Chargers To Interview Matt Eberflus
Make it three teams for Matt Eberflus. The Chargers plan to interview Colts defensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
[RELATED: Jets, Texans To Interview Eberflus]
Eberflus has also drawn the attention of the Jets and Texans, signaling that he could be poised to climb the ladder. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is also on the Bolts’ radar; ditto for Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
There’s some belief that the Chargers will look for an offensive-minded coach to groom quarterback Justin Herbert and deviate from the previous administration, but Eberflus comes with credentials. When he arrived in Indy (originally as the chosen lieutenant of Josh McDaniels), the Colts had one of the league’s worst defenses. They’ve made strides with Eberflus, managing to rank eighth in total defense in 2020. If the wheels didn’t come off towards the end of the year, they would have placed even higher.
Eberflus has been eyeing a head coaching opportunity for some time now, and the Chargers job could give him a chance to make an immediate mark in the league. The Bolts were a sub-.500 team in 2020, but they easily could have been a playoff team with a healthy roster and fewer managerial mistakes.
Chargers Request Eric Bieniemy Interview
The Chargers have requested permission to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for their head coaching job, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Lions, Falcons, and Jets are also expected to chat with Bieniemy, who profiles as one of the hottest candidates in this cycle.
The former running back spent four years with the Chargers back in the day and was even with the club for their early 90s Super Bowl trip. These days, he’s known as the mastermind behind one of the game’s most electric offenses. The Chargers are looking for someone to develop Justin Herbert into an elite quarterback, and Bieniemy has been widely credited for Patrick Mahomes‘ success.
In 2020, Bieniemy met with the Browns, Giants, and Panthers about their head coaching vacancies. Last year, he chatted with the Bucs and Dolphins. He didn’t land a HC job either time, but it would be a shock to see him passed over in 2021.
After a losing year full of near-victories, the Chargers are set to pick No. 13 overall in the spring.
Chargers Request Jason Garrett Interview
The Chargers have requested an interview with Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former Cowboys head coach would be one of several candidates to interview after the firing of Anthony Lynn. 
[RELATED: Chargers To Meet With Arthur Smith]
Garrett posted a regular season record of 85-67 for the Cowboys across nine seasons. Although they came up short in the playoffs, Garrett remains a highly-respected offensive mind. He also played quarterback in the league for nearly 15 years, making him a solid choice to develop youngster Justin Herbert. Of course, this past year wasn’t a banner season for the Giants, but there’s plenty of blame to go around in Northern New Jersey.
The Chargers will also look to interview Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Daboll is also being targeted by the Jets, who got an up-close look at Josh Allen‘s transformation in 2020.
So far, the Chargers have put at least three candidates on their HC list in Garrett, Daboll, and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. It’s worth noting that the competition for Smith will be fierce — all six teams with openings have asked to meet with the 38-year-old.
All 6 Teams With HC Openings To Interview Titans OC Arthur Smith
Well it wouldn’t really be possible for Arthur Smith to be in higher demand right now. All six teams with head coach vacancies either already have or will request to interview the Titans offensive coordinator, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Those six teams, of course, are the Chargers, Jets, Jaguars, Lions, Falcons, and Texans. The Jags and Texans are both in the same division as Smith. Teams can’t prevent an assistant from interviewing for a promotion to head coach, so Smith can make the rounds if he so chooses. Still only 38, Smith has seen his stock take a meteoric rise in league circles the past couple of seasons even though just two years ago he was a tight ends coach who had never called plays before.
Smith joined the Titans as a quality control coach in 2011, and was so highly regarded within the building that he was able to survive multiple head coach regimes. After Matt LaFleur was hired to be the Packers head coach after the 2018 season, Mike Vrabel promoted Smith to offensive coordinator, and the rest is history.
Ryan Tannehill has had a sudden resurgence to become one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks under Smith’s tutelage, and the running game led by Derrick Henry has been unstoppable at times. Whether it’s this year or not, it seems like only a matter of time before Smith lands a head coaching gig and becomes the next young offensive mind to lead a team alongside the likes of Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and LaFleur.
2021 NFL Draft Order
The 2020 regular season is in the books. For more than half of the NFL, that means the offseason is officially underway.
The league’s 18 non-playoff teams now know where they stand in the 2021 NFL Draft order. For the remaining clubs, the playoffs will help determine their position. Here’s the rundown of the 2021 NFL Draft order, thus far:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinatti Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
Chargers Fire Anthony Lynn
The Chargers and Anthony Lynn are parting ways. On Monday morning, the Chargers formally announced that their head coach has been relieved of his duties. 
The Chargers had a great deal of respect for Lynn and they were reportedly 50/50 on whether to keep him. But, after huddling up on Monday, Bolts brass decided to move on.
Lynn went 9-7 his first year as the Chargers’ head coach, followed by a 12-4 showing and a playoff win in Year Two. Things took a turn after that, however. The Chargers went just 5-11 last season and 7-9 in 2020, losing a mind-boggling amount of close games both times. The slide continued this year, thanks in part to some in-game blunders by Lynn. The Chargers rallied a bit after getting bumped from playoff contention, but it wasn’t enough to save Lynn’s job.
The Chargers job should hold lots of appeal, and not just because they’re in sunny Los Angeles. Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert has been a revelation. Herbert, 22, set the rookie record for passing touchdowns while posting the second-highest total in passing yards. There’s also ample cap room, plus skill position and defensive talent. That includes All-Pro safety Derwin James, who is set to return after losing the 2020 season to injury.
