The NFL has announced the home teams for the league’s games in Europe during the 2024 season.

London will feature games involving the Bears, Vikings, and Jaguars while Munich will welcome the Panthers. Those teams will be the designated home teams for those games and their opponents will be announced at a future date.

The NFL will also announce who will take part in the league’s inaugural game in Sao Paolo, Brazil in the future.

The Bears and Vikings will play their games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while the Jaguars will play at Wembley Stadium. It will be the 12th time that the Jaguars have played in London.

Munich’s game will take place at Allianz Arena. It will be the third straight year with a game in Germany.

CHICAGO

GM Ryan Poles fails to provide clarity on the future of QB JUSTIN FIELDS.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Exactly a year ago today, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles said he would have to be “absolutely blown away” to use the No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback. He didn’t, trading the choice to the Panthers and sticking with Justin Fields.

The Bears have the No. 1 overall pick again, courtesy of the Panthers, and this time Poles said the team won’t rush into a decision.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of questions on Justin,” Poles said, via a team transcript. “There’s going to be a lot of questions on the draft process. We are in information gathering mode right now. We are going to turn every stone to make sure that we are going to make a sound decision for our organization.

“I did think Justin got better. I think he can lead this team. But at the same time, there’s a unique situation where I have to look and our staff has to look at everything, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do, and that’s the same with free agency. We’re going to look at our free agents, given my personnel staff, do evaluations, and again, make the best decision we can for this organization to take the next step.”

The Bears, then with Ryan Pace as General Manager and Matt Nagy as head coach, selected Fields with the 11th overall pick in 2021.

In 13 games this season, he threw for 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions and ran for 657 yards and four touchdowns. The Bears went 5-8 in his starts.

“We love where Justin is right now,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “He’s done a good job growing. In the interceptions, keeping those down, the sack totals, he’s doing a good job with that, having his eyes down the field. He’s done a wonderful job with that, being able to deliver some strikes down there, and he’ll continue to grow as we grow as a football team.”

The Bears passed on C.J. Stroud last spring. Will they pass on USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye this spring?

“What we’re going to do is do what’s best for the organization,” Poles said. “I’m sure there’s going to be similar situations in terms of the trade back, and I’ve got to weigh all of those things to see what’s going to help our team take the next step.”

WASHINGTON

We thought we saw Adam Peters from the 49ers stable of front office talent as the GM hire in Washington, but apparently there is another finalist from the Bears.  Ian Rapoport:

@RapSheet

Sources: #Commanders managing partner Josh Harris is moving rapidly and thoroughly through the process to hire a new head of football operation.

Expected finalists include #49ers assistant GM Adam Peters and #Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham. Two of the top young personnel minds.

ATLANTA

This from ProFootballTalk.com:

The Falcons had a chance to hire Raheem Morris as their head coach in 2021, but they went in a different direction and Morris joined the Rams as their defensive coordinator instead.

Morris won a Super Bowl during his first year in the NFC West and has come up as a candidate for several head coaching openings around the league. That list includes the team that spurned him in favor of Arthur Smith a few years ago.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Falcons have requested an interview with Morris, who went 4-7 as the team’s interim head coach following Dan Quinn’s dismissal in 2020. Morris also spent three seasons as the Buccaneers head coach earlier in his career.

The Falcons have plenty of company when it comes to interest in Morris. The Panthers, Chargers, and Commanders have also asked to interview him this cycle.

Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com with another name on the Falcons list:

Could Steve Wilks head back to the NFC South?

The Falcons are looking at Wilks to potentially be their next head coach, as NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports Atlanta has put in a request with San Francisco to interview the club’s defensive coordinator.

Wilks served as Carolina’s interim coach after the franchise fired Matt Rhule in 2022. Wilks led the Panthers to a 6-6 record and had the team in position to play for the division title in Week 17 but couldn’t come up with a road victory over Tampa Bay.

The DB would think that of the eight openings at the moment, and there could be more, the Falcons are the single most likely team to hire a Black coach.  Not that there will be just one.

There are other names on the list – Lions’ OC Ben Johnson, Bengals’ OC Brian Callahan, Lions DC Aaron Glenn and Ravens DL coach Anthony Weaver.

The upcoming hire will be Blank’s sixth since buying the team in 2002. After moving on from Dan Reeves, who was the coach when he purchased the team, Blank hired Jim Mora Jr. (26-22 in Atlanta), Bobby Petrino (3-10), Mike Smith (66-46), Dan Quinn (43-42) and Arthur Smith (21-30).

