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Liam Coen Reenters Jaguars’ HC Mix; Deal Close?

January 23rd, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Liam Coen agreed to a Buccaneers extension, the Jaguars’ update to their front office setup looks to have changed the equation. Coen is back in the mix for the Jags, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

[RELATED: Liam Coen Bows Out Of Jaguars’ HC Search, Agrees To Bucs Extension]

The Tampa Bay OC backed out of a second Jacksonville interview Wednesday; hours later, the Jags fired GM Trent Baalke. With Baalke gone, Coen appears more interested in the job. He is back on the radar, joining Robert Saleh, Patrick Graham and hopeful second interviewees Joe Brady and Kellen Moore in this search. With Coen back in play, it will be interesting to see if the Jags stick around to meet with Brady and Moore or if the former favorite lands a deal before then.

The Bucs had agreed on a raise for Coen to stay for a second season, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo connects the Baalke development to the young candidate being more interested in the job. Reports earlier this month indicated Baalke’s presence had turned off Jags HC candidates, and Coen almost definitely looks to have been among that group. After seeing Ben Johnson choose the Bears and Coen momentarily exit the picture, Shad Khan changed up.

Jacksonville is expected to hire a head coach before settling on a GM search, giving said HC considerable power. That understandably is appealing to Coen, who is huddling up with Jags brass barely 24 hours after initially refusing to do so. Coen is in Jacksonville, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who notes a deal may be close. Coen is only in the mix for the Jags job, but this would keep Brady and Moore in play for the other HC-needy teams.

In addition to the team’s decision to move on from Baalke, it sounds like the Jaguars’ persistence also helped lure Coen back to Jacksonville. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz says the Jaguars “reached out repeatedly” with the logic that the coach would have to deny their inquiries multiple times. While the Jaguars are considering multiple candidates for the job, it sounds like Coen is the clear favorite. Schultz notes that a deal hasn’t been finalized, but Khan has identified Coen as “his guy.”

Meanwhile, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times says the Buccaneers haven’t spoken with Coen since yesterday afternoon, although that wasn’t due to a lack of trying. The Bucs tried reaching out to their OC but haven’t been able to reach him. Instead of immediately inking a new contract with Tampa Bay, Coen “secretly” traveled to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars. While The Athletic’s Diana Russini says the Buccaneers’ multiple calls to Coen have gone unanswered, ESPN’S Adam Schefter reports that Coen reached out to Todd Bowles directly to inform his boss of the renewed interest in the Jaguars job.

Coen’s stint as the Rams offensive coordinator didn’t go as planned, but the coach rehabilitated his image with a strong season in Tampa Bay. The new OC helped guide Baker Mayfield to the strongest season of his career, as the QB tossed 41 touchdown passes — 13 more than his previous career-high mark. As a result, Coen found himself on the head coaching radar, and it sounds like he’s currently in a can’t-lose situation. The coach can either return to a familiar spot in Tampa Bay before reentering the hiring cycle next offseason, or he can join a relatively attractive situation in Jacksonville.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Jaguars Fire GM Trent Baalke

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

This Jaguars coaching search has seen two top candidates — Ben Johnson and Liam Coen — bow out. With Trent Baalke‘s presence again rumored to be causing issues during a head coaching hunt, Shad Khan has changed course.

Despite keeping the GM on to lead the search, Khan is firing Baalke, according to a team announcement. Baalke stayed on for five years in Jacksonville, moving to the GM role in his second offseason with the team. Although he looked to have survived after Doug Pederson‘s firing, the veteran exec is out.

[RELATED: Coen Backs Out Of Second Jags HC Interview]

“Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate, effective immediately,” a statement from Khan reads in part. “Trent leaves us with my deepest appreciation for his efforts over the past five seasons. Ethan Waugh will serve as interim general manager and play an important role, with others, as we continue the process of interviewing candidates to serve as our new head coach.”

Baalke’s job security was a talking point during the campaign, one for which Khan held very high expectations. The Jags finished jut 4-13, though, creating an expectation that he would simply clean house in advance of the 2025 campaign. Pederson was dismissed on Black Monday, but many were surprised to see Baalke remain in place. On the other hand, Bovada’s Josina Anderson and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini note Khan was believed to be willing to still make a GM change this late in the hiring cycle under the right circumstances.

Baalke was viewed as a potential deterrent for the top head coaching candidates, and the fact Johnson and Coen have both elected not to take the job in Duval County is certainly an indication that proved to be true. In any case, those two (along with Mike Vrabel and Aaron Glenn) are off the market while the Jags prepare to take a different approach to their coaching search. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh recently scheduled in-person interviews for the position.

