Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, Kingsbury, Webb, 49ers, Falcons, Petzing, Lions, Fraley, Jaguars, Commanders
As the Steelers and Bills’ searches get underway, the Browns, Cardinals and Raiders’ processes have shifted into the background a bit. Two candidates (Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter) pulled out of the Cleveland search, while Kevin Stefanski exited the Vegas derby. No known candidates have interviewed for the Arizona job and withdrawn, but insider Jordan Schultz still expects the NFC West team to have a difficult time attracting a quality candidate. Citing an organizational reputation in paying lower-end money to coaches, as evidenced most recently by Jonathan Gannon‘s bottom-tier HC salary, Schultz also points to the Cardinals’ standing in the NFC West as a deterrent to candidates. The division produced three playoff teams this season, and the Cards have not booked a postseason berth since 2021. They also carry a significant QB decision, with some of Kyler Murray‘s 2026 money guaranteed. It is not a lock Murray will be traded or released, but the next HC has a sketchier path to landing a successor due to this draft’s makeup.
Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:
- The Cardinals’ three-year OC, Drew Petzing, landed on his feet by winning the race for the Lions‘ play-calling post. Petzing can thank former Vikings coworker Hank Fraley, in no small part, for this job. Detroit’s O-line coach made a recommendation for Petzing, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds the Lions’ push to keep Fraley — an OC candidate last year — made his word valuable on this year’s carousel. The Lions wanted some familiarity in their hire, Breer adds. While Petzing has never worked with Dan Campbell, his past with Fraley helped. Detroit was burned by familiarity last year, as John Morton‘s second Lions stint did not work out. But they will try their hand with Arizona’s previous play-caller (and ex-Vikings Mike Zimmer-era staffer).
- Jeff Ulbrich intends to retain some of his staffers under Stefanski. The second-year Falcons DC appears set on keeping DBs coach Justin Hood. The 49ers requested a meeting with Hood for a high-ranking job, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, but the Falcons blocked it. (This would not have been for a DC job, as the Falcons could not block that.) Hood, 39, has only been in the NFL since 2021 and was not an Ulbrich hire. Hood was part of Jimmy Lake‘s defensive staff in 2024; prior to that, he was a three-year quality control coach with the Packers. But he is now an Atlanta priority.
- Davis Webb remains in the Raiders’ HC search and has been connected to the Bills, impressing in interviews. The third-year Broncos QBs coach cannot complete another interview until next week, but a potential pairing with an OC has come up. Webb linking up with Kliff Kingsbury has circulated as a possibility, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would be interesting given the experience disparity, as Kingsbury was Webb’s coach at Texas Tech. Webb, 30, played under Kingsbury, 46, for three seasons in Lubbock before transferring to Cal in 2016. Kingsbury is no longer in the running for any HC jobs but has been linked to the Ravens and Titans’ OC posts.
- The Commanders are making another key promotion on their offensive staff. Darnell Stapleton, part of Dan Quinn‘s first two staffs, is moving up to the offensive line coach position, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets. Stapleton, 40, spent the past two years as Washington’s assistant O-line coach. That was his first NFL job, having come to the NFL after two seasons as Florida’s O-line coach. Stapleton has worked closely with new OC David Blough since coming to D.C., per Graziano. Shane Toub is moving into Stapleton’s former position. The son of longtime Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub, Shane spent the past three seasons as a quality control staffer. Dan Quinn kept him from Ron Rivera‘s final staff and is now promoting him to a position coaching role.
- The Jaguars are hiring Dolphins cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Among the Jets’ DC candidates, Araujo evidently will not land that job. Araujo reunites with former Dolphins coworker Anthony Campanile, though the Jags’ current DC is still up for the Cardinals’ HC job. Araujo was on all four McDaniel Miami staffs, three of those including Campanile.
Eagles Request OC Interview With Bobby Slowik
The Eagles have added Dolphins senior passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik to their list of offensive coordinator candidates, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Slowik, 38, arrived in Miami last offseason after a two-year stint as the Texans’ offensive coordinator. He led rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and Houston’s offense to their best finish in years in 2023, but the unit took a clear step back in 2024. However, the team’s continued offensive struggles under Nick Caley this season indicate that Slowik may not have been the primary problem.
