Ravens Hire Todd Monken As OC
Another one of the numerous offensive coordinator searches in the 2023 cycle as been filled. The Ravens announced on Tuesday that Todd Monken has been hired as the team’s new OC. 
The 57-year-old is making a return to the NFL after working at Georgia over the past three seasons. He held the joint title of quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator during that span, helping lead the Bulldogs to two straight national championships. His success there led to interest in a new opportunity at the pro level, though ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that the Baltimore vacancy was his priority.
Monken – who previously guided the offenses of the Buccaneers from 2016-18, and of the Browns in 2019 – was among Tampa Bay’s candidates for their vacant position. He interviewed last month as a potential Byron Leftwich replacement, but this news means a reunion will not be possible. Monken was a finalist for the Ravens’ OC gig, having interviewed for a second time less than two weeks ago.
A coach at the NCAA level beginning at age 25, Monken brings plenty of experience to a Ravens team which parted ways with Greg Roman at the end of the 2022 campaign. The latter had been in place since 2019, adding to his reputation as one of the league’s top offensive minds with respect to the running game. Shortcomings in Baltimore’s passing attack were chief among the reasons for the separation taking place, and an area Monken will be tasked with improving in his new position. Roman has emerged on the OC radar of the Commanders.
Much of the Ravens’ success in 2023 will be tied to the play they receive at the quarterback position. Lamar Jackson is a pending free agent; while he will be franchise tagged in the absence of a long-term deal being signed, his future with the team remains up in the air. Presuming the former MVP remains in place next season, Monken will look to glean more consistency from Jackson and an increase in production from the team’s pass-catchers.
“We conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates throughout a thorough process that had wide-ranging organizational involvement,” head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “Todd’s leadership and coaching acumen were evident from the beginning. He has a proven track record for designing and teaching offensive systems that allow players to succeed at the highest level. We’re excited to get to work and begin building an offense that will help us compete for championships.”
Panthers Add Jim Caldwell To Staff
The Panthers continue to add noteworthy names to their new-look coaching staff. The team announced on Tuesday that Jim Caldwell as been hired under the title of senior assistant. 
The 68-year-old was in consideration for the Panthers’ head coaching position, interviewing for it last month. Caldwell also met with the Broncos before they ultimately acquired Sean Payton to lead their staff. Carolina hired Frank Reich as their new bench boss, and this move will allow he and Caldwell to work together once again.
The latter has an extensive background on offense, but the team announcement notes that he will have a hand in all three phases of the game. That will give Caldwell a somewhat similar role to his previous head coaching positions in Indianapolis and Detroit. He and Reich each held multiple titles with the Colts during their shared time there, eventually leading the latter back to Indianapolis until his midseason 2022 firing.
His staff has taken on a much different look compared to that of his predecessor, Matt Rhule. Caldwell (also a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator during his two-year stint in Baltimore) brings a wealth of experience from nearly two decades coaching in the NFL. This Panthers position will be his first since 2019, when he worked as the quarterbacks coach in Miami.
Just as Caldwell will assist (in part) on an offensive staff which has Josh McCown in place as QBs coach, Dom Capers was recently brought in to work with the defense. He will provide defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero with an experienced voice on the sidelines, as they look to steer the Panthers towards an improved showing in 2023. The addition of Caldwell will certainly add to the team’s payroll in terms of its coaching staff, but also its expectations.
Colts Hire Shane Steichen As Head Coach
In a move which now comes as no surprise, the Colts officially have their new head coach in place. Per a team announcement, Shane Steichen has been hired to lead the team’s staff.
The now-former Eagles offensive coordinator was considered the frontrunner following a report just before the Super Bowl indicating he was the Colts’ top target. His hire comes after he also received interest from the Panthers and Texans, a sign of how much his stock has risen recently, especially after a hugely successful campaign in Philadelphia in 2022. 
Steichen, 37, joined the Eagles in 2021 after a lengthy stint with the Chargers. That time saw him spend one season as the team’s full-time OC, one in which Los Angeles ranked top-1o in scoring in the NFL. Expectations were high for him when he paired up with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, and they were certainly met. Philadelphia put up impressive numbers in the run game in particular in 2021, and took a step forward this past season.
