QB Rumors: Packers, Carr, Burrow, Colts
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is expected to play in 2023, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). Fowler cites the ~$60MM balloon payment that Rodgers is due between March and the start of the 2023 regular season as a motivating factor for the four-time MVP, and assuming he does want to suit up, Green Bay will have to decide if it wants him back or wants to seek a trade.
The club’s top power brokers, GM Brian Gutekunst and HC Matt LaFleur, have publicly indicated they want Rodgers back in Wisconsin, which could — in Fowler’s estimation — force Jordan Love to request a trade. The 2020 first-rounder believes he is ready to become a QB1, and as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal, now would be a good time for him to get that chance.
Here are more QB rumors from around the league:
- In the same piece linked above, Fowler says that the Derek Carr sweepstakes will start to heat up as we get closer to the Super Bowl. Carr, whose contract with the Raiders includes a no-trade clause, is beginning to do his homework on possible landing spots, and Fowler hears (unsurprisingly) that the Jets, Saints, and Commanders are expected to have interest. Several clubs have already reached out to Las Vegas to lay the groundwork for trade talks.
- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will be eligible for an extension when Cincinnati’s season comes to an end, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the club wants to get a new deal done this offseason. A Burrow extension will be hugely expensive, and owner Mike Brown and Burrow himself acknowledged the challenges that such a deal creates for roster construction (via Ben Baby of ESPN.com). Of course, the Bengals will have to operate within the same salary cap confines as every other team in the league, but as Rapoport observes, the small-market franchise does have more cash on hand these days thanks in large part to the success that the team has enjoyed with Burrow under center.
- In a comprehensive piece that is well-worth a read for Colts fans, a piece that details owner Jim Irsay‘s increasingly impulsive decision-making and the ensuing fallout, Zak Keefer of The Athletic (subscription required) says that Irsay wanted to draft and develop a rookie QB in the 2021 draft. However, then-head coach Frank Reich convinced Irsay that he could resuscitate Carson Wentz‘s career. When that experiment went awry, Irsay began to lose faith in Reich, who apologized to his boss for his misstep. The team again opted for an established passer last offseason when it engineered the Matt Ryan trade, and in light of that failure, Adam Jahns of The Athletic (subscription required) believes Indianapolis is finally going to eschew the veteran QB route. The Colts, armed with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, are in prime position to select a top collegiate signal-caller and could trade up to land the player of their choice.
- Dolphins GM Chris Grier recently confirmed reports that Tua Tagovailoa will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2023, as Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald writes. Grier says the medical professionals he has consulted have told him that the concussions Tagovailoa suffered this season will not make him more prone to concussions going forward. He also said “everything’s on the table for us” when asked if the team would exercise Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option for 2024 and/or engage in extension talks.
- The Jets may keep 2021 first-rounder Zach Wilson on the roster in 2023, but the team is widely expected to pursue a veteran like Carr or Rodgers to upgrade the quarterback position. Apparently, that will be a welcome development for some of Wilson’s teammates and coaches, who “rejoiced” when Wilson was benched in favor of Mike White in November and who were disappointed when Wilson was reinserted into the lineup following White’s rib injuries (via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required)). Regardless of whether Wilson’s apologies to his teammates in the wake of his failure to accept much blame for his poor performance in New York’s Week 11 loss to the Patriots helped him regain the respect of the locker room, the consensus seems to be that he is not the passer who will guide the Jets back to the playoffs.
50-50 Chance That Sean Payton Coaches In 2023?
Sean Payton is perhaps the hottest name in this year’s head coaching cycle, and he has been connected to three teams currently in need of a new HC. He will at least take an interview with the Broncos — an opening that he reportedly prefers to the Texans’ and Cardinals’ vacancies — but he may opt against returning to the sidelines in 2023.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that whether Payton takes a coaching job this year or waits until 2024 is a 50-50 proposition. Although Payton is said to be amenable to working with Denver quarterback Russell Wilson and helping him to regain his earlier form, it is also possible that more attractive opportunities are on the horizon.