In the aftermath of firing Pederson, Khan offered another vote of confidence in Baalke. The 60-year-old had GM experience prior to his Jacksonville arrival as a result of his time with the 49ers. Baalke served as San Francisco’s VP of player personnel in 2010 before a six-year run as general manager. He notably won a power struggle with head coach Jim Harbaugh during that time following the team’s run to Super Bowl XLVII. His Jags spell did not feature a repeat of that success.

During the four years with Baalke in place as GM, the Jaguars managed one playoff appearance and twice won fewer than five games. The fact he was authorized to make long-term commitments to the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Walker Little suggested he still had runway to continue in his current position. Instead, Khan will pivot to new GM; Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms a head coach will likely be in place before a front office hire is made given the timing of this situation (video link). Rapoport adds coaches whose teams are still playing could be on Jacksonville’s radar, meaning the HC move may not be strictly down to Graham and Saleh.

Two of the NFL’s general manager vacancies have already been filled, with the Titans and Raiders landing new personnel to lead their respective front offices. The Jets do not have a new GM at the moment, but it appears Lance Newmark is on track to land that position. The Jaguars’ next general manager will likely report directly to Khan, with the same being true of the new head coach. Once that tandem is in place, it will be interesting to see what direction the franchise moves in since Lawrence’s presence will no doubt eliminate the option of a long-term rebuild.

Waugh spent time alongside Baalke in San Francisco, so it came as little surprise when he was hired to take on assistant general manager duties with Jacksonville in 2022. Waugh (who has a background in player personnel departments) will now have a role in the Jaguars’ search for a new general manager, something Khan will also be heavily involved in. A organizational setup will be in place in time for next season, but the means by which it will have been put together will no doubt remain a point of scrutiny for the franchise moving forward.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Jets Hire Aaron Glenn As HC

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a spree of rumors, Aaron Glenn is signing up to lead the Jets. The parties have a deal in place, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. This will bring the former Jets first-round pick back to New York. Glenn’s hire is now official, per a team announcement.

Bovada’s Josina Anderson reported earlier today Glenn had informed the Lions he would be leaving for New York, barring a snag. No snag ultimately took place, and Glenn will cancel his second Saints interview to take over as the next Jets HC. News developed Tuesday that Glenn had become the Jets’ favorite, and the team is believed to have offered a substantial deal to entice the former cornerback. This will be a five-year agreement, per Schefter.

Glenn, 52, spent the past four seasons leading Detroit’s defense and had been on the past three coaching carousels — despite the Lions not impressing statistically on that side of the ball until this season. Glenn managing to keep the Lions a top-10 defense this season, after Aidan Hutchinson‘s season-ending injury occurred in Week 6, burnished his HC credentials, and the Jets will be the team that commits to the veteran assistant.

Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell — a Jets Mark Sanchez backup in the early 2010s — has been linked as a potential OC option, while NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo pinpoints Steve Wilks as a “strong” DC candidate. Wilks had come up as a Jets option Tuesday, as the Glenn-to-New York buzz circulated, and resurfaced on the DC carousel earlier this month. Glenn has been linked to wanting an experienced DC option, which is interesting since that is his side of the ball, and Wilks would match that description. The former Panthers interim HC also led the Cardinals for a season and served as the defensive play-caller for the 49ers and Panthers as well.

The Jets chose Glenn 12th overall in 1994, Pete Carroll‘s lone season as their HC, and he stayed with the team for eight years. Glenn became a Pro Bowler with the Jets under Bill Parcells, helping their 1998 team reach the AFC championship game. The Jets later left Glenn exposed in the 2002 Texans expansion draft, where he was selected. After Glenn played eight more NFL seasons to stretch his career to 16 years, he returned as a Jets scout. More than a decade later, the team — despite having hired a defensive coach (Robert Saleh) in 2021 — will turn to him at a critical point. Parcells helped vouch for Glenn with the Jets’ Mike Tannenbaum-led search committee, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes.

Earlier this month, the Jets made a late push for Mike Vrabel. But the ex-Patriot chose an offer to return to New England. Glenn, who intercepted 24 passes with the Jets, now returns to the Big Apple to help a team likely to begin a transition. The Jets are expected to release Aaron Rodgers, though the future Hall of Famer is not 100% out the door just yet. That said, Rodgers is not committed to even playing in 2025. Meanwhile, Glenn will head up a Jets defense that still features some young talent. The longtime secondary coach will get to work on mentoring Sauce Gardner, while his OC hire will be vital as the Jets likely search for a young quarterback after several recent misses.

