Coaching Notes: Bears, Jaguars, Allen, Patriots, Lake
GM-centric workflow models are more common in the modern NFL than those that start with head coaches, though some teams still have their sideline leaders atop the personnel pyramid. The Bears are not one of them, and it does not sound like they intend to change that after this search concludes. Chairman George McCaskey confirmed (via the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs) the team’s next HC will still report to GM Ryan Poles, who will report to president Kevin Warren.
This will close the door on a coach power play or a change in which both the Bears’ HC and GM would report to Warren. The top-down model being non-negotiable could affect the franchise’s search to some degree, though the Bears have used this setup for a while. Additionally, the Bears’ first round of interviews will be entirely virtual, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. This applies to unattached coaches, who are not bound by league rules mandating virtual meetings before January 20, the day after the divisional round wraps.
Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:
- A Monday report did not make it clear if the Patriots would fire Alex Van Pelt along with Jerod Mayo, but the veteran OC apparently told friends shortly after the Bills matchup he and the HC were each fired, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes. This is not yet official, but coordinator statuses can go quiet as teams search for new HCs. Mayo had criticized Van Pelt during the season, leading to hot seat rumors. But the play-caller had drawn praise for his work with Drake Maye. The Patriots should expect plenty of staff turnover, the Globe’s Nicole Yang adds. That is generally the norm, but the Pats retained several staffers following their Bill Belichick-to-Mayo transition.
- Ben Johnson is set to go through a four-pack of interviews between Friday and Saturday, as summits with the Patriots, Raiders (both Friday) and Bears and Jaguars (Saturday) loom. Buzz around the league points to Johnson being intrigued by the Jacksonville job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes, but the in-demand assistant might want his own GM. The Lions’ OC has been notoriously picky when it comes to a job, and although more noise has come about him taking one during this cycle, Trent Baalke being retained could throw a wrench into the Jags’ process. It would seem unlikely if the Jags allowed Baalke to remain GM if Johnson preferred that not remain the case, and a Wednesday report indicated the team could be open to kicking Baalke to another role. That said, Fowler adds some among the Jags are skeptical a coach could run a power play to boot Baalke from his four-year post.
- Not much has come out about Dennis Allen‘s future post-New Orleans, but the recently fired Saints leader may have another DC chance again soon. The Colts have come up as an interested party, Fowler adds, noting the three-year Saints HC should be a candidate for the Indy DC job. The team has yet to conduct an interview, but Allen has been either a head coach or DC for most of the past 14 years. The Saints had played well defensively leading up to this season, with Allen at the helm when the team repaired a porous unit in the late 2010s.
- No Falcons coordinator changes have come out, but some in the league are keeping an eye on their DC situation, Fowler notes. Raheem Morris did not definitively endorse Jimmy Lake for a second year. Morris brought the former Washington Huskies HC with him from the Rams’ staff, doing the same with OC Zac Robinson. After improving under one-and-done DC Ryan Nielsen, the Falcons dropped to 23rd in scoring defense and yards allowed under Lake, a first-time NFL coordinator.
Lou Anarumo, Steve Wilks Expected To Interview For Colts’ DC Job
Highly regarded in his Bengals DC post heading into this season, Lou Anarumo saw his pieces unravel during a disastrous slate for the unit. As a result, a firing took place. But the veteran defensive leader might not be out of work long.
One of the other teams with an early DC vacancy has contacted him. The Colts want to meet with Anarumo to replace Gus Bradley, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Colts also have Steve Wilks on their radar. Both candidates will be among those expected to interview, with the meetings on tap for next week.
The Colts booted Bradley after three seasons; Anarumo lasted six in that chair with the Bengals. The former Dolphins assistant had interviewed for multiple HC jobs during his time in Cincinnati, meeting with the Cardinals in 2023 and Giants in 2022. Anarumo was not a popular HC candidate, however, as those were the only two known meetings to have taken place. But the veteran assistant proved valuable for the Bengals during their run of back-to-back AFC championship game appearances.
