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Poll: Which Team Made Best 2025 HC Hire?

February 12th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raiders Finalize 2025 Coaching Staff

February 11th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders reeled in the short leash allowed to interim head coach turned official head coach Antonio Pierce after only one season and have turned to former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to right the ship in Las Vegas. Two and a half weeks after the hiring of the veteran head coach, the Raiders have finalized the coaching staff they will carry into the 2025 NFL season. Though we were already aware of many of these signings, there were some breaking updates, as well.

For instance, we were already aware of the hiring of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, and run game coordinator/offensive line coach (and son of the head coach) Brennan Carroll.

To fill out the position coaches, we learned that tight ends coach Luke Steckel would be retained from the previous staff and that Deland McCullough has been hired as running backs coach. A longtime assistant with the Titans, Steckel has worked with multiple positions, though tight ends coach has been his only title lacking the word “assistant.” Last season was his first in role for the Raiders, and the result was tight end Brock Bowers setting NFL records for receptions in a rookie season (112) and receiving yards in a rookie season by a tight end (1,194). McCullough returns to the NFL after time with Indiana and Notre Dame. He previously coached running backs in Kansas City from 2018-20.

All of the assistant hirings were new information. Nate Carroll, the younger of the head coach’s two sons on staff, will join as assistant quarterbacks coach after not being retained as passing game coordinator in Carolina. After getting fired as offensive line coach of the Browns, Andy Dickerson will serve as assistant offensive line coach in Vegas. Former Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell will join as a senior offensive assistant after not being retained in New England. Joining him as a senior offensive assistant will be Joe Philbin, who was retained after serving as the team’s interim offensive line coach last year. New offensive assistant Sean Binckes will be making his NFL coaching debut after two years as an offensive graduate assistant at Ohio State. Lastly, former Seahawks offensive lineman Kyle Fuller will join Carroll’s staff as an offensive quality control coach.

On defense, we were already aware of the retention of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, as well as the retention and added title of run game coordinator/defensive line coach Rob Leonard and the hiring of linebackers coach John Glenn. We also were made aware of the hiring of Joe Woods as defensive pass game coordinator, but now we see defensive backs have been added to his title, as well. This is not to be confused with the hiring of new defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson, who has held the same role in the past with the Raiders (2015-16), Broncos (2017-18), Cardinals (2019-22), and Saints (2023-24).

All of the assistants on defense were breaking reports, as well. Assisting Leonard on the defensive line will be Kenyon Jackson, who served in the same assistant defensive line position for the Texans last year. Ty McKenzie has been hired as defensive assistant/linebackers coach. McKenzie was an inside linebackers coach for the Titans (2018-19), a linebackers coach for the Lions (2020), and an outside linebackers coach for the Dolphins (2022) in the past but spent last year as a defensive analyst at the University of North Carolina. New defensive assistant Rip Rowan will be making his NFL coaching debut after spending the last three seasons as defensive line coach at Georgia Southern. Lastly, Beyah Rasool will be the team’s new defensive quality control coach, making his NFL coaching debut after time with multiple universities including, most recently, Florida.

On special teams, we already were aware that veteran special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was being retained, and now we know that both special teams assistant Derius Swinton II and quality control/special teams coach Kade Rannings have been retained in their same roles, as well. Additionally, we knew that former Seattle vice president of coaching operations Matt Capurro would be reuniting with Carroll, but we didn’t know in what capacity. We now know he’ll hold a very similar role as senior vice president of coaching operations in Las Vegas.

There we have it: the 2025 Raiders coaching staff. The top-10 scoring defense retains its leader, albeit with a bit of a different supporting cast, while the offense has been completely revamped, aside from the mentor of the phenom tight end. We’ve seen Carroll build a team into a winner in Seattle, and now we’ll see if he can do the same with a team that has the second-worst cumulative record (119-205) over the last 20 years.

Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson Could Draw Trade Interest

February 10th, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The edge rush position will be one to watch closely as the 2025 offseason unfolds. Myles Garrett is seeking a move out of Cleveland, while the Cowboys have given thought to the idea of a potential Micah Parsons trade.

Those defensive ends have company in terms of needing lucrative new deals in the near future and therefore find themselves as targets for teams looking for upgrades in the pass-rush department. Maxx Crosby (Raiders) as well as Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are names to monitor on the trade market. That will especially be the case if Garrett – whom the Browns have no intention of moving – and Parsons remain with their respective teams.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes Crosby and Hendrickson would be expected to draw notable trade interest if one or both were to become available. The former has two more years on his deal with $21.92MM owed in 2025 and ’26. None of Crosby’s base salaries in that span are guaranteed, though, so he could look to again land a new pact featuring significant up front compensation.

With Vegas struggling this past season, Crosby was named as a potential trade candidate. Owner Mark Davis unequivocally shot down speculation on that front in October, but the team is coming off a 4-13 campaign and does not have a long-term solution at the quarterback spot. Crosby, 27, has seen his team make the playoffs just once in his six NFL seasons despite racking up 59.5 sacks during that time. The four-time Pro Bowler was limited to 12 games by an ankle injury, but his durability during the rest of his career – coupled with his high-end production – would make him an attractive target to any number of suitors.

Hendrickson requested a trade last offseason after his efforts to secure a raise were unsuccessful. The Bengals made it clear they would not look to move him, and the 30-year-old ultimately reported to the team during training camp without issue. Hendrickson delivered another strong season in 2024, leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks. A notable raise is in store as a result, something de facto general manager Duke Tobin is well aware of and quarterback Joe Burrow would be on board with.

Knowing the financial situation Cincinnati is in (wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are in need of lucrative new pacts), Hendrickson is open to securing his next contract via trade. The All-Pro could approach or surpass the $30MM-per-year mark, per Fowler, something which would no doubt be more likely on a short-term pact than a lengthy accord. Still, the All-Pro’s production (57 sacks in 65 Bengals games) would be a welcomed addition for teams with the draft capital and cap space needed to pull off a trade and extension. Echoing Fowler’s report, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network note a strong market will exist for Hendrickson if he becomes available.

Nick Bosa‘s $34MM AAV with the 49ers currently leads the way for edge rushers (and all defenders) at the top of the market. Several players could surpass that mark in the coming weeks and months, especially if the Raiders and Bengals are unwilling to meet the asking price Crosby and/or Hendrickson submit this offseason. Against the backdrop of other potential movement amongst high-prolife edge rushers, their respective situations will make for intriguing offseason storylines.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

February 10th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is a final look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

Adam Butler Seeking Raise; DT Hopes To Re-Sign With Raiders

February 8th, 2025 at 7:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

After sitting out the 2022 campaign, Adam Butler joined the Raiders on a low-cost deal. That one-year pact proved to be a worthwhile investment for the team, something which was essentially duplicated last offseason.

Playing on another one-year deal in 2024, Butler again proved to be a key contributor on defense for Vegas. The 30-year-old matched last season’s sack total (five) while posting 15 pressures along with a career-high 65 tackles and logging by far the heaviest workload of his career with a 77% snap share. As a result, Butler is among the team’s most notable free agents.

As The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes, the Vanderbilt product “would love” to re-sign once more with the Raiders (subscription required). Butler is, however, seeking a more lucrative pact this time around. He played on a $1.55MM deal in 2023; that figure rose to $1.8MM this past year. Considering his production, the former UDFA could command a raise on the open market this spring, particularly on a short-term contract.

The Raiders currently sit second in the NFL in projected 2025 cap space, so the team will the option of preventing players like Butler from reaching free agency. Along the defensive interior, the team already has one major contract on the books in the form of 2024 free agent addition Christian Wilkins. Butler is not in line for a deal in the vicinity of the $27.5MM-per-year one Wilkins signed last year, but losing him on the open market would create a notable vacancy. That would especially be true if fellow DT starter John Jenkins were to also depart as a free agent.

