Raiders Hire Headhunter For HC/GM Search; Pete Carroll Among Top HC Candidates
The Raiders were already looking for a new head coach, and after firing Tom Telesco, they’re looking for a new general manager as well.
The team has brought in headhunter Jed Hughes of consulting firm Korn Ferry to join their search process, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Hughes coached in college and the NFL for almost 20 years and has since helped multiple teams hire coaches and executives, including the Packers and the 49ers. He will join Tom Brady as a key voice in the direction of the Raiders this offseason.
Hughes’ NFL experience includes a two-year stint as the Vikings’ defensive backs coach under Bud Grant in 1982 and 1983, giving him a connection with one of the Raiders’ head coach candidates. Grant retired after the 1983 season, but returned to Minnesota in 1985 and hired Pete Carroll in Hughes’ former position.
Carroll is a serious candidate for the HC job in Las Vegas, according to Vincent Bonsignore Las Vegas Review-Journal. He has already interviewed for the same job with the Bears. Carroll stepped down as the Seahawks’ head coach last year, but remained with the team as an advisor.
Brady has plenty of his own connections around the league, including a relationship with Buccaneers general manager John Spytek, according to Jones. Spytek was Brady’s teammate at Michigan in 1999 and later helped bring the quarterback to Tampa Bay as the team’s vice president of player personnel. The Buccaneers then won Super Bowl LV in Brady’s first year.
Brady isn’t the only Raiders minority owner who could impact the team’s ability to attract top candidates. Egon Durban, CEO of investment firm Silver Lake, purchased 7.5% of the team in December, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The persuasive power of Brady’s reputation and Durban’s financial resources could be a key factor in a crowded coaching market this offseason.
Commanders’ Marshon Lattimore To Play In Wild-Card Round
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced that cornerback Marshon Lattimore would play against the Buccaneers in Sunday’s wild-card matchup.
“He hit all the markers we need to see, so we’re pumped to have him back,” said Quinn (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post).
Lattimore has battled a hamstring injury for much of the season. He missed two games with the Saints and sat out his first four weeks in Washington after he was traded in November. Lattimore’s Commanders debut finally came in Week 15, but his hamstring held him out for the last two games of the regular season.
The former first-round pick has two years remaining on his contract, and the Commanders have already expressed interest in extending him further. A strong playoff showing will show Washington that Lattimore can be a long-term cornerstone on defense as they build their offense around Jayden Daniels.
Lattimore recovered just in time for yet another matchup with Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans. The two faced off in the NFC South for nearly a decade, but have played in the postseason just once. Past games have featured multiple fights and ejections between the two Pro Bowlers, and tensions will only be higher in the playoffs.
Dolphins Fire ST Coordinator Danny Crossman, WR Coach Wes Welker
The Dolphins have parted ways with special teams coordinator Danny Crossman and wide receivers coach Wes Welker, per a team announcement. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel released a statement on his staff changes.
“I am grateful for Danny’s contributions and dedication to the Dolphins over the course of many seasons, as well as the numerous ways he helped me as a head coach,” McDaniel said. “I also want to thank Wes for his investment here. This was not a decision I came to lightly, but as I have evaluated the season and areas where we must improve, I believe that change is needed and am motivated to do what is best for the team as we move forward.”
Crossman arrived in Miami with then-head coach Brian Flores in 2019 and added assistant head coach to his title when Mike McDaniel replaced Flores in 2021. The Dolphins have finished in the bottom four teams in special teams grade in the last three years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Welker, a former All-Pro receiver with the Patriots, was the 49ers receivers coach in 2019 and followed McDaniel to Miami in 2021. The Dolphins’ passing offense was a top-five unit in 2022 and 2023, which both featured first-team All-Pro nods for Tyreek Hill, but dropped to 15th this year.
Hill openly expressed frustrations with the team after their regular season finale, though the Dolphins have no plans to move on from their star wideout. The timing of Welker’s firing will raise speculation about a connection with Hill’s comments, but the two appeared to have a strong relationship during Miami’s stretch on Hard Knocks during the 2023 season.
Welker’s success with the Dolphins should draw him coaching interest from another team. He could even pursue a reunion with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick at the University of North Carolina. Crossman, meanwhile, may have to take an assistant position before earning another shot as a coordinator.
Titans Request GM Interviews With Ed Dodds, Reggie McKenzie, John Spytek
JANUARY 10: McKenzie is likely to receive considerable support for the GM role, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes. He may be the favorite at this point in the process, although things could of course change over the coming days as interviews take place.