New York has not enjoyed a steady quarterback presence since Glenn’s playing tenure, when the team crafted a Vinny Testaverde-to-Chad Pennington baton pass. Several draft choices have missed, and the Rodgers trade backfired, with the 2024 team somehow winning fewer games with the ex-Packers legend than Saleh’s 2022 and ’23 squads did with Zach Wilson at the helm. Woody Johnson‘s decision to fire Saleh after five games also proved the wrong call, as interim leader Jeff Ulbrich — who has since left to become the Falcons’ DC — did not generate a boost.

This is Johnson’s first HC hire since Todd Bowles in 2015. The oft-criticized owner had been part of Donald Trump’s first presidential administration, as ambassador to the United Kingdom, when the Jets hired Adam Gase and then Saleh. Johnson bought the Jets during Glenn’s playing tenure, but his reputation has steadily worsened since — with some hits coming recently. Johnson has been accused of meddling on a regular basis, to the point Madden ratings and his sons’ involvement in decisions and presences in the locker room have come under fire. Glenn is not walking into the most stable situation, but his history with the organization probably played a significant role in him signing on.

Vrabel being turned off by Johnson’s presence came up during this search, and the Jets were not expected to receive an audience with Glenn colleague Ben Johnson. Ex-Glenn Lions coworker Lance Newmark, however, has been closely linked to coming over from Washington — where he has served as assistant GM over the past year — to lead the Jets’ front office. It would be Newmark who would be positioned to work more closely with Johnson compared to Glenn. That partnership did not end well for Joe Douglas, who lost respect for the owner and lobbed anonymous criticism his boss’ way as his tenure progressed.

These developments, along with the quarterback matter, may raise the degree of difficulty for Glenn. The Lions, however, completed this decade’s premier rebuild effort after climbing from 3-13-1 to the NFC championship game in a two-season span. Detroit followed that up with a 15-2 record this season. The Lions’ divisional-round loss allowed for Johnson (Bears) and Glenn to be hired this week, as opposed to the No. 1-seeded team’s top assistants potentially needing to wait until after Super Bowl LIX to be appointed — like the Eagles’ coordinator duo two years ago.

Glenn helped develop Hutchinson, and safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph made substantial leaps under the former secondary coach this season. This came after Glenn helped groom the likes of Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams in New Orleans.

The Lions, however, ranked 31st, 28th and 23rd defensively in Glenn’s first three seasons; their defense collapsed in a loss to the 49ers in last season’s NFC championship game. Glenn helped generate a rebound this year (seventh), and his defenses never finishing above 19th in yards allowed did not impede his candidacy.

As the Lions will need new coordinators and potentially some new position coaches, depending on who Johnson and Glenn take with them, the Saints lost one of their finalists. New Orleans still has Mike Kafka and Anthony Weaver second interviews scheduled. But Glenn came up in every HC-needy team’s search this offseason. He met with five teams, declining a Patriots interview as it became clear Vrabel was heading to Foxborough.

While the Saints refocus, the Jets have landed one of the bigger names available as they attempt to end what has become by far the NFL’s longest active playoff drought (14 seasons). The Lions will obtain two future third-round picks because of Glenn’s hire, due to the Rooney Rule.

Raiders To Add John Spytek As GM

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Raiders going in a different direction after Ben Johnson chose the Bears, they are circling back to a GM candidate not tied to the Chicago-bound coach. Tom Brady will turn to one of his college teammates to join him in Las Vegas.

Mentioned as a candidate early in this process, John Spytek landed the job. The Buccaneers’ assistant GM is finalizing a deal to join Brady in Vegas, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Spytek and Brady overlapped at Michigan in the late 1990s and with the Bucs. This will be a five-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com adds.

Although the Raiders became connected to pairing Johnson with former Lions coworker-turned-Commanders AGM Lance Newmark, the young assistant’s Monday choice changed that path. But Spytek has been on the Raiders’ radar for a bit longer. Earlier this month, when it became clear Brady was the lead voice in the Raiders’ GM search as well as their HC interview process, the team became tied to Spytek. The latter has been with the Bucs since 2016 and has been an NFL staffer for 21 years.

Spytek, 44, trekked to Ann Arbor a few years after Brady. The two only overlapped in 1999, before Brady’s NFL journey began, but Spytek crossed paths with the former Wolverines quarterback in 2020. Spytek was in place as Tampa Bay’s director of player personnel when the Bucs signed Brady in free agency. He remained one of Jason Licht‘s top lieutenants during Brady’s three-year tenure and climbed to an assistant GM post in 2023. Both Spytek and Mike Greenberg held that title in Tampa; Greenberg is still in the mix for the Jets’ job, but Newmark — especially after Aaron Glenn accepted the HC job — may be the most likely to land it.

