49ers OL Trent Williams Considering Retirement?
Eyeing his 14th professional season, 49ers offensive lineman Trent Williams is considering hanging up his cleats. Following another deep playoff run that ended in disappointment, the 49ers All-Pro offensive lineman admitted that he’s contemplating retirement.
“It’s a long season,” Williams said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “And having two long seasons back-to-back, it does get pretty grueling for a 34-year-old guy like myself. I’ll be 35 when the (2023) season starts. You do kind of think about what’s life like after football. I’ve done this every year of my life since the second grade.
“You do get to that age, especially at the end the year like this, as exhausting as it was. And still not getting quite where you want to be. I get it. You get to that age, But, honestly, I’m just taking it one day at time and we’ll see how that goes going forward.”
Williams hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. This past season, he earned his second-straight first-team All-Pro nod and his third-straight Pro Bowl appearance. While he told Branch that he’s still able to generate hype for playoff games, he acknowledged that the monotony of the regular season is starting to get tiresome. When asked about the lineman’s comments, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan opined that Williams was simply reflecting on the season vs. seriously contemplating retirement.
“If everyone had to do a press conference and talk for a while after these games, I’m sure we’d say a lot of things that didn’t tell you guys exactly everything that’s going to happen for the next eight months, but I didn’t read his words as that’s a big thing for him,” Shanahan said (via Jacob Hutchinson of KNBR.com). “I know Trent loves football. I know it’s very hard at his age, in any situation, to do what you do for that long and come up short, but I’d be really surprised if Trent wasn’t fired up in a few weeks.”
Williams has plenty of financial incentive to stick around the NFL. He inked a six-year, $138MM deal with San Francisco in 2021 and is set to earn close to $40MM in base salary over the next two years.
The offensive lineman isn’t the only 49ers veteran who’s discussing his NFL future. However, unlike Williams, kicker Robbie Gould is making it clear that he wants to stick around.
“I’m nowhere near retiring,” Gould said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on Twitter). “I got a lot left to do from a career perspective–No. 1 being winning a Super Bowl. And, two, I’m pretty close to a lot of milestones I think would be pretty neat to be able to accomplish.”
The 40-year-old kicker has spent the past six seasons in San Francisco, connecting on 87.5 percent of his field goal attempts. Gould connected on 27 of his 32 field goal attempts this past season while also setting a career-high with 50 extra point makes. A strong 2023 season could put Gould in the top-five on the all-time field goals list.
Coaching Notes: Fangio, Kocurek, Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, Gray, Lions, Bills, Bears
The 49ers showed interest in Vic Fangio, joining almost every other DC-seeking team. But Fangio’s former team did not have the chance to bring him back in for an interview; Fangio finally committed to the Dolphins on Thursday morning. The 49ers were interested in a Fangio reunion, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes, and 9News’ Mike Klis adds Fangio was also intrigued by coming back to San Francisco. The 49ers’ usage of a 4-3 scheme throughout Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure would not have been a major issue regarding a reunion with the 3-4 guru, Branch adds. That would make sense, as the 4-3/3-4 divide is not nearly as big an issue — thanks to sub-packages’ rise — as it was several years ago.
San Francisco remains on the hunt for a DeMeco Ryans replacement, placing Steve Wilks and Chris Harris (not the cornerback) on its interview list. The 49ers also are considering promoting defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. The well-regarded staffer has been Nick Bosa‘s position coach throughout the All-Pro’s career and has fostered development from others as well. Ryans, meanwhile, is interested in bringing Kocurek to Houston as his DC.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
- Some recently dismissed assistants may be on the Broncos‘ radar. Ex-Sean Payton staffers Joe Lombardi, Kris Richard and Dan Roushar are in the mix for Broncos gigs under their new coach, Klis notes. Lombardi worked on Payton’s Saints staff for 11 years, the final five as QBs coach, but lost his Chargers OC gig recently. The Saints parted ways with both Richard and Roushar recently. The ex-Seahawks DC was in New Orleans for just one season (2021) under Payton, while Roushar had been on the Saints’ staff for the past 10 years. Richard may be in the running for Denver’s DC post, though Klis adds the Ejiro Evero-Payton talks began Wednesday night. The parties continued discussions today. Evero, who is under contract, staying on staff and leaving for a head coaching job in 2024 would net the Broncos two third-round picks.