TAMPA BAY

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wonders if Todd Bowles can feel safe even after crossing the line with a division championship?

For most coaches, making it to the playoffs is reason enough to be safe. This year, that might not be good enough.

Already, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has hinged coach Mike McCarthy’s future to one playoff game at a time. On Monday night, when the Buccaneers host the Eagles, the winner could get a Water-Pik — and the loser could be fired.

It’s harder to envision the Eagles moving on from Nick Sirianni one year after a Super Bowl berth. But the highly-strategic Eagles might see, and decide to seize upon, an opportunity to upgrade. It’s not as hard to envision the Buccaneers moving on from Todd Bowles.

Our friends at JoeBucsFan.com have been talking about the possibility of Bowles needing a good showing — and perhaps a win — on Monday night to stick around, on Ira Kaufman’s podcast.

It all comes down to whether team ownership believes the organization can upgrade with one of the various available coaches. They likely would be interested in Bill Belichick, if Belichick becomes available and if he were interested in Tampa. Other big names are available to an ownership group with a history of chasing big names, like Mike Vrabel and, as of Wednesday, Pete Carroll and even Nick Saban.

Regardless, it starts with an opening. There could be one, even though Bowles had led the Bucs to a pair of division titles in two years on the job.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

QB MATTHEW STAFFORD and others anticipate his return to Detroit with the added cauldron of a playoff game.  Jourdan Rodrigue and Colton Pouncy of The Athletic:

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is trying to keep this week as normal as possible.

Good luck with that.

Stafford will return to Detroit on Sunday night, as the city hosts its first playoff game in three decades, for the 10-7 Rams’ wild-card game against the 12-5 Lions.

Detroit drafted Stafford with the No. 1 pick in 2009, and he quarterbacked the Lions for the next 12 seasons before the Rams traded for him in 2021. Stafford played in three road playoff games, all losses, while with the Lions but led the Rams to a championship the same year he was traded.

Wednesday, he was asked what type of reception he expected from the Detroit fan base.

“I’m not expecting anything, to be honest with you,” said Stafford. “I was asked this question a couple of times just by friends and family. I think the biggest thing for me is (to) go experience whatever that experience is gonna be.

“I understand what the people of Detroit and what the city of Detroit meant to me and my time, my career, what they meant to my family. I hope they feel that back. At the same time, I’m not a stranger to the situation and understanding that I’m the bad guy coming to town. I’m on the other team, and they don’t want success for me.”

Stafford and his wife, Kelly, have four young daughters who were all born in Detroit while he played for the Lions.

“It’s an amazing city. It’s an amazing group of fans,” said Stafford. “The organization does a heck of a job. I know that they are going to be excited. It’s going to be a great atmosphere, probably one of the best we have played in in a long time. It’s a group of people that, from my experience, love the Lions. Wanted what was best for them. And now they’re playing really good football, they have an opportunity to host a playoff game. They’ve earned that opportunity.

“It’s going to be a cool experience for those people. … It’ll be a tough place to play. It’ll be loud. It’ll be tough for us to communicate as an offense, and we understand that.”

The Rams are practicing on their silent cadence all week, even during walkthroughs. The booming thuds of their outdoor speakers carry through the walls of their practice facilities.

“You know it’s going to be a great atmosphere and environment,” said Rams coach Sean McVay on Wednesday, “so that’s absolutely something that we’re gonna be working on all week and we gotta be able to handle that.”

What McVay is less concerned about, he said, is Stafford’s ability to manage his emotional state heading into a game that is setting up like a Hollywood script.

“I think it would be not being a human being to not feel a lot of different emotions,” said McVay, “but he’s put our team in a position to go play a meaningful game. He’s got a history there. I think it’s real to feel those types of things. But once you get into the game, let’s be totally immersed in the moment (and) we’ve got a lot of confidence in him. I want him to just be able to cut it loose and be able to play with his teammates.”

Sunday’s game is rich with Rams/Lions connections beyond Stafford and the city where he spent 12 years.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew both worked under Rams GM Les Snead in Los Angeles. Rams defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant coached for a short while for Detroit. Receiver Josh Reynolds and long snapper Jake McQuaide are former Rams.

And of course, Jared Goff — who the Rams drafted with their No. 1 pick in 2016, and sent to Detroit via the same trade that brought them Stafford — is the Lions’ quarterback.

