Packers ST Coordinator Rich Bisaccia Stepping Down
The Packers coaching staff is dealing with another notable departure. After losing defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to Miami last month, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia is suddenly stepping down, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“While we are disappointed to lose a person and coach as valuable as Rich, we respect his decision to step down from the Packers,” coach Matt LaFleur said in a statement. “Rich was a tremendous resource to me and our entire coaching staff who had a profound impact on our players and our culture throughout the building. We can’t thank him enough for his contributions to our team over the last four years. We wish Rich, his wife, Jeanne, and the rest of their family all the best moving forward.”
Bisaccia has been coaching consistently since the 1980s, and he’s held an NFL job since the 2002 campaign. He’s served as a special teams coordinator in stops with the Buccaneers, Chargers, Cowboys, and Raiders prior to his job in Green Bay.
He got his first and only crack at a head coaching gig with the Raiders in 2021 following Jon Gruden‘s resignation. The interim HC ended up guiding his team to a 7-5 record and a playoff appearance, the team’s second postseason nod since their Super Bowl loss in 2002. Despite the team’s success, the organization ended up opting for Josh McDaniels as their new head coach for 2022, leading to Bisaccia seeking a job elsewhere.
The veteran coach caught on as the special teams coordinator in Green Bay, where he’s spent the past four seasons. He earned the additional title of assistant head coach in 2023, and he inked an extension with the organization last offseason that was intended to keep him in Green Bay through the 2026 campaign.
The Packers special teams unit struggled mightily this past season. While the team got a standout showing from punter Daniel Whelan, the Packers managed a league-low 5.6 yards per punt return. The unit also had a handful of miscues that ultimately led to losses for Green Bay. This included a Week 3 loss to the Browns where Brandon McManus‘s potential game-tying field goal attempt was blocked. A week later, the Packers tied with the Cowboys in a game that saw their opponent return an extra point for a score.
Later, in Week 16 against the Bears, Romeo Doubs failed to secure a crucial onside kick recovery in an eventual overtime loss. These ST woes culminated in the team’s playoff loss to Chicago. The Packers blew an 18-point lead in a game that saw McManus miss a pair of field goals and an extra point.
While Bisaccia is stepping away from his job in Green Bay, it doesn’t sound like the coach is calling it a career. In his statement, Bisaccia seemed to indicate that he’ll take some time away before considering another gig.
“Coaching for the Green Bay Packers was truly an honor, and I will always be grateful for my time here,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to whatever is next for me and my family, and I wish nothing but the best for everyone in the organization.”
Now, LaFleur will have to go back to the drawing board to figure out the team’s special teams weakness. The Packers may have to look outside the organization for a solution, as assistant special teams coach Byron Storer already left Green Bay for a promotion in Cleveland.
NFC Staff Updates: Vikings, Seahawks, Commanders, Falcons, Packers
The Vikings lost multiple position coaches this offseason, with tight ends coach Brian Angelichio taking the Steelers’ offensive coordinator job while offensive line coach Chris Kuper accepting the same position in Philadelphia. Last week, the team finalized their replacements for those coaches, per a team announcement.
Angelichio will be succeeded by Ryan Cordell, who spent the last four years as the Vikings’ game management coordinator/passing game specialist. He will continue in his new game management role as he transitions to his new job working with Minnesota’s tight ends. That group is currently led by T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver with second-year players Ben Yurosek and Ben Sims set to return in 2026.
To fill Kuper’s role, the Vikings promoted assistant offensive line coach Keith Carter, which in turn opened up his position. Longtime college coach Derek Warehime will fill that vacancy after three years at Coastal Carolina (OL coach/run game coordinator) and three at New Mexico (offensive coordinator/tight ends coach).
Here’s a look at other staff changes from around the NFC:
- Seahawks offensive line coach John Benton will be staying in Seattle in 2026, according to FOX13’s Curtis Crabtree. Benton interviewed for the team’s offensive coordinator job after Klint Kubiak‘s departure, but was passed over in favor of Brian Fleury. Coaches in Benton’s position may sometimes search for greener pastures with a team that offers a better chance at a future OC gig, but it is hard to argue with his decision to remain with the Super Bowl champs.
