Raheem Morris Firing Upset Some Falcons Players; Arthur Blank Endorses DC Jeff Ulbrich

Raheem Morris entered Week 18 a candidate to keep his job, having won three straight games — including a Week 17 win over the Rams. Despite closing the season with a fourth consecutive victory, the two-year HC was fired along with Falcons GM Terry Fontenot. An organizational reboot will send Morris elsewhere even after he outperformed Arthur Smith in terms of wins.

Smith received three seasons, going 7-10 in each. Morris went 8-9 in both his campaigns. His firing surprised players and upset some, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the coaching staff was optimistic the four-game win streak to close the season would save jobs. As the Falcons appear prepared to hire Matt Ryan for a central role in the front office, Arthur Blank leaned on two consulting firms to clean house.

The firm tasked with evaluating the Falcons’ football operation, Sportsology, did not recommend keeping the status quo, Blank said (via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter).

I think we’ve learned, the sequencing of things will probably be a little bit differently in terms of points of emphasis,” Blank said. “Sportsology, which we retained several months ago to do a deep dive on the health if you will of the football operations. … They’ve got great experience in multiple sports in that regard, including the NFL. They pointed out some things to us.”

The Falcons had given Fontenot more power in 2024, as CEO Rich McKay stepped away from day-to-day operations. In that offseason, Fontenot made the historically unusual decision to sign a high-priced quarterback (Kirk Cousins) and then draft one in the top 10 (Michael Penix Jr.) six weeks later. Cousins said he would have adjusted his free agency approach had he known a top-10 QB draftee was coming, and the QB did not come close to living up to his four-year, $180MM contract. With Cousins likely set to be released soon, Penix’s injury trouble from his college days resurfacing hurt Fontenot’s stock in the grand scheme.

Morris tabbed Jeff Ulbrich to replace Jimmy Lake as DC in 2025, and the defense made strides — particularly in the pass-rushing department. Atlanta’s 57 sacks were second only to Denver’s 68 this season; that represented a massive improvement for a franchise that has struggled to identify edge rushers for many years. The team now has Jalon Walker and James Pearce to hand to its 2026 defensive play-caller, but Blank is onboard with Ulbrich staying.

Blank said (via Ledbetter) he will recommend to the next head coach that Ulbrich be retained, but the longtime owner will not force the HC’s hand on this matter. That explains the Falcons blocking the Cowboys’ attempt to interview Ulbrich for their DC job. Ulbrich remains tied to a Falcons contract, and it will be interesting to see if the next Atlanta HC views his work favorably. Ulbrich spent three-plus seasons as Jets DC before finishing out that term as the team’s interim coach. Ulbrich, 48, is in his second Falcons stint; he spent six seasons on staff under Dan Quinn previously.

The Falcons have set up an interview with Robert Saleh about the HC gig. If Ulbrich is to be retained, Saleh would seemingly have an uphill battle. Would Falcons ownership be able to sell running the early-2020s Jets setup back?

Saleh and Ulbrich coached two top-five defenses — yardage-wise — in New York. Ulbrich also had the Jets in the top five to close last season in that category. The Falcons, who have employed a different DC in each of the past four seasons (Dean Pees, Ryan Nielsen, Lake, Ulbrich), ranked 15th in yardage and 19th in points this season.

Blank plans to fill the president of football operations role — likely with Ryan — before moving to the GM and HC positions. The owner confirmed (via Ledbetter) a GM will work under the president of football ops role. That would stand to make the job less appealing, but select teams have a buffer between ownership and the front office. The Falcons have operated this way in the past, with McKay working in that capacity. It would seem Ryan is set to step into a similar role and work with a to-be-determined GM and coaching staff, barring an upset here.

Panthers Activate G Robert Hunt From IR

The Panthers are big underdogs to the Rams in the wild-card round, having finished 8-9. But the home team will have a key offensive line presence available. Robert Hunt is coming off IR, where he has resided since a Week 2 injury.

