Kevin O’Connell: Vikings To Remain In Discussion With Sam Darnold
Not long after taking home the Coach of the Year award, Kevin O’Connell spoke to the media about the Vikings’ looming Sam Darnold decision. No commitment has been made yet regarding the team’s direction at quarterback, but O’Connell confirmed the lines of communication will remain open with Darnold’s camp this offseason. 
“Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam,” he said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). “He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam.
“So he’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation.”
Darnold outplayed his one-year, $10MM pact in 2024 and a weak class of QB prospects could help his market value as teams evaluate their free agent options under center. Minnesota could look to work out a multi-year pact, but doing so would further delay 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy‘s ascent to the starting gig (a process which was already put on hold during his rookie campaign due to a meniscus tear). The transition or franchise tag route remains an option, but a lucrative and fully-guaranteed commitment for 2025 may give the Vikings pause.
If a multi-year deal is to come Darnold’s way, something in line with Baker Mayfield‘s 2024 Buccaneers extension is considered a suitable framework. Mayfield inked a three-year, $100MM pact to remain in Tampa Bay after a strong debut season with the team. In terms of annual average value and total guarantees ($50MM), the deal pales in comparison to many others at the top of the position’s market, but duplicating it would represent a major windfall in Darnold’s case. The former No. 3 pick remained firmly on the Vikings’ radar regarding a raise as of December, but an underwhelming end to the season may have hindered his earning power.
After seeing Darnold, 27, and the offense struggle in Week 18 as well as the wild-card round of the playoffs, the Vikings could of course elect to hand the reins over to McCarthy and add a less expensive insurance option (which Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL.com confirm, while adding that re-signing Daniel Jones would also be in play in that scenario). General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made it clear last month the team will still contemplate keeping Darnold in place by one means or another, though, while obviously taking into account the effect any Darnold decision will have on McCarthy. The latter was seen as one of the least refined prospects in last year’s class, so missing out on valuable practice reps in 2024 could alter his development timeline.
Still, McCarthy’s recovery has gone according to plan and he is on track to be full healthy well in advance of Week 1 of the 2025 campaign. Whether or not Darnold will also be in Minnesota by that point will be one of the league’s top storylines given his relatively unique situation. It will be interesting to see if serious progress is made on the negotiating front over the coming weeks or if talks will still allow for Darnold to test his market in mid-March.
Raiders Moving On From DPP JoJo Wooden
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.
Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Colorado’s Travis Hunter Top Prospects?
The college football season is officially over; the playoffs have concluded, and the all-star games showed off a number of talented under-the-radar prospects. While those games are important for fringe first-round prospects looking to solidify their draft stock or players who will end up filling out the middle rounds, NFL scouts have been asserting some opinions at the top of the board. Namely, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports rumors he’s been hearing that Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado athlete Travis Hunter have been distancing themselves as the top two prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. 
Carter has been shooting up draft boards recently. The Nittany Lions pass rusher has long been seen as a likely first-round pick, but as of late, Carter has seen his odds to be selected in the first three picks escalate gradually. At this point, Carter is being considered as an option for the No. 1 overall pick. This surge from Carter comes on the heels of a breakout, unanimous All-American season. After combining for 11.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in his first two seasons in Happy Valley, Carter reached career highs in his junior season with 12.0 sacks and 24 tackles for loss last year alone.
As for the Heisman Trophy winner, Hunter, there’s not much question as to why he’s shot up draft boards. After playing both cornerback and wide receiver for the Buffaloes at an elite level in 2024, Hunter doesn’t enter the draft as either the top wide receiver or cornerback prospect on many boards. His ability to contribute at both positions, though, has the potential to elevate him over the top prospects at each position.
Hunter likely won’t be playing both positions full-time in the NFL, though. As impressive as it was to watch Hunter often play every snap on both sides of the ball in Boulder, doing that at the NFL-level is a whole different monster. Many scouts will be evaluating Hunter at both positions, as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com plans to do, but Zierlein also mentions that most teams have been looking at him as a cornerback who can take some snaps at wide receiver, which confirms rumors we’ve heard in the past.
It’s not uncommon to see a pass rusher trending at the top of draft boards, and Hunter’s versatility makes him an intriguing prospect that could provide value at multiple positions. While the two may have established themselves as the top two talents on the board, they will still have to compete with the overwhelming push for quarterbacks at No. 1 overall. Miami’s Cam Ward has been trending with the best odds to be the first overall pick, and Hunter’s teammate Shedeur Sanders has made a strong case of his own for a high draft slot.
Carter and Hunter may be distancing themselves as the top two overall prospects, but position need may push them down a pick or two. In addition, there’s still plenty of time for other first-round talents to close the gap and make their own cases for a spot in the top five.
