Seahawks To Add Josh Bynes To Staff; Chargers, Ravens Showed Interest
Josh Bynes announced his retirement in December; he already has a coaching gig lined up. Bynes will bypass the quality control level as well and join former coach Mike Macdonald in Seattle.
Enjoying three stints as a Raven, Bynes will reunite with his former defensive coordinator soon. He accepted an offer to join the Seahawks’ staff, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. This came after an interesting derby for the veteran linebacker. It is unclear if other teams extended the former linebacker offers, but Wilson adds the Chargers and Ravens interviewed Bynes this offseason.
Bynes, 34, will step in as the Seahawks’ assistant linebackers coach. He will join fellow recent linebacker retiree Daren Bates on Macdonald’s first Seattle staff. Known for his special teams work, Bates is onboard as the Seahawks’ assistant ST coach. Given Bynes’ background with Macdonald, he should be quite familiar with the system the Seahawks plan to run.
Initially a Ravens UDFA back in 2011, Bynes returned to Baltimore in 2019. Macdonald was his position coach during that stint, working as the Ravens’ LBs instructor under Don Martindale from 2018-20. When Bynes came back for his final tour of duty in Maryland — from 2021-22 — Macdonald had ascended to the defensive coordinator role. Bynes made that season his last in the league.
Despite Bynes’ journeyman status, he remained a Ravens starter to open the 2022 season. The team turned to the veteran alongside Patrick Queen for the season’s first seven games, keeping that arrangement in place until trading for Roquan Smith before the 2022 deadline. Bynes did not play following that trade, though he remained with the Ravens on a practice squad deal. Following the likes of NaVorro Bowman and Dont’a Hightower, Bynes will transition from linebacker duty straight onto an NFL staff. Bynes will also be working under DC Aden Durde and senior assistant Leslie Frazier.
The Seahawks are also expected to hire Jeff Howard as their defensive backs coach, per 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Howard worked as an assistant under Frazier in Minnesota. He served as pass-game coordinator under Joe Woods in Cleveland from 2020-22, coaching the Browns’ DBs, and stopped in as the Chargers’ linebackers coach last season.
RB Mike Davis Retires
Mike Davis enjoyed an eight-year stint in the NFL, but the veteran running back will not make another run at finding an opportunity ahead of the 2024 season. Davis announced on Monday that he has retired. 
The news comes on Davis’ 31st birthday, and it confirms he will hang up his cleats after a full season out of the league. His most recent game action came with the Ravens, who signed him in May 2022. Baltimore moved on in December of that year, and no teams provided an opportunity during the 2023 campaign.
Davis entered the league in 2015 with the 49ers, though he only spent two years with the team. Another two-year run ensued during his tenure in Seattle. It was with the Seahawks in 2018 that Davis first received over 100 carries and put up notable production (514 yards, four touchdowns). Those totals did not prevent the former fourth-rounder from bouncing around the league, however; Davis went on to play for the Bears, Panthers, Falcons and Ravens over the course of his career.
The 2020 season was comfortably the most productive of Davis’ career. He topped 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored eight total touchdowns, helping maintain his free agent value. The end of his two-year, $6MM Panthers contract lined up an intra-divisional move to Atlanta on a $5.5MM pact of the same length. A stint as the Falcons’ lead back did not produce the desired results, though, and Davis was let go after only one season.
The South Carolina alum played a total of 87 NFL games, as well as a single postseason appearance with Seattle. In all, Davis totaled roughly $13.3MM in career earnings. His attention will now turn to his post-playing days, but he used his retirement announcement to reflect positively on his career.
“As I turn 31 today, I sit back and look on my NFL career and how thankful I am to be a part of a brotherhood,” Davis said on social media. “This game has allowed me to make a lot of friends and memories. I’m grateful for every organization in [the] NFL.”
Ravens Extend WR Nelson Agholor
The Ravens saw contributions from a number of new faces in the receiving room in 2023, and at least one veteran member of that group will remain in place for another year. The team announced on Sunday that Nelson Agholor has signed a one-year extension. 
Agholor joined the Ravens on a one-year deal last offseason, but multiple void years were added to his pact for salary cap purposes. As The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes, his deal was set to void on Monday, which would have set him up for free agency. Instead, the veteran will remain in place as a complementary option in Baltimore’s passing game.