JANUARY 8: The Titans are casting their net far and wide in search of their next general manager, adding three more interviews to their list on Wednesday.
The latest candidates are Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero), Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie (per ESPN’s Turron Davenport), and Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek (per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
[RELATED: Titans Begin GM Search With Three Requests]
Dodds has worked under Colts GM Chris Ballard since 2017. He began his NFL front office career as a scouting intern for the then-Oakland Raiders in 2003. That led to a scouting gig in Seattle, where Dodds finished as a senior personnel executive after nearly a decade. He then started as vice president of player personnel in Indianapolis before receiving a promotion to assistant GM in 2018. The Colts have hit on a number of first- and second-round picks in Dodds’ tenure, including Quenton Nelson and Shaquille Leonard in 2018 and Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor in 2020, but they have struggled to consistently find talent in the later rounds.
McKenzie is a former NFL linebacker who retired from playing in 1992. He briefly coached at the University of Tennessee before landing a scouting job with the Packers. McKenzie stayed in Green Bay for almost 20 years, eventually rising to director of football operations in 2008. The Packers won two Super Bowls in McKenzie’s tenure, which also included the 2005 draft selection of Aaron Rodgers.
McKenzie was then hired to turn around an expensive, underperforming Raiders roster as GM. He hit on Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Amari Cooper in back-to-back drafts but struggled to find and retain talent in subsequent years amid interference from new owner Mark Davis and his handpicked head coach, Jon Gruden. McKenzie was fired during the 2018 season and joined the Dolphins a few months later. Miami’s next three drafts all yielded several future starters, including Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle, though the team is still chasing their first AFC East title since 2008.
Spytek spent time with the Lions, Eagles, Browns, and Broncos – primarily as a scout – before arriving in Tampa Bay in 2016. The Buccaneers have been one of the most successful front offices in the last decade under GM Jason Licht, who has consistently hit on draft picks and free agent signings. Tampa Bay won Super Bowl LV after successfully engineering the acquisition of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski during the 2020 offseason and has won four straight division titles since. The Buccaneers’ drafts under Spytek have been littered with success, particularly at offensive line.
The Titans’ search is being overseen by president of football operations Chad Brinker, whose football experience stands in contrast to some of Tennessee’s other business-focused executives. He has ties to Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, all of whom could be candidates for the Titans’ GM job.
Brinker may also look for familiarity with head coach Brian Callahan, in which case a Bengals executive like Mike Potts, Trey Brown, or Steve Radicevic could be considered, according to Breer.
49ers’ Trent Williams Expected To Return In 2025
The 49ers are expecting All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams to return for his 14th NFL season in 2025, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
“Trent’s mindset is where it always is, and he’s still very interested in being the great player that he is, and I think he’s still got a lot left in the tank,” said general manager John Lynch on Wednesday. “Trent’s as committed as ever and we love having Trent Williams a part of us.”
The 35-year-old missed the 49ers’ last seven games of the 2024 season due to a bruise in his ankle joint. When healthy, Williams was still among the best tackles in the league, but his extended absence will likely keep him from a fourth-straight first-team All-Pro selection. Retirement speculation has followed him for a few years, but he has also stated a desire to play until age 40.
Williams will join center Jake Brendel, right guard Dominick Puni, and right tackle Colton McKivitz as the 49ers’ returning offensive linemen with left guard Aaron Banks set to hit free agency. Banks could price himself out of San Francisco after the explosion in last year’s guard market, especially with the team focused on a long-term extension for Brock Purdy.
Panthers Will Work To Extend Jaycee Horn
The Panthers will be looking to build onn the late-season resurgence of former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young heading into the 2025 season.
One of general manager Dan Morgan‘s top priorities this offseason is an extension for cornerback Jaycee Horn, per ESPN’s David Newton. Carolina selected Horn with the eighth overall pick in 2021 hoping he could lock down one side of their passing defense. Injuries limited him to just 22 games across his first three years, followed by his first career Pro Bowl selection this season.
His negotiations won’t be as simple as fellow 2021 top-10 pick Patrick Surtain, who reset the cornerback market with a four-year, $96MM extension in September. Surtain has played in all but two of the Broncos’ game since he was drafted with three Pro Bowls in the last three years. He earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2022 and is poised to earn a second for his work this season, giving Denver no choice but to pay him at the top of the market.