Indeed, in the wake of the Chargers’ historic collapse in their stunning wildcard round loss to the Jaguars on Saturday night, there was rampant speculation that the Bolts might elect to fire second-year HC Brandon Staley and enter the Payton sweepstakes. For his part, Payton is said to be deeply interested in the Chargers’ gig and the opportunity to work with talented young quarterback Justin Herbert.
On the other hand, there are reasons to doubt that Los Angeles would make such a bold move. As former NFL exec Andrew Brandt observes, while the Broncos’ new ownership group is the wealthiest in the league and could therefore afford to pay Payton the $16MM-$20MM salary he will likely command, Chargers owner Dean Spanos is among the most cash-poor and may be unwilling to pony up that kind of cash while also paying out the remainder of Staley’s contract (Twitter link).
Plus, Herbert himself is now extension-eligible and could be in line for a contract with a $50MM AAV. That is a lot of money for Spanos to stomach, to say nothing of the trade compensation that the Chargers would need to send to the Saints to acquire Payton’s rights.
As of the time of this writing, there have been no concrete reports on Staley’s job security in the wake of the loss to Jacksonville. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently said that Dallas’ current head coach, Mike McCarthy, is in no danger of losing his job, regardless of what happens in the team’s wildcard round contest against the Bucs on Monday. Still, one wonders whether a poor showing by McCarthy’s troops could change that thinking, especially given the long-rumored connections between Payton and the Cowboys’ post.
Mike LaFleur Expected To Join Rams’ Staff; More On Jets Departure
The Jets and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur recently agreed to part ways, and LaFleur may soon find himself in another OC role. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link), LaFleur is expected to land on the Rams as part of Sean McVay‘s staff, and it sounds as if he could replace the recently-departed Liam Coen as Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator.
McVay himself recently indicated that he would return to the Rams after earlier reports suggested he was more likely to walk away. The Rams will therefore retain one of the game’s brightest offensive minds as they seek to regroup following the worst Super Bowl title defense in league history. In light of McVay’s overall success — the 2022 season notwithstanding — other clubs have poached head coaches from the McVay coaching tree, so LaFleur could certainly do worse as he seeks to rebuild his own stock following a disappointing campaign with the Jets.
LaFleur joined Gang Green as the OC on Robert Saleh‘s first staff in 2021, and his offense finished near the bottom of the league in terms of both total yardage and points that year. Of course, the club was also in the midst of a rebuild, was starting a rookie quarterback in Zach Wilson, and did not boast a great deal of offensive talent, so there were no rumblings about LaFleur’s job security.
But while the Jets’ defense took a major step forward in 2022, the offense did not, and it was the underwhelming performance of LaFleur’s unit that prevented the team from securing a playoff berth. There were reports that owner Woody Johnson would want to fire LaFleur at season’s end, and Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that the front office blamed LaFleur for Wilson’s lack of improvement. The coaching staff, on the other hand, reportedly feels that Wilson is simply not a good quarterback and would have welcomed LaFleur back in 2023.
Regardless of any conflict between the team’s execs and coaches in that regard, LaFleur is now a free agent and could get a chance to oversee an offense with an established quarterback in Matthew Stafford. Nonetheless, McVay will likely retain play-calling duties, so even an OC job would represent something of a demotion for LaFleur.
Of course, LaFleur’s brother, Matt LaFleur, worked under McVay as the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2017 before taking the same position with the Titans in 2018 and parlaying his OC experience into the Packers’ head coaching job in 2019.
Titans Request OC Interviews With Eric Bieniemy, Matt Nagy
The Titans have a vacancy at offensive coordinator after firing Todd Downing, and two candidates for the post have emerged. As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports, Tennessee has requested permission to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and senior assistant/QBs coach Matt Nagy (Twitter link).
Bieniemy, of course, has been a fixture on the head coaching interview circuit in recent years. He has been unable to land an HC gig as of yet, and while he recently interviewed for the Colts’ head coaching position, it does not appear that the four other clubs who are in need of a new bench boss have him on their shortlist.
