Patriots Promote DeMarcus Covington To DC
2:21pm: The Patriots have made it official, announcing that Covington will be promoted to the defensive coordinator position. Under the new head coach, Mayo, Covington will officially be the team’s first defensive coordinator since Matt Patricia left in 2017.
11:57am: It sounds like Jerod Mayo has zeroed in on his defensive coordinator. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, “all signs point” to the Patriots promoting defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator.
While the Patriots haven’t announced the move, Breer notes that the organization has notified other candidates that they’re out of the running. The move is expected to be made official early next week.
Covington has spent his entire NFL coaching career with the Patriots, working his way up from coaching assistant to defensive line coach, a role that he’s held for the past four seasons. Covington has helped with the development of former second-round pick Christian Barmore, and Matt Judon and Josh Uche have both had success on the edge under the coach’s tutelage.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Covington impressed during last year’s coordinator interviews, as the coach met about the DC jobs with the Cardinals and Chargers. It seemed like only a matter of time before he earned a coordinator job, and that opportunity has apparently come in New England.
The Patriots didn’t employ a traditional defensive coordinator during Bill Belichick‘s final seasons in New England, but Mayo and Steve Belichick were generally considered the leaders of the defensive coaching staff. Considering Mayo having been promoted to head coach and the younger Belichick’s uncertain future with the organization, the organization looked to fill the leadership void on their staff. Covington was one of four known candidates for the position, joining Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges, Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, and Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker.
Elsewhere in New England, the Patriots have added two offensive coordinator candidates to the mix. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Patriots interviewed 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury for their offensive coordinator job. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that former Bears OC Luke Getsy also interviewed for the position.
Fleury has spent the past five seasons in San Francisco, including the past two in his current role. With Fleury leading the tight ends, George Kittle hauled in a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2022. This past season, Kittle topped the 1,000-yards receiving mark for the first time since the 2020 campaign.
Getsy lost his job earlier this month despite guiding one of the league’s top rushing attacks over the past two seasons. Before his two-year stint in Chicago, Getsy spent three seasons with the Packers as their quarterbacks coach.
Deebo Samuel To Play In NFC Title Game
JANUARY 26: After getting in multiple practices this week, Samuel is a go for the NFC title game. The fifth-year standout will not carry an injury designation into the Lions matchup, after practicing fully Friday. This ensures the 49ers will have their four skill-position pillars available as they aim to book the eighth Super Bowl trip in team history.
JANUARY 23: Deebo Samuel did not exactly come into the season with doubts existing about his talent, but his absences have revealed plenty about the 49ers’ offense. The team struggled after its versatile weapon exited the game during the first quarter of its latest Packers playoff matchup.
The 49ers lost three games while playing their starters this season; Samuel missed 11 of the 12 quarters in those losses. Samuel suffered an injury to the same left shoulder he hurt in October, but Kyle Shanahan confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner) the fifth-year wideout did not sustain a fracture (he sustained a microfracture in the shoulder in October).
Samuel has a chance to play in the NFC championship game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Shanahan added Samuel only sustained a shoulder injury Saturday night, despite being initially checked for a concussion. With it being too early to determine Samuel’s practice status, Schefter indicates the $24MM-per-year player is 50-50 to play against the Lions.
Samuel’s shoulder injury likely prevented the 49ers from joining the Air Coryell Chargers, the 2004 Colts and a few others in the exclusive club with three 1,000-yard pass catchers. Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle eclipsed 1,000 this season; Samuel finished with 892. The South Carolina alum added 225 rushing yards and five TDs. Samuel’s impact can be felt more on a per-play basis; in the regular season, Wagoner notes the 49ers averaged 7.1 yards per play with the former second-round pick on the field and 5.7 when he was sidelined.
Initially injuring his shoulder in the first quarter of a Week 6 loss to the Browns, Samuel was also sidelined for ensuing losses against the Vikings and Bengals. The 49ers rallied once Samuel (and left tackle Trent Williams) returned to action, ripping off a seven-game win streak that secured them home-field advantage.
Although the 49ers still have Aiyuk, Kittle and Christian McCaffrey available, Samuel being back obviously represents a major variable in the team’s chances of returning to a Super Bowl. No. 3 wideout Jauan Jennings‘ role expands greatly sans Samuel. With Samuel a tossup to play in this game, however, it would appear a near-certainty he would be able to return if San Francisco advances to Super Bowl LVIII.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/24
Here’s Wednesday’s minor moves throughout the NFL:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for return from IR: T Prince Tega Wanogho
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return from IR: DT Kalia Davis
Wanogho and Davis’ 21-day practice windows will open now. Wanogho’s addition to the active roster could add some well-timed depth on the offensive line as the team deals with an injury to starting guard Joe Thuney that could force him to miss time. Davis isn’t expected to make much of an impact on a deep 49ers defensive line rotation, but allowing Davis to return to practice following a high ankle sprain in December could give San Francisco a good look at one of the few defensive tackles they’ll still have under contract in 2024. It should also give Davis a head start on any offseason training plan.