- LSU safeties coach Jake Olsen was reportedly set to take a job on the Commanders’ defensive staff under new DC Daronte Jones, he has reversed course. Lane Kiffin and the Tigers convinced Olsen to stay in Baton Rouge, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
- Wisconsin wide receivers coach Jordan Reid is expected to take the Falcons’ assistant quarterback job, according to Zenitz. Reid previously served as the WRs coach at Western Michigan; before that, he had internships with the Panthers and the Vikings.
- The Packers are also drawing from the college ranks. Former Auburn general manager and LSU director of player personnel Will Redmond is set to join Green Bay’s front office in a personnel role (via Zenitz).
Bucs Announce Changes To 2026 Coaching Staff
The Buccaneers announced several changes to their coaching staff last week (via team writer Scott Smith), which features the addition of three new assistant coaches.
The first is defensive assistant Todd Bowles Jr., son of Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles Jr. just finish his college playing career, during which he played defensive back at Rutgers and Long Island. He will likely work with Tampa Bay’s secondary in 2026.
Also joining the Bowles’ staff is assistant special teams coach Luke Smith, the nephew of the Bucs’ new special teams coordinator, Danny Smith. The two worked together in Pittsburgh last season, where the younger Smith was a quality control coach. Before that, he spent nine years at Duquesne, primarily as the Dukes’ wide receivers coach.
Bowles Jr. and Smith getting a job via their family seems like another case of football nepotism, and it probably is. But that may not always be a bad thing. Just look at some of today’s head coaches, like Kyle Shanahan, Jesse Minter, Klint Kubiak, who all spent time working under their fathers before growing into the foremost offensive minds in the league. The league is littered with assistant coaches with familiar names, though not all of them are successes.
Assistant offensive line coach Andrew Mitchell is the Bucs’ last new hire. Previously the offensive line coach at New Mexico State (2022-2024) and Oklahoma State (2025), Mitchell is now set for his first job in the NFL. He will reunite with the Bucs’ new offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, almost two decades after they played on the same team at Oklahoma State. Mitchell, a former offensive tackle, blocked for Robinson, who was then the Cowboys’ starting quarterback.
These may not be the last coaching moves the Buccaneers make this offseason, but their 2026 staff is largely set. Tampa Bay will be hoping that better injury luck and a new offensive play-caller can get them back on top of the NFC South.
Seahawks Looking To Extend Jaxon Smith-Njigba
To the surprise of nobody, the Seahawks are hoping to sign Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the long haul. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is hoping to extend their star wideout this offseason.
[RELATED: Seahawks Unlikely To Tag Kenneth Walker]
We learned earlier today that the Seahawks weren’t expected to franchise tag running back Kenneth Walker. Part of the reason for that decision was the team’s desire to re-sign a number of their impending free agents, and Schefter also noted the organization’s intention to sign JSN to a long-term pact.
While the former first-round pick topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, he emerged as one of the league’s most dynamic offensive players in 2025. Smith-Njigba earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after hauling in 119 receptions for a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He added another 17 catches for 199 yards and two scores in the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl championship.
The Seahawks will surely pick up Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option this offseason, meaning the WR will be attached to his rookie contract for two more seasons. Still, the Seahawks may look to extend the star receiver before his demands hit record levels. A number of WRs reset the market last offseason, topped by Ja’Marr Chase‘s $40.25MM average annual value.
JSN could eventually top that number with continued league-leading production, and at the very least, he’ll make a push for a top-four spot at the position. Puka Nacua‘s extension talks with the Rams could also inform JSN’s earnings; Nacua is entering the final season of his contract and should also push for a position-leading deal.
At the very least, Smith-Njigba should command a contract that rivals Justin Jefferson‘s $35MM AAV or CeeDee Lamb‘s $34MM AAV. Considering JSN’s production in 2025, that could end up representing some significant savings for the Seahawks.
Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds, TE Cole Kmet Could Be Cap Casualties
The Bears have quietly become a very expensive football team. At the moment, the team is projected to be above the 2026 salary cap by $5.3MM, per OverTheCap, with 13 players currently scheduled for a cap hit over $10MM.
Chicago can become cap-compliant with a few simple restructures. But a team that was two wins away from the Super Bowl in 2025 will be looking to add to their roster to gear up for another playoff run. That could lead them to consider releasing a few veterans with high cap numbers.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and tight end Cole Kmet are the Bears’ top potential cap casualties, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Edmunds is scheduled for a $17.4MM cap hit in 2026, while Kmet will account for $10.8MM. Those are hefty figures for players at non-premium positions, and the team may already have cheaper, younger replacements for both players on the roster. Neither has guaranteed money remaining on their contract.
