Falcons Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football
Longtime Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is returning to Atlanta in a key front office role. The Falcons announced that they have hired Ryan as their president of football.
The Falcons created the position for Ryan, one of the greatest players in franchise history. Ryan originally joined the Falcons as the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. The Boston College product quarterbacked the team through 2021 and made four Pro Bowls.
During an MVP-winning season in 2016, Ryan led the Falcons to a Super Bowl bid. After a gut-wrenching loss to the Patriots, the Falcons rebounded to earn a playoff berth again in 2017 for the sixth and final time in the Ryan era. They have not gone back to the postseason since then.
Failing to reach the playoffs in five years under general manager Terry Fontenot and two seasons under head coach Raheem Morris led owner Arthur Blank to move on from the pair a week ago.
Blank acted quickly in hiring Ryan, most recently a CBS NFL analyst. The 40-year-old Ryan beat out Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams and Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham for the job. He’ll now leave behind his role with CBS.
In a statement announcing his hiring, Ryan said: “Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today. While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
In taking over as the Falcons’ top football executive, Ryan will hold “final decision-making authority,” Blank stated on Friday. Ryan will immediately get to work on hiring a new GM and head coach.
With Ryan firmly in charge, the NFL regards the Falcons’ GM opening as a secondary position, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. That means the Falcons technically don’t have to conduct any interviews before hiring someone for the role. However, the Falcons’ president of football interviews also served as GM interviews, sources told Dianna Russini of The Athletic (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports). While the Falcons may offer the job to Disner, Tilis, Williams or Cunningham, hiring either Williams or Cunningham would have to wait because those two are working for current playoff teams. It’s also possible that those individuals’ teams could block them from taking the Falcons’ gig if they view it as a lateral move.
There are fewer complications with the Falcons’ HC opening. They’re set to interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The Falcons also have interest in John Harbaugh, the most established choice on the market, but they’re not ready to “go all-in” on him yet, Jones reports.
Once Ryan settles on replacements for Fontenot and Morris, his focus will turn to improving a roster that produced an 8-9 record in 2025, the team’s eighth straight sub-.500 season. The Falcons haven’t finished above .500 since Ryan was under center in 2017. Evaluating the team’s current QBs – Kirk Cousins, a likely release candidate, and Michael Penix Jr. – will rank among Ryan’s most important tasks in the coming weeks.
Commanders Promote David Blough To OC
David Blough began this past season as Washington’s assistant quarterbacks coach. Following the team’s surprising decision to dismiss Kliff Kingsbury, Blough will make a significant career jump.
The Commanders are promoting the recently retired QB to offensive coordinator, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. A report earlier Friday (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) indicated Washington did not want to lose Blough, but Detroit had shown OC interest. This represents a remarkable rise for a 30-year-old staffer whose playing career did not wrap until 2024.
Washington blocked Blough from interviewing to become the Jets’ QBs coach last year, keeping him as assistant QBs coach under Tavita Pritchard. Blough climbed to the QBs coach spot once Pritchard took the Stanford HC job in December. The Lions showing interest in bringing Blough back — as their OC — meant the Commanders needed to act, and Rapoport adds Detroit’s interest was real here. That explains the quick Washington promotion.
A backup for five NFL seasons, the former UDFA played under Ben Johnson and learned under Kingsbury. The Commanders hired Blough to Dan Quinn‘s staff in 2024. While fellow recently retired backup/30-year-old Davis Webb has drawn HC interest, Blough has beaten him to the coordinator level. Considering how successful the Commanders were with Kingsbury in 2024 — with Jayden Daniels healthy — this is still a borderline shocking development. Daniels had endorsed Kingsbury after the season, but his most recent position coach will instead be calling plays in 2026.
The Commanders interviewed Cardinals pass-game coordinator Drew Terrell for the OC job today, per Rapoport. The team also interviewed Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells on Thursday. Blough joined other internal staffers in being considered for the job, per NBC4 Sports’ JP Finlay. Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic identified tight ends coach David Raih and passing game coordinator/assistant head coach Brian Johnson as the two other internal candidates. This is a relatively quick hire, but Blough clearly impressed and/or was a threat to leave. Considering Johnson’s 2024 decision to spurn the Commanders to stay with the Lions, this could also represent a bit of payback from the NFC East team.