Latest On Chargers, Anthony Lynn
As the regular season winds down, we’ve got a pretty good sense of what’s going to happen with all the coaching decisions. One of the only things still truly up in the air is the status of Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn. Apparently no decision has been made, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network says that’ll be the case until Los Angeles brass gets together on Monday (Twitter video link).
To that end, Lynn is the “biggest wild card” of the coaching carousel, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Fowler adds that people he’s talked to around the league believe it’s 50/50 as to whether Lynn gets brought back for a fifth season. There are apparently slight differences of opinion here, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said during a Sunday morning TV hit that he believes Lynn will likely be a goner after Monday’s meeting (Twitter video link).
Lynn went 9-7 his first year and then 12-4 the following season, winning a playoff game, but things collapsed quickly after that. The Chargers went just 5-11 last season and 7-9 in 2020, losing a mind-boggling amount of close games both times. It looked in the middle of the season like Lynn was a lame-duck as he made a series of in-game blunders and the Chargers stood at 3-9.
But the team rallied right after getting eliminated from playoff contention, winning four straight and potentially saving Lynn’s job in the process. Justin Herbert has been a revelation in his rookie season, but the coaching has often been questionable to put it kindly.
If the gig were to open up it would look very attractive on paper, as Herbert looks like a star in the making while there’s a ton of talent at the skill positions and on defense. All-Pro safety Derwin James missed the entire 2020 campaign but should be returning to play at an elite level in 2021. We’ll know more about Lynn’s fate tomorrow.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Christian Kirk
- Promoted: DL Stacy McGee, LB Terrance Smith, CB Jace Whittaker
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Chris Rowland, WR Devin Gray, TE Jared Pinkney
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Nate Brooks, QB Tyler Huntley
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Tyler Kroft; Kroft contracted the coronavirus
- Promoted: TE Nate Becker, CB Dane Jackson, DE Mike Love, RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: LB Clay Johnston, T Aaron Monteiro, QB Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DB Xavier Crawford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: LB Keandre Jones, DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Winston Rose
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
- Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DB Steven Parker
- Promoted: DT Walter Palmore, T William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: WR K.J. Hamler
- Promoted: LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DT Danny Shelton
- Promoted: C Evan Brown, DT Albert Huggins, S Bobby Price
- Waived: DL Frank Herron
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: David Bakhtiari (story)
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, DL Brian Price
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Greg Mancz, WR Steven Mitchell
- Placed on IR: OL Brent Qvale
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: S Ibraheim Campbell, T Jared Veldheer
- Activated from IR: TE Noah Togiai
- Waived: WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: WR Collin Johnson
- Promoted: WR Terry Godwin, OL Tre’vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: S Jeff Heath
- Promoted: LB James Onwualu, OL Erik Magnuson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DB John Brannon
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: QB Bryce Perkins
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley, WR Marcus Kemp, QB Reid Sinnett
- Waived: FB Chandler Cox
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, Cordrea Tankersley, DE Eddie Yarbrough
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Damien Harris
- Promoted: TE/DL Rashod Berry, CB Michael Jackson, LB Cassh Maluia, OL Ross Reynolds, CB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB Michael Burton, RB Latavius Murray, S D.J. Swearinger, RB Dwayne Washington; Murray and Washington are close contacts of COVID-positive Alvin Kamara (story)
- Promoted: LB Andrew Dowell, TE Garrett Griffin, CB Grant Haley, LB Chase Hansen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, RB Tony Jones Jr., WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Kyler Fackrell, CB Madre Harper
- Promoted: P Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: FB Elijhaa Penny
- Waived: QB/WR Joe Webb
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: G Greg Van Roten
- Waived: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, LB Brady Sheldon, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, DE Joe Ostman, T Prince Tega Wanogho
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Eric Ebron, LB Cassius Marsh
- Promoted: WR Deon Cain, T Anthony Coyle, TE Kevin Rader, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: G Tom Compton
- Promoted: DT Josiah Coatney, WR Jordan Matthews, K Tristan Vizcaino, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Flowers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damarious Randall, T Brandon Shell
- Promoted: G Alex Boone, RB Alex Collins, WR Penny Hart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller, DL Benning Potoa’e
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, K Sam Sloman
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Dontrelle Inman
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/21
Here are the minor moves from New Year’s Day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: DB Terrell Bonds
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR John Brown
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Justin Hamilton, S Darian Thompson; Thompson tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Erik Harris
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: CB Casey Hayward, LB Malik Jefferson
- Promoted: LB Cole Christiansen, DE Joe Gaziano, TE Matt Sokol, S Jaylen Watkins
New England Patriots
- Promoted: CB Dee Virgin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: TE Jason Croom, LB Rashad Smith
- Placed on IR: LB Shaun Bradley, LB Duke Riley
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: T Trent Williams, DL Jordan Willis; Williams suffered an elbow injury that was set to keep him out of Week 17
- Promoted: DE Alex Barrett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: LB Jack Cichy
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Steve McLendon
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/20
Here are the minor moves from 2020’s final day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chris Banjo
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: C Alex Mack
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: P Johnny Townsend
- Activated from IR: DB Terrell Bonds
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: C B.J. Finney
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: TE Jake Butt
- Placed on IR: DL Shelby Harris
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: DL Anthony Rush
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Logan Cooke
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Keenan Allen
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Kirk Merritt, QB Jake Rudock
- Placed on IR: LB Elandon Roberts
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: DE Tashawn Bower, LB Josh Uche
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jalen Mills