Jacksonville Jaguars News & Rumors

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

Jaguars To Conduct Second GM Interviews

The Jaguars reportedly wrapped up their first round of general manager interviews yesterday, and according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the team will start their second round of interviews in the coming days. Per Pelissero, that will begin with Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham. Pelissero adds that Jaguars assistant (and interim) general manager Ethan Waugh will also interview this week after not being included initially in the first round of interviews.

Jacksonville conducted their first round of interviews in the last four days, concluding with meetings with Sullivan and Cunningham yesterday. Planning second interviews with each personnel executive the next day bodes well for their standing in the race for the job.

[RELATED: James Gladstone, Josh Williams Also Among Finalists]

Sullivan has spent the entirety of his 22-year career in the NFL in Green Bay, starting as a training camp intern in 2003. He rose up the ranks of the scouting department, eventually serving as director of college scouting from 2016-17. Sullivan had a penchant for hitting on Day 3 picks with the Packers, demonstrated by the drafting of impact players like Blake MartinezDean LowryAaron Jones, and Jamaal Williams.

Sullivan’s next role was as co-director of player personnel from 2018-21 before being promoted to his current title in 2022. Sullivan’s success has drawn him plenty of general manager interest around the league. He has been considered for every general manager opening in this year’s hiring cycle, interviewing with the Titansthe Raiders, and the Jets.

Cunningham was one of the initial names to be connected to the Jaguars’ job, along with former Titans general manager Jon Robinson and Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg. Cunningham started his front office career with the Ravens back in 2008 before joining the Eagles as their director of college scouting in 2017. He climbed the ranks to director of player personnel before taking an assistant general manager job with the Bears in 2022. He’s spent the past three seasons in Chicago, though he’s flirted with promotions over the past two years. He was a finalist for the Commanders job last year, and he was interviewed for jobs with the Chargers last offseason and the Titans this cycle.

Though Waugh wasn’t included in the first round of interviews, he was mentioned as a strong candidate for the position on Thursday. Waugh had a lengthy tenure in the 49ers’ front office alongside the man these candidates are all striving to replace, former Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke. The pair worked together from 2005-16, and Waugh worked his way up to vice president of player personnel for the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. He joined Baalke in Jacksonville in May of 2022, taking on his current title. Despite the issues that led to Baalke’s dismissal, Waugh is nevertheless in contention for the job and will interview this week.

James Gladstone, Josh Williams Among Finalists For Jaguars’ GM Position

Saturday has seen the Jaguars narrow down their general manager search to a list of finalists. Second interviews are already known to be on tap for external candidates Ian Cunningham and Jon-Eric Sullivan along with interim GM Ethan Waugh. Two other staffers are still in the running, however.

The team announced Saturday that Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone and 49ers scouting and football operations director Josh Williams will also take part in a second meeting. After the Jags’ first set of interviews took place virtually, the five finalists will speak in person for their follow-ups. The final round will begin on February 19.

Jacksonville is known to want a GM hire in place before the start of the Combine, but the team’s timeline for this process will leave only a small window for the incoming executive to prepare for the event or work on building a staff. The Combine will kick off on the 24th, with drills beginning on the 27th. The Jags will need to move quickly in the second round of interviews to finalize a hire.

Gladstone was not connected to any of the other three general manager openings in the 2025 hiring cycle, but his performance during his initial meeting obviously went well. Gladstone has been with the Rams for eight seasons, making him a familiar face to new head coach Liam Coen due to his time spent in Los Angeles. Despite the fact he is a first-time head coach, the latter is playing a central role in the GM search process.

Williams was the first candidate to interview with the Jaguars, the only team which spoke with him about a 2025 vacancy. He is worked in San Francisco for the past 14 seasons, working his way up the ranks in the organization’s scouting department. Williams overlapped with former GM Trent Baalke, whose 49ers tenure was followed by a four-year run in the same position with Jacksonville. Baalke appeared to be safe after the 2024 campaign, but in the process of hiring Coen away from the Buccaneers owner Shad Khan reversed course and dismissed Baalke.