Quinn’s Falcons past also may have factored into this Blough call. Matt and Mike LaFleur followed Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco in 2017, and The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson indicates Quinn did not want to make a similar mistake with Blough. The Bears also showed interest in Blough during last year’s cycle, but the Commanders prioritized him.
This franchise has a recent history of going very young at OC. Blough does not top Sean McVay, who landed the job at 27 in 2014, but he is much lighter on coaching experience. Blough’s lack of coaching background makes this one of the most interesting OC hires in many years. After all, Blough was still playing in 2023. He spent the full season on the Lions’ practice squad. It seems clear Blough picked up a lot from future Washington HC candidate Johnson that year, but Blough also learned under the eventual Bears HC during Lions training camp in 2022.
A Browns UDFA in 2019, Blough made his way to Detroit that year via trade. Blough made five starts for the Lions in 2019, as a Matthew Stafford back injury sidelined the longtime starter, and stayed with the team through training camp in 2022. Blough received his walking papers before the ’22 season, as the Lions acquired Nate Sudfeld before Dan Campbell‘s second year. Blough ended up in Minnesota on Kevin O’Connell‘s practice squad.
While that was also assuredly an important learning experience in Blough’s development, the Cardinals poached him off the Vikings’ P-squad that December and gave him two starts following Kyler Murray‘s ACL tear. Blough lost both games to finish his career 0-7 and did not win a game as a pro starter, but the Purdue alum has made a fascinating climb up the coaching ladder. In taking over for Kingsbury in calling plays for a Daniels-led offense, it would certainly not shock to see Blough on a near-future HC carousel.
For now, the Commanders will hope they are right on another wunderkind OC. The team still needs to hire a defensive coordinator to replace Joe Whitt, but three days after the Kingsbury dismissal, Quinn’s most important assistant position is filled. How Blough fares will go a long way toward determining if Quinn can stick around in Washington long term.
Dolphins To Hire Jon-Eric Sullivan As GM
The Dolphins were known to be nearing a hire for their general manager position. The process of finding Chris Grier‘s replacement is now complete.
Miami is hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan to fill the GM role, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Sullivan was among the four finalists for the position and loomed as a strong candidate to get the nod. Now, his attention will turn to playing a key role in the Dolphins’ head coaching search.
This move represents the first time Sullivan will hold a position outside of Green Bay. The former Packers intern spent more than two decades with the franchise, working his way through the ranks of both the scouting and personnel departments. Sullivan was promoted to VP of player personnel in 2022, and he regularly found himself on the radar of teams seeking a new GM during recent hiring cycles. Troy Aikman (brought in as a consultant for this search) was Sullivan’s top supporter, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Now, 2026 will see Sullivan take charge of an NFL team for the first time. He will become a central figure in Miami’s organizational reset. The team fired head coach Mike McDaniel yesterday in a move which came as a surprise to many. The Dolphins’ intent remained to fill the GM position in short order before focusing on the process of finding McDaniel’s replacement. That search will be one of eight around the league.
Owner Stephen Ross will have the final say on a HC hire, but Sullivan – who interviewed virtually with the Dolphins on Tuesday before taking part in an in-person meeting yesterday – will of course be involved as well. Once a move is finalized on that front, the team’s new group of decision-makers will face a number of important roster questions. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faces an uncertain future, as does receiver Tyreek Hill.
Having spent his entire career to date in Green Bay, Sullivan has clear ties to a pair of 2026 head coaching candidates: Mike McCarthy and Jeff Hafley. The former spent last season out of coaching while the latter is one of several highly-regarded defensive coordinators set to receive HC interest. The possibility of Miami targeting McCarthy and/or Hafley over the coming days will be worth watching closely.
After Grier’s firing, Champ Kelly was handed interim GM duties. He progressed to the final stage of interviews for the full-time gig, but with an outside hire having been made Kelly may soon depart for a new opportunity elsewhere. Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams have also become runners-up for the role, so they will turn their attention elsewhere. At this point, the Falcons represent the only other general manager vacancy in the NFL.
