Longest-Tenured GMs In The NFL
When we ran down the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL, we found that less than half of the league’s current coaches have been in their positions for more than three years. That’s not quite the case with general managers, but there have been plenty of changes in recent years.
A handful of general managers have gotten to take their coats off and stay for a long while. Among coaches, Bill Belichick had joined his team prior to 2003. Here, you’ll see that five GMs have been with their teams since before ’03 (Belichick, of course, is also on this list). Two of those five – Jerry Jones and Mike Brown – are outliers, since they’re team owners and serve as de facto GMs. But the Patriots, Steelers, and Saints, have all had the same general managers making their roster decisions for well over a decade.
Here’s the complete list of the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs, along with the date they took over the job:
- 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]
- Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers): February 18, 2000[4]
- Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
- Rick Spielman (Minnesota Vikings): May 30, 2006[5]
- Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons): January 13, 2008
- John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010[6]
- Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010
- John Elway (Denver Broncos): January 5, 2011[7]
- Les Snead (St. Louis Rams): February 10, 2012
- David Caldwell (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 8, 2013
- Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013
- Tom Telesco (San Diego Chargers): January 9, 2013
- Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014
- Ryan Pace (Chicago Bears): January 8, 2015
- Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016
- Bob Quinn (Detroit Lions): January 8, 2016
- Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016
- John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017
- Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017
- Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017
- Marty Hurney (Carolina Panthers): July 19, 2017
- Dave Gettleman (New York Giants): December 28, 2017
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
- Mike Mayock (Oakland Raiders): December 31, 2018
- Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
- Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019[8]
- Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins): January 1, 2020[9]
- Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
- Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 28, 2020
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.
- Colbert was initially hired as the team’s director of football operations and received the newly-created general manager title in 2011.
- Spielman was initially hired as the team’s VP of player personnel and received the GM title in 2012.
- While Schneider holds the title of GM, head coach Pete Carroll has the final say on roster moves for the Seahawks.
- Elway was initially hired as the team’s executive VP of football operations and received the GM title in 2014.
- In 2018, the Ravens announced that DeCosta would replace Ozzie Newsome as GM for Ozzie Newsome after the conclusion of the season. The Ravens’ ’18 season ended with their Wild Card loss to the Chargers on 1/6/19.
- Technically, the Redskins do not have a GM, as of this writing. Rivera is, effectively, their GM, working in tandem with Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle Smith. Smith may receive the GM title in the near future.
Leighton Vander Esch 100% After Surgery
Some positive Cowboys news emerged this week. Third-year linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has fully recovered from the offseason neck surgery he underwent. The former first-round pick told NFL.com’s Jane Slater he has been training full-go for multiple months (video link). Vander Esch was projected to be ready for OTAs, so it does not come as a major surprise he has moved past the injury that sidelined him for much of last season. However, Vander Esch’s cervical spinal stenosis condition — diagnosed while he was at Boise State — would make future neck surgeries problematic. So his transition back to the field will be a key part of Cowboys training camp.
LeBron James Considered Playing Football In 2011, Received Contract Offer From Cowboys
Back in 2011, LeBron James considered taking his talents to…the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. And no, we’re not saying he considered playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki on the Dallas Mavericks. Rather, the NBA star flirted with the idea of joining the NFL, and he had at least one potential suitor in the Dallas Cowboys. 
During an appearance on “Uninterrupted” yesterday, the future NBA Hall of Famer revealed that he considered switching to football during the 2011 NBA lockout (and the concurrent 2011 NFL lockout).
“I had no idea how long the lockout was going to be, and myself and my trainer … we really started to actually train to be a football player,” James said (via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com). “We started to clock our time in the 40, we started to add a little bit more to our bench presses and things of that nature.”
How serious did it get? Well, Maverick Carter, James’ friend and business partner, revealed that Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones sent the basketball great a contract (which James subsequently framed). Considering LeBron’s star power, you’ve got to assume that the contract offer was legitimate; even if the MVP’s talents didn’t translate from the court to the gridiron, he undoubtedly would have been atop the list of jersey sales.