Of course, the Raiders have a new regime in place compared to the one which elected to re-sign Butler last year. General manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll will need to decide if authorizing a raise will be worthwhile as the team evaluates other positions of need after a 4-13 season. If Butler does reach free agency, it will be interesting to see how strong his market proves to be.

Raiders Moving On From DPP JoJo Wooden

February 7th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

With John Spytek taking over as the new general manager, the Raiders are doing some shuffling in the front office. This has resulted in the termination of senior director of player personnel JoJo Wooden and senior national scout DuJuan Daniels, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

Wooden has been a long-time lieutenant of former general manager Tom Telesco, so it’s not a shock to see Wooden’s exit shortly after Telesco’s. A 28-year personnel veteran, Wooden got his start in the NFL as a pro personnel assistant with the Jets in 1997. He stayed in New York until 2012, rising through the ranks with time as a pro scout, senior pro scout, assistant director of scouting, director of pro scouting, and assistant director of player personnel.

After 16 years with the Jets, Wooden was hired by Telesco during Telesco’s first GM job in San Diego. Wooden served as the Chargers director of player personnel for 11 years, eventually taking over the role of interim general manager when Telesco was fired. Not getting the full-time job following his interim stint, Wooden followed Telesco to Las Vegas to serve as his senior director of player personnel during their lone year with the Raiders. With Telesco jobless, it will be interesting to see if Wooden waits around to follow him to their next outpost or if Wooden will find a place on a different staff in 2025.

Unlike Telesco and Wooden, Daniels has been a long-time Raiders front office staffer. After 13 years as a lead scout for the Patriots, Daniels became the assistant director of player personnel in Oakland in 2019. He held that role for three years before transitioning to senior national scout, a job he’s held for the past three seasons.

Spytek, along with some new minority ownership, is ready to make a difference in Las Vegas. It will start with building a staff around himself that he can trust. In 2025, that staff will not include Wooden or Daniels.

Coaching Notes: Faulk, Del Rio, Ryan, Bucs

February 7th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

His Cowboys and Raiders connections in the past, Deion Sanders is still at the controls at Colorado following his son’s exit for the draft. The Hall of Fame cornerback is hiring one of his Canton brethren to coach running backs. Buffaloes backs will be taking instruction from Marshall Faulk next season, the school announced. This will be Faulk’s first foray into college coaching. A superstar at San Diego State in the early 1990s, Faulk enjoyed a Hall of Fame run with the Colts and Rams, winning a Super Bowl and an MVP award in successive seasons. He had enjoyed a lengthy tenure on the media side following his career, but the 51-year-old RB legend will join Sanders’ staff. Faulk’s addition makes Colorado a three-Hall of Famer staff, as Warren Sapp remains as a quality control analyst.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • After being fired from his Commanders post late in the 2023 season, Jack Del Rio was not in the NFL this past season. The veteran DC and two-time HC will resurface in an unexpected place. He is taking over as head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football. The league has been in existence since fall 2020, and the Paris franchise has played two seasons. Del Rio had coached in the NFL from 1997-2017 but took two seasons off before Ron Rivera hired him in Washington. The team did sport two top-seven defenses under Del Rio, but his last Commanders unit fell to 32nd at the time of his firing. Del Rio, 61, spent last season as an advisor to Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell.
  • Staying with well-known NFL staffers leaving the league, USC has hired Rob Ryan as linebackers coach. Ryan had been onboard as a senior defensive assistant for the Raiders since 2022. Ryan, 62, enjoyed two tours with the Raiders, having been their DC from 2004-08. The four-time NFL DC has not coached at the college level since being Oklahoma State’s DC in the late 1990s.
  • Out of the NFL since a two-year Texans stay ended in January 2023, Pep Hamilton will return to coaching in a prominent role. Maryland has hired the veteran assistant as its OC, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. An NFL Network contributor, Hamilton had other options, per Rapoport, but will join his son Jackson with the Terrapins. A high school QB, Jackson Hamilton signed with Maryland in December. Coaching Justin Herbert and Andrew Luck in the pros, Pep Hamilton previously coached in college under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and Michigan.
  • Moving back to current NFL staffs, the Buccaneers have given title bumps to the two coaches they blocked from Jaguars interviews. Kevin Carberry added an assistant HC title to go with his O-line duties, while the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud adds assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci is now in position as O-line coach. The Bucs’ setup seemingly remains the same, but as they have long been reported not to be open to allowing Liam Coen to poach anyone under contract, his two initial targets will be taken care of.
  • The Giants are adding ex-NFL cornerback Jeff Burris to work as their CBs coach, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. The former NFL starter has been a college assistant in recent years, working at both Louisiana and Louisiana Tech since 2018. He previously spent three seasons as the Dolphins’ assistant DBs coach, being a Joe Philbin hire in 2013.

