The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs
Wednesday, we took a look at how the 2022 offseason changed the HC landscape. While 10 new sideline leaders are in place for 2022, not quite as much turnover transpired on the general manager front. Five new decision-makers, however, have moved to the top of teams’ front office hierarchies over the past six months.
The Bears, Giants, Raiders and Vikings rebooted their entire operations, hiring new HC-GM combos. The Minnesota move bumped out one of the previous top-10 longest-tenured GMs, with 16-year Vikings exec Rick Spielman no longer in power in the Twin Cities. The Steelers’ shakeup took the NFL’s longest-tenured pure GM out of the mix. Kevin Colbert was with the Steelers since 2000, and although he is still expected to remain with the team in a reduced capacity, the 22-year decision-maker stepped down shortly after Ben Roethlisberger wrapped his career.
Twelve teams have now hired a new GM in the past two offseasons, though a bit more staying power exists here compared to the HC ranks. Two GMs (the Cardinals’ Steve Keim and Chargers’ Tom Telesco) have begun their 10th years at the helms of their respective front offices. They have hired three HCs apiece. The Buccaneers’ Jason Licht is closing in on a decade in power in Tampa Bay; Licht will now work with his fourth HC in Todd Bowles. Beyond that, a bit of a gap exists. But a handful of other executives have been in power for at least five seasons.
Here is how long every GM or de facto GM has been in place with his respective franchise:
- Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
- Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
- Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
- John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
- Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
- Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2019
- Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013; signed extension in 2022
- Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
- Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
- Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
- Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016; signed extension in 2022
- John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
- Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
- Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
- Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
- Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
- Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
- George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
- Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
- Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
- Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
- Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
- Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
- Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
- Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
- Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
- Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
Footnotes:
- Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
- Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
- Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
- Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches
The NFL experienced a busy offseason on the coaching front. A whopping 10 teams changed coaches during the 2022 offseason, with the Buccaneers’ late-March switch pushing the number into double digits.
Fourteen of the league’s 32 head coaches were hired in the past two offseasons, illustrating the increased pressure the NFL’s sideline leaders face in today’s game. Two of the coaches replaced this year left on their own. Sean Payton vacated his spot in second on the longest-tenured HCs list by stepping down from his 16-year Saints post in February, while Bruce Arians has repeatedly insisted his Bucs exit was about giving his defensive coordinator a chance with a strong roster and not a Tom Brady post-retirement power play.
While Bill Belichick has been the league’s longest-tenured HC for many years, Payton’s exit moved Mike Tomlin up to No. 2. Mike Zimmer‘s firing after nine seasons moved Frank Reich into the top 10. Reich’s HC opportunity only came about because Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts in 2018, but Indianapolis’ backup plan has led the team to two playoff brackets and has signed an extension. Reich’s seat is hotter in 2022, however, after a January collapse. Linked to numerous HC jobs over the past several offseasons, McDaniels finally took another swing after his Broncos tenure ended quickly.
As 2022’s training camps approach, here are the NFL’s longest-tenured HCs:
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
- Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
- John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
- Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
- Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
- Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2025
- Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
- Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
- Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
- Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018; extended through 2026
- Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019; extended through 2027
- Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
- Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
- Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team): January 1, 2020
- Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
- Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
- Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
- Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
- Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
- Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
- Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
- Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
- Nathaniel Hackett (Denver Broncos): January 27, 2022
- Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
- Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
- Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
- Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
- Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
- Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
- Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
- Lovie Smith (Houston Texans): February 7, 2022
- Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
Cowboys Expected To Add To K Competition
The Cowboys currently have just one kicker on their roster, but that could change in the near future. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Dallas will, “in all likelihood,” add to the position before training camp next month.
The Cowboys signed Jonathan Garibay as an undrafted free agent this offseason, making him the starter by default at this point. He will have the opportunity to replace Greg Zuerlein, whom the team released in March. The veteran ultimately signed with the Jets, further limiting the experienced options available to Dallas as they look for competition. Archer notes that the USFL could provide an answer, along with, of course, kickers let go by their current teams.
Garibay enjoyed a productive final college season at Texas Tech. He made 15 of 16 field goals, including a 62-yarder, the longest made kick in the FBS in 2021. He earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors as a result. The former Red Raider has drawn praise from head coach Mike McCarthy in the early stages of his NFL career. “You can definitely get a feel for his ability,” McCarthy said, adding that Garibay is “off to a good start.”