- The Falcons brought in former DC Jerry Gray as an assistant head coach. Gray, 60, spent the past two years as the Packers’ secondary coach but worked with Arthur Smith in Tennessee. Smith and Gray were both Titans staffers in the early 2010s, when the latter was Tennessee’s DC. The Falcons hired Ryan Nielsen as their defensive boss last week, but Gray will be a key assistant. Green Bay let Gray’s contract expire, with ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noting (via Twitter) Gray and DC Joe Barry were not on the same page.
- Once again, the Dolphins will look for a new offensive line coach. Miami fired Matt Applebaum after one season, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes (Twitter link). Mike McDaniel‘s next hire will be the Dolphins’ eighth O-line coach in nine seasons. Applebaum, 39, joined McDaniel’s staff in 2022 after spending his previous coaching years in the college ranks.
- The Lions added two fairly recent NFLers to their staff. They brought in Dre’ Bly and Steve Heiden to coach cornerbacks and tight ends, respectively. Bly, who played for the Lions from 2003-06 and made two Pro Bowls with the team, has not coached in the NFL previously. He spent the past four seasons coaching cornerbacks at North Carolina, his alma mater. Heiden will come over from the Cardinals, who employed the ex-NFL tight end as their tight ends coach throughout Kliff Kingsbury‘s tenure. The ex-Cardinal had been on Arizona’s staff for 10 years.
- Acting quickly after making a change late last week, the Bills filled their safety coach role by hiring Joe Danna. Working under Lovie Smith with the Texans this season, Danna was in Jacksonville under Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer for the previous five yeras.
- After the Falcons hired Nielsen, they fired Jon Hoke. But the veteran position coach will land in Chicago. The Bears hired Hoke as their cornerbacks coach and passing-game coordinator. This is a reunion for Hoke, who coached Bears DBs for six seasons (2009-14) previously. The team also promoted Omar Young from the quality control level to assistant QBs and wide receivers coach. Young is a 14-year coaching veteran who spent time with OC Luke Getsy in Green Bay.
2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Earlier this week, the NFL revealed its 2023 salary cap. Teams can now budget for their offseasons, knowing a $224.8MM ceiling is in place. This year’s nonexclusive franchise and transition tag numbers also emerged, giving teams more clarity on those fronts as well. With that in mind, here is where every team stands in terms of cap space:
- Chicago Bears: $90.91MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $56.42MM
- New York Giants: $44.28MM
- Houston Texans: $37.56MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $35.55MM
- New England Patriots: $32.71MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $31.04MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $26.87MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $19.78MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $14.47MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $13.96MM
- Detroit Lions: $13.83MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $12.59MM
- Denver Broncos: $9.07MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $8.28MM
- Washington Commanders: $8.24MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $4.24MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.03MM
- New York Jets: $1.31MM over the cap
- Dallas Cowboys: $7.18MM over
- Carolina Panthers: $8.94MM over
- Los Angeles Rams: $14.19MM over
- Cleveland Browns: $14.64MM over
- Miami Dolphins: $16.45MM over
- Green Bay Packers: $16.48MM over
- Buffalo Bills: $17.88MM over
- Los Angeles Chargers: $20.38MM over
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $22.35MM over
- Minnesota Vikings: $23.43MM over
- Tennessee Titans: $23.67MM over
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $55.03MM over
- New Orleans Saints: $60.47MM over
These figures (courtesy of OverTheCap) will change dramatically in the coming weeks, but this is where each team stands ahead of Super Bowl LVII. After that point, cap-casualty cuts can begin taking place. Restructures, extensions and trades will commence as well, with the Saints of recent years doing well to prove there are a few roads to cap compliance.
