger called plays at the East-West Shrine Bowl this week. While that is certainly not the same to a full-time coordinator gig, it shows that Senger is viewed by some as a potential future OC.
Ravens To Hire Declan Doyle As OC
The Ravens are expected to hire Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for the same position on Jesse Minter‘s new staff in Baltimore, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Doyle, 29, has just seven years of NFL coaching experience and only one season as a coordinator. He previously served as an offensive assistant with the Saints (2019-2022) and a tight ends coach with the Broncos (2023-2024) before joining Ben Johnson in Chicago. He helped Johnson quickly install his offense and played a crucial role in Caleb Williams‘ second-year breakout, both of which contributed to the Bears winning their first playoff game since 2010.
Doyle’s success in those roles – as well as his time under Johnson and Sean Payton – attracted the attention of the Eagles and the Ravens in recent weeks as they look for new offensive coordinators. Though the Bears could block those interviews, they allowed Doyle to speak with other teams. He withdrew from the Eagles’ search, but traveled to Baltimore on Friday to interview with the Ravens. That meeting clearly went well, as the two sides quickly reached an agreement for Doyle to join Minter’s staff.
In Baltimore, Doyle will get to work rebuilding the Ravens offense around Lamar Jackson after a disappointing 2025 season. The unit regressed significantly from their elite numbers in 2023 and 2024 and finished 11th in points and 16th in yards. A number of injuries to Jackson played a role, though they were also symptomatic of bigger issues. The offensive line could not consistently keep Jackson clean in the pocket or open up holes at the line of scrimmage, and the Ravens went from being one of the league’s best red-zone offenses to one of its worst.
The Bears were confident that Doyle would remain in Chicago after he withdrew his name from the Eagles’ search, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. However, the opportunity to work under Minter and call plays Jackson on a Ravens team that is expected to return to championship contention in 2026 was too much to turn down. Johnson will now have to find a new offensive coordinator heading into his second season as a head coach, and he will not be able to offer play-calling duties to entice candidates with interest from other teams.
The Ravens, meanwhile, will now work with Doyle to build out the rest of his offensive staff. They have already made key hires to coach their offensive line, but former coaches John Harbaugh and Todd Monken have been poaching assistants from their previous staff in Baltimore. With Doyle hired, the Ravens will be able to make decisions on the rest of their incumbent coaches, including important figures like quarterbacks coach Tee Martin.
Here is an overview of Baltimore’s now-completed offensive coordinator search:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Hire expected
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/12
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Scottie Montgomery, wide receivers coach (Lions): To interview
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
Patriots DC Terrell Williams Is Cancer-Free, Will Travel To Super Bowl
The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl, and for the first time this season, defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will be traveling with the team for the game. 
Williams, 51, was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after the start of the regular season. A health scare had chased him from spring ball, and though he reunited with his team shortly before the start of the regular season, Williams was forced to depart after New England’s Week 1 loss the Raiders and has been off the sideline ever since. He is now cancer-free, per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. Head coach Mike Vrabel informed his team a few weeks ago, and Williams has since been given the go-ahead to join the team in their upcoming trip to California.
Williams remained involved with the team during treatment by attending meetings and keeping in touch with players. Play-calling duties were handed to inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, who excelled in the role. New England’s defense ranked fourth in points allowed and eighth in total defense and dominated opposing offenses throughout their first three playoff games. Vinny DePalma, a defensive assistant, stepped into Kuhr’s role to help manage the Patriots linebacking corps, in the meantime.
It was a long road back for Williams. After his initial diagnosis indicated an aggressive form of prostate cancer, he and Vrabel agreed he should take time away from the team to focus on his treatment. It started with a month-long medication schedule that led into chemotherapy treatments — five rounds with three weeks separating each round. After beating his cancer, Williams returned to New England to rejoin the team, with whom he’ll now fight for the ultimate prize of the sport.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Bills To Hire Cardinals’ STC Jeff Rodgers
The Bills are expected to hire Cardinals special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers for the same job on Joe Brady’s new staff in Buffalo, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Rodgers, 48, has spent the last eight seasons in Arizona with the added title of assistant head coach for the last seven. He previously served as the special teams coordinator for the Panthers (2010), Broncos (2011-2014), and Bears, (2015-2017). Before that, he worked as a special teams assistant for the 49ers (2003-2007) before his first coordinator gig with at Kansas State.
Rodgers will be replacing Chris Tabor, who was hired by the Bills last offseason after previously working for the Panthers. He overlapped with new head coach Joe Brady in Carolina, but the two will not continue working together in Buffalo. Tabor accepted an offer to be the Dolphins’ new special teams coordinator before Brady was officially name the Bills’ head coach.
Buffalo’s special teams unit received an 88.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2025. Running back Ray Davis received a first-team All-Pro nod as a returner after averaging 30.4 yards on his kick returns, the most in the league. Tabor helped keep the kicking and punting units afloat amid injuries to Matt Prater and Cameron Johnston.