As the Titans recently reminded via their Mike Borgonzi hire, not all GM posts are designed equally. As Borgonzi prepares to work with another exec (Chad Brinker) who holds final-say responsibilities in Tennessee, Spytek will walk into a situation that has changed significantly since NFL owners approved Brady as a minority Raiders stakeholder. Mark Davis has since given the all-time great/lead FOX analyst carte blanche in Vegas, entrusting him to lead the HC and GM searches and then perhaps do the same when it comes time to identify a quarterback. Spytek will now rejoin his former teammate and coworker to bring in HC and QB answers.

The Raiders have now hired three GMs since January 2022, and the most recent dismissal came due to Brady seeking alignment to go with the team’s next head coach. While Tom Telesco equipped Brady’s team with All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, the ex-Chargers front office boss was shown the door in an effort to start fresh following the Antonio Pierce firing. The Raiders have one half of their next duo in place, but the other will probably be more significant — especially when considering how involved Brady figures to be on the personnel side.

With this GM job potentially a second-in-command post to Brady, the Raiders need a head coach after their Johnson push failed. Going by early favorites can lead to shaky ground — as the Jaguars’ search most recently reminded — but Pete Carroll has suddenly moved into serious contention for the job. The ex-Seahawks leader would be the oldest head coach in NFL history, at 73. No head coach older than 66 has ever been hired. It would mark a wild swing for the Raiders to zero in on a 38-year-old staffer only to hire a coach 35 years older soon after.

Spytek was in Tampa when the Bucs acquired Bruce Arians‘ rights in 2019, being part of the Bucs’ roster-building mission that eventually attracted Brady. The Bucs built a team that rolled to four playoff wins to close out the 2020 season, the last a dominant Super Bowl LV win that has aged well thanks to the Chiefs’ rebound effort. Spytek also played key roles in Tampa Bay reaching the playoffs with a $70MM-plus dead money bill, largely created by Brady’s retirement, and the team reaching agreements with Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs this past offseason. Those re-ups helped produce the Bucs’ fourth straight NFC South title.

The Raiders have not formed cores strong enough for mass retention projects in a while, and their plans to replace Derek Carr fizzled quickly. Brady and Spytek will certainly make that continued effort their centerpiece task this offseason, as the Raiders have seen the AFC West strengthened by the arrivals of Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh. This duo improving the fortunes of the Broncos and Chargers has made life more difficult for the Raiders, who have been looking up at the two-time reigning champion Chiefs for many years.

After the Telesco-Pierce and Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regimes failed, Davis will entrust Brady and Spytek to take a crack at restoring the Silver and Black to a consistent contender for the first time in more than 20 years.

Liam Coen Bows Out Of Jaguars’ HC Search, Agrees To Bucs Extension

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering Wednesday as the rumored favorite for the Jaguars’ head coaching job, Liam Coen is prepared to pass. The young offensive coordinator will stay with the Buccaneers.

Coen will sign a new Bucs contract that makes him one of the game’s highest-paid coordinators, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This deal comes with an extension but not a coach-in-waiting clause, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds. Robert Saleh and Patrick Graham remain Jags finalists, but after Coen-to-Jacksonville buzz had steadily built, this could certainly be labeled a setback for the AFC South franchise. The deal is believed to be in the $4.5MM-per-year neighborhood, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.

Ben Johnson recently showed this path can be effective. The former Lions OC backed away from a potential Panthers hire in 2023 and then informed the Commanders last year he was out of that mix as well. Johnson remained a top candidate and just accepted a Bears offer. Coen’s profile checks in south of Johnson’s, however, and he was only in the mix for the Jags job. While this could be deemed a risk by a coordinator who has yo-yoed between the pro and college ranks this decade, it also could represent hesitancy involving the Jaguars.

Today was to be Coen’s second Jags interview (and first in-person meeting with team brass), but the Stroud reports the Bucs’ OC did not board the plane for Jacksonville. Coen, 39, was negotiating with the Bucs as well. He will stick around and continue to work with Baker Mayfield, after the two enjoyed a promising start that resulted in another NFC South title for the Bucs.