Goff and McVay’s deteriorated working relationship and his exit from Los Angeles are now a notorious piece of both player and coach’s history.

Goff helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2018 season, in his second year working with McVay.

McVay felt he needed to move in a different direction after an underwhelming 2020 season with a team he believed was ready to get back to the Super Bowl, and pushed hard to trade for Stafford while Goff was packaged unceremoniously into the transaction.

“The thing that I’ll never run away from are mistakes that I’ve made in previous instances,” said McVay of the more personal aspects of the trade. “When you look back on it, the gratitude for those four years (with Goff), all the good memories that we had — and then when you end up making a change, that ended up being difficult.

“Could it have been handled better on my end? Absolutely. I’ll never run away from that. But the further you get away from it, the more that you try to grow as a man, as a person, as the leader that you want to become.

“He deserved better than the way that it all went down. I’ll acknowledge that, and I think he knows that too. I’m not afraid to admit to those things. But I think we’re all better being able to look back on those things and I do have more appreciation for him as time goes on.”

Goff became a team captain and core leader over the next three years with the Lions.

In Detroit on Wednesday, Goff was asked about his relationship with/sentiments toward McVay.

“Yeah, Sean and I are good. I think he’s a great coach,” said Goff. “Obviously, we had our differences there at the end, but he’s a great coach. He’s done a lot of great things and he’s a guy that taught me a lot.”

SEATTLE

Pete Carroll’s run as Seahawks coach is over, with Adam Schefter sending a message to Dan Quinn.

After 14 seasons, 10 playoff appearances and the franchise’s lone Super Bowl championship, Pete Carroll is out as the Seattle Seahawks’ coach.

Team owner Jody Allen said in a statement Wednesday that the decision was made “after thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise.” Carroll will remain with the team in an unspecified advisory role.

In an emotional farewell news conference Wednesday, Carroll, reading from a prepared statement, said he and ownership have “mutually agreed to set a new course.” However, he said he “competed pretty hard” to remain Seattle’s coach and that he ultimately “went along with their intentions.” Carroll said his comments after the Seahawks’ season finale that he wanted to continue coaching the team were “true to the bone.”

“I want to make sure that that’s clear as things have shifted so quickly in most people’s perspective,” Carroll said. “It’s been an honor and a thrill to be part of this program and I’ve loved every minute of it. You’ve watched me love it.”

Asked if he’d entertain another head coaching job if the right opportunity arose, Carroll said he didn’t know, adding that “today is about today.” Carroll said it has yet to be determined what his role as an advisor will entail, but that it will not include assisting general manager John Schneider in the search for his successor.

Carroll’s assistant coaches have been given permission to look for jobs elsewhere, a source told ESPN.

“Pete is the winningest coach in Seahawks history, brought the city its first Super Bowl title, and created a tremendous impact over the past 14 years on the field and in the community,” Allen said. “His expertise in leadership and building a championship culture will continue as an integral part of our organization moving forward.”

The Seahawks are expected to be interested in, among others, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Quinn served as a Seahawks assistant from 2009 to 2010 and was their defensive coordinator from 2013 to 2014.

The role change comes after Carroll said in his postgame news conference Sunday, and reiterated Monday in a radio interview, that he intended to return as coach for the 2024 season.

“I plan to be coaching this team,” Carroll told Seattle Sports 710 AM. “I told you that I love these guys, and that’s what I would like to be doing and see how far I can go. I’m not worn out. I’m not tired. I’m not any of that stuff. I need to do a better job and I need to help my coaches more and we need to do a better job of coaching, and there’s a lot of area for improvement.”

The Seahawks ended their season Sunday with a win over the Arizona Cardinals but missed out on a wild-card berth with a 9-8 record. They got off to a 5-2 start that briefly had them in first place in the NFC West, but a second-half skid doomed their playoff hopes.

That second-half stretch included the Seahawks’ only four-game losing streak of the Carroll era. Among those losses was a 31-13 blowout on Thanksgiving night at the hands of the division rival San Francisco 49ers, who have beaten the Seahawks five straight times (including last season’s wild-card round) by a combined score of 148-72. The Seahawks also lost 37-3 to the Baltimore Ravens in November, their second-worst margin of defeat under Carroll.

Hired by the Seahawks in 2010, Carroll had the fourth-longest tenure with his current team of any head coach, behind Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. At 72, Carroll had been the NFL’s oldest head coach for several years but had given zero indications that he was getting close to retirement. The five-year extension he signed in 2020 put him under contract with the Seahawks through the 2025 season.