Four years removed from a career-year in Las Vegas, there were relatively low expectations coming into the 2024 for Agholor. While his production this season doesn’t jump off the stat sheet by any means, he proved a reliable target for MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. He finished third in the team’s receivers room in yards (381) and second in touchdowns (4), and despite a career-history of questionable hands, Agholor caught a career-high 77.8 percent of his targets, only dropping two passes.
With Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and return specialist Tylan Wallace all set to return on their rookie contracts, the Ravens were set to enter the offseason with Agholor, Odell Beckham Jr., and another return specialist in Devin Duvernay headed towards free agency. When asked in a recent interview whether he’ll need to rebuild the wide receivers room again this offseason, general manager Eric DeCosta said, “I think (Bateman) is going to have a great season. We got Zay. I feel really good about where we are.” He went on to mention that the team had already had conversations about re-signing some of the veterans set to leave the building, and Agholor appears to have been one of those considerations.
It remains to be seen whether or not Agholor is just the first domino to fall. Though Beckham once again fell short of achieving the highs of his days in New York, the 31-year-old still finished second on the team in receiving yards and displayed some decent chemistry with Jackson at times. Duvernay’s receiving contribution took a huge step back after taking a larger role in 2022, but the 26-year-old still has some of the talent in the return game that made him a first-team All-Pro in 2021.
Regardless, with Agholor back in the fold, alongside Flowers, Bateman, and Wallace, the Ravens have a functional receiving corps. The team may still pursue contracts with the departing vets or perhaps some new talent from the college ranks, but with today’s signing, any such move would be considered an upgrade, as opposed to a necessity.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Ravens Expected To Target Free Agent RB Addition?
The Ravens led the league in rushing during the 2023 season, but the running back position could see significant overhaul in the near future. A number of veteran options are set to hit the market, and Baltimore could be a team to watch with respect to a signing. 
A belief around the league exists that the Ravens plan to “target a running back with pedigree” next month, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. Baltimore’s top two running backs entering the 2023 campaign – J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards – are pending free agents. The same is also true of veteran pickups Melvin Gordon and Dalvin Cook, so the team has a number of interesting decisions to make at the position ahead of the new league year.
Dobbins’ case in particular will be worth watching. The former second-rounder has shown considerable promise when on the field, scoring 13 total touchdowns in 24 regular season games while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. An ACL tear cost him the entire 2021 season, though, and Dobbins suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1 of this past campaign. That came after a summer in which the Ravens made clear their desire to retain him, but his stock has no doubt taken a hit given his missed time.
Baltimore discussed an extension with Dobbins, who profiles as having more upside than many of the other pending free agent backs given his performances and age (25). A fresh start via a deal sending him elsewhere would come as little surprise if he is aiming for the opportunity to operate as a clear-cut lead back. Red flags due to his injuries – along with the overall depressed market at the RB position – could limit his ability to do that, though.
Edwards was one of the backs who saw an increased workload in Dobbins’ absence. The former UDFA set a new career high in carries (198), scrimmage yards (990) and touchdowns (13) in 2023. His yards per carry average fell to 4.1, however, the lowest mark of his career. The 28-year-old’s decreased efficiency could limit his market to that of a goal line specialist (as opposed to the three-year, $12.38MM pact he signed in 2021), either on a new Ravens deal or one with an outside team.
Third-down back and special teams mainstay Justice Hill is on the books for 2024 at a cap hit of $2.97MM. A release could free up cap space, but Hill has proven to be a valuable depth contributor when given the opportunity. Keaton Mitchell, who joined Baltimore as an undrafted rookie and flashed plenty of potential before suffering an ACL tear, figures to have at least a complementary role once he has recovered. The Ravens should have room for at least one outside addition if they elect to go the free agent route.
Baltimore was connected to Derrick Henry at the trade deadline, but the Titans did not end up moving him. The two-time rushing champion is nevertheless in line to depart Tennessee for the first time in his career during free agency, and he has named joining a Super Bowl contender as a priority for this offseason. Coming off a 13-4 season and an appearance in the AFC title game, Baltimore qualifies in that regard.
Henry will likely be joined by a host of other accomplished backs, including Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard. Baltimore has a number of key financial decisions to make in the coming weeks, including a potential franchise tag application for defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and talks on a new deal for linebacker Patrick Queen. Those Pro Bowl defenders will use up considerable cap resources if either or both are retained. For now, though, the team is in a better financial situation than a number of others, so Baltimore could be active on the RB market.
Saints To Hire Rick Dennison
New Saints OC Klint Kubiak is bringing a familiar staffer with him to New Orleans. Rick Dennison will return to coaching, re-emerging after two seasons out of the league.
The Saints are hiring Dennison as their run-game coordinator on offense, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Dennison has an extensive past with Gary Kubiak and Mike Shanahan, who played the lead roles in shaping the offense that has caught on thanks to the rises of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.
Dennison, 65, will head to New Orleans as a four-time offensive coordinator. While Dennison’s OC days are probably over, his commitment to join Klint Kubiak with the NFC South team provides a fairly strong indication into the type of offense the new OC plans to implement. Dennison worked with both Kubiaks in Minnesota, being the Vikings’ O-line coach and run-game coordinator from 2019-20. He was on as a senior offensive assistant in 2021.
Mike Shanahan employed Dennison as an assistant throughout his 14-year stay as Broncos HC. The former Broncos linebacker was not in place as offensive line coach when a dominant Denver O-line helped Terrell Davis to the Hall of Fame, though he was in that role as the back half of the team’s assembly line of 1,000-yard rushers formed under Shanahan. The Broncos promoted Dennison to OC in 2006, and he rejoined Gary Kubiak in Houston in 2010. Dennison’s stay as Texans OC overlapped with Arian Foster‘s ascent, which included a rushing title, with the Texans.
Dennison carries three Super Bowl rings from his Broncos days, picking up No. 3 as Gary Kubiak’s non-play-calling OC in 2015. The Bills employed Dennison as a play-calling OC in Sean McDermott‘s first season (2017) but fired him after one season, leading to the Brian Daboll hire. The Bills ranked 22nd offensively under Dennison but sixth on the ground, as LeSean McCoy motored to another Pro Bowl in Buffalo. Dennison came under fire in 2021, refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Vikings were believed to have kept Dennison on staff but moved him out of his role as O-line coach as a result, as coaches needed to be vaccinated to work directly with players that year.
The Saints are also hiring former Chargers assistant Derrick Foster as their running backs coach, 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz tweets. They recently interviewed Keith Williams for their wide receivers coach position as well, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill adds. Williams worked as the Ravens’ assistant wideouts coach last season, being hired during Greg Roman‘s OC tenure but moved to that job under Todd Monken. Williams was also on Pat Hill’s Fresno State staff from 2009-11, a period that overlapped with Derek Carr‘s years with the program.
Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape
This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.
One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.
The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:
2022 OC hires
- Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
- Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
- Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
- Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
- Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
- Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*
Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.
Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.
Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.
2023 OC hires
- Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
- Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
- Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
- Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
- Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
- Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
- Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
- Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
- Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*
Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.
Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.
Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.
Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.
2024 OC hires
- Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
- Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
- Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
- Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
- Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
- Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
- Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
- Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
- Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
- Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
- Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
- Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
- Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
- Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
- Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
- Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*
The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.
Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.
Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.
Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.
* = denotes play-calling coordinator
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the 2023 campaign has come to a close. Teams outside Kansas City and San Francisco had already turned their attention to the offseason well before Sunday’s game, of course.
Regular season standings determine the order for the top 18 picks, so they have been known since the conclusion of Week 18. For the second straight year, the Bears face the question of dealing away the top selection and starting over at quarterback or re-committing to Justin Fields. Expectations still point toward Caleb Williams heading to Chicago, although the Bears will not move the No. 1 pick at a discounted price.
With the Commanders also in position to add a signal-caller second overall, the Patriots and Cardinals will be worth watching closely. New England will be in the market for a QB, but it may not come via the team’s top selection. Arizona’s position could also be a trade-up target for teams seeking a quarterback addition. This year’s class is expected to be dominated by blue-chip prospects under center, as well as at wide receiver and offensive tackle.
The final 14 spots in the draft order are filled by postseason results. The Chiefs find themselves in familiar territory picking at or near the end of the first-round order for the fourth time in the past five years following another Super Bowl appearance. The team has a mixed track record with its selections in that regard, but another impact rookie would of course help its bid to sustain its impressive run.