Over the course of Grier’s lengthy tenure in Miami’s front office, the team’s drought for playoff wins extended to 25 years and counting. Ending that league-leading mark (along with a two-year run of losing records) will of course be a critical goal for Miami’s new power structure once it is in place. Sullivan is in position to be a leading figure in that regard for years to come.
Dolphins Fire HC Mike McDaniel
The uncertainty surrounding Mike McDaniel‘s status has ended. Miami has elected to move in a new direction with respect to the head coaching spot. 
McDaniel has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This ends his four-year run leading the team and creates an eighth head coaching vacancy around the league. Signs pointed toward McDaniel staying in the days following the regular season, but that will not be the case. McDaniel was caught off guard by this decision, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
[RELATED: Fallout From McDaniel Firing; Latest On John Harbaugh]
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change,” a statement from owner Stephen Ross reads in part. “I informed Mike McDaniel this morning that he has been relieved of his duties as head coach.”
Through the second half of the season, it remained unclear if McDaniel would be retained for 2026. The 42-year-old was safe after the mid-season dismissal of general manager Chris Grier, something which suggested a strong finish to the campaign would allow him another year at the helm. Miami did improve to an extent late, albeit to wind up with a record of 7-10. That made 2025 the second straight season with a losing record under McDaniel, whose overall mark with Miami was 35-33.
McDaniel had a say in the early portion of Miami’s GM search, although it recently became clear he would not be present for interviews. Still, his lingering presence through the Dolphins’ decision to narrow their list of general manager targets suggested McDaniel would be safe. Candidates to replace Grier naturally received questions about working alongside the ex-49ers staffer but also the possibility of a different coach being brought in. With a shortlist of GM targets now in place, the latter route will be taken.
The timing of this move is certainly interesting. The 2026 cycle is set to be dominated by the presence of John Harbaugh, whose 18-year Ravens run came to an end on Tuesday. Multiple reports have pointed to teams contemplating a pursuit of the Super Bowl winner by firing a coach they otherwise would have kept. It remains to be seen if the Dolphins fit that description, as conflicting updates emerged yesterday with respect to Miami’s interest in Harbaugh. The team has not yet reached out to Harbaugh’s agent, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Meanwhile, Schefter’s colleague Jeff Darlington notes McDaniel’s firing would have taken place with or without Harbaugh on the market.
An NFL coach dating back to 2005, McDaniel spent time in Denver, Houston, Washington, Cleveland and Atlanta early in his career. He worked under Kyle Shanahan with the Falcons for two seasons before following him to San Francisco in 2017. Over the course of a five-year run with the 49ers, McDaniel generated a reputation as one of the league’s top young offensive minds.
His first head coaching gig came with the Dolphins, and McDaniel saw early success in the role. Miami reached the postseason in each of his first two years at the helm, bowing out in the wild-card round both times. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not available for the first of those two playoff losses, but when healthy his best performances have come under McDaniel. With that said, 2025 marked a downturn in production from under center, and Tagovailoa was benched late in the season.
A change at the quarterback spot could be coming relatively soon, with Tagovailoa open to a change of scenery. A decision on that front will need to be made by the new general manager in tandem, presumably, with McDaniel’s replacement. In the meantime, McDaniel will become one of the top offensive minds on the market. Interest in a second HC gig could emerge, but failing that there should be a number of offensive coordinator opportunities over the coming days and weeks.
The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000. Ending the NFL’s longest drought in that regard will of course be a central goal for the team’s new decision-makers. As one of only two teams in need of both a general manager and head coach, Miami will be one to watch closely in the near future.
Buccaneers Fire OC Josh Grizzard
As expected, the Buccaneers will have another new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Josh Grizzard is out after one season, as first reported by Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 
Head coach Todd Bowles will remain in place for a fifth season at the helm of Tampa Bay. Changes at the OC spot were recently named as something to watch for, though. Today’s news confirms the Bucs will have a fifth new offensive coordinator in as many years. Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis is also being let go, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. He had been in place for each of Baker Mayfield‘s three Bucs seasons.