Cowboys Making Coaching Hires
The Mike McCarthy-era is over in Dallas, and the time has arrived for Brian Schottenheimer to lead the Cowboys. Despite hiring his new head coach from within, the lack of urgency from owner Jerry Jones allowed for the contracts of all of his assistants to expire along with that of McCarthy. 
Schottenheimer has already made the two most important hires in his first career head coaching gig, bringing on Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator and Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator. Now, both coordinators have begun building their new staffs.
On offense, the team has hired Derrick Foster as their new running backs coach, per Nick Harris of the Star Telegram. Foster first came to the NFL after three years as a running backs coach at Iowa. He began in Los Angeles, where he coached Austin Ekeler through his two best seasons as a Charger, before spending last year in New Orleans coaching Alvin Kamara. He’ll inherit a running backs group that returns Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Malik Davis, though his position has certainly been bookmarked as one needing improvements in the offseason, potentially through the draft.
We saw the Cowboys interview one of its former running backs, Tashard Choice, for the position, as well. According to Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, Choice will be staying in his current role with the Longhorns. Though he was also in consideration for roles with the Raiders and Saints, a raise in excess of $800K will keep Choice in Austin.
While Adams brings plenty of offensive line experience to the offense, the Cowboys have brought in Kansas State co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Conor Riley as their new offensive line coach, per Hill. Riley has been an extremely well-respected position coach in the college coaching ranks with his other stop being at North Dakota State. He’ll make his NFL coaching debut in 2025.
Also on offense, we saw wide receivers coach Robert Prince depart for Miami. While his replacement has not yet been hired, Tiquan Underwood will be on hand after getting hired as assistant wide receivers coach, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. He takes over the position after holding the same job with the Patriots last year.
On the defensive side of the ball, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that a slew of former Bears assistants have followed Eberflus to Dallas. We already saw reports on the arrival of defensive pass-game coordinator Andre Curtis and linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi with Eberflus, but Archer adds that David Overstreet will follow as assistant defensive backs coach and Bryan Bing will join as assistant defensive line coach. Both Overstreet and Bing held those same positions on Eberflus’ defense in Chicago.
There are still some vacant positions on the Cowboys staff to fill out, but Dallas is working quickly to make some big hires after getting a late start to the market. With Schottenheimer’s inexperience as an NFL head coach, the supplemental ability of his coaching staff will be crucial.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/7/25
Coaching Notes: Faulk, Del Rio, Ryan, Bucs
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.
Tyreek Hill Wants To Stay With Dolphins
Tyreek Hill‘s odd ending to the 2024 season involved checking himself out of the Dolphins’ Week 18 game and indicating soon after he was eager to move on from the team. This came despite Hill refusing to request a trade as he angled for an updated contract last year. The Dolphins gave him that revised deal, adding to the confusion at season’s end.
Hill’s agent pointed to his client being prepared to circle back to the Dolphins in January, and GM Chris Grier had indicated no trade request had come out even after the future Hall of Famer’s actions in New Jersey. A month later, Hill is indeed ready to move forward with the Dolphins.
During an appearance on Up & Adams, Hill told Kay Adams he wants to stay in Miami (video links). The nine-year veteran, when asked if he was apologizing to teammates for his behavior in Week 18, said they “already know” he is not that type of player. Hill certainly has enjoyed a complicated career, complete with significant off-field trouble in college and then in Kansas City — before the 2023 marina incident while with the Dolphins — but he has proven to be one of his era’s best wide receivers.
As it stands, it looks like the Dolphins can plan on another Hill-centered passing attack taking shape in 2025. That said, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Hill’s January actions were aimed more at wanting the team to make roster augmentations, to avoid another playoff absence, rather than him wanting out. Though, Hill specifically saying, “I’m out,” does contradict that. On a separate Super Bowl-week appearance (via Pro Football Talk), Hill said he takes full accountability for what happened last month.
Although three seasons remained on Hill’s four-year, $120MM extension, the Dolphins gave into the WR talent’s wishes for an infusion of guaranteed money on his deal. No years were added, but Hill saw $54MM of his current contract become fully guaranteed via the reworking. Hill spent two years as the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, and although Justin Jefferson and others surpassed him in 2024, the decorated speedster is still doing quite well in Miami. The Dolphins also paid Jaylen Waddle, giving the younger player more in total guarantees, but saw both starters take major steps back this past season.
Hill failed to reach 1,000 yards for the first time since 2019, an injury-shortened season, totaling 959 in a year Tua Tagovailoa missed six games. Hill also sustained a significant wrist injury during a joint practice in August but opted to play through it; no surgery is on tap. As the Dolphins are presently pot-committed with Hill and Waddle, they will hope for better Tagovailoa health restoring order in a high-end passing attack.
Gus Bradley To Join 49ers’ Coaching Staff
Gus Bradley was among the coordinators fired at the end of the 2024 season, but he has not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity. The veteran coach will return to the West Coast for the 2025 campaign. 