Archer names Chris Naggar as a candidate to be brought in for training camp. The 21-year-old was signed by Dallas to a futures contract in February, but released last month. His lone NFL game came last year with the Browns, so he would essentially be on level terms with Garibay in terms of experience. Nevertheless, it would come as little surprise if the Cowboys were to add one or more other kickers by July as they look for more consistency at the position heading into another season filled with high expectations.
Cowboys, Dalton Schultz Remain Far Apart On Extension
The likelihood Dalton Schultz finalizes a long-term deal with the Cowboys before July 15 continues to diminish. Despite Schultz showing for minicamp and extension talks picking up at that point, progress has proven elusive.
Schultz and the Cowboys are still far apart on terms, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. Although the July deadline spurs changes in negotiations with tagged players, nothing about the Schultz talks this offseason has indicated the sides are making substantial progress.
Dallas’ top tight end displayed his dissatisfaction with the pace of these talks during OTAs, when he stopped showing up after initially reporting to the team’s facility for the voluntary workouts. The 25-year-old pass catcher returned for minicamp, indicating some potential improvement on this front. But three weeks away from the deadline, an impasse persists.
Cuffing Schultz with the tag prevented him from factoring his age-26 season into a lucrative free agency deal, and while a $10.9MM 2022 salary represents a significant raise, Schultz is starting at the annual franchise-player plight: the lack of long-term security. A second Schultz tag would cost $13.1MM — a figure still below David Njoku‘s new AAV ($14.2MM), which has likely affected the Cowboys’ talks with their tight end. That may point to the team waiting, though the team almost certainly could have extended Schultz at a lower cost during his 2021 contract year. The Cowboys opted to wait on extensions with 2021 contract-year players, tabling those talks to 2022.
Blake Jarwin suffered multiple major injuries after signing his extension — a lower-cost accord ahead of his fourth season — but collected some guaranteed money prior to those setbacks. Schultz has proven far more as a weapon, totaling 808 receiving yards — the most by a Cowboy tight end since Jason Witten‘s 851 in 2013 — last season. Dak Prescott has stumped for Schultz this offseason, and the veteran passer’s lengthy talks show what can change after a tagged season. Dallas’ three-offseason negotiations with its quarterback led to a monster extension in 2021 (four years, $160MM), a year after Dak was ready to accept a deal at a lower AAV in the summer of 2020. Negotiations for a tight end obviously do not carry the same stakes, but the Cowboys are approaching the Prescott point on the Schultz timeline.
Prescott received a four-year deal, but Gehlken adds length might be an issue in the Schultz talks as well. The Cowboys prefer longer-term extensions, as they have done with Tyron Smith (an extreme example), Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott and others. Schultz agreeing to a five-plus-year extension would tie him to the Cowboys into his 30s, potentially limiting his chances of cashing in again.
NFL, NFLPA Attempted To Negotiate Deshaun Watson Punishment?
A lengthy Deshaun Watson suspension is believed to be coming soon, but the Browns continue to wait for that news to emerge. A full-season ban has become a real possibility for the quarterback who was accused by 24 women of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault.
An independent officer, Sue Robinson, will decide on Watson’s discipline. That ruling is expected to happen before the Browns begin training camp. But Roger Goodell would handle an appeal. However, the NFL, NFLPA and Watson advisors entered talks about a negotiated punishment, Josina Anderson of USA Today tweets.
If a negotiated ban came to pass, Watson would waive his appeal right. These talks, however, broke down because the parties were not on the same page regarding suspension length, Anderson adds. This will keep the process moving toward Robinson’s decision.
If Robinson’s decision does not meet with NFLPA approval, the union plans to use recent punishments for teams and owners (or lack thereof) in its appeal. The NFLPA would cite NFL treatment of Dan Snyder, Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones in its Watson appeal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.
The NFL is believed to have changed its plans regarding what information was made public in its investigation into Snyder and the Commanders, which wrapped in 2021. That probe did not produce a written report of the league’s findings, leading to Congress becoming involved. The NFL fined the franchise $10MM, and Snyder gave up day-to-day operations. However, his involvement with the team since has been in question. Kraft pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution in connection with a January 2018 incident at a spa. The Patriots owner’s case was later dismissed, and no NFL punishment came down. The Cowboys paid a confidential $2.4MM settlement after four cheerleaders accused the team’s former senior vice president for public relations and communications, Rich Dalrymple, of voyeurism in the team’s locker room during a 2015 event at AT&T Stadium. The NFL did not investigate the Cowboys.
