Commanders Hire Eric Bieniemy As OC
6:10pm: Schefter tweets that the deal is now official. He adds, unsurprisingly, that Bieniemy’s new job title will be accompanied by a raise in terms of annual compensation compared to what he had been earning during his time in Kansas City.
4:12pm: A deal between the Commanders and Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy appears to be in place. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the parties have agreed on a multi-year pact which will see him become the new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach in Washington.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the Commanders are aiming to have a deal formally in place by tomorrow (Twitter link). Assuming that happens, it will officially mark the end of a courtship which increasingly pointed to a move from Kansas City to the nation’s capital in recent days. Pelissero notes that the Super Bowl champions preferred to keep Bieniemy in place, but they will now look elsewhere to fill a major vacancy. 
Bieniemy, 53, has been connected to several head coaching positions in recent years, as his role in shaping the Chiefs’ elite offense has been noted. His lack of opportunities has led to widespread criticism, but now he will take on an OC role featuring complete control of an offense for the first time. Much will therefore be learned about his abilities in what is an increased capacity, though the Commanders represent a far different situation to the one in Kansas City.
Washington led the NFL in time of possession last season, but put up below-average numbers in several other offensive categories. That was caused in no small part by their poor QB play, a mark of their continued inability to find a long-term solution under center. Their latest attempt was the trade acquisition of Carson Wentz, but he was relegated to backup duty by the end of the season, one in which the team went 8-8-1. Rookie Sam Howell has since been named the starter heading into 2023.
The fifth-rounder attempted just 19 regular season passes, so to call him a stark contrast from two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes in terms of pedigree would be a massive understatement. Bieniemy will still have a veteran head coach alongside him on the sidelines in Ron Rivera, though whispers have picked up that he could be on the hot seat next year.
With a Bieniemy move seemingly likely, it came out earlier today that QBs coach Matt Nagy is the name to watch for a promotion to the OC role. Nagy flamed out as head coach of the Bears, but a second OC posting in Kansas City for 2023 could help him rebuild his stock. Head coach Andy Reid has been a play-caller with the Chiefs during Bieniemy’s tenure, clouding the latter’s importance to the unit. It will be worth watching how much that dynamic changes if Nagy is tapped as Bieniemy’s replacement.
With Bieniemy set to head to the nation’s capital, here is the final breakdown of the Commanders’ OC search:
- Darrell Bevell, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Declined interview request
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Hired
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Declined interview request
- Charles London, quarterbacks coach (Falcons): Interview requested
- Anthony Lynn, assistant head coach/running backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/1
- Greg Roman, former offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 2/14
- Pat Shurmur, former offensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed; fallback option?
- Eric Studesville, running backs coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/23
- Ken Zampese, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/18
Mutual Interest Between Commanders, Eric Bieniemy; Chiefs Eyeing Matt Nagy Promotion
Eric Bieniemy and the Commanders look to be moving toward a deal. The longtime Chiefs offensive coordinator is back at the NFC East team’s facility Friday and is believed to have interest in leaving Kansas City for Washington, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
While it would represent a somewhat strange development for the five-year Chiefs OC to leave a place where he has won two Super Bowls, teams have continually overlooked him for head coaching gigs. This OC-to-OC move would allow Bieniemy to have full play-calling responsibilities for the first time.
The sides began their meeting with a Wednesday-night dinner, and Albert Breer of SI.com tweets he and the Commanders will discuss contract matters and staffing Friday. The process is likely to conclude with Bieniemy becoming the next Commanders OC, Rapoport tweets. If Bieniemy leaves his post under Andy Reid, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) Matt Nagy is the favorite to replace him as the Chiefs’ next OC. Other teams showed interest in Nagy this offseason, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets the ex-Bears HC received indications he was next in line to become Reid’s right-hand man on offense.
Both Nagy and Doug Pederson rode Kansas City’s OC position to HC opportunities — in Chicago and Philadelphia, respectively — but no such path has formed for Bieniemy, leading to widespread criticism. The Chiefs have employed Bieniemy as their OC throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ starter tenure, and while numerous HC interviews occurred, a chance to lead a team remains elusive. A move to a play-calling post, then, emerged on the radar as a potential stepping stone for the 10-year Chiefs assistant.
