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Ben Johnson Planning To Meet With Bears, Patriots; No Jets Interview Expected

January 6th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed, finishing 15-2. This season has obviously done nothing to cool interest on Ben Johnson, who has been one of the league’s most popular HC candidates for the past two offseasons.

Requests are coming in for Detroit’s play-caller. The Bears and Patriots have submitted interview requests, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Although Johnson has become rather famous for backing out of coaching searches, Breer indicates he will meet with both teams.

It still is not certain Johnson is set to leave Detroit, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting some indeed believe he is happy being a mad-scientist offensive coordinator while Dan Campbell handles the top responsibilities with the Lions. Though, Jay Glazer’s latest FOX offering conflicts with that. Johnson is “more apt” to take a job during this year’s cycle than he has been previously, per Glazer. Johnson backed out of the Panthers’ HC search in 2023 — as a rumored early favorite — and informed the Commanders he was out as they had sent reps to Detroit for an interview.

Dialing up hook-and-ladders — to wide receivers and right tackles — and other creative plays to help the Lions secure home-field advantage in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Johnson is expected to draw widespread interest. His Washington backtrack should not do much to deter teams, as Josh McDaniels once landed a head coaching job after having backed out of an actual agreement with the Colts. Johnson, 38, will have considerable momentum once again.

The Bears and Patriots each fired defensive coaches, and teams regularly veer in the opposite direction after ousters. Rumors pointed to Johnson commanding a high HC salary last year. Given the struggles Chicago has gone through (and its interest in developing Caleb Williams) and Robert Kraft‘s about-face involving Jerod Mayo, that might not be a dealbreaker for these teams. But Glazer’s report would seemingly point to Johnson being more interested in this year’s batch of jobs compared to 2023 and ’24.

Initial reports did not peg Johnson as overly interested in the Bears’ job, but more recent submissions have changed that assessment. Johnson is believed to be “intrigued” by the Chicago gig. Candidates are curious regarding team president Kevin Warren‘s role, even as GM Ryan Poles is believed to be running Chicago’s search. Considering Johnson’s past, teams will need to check boxes for the hotshot coordinator to sign on. It would not surprise to see Johnson draw multiple offers during this year’s cycle, as he is again set to be selective.

It is also worth noting the Jets are not planning to reach out to Johnson, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Johnson has made it clear — both now and in the past — he will be choosey, and Russini adds if the Jets had a better quarterback situation, more interest would emerge on the candidate’s part. This would help explain why the Jets are not planning to bother.

Whereas the Bears and Pats drafted potential franchise options in Williams and Drake Maye last year, the Jets do not have a similar answer. They are expected to release Aaron Rodgers, though that may not be a lock just yet, and they are not in a great position to draft a high-end prospect this year. The Jets have also seen Woody Johnson‘s meddling affect the perception of their HC and GM jobs. For now, Johnson is not a candidate to end up in New York.

Patriots Fire Jerod Mayo

January 5th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots have acted quickly in making a coaching move. Jerod Mayo is out after one season at the helm, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The decision is now official.

“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” a statement from owner Robert Kraft reads in part. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. … When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. … Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.

“I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.”

The former All-Pro linebacker spent his entire eight-year career with the Patriots, and not long after hanging up his cleats he joined the team’s staff as linebackers coach. Mayo emerged as a staffer often mentioned as a potential heir apparent to Bill Belichick (as a coach, but not as a de facto general manager) and by the end of the latter’s tenure that arrangement was officially in place.

Once Belichick and Kraft parted ways last offseason, Mayo ascended to his first head coaching role at the college or NFL levels. This came due to a contract arrangement, rather than Mayo beating out competition for the job. Kraft clearly grew to regret passing on a true HC search. A year later, a Patriots HC search will be on tap.

Expectations were tempered given the state of the Patriots’ roster heading into the 2024 campaign. Questions were raised about the offensive line and skill positions, among others, but the decision to select quarterback Drake Maye made his development (once inserted into the starting lineup) a central priority. While the No. 3 pick has shown flashes, the team as a whole has not delivered consistent performances. New England entered Week 18 at or near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories, an underwhelming development given the team’s continuity from 2024 on that side of the ball.

