Jets To Consider Arthur Smith For HC; Rex Ryan Has Chance At Job?
During Robert Saleh‘s final offseason as Jets HC, he attempted a backchannel effort to curb Nathaniel Hackett‘s power by bringing in a veteran play-caller. This stealth mission failed, as the Jets did not have their offensive coordinator position to offer. Aaron Rodgers helped see to that, helping to drive a wedge between the quarterback and Woody Johnson.
Hackett will soon be on the move, as the Jets are looking for a new coaching staff. Arthur Smith was among the coaches Gang Green eyed during Saleh’s search to add a shadow OC this past offseason, and the New York Post’s Brian Costello points to the current Steelers OC being back on the team’s radar — this time as a head coaching candidate.
[RELATED: Jets Complete Louis Riddick GM Interview]
While Smith was not interested in the Jets’ role in 2024, as the Steelers had an actual OC position to offer, it appears likely he will soon receive an interview request. Smith needing to wait a year before HC interest came was a debated point during this season, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano now notes it looks like the former Falcons leader will be back on the radar for a top job soon.
Smith, 42, went 7-10 in each of his three Falcons seasons. Those campaigns featured different primary QBs (Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder). Considering Mariota is a backup and Ridder changed teams twice during the offseason, Smith’s seven-win 2022 and ’23 seasons may have aged better than expected. The Steelers have also coaxed decent play from Russell Wilson, after they had started strong with the less polished Justin Fields at the controls. While Pittsburgh has lost three straight, it still appears the team’s play-caller will draw interest — even if this would be a rather quick turnaround for a coach who did not post an eight-win season during his first try.
Entrusted to lead the HC search, ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum attempted to set up a meeting between Johnson and Bill Belichick. That did not come to fruition, and the ex-Jets DC-turned-adversary took the North Carolina job rather than take his chances on another NFL carousel. Mike Vrabel is also viewed as potentially the Jets’ top choice, but the Raiders are also interested. And the Patriots may hold greater appeal for the ex-New England linebacker, though that job is not certain to be available. Johnson’s eventful 2024 also stands to make working for him in 2025 a complicated ask, and Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline writes a feeling around the league has created the sense the Jets may need to overpay to land a coveted coaching candidate.
Johnson meddled on many occasions during the 2024 offseason and into the season, and the subject of his teenage sons being involved in personnel decisions and being persistent presences around players continues to be reported. This component will make Johnson’s effort to staff his HC and GM posts rather interesting, but one potential candidate has let it be known this would not dissuade him.
Rex Ryan said he would be interested in coming back. Not exactly shy about expressing strong opinions, Ryan has lobbied for DC jobs recently — interviewing for the Broncos and Cowboys’ positions over the past two offseasons — and worked under Johnson for six seasons. Ryan has not coached in the NFL since the Bills let him go late in the 2016 season. That absence would make a return to a high-profile post somewhat difficult to envision, but Pauline adds many around the league believe the 62-year-old ESPN analyst has a legitimate shot at the gig. He expects to interview.
Thus far, the connections between Ryan and the Jets have come from the former HC. This marks new ground, then, as it would not surprise to see the team at least interview its former coach.
Ryan led the Jets to back-to-back AFC championship games, notching wins over the Peyton Manning-led Colts and Tom Brady-piloted Patriots in the 2010 playoffs. A semi-miraculous Ryan reemergence would lead to the brash leader inheriting a defense high on talent but one that regressed this season, especially after Saleh’s mid-October firing. Of course, the Jets will then need to find a quarterback, as Rodgers is widely expected to be out of the picture soon.
Before a QB plan comes to light, one of the more interesting HC searches in recent years will need to be conducted. It appears Smith and Ryan are set to be part of it.
Anthony Richardson Battling Back Injury; Latest On Colts’ QB, GM Situations
Anthony Richardson has not taken sufficient steps forward in Year 2, calling his future in Indianapolis into question. As the Colts attempted to sideline him to compete for the playoffs around Joe Flacco, Plan B did not work thanks to the 39-year-old’s struggles. This leaves a franchise that has been starved for a quarterback since Andrew Luck‘s retirement again facing a foggy future.
Although the plan is for Richardson to start for a third season, GM Chris Ballard said recently (via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer and James Boyd) the team should not have turned to the former No. 4 overall pick as a starter as a rookie in 2023. Ballard said the Colts should have parked Richardson on the bench in a developmental year. Jim Irsay is believed to have driven the bus for Richardson to start, calling behind the scenes for the high-end prospect to play immediately.
