Vikings Request Permission To Speak With Six More Coaches About HC Job
And like that, we’ve got a growing list of candidates for the Vikings HC job. Following news that the Vikings requested permission to interview Todd Bowles for the gig, we’ve learned that the organization requested permission to interview six additional coaches:
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles) (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter)
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams) (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
Five of those coaches have already been connected to other HC vacancies, but this is the first reported interview request for Ryans. The former NFL linebacker has been on the 49ers coaching staff since 2017, and he was promoted to defensive coordinator last offseason after Robert Saleh left for New York. During his first season in the role, the 49ers defense ranked third in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed.
Of course, the Vikings may not be sticking with only seven candidates. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tweets that the Vikings have also explored the candidacy of Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Vikings are hoping to find a replacement for former GM Rick Spielman before they hire a replacement for former HC Mike Zimmer. However, considering the anti-tampering rules, the Vikings only have until Sunday to interview coaches on byes, so they have reason to speak with someone like Hackett ASAP. The Vikings plan to kick off their GM interviews on Sunday, with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort first in line.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/22
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return: DE Whitney Mercilus
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Whitney Mercilus Designated For Return
The Packers signed Whitney Mercilus in the aftermath of Za’Darius Smith‘s back surgery, but the NFC North champions played without both for the stretch run. A possibility each is back next week now exists.
Green Bay designated Mercilus to return from IR on Thursday, starting his 21-day activation clock. This is a surprise, given Mercilus’ biceps tear occurring in mid-November. DC Joe Barry conceded as much, indicating he was not expecting a return to practice this soon.
Barry’s stance may point to Mercilus being an option ahead of the NFC championship game or Super Bowl LVI — assuming, of course, the Packers’ season extends beyond next weekend — but the conference’s No. 1 seed could look drastically different when it returns to action.
David Bakhtiari missed 16 games this season but returned for the Packers’ Week 18 tilt, while O-line mate Josh Myers played in Detroit as well after being out since Week 6. Smith and Jaire Alexander are also trending toward returning for the divisional round. Ditto Randall Cobb, who must be activated by next week to play again this season. Starting right tackle Billy Turner was also back at practice this week. Turner has not played since suffering a knee injury in Week 14, though the Packers did not place him on IR.
Mercilus coming back would give the Packers a formidable two-deep edge-rushing contingent. The longtime Texans outside linebacker would almost certainly be a rotational rusher behind the likes of Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary. Mercilus, 31, signed with the Packers after his October Texans release. Used in a part-time capacity by both his 2021 teams, Mercilus has four sacks this season. The former J.J. Watt sidekick has 58 career sacks and has also been productive in the playoffs, having registered seven sacks in eight postseason games.
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/12/22
Today’s updates for the reserve/COVID-19 and practice squad/COVID-19 lists:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Maxx Williams (remains on IR)
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Jonathan Bullard, T Jason Spriggs
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Nick Boyle, FB Patrick Ricard (remains on IR)
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Mazzi Wilkins
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Stephon Gilmore, WR Shi Smith
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Francis Bernard, LB Micah Parsons, T Tyron Smith, T Josh Ball (remains on IR/Designated to Return)
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT Josiah Bronson
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Lucas Patrick
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Justin Reid, QB Jeff Driskel (remains on IR)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: TE Mark Vital
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Yodny Cajuste
San Francisco 49ers
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Tyler Bray
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Ryan Neal, DE Alton Robinson, DT Al Woods, DB Gavin Heslop (remains on IR)
Washington Football Team
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT David Bada
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/12/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Zach Kerr
- Released: DT Matt Dickerson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Austin Calitro
- Injured: K Elliott Fry
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: G Ben Braden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Blake Countess, DB Sharrod Neasman, DB Eric Weddle (story)
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Cre’von LeBlanc
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: P Ryan Winslow
- Restored from Injured: DB Doug Middleton
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/12/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: QB Will Grier
- Reverted to season-ending NFI list: WR T.J. Vasher
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return: LB Za’Darius Smith (story), LB Ty Summers
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Jake Gervase
- Placed on IR: DB Jordan Fuller
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Reverted to season-ending IR: G Kevin Dotson
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: RB Trenton Cannon
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated for return: RB Giovani Bernard, LB Lavonte David, RB Leonard Fournette
Za’Darius Smith Working Towards Return
Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur announced today that Za’Darius Smith has returned to practice after 17 weeks on IR. He’s been designated to return so this practice begins the window of return before Smith must be placed back on IR. 
