Colts Open To Adding QB To Compete With Anthony Richardson
Although the Colts are readying to run back their Anthony Richardson plan for 2025, it would seem the team would need better insurance based on the events of this season.
Becoming one of just seven QBs to complete less than 50% of his passes (minimum 200 attempts) in the 21st century, Richardson sported the lowest completion percentage by an NFL starter since Tim Tebow‘s 2011 showing. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick connected on just 47.7% of his throws, an untenable rate at this level. The Colts, however, are staying the course with both Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen. This figures to buy Richardson more time.
Displaying top-shelf athleticism, Richardson has battled concerns about his work ethic and has regressed in the passing game. The talented runner received Jim Irsay‘s support to be a Week 1 starter in 2023, but Ballard later said he wished the team did not play the one-year Florida starter at all as a rookie. Richardson playing in 2023 led to a season-ending shoulder injury, one of a few ailments the 6-foot-4 pro has dealt with, and the Colts benched him midway through this season. These developments raise the stakes for Richardson in 2025.
Steichen said this week he is open to a scenario in which the Colts add a passer who competes with Richardson for the job (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson), indicating he would discuss that prospect with Ballard. Considering Richardson’s form this season and the Colts’ HC-GM duo’s seat temperatures rising, it would be surprising if the Colts did not at least sign a high-end backup option in free agency.
Richardson not making significant progress next season will intensify calls for Ballard and Steichen’s jobs, as this front office will be on the hook for a draft blunder. The Colts had committed to finding a rookie answer after seeing a host of veterans not adequately replace Andrew Luck. The best of those options, Philip Rivers, retired after one season, leading to the Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan one-offs. Richardson has proven far less capable as a passer than either, his penchant for splashy downfield strikes (on occasion, that is) notwithstanding.
Joe Flacco wants to play an age-40 season, but he is not a realistic option to push Richardson for a starting job. Justin Fields might end up being too costly, but if the Steelers sour on Russell Wilson after a sluggish stretch run, the 36-year-old passer could be in the Colts’ price range. A Fields-Richardson competition, if the current Steeler backup’s market does not take off, would be an interesting skillset mashup, however.
Daniel Jones is also coming off a six-year starter run and would be a bridge option. The Colts also talked to UFA-to-be Jameis Winston before trading for Ryan in 2022. Kirk Cousins may remind of Ryan at this stage of his career, but he should still have a market. His days of commanding high salaries are likely over, though, and the Falcons will be on the hook for much of his 2025 salary. This creates a situation in which Cousins could follow Wilson’s path and sign for the veteran minimum, as Atlanta pays the bulk of his salary.
Beyond those potential starters, a host of backup types are set to be available. Old friend Jacoby Brissett looks on track to leave the Patriots, while Jimmy Garoppolo, Andy Dalton and Case Keenum check in as proven backups. Two of Fields’ 2021 first-round peers — Zach Wilson and Trey Lance — would not be startable options, though Mac Jones could conceivably make a case as a low-end bridge after showing some flashes after Trevor Lawrence‘s injury. Gardner Minshew, the player who filled this role to modest success in 2023, figures to be available again soon — once the Raiders cut bait — as well. The Colts had expressed interest in keeping Minshew but saw his Raiders offer exceed their comfort zone.
Titans Request GM Interviews With Mike Borgonzi, Terrance Gray, Catherine Hickman
Searching for a new GM for a second time in three years, the Titans are moving forward after firing Ran Carthon. They have sent out three GM interview requests, with familiar names — albeit one with a slight adjustment — surfacing early.
Tennessee sent out interview slips to Kansas City assistant GM Mike Borgonzi and Cleveland AGM Catherine Hickman, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Hickman was formerly Catherine Raiche; she has been with the Browns since the 2022 offseason. The team also sent a request to meet with Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports.