This was not Irsay’s first QB-driven directive in recent years, as the owner had previously called for the Colts to dump Carson Wentz after one season, pushed Ballard to acquire Matt Ryan via trade and then insisted the team bench Ryan for Sam Ehlinger midseason (just before the Jeff Saturday decision, which Ballard attempted to stop). The team’s Richardson pick, which initially came out of a Morocco Brown scouting mission, also took place after assistant GM Ed Dodds called his one season as a college starter “a rollercoaster,” per Boyd and Keefer. Richardson’s 2024 season has proven that to be a telling assessment.
Richardson has completed a woeful 47.7% of his passes, being all set to become just the seventh QB to finish a 21st-century season south of the 50% barrier on at least 200 attempts. The Colts’ decision to bench Richardson and then reinsert him into the starting lineup two weeks later, after Flacco could not match his 2023 Browns work, “really affected the team,” in the words of one anonymous player. Another unnamed Colt informed The Athletic of a lack of vision coming from the franchise, which is set to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in Ballard’s eight seasons as GM.
In Ballard’s defense, he has built a roster that has produced a host of Pro Bowl-level players — from Quenton Nelson to Jonathan Taylor to Kenny Moore. The GM also saw Luck abruptly retire just before the 2019 season, but the team’s inability to find a successor has reminded of the Broncos’ run of misses following Peyton Manning‘s retirement. Richardson has followed Philip Rivers, Wentz, Ryan and Gardner Minshew — the latter in place only because of Richardson’s 2023 shoulder injury — as primary Colts QB starters in the 2020s. None of Indianapolis’ plans have produced consistent success, with the team still yet to recover from a disastrous Week 18 loss to the Jaguars as two-touchdown favorites in a game that denied a playoff berth in 2021.
Irsay has spoken highly of Ballard in the past, keeping him around despite the Frank Reich firing, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes “murmurs” regarding a potential change have emerged in connection with this job. An unnamed GM also told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora that Irsay is certainly thinking about firing Ballard, though the anonymous exec said it would still surprise if the owner moved on after this season. If the owner does not can his GM, Ballard’s seat will be hot entering the 2025 offseason.
It is also true Irsay’s meddling — at both quarterback and other spots, highlighted by the 2023 Taylor standoff — has undercut his GM, which would make this a potentially difficult position to fill with a quality candidate. But Ballard’s inward-focused 2024 offseason approach has not yielded results. Granted, Richardson’s struggles have had plenty to do with that. DeForest Buckner joined Ryan Kelly and others in speaking to Richardson after his benching, with the Pro Bowl defensive tackle indicating (via The Athletic) he signed his two-year, $46MM re-up largely because he believed in the athletic QB talent. Richardson’s lack of preparation played into the organization’s initial benching call, which famously came after he asked to leave the Colts-Texans matchup due to fatigue.
This season is also not ending well for Richardson, who is battling a potentially significant back injury. Shane Steichen said an MRI revealed a disk issue that “might be chronic,” though the second-year QB does not believe he will need surgery, via Boyd. Richardson said this week his back issue was severe enough he could not stand. Richardson added (via Fox59’s Brett Bensley) he has dealt with back issues since eighth grade, though they have not been this severe before. It certainly sounds like Flacco will start in Week 18 and that Richardson will enter the offseason with some rehab to complete, which reminds of his 2024 offseason.
It would stand to reason the Colts will seek another veteran backup to replace Flacco, as Richardson would at least need to be backstopped — both due to injury and performance — in 2025. If the plan indeed remains Richardson-centric, Steichen and Ballard would be on the hook to answer for the pick should it end up backfiring and leave the Colts again in need at the game’s premier position. That is, if both power brokers are back for the 2025 season.
Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt On Hot Seat?
Jerod Mayo is expected to make it to his second season as Patriots head coach, but it’s sounding like the same can’t be said for New England’s offensive coordinator. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Alex Van Pelt is considered a “potential one-and-done” with the Patriots.
[RELATED: Patriots Still Expected To Retain Jerod Mayo]
Drake Maye‘s occasional flashes have been the only bright spot for the Patriots offense in 2024, with the unit ranking towards the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. While Van Pelt has earned some praise for his work with the rookie QB, he’s also drawn plenty of criticism for his uninspiring play calling and a lack of development elsewhere on the roster.