These arguments would bring other teams into the Browns’ controversy. The union believes its strategy would be more effective since the 2020 CBA moved Goodell further away from disciplinary matters, Florio adds. But with the NFL overseeing an appeal, it is unclear how much traction they will have considering both the volume of accusations levied against Watson and the league’s apparent hope for a year-long suspension.
Watson, who was not charged in connection with these accusations and has denied all wrongdoing, settled 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits against him this week. The NFL said that will not impact his potential punishment. The settlements will prevent Watson from going through most of his suits next year, which would take the prospect of the commissioner’s exempt list — something Goodell has already said would not apply here — completely off the table. If Watson were to miss 2022 games, it would only happen because of a suspension.
Cowboys Rookie LB May Miss Season
- Cowboys rookie linebacker Damone Clark is not expected to suit up anytime soon. The fifth-round pick underwent spinal fusion surgery in March, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota, and may miss the season. Even if Clarke suits up, Machota adds the Cowboys are not expecting that to happen until late in the season (subscription required). Clark recorded 135 tackles and 5.5 sacks during his final LSU season and will rejoin ex-Tigers teammate Jabril Cox as part of Dallas’ linebacking corps.
Dalton Schultz Likely To Play 2022 Season On Franchise Tag?
Although contract talks between the Cowboys and Dalton Schultz picked up when he returned to the team’s facility for minicamp, the veteran tight end has not been rumored to be near a deal.
Negotiations often gain steam just ahead of the July deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, but the Cowboys may be content with a rental year with Schultz. The fifth-year tight end is likely to play the season on the tag, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes.
Frustrations with extension talks during OTAs, Schultz made a point to let the team know by skipping the final set of voluntary offseason work. Nothing leading up to minicamp suggested the sides were close on terms.
The Cowboys seeing if a former fourth-round pick can duplicate the kind of season he had in 2021 (78 receptions, 808 yards, eight touchdowns) makes sense, especially given the potential price hike connected to David Njoku‘s $14.2MM-per-year Browns extension. Schultz’s 2021 slate was better than any of Njoku’s seasons, and the Cowboys are keeping their top tight end from cashing in ahead of his age-26 season. Schultz has signed his franchise tender and will not exactly go under-compensated in 2022, being tied to a $10.9MM tag salary.
A tagged season would bring a prime opportunity for Schultz, who may see his place in Dallas’ passing-game hierarchy rise in prominence. The Amari Cooper trade bumped up CeeDee Lamb to the clear-cut No. 1 receiver role. After Lamb, a host of secondary options are present. But former 1,000-yard receiver Michael Gallup is coming off a late-season ACL tear, one expected to sideline him into the upcoming campaign. That said, Gallup might not need to begin the season on the PUP list, Archer adds. Even if Gallup regains form fairly early this year, Schultz will be a key player for the Cowboys.
Dallas’ previous tight end extension — a four-year, $22MM extension for Blake Jarwin — did not work out, after the then-starter’s injury issues changed his career trajectory. Schultz stepped in to bail out the franchise, producing on a Day 3 rookie salary. With a second tag costing 120% of Schultz’s 2022 salary, Jarwin’s successor would have a better chance to reach free agency next year. Mike Gesicki could join Schultz in that boat, if the Dolphins do not extend him by July 15. But if one of these two is extended by then, the other would have a good chance at being the top tight end available next year.
Jerry Jones Reaffirms Commitment To Mike McCarthy
Ever since his decision to step away from coaching the Saints, Sean Payton has been connected to a number of positions around the league. Among those is a reunion with the Cowboys, but owner Jerry Jones is once again backing the team’s incumbent HC. 
Payton spent three season as Dallas’ QBs coach before being hired by the Saints in 2006. His tenure in New Orleans included the franchise’s lone Super Bowl title, but it came to an end this January. He won’t coach in 2022, instead trying his hand at broadcasting. The 58-year-old has still be linked to other, future, coaching roles during the offseason, however.
