5 Key Stories: 2/15/26 – 2/22/26
With the countdown to free agency ongoing, teams will increasingly need to make a number of critical roster moves over the coming weeks. Several have already taken place, though. Here is a quick recap of the past week around the NFL:
- Dolphins Begin Cost Shedding: The Dolphins were among the teams set to approach the new league year in the worst shape financially. As such, several cost-cutting moves were due to be made by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Monday brought about several, with wideout Tyreek Hill and edge rusher Bradley Chubb among the players being released. Neither move came as much of a surprise, but they confirmed a major roster overhaul is being undertaken under Sullivan and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley. Hill’s NFL future has been the subject of speculation for several months, but like Chubb he intends to continue playing in 2026. Meanwhile, attention will now increasingly turn to the matter of how Miami proceeds with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
- Evans To Play 13th Season: Pending free agent Mike Evans is known to be nearing the end of his career. However, the Buccaneers icon will play in 2026. This past season was the first in which Evans was unable to reach 1,000 receiving yards, and the injuries which limited him to just eight games will no doubt hinder his market value. Nevertheless, the six-time Pro Bowler could be one of the top wideouts in the upcoming free agent class. A Tampa Bay departure seemed like a possibility the last time Evans was in this situation, and it will be interesting to see if he seriously explores other opportunities in March. At the age of 32, is next Bucs pact – if one is to be worked out – could very well be his last.
- Seahawks On The Market: As expected, the Seahawks will have new ownership in the relatively near future. The Super Bowl LX champions have begun the process of being sold, falling in line with estate requirements of the late Paul Allen. The sale of Allen’s other franchise – the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers – has already been worked out. That produced a price of roughly $4.2 billion, which is a far lower figure than what the Seahawks will fetch. A sale price easily eclipsing the $6.05 billion the Commanders were sold for in 2023 is expected, although no known suitors have emerged so far. That could change over the coming months.
- Williams Lands New Cowboys Deal: Signing with the Cowboys in 2025 allowed Javonte Williams to enjoy a standout season. Instead of testing the open market this time around, the veteran back agreed to a three-year, $24MM deal to remain in Dallas. Williams secured $16MM guaranteed, a healthy bump in pay compared to his first Cowboys pact. The former second-rounder signed for just one year and $3MM last spring, a deal which proved to be quite team-friendly. Williams, 25, set new career highs across the board with Dallas, thriving as part of the team’s high-end offense. He will be expected to do the same with the most lucrative contract of his career in hand.
- Moore Dies At 25: Saturday brought about the tragic news of Rondale Moore‘s passing. The 25-year-old was found dead in a garage of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in his hometown of New Albany, Indiana. Moore spent his first three NFL seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the Falcons. A major knee injury kept him sidelined for the entire 2024 season, leading the Purdue product to free agency for the first time in his career. A one-year Vikings contract was worked out, but during his first preseason action with Minnesota Moore once again suffered a season-ending knee injury. In all, he made 40 combined regular and postseason appearances in the NFL.
2026 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
We are now in Year 34 of the franchise tag, a retention tool that came about during the same offseason in which full-fledged free agency spawned. The NFL salary cap is rising at a rate allowing teams to hammer out more extensions than in previous periods. That has helped dilute free agency talent pools. This led to a 2025 landscape in which only two players — Tee Higgins and Trey Smith — received the franchise tag. The cap, which stood at $279.2MM in 2025, is expected to rise beyond $301MM this year.
This year’s free agent class looks to feature only one tag lock, but a handful of players make sense as candidates to be kept off the market. An antiquated NFL system regarding positional classifications also affects this year’s free agency crop, as a couple of high-end UFAs-to-be (Tyler Linderbaum, Devin Lloyd) would likely be kept off the market if the league modernized how it sorted positions with regards to tag prices.
Teams who use the franchise or transition tag have until July 15 to complete an extension; otherwise, negotiations cannot restart until after the 2026 season. The transition tag does not bring any compensation back for an unmatched offer sheet, but the two-first-rounder component associated with a franchise tag has not been especially relevant in ages. Although offer sheets have come out in previous eras (Sean Gilbert and Dan Wilkinson signed unmatched offers in the 1990s), clubs avoid these in fear of an unmatched proposal requiring two first-round picks to be sent to the tagging team.
The tag window opens at 3pm CT today. With clubs having until 3pm CT on March 3 to apply tags, here is who may be cuffed:
Likely tag recipients
George Pickens, WR (Cowboys)
Projected tag cost: $28.82MM
The Cowboys have regularly turned to the tag over the past decade. They cuffed DeMarcus Lawrence in 2018 and ’19 before locking down Dak Prescott in 2020 and ’21. The latter Prescott tag was procedural, as the quarterback used the threat of a lofty second tag number hitting Dallas’ cap sheet as leverage toward a player-friendly extension — one that laid the groundwork for his 2024 player-friendly extension. The Cowboys then kept Dalton Schultz (2022) and Tony Pollard (’23) off the market. After two years without unholstering their tag, the Cowboys appear all set to prevent Pickens from reaching free agency.
Acquiring Pickens in a May 2025 trade with the Steelers — which featured a 2026 third-round pick as the top asset going back to Pittsburgh –Dallas reaped immediate benefits from that swap. Pickens, 24, smashed his career-high receiving mark with 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. That booked the former second-round pick his first Pro Bowl honor; more impressively, Pickens was named a second-team All-Pro. The mercurial ex-Steeler WR1 was more than 300 receiving yards clear of CeeDee Lamb for the Cowboys’ receiving lead; even though Lamb missed three games, Pickens’ per-game average (84.1) better Lamb’s (76.9).
A tag surfaced on the radar here in mid-November, and momentum has steadily built for Pickens to follow in Dez Bryant‘s footsteps as a Cowboy wideout being kept off the market. It will take a near-Saints-level odyssey for the Cowboys to create sufficient cap space for a Pickens tag and reasonable spending room; they are projected to be more than $30MM (per OverTheCap) north of the 2026 salary ceiling, but enough smoke has emerged here — after Pickens fit the tag profile upon arrival — to make it safe to expect this outcome.