Since being promoted from running backs coach to offensive coordinator in 2018 — the year that Patrick Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback — Bieniemy’s offense has never finished worse than sixth in either yards per game or points per game. Kansas City finished first in both categories in 2022 en route to the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Many reasons have been floated for the 53-year-old’s inability to land an HC job, including his race — Bieniemy is Black — and unimpressive interviews. From an on-field perspective, it could be that other teams believe head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes have been more critical to KC’s offensive output over the past five years than Bieniemy, especially given Reid’s significant influence in the offense’s design and execution (though former QBs coach/passing game coordinator Mike Kafka earned a promotion in 2022, when he joined Brian Daboll‘s first staff as the Giants’ offensive coordinator).
Perhaps having success outside of the Reid/Mahomes shadow would give Bieniemy a better chance to secure a head coaching post, although a lack of success in a new setting would obviously damages his HC prospects. The Titans, who have an uncertain quarterback situation, who are presently light on skill-position talent outside of running back Derrick Henry, and who are in the midst of a GM search following Jon Robinson‘s surprising ouster, may not give Bieniemy the best chance to pad his resume. Indeed, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter) that Bieniemy remains focused on HC opportunities.
Nagy, meanwhile, was able to parlay his efforts as the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator under Reid into a head coaching job with the Bears in 2018. After a successful first season in Chicago, Nagy’s outfits struggled over his next three years on the sidelines, and he was fired at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign. Nagy has been mentioned as a name to watch in the Jets’ present OC search, and there have also been reports that he could one day succeed Reid as Kansas City’s head coach.
Per Anderson, Nagy has yet to confirm Tennessee’s request.
Panthers Request Permission To Interview Marquand Manuel For Coordinator Position
The Panthers have requested permission to interview Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel for “a coordinator position,” per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Presumably, Carolina is interested in installing Manuel as its defensive coordinator.
Manuel, 43, enjoyed an eight-year playing career in the NFL from 2002-09 and joined the coaching ranks as an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks in 2012. He worked as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator from 2017-18, but Atlanta finished in the bottom-five in total defense in 2018 after boasting a top-10 unit the year before, and the team parted ways with Manuel at the conclusion of the campaign.
After one year as a DBs coach with the Eagles in 2020, Manuel joined Robert Saleh‘s first Jets staff in 2021 and has served as Gang Green’s safeties coach over the past two seasons. The Jets allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game and the third-fewest passing yards per game in 2022, which is certainly a feather in Manuel’s cap (though this is the first time we have heard of outside interest in his services in the current coaching cycle).
Of particular interest here is what the interview request could mean for Steve Wilks‘ candidacy as the Panthers’ head coach. Wilks, who stepped in as interim HC upon Matt Rhule‘s ouster in October, guided the club to a surprising 6-6 finish to the season, and he nearly captured a division title in the process. He also appears to have the full support of his locker room.
Nonetheless, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets, Al Holcomb is Wilks’ defensive coordinator. So if the team is going in a different direction at DC, it could mean that it is, by extension, planning on going in a different direction at head coach.
While two of Carolina’s HC candidates, Jerod Mayo and Jim Harbaugh, are no longer in the running, there are nine other options (including Wilks) as of the time of his writing. The full list is as follows, and the majority of the remaining candidates have an offensive background, which Wilks does not have but which may be a priority for team ownership:
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interview requested
- Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): No longer on radar
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Jerod Mayo, inside linebackers coach (Patriots): Interview declined
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Interview expected
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview postponed
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview 1/14
- Steve Wilks, interim head coach (Panthers): Interviewed 1/10
Tua Tagovailoa Expected To Remain Dolphins’ QB1 In 2023
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to remain with Miami in 2023 and operate as the team’s starting quarterback, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
In many ways, Schefter’s report should not come as a surprise. In his third professional season, Tagovailoa’s overall stats were tremendous, as he threw for 25 TDs against just eight interceptions and led the NFL in several key categories, including quarterback rating (105.5), TD% (6.3%), and yards per attempt (8.9). He clearly made great strides under rookie head coach Mike McDaniel, and for much of the year, it appeared as if his future in South Beach was no longer in doubt.
Unfortunately, Tagovailoa’s season was also marked by serious concussion issues. The Alabama product displayed concussion-like symptoms in Week 3 against the Bills, and while he returned to action shortly after that sequence, an NFLPA investigation into the Dolphins’ handling of the situation led to an overhaul of the NFL’s concussion protocol. Tagovailoa entered the protocol four days later, after being stretchered off the field in Cincinnati, and he was placed in the revised protocol a day after sustaining an unspotted concussion against Green Bay on Christmas Day. He has missed four full games this season, and the head injuries — to say nothing of the time he missed due to other maladies over the 2020-21 campaigns — have obviously created cause for concern.