While New Orleans is in its usual February place, the team actually was further over the 2021 and ’22 caps at this point on the NFL calendar. Using void years to load up its roster during Tom Brady‘s three-year stay, Tampa Bay has seen much of that bill come due. If Brady does not re-sign a procedural deal, which would allow for the Buccaneers to spread out his dead money, the team will be hit with a $35.1MM dead-cap charge this year.
The Browns led the league by a wide margin in cap carryover from 2022, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cleveland carried over $27.6MM in cap space. The Browns paced the league in cap space throughout the 2022 season, bracing for the Deshaun Watson contract’s spike. As of now, Watson’s cap figure will balloon from $9.4MM to $54.9MM. No NFL player has ever played a season on a cap number higher than $45MM.
The Panthers, Broncos, Bears and Raiders rounded out the top five in carryover dollars, ranging from $10.8MM to $6.7MM. Chicago ate considerable dead money via the Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn trades. The rebuilding team is still paying most of Quinn’s salary, doing so in order to secure a better draft pick from the Eagles. The Bears will have quite the opportunity to bolster their roster in Ryan Poles‘ second year in charge, leading the league by a massive margin and holding the No. 1 overall pick. The Falcons still have $12MM-plus in Deion Jones dead money on their 2023 payroll, but the team is rid of Matt Ryan‘s record-setting dead-cap hit ($40MM).
Baltimore will have a major decision to make in the coming weeks. GM Eric DeCosta said he has not decided if the team will place the exclusive or nonexclusive tag on Lamar Jackson. Even the nonexclusive number — $32.42MM — will dramatically change the Ravens’ budget ahead of free agency. The exclusive tag, which prevents other teams from submitting an offer sheet to Jackson, is expected to come in just north of $45MM.
49ers Do Not Expect To Re-Sign Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy Garoppolo went from a player the 49ers openly insisted was on the trade block to one who became the team’s primary starter this season. Just before Garoppolo’s latest injury, the 49ers had moved to a point they were ready to discuss another contract with the veteran passer.
Brock Purdy‘s emergence changed the team’s plans. Despite Purdy suffering a torn UCL that is expected to sideline him for at least six months, Kyle Shanahan said he does not expect Garoppolo back. The seventh-year 49ers coach said he does not see “any scenario” in which Garoppolo is part of next year’s team, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch (on Twitter).
Garoppolo is set for free agency in March, but the other two 49ers quarterbacks are dealing with injuries at present. Purdy will almost certainly miss the team’s offseason program, and Trey Lance underwent two surgeries to repair a broken and dislocated ankle. Lance, however, said he expects to be 100% in time for OTAs, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes (video link).
With Purdy out of commission for a while and Lance coming back from a major injury, the 49ers could be in need of offseason QB help. But Shanahan does not expect the team to pursue any veterans. Both Lance and Purdy are starter-level options, Shanahan added (via Branch), and it appears the 49ers will go forward with their rookie-contract duo. Prior to Purdy’s elbow injury, he had performed at a level that was expected to give him the edge for the 2023 starting job going into training camp. Purdy’s elbow trouble reopens the door wider for Lance, who began this season as San Francisco’s starter.
Purdy has not determined a course of action yet, but GM John Lynch said (via Wagoner) the expectation is an internal brace surgery will be required. This procedure differs from Tommy John surgery, and it would be expected to sideline the seventh-round pick for around six months. Purdy would be on track to throw for a few months leading up to receiving clearance to return to action, but Sunday’s injury will certainly reshape his offseason.