49ers Attempted To Sign Tom Brady In 2023
Tom Brady has stuck to his guns. The legendary quarterback succinctly said last February his second retirement would stick. After Brady backtracked on retirement No. 1 in 2022, this season represented the NFL’s first without his involvement since 1999.
The future Hall of Famer’s hometown team was still interested in a partnership during the 2023 offseason, however. The 49ers, who were linked to Brady in multiple offseasons during his final years in the NFL, attempted one last push to sign the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Kyle Shanahan informed Brock Purdy of a Brady pursuit early during the ’23 offseason, which featured San Francisco’s current starter rehabbing his UCL tear.
“That meant so much to me. I remember [Shanahan] saying, if we can get Tom Brady, we’re going to try to get him. And I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s the GOAT. I get it,'” Purdy said, via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “But something deep down inside me was sort of like, ‘Dude, I just showed you that I can play well in this system. And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.’ … More than anything, I was like, ‘OK, now let’s go.”
John Lynch said last year Brady responded with a thumbs-up emoji after the 49ers GM texted him congratulating him on his career. It certainly appears the 49ers made a more notable effort to convince Brady to come back than it initially appeared.
At the time, the 49ers had Purdy coming off UCL surgery and Trey Lance back after two ankle procedures. The team then gave Sam Darnold a one-year, $4.5MM deal, and that ended up leading Lance out of town via trade. All the while, the only Brady rumors to come out pertained to his status as a Raiders minority owner. That approval process is still on hold, as the 46-year-old retiree prepares to take over as FOX’s lead analyst for the 2024 season.
During his first months on the job, Lynch memorably asked Bill Belichick about Brady’s trade availability. This occurred back in 2017, when the Patriots still had Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster. That ask led to a rather quick shutdown, and Robert Kraft later intervened to keep Brady entrenched at QB by trading Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round pick. Brady’s free agency occurred just after Garoppolo quarterbacked the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, and the Buccaneers and Chargers were the only teams in that race until the end.
In 2022, however, rumblings about Brady being interested in playing for his hometown team surfaced. This came during a complex Brady offseason, which featured the Dolphins being fined for tampering in an effort to have Brady play for Sean Payton. The Brady-49ers rumors came during the QB’s first retirement, and then-Bucs HC Bruce Arians confirmed the team had no interest in trading Brady’s rights elsewhere. Brady soon came back to play his age-45 season, which did not go well.
Still, Joe Flacco‘s stunning re-emergence on the Browns displayed what can happen when an aging quarterback lands in the right offense. Shanahan clearly believed Brady could run his, age notwithstanding, but has otherwise championed Purdy. While hiccups have ensued this season — mainly when Deebo Samuel has been out — Purdy has rewarded the 49ers, earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first full starter season. Purdy’s 9.6 yards per attempt are the second-most by a quarterback since the 1950s, and Kurt Warner‘s 2000 mark (9.9) came in 11 games. The 2022 draft’s Mr. Irrelevant has set himself up as a potential long-term 49ers mainstay, though his draft status continues to inject doubt about his place among the game’s upper-echelon passers.
The Raiders did not view Brady as an emergency option after Garoppolo’s injury waiver came to light last May, and the Jets are not believed to have inquired about a comeback once Aaron Rodgers went down. Although Brady’s 2022 return reminded to keep him on the radar, his spending a season out of football does seem to reaffirm he is done playing.
While this makes for a fun “what if?” regarding San Francisco, the 49ers — who are in their fourth NFC championship game in five seasons — are now a Purdy-centric operation.
Saints Interview Ronald Curry, Brian Griese, Klint Kubiak For OC Role
The Saints’ offensive coordinator candidate list has now doubled. Its recent batch of meetings brings the list to six, with two 49ers staffers on the team’s docket.
Both Brian Griese and Klint Kubiak have met with the Saints about their OC position, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. Also in consideration to replace Pete Carmichael: Saints quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry, according to NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson.
A Carmichael-to-Griese switch would be fascinating. The Saints had employed one of the longest-tenured coordinators in modern NFL history in Carmichael, who managed to stay in his position — which involved full-time play-calling duties over the past two years and during Sean Payton‘s Bountygate suspension in 2012 — for 15 years. Griese, conversely, was in the Monday Night Football booth as recently as 2021. This role as the 49ers’ QBs coach is Griese’s first regular coaching role in the pro or college ranks.