Brady Henderson of ESPN.com with more questions than answers in the wake of Carroll’s departure:

The Seahawks have made several big moves over the past nine seasons in an attempt to get back to the top of the NFL after winning Super Bowl XLVIII and nearly repeating the next season. They’ve made blockbuster trades and big-money free agent signings. They’ve changed coordinators multiple times on both sides of the ball and overhauled their defensive, in scheme and in personnel. They’ve even moved on from a franchise quarterback in Russell Wilson.

On Wednesday, they made the biggest move they could, announcing that Pete Carroll is out as head coach after a 14-season tenure, the most successful run in franchise history. Here are five questions surrounding the move and where the Seahawks go from here as they head into the offseason.

Why did this happen now? Was it completely unexpected?

In Carroll’s news conference after the announcement, he said, “I competed pretty hard to be the coach … I went along with their intentions.” This came after he said postgame Sunday and again Monday that he planned to continue coaching the Seahawks, all of which makes it clear that this decision was made by owner Jody Allen and not Carroll.

Allen’s statement gave only a vague reasoning, saying the move was in the best interest of the organization, but it’s been obvious that the Seahawks have settled into a rut of mediocrity.

Since winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2013 season and nearly repeating as champions the next season, the Seahawks have made the playoffs six times but have failed to advance past the divisional round. Carroll said on his radio show earlier this week that the Seahawks are closer to winning a Super Bowl now than they were a year ago, when they also finished 9-8. But there was no obvious indication of that vision. Seattle’s defense regressed, and its offense underperformed. Over the past three seasons, the Seahawks are 25-27, including a wild-card loss that ended their lone playoff appearance in that stretch.

What does Carroll’s future look like now?

In a word, uncertain. Allen said in her statement that Carroll will remain with the team as an advisor, though Carroll said the particulars of that role are yet to be determined. The absence of any detail as well as Carroll’s obvious desire to remain Seattle’s coach contributes to the impression that the Seahawks may be giving him the title of advisor in order to give the best coach in franchise history as dignified of an exit as possible.

Carroll has looked as energetic as ever at 72, showing no signs in recent seasons that his passion for coaching has waned. During one of the more spirited moments of his news conference, he said he’s “freakin’ jacked” and not worn out or tired. That makes it fair to wonder whether he would have interest in coaching another team if the right opportunity arose.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” he said when asked about that possibility. “Today’s about today. I don’t know that.”

Should Carroll stay put, one thing about his advisor role was made clear Wednesday: it won’t entail him assisting general manager John Schneider in the search for his replacement.

Carroll helped hire Schneider in 2010 and had final say over personnel decisions. Schneider is now in the power position in Seattle’s front office.

Who could be in the mix to be the next Seattle coach?

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be among those on the Seahawks’ list of candidates. Quinn has been an obvious possibility in recent seasons while questions about Carroll’s coaching future have grown. He has a relationship with Schneider, having had two stints on the Seahawks’ coaching staff, including 2009-10 (defensive line coach) and 2013-14 (defensive coordinator). He was the coordinator during their two Super Bowl appearances, overseeing one of the most dominant units in NFL history.

The steady decline of Seattle’s defense since then is the biggest reason the team is now searching for a new coach. The Seahawks were 25th in points allowed in 2023 and 30th in yards allowed.

What’s the first priority for whoever takes over as coach?

Deciding whether to keep offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt will be first up. Their job statuses have seemed uncertain, given the way Seattle has underachieved on both sides of the ball this season.

The Seahawks’ priority on defense was to improve against the run after finishing 30th in 2022 (150.2 rushing yards allowed per game), but they regressed after a strong start, finishing one spot lower at 31st (138.4). Seattle’s offense, meanwhile, ranked 18th in scoring (20.2 PPG) and 21st in yards (322.9 per game). And it once again struggled on third down, a long-standing issue for this team.

New coaches often prefer to bring in their own coordinators. And the recent underwhelming track records for Hurtt and Waldron do not bode well for their chances of staying around.

What does this mean for quarterback Geno Smith?

The next big decision will be with Smith. The Seahawks quarterback was up and down in 2023, and he took a step back statistically in several areas from his Pro Bowl season in 2022. However, Smith also dealt with issues around him on offense and with injuries. He finished 13th in QBR (60).

Smith’s $12.7 million base salary for next season will be fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on Feb. 16, making that a likely deadline for Schneider and Seattle’s next coach to decide on Smith’s future. Drew Lock, the No. 2 quarterback, will be a free agent, and the team is drafting at No. 16 in April.