The Eagles entered the year with question marks regarding quarterback Jalen Hurts‘ ability to cement himself as the team’s unquestioned starter. He quickly put those to rest over the course of a dominant campaign, helping lead Philadelphia to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and putting himself in the MVP conversation. Steichen’s unit ranked third in both scoring and total offense in the regular season.
Blowout victories in the divisional and conference championship rounds set the Eagles up for Sunday’s Super Bowl. In the title game, Hurts delivered a highly commendable performance and the team as a whole outplayed the Chiefs in a number of key categories. While it wasn’t enough to secure a victory, Steichen drew further praise to cap off his time in Philadelphia and set him up for what will be a tall task in Indianapolis.
The Colts struggled mightily on offense in 2022, averaging 312 yards and 17 points per game. That led to Frank Reich‘s midseason firing, and the controversial decision to replace him with Jeff Saturday. The latter remained in contention to land the full-time role until somewhat recently, as the list of candidates began to shrink in the lead-up to today’s announcement.
Steichen will follow in Reich’s footsteps in terms of making the move from Eagles offensive coordinator to Colts head coach. He is the second-youngest HC in franchise history (and the youngest during their time in Indianapolis), and third-youngest in the NFL. He will attempt to steer the Colts to the postseason by orchestrating a rebound on offense, something which will depend in large part on the play of their yet-to-be determined starting quarterback.
With this expected news now official, the Eagles will likely look inwards for Steichen’s replacement. QBs coach Brian Johnson has long been named as the staffer to watch with respect to filling in at OC in the event Steichen went elsewhere. Johnson himself drew plenty of interest from outside teams, but the door is now open for him to take on an increased role without leaving the NFC champions.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/13/23
Today’s reserve/futures contracts:
Jacksonville Jaguars
WR Kevin Austin Jr., OL Coy Cronk, K James McCourt, WR Jaylon Moore, OL James Murray, S Ayo Oyelola, QB E.J. Perry, TE Gerrit Prince, RB Mekhi Sargent, S Deionte Thompson, DL Nick Thurman, OL Darryl Williams, WR Seth Williams
Jets To Hire Todd Downing As Passing Game Coordinator
The Jets made a notable move when they hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator. Another key addition has reportedly been made to their staff. 
New York is hiring Todd Downing to serve as their passing game coordinator, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). He meets head coach Robert Saleh‘s previously stated goal of adding an experienced offensive staffer, something not accomplished by hiring Hackett as OC. The latter’s stint as head coach of the Broncos led to his dismissal before his rookie HC campaign ended, and did not see him retain play-calling duties throughout his tenure.
Downing, 42, spent the past two seasons as the Titans’ offensive coordinator. Tennessee kept him in place following his November DUI charge, but fired him at the end of the season. The Titans ranked near the bottom of the NFL in terms of both total and scoring offense in 2022, as running back Derrick Henry was less effective than usual and the team struggled to generate consistent production in the passing game.
Tennessee has since promoted Tim Kelly to their OC position, but Downing was quickly able to find his next NFL gig. The latter has plenty of familiarity with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, given their time spent together in Nashville. Prior to that, Downing also worked as the QBs coach, and later offensive coordinator, of the Raiders. That allowed him to spend time with Derek Carr, who is expected to hit free agency in the coming days and be a target of the Jets. New York is in the market for an upgrade under center, and Downing would be a familiar face to those two passers should an Aaron Rodgers acquisition not come to fruition.
Downing will join offensive line coach Keith Carter, who also made the move from Tennessee to New York upon Hackett’s hiring. Downing worked with the latter in Buffalo in 2014, so he will provide not only experience but familiarity as well, as the new-look Jets staff aims for a step forward on offense in 2023.
Chiefs QB Chad Henne Retires
The Chiefs will have their head coach around for at least one more season, but they do need to find a new backup quarterback. Chad Henne announced (via Instagram) in the aftermath of Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory that he is retiring. 