The Steelers shipped out Pickens in part because of reliability concerns, but the 6-foot-3 playmaker outperformed — with a considerable QB upgrade in Prescott — his previous work. With Lamb tied to a $34MM-per-year deal and Prescott on an NFL-record $60MM-AAV extension, the Cowboys are far from certain to extend Pickens. A tag-and-trade play has surfaced as a possibility, but with negotiations not having begun as of early February, expect the Cowboys to use the tag to at least buy themselves more time on their ultra-talented WR2.
On tag radar:
Breece Hall, RB (Jets)
Projected tag cost: $14.54MM
The Chiefs offered a fourth-round pick for Hall at the deadline, but the Jets held onto their starting running back after having asked for at least a third-rounder. Hall denied a report he was seeking a New York exit — after the blockbuster deals involving Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams — but he could have a chance to explore his value on the open market soon. The Jets, however, have spoken highly of the 1,000-yard rusher. The tag has surfaced as a possibility.
Hall, 24, is more than two years younger than Etienne. He will thus command more in free agency. The former second-round pick is also more than three years removed from the ACL tear that sidetracked his rookie season. The Jets waited on a Hall extension, keeping him on his rookie contract while giving Gardner and Garrett Wilson big-ticket deals, but Aaron Glenn has spoken highly of the Iowa State alum.
Gang Green wants to retain Hall. The easiest way for that to happen would be to extend his negotiating window via the tag. A $12MM-per-year offer could await the fifth-year player, making a tag logical. If the Jets were to place the transition tag on Hall, it would cost them a projected $11.73MM. They would receive no compensation in the event of an unmatched offer sheet, thus allowing another team to dictate the contract structure a la the Packers’ Kyle Fuller offer sheet in 2018.
The Jets saw Hall sidekick Braelon Allen miss much of the season, but the former Joe Douglas-era fourth-round pick remains signed through 2027. Allen gives the Jets some protection against a Hall exit, with a mid-round 2027 compensatory pick possible as well. But Hall is a dynamic RB that will be an attractive FA commodity if unattached come March 9. The Jets have a big decision to make over the next two weeks.
Trey Hendrickson, DE (Bengals)
Projected tag cost: $34.8MM
The defensive end tag is projected to come in at $27.32MM, but because Hendrickson was attached to a $29MM salary (following a late-summer raise), he is the rare tag candidate to whom the 120% rule would apply. As PFR’s glossary indicates, “the amount of the one-year offer is determined by a formula that includes the salary cap figures and the non-exclusive franchise salaries at the player’s position for the previous five years. Alternately, the amount of the one-year offer can be 120% of the player’s previous salary, if that amount is greater.” In Hendrickson’s case, it would be.
2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker
The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.
Updated 2-20-26 (8:40am CT)
Offensive Coordinators
Arizona Cardinals (Out: Drew Petzing)
- Nathaniel Hackett, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Hired
Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)
- Bryan McClendon, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator (Browns): Hired
- Drew Terrell, wide receivers coach (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/20
Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Mentioned as candidate
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Hired
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/12
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Scottie Montgomery, wide receivers coach (Lions): To interview
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)
- Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected
Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)
- Connor Senger, pass-game coordinator (Cardinals): Interview requested
- Press Taylor, pass-game coordinator (Bears): Promoted
- Troy Walters, wide receivers coach (Bengals): Declined interview
Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)
- Travis Switzer, run-game coordinator (Ravens): Hire expected
Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)
- Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed
- Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Promoted
Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)
- David Blough, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Mentioned as candidate; promoted to Washington OC
- Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/14
- Tee Martin, quarterbacks coach (Ravens): Interviewed
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/13
- Jake Peetz, pass-game coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed
- Drew Petzing, former offensive coordinator (Cardinals): Hired
- Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator (Falcons): Interviewed 1/15
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)
- Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired
Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Greg Olson)
- Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Hired
- Frisman Jackson, wide receivers coach (Seahawks): To interview
Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)
- Marcus Brady, pass-game coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/15
- Brian Callahan, former head coach (Titans): Interviewed 1/16
- Brian Daboll, former head coach (Giants): To interview
- Shane Day, quarterbacks coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/15
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Hired
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interviewed 1/19
- Drew Terrell, wide receivers coach (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/19
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Rumored candidate
Los Angeles Rams (Out: Mike LaFleur)
- Dave Ragone, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Title enhanced
- Nate Scheelhaase, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Promoted
Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interview requested
- Bobby Slowik, passing game coordinator (Dolphins): Promoted
New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)
- Brian Callahan, former head coach (Titans): Interview expected
- Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator (Colts): Interviewed 2/1
- Shane Day, quarterbacks coach (Chargers): To interview
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Hire expected
- Matt Nagy, former offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Hired
- Robert Prince, wide receivers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/23
- Willie Taggart, running backs coach (Ravens): Joining staff in different capacity
- Alex Tanney, pass-game coordinator (Colts): Interviewed 1/30
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
- Charlie Weis Jr., offensive coordinator (LSU): Mentioned as candidate
New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)
- Darrell Bevell, passing game coordinator (Dolphins): Conducted second interview 2/1
- Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed 1/28
- Jon Gruden, former head coach (Raiders): Declined Jets’ overtures
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Panthers): Hired
- Greg Roman, former offensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/28; considered finalist
- Lunda Wells, tight ends coach (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/28
Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)
- 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
Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)
- Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Hired
- Scott Tolzien, quarterbacks coach (Saints): Interviewed 2/2; withdrew from consideration
- Lunda Wells, tight ends coach (Cowboys): Interview expected
Seattle Seahawks (Out: Klint Kubiak)
- John Benton, offensive line coach (Seahawks): Rumored candidate
- Mack Brown, tight ends coach (Seahawks): Interviewed 2/13
- Brian Fleury, tight ends coach (49ers): Hired
- Hank Fraley, offensive line coach (Lions): Rumored candidate
- Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Interviewed 2/12
- Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Rumored candidate
- Justin Outten, run-game specialist (Seahawks): Interviewed 2/13
- Jake Peetz, pass-game coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 2/12
- Connor Senger, pass-game specialist (Cardinals): To interview
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)
- Brian Callahan, former head coach (Titans): To conduct second interview 1/22
- Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Interviewed
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/16
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed
- Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/21
- Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator (Falcons): Hired
- David Shaw, pass-game coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/10