Anarumo, 58, devised a sound plan to cool off a then-elite Chiefs offense to help the Bengals complete a comeback that produced the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth in 33 years. The team could not stave off a gimpy Patrick Mahomes the following January, but that 2022 Cincy unit ranked sixth in scoring defense — by far the team’s best finish under Anarumo. Even though Anarumo’s unit sank to 25th this season, it would stand to reason other DC-needy teams — once they choose HCs — will be interested in meeting with the veteran coordinator.
Wilks did not coach in the NFL this season, but his 2023 work as the 49ers’ DC aged fairly well after San Francisco opted for another change on that side of the ball this week. San Francisco plummeted from third to 29th in scoring defense this season. While the team’s defense showed cracks late in the 2023 season — culminating in a walk-off Chiefs TD to seal Super Bowl LVIII — Wilks’ unit still allowed just one touchdown drive beyond 16 yards that night.
Wilks also impressed as the Panthers’ interim coach in 2022, rallying the team to a 6-6 finish after a 1-4 start. He still lost out to ex-Colts HC Frank Reich in 2023, with Carolina intent on hiring an offense-oriented candidate. That season went much better than his 2018 one-off as Cardinals HC, which produced a discrimination lawsuit — the Brian Flores-led measure — that is ongoing.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/8/25
Wednesday’s reserve/futures deals around the NFL:
Indianapolis Colts:
Washington Commanders
- TE Lawrence Cager, T Anim Dankwah, RB Demetric Felton
2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker
The Titans and Raiders again became part of a GM carousel in the 2020s. Tennessee canned its front office boss after two seasons, while Las Vegas moved on after one. These two joined the Jets, and after two-plus offseason weeks, the Jaguars followed suit by firing Trent Baalke. With the Titans, Raiders and Jets landing on GMs, the Jags are the only team left searching. Here is how the GM market looks:
Updated 2-21-25 (4:00pm CT)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interviewed 2/13
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed 2/13; strong contender?
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interviewed 2/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Conducted second interview 2/19
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): Hired
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Interviewed 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant general manager (Raiders): Interviewed 2/14
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): One of top candidates?; Interviewed 2/13
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice president of player personnel (Packers): Conducted second interview 2/20
- Ethan Waugh, interim general manager (Jaguars): Strong candidate?; Interviewed 2/20
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Conducted second interview 2/19
Las Vegas Raiders
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interviewed; to conduct second interview 1/20
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed; to conduct second interview 1/20
- Lance Newmark, assistant general manager (Commanders): Potential frontrunner?; interviewed 1/19
- John Spytek, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): To interview; hired
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Interview requested
- Sheldon White, director of pro scouting (Steelers): Interview requested
New York Jets
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/8; hired by Titans
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Conducted second interview 1/23
- Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): Interviewed 12/16
- Ray Farmer, senior personnel executive (Rams): Interviewed 1/9
- Brian Gaine, assistant general manager (Bills): Interviewed 1/14
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/10
- Ryan Grigson, senior vice president of player personnel (Vikings): Interviewed 1/11
- Alec Halaby, assistant general manager (Eagles): Interviewed 1/8
- Darren Mougey, assistant general manager (Broncos): Hired
- Jim Nagy, Senior Bowl director: Interviewed 12/19
- Lance Newmark, assistant general manager (Commanders): Conducted second interview 1/21; hire expected; still a candidate
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/2
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): Interviewed 12/17
- Phil Savage, interim general manager (Jets): Interviewed
- Chris Spielman, special assistant to president/CEO (Lions): Interviewed 1/11
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
Tennessee Titans
- Matt Berry, senior director of player personnel (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/11
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Hired
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Conducted second interview 1/15
- Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): Interviewed 1/10
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Conducted second interview 1/14
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Conducted second interview 1/14
- Catherine Hickman, assistant general manager (Browns): Interviewed 1/11
- Reggie McKenzie, senior personnel executive (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/10
- John Spytek, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview 1/16
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Conducted second interview 1/16
Colts Open To Adding QB To Compete With Anthony Richardson
Although the Colts are readying to run back their Anthony Richardson plan for 2025, it would seem the team would need better insurance based on the events of this season.