Carolina announced Friday Hunt is now activated, and the high-priced guard will start against Los Angeles. A biceps tendon tear has kept Hunt out for nearly four months, but the Panthers will have their two guard starters — Hunt and Damien Lewis — ready for the franchise’s first playoff game in eight years.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Hunt returned to practice on Christmas Eve but was given a ramp-up period despite the Panthers not being on firm playoff footing. The patience ultimately will be rewarded, and Hunt will have a chance to close out his season on a high note. The former Dolphins second-round pick is finishing out the second season of a five-year, $100MM contract.

The Panthers, who have four injury activations remaining, have used Austin Corbett as their other guard. Corbett has yoyoed between guard and center in Carolina. Cade Mays has become the Panthers’ primary center. Hunt, 29, started 16 games last season and had built considerable momentum during his final years in Miami.

ESPN’s run block win rate metric slotted Hunt second among all interior offensive linemen last season. The Panthers have deployed a middling run game this season, despite some quality earlier Rico Dowdle work. They rank 19th in rushing and 27th in scoring offense.

Carolina has been maddeningly inconsistent on offense in Bryce Young‘s third season; Young’s development (or lack thereof at the time) was the key driver for Hunt and Lewis to be given big-ticket FA contracts in 2024. The Panthers will not be expected to beat the Rams twice in one season — well, Vegas certainly doesn’t think this will happen — but they should have a better shot with a key offensive starter back.

Titans Schedule Mike McDaniel HC Interview

Mike McDaniel is drawing extensive OC interest, but the recently fired Dolphins leader is not certain to fall past the HC level just yet. Browns interest in the four-year Dolphins coach has emerged, and the Titans will take it a step further by setting up an interview.

The Titans will meet with McDaniel about their HC job Wednesday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. McDaniel is generating “significant” interest, so it will be interesting to see how many HC interviews he books. This is McDaniel’s first scheduled HC interview since the firing.

Tennessee’s search is already wide-ranging, as the AFC South team has been without a full-time HC since October. McDaniel is the 10th former head coach to receive a Titans interview slip thus far. With other candidates in the mix as well, this search is starting to remind of the Jets’ exhausting 2025 process. GM Mike Borgonzi was part of that search as a candidate, and with full roster control now, the second-year Titans exec is operating similarly as he looks to make his first HC hire.

We heard before the Titans’ season ended the team would prioritize experience. The Titans missed on Brian Callahan, firing the former Bengals OC after just 23 games, but hit on Mike Vrabel. The latter did not have HC experience, either. The team gave Mike Mularkey a third HC opportunity previously; that came after retread Ken Whisenhunt did not make it out of a second season in the role. While first-timers are present on Tennessee’s interview docket, signs are pointing to a second- or third-chance HC being the pick.

Borgonzi has an extensive history with Matt Nagy, who has been a candidate since this process started. Nagy is a former play-caller who has settled back into a non-play-calling role in Kansas City. The two-time Chiefs OC and former Bears HC likely will be a finalist for this job given his ties to Borgonzi, but McDaniel called plays throughout his time in Miami.

That included two upper-crust offenses, despite the ex-49ers OC inheriting a quarterback the previous coaching staff could not unleash. Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in yards per attempt in 2022, passing yards in 2023 and completion percentage in 2024. McDaniel played a central role in the former top-five pick taking off, though he later benched him weeks before his own dismissal. The Titans have their own holdover quarterback whose development represents the top organizational priority, as Cam Ward finished last in QBR as a rookie but will obviously go into the 2026 season as the starter.

McDaniel, 42, will likely receive multiple OC offers, per veteran insider Jordan Schultz. The Lions reached out hours after his Dolphins ouster. The Browns have lurked as an interested party since before season’s end. Considering Kevin Stefanski‘s background under Gary Kubiak, it would be quite interesting for the Browns to pivot to an ex-Kyle Shanahan disciple. But McDaniel has been on their radar for a bit. An interview should be expected. Despite the Dolphins briefly including McDaniel in their GM search only to fire him soon after, the two-time playoff qualifier looks set to land on his feet.

Here is how the Titans’ HC search looks as of Friday afternoon:

Giants Expected To Interview John Harbaugh; Jaxson Dart Appeals To Free Agent HC?

John Harbaugh-Giants noise is not quieting. Although eight HC jobs are now open, the Giants continue to find themselves in the thick of a race that has not technically started yet.

