Tom Brady Unlikely To Retire?
Whenever the Patriots’ 2019 season ended, there was always going to be rampant speculation about Tom Brady‘s future, given that he is eligible to become a free agent for the first time in his long and illustrious career. And now that the Titans have ended New England’s hopes for a repeat, let the speculation and rumor-mongering commence.
At his post-game presser, Brady was, predictably, asked about whether he would retire or continue playing. And while Brady understandably said he didn’t want to discuss his future so soon after a difficult playoff loss, he indicated that he was not planning on retiring. “I would say it’s pretty unlikely. … Hopefully unlikely,” Brady said (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).
If he does return for his age-43 season, Brady may not be back with the Patriots. He has been connected to the Chargers, and there is also some thought that he could join longtime OC Josh McDaniels if McDaniels accepts a head coaching job with the Panthers. The Colts, who have an uncertain QB situation but who otherwise have a strong roster and a bevy of cap space, could also be a fit.
However, Brady has not ruled out a return to Foxborough. “I love the Patriots. They have the greatest organization,” Brady said. “Playing for [owner Robert] Kraft all these years and coach [Bill] Belichick, there’s nobody who has had a better career than me, just being with them. I’m very blessed. I don’t know what the future looks like, so I’m not going to predict it.”
The Patriots cannot use the franchise tag on Brady in 2020, and if he does choose to come back, the Patriots would need to add more offensive firepower. It’s fair to wonder if New England would have prevailed over Tennessee if it had one or two more reliable receiving weapons, and the prospect of several more targets combined with the Pats’ sturdy defense could make the prospect of another year in Massachusetts attractive.
And Brady surely doesn’t want his career to end on a pick-six, as it would if he chose to retire this year. But as he said, “[w]ho knows what the future holds? We’ll leave it at that,”
Matt Rhule To Meet With Panthers, Giants
The Matt Rhule-to-NFL path may be close to forming. The Baylor head coach has scheduled two interviews. He will meet with the Panthers on Monday and the Giants shortly after, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
A New York native, Rhule is believed to be the frontrunner for the Giants job. He spent 2012 as their assistant offensive line coach, working with the franchise during Dave Gettleman‘s final season during his first Giants stint. Rhule’s Giants meeting is expected to take place Tuesday.
As a college coach, Rhule is 47-43 in seven seasons at Temple and Baylor. But it’s the Bears’ quick turnaround from the Art Briles tenure that has likely sparked interest among NFL teams. Baylor completed the transition from 1-11 in Rhule’s first season in 2017 to ending its 2019 campaign in the Sugar Bowl. While Baylor did not fare well against Georgia, Rhule was already an NFL candidate before guiding the Big 12 program to an 11-win season. And prior to Rhule’s Baylor stay, he led Temple to back-to-back 10-win seasons — the first such stretch in the program’s 90-year history.
The Panthers have already interviewed Mike McCarthy (twice) and Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy. They are tentatively scheduled to meet with Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski late next week. The Giants are interviewing Bieniemy and Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale on Saturday and have already spoken with McCarthy and Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard. Both teams are also interested in Josh McDaniels, who has previously been a Giants target.
Rhule turned down an opportunity to interview for the Browns job, doing so a year after agreeing to return to Baylor despite Jets interest. Rhule interviewed for the job that went to Adam Gase and has said he would leave for the NFL if the right opportunity presented itself. The latest NFL hiring period will put the 44-year-old coach to the test.
Cowboys To Meet With Marvin Lewis
Things are moving fast in Dallas. Following news that Mike McCarthy will interview for the Cowboys head coaching job, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that the team will also meet with former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis today. We heard earlier today that Lewis could be a candidate for the gig. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the interview has already taken place.
While Lewis didn’t help the Bengals achieve any playoff success (0-7 in seven appearances) during his 16 years in Cincy, he did finish his tenure with a 131-122 record, including 10 seasons with at least eight victories. While the Bengals struggled between 2016 and 2018 (20-28), it was still a bit of a surprise when the organization moved on from Lewis last year. We heard that the 61-year-old would be well-positioned to secure another head coaching gig this offseason.