Becoming one of just seven QBs to complete less than 50% of his passes (minimum 200 attempts) in the 21st century, Richardson sported the lowest completion percentage by an NFL starter since Tim Tebow‘s 2011 showing. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick connected on just 47.7% of his throws, an untenable rate at this level. The Colts, however, are staying the course with both Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen. This figures to buy Richardson more time.
Displaying top-shelf athleticism, Richardson has battled concerns about his work ethic and has regressed in the passing game. The talented runner received Jim Irsay‘s support to be a Week 1 starter in 2023, but Ballard later said he wished the team did not play the one-year Florida starter at all as a rookie. Richardson playing in 2023 led to a season-ending shoulder injury, one of a few ailments the 6-foot-4 pro has dealt with, and the Colts benched him midway through this season. These developments raise the stakes for Richardson in 2025.
Steichen said this week he is open to a scenario in which the Colts add a passer who competes with Richardson for the job (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson), indicating he would discuss that prospect with Ballard. Considering Richardson’s form this season and the Colts’ HC-GM duo’s seat temperatures rising, it would be surprising if the Colts did not at least sign a high-end backup option in free agency.
Richardson not making significant progress next season will intensify calls for Ballard and Steichen’s jobs, as this front office will be on the hook for a draft blunder. The Colts had committed to finding a rookie answer after seeing a host of veterans not adequately replace Andrew Luck. The best of those options, Philip Rivers, retired after one season, leading to the Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan one-offs. Richardson has proven far less capable as a passer than either, his penchant for splashy downfield strikes (on occasion, that is) notwithstanding.
Joe Flacco wants to play an age-40 season, but he is not a realistic option to push Richardson for a starting job. Justin Fields might end up being too costly, but if the Steelers sour on Russell Wilson after a sluggish stretch run, the 36-year-old passer could be in the Colts’ price range. A Fields-Richardson competition, if the current Steeler backup’s market does not take off, would be an interesting skillset mashup, however.
Daniel Jones is also coming off a six-year starter run and would be a bridge option. The Colts also talked to UFA-to-be Jameis Winston before trading for Ryan in 2022. Kirk Cousins may remind of Ryan at this stage of his career, but he should still have a market. His days of commanding high salaries are likely over, though, and the Falcons will be on the hook for much of his 2025 salary. This creates a situation in which Cousins could follow Wilson’s path and sign for the veteran minimum, as Atlanta pays the bulk of his salary.
Beyond those potential starters, a host of backup types are set to be available. Old friend Jacoby Brissett looks on track to leave the Patriots, while Jimmy Garoppolo, Andy Dalton and Case Keenum check in as proven backups. Two of Fields’ 2021 first-round peers — Zach Wilson and Trey Lance — would not be startable options, though Mac Jones could conceivably make a case as a low-end bridge after showing some flashes after Trevor Lawrence‘s injury. Gardner Minshew, the player who filled this role to modest success in 2023, figures to be available again soon — once the Raiders cut bait — as well. The Colts had expressed interest in keeping Minshew but saw his Raiders offer exceed their comfort zone.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/25
Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players through the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- DE Anthony Goodlow, OL Sincere Haynesworth, RB Zonovan Knight, NT P.J. Mustipher
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Makai Polk
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
- TE Jordan Murray
Cincinnati Bengals
- CB Micah Abraham, RB Gary Brightwell, CB Nate Brooks, WR Cole Burgess, OT Andrew Coker, DE Raymond Johnson III, S PJ Jules, S Jaylen Key, G Tashawn Manning, WR Kendric Pryor, LB Craig Young
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
- DL Tyler Manoa
Miami Dolphins
- WR Tarik Black, LB William Bradley-King, S Jordan Colbert, DT Neil Farrell, OT Ryan Hayes, OL Chasen Hines, LB Dequan Jackson, CB Isaiah Johnson, CB Jason Maitre, OT Bayron Matos, LB Derrick McLendon, TE Hayden Rucci
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Isaac Alarcon, WR Russell Gage, WR Isaiah Hodgins, OT Jalen McKenzie
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/25
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Released: RB Royce Freeman
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: QB Will Grier, LB Darius Harris
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: RB Tyler Goodson, LB Segun Olubi
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed (two years): CB Jason Maitre
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: K Charlie Smyth
A number of impending free agents quickly re-signed with their current organizations today. While these players aren’t shoo-ins for roster spots in 2025, they are attached to actual NFL contracts (vs. reserve/futures contracts, which would need to be converted into real contracts if a player makes a 53-man roster).
