Eagles To Hire Josh Grizzard As Pass Game Coordinator
Three weeks after the Buccaneers fired him as their offensive coordinator, Josh Grizzard is joining the Eagles’ staff. Grizzard will serve as the team’s pass game coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The Eagles, who joined the Buccaneers in removing their offensive coordinator after the season, considered Grizzard as a potential replacement for Kevin Patullo. While Grizzard interviewed for the position twice, Philadelphia instead hired Sean Mannion on Thursday. The 35-year-old Grizzard will now assist Mannion after spending two seasons in Tampa Bay.
Grizzard joined the Buccaneers as their pass game coordinator in 2024, a prolific season for Baker Mayfield & Co. The Buccaneers finished third in passing, Mayfield tossed a career-best 41 touchdowns, and wide receiver Mike Evans posted his 11th straight 1,000-yard season. The Bucs’ offensive success led to the departure of coordinator Liam Coen, who became the Jaguars’ head coach, and the promotion of Grizzard.
With Grizzard in control, Tampa Bay’s offense took significant steps backward in 2025. The unit fell from fourth in scoring the previous season to 18th, though injuries played a key role in its decline. The receiver trio of Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan combined to miss 30 games, running back Bucky Irving sat out seven, and linemen Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke and Cody Mauch combined for 26 absences.
While Grizzard’s first stint as an O-coordinator didn’t go according to plan, the Eagles are optimistic he’ll help boost an aerial attack that ranked 23rd in 2025. Grizzard is a lock to work with quarterback Jalen Hurts and receiver DeVonta Smith in 2026. However, the futures of the Eagles’ other top pass catchers, wideout A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert, are in question.
Brown logged his fourth straight 1,000-yard campaign in 2025, but after he made his frustration with the Eagles’ offense known throughout the year, he may be a trade candidate this offseason. Meanwhile, after leading the Eagles with 11 touchdown grabs, Goedert is now a little over a month from hitting the free agent market.
Jets To Interview Lunda Wells For OC; Jon Gruden Denies Team Contacted Him
JANUARY 30: Gruden emphatically denied that the Jets contacted him, telling WDAE: “There’s a lot of reports we’re not going to get into. There’s a lot of stupid rumors out there. Some of these reports are ridiculous. Let’s just say that there was never anything from the Jets and I wish them well in their search for a new offensive coordinator.”
JANUARY 28: After parting with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday, the Jets have identified a potential replacement in Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells. They’ll interview Wells today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
The Jets are the third team of the offseason to show OC interest in Wells, who previously met with the Commanders and will discuss the position with the Steelers. Now 42 years old, Wells began his NFL coaching career in New York in 2012 in a quality control role with the Tom Coughlin-led Giants.
Coughlin’s run as the Giants’ head coach ended after 2015, but Wells stayed on their staff during the short-lived Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur eras. He served as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach from 2013-17 before working with their tight ends from 2018-19.
Wells is now coming off his sixth year in Dallas, where he has aided in the development of tight ends Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson. In joining the Jets, Wells would inherit a promising tight end in Mason Taylor, who posted a 44-catch season as a second-round rookie in 2025, as well as a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson.
While Taylor and Wilson are bright spots, the Jets’ offense otherwise lacks weapons, especially with running back Breece Hall on the verge of free agency. More importantly, though, the Jets don’t have a clear answer at quarterback. It’s something general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn will have to address this offseason after last year’s Justin Fields gamble fell flat.
Although Wells will receive some consideration to run the Jets’ offense in 2026, Glenn is reportedly focused on hiring an experienced candidate to be the “head coach” of the unit. Frank Reich is the frontrunner, but Glenn also reached out to Jon Gruden about joining his staff, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
It’s unknown whether Gruden would have become the Jets’ offensive coordinator or taken on a different position, but he declined Glenn’s overtures. The longtime head coach, 62, hasn’t worked in the NFL since he served as a consultant with the Saints in 2023. Gruden hasn’t coached since he resigned his post with the Raiders in October 2021. He stepped down after emails he sent containing racist, sexist and homophobic remarks were leaked. Gruden, who sent those emails while working as an analyst at ESPN from 2011-18, is now suing the league.
Eagles Hire Sean Mannion As OC
The Eagles’ round of second interviews has wrapped, bringing a lengthy search to a close. Philadelphia has decided on Sean Mannion. The former backup quarterback will be Philly’s new play-caller, the team announced Thursday.