Edmunds is the likelier release candidate, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Edmunds, 27, is entering the final year of the four-year deal that brought him to Chicago during free agency in 2023. He and T.J. Edwards, the Bears’ other starting inside linebacker, missed a combined 11 games last season, during which time D’Marco Jackson and Nephi Sewell emerged as solid contributors at the position.
Edwards still has guaranteed money on his deal, but the team could save $15MM against the cap by cutting Edmunds. Jackson and Sewell would then be positioned for a training camp battle for the right to start next to Edwards in the middle of the defense.
Kmet, 26, saw a decreased role in 2025 after the arrival of rookie tight end Colston Loveland, and his production dropped accordingly. But Kmet had already taken a step back in 2024, and Loveland looks ready to step into a leading role role in 2026. The Bears still use plenty of two tight end sets and do not have a clear TE2 on the roster, making him a less likely cap casualty candidate, per Cronin. Such a move would create $8.4MM in cap space.
An even less likely move for the Bears would be trading D.J. Moore, though it is not completely out of the question, according to Cronin. He is due $24.25MM in each of the next four years, per OverTheCap, though only this year’s compensation is guaranteed. Other teams may value multiple years of contract control of a proven star wideout who has yet to cross 30 years of age. With no guaranteed money left after 2026, an acquiring team could also move on without issue during any of the next three offseasons if Moore is no longer worth his salary.
Chicago has Rome Odunze and Luther Burden as the long-term core of their receiver room, so they might be willing to move on from Moore for the right draft compensation. The added resources in terms of cap room and draft picks would help them fill his snaps while saving money for upgrades at other positions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/17/26
One minor move to pass along:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: QB Emory Jones
Emory Jones initially made a name for himself at Florida in 2021, and he later spent time at Arizona State (2022) and Cincinnati (2023) before trying to make it as a professional. The QB caught on with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2024, and after not making the roster, he briefly joined the DC Defenders of the UFL.
He subsequently signed with the Falcons and stuck on their offseason roster in 2025. He was waived/injured after suffering a concussion during the 2025 preseason and eventually reverted to injured reserve. He ended up spending the entire season there.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/17/26
A handful of reserve/futures deals:
New England Patriots
- CB Brandon Crossley
Tennessee Titans
- DE Earnest Brown IV, OT Ryan Hayes
Earnest Brown IV brings the most experience of the bunch, as the defensive end has appeared in 15 games (three starts) through five seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of Northwestern spent the first chunk of his career with the Rams, where he compiled 14 tackles. He also earned a Super Bowl ring during his tenure in Los Angeles. Since his Rams stint came to an end, he’s spent time with the 49ers, Buccaneers, and Cowboys. Now, he’ll look to revive his career in Tennessee.
Patriots Promote Zak Kuhr To Defensive Coordinator
Zak Kuhr is indeed taking over as the Patriots defensive coordinator. After serving as the defensive play-caller and interim defensive coordinator in 2025, the inside linebackers coach is earning a promotion to DC, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
[RELATED: Patriots To Move DC Terrell Williams To New Role]
A former defensive quality control coach and assistant LBs coach under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, Kuhr followed his former boss to New England last offseason. He was initially tasked with coaching the team’s inside linebackers, but his responsibilities quickly shifted after defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with cancer.
Kuhr seamlessly took over as the defensive play-caller and interim DC, and he ended up guiding one of the top units in the NFL. The Patriots defense finished the season ranked fourth in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed. When Milton Williams was healthy, the team’s run defense was especially stout, and the team went several months without allowing a 50-yard rusher. Prior to their blowout loss in the Super Bowl, New England allowed playoff opponents to only score 26 points in three games.
Williams stepped away from his role during spring practices due to a health scare and was later diagnosed with prostate cancer. He continued to work with players as he underwent treatment, but he didn’t travel with the squad to away games. As a result, Kuhr served as the defensive play-caller for the entire 2025 campaign.
Fortunately, Williams was announced to be cancer-free before the Super Bowl and traveled with the Patriots to San Francisco. That set up a potentially tricky situation for the head coach heading into the offseason, but the organization quickly announced that Williams would transition to a high-ranking role on Vrabel’s staff.