In addition to hanging on to kicker Charlie Smyth today, the Saints also had to deal with some notable details on a previously-agreed-upon contract. The NFL rejected the team’s contract to safety Travion Fluellen, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The organization later revised the agreement, bumping the contract from a two-year pact to a three-year pact. It’s uncertain why the league rejected the initial deal, although it could be due to Fluellen’s status as a former UFL player.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/25
With the regular season having come to an end, many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts. This allows organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Andre Baccellia, CB Jaden Davis, CB Darren Hall, OL Matthew Jones, WR Tejhaun Palmer, TE Bernhard Seikovits, DL Ben Stille
Atlanta Falcons
- DT Junior Aho, WR Phillip Dorsett, RB Elijah Dotson, WR Dylan Drummond, G Joey Fisher, G Jovaughn Gwyn, DB Lamar Jackson, QB Emory Jones, DE Khalid Kareem, WR Jesse Matthews, DB Benny Sapp III, OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- RB Emani Bailey, G Ja’Tyre Carter, TE Dominique Dafney, LB Kenny Dyson, LB Thomas Incoom, WR T.J. Luther, TE Jordan Matthews, WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- OL Theo Benedet, OL Chris Glaser, WR John Jackson, LB Carl Jones Jr., DL Jamree Kromah, QB Austin Reed, OL Ricky Stromberg, WR Samori Toure, TE Joel Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- G Javion Cohen, S Trey Dean, DE Marcus Haynes, OT Roy Mbaeteka, TE Tre’ McKitty, OT Julian Pearl, DE Elerson Smith, K Andre Szmyt, OT Lorenzo Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- G Jack Anderson, DB Luq Barcoo, DT Denzel Daxon, WR Kelvin Harmon, LB Brock Mogensen, WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper, DB Troy Pride Jr., LB Luiji Vilain, WR Seth Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Salvon Ahmed, LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, QB Jason Bean, S Marcel Dabo, CB Alex Johnson, G Atonio Mafi, TE Sean McKeon, WR D.J. Montgomery, DE Durell Nchami, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, DT Pheldarius Payne, G Josh Sills, WR Laquon Treadwell
Las Vegas Raiders
- DE David Agoha, OT Gottlieb Ayedze, CB M.J. Devonshire, CB Keenan Isaac, WR Shedrick Jackson, WR Tyreik McAllister, DE Ovie Oghoufo, C Will Putnam, LB Brandon Smith, RB Isaiah Spiller, OT Dalton Wagner, WR Kristian Wilkerson
New York Giants
- K Jude McAtamney, DL Ross Blacklock, C Bryan Hudson, C Jimmy Morrissey, DL Casey Rogers
New York Jets
- OL Zack Bailey, RB Zach Evans, T Obinna Eze, TE Zack Kuntz, G Kohl Levao, QB Adrian Martinez, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Brandon Smith, DB Tre Swilling, WR Easop Winston
San Francisco 49ers
- DL Jonathan Garvin, OL Sebastian Gutierrez, DL Tarron Jackson, OL Zack Johnson, CB Chase Lucas, S Jaylen Mahoney, QB Tanner Mordecai, OL Drake Nugent, WR Terique Owens, TE Mason Pline, WR Trent Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Quinton Bohanna, CB Ryan Cooper, LB Michael Dowell, CB Tyler Hall, C Mike Novitsky, DE Kenneth Odumegwu, S Ty Okada, WR Cornell Powell, LB Jamie Sheriff, LB Tyreke Smith, CB Damarion Williams
Tennessee Titans
- DT McTelvin Agim, DT Abdullah Anderson, LB Curtis Bolton, OL Chandler Brewer, DT Isaiah Iton, CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, OLB Kyron Johnson, WR Stanley Morgan, TE Thomas Odukoya, S Gervarrius Owens, T Isaiah Prince, RB Jabari Small
Colts Fire DC Gus Bradley
The Colts are moving on from their veteran defensive coordinator. Jim Irsay announced Monday that the team is not bringing back Gus Bradley.