Nick Sirianni has said his next OC will have offensive autonomy. This will be a big prestige bump for Mannion. Like David Blough, he will go from recently retired quarterback to NFC East offensive coordinator this offseason. Mannion was playing as recently as 2023, but he has gained considerable buzz in the coaching ranks. Mannion, 33, spent last season as the Packers’ QBs coach. The Eagles were the only team to interview him for an OC post this offseason.
This wraps an eventful search for Philly, who considered former HCs and more experienced options. Mannion landing the gig certainly reflects well on his interview skills, and it will be interesting to see how much leeway Sirianni gives his new hire to build an offense.
Mannion has coached under Matt LaFleur and played under both Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell. A move to a Shanahan/McVay-style offense appears squarely in play for the Eagles. Sirianni confirmed Mannion will call plays.
“It was quickly apparent in meeting with Sean that he is a bright young coach with a tremendous future ahead of him in this league,” Sirianni said in a statement. “I was impressed by his systematic views on offensive football and his strategic approach. Sean’s 11 years in the NFL have provided him a great opportunity to learn from and grow alongside some of the best coaches in the game.”
The Eagles interviewed Mannion, Jim Bob Cooter, Josh Grizzard and Jerrod Johnson twice, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating Johnson — the Texans’ QBs coach — received a second meeting today. All three have coached for much longer than Mannion, whose playing career wrapped at 31. He has mentored Jordan Love for two seasons, doing so after serving as a backup to Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins for most of his career.
Mannion prevailed in a race that featured some twists and turns. The Eagles fired Kevin Patullo on January 13, making him the third straight one-and-done OC. This job catapulted Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore to HC positions, but both those staffers had OC experience previously. The two rookie coordinators Sirianni tabbed — Brian Johnson and Patullo — were both fired after disappointing showings. Mannion’s experience level trails even Johnson and Patullo; the Eagles are banking on his playing career serving as vital experience for a pressure-packed job.
The Packers promoted Mannion to QBs coach in 2025, after employing him as an offensive assistant in his first coaching year. Love finished the season second in QBR this past season, marking a step forward for the young passer. Love’s QB rating and completion percentage numbers (101.2, 66.3) also were career bests. This happened during a season in which the Packers missed Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft for extensive portions. Reed’s two-injury season included 10 missed games, while Watson did not debut until Week 8. Kraft was headed toward a monster season when he suffered an ACL tear in 9.
The Rams drafted Mannion in the 2015 third round. After playing behind Nick Foles as a St. Louis rookie, Mannion sat behind Goff for three seasons to close his rookie contract. The final two came under McVay, who only used Mannion as a starter in Week 17 of the 2017 season. Mannion joined the Vikings in 2019, setting up an extended run as Cousins’ backup. Mannion started two Vikings games during a four-year stay. Most of Mannion’s Minnesota tenure came before O’Connell arrived, but the ex-Rams OC — after a Seattle stopover — rejoined the Vikings in October 2023. Mannion finished his career back in Seattle, serving as one of Geno Smith‘s backups, to close the 2023 season.
Mannion’s career ending after Sirianni’s third Philly season adds intrigue to this unorthodox hire. The Eagles appeared to prefer Brian Daboll, but he did not hold the Philly job in especially high regard. The ex-Giants HC accepted a three-year offer to become the Titans’ OC. The Eagles, who did not make Daboll an offer, also met with former HCs in Mike McDaniel and Matt Nagy. The Cowboys blocked their interview with OC Klayton Adams, and both Declan Doyle (Bears OC) and Charlie Weis Jr. (LSU OC) withdrew from consideration. The Eagles submitted a Davis Webb interview request Tuesday, but it does not appear that meeting took place.
Jalen Hurts has enjoyed tremendous success as a starter, but the run-oriented quarterback has also been inconsistent. Last season under Patullo reminded more of a downturn under Johnson in 2023. A.J. Brown has also made relentless noise about his role, leading to trade rumors — which will likely pick up again soon — while the Eagles did not come remotely close to replicating their run-game dominance from 2024 under Patullo. Saquon Barkley was healthy throughout the season but saw his 16-game yardage total drop from 2,005 to 1,140 between his first and second Philadelphia campaigns.