For much of last year’s hiring cycle, it appeared as though Liam Coen would stay with the Buccaneers. He ultimately landed the Jaguars’ head coaching gig, however, which created another OC vacancy in Tampa Bay. Grizzard was promoted to the role, having spent the 2024 campaign as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Expectations were high based on the familiarity in Grizzard’s case, but especially late in the season things did not go as planned for Tampa Bay.
After a 6-2 start, the Buccaneers were unable to maintain their lead in the standings upon returning from their bye week. The team wound up 8-9 and on the wrong side of a three-way tiebreaker to determine top spot in the NFC South. Questions about Bowles’ job security were raised down the stretch, but the Bucs have opted for stability at the HC spot. His attention will now turn to the latest edition of his annual offensive coordinator searches.
Grizzard’s unit ranked 18th in the NFL in scoring and 21st in total offense. Injuries up front and at the skill positions were a common theme throughout the season, but improved consistency will be sought out by his replacement. Grizzard, 35, began his coaching career at the college ranks in 2012. His first NFL stint came with the Dolphins and lasted seven years. A two-year run in Tampa Bay followed, but he now joins the list of ex-OCs on the open market.
Per Rapoport, a trio of names are worth watching with respect to potential Grizzard replacements: Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Falcons OC Zac Robinson. Scheelhaase interviewed with Tampa Bay for the position last year, whereas Monken served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2016-18. His status in Baltimore is uncertain at the moment as the Ravens seek out their John Harbaugh replacement.
Robinson is still in place with the Falcons at the moment, but a new head coach-general manager tandem is yet to be hired. Once that takes place, it would come as little surprise if a reset at the coordinator spots were to follow. That would leave Robinson among the coordinators on the lookout for a new opportunity. In any case, Grizzard’s attention will now turn to his coaching prospects as the 2026 landscape takes shape.
Ravens Fire HC John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh‘s lengthy Ravens tenure is coming to an end. The Super Bowl-winning head coach has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz describes this as a mutual parting of ways, although in the wake of Week 18 Harbaugh expressed a desire to continue in his current role. That will no longer be the case. The remainder of the coaching staff is currently being informed of the news, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.
[RELATED: Giants Preparing Aggressive Run At Harbaugh?]
Harbaugh believed he would be safe as of earlier today, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport notes (video link). A lengthy conversation with owner Steve Bisciotti resulted in today’s decision being made, Schultz adds. It appears a split existed between the two on the matter of coaching staff makeup.
Harbaugh refused to entertain the thought of dismissing offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. That proved to be a “key pressure point” leading to this unexpected news. Monken had overseen back-to-back Lamar Jackson first-team All-Pro seasons, but a rumor about the Ravens being ready to consider coordinator changes emerged shortly after the 26-24 loss to the Steelers. The Browns have requested an HC interview with Monken.
“Following a comprehensive evaluation of the season and the overall direction of our organization, I decided to make a change at head coach,” Bisciotti said. “Today I informed John that he has been relieved of his duties. This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity.”
Leading up to the regular-season finale, many suggested a firing would come as a surprise. In the aftermath of Baltimore’s last-second loss on Sunday night, though, it remained unclear whether or not the 18-year partnership between team and coach would continue. Harbaugh had three years remaining on his contract thanks to the extension he signed last March. Now, the Ravens will conduct a head coaching search for the first time since 2008.
Especially in the early portion of his Baltimore tenure, Harbaugh enjoyed a strong run of success. Baltimore won at least one playoff game during each of his first five years in charge. That span was highlighted by victory in Super Bowl XLVII against a 49ers team lead by his brother Jim. Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco (whose career began in 2008) quickly developed a reputation for playoff success. This culminated in a dominant postseason run that included road wins over the No. 1-seeded Broncos and No. 2-slotted Patriots, leading to that dramatic win in the Harbaugh Bowl.
Consistent turnover at the offensive coordinator spot in particular proved to be a common theme through much of the Harbaugh-Flacco era, and over time the postseason runs led by them became less frequent. Still, Harbaugh’s eight road wins in the playoffs remain an all-time NFL record (h/t Schefter). The 2025 campaign represents only his third in which the Ravens finished with a losing record.