Hickman remains one of the frontrunners to become the NFL’s first modern-era woman GM. She has been part of the GM carousel in the past, having interviewed for the Vikings’ top front office job in 2022. Hickman came over from the Eagles in 2022, being one of four Philly execs to earn an assistant GM job elsewhere that offseason. Hickman arrived in Cleveland months after the team’s Deshaun Watson trade/extension, which may well be important given where that arrangement has headed.
The other team in need at GM, the Jets, is interviewing Borgonzi today. Because the Chiefs earned a first-round bye, their GM and HC candidates — thus far Borgonzi and Matt Nagy, respectively — can meet with clubs virtually this week. Borgonzi has been with the Chiefs since 2009, predating Andy Reid‘s tenure. The Scott Pioli-era hire has climbed the ladder during the Reid-Brett Veach years, however, becoming the AFC superpower’s assistant GM in 2021. Borgonzi has a strong relationship with Titans president of football ops Chad Brinker, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds, so this will be something to follow closely in the days to come.
Gray joins Brian Gaine as Bills execs to receive an interview slip during this year’s cycle; the Jets requested a Gaine audience. Gray has been part of past GM cycles, most recently interviewing for the Chargers and Raiders’ jobs. He declined a Patriots interview, joining multiple others, as most correctly predicted Eliot Wolf would remain in charge post-Bill Belichick. Gray will have another opportunity now.
Saints, Ryan Ramczyk Agree To Restructure
It does not look like a Ryan Ramczyk comeback will commence for the Saints. A serious knee injury remains likely to end the former All-Pro tackle’s career, and some paperwork emerging Wednesday all but confirms it.
The Saints and Ramczyk agreed to a restructure that will save the team more than $16MM in cap space, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald reports. Ramczyk has agreed to trim his $18MM 2025 base salary down to the $1.26MM veteran minimum (for his service-time number).
This transaction will paves the way for the Saints to designate Ramczyk a post-June 1 cut, Fitzgerald adds. Before this reworking, the Saints would have needed to carry a $29MM cap number on their books until the funds emerged June 2. Sitting well south of every other team in terms of cap space, per usual, the Saints need to make several moves to reach compliance by the start of the 2025 league year. Even with this transaction, New Orleans sits more than $50MM over the NFL’s projected 2025 salary cap.
The post-June 1 cut will allow the Saints to split Ramczyk’s $23.1MM in dead money across two years. New Orleans used its two post-June 1 cut designations in 2024 (on Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas); Ramczyk being one of the team’s two allotted slots this year seems a good bet. Ramczyk had been tied to the five-year, $96MM deal he signed during Sean Payton‘s final offseason in charge (2021).
Although Saints winter restructures are commonplace, this one means more due to what it probably entails for Ramczyk. Part of a 2017 draft class that changed the franchise’s trajectory, Ramczyk arrived in the first round and became an instant starter. This helped Drew Brees remain on the NFL’s top tier at his position into his late 30s. Ramczyk, 30, made three All-Pro squads, including the 2019 first team, and started seven seasons for the Saints.
Late in the 2023 season, Ramczyk was believed to be at a career crossroads due to a troublesome knee injury. The Wisconsin alum ended that season on IR, though he still played 12 games, and hit the Saints’ reserve/PUP list to start training camp last year. That move ended Ramczyk’s season. The Saints used Trevor Penning in all 17 games at right tackle, with the 2022 first-rounder stabilizing his career to a degree after two rocky years. New Orleans drafted Taliese Fuaga to play left tackle.
The Saints still have two Brees-era O-line bastions — Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz — signed to extensions, but Ramczyk is all but certain to move off the team’s roster a year after an Andrus Peat contract reworking led to his exit.
Raiders Request HC Interviews With Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn; Team Expected To Pursue Brian Flores
The Raiders had let Antonio Pierce speak with the media Monday, only to fire him a day later. The team will now shift focus to replacing another coach. Two big names are on the radar. The Raiders sent out interview requests for Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, SI.com’s Albert Breer reports. Another candidate is also likely to receive an interview slip.