Khan and Co. could elect to once again bring in a 49ers staffer to lead the front office, but four other options (including promoting from within) remain on the table at this point. Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown was reported earlier this week to have a strong connection with Coen regarding his roster-building philosophy, but he is not among the finalists. It will be interesting to see how the second round of interviews shakes out once it begins.

Jaguars Interview Champ Kelly For GM

The Jaguars have added one more name in their search to replace former general manager Trent Baalke. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly has concluded the team’s first round of interviews with a meeting today.

Kelly was expected to be a popular candidate for general manager jobs in last year’s cycle. While he didn’t find interest everywhere, he did end up interviewing for the open role in Carolina last year that went to Dan Morgan. After acting as the interim general manager for the Raiders in 2023, he also was interviewed to step into the official role in Las Vegas, but when the role eventually went to Tom Telesco, Kelly remained in his role as assistant general manager.

This was the second time Kelly came up short in the GM-race for the Raiders. Kelly was also considered a top candidate for the Raiders’ position when the team hired Dave Ziegler, whom he would eventually replace in an interim role.

Kelly came on as the team’s assistant GM, and together with Ziegler, Las Vegas worked hard to rebuild a defense that had been worn thin and bring in top offensive talent like wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. The defense now holds promising players like Robert Spillane, Tyree Wilson, and Jack Jones, while youth also blooms on the offensive side of the ball in players like stud rookie tight end Brock Bowers and second-year wide receiver Tre Tucker.

After making the rounds with two interviews in 2024, Kelly didn’t draw as much interest in 2025. This is the first job for which he’s been interviewed this offseason. He becomes the 11th candidate reported for the job in Jacksonville and the 10th candidate to interview.

Here’s how the Jaguars’ general manager search is shaping up so far:

Jaguars Interview Jon-Eric Sullivan For GM

The Jaguars have completed an interview with Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan for their general manager vacancy, per a team announcement.

Sullivan has spent the entirety of his 22-year career in the NFL in Green Bay, starting as a training camp intern in 2003. He rose up the ranks of the scouting department, eventually serving as director of college scouting in 2016 and 2017. In those years, the Packers hit on several Day 3 picks, including Blake Martinez, Dean Lowry, Aaron Jones, and Jamaal Williams.

Sullivan was then co-director of player personnel from 2018 to 2021 before being promoted to his current title. During that time, the Packers won the NFC North three straight times before trading Aaron Rodgers to the Jets and transitioning to Jordan Love as their next franchise quarterback.

Sullivan’s success has drawn him plenty of general manager interest around the league. He was considered for every general manager opening in this year’s hiring cycle, interviewing with the Titans, the Raiders, and the Jets.

Each job ultimately went to another candidate, but Sullivan now has a chance at replacing Trent Baalke and joining new head coach Liam Coen in Jacksonville. Sullivan would have some familiarity with the Jaguars’ coaching staff, as former Packers linebackers coach Anthony Campanile is now the team’s defensive coordinator. Sullivan also worked with Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, who hails from the same Sean McVay coaching tree as Coen.

The Jaguars have now interviewed nine candidates for general manager, as listed below:

Brandon Brown Strong Candidate For Jaguars’ GM Position?

The Jaguars’ general manager search is in full swing, with the team’s first round of interviews ongoing. Brandon Brown is among the candidates who have conducted a virtual meeting with the team so far, and he appears to be a name to watch closely.

Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports Brown (who is currently the Giants’ assistant general manager) has a similar vision to that of new head coach Liam Coen. The latter is playing a central role in Jacksonville’s GM search process despite the fact he is a first-time head coach. As a result, Dunleavy notes Brown could be a strong contender to land the position.

Connected to the Panthers’ and Chargers’ GM gigs last offseason, Brown was again heavily involved in the 2025 hiring cycle. He was among the candidates who interviewed twice with the Raiders before they ultimately hired John Spytek for the position. Brown’s first NFL came as a Jets intern in 2012, and he has held a number of titles across his time with Boston College and later the Colts, Eagles and Giants.