Plus, after posting an 8-1 record in the first nine games he played this season, Tagovailoa lost his last four and put up QB ratings of 80.8 or lower in three of those contests. So while there will be fewer questions about this long-term viability as a franchise passer than there were at this time last year, the team still has plenty to consider.
As he has now accrued three years of service time, Tagovailoa will be extension-eligible this offseason. It is unclear whether the Dolphins will engage in contract discussions with the southpaw’s camp, or if they will exercise his fifth-year option for 2024. The deadline to pick up that option is May 3, and it would lock in a fully-guaranteed 2024 salary of roughly $22.5MM. Obviously, much could depend on whether Miami elects to renew its pursuit of Tom Brady in the coming months.
If seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson should somehow pilot the ‘Fins to a victory in today’s wildcard contest against the Bills — veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who is dealing with a dislocated finger, will serve as Thompson’s backup — Tagovailoa could have a chance to play in the divisional round, per Schefter. The ESPN scribe adds that medical professionals are confident Tagovailoa will be able to resume his playing career in spite of the concussions.
Patriots Notes: Belichick, Patricia, Mayo
The Patriots’ offense has had a difficult time of it in the 2022 season. While the unit ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of points per game, it has posted the seventh-fewest yards per game. More importantly, second-year quarterback Mac Jones has regressed after a promising rookie season, and Jones’ struggles, combined with the offense’s problems as a whole, have led to increased scrutiny of head coach Bill Belichick‘s offseason staffing decisions.
Of course, after longtime OC Josh McDaniels accepted the Raiders’ head coaching job, Belichick installed Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as the Pats’ top offensive coaches. Patricia has served as the offensive play-caller despite not having worked as an offensive coach since 2005, and Judge has operated as the club’s offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach, despite having no coaching experience whatsoever on that side of the ball.
The general ineffectiveness of Belichick’s former staffers, both of whom had flamed out as head coaches elsewhere, means that the end-of-year meeting between Belichick and owner Robert Kraft will be of particular importance, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required). If Kraft — like many league evaluators that spoke to Howe — believes that a shakeup is in order, one wonders how Belichick will respond. Perhaps he will agree and will bring an experienced OC aboard in an effort to maximize Jones’ talents and inject more organization and variety into the offense (the team is already rumored to be interested in a reunion with Bill O’Brien).
But if Belichick does not agree and elects to give Patricia and/or Judge another opportunity in their current roles, then Kraft could have a difficult decision to make about Belichick himself in the near future. While it seems unfathomable that Belichick would not be given the opportunity to walk away on his terms, keeping his 2022 offensive staff intact in 2023 may put the spotlight more squarely on him, particularly if some of this year’s unforced errors — blown assignments, substitution mishaps, late play calls, etc. — should persist.
Now for more Patriots notes:
- Albert Breer of SI.com agrees that identifying the team’s 2023 offensive play-caller will be at the top of Kraft’s offseason agenda, and he pegs Patricia’s chances of remaining in his current role at less than 50% (though he does believe that Patricia will remain on the Pats’ coaching staff in some capacity). Breer confirms that O’Brien will be in the mix, though the current Alabama OC could have other NFL opportunities outside of Foxborough.
- Add Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald to the list of pundits who believe Belichick must make a change at offensive coordinator, lest he put his own job security in jeopardy. “Kraft has to make it clear that Belichick needs to come up with real solutions, as opposed to getting his friends on the cheap with their former teams still paying them,” Guregian writes (via Peter King of NBC Sports). “If Belichick isn’t willing to budge, then Kraft has to decide whether it’s worth it to keep the status quo, or move on from his sure-fire Hall of Fame head coach and clean house.”
- While neither Patricia nor Judge will be interviewing for head coaching positions anytime soon, linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is a different story. Mayo, 36, interviewed for the Broncos’ and Raiders’ HC positions last year, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com expects the two-time Pro Bowler to be busy again in the upcoming coaching cycle. Mayo, for his part, is prepared for the challenge, saying, “I think I’m ready to be a head coach in the league.”
