Headlines

Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

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. Here are the candidates connected to all eight of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-9-26 (9:00am CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

10 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos 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

Giants Request HC Interview With Lou Anarumo

By | at January 6, 2026 2:16 pm

Since Brian Daboll‘s firing, many have pointed to Lou Anarumo as potential replacement. The latter will indeed receive a look from the Giants.

Anarumo has received a head coaching interview request from New York, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The Giants have thus joined the Titans in attempting to line up a meeting with Anarumo. His Tennessee interview will take place tomorrow.

Not long after Daboll was dismissed, Anarumo was named as a candidate for the Giants. The Staten Island native has previously worked with the team. Anarumo served as the Giants’ defensive backs coach in 2018. His one-year stint in that role was followed by his Bengals hire as defensive coordinator.

Anarumo led Cincinnati’s defense for six years until being fired following the 2024 campaign. In short order, the 59-year-old landed another DC gig by joining the Colts. Indianapolis finished just 23rd in total defense and 21st in points allowed this season, but the team was hit hard by injuries throughout the campaign. Anarumo’s stock has not suffered, as evidenced by the fact he is already a target of multiple teams seeking a new head coach.

The Giants promoted offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to interim HC after Daboll was fired. Kafka will interview for the full-time position, although it is rare situations such as his result in a hire on that front. New York has been named on multiple occasions as a feasible landing spot for Kevin Stefanski, who was fired by the Browns yesterday. The Giants are among the teams he is expected to interview with.

Earlier today, New York also emerged as a potential suitor for Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Like Stefanski, Joseph has been a head coach in the NFL. Anarumo, by contrast, has never led a coaching staff at the pro or college levels. He could very well get the opportunity to do so in 2026, however, depending in part on how he interviews with the Giants.

3 comments Indianapolis Colts New York Giants

Titans Request HC Interviews With Matt Nagy, Steve Spagnuolo, Vance Joseph, Lou Anarumo

By | at January 6, 2026 9:04 am

JANUARY 6: Tennessee’s interview with Anarumo will take place tomorrow, per Rapoport. He and Pelissero add the Nagy interview will be on Thursday. Spagnuolo will also interview Thursday, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Those three will be joined by recently unemployed staffers Kevin Stefanski and Raheem Morris as candidates to speak with the Titans at least once.

JANUARY 5: The Titans were the first team to fire their head coach during the 2025 season, moving on from Brian Callahan on Oct. 13. They replaced Callahan with interim choice Mike McCoy, but it didn’t lead to a turnaround. With the Titans’ offseason now underway after a 3-14 campaign, they’re working to find Callahan’s full-time successor.

Tennessee has requested interviews with two Chiefs assistants – offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – as well as Broncos D-coordinator Vance Joseph and Colts DC Lou Anarumo (via reports from Jordan Schultz, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The Titans are also expected to request a meeting with Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, per Schultz. Kingsbury’s name previously came up in connection to the Titans’ job on Sunday.

General manager Mike Borgonzi is leading the Titans’ search, though the next hire will come with owner Amy Adams Strunk‘s blessing. The fact that Borgonzi is considering Nagy and Spagnuolo for the job isn’t a surprise. Borgonzi worked in Kansas City’s front office from 2009-24, giving him plenty of familiarity with Nagy and Spagnuolo.

Both Nagy and Spagnuolo come with head coaching experience, but the former had far more success in his first stop. Nagy led the Bears to a 34-31 mark and two playoff berths from 2018-21. He earned Coach of the Year honors in his first season in Chicago.

Although Nagy doesn’t call the plays as Kansas City’s O-coordinator (that responsibility belongs to Andy Reid), his offensive background appeals to the Titans. Getting the most out of quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, will be among their next head coach’s most important tasks.

An acclaimed defensive assistant throughout his career, the 66-year-old Spagnulo has won four Super Bowls as a coordinator (three with the Chiefs, one with the Giants). However, his initial stint as a full-time head coach couldn’t have gone much worse. The then-St. Louis Rams went 10-38 under Spagnuolo from 2009-11. Spagnuolo later held the interim gig with the Giants after Ben McAdoo‘s firing in 2017. He went 1-3 in that brief run, but Spagnuolo’s stock has since gone way up during his brilliant seven-year reign atop the Chiefs’ defense.

