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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Eyeing Mike McDaniel For OC Job

By | at January 8, 2026 2:40 pm

Hours after the Dolphins bailed on a potential plan to give Mike McDaniel a fifth season as head coach, the experienced play-caller is drawing offensive coordinator interest.

The Lions reached out to McDaniel about their OC vacancy, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Detroit fired John Morton after one season. McDaniel figures to be a coveted commodity on the OC carousel, and it should not be deemed out of the question HC-needy teams express interest.

There will be competition for McDaniel’s services on the OC market, should he drop below the HC level during this cycle. A number of teams and prospective HCs have the newly available coach on their OC list, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. The Lions, however, do present a favorable option for play-callers given their offensive personnel and recent success.

While the Lions have not used anyone from the Mike/Kyle Shanahan tree since Anthony Lynn — whom Dan Campbell demoted during his first season calling plays (2021) — it is clear the team is interested in a potential transition. McDaniel learned under Kyle Shanahan at multiple stops, and considering the popularity of this genre of offense leaguewide, such a transition certainly shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for the Lions. After all, Jared Goff developed under Mike Shanahan disciple Sean McVay in Los Angeles.

McDaniel (feat. Tyreek Hill) reignited Tua Tagovailoa‘s career upon arrival in Miami four years ago. The former No. 5 overall pick led the NFL in yards per attempt and passer rating in 2022, paced the league in passing yardage in 2023 and in completion percentage in 2024. Miami’s offense steadily declined under McDaniel, however, sinking from second (2023) to 22nd (2024) to 25th (’25). This period ended with Tagovailoa’s benching and both McDaniel and GM Chris Grier being fired.

The Dolphins were believed to be more likely to retain McDaniel, but a Wednesday report indicated GM candidates were being asked for their thoughts about working with him. Despite some ex-McDaniel coworkers in the mix, the Dolphins moved on and will align their GM and HC positions this offseason. The Lions have an established head coach in Campbell, who also spent time in Miami during Stephen Ross‘ ownership tenure (and with Grier in the front office), but they swung and missed on Morton.

Detroit did not conduct a thorough search upon hiring Morton. With McDaniel in demand, the Lions will likely reach out to more candidates this time around. With McDaniel a minority candidate, however, the Lions would not need to interview a second option. The Rooney Rule only mandates one external minority candidate be interviewed for coordinator positions — as opposed to two for HC and GM posts. Though, the team still will be likely to meet with multiple candidates given the moving parts here.

7 comments Detroit Lions

Falcons Request Robert Saleh HC Interview; Team To Speak With Mike Disner For Football Operations Role

By | at January 8, 2026 12:12 pm

The Falcons have a vacancy at the head coach and general manager positions. Atlanta will also soon have a new president of football operations.

A hire for the football ops role will take place before the other positions are filled. Matt Ryan remains the favorite in that capacity, but other options are (as required) being explored as well. Interviews will take place beginning today. Ian Cunningham (Bears) has received an interview request. The same is also true of Josh Williams (49ers), while Brandt Tilis (Panthers) will speak with Atlanta about the gig.

A fifth candidate has emerged for the new front office spot. Lions COO Mike Disner will interview today for the president of football operations gig, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. Cunningham’s interview will take place tomorrow, he adds. All five will have spoken with Atlanta by the end of Friday; a hire will be expected shortly thereafter.

Disner began working in the NFL with the Cardinals in 2013. His six-year run in Arizona was followed by a move to Detroit. Disner has been with the Lions since 2019, previously serving as the team’s senior vice president of football and business operations. Since 2022, he has worked in his current capacity. Disner was connected to the Panthers’ GM opening in 2024 but withdrew from consideration.

As for Atlanta’s head coaching search, another interview request has been filed. According to Breer, the Falcons are among the teams looking to speak with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. An interview cannot take place until next week in his case, but Saleh figures to be busy fielding interest from a number of teams. He has already received an interview request from the Cardinals, and more are expected over the coming days.

Saleh, 46, gained steam as a head coaching candidate during his first stint leading San Francisco’s defense (2017-20). Things did not go as planned with the Jets, but Saleh is among the top options in terms of coaches who could land a second HC opportunity during the 2026 hiring cycle. Atlanta went the route of a veteran, defense-oriented coach last time around by reuniting with Raheem Morris. It will be interesting to see if a similar approach is taken this year.