Coen’s preferred GM hire appeared to be his (and Spytek’s) former Buccaneers colleague Mike Greenberg. Since his decision to withdraw, though, the Jags have seen their list of targets expand. External candidates (along with at least one internal one in the form of interim general manager Ethan Waugh) are being considered, and the team hopes to have a hire in place by the start of the Combine (February 24).

Brown has never been a GM in his career, and pairing him with a rookie head coach would be a notable departure from the Trent Baalke-Doug Pederson pairing which had been in place the past three years. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if he lands a second interview in the near future.

Via PFR’s GM Search Tracker, here is a look at how things are shaping up for the Jaguars:

Ethan Waugh In Contention For Jaguars’ GM Position?

The Jaguars are the lone team in the NFL with a general manager vacancy at the moment. The interview process is underway, and as a result the list of finalists amongst external candidates will soon be narrowed down.

[RELATED: Jaguars Extend President Mark Lamping]

It was recently learned that at least one internal staffer was set to receive strong consideration, though. It appears that candidate is interim GM Ethan Waugh. Waugh is a “strong” candidate to receive the gig on a full-time basis, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Waugh had a lengthy tenure in the 49ers’ front office alongside Trent Baalke. The pair worked together from 2005-16, and Waugh worked his way up to vice president of player personnel for the 2021 and ’22 campaigns. He joined Baalke in Jacksonville in May 2022, taking on his current AGM title. Over the past three seasons, things have not gone according to plan for the team; Waugh is nevertheless in contention to oversee the front office as things stand.

Baalke was not dismissed alongside head coach Doug Pederson after the season ended, something which came as a surprise to many. The Jags’ head coaching search was seen as being impacted by Baalke’s ongoing presence, however, and the timing of a secret second interview with eventual hire Liam Coen coincided with the decision to make a change in the front office. Despite being a first-time HC, Coen is playing a central role in the search for Baalke’s replacement.

Coen’s top choice looked to be former Buccaneers colleague Mike Greenberg, but he withdrew from Jacksonville GM consideration. Several other external candidates have since received an interview request, with some virtual meetings having taken place already. It will be interesting to see if Waugh also winds up interviewing for the full-time gig.

Via PFR’s GM Search Tracker, here is an updated look at how things stand for the Jaguars:

Poll: Which Team Made Best 2025 HC Hire?

With the Saints making their post-Super Bowl Kellen Moore hire official, the NFL’s 2025 HC carousel has stopped. Nearly a fourth of the league has now changed coaches. Who fared the best with their hire?

Starting in Chicago makes sense, as the Bears convinced picky candidate Ben Johnson to sign on. Johnson was squarely on the Jaguars and Raiders’ radars, to the point it is safe to assume the three-year Lions OC was the favorite for both AFC teams. Johnson expressed concern about the Jaguars’ then-Trent Baalke-centered front office setup, and the Raiders could not entice the highly valued play-caller with a rumored big offer.

The Bears are believed to be giving Johnson a $13MM-per-year deal — more than twice Matt Eberflus‘ salary — to develop Caleb Williams after an uneven rookie season. After Johnson played the lead role in reviving Jared Goff‘s career and turning the Lions’ offense into a dominant attack, this is the most anticipated Bears hire in decades. Johnson will work with holdover GM Ryan Poles, who is expected to receive an extension, and team president Kevin Warren.

As this marks a third straight instance of the Bears drafting a first-round quarterback then firing their HC one season into that player’s career, the Patriots are in the same boat. They jettisoned Jerod Mayo one year into Drake Maye‘s career, capping a tough year for Robert Kraft, who passed on a head coaching search in 2024 due to having identified Mayo as Bill Belichick‘s long-term successor years ago. Kraft’s initial plan was for Belichick to coach through the 2024 season, giving Mayo more on-the-job training. But the Pats’ 4-13 2023 record scuttled that aim. After Belichick’s firing, Mayo did not prove ready — in the eyes of Kraft and most other observers.