However, Lewis didn’t take any interviews last offseason, and he later revealed that he didn’t expect to coach again. He joined his friends Ray Anderson and Herm Edwards at Arizona State University as a special advisor back in May, and it’s believed that Lewis would consider an NFL gig if the right opportunity presented itself. The coach was mentioned as a candidate for the Redskins job before the organization hired Ron Rivera.
For those questioning the fate of Jason Garrett, ESPN’s Ed Werder opines (on Twitter) that the organization will simply allow the coach’s contract to expire. The soon-to-be-former head coach’s deal expires on January 14th.
Mike McCarthy To Meet With Cowboys
While the Cowboys haven’t said anything official about the status of head coach Jason Garrett, it sounds like the organization is preparing to meet with candidates. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is traveling to Dallas to meet with the Cowboys. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the interview will take place today.
Rapoport adds that the organization is “laying the groundwork” for an inevitable head coaching search, with a particular focus on former NFL head coaches. To that end, Rapoport hints that Marvin Lewis could also be a candidate for the gig, with the former Bengals head coach receiving interest from some within the organization.
As our head coaching tracker shows, McCarthy has been one of the more popular names on the interview circuit, as he’s already interviewed for the Panthers, Browns, and Giants vacancies. McCarthy was out of the NFL for the entire 2019 campaign, but he spent the season studying film and designing plays in preparation for his next opportunity.
Now, the former Super Bowl winner becomes the first known candidate to (presumably) replace Garrett in Dallas. The former Packers head coach did have a pair of Hall of Famers (Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers) for nearly the entirety of his Green Bay stint, but he’d be inheriting an offense that has plenty of weapons of their own. His play-calling was also called into question towards the latter stages of his tenure, but it sounds like he was focused on improving that aspect of his coaching throughout the past year.
We heard yesterday that Garrett and the Cowboys were likely heading towards a divorce. The Cowboys were scheduled to meet with Garrett on Thursday, but that meeting was scrapped. Before the 86’d sit-down, the Cowboys were rumored to be considering a middle-ground scenario in which Garrett would remain with the organization in a different role. At this moment, a clean break seems more likely.
Earlier today, Rapoport reported (via Twitter) that the Cowboys aren’t expected to make any definitive announcement about Garrett until at least Monday. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that the Cowboys head coach has been campaigning to keep his gig. Garrett’s contract is set to expire on January 14th.
Bears Sign Eddie Jackson To Extension
The Bears have locked down star safety Eddie Jackson for years to come. On Friday, his agents announced the signing of a four-year add-on worth $58.4MM. 
The new deal includes $33MM in overall guarantees and $22MM fully guaranteed. The $14.6MM average annual value of the deal ranks as the highest of any safety in the NFL.
Jackson, 27, still had one year to go on his paltry four-year, $3.065MM rookie deal. But, after back-to-back Pro Bowl nods, the Bears didn’t want to wait until the asking price jumped even further.
The Bears were somewhat limited on cap space for 2020, but thanks to some help from Kyle Fuller, they were able to carve out enough room to extend Jackson through the 2024 campaign.
Jackson entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Bears in 2017. Since then, he’s started in 100% of his games and solidified himself as one of the league’s premier safeties. Over the last three seasons, he’s notched ten interceptions and returned three of those picks for touchdowns.
The advanced metrics back up the traditional stats, too. In 2018, Jackson earned an eye-popping 93.2 score from Pro Football Focus, tying him for the highest grade ever given to a safety. He wasn’t quite as sharp in 2019, but the Bears believe that he’ll bounce back in 2020, along with the rest of the team’s high-priced defense.