The recently fired head coach is not planning to schedule interviews until Monday, according to the New York Daily News’ Gary Myers, but the Giants are believed to have engaged in at least four conversations with the newly available leader.

[RELATED: Bills, Packers On Radar For Stealth Harbaugh Pursuits?]

They have kept in “close contact” with Harbaugh ahead of an expected interview, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. This has lasted since minutes after his Ravens firing, when as many as nine teams contacted him. The Giants were then viewed as preparing an aggressive run at the proven winner.

A Harbaugh-Giants meeting is likely to occur midway through next week, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, who passes along one reason Harbaugh is believed to be interested in the New York job. Jaxson Dart represents a key reason for the Super Bowl-winning HC’s interest, with Raanan noting the 2025 first-round pick is believed to be a “significant” driver for Harbaugh.

The Dolphins are expected to launch a pursuit of Harbaugh, though Myers notes they had yet to contact him as of late Thursday night, but Miami has a major quarterback question in the event the team will move on from Tua Tagovailoa at a historically expensive cost. Other HC-needy teams in this year’s cycle do not look to have a long-term QB on their roster (Browns, Cardinals, Raiders) or employ one with persistent health issues (Falcons). The jury certainly has not reached a verdict on Dart, but he showed promise as a rookie.

Harbaugh, 63, would have a fixer-upper on his hands in New York. The Giants have many holes along their offensive line, potentially needing three to four new starters alongside Andrew Thomas, and their defense ranked 26th in scoring and 28th in yardage despite Abdul Carter‘s arrival and the signings of Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland.

Harbaugh has only worked with GMs groomed by the Ravens — Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta — but Joe Schoen does not (as of now, at least) appear to be a dealbreaker for the in-demand candidate. A coach of Harbaugh’s stature, however, would naturally have some leeway to cut into Schoen’s full-on roster control — power he wielded during the Brian Daboll era — if that is something he seeks during this hotly contested derby.

The Falcons have also come up as an interested team, and mutual interest may exist between the coach and the Browns. The Dolphins made a point to fire Mike McDaniel after Harbaugh became available. Stephen Ross has shown Harbaugh interest in the past — including via trade ahead in the late 2010s, before the team’s Brian Flores hire — but the owner is believed to have fired McDaniel independent of Harbaugh’s status. Still, Miami will likely be in the mix here soon. But the Giants have been the team most closely connected to him thus far.

Browns Submit HC Interview Request For Jesse Minter

Jesse Minter‘s list of suitors continues to grow. The Chargers’ defensive coordinator has received a head coaching interview request from the Browns, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Earlier today, Minter received a slip from the Titans. The 42-year-old has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Ravens. No known interview request has been made by Baltimore as of yet, but that could still change over the coming days in the case of that team and others in the market for a head coach.

Minter has defensive coordinator experience at the college and NFL levels. He has worked under Jim Harbaugh for each of the past four years. The pair won a national championship at Michigan in 2023 before joining the Chargers. Los Angeles has enjoyed a defensive turnaround under Minter, finishing first in the NFL in points allowed last year before ranking ninth in 2025.

The Chargers are set to play in the wild-card round for the second year in a row. As a result, Minter cannot be interviewed until next week. His initial set of meetings with interested teams will be virtual, and it must conclude before the end of the divisional round. By that point, the full list of suitors in this case will be known.

The Browns began their search for Kevin Stefanski‘s replacement by looking internally. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and DC Jim Schwartz have already interviewed for the head coaching position. Earlier today, the first pair of outside targets emerged. More will no doubt become linked to Cleveland over the coming days, but few candidates on the market will have as strong of a resume as Minter.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for the Browns:

Jason Garrett To Interview For Titans’ HC Position

JANUARY 9: Garrett’s interview will take place today, and veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky adds it will be in person. Staffers currently unemployed are free to conduct virtual or in-person interviews with interested teams at any time. Depending on how today’s sit-down goes, it will be interesting to see if Garrett winds up earning another look with Tennessee.

JANUARY 6: Jason Garrett has made a somewhat surprising return to the NFL radar. The former Cowboys coach-turned-NBC analyst is on track to interview for the Titans’ HC job, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano reports.