Linebacker Bobby Wagner will also be a free agent. The Seahawks brought him back last offseason at Carroll’s behest, which further brings into question whether arguably the best defensive player in franchise history will return again in 2024 now that Carroll is no longer calling the shots.

CLEVELAND

The Browns say WR AMARI COOPER will be good to go when Cleveland visits Houston on Saturday.  Ryan Young of YahooSports.com:

Amari Cooper is ready to go.

The Cleveland Browns wide receiver confirmed Wednesday that he is healthy and ready to play in their wild-card game against the Houston Texans this weekend after a heel injury. Cooper, who missed the Browns’ last two games with the injury, said he could have played in their regular-season finale — though the Browns rested most of their starters after already locking in the No. 5 seed in the AFC.

“It’s getting better every day,” Cooper said, via ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “I’m running around now. Just a typical injury that you have to work through.”

Cooper was one of several Browns stars who didn’t practice Tuesday, however. Myles Garrett was out with a personal reason, and running back Kareem Hunt missed practice with a groin injury. Tight end David Njoku was out, too, per Cleveland.com.

Cooper, 29, recorded a career-high 1,250 yards and had five touchdowns this season, his second with the Browns. The last time he was on the field came actually came against the Texans on Christmas Eve, where he set a franchise record with 265 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches in their 36-22 win.

Though he and veteran quarterback Joe Flacco are clearly clicking well, Cooper expects the Texans to change things up defensively when they get to NRG Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

“They’re not really a man [coverage] team, so I think the chances of them using a player to shadow me is a little bit less than what it would be if they were a man team,” Cooper said, via ESPN. “But you never know. For the playoffs, teams [are] willing to do whatever they have to do to win. So, we’ll just see.”

The Browns and Texans will kick off wild-card weekend Saturday afternoon. The Texans, who went 10-7 this season, won the AFC South for the first time since the 2019 season. The Browns, who finished second in the AFC North behind the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, will make just their fourth playoff appearance in the last three decades.

PITTSBURGH

Especially after the run to the playoffs, the Steelers are not going to fire Coach Mike Tomlin.  But Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com detects tremors emanating from Tomlin that he might be getting tired of the Steel City.

Before the Bengals-Steelers game in Week 16, we reported on NBC’s Football Night in America (and posted here) that: (1) the Steelers will not be firing coach Mike Tomlin (who at the time was caught in a three-game losing steak); (2) the Steelers intend to extend his contract after the season; and (3) the Steelers had received no indication whatsoever from Tomlin that he wanted to do anything other than continue to coach the Steelers.

After I said what I said about it, Tony Dungy (who hired Tomlin in Tampa Bay more than 20 years ago) said Tomlin wants to stay in Pittsburgh.

Over the weekend, a pair of insiders said some things about Tomlin that have created the impression he might walk away, as soon as upon conclusion of the current playoff run. It’s important to look at their exact words.

First, Jay Glazer of Fox: “Mike Tomlin, couple weeks ago people were asking for him to be gone. Are you kidding me people? He’s never had a losing season. So Mike Tomlin, it’ll be his choice if he goes back to the Steelers or not. And it will be his choice.”

Second, Adam Schefter of ESPN: “They’re not firing Mike Tomlin. But here’s the thing that’s interesting. He’s got a year left on his contract. And there’s some people around the league who believe that Mike Tomlin could decide eventually to take some time off, like Sean Payton did. Maybe take a year off. We’ll see if that’s something that’s on his mind. We’re leaning safe, but Mike Tomlin gets to dictate what happens here, not the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re not firing him. He’s staying on. But he’s staying on if he wants to. If he decides that he’d like to walk, well that’s a different subject. And maybe there’s a team out there — he’s from Washington, his wife loves Los Angeles, maybe one of them wants to lob a call into the Steelers.”

Both reports confirm the idea that the Steelers aren’t firing Tomlin. (Of course, both reports came right after the Steelers finished the season on a three-game winning streak, not in the aftermath of a three-game losing streak that included a pair of losses to two-win teams.) Both reports open the door for Tomlin to choose to leave.

Schefter’s report was initially vague as to the timing of when Tomlin would go. Near the end, his speculation centered on the Commanders or Chargers trying to trade for him.