Before Jackson’s deal, Titans safety Kevin Byard had the highest AAV at the position ($14.1MM) thanks to the five-year, $70.5MM extension he signed last summer. In terms of overall compensation, Redskins standout Landon Collins still reins supreme at safety with his six-year, $84MM deal.
Josh McDaniels To Meet With Browns
The Browns have secured a Josh McDaniels meeting. Having set much of their itinerary for the first round of coaching interviews, the Browns will meet with McDaniels, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
A Cleveland-area native, McDaniels is believed to be the Browns’ top choice. He joins 49ers DC Robert Saleh, Ravens OC Greg Roman and Bills OC Brian Daboll as those set to interview. Roman and Mike McCarthy are in Cleveland today. McDaniels’ interview will likely occur Jan. 10, Cabot adds.
Jimmy Haslam said earlier Thursday the organization will hire a head coach with NFL experience, ruling out Urban Meyer. But McDaniels’ Ohio ties run deeper. The Barberton, Ohio, native previously interviewed with the Browns in 2014 but took himself out of the running for a job that eventually went to Mike Pettine. Haslam was intrigued by McDaniels during the previous interview, and that interest does not appear to have cooled. This time, the longtime Patriots OC is believed to be intrigued by the opportunity — one that will likely come with some personnel control.
McDaniels, 43, is also on the Giants’ and Panthers’ wish lists, so the Browns may need to make an attractive offer. The franchise being GM-less would seemingly appeal to McDaniels, who may want to bring longtime Patriots executive (and fellow northeast Ohio native) Nick Caserio to Cleveland. Caserio’s contract expires after this season. Defections of McDaniels and Caserio would represent a major blow to New England’s infrastructure.
While the three-time Super Bowl champion OC’s play-calling acumen cannot be dismissed, he will have much to prove from a personnel and leadership standpoint. The Broncos gave the then-33-year-old coach personnel control in 2009, and McDaniels’ controversial moves — and 2010 videotaping scandal — led to a quick firing. His spurning of the Colts eight years later was believed to damage his rebuilt stock, but the widespread interest in the veteran coordinator over the past several days has shown the league has effectively overlooked that decision.
Daboll is set to interview with Browns brass Sunday in Buffalo, Cabot adds. Neither he nor McDaniels can take an interview until next week, due to the AFC East teams being in wild-card games. Daboll spent two years as the Browns’ OC, under Eric Mangini, from 2009-10.
Browns Fire GM John Dorsey
That’s a wrap for John Dorsey. On Tuesday, the Browns and Dorsey agreed to part ways, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Dorsey and owner Jimmy Haslam met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss potential options for moving forward. Reportedly, Haslam was considering a scenario in which Dorsey would stay on board in a restructured front office. That did not work for Dorsey, an executive with decades of experience who has become accustomed to doing things his way.
The Browns hired Dorsey near the end of the 2017 season after firing Sashi Brown. Brown was widely criticized for his decisions in Cleveland, but his future-minded strategy tee’d up Dorsey with tons of fiscal flexibility and draft picks. In two seasons at the helm, Dorsey has not been able to translate those assets into wins. The Browns improved from 0-16 in 2017 (because there’s only one way to go from there), but they only managed a 7-8-1 record in 2018 and a 6-10 mark this year.
On the plus side – Dorsey is responsible for bringing in the likes of quarterback Baker Mayfield, cornerback Denzel Ward, receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and defensive notables Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon. Dorsey hasn’t been perfect, and his selection of Freddie Kitchens as the team’s head coach obviously didn’t pan out, but one could argue that Dorsey has been given a raw deal and not enough time to right the ship.
What’s next for the Browns is anyone’s guess. The club could give more power to chief strategist Paul DePodesta, who transitioned from baseball to football to become one of Haslam’s top consiglieres. Old friend Andrew Berry – who currently serves as Eagles VP of football operations – could also garner consideration for the GM job.
Bears Fire OC Mark Helfrich
On Tuesday, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, along with several other assistants. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride Jr., and assistant special teams coach Brock Olivo were also handed their pink slips.