2025 Hall Of Fame Class Unveiled

February 6th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been revealed. It consists of just four players this year. Here is the full breakdown of the 2025 class:

Eric Allen, cornerback (1988-2001)

Playing long enough to be part of the Reggie White–Jerome Brown Eagles defenses to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders teams, Allen excelled well into his 30s and is one of the great playmaking cornerbacks in NFL history. Allen is responsible for eight pick-sixes, cramming seven of them between the 1993 and 2001 seasons. Allen finished his 14-year career with 54 INTs, which is tied for 21st in NFL history.

The Eagles drafted Allen in the 1988 second round and installed him as a starter on Buddy Ryan‘s defense in Week 1 of his rookie season. Allen intercepted 13 passes over his first two years, helping the Eagles — with White at the wheel — form a dominant defensive nucleus. The Eagles won the NFC East in Allen’s rookie season, ending a five-year playoff drought. As Randall Cunningham soared on offense, Allen patrolled the back line of a defense geared around one of the NFL’s all-time greats. Allen joins White as the Hall of Famers from that unit.

Allen notched four pick-sixes during the 1993 season, including this gem against the Jets, but the Eagles fell short of the playoffs that year and dipped a bit as the Cunningham years waned. Allen still made the Pro Bowl each year from 1991-95, following a first-team All-Pro honor in 1989. He signed with the Saints as a free agent in 1995, playing three years in New Orleans, before joining the Raiders in Gruden’s first offseason at the controls.

As the Raiders hoarded aging players who still had plenty left in the tank during Gruden’s first stint as HC, Allen was among the most productive. He nabbed six INTs at age 35 in 2000, returning three for scores. That season snapped a seven-year Raiders playoff skid and produced a run to the AFC championship game — the franchise’s first in 17 years. Allen retired after the ’01 season, starting 214 games. Among pure corners, that ranks third all time. While the turnover counts aided Allen, his longevity will send him to Canton nearly 25 years after his retirement.

Jared Allen, defensive end (2004-15)

One of the best sack artists of his era, Jared Allen will make this a two-Allen class (on a big night for NFL Allens). Jared excelled for the Chiefs and Vikings, being part of a win-win trade in 2008, and then retired after playing in Super Bowl 50 as a Panther. Allen sits 12th in the sack era (1982-present) in QB drops, racking up 136 despite playing only 12 seasons.

The Chiefs drafted Allen in the 2004 fourth round out of Division I-FCS Idaho State. He immediately became an impact edge rusher but joined a team in transition. As Kansas City’s offense-oriented team aged, Allen ascended and became a star for a franchise in decline. After the Chiefs made the playoffs in 2006 under first-year HC Herm Edwards, Allen led the NFL with 15.5 sacks in his fourth season. The 2007 Chiefs went 4-12, losing their final nine games. The Chiefs cashed out on a player who had encountered off-field trouble, in the form of two 2006 DUIs, early in his career. The trade equipped both the Chiefs and Vikings.