Johnson is taking the interview, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz confirming the Detroit play-caller will meet with Las Vegas brass Friday. He is now set to meet virtually with four teams, also being on tap to talk with the Bears, Jaguars and Patriots between Friday and Saturday.
In addition to retaining GM Tom Telesco, the Raiders are set to give Tom Brady a clear voice in this search. That will be an interesting dynamic to monitor, and it also may shape where this search will go. Despite the team firing Josh McDaniels midway through the 2023 season, the Raiders are believed to be interested in another Bill Belichick disciple. The team is expected to pursue Brian Flores, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets.
Counting Rich Bisaccia, Mark Davis has now moved on from four HCs since October 2021. Pierce did receive a longer runway than the Patriots gave Jerod Mayo, as he was Las Vegas’ interim HC for nine games in 2023. But his inexperience showed. It should be expected the Raiders will target a seasoned candidate this time, though without a quarterback answer (and without a top-five pick to acquire one) and after heavy staff turnover this decade, questions loom about this job.
Johnson, 38, having been quite selective in the past will make this an interesting sales pitch on the Raiders’ part; the high-end candidate is again on track to be choosey. The only team on his interview list without a franchise QB hopeful, the Raiders may have a complicated sales pitch to complete.
Glenn, 52, has not been as picky in terms of meetings. Based on Glenn’s docket thus far, a Raiders meeting should be anticipated. Glenn has agreed to meet with four other teams (the Bears, Jaguars, Jets and Saints) this week. The Lions having booked a No. 1 seed means Glenn and Johnson can meet with HC-needy clubs virtually this week, whereas coaches on teams in wild-card matchups must wait until next week for virtual interviews to begin. The Raiders will likely attempt to schedule Glenn and Johnson meetings for this early window.
The Lions have ridden Johnson’s innovative offense to a 15-2 record, building on the climb they made in 2023. Glenn’s unit has stepped up this season. Despite losing Aidan Hutchinson in October, the Lions rank seventh in scoring defense. A fixture on recent HC carousels, Glenn now has real momentum and looks to have his best shot to date at landing a head coaching job.
A Flores pursuit would be quite interesting given his ties to the Patriots. Davis cleaned house on his Patriot Way plan midway through its second season, firing McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler hours after the 2023 trade deadline. Flores worked with both, with he and McDaniels being part of the Patriots’ coaching staff together across eight seasons. Flores, however, has done plenty since leaving Foxborough. He spent three years as the Dolphins’ HC, a tenure that led to a class-action discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams (one that is ongoing).
Flores, 43, has fared well as the Vikings’ DC; the 14-3 team’s defense ranks fifth in scoring. The former three-year Miami HC’s recent work has generated interest from other teams. It should be expected he would take a Raiders meeting — if an interview request eventually surfaces — as he said this week he would honor all interview requests.
Raiders Fire HC Antonio Pierce
Two days after the Patriots made Jerod Mayo a one-and-done head coach, the Raiders are following suit. Antonio Pierce‘s stay as a full-time Raiders HC will be capped at one season, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reporting the team is firing its interim-turned-full-time coach.
Rumblings about a Pierce ouster have steadily come out for weeks, with the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker struggling during a 4-13 season. Pierce had impressed in 2023, winning over the locker room — to the point players voiced strong support for his full-time candidacy — after a 5-4 finish. He will not have a chance to rebound from this disappointing campaign, despite Las Vegas winning two of its final three games.
Some Raiders players kept voicing support for Pierce after the season ended, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds, but ownership did not give into any such pushes this year. Maxx Crosby memorably was tied to a trade request if the Raiders did not promote Pierce, with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams stumping for the unusual HC candidate as well. Mark Davis listened at that point, being fond of Pierce’s style and appreciation for the organization’s history. Pierce still brought an atypical background for the job, as we detailed in our Offseason In Review piece, having never been an NFL coordinator or college HC. His inexperience showed.