The 37-year-old spent the first nine years of his career in Florida. A second-round pick of the Dolphins in 2008, he started 31 of his 36 appearances in Miami before being replaced by Ryan Tannehill. That led Henne to Jacksonville, where he held the starting role for a pair of seasons prior to the arrival of Blake Bortles. Overall, he finished his career with an 18-36 record as a starter.
For the past four seasons, Henne backed up Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. He made just one start over that stretch, and 11 total appearances. His limited action with the Chiefs was enough to earn him a new one-year, $2MM deal this past offseason. Rather than attempting to land a new contract in Kansas City or elsewhere, the Michigan product will hang up his cleats with a pair of Super Bowl rings.
Henne was called into action during the Chiefs’ divisional round game against the Jaguars this postseason, after Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain. That injury was a key talking point throughout the remainder of the team’s playoff run, and forced Henne to briefly come into the game. It seemed as though that scenario could be repeated again last night, after Mahomes re-injured his ankle at the end of the first half. Instead, Henne remained on the sidelines for the Chiefs’ comeback victory.
Henne ends his career with modest totals from a statistical standpoint (13,290 passing yards, 60 touchdowns, 63 interceptions) but his Chiefs tenure allowed him to take part in a pair of championship runs. His total earnings add up to nearly $40MM after 13 years in the NFL. Kansas City has former UDFA Shane Buechele and 2022 seventh-rounder Chris Oladokun available as in-house replacement options.
Chiefs Activate RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Place WR Mecole Hardman On IR
FEBRUARY 12: Even though Edwards-Helaire is healthy enough to play, he is among the team’s inactives for tonight’s championship game. That news comes as little surprise given the time he has missed, and confirms that Pacheco and McKinnon will handle the load in the backfield for Kansas City.
FEBRUARY 6: As the countdown to Super Bowl LVII continues, the Chiefs have made a pair of injury-related moves. The team announced on Monday that running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had been activated from injured reserve, while wideout Mecole Hardman has been placed on IR. 
[Poll: Who Will Win Super Bowl LVII?]
The former’s three-week activation window had nearly expired, as he had been designated for return on January 17. The news will be a welcomed sight for Kansas City in terms of being closer to full health on offense, though the former first-rounder may not be in line for a particularly large role in the championship game.
Edwards-Helaire has not played since Week 11 due to a high ankle sprain. In his absence, the Chiefs have increasingly turned the reins over to seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco as their early-down back. Jerick McKinnon, meanwhile, has excelled in a pass-catching role, scoring at least one touchdown in six straight games to close out the regular season. It will be interesting to see how much of a workload Edwards-Helaire takes on within the team’s backfield after missing extended time and with the other two backs enjoying success in his absence.
The other move is likewise not surprising. Hardman being placed on IR guarantees that he will not play in the Super Bowl, something which head coach Andy Reid recently indicated was the likely outcome in his situation. Kansas City suffered a slew of injuries at the receiver position in their AFC title game win over the Bengals, with Hardman reaggravating his pelvis injury suffered earlier in the year.
Fellow pass-catchers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney are in better shape as it relates to their potential availability for next week’s big game. The Chiefs are always in position to be dangerous through the air with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (who is, of course, nursing an ankle sprain of his own) and tight end Travis Kelce available. Still, the uncertainty they face at the WR position could be a key talking point over the course of the next few days.
Texans To Hire Bobby Slowik As Offensive Coordinator
The Texans will hire Bobby Slowik as their new offensive coordinator, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). Like DeMeco Ryans, Houston’s new head coach, Slowik joined the 49ers as a defensive quality control coach in 2017. He subsequently moved to the other side of the ball and spent the 2022 campaign as San Francisco’s offensive passing game coordinator. He will now follow Ryans from the Bay Area to Texas.
[RELATED: Texans Hire Matt Burke As DC]
Slowik, 35, represented a logical candidate to take on the OC job in Houston, one which was vacated by Pep Hamilton. The latter held that role last season for the first time with the Texans, overseeing one of the league’s lowest-scoring and least efficient offenses. Talent obviously played a large role on that front, of course, but it comes as no surprise that a new face is being brought in to help the team’s rebuild.
