Dan Skipper To Join Lions Staff; Team Blocked Bruce Gradkowski-Dolphins Interview
Former Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper is expected to stay in Detroit and take a position on Dan Campbell‘s coaching staff, according to CBS Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer.
Skipper, 31, retired after the regular season after spending most of his NFL career with the Lions. He stepped into a bigger role as the team’s swing tackle in recent years and also became a fan-favorite for his role as the sixth offensive lineman in the offense’s ‘jumbo’ packages.
Skipper’s official title is unknown, but he unsurprisingly is expected to work with the offensive line, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Perhaps the team will ask him to develop their next jumbo-set O-lineman.
The Lions are also keeping another key contributor in Detroit: offensive assistant Bruce Gradkowski. The team blocked an interview request from the Dolphins, who were interested in Gradkowski as a potential quarterbacks coach, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The former NFL quarterback and XFL offensive coordinator only arrived in Detroit last offseason, but he quickly became invaluable to the team’s operation after Ben Johnson‘s departure.
Had the Dolphins hired Gradkowski, he would have been tasked with identifying and working with Miami’s next starting quarterback, as the team is expected to part ways with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. Instead, he will continued to work with Jared Goff in Detroit. Gradkowski will likely play a key role in the Lions’ transition to new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
The Lions will not be able to block Gradkowski from future coordinator interview requests, and the club’s desire to keep him suggests that they believe he is heading in that direction. He has not been a coach for very long, but he led the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks to strong finishes as their offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024. That play-calling success could be an attractive asset to other teams in future hiring cycles.
Andrew Janocko Favorite To Become Raiders’ OC?
Refraining from a Josh McDaniels-like swerve after a Super Bowl, Klint Kubiak indeed signed a contract to become the next Raiders head coach. The Seahawks’ 2025 offensive coordinator generated considerable momentum thanks to his play-calling role on a Super Bowl-winning team.
The Seahawks may well promote from within, but a logical candidate for that role may be spoken for. Seattle quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is the “widely presumed” leader to follow Kubiak as Raiders OC, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes. Janocko has worked under Kubiak during each of his three one-year OC stints — in Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle — which makes a Las Vegas trek logical.
[RELATED: 2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
The Raiders have not conducted any OC or DC interviews yet, but Kubiak naturally has names in mind for key staff positions. Janocko came up as a rumored Raiders option, but the Seahawks could dangle a carrot the Raiders cannot. Being in consideration for the Seattle OC would open the door to a play-calling role, while Kubiak will call plays in Vegas. Janocko is a clear candidate for the Seattle OC post, with Breer adding offensive line coach John Benton and pass-game coordinator Jake Peetz also figure to be options.
Janocko, 37, worked under both Kubiaks — Klint and Gary — in Minnesota; his tenure as a Vikings assistant also covered the Pat Shurmur and Kevin Stefanski Vikes OC stops. Janocko worked as a Vikings staffer from 2015-21. After Mike Zimmer‘s firing, Janocko ended up as the Bears’ quarterbacks coach. He coached Justin Fields for two seasons under Luke Getsy before rejoining Kubiak in New Orleans as Saints QBs coach.
Janocko’s work with Sam Darnold has generated understandable attention, and it would seem likely the veteran assistant ends up with an OC job in Vegas or Seattle. Janocko has only coached QBs since a 2021 shift to that role in Minnesota, previously residing as the Vikings’ wide receivers coach (2020) and an O-line staffer (2018-19). In Vegas, Janocko would join Kubiak in coaching near-certain No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. But the Raiders certainly need help elsewhere on offense. The Seahawks stand to feature mostly the same starting 11 from their Super Bowl LX win.
Benton, 62, has hovered on the O-line coach level since entering the NFL in 2003. He has been in that role with the Rams, Texans, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets, Saints and Seahawks. Peetz, 40, has been Seattle’s pass-game coordinator for two seasons. He has experience on the OC carousel as well, interviewing for the Lions’ job this year and the Buccaneers’ gig in 2024. Had McDaniels not spurned the Colts in 2018, he was planning to hire him as OC. While no promotion to that level has occurred yet for Peetz, the ex-Sean McVay assistant may end up in the Seahawks’ chair soon.