Head coach Matt Nagy has a major hand in the team’s offensive philosophy, but he apparently wants a different team to help him carry out his vision. Helfrich came to the Bears after four years as Oregon’s head coach and a stint as a TV analyst. After this so-so run in Chicago, he seems likely to return to the college ranks.
In 2019, the Bears got occasional glimpses from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but, on the whole, the passing offense overwhelmed. Trubisky finished out with 3,138 yards, 17 touchdowns, and ten interceptions, a serious step back from his 2018 showing. He didn’t do much with his feet either – he ran for just 193 yards and two TDs, versus 421 yards and three scores last year.
The offensive line was also porous, which is why Hiestand is also on the job hunt. The Bears figure to shake up the offensive personnel this offseason, though they intend on moving forward with Trubisky as their QB.
Browns, John Dorsey To Part Ways?
The Browns and GM John Dorsey are “leaning towards” parting ways today, sources tell Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, Schefter cautions that the situation is “fluid and not final.” 
[RELATED: Browns Fire Freddie Kitchens]
Dorsey will meet with owner Jimmy Haslam on Tuesday afternoon to hash things out, but all signs are pointing to this being the end of Dorsey’s time in Cleveland. Days after firing Freddie Kitchens – who got just one season at the helm – the Browns could be on the verge of cleaning house.
Shortly after word of Kitchens’ dismissal broke, Dorsey released a statement indicating that he was staying put. Soon, we’ll know whether that’s the case.
Dorsey joined the Browns in 2017 and his lofty resume led to high expectations off the bat. So far, those expectations have not been met – the Browns finished 6-9 in 2019, despite having one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and acquiring superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Technically, it’s an upgrade over the Browns’ winless 2017 season, but that’s not quite enough to satisfy the Browns’ restless fans or ownership.
Jaguars To Retain HC Doug Marrone, GM Dave Caldwell
The Jaguars will retain head coach Doug Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell for the 2020 season, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). There were conflicting reports over the weekend as to what owner Shad Khan would do, but for the second year in a row, Khan has elected for continuity.
Of course, Khan did fire executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin on December 18, and he indicated in a statement that he would not be filling Coughlin’s role. Instead, Marrone and Caldwell will continue to report to Khan directly, just as they have been doing since Coughlin’s dismissal. That means that Caldwell, who lost final say over personnel matters when Coughlin was hired in 2017, will regain that authority.
Khan said he met with Marrone, Caldwell, and their respective staffs in recent days, and it was those meetings — not the team’s 38-20 win over the Colts in Sunday’s meaningless finale — that led to his decision. However, Khan stressed that the team’s last-place finish in 2019 was not acceptable, and it sounds as if both Marrone and Caldwell could be on a short leash moving forward.
And that stands to reason, as neither man has set the world ablaze during their tenures in Jacksonville. Marrone is 22-28 since taking over as the club’s head coach towards the end of the 2016 season, and the Jags are 36-76 since Caldwell was hired as GM in January 2013. Of course, everyone remembers the run Jacksonville made in 2017, which nearly culminated in a Super Bowl berth, but even though that was just two years ago, the regression the club has seen since then makes it feel like a lot longer.
Marrone himself was not considering any major changes to his coaching staff, though as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, it’s unclear whether his meeting with Khan will have changed his stance.
Khan’s statement may be found in its entirety here, courtesy of the team’s official website, but it reads in part as follows:
“The 2019 season was unacceptable and I’ve made my dissatisfaction clear. While many unusual circumstances influenced our season, none can fully explain or defend our second-half collapse with first place in the division within reach on Week 9. At the same time, there were positive developments and contributions that should not be overlooked.
We came out of our AFC Championship Game season of 2017 by making a four-year commitment to the collective leadership of our football operations. Only two seasons have passed and one change from that leadership team has already been made. I want to see what we produce under a new organizational structure in 2020. Goals have been established. Accountability will be paramount.”