In fact, team owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft, were recently spotted criticizing the offensive play calling, a clear indication that the OC could be on the hot seat. At the very least, the Patriots are expected to make some changes to their offensive staff, per Fowler.
Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal shares a similar sentiment, writing that Van Pelt will likely be the organization’s “sacrificial lamb” following a dismal overall season. Giardi lauded the coordinator for his rare accountability during the 2024 campaign, and Van Pelt even acknowledged that he could be on the hot seat following a rough first season with the Patriots.
“This is a business. We all signed up for this. When we win three games, it’s tough,” he said. “The thing that I can hang my hat on is that this team played hard. There have not been any games where they have not put out their full effort. That’s impressive. It’s easy for a lot of teams, and I’ve been around teams that are out of the playoffs and kind of just cruise to the end. We’re going to try to finish strong.”
Van Pelt mostly made a name for himself as a QB coach, including a stint as Aaron Rodgers‘ coach in Green Bay between 2014 and 2017. The veteran coach had a four-year stint as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator, and he was a somewhat surprising casualty last year despite the Browns finishing top-10 in points scored. He subsequently caught on with Mayo’s new staff in New England, but there’s a chance he could be looking for a new gig for the second-straight offseason.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe Declares For Draft
The 2025 quarterback prospect pool has received steady criticism, but teams will have an additional dual-threat option to evaluate. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe will be part of this year’s class.
Milroe announced his intention to leave Alabama on Thursday. Although Milroe has been in Tuscaloosa for four seasons, he only used three years of eligibility. He will pass on coming back for a redshirt-senior season, being set to join the likes of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders as part of the 2025 QB class.
[RELATED: Interest In 2026, ’27 Prospects Outshining 2025 QBs]
Unlike Ward and Sanders (and Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix), Milroe only played at one college program. He took the reins at Alabama in 2023 and displayed tremendous athleticism, combining for 32 rushing touchdowns during his time as the SEC power’s starter. This past season featured 20 Milroe rushing TDs and 726 yards, though it will undoubtedly be his passing ability that shifts under the microscope during the pre-draft process.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. is not bullish on Milroe’s draft stock, slotting the Nick Saban recruit 64th overall currently. He sits behind Sanders (ninth), Ward (18th), Quinn Ewers (60th) and Carson Beck (62nd) at QB presently, though we are not yet in the pre-draft process. Still competing in the College Football Playoff, Ewers has also not made it known if he will enter the draft or remain at the college level. Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com big board slots Milroe third at QB — behind Sanders and Ward.
After averaging 10 yards per attempt in 2023, Milroe checked in at 8.9 this season. The four-star recruit from Katy, Texas, only finished with a 16-11 TD-INT ratio, completing 64.3% of his passes. The Crimson Tide certainly took advantage of Milroe’s rushing talents, as he logged 161 carries in 2023 and 168 this season. Deep-ball accuracy has been one of Milroe’s strengths, and he finished the regular season ranking eighth in QBR. A dominant performance against Georgia (374 passing yards, 117 rushing yards, four total TDs) keyed Alabama’s biggest win this season.
As of now, however, the 6-foot-2 prospect is not a surefire first-round pick. Though, the NFL has produced many recent examples of pre-draft rises based on the Combine, visits and workouts vaulting second-round types into Round 1 picks. And this year’s draft will feature a handful of teams with long-term QB needs. Milroe, then, will become one of the most interesting names in this class.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Morice Norris Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Terrell Edmunds
- Released: S Emany Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Tarron Jackson
The Chargers added some veteran safety depth in Terrell Edmunds today. The former first-round pick most recently had a two-month stint with the Steelers, collecting seven tackles in five games. Alohi Gilman could soon return to the Chargers lineup, but the team will still be down two players at the position with Elijah Molden and Marcus Maye sidelined, so there could be some open snaps for their newest player.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: LB Nicholas Morrow
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: RB Kendall Milton
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Tom Kennedy
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: WR John Rhys Plumlee
- Placed on IR: TE Brady Russell
The Patriots signed Haggai Ndubuisi off the Commanders practice squad just yesterday, but the team is already waiving the defensive tackle. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes, Ndubuisi is being waived with a non-football illness designation, an indication that something popped up during the player’s physical.