Virtually off the PFR pages since the 2021 season, Garrett last worked in the NFL as Giants OC from 2020-21. He is best known, of course, for a nine-plus-season run as the Cowboys’ HC. Certainly a polarizing figure in the NFL, Garrett represents the second ex-Cowboys HC to land on the Titans’ radar during this cycle. The team has been linked to Mike McCarthy as well.

Now 59, Garrett has served as a Football Night in America analyst (with occasional booth work in place of Cris Collinsworth) and a Notre Dame announcer. He was linked to the Duke and Stanford jobs earlier this decade but has been off the coaching radar since.

Viewed as a high-end coaching candidate once upon a time, Garrett succeeded in spurts and certainly was on a long leash under Jerry Jones. Regularly viewed as a coach who avoided the chopping block, Garrett did lead the Cowboys to three playoff berths during his time at the helm. This included divisional-round trips in each season, though the second of those involved a one-and-done as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Cowboys missed the playoffs in 2019, representing a disappointment as Dak Prescott played the season on his fourth-round contract after failed extension talks, and Jones finally cut the cord several days after the season.

Garrett went 85-67 as Cowboys HC, and while he did interview for the Chargers’ HC job in 2021, the former Dallas quarterback has been mostly out of the mix for a top sideline role since his 2020 firing. The Giants fired Garrett in November 2021. Daniel Jones did not show much progress under Garrett, who coached the Eli Manning successor in his second and third seasons.

Garrett did do well mentoring Tony Romo, and Prescott emerged quickly despite being a fourth-round pick. Garrett was not the Cowboys’ play-caller throughout this period, though, regularly operating as a CEO coach. This interview, however, surely will not go over well with a sizable sect of Titans fans. A number of candidates are in the mix for this position, as GM Mike Borgonzi is running his first coaching search.

Ravens Request Interview With Joe Brady; Team Completes Klint Kubiak Interview

The list of Ravens targets for their head coaching position has grown. Joe Brady is the latest name to emerge on that front.

[RELATED: HC Search Tracker]

Baltimore has submitted an interview request with the Bills‘ offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Brady has previously been linked to the Giants, but this represents the first formal interview request in his case. With Buffalo set to play in the wild-card round, an interview cannot take place until next week.

Brady worked as an assistant with the Saints for two years before taking on the role of pass-game coordinator at LSU in 2019. His success in that capacity resulted in a return to the NFL coaching ranks and a new role along the way. Brady served as Matt Rhule‘s OC with the Panthers for two years.

Things did not go according to plan in Carolina, and prior to his own dismissal Rhule replaced Brady. The latter moved on to Buffalo, taking over as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Brady wound up replacing Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 season, and he has overseen the Bills’ offense since then. Not for the first time in his career, though, the 36-year-old finds himself on the radar of HC-needy teams.

The Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh earlier this week, creating the team’s first head coaching vacancy since 2008. Candidates with a background on offense and defense have been connected to the opening, to no surprise. Brady is among the comparatively few staffers set to be in demand with a history of calling plays on offense.

Meanwhile, the Ravens announced on Friday that they have completed an interview with Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak. The former Vikings and Saints offensive coordinator has enjoyed a strong debut season in Seattle, one in which he has worked alongside former Ravens assistant Mike MacdonaldTodd Monken has called plays in Baltimore during each of the past three seasons, but a new head coach with a background such as Brady or Kubiak would likely handle those responsibilities in 2026.

Here is an updated look at the Ravens’ ongoing search:

Russell Wilson Suffered Hamstring Tear, Wants To Play In 2026

JANUARY 9: Doubling down on his intention of playing next season, Wilson recently revealed (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) he changed agents. The former Super Bowl winner will now be represented by David Mulugheta as he prepares for an expected change of scenery.

JANUARY 5: Russell Wilson is nearing the end of a decorated career, albeit one that has trended steeply downward over the past few seasons. The 14-year veteran, however, has no intention of retiring after this season.

The demoted Giants quarterback confirmed (via Newsday’s Tom Rock) he will seek to play a 15th season. It would certainly appear the Giants will not be interested in giving him that opportunity. Jameis Winston is signed for one more season, being set to retain his role as Jaxson Dart‘s backup. Wilson also shared a bit of pertinent information regarding his Giants season.