We covered that on December 23: “Could another team call the Steelers in the offseason and try to essentially trade for Tomlin? Sure. But the Steelers don’t want Tomlin to go. And they have no reason to believe Tomlin wants to be anywhere other than where he currently is.”

Tomlin wouldn’t have to wait around as head coach of the Steelers to see if/when someone calls the team to engineer a trade. He could resign, bide his time, and wait for someone to inevitably approach the Steelers about hiring him. (Remember, after Payton left the Saints, the Dolphins wanted to hire him right away.)

A new wrinkle was added this week: the firing of former Steelers linebacker Mike Vrabel. If Tomlin would choose to go, Vrabel would be a perfect replacement. And Vrabel, who would have far greater job security with the Steelers than anywhere else, would potentially be more attracted to a return to the team that drafted him, not to the team he won Super Bowls with.

His coaching abilities are proven. He’d do well enough to stay in Pittsburgh as long as he wanted. Ten years. Twenty years. However long he wants to coach.

It all comes down to whether Tomlin chooses to stay. As of December 23, the Steelers had no reason to think he was anything but all in for the future. If he was simply doing a great job of keeping his cards close to the vest or if his attitude has in some way changed, it would be interesting to see first what Tomlin does next and second how long it would take for Pittsburgh to make a beeline for Vrabel.

After a run with Ben Roethlisberger, Tomlin faces a Steelers future of cobbling together a team with middle-of-the-road quarterbacking for the foreseeable future.  Would he find QB JUSTIN HERBERT in place with the Chargers enticing?  And we note again that the Panthers are owned by a Steelers fanatic and QB BRYCE YOUNG could be an upgrade.

HOUSTON

As the playoff berth awaits, comes word that a brother of presumptive owner Cal McNair has made his move by seeking to have his mother declared non compos mentus.  The AP:

The owner of the Houston Texans is fighting efforts by one of her sons to have her declared incapacitated and have a guardian appointed for her, according to court records.

The news of infighting among the family comes as the Texans, who won the AFC South this season, get ready to host the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in their first playoff appearance since the 2019 season.

Robert Cary McNair Jr. filed his application for appointment of a guardian for Janice McNair, 87, in November with probate court in Harris County, where Houston is located. The application, which details his reasons for seeking to have her declared incapacitated, was temporarily sealed last month by a judge.

In court documents filed last month, attorneys for Janice McNair and her son Cal McNair, who is chairman and CEO of the Texans, said the McNairs were “shocked” by Cary McNair’s “drastic and unwarranted measures of alleging his mother is incapacitated, seeking to terminate her rights, and appoint himself as her guardian to control her personal, financial, and medical decisions. Ms. McNair and Cal are firmly against any allegation or implication that Ms. McNair is incapacitated or needs a guardianship.”

In a two-page affidavit, Janice McNair, who became the principal owner of the Texans after her husband, Robert “Bob” McNair, died in 2018, asked that all court records in the case be sealed to protect her confidential personal, financial and medical information.

“The details of this family dispute becoming public will have a serious impact on the Texans,” she said. “It will create a needless and baseless media stir regarding the ownership and direction of the Texans, thereby negatively affecting our employees, business partners and the team.”

Judge Jerry Simoneaux held a hearing Tuesday on the request to seal the records and on Wednesday issued an order asking for additional information before making a final ruling. The judge kept Cary McNair’s guardianship application temporarily sealed.

Attorneys for Janice McNair, Cal McNair and Cary McNair did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday. Texans spokesperson Omar Majzoub said the team had no comment on the situation.

Mike Florio on a possible motive:

Janice McNair became the principal owner of the Texans in 2018, after team founder Bob McNair died. If Cary McNair successfully becomes the guardian of his mother’s estate, he could (in theory) sell the team.

Bob McNair paid a $700 million expansion fee for the Texans, who joined the NFL in 2002. The Commanders sold last year for $6.05 billion.

TENNESSEE

Dianna Russini and Joe Rexrode of The Athletic on why Mike Vrabel was fired, including his love of the Patriots:

Poor communication, misinterpreted statements and misunderstandings all helped bring Mike Vrabel’s six-year Tennessee Titans tenure to a surprising end this week.

A culmination of events led to his firing, including a suggestion Vrabel made during the offseason hiring of general manager Ran Carthon, owner Amy Adams Strunk believing that her faith in Vrabel was not being reciprocated and even Vrabel’s in-season visit to join the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. Those were among the reasons ownership felt it was time to make a change and put Carthon in charge of the search for a new coach, nearly a dozen prominent people inside and outside the organization told The Athletic on the condition of anonymity.