- New England suspended P Jake Bailey and CB Jack Jones on Friday. According to Reiss, the team believed that Bailey — who had been on IR since November 19 — was ready to return to game action, but Bailey apparently believed otherwise. Jones’ suspension, meanwhile, stems in part from his missed rehabilitation appointments, which also led to his being fined by the team. Jones played in only eight snaps in the Pats’ Week 14 victory over the Cardinals due to a knee injury, and he missed the next two contests before being placed on IR on December 31. The agents for both players have noted their objections to the suspensions, with Bailey’s agent indicating that he has filed a grievance. Reiss says that it is difficult to see Bailey playing for the team again, and since his suspension technically voids the guarantees in his contract, he and the Pats could find themselves embroiled in a financial battle in the coming weeks.
- The Patriots signed cornerback Tae Hayes to their active roster at the end of December, and Reiss tweets that Hayes’ contract is actually a two-year pact. Hayes, who appeared in 24 defensive snaps in his New England debut on January 1, is now one of six CBs under contract for 2023.
Tom Brady Could Return To Buccaneers In 2023
Recent reports have indicated that quarterback Tom Brady will not return to the Bucs in 2023, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times says that is not necessarily the case. Assuming Brady wants to continue his playing career, a fourth year in Tampa should not be ruled out.
After all, the future Hall-of-Famer continues to enjoy a strong relationship with team ownership and with GM Jason Licht, and the team has proven throughout Brady’s tenure that it will do whatever it takes to build a contender around him, even if its maneuvers create future salary cap headaches. Plus, the fact that the Bucs clinched the NFC South and qualified for the postseason could encourage Brady to return (although the weakness of the division obviously played a major role in the team’s playoff berth).
Stroud does note that Brady’s preference would be to play for Sean Payton, the former Saints head coach who is presently working as a FOX analyst but who appears ready to return to the sidelines in 2023. At present, only the Broncos have obtained permission to interview Payton, and Denver would be unable to add Brady due to its commitment to Russell Wilson. Of course, Payton and Brady appeared ready to join forces on the Dolphins in 2022, though it is now unclear whether Miami would be willing to make current HC Mike McDaniel a one-and-done just to facilitate a brief Brady-Payton partnership.
Payton could elect to return to the Saints, and New Orleans boasts enough offensive talent to entice Brady to join him there. However, as Stroud notes in a separate piece, joining the Bucs’ division rival would be difficult for Tampa Bay ownership to stomach, and Brady may not want to “stick it” to the Glazers in that way.
Brady will likely have suitors that are interested in only him and not in Payton. The 49ers, Raiders, and Jets could all be in play, and none of those teams appear as if they will be parting with their current head coaches (plus, if Brady elects to sign with Las Vegas, he would be reuniting with longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, which could appeal to him). The upshot here is that all options, including a new deal with the Bucs, remain on the table.
On a related note, it seems that a Brady return to Tampa would lead to a dismissal of OC Byron Leftwich, especially in light of the reported friction between the two men. If that happens, then Stroud expects current Alabama offensive coordinator and former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien — who was on the Patriots’ staff for five of Brady’s years in Foxborough — to be in the mix as a possible replacement. Indeed, O’Brien and Licht have a close relationship, and the Bucs were interested in O’Brien’s services last year, when it appeared as if Leftwich would leave Tampa to become the Jaguars’ head coach.
The Patriots are also said to be interested in a reunion with O’Brien.
Texans Expected To Trade WR Brandin Cooks In Offseason
The Texans are expected to accommodate wide receiver Brandin Cooks‘ standing trade request this offseason, as Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com reports. Houston received trade interest in Cooks prior to the 2022 trade deadline, but no one was willing to meet the club’s asking price.
As Wilson confirms, the Texans wanted at least a second-round pick in exchange for Cooks, while interested teams wanted Houston to pay down a significant amount of the receiver’s fully-guaranteed $18MM base salary for 2023. Those same considerations will still be factors in trade talks in the coming months, and Cooks acknowledges that any trade will need to make sense for the Texans and GM Nick Caserio, with whom he has a strong relationship.