As Flacco aged, his regular-season showings began to wane and questions were raised about a potential succession plan. In 2018, Baltimore traded back into the first round to select Jackson. A Flacco back injury opened the door for Jackson to take on starting duties as a rookie midway though the campaign, and a strong finish to the season avoided what would have been a fourth straight year outside of the playoffs at the time. Before the Ravens had clinched a spot, though, Harbaugh had already received a new commitment from Bisciotti.
Overseeing the Ravens’ transition to a far different offense with Jackson, things went well early on. Jackson unanimously won the MVP award in 2019, with Harbaugh taking home Coach of the Year honors. Baltimore was the AFC’s No. 1 seed that year and faced high expectations as a result. An upset loss to the Titans proved to be one of many shortcomings in January that Baltimore has encountered since then, however.
During Jackson’s eight-year career, the Ravens have reached the playoffs six times. Injuries (including in 2025) have played a factor in the instances where that was not the case, but all told Baltimore has reached just one AFC title game in that span. The Ravens lost to the Chiefs as the No. 1 seed. Breaking through in the AFC playoff picture will be a goal early and often for Harbaugh’s successor, someone who will inherit a roster led by Jackson and several other highly-regarded players on both sides of the ball.
Harbaugh, meanwhile, will instantly be seen as a top candidate in the 2026 pool presuming he decides to coach next season. The 63-year-old was mentioned early today as someone on the radar of HC-needy teams like the Falcons and Giants. Interest is expected to be widespread around the league.
Overall, Harbaugh’s Baltimore tenure ends with 12 playoff appearances (including six division titles). His regular-season win percentage sits at .614 and his resume includes a 13-11 record in the postseason. Harbaugh signed six extensions as Ravens HC, including one that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid HCs earlier this year. A former special teams assistant during Andy Reid‘s Eagles stint, Harbaugh now faces an uncertain future for the first time in nearly two decades.
Commanders, Kliff Kingsbury Part Ways
A weekend report indicated Kliff Kingsbury would not be a lock to return as Commanders OC. Despite his offense helping Jayden Daniels to Offensive Rookie of the Year acclaim in 2024, Kingsbury is indeed out in Washington.
The sides are parting ways, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero classifying it as a mutual decision. After the Commanders pried Kingsbury from the Raiders’ grasp in 2024, the former Cardinals HC will be a coaching free agent again. Multiple OC options are set to present themselves, with Pelissero adding Kingsbury is drawing HC interest as well.
[RELATED: Commanders Fire DC Joe Whitt]
The weekend offering from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated Kingsbury and GM Adam Peters were not seeing eye-to-eye. This separation will stand to make Kingsbury a coveted OC option, and it will be interesting to see which teams reach out regarding head coaching interviews. While this gives Kingsbury more options, the Commanders will now throw Daniels into a new offense.
This separation comes after a Kingsbury meeting with Dan Quinn, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds it comes after Daniels gave his OC a strong endorsement. Other members of Washington’s offense were “blindsided” by the move, per insider Jordan Schultz, who adds key players on offense are disappointed in this decision.
Daniels dazzled as a rookie, separating from a deep QB class. Daniels’ breakout season booked the Commanders into the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years. The former Heisman winner’s sophomore NFL slate, however, became an injury-riddled slog. Daniels suffered three injuries and played in only seven games. In those seven games, his completion percentage cratered compared to his rookie year — from 69.0 to 60.6 — and his yards per attempt dropped to 6.7.
Still, Kingsbury was viewed as a high-end HC commodity last year — even on a market that included Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson. The resurgent staffer opted to stay with Washington, preferring his place coaching Daniels. It is difficult to say Kingsbury’s stock has dropped too far. The Titans are interested in meeting with him to discuss their HC position; an interview request is expected. Kingsbury, 46, will now be free to meet about that job in-person at any time. The Giants have also expressed interest, likely giving a dismissed coordinator at least two HC interview opportunities.
While Matt Nagy resides as a likely frontrunner to reunite with Mike Borgonzi in Tennessee, Kingsbury also brings second-chance HC appeal as a coach who has helped two quarterbacks to Pro Bowls. Although Kyler Murray struggled in 2022, Kingsbury guiding the Cardinals’ dual-threat option to first-ballot Pro Bowls in 2020 and ’21 has aged well given the passer’s mid-2020s standing. Daniels gliding to Rookie of the Year honors on Kingsbury’s watch also bolsters the coach’s prospects to land on his feet — especially on a market thin on offensive-minded HC candidates.
