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Commanders Add David Blough, William Gay To Coaching Staff

February 15th, 2024 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders unveiled their first coaching staff under new head coach Dan Quinn on Thursday. Many of the additions have already been reported, but a pair of ex-players have found a spot on the staff.

[RELATED: Commanders Add Lance Newmark As AGM, Reassign Mayhew, Hurney]

David Blough has elected to hang up his cleats to take on the role of assistant QBs coach. Blough entered the league as a UDFA with the Browns, but he was dealt to the Lions in 2019. He spent much of his playing career in Detroit, making seven of his starts and nine of his appearances with the team from 2019-21.

The Purdue alum found himself in Arizona for the 2022 campaign, and he made a pair of starts that year. Blough was among the Cardinals’ final roster cuts last summer, however, which led him back to the Lions. He resided on the team’s taxi squad, and made it clear he was eyeing a transition to coaching at some point. He will work alongside returnee Tavita Pritchard in overseeing the Commanders’ signal-callers, a group which could very well include a rookie added with the second overall pick in April’s draft.

Blough will make his first foray into coaching in 2024, and William Gay will likewise take on a full-time NFL sideline position for the first time in his career. The latter, a Steelers cornerback for 10 years with a one-year Cardinals stint in between, saw his final regular season and playoff action in 2017. He took a deal with the Giants in 2018, but he failed to make New York’s roster. The following year, Gay served as a Steelers coaching intern.

The former Super Bowl winner worked as a defensive backs coach at Missouri State in 2020, and he will take on the title of assistant DBs coach with the Commanders. Gay, 39, will pair with Tommy Donatell and Jason Simmons (defensive backs coach and pass-game coordinator, respectively) as the Commanders aim to improve on their league-worst finish against the pass in 2023.

Brian Johnson, added after his tenure as OC of the Eagles, will take on the post of assistant head coach. As Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes, though, Johnson will not have a direct play-calling role with respect to the team’s offense. He will instead take on a more general role with a potential future head coaching opportunity in mind.

Among the updates is the title for ex-Chargers and Raiders defensive coordinator John Pagano. He will work as a senior defensive assistant rather than serving as a position coach. Sarah Hogan, meanwhile, will leave the Falcons to work as coaching chief of staff during Quinn’s first season at the helm. He, new OC Kliff Kingsbury and DC Joe Whitt Jr. will be tasked with overseeing improvement from last year’s 4-13 campaign.

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 9th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

Commanders To Add Brian Johnson To Staff

February 8th, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Sam Robinson

Fired from the Eagles last month, Brian Johnson will not land another offensive coordinator job. But the Eagles will see their three-year assistant twice next season.

Dan Quinn is expected to add the former play-caller to his Commanders staff, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Johnson will work under Kliff Kingsbury in a prominent position. Prior to spending the 2023 season as the Eagles’ OC, Johnson was in place as quarterbacks coach.

It appears the Commanders will install Johnson as their pass-game coordinator, Fowler tweets. Johnson played an integral role in Jalen Hurts‘ ascent during the early 2020s, and although the Eagles fell apart on both sides of the ball late in the season, Hurts’ development on the whole reflects well on the young assistant.

Johnson, 36, interviewed for multiple HC jobs this offseason — in Atlanta and Tennessee — and received a request from Carolina. Though, the Panthers made a point of indicating they were no longer interested days later. Johnson landed on the OC carousel soon after, interviewing for the Browns, Buccaneers and Saints’ positions. Each team went in another direction. With only one OC job open — Seattle’s — Johnson will take a step back in 2024. Though, Quinn having a prominent OC candidate in place on his staff could certainly help during his first season in Washington.

This Commanders commitment also comes after Johnson engaged in talks with other teams, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. It was believed several teams were monitoring Johnson’s status. While Eric Bieniemy was unable to use the Commanders as a platform to solidify his value, Kingsbury and Johnson could have longer leashes due to the circumstances. Josh Harris and Adam Peters should be considered likely to give Quinn at least two seasons to prove he has what it takes to lead this team back to relevancy, though the team’s fortunes may well come down to how the No. 2 overall pick fares. Johnson figures to be an essential component in that equation.

Shifting from Shane Steichen to Johnson last year, the Eagles started off well but became one of the most disappointing contenders in recent memory by fading down the stretch. Philly managed just nine points in a one-sided wild-card loss in Tampa, and it appears Nick Sirianni was asked to fire both Johnson and DC Sean Desai. Unlike Doug Pederson in 2021, Philly’s HC obliged and will keep his job.

The Eagles’ bigger problems came on defense, but Hurts’ 15 INTs matched his 2021 and ’22 seasons combined. His yards-per-attempt number also dropped from 8.0 to 7.2 from 2022 to ’23. Though, the Eagles still ranked in the top eight in scoring and total offense. As the Eagles’ tailspin eventually involved the offense as well, Johnson found himself out of a job after receiving HC interview requests. The Eagles interviewed Kingsbury hours after firing Johnson; the two will now work together in Washington.