Vrabel was 56-48, including 2-3 in the playoffs, in six seasons, reaching the AFC title game in his second season and winning NFL Coach of the Year in 2021. He also went just 13-21 the past two seasons, losing 18 of his last 24 games. Strunk said in a statement that the Titans would “benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.”

Here’s what multiple team and league sources said to explain why things ended for Vrabel in Nashville:

• The Titans wanted to make this season about evolving and modernizing their process behind the scenes. Building a roster with an increased reliance on analytics has been a big part of that. Vrabel wasn’t resistant to using analytics on the field — he and his coaching staff believed they used data-based decision-making as much as anyone and often get credit around the league for being one of the top situational football teams in the NFL. However, the coaches never felt informed on how the new personnel department was using analytics in its process, a team source said.

Titans ownership embraced Carthon’s vision — informed by his time with the San Francisco 49ers, one of the best-run organizations in the NFL — and organizational framework, with assistant GMs Chad Brinker and Anthony Robinson in support. The question was whether Vrabel would be OK with the change in approach.

The Titans considered moving on from Vrabel after last season for a fresh start, according to a team source, but Strunk still believed Vrabel was a great coach and worth keeping. The hope was that an arranged marriage between Carthon and Vrabel would work because both men had shown a willingness to adapt. Vrabel was hoping Ryan Cowden — then the Titans’ VP of player personnel and now the New York Giants executive advisor to the GM — would replace Robinson. But Vrabel was never told it would be Cowden.

Cowden ran the entire 2023 draft board but was fired immediately after the draft. He has consistently drawn general manager interest from other NFL teams and was close to getting the Steelers GM job last year.

• During the hiring process to replace GM Jon Robinson, who was fired by Strunk late last season, Vrabel made two comments to Strunk that created friction between them, three team or league sources said. Vrabel wanted full control over the roster, saying that he’d earned it, and Strunk pointedly disagreed. Strunk has carried a belief over the years that head coaches shouldn’t have full control, pointing to the way things went for the Titans in the later years of Jeff Fisher’s tenure, and watching from afar the issues that transpired for the Patriots with Bill Belichick and Bill O’Brien with the Texans.

When Carthon was close to getting the job, Vrabel told Strunk he liked Carthon but didn’t feel he was ready to become an NFL general manager. Vrabel’s suggestion: The Titans hire Carthon as the assistant GM, a promotion from his position as No. 3 in the 49ers’ pecking order. Strunk did not take kindly to this suggestion, and team sources believe her and Vrabel’s relationship took a hit as a result of that conversation.

• Vrabel spent the Titans’ bye week in Foxboro, Mass., as a guest of owner Robert Kraft to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Vrabel had won three Super Bowls as a player with New England, and in a speech to the crowd before an Oct. 23 Patriots win against the Bills, Vrabel said: “I don’t want you to take this organization for granted. I’ve been a lot of places, this is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it. It’s not like this everywhere.”

The speech raised some eyebrows in Tennessee. When he returned to Nashville, Vrabel was asked by reporters during a press conference if his comments were directed at the Titans organization. He said: “(The Patriots) have won six Super Bowls in 20 years, that’s what I was alluding to. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just a lot of success. … The amount of success that they had there, the whole message was, just for myself and the former players and everything, just to not take things for granted.”

The whole event did not sit well with Strunk, a team source said. She and Vrabel never talked about it, but she let it fester.

• In the aftermath of that visit, various reports emerged about the relationship between Vrabel and Carthon. Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, who has covered the Patriots for several years, wrote a story citing that relationship as a reason Vrabel “could be looking for a way to force his way out of Tennessee.” The Boston Globe reported that Patriots owner Robert Kraft considered Vrabel his “home run choice” to succeed Belichick.

Vrabel did not address any of this with Carthon or Strunk. That lack of communication increased the tension between them, though the relationship between Vrabel and Carthon remained amicable. Those close to Vrabel said the head coach’s approach to it all was, “Why do I need to address inaccurate information and false reports?” Carthon also told people he “wasn’t listening to the noise, that it was all a waste of time.”

• High-level Titans sources told The Athletic in November that the team’s long-term plan was to retain Vrabel as coach. After Vrabel’s firing, a team source said that was true then because Strunk strongly believed in Vrabel at the time — and because she wanted Vrabel to have a clear understanding of how she felt about him and how badly she wanted him to be the coach for years to come. Strunk did not get the sense that Vrabel felt the same way, and the communication between them got worse from there.