Of course, it’s not even that outlandish to suggest that James could have succeeded in the NFL. At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, James has the ideal body for a modern tight end. Plus, while we know we shouldn’t put too much stock into high school stats, LeBron hauled in 27 touchdowns in just two seasons while playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary.
As we all know, LeBron ended up sticking with basketball, which proved to be the right decision. Since the summer of 2011, the veteran has won three NBA championships and a pair of MVP awards. Still, it’s fun to wonder whether James could have helped guide the Cowboys to their first championship since 1995.
For the latest on LeBron, the Lakers, and all things NBA, follow Hoops Rumors on Twitter. (And, while you’re there, say hello to PFR editor emeritus Luke Adams!)
Texas To Allow Pro Sports To Resume
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that pro sports will be permitted to resume May 31, per Anna Tinsley of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). This is contingent on no fans being present, however.
Texas follows Florida and Arizona in green-lighting sports to return. Texas obviously houses two NFL teams, but only the Texans hold training camp in the state. But with the Cowboys’ usual Oxnard, Calif., camp looking unlikely to be green-lit this year, Texas’ longest-tenured NFL franchise would have a better chance of holding camp in-state.
Some in the Cowboys organization view an Oxnard camp as a remote possibility, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). Holding camp at their Frisco, Texas, facility would be Plan B. With several teams potentially looking for sites to hold training camp due to COVID-19 restrictions, Texas could serve as a landing spot for non-Texas-headquartered teams.
The NFL announced teams can have various staffers report to facilities beginning Tuesday, but coaches and non-injured players remain barred from facilities.
Longest-Tenured Head Coaches In The NFL
Things move fast in today’s NFL and the old adage of “coaches are hired to be fired” has seemingly never been more true. For the most part, teams change their coaches like they change their underwear. 
A head coach can take his team to the Super Bowl, or win the Super Bowl, or win multiple Super Bowls, but they’re never immune to scrutiny. Just ask Tom Coughlin, who captured his second ring with the Giants after the 2011 season, only to receive his pink slip after the 2015 campaign.
There are also exceptions. Just look at Bill Belichick, who just wrapped up his 20th season at the helm in New England. You’ll also see a few others on this list, but, for the most part, most of today’s NFL head coaches are relatively new to their respective clubs. And, history dictates that many of them will be elsewhere when we check in on this list in 2022.
Over one-third (12) of the NFL’s head coaches have coached no more than one season with their respective teams. Meanwhile, less than half (15) have been with their current clubs for more than three years. It seems like just yesterday that the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury, right? It sort of was – Kingsbury signed on with the Cardinals in January of 2019. Today, he’s practically a veteran.
Here’s the list of the current head coaches in the NFL, ordered by tenure, along with their respective start dates:
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
- Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints): January 18, 2006
- Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007
- John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008
- Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010
- Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013
- Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 2, 2014
- Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings): January 15, 2014
- Dan Quinn (Atlanta Falcons): February 2, 2015
- Doug Pederson (Philadelphia Eagles): January 18, 2016
- Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017
- Doug Marrone (Jacksonville Jaguars): December 19, 2016 (interim; permanent since 2017)
- Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers): January 12, 2017
- Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017
- Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017
- Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears): January 7, 2018
- Matt Patricia (Detroit Lions): February 5, 2018
- Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018
- Jon Gruden (Las Vegas Raiders): January 6, 2018
- Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018
- Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019
- Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019
- Vic Fangio (Denver Broncos): January 10, 2019
- Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
- Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins): February 4, 2019
- Adam Gase (New York Jets): January 11, 2019
- Bruce Arians (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 8, 2019
- Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins): January 1, 2020
- Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
- Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
- Joe Judge (New York Giants): January 8, 2020
- Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
NFC East Notes: Crawford, Eagles, Giants
Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC East:
- The Cowboys plan to start Tyrone Crawford at defensive end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, and Crawford recently provided some positive news on his surgically repaired hips. “Surprisingly, I’m feeling great,” Crawford recently said (via the team’s official website). “Obviously, double hip surgery is nothing to play around with. But I’m feeling awesome, ready to go.” The 30-year-old’s hip problems date back to the 2018 campaign, and between him, Randy Gregory, Aldon Smith, and fifth-round rookie Bradlee Anae, there is plenty of promise — but not a ton of certainty — in Dallas’ pass rushing contingent.