It certainly should not be considered a lock Kingsbury receives another HC opportunity during this cycle, but with six vacancies and limited options for OC types, he could be the ultra-rare coordinator to be let go and land a top coaching job.
Kingsbury does have a history of unusual coaching transitions. Texas Tech fired him after the 2018 season, leading him to USC as the planned Trojans OC. But the Cardinals instead hired the ex-Patrick Mahomes college mentor as their head coach. Kingsbury went 28-37-1 in four Arizona seasons, guiding the team to the playoffs in 2021 but finishing 4-13 in 2022.
That led the Cards to fire him despite authorizing an extension months earlier. Kingsbury coached QBs at USC in 2023, allowing him to tutor Caleb Williams that season. Kingsbury then came close to a Raiders OC agreement in 2024, but after Las Vegas only offered a two-year deal, Washington’s three-year offer convinced him to back out of negotiations with the AFC West team.
Washington should see no shortage of interested candidates for its OC position, and after a 5-12 showing, Quinn needs to tab a quality option. The Commanders’ largely Daniels-less season brought a 27th-place finish in scoring and last-place ranking in yardage. The season also featured Terry McLaurin missing extensive time. Washington’s 2025 rankings figure to ding Kingsbury, but his previous work will certainly appeal to teams.
Cowboys Fire DC Matt Eberflus
The Cowboys will once again have a new defensive coordinator next season. Matt Eberflus has been fired after one year in that role for Dallas, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
For much of the campaign, struggles on defense proved to be a major detriment to the Cowboys. As that trend continued late in the season, support for Eberflus emanating from owner Jerry Jones seemed to wane. Today’s news thus comes as little surprise, although it comes earlier than expected.
Eberflus lasted less than three seasons during his first head coaching gig, with his Bears tenure ending in November last season. His background as a coordinator led to DC interest in general and ties to the Cowboys in particular. From 2011-17, Eberflus served as Dallas’ linebackers coach. He returned to his former team with the intent of improving a unit which struggled last season under Mike Zimmer.
Things did not go according to plan, to say the least. Under Eberflus, the Cowboys finished last in the NFL in scoring defense and 30th in yards allowed. Struggles in the secondary were a consistent theme all year, with many players having trouble adapting to his zone-heavy scheme. Improving at the cornerback and safety spots will no doubt be an offseason priority regardless of who replaces Eberflus.
Dan Quinn enjoyed a strong three-year run as Dallas’ defensive coordinator before taking his second career head coaching gig. His departure to Washington led to Zimmer’s return to the Cowboys in a familiar D-coordinator role. As expected, the decision to part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy last winter also resulted in Zimmer being replaced. That led to Eberflus’ arrival, but the Cowboys now find themselves in need of a fourth different DC in as many years.
Brian Flores was recently named as a Dallas target for the defensive coordinator position. He has thrived in that role with the Vikings for the past three years, a stretch which has helped his stock and is expected to lead to widespread interest around the league. Flores does not have a contract for next season, but discussions have taken place with Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if the 44-year-old demonstrates a willingness to take charge of the Cowboys’ defense as he weighs his options.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, it is currently unclear if any other changes will be made on Dallas’ defensive staff. Further departures would come as little surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2025 but also the trend of new coordinator arrivals bringing in outside assistants.
Lions Fire OC John Morton
Weeks after Dan Campbell took over Lions play-calling duties, the team will search for a new offensive coordinator. John Morton is out as OC after one season in the role, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. The Lions have since announced the move.
This was rumored to be the direction the Lions were heading, and it certainly makes sense given the abrupt removal of Morton’s chief responsibility. The firing also comes after the Lions went through a curiously thin search to replace Ben Johnson.
Neither Lions coordinator search was thorough. Campbell promoted Kelvin Sheppard to DC and added Morton from the Broncos, who had him in place as their pass-game coordinator. The Lions only satisfied the Rooney Rule during their OC search, with Campbell clearly having Morton in mind after losing Johnson to the Bears. It would surprise if the team replicated that narrow search this time around.