As the Patriots’ losses piled up during the year, speculation increased with respect to Mayo’s job security. Last month, indications emerged suggesting Kraft would allow for at least one more season at the helm, but a disappointing late-season performance was named as a possibility which could sway the situation. Indeed, questions have grown louder in recent weeks, and Sunday’s result leaves the Patriots with a record of 4-13. With the pendulum having swung, the latest updates on the matter pointed to another coaching change being made on Kraft’s part this winter. That has now proven to be the path he has taken.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Mayo firing has not been matched with any dismissals in the front office at this point. No assistant coaches have been let go as of now, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated adds. That could of course change in the near future, but for now Eliot Wolf – in place as the Patriots’ top executive since May – is safe as he prepares to oversee the next phase of the team’s rebuild. That will include considerable cap resources and a premium Day 1 draft pick.

The Patriots’ win on Sunday cost them the top selection in April’s draft, but even that end-of-the-year outcome has proven insufficient for Mayo to be retained. The 38-year-old certainly has a long runway in terms of his coaching future, but in the wake of a poor first showing as a head coach it will likely take several years for him to receive his next opportunity in that capacity. Roles as a position coach or defensive coordinator could of course still await him in the future, though.

Kraft will now turn his attention to another head coaching search. Belichick was in place for 24 years, but his departure has now been followed by another after only one campaign. Mike Vrabel has been named as a candidate to watch, although that is the case for many other teams looking for a new coach. It will be interesting to see if another former Patriots player will be tapped for the gig, or if the team will ultimately move in another direction for 2025.

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.

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Likely To Be Fired?

January 5th, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Rory Parks

Just a few days ago, we heard that first-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was likely to keep his job for the 2025 season. After all, he was owner Robert Kraft’s hand-picked successor to Bill Belichick, and he inherited a team that was clearly in the early stages of a rebuild, so it would be reasonable to give him some time to learn the ropes as a bench boss and to grow into the role as the club continues to try to improve the roster.

However, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes that Mayo has a “weakening case” to be retained, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that “nerves are extremely frayed” among team staffers as they ponder Mayo’s Black Monday fate. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter also hears that there seems to have been a shift in organizational thinking over the last month (video link).

As such, Schefter believes that Mayo will be fired. He references fan anger and fan apathy in his report, and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald notes that Gillette Stadium was only half-full for the team’s 40-7 drubbing at the hands of the Chargers last week, with multiple “fire Mayo” chants breaking out in the stands late in the game.

Fan reactions are presumably not factors that will motivate Kraft to move on from Mayo, but the nature of the Los Angeles loss, in which the team was outclassed in every facet, certainly could. That defeat was the latest in a string of six consecutive losses, and even late-December reports suggesting that Mayo would be safe included the caveat that a “collapse” over the final three games of the season could change things. While the club did put up a valiant effort in a 24-21 loss to the Bills – the AFC’s No. 2 seed – in Week 16, it is hard to describe a six- or seven-game losing streak to close out a season as anything other than a collapse.

Additionally, in contrast to prior reports that the Patriots’ locker room remained united despite the difficult season, some players have told Kyed that the team suffers from a poor culture and lack of leadership. Such discontent, in conjunction with some of Mayo’s public actions that Jones and/or Kyed have classified as “gaffes” – starting Jacoby Brissett in Week 1 despite admitting that Drake Maye had outplayed Brissett in the preseason, seemingly slighting OC Alex Van Pelt in a postgame presser, and telling a pregame radio show that RB Antonio Gibson would start over Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 17 before making a “coach’s decision” to start Stevenson less than an hour later – could certainly spell trouble for Mayo.

Underscoring all of this, of course, is the presence of franchise icon Mike Vrabel, who is one of the two most coveted coaching candidates in this year’s cycle and who is all but certain to get a head coaching job in the near future. If New England wants Vrabel – and if it does, the interest appears mutual – then now would be the time to make the move.

If Mayo is retained, he is expected to add more veteran coaches to his staff, per Jones. Meanwhile, Jones suggests that executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf will be retained, and that he could make further changes to the club’s staff. That presumably includes firing Van Pelt.

Wolf will have the No. 1 overall pick at his disposal in the 2025 draft if the Patriots fall to Buffalo in today’s season finale, which would give the team a 3-14 record.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25

January 4th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.

Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.

Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).

Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.

Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt On Hot Seat?

January 2nd, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Jerod Mayo is expected to make it to his second season as Patriots head coach, but it’s sounding like the same can’t be said for New England’s offensive coordinator. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Alex Van Pelt is considered a “potential one-and-done” with the Patriots.

[RELATED: Patriots Still Expected To Retain Jerod Mayo]

Drake Maye‘s occasional flashes have been the only bright spot for the Patriots offense in 2024, with the unit ranking towards the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. While Van Pelt has earned some praise for his work with the rookie QB, he’s also drawn plenty of criticism for his uninspiring play calling and a lack of development elsewhere on the roster.

In fact, team owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft, were recently spotted criticizing the offensive play calling, a clear indication that the OC could be on the hot seat. At the very least, the Patriots are expected to make some changes to their offensive staff, per Fowler.

Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal shares a similar sentiment, writing that Van Pelt will likely be the organization’s “sacrificial lamb” following a dismal overall season. Giardi lauded the coordinator for his rare accountability during the 2024 campaign, and Van Pelt even acknowledged that he could be on the hot seat following a rough first season with the Patriots.

“This is a business. We all signed up for this. When we win three games, it’s tough,” he said. “The thing that I can hang my hat on is that this team played hard. There have not been any games where they have not put out their full effort. That’s impressive. It’s easy for a lot of teams, and I’ve been around teams that are out of the playoffs and kind of just cruise to the end. We’re going to try to finish strong.”

Van Pelt mostly made a name for himself as a QB coach, including a stint as Aaron Rodgers‘ coach in Green Bay between 2014 and 2017. The veteran coach had a four-year stint as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator, and he was a somewhat surprising casualty last year despite the Browns finishing top-10 in points scored. He subsequently caught on with Mayo’s new staff in New England, but there’s a chance he could be looking for a new gig for the second-straight offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/25

January 2nd, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

  • Waived: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Seattle Seahawks

The Patriots signed Haggai Ndubuisi off the Commanders practice squad just yesterday, but the team is already waiving the defensive tackle. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes, Ndubuisi is being waived with a non-football illness designation, an indication that something popped up during the player’s physical.

Brady Russell landed on IR today after the tight end dealt with a foot injury for much of the season. The special teamer got into 11 games with the Seahawks in 2024. In his place, the team signed John Rhys Plumlee from the practice squad. The rookie was listed by the Seahawks as a WR, but the former UCF QB served as an occasional signal-caller on Seattle’s scout team.

Patriots Expected To Prioritize WR, OL This Offseason

January 2nd, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots offense has struggled mightily throughout the 2024 campaign, ranking towards the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. Unsurprisingly, the organization will prioritize two offensive positional groupings this offseason. Christopher Price of the Boston Globe believes the team will target wide receivers and offensive linemen via the draft, free agency, and trades.

Patriots wideouts have had to endure Jacoby Brissett‘s underwhelming starting stint and Drake Maye‘s growing pains, but no one in the room has established themselves as a definitive difference maker. Demario Douglas has somewhat separated himself from his position mates, as the former sixth-round pick has built on a solid rookie campaign to lead New England WRs in receptions (63) and receiving yards (587), and touchdowns (three) as a sophomore.

New England hasn’t gotten much from their two rookie wideouts. Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk has been limited to 12 catches, while fourth-round receiver Javon Baker has been limited to 51 offensive snaps. Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne do provide some worthy depth, but the team clearly needs a WR1 to pair with Maye.

That solution could easily come via the draft, as the Patriots are currently in prime position to select Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter. The organization could also easily look to free agency, especially since they should rank towards the top of the league in practical cap space. The Patriots have already been connected to Bengals star Tee Higgins, and the front office showed a willingness to pay for the position following their failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley last offseason.

The offensive line has allowed 51 sacks this season (fifth-worst in the NFL), and besides guard Mike Onwenu (and perhaps injured center David Andrews), the Patriots will be looking to improve every starting spot this offseason. Guard Trey Smith will likely lead the OL class, but the team should still have plenty of options to choose from at offensive tackle. The draft also remains an option for a sure-thing starter, although that would surely require the Patriots to trade back from their projected number-one pick.