Chief among those is the reported deal in place with the Dolphins which would have seen him join Miami alongside Tom Brady if not for Brian Flores‘ racial discrimination lawsuit. More generally, his name has been used in discussions of Mike McCarthy‘s future with the Cowboys.
After a 6-10 campaign in 2020, the former Packers HC led the team to an NFC East title last season. That success was overshadowed by an underwhelming playoff loss, however, leading some to speculate that McCarthy could be on the way out. In the aftermath of their elimination, though, Jones made clear his support of the former Super Bowl winner. Jones reacted similarly when the idea of bringing Payton back came up again.
“Sean Payton shouldn’t be out there” he said, via Clarence E. Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “For him, the Cowboys, that’s just sheer out of the air. It’s well known we’re good friends and we think a lot of him as a head coach. But in this case… he shouldn’t be a conversation piece.”
While Jones added that “it’s also an eternity between right now and next year,” his commitment to McCarthy for 2022 is obvious. The Cowboys have a number of new faces – particularly along the offensive line and in the receiving corps – to work with for the upcoming campaign, one in which expectations will once again be high for the team. McCarthy’s performance will no doubt affect the future of his tenure, but for now it is safe.
Cowboys Receive Another OTA Punishment
The Cowboys and Commanders each ran afoul of NFL offseason rules during their OTA workouts this year. As a result, each team will lose 2023 practice time and each squad’s head coach received a six-figure fine. Both Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera received $100K fines for workouts deemed over the line, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano note (Twitter link). Washington will be short two OTA days in 2023 due to excessive contact. This marks the second consecutive year McCarthy received a fine for offseason overwork. He received a $50K fine last year, with the Cowboys being docked $100K and a 2022 OTA for 2021 violations. The Cowboys will be docked one OTA day in 2023. OTAs do not hold the role they once did, and teams have begun to limit offseason activities on their own. The Eagles will go into training camp after not holding a mandatory minicamp. But Dallas and Washington will need to make minor adjustments to their 2023 offseason schedules.
Cowboys, Dalton Schultz Resume Talks; TE Reports To Minicamp
A month remains until the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions. A few players — Chris Godwin, Cam Robinson, Davante Adams, David Njoku — have already inked long-term deals after being tagged. Njoku’s Browns extension pertains to two other members of the 2022 tag group.
While not much has developed on the Mike Gesicki-Dolphins front, the Cowboys’ tagged tight end has voiced his displeasure with his current situation this offseason. Dalton Schultz attended some Cowboys OTA sessions but skipped others, making it known his contract was at the root of the absences. The Cowboys may have gotten the message.
Talks between the Cowboys and their fifth-year tight end have picked up recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, noting Schultz reported to Dallas’ minicamp Tuesday. It is not known how close the Cowboys and Schultz are on a long-term deal, as they were far apart recently. But the parties have time. Nearly every year, negotiations seemingly headed nowhere produce a deal ahead of the July 15 deadline.
Njoku’s $14.2MM-per-year pact has undoubtedly generated attention from tight ends around the league, though it directly affects Schultz and Gesicki. Both are attached to the $10.91MM tight end tag price. Each has outproduced Njoku’s best Browns season, yardage-wise. A fourth-round pick in 2018, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Schultz was not groomed to be Dallas’ long-term tight end starter the way Njoku was in Cleveland. But Blake Jarwin‘s injury trouble opened the door for the Stanford product, who has responded with 1,423 yards and 12 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.
The Cowboys picked up $10MM in cap space on June 2, receiving the belated funding from their March La’el Collins cut. As a result, Dallas’ $22.5MM in cap room sits fourth in the NFL. Schultz collecting an eight-figure paycheck represents a nice bonus for a former Day 3 pick who made $2.2MM last season. It would be understandable if the Cowboys are skittish about giving Schultz an extension that tops Njoku’s, while it also makes sense for the 6-foot-5 pass catcher — after Amari Cooper‘s exit and ahead of a season in which Michael Gallup will not be 100% at the outset — to lobby for a top-five deal at the position. Schultz could also enhance his value for 2023 with a big season, as he again will be a key Dak Prescott target, if he ends up playing on the tag. Albeit in a much higher-profile situation, this strategy worked for Prescott two years ago.