Bieniemy, 53, interviewed for the Colts’ HC job this year but said prior to Super Bowl LVII he had not met with any teams about their OC gig. Both the Commanders and Ravens wanted to speak with the Reid lieutenant about their play-calling positions, but Baltimore hired Todd Monken for the job. Washington, however, has kept its job open for more than a month. Bieniemy has been the Commanders’ top choice for a while, and despite Ron Rivera being on the hot seat and the franchise potentially nearing a sale, the two-time Super Bowl-winning OC is close to relocating.
The Chiefs extended Bieniemy on a one-year deal during the 2022 offseason. Even if his contract were not up, the Chiefs could not block a Bieniemy Commanders interview due to the job coming with play-calling responsibilities. Reid has retained those in Kansas City, which has played a role in the assistant not landing a top coaching gig. Bieniemy’s inability to do so, despite others securing such opportunities in recent years without play-calling pasts, has led to the intense scrutiny regarding the NFL’s hiring practices. That is unlikely to cease if Bieniemy lands in Washington, but it appears the former NFL running back is ready to test himself as a play-caller for a scuffling team.
Rivera fired three-year OC Scott Turner on Jan. 10 and interviewed several candidates, but the search slowed. Bieniemy waited until after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII win to interview, passing on a Titans meeting in the process. Rivera and Reid have been in contact, Breer adds.
Whereas the Chiefs are coming off a season in which their offense ranked No. 1 in DVOA despite the team trading All-Pro Tyreek Hill, the Commanders ranked 28th. Even in traditional metrics, Washington’s offense did not rank inside the top 20 during Turner’s tenure. Quarterback issues played a large part in that, though Turner drew criticism as well during the 2022 season.
While Bieniemy leaving the comforts of the Reid-Mahomes setup for uncertainty in Washington obviously brings considerable risk, the Commanders do roster some skill-position talent. Terry McLaurin and first-round pick Jahan Dotson are signed through 2025, with Curtis Samuel‘s contract running through the ’23 season. Brian Robinson also showed promise during his rookie campaign, despite suffering gunshot wounds in August.
Nagy served as Reid’s OC for two seasons — 2016-17 — after Pederson left for Philadelphia. Reid did give him a play-calling role for a bit, and the Bears hired him after Alex Smith‘s final K.C. season. Nagy earned Coach of the Year honors after helping the Bears to a 12-4 record and their first NFC North title since 2010. The operation went south soon after, with the team’s Mitch Trubisky draft choice doing well to sink Nagy. The Bears finished 8-8 in 2019 and 2020, but their 6-11 2021 mark led to Nagy’s firing. He quickly resurfaced in Kansas City as quarterbacks coach, and it looks like the Chiefs will ensure continuity by promoting him to replace Bieniemy.
Latest On Eric Bieniemy, Commanders’ OC Search
FEBRUARY 16: Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that today’s talks went well, and that Bieniemy will remain in Washington Friday to continue discussing the OC position. This latest update represents another sign pointing towards a Commanders deal being a distinct possibility in the very near future.
FEBRUARY 15: Kansas City’s offensive coordinator will interview with Washington’s OC job Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Bieniemy remains the Commanders’ top candidate for the gig, which would come with play-calling responsibilities. Bieniemy’s Chiefs contract expired after Super Bowl LVII.
FEBRUARY 13: Eric Bieniemy is now a two-time Super Bowl champion, after the Chiefs’ offense sparked a second-half comeback victory Sunday night. The Kansas City offensive coordinator was already on the radar of several other teams before the title game, and its result has not changed his situation.
Bieniemy remains the top target for the Commanders, who are setting up an interview with him for this week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Washington was recently named as a suitor for the 53-year-old, along with Baltimore; Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler tweets that the Ravens are also expected to meet with Bieniemy regarding their vacancy.
The Commanders have undertaken a wide-ranging search in their replacement for Scott Turner. An interview with Bieniemy was only possible after the Super Bowl, of course, but they could have competition for his services. Bieniemy’s agent explained to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk over the weekend that he has an “outside shot” at the Colts’ head coaching position, one of two in the NFL which has yet to filled. Bieniemy interviewed once for that role but has plenty of competition amongst his fellow finalists.