Garoppolo stands to have at least one more option in free agency, as no team will be signing Tom Brady this offseason. Garoppolo’s higher-profile ex-teammate announced his retirement Wednesday, both taking him out of the equation for the 49ers — though, Shanahan did not make it sound like they would have been interested — and opening an additional chair for Garoppolo. The six-year 49ers passer was aiming to return from his foot fracture by Super Bowl LVII. Garoppolo, 31, has suffered a host of major injuries during his 49ers tenure, but as of now, he is expected to be healthy going into free agency.
The injuries — an ACL tear (2018), a high ankle sprain (2020), his shoulder procedure (2022) and now this Jones fracture — stand to affect his market. But Garoppolo will undoubtedly be linked to multiple teams ahead of free agency — the Jets are a team looking into him — as his younger 49er teammates vie for the starting job.
Latest On Texans’ Coordinator Searches
The Texans have secured their new head coach, as the organization agreed to a six-year contract with DeMeco Ryans earlier today. Now, the organization is shifting the focus to coordinators, and the Texans have already starting compiling a list of candidates for both roles.
[RELATED: Texans Hire DeMeco Ryans As HC]
It sounds like Ryans will presumably bring in his own staff, meaning incumbent offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will likely be on the outside looking in. The Texans have already started reaching out to potential candidates, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting (via Twitter) that the organization has requested an interview with 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik for the OC job. Meanwhile, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter) that the Texans have also requested permission to interview Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters for the gig.
Slowik would be a natural fit if Ryans is hoping to implement some of San Francisco’s offensive philosophies. Slowik has been with the 49ers since 2017 and actually started on the defensive side of the ball. He moved to offense in 2019, became an offensive pass game specialist in 2021, and earned the promotion to offensive passing game coordinator in 2022. The 49ers, of course, dealt with a number of injuries at quarterback this past season, but the team still got 29 passing touchdowns (vs. only eight interceptions) from Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Brock Purdy.
It’s not a huge surprise that Walters is getting a look for an offensive coordinator job. While the Bengals organization has invested plenty of resources into the receiver position, Walters has still gotten the most out of the trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. The 46-year-old coach doesn’t have much of an NFL coaching resume, but he previously served as offensive coordinator at UCF and Nebraska.
The 49ers didn’t have a defensive coordinator in 2022, with head coach Lovie Smith mostly being responsible for defensive play-calling. With Smith now out of the picture, it sounds like Ryans will be looking for someone to help guide the defense. According to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com (via Twitter), the Texans have interest in Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel for the defensive coordinator job.
Following an eight-year playing career, Manuel joined the coaching ranks as an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks in 2012. He worked his way up to become the Falcons’ defensive coordinator from 2017-18, but following a top-10 performance during his first year, Atlanta finished in the bottom five in 2018, leading to his ouster. After a one-year stint as a DBs coach with the Eagles in 2020, Manuel joined Robert Saleh‘s first Jets staff in 2021 and has served as Gang Green’s safeties coach over the past two seasons. The Jets allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game and the third-fewest passing yards per game in 2022, leading to him also garnering an interview for the Panthers’ defensive coordinator job.
The Texans also have interest in 49ers passing game specialist-secondary coach Cory Undlin for the defensive coordinator job, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Besides having worked extensively with Ryans over the past two years, Undlin has experience as a defensive coordinator, having served in the role with the Lions in 2020. Of course, that stint ended with his firing, but Undlin has seemingly rehabilitated his image following two successful seasons in San Francisco. The long-time coach won Super Bowl rings with the Patriots and Eagles, and he’s also head coaching stints with the Browns, Jaguars, and Broncos.
Undlin isn’t the only 49ers defensive coach that Ryans is considering. According to Wilson, the Texnas also have interest in 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. However, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is “expected to work to keep his staff intact” following Ryans’ move to Houston. Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets that Ryans could also recruit 49ers defensive quality control coaches Stephen Adegoke and Andrew Hayes-Stoker to Houston (but presumably not for the DC job).