Johnson, who came to the Eagles after spending 2020 as Florida’s offensive coordinator, will likely join Kingsbury in developing a rookie quarterback. The Commanders’ Sam Howell experiment took on water this season, and the eight-game win streak to close out the campaign gave the team the No. 2 overall pick. That is expected to be used on a quarterback. It should then be expected that Kingsbury and Johnson’s fortunes will be tied to Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels — with the Bears still viewed as likely to draft ex-Kingsbury charge Caleb Williams at No. 1 — in Washington.

2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 1st, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ hire has wrapped this year’s cycle. Barring a team making an 11th-hour change, the 2024 HC carousel has come to a stop. The final breakdown produced five defensive coaches being hired compared to three with backgrounds on offense. Many teams are still searching for offensive and defensive coordinators, however.

Updated 2-1-24 (10:37am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Hired

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Buccaneers Arranging OC Interviews With Kellen Moore, Zac Robinson, Ken Dorsey, Brian Johnson

January 26th, 2024 at 12:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tampa Bay experienced a batter-than-expected season on offense with first-year coordinator Dave Canales in charge of the unit. He has departed to become head coach of the Panthers, however, leaving the Buccaneers in need of a new OC for the second straight year.

A list of targets has begun to emerge. Tampa will speak with Chargers OC Kellen Moore on Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. Colleague Ian Rapoport adds that Rams QBs coach Zac Robinson has received a Bucs interview request. The team also plans to speak with ex-Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who notes his Tampa interview will take place next week. Lastly, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports ousted Eagles OC Brian Johnson has a Buccaneers interview lined up.

Moore’s future with the Chargers has not yet been determined, but with Jim Harbaugh now in place, he is likely to bring his own assistants aboard. That could lead to a number of opportunities for Moore, who joined L.A.’s staff last offseason after a successful run with the Cowboys. The 34-year-old has also been connected to the Browns and Eagles during this year’s hiring cycle, so he could have a few options to choose from in the event he does wind up in a new home for the second offseason in a row.

Robinson has been one of the hottest coordinator candidates in 2024. He has interviewed three times so far, and he has received a request from an additional three teams including today’s slip from Tampa Bay. Robinson, 37, has been with the Rams since 2019, spending much of his time working with the team’s quarterbacks. For each of the past two seasons, he has held the additional title of passing game coordinator. Staffers often make the jump from that combination of roles to a coordinator gig, and Robinson doing the same would leave a signficant vacancy for Sean McVay to fill.

Dorsey saw his run with the Bills come to an end midway through the 2023 season. Buffalo’s offense went in a different direction under interim OC Joe Brady, whose success down the stretch has him in consideration for the full-time position. Still, Dorsey is on the radar for a new coordinator opportunity right away, having interviewed with the Browns. The 42-year-old’s Buffalo stint was his only NFL coordinator position to date, but he has extensive experience as a QBs coach.

Johnson was promoted to OC of the Eagles last year, and his familiarity with Jalen Hurts and the team’s offense led to signficant expectations despite Shane Steichen‘s departure. Earlier in the year, Philadelphia performed well in a number of areas, and the team put up solid overall numbers in several offensive categories. As was the case on defense, however, things took a turn for the worse late in the year through the wild-card round of the postseason. Johnson was dismissed as part of the Eagles’ staff overhaul, but he took head coaching interviews before that, and he is also on the OC radar.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield enjoyed a productive campaign under Canales, and keeping the former in place will be a key offseason priority for Tampa Bay. One of the most important factors in replicating Mayfield’s success will of course be the latter’s replacement, and the Bucs could have competition for some of the most in-demand candidates. Their search will start to take shape in the coming days.

Browns, Saints To Interview Brian Johnson For OC

January 26th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 26: Johnson has met with the Browns, but he has generated further interest. The Saints will speak with him on Monday, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. New Orleans has cast a wide net in searching for a Pete Carmichael replacement. The longtime OC held play-calling responsibilities after Sean Payton‘s departure, making the Saints’ vacancy an important one as the team looks for more consistency on offense compared to 2023.

JANUARY 25: Cleveland’s ongoing search for a new offensive coordinator will include interest in ex-Eagles OC Brian Johnson. The Browns will interview Johnson today, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.

The Eagles, as expected, have moved on from Sean Desai as well as Johnson as part of their staff overhaul. The latter was in place as Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach for two years before ex-OC Shane Steichen departed to take the Colts’ head coaching position. To fill the vacancy, Johnson was promoted in a move which came as little surprise.