In addition to the Indianapolis HC gig and the Washington and Baltimore OC postings, Bieniemy could also be a contender to become Arizona’s next offensive coordinator, per his agent, depending on who is ultimately hired as the Cardinals’ new head coach. To date, the 10-year Chiefs staffer has not taken any OC interviews, but that could change very quickly given his position atop the list of the Commanders’ preferred candidates.
The Chiefs cannot block Bieniemy from interviewing for a job with play-calling responsibilities. With Andy Reid calling plays in Kansas City, it would be considered a step up for Bieniemy to become an offensive coordinator elsewhere. Reid would welcome his longtime lieutenant taking the reins elsewhere.
“Eric Bieniemy has been tremendous for us and I think tremendous for the National Football League,” Reid said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I’m hoping he has an opportunity to go somewhere and do his thing where he can run the show and be Eric Bieniemy.”
Should Washington not be able to land Bieniemy, another veteran coach appears to be in place as Plan B. The Commanders are keeping an eye on Pat Shurmur, who interviewed with the team not long after their season ended. JP Finlay of NBC Sports notes that no other team has met with the former Giants and Browns head coach during the 2023 cycle, and that none are expected to in the coming days. Fowler concurs that Shurmur, 57, is likely the Commanders’ fallback option.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s John Keim reports (via Twitter) that Washington is lining up an interview with former Ravens OC Greg Roman. The latter spent the past four years at the helm of the Ravens’ offense, enjoying considerable success in the running game but coming up noticeably short regarding the team’s passing attack. The 50-year-old has previously served as the offensive coordinator of the 49ers and Bills.
Here is the updated breakdown of where things stand on the Washington OC front:
- Darrell Bevell, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Declined interview request
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interview requested; team remains interested; interview being arranged
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Declined interview request
- Charles London, quarterbacks coach (Falcons): Interview requested
- Anthony Lynn, assistant head coach/running backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/1
- Greg Roman, former offensive coordinator (Ravens): interview being arranged
- Pat Shurmur, former offensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed; fallback option?
- Eric Studesville, running backs coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/23
- Ken Zampese, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/18
Cardinals Request OC Interviews With Drew Petzing, Drew Terrell, Joel Thomas
With Jonathan Gannon in place as the new head coach in Arizona, changes are coming on the defensive side of the ball. As for their offense, several candidates will be considered before a hire is made.
The Cardinals put out three interview requests for the offensive coordinator position on Thursday. In a trio of tweets, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that Arizona is seeking a meeting with Browns quarterbacks coach Drew Petzing, Commanders wide receivers coach Drew Terrell and Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas. 
As Rapoport notes, Petzing is a strong contender to land the position. The 35-year-old worked alongside Gannon during their shared time in Minnesota, and was named as a logical hire in the event Gannon was given the head coaching position in Arizona. Petzing has spent the past three years in Cleveland, coaching the team’s tight ends before taking charge of the QBs room in 2022.
Terrell, 31, spent four years in the college ranks before making the jump to the NFL. He worked with the Panthers for two years, then went to Washington in 2020. After one season as an assistant WRs coach, the Stanford alum was promoted to the full-time position and has held it for the past two years. Rapoport adds that Terrell is highly regarded around the league despite his relative lack of experience, so it comes as little surprise that he is receiving interest for a coordinator position.
Thomas held a number of hats at the NCAA level, but has consistently worked with running backs throughout his career. He worked as an OC at Idaho in 2004 and 2005, serving in a similar capacity at Washington in 2012. His only NFL posting has been in New Orleans, beginning in 2015. The 48-year-old has been a key positional coach helping drive the success the Saints have enjoyed with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram in the backfield during his tenure, though, like the other two coaches, he has not received interview requests from any other team so far.
Much has been made about the importance regarding Gannon’s hire at OC, given his own background as a defensive staffer and his status as a rookie head coach. During his introductory press conference, he spoke about his commitment – regardless of whomever is tapped as offensive coordinator – to keeping the unit centered around Kyler Murray.