7 comments Atlanta Falcons Detroit Lions San Francisco 49ers

2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 7, 2026 9:50 pm

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Following a wild-card loss, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are separating after 19 years. Now, after an overtime divisional-round loss in Denver, Sean McDermott is out in Buffalo.

The 10 HC openings are tied with 1978, 1997, 2006 and 2022 for the most in one year. Here are the candidates connected to all those searches. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-9-26 (9:40pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

12 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants PFR Originals Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/26

By | at January 6, 2026 10:20 pm

Four teams signed players to reserve/futures contracts on Tuesday, though only the Dolphins made more than two moves. Here are the latest updates:

Detroit Lions

  • OL Seth McLaughlin

Indianapolis Colts

  • LB Joseph Vaughn

Miami Dolphins

Washington Commanders

  • G Tyler Cooper, WR Nick Nash
0 comments Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Miami Dolphins Transactions Washington Commanders

David Blough A Candidate For Lions’ Offensive Coordinator Job

By | at January 6, 2026 7:52 pm

Former Lions quarterback David Blough could return to the organization as a coach. Blough, the Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, is a candidate to become the Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. It’s unclear if he’ll interview for the position.

The Lions’ hunt for an O-coordinator began when they fired John Morton on Tuesday afternoon. Morton, the Lions’ initial replacement for Ben Johnson, lasted just one year in the role.

Detroit ranked fifth in both total offense and scoring in 2025, but Morton didn’t call the plays for the entire season. Head coach Dan Campbell took over the responsibilities in Week 10. The unit improved after Morton’s demotion.

Blough, an NFL quarterback from 2019-23, spent a good chunk of his short career in the Motor City. There’s familiarity with Campbell, who coached him in 2021 and ’23.

Still just 30 years old, Blough has been on Commanders head coach Dan Quinn‘s staff since 2024. Blough worked under former quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard for most of the past two seasons, and the two aided in the development of Jayden Daniels during that span.

While Daniels enjoyed a tremendous first season en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, injuries limited him to seven games in 2025. The Commanders fell from NFC Championship Game participants in 2024 to a dismal 5-12 during an injury-wrecked campaign. They lost Pritchard when he left to become Stanford’s head coach in late November. Blough finished the season as the Commanders’ interim QBs coach.

In returning to Detroit as a coordinator, Blough would inherit one of the league’s most talented offenses. Quarterback Jared Goff, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and tight end Sam LaPorta are among their weapons under contract through at least next season.

Even if the Lions don’t hire him, it’s unclear if Blough will remain in Washington in 2026. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury exited his post on Tuesday. Kingsbury’s replacement may want to hire an entirely new group of coaches, which would leave Blough to look elsewhere.

7 comments Detroit Lions Washington Commanders

Lions Fire OC John Morton

By | at January 6, 2026 4:04 pm

Weeks after Dan Campbell took over Lions play-calling duties, the team will search for a new offensive coordinator. John Morton is out as OC after one season in the role, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. The Lions have since announced the move.

This was rumored to be the direction the Lions were heading, and it certainly makes sense given the abrupt removal of Morton’s chief responsibility. The firing also comes after the Lions went through a curiously thin search to replace Ben Johnson.

Neither Lions coordinator search was thorough. Campbell promoted Kelvin Sheppard to DC and added Morton from the Broncos, who had him in place as their pass-game coordinator. The Lions only satisfied the Rooney Rule during their OC search, with Campbell clearly having Morton in mind after losing Johnson to the Bears. It would surprise if the team replicated that narrow search this time around.

Morton, 56, had worked as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit during the 2022 season. This dismissal marks Morton’s second one-and-done in an NFL OC role. The Jets moved on after the 2017 season. Morton had the misfortune of leading the Jets’ offense during what turned out to be a gap year, when the team let Ryan Fitzpatrick walk in free agency and signed Josh McCown as a stopgap starter. Morton’s setup, however, was much better in Detroit. The offense took a step back after Johnson departed for Chicago.

