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Coaching Rumors: Seahawks, Vrabel, Getsy, Saints, Slowik, Harbaugh

January 8th, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks are not set to clean house on offense, but they are not considering anyone from Ryan Grubb‘s staff to be their next OC after making Grubb an one-and-done. Mike Macdonald confirmed as much (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta), while praising the team’s young core in hyping up the job. Although the Seahawks are only preparing to look outside the organization for help, Macdonald added (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson) play-calling experience will not be required. This is not too uncommon, as teams regularly hire quarterbacks coaches or pass-game coordinators to be OCs. Those roles generally do not feature play-calling duties. The team has already put in interview requests, per Macdonald, though no names have surfaced yet. Additionally, Macdonald said (via Condotta) the new hire, as could be expected, will not be forced to retain all of Grubb’s staff. More changes should be expected.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Mike Vrabel looks to have a much better chance of landing a job this year compared to 2024, though he did interview with a few teams following his surprising Titans ouster. One of those meetings came with the Panthers, who were coming off a 2-15 season. As Vrabel did not view himself as a strong candidate to land the Falcons’ job, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt notes that the then-recently fired coach was not interested in the Carolina position (subscription required). David Tepper‘s presence had hurt the perception of the Panthers’ job at that point, as the owner had been accused of meddling in personnel matters — during a second straight season in which he fired a head coach — before throwing a drink on a fan during a late-season game in 2023. Dave Canales took over and is set to begin a second offseason in charge, while Vrabel is viewed as the Patriots’ lead candidate.
  • The Saints do not have as many HC candidates compared to the Bears and Jets, but they do not appear interested in expanding right now. Aaron Glenn, Kellen Moore, Joe Brady, Anthony Weaver, Darren Rizzi, Mike Kafka and Vrabel comprise New Orleans’ current list, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler views this as the full group for the foreseeable future.
  • Bobby Slowik appeared on interview lists last year, but the Texans OC’s second season has not gone as well. Only one team, the Jets, has contacted Slowik about an HC interview this year. As the Texans prepare for their playoff matchup with the Chargers, SI.com’s Albert Breer does not tab Slowik as automatic to return for a third season. The former 49ers assistant, after a C.J. Stroud sophomore slump, will likely need to present a plan to DeMeco Ryans to keep the gig — even after the team extended its play-caller last January. That deal came with a significant raise, but Houston’s offense dropped from 12th to 22nd in yardage and 13th to 19th in points.
  • Weeks after Robert Saleh resurfaced with longtime friend Matt LaFleur‘s Packers, the NFC North team rehired one of its former assistants for a similar role. After being canned as Raiders OC, Luke Getsy is helping out the Packers as an advisor, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. Getsy had been working remotely for a few weeks. While Saleh has helped Green Bay’s offense with preparation, Getsy — a former Packers QBs coach before his two OC stints elsewhere — had been helping the defense.
  • Jim Harbaugh signed a five-year deal worth $16MM per season last January, and his latest quick-turnaround effort brought additional compensation. The first-year Chargers HC collected a $1MM bonus for guiding the team to the playoffs, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.

Jets Request GM Meetings With Brian Gaine, Jon-Eric Sullivan

January 7th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a second team has entered the GM mix, as the Titans have fired Ran Carthon after two years, the Jets have been at this much longer. Their GM search includes several names — both second-chance candidates and aspiring first-timers — and more interview slips have since gone out.

A potential rookie GM and another former front office boss are on the Jets’ radar. The team sent out requests to Bills assistant GM Brian Gaine and Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Gaine has moved into the position current Giants GM Joe Schoen once held, and teams have also been interested in Bills exec Terrance Gray for GM posts. As Buffalo has become an AFC East powerhouse after snapping a near-two-decade playoff drought, teams have shown interest in Brandon Beane‘s lieutenants. Gaine has enjoyed two stints in Buffalo, though those tenures sandwich a forgettable stint as the Texans’ GM.

Hired to replace Rick Smith in 2018, Gaine was booted from that post less than 16 months in. The Texans fired their GM after the 2019 draft, representing a historically quick hook. They did so despite Gaine having worked in Houston’s front office from 2014-16. A Jets meeting would be Gaine’s first known GM interview since his Texans ouster.