Joseph, one of Spagnuolo’s fellow AFC West D-coordinators, is also a former head coach. While Joseph struggled to an 11-21 mark with the Broncos from 2015-16, his success since returning to Denver as an assistant in 2023 could lead to a second chance as a sideline general. Thanks largely to Joseph’s defense, which ranks first in sacks, second in yards and third in points, the 14-3 Broncos will enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Anarumo is the lone candidate in this group who has not worked as a head coach. Now 59, Anarumo was an assistant at various colleges before joining the Dolphins’ defensive staff in 2012. He earned his first D-coordinator job with the Bengals in 2019. Anarumo stayed in place for six years, a span in which the Bengals went to two AFC title games and a Super Bowl, but the team fired him after its defense finished 25th overall in 2024.

Anarumo quickly caught on with the Colts, who spiraled to an 8-9 mark after starting 8-2 in 2025. The Colts’ defense ended the year an underwhelming 21st in points and 23rd in yards, but injuries to DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward took away three of Anarumo’s best players for significant periods of time. The Titans obviously aren’t holding that against him.

The Chiefs, Colts and Commanders failed to qualify for the playoffs, which means Nagy, Spagnulo, Anarumo and Kingsbury are eligible to interview as early as Tuesday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic relays. With the Broncos on a bye, Joseph will be available to discuss the Tennessee job on Wednesday. He’ll do so via Zoom, according to Mike Klis of 9News.

18 comments Denver Broncos Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

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

WR Alec Pierce Open To New Colts Deal

By | at January 5, 2026 4:35 pm

Alec Pierce looms as one of the top free agent options at the receiver position this spring. Remaining with the Colts appears to still be on the table, although an exploration of the market also seems to be approaching.

“I’ve got great relationships here with this organization and the people in this building, this city,” Pierce said on Monday (via Nathan Brown of the Indy Star). “They’ve done so much for me so far, and I definitely would love to continue to be part of this organization, and we’ll see where things go.

“But I don’t know. I don’t know how this will all work out… I think I’ve got to see it all laid out in front of me. There’s so many different variables that go into that decision. I think it’s really hard to say what the priorities are, because you’re looking at 50 different variables at each place.”

While playing out his rookie contract, Pierce has emerged as one of the league’s premier deep threats. In each of the past two seasons, the former second-rounder has topped the NFL in yards per reception average. Pierce enjoyed a career year in 2025, setting a new personal best in catches (47) and yards (1,003).

Even after quarterback Daniel Jones suffered his Achilles tear, Pierce managed to have strong games at times down the stretch (including a two-touchdown performance yesterday). The Cincinnati product could be highly sought after during his first trip to free agency, especially if George Pickens winds up receiving the franchise tag from the Cowboys to prevent a departure. Whether it comes from the Colts or a new team, a major raise is forthcoming in Pierce’s case.

With Indianapolis having elected to retain head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, attention will turn to the matter of re-signing Jones. The 2024 free agent signing enjoyed a stellar campaign prior to being injured, and he wants to stay in place. Keeping Jones in the fold will require more than the $14MM he signed for last spring, although the injury could complicate his value.

Pierce, 25, said continuing to play with Jones represents an attractive selling point in the case of re-signing with the Colts. Based on his comments, however, it would come as little surprise if he were to at least test the waters in March.

14 comments Indianapolis Colts

Philip Rivers Expected To Receive Coaching Interest

By | at January 5, 2026 2:50 pm

JANUARY 5: When speaking to the media on Monday (video link), Rivers confirmed he would be open to coaching at the NFL level. He added, however, that “there has been no substantive interest” to this point from teams in need of a new head coach. It remains to be seen if any formal interview requests will be made over the coming days.

JANUARY 4: Though he was deemed a healthy scratch for the Colts’ final game of the season, Philip Rivers‘ NFL comeback may not be over quite yet.

While the 44-year-old quarterback will retire from playing for a second time after the end of the regular season, he could stay in the league as a coach. Rivers is expected to receive interest from teams seeking new head coaches this offseason, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, with at least one interview expected.

Both NFL and college teams have considered Rivers for coaching jobs in the past, but he has generally been uninterested. That may have changed after his shocking return to the professional playing field this year.