The Packers have been working without their Pro Bowl pass rusher for all but 18 snaps of football this year. Smith exited the team’s Week 1 matchup with a back injury that had been nagging him for most of the offseason. Smith underwent back surgery in hopes that he could make a late-season return, and he’s hoping to stand by that expectation.
Smith had seen two straight seasons of double-digit sacks since signing with the Packers as a free agent. Green Bay has been eager to see their top pass rusher paired up again with Preston Smith and an improved Rashan Gary. In his absence, Preston Smith and Gary have combined for 18.5 sacks this season.
This return is timely as the Packers have a first-round bye in the playoffs before they face off against the lowest remaining seed from Super Wild Card Weekend. This means Smith will have two weeks of practice to get back up to game speed and be ready to contribute. Green Bay will be excited to get a boost to their pass rush as they strive for their first Super Bowl appearance since winning Super Bowl XLV as a Wild Card team in the 2010-11 NFL season.
Broncos Request Permission To Interview Eric Bieniemy, Dan Quinn, Others
Let’s add five more names to the Broncos HC search. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Denver requested permission to interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (Twitter link) and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (Twitter link) for their head coaching vacancy. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Broncos also requested permission to interview Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo (Twitter link) and Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett (Twitter link). Finally, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos requested permission to interview Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Hackett will interview Saturday, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, one of the 10 candidates linked to this job already, will begin the interview run by meeting with the team Thursday.
[RELATED: Broncos Request Three Interviews For HC Vacancy]
After being out of the game for much of last season, with the Falcons firing him after a bad start, Quinn has moved himself back onto the head-coaching radar. The Cowboys’ defense has improved significantly in his first season overseeing the unit. He figures to generate interest from other teams once more vacancies emerge. Quinn previously refused an interview with the Jaguars until after the season.
Bieniemy has been with the Chiefs since Andy Reid’s 2013 Kansas City arrival. Thought to be a slam-dunk hire in both the 2020 and ’21 offseasons, the 52-year-old assistant has failed to land a head coaching job. Taking over as Kansas City’s OC from Matt Nagy, who followed Doug Pederson in being hired for an HC post, Bieniemy has been in this role throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ dominant run as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback.
Mayo had a standout career with the Patriots, with the former 10th-overall pick earning two Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl ring during his eight seasons in New England. Mayo rejoined the organization as their linebackers coach in 2019. While New England is currently operating without a true defensive coordinator, Mayo (along with Steve Belichick) is assumed to be atop the defensive coaching depth chart.
Hackett served as the Jaguars offensive coordinator between 2016 and 2018, including a 2017 campaign where the Jaguars offense ranked toward the top of the NFL in a number of categories. The veteran coach was canned midway through the 2018 season, and he’s spent the past three years serving as Green Bay’s OC. The Packers offense had a standout season in 2020, and while the team finished 2021 with the best record in the league, both the passing game and the running game have taken a step back this year.
Moore inked a three-year extension with the Cowboys towards the close of the 2020 season, but he’s remained a hot name in coaching circles. The rival Eagles requested an interview with him in January of 2021 before ultimately going with Nick Sirianni.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/10/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: LB Nate Hall
Green Bay Packers
- Released: G Ben Braden
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Jaylen Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Tyler Vaughns
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Tanner Hudson
Tennessee Titans
- Released: OL Paul Adams
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The NFL’s first ever 17-game regular season is now over, and the 14-team playoff field is set. The end of the year also confirms, of course, the draft order for the top 18 picks, allowing the non-playoff clubs to begin planning for the offseason.
Despite their upset win on Sunday, the Jaguars will have the top selection for the second year in a row; this marks the fifth time a team has had back-to-back No. 1 picks, and the first since the Browns did in 2017-18.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Here is the final draft order (for non-playoff teams) along with the current projected order for the 14 postseason clubs:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8*
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1*
- New England Patriots: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)*
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7*
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6*
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6*
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5*
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4*
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5*
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4*
* = Playoffs