The rest of Slowik’s resume is comprised of four years as an offensive assistant on Kyle Shanahan‘s staff in San Francisco, along with this past season in Miami. The 49ers’ passing game largely thrived while Slowik was its architect in 2021 and 2022, though he could not help Mike McDaniel revitalize the Dolphins’ air attack in 2025. If the Eagles are looking to branch out from Nick Sirianni’s coaching tree, Slowik could be an option to infuse some new concepts into Phily’s offense.
Slowik’s current competition for the Eagles’ offensive coordinator job includes several top offensive coaches, including McDaniel, Jim Bob Cooter, Zach Robinson, Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Daboll, and Mike Kafka.
Cowboys To Designate C Cooper Beebe, CB Shavon Revel For Return
The Cowboys are designating center Cooper Beebe and cornerback Shavon Revel for return, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Both players will participate in practice this week.
Beebe landed on injured reserve after Week 2 with an ankle sprain and a foot fracture. Coming back after five weeks with a three-week practice window aligns neatly with his original six- to eight-week return timeline. The 2024 third-rounder took over a starting job as a rookie and appeared in 16 games last year, though the Cowboys had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.
Dallas’ offense has not skipped a beat without Beebe, averaging 32.4 points. per game over their last five contests. Backup Brock Hoffman has played well enough, but Dak Prescott will no doubt be glad to have his starting center back in the lineup.
Revel, a third-round pick in April’s draft, has been on the non-football injury list since July as he completes his recovery from last year’s ACL tear. The Cowboys were hoping that he would be ready by Week 5, but the rookie cornerback will miss that mark by at least three weeks.
Revel impressed during his time at Eastern Carolina and has the talent to contribute right away. However, coming back from a major injury after missing all of the preseason will likely require a multi-week ramp up and keep him from reinforcing the Cowboys’ bottom-ranked passing defense anytime soon.
The Cowboys also designated linebacker DeMarvion Overshown for return on Monday, so they could have as many as three impact players return in the next month. All three will have 21 days to practice with the team before they must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.
Mark Sanchez Booked, Released From Jail
The next step in the Mark Sanchez-saga saw the former NFL quarterback booked at the Marion County Jail today, promptly getting released after being processed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 38-year-old needed to be released from the hospital before getting processed at the jail, and both things needed to occur in order for Sanchez to be allowed to leave the state. 
In an interview (via Max Lewis of FOX59) outside the jail, Sanchez expressed many thanks to the first responders that treated him in the aftermath of the altercation that led to him getting stabbed. In particular, he became emotional as he thanked the surgeon that operated on him, claiming that she “saved his life.” He informed the media that he was recovering slowly and, before leaving, apologized that he was unable to answer more questions.
Sanchez’s alleged victim, Perry Tole, is also reportedly suing both Sanchez and Fox Corp. Per ESPN, the lawsuit claims he sustained “severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress and other damages” resulting from Sanchez’s alleged attack. Reportedly, a picture of Tole in a hospital bed with a neck brace and a deep gash in the side of his face is making the rounds in the media, but it’s unclear if the image is legitimate evidence related to the case.
Initially charged with three misdemeanor charges of battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, Sanchez now faces a single felony battery charge. Our original report on the felony showed that the Level 5 charge could carry a prison sentence of one to five years and that the next step in the process would be a conference on November 4. ESPN’s latest update slightly adjusts these facts, claiming that the felony charge could carry a sentence up to six years and that the pretrial conference will take place on November 5.
Bengals Contacted Several Teams On QBs; Cincinnati Considered Derek Carr
The Bengals went from throwing support behind Jake Browning to frantically seeking an outside upgrade. Joe Flacco became that option, being sent across Ohio early this week in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange.
Prior to landing on Flacco — a development that surprised the Browns — the Bengals looked into many reserve QBs around the league and one who recently wrapped his NFL career. In addition to calling the Eagles on Sam Howell and the Seahawks on Drew Lock, the Bengals contacted the Texans on Davis Mills, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
[RELATED: Flacco Hail Mary Comes At Key Point On Bengals’ Timeline]
A long-hesitant franchise regarding the acquisition of players via in-season trades, the Bengals also made a call on Derek Carr. Rapoport indicates the recently retired passer became part of Cincinnati’s search. Had this progressed, the team would have needed to make a deal with the Saints for Carr’s rights. Like they did with Sean Payton when he stepped away in 2022, the Saints hold Carr’s rights after his mid-offseason retirement.