The front office can rest easy knowing they have a handful of positional groupings handled. Maye has shown encouraging flashes during his rookie campaign, and the team has RB Rhamondre Stevenson and TE Hunter Henry signed to long-term deals.

Patriots Still Expected To Retain Jerod Mayo; Mike Vrabel Interested In Job?

January 1st, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Vrabel‘s Browns consulting gig is over; the six-year Titans leader is a coaching free agent again. Interviews with any team carrying a vacancy can commence, giving Vrabel a potential head-start on his top competition.

Regardless of what other candidates generate serious momentum, it is expected Vrabel will land a job during this cycle. After being shut out in 2024, the former Coach of the Year is being tied to several teams.

The Raiders and Saints are among them, but other clubs being connected to the experienced HC as well. The Giants, who may or may not be ready to fire Brian Daboll, have come up as a potentially interested team as well. They employ ex-Vrabel coworker Ryan Cowden, who has been mentioned as someone who could be in play as a GM alongside the former Tennessee HC.

The Jets came up early in connection to Vrabel, with a mid-December report pegging him as the team’s preferred candidate. That may still be the case, but Vrabel looks to have his eyes on another job in the AFC East. The Patriots have struggled under Jerod Mayo, as expected. More news has pointed to Robert Kraft giving his handpicked Bill Belichick successor more time, but the team also runs the risk of missing out on Vrabel for good if it passes on reopening its coaching job. Keeping Mayo could be costly from that perspective, as Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates Vrabel is indeed interested in the Pats’ job.

Mayo said this week (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) he and Pats ownership are “still on the same page,” and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo note the expectation remains for the Pats to give Mayo a second season to further prove himself. But doubts have lingered about the team’s Belichick successor for a bit, and the trio published this report before the Patriots endured a 40-7 home loss to the Chargers.

While the team did play the high-powered Bills close in Buffalo in Week 16, the Bolts loss continued to put New England’s upcoming decision under the microscope. After all, Mayo landed this job without a coaching search taking place. Kraft inserted language in Mayo’s contract that effectively circumvented the Rooney Rule, which requires two external minorities be interviewed. No Pats search commenced, keeping a Vrabel partnership — one mentioned during the time when it looked more like the Titans would dangle their HC in trades — off the table.

Vrabel, of course, enjoyed a decorated career with the Patriots. The 2001 free agent signee helped secure three Super Bowl titles for the Patriots, operating as a regular at linebacker and moonlighting as a Tom Brady red zone option. Brady’s past with Vrabel is again relevant, with the Raiders on the radar. Vrabel may not be too interested in that job, either, per Pauline. The Raiders have gone through a few HCs in recent years, with Mark Davis presently paying three (Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce). Vrabel and McDaniels are close, and the coveted candidate may not be too keen on taking a job not long after the Raiders fired McDaniels.

The Jets job also is not believe to appeal to Vrabel, with Pauline pointing to a scenario in which the free agent HC uses the team as leverage. With rumors of Woody Johnson engulfing the Jets, they have their work cut out for them as they begin their HC and GM searches. The team’s lack of a long-term QB also would hurt compared to where the Patriots now are.

Las Vegas’ setup also does not feature a quarterback like the one New England has, with Drake Maye showing flashes during this down Patriots season. The Raiders’ past two wins have also dropped them out of the top five in the projected draft order. With one week to go, the Patriots hold the No. 1 overall pick. Mayo said sitting Maye — which would hinder the team’s hopes of winning in Week 18 — is on the table, but has since pointed to the rookie QB playing against the Bills.

A Buffalo team locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed could throw a wrench in any New England hopes of obtaining the 2025 top pick, and Mayo coaching for a win to help ensure he returns will work against the Pats — through a long-term lens, at least — Sunday as well. The Vrabel matter will loom through that game or until Kraft confirms Mayo will return.

The Patriots keeping Mayo would prevent a Vrabel reunion, and that will bring scrutiny due to how the organization handled its 2024 HC search. Vrabel, 49, figures to have options, so the Patriots may need to be fairly certain — perhaps through backchannel communication — that Vrabel would strongly consider them in order to can Mayo. This fairly radical decision would also deem Kraft’s succession plan a failure, something that will undoubtedly come up as the team considers its HC future. Nevertheless, the next several days will be interesting in Foxborough.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

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