Horn, however, has not been consistently available, and despite his Pro Bowl recognition this year, he allowed career-highs in touchdowns (6) and passer rating when targeted (92.7). Guaranteed money will be a key factor in negotiations; the Panthers may prefer a rolling guarantee structure that kicks in after Horn proves he can stay healthy for another year or two.
The Panthers picked up Horn’s fifth-year option last offseason, so he’s set to earn $12.472MM in 2025. That amount will be paid out as a base salary with no bonus money up front, so the 25-year-old cornerback has plenty of reason to come to the negotiating table. An injury in 2025 could impact his ability to get another long-term contract in his career.
It’s also worth noting that Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley will both be eligible for early extensions this offseason, which could match or surpass Surtain’s contract. If Horn waits until after Gardner and Stingley extend with their teams, he could capitalize on another increase in the cornerback market – if he can stay healthy and put together another solid showing in 2025.
Aaron Glenn Declines Patriots Interview Request
JANUARY 9: Glenn has five HC meetings booked; the Lions DC found time to accommodate a midweek Raiders request. But the invite the Patriots sent will not produce an interview. Glenn declined the New England meeting, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The fourth-year Lions assistant will still meet with the Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Saints and Raiders between tonight and Saturday.
Mike Vrabel is viewed as the clear frontrunner in New England, and he was able to meet in-person with the team today due to not being on a staff presently (those employed by other teams cannot yet meet with teams in-person). Glenn colleague Ben Johnson is on tap to meet about the job Friday, but reporting has continued to place Vrabel in pole position. Glenn may see the writing on the wall and would then devote his efforts to landing one of the other available jobs.
JANUARY 8: The Patriots have submitted a request to interview Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. 
Glenn has now been requested by all six teams with a head coaching vacancy. He led Detroit’s defense to a top-1o scoring finish this season despite a myriad of injuries at all three levels. The former cornerback already has four interviews scheduled – with the Jets, Saints, Bears, and Jaguars – so he may not have time for two more this weekend while preparing for the Lions’ playoff run.
In place on Dan Campbell‘s staff since 2021, Glenn has seen his unit enjoy a turnaround this year relative to past performances (in certain categories, at least). Between that success and a continued endorsement from Campbell with respect to his head coaching readiness, it comes as little surprise the 52-year-old is one of the most sought-after candidates this year. Glenn’s playing career included time spent with the Jets, Jaguars and Saints, so he has a natural connection to those franchise’s vacancies.
Likewise, the three-time Pro Bowler spent time coaching in New Orleans, and as such he represents a candidate to return to the city during the 2025 hiring cycle. No such connections exist between the Glenn and the Patriots. New England’s list of targets nevertheless continues to grow in the early stages of the process. The Patriots have already satisfied the Rooney Rule with yesterday’s interviews (Byron Leftwich, Pep Hamilton), but meeting with Glenn will add to the number of external minority candidates interviewed for their vacancy.
Jerod Mayo was dismissed on Sunday after his first season as Bill Belichick‘s successor. Former Patriots Mike Vrabel and Brian Flores have been connected to the job, but Glenn is among the top options on the market if owner Robert Kraft elects to go in a different direction with this hire.
Via PFR’s head coaching search tracker, here is an updated look at New England’s search:
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Interested in position
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview declined
- Pep Hamilton, former offensive coordinator (Texans): Interviewed 1/7
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): To interview 1/10
- Byron Leftwich, former offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/7
- Mike Vrabel, former head coach (Titans): To interview 1/9
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
49ers Interview Robert Saleh, Deshea Townsend For DC Job
The 49ers completed interviews with Robert Saleh and Deshea Townsend for their vacant defensive coordinator position, per a team announcement and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Saleh was fired as the Jets head coach in October and previously served as the 49ers defensive coordinator for four seasons. He arrived in 2017 with Kyle Shanahan and inherited a defense that ranked 32nd in yards allowed. Saleh turned the 49ers defense into a top-10 unit by the time he left for New York after the 2020 season. His tenure with the Jets was plagued by poor quarterback play and interference from ownership, though Saleh maintained his standard of defensive excellence until his firing.
The 45-year-old is considered the favorite to land the 49ers’ DC job, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, in no small part due to his familiarity with the team’s roster and scheme. Saleh is also planning to interview with the Jaguars for their head coaching position, so he may hold off on accepting the job in San Francisco before the Jaguars have made their decision.