Still, it is unsurprising teams want to talk to Kyle Shanahan‘s top two offensive assistants. Brock Purdy has quarterbacked the 49ers back to the NFC championship game, overcoming UCL surgery to build on his stunning 2022 work. Purdy averaged an NFL-high 9.6 yards per attempt this season. That is tied for eighth all time in a season. Kurt Warner (2000) is the only passer to have bettered that mark since the 1950s, and the Hall of Famer missed a chunk of that 2000 season due to injury. Purdy started every game this year, working with an elite armada of aerial options.
Kubiak, 36, was a teenager during Griese’s time playing under his father as OC in Denver (1998-02). The younger Kubiak has enjoyed multiple NFL play-calling stints, however, succeeding Gary as Vikings OC under Mike Zimmer (2021) and taking over during the Broncos’ befuddling 2022 season under Nathaniel Hackett. Shanahan hired Kubiak as his pass-game coordinator this past offseason, and the 49ers came close to becoming the rare team with three 1,000-yard pass catchers. Deebo Samuel, who missed two games, finished 108 yards away from joining Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in reaching 1,000.
Curry, 44, has been with the Saints since 2016. With Johnson noting Curry is highly regarded within the organization, Curry has been in place as QBs coach since 2021. This timeline did not allow the former NFL wideout (and college QB) to work with Drew Brees, but Payton did interview Curry to be his OC in 2023. Curry also met with the Buccaneers about their vacancy, making it unsurprising the Saints are considering him to replace Carmichael.
Courtesy of PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Saints’ search stands:
- Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Saints): Interviewed
- Brian Griese, quarterbacks coach (49ers): Interviewed
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/22
- Klint Kubiak, pass-game coordinator (49ers): Interviewed
- Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Second interview on 1/24
- Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interviewed
49ers Activate S George Odum, Place DE Clelin Ferrell On IR
Shortly after losing starting safety Talanoa Hufanga for the year to a torn ACL, the 49ers were worried that they would be down another body in the secondary after George Odum suffered a biceps injury that the team feared could be season-ending. Luckily, they were wrong. San Francisco activated Odum off of injured reserve today, opening a roster spot for him by placing defensive end Clelin Ferrell on IR in his place. 
Odum, a former undrafted free agent, signed a three-year contract with the 49ers after a breakout year that saw him start seven games for the Colts. Up until that breakout season, Odum had seen most of his use coming on special teams. The patient defender was given his opportunity to start thanks to multiple injuries to starters Khari Willis and Andrew Sendejo. He took advantage of that opportunity, finishing sixth on the team with 55 total tackles while recording an interception and two passes defensed. While Odum may not be a game changer on the 49ers defense, the depth he provides at safety will be a welcome one as San Francisco starts their 2023 playoffs.
Ferrell, a former top-four pick out of Clemson, has ultimately failed to live up to his draft stock over his five years in the league. After seeing his fifth-year option declined by the Raiders, Ferrell signed a one-year deal to come to San Francisco. Despite not meeting expectations in Las Vegas, Ferrell stepped in as a full-time starter for the 49ers this season. Ferrell hasn’t been very productive as a pass rusher (only 3.5 sacks), but he hasn’t needed to be as Nick Bosa (10.5), Javon Hargrave (7.0), and Arik Armstead (5.0) have fed off of their combined pass rushing effort. With Ferrell out with a knee injury, trade acquisition Chase Young, who has been coming off the bench since being acquired before Week 10, will once again step into a starting role.
In addition to the two IR transactions, the team also announced their standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Defensive tackles Alex Barrett and T.Y. McGill will be called up to add some depth to the defensive line against the Packers tonight.
49ers LT Trent Williams To Play In 2024
Coming after a 2019 standoff led to a messy Washington exit, Trent Williams‘ San Francisco years have swung the door wide open for Hall of Fame enshrinement. The perennial Pro Bowl left tackle is not leaving fans in suspense about his 2024 plans, either.
Williams considered retirement after the 2023 season, but the 14th-year blocker has already guaranteed he will be back next season. Williams said he will “100%” play in 2024, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. The contract Williams agreed to in 2021 runs through 2026.
The 2020 trade to the 49ers has rejuvenated Williams, who posted his third straight first-team All-Pro honor this season. Joe Staley‘s left tackle successor now has 11 Pro Bowls, which ties some legendary NFL figures for the tackle record.
Hall of Famers Anthony Muñoz, Jonathan Ogden and Willie Roaf also received 11 such honors. A 12th such nod represents one of the reasons Williams, 35, is committing to returning, with a record 12th invite being “a big thing” for the ex-Washington draftee. While Williams did not play in 2019, he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past 11 years in which he suited up.
The 49ers went 13-3 in games Brock Purdy started; two of the three losses came with Williams sidelined due to injury. He earned first-team All-Pro honors once again upon return, helping drive the 49ers to a seven-game win streak that secured them the NFC’s No. 1 seed. With the teams perceived all season long as their top NFC threats — Dallas, Philadelphia — eliminated, Williams has his best shot to play in his first Super Bowl.
