Bills Add John Fox To Coaching Staff
A little over two weeks after promoting Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach, the Bills announced their 2026 staff on Friday. While most of the staff was previously reported, the hiring of John Fox as a senior assistant counts as the most interesting new development from Buffalo’s announcement.
Fox last worked as a senior defensive assistant in Detroit in 2023. He’ll now return to coaching after a two-year layoff.
An NFL coach since 1989, Fox is best known for his HC tenures with the Panthers (2002-10), Broncos (2011-14) and Bears (2015-17). Fox combined for a 133-123 record in the regular season and an 8-7 mark in the playoffs. He guided the Panthers and Broncos to one Super Bowl appearance apiece, but his teams went 0-2 in those games.
Fox had his most success in Denver, where he posted an excellent 46-18 record in the regular season. However, the Broncos’ inability to finish the job in the playoffs when Peyton Manning was still playing at an otherworldly level led the team to go in another direction in January 2015.
Eleven years later, Fox will provide an experienced aide for Brady, a rookie head coach. Like Fox’s run with the Broncos, former Bills head coach Sean McDermott couldn’t get over the playoff hump despite benefiting from a superstar QB (Josh Allen). After the Bills lost to the Broncos in last month’s divisional round, owner Terry Pegula decided the team had “hit a playoff wall” under McDermott.
Although McDermott coached the Bills to eight playoff appearances in nine years and an overall 106-58 record, he went a Fox-like 8-8 in the postseason. The Bills never got past the AFC title game during his tenure.
Brady will retain several of McDermott’s former assistants, including tight ends coach Rob Boras. In his 10th season with the Bills, Boras will add run-game coordinator to his responsibilities. In further adjustments from Brady, Joe Danna will shift from safeties coach to secondary coach; Jason Rebrovich will go from assistant defensive line coach to senior defensive assistant; and Kyle Shurmur will jump from quality control to assistant QBs coach.
Bills Hire DL Coach Terrance Jamison
The Bills are set to hire Illinois co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Terrance Jamison as their DL coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Jamison will replace Marcus West, who joined the Buccaneers in the same role last week.
Like new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, Jamison played college football at Wisconsin. Their careers with the Badgers didn’t overlap, but they were on the Illinois coaching staff together in 2023. Leonhard left after one season to join the Broncos’ staff.
An assistant at a handful of colleges since 2008, Jamison coached Bengals star pass rusher and soon-to-be free agent Trey Hendrickson at Florida Atlantic from 2014-16.
More recently, Jamison spent the past half-decade at Illinois. The 38-year-old helped develop defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, now with the Commanders, into a 2024 second-round pick. Jamison also assisted with edge rusher Gabe Jacas‘ 11-sack effort in 2025. After earning first-team All-Big Ten honors, Jacas could come off the board sometime in the first few rounds of April’s draft.
Now heading to Buffalo for his first job in the pros, Jamison will work on a staff that will likely implement a 3-4 base defense in 2026. The Bills ran a four-man front under former head coach Sean McDermott and ex-defensive coordinator Bobby Babich.
Jamison stands to inherit linemen Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders, though it’s not yet clear if Leonhard regards all of those players as fits for his scheme. Meanwhile, after combining for upward of 1,400 snaps in 2025, Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa and DaQuan Jones are scheduled to reach the open market in March. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see all three walk in free agency.
Elsewhere on the Bills’ staff, rookie head coach Joe Brady will retain several of McDermott’s former assistants, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Kelly Skipper (running backs), Rob Boras (tight ends), Austin Gund (assistant offensive line), DJ Mangas (quality control/assistant wide receivers coach), Mark Lubick (passing game specialist/game management) and Kyle Shurmur (offensive quality control) will return in 2026. Brady, the Bills’ offensive coordinator before they promoted him to replace McDermott, is already familiar with all of those coaches.
Bills Name Rob Boras Tight Ends Coach
The Bills have hired ex-Rams offensive coordinator Rob Boras to serve as their tight ends coach, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com was among those to report.
Boras, 46, was atop the Rams’ offense the past two seasons. The unit was woeful in each of those years, ranking 29th in DVOA in 2015 and dead last in 2016. The Rams also finished this season 32nd in both yardage (262.7 per game – nearly 50 fewer than the 31st-place offense) and scoring (14.0 PPG). As a result, Boras’ career as a coordinator is over for at least the time being. He previously worked as a tight ends coach with the Bears, Jaguars and Rams, and will now return to that role.
