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Joe Brady

Saints Request HC Interviews With Joe Brady, Aaron Glenn

January 6th, 2025 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:24pm: The Glenn request is official, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. That comes as no surprise, but the Saints could have competition from at least two other teams depending on how Glenn interviews with Chicago and New York. More suitors could also emerge in the wake of his strong 2024 showing.

2:55pm: Familiarity looks to be important for the Saints. At least, their HC search initially points in that direction. Two former New Orleans staffers are on the list to replace Dennis Allen.

Ex-Allen lieutenant Aaron Glenn is expected to receive an interview request from the Saints, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Glenn has served as the Lions’ DC for four seasons. Also on staff alongside Allen under Sean Payton, Joe Brady is on the Saints’ radar. New Orleans officially submitted a request to the Buffalo OC, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

The Glenn request — rumored to be in the works for a bit now — marks his second from the NFC South club over the past three years. Glenn, 52, worked as Saints DBs coach under Payton from 2016-20. Coaching the likes of Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams, Glenn helped the Saints’ defense — under Allen’s leadership — complete a dramatic turnaround after the unit had bottomed out in the mid-2010s. Glenn has since elevated the Lions into a top-10 defense.

It might not be automatic the Saints lure Glenn back, as the veteran coordinator is being tied to just about every available job. The Jets and Bears have submitted a request. As part of a No. 1-seeded team, Glenn can also meet virtually with HC-needy clubs this week. Candidates tied to other playoff teams must wait until after their wild-card contests to begin virtual meetings.

Brady, 35, did not hold a high-ranking post during his time in New Orleans. He served as a Saints offensive assistant from 2017-18. Brady has since been on the rise, a climb that began when he served as pass-game coordinator for LSU’s unbeaten 2019 national champion team. After being fired from his post as Panthers OC, Brady has rebounded in Buffalo. Josh Allen has submitted his best all-around season, remaining the MVP favorite after piloting the Bills to a third straight AFC No. 2 seed. The Bills rank second in scoring, having beaten both the Lions and Chiefs this season. Unlike Glenn, Brady was not part of the Saints’ 2022 search to replace Payton.

Despite Allen’s struggles, the Saints have been connected to a hire familiar with the organization. They have not relieved longtime GM Mickey Loomis of his duties, as the veteran enters Year 24 in that post. Loomis is the second-longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history — behind only Cowboys Hall of Famer Tex Schramm. It will be interesting to see how many coaches with backgrounds exclusively outside the organization receive extensive looks, but Brady and Glenn look like two strong candidates based on their resumes.

Bears To Prioritize Leadership Ability In Next HC; GM Ryan Poles Expected To Be Retained

December 1st, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bears will be in the market for a new head coach this offseason, and per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the club believes its vacancy is the most attractive one that will be available. With a promising rookie-contract quarterback in Caleb Williams and a bevy of other offensive talent, over $80MM in projected salary cap space, and a new stadium project in the offing, Chicago is hopeful it will be able to land the candidate of its choice.

According to Jones, the Bears hope to hire a “leader of men” type of head coach. In other words, the candidate’s status as an offensive or defensive savant will not be as much of a priority as that person’s mental toughness and leadership abilities. The successes of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Dan Campbell in Detroit have underscored the importance of those qualities, and recent HC hirees Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Jerod Mayo, and Jim Harbaugh also fit the “leader of men” mold (although those coaches, like almost all coaches, also offer an offensive or defensive background).

Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network agrees that leadership skills, along with in-game management prowess, are traits the Bears will be seeking in their next HC. However, Bair does believe that a brilliant offensive mind, or someone that can bring such a mind on board, will also be a prerequisite, which jibes with earlier reports on the matter. He names Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Aaron Glenn, and Joe Brady as external HC candidates, while Jones adds Brian Flores and Bill Belichick as possible targets. As reported previously, interim head coach Thomas Brown will also have a chance at the permanent gig.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) acknowledges that the Bears’ opening will be coveted, and he also believes that Kingsbury will be under consideration. Of course, the team interviewed the former Cardinals’ HC this past offseason for its offensive coordinator post, although it was reported that the summit was really more of an intel-gathering session on Williams, whom Kingsbury coached at USC and whom the Bears were preparing to select with the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft. Naturally, the Kingsbury-Williams connection will drive a great deal of Kingsbury-Chicago speculation during the upcoming cycle.