Brady Russell landed on IR today after the tight end dealt with a foot injury for much of the season. The special teamer got into 11 games with the Seahawks in 2024. In his place, the team signed John Rhys Plumlee from the practice squad. The rookie was listed by the Seahawks as a WR, but the former UCF QB served as an occasional signal-caller on Seattle’s scout team.
Jets Complete GM Interview With Louis Riddick
The Jets have completed their fourth GM interview. The team announced that they interviewed ESPN analyst Louis Riddick earlier today. We heard last month that the Jets were planning to interview the former NFC East exec.
Riddick played nearly a decade in the NFL before spending time in Washington and Philadelphia’s front office. More recently, the 55-year-old has been serving as an analyst on ESPN, but his decade-long media role hasn’t stopped him from garnering GM interviews.
After interviewing for the Giants job in 2017, Riddick was an especially popular name in 2021, when he interviewed for GM jobs with the Jaguars, Lions and Texans. He left that hiring cycle without a gig, and after meeting with the Steelers in 2022, Riddick hasn’t been mentioned in the GM carousel over the past couple of years.
Now, he’s had a chance to sell himself to former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Vikings honcho Rick Spielman, who are running the organization’s GM and HC searches. Veteran executive Phil Savage has served as the team’s interim general manager since Joe Douglas was canned back in November.
Riddick marks the fourth candidate to interview for the Jets job. Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson, and Jim Nagy previously met Jets brass about the opening.
Patriots Expected To Prioritize WR, OL This Offseason
The Patriots offense has struggled mightily throughout the 2024 campaign, ranking towards the bottom of the league in scoring and yardage. Unsurprisingly, the organization will prioritize two offensive positional groupings this offseason. Christopher Price of the Boston Globe believes the team will target wide receivers and offensive linemen via the draft, free agency, and trades.
Patriots wideouts have had to endure Jacoby Brissett‘s underwhelming starting stint and Drake Maye‘s growing pains, but no one in the room has established themselves as a definitive difference maker. Demario Douglas has somewhat separated himself from his position mates, as the former sixth-round pick has built on a solid rookie campaign to lead New England WRs in receptions (63) and receiving yards (587), and touchdowns (three) as a sophomore.
New England hasn’t gotten much from their two rookie wideouts. Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk has been limited to 12 catches, while fourth-round receiver Javon Baker has been limited to 51 offensive snaps. Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne do provide some worthy depth, but the team clearly needs a WR1 to pair with Maye.
That solution could easily come via the draft, as the Patriots are currently in prime position to select Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter. The organization could also easily look to free agency, especially since they should rank towards the top of the league in practical cap space. The Patriots have already been connected to Bengals star Tee Higgins, and the front office showed a willingness to pay for the position following their failed pursuit of Calvin Ridley last offseason.
The offensive line has allowed 51 sacks this season (fifth-worst in the NFL), and besides guard Mike Onwenu (and perhaps injured center David Andrews), the Patriots will be looking to improve every starting spot this offseason. Guard Trey Smith will likely lead the OL class, but the team should still have plenty of options to choose from at offensive tackle. The draft also remains an option for a sure-thing starter, although that would surely require the Patriots to trade back from their projected number-one pick.
The front office can rest easy knowing they have a handful of positional groupings handled. Maye has shown encouraging flashes during his rookie campaign, and the team has RB Rhamondre Stevenson and TE Hunter Henry signed to long-term deals.
Browns To Start Bailey Zappe In Week 18
Make it four starting quarterbacks for the Browns this season, marking a second straight slate in which that rarely reached number will be in the equation for Cleveland. It will be Bailey Zappe taking over in Week 18, according to The Associated Press’ Tom Withers.
Zappe will replace Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who has struggled since replacing Jameis Winston. Although Winston suited up in Week 17, he did not play. The Browns’ draft standing, No. 3 overall, is worth reminding here, as is the fact the team is expected to retain both Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry. With the two power brokers not needing to make moves to preserve their jobs (at least, that is not the expectation), a Zappe-over-Winston choice would make more sense. For what it’s worth, Winston has practiced in a limited capacity due to a shoulder injury.
Stefanski said both Zappe and Thompson-Robinson will play against the Ravens, who are up to 20-point favorites in the teams’ Week 18 rematch. Cleveland upended Baltimore during Winston’s first start after Deshaun Watson‘s injury. The Browns benched Winston after a turnover-heavy Week 15 showing, but Thompson-Robinson has not played well since. For his career, Thompson-Robinson has put together a 1-10 TD-INT ratio, which is next to impossible in this passer-friendly era. The 2023 fifth-round pick has thrown six picks and no TD passes this season.