The team still had to go through an interview process for their newfound DC vacancy to comply with Rooney Rule requirements. At the same time, Shane Bowen and Jim Schwartz were mentioned as potential candidates for the gig. Still, Kuhr always seemed like a shoo-in to earn the full-time gig, especially since the Patriots would risk losing him to a promotion if they kept him as linebackers coach.
While Vrabel still has a major influence over the team’s defensive game plan, Kuhr will now have an entire offseason to prepare his unit for the 2026 campaign. At the same time, the organization is expected to promote from within to fill the ILBs coach job. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Vinny DePalma is expected to be elevated to the role. DePalma was one of the few holdovers from Jerod Mayo‘s staff in New England, and he spent the past two years as a defensive assistant.
TE Isaiah Likely Expected To Depart Ravens?
Isaiah Likely has spent the first four seasons of his career serving as a key backup in Baltimore. Instead of seeing the former fourth-round pick eventually emerge as a full-time starter, the Ravens may watch the tight end leave via free agency.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes that the Ravens have made no progress in their efforts to extend Likely over the past eight months. Over that span, the team also recommitted to Mark Andrews. As a result, it’s seeming likelier than not that Likely will depart via free agency.
While Likely has served as Andrews’ backup for much of his Ravens tenure, he’s still seen a significant role in the offense. He had his best two showings between 2023 and 2024, when he hauled in 72 total catches for 888 yards and 11 touchdowns in 33 games. Thanks to Andrews’ leg injury in 2023, Likely actually outsnapped his teammate, and the TE duo was basically splitting reps in 2024.
Following Andrews’ continued drop in production and his playoff mishaps, there was a belief that Likely could take a step forward in 2025. Instead, the tight end was hampered by a training camp foot injury, and he ultimately finished the campaign with career-lows across the board (27 catches, 307 yards, one touchdown). At the same time, Likely lost a career-high two fumbles.
Then, in sudden December move, the Ravens inked Andrews to a three-year, $39.3MM extension. That contract places Andrews sixth at the position in average annual value, and as Zrebiec notes, the Ravens may find that it’s “extremely hard … to have two guys making top-eight tight end money.” Even with Likely’s limited track record, he seems destined to earn at least $10MM a year, which would tie for the 14th-highest AAV among tight ends. That may be untenable for a Baltimore squad that needs to fill multiple holes this offseason.
On the flip side, the Ravens have shown a willingness to extend Likely, and they’ve surely considered a scenario where they continue to roster both of their tight ends. Further, Zrebiec notes that Likely has a strong relationship with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who will continue to serve as a strong voice in the organization.
Likely enters a relatively deep free agent class that also features the likes of Kyle Pitts and Dallas Goedert. Likely’s youth and hypothetical upside should still make him a popular name, and that could ultimately spell the end of his tenure in Baltimore.
Robert Woods Announces Retirement
Veteran wide receiver Robert Woods announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday (via Adam Schefter of ESPN). The 33-year-old signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Rams.
A former USC Trojan, Woods entered the NFL as Buffalo’s second-round pick in 2013. He ended up spending four years as a member of the Bills, with whom he caught 203 passes for 2,451 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The California native parlayed his solid production as a Bill into a five-year, $39MM deal with the Rams in 2017. The move worked out beautifully for both parties.
Joining the Rams in Sean McVay‘s first season as their head coach, Woods racked up 56 catches for 781 yards (then a career high) and five touchdowns. Woods went on to post his three best seasons after that. He finished with between 86 to 90 receptions in each year and surpassed the 1,100-yard mark twice, including a personal-high 1,219 in 2018.
Woods’ career began going downhill when he suffered an ACL tear in practice in November 2021. The injury limited Woods to nine games and held him out for the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run.
In March 2022, several weeks after the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, they traded Woods to the Titans for a sixth-round pick. Woods played his lone 17-game season that year, but after he put up 53 catches, 527 yards and two TDs, the Titans released him.
In the wake of his Titans breakup, Woods landed a two-year deal with the AFC South rival Texans. He saw the pact through and played in 29 games, though Woods only combined for 60 catches, 629 yards and one score.
Woods stayed in the AFC when he inked a one-year, $2MM contract with the Steelers last offseason, but he didn’t crack their roster. The Steelers released Woods in late August, and he didn’t sign elsewhere all season. He’ll now wrap up an impressive 12-year career that included 683 catches, 8,233 yards and 38 TDs over 171 games.