Johnson, meanwhile, will again be one of the hottest candidates on the market, and he is expected to remain very selective about his next destination. On that note, ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously said that Johnson could opt to steer clear of the Bears due to perceived organizational dysfunction, although Schefter may have changed his stance. During his appearance on Sunday NFL Countdown today, Schefter said that Johnson might indeed have some interest in the Chicago job (video link).

Jones and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (video link) also see Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a dark horse candidate for the Bears’ HC post. Freeman, who was actually drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, has led the Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff field in his first year at the helm. Freeman was recently named as one of the college coaches expected to receive NFL HC interest in 2025.

Per Jones, it is unclear who will make the final decision on the club’s next HC. Of course, owner George McCaskey will have considerable input, but team president Kevin Warren will be heavily involved as well. One way or another, though, GM Ryan Poles’ job is safe, and he will be a part of the search. 

There were some recent rumblings that Poles could be handed his walking papers at season’s end, but prior reports indicated that Poles and Warren are aligned in their vision for the team, and both Jones and Rapoport report that the GM – who was originally hired just two days before the recently-dismissed Matt Eberflus – will be retained. Interestingly, Rapoport says that Poles will “assist” Warren in running the search, which would seem to corroborate the league-wide perception that Warren is the one making the calls.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Bills, Pioli

February 19th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Ely Allen

The dominoes continue to fall in NFL coaching circles and that’s certainly the case in the AFC East. The Dolphins made a trio of adjustments to their 2024 staff with two promotions and an external hire.

We learned about a week and a half ago that, after failing to land Miami’s defensive coordinator position, which went to Anthony Weaver, outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik was set to remain on the team’s staff for next season in a different capacity. Thanks to Charean Williams of NBC Sports, we now know that Slowik’s new position will be as defensive backs coach and pass game specialist. Williams also informed us that assistant defensive backs coach Mathieu Araujo has earned a promotion, as well. Araujo will serve as cornerbacks coach in 2024.

Additionally, we learned today that University of Montana defensive coordinator Ronnie Bradford will be taking the role of senior special teams assistant with the Dolphins for next season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Bradford has extensive history as an NFL special teams coach, even serving as special teams coordinator in Denver back in 2005, when both Slowik and head coach Mike McDaniel were low-level staffers for the Broncos.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC East:

  • The Bills made a serious addition to their defensive staff with the recent hiring of Scott Booker as their new nickel coach and senior defensive assistant. Booker spent the last four years as safeties coach for the Titans, mentoring one of the league’s best in Kevin Byard. Thanks to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, we also learned that last year’s midseason hire, DJ Mangas, has earned a promotion in Buffalo. After spending the back half of the season as an offensive assistant, he will serve as an offensive quality control coach in 2024. The former teammate and roommate of offensive coordinator Joe Brady joined the team after Brady’s interim promotion last year.
  • Lastly, we learned that the Patriots had finalized their coaching staff today, but changes are still expected in the front office. Now, we know that New England plans to take their time in making the decisions in the player personnel department, but we did throw out a few names to watch for. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes that former Falcons assistant general manager Scott Pioli is another name that could be a factor. Pioli held the Patriots vice president of player personnel position for nine years back from 2002-08, essentially helping to set the stage for the team’s eventual dynasty.

Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

  • Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
  • Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
  • Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
  • Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
  • Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
  • Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

  • Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
  • Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
  • Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
  • Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
  • Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
  • Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
  • Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
  • Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

  • Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
  • Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
  • Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
  • Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
  • Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
  • Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
  • Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
  • Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
  • Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
  • Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
  • Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
  • Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
  • Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
  • Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
  • Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

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

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

Bills Make Joe Brady Full-Time OC

January 28th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Brady will have a chance to continue in his current position. As the Bills considered outside options as well, their interim OC was believed to be the favorite for the job. He now has it.

The Bills will remove Brady’s interim tag and make him their full-time play-caller, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This will be Brady’s second stint as a full-time NFL OC. The Panthers employed him as such from 2020-21. Known to hire an ex-Panther or two under current management, the Bills have announced the decision.

While the Bills have earned their Panthers North identity during Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott‘s stewardship, the Brady connection is more coincidental compared to the other Carolina importing calls Buffalo has made. Brady’s Panthers stay came well after McDermott and Beane had arrived in Buffalo. Still, Brady trekked to Buffalo after a two-season run in Charlotte. Although he came to the Bills as a quarterbacks coach, the ex-LSU pass-game coordinator is back in a high-profile job.