- The Eagles surprisingly selected Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round of this year’s draft, but the team plans to deploy Hurts as a gadget player in much the same way the Saints have used Taysom Hill. Given that, and given Carson Wentz‘s injury history, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP believes Philadelphia needs to go out and sign a veteran signal-caller. The Eagles believe they can be a championship contender in 2020, and a player like Cam Newton or Joe Flacco could keep the club afloat in the event of a Wentz injury. In Shorr-Parks’ estimation, the same cannot necessarily be said for Hurts, Kyle Lauletta, or Nate Sudfeld.
- Like it or not, the Giants‘ offense will not contain too many elements from what the team ran last year and will instead look a lot like the system that new OC Jason Garrett ran in Dallas (Twitter link via Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network). Garrett garnered plenty of criticism over the years, but the Cowboys did finish first in yards per game and second in offensive DVOA in 2019. New York head coach Joe Judge clearly believes 2019 is a good indicator of what a Garrett offense can do.
- Yesterday, we learned that the Giants are exploring training camp sites outside of New Jersey, one of the states hit hardest by COVID-19.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Smith, Cowboys, Prescott
With graphic details and graphic images, ESPN.com’s Elizabeth Smith and Stephania Bell bring us the story of Alex Smith‘s gruesome injury and his road to recovery.
“Our first priority is we’re going to save his life,” a hospital worker said to Alex’s wife, Elizabeth, just days after the injury. “And then we’re going to do our best to save his leg. And anything beyond that is a miracle.”
Smith said that he feels “very much lucky to be alive” after the horrific injury and ensuing sepsis infection. And, after celebrating his 36th birthday in May, the Redskins quarterback is working towards an NFL return. Mrs. Smith, meanwhile, is conflicted.
“When I think about Alex returning to football, there’s part of me that wants him to do whatever he has the inner drive to do. If that means stepping back on the football field and throwing on those pads, then I want him to prove that to himself. But obviously there’s part of me asking, “‘Is it worth ever doing that again? Do you know what we just went through?'”
Here’s more on the Redskins, the Redskins’ quarterback situation, and the rest of the NFC East:
- Talk of Tua Tagovailoa going to the Redskins didn’t bother starter Dwayne Haskins.“Throughout the whole process Ron [Rivera] was just telling me to trust him,” Haskins said (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports). “I did so it worked out.” The Redskins were long expected to take Chase Young with the No. 2 pick, but there were Tua rumblings on draft week. Ultimately, they took the Ohio State edge rusher and passed on the Alabama star.
- If the Cowboys can’t work out an extension with Dak Prescott by July 15th, they’ll have to wait until after the 2020 season to resume negotiations. That deadline puts some serious pressure on the team to get something done with their beloved QB, but COO Stephen Jones says he won’t break the budget. “There’s all sorts of analytics out there that show if your quarterback takes up too big a percentage of your salary cap, it decreases your chances to win,” Jones said (via PFT). “We’re just trying to figure out the right fit. No one wants to sign Dak to a longer term deal more than Jerry and myself. We’re on the record time and time again on what we think of him as a leader. He has the ‘it’ factor. He’s a fierce competitor. He wants to win as well, and it’s just gotta be right for him and right for us.”
- The Cowboys are feeling really, really good about their Day 2 and Day 3 haul in the draft, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Before the draft, they had a “high-second-round” grade on cornerback Trevon Diggs – they landed him at No. 51 overall. They assigned a second-round grade to defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, and snagged him in the third. In the fourth round, they see yet another steal – the scouting department gave center Tyler Biadasz a high-third-round score and snagged him with the last pick of the fourth round. Time will tell, but the Cowboys are doing cartwheels over their 2020 middle-round choices.
- Carlos Hyde, who racked up 1,000+ yards rushing in Houston last year, is still available. The Eagles are interested, but they only want him at the right price.