While a number of selections will no doubt be swapped between now and draft day, here is the full 2024 first-round order:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- Washington Commanders: 4-13
- New England Patriots: 4-13
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
- New York Giants: 6-11
- Tennessee Titans: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Chicago Bears: 7-10
- New York Jets: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 8-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
- Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
- Miami Dolphins: 11-6
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Green Bay Packers: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Detroit Lions: 12-5
- Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
- San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6
Ravens Updates: Urban, Departures, Hewitt
After leading the league in scoring defense and finishing sixth in yards allowed this season, the Ravens saw their defensive staff get dismantled as several other teams around the league decided to provide opportunities for upward mobility to several assistants. Now begins the process of hiring replacements on new defensive coordinator Zach Orr‘s staff.
The first two new additions we see in Baltimore come from the college football ranks. First, University of Michigan defensive analyst Doug Mallory makes the move from one Harbaugh to another, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. After working with Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, Mallory heads to Charm City to work with his former coach’s older brother, John Harbaugh. Mallory will be taking the defensive backs coaching job, a role he previously held at the NFL level with the Falcons. He replaces Dennard Wilson, who now holds the defensive coordinator position in Tennessee.
Orr’s former position of inside linebackers coach will be filled by another former college staffer. Former University of Kansas defensive analyst Mark DeLeone is expected to fill his new boss’s former job coaching inside linebackers, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. DeLeone has coached the same position group with the Chiefs, Bears, and Lions over the years.
With those two positions filled, and Chuck Smith perhaps staying as outside linebackers coach, the sole vacant position remaining to fill would be the defensive line coaching gig vacated by new Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Here are a few other coaching updates for the AFC runner ups:
- We already knew of the departures of Wilson, Weaver, and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec provided an update on a few other staffers who aren’t expected to return in 2024. On the offensive side of the ball assistant quarterbacks coach Kerry Dickson and assistant offensive line coach Mike Devlin will not be back next season. Devlin is set to serve as the Chargers‘ new offensive line coach. On special teams, assistant T.J. Weist is also not expected to return. Additionally, senior analysts James Urban and Craig Ver Steeg and director of football research Scott Cohen will not retain their roles in 2024.
- With all the loss and new additions, longtime staffer Chris Hewitt has been rewarded once again for his longevity. A Ravens coaching assistant since 2012, Hewitt has moved through the ranks from assistant special teams coach to assistant secondary coach to defensive backs coach to pass defense coordinator to pass game coordinator and secondary coach. While Hewitt will remain the team’s pass game coordinator on defense in 2024, he will do so with the additional moniker of assistant head coach, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The title was previously held by Weaver.
2024 Hall Of Fame Class Unveiled
As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been revealed. It consists of modern-era standouts and two players chosen by the senior committee. Here is the full breakdown of this year’s honorees:
Dwight Freeney, defensive end (2002-17)
In his second year as a finalist, Freeney received enough support to be voted into the Hall. One of the quickest edge rushers in NFL history, Freeney will reach Canton with 125.5 career sacks. That total ranks 18th in NFL history. The Colts made Freeney their pass-rushing anchor during Peyton Manning‘s extended run as their franchise centerpiece. While the team eventually found a bookend in Robert Mathis, it chose Freeney 11th overall in the 2002 draft with a hope of building a pass defense around the Syracuse alum. Freeney delivered and will book a Hall of Fame nod on his second try.
Freeney finished second to fellow 2024 inductee Julius Peppers in 2002 Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, but the spin-move maven showed what was ahead by forcing nine forced fumbles as a rookie. The 11-year Colt earned four All-Pro honors, joining Mathis as one of the era’s defining pass-rushing duos. Freeney led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004 and helped the Colts vanquish their Patriots hurdle en route to a Super Bowl XLI win two years later. The Colts gave Freeney a six-year, $72MM extension in 2007.
The enduring sack artist managed to play five seasons following his Colts career, spending time with the Chargers, Falcons, Cardinals, Seahawks and Lions. Serving as a designated rusher near the end of his career, Freeney helped the Cardinals reach the 2015 NFC championship game, after an eight-sack season, and played in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons.
Randy Gradishar, linebacker (1974-83)**
Widely viewed as one of the best linebackers of his era and one of the game’s best tacklers of any period, Gradishar moves into the Hall via the senior committee route. Gradishar’s selection makes him the first member of the Broncos’ “Orange Crush” defense to be enshrined in Canton. That defensive nucleus powered Denver to its first playoff berth, a 1977 season that included postseason wins over 1970s superpowers Pittsburgh and Oakland en route to Super Bowl XII. The Broncos allowed just 10.6 points per game in 1977. Despite multiple rule changes designed to increase offensive productivity in 1978, the Broncos yielded just 12.4 points per contest that year.