Today’s news comes just days after Kliff Kingsbury was brought in for an interview for the offensive coordinator posting. That, in turn, came as something of a surprise considering the belief the ex-Cardinals head coach would spend the 2023 season away from the sidelines. Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports that his sit-down with the Texans went well, but Slowik was thought by many to be the frontrunner once it became official that Ryans was the new head coach in Houston.
The son of former NFL DC Bob Slowik, Bobby began his NFL tenure in Washington in 2010. That time was followed by a brief stint as a defensive assistant in the nation’s capital, then a three-year period working as an analyst with Pro Football Focus. He turned his work with the analytics website into his first San Francisco position, allowing him plenty of time to gain experience on both sides of the ball and develop a working relationship with Ryans. Expectations will be raised for the pair heading into the 2023 season.
Slowik played a key role in the 49ers’ offense over the past several years, helping coach one of the more unique units in the league. San Francisco has ranked in the top four in the NFL in terms of total offense three times in the past four seasons, finishing top-six in scoring twice during that same span. Slowik will be dealing with a very different Texans group in his first coordinator posting, but the team does appear to have the foundation of a strong running game in place in tailback Dameon Pierce, and has a prime opportunity in the upcoming draft to land a franchise quarterback.
In other Texans news, Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo tweets that Jerrod Johnson is coming onboard as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Johnson, 34, is a Houston native who received OC interest during this year’s cycle. He interviewed for the Texans’ coordinator vacancy, along with that of the Chargers. Johnson spent last year as the assistant QBs coach in Minnesota, and will take on a larger role this season in Houston with, in all likelihood, a rookie signal-caller in place.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/11/23
Saturday’s minor moves, including the final gameday elevations of the season:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: WR Marcus Kemp, C Austin Reiter
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: P Arryn Siposs
- Elevated: S Anthony Harris, WR Greg Ward
The activation of Siposs comes as little surprise, since the Eagles designated him for return last week. The 30-year-old has been out since Week 14 due to an ankle injury. His return to the lineup means veteran Brett Kern (who had filled in during Siposs’ absence) will not be in uniform for tomorrow’s Super Bowl.
Panthers Add Josh McCown, Dom Capers To Staff
Frank Reich‘s Panthers staff continues to take shape, and more familiar names are headed to Charlotte. Per a team announcement, Carolina has hired Josh McCown as quarterbacks coach and Dom Capers as a senior defensive assistant. 
McCown, 43, spent two seasons (2008 and 2009) with the Panthers during his journeyman playing days. That stretch saw him attempt just six passes, but he is nevertheless a hire who, like Reich, has experience inside the organization. This position will be his first coaching opportunity at the NFL level, but certainly not the first which he was connected to.
Following the end of his playing career in Houston in 2020, McCown was named as candidate for the Texans’ head coaching vacancy. The same was true in the 2022 coaching cycle, and he was reportedly a finalist for the position before the team’s eleventh-hour decision to pivot to Lovie Smith. McCown said this past September that he would be open to taking on a non-HC role despite the repeated interest showed in him by the Texans.
In Carolina, McCown will join a highly-regarded bench boss in Reich, who figures to be heavily involved in the development of Carolina’s signal-callers (the identities of whom will, in all likelihood, be noticeably different by the start of the 2023 season than they are now). Interestingly, McCown’s hire has come before that of an offensive coordinator.
As for Capers, this news comes as little surprise. The 72-year-old will hold the same title in Carolina that he did in 2022 with the Broncos. That, of course, allowed him to work alongside defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. The pair helped guide Denver’s defense to a strong showing in the latter’s debut season at the coordinator level. Evero was hired by the Panthers to helm their defense this past weekend, and he will continue to have an experienced voice in Capers as a resource during the next chapter of his coaching career.
Capers was the head coach of the first team in Panthers history, one which was quarterbacked by Reich. He also worked with Evero during their time together with the Packers in 2016, and has given him high praise for his work as both an assistant and coordinator. Expectations will be raised for the Panthers in 2023, given their relatively strong finish to this past season, along with the acclaim and familiarity found on Reich’s staff.