Bradley is joining the 49ers’ coaching staff, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This will not represent the fifth coordinator gig of his career, but it will give him the opportunity to reunite with Robert Saleh. The two previously worked together in Seattle and Jacksonville.
An NFL staffer since 2006, Bradley parlayed his Seahawks DC position into a head coaching opportunity with the Jaguars. The 58-year-old went just 14-48 before being fired during the 2016 campaign, but he had managed to remain a coordinator in each stop around the league since then. Bradley worked as the Chargers’ DC for four years prior to a one-year stint in that role with the Raiders.
From 2022-24, Bradley was at the helm of the Colts’ defense. That unit finished 28th or 24th in points allowed during each year of his tenure, which helps explain Shane Steichen‘s decision to make a change this offseason after keeping Bradley in place upon arrival one year earlier. Shortly after that move was made, Bradley’s name was mentioned as a potential 49ers target.
San Francisco moved on from Nick Sorensen after a one-and-done campaign, leaving the team in need of a new DC once again. Robert Saleh was ultimately tapped for his old gig, and expectations will be high upon his return to the organization. Saleh led the 49ers’ defense from 2017-20, and his success in that time earned him the Jets’ head coaching gig he was fired from midway through this season. If Saleh manages to rebuild his HC stock with another strong San Francisco tenure, Bradley could be in place as a coordinator successor.
RB Derrick Henry Hopes To Finish Career With Ravens
Derrick Henry‘s debut season with the Ravens exceeded expectations and demonstrated his decorated career is likely to continue for many years. Whenever the All-Pro running back hangs up his cleats, though, he hopes to do so in Baltimore. 
When speaking with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini at last night’s NFL Honors ceremony, Henry stated he hopes to retire as a Raven. That comes as little surprise, considering the 31-year-old had one of his best seasons in 2024. Henry’s rushing (1,921) and scrimmage yards (2,114) from the 2025 campaign were the second-highest of his career, and his 18 total touchdowns matched a personal best.
Duplicating that production in 2025 and beyond will be challenging for the longtime Titans star, but he should be able to land a new commitment from the Ravens as early as this offseason. Henry is on the books for next year, but none of his scheduled $6MM base salary is guaranteed (although he does have $1MM in locked in compensation coming in the form of a March roster bonus). The five-time Pro Bowler is currently set to carry a cap hit of $12.9MM in 2025, so an extension could lower that figure while ensuring his Baltimore tenure continues for the foreseeable future.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said after the team’s season came to an end a Henry extension will receive consideration. The team has other offseason priorities on offense – including, most notably, the decision to re-sign or replace left tackle Ronnie Stanley – but making a new commitment in Henry would be feasible from a roster-building and financial perspective. The top of the running back market includes five players averaging at least $12MM per year on their current deals, but a modest raise from the Alabama product’s $8MM AAV could be enough to work out a multi-year accord.
Baltimore’s running back depth chart includes pass-catching specialist Justice Hill (who signed an extension through 2026 in September and totaled a career-high 611 scrimmage yards this season), former UDFA Keaton Mitchell and 2024 fifth-rounder Rasheen Ali. Without a clear-cut RB1 successor in place, Henry should be expected to remain a workhorse back for his new team in 2025 and beyond. His chances of finishing his career with the Ravens – and thus avoiding a second trip to free agency – will of course increase if a new deal can be worked out over the coming months.
Dublin To Host 2025 NFL Game
The landscape of the NFL’s international games for next season continues to take shape. The league announced on Friday that Dublin will host a contest in 2025. 
To little surprise, the Steelers will serve as the designated home team for the NFL’s first regular season game in Ireland. Croke Park – which hosted a preseason contest between the Steelers and Bears in 1997 – will be the venue. Dublin was known to be a strong contender to host a game in 2025 with the league having done extensive background work to explore staging games there.
“We are very excited to be the designated team in the first regular season game to be played in Ireland this upcoming season,” a statement from Steelers owner Art Rooney II reads in part. “The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there, but also to play in front of the growing number of Steelers fans in Ireland.”
The Rooney family’s ties to Ireland include the fact that Rooney’s father Dan served as the U.S. Ambassador to the country from 2009-12. The Steelers are among the teams with international marketing rights in Ireland and Northern Ireland; they also have a formal partnership with the Gaelic Athletic Association. As a result, the Steelers represent an obvious choice to take part in the 2025 contest, their opponent in which will be unveiled at a later date.
Next season will see three London games on the international schedule, with the Jets, Browns and Jaguars known to be participating. 2025 will also see the league’s first game in Berlin (featuring the Colts) and Madrid (featuring the Dolphins). It was announced yesterday that Melbourne will begin hosting games in 2026, while a long-term arrangement with Sao Paulo is being considered. Paris is known to be on the NFL’s radar, and it will be interesting to see if games are scheduled there in the near future. In any case, Dublin will look to join the growing list of regular host cities for NFL games.