Enter Mike Vrabel, who will make his return to Foxborough 16 years after being included in the Matt Cassel tag-and-trade transaction. The 2021 NFL Coach of the Year made sense as an option in 2024, when the Pats had a vacancy, but the team had inserted language in Mayo’s contract naming him the HC-in-waiting. New England has Vrabel set up to have the final say moving forward, though both he and de facto GM Eliot Wolf will report to Kraft. Vrabel was viewed as having overachieved in Tennessee, leading the Titans to their first AFC championship game since 2002 and following that up with two more playoff berths — including a No. 1 seed in 2021.

The Jaguars enjoyed a much more complicated route to complete its HC hire. After favorite Liam Coen initially rejected a second interview, Shad Khan fired Baalke — who was again viewed as a hindrance in a coaching search — and conducted stealth negotiations with Coen to reconsider. He ultimately did, and despite the one-and-done Buccaneers OC not having worked for the same team in back-to-back years since a three-season Rams tenure that ended in 2020, he is believed to be tied to a Johnson-level contract and will effectively pick the next Jaguars GM.

This is quite the coup for Coen, after he helped Baker Mayfield to a 41-touchdown pass season, and the exit — after Coen had agreed on a Bucs extension — certainly ruffled feathers in Tampa. But the Jags were desperate for an offense-minded coach to boost Trevor Lawrence, whom the team gave a $55MM-per-year extension ahead of a 4-13 season.

The Raiders pivoted to Pete Carroll, who is set to become the oldest HC in NFL history. Carroll, who will turn 74 in September, profiles as a short-term option. The Raiders gave the former Seahawks Super Bowl-winning leader a three-year deal, which is shorter than the typical HC contract. Carroll will work with powerful minority owner Tom Brady in aiming to turn the Raiders around. The Raiders have gone through four HCs and four GMs (John Spytek the latest) this decade, and they will hope Carroll can calm things down. Carroll was linked to conducting his interviews with a potential successor in mind. The team, however, hired 61-year-old OC Chip Kelly and kept Josh McDaniels‘ DC choice (Patrick Graham); this points to Carroll’s successor not yet being with the team.

Like Vrabel, Aaron Glenn is returning to the team with which his playing career is best identified. The former Jets first-round CB is being given more power than Robert Saleh held, being set to report to ownership. Woody Johnson went so far as to label GM Darren Mougey as Glenn’s sidekick, illustrating both a tremendous opportunity for Glenn and the state of a Jets organization that had trouble attracting candidates (Vrabel and Johnson among them) after a turbulent year.

Glenn, who comes over after elevating the Lions into a top-10 defense despite Aidan Hutchinson‘s injury, is already making his voice heard. Aaron Rodgers is not expected back, with Glenn and Mougey believed to have pressed the QB on ditching his Pat McAfee Show segments in an effort to focus on football. After two years of the Jets catering to Rodgers, they are in the hunt for a new passer — one Glenn will have a significant say in identifying.

Prior to his Cowboys meetings, Brian Schottenheimer had not conducted a head coaching interview since PFR launched in 2014. The second-generation NFL coach has made the stunning leap from off-radar candidate, who had been Mike McCarthy‘s non-play-calling OC, to Jerry Jones‘ next sideline leader. The Cowboys again conducted a strange HC change, waiting a week to ditch McCarthy — after term length proved a negotiating sticking point — before being tied to Deion Sanders, who never officially interviewed.

Schottenheimer beat out three candidates, as Dallas’ past three HC changes have now featured an interim promotion (Jason Garrett), a two-candidate pool (McCarthy) and now an off-grid option. Schottenheimer has, however, been a four-time NFL OC, dating back to 2006. He was in place for some strong Russell Wilson Seahawks showings, albeit having been fired from that post after three seasons.