49ers Eyeing Chris Harris For DC Interview
Chris Harris was reportedly heading from Washington to Tennessee, but there could be a change of plans. According to Josina Anderson (via Twitter), the 49ers are hoping to interview Harris for their defensive coordinator vacancy. They have moved forward with an interview request, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
[RELATED: Texans Hire DeMeco Ryans As HC]
After most recently serving as Washington’s defensive backs coach, we heard earlier this month that Harris was set to join the Titans as their their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. No deal was finalized, leaving the door open for Harris renege on the agreement. A promotion to defensive coordinator would obviously be an opportunity the 40-year-old couldn’t refuse, but there’s still a good chance he lands in Tennessee if things don’t work out with San Francisco.
Harris has spent the past three years with Washington, helping develop a number of defensive backs behind veterans Kendall Fuller and Bobby McCain. Washington’s defense only allowed 3,252 passing yards this past season, good for fourth in the NFL. They also allowed opposing QBs to complete only 59.9 percent of their passes, the second-best mark in the NFL. As a result, Harris became a hot name on the coaching circuit, with the Bears also making a run at him.
The 49ers are officially in the market for a new defensive coordinator after DeMeco Ryans agreed to become the new Texans head coach. We heard earlier today that the 49ers requested an interview with former Panthers interim HC Steve Wilks, and Anderson confirms that the organization is set to speak with the coach. Anderson also notes that Vic Fangio is also in contention for the gig; Fangio was reportedly heading to the Dolphins to become their defensive coordinator, but that move has yet to become official.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/31/23
Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts handed out:
Cincinnati Bengals
- TE Nick Bowers, QB Jake Browning, DE Owen Carney, OT Devin Cochran, S Yusuf Corker, DT Domenique Davis, G Nate Gilliam, TE Tanner Hudson, DE Raymond Johnson, LB Keandre Jones, WR Kwamie Lassiter, CB Marvell Tell
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
- DL Alex Barrett, OL Alfredo Gutierrez, S Tayler Hawkins, OL Keith Ismael, DB Qwuantrezz Knight, WR Tay Martin, WR Dazz Newsome, OL Jason Poe, LB Curtis Robinson, T Leroy Watson
Texans Hire DeMeco Ryans As HC
The Texans interviewed DeMeco Ryans for a second time Tuesday, and the team is not letting the hot HC candidate leave town without a deal. Ryans will become the next Texans head coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The parties finalized a six-year contract to bring Ryans, a Texans linebacker from 2006-11, back to Houston. This will wrap a six-year Ryans tenure in San Francisco, and Houston — after back-to-back one-and-done coaching tenures — will land one of this year’s top HC options.
Long expected to secure one of this year’s HC jobs, Ryans will head back to Houston after overseeing a dominant San Francisco defense. The 49ers ranked first in total defense, scoring defense and defensive DVOA this season. While Brock Purdy‘s elbow injury effectively ended San Francisco’s Super Bowl hopes early in the NFC championship game, the 49ers’ loss opened the door for the Texans to make an official hire this week.
“Being the head coach of the Houston Texans is my dream job and my family is thrilled to be back in H-Town,” Ryans said. “I have been around the game of football my entire life and I’ve always had a natural ability to lead others. I know what it takes to win and be successful in this league as both a player and coach. We’re going to build a program filled with players who have a special work ethic and relentless mindset. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and to the fans of Houston to build a winner and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Ryans, 38, jumped to a DC role just three years after being promoted from the quality control level; he has spent his entire career on Kyle Shanahan‘s staff. Shanahan was with the Texans during part of Ryans’ time as a Houston defender and has long stumped for the well-regarded leader. The 49ers’ defensive performance this year left little doubt Ryans would soon become a head coach, and both the Broncos and Texans aggressively pursued him. Houston won out, and Ryans profiles as a vastly different HC compared to the franchise’s previous two.