Lions O-line coach Hank Fraley also looms as a name to monitor for the Seattle OC job, Breer adds. The Seahawks interviewed Fraley for their OC role last year, scheduling a second interview, but the Lions reached an agreement to retain him and remove him from the Seattle search. Fraley also helped the Lions zero in on Drew Petzing as OC this offseason. Fraley, 48, has been with the Lions since 2018.
Final 2026 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LX in the books, the full 2026 NFL draft order has been set. Free agency is not far away, but attention will increasingly turn to April’s event as the offseason progresses.
The top of the first-round order is not subject to much in the way of speculation. The Raiders own the No. 1 selection and are widely seen as the landing spot for Fernando Mendoza, the lone quarterback regarded as a first-round lock at this point. How other QB-needy teams positioned throughout the order operate over the coming weeks – knowing there is a lack of high-end prospects this year – will make for an interesting storyline around the league.
This year’s NFL Combine will begin on February 23. Events such as the Senior Bowl have already taken place, leaving the Combine as the next major checkpoint in the evaluation of top prospects. Teams will begin arranging ‘Top 30’ visits with several players of interest relatively soon during the build-up to the draft. This year’s event will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
Pending the inevitable trades which will shake up the order, here is a final look at how things stand leading up to Day 1:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
Jets Hire Seth Ryan As Passing Game Coordinator
After a year as the Lions’ assistant tight ends coach, Seth Ryan is taking over as the Jets’ passing game coordinator, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports. Ryan is the son of ex-Jets head coach Rex Ryan and the grandson of former Jets defensive line coach Buddy Ryan.
Set to turn 32 in March, Seth Ryan is a former Clemson wide receiver whose coaching career began with the Chargers in 2019. He spent two years on Anthony Lynn‘s staff, but the Chargers fired Lynn after 2020. With Lynn then becoming the Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ryan followed him to the Motor City. Although Lynn only held his job for a year, Ryan wound up lasting a half-decade on Dan Campbell‘s staff.
Ryan was the Lions’ assistant wide receivers coach from 2021-24, a period in which he mostly worked with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds. Unfortunately for Ryan, in his lone season with the Lions’ tight ends, starter Sam LaPorta missed eight games with a back injury.
Ryan will now take on a much bigger role in New York, where he’ll assist new offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The two will aim for massive improvements to a Jets passing game that easily ranked last in the NFL in 2025. The team will head into the heart of the offseason without an answer at quarterback after big-money pickup Justin Fields flopped this past season.
Although the Jets signed Fields for a guaranteed $30MM last March, head coach Aaron Glenn benched him for the rest of the year in mid-November. The Jets are expected to move on from Fields sometime soon. Journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor is slated to hit free agency, though the club is interested in re-signing him for what should be a fairly cheap deal. The Jets also have Brady Cook, but he was in over his head as an undrafted rookie.
Along with seeking a capable QB in either free agency or the draft, where they own two first-round picks (Nos. 2 and 16), the Jets will need to find more weapons in the passing game for Reich and Ryan. The Jets have a legitimate star in No. 1 wide receiver Garrett Wilson and a promising tight end in Mason Taylor. There’s little else in the cupboard, though receivers Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie did see their production increase after the Jets acquired them in trades before the Nov. 4 deadline.
As recent second-round picks (Metchie in 2022, Mitchell in 2024), the Jets may continue to hope at least one of them turns into a consistent contributor. Even if that happens, the Jets would benefit from adding more receiving talent this offseason. They have the cap space and the draft capital to make it happen.
NFC Staff Updates: Cardinals, 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur quickly hired Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator, and he is now looking for coaches to run his defense and special teams.
Arizona is interviewing a number of candidates for defensive coordinator, while Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has emerged as a leading candidate to take over as special teams coordinator, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Ghobrial, 37, has spent the last two years with the Giants. Before that, he served as the Jets’ assistant special teams coordinator on Robert Saleh‘s staff, overlapping for two years with LaFleur. Ghobrial previously worked for a number of college programs as well as the Lions in 2017.