The Bills only lost twice with Brady in place as OC, though a production spike did not occur after he took over. The team did better incorporate emerging Pro Bowler James Cook into the offense and grow comfortable under Brady, doing so despite a concerning second-half production dip from Stefon Diggs. The Bills finished sixth in scoring and fourth in total offense — down from second in both categories in 2022 — and third in DVOA during its Dorsey-Brady season.

Important in the Brady OC equation, Diggs and Cook are auxiliary pieces. Josh Allen‘s performance will play the lead role in determining how long Brady stays in this job, with HC interest sure to follow — in a period that features built-in advantages for offense-oriented HC candidates — if Allen stays on course as one of the NFL’s best players. Brady, 34, conducted his first HC interview in three years this offseason, meeting virtually with the Falcons. Brady mentored Teddy Bridgewater to what remains the top Panthers QB showing post-Cam Newton, but Matt Rhule fired his OC late in a 2021 season primarily featuring Sam Darnold at the controls.

Allen vouched for Brady, joining others in that regard. The superstar passer sported his best completion rate (66.5%) since 2020 and displayed run-game dominance under Brady. Allen runs became an essential part of the Bills’ late-season blueprint, and all four his 50-plus-yard performances on the ground this season came after Brady replaced Ken Dorsey. McDermott expressed interest in limiting Allen runs this past offseason, as less punishment in that area will help extend his career. But Allen showed the historically rare skillset he provides in the Bills’ final three games, totaling 213 yards and three touchdowns against the Dolphins, Steelers and Chiefs.

While Brady will need to strike an appropriate balance regarding the team’s reliance on Allen’s rushing chops, Cook’s emergence will help. That said, the Bills will need to recapture the Allen-Diggs connection that transformed the 2018 first-rounder’s career. Not only did all five of Diggs’ 100-yard games this season occur on Dorsey’s watch, but the star wideout managed just one 80-yard performance with Brady at the controls. Although defenses undoubtedly key on Diggs, the Bills will need to see more from their $24MM-per-year receiver in 2024.

This will be a pivotal offseason for the Bills, who are only the third team since the NFL shifted to record-based playoff seeding in 1975 to lose home divisional-round games in back-to-back years. Just the 1986-87 Bears and 1976-77 Colts match this. As the highest-ranking offensive coach in the building, Brady will become central to the organization’s quest to win its long-elusive Super Bowl.

Bills To Interview Joe Brady For Full-Time OC Position

January 25th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

While an ill-timed wind gust is partially responsible for the Bills’ divisional-round elimination, the team’s offense struggled to make explosive plays in its 27-24 loss to the Chiefs. The Bills are now conducting a search to determine if they will once again chance offensive coordinators.

Buffalo fired Ken Dorsey midway through his second season as OC, giving way to Joe Brady‘s second run as an NFL play-caller. The Bills remain interested in Brady, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the team will interview him for the full-time OC post. Brady took over on an interim basis in November and held the job through season’s end.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

The Bills only lost twice with Brady in place as OC, though a production spike did not occur after he took over. The team did better incorporate James Cook into the offense and grow comfortable under Brady, doing so despite a concerning second-half production dip from Stefon Diggs. The Bills finished sixth in scoring and fourth in total offense — down from second in both categories in 2022 — and third in DVOA during its Dorsey-Brady season.

Josh Allen has vouched for Brady, with The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia offering that several Bills offensive players have done the same (subscription required). While Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott said they were not ready to discuss the staff, each praised Brady for his performance back in a coordinator role. Brady, 34, also received his first HC interview request (from the Falcons) since 2021.

Brady, 34, joined Matt Rhule‘s Panthers staff in 2020, helping Teddy Bridgewater to what remains the best Carolina QB season since injuries brought down Cam Newton beginning in 2018. But Rhule fired Brady during the 2021 campaign. The Bills hired the former LSU pass-game coordinator in 2022, bringing him aboard as QBs coach.

Brian Daboll‘s 2022 exit has impacted the Bills, who employed the current Giants HC as their play-caller for four seasons. It will be interesting to see if more names enter this search, but Buscaglia labels Brady the favorite. Giving Brady a full offseason to work in this capacity would make sense, given the recent turnover at this position. Then again, the Bills lost a home divisional-round game for the second straight year. That naturally warrants an examination into where the team stands on both sides of the ball.