Morton, 56, had worked as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit during the 2022 season. This dismissal marks Morton’s second one-and-done in an NFL OC role. The Jets moved on after the 2017 season. Morton had the misfortune of leading the Jets’ offense during what turned out to be a gap year, when the team let Ryan Fitzpatrick walk in free agency and signed Josh McCown as a stopgap starter. Morton’s setup, however, was much better in Detroit. The offense took a step back after Johnson departed for Chicago.
The Lions still ranked fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage, but Campbell yanked Morton’s play sheet prior to Week 10. The move reminded of Campbell’s impatience with Anthony Lynn, the Lions’ OC during Campbell’s first year as HC. Campbell demoted Lynn, taking the play sheet, before the parties separated after the 2021 season. This brought Johnson to the forefront, and he excelled in the OC role for three seasons. Johnson drew significant HC interest in 2023 and ’24 but backed out of the running in both years. This gave Campbell some time to determine a replacement, but his first choice backfired.
While the Lions deserve criticism for not conducting much of a search to replace Johnson, continuity concerns motivated the decisions. Morton had been with the Lions three years ago and interviewed for the OC job Lynn landed a year prior. Following Morton’s Jets firing, he was on Jon Gruden‘s Raiders staff (as a senior assistant) for three years. The Broncos appointed him as their PGC in 2023. That season brought a Russell Wilson turnaround, and while Sean Payton has received most of the credit for that and Bo Nix‘s impressive career start, Morton parlayed Nix’s rookie season into an OC opportunity.
When Campbell took the call sheet, the Lions ranked 12th in yards per game. The second half brought an improvement, as Morton faded into the background. The Lions enjoyed good health at the skill positions, but Morton struggled to keep Jameson Williams involved in the offense. Detroit ran into some injury trouble along its offensive line, but the Jared Goff-piloted offense still stayed in the top five following Johnson’s departure.
The Lions have Goff, Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery and Penei Sewell signed long term. Jahmyr Gibbs is an extension candidate as well, creating obvious appeal for this job. Morton has spent a few years away at the college level, but he began his NFL coaching tenure in 1998. He has been a two-time Gruden staffer and three-time Payton assistant. A drop south of the coordinator level appears a near-certainty after this quick firing.
Commanders Fire DC Joe Whitt
The Commanders will have a pair of new coordinators in 2026. The team has parted ways with OC Kliff Kingsbury, but DC Joe Whitt is also on the way out. 
Whitt has been fired, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move comes as little surprise on that front, given the way things played out in 2025 on defense for the Commanders. Head coach Dan Quinn remains in place, but he will have at least two new assistants to hire over the coming weeks.
In 2024, Whitt contemplated staying with the Cowboys but ultimately followed Quinn from Dallas to the nation’s capital. That decision included play-calling duties for their first season together in Washington. In the midst of the team’s struggles on that front in 2025, however, Quinn stripped Whitt of those responsibilities. The expectation of a coordinator change has grown since then.
Indeed, a report from late December indicated Whitt was likely to be on the way out following the campaign. That has no proven to be the case. Quinn and the Commanders will now seek out a new play-caller on offense. Whether or not he retains that role on defense will likely depend on who winds up serving as Whitt’s replacement.
The Commanders posted middling numbers in both scoring and total defense in 2024. The team’s surprise run to the NFC title game was fueled in large part unexpected success on offense during Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season. While the second-year quarterback and other key offensive figures battled injuries this season, Washington’s defense was unable to compensate. The unit finished dead last in yards allowed and 27th in scoring.
Given that poor showing, it will be interesting to see if Whitt receives interest on the coordinator market. The 47-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, holding a number of roles during spells with the Falcons, Packers, Browns and Cowboys prior to his Commanders hire. Whitt has extensive experience coaching defensive backs and as a defensive pass-game coordinator, and another opportunity on that front could await him this offseason.
Earlier today, the Cowboys made the expected move of dismissing Matt Eberflus. The Whitt firing has added further to the list of D-coordinator openings around the league. More will no doubt emerge over the coming days. In any event, the Commanders will be busy during the 2026 hiring cycle as it pertains to restocking Quinn’s coaching staff.