Jeff Ulbrich, who was Saleh’s defensive coordinator in New York and finished this season as interim head coach, could also be a candidate for the DC job in San Francisco if he is not retained by the Jets, Fowler adds. Ulbrich spent his entire 10-year playing career with the 49ers and was recruited by his former team last offseason, though the Jets prevented him from interviewing. The defense led by Saleh and Ulbrich in New York was based on Saleh’s system in San Francisco, so Ulbrich should still have plenty of schematic familiarity.
Townsend is a former 13-year NFL cornerback who has been a defensive backs coach for seven NFL teams, as well as Mississippi State University. He is currently the Lions’ passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach and has played a crucial role in keeping their defense afloat despite a myriad of injuries. Townsend could also be a candidate for the Lions’ DC job if Aaron Glenn takes a head coaching job elsewhere.
Jaguars Request HC Interview With Steve Spagnuolo
The Jaguars have requested an interview with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their vacant head coaching position, per a team announcement.
Spagnuolo is one of the most accomplished assistant coaches in the league on either side of the ball. He is the only coordinator with four Super Bowl titles, one with the Giants and three as part of the recent Chiefs dynasty. Kansas City has finished with a top-10 socring defense in five of Spagnuolo’s six years as DC, including an exemplary 2023 season in which the team finished second in points and yards allowed behind only Mike Macdonald‘s unit in Baltimore.
Spagnuolo has not been as successful as a head coach, though. He received interest from multiple teams after largely shutting down a historic Patriots offense in Super Bowl XLII and ultimately took a four-year offer from the Rams. Spagnuolo went 10-38 across his first three seasons in St. Louis and was fired after the 2011 season. He was never able to turn the Rams defense into a top unit, and the lack of consistent quarterback play doomed him on the other side of the ball.
Before joining the Chiefs, Spagnuolo had another stint with the Giants, coordinating their defense from 2015 until December 2017, when he took over as interim head coach. The Giants went 1-3 to close out the year, and Spagnuolo was not asked to return as a member of new head coach Pat Shurmur‘s staff.
Along with the Jaguars, Spagnuolo has also received head-coaching interest from the Jets and the Raiders. If he gets one of the three jobs, he’ll become the second-oldest coach in the NFL at 65 years old, trailing only his current boss, Andy Reid.
The Jaguars now have as many as 12 candidates for their head coaching gig after firing Doug Pederson:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Liam Coen, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Interview requested
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): To interview 1/11
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interview requested
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): To interview 1/11
- Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator (Commanders): Rumored candidate
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Eagles): Interview requested
- Robert Saleh, former head coach (Jets): To interview 1/14
- Steve Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator (Chiefs): interview requested
- Mike Vrabel, former head coach (Titans): Mentioned as candidate
Titans Request GM Interviews With Matt Berry, Ian Cunningham
The Titans are adding two more candidates to their search for a new general manager, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones: Seahawks senior director of player personnel Matt Berry and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham.
Berry has been with the Seahawks since 2008, advancing through the scouting ranks before reaching his current position. The Seahawks have been one of the most consistent successful teams in the draft over the last 15 years, with especially strong classes in the last few years.
Cunningham interviewed with the Titans during their last GM search in 2023 after his first year as under Ryan Poles in Chicago. Cunningham has a strong pedigree with more than a decade of front office experience between the Ravens and the Eagles, who consistently drafted well and made the playoffs in his tenure. After Cunningham did not beat out Adam Peters for the Commanders’ GM job last year, the Bears awarded him an extension. Cunningham was believed to have been offered the Cardinals’ GM job in 2023; he turned it down.
The fourth-year Bears exec also has a relationship with Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker, who is leading the team’s GM hiring process, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. With three seasons as assistant GM under his belt, Cunningham could be a finalist for the gig in Tennessee this time around.
The Bears are holding Cunningham out of their head coaching interviews as he seeks a GM job with another team, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The team is open to including Cunningham in the process once it is confirmed he is staying in Chicago, however.
The interview requests bring the Titans’ search to nine candidates:
- Matt Berry, senior director of player personnel (Seahawks): Interview requested
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interview requested
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interview requested
- Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): To interview
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interview requested
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Interview requested
- Catherine Hickman, assistant general manager (Browns): Interview requested
- Reggie McKenzie, senior personnel executive (Dolphins): Interview requested
- John Spytek, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Interview requested