This will not be a full-on teardown. The Raiders are not firing GM Tom Telesco, Schefter adds. GMs typically receive fewer second chances but are more generally given more time than head coaches. Telesco is one of just two active second-chance GMs, and he will receive a second Raiders season. That said, minority owner Tom Brady is expected to play a big role in the Raiders’ 2025 offseason. That stands to strip some power from Telesco.
At least two unknown candidates have caught the Raiders’ eye, with Bovada’s Josina Anderson reporting the availability of these coaches helped cause the delay in the franchise firing Pierce. The team was linked to ex-Brady teammate Mike Vrabel recently, but the Patriots are also expected to complete a strong pursuit of their former linebacker. It would stand to reason Davis will target experience with his next hire, but the past few years have not been good for the second-generation owner.
Davis had convinced Jon Gruden to come out of the broadcast booth to sign a 10-year contract in 2018, but problematic emails surfacing led the second-stint Raiders HC out of town. Gruden had missed the playoffs in his first three seasons back, though his 2021 team — with interim leader Rich Bisaccia at the controls — qualified and nearly upset the eventual AFC champion Bengals. Davis expressed regret over passing on Bisaccia, helping Pierce’s chances. Pierce did make the interesting leap of being a Josh McDaniels hire that impressed. Davis canned McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler 1 1/2 seasons into their tenure. He is still paying McDaniels’ contract, and Pierce will still draw a Raiders salary going forward.
A Monday report pointed to disagreements between Pierce and Telesco continuing into the season, with the quarterback position at the heart of this friction. Pierce had pushed for a QB-driven trade-up move, but Telesco was in the camp of retaining the team’s draft picks rather than mortgaging future pieces. While the GM’s side may be up on the scorecards early in this fight — thanks to Brock Bowers‘ historic season — Pierce was forced to coach a bottom-tier quarterback situation. The Raiders used Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder this season.
The former Arizona State DC sought a reunion with ex-Sun Devils starter Jayden Daniels, and the Raiders almost certainly were the team to make the Commanders an offer — the only one they received — for No. 2 overall. Moving from No. 13 to No. 2 was never too realistic, but the Raiders standing pat also cost them target Michael Penix Jr. The team was high on Penix but did not view the southpaw passer as worth trading up for; ditto Bo Nix, who ended up in Denver at No. 12. The Raiders took Bowers, who looks like an instant star, but enter the offseason in dire need at QB.
Like Mayo, Pierce inherited a difficult situation. The Raiders traded Adams early this season, leaving them with both a QB deficiency and a lack of playmakers. Las Vegas’ offense ranked 29th offensively, as Pierce fired OC hire Luke Getsy midway through the season, after Kliff Kingsbury backed out of a deal. Patrick Graham‘s defense finished 25th in points allowed. The 2023 team had climbed to ninth, marking the only time since the Super Bowl XXXVII season the franchise had finished in the top half in scoring defense. How Pierce assembled his staff also generated internal scrutiny, and he was not exactly praised for game management, either.
As for where the Raiders will go post-Pierce, Schefter notes Brady is indeed on the search committee. Considering Davis’ comments regarding the legendary QB’s role in terms of fixing that position, it is unsurprising Brady will help pick the coach. Approved as part-owner after more than a year of waiting, Brady has been mentioned as being set to play a central role in the HC search — even as his FOX Super Bowl responsibilities will interfere on this front. As of now, Brady remains in the historically unusual spot of broadcasting through significant limitations; the Raiders appear to be planning to make that worth his while via rare (for a minority owner) opportunities in personnel.
Pierce, 46, did not bring a play-calling acumen to the Raiders. Davis was burned by the two previous coaches who did, however, with the McDaniels mistake stinging fast. It will be fascinating to see which direction the Raiders go now. Pierce snapping a 10-game losing streak with wins over the Jaguars and Saints will hurt the Raiders moving forward, as they slid from the No. 1 overall draft slot to No. 6. A push for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward will likely require another trade-up effort.