“I have a very specific vision of how I want to play on offense and the person that comes in here to run the offense is going to understand that everything that we do will be structured around the quarterback position to maximize his skill set,” Gannon said, via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. “And we have an elite one.”
Gannon added that he expects to start the interview process to begin in the next few days, so a decision will likely not come long after as he works to build his staff.
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVII in the books, the order of the final two first-round picks in April’s draft have been finalized. The Chiefs once again find themselves at the bottom of the order by virtue of winning their second Lombardi Trophy in the past four years.
The last time they found themselves in that position, they added running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in what was seen as a selection which would greatly boost their rushing attack. A repeat of that decision is unlikely this time around, given the emergence of seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco as the team’s lead back down the stretch, including the Super Bowl in which Edwards-Helaire was deactivated.
For the Eagles, the fact that their own first-rounder will be one spot higher than Kansas City’s is of course no consolation for the outcome of the game. Nevertheless, Philadelphia will have two chances – since they also have the Saints’ top choice, sitting at No. 10 overall – to add high-end rookies to an already strong core. The success both teams enjoyed in 2022, coupled with the strengths of their respective front offices, should have them well-positioned to contend once again next season.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:
- Chicago Bears: 3-14
- Houston Texans: 3-13-1
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Carolina Panthers: 7-10
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Tennessee Titans: 7-10
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- New York Jets: 7-10
- New England Patriots: 8-9
- Green Bay Packers: 8-9
- Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
- Detroit Lions: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
- Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- New York Giants: 9-7-1
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 13-3
- Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
- New Orleans Saints (via 49ers through Broncos)
- Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3
- Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3
This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
Prospective Commanders Owners Approached Sean Payton
Sean Payton is in place as the new head coach of the Broncos, after he was routinely named as the top candidate in this year’s coaching cycle. His move away from broadcasting was highly anticipated, but also involved an interesting element which he revealed recently. 
When speaking to Adam Schein of SiriusXM, Payton revealed that he drew head coach consideration from certain prospective Commanders owners. A sale in Washington is not guaranteed to take place, but the process is currently being considered with owner Dan Snyder facing increased pressure to separate himself from the league.
“Everyone’s waiting to see what happens in Washington,” Payton said (video link via The Athletic’s Ben Standig). “And there was some interest from some potential ownership groups that are gonna be bidding on, currently had bid on that team, that were getting ahead of the game saying, ‘Hey, if we get awarded this team, would you?’ And so there were a lot of different things at play.”
Prior to his Super-Bowl winning stint in New Orleans, Payton spent time with each of the other three franchises in the NFC East, so he has a high degree of familiarity with Washington. The list of potential new Commanders owners has not been fully established, but is expected to include Jeff Bezos and several runners-up to buy the Broncos last offseason.
The Rob Walton-led group purchased Payton’s new employer, which will pay him at least $18MM per season to lead them from the sidelines. That price was driven by a number of factors, including his acclaim as a coach, the considerable interest shown from other HC-needy teams and Payton’s stated willingness to remain as a FOX broadcaster for the 2023 season.
Of note regarding Payton’s remarks, of course, is the fact that Washington is not one of the teams which recently hired a new head coach or is currently looking for one. Ron Rivera remains in place as the team’s bench boss, having coached in the nation’s capital since 2020. He could be a hot seat candidate heading into 2023, given his 22-27-1 record over three years, but he is currently moving ahead with the support of the front office. This offseason includes a number of key questions for the Commanders, including decisions at the quarterback position and with respect to a number of key free agents.
The Payton pursuit is a moot point regardless of who – if anyone – purchases the Commanders in the near future, given his Broncos hire. His comments are nevertheless a further example of the interest he generated and the desire certain potential new owners would have to make significant changes to the coaching staff upon arrival.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera Talks QB, Payne, Young
The Commanders continue to reiterate that Sam Howell will be their QB1 heading into training camp. During an appearance on PFT Live, head coach Ron Rivera reinforced Howell’s standing as the top quarterback, but he acknowledged the team may bring in a veteran to push him.