A first-round pick out of Ohio State, Gradishar played his entire career in Denver and earned five All-Pro honors. The above-referenced 1978 season featured perhaps the best team in Steelers history, but Gradishar outflanked “Steel Curtain” cogs by being voted as Defensive Player of the Year after helping the 10-6 Broncos back to the playoffs. The off-ball linebacker added 20 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns in his career.
Devin Hester, return specialist (2006-16)
Almost definitely the greatest return man in NFL history, Hester becomes one of the few true specialists in the Hall of Fame. Dabbling at cornerback and wide receiver, Hester provided the Bears tremendous value as a return specialist. Elite in both the kick- and punt-return capacities, Hester set an NFL record with 20 return touchdowns. Famously adding a kick-return score in the playoffs — to begin Super Bowl XLI — Hester delivered one of the great rookie seasons in NFL history. The Bears second-round pick notched six return TDs in the regular season — one coming on a blocked field goal sprint against the Giants — and added No. 7 against the Colts in the Super Bowl.
Hester’s 2007 season dismissed any fluke notions; he posted six more return scores (four on punts) during his NFL sophomore slate. While producing 17 more TDs on offense over the course of his career, Hester never caught on as a pure wideout in Chicago. But he landed on two All-Decade teams for his return work. Eighteen of Hester’s 19 return TDs came in Chicago. Hester’s 14 punt-return TDs are four more than second place all time (Eric Metcalf); he broke the record for combined kick- and punt-return TDs in only his sixth season (2011).
The Falcons gave Hester a three-year, $9MM contract in 2014; he finished his career splitting time with the Ravens and Seahawks in 2016. Seattle signed Hester just before the 2016 playoffs, using him in both its postseason contests that year.
Andre Johnson, wide receiver (2003-16)
Not collecting a Super Bowl ring like the other two pure wide receiver finalists in this year’s class (Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne), Johnson became well known for putting up monster numbers despite not being gifted a top-tier quarterback. But Johnson operated as one of the most physically imposing receivers in NFL history. The ex-Miami Hurricanes star’s numbers, largely compiled with David Carr and Matt Schaub targeting him, reflect that. Of Johnson’s seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons, four included 1,400-plus. Only Jerry Rice (six) and Julio Jones (five) produced more such seasons. Johnson’s 14,185 career yards rank 11th all time.
The Texans chose Johnson third overall in 2003, the second draft in their history. The 229-pound pass catcher led the NFL in receptions twice and receiving yards in back-to-back years (2008, 2009). Neither of those seasons lifted the Texans to a playoff berth, but Johnson remained in place as the team’s No. 1 wideout when the team finally booked its first two postseason cameos in 2011 and 2012. Johnson amassed 201 yards in two playoff games in 2011, doing so despite Schaub’s injury leaving rookie T.J. Yates at the controls.
Johnson is the Texans’ first Hall of Famer. This is fitting, as he retired with the most games played in Texans history. The longtime WR1 spent 12 years with the team. Johnson signed two Houston extensions spanning at least seven years in length, earning more than $108MM throughout his NFL run. He finished a 14-year career with one season apiece in Indianapolis and Tennessee.
Steve McMichael, defensive tackle (1980-94)**
Part of the storied 1985 Bears’ defense, McMichael played 13 of his 15 NFL seasons in Chicago. A Patriots third-round draftee, McMichael found himself in the Windy City ahead of his second season. The Patriots waived the future D-line mainstay during the 1981 offseason. Teaming with fellow Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Richard Dent (along with William “The Refrigerator” Perry) on Chicago’s D-line, McMichael earned four All-Pro honors while helping a Bears team — one that saw Jim McMahon injuries impede paths to Super Bowls — become a perennial contender.
The Bears did, of course, break through as champions in 1985. That 18-1 team is on a short list of those in the running for the best ever, allowing only 12.4 points per game and outscoring its playoff opposition 91-10. McMichael started 16 games for the ’85 team and suited up every week for an ’86 Bears defense that statistically outflanked its famed predecessor. Better known by some as part of WCW’s Four Horsemen faction during his wrestling career, “Mongo” finished his gridiron run with 95 sacks (three of them safeties). McMichael closed out his NFL stay with the Packers in 1994. His 92.5 sacks with the Bears are second in franchise history.