“This situation, obviously has got to be a win-win for both sides,” Cooks told reporters Friday morning. “I think Nick understands that. We understand that. I think he’s trying to grow something here. As a guy going into Year 10 of my career, I want to be a part of a vision where everyone is on the same page and has a stable vision.”
Cooks, 29, used the word “stable” several times throughout the course of his remarks, and he said he would want to stay in Houston, “if the organization was stable in its approach and a stable operation, not just from a football standpoint, but from the every-day process.”
Clearly, he continues to be frustrated not just by the Texans’ lack of competitiveness during his tenure in Houston, but also by the team’s day-to-day operations. Shortly after the trade deadline passed, Cooks publicly expressed his frustration that he was not dealt to a winning club, and he stepped away from the Texans for a week, missing the team’s Week 9 contest against the Eagles. At the time, he also made reference to organizational changes that upset him — which may have included the dismissal of former EVP Jack Easterby — and he said, “I don’t know everything that goes through [Caserio’s] head.”
Despite those comments, Wilson’s report indicates that the mutual respect between Caserio and Cooks remains intact. However, Caserio himself may be on shaky footing with the franchise, and he may not be the one who decides whether to trade Cooks. Even if he is retained, it appears that the Texans are at least a year away from competing for a playoff spot, and the club could be looking for its third head coach in as many years in short order. As such, it is easy to see why Cooks wants out.
The former first-round pick of the Saints, who has already been traded three times in his career, has seen his production dip in 2022. After cracking the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first two Texans seasons, Cooks has just 52 catches for 593 yards this year. Of course, that can be easily explained by the club’s suboptimal quarterback situation — including a regression for second-year passer Davis Mills — the fact that Cooks is the clear-cut No. 1 option in an offense largely devoid of high-end skill-position talent, and the fact that he has missed four games.
Wilson still expects Cooks to have a healthy trade market, especially as teams are valuing WR talent more highly than ever.
Texans To Evaluate HC Lovie Smith After 2022 Season
The Texans will “evaluate the future” of head coach Lovie Smith at the end of the 2022 campaign, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. As we heard last month, there appears to be a real chance that Houston will be conducting an HC search for the third consecutive year.
Given the team’s 2-12-1 record, that should not come as much of a surprise. Still, it’s not as if Houston came into the season with championship aspirations, and it would be difficult to imagine any head coach doing much better with a roster that is generally lacking in impact talent, including at the quarterback position. And after making David Culley a one-and-done HC at the end of the 2021 season, the team would be eating a great deal of dead money for departed coaches if it were to move on from Smith now.
Smith, 64, is in the midst of his third stint as an NFL head coach. He operated as the Bears’ HC from 2004-12, a run that included a Super Bowl appearance, and he also served as the Bucs’ HC from 2014-15. Following his tenure in Tampa, he returned to the collegiate ranks as the University of Illinois’ head coach from 2016-20, and he was a part of Culley’s first (and only) staff last year, when he agreed to become the Texans’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
After Culley was fired, it appeared that the Texans had narrowed their search for his successor to Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, and recently-retired quarterback Josh McCown. Smith emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become Houston’s choice to replace Culley, and while GM Nick Caserio predictably denied as much, one wonders if Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL played a role in the team’s decision to go in a different direction.
If Smith is fired, Gannon could again find himself on Houston’s shortlist. McCown, meanwhile, has no NFL or college coaching experience of any kind, but he has now interviewed twice for the Texans’ HC post, and multiple other clubs have reached out to him to discuss a coaching position. Caserio could well consider him again in the event the club parts ways with Smith, but Caserio himself may not be around to spearhead another coaching search.
If the Texans elect to retain Smith, Rapoport and Pelissero indicate that other staffing changes could be on the horizon. Houston presently employs Pep Hamilton as its offensive coordinator and Frank Ross as its special teams coordinator. The team does not have a defensive coordinator, with the defensive-minded Smith holding those duties and calling defensive plays.
The NFL.com duo says the Texans will consider Smith’s entire body of work when making their decision, including the club’s recent stretch of improved play that features narrow losses to the playoff-bound Cowboys and Chiefs and a victory over the Titans.