Davis’ recent quick-trigger firings, and the team’s quarterback situation, will not make this a particularly appealing job. The presences of Andy Reid (and Patrick Mahomes), Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh in the AFC West also will create a daunting task for Pierce’s successor. It looks like Davis is counting on Brady to be a difference-maker in the Raiders’ uphill battle, though luring Vrabel to the desert will not be easy.
Telesco will now have a chance to make a hire, though that was not his strong suit in Los Angeles. Telesco hired Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley — coaches who did not impress, with the Raiders viewing the GM’s rosters as better than the results — and was fired after a 63-21 loss in Las Vegas in December 2023. How Brady’s presence will impact Telesco’s role will be a key Raiders storyline as well, as Davis will certainly face pressure to land his next hire after essentially passing on a true coaching search in 2024 to hire Pierce.
Already admitting what he has deemed a mistake, Davis will try again. No Raiders coach has lasted more than four years on the job since Art Shell‘s first stint, which occurred well before the younger Davis assumed control. The search for elusive HC stability persists.
Cowboys Deny Bears Permission For Mike McCarthy HC Interview
After a bit of a delay, the Cowboys have responded to the Bears regarding Mike McCarthy. Dallas is blocking its head coach from meeting with Chicago brass for a lateral move, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Teams requesting meetings with other clubs’ HCs is certainly rare, but with McCarthy having coached on an expiring contract, the Cowboys left the door open to such requests. The Bears were the only team thus far to request a meeting. That said, Dallas only has McCarthy under contract for another week. After January 14, the team cannot block its HC from interviewing elsewhere.
[RELATED: Bears Open To Trading For Head Coach]
This comes after Jones had said, “go talk” (via SI.com’s Mike Fisher) in reference to McCarthy potentially meeting with other teams. Tuesday’s development runs counter to that sentiment. No decision has been made on McCarthy, however, AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill reports.
The Cowboys have a week to work out another contract with McCarthy. Otherwise, a scenario in which the NFC East team is vying for its own coach on the market would arise. Tuesday’s decision could be interpreted as a Cowboys effort to keep McCarthy. If nothing else, the Cowboys would appear undecided on letting their HC walk. The team has been known for delayed calls here, as the Jason Garrett era reminds.
Some momentum appeared to build in favor of this transpiring, with Dak Prescott offering a strong endorsement of his HC late in the season. The Cowboys also preceded this disappointing season with three straight 12-win campaigns. They had not enjoyed that kind of consistency since their 1990s dynasty, though McCarthy’s squads obviously left plenty to be desired in terms of playoff success.
Still, the Cowboys have let a former Super Bowl-winning coach dangle after refusing to extend his contract last year. Jerry Jones cited the Packers debacle as the primary reason he refused to do so. Connections to Bill Belichick emerged last year, but the Cowboys stayed the course with McCarthy. While it looked like Dallas would indeed not renew his contract, the rare NFL lame-duck HC generated some support and now looks to have a legitimate chance to stay. Then again, McCarthy may also be miffed by the Cowboys denying him a chance to talk to the Bears while still not giving him a new deal yet.
As of Sunday, Jones was indeed undecided on McCarthy. This, then, becomes a pivotal stretch of days. With in-person interviews with contracted coaches not permitted until after the divisional round, McCarthy would have an advantage if the Cowboys do not renew his contract by the 14th. He would be free to meet with any team at that point. Coaches tied to playoff teams that did not earn home-field advantage cannot start interviewing virtually until next week. In-person meetings cannot take place until Jan. 20, and even then, teams would be unable to meet with coaches on conference championship-bound teams.
The Bears have requested meetings with four former head coaches — Mike Vrabel, Arthur Smith, Brian Flores and Pete Carroll; the former Seahawks leader will meet with the team Thursday. McCarthy’s matter may well not be sorted out by then, but the ex-Green Bay HC’s path to Chicago is closed for the time being.