During the 2008 draft, Kansas City dealt Allen to Minnesota for first- and third-round picks. A win-win swap sent tackle Branden Albert and running back Jamaal Charles to the Chiefs in the ’08 draft, while Allen landed an extension (six years, $73.26MM) enjoyed his prime in the Twin Cities. Registering 14.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons, the second effort falling just short of a Super Bowl after Minnesota’s Brett Favre-led team lost in overtime in the NFC championship game, Allen then made a run at the NFL record in 2011. Allen tallied 22 sacks during the ’11 season, falling a half-sack short of Michael Strahan‘s official record.

Allen played out his Vikings contract in 2013, signing with the Bears. Chicago then traded him to Carolina for a conditional sixth-round pick during the 2015 season, as he joined fellow former Bear Charles Tillman in going for a championship with the Panthers. Although Carolina went 15-1 and ranked sixth defensively, the team’s high-powered offense fell to a superior Denver defense in Super Bowl 50. Allen needed to wait a bit before his induction, but he has gained entry in this year’s unusually small class.

Antonio Gates, tight end (2003-18)

Gates remains the NFL’s leader among touchdown receptions by a tight end. The longtime Philip Rivers target totaled 116 TD grabs during his 16-year career, bettering Tony Gonzalez‘s mark by five. Gonzalez also played 17 seasons (to Gates’ 16). Gates tied Gonzalez’s then-record in 2016, posting five TDs across his final two seasons. The converted basketball player’s mid-2000s surge helped the Chargers win four straight AFC West titles to close the decade.

The Chargers made Gates an integral part of that climb, which remains the franchise’s best sustained stretch since its Air Coryell years. LaDainian Tomlinson shattered the single-season touchdown record, which still stands nearly 20 years later, and Gates broke through as an impact tight end. The Chargers built their passing attack around Gates for many years, and he helped anchor the team’s skill-position group in between Tomlinson’s exit and Keenan Allen‘s arrival.

Initially playing alongside Drew Brees, the ex-Kent State hooper earned first-team All-Pro honors in his second, third and fourth seasons. Gates only suited up for the Chargers, walking away after his age-38 season. The Bolts and Gates agreed to five contracts, the most lucrative a five-year, $36.2MM extension in 2010.

Although Gates needed to wait a year before being enshrined, he is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. His 116 TD receptions rank seventh all time at any position. While his production tailed off as he hit his mid-30s, after making eight consecutive Pro Bowls from 2004-11, the former UDFA remained a solid red zone target for Rivers.

Sterling Sharpe, wide receiver (1988-94)

If the NFL had a No. 1 contender status to Jerry Rice during his peak, Sharpe would have been the best answer. The star Packers pass catcher was 5-for-7 in Pro Bowl nods, during an era where that meant more, and raced to three All-Pro first teams during a career cut short by a neck injury.

Sharpe was close to doing enough for Hall entry by the time he retired at 29, and he exited just before Favre grew into MVP form. In Favre’s early years, however, Sharpe helped the Green Bay trade acquisition become one of the game’s best.

The No. 7 overall pick in a 1988 draft that also included Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Tim Brown, Pro Bowler Anthony Miller and single-game receiving yardage king Flipper Anderson, Sharpe was the first wideout off the board. The physical South Carolina product, who entered the league two years before brother Shannon (and with much greater fanfare), posted a 1,400-yard season in 1989, helping QB Don Majkowski finish second in MVP voting. Sharpe added another 1,100-yard year in 1990 and soared back to the All-Pro level when the Pack landed Favre in ’92.

Sharpe’s first year with Favre featured the wideout break Art Monk’s single-season record by catching 108 passes. Becoming the first receiver to post back-to-back seasons with 100 catches, Sharpe broke his own mark with 112 grabs in 1993. Sharpe led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 1992 (13) and ’94 (18), reaching the latter perch despite dealing with the neck injury and other ailments.