Houston had gone to the playoffs in 2018, being one of the few 0-3 teams to make it in NFL history, but the team soon gave Bill O’Brien HC/GM powers during what became a rather interesting period. Gaine ended up back in Buffalo soon after his Houston dismissal, and he has been the Bills’ assistant GM since Schoen’s 2022 exit.

Sullivan has gone through a more stable NFL run, being a Packers exec for more than 15 years. A Packers intern back in 2004, Sullivan joined the scouting ranks in 2008 and has worked his way up to the role of one of Brian Gutekunst‘s top aides. After four years as co-director of player personnel, Sullivan has been in his current post since 2022. This would be Sullivan’s first known interview for a GM post.

The Jets have already met with Louis Riddick, Jim Nagy and ex-GMs Jon Robinson and Thomas Dimitroff for the job. They have since sent out requests to former Browns GM Ray Farmer, ex-Colts GM Ryan Grigson. Chiefs exec Mike Borgonzi, Buccaneers cap chief Mike Greenberg, Bengals exec Trey Brown and Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby are also on the Jets’ radar. Borgonzi will interview for the job Wednesday, joining OC Matt Nagy in meeting with the Jets at that point. Due to their bye week, the Chiefs can see their assistant coaches and execs interview virtually for open positions now.

Packers’ Christian Watson Tears ACL

January 6th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

The non-contact injury Christian Watson sustained Sunday has produced a worst-case scenario for the Packers. Ahead of their playoff outing, the Pack will be without Watson. Green Bay may be without him for more games beyond this season.

Watson sustained a torn ACL and additional damage in Week 18, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. While players regularly make Week 1 returns after late-season injuries, it is also not too uncommon for reserve/PUP list stays to commence. The additional damage the third-year wide receiver sustained may key such a move.

This injury came after Watson was iffy to play against the Bears with a knee injury. After missing Week 17, Watson had missed two practices last week but logged a limited session Friday. The 6-foot-4 wideout suited up for a Packers team that ended up resting some starters, even as the NFC’s No. 6 seed was on the line. Jordan Love is not believed to have suffered a significant hand injury, but one of his top weapons will not be available for the Packers in these playoffs. And it will be worth monitoring later whether Watson will begin his contract year on time.

Injuries have dogged Watson throughout his career. This past offseason, the former second-round pick saw a hamstring specialist to determine the cause of his repeated issues. After missing eight games last season, Watson returned to play 15 in Year 3. While he averaged 21.4 yards per reception, the North Dakota State alum only caught 29 passes. The 620 receiving yards were still a career-high total, as the Packers have regularly used a bevy of rookie-contract wideouts over the past two seasons. Watson still operated as Green Bay’s top deep threat, which will make an upset in Philadelphia more difficult.

The Packers still have a host of options available heading into that game, as the team has continued to use the draft — after the first round, of course — to stockpile receiver options. Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Tucker Kraft are healthy for the Packers, who are the NFC’s No. 7 seed. Watson, however, has proven to be a promising downfield playmaker who opens up the offense.

Still, three other Packers (Reed, Kraft, Doubs) topped 600 yards in one of the NFL’s most balanced attacks. Green Bay will attempt to get by while Watson tackles his most serious injury yet. His long-term future is suddenly much cloudier.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

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

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Packers Placing CB Jaire Alexander On IR

January 4th, 2025 at 3:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers will be playing the final week of the regular season without star cornerback Jaire Alexander, much like they have the last six weeks. In fact, after the team placed him on injured reserve — first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network — Alexander is set to miss nearly all of the postseason, as well. Forced to miss at least four games before activation becomes an option, Alexander’s only chance at making another appearance this season requires a Super Bowl berth by the Packers.

Such a return remains extremely unlikely, though. Alexander underwent knee surgery earlier this week following a PCL tear that he suffered in November. Alexander hasn’t played since the injury was announced a month and a half ago. The team delayed placing him on IR in hopes that he could make a return, but the surgery and IR-placement seem to indicate that his season is over.

The Packers’ effort to replace Alexander’s production has mostly consisted of starts by Carrington Valentine, who started 12 games in an effort to replace Alexander during another injury-plagued campaign last year. He’s received help from Keisean Nixon and Eric Stokes to fill in this year, as well.