Carr did not enter the offseason assured of retaining his starting job. Kellen Moore took over in New Orleans, leading to rumors about a QB change — even in the event Carr kept playing. Two years remained on his Saints contract. Carr was not open to a pay cut on the four-year, $150MM deal and remained in the Saints’ plans for several weeks between Moore’s arrival and the post-draft retirement decision. As of September, Carr has not slammed the door on returning. But with the Saints needing compensation, that introduced a wrinkle they may have kept the 11-year veteran in retirement.
This certainly would have presented an interesting opportunity for Carr, as the Bengals paid up to retain their high-end Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins duo this offseason. Carr struggled to stay healthy in New Orleans, running into a few injuries. Most notably, a shoulder malady sustained in 2023 plagued him and ultimately led the ex-Raider to retirement. Should health circumstances improve, that could conceivably change the equation. Carr did gauge the trade market this offseason. But Carr is 34, limiting his window. During the summer, a report also indicated the former playoff starter is not likely to return to the league.
The Bengals made calls to teams with three quarterbacks and those with viable practice squad options, Rapoport adds. Mills obviously remains in the Texans‘ plans, having signed a one-year extension that moves his contract through 2026 in September. The Texans also rebuffed trade inquiries on Mills in 2023, keeping he and Case Keenum behind C.J. Stroud that season. A 2021 third-round pick, Mills has played his entire career in Houston. The team replaced him as their primary starter via the Stroud selection but still values him in the QB2 post.
Cincinnati did not inquire about Giants veterans, Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill. In not making Tannehill part of their QB search, the Bengals wanted a player who had been active recently, Rapoport adds. Tannehill has not played since the 2023 season, when the Titans benched him for second-round rookie Will Levis. Tannehill had been connected to the Vikings early this offseason and later came up for the Raiders following Aidan O’Connell‘s injury, but the 37-year-old passer remains out of football.
Flacco, 40, will make a start despite being acquired Tuesday afternoon. The Bengals sent Flacco cutups on his flight from Cleveland, per Rapoport, as he was getting up to speed in Zac Taylor‘s offense by Tuesday night. With the Browns giving Flacco two weeks to prepare before his first start with the team in 2023, today’s shorter-notice Packers matchup presents a daunting assignment. For the foreseeable future, however, the Bengals will have Flacco at the controls.
NFL Aiming To Play Eight International Games In 2026
The 2025 regular season schedule includes seven games played outside the United States. The CBA allows for eight such contests per year, and the maximum should be expected for next season. 
[RELATED: NFL Still Eyeing 16 Annual International Games]
During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Gerrit Meier – who serves as the NFL’s managing director of the international department – said the league is “pretty confident” the full eight-game slate for overseas contests will be included for 2026. It is already known a first ever game in Australia will take place next year, while a new deal was recently worked out for at least three games to be played in Rio de Janeiro over the next five years. It would also come as no surprise if a return to Dublin were to take place in short order after this year’s debut there.
“The ambition to go international itself, it’s not a new ambition,” Meier said. “I think the point we’ve gotten ourselves to now is, O.K., how has the world changed? And if we truly want to be a global sport, what are the different elements that go into that? And we’ve seen that just having a game, that’s not enough. Just having media, that’s not enough. So just talking about the various elements, we realized there’s something bigger.”
Indeed, the NFL’s efforts to grow the game in international markets has included more than staging games over a span of several years and in various cities. As Meier informed Breer, the league is set to open a headquarters in Spain. That will make it the eighth country outside the United States to house such a venue, joining Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, China and Australia in that regard. Madrid will play host to the Dolphins-Commanders game in Week 12 this year.
Given the long-running efforts to expand the NFL’s reach in Europe, the possibility of one or more franchises based there has been a talking point. According to Meier, though, an international team and/or division is not a “front burner” matter at this point. Instead, expanding into other markets – commissioner Roger Goodell has named Asia as a potential target in that respect – remains a clear priority, with Europe sill a high priority.