This marks the second time this week a coveted candidate has exited the Jags’ search. Johnson was believed to be considering the Jags (and a Trevor Lawrence partnership), but the high-profile play-caller was not overly thrilled about the franchise’s setup. We heard shortly after Black Monday that the Jags’ decision to retain GM Trent Baalke, who is running their HC search, had influenced some candidates to steer clear. For a second HC cycle, Baalke’s presence appears to be affecting the Jags’ viability as a destination.

In 2022, the Jags appeared close to a deal with Byron Leftwich. Baalke’s presence impacted that search, leading to the Doug Pederson hire. Pederson had also expressed apprehension regarding Baalke, and as last season progressed, the three-year Jags HC was not on good terms with his top coworker. Many expected Baalke to be fired along with Pederson, but Shad Khan retained the polarizing exec. Rumors about Baalke being kicked to another position within the organization emerged, but Johnson and Coen’s decisions may not point to that actually happening.

Coen had been the Rams’ 2022 OC, with that stay sandwiched between two seasons as Kentucky’s play-caller. Helping Will Levis to a breakthrough 2021 season with the Wildcats, Coen did not impress as L.A.’s non-play-calling OC — albeit during an injury-plagued Rams season — and returned to the SEC program in 2023. After the Wildcats again improved under Coen, the Bucs hired him.

Mayfield soon took steps forward this past season, throwing 41 touchdown passes — 13 more than his previous career-high mark — and powered Todd Bowles‘ team to a 10-7 record and a fourth straight division championship. After losing Dave Canales to the Panthers, the Bucs still ranked fourth in scoring offense. This will mark Mayfield’s first instance of play-caller carryover since his 2020-21 Browns seasons.

Graham is slated to interview for the Jacksonville post Thursday, while Saleh is heading to Duval County on Friday. Saleh has a history with the Jags, being their linebackers coach from 2014-16, but has also met with the Cowboys and Raiders. It will be interesting if Jacksonville adds another finalist now that Coen is out, as both Saleh and Graham are defensive-minded leaders. The Jags have also interviewed OCs Joe Brady, Todd Monken and Kellen Moore. Kliff Kingsbury was believed to be on the team’s radar, but teams will have to wait until the Commanders’ season ends to meet with the resurgent play-caller.

Bengals To Hire Al Golden As DC

January 22nd, 2025 at 3:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

Al Golden is indeed set to return to the NFL in 2025. Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator is finalizing an agreement to take that same role with the Bengals, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Golden has informed the school of his decision, ESPN’s Pete Thamel adds.

Cincinnati moved on from Lou Anarumo after the season, one in which the team’s defensive shortcomings played a key role in a 9-8 record and a failure to reach the playoffs. Anarumo has since moved on to the Colts as their new DC, with the Bengals being connected to a handful of replacement candidates. Golden recently emerged as the favorite, though.

The 55-year-old had been in place at Notre Dame since 2022, serving as the program’s defensive coordinator for each of the past three years. The Fighting Irish advanced to the CFP national title game, so it was not until Monday’s loss that Golden was able to work out an agreement for an NFL gig. Reports from yesterday confirmed the Bengals were expected to hire him to take charge of their defense, with an interview set to take place later in the week. Even without that transpiring, Golden is set to make a return to Cincinnati.

Prior to his stint at Notre Dame, Golden had a two-year span as the Bengals’ linebackers coach. Having thus worked under Zac Taylor previously, this deal marks a reunion between the two. Golden also has experience in that same role with the Lions in addition to other college coaching positions, including head coaching jobs at Temple and Miami.

The Bengals are also set to bring in Jerry Montgomery as their new defensive line coach, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports. Montgomery, 45, has considerable experience at the college and pro levels coaching D-linemen. He worked with the Patriots in 2024, but with Mike Vrabel coming to New England the team has made a number of staff chances. Now, Montgomery will join Golden in Cincinnati for the coming campaign.

Dealing with notable injuries at the cornerback spot in particular, the Bengals finished the year ranked 25th in both points and yards allowed in 2024. Room for improvement exists in several departments on that side of the ball as Cincinnati looks to replicate its offensive production from this past season. The latter effort may be a challenge, but taking a step forward on defense would make the Golden hire an effective one and help steer the team back toward the postseason.

Via PFR’s coordinator search tracker, here is a final look at how things shook out for the Bengals:

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive coordinator (Patriots): Interviewed
  • Matt Eberflus, former head coach (Bears): Mentioned as candidate
  • Al Golden, defensive coordinator (Notre Dame): To be hired
  • Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interviewed
  • Wink Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Rumored candidate

Patriots Hire Terrell Williams As DC

January 22nd, 2025 at 7:41am CST by Sam Robinson

Familiarity will continue to play a lead role for Mike Vrabel as he fills out his first Patriots coaching staff. After Josh McDaniels‘ New England return became official, the new Patriots HC will make one of his former Titans assistants McDaniels’ counterpart on defense.