The former Jaguars HC and four-time NFL DC had been in Indianapolis for the past three seasons. Despite having worked with Shane Steichen with the Chargers as well, he will not come back for Steichen’s third Colts campaign. This comes two weeks after the Colts allowed 45 points to a 2-13 Giants team starting Drew Lock; that loss eliminated Indianapolis from the playoff race.
[RELATED: Colts To Retain Steichen, GM Chris Ballard]
Bradley had been rumored to be on the hot seat, with SI.com’s Albert Breer suggesting he would be the fall guy after a tough year on defense. Indy stuck with Bradley despite poor defensive numbers last season, and the former Pete Carroll assistant is back on the market. Bradley, 58, has been either a defensive coordinator or head coach since 2009. Seahawks, Chargers, Raiders and Colts DC assignments have sandwiched a woeful Jaguars HC tenure.
Hired to be part of Frank Reich‘s staff in 2022, Bradley could not turn the Colts into an upper-crust defense. Matt Eberflus had Indy as a top-10 scoring unit three times from 2018-21; Bradley has been unable to lead this unit inside the top 20. After back-to-back 28th-place finishes, Bradley’s troops checked in 24th this season. This may be a crossroads point for the veteran assistant, though he has enjoyed success prior to his Indiana stay.
Bradley and Steichen overlapped with the Bolts from 2017-20, with the former heading to Los Angeles after his Jacksonville ouster. Bradley exited Florida with the fourth-worst win percentage (.226) in NFL history. Hue Jackson and Steve Spagnuolo check in below Bradley on that all-time list; the latter’s number with the Rams has hurt him on the HC market, despite a wildly successful Chiefs DC tenure. Bradley has been unable to match Spagnuolo’s Kansas City coordinator work, but he has been regularly sought after since the Jaguars firing.
Anthony Lynn hired Bradley in 2017, while Jon Gruden picked him up after Lynn’s 2020 ouster. As the Raiders cleaned house in 2022, Bradley found his way to Indianapolis. Bradley’s best work remains his 2012 Seahawks defense, which booked him the Jags job and set him up for other DC opportunities down the road. Seattle led the league in scoring defense in 2012, with that defensive system later aiding Dan Quinn and Kris Richard. Bradley’s zone-based system peaked a bit ago, however, and the Colts are set to go in a different direction.
The Colts played almost all of this season without JuJu Brents, a former second-round pick who was supposed to be the team’s top outside corner, and all of it without EDGE starter Samson Ebukam. The latter was part of the Colts setting an Indianapolis-era franchise record with 51 sacks last season. Ballard has also taken criticism for a largely inward-only approach on his roster. That blueprint has largely failed to pay off, but while Ballard will see more time, Bradley is out.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
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:
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- Cleveland Browns (3-14)
- New York Giants (3-14)
- New England Patriots (4-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
- New York Jets (5-12)
- Carolina Panthers (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-12)
- Chicago Bears (5-12)
- San Francisco (6-11)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
- Miami Dolphins (8-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
- Houston Texans (10-7)
- Denver Broncos (10-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
- Green Bay Packers (11-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Washington Commanders (12-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
- Detroit Lions (15-2)
Ely Allen contributed to this post.