On that note, Meier confirmed the league is still interested in holding games in France in the future. He added Italy is another country the NFL is “exploring.” With further increases in the total number of overseas games played on an annual basis expected, the list of potential destinations for international contests continues to grow as well.
Bills Place K Tyler Bass On IR
The Bills have placed veteran kicker Tyler Bass on injured reserve, per a team announcement.
Bass was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice due to a hip/groin issue that will now sideline him for at least four games, including Sunday night’s matchup with the Ravens. Though he has yet to finish a season with a conversion rate above 90%, Bass has been a reliable kicker for his five-year career in Buffalo and hit a career-long 61-yard field goal in 2024.
After Bass went down on Wednesday, the Bills quickly moved to sign Matt Prater to the practice squad as an injury replacement on Thursday. The former Broncos, Cardinals, and Lions kicker missed most of the 2024 season due to a torn meniscus; before that, he made 83.6% of his career field goal attempts, so Buffalo should be able to trust him while Bass is recovering. The Bills can only elevate Prater from the practice squad three times, so they will need to sign him to the active roster if he is going to replace Bass in all four games (and potentially more).
The Bills are also likely to be without veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White on Sunday. He did not practice all week due to a groin injury and is listed as doubtful on the injury report.
The Ravens also ruled out a few key players for Sunday Night Football: fullback Patrick Ricard and tight end Isaiah Likely. Likely is an expected absence as he recovers from preseason foot surgery, while Ricard has missed multiple weeks of practice with a calf injury. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, however, is off the injury report and expected to make his debut in purple and black.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.
Buffalo Bills
Signed to practice squad:
- QB Shane Buechele, LB Jimmy Ciarlo, OL Travis Clayton, G Dan Feeney, S Sam Franklin, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR Stephen Gosnell, OL Kendrick Green, CB Daequan Hardy, CB Dane Jackson, LB Keonta Jenkins, TE Keleki Latu, DL Zion Logue, DT Jordan Phillips, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Released from IR via injury settlement:
- RB Darrynton Evans, WR Grant Dubose
Miami Dolphins
Waived:
- S Jordan Colbert
Signed to practice squad:
- CB BJ Adams, CB Cornell Armstrong, LB Quinton Bell, OL Braeden Daniels, TE Greg Dulcich, WR AJ Henning, DT Alex Huntley, LB Derrick McLendon, OL Josh Priebe, TE Hayden Rucci, S John Saunders, WR Theo Wease
New England Patriots
Claimed:
- DB Charles Woods (from Rams)
Waived:
- WR Javon Baker
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott, LB Bradyn Swinson, WR Jeremiah Webb
New York Jets
Claimed:
- LB Cam Jones (from Chiefs), T Esa Pole (from Chiefs), TE Jelani Woods (from Colts)
Released:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Dean Clark, DB Jordan Clark, QB Brady Cook, WR Tyler Johnson, OL Kohl Levao, K Harrison Mevis, DT Payton Page, WR Jamaal Pritchett, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Quentin Skinner, LB Boog Smith, WR Brandon Smith, DL Eric Watts, OL Leander Wiegand
Bears Host RB Jamaal Williams For Workout
The Bears hosted veteran running back Jamaal Williams for a workout Saturday morning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
[RELATED: Recapping Bears’ Offseason]
Williams’ star has fallen since a career-best 2022 that featured a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns and his first 1,000-yard season on the ground. He spent the last two years in New Orleans in a rotational role behind Alvin Kamara with only 181 touches in 27 games. To no surprise, a release took place in March.
The Bears would be Williams’ third NFC North team. He started his career in Green Bay as a fourth-round pick in 2017 before signing with the Lions as a free agent in 2021. Chicago is near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space, having entered Saturday with roughly $13MM in available funds. That would still allow for a Williams signing without much issue given the nature of his market.
The 30-year-old carried an AAV of $3MM during his Lions stint and his Saints pact averaged $4MM per season. Given the limited nature of his workload in New Orleans – and the fact he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry – Williams will be in line for a deal much closer to the league minimum when he signs with his next team. If that were to be the Bears, a notable workload would not be expected.