Terrell Williams will come over from the Lions to become Vrabel’s defensive coordinator, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss report. The hire has since been confirmed. This had become a rumored scenario, and it will reunite Vrabel and Williams after a year apart. Prior to becoming the Lions’ defensive line coach last year, Williams spent six seasons with the Titans.

Williams, 50, spent six seasons as Tennessee’s D-line coach, presiding over Jeffery Simmons‘ rise into one of the game’s premier interior defenders. Vrabel’s 2024 firing led Williams to Detroit, where he helped Aaron Glenn‘s defense remain a top-10 unit despite numerous injuries. Now, Vrabel will give the veteran position coach/one-year Lions run-game coordinator his first DC shot. Interviewing only one other candidate (Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow), it is fairly clear Vrabel had Williams in mind from the start.

Dan Campbell‘s team has now lost two assistants — Williams and Ben Johnson — and appears likely to see Glenn leave for the Jets’ head coaching position. This exodus from a 15-2 team is certainly not unexpected, but it will challenge the Lions to both protect certain assistants from following some of the departing coaches while also finding new hires who can keep the NFC North champions in high gear.

A college assistant for over a decade, Williams has now been in the NFL since 2012. He coached the Raiders and Dolphins’ defensive lines, respectively, from 2012-17. Vrabel brought him to Nashville with a lateral move in 2018. The finest hour for Williams’ Titans troops may have come in a loss, as Simmons joined Harold Landry and Denico Autry in driving a nine-sack effort against Joe Burrow in a 2021 divisional-round matchup. While the Titans’ DC from that period (Shane Bowen) was also believed to be on Vrabel’s Pats radar, the Giants are retaining their defensive play-caller. And Williams will end up replacing DeMarcus Covington to run the Pats’ defense.

Covington’s year in charge under Jerod Mayo brought a steep step down after Bill Belichick had kept the Patriots’ defense as the 21st century’s most reliable NFL unit. After consistently giving Tom Brady‘s teams sturdy safety nets, Belichick’s defense continued to play well following the legendary QB’s exit. The Pats had sported 18 top-10 scoring defenses from 2001-21, and despite Mac Jones‘ significant regression in 2022 and ’23, Belichick’s unit respectively ranked seventh and eighth in total defense during the since-fired coach’s final two seasons in town. Under Covington, New England regressed to 22nd in both scoring and total defense.

Vrabel’s team is carrying the most cap space in the NFL, by a wide margin, and will have some holes to fill. And, as expected, neither Covington nor one-year OC Alex Van Pelt are in line to be part of the 2025 operation. Covington had been the Patriots’ D-line coach under Belichick from 2017-23, before Mayo elevated him to DC. It should be expected the young assistant — who has received coordinator interest elsewhere, including a recent Bengals interview — should land on his feet soon.

Patriots Hire Josh McDaniels As OC

January 21st, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh McDaniels is indeed returning to New England. The 2025 season will mark his third stint as offensive coordinator of the Patriots, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team has since announced the move.

McDaniels emerged as a candidate to watch in the aftermath of Mike Vrabel being hired as New England’s head coach. He has served as the team’s offensive coordinator for a combined total of 13 years across his first two stints. He interviewed for the role earlier today, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Schultz adds McDaniels has continued to live in Foxborough since his last New England gig came to an end. Prior to the news of his hire coming out, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported the 48-year-old was viewed as the favorite. Now, the six-time Super Bowl champ will again take charge of the team’s offense, although of course this time he will do so while working under Vrabel rather than Bill Belichick.

McDaniels’ first stint with the organization saw him quickly rise through the ranks. After starting as a personnel assistant in 2001, he made his way up to QBs coach in 2004 before taking over as OC in 2006. With Tom Brady leading the way, McDaniels oversaw an elite offense during his first three years as a coordinator, including a record-breaking unit in 2007.

McDaniels parlayed that performance into the head coaching job with the Broncos. An 11-17 record (along with a videotaping scandal) led to his ouster after only a year-plus, and he landed back in New England ahead of the 2012 season. That second stint lasted a decade, with McDaniels at the helm as the team transitioned from Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones. McDaniels got the most out of Jones during the QB’s rookie campaign, as the first-round pick tossed 22 touchdowns, went 10-7, and earned a Pro Bowl nod.