Although the Giants benched Wilson after Week 3, he indicated he suffered a hamstring tear before his high-octane Week 2 performance in Dallas. Wilson said the injury occurred on the final play of the last practice that week.

I know what I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again,” Wilson said. “I played that [Week 2] game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice — the last play of practice. And I had a grade two [tear]. I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what.”

Wilson said he went to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility for rehab purposes but indicated he did not inform the Giants of his injury. It is worth wondering how he meandered into the Mavericks’ facility without anyone from the Giants knowing, but Wilson went to X to say the Giants did not know about his injury before the Cowboys game. The Giants presumably will not be too happy to learn of Wilson’s secret injury. Wilson did not appear on the Giants’ injury report before Week 2 or Week 3.

Wilson went on to throw for a career-high 450 yards in that overtime loss. He finished with three touchdown passes and completed more than 73% of his throws. A much worse outing against the Chiefs in Week 3 began the Dart era, however, and Wilson was relegated to afterthought status after Winston leapfrogged him on the depth chart.

The Giants will likely be subject to an NFL investigation on this, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds a source informed him this belated confession will not make a team especially eager to add Wilson for 2026. Boos rained down when Wilson replaced an injured Dart in Week 6 at MetLife Stadium, but he is a year removed from guiding the Steelers to the playoffs. Wilson, however, was not deemed a Steelers priority to re-sign last year. He waited behind Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh’s queue before signing a one-year, $10.5MM Giants deal.

That became a bridge contract, as the Giants traded up for Dart in Round 1. Wilson, 37, is unlikely to command that in 2026. He has been benched in two of the past three seasons, though the Broncos’ decision late in the 2023 season appeared more contract-related, and some among the Steelers wanted to keep him on the bench for Justin Fields after the older QB finished rehabbing his calf injury. Wilson, who played hurt in 2022 as well, adding this hamstring issue to his medical history will only complicate his case at another gig.

Wilson did play better in 2023 than he did under Nathaniel Hackett in 2022, and he finished an abbreviated 2024 season — albeit one that included a season-closing five-game Steelers losing streak — with 16 touchdown passes and five interceptions. He is undoubtedly still talented enough to be a backup and took on a mentor role for Dart this season. Conflicting reports surfaced about the Bengals’ interest following Joe Burrow‘s injury. Will another team sign up for Wilson as a bridge option, or is he squarely on the QB2 level now?

Titans Submit HC Interview Requests For Jesse Minter, Chris Shula

The Titans‘ list of interview targets regarding their head coaching vacancy has continued to grow. Two of the top defensive candidates in this year’s cycle have received a slip from Tennessee.

The team has issued an interview request with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter along with Rams DC Chris Shula, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In both cases, Tennessee loomed as one of the teams mentioned as a potential suitor during the early portion of the hiring cycle. Today’s update thus comes as little surprise.

Minter is currently preparing for the Chargers’ wild-card game against the Patriots. Likewise, the Rams will play the Panthers during the opening round of the playoffs. By rule, neither staffer is allowed to conduct an interview until next week. All first-round interviews (which will be virtual) must be completed before the start of the divisional round.

A defensive coordinator with various college programs, Minter’s first NFL opportunity came with the Ravens in 2017. After a four-year run in Baltimore, he returned to the college ranks. Minter, 42, spent a pair of years as Michigan’s defensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh, then jointly departed two years ago to join the Chargers. Los Angeles has posted a top-10 finish in points allowed during both of Minter’s seasons in his current role.

Shula has also spent the past two seasons handling an NFL coordinator role for the first time. Don Shula‘s grandson has been with the Rams dating back to Sean McVay‘s arrival in 2017, however. Shula has worked his way through the ranks on Los Angeles’ staff, serving as a position coach and defensive pass-game coordinator prior to taking on the DC gig. The 39-year-old is younger than most candidates in this year’s pool, but he is a name to watch as the next McVay assistant with a strong chance of landing a head coaching gig. Shula has also been linked to the Giants, but this represents his first interview request.

As the Titans continue to seek out their full-time Brian Callahan replacement, here is an updated look at their search:

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.