- Recently, the Giants reworked Cooper Rush‘s contract to dial down his base pay but also give him a chunk of guaranteed money. That may bode well for his odds of making the roster, but he’s got lots of competition.
Andy Dalton Eyeing 2021 Starting Job
Andy Dalton signed to be Dak Prescott‘s backup with the Cowboys this season, but the nine-year Bengals starter does not plan to stay in Dallas beyond 2020. The 32-year-old passer viewed Dallas as an ideal landing spot for a temporary stay — one he hopes will help his value going into 2021 free agency.
“I believe I’m a starter in this league, and I feel like I could bring a lot to the table,” Dalton said, via David Hellman of DallasCowboys.com. “I know I’m on a one-year deal. I understand the market’s going to be a little bit different next offseason. So for me, it’s just, I’m trying to set myself up and put myself in the best position for the second half of my career.”
As many as five teams are believed to have pursued Dalton, but he chose a Cowboys team with an entrenched starter — albeit one who is attached to a franchise tag. Prescott has not signed his tender, but Dalton does not expect to, challenge Dallas’ four-year starter.
“Dak has played really well, and I knew the situation that I was coming into,” Dalton said. “… This is Year 10 for me — so I think with everything involved and the timing of being a free agent when I was, this is the best decision for me and for family knowing I get to join a great organization on a team that’s ready to win a lot of games.”
Prescott has never missed a game but did battle a shoulder ailment late last season. The Dalton deal protects the Cowboys, who saw Tony Romo go down at various points during his run as their starter.
In the highest-profile quarterback free agent class since free agency began in 1993, Dalton and Jameis Winston signed one-year deals. So did Philip Rivers. Tom Brady, Teddy Bridgewater and Kirk Cousins, however, agreed to multiyear contracts in March. That will help clear things up in 2021. The ’21 free agency class may be headlined by Dalton, Winston and Cam Newton — after his presumptive one-year deal. This would put that trio in a better position to attract interest as starters.
Cowboys To Sign Cameron Erving
The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year deal with Cameron Erving, according to a source who spoke with Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The deal with the former Chiefs offensive lineman will be totally finalized with a passed physical. 
Erving saw his playing time dip towards the end of the 2019 season, but he did take the field for KC’s Super Bowl victory in February. He came to the Chiefs by way of a trade with the Browns in 2017. In 2018, he started in 13 of his 14 games for his new club. After the season, he inked a brand new two-year deal, though the Chiefs did not exercise his option for 2020.
Erving’s versatility should be a major plus for the Cowboys. With experience at tackle, guard, and center, Erving could theoretically backstop the offensive line at all five spots. He may also get a chance to compete for the starting center job. Currently, the Cowboys have Joe Looney, Connor McGovern, and Connor Williams vying for the gig.
With that said, head coach Mike McCarthy said in April that he was comfortable with his in-house center options.
“I think Travis [Frederick] is a player that’s had a great career,” McCarthy said. “But when we look at our current depth with the offensive line, you start off with Joe Looney and the two Connors. I think we’ve got great competition, great depth…I think the fact that we have that much experience with the veteran group that we have here, I feel very good about moving forward.”
Giants Claim QB Cooper Rush Off Waivers From Cowboys
The Giants have claimed Cooper Rush off waivers, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The quarterback was cut by Dallas earlier this week, giving all 31 of the NFL’s other teams an opportunity to grab him.
The move brings Rush back together with Jason Garrett, the Cowboys’ former head coach and the Giants’ current offensive coordinator. Their relationship won’t necessarily guarantee him a spot on the final roster, however.
The Giants have Daniel Jones locked in as their starter with Colt McCoy slated to serve as his primary backup. There’s also Alex Tanney and undrafted rookie Case Cookus on board, making Rush the fifth QB on the offseason roster. For what it’s worth, the Giants have flexibility in this space – Cookus’ UDFA deal is dirt cheap and Tanney’s contract can be dropped without any fiscal penalty between now and the start of the year.
Rush, 26, has appeared in just two NFL games since going pro out of Central Michigan.