Chicago has D’Andre Swift in place to handle lead back duties once again in 2025. 2023 fourth-rounder Roschon Johnson, seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai and veteran special teamer Travis Homer round out the depth chart. If Williams were to sign with the Bears, he would look to carve out a role as a short-yardage specialist during the final weeks of the offseason.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
NFC South Notes: Bridgewater, Bucs, Pitts, Falcons, Panthers, C, Saints
The 2020 free agent class featured a few viable starting quarterbacks, helping the Buccaneers transition from the erratic Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay was closely connected to two of the available options — Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater. Reporting at the time made it fairly clear Bridgewater — who had spent the previous two seasons as Drew Brees‘ Saints backup — was the Bucs’ second choice behind Brady. Upon circling back to the veteran QB this week, Jason Licht confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine) that was the case.
Licht said he mentioned this to Bridgewater upon the unretired passer joining to the Bucs — his eighth NFL team — this week. The Bucs landed Brady, beating out the Chargers, who were losing Philip Rivers to the Colts. Bridgewater ended up doing nearly as well as Brady on the contract front, scoring a three-year, $63MM Panthers deal. Though, as Carolina cycled through passers during the Matt Rhule years, Bridgewater wound up in Denver — on a sizable pay cut — in 2021 via trade. He joins Kyle Trask as a Baker Mayfield backup option.
Here is the latest from the NFC South:
- Although the Falcons completed a notable extension this week — with right tackle Kaleb McGary, a recent report indicated they did not have anything brewing with Kyle Pitts. When asked about the possibility of an extension, GM Terry Fontenot (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall) did not discuss the matter. While Fontenot said the Falcons “love” where Pitts is ahead of his fifth season, they might need to see more from a player who has underwhelmed from the No. 4 overall draft slot. It would stand to reason Fontenot would be interested in a Pitts payday, seeing as he made the tight end his first draft pick as GM, but the inconsistent pass catcher has battled injuries — including an offseason foot issue he looks to have recovered from — and has not come close to matching his 1,000-yard rookie season. That said, Pitts (25) could position himself as a top-tier 2026 free agent with a solid contract year.
- Staying with the Falcons, they are pitting Jordan Fuller against third-round rookie Xavier Watts in a competition to replace Justin Simmons. Fuller and Watts have alternated with Atlanta’s starters, per ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi, alongside Jessie Bates at safety. Even if Watts cannot beat out Fuller — a former Raheem Morris Rams charge — for the job, the Falcons are expecting him to log extensive rookie-year playing time. The team traded up five spots for Watts, a two-time All-American at Notre Dame.
- Jamal Agnew did not see any game action last season, having spent 2024 recovering from a broken leg sustained in Week 17 of the 2023 season. Agnew wound up on the Steelers’ practice squad but did not suit up with the team. The Falcons signed him to a one-year, $2.5MM deal in March, only guaranteeing $400K. Still, the veteran receiver/return man is expected to make the Falcons’ 53-man roster, Kendall notes. While Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge are locks, Kendall pegs Agnew as a “strong bet” for the fifth spot. Adept at both kick and punt returns, Agnew — a 2022 Pro Bowler in Jacksonville — figures to be used in this capacity.
- The Panthers re-signed Austin Corbett in March but also retained Cade Mays via RFA tender. At $3.26MM, the original-round tender brought tougher decisions this year; months later, Mays is in a competition with Corbett to start at center, ESPN.com’s David Newton notes. Corbett and Mays have alternated days with the Panthers’ first team. With Corbett missing 25 games between the 2023 and ’24 seasons, he is having to fend off Mays for the job. The Panthers slid Corbett from guard to center in 2024, having signed Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, and used him as a starter in each game he played. But the ex-Rams Super Bowl starter suffered a biceps tear in October, shutting him down. Mays has made 13 starts since 2023, logging all 495 of his 2024 snaps at center.
- Julian Blackmon‘s one-year Saints contract is worth slightly less than initially reported. Rather than a $4MM deal, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell notes the veteran safety signed for $3.17MM. That amount is fully guaranteed.