Falcons, Commanders Request Second HC Interviews With Lions’ Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn

January 23rd, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

12:13pm: Joining the Falcons in expressing considerable interest in Detroit’s coordinators, Washington will also schedule second interviews with Glenn and Johnson, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. These meetings are set to take place in Detroit next week. Teams cannot interview staffers attached to the four conference championship-bound teams this week, injecting a hiccup into these assistants’ timetables on the HC carousel.

A second Commanders-Johnson summit has long been expected. Josh Harris‘ club has been high on the two-year OC for a bit now. The Panthers remain interested in Johnson, however, as they have been tied to the North Carolina native for some time. While Glenn was believed to be in the mix for the Titans’ HC job, the AFC South team has since hired Brian Callahan.

11:05am: The Falcons continue to cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach. Atlanta has requested a second interview with Lions offensive and defensive coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reports.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Both interviews will take place in person, but the team will need to wait for them to take place. With the Lions having advanced to the NFC championship game, neither Johnson nor Glenn are permitted to meet with prospective teams until next week. The Falcons do have a number of other interviews to get through in the coming days, however.

For some time now, Bill Belichick has been the name most frequently linked to Atlanta’s vacancy. A recent report indicated the position is open for the six-time Super Bowl winner if he desires it, and Belichick has already interviewed twice. The Falcons are believed to be eyeing head coaching experience – a departure from owner Arthur Blank‘s previous hires – something which would lend itself to candidates such as Belichick and Jim Harbaugh.

Nevertheless, it comes as little surprise that Johnson in particular continues to receive significant interest. The 37-year-old was a top HC candidate last year despite his age and lack of experience as a play-caller. He has only two years under his belt in the latter department, but his success with Detroit’s offense has made him one of the top staffers available. Johnson is believed to be the top target for the Panthers and Commanders.

Glenn has also been one of the most popular staffers in the 2024 cycle. He has met once with the Falcons, but also the Chargers, Titans and Commanders. This follow-up with the Falcons will mark the first time this year that he interviews for a second time, however. Glenn has routinely drawn praise from Lions head coach Dan Campbell, and Detroit did manage its best showing to date with him at the helm (including a second-place ranking against the run) this season.

The Falcons have a number of notable options to choose from, but a dark horse candidate could be Bills OC Joe Brady. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that Brady is a name worth watching in the event a more established coach like Belichick or Harbaugh does not land the Atlanta gig. The 34-year-old had a two-year OC stint with the Panthers before joining the Bills’ staff last year. He replaced Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 campaign, and the team’s success down the stretch could make him a logical candidate to be retained on a full-time basis. Brady was, as Breer notes, though, the runner-up to Arthur Smith when the latter was hired.

Here is an updated look at the Falcons’ search:

Falcons Request Joe Brady HC Interview

January 19th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Brady‘s two months as the Bills’ interim offensive coordinator have landed him back on the head coaching radar. The Buffalo assistant received a request from the Falcons regarding their HC position, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

In his second season with the Bills, Brady has not interviewed for an NFL HC job since 2021. That offseason brought a host of interviews for the former Panthers OC. The Eagles, Chargers, Jets, Texans and Falcons met with Brady about HC vacancies. After firing the coach they hired during that cycle (Arthur Smith), the Falcons want to check in on Brady once again.

The Bills hired Brady, 34, as quarterbacks coach in 2022, doing so after they promoted Ken Dorsey to OC to replace Brian Daboll. Dorsey’s stretch did produce impressive statistics, and the Bills went 13-3 last season — one that saw a game removed from their schedule following Damar Hamlin‘s life-threatening injury. But Buffalo flamed out in the divisional round and began this season making mistakes that pushed this year’s team to the wild-card fringe. This led to the Bills firing Dorsey and promoting Brady in November.

While the offensive statistics have not spiked under Brady, the Bills are 6-1 in his OC tenure — with the loss featuring Josh Allen accounting for 420 yards against the Eagles. The team has also leaned more on James Cook, who finished with 1,567 scrimmage yards — the most by a Buffalo running back since LeSean McCoy in 2017.

A former pass-game coordinator with LSU’s unbeaten 2019 national championship team, Brady spent two seasons as Panthers OC before being fired during the 2021 campaign.

The Falcons have already gone far down the road with Bill Belichick. The NFL’s second-winningest coach is meeting with team brass this weekend, making it possible the team will not get to all of its interviews requested. Courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how Atlanta’s candidate list looks as of Friday afternoon:

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