[RELATED: Commanders Committed To Sam Howell As QB1]
“The biggest thing we decided is he will start out as QB1,” Rivera said (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “He will most certainly get the first opportunity. We go into OTAs and minicamp, he’ll be QB1. He’ll fight for that position. We’ll give him every opportunity to earn it, and we’ll see what happens when we get into training camp and through it.”
Last year, the Commanders pursued QBs like Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, and Derek Carr. This time around, they’re not looking to make a big splash at the position, as Rivera dismissed the notion that the organization would pursue a big name.
“No. No,” Rivera said. “I think the biggest thing is we have to find a guy to come in that’s going to compete, but in terms of finding a guy you’re going to have to spend a lot of capital on, no. We’re not looking for a guy we’ve got to spend a lot of capital on. We’re looking for a guy that’s going to come in and compete first and foremost.”
Rivera expressed a similar sentiment to ESPN’s John Keim, noting that the front office will not spend “big capital” at the position (Twitter link). The team will save a significant chunk of cap when they inevitably cut Carson Wentz, but we previously heard that the organization liked the idea of starting a QB on a rookie contract and spending those savings elsewhere. Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick, only got one start as a rookie, completing 11 of his 19 pass attempts for 169 yards, one touchdown, and one interception en route to a Week 18 win over the Cowboys.
Meanwhile, Rivera told Keim that the Commanders have reached out to defensive tackle Daron Payne‘s reps but have yet to talk money. The impending free agent had his best season in 2022, finishing with a career-high 11.5 sacks. Another important defensive line decision will surround former second-overall pick Chase Young; the Commanders will have to soon make a decision on his fifth-year option. Rivera told Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post that the team has yet to make a decision on Young, noting that they still need to evaluate his health and development (Twitter link). However, Rivera wasn’t too worried about the perception if the Commanders decline the player’s option, noting that the Commanders followed a similar path with Payne.
“No. Because that’s what we did with Daron,” Rivera explained. “It cost us. But it cost us in a good way, because the young man played, he did things the right way. He didn’t sit out, he didn’t withhold, he could have done that sit-in during training camp, but he didn’t. And because he didn’t, now we’re in that position where we have to find a way to say thank you, OK, you’ve earned it.”
Eric Bieniemy Has Not Taken Any OC Interviews; Commanders, Ravens Remain Interested
1:29pm: Neither the Commanders nor the Ravens have hired an offensive coordinator, and neither team can interview Bieniemy until after Super Bowl LVII. Bieniemy’s statement regarding OC jobs notwithstanding, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes (on Twitter) he remains a prime candidate for both Baltimore and Washington.
A move to either team would not be a lateral shift; both the Commanders and Ravens are looking for their next play-caller. Each team has proceeded methodically here. The Commanders’ job became open on Jan. 10; the Ravens moved on from Greg Roman on Jan. 19.
9:58am: Another team with Eric Bieniemy on its interview wish list filled its offensive coordinator vacancy this week. The Titans promoted from within, elevating Tim Kelly to the post.
Tennessee is not the only franchise to show interest in Kansas City’s OC for a non-head coaching position this year. Baltimore and Washington requested Bieniemy interviews weeks ago, but the 10-year Chiefs staffer — whose inability to land a top coaching job has drawn extensive scrutiny over the past several years — said he has only taken one interview this year. Bieniemy spoke with the Colts about their HC position, but no other teams reached out to him regarding their top sideline gigs.
“I have not taken any interviews for any offensive coordinator positions. I’ve only taken one interview, for a head coaching position. Right now, I’ve interviewed with the Indianapolis Colts. I thought it went great,” Bieniemy said, via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (on Twitter). “We’ll see where that goes. Now, as far as the offensive coordinator stuff, right now I am where my feet are. And right now I’m focusing on helping us win this game this weekend.”
The Colts are proceeding with one of the most thorough HC interview processes in recent history, potentially planning a third round of meetings. Bieniemy not confirming he spoke with the Colts a second time may well point to yet another team bypassing him. The Colts have interviewed eight candidates twice, including Shane Steichen, who is in the same scheduling boat as Bieniemy due to NFL rules regarding Super Bowl assistants. Bieniemy was linked to being a finalist for the Indianapolis job, but that was before the host of second interviews went down.