It will be on Mannion to manage all this, as Sirianni has not called plays since midway through his rookie season. It will be interesting to see if Sirianni remains a central presence on offense, as he was during Johnson and Patullo’s seasons in charge, or allows Mannion to run the show — as he did with Steichen and Moore. Via PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how Philly’s latest OC search unfolded:
- Klayton Adams, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview blocked
- Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator (Colts): Conducted second interview 1/28
- Brian Daboll, former head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/20
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Interview requested; withdrew from search
- Josh Grizzard, former offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview 1/28
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Conducted second interview 1/29
- Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/17
- Sean Mannion, quarterbacks coach (Packers): Hired
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): To interview
- Matt Nagy, former offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/21
- Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator (Falcons): Interviewed 1/16
- Bobby Slowik, senior pass-game coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/23
- Frank Smith, former offensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
- Charlie Weis Jr., offensive coordinator (LSU): Withdrew from search
Falcons To Hire Ian Cunningham As GM
The Falcons are hiring Bears executive Ian Cunningham to be their next general manager, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since confirmed the news with an official announcement.
Cunningham, 40, has been Chicago’s assistant general manager for the last four years. He was a candidate for the newly created president of football operations job that went to Matt Ryan and quickly emerged as a favorite for the general manager job. He will replace Terry Fontenot, who was fired after five seasons on the job. Atlanta finished under .500 in every year of Fontenot’s tenure, which featured zero playoff berths. Falcons owner Arthur Blank fired Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris after the 2025 season with the hopes of quickly reshaping the franchise.
Hiring Cunningham is the third step in doing just that. Bringing Ryan aboard was the first, and installing Kevin Stefanski as Morris’ successor was the second. Now, the trio will head into the offseason looking to build around the Falcons’ core of exciting young players on both sides of the ball.
This marks a significant step for Cunningham, who was a finalist for the Commanders’ GM job in 2024 and the Cardinals’ position in 2023. While Adam Peters won out for the Washington gig, Cunningham is believed to have turned down an Arizona GM offer. Cunningham also emerged as a strong Jaguars GM candidate last year. Despite Ryan’s presence, the veteran exec accepted this Atlanta position and will work in helping the team turn things around.
Cunningham began his football career as an offensive lineman at the University of Virginia. He went undrafted in 2008 and signed with the Chiefs but did not make the 53-man roster. He immediately moved into a front office career as a personnel assistant with the Ravens. He contributed to Baltimore’s 2012 Super Bowl win and became an area scout the following year. His success in that role eventually attracted the attention of Howie Roseman and the Eagles, who hired him to be their director of college scouting in 2017.
Cunningham spent five years in Philadelphia with promotions to assistant director of player personnel in 2019 and director of player personnel in 2021. The Eagles consistently had strong rosters during his tenure, with three playoff berths and the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory in 2017. Though he left for Chicago in 2022, Cunningham’s fingerprints were also all over the teams that made the Super Bowl that season and won it in 2024.
In Chicago, Cunningham joined new general manager Ryan Poles and the two worked to rebuild a team that had not won a playoff game in more than a decade. After three years and a 15-36 record, their efforts finally paid off. After drafting quarterback Caleb Williams and hiring head coach Ben Johnson in back-to-back offseasons, the Bears went 11-6, won the NFC North, and beat the Packers in the wild-card round, their best finish since 2018. Their season ended the next week with an overtime loss to the Rams, but it was clear that Cunningham helped build another championship contender.
He will now attempt to do the same in Atlanta, this time as the general manager. The Falcons already have a number of pieces in place. On offense are quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, left tackle Jake Matthews, and right guard Chris Lindstrom, and the defense features edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce, cornerback AJ Terrell, and safety Xavier Watts.
From there, Cunningham will work with Ryan and Stefanski to build around that young core, though he will not be able to get too aggressive right away. The Falcons are projected to have just $17.4MM in cap space entering the 2026 offseason, per OverTheCap, though Cunningham can obviously find ways to make more room. Atlanta will also be without its first-round pick in April’s draft having used it last year to trade up for Pearce.
Typically, when a team hires another team’s minority executive to be their general manager, the original team receives two third-round compensatory selections. But since Ryan is considered the Falcons’ primary football executive, the Bears will not be receiving any draft picks as a result of Cunningham’s hire, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. That also means Chicago could have blocked the move, but the NFC North club opted not to. Instead, the Bears will begin their own search to replace Cunningham as Poles’ top lieutenant.
NFL Mailbag: QBs, Steelers, Eagles, Hawks
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag looks at questions about the upcoming quarterback decision teams face, the Steelers' outlook with a new head coach in place, the Eagles' OC position and the potential implications of the Seahawks' moves from last offseason.