Patriots Arrange Mike Vrabel HC Interview, Met With Pep Hamilton For Job
After being passed over during the 2024 HC carousel, Mike Vrabel missing out this year would be borderline shocking. He has now been tied to every team with a vacancy; that includes the Raiders, who just made their Antonio Pierce firing official.
The Patriots, however, have made the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker and Titans HC their frontrunner. What stands to be a significant meeting is now on tap. Vrabel will meet with his former team Thursday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
New England has also already brought in another candidate, having met with former Colts and Texans OC Pep Hamilton, Rapoport and NFL.com colleague Tom Pelissero add. This comes after a Byron Leftwich meeting. While it comes across as cynical, the Pats have now satisfied the Rooney Rule requirement that stipulates clubs must meet with two external minority candidates before hiring a head coach. This is not to outright dismiss Leftwich and Hamilton, but neither has coached in the NFL for the past two seasons. The team has announced both interviews, setting the stage for Vrabel.
An expedited process burned the Patriots last year, as they did not interview any other candidates before promoting Jerod Mayo. A quick Vrabel decision would not technically be especially different, but the ex-Patriots defender has obviously proven plenty already. The former NFL Coach of the Year has also drawn widespread interest, as the Patriots are now competing with several teams. However, a report last week pointed to Vrabel being interested in the job. It is also worth wondering if the Patriots would have fired Mayo so quickly had they not known Vrabel was a prime candidate to accept an offer.
The Pats would not be the first team to meet the Rooney Rule requirement and then quickly hire another coach. Although Pierce is Black, the Raiders did so last year, meeting with Leslie Frazier and Kris Richard before quickly removing Pierce’s interim tag. The Pats took the interesting step of inserting language in Mayo’s contract to circumvent the Rooney Rule, naming the Black assistant Bill Belichick‘s successor. The Mayo move did not work out, with Robert Kraft blaming himself for a mistake. It is certainly possible the Pats want a proven commodity to quickly move past that chapter.
It should not be determined a Vrabel New England return is an open-and-shut process, but it would be surprising if the Pats did not offer him the job. Vrabel, 49, spent this past season as a Browns consultant. He took the Titans to three playoff berths, winning two AFC South titles and helping the team to its first AFC championship game since 2002.
A Patriot from 2001-08, the former linebacker/occasional red zone receiving weapon trekked to Foxborough during Tennessee’s bye week last season — an act that did not go over well with Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk — to go into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame. Vrabel sat with Kraft during that ceremony. While the owner passed on an interview last year in elevating Mayo (whom Kraft had said he had deemed Belichick’s successor years ago), it appears the Patriots want this hire to happen soon.
Hamilton, 50, last coached as Texans OC in 2022. Andrew Luck‘s former OC in Indianapolis, Hamilton moved from Houston’s QBs coach in 2021 to the OC role under Lovie Smith a year later. Hamilton, who also helped Justin Herbert to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as Chargers QBs coach in 2020, is currently working for the NFL Network.
Brian Flores, who worked with the Patriots for 15 years, is also interested in the position. No interview request has gone out. It would, however, be interesting to see if the Pats were still interested in Ben Johnson — who is believed to be prepared to interview — after the Vrabel meeting. It would stand to reason, given the Lions OC’s stock, the Pats would hold off on a Vrabel hire until at least going through the virtual meeting with Johnson.
Vrabel can meet with the Patriots in-person due to not being tied to a team; Johnson can only do so virtually for the time being. The Lions are giving Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn from Thursday to Saturday to do their interviews, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds; they are allowed to do so this week due to Detroit having secured a first-round bye.
Vikings Sign Daniel Jones To Active Roster
After spending more than a month on the Vikings’ practice squad, Daniel Jones is making the move up. Minnesota is signing the veteran quarterback to its 53-man roster.
To make room for the former Giants starter, the Vikings waived Brett Rypien. This marks the second time this year Rypien has been let go; the Bears released him in August. Rypien had resided on Minnesota’s active roster since signing with the team two days later.