The Giants had a solid year on special teams in 2025. They ranked fifth in yards per kickoff return (27.7) and 10th in average starting field position (31.3). Cornerback Deonte Banks also recorded one of the NFL’s five kick return touchdowns last year.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks across the NFC:
- Elsewhere in the NFC West, the 49ers are hiring former Dolphins offensive assistant Roman Sapolu to their staff, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He previously served as Hawaii’s offensive coordinator and Fresno State’s run game coordinator. He is also the son of former NFL offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu, who won four Super Bowls with the 49ers between 1983 and 1997.
- The 49ers also promoted team president Al Guido to Chief Executive Officer, per a press release. Guido first arrived in San Francisco in 2014 as the Chief Operating Officer before his promotion to president.
- The Cowboys are retaining Jamel Mutunga, who spent the 2025 season in Dallas via the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He will be the team’s assistant running backs coach moving forward, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
- The Lions are promoting assistant offensive line coach Steve Oliver to tight ends coach, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will replace Tyler Roehl, who left Detroit to become Iowa State’s offensive coordinator.
- The Buccaneers are making internal promotions to replace cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross (fired) and safeties coach Nick Rapone (retired), according to Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Rashad Johnson will take over Ross’ role while Tim Atkins will succeed Rapone. Both served as assistant secondary coaches in 2025.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Offseason Outlook: Detroit Lions
After finishing as the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2024, the injury-riddled Lions suffered a one-and-done exit in the playoffs. Expectations were high for another strong showing in 2025, a year in which Dan Campbell proceeded with several new faces on his coaching staff.
The expected departures of Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and others during last year’s head coaching hiring cycle led to questions about Detroit’s ability to remain among the league’s elite this time around. Many members of the Lions’ core were still present, but the team battled inconsistency throughout the season. Detroit salvaged a 9-8 record by upsetting Chicago in Week 18, but the three-game losing streak which preceded it ensured a return to the playoffs would not be possible.
That leaves Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes and Co. with a number of crucial decisions to make over the coming weeks. A few notable staffing changes have already taken place, but several ascending players currently face an uncertain future beyond 2026. With cap maneuvering and a potential offensive line rebuild on the way, the Lions figure to be busy managing a number of in-house situations this spring.
Coaching/front office moves:
- Fired offensive coordinator John Morton
- Hired Drew Petzing as OC replacement
- Added former Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka to staff
- Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard interviewed for Dolphins’ head coaching position
Campbell elected to go internal with one coordinator move last offseason but tapped Morton as an outside hire. The latter faced the tall task or replicating the success enjoyed under Ben Johnson, who led Detroit to three straight top-five finishes in scoring during his OC tenure. Under Morton – who worked with the Lions in 2022 – the team managed to finish fourth in points. A substantial regression in the running game proved to be a problem, however.
NFC North Coaching Updates: Vikings, Petzing, Packers
Barring a departure for one of the two remaining open head coaching positions, the Vikings have fulfilled their biggest offseason wish of retaining defensive coordinator Brian Flores, even securing him long-term with a contract extension. While Flores is still around, assistant head coach Mike Pettine has retired, passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones landed a coordinator job with the Commanders, and the team moved on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper and allowed defensive line coach Marcus Dixon‘s contract to expire. 
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been working to fill the roles left vacant by these departures in recent weeks. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team has brought in Frank Smith to fill Pettine’s former role as assistant head coach. Smith, a former offensive coordinator with the Dolphins, learned under former play-calling head coach Mike McDaniel and could bring some of his influence to the offense. He’s also expected to help in run game planning. To replace Kuper, O’Connell promoted Keith Carter to offensive line coach. He was the team’s assistant OL coach last year but has served as a full-time position coach in the past and will return to that role in Minnesota next year.
On defense, Gerald Alexander will replace Jones as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach. Alexander has bounced around since entering the NFL ranks of coaching in 2017, working DB coaching jobs with the Panthers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Raiders before landing in Minnesota. Flores worked with Alexander during his stops in Miami and Pittsburgh, so if he doesn’t get a head coaching position, Alexander will be reuniting with him in Minnesota. Replacing Dixon will be Ryan Nielsen, who will add defensive run game coordinator to Dixon’s original DL coach title. Nielsen has coordinator experience with the Saints, Falcons, and Jaguars and most recently served as a senior defensive assistant with the Bills.
Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFC North:
- Last year, the Lions took play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator John Morton and ended up parting ways with him at the end of the season. Head coach Dan Campbell took over play calling for the remainder of the season, but he doesn’t intend to retain those duties in 2026. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, general manager Brad Holmes told the media that new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will take the reins in calling plays for the offense in Detroit next season. Petzing will be running the show as the Lions look to get back on track after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
- Lastly, in Green Bay, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports that the Packers are expected to hire Sam Siefkes as linebackers coach. After a year at the collegiate level as defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Siefkes reunites with new Packers DC Jonathan Gannon. Siefkes previously served as Gannon’s linebackers coach in Arizona, where Gannon was head coach. Siefkes’ addition indicates that former linebackers coach Sean Duggan, who was reportedly expected to follow Jeff Hafley to Miami for a potential shot at a role as defensive coordinator, is officially departed from Green Bay.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/29/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures contracts on Thursday. Here are the latest updates:
Denver Broncos
- OT Marques Cox, C Michael Deiter, G Nash Jones, DT Kristian Williams
Detroit Lions
- TE Thomas Gordon
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR A.T. Perry
Lions To Add Mike Kafka, Retain Jim O’Neil
The Lions made their offensive coordinator choice recently, tabbing Drew Petzing to call plays in 2026. But they are adding another seasoned play-caller to their staff.
Mike Kafka is joining Dan Campbell‘s staff for an unspecified “high ranking” position, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The recent Giants interim HC called plays for most of his OC tenure in New York. Rather than hit the coordinator carousel, Kafka will step back and hold a key non-play-calling role in Detroit.
Campbell also reached an agreement to retain Jim O’Neil, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. A former NFL DC who interviewed for the Jets’ DC post, O’Neil has been in place as a defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024. The Lions also announced their Petzing hire Monday.
The Lions had interviewed Kafka for the job ultimately given to Petzing, and the former also met with the Eagles during their long-running OC search. Prior to that, the Buccaneers brought in Kafka about their OC vacancy. Other OC positions have opened and will open soon, as the HC carousel still spins, but Kafka will settle in Michigan for the 2026 season. This will be Kafka’s third NFL employer (as a coach), after stints with the Chiefs and Giants.
Taking what amounted to a courtesy Giants HC interview after being their interim leader to close the season, Kafka went 2-5 in that role. Though, the Giants’ two wins came over disinterested Raiders and Cowboys teams; the latter benched Dak Prescott midway through the Week 18 Giants matchup.
Kafka, 38, still received HC consideration during multiple previous cycles. He met with the Bears and interviewed twice with the Saints last year. He met with the Titans in 2024 and spoke twice with the Seahawks that year, later being blocked from interviewing for Seattle’s OC job. The Cardinals, Colts and Panthers met with Kafka in 2023, on the heels of the Giants’ surprising divisional-round trek.
The Giants have been unable to approach that level of success since, leading to their $20MM-per-year John Harbaugh contract. New York did show some promise with Jaxson Dart, even if it rarely translated to wins. The team ranked 17th in scoring offense and 13th in yardage, with Kafka taking back the play sheet in 2025 — after Brian Daboll called the shots in 2024. The team ranked 31st in scoring in 2024.
This will be an interesting dynamic for the Lions, who demoted one-and-done OC John Morton in Week 10. Campbell called plays the rest of the way, and the Lions finished fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage. Campbell now has two three-season play-callers on his staff, with Petzing having that responsibility from 2023-25 in Arizona.
Formerly the Browns and 49ers’ DC, O’Neil has been off that tier for 10 years now (though, he did serve as Northwestern’s DC from 2021-22). Settling in with the Lions over the past two seasons, O’Neil had worked with the Jets previously under Rex Ryan. Aaron Glenn has not made a decision on his next DC yet, but two of his candidates — O’Neil and Mathieu Araujo — have taken other jobs. The Jaguars hired the recent Dolphins CBs coach last week.