Zappe will be the 40th the starting quarterback since the Browns’ 1999 reboot, as Withers notes. He finished last season as the Patriots’ starter, replacing a declining Mac Jones. Zappe has made eight career starts, going 4-4 in those games. The Browns initially signed Zappe off the Chiefs’ practice squad following Watson’s October Achilles tear. Cleveland then waived Zappe and re-signed him not long after.
A 2022 fourth-round pick who broke Joe Burrow‘s Division I-FBS touchdown pass record by firing 61 in Western Kentucky’s pass-happy offense in 2021, Zappe did not make the Patriots’ 53-man roster this season. That led him to Kansas City’s practice squad. He is not under contract in Cleveland beyond this season, but this matchup with Baltimore could help his cause. Though, the Browns will be looking elsewhere for a player to be a viable option as a Watson replacement — perhaps in Round 1 — after the season.
One of four 3-13 teams entering the season finale, the Browns sit behind the Patriots and Titans for the top pick. The Pats host a Bills team that has nothing to play for, while the Titans host a Texans team locked into the AFC’s No. 4 seed. With the Ravens gunning for the AFC’s No. 3 spot via the AFC North title, the Browns have the best chance to lose among this trio. The cards look to be breaking Cleveland’s way, even though this was certainly not where this year’s team was expected to be at the season’s outset. The Browns will at least have a high pick when they make their way back to the first round — after three years of missing out due to the Watson trade.
Aaron Jones Wants To Re-Sign With Vikings
Aaron Jones‘ seven Packers seasons featured regular roles but saw the talented running back cede plenty of carries to the likes of Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon. Despite having just turned 30, the veteran back has held an unquestioned starting post with the Vikings.
The eighth-year performer has already surpassed his career high in carries (245), producing his fourth 1,000-yard rushing season. Although the Packers were not exactly proven wrong for their Josh Jacobs signing, Jones has fared well with a division rival — one that has soared to a 14-2 record. Jones has joined Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson in one of the NFL’s best skill-position armadas.
[RELATED: Vikings Likely To Receive Calls On J.J. McCarthy]
Agreeing to a one-year, $7MM deal, Jones joins Sam Darnold as key Vikings cogs unsigned for 2025. With Darnold perhaps not quite as likely to see free agency thanks to his strong performance this season, Jones is not interested in testing the market again, preferring to stay in the Twin Cities and conclude an NFC North-only career.
“I hope to be here until the end of my career,” Jones said, via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. “Honestly, this is an excellent place.”
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst had said Jones was in the Packers’ 2024 plans, but that was contingent on the former fifth-round find taking a substantial pay cut. Jones balked and hit the market, landing in Minnesota soon after Green Bay’s Jacobs agreement. Jones had already accepted a Packers trim in 2023, playing a central role — via five straight 100-yard rushing games to close out last season — in the team journeying to the divisional round and pushing the eventual NFC champion 49ers once there. Jones is all set to play in another playoff game, perhaps after a first-round bye — which would be the Vikings’ first since 2017 — should the team upend the Lions on Sunday night.
The Vikings are projected to hold plenty of cap space come March, sitting on more than $76MM. That ranks sixth leaguewide. Though, if the Vikings truly entertain franchise-tagging Darnold, their roster math changes considerably. A quarterback tag would cost upwards of $40MM, and although the Vikes’ cap-space number will look different by the start of the new league year than it does now, that is a significant chunk of space that would disappear in the event Minnesota keeps its surging quarterback off the market.
Even post-30, Jones would presumably have suitors elsewhere as well. He has amassed 1,093 rushing yards (4.5 per carry) and added 378 through the air. With 22 receiving yards against Detroit, Jones will produce just the second 400-yard receiving season of his career. While he has also matched his career high in fumbles, with five, the former Packers regular also will draw interest on a market depleted by the recent extensions given to Chuba Hubbard, Rhamondre Stevenson and James Conner. Alvin Kamara also being off the board, thanks to a Saints re-up that ensured he will not be cut (which had loomed as a likely scenario on his previous deal), also stands to benefit Jones.
The Vikings have Ty Chandler signed for one more season, but the team has used Cam Akers — acquired via trade for the second straight season — over the homegrown back in recent weeks. Akers is unsigned beyond this season. It will be interesting to see if Jones receives an offer to stay or is allowed to test the market once again.