As this is a true signing rather than a practice squad elevation, Jones would now net the Vikings a compensatory pick — depending on how Minnesota proceeds in free agency — in the 2026 draft, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes. Jones would have been in line to fetch the Giants a comp pick, but the NFC East team forfeited that right by waiving him.
Talent-wise, Jones would make sense as the player who would be best suited to replace Sam Darnold in the event of an injury, but backup Nick Mullens has been in Kevin O’Connell‘s system for three seasons now. Mullens, however, went 0-3 as a Minnesota starter last season. Jones went 2-8 with the Giants this year, as far as wins and losses go, and did not come close to justifying the four-year, $160MM extension the Giants bailed on midway through. That said, Jones played efficiently in 2022 and is a former No. 6 overall pick. It would stand to reason this move to the 53 would position him as a player the Vikings would strongly consider using in an emergency.
For the first time in his career, Darnold has not missed a start during a season. Illnesses and injuries have plagued the former Jets No. 3 overall pick during his starter seasons, removing Darnold’s 2023 49ers stay from this equation. The former Jets and Panthers starter missed three games apiece in 2018 and ’19 and then was sidelined for four in 2020. A broken collarbone sidelined Darnold for much of the 2021 season, and a high ankle sprain — sustained after Baker Mayfield had beaten him out for Carolina’s QB1 gig — kept him out for much of the 2022 slate. Though, the Vikings have seen Darnold provide stability after J.J. McCarthy‘s season-ending knee injury.
While Darnold has transformed his free agency stock — to the point the Vikings may use the franchise tag to keep him off the market — Jones’ is rather murky. A thin QB crop, even factoring in Kirk Cousins‘ likely release, would stand to help the six-year Giants starter. But his injury past and mostly shaky track record (zero seasons north of 7.0 yards per attempt) will make teams hesitant. For now, he is in place as insurance on a 14-3 Vikings team. Free agency will loom soon after.
Bears Not Ruling Out Trading For HC; Latest On Team’s Search Process
The Bears have not seen a coach stick around for a long-term stay since Lovie Smith, having seen Matt Nagy‘s tenure stop at four years and Matt Eberflus‘ end before Year 3 was done. As they hope to find a leader who can maximize Caleb Williams — or one whose OC hire will do so — the Bears are keeping their options open.
Ryan Poles said the Bears might have some surprises in this search, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. A trade for a head coach is also not something Poles will rule out. Trades for HCs’ rights are not too common, but they have produced splashy results in the modern era.
Sean Payton has turned the Broncos around after their disastrous Nathaniel Hackett season, while Bruce Arians‘ unretirement keyed a Buccaneers Super Bowl win. Turn-of-the-century deals involving Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren also all produced Super Bowl appearances, with the Patriots’ play yielding this century’s best run of success. First-round picks changed hands in the Payton, Belichick and Gruden trades. A second went to the Packers for Holmgren, while a late-round pick swap brought Arians to Tampa.
The Bears have not gone down this road. To be fair, they are far from the only team not to have done so. Speculation about a Kyle Shanahan-to-Chicago trade did not take off, with 49ers brass quickly confirming the two-time NFC champion HC was not going anywhere. Kevin O’Connell, oddly, came up in trade rumors as well. This may pertain to potential Vikings extension talks, but multiple teams have expressed interest in acquiring the high-end play-caller’s rights. While an intra-division trade involving O’Connell would be extremely unlikely, a call to the Browns on what it would take to obtain the recently extended Kevin Stefanski — slated to stay in Cleveland, as his team is trapped with the Deshaun Watson contract — would make sense.
As far as who will be making this call for the Bears, Poles is still leading the charge. Though, candidates are curious as to president Kevin Warren‘s role within the organization. Previously viewed as a business-side boss, Warren has instead been playing a regular role in personnel. Warren joins Poles, owner George McCaskey, co-director of player personnel Jeff King, director of football administration Matt Feinstein and executive VP Liz Geist on the search committee.