The Saints saw McCarthy, Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury bow out, as their perennially bad cap situation — one featuring an onerous Derek Carr contract — certainly may have deterred some candidates. But Moore stuck with the team, agreeing to terms despite Super Bowl LIX having raised his stock considerably. The three-time OC will call plays in New Orleans, which will aim to find a post-Carr answer during Moore’s tenure.

Although the new Saints HC’s staff has yet to take shape, Moore will aim to elevate New Orleans after four straight non-playoff seasons. He comes to Louisiana after helming an Eagles offense that peaked at the right time, as the team overpowered the Commanders and Chiefs to claim the championship.

Which teams did the best (and worst) this year? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the 2025 HC carousel in the comments section.

Teams Picking In Top-Five May Look To Trade Back

While there’s some belief that the Titans will move the No. 1 pick, they may not be the only team atop the draft board looking to make moves. Albert Breer of SI.com believes every team in the top five will at least entertain the idea of trading back.

[RELATED: Sources Expect Titans To Trade No. 1 Overall Pick]

All of these squads (which includes the Browns (No. 2), Giants (No. 3), Patriots (No. 4), and Jaguars (No. 5)) have plenty of reasons to justify a trade. Each of these teams won’t suddenly vault into contention (or even mediocrity) with just their first-round selection, and picking up additional assets may help them fill out their respective rosters. While these organizations may not be able to get a haul, they could still snag a foundational piece while picking up additional draft picks.

However, Breer also notes that this is partly an indictment on the draft class. Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are generally considered the draft’s only blue-chip prospects. Teams like the Patriots and Jaguars already have their answers at quarterback, and if those front offices believe they’re out of realistic range for Carter/Hunter, it may make sense to move back and pick up extra pieces.

Further, the draft’s QB depth may convince some teams to pivot. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders appear to be in their own tier among prospects, but neither of the impending rookies are believed to be generational, can’t-miss players. Instead of reaching for a QB they’re not enamored with, it could make sense for a team like the Giants to target a different position (or maybe a different quarterback) via a trade down the board.

Of course, each of those concerns will work against the teams picking in the top-five. As Breer notes, rival teams may not be as eager to trade up for any of the non-blue-chip prospects. There will surely be suitors, but the offers may not be lucrative enough to convince any of those top-five squads to move on.

It’s pretty common to see at least one top-five squad move off of their original draft position, but we’ve also seen a recent trend of front offices holding on to their best draft assets. Between 2019 and 2022, we only saw one top-five pick change hands (with the 2021 third-overall pick being swapped a few times before landing with the 49ers, who took Trey Lance). A handful of top-five 2023 picks were traded, but even the 2024 draft only saw the first-overall pick stray from its original team (which was a product of a trade involving the 2023 first-overall pick).

Jaguars Interview James Gladstone For GM, Schedule Meeting With Jon Robinson

The Jaguars’ general manager search process continued apace on Wednesday with an interview of Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone, per a team announcement. Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown interviewed for the job earlier in the day.

Gladstone has spent eight seasons with the Rams and overlapped with new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen during both of his stints in Los Angeles. As director of scouting strategy, Gladstone oversees the Rams’ pro and college scouting operations. He has helped the team consistently find talented prospects outside of the first round after trading their top picks away for most of his tenure.

The Jaguars also plan to meet with with former Titans general manager Jon Robinson, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Robinson interviewed for the Jets’ GM vacancy in December and was considered an early favorite for the Jaguars job shortly after Trent Baalke‘s firing.

Robinson has been out of the NFL since December 2022, when he was fired by the Titans despite a 7-5 start to the year and back-to-back division titles in preceding seasons. He finished with an overall record of 66-48 as general manager, but received little interest in the previous two coaching cycles. Now, Robinson is set to meet with the Jaguars regarding his return to the AFC South.

Here are the rest of Jacksonville’s GM candidates:

  • Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interview requested
  • Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interview requested
  • Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interviewed 2/12
  • Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interview requested
  • James Gladstone, director of scouting strategy (Rams): Interviewed 2/12
  • Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): To interview 2/12
  • Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
  • Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): Interview scheduled
  • Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interviewed 2/11