McDaniels then parlayed that performance into his second head coaching gig, this time with the Raiders. He had similar results in Las Vegas, as his squad went 9-16 before McDaniels was fired during the 2023 campaign. The coach has spent the past year-plus out of football, but Albert Breer of TheMMQB says the coach has been keeping busy. Per Breer, McDaniels used the past year to refine his own offensive approach. This meant studying offenses in both the NFL and college, and Breer believes McDaniels will be able to apply more “user-friendly” lessons to a “pretty complex offense.”

Even during his time off, the coach was continually connected to his long-time organization. There were rumblings he could join the staff in 2024 if Belichick stuck around; the team instead pivoted to Jerod Mayo, who brought in Alex Van Pelt to lead his offense. Of course, that coaching staff was cleared out following a dismal 2024 campaign, making way for Vrabel to take over operations (and for McDaniels to rejoin the familiar role).

McDaniels’ ugly head coaching stints have probably shut the door on any near-future opportunities, so Vrabel made have landed a long-term OC. Now, McDaniels will be tasked with guiding a offense that showed some offensive promise with rookie Drake Maye under center.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Vikings, Kevin O’Connell Agree To Extension

January 21st, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings have not waited long after the end of their season to work out an extension with Kevin O’Connell. Minnesota’s head coach has a new deal in place, the team announced on Tuesday.

“Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach – an innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” a statement from owner Mark Wilf reads. “He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”

O’Connell was previously set to enter the final year of his pact in 2025, but it became clear immediately after the team’s wild-card loss that the team would engage in extension talks. Those efforts carried the potential of an agreement being worked out in short order, and that has proven to be the case. No specifics are known with respect to term, but this new contract has been announced as a multi-year accord.

Hired in 2022, the 39-year-old had experience as an offensive coordinator prior to his arrival in Minnesota but none as a head coach. O’Connell made an immediate impact, though, leading the team to a 13-4 record in his debut season at the helm. Expectations were high last year as a result, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles midway through the campaign, however, and the team wound up 7-10 and out of the playoff picture.

Cousins’ free agency was a central offseason storyline for the Vikings last spring, and the team ultimately watched him depart on the open market by signing with the Falcons. J.J. McCarthy was selected as a long-term replacement under center, but (especially with the Michigan product being sidelined for the year with a meniscus tear) it was veteran free agent pickup Sam Darnold who handled QB1 duties in 2024.

Darnold delivered by far the most productive season of his career during his first campaign working with O’Connell. The latter’s reputation as one of the league’s top offensive minds has increased as a result, although it remains to be seen if Darnold will remain in Minnesota or take a lucrative deal with another team on the open market. In any case, Year 2 with the former top-three pick or a fresh start with McCarthy atop the depth chart will result in high expectations following a 14-3 campaign.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is in the same situation as O’Connell with respect to his current deal being set to expire after the 2025 season. It would come as little surprise if he too were to land an extension, though. Indeed, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes talks on a new deal for Adofo-Mensah are underway.

Ensuring the top organizational decision-makers remain in place for the foreseeable future is a logical goal for the Vikings. O’Connell’s situation has now been taken care of, while Adofo-Mensah is on track to be extended as well. That pairing has led Minnesota to a 34-17 record, and continued success in a highly competitive NFC North will remain the target for 2025 and beyond.

Bears Hire Ben Johnson As HC

January 20th, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

No second interviews are coming for Ben Johnson, after all. The coveted coordinator has made his choice, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the Bears are expected to reach an agreement with the three-year Lions play-caller. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

Although Johnson had stepped away as the Panthers’ preferred candidate in 2023 and then informed the Commanders late in last year’s process he was out, the Bears will land the coach who had been viewed by many as this year’s biggest fish. This represents one of the more significant developments in modern Bears history, as they had been connected to the rival coordinator for months.

As of Sunday, the Jaguars and Raiders were still in pursuit. Johnson had spoken to Tom Brady for hours during a Zoom meeting, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports, but the Las Vegas setup had a notable hole the Chicago gig does not. The Bears used the Bryce Young trade to acquire the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, giving them Caleb Williams access. They have now secured a coach to develop the well-regarded prospect. The Raiders have yet to identify a quarterback, with Brady tasked with helping the organization land one. Las Vegas also dropped to the No. 6 pick thanks to two late-season wins, which may well have been a factor in this now-Brady-led HC search.

The Jaguars’ setup is not in line with what Johnson preferred, Russini adds, helping to eliminate them. Jacksonville made the unexpected move to keep Trent Baalke as GM after firing Doug Pederson. Baalke’s polarizing presence was believed to have turned off some coaching candidates, and it appears Johnson was one of them. The Jags were believed to be open to moving Baalke to a different position in the organization depending on their HC hire, as they prepared an aggressive Johnson push, but that may not have been enough to satisfy a coordinator with options.