After a strong start, the Eagles suffered a notable regression down the stretch and into the postseason. While struggles on defense were more prevalent, Philadelphia’s offense also took a step back and reports of a rift on that side of the ball emerged before the team’s wild-card loss. After only one season at the helm – during which the Eagles ranked seventh in scoring and eighth in yards – Johnson was let go.

Before that move became official, the 36-year-old interviewed with both the Falcons and Titans for their respective head coaching vacancies. Indeed, a recent report pointed to Johnson being a candidate to land in a new posting relatively soon, although questions remained about what position he could take on. Today’s meeting with Cleveland will be his first interview since his Eagles tenure came to an end.

The Browns dismissed OC Alex Van Pelt among other staffers in a bid to improve on offense in 2024 and beyond. Cleveland finished mid-pack in both passing and rushing yards per game this season, one in which the team’s offense was ravaged by injuries. The new OC’s ability to work with quarterback Deshaun Watson will be a critical factor for the Browns, given Watson’s status as the starter through at least the remainder of his fully-guaranteed contract. Cleveland has exclusively looked outside the organization to date with respect to OC candidates.

Here is an updated look at the Browns’ search:

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Ken Dorsey, former offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed
  • Brian Johnson, former offensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview 1/25
  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/23

Coaching Notes: Callahan, Browns, Vrabel, Seahawks, Smith, Johnson, Texans, Jets

January 24th, 2024 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans ended Brian Callahan‘s five-year stay as a non-play-calling Bengals OC, hiring the veteran assistant as their Mike Vrabel successor. Although Callahan has never been his team’s primary play-caller, he will not give his first Tennessee OC that responsibility. Callahan will call Titans offensive plays, veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky notes. Callahan has spent five years learning from Bengals HC/play-caller Zac Taylor. He also worked under Jon Gruden in 2018 and Gary Kubiak in 2015. Not calling plays in Cincinnati undoubtedly held Callahan back, considering the success the Bengals’ offense generated during Joe Burrow‘s early years.

During a busy day on the coaching carousel, here is the latest from around the league:

  • Duce Staley will land on his feet. The recently dismissed Panthers running backs coach will take the same position with the Browns, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. The Jets had planned to make Staley an offer as well, but the veteran RBs coach will replace Stump Mitchell in Cleveland. Staley has coached running backs for the past 11 seasons, doing so with the Eagles, Lions and Panthers. The former NFL running back will have a chance to coach Nick Chubb, assuming the perennial Pro Bowler returns from his ACL tear.
  • The Browns are also working to hire one of Nick Saban’s former assistants to replace the other position coach they fired last week. Tommy Rees, who landed the Notre Dame OC job in his 20s and held the same position at Alabama last season, is on the Browns’ radar, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson tweets. A former Chargers assistant, Rees is expected to become the Browns’ tight ends coach. Cleveland dismissed T.C. McCartney last week.
  • Two casualties of this coaching carousel are candidates to land elsewhere soon. Ex-Falcons HC Arthur Smith and recently dismissed Eagles OC Brian Johnson have generated interest around the league, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Smith is being monitored as an OC candidate, per Russini, with a handful of teams looking into the three-year Atlanta HC. Prior to Smith’s Falcons tenure, the ex-Titans OC generated widespread interest as a head coach option in 2021. Johnson has not achieved similar status, and Russini does not confirm the one-year Eagles play-caller is on the OC radar. Though, that would not surprise considering Johnson received multiple HC interview requests during this cycle.
  • Mentioned recently as a candidate on the Seahawks‘ radar, Vrabel may be receiving some support from Seattle players. Some Seahawks view Vrabel as the best option for the job, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline. Although Vrabel now has three interviews completed or booked, the Seahawks have not yet met with him. They have met with their former DC, Dan Quinn, who was the first name to emerge as the top Pete Carroll successor option. The Dallas DC should still be considered the frontrunner, Pauline adds. Quinn has a second interview scheduled for Friday, but the Seahawks have a few targets set for second meetings this week.
  • The Texans are not bringing back defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Lovie Smith hired Cesaire in 2022, whose contract is expiring. DeMeco Ryans‘ club did set a single-season sack record, with 46, which is quite something considering this franchise employed J.J. Watt for nine seasons. A former NFL D-lineman, Cesaire has been a D-line coach in the league since 2020.
  • On the subject of AFC D-line coaches, the Jets are retaining theirs. Aaron Whitecotton‘s contract was set to expire, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, but the New York Post’s Brian Costello notes the team reached an extension agreement Wednesday. Considering the success the Jets have had up front over the past two seasons, it is unsurprising they made a commitment to keep the Robert Saleh lieutenant around. The Jets also interviewed former Titans assistant Tony Dews for their RBs coach job, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt tweets. Tennessee’s tight ends coach in 2023, Dews worked alongside current Jets staffers Todd Downing and Keith Carter in Tennessee.

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.

[RELATED: Eagles To Fire OC Brian Johnson]

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.

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.

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