Heavy Bieniemy HC interest emerged in past offseasons, but it has waned. The five-year Chiefs OC only interviewed for two of the 10 available jobs last year and one of this year’s five openings. Despite the Chiefs leading the league in offensive DVOA after trading Tyreek Hill, Bieniemy has not received too much credit for the team’s success with Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid, understandably, has received the bulk of the praise for best stretch in Chiefs history. Bieniemy’s persistent hurdle has led teams to inquire about his interest in becoming a play-calling OC, in an effort to show he can lead a successful offense independent of Reid. Though, past Reid Kansas City lieutenants Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy secured HC jobs during Alex Smith‘s stay as K.C.’s starter.
Bieniemy has reached agreements to stay in Missouri in each of the past two offseasons. He re-signed via a one-year pact in 2022, Jhabvala adds. While the former NFL running back did not confirm he would be back with the Chiefs in 2023, saying he will “have that conversation with coach Reid at that particular time,” the team would naturally have interest in retaining its OC. The Chiefs may yet again have the opportunity to retain Reid’s right-hand man.
Coaching Notes: Texans, 49ers, Bengals, Panthers
DeMeco Ryans was a popular name on the head coach market before ultimately landing with the Texans. The now-former 49ers defensive coordinator also generated strong interest from the Broncos, but the coach admitted that his choice to join Houston instead of Denver wasn’t all that difficult.
“When it came down to it, there was no place I wanted to be any more than H-Town,” Ryans said earlier this week (via NFL Network’s Bridget Condon on Twitter). “…It was a no brainer.”
While Ryans’ comments could certainly be interpreted as shade being thrown at the Broncos, his comments were more about his connection to Houston and the Texans organization. Ryans was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2006 draft, and he proceeded to spend six years with the organization. While the Texans were able to lure their favorite for the job, the Broncos had to pivot to Sean Payton, who was ultimately dealt from the Saints to Denver.
With Ryans now in the building, the focus shifts to the rest of the coaching staff. Naturally, the coach will be looking to some of his former peers for positions, as we previously heard that 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as well as 49ers defensive quality control coaches Andrew Hayes-Stoker and Stephen Adegoke are candidates to join Ryans in Houston. Matt Barrows of The Athletic adds another name to the list of targeted 49ers coaches, noting that Ryans leaned heavily on safeties coach Daniel Bullocks when he was in San Francisco. Barrows described Bullocks as Ryans’ “eyes in the coaches’ booth,” so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the head coach recruits his confidante to Houston.
More coaching notes from around the NFL…
- Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher interviewed for the Buccaneers offensive coordinator job before Cincinnati ultimately signed him to an extension. However, the new contract hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring on his availability. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor indicated that “there’s still interest from other teams” in adding Pitcher to their staff, per ESPN’s Ben Baby on Twitter. Pitcher became the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2020, and his work with 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow over the past few years is starting to pique the interest of other organizations.
- It’s been a bit since we heard that the Commanders requested an interview with 49ers assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn for their offensive coordinator vacancy. Earlier this week, Josina Anderson passed along (via Twitter) that Lynn had follow-up and informal conversations with the Commanders to determine “if there is mutual interest.” It’s uncertain if the two sides decided to move on with a formal interview.
- Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris interviewed for the 49ers defensive coordinator vacancy earlier this week. If Harris doesn’t land the gig, he’s most likely going to end up on the Titans coaching staff, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). We heard last month that Harris was set to join the Titans as their their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. However, no deal was finalized, and Harris was clearly waiting out the 49ers’ search before fully committing to Tennessee.
- The Panthers are searching for new coordinators on both sides of the ball, but it sounds like their special teams coordinator will be sticking around under new head coach Frank Reich. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, general manager Scott Fitterer and owner David Tepper encouraged head coaching candidates to retain ST coordinator Chris Tabor and offensive line coach James Campen for next season. Following a four-year stint as the Bears special teams head, Tabor joined the Panthers last offseason, with Reich describing the unit as “really strong.” Campen has bounced around a bit in recent years before landing in Carolina for the 2022 campaign.
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.