The Bears may be zeroing in on a defensive coordinator as well. As Russini reported, both Dennis Allen and Lou Anarumo had engaged in discussions about potentially joining Johnson wherever he landed. Johnson is expected to choose Allen, and Anarumo just committed to be the Colts’ DC. Allen has indeed emerged as a prime candidate to follow Johnson to Chicago, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Allen was in charge of the Saints’ defense from 2016-24, before being fired during his third season as head coach. Though, the ex-Sean Payton assistant — Aaron Glenn‘s boss in New Orleans — played the lead role in turning the Saints’ defense around during Drew Brees‘ final seasons.

Baalke’s Jacksonville presence may not be too dissimilar to how Chicago’s power structure looks now. Candidates were curious about what role third-year president Kevin Warren would play. While Warren had said GM Ryan Poles was running what turned out to be an expansive search — featuring nearly 20 confirmed candidates — the team president was believed to be closely involved in football operations. Advertised as an exec who would primarily stay on the business side, Warren has been instead heavily involved in football matters.

This setup still did enough for Johnson, who will work with Poles in attempting to restore the Bears as a power in a strong division. It should also be noted (h/t Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager) Poles and Johnson were each Boston College graduate assistants in the late 2000s. Poles served on the football staff in 2008 after his playing career ended, while Johnson was at BC from 2009-10.

Dan Campbell said earlier today he did not expect either Johnson or Glenn to return. Glenn remains a candidate with several HC-needy teams, but Johnson has loomed as Detroit’s more coveted option. His decision to back out of the Commanders’ job came as reps from the NFC East club were en route to Detroit for interviews with he and Glenn. Rather than hire Glenn, Washington chose Dan Quinn.

The latter’s team just eliminated Johnson’s from the playoffs, freeing the Bears up to make their preferred hire now rather than wait at least another week. Had the Lions held seed and advanced to Super Bowl LIX, the Bears would have needed to wait until after the mid-February event to make their hire.

The Lions’ shortcoming will benefit the Bears, who have not been able to firmly establish themselves as a contender since at least the mid-2000s. And that defense-powered operation only stayed afloat on that level for two seasons. The Bears have not made three straight playoff berths since Mike Ditka‘s tenure more than 30 years ago. The offensive minds the Bears have hired in the recent past (Marc Trestman, Matt Nagy) have not been able to move the needle, Nagy’s two playoff berths notwithstanding. Johnson, however, checks in as a candidate on a higher plane by comparison to those two HCs or really any coach the Bears have hired in recent history.

Although the Lions did not book three straight playoff berths during Johnson’s tenure, they may well be on their way to that. Detroit’s hotshot OC, promoted from a post as tight ends coach after being hired by Matt Patricia, played a central role in the long-downtrodden organization’s climb. The innovative play-caller drove Detroit to two fifth-place offensive rankings and this season’s top mark in terms of scoring. The Lions ranked in the top four in yardage in each of Johnson’s three seasons calling plays.

Johnson, 38, restored Jared Goff as an upper-crust quarterback, doing so after the Lions had acquired the five-year Rams starter as the throw-in piece in the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade. Goff guided Detroit to last year’s AFC championship game and a 15-2 record this season. Johnson was seen as the architect of that resurgence.

Whereas Trestman was given Jay Cutler and Nagy mostly Mitchell Trubisky, Johnson will be tasked with developing Williams. It looks like he chose a Williams partnership over seeing what Brady could come up with in Vegas or working with Trevor Lawrence — and a $55MM-per-year contract — in Jacksonville. Williams ranked 28th in QBR this season, one in which the Bears had Thomas Brown move to three positions — pass-game coordinator, OC and interim HC — during a disjointed campaign marred by a 10-game losing streak. Williams showed a Justin Fields-like penchant for taking sacks, leading the NFL with 68. But the former Heisman winner also showed flashes that attracted candidates; he is signed through at least 2026 on a rookie contract.

This Johnson hire will be the Bears’ aim to maximize their Williams investment, and the team having D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze signed long term undoubtedly helped woo the picky HC candidate. The Raiders and Jags will need to pivot to other options, while the Bears stand to immediately become more interesting in a division in which they finished five games behind the third-place Packers. Johnson will get to work at attempting to reel in his former employer and a Vikings team that just went 14-3.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is how the long-running Chicago HC search wrapped up:

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