All five head coach-needy teams this year reached out to Ryans. Four of those scheduled interviews, but Ryans ended up passing on Cardinals and Colts meetings — which would have come hours before the 49ers’ divisional playoff game against the Cowboys — to lead to a two-team race. Despite days of Texans-centric developments regarding Ryans, the Broncos may or may not have made a Tuesday push for him. While Sean Payton had long been the Broncos’ preference, he cost first- and second-round picks. And Ryans clearly impressed the Broncos, to the point they were prepared to abandon their pursuit of an experienced head coach.
This could be a seminal hire for the Texans, who completed odd coaching searches in 2021 and ’22. GM Nick Caserio interviewed Josh McCown in both years, but potential backlash about hiring a head coach with no experience is believed to have affected a hire. The Texans hired David Culley in 2021, despite no other teams being in on the then-Ravens wide receivers coach, and fired him after a 4-13 season. Last year’s search did not include Lovie Smith until the end, but after McCown and Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon were in the mix, Caserio instead promoted Smith. The former Houston DC oversaw a 3-13-1 season that led to his firing.
The hiring of back-to-back 60-somethings — for a team amid a long rebuild — proved confusing. Considering the team went through a chaotic period when Bill O’Brien held the dual HC-GM role and was at the forefront of the Deshaun Watson scandal, stability is desperately needed here. Hence, the six-year contract. The Texans included a host of younger names in their 2023 search, but Ryans stood out. It can be safely assumed Ryans will not be a one-and-done, given the team’s recent past and the momentum the linebacker-turned-coordinator built in San Francisco.
The Texans drafted Ryans in the 2006 second round and plugged the Alabama product into their lineup immediately. Ryans became a steady presence for the Texans in their first decade, and he was a starter for the 2011 team that secured the franchise its first playoff berth. The Texans had previously extended Ryans, but they traded the two-time Pro Bowler to the Eagles in 2012. Ryans played four Philadelphia seasons before hanging up his cleats. The McNair family is obviously familiar with Ryans from his playing days, and they will bet on him once again. This will mark a homecoming for the Ryans family as well; his wife, Jamila, is from the area.
Although the Texans have just 11 wins over the past three seasons, they hold two first-round picks in the 2023 and ’24 drafts thanks to the Watson trade. In addition to carrying this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Houston is projected to rank in the top five for cap space this year. That is believed to have intrigued Payton. But not too much smoke followed the Payton interview on the Texans’ end. They will instead entrust Ryans to be the sideline leader that pushes Caserio’s rebuild to higher levels.
This will mark the second transaction of the month that will give the 49ers a third-round pick. The Titans hiring 49ers exec Ran Carthon as GM earlier this month sent the 49ers two thirds, and Ryans’ Texans hire represents the latest in a steady line of minority hires from San Francisco. Although the NFL expanding the Rooney Rule to attach draft compensation to minority HC or GM hires, the 49ers already collecting two thirds for Carthon will reduce the Ryans haul to one third-rounder. Nevertheless, the 49ers have now seen five minority staffers land HC jobs (Ryans, Robert Saleh, Mike McDaniel) or GM positions (Carthon, Martin Mayhew) since the NFL adjusted the rule. The pick from the Texans’ Ryans hire will arrive in 2025, Matt Miller of ESPN.com tweets.
49ers To Interview Steve Wilks For DC
DeMeco Ryans is now the Texans’ head coach. The 49ers had long prepared for the scenario in which Ryans departs, and they are moving ahead in this direction.
The 49ers requested an interview with former Panthers interim HC Steve Wilks for the likely soon-to-be-vacant defensive coordinator position, Aaron Wilson of KPRC tweets. Wilks was a finalist for the Panthers’ HC job, but Frank Reich ended up as Carolina’s hire. Wilks is prepared to coach elsewhere in 2023. He will move forward with a 49ers interview Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Carolina still has Wilks under contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets, but after the team hired Reich, it seems a separation is imminent. The Panthers interviewed Wilks and Reich twice, but the team was long expected to hire an offense-oriented HC. Wilks made the process more difficult, clearly, as he went 6-6 as Carolina’s interim boss. But his second stay with the Panthers will likely be capped at one year.