It’s not yet known whose offensive staff Boras will be a member of in Buffalo. New head coach Sean McDermott hasn’t named a coordinator, but signs are pointing to Greg Olson landing the job. He’s also a previous Rams and Jags assistant, though his stints with those teams did not coincide with Boras’.
West Notes: Kelly, Rams, Broncos, Talib, Wolfe
In the midst of a dreadful season, 49ers coach Chip Kelly says he hasn’t discussed his future with team brass.
“No,” Kelly said, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “We haven’t had any conversations about that at all. About anybody’s job security.”
After losing 30-17 to New England, the Niners are now 1-9 and their nine-game losing streak ties a 38-year-old franchise worst. Still, Kelly is in his first year with the team and he did not inherit a great roster. It would be a bit surprising if Kelly was jettisoned so soon, but then again, coaches are often on a short leash in the NFL.
Here’s more from the West divisions:
- In the middle of the 2015 season, the Rams canned Frank Cignetti and installed Rob Boras as the team’s offensive coordinator. Will they make a similar move this year? “Not given it any consideration,” Fisher said (link via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). “I did that last year. I have confidence in Rob and the offense has confidence in Rob. And the offense right now knows they’re not doing what they should be doing.” The Rams currently rank 31st in total offense, 28th in passing, and 29th in rushing.
- The Broncos expect to have cornerback Aqib Talib and defensive end Derek Wolfe back for Sunday night’s game against Kansas City, as Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com writes. Talib has missed three games with a back injury and Wolfe was absent in Week 10 as he dealt with an elbow issue.
- The Chiefs worked out long snappers Thomas Gafford and Clint Gresham, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
Rams To Retain Rob Boras As OC
JANUARY 25: The Rams have hired former Bears assistant Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas notes that the addition means that Boras will return as the club’s offensive coordinator for 2016.
JANUARY 15: The Rams are expected to name Rob Boras their full-time offensive coordinator, though the move is not yet official, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, in addition to weighing their OC options, the Rams are interviewing potential passing-game coordinators.
[RELATED: Rams request interview with Browns OC John DeFilippo]
Boras took over as the Rams’ interim offensive coordinator with about a month left in the season, when the team parted ways with Frank Cignetti. Boras received consideration for the job before Cingetti was promoted last winter, but ultimately lost the competition — however, he received a new assistant head coach title at the time, and was in charge of the running game in addition to coaching the team’s tight ends.
Although the Rams finished with the league’s worst offense in terms of yards per game (297.6), the club showed marginal improvement during the last four games of the year under Boras. Additionally, buoyed by standout rookie Todd Gurley, the team averaged 122.3 rushing yards per contest, which was good for seventh in the NFL. So there’s some hope that the club could increase its offensive production if it gets its quarterback position stabilized.
While Boras appears to be the frontrunner for the offensive coordinator job in Los Angeles, the Rams also sat down with Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo earlier this week. It’s not clear yet whether DeFilippo will remain in Cleveland or explore taking a position with the Rams or another club.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Request To Interview Browns OC John DeFilippo
The Rams have put in a request to interview Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). His work with a variety of quarterbacks was noticed by St. Louis, even though he hasn’t had the easiest hand dealt to him in Cleveland in that regard. 
[RELATED: 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
DeFilippo guided the Browns offense this season and had mixed results with an unusual cast of players. Of course, much of the attention on the Browns was centered on quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has had a number of run-ins with alcohol after spending last offseason in rehab. Even after Johnny Football was benched mid-season, DeFilippo expressed confidence that the Texas A&M product could turn things around.
“I like what I’ve seen,” said DeFilippo. “I really do. Even the jump he made from the Cincinnati game to the Pittsburgh game was a huge jump. I think we’d all agree on that. I think Johnny has played enough football where we know what we have in him.”
Now, DeFilippo will get a crack at the Rams’ OC job, if Cleveland allows him to interview. Rams interim OC Rob Boras will reportedly also get a chance to take the permanent job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Rams, Eagles, Titans, Tomsula
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, but there may be changes coming to his coaching staff in the coming weeks, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. A year ago, St. Louis was one of the last teams to make a change at offensive coordinator, and it doesn’t sound like Fisher is in a hurry to finalize changes this year either.
“We’ll start the evaluation process,” Fisher said. “Go back and we’ll discuss our restricted free agents, our unrestricted free agents and prioritize things from a coaching perspective. Then, we’ll get the ball rolling as far as the self-scouting and things like that. Separately from them, I’ll be dealing with when and if there’s going to be and potential staff changes.”