Julius Peppers, defensive end (2002-18)*
Five years after retiring, Peppers remains fourth on the NFL’s all-time sack list (159.5). The former Panthers, Bears and Packers pass rusher finished a half-sack shy of Kevin Greene for third. While Greene needed to wait a bit before enshrinement, voters will send Peppers to Canton on his first try. The former North Carolina two-sport standout came into the league with high expectations, going off the 2002 draft board second overall. He justified those, remaining a productive pass rusher into his late 30s. No active sack artist is within 35 of Peppers’ career total. He is among the rare players to land on two All-Decade teams.
Peppers collected six All-Pro honors, three as a first-teamer, and did quite well on the contract front. Peppers’ rookie contract spanned seven years (and $46MM, before the 2011 CBA introduced the slot system), and the Panthers kept him off the market with a franchise tag ahead of Year 8. During the uncapped 2010, Peppers landed a then-record-setting DE pact from the Bears (six years, $84MM). He played four seasons on that deal, and after the Bears made the 6-foot-6 rusher a cap casualty in 2014, Peppers made an impact for three playoff-bound Packers teams in the mid-2010s.
While this can be considered a big night for the Bears — due to the enshrinements of three former players — Peppers played 10 years with the Panthers, returning home to close out his 17-season run. Fifteen years after he won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in Charlotte, the North Carolina native re-signed with his hometown team. Peppers’ penultimate season brought a 10th double-digit sack showing; he totaled 11 at age 37 to help the Panthers to their most recent playoff berth.
Patrick Willis, linebacker (2007-14)
Willis did not overstay his welcome in the NFL, retiring after his age-29 season. The dominant inside linebacker did not lack for accolades in his eight-year career, racking up six All-Pro honors — including five first-team distinctions. The 49ers nabbed Willis in the 2007 first round and turned him loose. Although San Francisco did not form the Jim Harbaugh–Vic Fangio pairing until Willis’ fifth season, he flashed frequently as a young player and was regarded by many as the NFL’s best off-ball linebacker for an extended period.
The Ole Miss alum picked up Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim and became the rare player to win that award while earning first-team All-Pro honors. Willis tallied a career-high 174 tackles — including a staggering 136 solo — as a rookie to provide an indication of his capabilities. Willis remained in his prime when Harbaugh and Fangio arrived in 2011. While Harbaugh’s arrival elevated Alex Smith and then Colin Kaepernick, Willis’ presence represented a key part of a defense-geared 49ers blueprint that produced three straight NFC championship games and a berth in Super Bowl XLVII.
Willis teamed with NaVorro Bowman to form one of the great linebacking pairs in modern NFL history. Seeing each soar to the first-team All-Pro perch, the 49ers went second-second-third in scoring defense from 2011-13. After suffering a foot injury midway through the 2014 season, Willis opted to call it quits.
* = denotes first year of eligibility
** = denotes senior candidate
Chargers Hire Jesse Minter As DC
As expected, Jim Harbaugh has recruited his Michigan defensive coordinator to Los Angeles. The Chargers have finalized a deal with Jesse Minter that will make him the team’s new defensive coordinator, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Minter has acknowledged the move, posting a farewell message to Michigan players and fans.
[RELATED: Chargers To Hire Greg Roman As OC]
Throughout Harbaugh’s interview process, it was hinted that Minter could follow his boss to the NFL. Minter spent the past two seasons as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, and he also had a four-year stint on John Harbaugh‘s staff in Baltimore. Jim Harbaugh has targeted familiarity as he’s filled out his new Chargers staff, so it’s not a huge surprise that Minter will be joining the ranks.
The 40-year-old coach helped guide a stout defense to a national championship, and the school had CFP appearances in each of Minter’s two years at the helm. Michigan allowed the fewest points in the nation (13.1 ppg) over the past two seasons, and Minter was a 2022 finalist for the Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach.
In between his stint in Baltimore and his time at Michigan, Minter had a one-year stop as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. He held that same role with Georgia State and Indiana State. He earned a DC interview with the Eagles last offseason.
Harbaugh is continuing to add to his defensive staff, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero passes along that the Chargers have hired Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston for the same position. Prior to his two years in Michigan, the veteran coach spent more than a decade on Notre Dame’s staff. The Chargers have also hired Ravens player evaluation and analytics manager Corey Krawiec for an unknown role, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.