Jose asks:
With Dante Moore going back to Oregon and no other first-round caliber QB available besides [Fernando] Mendoza, should a QB-needy team go after a backup that had a good year like Malik Willis, Mac Jones or even Davis Mills? Possibly pair them with a Day 2 pick and let them battle for the starting job in training camp. If it doesn't work out, they will pick high in what is expected to be a significantly stronger class next year.
Quarterbacks like the ones you mentioned were already going to be a focal point of free agency with so few other options on the market. Daniel Jones is the one major exception, but like everyone else I expect him to stay with the Colts.
Giants To Interview Chargers QBs Coach Shane Day For OC Job
The Giants have added Chargers quarterback coach Shane Day to their list of candidates for their offensive coordinator vacancy. He will interview for the job on Saturday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Day, 51, joined the Chargers in 2024 on Jim Harbaugh‘s new coaching staff. He would be staying in the family if he gets the job in New York under Jim’s brother, John Harbaugh. But unlike most of the recent hires to the Giants’ coaching staff, Day has no direct connection to John Harbaugh himself.
Instead, Day has held a variety of roles with six different NFL teams in the last two decades, as well as brief college stints at Michigan and Connecticut. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Bears (2010-2011), 49ers (2019-2020), and the Chargers (2021-2022, 2024-present). Across his career, he has worked with Jay Cutler, Jimmy Garoppolo, Justin Herbert, and C.J. Stroud, among others.
Day was particularly instrumental in developing Herbert. He arrived in Los Angeles in Herbert’s second year in the NFL, in which he became one of three players to eclipse 5,000 passing yards since 2020. Herbert put up another strong year in 2022, saw a dip in 2023, and rebounded in 2024 and 2025 working with Day once more.
The success of Day’s partnership with Herbert is likely one of the main reasons for the Giants’ interest in hiring Day. They will be hoping that 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart can take a leap in his first full season as a starter, and Day could be the coach to pull that out of him.
However, Day has never called plays for a college or pro team. He would have those responsibilities under Harbaugh in New York, so hiring him could be a bit of a gamble. It might be worth the risk, though, if Day can take Dart to the next level.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/29/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures contracts on Thursday. Here are the latest updates:
Denver Broncos
- OT Marques Cox, C Michael Deiter, G Nash Jones, DT Kristian Williams
Detroit Lions
- TE Thomas Gordon
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR A.T. Perry
Steelers Planning Scott Tolzien OC Interview, Hire James Campen
While Mike McCarthy spent five years as the Cowboys’ head coach, the early makeup of his Steelers staff reminds more of his Packers setup. After hiring one-year Green Bay assistant Patrick Graham as DC, McCarthy has one of his former players in the running for Pittsburgh’s OC post.
The Steelers are planning to interview Saints assistant Scott Tolzien for their OC vacancy, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Tolzien is New Orleans’ QBs coach, but prior to that, he both played and coached under McCarthy.
Tolzien was one of Aaron Rodgers‘ backups in Green Bay from 2013-15. He then spent two years with the Colts and retired from playing in 2018. He went back to Wisconsin to start his coaching career as an analyst, which quickly led to a job on Mike McCarthy’s staff in Dallas in 2020. Tolzien was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2023 and oversaw a career-best performance from Dak Prescott, who finished in second place in MVP voting. The Cowboys struggled after Prescott’s season-ending injury in 2024, though Tolzien helped backup quarterback Cooper Rush compile a 4-4 record as a starter to close out the year.
McCarthy was fired after the season, and Tolzien reunited with former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in New Orleans. Tolzien took the quarterbacks coach job on Moore’s staff and worked with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough this past season. Shough took over the starting job midway through the year, worked through some first-year bumps, and led the Saints to a 4-1 record in their last five games.
The Steelers are still working through their list of offensive coordinator candidates, but they have made one key hire on that side of the ball. Longtime offensive line coach James Campen will be joining McCarthy’s staff, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Campen spent 15 years under McCarthy in Green Bay, including 12 years as the Packers’ offensive line coach. He also developed a close relationship with Aaron Rodgers during that time, which could be another factor in the veteran quarterback’s return to Pittsburgh in 2026.
Davis Webb Withdraws From Raiders’ HC Search
Davis Webb entered Thursday a finalist for the Raiders’ HC position, but he is no longer interested in the job. The Broncos’ quarterbacks coach is withdrawing his name from consideration, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Webb is up for a few OC posts — including the Broncos’ now-vacant gig — but he will wait at least a year for more HC consideration. This is certainly an interesting move given Webb’s lack of experience. He has yet to call plays, but the recently retired quarterback may have that opportunity soon.