San Francisco has geared its O-line around Williams, who represents the only expensive piece on this front. The team let five-year right tackle Mike McGlinchey walk in free agency, with Williams and Jake Brendel surrounded by rookie-contract cogs or low-cost veterans. Williams signed a six-year, $138MM deal as a free agent in 2021, exploring the market before agreeing to re-sign with the 49ers. That agreement has been vital for San Francisco, which has turned the 2022 draft’s Mr. Irrelevant into an All-Pro quarterback.
Williams said in September his newfound goal will be to play until his age-40 season, though a proclamation after a 17-game season obviously carries more weight regarding a player’s future. The 2010 first-round pick is tied to a $20.1MM base salary in 2024, but with a cap hit skyrocketing from $12.6MM in 2023 to $31.6MM in ’24, it should be expected the 49ers go with a restructure ahead of Williams’ 15th season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/17/24
Today’s minor moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on IR: LB Cam Jones
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: WR Danny Gray
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Reverted to IR: DL Mike Greene
Jones’ rookie season has come to an end, given the requirement for players on injured reserve to miss four weeks. The UDFA was used primarily on special teams this year, but he appeared in all 17 regular season games as well as the Chiefs’ wild-card win. Christiansen last played in Week 17, which marked his fifth appearance of the campaign. Kansas City will need to make another roster move soon to create room for wideout Skyy Moore to come back into the lineup, after he was designated for return earlier today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/16/24
As playoff teams prepare for the second round of the postseason, they continue to tinker with their practice squads:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DB Christian Matthew
- Released: DB Jeremy Lucien
Buffalo Bills
- Released: RB Leonard Fournette
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT McTelvin Agim
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Austin Bryant
- Released: RB Jeremy McNichols
Leonard Fournette‘s brief stint with the Bills has come to an end. The veteran running back joined Buffalo’s practice squad in October, but it took him until Week 16 to make his season debut. Fournette ended up getting into a pair of games for the Bills, collecting 40 rushing yards on 12 attempts. He wasn’t active for the team’s playoff opener, and after reverting to the practice squad, he now finds himself a free agent.
Commanders To Hire Adam Peters As GM
JANUARY 15: The Commanders are giving Peters a five-year contract, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The seven-year 49ers exec will now play a lead role in the team finding a head coach to succeed Ron Rivera.
JANUARY 12: Not long after narrowing their search for a new general manager to two finalists, the Commanders have found the new leader of their front office. Washington is hiring Adam Peters as general manager, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Peters will likely take on the title of president of football operations. Further reports from Dianna Russini of The Athletic and the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala name Peters the GM as well. 
Regardless of the title he assumes, Peters will be a major member of the Commanders’ new organizational structure. After a strong tenure with the 49ers, he will take on an increased workload in the nation’s capital. Commanders owner Josh Harris assembled a search committee to find the team’s front office hires (both in terms of a head of football ops and, in all likelihood, a replacement for GM Martin Mayhew). The first step in that process has now taken place.
Peters was quickly named the favorite for a high-ranking Commanders position. He was among the first batch of candidates to receive an interview, and Washington moved quickly in narrowing down a list of finalists. Peters was joined by Bears AGM Ian Cunningham in receiving a second interview earlier this week, and the decision between the two has now been made rather rapidly. As Rapoport notes, one of Peters’ first tasks will be determining the future of Mayhew, who has been named as a hot seat occupant.
Head coach Ron Rivera was, as expected, dismissed on Black Monday. Mayhew likewise faces an uncertain future after three years serving as Washington’s GM. Harris made it clear the head of football operations posting would be filled before a new head coach would be brought in, and Peters will now be in place to assist in that effort.
The latter was a top GM candidate last year, but he rebuffed interest from the Cardinals and Titans. That allowed him to remain in San Francisco for one more year after joining the franchise in 2017. Peters was promoted to assistant general manager in 2021 as a confirmation of his status as a critical John Lynch lieutenant. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio confirms the 49ers attempted to retain Peters. Instead, he will move on.
Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes Lions OC Ben Johnson is now a key name to watch with respect to the Commanders’ upcoming coaching hire. Further reports have also tabbed Johnson as a top candidate for Washington to join with Peters in a new power structure. The 37-year-old is on the radar of numerous teams in need of a head coach, though, so the Commanders will have competition if they make an aggressive pursuit of him.
Peters – who also received GM interview requests from the Chargers and Raiders – will have a number of key decisions to make in the near future, but the Commanders are positioned with plenty of flexibility from a roster-building perspective. Washington is currently slated to lead the league in cap space, and the team owns the second overall pick in April’s draft. Peters will be a key voice in the Commanders’ re-worked front office when the new league year kicks off.