The Packers have put forth a strong, 11-5 effort in 2024, yet they find themselves sitting in third place in the NFC North division behind herculean campaigns by the Lions and Vikings, who both sit at an incredible 14-2. Green Bay is locked into the playoffs as a wild card team, but all they can do in Week 18 is improve their seeding from seventh to sixth with a win and a Commanders loss; this would be the difference between traveling to Philadelphia for the first round of the playoffs and traveling to Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, or Atlanta.

Green Bay also announced their two standard gameday practice squad elevations for this week. Linebacker Michael Barrett and safety Omar Brown will spend the last week of the regular season on the active roster before reverting to the practice squad for the postseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/25

January 3rd, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

Johnson sustained a concussion in a car accident earlier this week, per ESPN’s David Newton. The 2023 third-round pick will miss the Panthers’ final regular season after 14 appearances (including two starts) this year.

The Browns added three more players to injured reserve before Saturday’s matchup with the Ravens, including their leading rusher in Ford and second-leading pass-catcher in Njoku. Those absences have extended Baltimore to 19.5-point favorites as they look to lock up the AFC North. Cleveland will finish the year with 23 players on IR, including key players like Deshaun Watson and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Packers’ Jaire Alexander Undergoes Knee Surgery; CB Unlikely To Return This Season

January 1st, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Questions lingered about the status of Jaire Alexander for the closing stages of the regular season and the playoffs. The Packers corner should not be expected to return, however.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said on Wednesday that Alexander underwent knee surgery. As a result, he is likely to be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. While this was an arthroscopic procedure, the odds point to the talented cornerback not being able to return. That said, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter does note that a Super Bowl LIX return could be in the cards. Green Bay would need to likely win three road games for that to be in play.

As was the case last season and during the 2021 campaign, Alexander has been unable to stay on the field for the Packers. He will wrap this season having played in only seven games, none since November 17. Prior to undergoing the scope, Alexander continued to reinjure his knee in practice, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein writes.

A November report indicated Alexander sustained a PCL tear, making it fairly interesting no surgery commenced at that point. The timeline here stings the Packers, though they have made do without their high-priced boundary defender in the weeks since. Part of the Packers’ effort to replace Alexander last season, Carrington Valentine has started the past six games. He has teamed with Keisean Nixon and Eric Stokes in this adjusted CB contingent.

The Pack have been largely unable to play Alexander and Stokes together. The latter, a 2021 first-round pick, saw extensive run while Alexander was sidelined with a shoulder injury in 2021 but then saw his career altered by knee and foot trouble the following season. Stokes barely played last year, as Alexander missed nine games. Stokes has made his return during a contract year; Pro Football Focus has him slotted 71st among CB regulars.

As Green Bay has Stokes on an expiring contract, Alexander has not justified his extension. Prior to Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM deal, Alexander’s four-year, $84MM pact had paced corners for more than two years. Although the 2018 first-round pick played 16 games during a Pro Bowl 2022 season, he has not followed that up with regular attendance. The 19 games missed over the past two seasons could certainly impact Alexander’s future in Green Bay.

Alexander is under contract through 2026 and is only closing out his age-27 season. We are also about a year removed from his coin-toss incident in Charlotte, which led to a one-game suspension and speculation about how the Packers would proceed. GM Brian Gutekunst shut down any trade rumors, and the Packers moved forward with their No. 1 corner. It would cost them more than $18MM in dead money to move on after this year, though that could be spread out over two offseasons via a post-June 1 release. However, the Packers would create a major need at the position by going in this direction.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 30th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

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

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/24

December 28th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

It was already known Lamb would be out for the remainder of the year, but the same will now be true of Oruwariye. The latter made seven appearances in 2024, his debut Cowboys season. That included four starts and a defensive snap share of 62%, making him a notable contributor on a Dallas defense which has dealt with a number of injuries. Oruwariye, 28, is a pending free agent.

McCoy and Patrick suffered injuries during the Saints’ Week 16 loss, and today’s move confirms they will both miss the remainder of the season. New Orleans’ offensive line has been dealt a number of blows in 2024, and that will continue through the final two games of the season. McCoy appeared in just seven games this year, but plenty of term remains on his pact. Patrick, by contrast, is set to hit the open market this spring.

Whitehead returned to practice earlier this week, so it comes as no surprise he will be available to the Buccaneers tomorrow. He will be expected to reprise his role as a defensive starter as Tampa Bay looks to seal the NFC South over the final two games of the campaign. Bringing back Whitehead and Johnson will leave the team with two IR activations.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 24th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.

The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.

Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

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