Rob Boras took over as the Rams’ interim offensive coordinator late in the season, and is a candidate to keep the job, but Fisher remains undecided on that position. As we wait to see which direction the team goes, let’s check in on a few more coaching-related notes from around the NFL…
- Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is on the Eagles‘ radar for a head coaching interview, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Koetter has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Dolphins’ head coaching vacancy.
- The Titans have yet to request permission to interview any of the “hot” head coaching candidates, sources tell Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Presumably, McCormick is referring to coordinators like Adam Gase, Teryl Austin, and Hue Jackson, among others. It seems that the club may be prioritizing its search for a general manager before seriously pursuing any head coaching candidates.
- After having been fired by the 49ers, Jim Tomsula should have plenty of opportunities around the NFL as either a defensive line coach or defensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who tweets that calls are “already coming in” for Tomsula.
- The Colts didn’t attempt to make a run at Alabama head coach Nick Saban before agreeing to an extension with Chuck Pagano, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that none of the current job openings are really an ideal fit for Saban, so rumors of his return to the NFL may be postponed for another year.
- Asked during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio if any of this year’s head coaching openings appeal to him, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher once again dismissed the idea of returning to the NFL (Twitter link). “I tell people all the time, I had the best job in football [and] I stepped down from it” Cowher said. “I’m very comfortable working at CBS right now.”
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Mangini, Rams
The 49ers have not interviewed any candidates yet nor scheduled any, GM Trent Baalke told reporters, including Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter). He added that there are no in-house candidates at this time which is interesting given the presence of defensive coordinator Eric Mangini. Geep Chryst, the team’s offensive coordinator, has had head coaching buzz in the past, but his stock isn’t terribly high after a dismal 2015 season in San Francisco.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- While keeping option open at the position, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said that quarterback Case Keenum will enter the 2016 season as the starter at quarterback, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
- Fisher also said that team intends to bring in competition for kicker Greg Zuerlein, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. Zuerlein is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
- Fisher liked the job Rob Boras did as offensive coordinator, but has not made a decision yet on whether Boras will keep the job, Thomas tweets. Fisher indicated that there could be coaching staff changes made this offseason.
- In addition to offensive coordinator Frank Reich, the Chargers announced that offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris, wide receiver coach Fred Graves, defensive line coach Don Johnson, and tight end coach Pete Metzelaars have been let go.
Rams Fire OC Frank Cignetti
The Rams have become the latest team to fire an offensive coordinator, announcing today that they’ve parted ways with OC Frank Cignetti (Twitter link via Myles Simmons of STLouisRams.com). St. Louis is the fourth NFL club to fire its offensive coordinator this season, joining the Colts, Dolphins, and Lions.
According to the team, assistant head coach and tight ends coach Rob Boras will take over as offensive coordinator for the rest of the season. Boras received consideration for the job before Cingetti was promoted last winter, but ultimately lost the competition — however, he received a new assistant head coach title at the time, and was in charge of the running game in addition to coaching the team’s tight ends.
Cignetti, who replaced former Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, only lasted 12 regular season games in the role. However, the move doesn’t come as a real surprise. St. Louis has arguably had the league’s worst offense this season, even with Todd Gurley enjoying a handful of big games. Football Outsiders ranks the club dead last in offensive DVOA, with the passing offense – led by Nick Foles and Case Keenum – grading well below that of any other team in he league.
After Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, head coach Jeff Fisher admitted that he was “almost out of answers” for how to solve the Rams’ offensive problems. Boras will be tasked with providing some answers in the next four weeks, but if the unit doesn’t show any improvement, both he and Fisher may be at risk of losing their jobs in January.
Rams Promote Frank Cignetti To OC
FEBRUARY 12: The Rams have finally made it official, announcing today in a press release that Cignetti will be the team’s new offensive coordinator and play-caller. Boras will lead the running game, in addition to coaching the tight ends, and receives a new assistant head coach title.
FEBRUARY 5: The Rams are expected to promote quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti to offensive coordinator, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). A formal announcement should come sometime next week.
The Rams have been searching for a new offensive coordinator ever since Brian Schottenheimer left the team to work at the University of Georgia. The Rams looked at out-of-house candidates for some time, but they ultimately circled back to Cignetti. St. Louis had interest in candidates such as Adam Gase and Rob Chudzinski and they appeared to be closing in on former Bills OC Nathaniel Hackett before he landed with the Jaguars.
Cignetti’s first NFL experience came in 1999 when he served as a quality control coach for the Chiefs. Since then, he has held several offensive coordinator positions at the collegiate level and jobs as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL. The Rams officially hired Cignetti to be their quarterbacks coach almost three years ago to this date.
The Rams also considered tight ends coach Rob Boras as an internal candidate for the opening.