- Israel Woolfork, quarterbacks coach (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/10
Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)
- Brian Daboll, former head coach (Giants): Hired
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/26
- Thad Lewis, former quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/26
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Bobby Slowik, senior pass-game coordinator (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interviewed
- Adam Stenavich, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/26
Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)
- David Blough, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Promoted
- Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
- Tee Martin, quarterbacks coach (Ravens): Interview scheduled
- David Raih, tight ends coach (Commanders): Interviewed
- Drew Terrell, pass-game coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/9
- Lunda Wells, tight ends coach (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/8
Defensive Coordinators
Arizona Cardinals
- Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Rumored candidate
- Charlie Bullen, outside linebackers coach (Giants): Interview requested; withdrew from search
- Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Mentioned as candidate
- Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 2/9
- Nick Rallis, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Retained
- Karl Scott, defensive backs coach (Seahawks): Interviewed
- Dino Vasso, defensive backs coach (Texans): Interview requested; withdrew from search
Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)
- Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Interview requested
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/30
- Anthony Weaver, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired
Cleveland Browns (Out: Jim Schwartz)
- Ephraim Banda, safeties coach (Browns): Interviewed 2/7
- Charlie Bullen, defensive pass-game coordinator (Giants): Interview requested; withdrew from search
- Jonathan Cooley, defensive pass-game coordinator (Panthers): Interview requested
- Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 2/9
- Mike Rutenberg, defensive pass-game coordinator (Falcons): Hired
- Jason Tarver, linebackers coach (Browns): Interviewed 2/7; finalist
- Cory Undlin, defensive pass-game coordinator (Texans): Held in-person interview 2/14; finalist
- Dino Vasso, defensive backs coach (Texans): Mentioned as candidate; withdrew from search
Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)
- Ephraim Banda, safeties coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/9
- Charlie Bullen, interim defensive coordinator (Giants): Interviewed 1/15
- DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Packers): Interviewed 1/16
- Jonathan Gannon, former head coach (Cardinals): To conduct second interview 1/20
- Daronte Jones, defensive backs coach (Vikings): Conducted second interview 1/17
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/10
- Zach Orr, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed
- Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Eagles): Hired
- Matt Patricia, defensive coordinator (Ohio State): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Ulbrich, defensive coordinator (Falcons): Interview blocked
- Aaron Whitecotton, defensive line coach (Cowboys): Interviewed
Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)
- Jonathan Gannon, former head coach (Cardinals): Hired
- Al Harris, defensive backs coach (Bears): Interviewed 1/21
- Daronte Jones, defensive backs coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/22
- Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Eagles): To interview
Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Patrick Graham)
- DeMarcus Covington, defensive run game coordinator (Packers): To interview
- Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Rumored candidate
- Jeff Howard, safeties coach (Seahawks): To interview 2/14
- Rob Leonard, run-game coordinator (Raiders): Promoted
- Zach Orr, former defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Aubrey Pleasant, defensive pass-game coordinator (Rams): To interview 2/13
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
- Karl Scott, defensive backs coach (Seahawks): Rumored candidate, to stay in Seattle
- Jason Tarver, linebackers coach (Browns): Rumored candidate
- Dino Vasso, defensive backs coach (Texans): Mentioned as candidate, withdrew from search
- Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Rumored candidate
Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)
- Steve Clinkscale, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Adam Fuller, safeties coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/28
- Chris O’Leary, defensive coordinator (Western Michigan): Hired
- Zach Orr, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/23
- Aubrey Pleasant, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
- Dylan Roney, outside linebackers coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Dennard Wilson, former defensive coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/23
Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)
- Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
- Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed
New England Patriots (Out: Terrell Williams)
- Shane Bowen, defensive coordinator (Giants): Mentioned as candidate
- Zak Kuhr, linebackers coach (Patriots): Clear frontrunner
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Mentioned as candidate
New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)
- Daronte Jones, defensive backs coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/22
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Dennard Wilson, former defensive coordinator (Titans): Hired
New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)
- Mathieu Araujo, cornerbacks coach (Dolphins): Interviewed
- Ephraim Banda, safeties coach (Browns): Interviewed
- DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Packers): Interviewed
- Brian Duker, pass-game coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
- Chris Harris, interim defensive coordinator (Jets): Interviewed 1/18
- Daronte Jones, defensive backs coach (Vikings): Interviewed
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed
- Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Conducted second interview 1/24
- Jim O’Neil, defensive assistant/safeties (Lions): Interviewed
Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Raiders): Hired
- Jason Simmons, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): To interview; hired for different role
San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)
- Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
- Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed
Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)
- Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Hired
- Aaron Whitecotton, defensive line coach (Cowboys): Interview requested; hired as DL coach
- Al Harris, defensive backs coach (Bears): Interviewed 1/24
- Mike Rutenberg, defensive pass-game coordinator (Falcons): Interview requested
- Dino Vasso, defensive backs coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/24
Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)
- Teryl Austin, defensive coordinator (Steelers): Interviewed
- Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/9
- Brian Flores, former defensive coordinator (Vikings): Interviewed 1/14
- Jonathan Gannon, former head coach (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/15
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interview requested
- Al Harris, defensive backs coach (Bears): Interviewed 1/22
- Daronte Jones, defensive pass-game coordinator (Vikings): Hired
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Mentioned as candidate
- Karl Scott, defensive backs coach (Seahawks): Interviewed
- Jeff Ulbrich, defensive coordinator (Falcons): Mentioned as candidate; staying with Falcons
- Dennard Wilson, former defensive coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/10
5 Key Stories: 2/8/26 – 2/15/26
Today marks the first Sunday of the NFL offseason. The coming months will see plenty of notable changes, though, and recent days have also produced a number of headlines. Here is a quick recap of the past week:
- Raiders Hire Kubiak, Promote Leonard: As Klint Kubiak oversaw Seattle’s offense during the Super Bowl, it was widely known he would be departing for a head coaching gig. Indeed, the one-year Seahawks offensive coordinator was officially hired as the new head coach of the Raiders shortly after the big game. Kubiak’s stock has risen in recent years, but the 38-year-old has never been a head coach at any level. He will play a leading role in leading Vegas’ rebuild, one which will no doubt soon include the selection of quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick of the draft. Kubiak has elected to promote from within by tapping Rob Leonard as defensive coordinator; meanwhile, veteran staffer Joe DeCamillis will serve as his special teams coordinator.
- Carr Contemplating Comeback: Last spring, Derek Carr ended his Saints tenure by announcing his retirement. His injured throwing shoulder left an in-season return unfeasible, but things could be different now. Carr’s shoulder has healed, and he is open to resuming his career under the right circumstances. The four-time Pro Bowler is, to no surprise, interested in joining a Super Bowl-caliber team and will thus be picky when considering his options. Carr, 34, is a veteran of 11 seasons and 169 starts in the NFL. During an offseason where demand will again outweigh supply at the QB spot, Carr could be seen as a viable free agent option for at least some suitors.
- Rams’ Havenstein Retires: Throughout his 11 years with the Rams, Rob Havenstein operated as the team’s starting right tackle. That streak will not continue into 2026, however, with the veteran announcing his retirement. Injuries were present through much of Havenstein’s NFL tenure (which included time in St. Louis and Los Angeles), and he was limited to just seven games in 2025. Instead of testing the open market this spring, the 33-year-old will turn his attention to his post-playing days. The Rams will need to find a replacement starter at the right tackle spot, and the team will of course hope for a sustained run of play at the level Havenstein provided.
- Taylor Promoted To Bears OC: The Bears saw Declan Doyle depart to join the Ravens as their new offensive coordinator as part of this year’s hiring cycle. That left Chicago in need of a new OC for head coach Ben Johnson‘s second season at the helm. Instead of going outside the organization, the Bears have promoted Press Taylor to the offensive coordinator role. Zac Taylor‘s brother has OC experience at the NFL level, having held that title for three seasons during his tenure in Jacksonville. Taylor will not call plays, as Johnson will retain those responsibilities for 2026. Nevertheless, he will occupy a key role as the Bears aim to duplicate their 2025 success.
- Seahawks Could Produce Record-Breaking Sale: The Seahawks continue to celebrate their Super Bowl victory, but this offseason could prove to be busy on a number of fronts. One of those could be a sale of the franchise, and that process is expected to begin shortly. Once Jody Allen has completed the process of lining up a buyer, a new record in terms of valuation is expected. The Seahawks could generate a price tag between $9 and $11 billion, something which would shatter the record regarding the sale of a North American sports franchise. The Commanders sold for just over $6 billion in 2023, but the ongoing surge in values for NFL teams could easily see that figure eclipsed. The league is looking to get the sales process underway shortly, and next month’s league meetings could see further developments emerge.
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Final 2026 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LX in the books, the full 2026 NFL draft order has been set. Free agency is not far away, but attention will increasingly turn to April’s event as the offseason progresses.
The top of the first-round order is not subject to much in the way of speculation. The Raiders own the No. 1 selection and are widely seen as the landing spot for Fernando Mendoza, the lone quarterback regarded as a first-round lock at this point. How other QB-needy teams positioned throughout the order operate over the coming weeks – knowing there is a lack of high-end prospects this year – will make for an interesting storyline around the league.
This year’s NFL Combine will begin on February 23. Events such as the Senior Bowl have already taken place, leaving the Combine as the next major checkpoint in the evaluation of top prospects. Teams will begin arranging ‘Top 30’ visits with several players of interest relatively soon during the build-up to the draft. This year’s event will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
Pending the inevitable trades which will shake up the order, here is a final look at how things stand leading up to Day 1:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
Seahawks’ Defense Dominates In Super Bowl LX Win Over Patriots
Two years ago, the Seahawks took a risk in hiring a 36-year-old Mike Macdonald who only had two years of experience as a coordinator at the NFL level. As they celebrate in confetti, joyous off a 29-13 win fueled by Macdonald’s defense, the toughest defense to score against in 2025, it’s clear the risk was well worth the reward. 
While the defense held the spotlight for most of the biggest game of the year, there are plenty of other factors to point to when determining how Seattle got to this place in 2025. Starting with the defense, though, Macdonald inherited a group that allowed the eighth-most points and the third-most yards in 2023. In his first year at the helm, that unit improved greatly to the league’s 11th-best scoring defense and the 14th-best total defense. They finished 2025 having allowed the fewest points and the sixth-fewest yards in the NFL.
The team’s defensive personnel looks extremely different than it did two years ago. With Bobby Wagner, Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks, Dre’Mont Jones, and Michael Jackson all departed, the Seahawks made an effort to get younger on defense, building around promising, young players like Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love with defenders who fit Macdonald’s system. By trading for Ernest Jones, drafting players like Byron Murphy and Nick Emmanwori, keeping Leonard Williams in free agency, and bringing in free agents DeMarcus Lawrence, Josh Jobe, and Jarran Reed, Seattle gave one of the league’s best defensive minds a completely retooled defense that dominated throughout their Super Bowl-winning campaign.
Macdonald didn’t just make significant changes to the defense, though. He also realized that turning around an offense that finished 21st in yards and 17th in points scored in 2023 was going to be a priority. While the unit improved in 2024, there was a determination that what was in place was not good enough. The team fired rookie NFL offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, traded resurgent veteran quarterback Geno Smith, traded away unhappy wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, and released ten-year mainstay Tyler Lockett.
Credit can go to general manager John Schneider and his front office staff for this year’s offense, built around young draft picks like running back (and Super Bowl LX MVP) Kenneth Walker III, Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zach Charbonnet, AJ Barner, and all five starting offensive linemen who were drafted in the last four years — aside from center Jalen Sundell who signed last year as an undrafted free agent.
The necessary supplement to Schneider’s strong draft success to make this unit the third-best scoring offense with the eighth-most yards gained was just the right free agent additions. A new resurgent quarterback, Sam Darnold, and a savvy No. 2 receiver in Cooper Kupp proved to be the perfect fit.
As the Seahawks look to run it all back in 2026, there will be some contract situations to address. Walker, Jobe, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen, and midseason trade acquisition Rashid Shaheed are all set to become unrestricted free agents in March, while starting linebacker Drake Thomas is set to become a restricted free agent.
Luckily, Seattle is in an excellent position when considering cap space for 2026. With their biggest cap hits coming from Darnold ($36.9MM), Williams ($29.64MM), Uchenna Nwosu ($20.77MM), and Kupp ($17.5MM), the Seahawks are sitting pretty with approximately $73.28MM of cap space, per OvertheCap.com, good for the sixth-highest amount in the NFL. And while they only have four draft picks for this coming April, they hold all three of their Day 1 & 2 picks. The team’s biggest challenge will be replacing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who will now depart to become the next head coach of the Raiders.
After falling short in the toughest game they played this year, the Patriots will turn focus now on how to return to this spot and make sure this sort of offensive performance never happens again. New England rode the league’s No. 2 scoring offense and No. 3 total offense to the Super Bowl then struggled offensively throughout the playoffs. While their defense held AFC opponents in check, in great part due to forcing eight turnovers throughout the postseason, MVP runner up Drake Maye didn’t throw for over 235 yards until tonight, and the offense gave up eight turnovers of its own. And while the running game had buoyed the offense during the run to Super Bowl, Seattle’s defense held them to only 79 yards on the ground tonight. 
The Patriots are also in a decent position to run it all back, though, in 2026. There are a few strong contributors like Jaylinn Hawkins, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Jack Gibbens set to test free agency, but New England holds the 11th-most cap space in the NFL at $42.74MM, per OvertheCap.com. They can even expand on that number by addressing the contracts of a few veterans, who could end up as cap casualties like Stefon Diggs or Morgan Moses. If tonight showed them any glaring issues, they can make a strong attempt to address it with that excessive cap space or one of their 11 draft picks.
Tonight’s game wrapped up another fine NFL season and set us up for what is sure to be an exciting offseason as we now careen toward free agency and the draft. All those whose teams were eliminated far before tonight can renew their championship hopes with visions of tomorrow, and all 10 newly hired head coaches can start sweating as they realize the example that’s been set before them by Mike Vrabel taking a 4-13 squad to 14-3 and a Super Bowl berth in his first year and Macdonald winning a Super Bowl in Year 2. Congratulations to the Seahawks and the 12s (formerly known as the much cooler “12th man”)! Good luck to the rest in 2026!
Poll: Who Will Win Super Bowl LX?
Eleven years after the Malcolm Butler interception, the Patriots and Seahawks will reconvene to decide an NFL champion. Super Bowl LX is the Patriots’ 12th Super Bowl appearance and the Seahawks’ fourth, but none of the players who played in Super Bowl XLIX are involved here. A small percentage of these rosters carry Super Bowl experience, but for the most part, retooled teams will vie for this year’s title.
The Patriots have completed one of the great turnarounds in NFL history, moving from 4-13 in back-to-back seasons to a 14-3 record en route to the AFC’s No. 2 seed. Drake Maye trailed Matthew Stafford by one first-place vote in the MVP race, as the QBs contested the closest vote since 2003. The Patriots added some veterans around their QB’s rookie contract, as the Seahawks did 11 years ago around Russell Wilson‘s, but their coaching moves became the most significant alterations.
Mike Vrabel is set to coach in his first Super Bowl after playing in four with the Pats from 2001-07. The former linebacker/goal-line pass catcher joined Ben Johnson as the top HC candidates available last year, and while interest from other teams emerged, Vrabel committed to a New England return quickly. Robert Kraft made a mistake in not conducting a coaching search in 2024, committing years before to promote Jerod Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick, and the owner acknowledged that miss by firing him after one season. Vrabel has played the lead role in restoring the Pats to a Super Bowl team.
Vrabel’s decision to bring back Josh McDaniels for a third Patriots OC stint has made a considerable difference as well. Fired in-season by two AFC West teams, McDaniels is unlikely to earn a third HC opportunity. No interviews came this year, despite Maye’s ascent to the MVP precipice. McDaniels topping out on the OC tier would be a boon for the Patriots, as they could ensure Maye play-calling continuity with a defensive head coach. That is rather rare in the modern NFL.
McDaniels, 49, could provide a tremendous advantage for the underdog Pats on Sunday night. The veteran staffer is set for his sixth Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator. This ties Steve Spagnuolo — McDaniels’ former Rams boss — for the most Super Bowls by a coordinator. But McDaniels was with the Patriots for their Super Bowl XLVI appearance, rejoining the team under OC Bill O’Brien after his Rams one-and-done, and he was on Belichick’s staff for the Pats’ first three Tom Brady-era Super Bowls.
The Pats do not have any players left from their Brady-years Super Bowl berths, having bid farewell to Jonathan Jones, David Andrews, Deatrich Wise and Joe Cardona this past offseason. But the Vrabel-McDaniels pairing stands to help in a game where the AFC champion looks to have the inferior roster.
New England used its cap space to add ex-Vrabel Titans edge rusher Harold Landry and win the Milton Williams sweepstakes. No 2025 FA (Sam Darnold included) received a bigger at-signing guarantee than Williams’ $51MM. The Pats also signed O-line starters Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury. With Maye and Christian Gonzalez on rookie deals, the Pats gave Carlton Davis a three-year, $48MM accord.
Seeing Chris Godwin reject a strong offer, the Patriots inked Stefon Diggs, who has led a third team in receiving during an 11-year career. The team’s K’Lavon Chaisson flier (one year, $3MM) has paid dividends as well, with the former Jaguars first-round bust upping his free agency stock with a 7.5-sack season. The team’s 2025 draft class yielded four starters — left tackle Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson and safety Craig Woodson, kicker Andres Borregales — and oft-used RB2 TreVeyon Henderson. Campbell, Henderson and Wilson helped the Maye-led offense rank first in EPA per play.
It is certainly worthwhile to mention the Patriots’ favorable schedule to reach this point. New England’s docket included just one victory over a team with a winning record (an October victory in Buffalo), and its playoff slate brought unimpressive offensive work. That postseason schedule featured a Texans team missing Nico Collins (and then second-leading receiver Dalton Schultz), and the Broncos losing Bo Nix late in their divisional-round win may well have altered the Super Bowl matchup, as the Pats limped to a 10-7 win over a Jarrett Stidham-quarterbacked team.
New England will face a more formidable opponent in Seattle. The Seahawks went 14-3 and led the NFL in DVOA; the Patriots ranked ninth. Seattle’s defense ranked first in scoring and second in EPA per play.
Mike Macdonald‘s team beat six regular-season opponents with winning records. While the Seahawks feasted on an injury-battered 49ers team in Round 2, the NFC’s No. 1 seed left no doubt with a 41-6 dismantling. The Seahawks then outdueled MVP Matthew Stafford in a thrilling Rams rubber match; DVOA slotted Los Angeles second this season.
The Seahawks did well to bail on Geno Smith extension talks when they did, foisting another declining quarterback on an AFC West team. John Schneider‘s previous such move — the 2022 Russell Wilson blockbuster — armed the Seahawks with an eight-asset package that helped set up this Super Bowl team. The Broncos ended up trading two top-10 picks, which became left tackle Charles Cross and Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Schneider, who became the Seahawks’ lead decision-maker via Pete Carroll‘s 2024 firing, has moved toward a Hall of Fame-caliber resume thanks to these two trades and guiding a team back to a Super Bowl berth with a fresh nucleus.
Seattle’s Klint Kubiak OC hire helped the team lure Darnold to town, and the team did well to sign the 2024 Vikings Pro Bowler to a three-year, $100.5MM deal. Darnold only received $37.5MM guaranteed at signing; another $17.5MM is due days after the Super Bowl. Given Darnold’s performance, it is safe to assume he will remain on the roster when that guarantee vests next week.
While the Seahawks only boasted one receiver with more than 600 yards, Jaxon Smith-Njigba‘s 1,793 led the NFL and earned him Offensive Player of the Year acclaim. Schneider also made a savvy deadline addition with Rashid Shaheed, acquiring the contract-year deep threat/return man from the Saints for fourth- and fifth-round picks. Shaheed has returned a kickoff and a punt for a score while providing Seattle with a solid auxiliary receiving option alongside Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
Macdonald’s defensive expertise has illuminated the value defense-oriented HCs can bring — amid annual quests for offense-oriented leaders — and additions DeMarcus Lawrence and Nick Emmanwori have made impacts. Emmanwori joins guard Grey Zabel as pivotal 2025 draft choices for the NFC champs, who also have benefited from re-signing Leonard Williams (2024) and Ernest Jones (2025) after trades. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues with Shaheed.
The Seahawks are currently 4.5-point favorites over the Patriots. Will Seattle win championship No. 2 and avenge the Butler sequence, or will New England break a tie with Pittsburgh to claim its seventh Super Bowl crown? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the matchup in the comments section.
Who will win Super Bowl LX?
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
2026 Hall Of Fame Class Unveiled
As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been revealed. Here is the full breakdown of the five-member class:
Drew Brees, quarterback (2001-20)
Chosen by the Chargers in the second round after they had traded down (via the Falcons) from No. 1 overall, Drew Brees joined LaDainian Tomlinson in what is now a two-Hall of Famer 2001 Bolts draft class. It took a while longer for Brees to join the superstar running back on that Canton path, but he found it in New Orleans. Brees did begin to turn his career around by 2004, when he guided the Chargers to their first playoff berth in eight years and made the Pro Bowl (no small feat with prime Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the AFC at the time) in 2004. A John Lynch sack in a Broncos-Chargers Week 17 game in 2005, however, changed multiple franchises’ fortunes.
The Chargers gave the reins to 2004 first-rounder Philip Rivers, leading Brees to free agency. A Dolphins-Saints duel developed. Dolphins doctors not expressing confidence in Brees’ shoulder led the then-Nick Saban-coached team to bow out, and the Saints gave Brees a five-year, $60MM deal with $20MM guaranteed. He outplayed that contract and the rest of the deals he signed.
Brees lasted 15 years as the Saints’ starter. The franchise entered the Brees era with one playoff win in 39 years; the Saints now have 10 postseason victories, with the QB’s retirement marking a clear line of demarcation for the NFC South franchise.
Brees joined first-year HC Sean Payton upon signing with the Saints and guided them to the 2006 NFC championship game. That season followed a 3-13 campaign overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina. While the Saints lost to the Bears in the NFC title game, Brees earned his first and only first-team All-Pro honor. One of the best players never to win an MVP award — Tomlinson claimed the 2006 prize after scoring an NFL-record 31 touchdowns — Brees still lapped the QB field in other areas. The 13-time Pro Bowler has five 5,000-yard passing seasons. No one else has more than two.
Brees broke Dan Marino‘s single-season passing yardage record in 2008 and topped that total in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Brees broke his own single-season yardage record with 5,476 in 2011. That Saints team, which featured Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston as Brees’ top pass catchers, still holds the single-season yardage record (7,474) despite the NFL moving to a 17-game season in 2021. While Manning broke Brees’ yardage record in 2013, the New Orleans staple took down the ex-Colts and Broncos icon’s career marks later in the 2010s.
The Saints won their only Super Bowl thanks largely to Brees’ contributions. They started 13-0 in 2009 and earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Two fourth-quarter Tracy Porter interceptions helped the Saints hold off the Vikings and Colts. Brees earned Super Bowl XLIV MVP honors in the team’s 31-17 victory, completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately for Brees, a string of brutal playoff losses followed that coronation.
On the wrong side of Beastquake, a shootout loss to the 49ers the following year, the Minneapolis Miracle, and an infamous uncalled pass interference sequence that prompted the NFL try replay review for the play burned the Saints. But Brees extended his prime into his late 30s and set multiple career records.
Still holding the single-season completion percentage record (74.4% in 2018), Brees set the career touchdown pass standard with No. 540 in 2019. He had broken Manning’s career yardage record early in the 2018 season. Brady eventually caught Brees in both categories, but it took the Patriots and Buccaneers legend more time to do so.
While Rivers came out of retirement to delay his Hall of Fame case by five years, Brees’ San Diego successor was not certain to be enshrined in this class. Brees has been a first-ballot lock for a long time, playing through his age-41 season. Brees signed five Saints contracts, including a five-year, $100MM extension in 2012 and a pair of two-year, $50MM pacts (2018, 2020). His 2012 offseason helped set a precedent for franchise-tagged players, with an arbitrator ruling the Saints tagging him that year counted as his second tag (as the Chargers had tagged him in 2005). This helped protect players who changed teams, as the two-tag rule applied to a career rather than just one team.
Roger Craig, running back (1983-93)
As Bill Walsh‘s West Coast Offense was gaining steam, a former Nebraska cog became a pivotal chess piece in the Hall of Fame coach’s fifth San Francisco season. With the 49ers from 1983-90, Roger Craig shined as a dual-threat running back. Playing some fullback early in his career, Craig transitioned to the lead RB in Joe Montana‘s offense. The senior candidate became the first player to post a 1,000-1,000 season, doing so in 1985. Craig rushed for 1,050 rushing yards and accumulated 1,016 receiving yards that season. He led the NFL in receptions that year and finished with 15 touchdowns.
The 49ers drafted Craig in the 1983 second round. The team had acquired Wendell Tyler from the Rams that offseason, but both backs totaled 176 carries in ’83. Tyler led the 49ers in rushing in 1984, but Craig punctuated that season with a three-touchdown Super Bowl XIX effort. Craig totaled 135 scrimmage yards in the 49ers’ rout of the Dolphins, one that cemented San Francisco’s ’84 iteration — an 18-1 team — as being among the greatest squads in NFL history. Craig commandeered lead RB duties in 1985 and held them for the rest of the decade.
Craig earned All-Decade acclaim for his 49ers contributions. Famous for a high-knee running style, Craig produced three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and four 500-plus-yard receiving slates. He rushed for a career-high 1,502 yards — 46 of those on this gem in Anaheim — in 1988, helping the 49ers as they held extended QB battle between Montana and Steve Young. Craig then assisted Montana to MVP honors in 1989 with his third 1,000-yard year.
While Craig finished his career with stints on the Raiders (1991) and Vikings (1992-93), he is best remembered as a 49er. He finished his career with 13,100 scrimmage yards and 73 TDs. Craig joins Montana, Young, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Fred Dean and Charles Haley as Walsh-era 49ers enshrined in Canton.
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver (2004-20)
The Cardinals had already found a wide receiver gem in 2003, selecting Offensive Rookie of the Year Anquan Boldin in the second round. That came after the team chose Bryant Johnson in the 2003 first round. But Arizona did well to take the best player available a year later, nabbing Larry Fitzgerald third overall. Drafted at just 20, Fitzgerald played his entire career with the Cardinals. Like Brees, this involved a few short-term contracts. It also featured a then-record-setting wide receiver pact (seven years, $113MM) in 2011.
Fitzgerald is almost certainly the best player in the Cardinals’ 100-plus-year history. The surehanded pass catcher earned 11 Pro Bowl honors and landed on the 2010s’ All-Decade team. The three-time All-Pro did not have some of the advantages at quarterback many of his Hall of Fame peers did. The Cardinals struggled to find a reliable arm between the Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer tenures, and they missed on Josh Rosen in 2018. But Fitzgerald earned one his All-Pro honors between the Warner and Palmer years. The Palmer-Bruce Arians stretch revitalized the veteran receiver, but his career peak occurred with Warner and Ken Whisenhunt.
Although Cooper Kupp made a strong argument for best wide receiver postseason, Fitzgerald’s totals still reign supreme. The 6-foot-3 wideout’s 546 receiving yards during the 2008 playoffs lead the field by a healthy margin (Kupp’s 478 in 2021 ranks second).
Helping a 9-7 Cardinals team — one that ranked outside the top 20 in DVOA — to Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald posted four 100-yard receiving games and caught a single-playoff-record seven touchdown passes. This included three in an Arizona NFC championship win over Philadelphia and two against a menacing Pittsburgh defense. Fitzgerald’s second Super Bowl TD — a 64-yard catch-and-run — gave the Cardinals a lead late in the fourth quarter. Their defense could not hold it, and Fitz did not advance to another Super Bowl.
The Cards did reach another NFC championship game, motoring to the 2015 third round after a franchise-record 13 wins. After three straight sub-1,000-yard seasons, Fitzgerald resurfaced with 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. Playing more of a slot role under Arians, Fitzgerald made a considerable difference in the Cardinals’ divisional-round win over the Packers. After two miraculous Aaron Rodgers-to-Jeff Janis heaves forced overtime, Fitz denied the Pack a possession with a 75-yard sprint and a 5-yard shovel-pass TD.
Fitzgerald retired in second place in career receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492). Fitz is more than 100 catches north of third place all time (Tony Gonzalez) and he sits more than 1,500 yards ahead of third place on that list (Terrell Owens). A model teammate and among the most dependable players in NFL history, Fitzgerald is among a handful of wide receivers enshrined on the first ballot.
Luke Kuechly, linebacker (2012-19)
Joining Cam Newton in driving the Panthers to their highest peak, Luke Kuechly is the most decorated player in team history. The star middle linebacker finished his career with seven straight All-Pro accolades. Five of those were first-team honors, elevating Kuechly to a high place among off-ball linebackers of any era.
The Panthers chose Kuechly ninth overall out of Boston College in 2012. Despite the lofty investment in a non-rush ‘backer, Kuechly immediately rewarded the Panthers and distinguished himself as an all-around player. Viewed as a top-notch coverage LB, Kuechly led the NFL in tackles during his rookie season – en route to a Defensive Rookie of the Year runaway – and in 2014. In between, Kuechly interrupted J.J. Watt’s Defensive Player of the Year reign, claiming that honor by making 156 tackles (10 for loss) to go with four interceptions. The Panthers claimed the NFC’s No. 2 seed that season.
Although Newton’s outlier MVP season powered the Panthers to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl 50 in 2015, Kuechly gave that No. 1-ranked offense backing by leading a Sean McDermott’s defense to a sixth-place finish.
Given a then-top-market extension (five years, $61.79MM) during the 2015 offseason, Kuechly followed it up with a four-INT season that included a Derrick Brooks-like TD rate. Kuechly notched two pick-sixes during the regular season and added two more in the playoffs, taking INTs back for scores in wins over the Seahawks and Cardinals. He later sacked Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50.
Concussion trouble prompted Kuechly to end his career early. He suffered three from 2015-17, with a 2016 head injury keying a shutdown. While Kuechly did not sustain any documented concussions during his final two seasons, he retired shortly after the ’19 season – at just 28. Kuechly was on pace to be one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, and he maximized his truncated run in the NFL. Becoming one of the highest-profile athletes in any sport to cite concussions in retiring early, Kuechly joins only former Lions great Joe Schmidt as the only off-ball LBs to earn five first-team All-Pro honors by 28.
Adam Vinatieri, kicker (1996-2019)
The NFL’s all-time leading scorer, Adam Vinatieri made three of the most important field goals in league history. The 1996 Patriots UDFA played until age 47, being one of just four players – joining kickers Morten Andersen and Gary Anderson and QB/kicker George Blanda – in playing into his late 40s. Passing Andersen late during his Indianapolis stay, Vinatieri’s 2,673 points more than 700 clear of the closest active player’s total.
While Vinatieri made two Super Bowl walk-off shots to launch the Patriots’ dynasty, his most impressive make came two weeks before Super Bowl XXXVI. The South Dakota State alum drilled a 45-yarder in the final minute during a snowy divisional-round game against the Raiders. Better known for the infamous Tuck Rule decision, that game also featured a Vinatieri game-winner after his previous make forced overtime.
Vinatieri stayed with the Patriots for 10 seasons and made a key difference in the AFC’s defining rivalry of that period. After Mike Vanderjagt shanked a game-tying try to leave the Colts eliminated as the No. 1 seed in Round 2 of the 2005 playoffs, they let their longtime kicker walk in free agency and gave Vinatieri – franchise-tagged by the Patriots in 2005 – a five-year, $12MM deal. Vinatieri signed five more Colts contracts, doing so after helping the team beat the Patriots in the 2006 AFC championship game and then defeat the Bears in the rain in Super Bowl XLI.
The four-time Super Bowl winner earned three first-team All-Pro nods, the last of those coming at age 42 in 2014, and while his 83.8% connect rate sits just 39th among qualified options, kickers continue to become more accurate. No one who entered the NFL before Vinatieri ranks above him on the all-time accuracy list. The 24-year vet joins Blanda, Andersen, Lou Groza and Jan Stenerud as Hall of Fame kickers.
Here are the players, coaches and contributors among this year’s finalists contingent that were not enshrined:
- Ken Anderson, QB
- Willie Anderson, T
- Bill Belichick, coach
- Jahri Evans, G
- Frank Gore, RB
- L.C. Greenwood, DE
- Torry Holt, WR
- Robert Kraft, owner
- Eli Manning, QB
- Terrell Suggs, EDGE
- Reggie Wayne, WR
- Kevin Williams, DT
- Jason Witten, TE
- Darren Woodson, S
- Marshal Yanda, OL
Belichick will likely be enshrined in 2027, but his omission this year proved shocking. Spygate and a voting system that lumps coaches and contributors with senior candidates is believed to be behind Belichick missing out. This could lead to a change in how the Hall of Fame inducts coaches. The North Carolina HC, he of eight Super Bowl wins (two as Giants DC), did not come up for a coaching job this offseason.
Eli Manning missed out for a second year. With the induction process altered to raise the bar for Hall induction, the postseason Giants hero continues to see his spottier regular-season work keep him out of Canton. The wide receiver logjam has gripped Holt and Wayne for a bit as well. Holt has been on the ballot for over a decade, with Wayne nearing that point.
Witten, who delayed his Hall of Fame clock by two years upon unretiring in 2019, sits fourth all time in career catches but was denied first-ballot enshrinement. A semifinalist this year, Rivers stalled his clock by five after his shocking return to the Colts. Gore sits third on the all-time rushing list, but he was only a one-time All-Pro. Still, Gore’s nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons will surely generate induction down the road.
Suggs, Yanda and Willie Anderson were among the final seven candidates considered for the Hall this year, according to Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. Since tackles for loss became an official stat in 1999, Suggs is the leader with 202. The former Defensive Player of the Year will need to wait a bit longer before joining ex-Ravens teammates Ed Reed and Ray Lewis in Canton.
Ditto Yanda, an 2010s All-Decade guard who joined Reed, Lewis and Suggs on Baltimore’s Super Bowl XLVII-winning 2012 team. Willie Anderson was one of the game’s best tackles during a banner era for the position, dominating at right tackle for the Bengals and Ravens. By making the final seven, Suggs, Yanda and Willie Anderson will be automatic 2027 finalists, Gantt adds.