Re-emerging as a key NFL name after a two-year hiatus — one of those seasons spent as Missouri’s DC — Wilks oversaw one of the better interim efforts in a long time by guiding the Panthers, who were 1-4 under Matt Rhule, to a 7-10 mark. The Panthers vied for the NFC South lead in Week 17, but a loss to the Buccaneers ended their rally. The Tampa Bay defeat, in which Tom Brady torched Carolina’s secondary, likely affected Wilks’ chances of having his interim tag removed. The Panthers rehired Wilks — a Ron Rivera assistant from 2012-17 — as their secondary coach last year, and David Tepper promoted him to steer the ship post-Rhule.
Wilks is part of the Brian Flores-led discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams, and his attorney expressed disappointment shortly after the Panthers went with Reich. But Wilks released a statement thanking the Panthers in the wake of their Reich hire, potentially signaling he will move on with his career over adding the Panthers to the suit.
The 49ers had Vic Fangio on their radar as a Ryans replacement, but the former San Francisco DC is taking over as Miami’s defensive leader. The 49ers have lost their past two DCs — Ryans and Robert Saleh — to HC jobs. Wilks is 9-19 as a head coach, with his one-year Cardinals stint leading to the sub-.500 record. But he improved his stock this past season in Carolina. The Charlotte native does not have a history with Kyle Shanahan, but he has been an NFL assistant since 2005.
Texans Aiming To Close DeMeco Ryans Deal
The Texans are attempting to move this DeMeco Ryans process past the goal line. The two-year 49ers defensive coordinator is set for a second interview with the team this week, and after back-to-back one-and-done HCs, the Texans appear more committed to a candidate this time around.
With Ryans pivoting from Broncos frontrunner to Texans favorite, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports notes (via Twitter) Houston’s ownership is pushing to close the deal and make the former linebacker the franchise’s next head coach. Ryans, who played for the Texans from 2006-11, is believed to have interest in coaching his former team. Now that the 49ers have been eliminated, Ryans can be hired at any point. He is the clear clubhouse leader for the Houston job, Peter King of NBC Sports writes.
The 38-year-old coordinator has not closed the book on the Broncos, Anderson tweets, but he is believed to prefer the Texans. The hope here is a deal is agreed to during Ryans’ second interview this week, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The Broncos were the first team to speak with Ryans but have not scheduled any second interviews.
Texans ownership and GM Nick Caserio were impressed with “everything about” Ryans in his Zoom interview Jan. 20, veteran Texans reporter John McLain notes. The past two Texans HC searches meandered and ended on candidates other teams were not considering — David Culley, Lovie Smith. This one is decidedly different, as all five HC-needy teams were interested in speaking with Ryans. The longtime Kyle Shanahan staffer, however, has only spoken with two teams. Both have been impressed to the point he became their frontrunners.
While the Colts and Cardinals had interviews scheduled with Ryans, he declined to speak with those teams hours before the 49ers’ divisional playoff game against the Cowboys. The Panthers also reached out to Ryans with an interview request, but after logistics initially impeded an interview, the parties moved on. It now looks like the Texans hold a big lead on the Broncos, whose coaching search has hit a few snags.
Denver’s position comes with a new ownership group, a quarterback extension (Russell Wilson’s five-year, $245MM pact) that has brought sustained turbulence since Week 1 and a placement in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. The Texans’ division does not feature a similar gauntlet, and the team holds two first-round picks and is projected to be among this year’s cap-space leaders. Ryans also knows this ownership, to a degree, dating back to his days playing for the then-Bob McNair-run franchise. The Texans traded Ryans to the Eagles in 2012, but his wife is from Houston. It certainly looks like, despite the Texans’ issues with HCs under Caserio, an agreement is coming soon.