The Favre-Sharpe connection played a central role in the Packers snapping a 10-year playoff drought, and in the duo’s first playoff game, they hooked up on a game-winning score to beat the Lions in Detroit. Sharpe scored three touchdowns in Green Bay’s wild-card win. Sharpe never missed a game and retired ranking 13th in career catches (595) and 18th all time in TD receptions (65).

Raiders Add Joe Woods, Chris Beatty To Coaching Staff

February 6th, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Raiders are hiring veteran coach Joe Woods to serve as defensive pass-game coordinator on Pete Carroll’s staff, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Woods has 33 years of coaching experience – 11 in college and 22 in the NFL – including stints as defensive coordinator for the Broncos (2017-2018) and the Browns (2020-2022). He served as the Saints’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, but was not expected to return amid New Orleans’ coaching overhaul this offseason. Instead, Woods will reunite with the Raiders after spending the 2014 season as the team’s defensive backs coach when they were located in Oakland.

Woods is widely respected around the NFL for his experience as a defensive backs coach. Of his seven seasons as DC, his defense ranked in the top 10 against the pass on four different occasions.

The Raiders also hired Chris Beatty as wide receivers coach, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. He began his coaching career at the high school level and then spent 15 years in the college ranks in a variety of offensive roles. Beatty broke into the NFL in 2021 as the Chargers’ wide receivers coach, but was not retained on Jim Harbaugh‘s staff in 2024.

He then moved to Chicago, where he began the season as wide receivers coach before a promotion to interim offensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus was fired. Offensive play-calling duties remained with interim head coach Thomas Brown, though neither coach was retained under new HC Ben Johnson.

Beatty got career-best production out of Keenan Allen in 2023, but the rest of Los Angeles’ receivers group struggled in his tenure. In Las Vegas, he will take over a unit that lacks proven talent outside of Jakobi Meyers, who put up career-highs in 2024 despite the Raiders’ carousel at quarterback.

Baker Mayfield Contract Floated As Range For Sam Darnold Deal

February 5th, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Vikings are facing a crucial offseason decision with Sam Darnold, who played like a top-five quarterback for most of the regular season before collapsing against the Lions and the Rams to end the year.

After proving himself on a one-year, $10MM deal in 2024, Darnold will be looking to cash in with a strong long-term contract, in Minnesota or elsewhere. The Vikings, meanwhile, are expecting 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy to recover from his torn meniscus in time for training camp.

Darnold’s flashes of high-level play mixed with late-season struggles under pressure create a complex situation for the Vikings. They clearly see the younger, cheaper McCarthy as their long-term quarterback, but his injury cost him a crucial year of development, while Darnold proved he can play well enough to make the postseason in his stead.

Minnesota has yet to decide on Darnold’s future, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but they are open to re-signing him after a successful debut season under Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings have just over $58MM in 2025 cap space, but Darnold isn’t their only concern. Several starters, including left tackle Cam Robinson, cornerback Byron Murphy, and running back Aaron Jones are set to hit free agency. However, none of those players are expected to merit the franchise or transition tag, which remains in play for Darnold.

Darnold’s value will be a subject of debate leading up to the new league year. Unsurprisingly, agents and team executives disagree on his worth. The former group believes Darnold shouldn’t accept anything less than the four-year, $160MM contract Daniel Jones received from the Giants, while the latter has compared his situation to Baker Mayfield and his three-year, $100MM deal with the Buccaneers.

If Darnold is pushing for a contract similar to Jones’, the Vikings may be best served by a year-to-year approach. The franchise tag, projected by OverTheCap to be $41.3MM, may be too expensive, but the $35.3MM transition tag might be an appropriate middle ground. Darnold could test his market, while the Vikings would retain the ability to match another team’s offer. The Raiders and the Giants have already been mentioned as potential fits for Darnold, per Fowler, given their need at quarterback and available cap space.

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