The Lions still ranked fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage, but Campbell yanked Morton’s play sheet prior to Week 10. The move reminded of Campbell’s impatience with Anthony Lynn, the Lions’ OC during Campbell’s first year as HC. Campbell demoted Lynn, taking the play sheet, before the parties separated after the 2021 season. This brought Johnson to the forefront, and he excelled in the OC role for three seasons. Johnson drew significant HC interest in 2023 and ’24 but backed out of the running in both years. This gave Campbell some time to determine a replacement, but his first choice backfired.

While the Lions deserve criticism for not conducting much of a search to replace Johnson, continuity concerns motivated the decisions. Morton had been with the Lions three years ago and interviewed for the OC job Lynn landed a year prior. Following Morton’s Jets firing, he was on Jon Gruden‘s Raiders staff (as a senior assistant) for three years. The Broncos appointed him as their PGC in 2023. That season brought a Russell Wilson turnaround, and while Sean Payton has received most of the credit for that and Bo Nix‘s impressive career start, Morton parlayed Nix’s rookie season into an OC opportunity.

When Campbell took the call sheet, the Lions ranked 12th in yards per game. The second half brought an improvement, as Morton faded into the background. The Lions enjoyed good health at the skill positions, but Morton struggled to keep Jameson Williams involved in the offense. Detroit ran into some injury trouble along its offensive line, but the Jared Goff-piloted offense still stayed in the top five following Johnson’s departure.

The Lions have Goff, Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery and Penei Sewell signed long term. Jahmyr Gibbs is an extension candidate as well, creating obvious appeal for this job. Morton has spent a few years away at the college level, but he began his NFL coaching tenure in 1998. He has been a two-time Gruden staffer and three-time Payton assistant. A drop south of the coordinator level appears a near-certainty after this quick firing.

11 comments Detroit Lions Newsstand

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/5/26

By | at January 5, 2026 8:00 pm

We’ve got our first batch of reserve/futures contracts to pass along. These moves allow organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • OT Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, WR Cornelius Johnson, DT David Olajiga, DB Amani Oruwariye, G Jared Penning, DB Marquise Robinson, LB Kaimon Rucker, FB Lucas Scott

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • CB Dalys Beanum, CB Beanie Bishop, WR Elijah Cooks, S Elliott Davison, DT Coziah Izzard, OT Easton Kilty, CB Jayden Price, OT Barry Wesley

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

1 comment Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/26

By | at January 5, 2026 5:49 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Each of the players who were extended today received deals that last through the 2026 campaign. These contracts differ from reserve/futures contracts, which don’t count towards the team’s active list until after the Super Bowl.

The Bengals were especially active with these extensions today, handing out deals to a handful of players who could be in line for larger roles next season. Journeyman Joe Giles-Harris got into a career-high 10 games for Cincinnati this season, compiling 27 tackles while serving as a key special teamer. Shaka Heyward (16 tackles) and PJ Jules (18 tackles) saw similar roles for the 2025 Bengals. Mitchell Tinsley got some run on the Cincy offense this season, hauling in eight catches for 116 yards in 17 games.

2 comments Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Rams Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

By | at January 4, 2026 10:45 pm

With the AFC North now settled (in rather dramatic fashion), the 2025 regular season is in the books. Following their decisions to shelve Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick. After entering Week 17 in that slot, the Giants — as they did in 2024 — slipped out of the top two thanks to a late-season win.

Big Blue’s victories over the Raiders and Cowboys dropped them to No. 5, with today’s win allowing the Jets, Cardinals and Titans to leapfrog them. The Giants, who fell out of the No. 1 spot last year thanks to a Drew Lock-led win over the Colts in Week 17, will still hold a top-five pick — just not the one most expected two weeks ago. The Jets saw the Colts’ collapse, which dropped them from 8-2 to 8-9, give them two picks in the top 16.

The Cardinals started 2-0 but managed to close the season with 14 losses over their final 15 games. This will give Arizona a top-four pick for the third time in the Monti Ossenfort era. The GM traded out of that slot in 2023 before drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024; Ossenfort is expected to be retained for a fourth season, providing another opportunity. This will be the third straight year the Titans will hold a top-seven pick.