Rivers’ appeal to NFL teams is obvious. He has already found success as a head coach, albeit as a high school level. His ability to come off the couch and start for the Colts showed that he is still in tune with the pro game. He has ties to a number of coaches across the league and could build a strong staff. Rivers’ age also makes him an old player but would also make him a young head coach. Being a former player would also help him connect with players, many of whom watched Rivers growing up. He had a reputation for taking huge hits in the pocket to get throws off; players who knew their coach gave it his all when he was on the field may be more inclined to do so as well.

The reasons why Rivers might consider a coaching job are just as clear. It would be a new challenge and a significant step up from high school ball. He would be able to stay in the NFL after clearly enjoying his comeback this year. But Rivers also has 11 kids. Taking an NFL coaching job would take him away from his family (or force them to uproot their lives and move).

A career in broadcasting may allow more flexibility; it certainly would not come with the burden and time constraints of being a head coach. He said on Up & Adams this week that he has “not ruled it out,” but noted that other opportunities haven’t “felt right.”

“The one thing I’ve loved since I was however old playing this game and being now as a coach is I’ve been able to have some impact on the score.” Rivers added. “You might be good at it, talking about it, but I have nothing to do with the outcome of this game.”

It’s hard to impact the outcome of the game from the broadcasting booth. But as a coach on the sidelines, everything he does would impact the outcome of the game.

21 comments Indianapolis Colts

Daniel Jones Interested In Re-Signing With Colts

By | at January 5, 2026 1:30 pm

The Giants paid dearly for overvaluing Daniel Jones‘ 2022 season. After declining Jones’ fifth-year option in 2022, the Giants gave him a $40MM-per-year deal minutes before the March 2023 franchise tag application deadline. This led to a Saquon Barkley franchise tag and 2024 exit.

Jones faceplanted on the second contract, struggling to both stay healthy or approach his previous play level. The Giants dropped Jones during the second season of the deal, but the former No. 6 overall pick found new life in Indianapolis. Given a one-year, $14MM accord to compete with Anthony Richardson, Jones overtook the erratic passer and had the Colts 8-2.

Before Jones’ Achilles tear, he had been playing through a fractured fibula. Both issues will factor into Jones’ free agency, but the Colts have interest in bringing him back. Jones is also interested in staying, though he did couch his statement on the topic ahead of his third free agency bid.

“I’d love to be back here,’’ Jones said, via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell. “I’ve enjoyed being here, working with the coaching staff here, the players. I think it’s a great organization and I’ve enjoyed being here. Obviously, there’s a business side to it and I understand that.”

Jones, 28, did well on the business side when he was last in a commanding leverage position. An asking price north of $45MM per year emerged — back when the $50MM-AAV QB club had not formed — and the Giants made him their top 2023 priority. It would not seem Jones would have as much leverage this time around, but the Colts traded their 2026 and ’27 first-round picks for Sauce Gardner at the deadline. Indianapolis did so while Jones was healthy, but the team now lacks key ammo to chase a younger option.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon announced the Colts would retain GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen, and Chappell notes “every indication” points to the duo being a package deal with Jones. Even with the Achilles tear, Jones should possess some leverage ahead of negotiations. The Colts are not believed to have begun those, but with Ballard receiving assurances he is staying, those should begin soon. Indianapolis’ issues finding a long-term signal-caller post-Andrew Luck also stand to help Jones in free agency.

Injury trouble is starting to pile up for Jones, though. He battled a significant neck issue in 2021 and suffered an ACL tear in 2023. The ACL tear came after more neck trouble sidelined him early in the 2023 season. With the fracture and Achilles tear now on Jones’ medical sheet, it would stand to reason the Colts could work out a team-friendlier deal. But the Vikings are expected to pursue a veteran QB to compete with J.J. McCarthy. Considering Minnesota made Jones an offer that was believed to be higher than what Indianapolis submitted, it will be interesting to see if the NFC North club is back in on the player it briefly employed to close the 2024 season.

Jones is expected back by training camp, and the Colts should be expected to re-sign him unless a major course change commences, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes. Where Jones’ asking price settles will be one of this offseason’s key storylines.

3 comments Indianapolis Colts
Show all
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors