Philadelphia Eagles News & Rumors

Panthers Request OC Interview With Eagles’ Marcus Brady

January 26th, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ely Allen

It was already thought to be the case as he interviews for other head coaching and offensive coordinator positions, but it seems Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is officially not expected to return to Carolina in his previous role. There’s a chance that Brown is a candidate and wins over new head coach Dave Canales, but for now, the team will move on with interviewing new candidates, starting with a request to interview Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Since the focus in Carolina has been bringing in a new head coach, Brady is actually the team’s first offensive coordinator interview since their season ended. In 2023, former head coach Frank Reich called plays for most of the season for the Panthers offense, ceding play calling duties for a short time to Brown before eventually losing his job. Now, with the offensive-minded Canales in the house, a changing of the guard is expected in Carolina.

Brady’s name picked up traction in the Canadian Football League. Shortly after his seven-year playing career ended as a CFL quarterback, Brady jumped to the coaching side of football, accepting a wide receivers coaching job with the team he ended his playing career with, the Montreal Alouettes. Eventually, Brady would get a promotion to become Montreal’s offensive coordinator, leaving a year later to accept the same position with the Toronto Argonauts.

After six years of calling plays in the CFL, Brady finally made the jump to the NFL in 2018 when he accepted the assistant quarterbacks coaching job under Reich in Indianapolis. A year later, Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach and became the heir apparent behind then-offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. When Sirianni departed to coach the Eagles, Brady was, naturally, promoted to fill his shoes in 2021. Halfway through the 2022 season, though, Brady was fired by a 3-4-1, turnover-prone Colts team. Brady called up his old buddy Sirianni in Philadelphia and was hired as an offensive consultant for the Eagles three weeks later, before getting promoted to his current position in 2023.

Brady’s name has been thrown around a couple different times in the past two years for offensive coordinator jobs. Last year saw Brady interview for the Rams and Jets open coordinator jobs. So far this year, he was requested to interview for the open offensive coordinator job in Chicago before it was awarded to Shane Waldron from Seattle.

With the job in Carolina now openly being advertised, Brady enters as the Panthers’ first potential candidate to serve as offensive coordinator under Canales. Canales is expected to call plays for the Panthers offensive after having done so in Tampa Bay last year, so it will be interesting to see exactly what the team is looking for in a new offensive coordinator under the first-time head coach. Brady is our first clue to figuring that out.

Coaching Notes: Eagles, Canales, Bucs, Falcons, Fins, Fangio, Colts, Raiders, Jags

January 26th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Caldwell will not land the Eagles‘ DC position. Vic Fangio becoming available is expected to give the Eagles the candidate they wanted last year. Recently fired from his Jaguars DC post, Caldwell will still have a chance to end up in Philly. The Eagles are interviewing him for their linebackers coach position, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Caldwell has a history with the Eagles as a player and coach. The longest stretch of Caldwell’s 11-year playing career came in Philly, transpiring from 1998-2001. Caldwell, 52, worked as a part-time starter for Ray Rhodes and Andy Reid‘s teams and joined Reid’s staff in 2008. On Reid’s final five Eagles staffs, Caldwell collected a Super Bowl ring as linebackers coach for the 2020 Buccaneers. The Raiders, however, have also shown interest.

With the coaching carousel spinning wildly, here is the latest:

The Falcons are the third team wanting to speak with Aden Durde about a DC post, joining the Packers and Rams. Raheem Morris wants to meet with the Cowboys’ defensive line coach, ESPN’s Todd Archer tweets. Durde, 44, has become quite popular. These are believed to be his first slips about a DC interview. Durde and Morris coached together in Atlanta from 2018-20; the former moved up from the quality control level — to outside linebackers coach — during Morris’ season as the Falcons’ interim HC. He has been in Dallas since.
Shifting back to Fangio, it seems there is little love lost between the veteran staffer and some Dolphins defenders he coached this season, agent Drew Rosenhaus said. Rosenahus mentions some Dolphins stood in Fangio’s corner but many did not. Fangio has been known to ruffle feathers but has been one of the most in-demand defensive coaches during the 21st century. The Dolphins had given him a deal worth more than $4.5MM per year. While his exit is being framed as the team letting the 65-year-old assistant return to his home state, unpopularity among players likely made that an easier decision.
The Buccaneers will not receive two third-round picks as a result of Dave Canales receiving a head coaching job, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. Although Canales is Latino, the Bucs will not pick up the Rooney Rule-driven draft haul due to the the coach’s one-year tenure, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Canales is believed to have needed to be with the Bucs for at least two years to receive the third-round selections from the NFL.
Matt House is returning to the NFL. The Jaguars are hiring the LSU defensive coordinator to be their linebackers coach, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. House, the Chiefs’ LBs coach from 2019-21, spent the past two seasons in Baton Rouge. He has served as a DC at four programs, including Kentucky. House will join Kris Richard and Cory Robinson as Ryan Nielsen Jacksonville hires thus far.
Spending the past three seasons as a Jets assistant, Ricky Manning Jr. will join the Raiders. The Silver and Black are hiring Manning as their new defensive backs coach. The former NFL DB spent time on the Raiders’ practice squad in 2009; his most notable coaching title has been assistant DBs coach in Seattle under Richard from 2016-17.
The Colts are not retaining two of their defensive staffers. They are letting the contracts of defensive line coach Nate Ollie and assistant DBs coach Mike Mitchell expire, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, who adds neither staffer is expected back. Ollie, 32, joined Gus Bradley’s staff in 2022 despite having no history with the veteran coordinator. His firing comes after the Colts saw notable development from defensive ends Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo. The two 2021 draftees combined for 16.5 sacks this season, and the Colts had four players with at least eight. This marked Mitchell’s first coaching gig; he had finished his 10-year career as a safety with the Colts.

Bears To Interview Joe Barry For DC Role; Team Hires Kerry Joseph As QBs Coach

January 26th, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears have already filled one of their coordinator vacancies by tapping Shane Waldron for the OC position. The team still needs a defensive coordinator, however, and Chicago will look at a familiar option in its ongoing search.

The Bears are set to interview Joe Barry for their DC position tomorrow, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports. Barry’s three-year run in charge of the Packers’ defense came to an end on Wednesday, in a move which many had been calling for. Green Bay struggled to live up to expectations on defense during Barry’s time there, and his future had been a matter of speculation well before his dismissal. Slater adds that Barry will also speak with the Eagles about their LBs coach vacancy today.

The 53-year-old is no stranger to the NFC North, however, with his first coordinator gig having taken place with the Lions from 2007-08. Since then, Barry has held a number of positions, including linebackers coach with the Chargers. During that time, he worked alongside Nick Sirianni, who will remain in place as head coach of the Eagles for at least the 2024 campaign.

Barry has also served as a defensive coordinator in Washington, and his Green Bay tenure was preceded by an assistant head coach title with the Rams. He thus has signficant experience in a number of systems, though his stock has no doubt taken a hit after an underwhelming period with the Packers. He marks the fourth candidate to arrange an interview with the Bears for their DC position, as the team looks to build off its late-season success on that side of the ball from 2023.

Additionally, Chicago has found its next QBs coach. The Bears are hiring Kerry Joseph for that role, per Slater’s colleague Tom Pelissero. Joseph played safety for the Seahawks before enjoying a successful CFL career as a quarterback, winning a Grey Cup and earning Most Outstanding Player honors in 2007. His pro coaching career began as an assistant in Seattle, and he took on the role of assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022. He is thus a familiar staffer to pair with Waldron as Chicago prepares to continue working with Justin Fields under center or a replacement added in this year’s draft.

While Joseph will join Waldron in making the move from Seattle to Chicago, at least one Seahawks staffer will not do the same. Passing game coordinator Sanjay Lal interviewed with the Bears recently, but he has now withdrawn his name from consideration on Matt Eberflus‘ staff, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Lal will explore other opportunities as teams continue to make alterations to their coaching lineups.

Browns, Eagles Request OC Interviews With Chargers’ Kellen Moore

January 25th, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Jim Harbaugh now in place as head coach of the Chargers, the team’s coordinator positions could soon be subject to changes. OC Kellen Moore faces an uncertain future, but he is drawing outside interest.

Both the Browns and Eagles have requested an interview with Moore for their respective OC openings, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. It will be interesting to see how willing the Chargers are to let Moore depart in a lateral move given Harbaugh’s arrival. Greg Roman – who has a long-standing relationship with the latter – has already been floated as a name to watch for Los Angeles’ new staff.

Cleveland moved on from Alex Van Pelt, one of the league’s OCs who did not hold play-calling responsibilities. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has called plays since his arrival with the Browns, but he would likely need to hand the reins over to Moore if an agreement were to be struck. It is already known, on the other hand, that the Eagles’ next OC will call plays and hold a degree of independence from head coach Nick Sirianni. Moore will meet with Philadelphia today, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Moore began his NFL coaching career in 2018 as QBs coach of the Cowboys. After just one season in that capacity, he was promoted to OC and had a four-year run in charge of Dallas’ offense. Over that span, the Cowboys led the league in scoring twice and ranked top-10 in both rushing and passing production three separate times. Head coach Mike McCarthy elected to move on last offseason, however, taking over play-calling duties himself.

As a result, Moore took on the OC position with the Chargers, something which came with substantial expectations given his stock and the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert. The latter missed the end of the season due to injury, but even when healthy he and the offense put up middling numbers. Moore interviewed once for L.A.’s head coaching vacancy, but it came as little surprise that he did not receive serious consideration for the position.

The 34-year-old’s time in Dallas generated a reputation for him as one of the league’s top offensive minds, and this year’s underwhelming performance will likely not do much to dissuade interested teams from at least speaking to him. Moore’s name will be worth watching closely on the coordinator market if Harbaugh follows through with bringing in his own staffers.

Eagles Interview Texans’ Jerrod Johnson For OC Position

January 24th, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely 24 hours after firing Brian Johnson, the Eagles are at work interviewing replacement candidates. Following their Kliff Kingsbury meeting, the Eagles met with a younger candidate.

Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is on the Eagles’ radar, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the young assistant has also met with Philly about the job. Johnson, whom the Texans hired last year, has also met with the Saints and Browns about their respective OC openings.

As C.J. Stroud‘s position coach, Johnson certainly has momentum to use this season as a platform to land a coordinator job. The 35-year-old staffer has just one season of experience as a quarterbacks coach, coming to Houston after a stay as Minnesota’s assistant QBs coach. The Eagles would stand to join the Saints in seeking a play-calling OC, with the Browns preparing to hire a non-play-calling coordinator.

That said, Nick Sirianni is an offense-oriented coach. It is unclear if the Eagles are retaining Sirianni, though with ownership signing off on the team firing both its offensive and defensive coordinators, signs still point to the Super Bowl HC staying for a fourth season. Sirianni has not been the Eagles’ primary play-caller since he relinquished those duties to Shane Steichen midway through the 2021 season.

Johnson also has a history with Sirianni; both were on Frank Reich‘s Colts staff from 2019-20. Johnson broke into the coaching ranks as on a Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship in 2019 and worked as a quality control staffer from 2020-21, leading to the Minnesota job offer. Sirianni brought ex-Colts coworker Marcus Brady to Philly, with Jonathan Gannon also coming over from Indianapolis back in 2021. With this hire being crucial to Sirianni’s Eagles future, it will assuredly take more than familiarity to fill the job.

Stroud rocketing out of the starting blocks has changed the Texans’ outlook, with the team venturing to the playoffs for the first time in four years. The No. 2 overall pick’s performance landing Johnson a job would add up, but with the Texans having Bobby Slowik still on the HC carousel, any staff continuity would be important going into the offseason.

Eagles To Fire OC Brian Johnson

January 23rd, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles will have new offensive and defensive coordinators in 2024. Not long after Sean Desai was fired, OC Brian Johnson is out as well. The latter has been let go, as noted by Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Derrick Gunn of JAKIB was first to report Johnson was unlikely to return.

Both changes have been expected for some time now. The Eagles struggled on both sides of the ball during their nosedive to close out the campaign, although the team’s offense still managed to post strong numbers in a number of offensive categories. Philadelphia ranked eighth in yards per game and seventh in scoring, but those figures are insufficient for Johnson to receive a second year at the helm.

The 36-year-old represented a logical internal replacement candidate for Shane Steichen once the latter departed last offseason to take the Colts’ head coaching job. Johnson had spent the past two years as Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach and developed a strong relationship with Jalen Hurts. As a result, it came as little surprise when Johnson was tapped as Steichen’s successor.

By the time Philadelphia’s wild-card matchup against the Buccaneers came around, however, a rift had emerged on offense amidst the Eagles’ overall struggles. Hurts regressed from his 2022 performance while playing through injury, and the team scored just nine points in a lopsided loss to Tampa Bay. Reports of signficant staffing changes quickly emerged, and it came as little surprise when Desai (who had already been stripped of play-calling duties) was dismissed on Sunday.

Head coach Nick Sirianni‘s job security was a talking point both before and after the wild-card loss, and his evaluation from ownership was dependent on a plan to replace both offensive and defensive coordinators for the second consecutive offseason. Sirianni appears to be safe, but the Eagles’ staff will be worth watching closely as the team likely prepares to look outside the organization to fill both the OC and DC positions.

As his fate in Philadelphia remained unsettled, Johnson took head coaching interviews with the Falcons and Titans. A meeting with the Panthers was originally scheduled, but Carolina is set to move in a different direction. While it seems unlikely Johnson will land a HC gig this year, his outside interest could allow him to land a new coaching opportunity in some capacity relatively soon. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s search for his replacement will be worth monitoring.

On that note, Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter had been named as a candidate to return to the Eagles as OC. However, McLane notes that Cooter is not expected to be a finalist to replace Johnson. In any case, Philadelphia’s 2024 staff is set to look much different than its 2023 iteration with Desai’s interim replacement (Matt Patricia) expected to depart. While that has left plenty of unanswered questions on the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles now have a signficant vacancy on offense as well.

Eagles Interview Kliff Kingsbury For OC Job

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:13pm CST by Ben Levine

With Brian Johnson out in Philadelphia, the Eagles are starting to reach out to potential replacements. The first on the list is Kliff Kingsbury, who interviewed for the Eagles offensive coordinator job today, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The meeting was done virtually, per Garafolo.

After getting fired as the Cardinals head coach last offseason, Kingsbury caught on with USC for the 2023 campaign. He served as the school’s senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach, and he was tasked with coaching top prospect Caleb Williams. While the quarterback’s numbers dropped a bit from his 2022 Heisman Trophy campaign, Williams still finished this past season with 30 touchdowns vs. only five interceptions.

Most notably, Williams improved his completion percentage from 66.6 to 68.6. And while the QB ran less frequently, he found the end zone more often, scoring 11 rushing touchdowns (vs. 10 touchdowns in 2022). Williams’ performance (and perhaps Kingsbury’s tutelage) didn’t do anything to impact the prospect’s draft stock, as the QB is still expected to be among the first few picks in this year’s draft.

Kingsbury’s offensive acumen was what earned him the Cardinals job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, culminating in an 11-win season in 2021 (the Cardinals would go on to lose their lone playoff game). However, following a 2022 campaign that saw Arizona drop to 4-13, Kingsbury was relieved of his duties.

Following a year away from the league, the coach is now back on the NFL radar. Kingsbury earned an interview for the Bears OC job, and now he’ll be vying for the chance to replace Johnson in Philadelphia.

Following two strong seasons as the Eagles’ QBs coach, Johnson earned a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2023. The Eagles finished this past season ranked eighth in yards per game and seventh in scoring, but the team’s late-season nosedive ultimately cost the coach his job. The Eagles certainly have all the pieces needed for the next coordinator to succeed, and a creative offensive mind could help take the unit to the next level.

Eagles Likely To Retain Nick Sirianni; Team Arranges DC Interviews With Ron Rivera, Mike Caldwell

January 22nd, 2024 at 1:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

Since the Eagles’ last-season collapse was punctuated by a lopsided wild-card loss, questions have emerged regarding the job security of the team’s coaching staff. Head coach Nick Sirianni has been the subject of speculation, but he appears to be safe.

Sirianni will take part in a press conference with general manager Howie Roseman on Wednesday, as noted by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The former’s participation in that media availability seems to put to rest any remaining questions about his status in the organization. Sirianni recently met with owner Jeffrey Lurie to discuss his future and his plans for a new set of coordinators.

As expected, Sean Desai is out after an underwhelming tenure as defensive coordinator, one which did not last the entire season. His replacement in that capacity, Matt Patricia, is likewise not in line to return. OC Brian Johnson also faces an uncertain future, though his departure could come about as a result of a head coaching opportunity. In any case, changes were needed after the manner in which a 10-1 start to Philadelphia’s season ended with the team losing six of its last seven games.

A report from earlier this month suggested Sirianni would be safe, although more recent signs pointed to some members of the organization at least preparing for the third-year coach to be let go. Instead, Sirianni is now in line to carry on with a re-vamped staff as he looks to lead the team to the postseason for a fourth straight campaign.

The Eagles are moving quickly in their bid to find a new defensive coordinator, and their first interviewee is a high-profile target. Philadelphia is set to interview Ron Rivera for the position, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Rivera’s tenure in charge of the Commanders came to an expected end on Black Monday, leaving him free to pursue other openings. The 62-year-old recently made it clear he intends to continue his coaching career, even though doing so would require taking a coordinator posting.

Rivera added that he has spoken with multiple teams, and the Eagles are clearly one of them. Philadelphia would be highly familiar with Rivera given his time in the NFC East with Washington, and he is still regarded as one of the league’s top defensive minds. His last DC posting came with the Chargers from 2008-10, and in the final year of that stretch the team ranked first in total defense and 10th in points allowed.

In addition to Rivera, the Eagles have an interview lined up with ex-Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell, Fowler adds. Caldwell was one of several defensive staffers fired at the end of the season after Jacksonville underwhelmed in a number of capacities. He played for the Eagles from 1998-2001, so a deal allowing him to join Sirianni’s staff would represent a reunion.

Plenty of questions – particularly at the coordinator spots – have yet to be answered in Philadelphia. More clarity will likely emerge in the coming days, though, and at a minimum the matter of Sirianni’s future is no longer in doubt.

Panthers Likely To Retain AGM Dan Morgan; Team No Longer Interested In Eagles OC Brian Johnson

January 22nd, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

As the 2024 hiring cycle continues, the Panthers remain a team to watch closely with a vacancy at both the head coach and general manager positions. Updates on both fronts have emerged.

Carolina has included assistant general manager Dan Morgan in the team’s head coaching interviews, as detailed by Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). Morgan is one of three front office candidates who have a second interview lined up for the Panthers’ GM position. Regardless of he is ultimately hired in that capacity, Person notes Morgan is on track to remain in the organization in some fashion.

Morgan was a key member of Carolina’s front office during Scott Fitterer‘s three-year tenure in charge of the team. As a result, it would have come as little surprise if the latter’s firing had prompted owner David Tepper to clean house during the 2024 offseason. Instead, Morgan appears poised to either take over as general manager himself (a scenario in which, Person adds, an outside staffer with a salary cap background would be targeted to pair with him) or in some other role.

Carolina has cast a wide net in terms of potential GM candidates, but the same is true of the team’s HC vacancy. 11 candidates have been interviewed, and a 12th – Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson – received a request last week. Person reports, however, that Carolina is no longer interested in interviewing Johnson, who has met with other HC-needy teams during this year’s cycle.

Johnson was promoted from QBs coach to OC last offseason following Shane Steichen‘s departure. The Eagles started the campaign well, but the team’s late-season collapse culminated in a wild-card defeat in which they were limited to nine points. Philadelphia has, as expected, moved on from defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Johnson being replaced as OC is also firmly on the table, although he has interviewed with both the Falcons and Titans for their head coaching positions.

With coaches (other than the ones whose teams are set to play in the conference championship games) now free to interview in person, movement in the coaching carousel is expected to pick up in the coming days. The Panthers have a number of key decisions to make in the near future, and clarity will likely emerge soon in both of their ongoing searches.

Eagles Fire DC Sean Desai

January 21st, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Ely Allen

8:57pm: With Desai departing, some may think to look to Patricia as a potential successor. Well, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Patricia is not under contract with the Eagles for the 2024 season. Additionally, Pelissero reports that Patricia has plans to explore other opportunities outside of Philadelphia.

5:57pm: With their season over after losing six of their last seven games following a 10-1 start, the Eagles have made the call to fire defensive coordinator Sean Desai, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. For a time, both of the team’s coordinators seemed destined to leave for greener pastures, but following a brutal closing stretch, Desai will likely be aiming to land another coordinator job.

The move is mostly ceremonial, as Desai had already been demoted, losing play-calling duties to senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia back in December. Desai was demoted after two straight losses following the 10-1 start; the team would go 1-4 the rest of the way with Patricia calling plays. Desai still retained the defensive coordinator title while remaining with the team in a different capacity, but having lost the responsibility he was hired to take, Desai became expendable in Philadelphia.

Before his time with the Eagles, Desai was the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, a season in which Chicago finished sixth in terms of total defense, though it’s points per game and defensive DVOA rankings were not quite as impressive. When head coach Matt Nagy was let go at the end of the 2021 season, his defensive-minded replacement, Matt Eberflus, elected not to retain Desai, who subsequently became associate head coach and defensive assistant for the Seahawks.

Still, Desai’s one season of relative success as defensive coordinator and his long track record as a defensive assistant at the collegiate and NFL levels made him a popular defensive coordinator target in the 2023 hiring cycle. He ended up taking interviews with five different clubs before ultimately choosing the Eagles and becoming the replacement for Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to take the Cardinals’ head coaching gig.

Desai’s departure was mostly expected as general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have reportedly been reaching out to other coordinator candidates throughout the week, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. This has all come after Sirianni met with owner Jeffrey Lurie about his own future. Between the calls to potential new coordinators and Siranni reportedly firing Desai himself, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it’s looking more and more like Sirianni’s job is safe for at least another year.

When looking to replace Desai, it appears that the team has reached out to former Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and former Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. The Eagles have also been reaching out to offensive coordinator candidates, with Brian Johnson interviewing for multiple head coaching opportunities. Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has been mentioned as a potential replacement.

Desai should be able to rebound this offseason, if he chooses to. There are many defensive coordinator jobs opening up in the offseason. New head coaches will be likely be interested in building their own staff, as well, providing more opportunities. Desai’s success in Chicago will likely continue to get him chances in the NFL. Whether or not that chance is a coordinator position in 2024 will be determined in the next few months.

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