The Giants and Ravens have requested interviews with Webb, as the Eagles did. Philadelphia has since hired another recently retired backup, Sean Mannion, as their offensive play-caller. Webb met with the Ravens about their HC position but has not spoken with the Giants just yet. A meeting with one of his former teams appears on tap, but after the Broncos fired Joe Lombardi, an OC opening exists on Webb’s current team. Will the Broncos be able to keep him without play-calling responsibilities?
This sets the stage for Klint Kubiak, who appears a certainty to receive an offer from the Raiders. Kubiak is believed to be the Vegas favorite, but the Cardinals are set for a second interview with the Seattle OC as well. Both meetings are coming Saturday. This could put Kubiak to a Vegas/Arizona/Seattle choice, as he could decide to pass on this year’s cycle for potentially better 2027 openings.
Coaching Bo Nix for the past two seasons and helping to elevate Russell Wilson (following a disastrous Denver debut) in 2023, Webb earned the title of pass-game coordinator entering the 2025 season. Nix piloted the Broncos to the No. 1 seed and the AFC championship game. Webb could be preparing to face Kubiak’s Seahawks had Nix stayed healthy, but the Broncos were unable to pull off a conference championship upset with Jarrett Stidham at the helm. Still, Webb appears set for a move to an OC role — be it in Denver or somewhere else.
It would be interesting for the Broncos to fire Lombardi without a decent idea if Webb would accept the OC role. Some among the Broncos are concerned the Broncos will not be able to keep Webb long term without dangling a play-calling role (Sean Payton calls the plays in Denver and was at the controls for 15 seasons in New Orleans). The Raiders, Ravens and Bills interviewing Webb for their HC openings this year, though, would make him a strong 2027 candidate. Where Webb lands as an OC is one of the top storylines left in this year’s cycle, as the Giants or Ravens could offer a play-calling role.
Broncos Interview Ronald Curry For OC
Joe Lombardi is out as Sean Payton‘s non-play-calling OC, and while Davis Webb represents a natural promotion candidate, he remains coveted by teams for roles with more responsibility. Webb remains in the Raiders’ HC race, and the Broncos’ QBs coach is being sought by multiple teams as a play-calling option.
Payton calls the Broncos’ plays, and barring a scenario in which Webb needs to be given the call sheet to be convinced to stay in Denver, that is expected to continue. Payton has begun his second OC search with the Broncos, as the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reports the team has interviewed ex-Saints staffer Ronald Curry. The former NFL wide receiver spent the past two seasons as the Bills’ QBs coach.
The Broncos interviewed Curry for the job that went to Lombardi in 2023. Payton conducted a thin OC search during his first year at the helm, only interviewing Curry and Lombardi. The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one external minority candidate for OC and DC positions. Because Curry is Black, the Broncos are Rooney Rule-compliant.
It would stand to reason a Webb promotion will be strongly considered, and Gabriel confirms he is a strong candidate for the role. But the Broncos are only one of the interested teams. Webb has met twice about the Raiders’ HC job, and the Giants and Ravens have sent him OC interview requests. Webb also met about the Bills’ HC job, which went to Joe Brady earlier this week. Some in the Broncos’ organization believe it will be difficult for the team to retain Webb long term with Payton calling plays, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold. The coming days will put that to a test, as Denver’s QBs coach has seen his stock skyrocket during his three-year tenure.
While Webb has helped mentor Bo Nix, Curry’s first season as Bills QBs coach produced a Josh Allen MVP award. Considering that season came after the Stefon Diggs trade, the honor reflects well on Brady and Curry. The latter interviewed for the Jets’ OC position this week but has otherwise not been connected to any OC jobs since being hired by the Bills.
Curry, 46, was a college quarterback who spent eight seasons as an NFL wideout. He has extensive experience with Payton as well. The Saints employed Curry from 2016-23, with the ex-player rising to QBs coach by Payton’s final season (2021). Coaching New Orleans’ receivers before that, Curry stayed on as QBs coach under Dennis Allen from 2022-23. He interviewed for the New Orleans OC gig — which went to Klint Kubiak — in 2024, moving to Buffalo to work under ex-Saints coworker Brady soon after. Brady being promoted to HC could keep Curry in Buffalo, but that may not be a certainty just yet. For now, he is up for multiple OC positions.