Assistant GM Ian Cunningham represents an interesting omission, but ESPN.com’s Cronin adds the three-year Bears exec would be added to the committee if efforts to secure a promotion elsewhere to not pan out. Cunningham faced off with 49ers exec Adam Peters in the finals for the Commanders’ GM job last year and has interviewed elsewhere since arriving in Chicago. He has not received any interview requests yet this year, though only two teams — the Jets and Titans — are hiring. The Tennessee opening also only emerged Tuesday morning.
McCaskey is not expected to play a lead role here, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who indicates Poles and Warren will instead shape this hire. Potentially helping to explain any potential trade rumors involving this job opening, a source told Jones that Warren may want a splashier hire to help his stadium project — one that has seen some twists and turns since it launched — across the goal line. The team has scheduled a Mike Vrabel meeting, and Lions OC Ben Johnson — a long-rumored target — is expected to interview as well. The Bears have also reached out to the Cowboys on Mike McCarthy but have not heard back. McCarthy’s Dallas HC contract expires January 14.
Via PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Bears’ search stands so far:
- Bill Belichick, head coach (North Carolina): Expressed interest
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Thomas Brown, interim head coach (Bears: Interview expected
- Pete Carroll, former head coach (Seahawks): Interested in job
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Interview requested
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview expected
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interview expected
- Mike McCarthy, head coach (Cowboys): Interview requested
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Drew Petzing, offensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interview requested
- David Shaw, senior personnel executive (Broncos): Interview requested
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Mike Vrabel, former head coach (Titans): To interview 1/8
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interview requested
Jets Request HC Interview With Saints’ Darren Rizzi
Darren Rizzi has not been eliminated from the Saints’ full-time HC post, though considering how the only interim coach-turned-full-timer since 2017 fared, it would be rather surprising if New Orleans gave this scenario serious consideration.
Antonio Pierce went 4-13 as Raiders HC and is not certain to return. The 2023 interim Las Vegas leader, however, received interview requests from the Falcons and Titans last year. Pierce’s 5-4 run as interim Raiders HC impressed elsewhere as well. A year later, Rizzi is receiving outside interest after his half-season interim run.
[RELATED: Rizzi Aiming To Become Saints’ Full-Time Head Coach]
The Jets have made Rizzi part of their search process, requesting a meeting, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. This is an unusual place to be, as Rizzi is both expected to be included in the Saints’ interview process and would be on track to remain part of New Orleans’ next coaching staff even if he does not land the full-time HC gig. A Jets meeting could, however, throw a wrench in those plans.
Rizzi, 54, has been a special teams coordinator since 2010 and has coached in the NFL since 2009. The Jets observed Rizzi’s ST work from 2009-18, when he was with the Dolphins; the final nine years of that stint came as Miami’s ST coordinator. While working under Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin and Adam Gase, Rizzi was not brought back under Brian Flores. The Saints hired him in 2019 and bumped him up to assistant HC in 2022.
The Saints went 3-5 under Rizzi. That represents an achievement in itself given the injuries to Derek Carr, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on offense. New Orleans won its first two games with Rizzi at the helm and then pushed Tampa Bay in the teams’ Week 18 matchup, making the eventual NFC South champions sweat before ultimately falling. While Rizzi presented a compelling case, the Saints’ struggles with Dennis Allen — another Sean Payton assistant promoted — would point to an outside hire of some sort taking place.
Courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Jets’ HC search looks so far:
- Bill Belichick, head coach (North Carolina): Showed interest; meeting never scheduled
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Interview requested
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Brian Griese, quarterbacks coach (49ers): Interview requested
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interview requested
- Josh McCown, quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interview requested
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): To interview 1/8
- Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed
- Darren Rizzi, interim head coach (Saints): Interview requested
- Rex Ryan, former head coach (Bills): Interviewed 1/7
- Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator (Texans): Interview requested
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Jeff Ulbrich, interim head coach (Jets): To interview
- Mike Vrabel, former head coach (Titans): Interviewed 1/3