The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday, but thanks to a three-way NFC South tie, Tampa Bay’s draft slot will land out of the playoff positions for the first time since 2020. Because Atlanta defeated New Orleans today, Carolina’s first-round pick will slide into the bottom 14 despite its 8-9 finish — one that secured playoff entry for the first time since 2017.

Although the draft order is not fully set due to the upcoming playoffs, the first 18 picks are. Here is how the order looks after Week 18:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
  2. New York Jets (3-14)
  3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  5. New York Giants (4-13)
  6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
  7. Washington Commanders (5-12)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
  11. Miami Dolphins (7-10)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
  13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
  15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
  16. New York Jets (via Colts)
  17. Detroit Lions (9-8)
  18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
  19. Carolina Panthers (8-9)
  20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
  24. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
  25. Chicago Bears (11-6)
  26. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
  27. Houston Texans (12-5)
  28. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
  30. New England Patriots (14-3)
  31. Denver Broncos (14-3)
  32. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
27 comments 2026 NFL Draft Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Coaching Notes: Chiefs, Lions, Udinski, Leonhard, Idzik, Brown, Bears, Pitcher, Scheelhaase, Godsey

By | at January 3, 2026 10:36 pm

Matt Nagy looms as one of the top head coaching candidates with an offensive background in this year’s hiring cycle. A departure for a second HC opportunity (or at least a play-calling offensive coordinator role) is something to watch for over the coming days.

In the event Nagy were to head elsewhere, the Chiefs would find themselves in need of an OC replacement. The team could look to familiar options in such a scenario. Kansas City would “welcome back” Mike Kafka or Eric Bieniemy, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

Bieniemy, 56, worked under Andy Reid from 2013-22. That span included five years in the offensive coordinator role. Bieniemy led Washington’s offense for one season before doing the same at UCLA. He is currently serving as the Bears‘ running backs coach. Kafka, meanwhile, was with the Chiefs for five years, operating as quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator along the way. As the interim head coach of the Giants, the 38-year-old’s future is currently unclear.

With Black Monday approaching, here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL:

  • Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently hinted at staffing changes. It would comes as little surprise if OC John Morton were to be among those let go, seeing as he was stripped of play-calling duties midway through the campaign. Morton said (via Rapoport and Pelissero) “I’d like to be here” when asked about the possibility of remaining in Detroit. Taking on a lesser role for next season could thus be something to watch for as Campbell looks into his coordinator options.
  • Overall, the pool of head coaching candidates for 2026 is not seen as being as strong as last year. A large number of firings over the next few days may not be forthcoming as a result. On the other hand, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required) this winter could be busier than usual in terms of coordinator changes. Jaguars OC Grant Udinski, Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard, Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and Patriots pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown are among the staffers she identifies among those who have drawn strong reviews for their work this season.
  • Ben Johnson has impressed during his debut season in Chicago. He could be in line to lose a number of key assistants soon, however. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports names Bieniemy as a candidate to depart this winter with his stock having received a boost. In addition, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, pass-game coordinator Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett have each generated buzz regarding interest around the league. Johnson may have multiple vacancies to fill in the near future in the wake of Chicago’s successful campaign.
  • Dan Pitcher has been with the Bengals since 2016. Over that time, he has worked his way up to quarterbacks coach, a role he has had for six seasons and counting. The 38-year-old finds himself as an interview candidate for OC positions, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Losing Pitcher would deal another blow to the stability Zac Taylor enjoyed on his offensive staff until Brian Callahan‘s departure in 2025.
  • Fowler also points to Nate Scheelhaase as a “sleeper” with respect to offensive coordinator interviews. Scheelhaase, 35, served in many positions at the college level before joining the Rams in 2024; he currently serves as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Many Sean McVay assistants have gone on to land notable gigs elsewhere in the NFL, and along with D-coordinator Chris Shula Scheelhaase could soon become the latest to do so.
  • Since 2022, George Godsey has served as the Ravens’ tight ends coach. That tenure is nearing an end, however, Godsey is finalizing a deal to become the next offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. By returning to his alma mater, Godsey will end a run of NFL coaching positions which dates back to 2011.
3 comments Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots
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