• Strunk left the Week 14 game in Miami against the Dolphins early, believing they were going to lose after falling behind 27-13 with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter. Vrabel called for a two-point conversion after a late touchdown pass, and the Titans eventually won 28-27 on Derrick Henry’s touchdown run. Even though the Titans won, a member of the team’s analytics staff didn’t think Vrabel should have gone for two on that late touchdown.

Strunk was thrilled the Titans pulled it off, but one week later the Titans lost to the Texans in overtime, and the owner was visibly angry about that loss. That’s when several members of the Titans staff believed she had made up her mind: She wanted to move on from Vrabel. She consulted with some others in NFL circles about the decision, but ultimately the decision was all hers — with no input from Carthon.

The Titans ended the season Sunday with a 28-20 win against the Jaguars, which eliminated Jacksonville from the playoffs. For nearly 48 hours, coaches and players wondered if Vrabel was safe in his job. It was an agonizing time for families in particular. As more time passed without hearing anything, many believed he was coming back. Henry told The Athletic the team didn’t know that Vrabel being fired was even a possibility.

At 11 a.m. CT Tuesday, Vrabel joined Strunk and team president Burke Nihill for a meeting that lasted two minutes. They told Vrabel that they appreciated his time with the Titans but that they were moving in a new direction. He was fired. There was never any discussion between the organization and Vrabel about trading him to coach another team or of a restructuring of power for him to remain with the Titans. Vrabel is expected to be a hot commodity for other NFL job openings — including in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington and New England.

NEW ENGLAND

No announcement yet, but everyone says it’s true – Bill Belichick will “part ways” with the Patriots.  Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss with the ESPN version:

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are expected to part ways Thursday after a remarkable 24 seasons together, ending an unmatched run in NFL history that included six Super Bowl titles, league sources told ESPN.

Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft spent a good part of this week periodically meeting and discussing how each side wanted to proceed. From sources familiar with those conversations, there was said to be no conflict, no disagreement, and in the end, productive talks resulted in a mutual decision that left both sides comfortable and at ease.

Both Belichick and Kraft, as one outside party noted, “took the high road,” which was fitting for an owner-coach tandem that will go down as one of the greatest and most decorated in NFL history.

Belichick, who had one year remaining on his contract, will be allowed to leave the team without the Patriots seeking compensation. He will want to continue coaching and is expected to draw interest from at least some of the other seven NFL teams that have head-coaching vacancies, quite possibly the Atlanta Falcons, league sources said.

The Patriots now will embark on their first head-coaching search in a quarter century. Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, whom the team signed to a contract extension in the offseason and Kraft has identified as a rising head-coaching candidate, projects to be a, if not the, leading candidate for the job, sources said. Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2014 and has been an assistant under Belichick since 2019.

Belichick’s exit from New England is expected to come less than 24 hours after his close friend Nick Saban retired from Alabama.

There is a symmetry and a similarity in the departures of two football legends — men who are widely considered the greatest coach in professional history and the greatest coach in college football history. Belichick helped lead the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances and six Super Bowl titles; Saban led Alabama to nine SEC titles and six national championships.

Additionally, Saban succeeded Pete Carroll as the Ohio State secondary coach in 1980; when Belichick was head coach in Cleveland, he worked with Saban from 1991 to 1994; and Belichick replaced Carroll as the Patriots’ head coach in 2000, decades before all three vacated their long-standing jobs this week in a 24-hour period.

In case you were wondering with Belichick and Pete Carroll gone:

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs                   65 | March 19, 1958

John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens             61 | Sept. 23, 1962

Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys                60 | Nov. 10, 1963

Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers       60 | Nov. 18, 1963

THIS AND THAT

RANKING THE HEAD COACHING JOBS

Will Brinson of CBSSport.com has a pretty good ranking of how attractive the eight open jobs are:

With Belichick gone, we currently have EIGHT openings in the NFL. Maybe we’re done? Who’s to say. I’d guess it’s more likely we get additional changes than not, but for now let’s rank and discuss the current eight openings.

Send your complaints, suggestions and angry words to me on Twitter/X @WillBrinson.

1. Seattle Seahawks

With the surprising Pete Carroll news — the longtime coach is out as head coach and transitioning to an advisory role in Seattle — the Seahawks job leapfrogs the Commanders gig for me. This is a 9-8 team with a ton of talent on the roster and a chance to be a playoff/Super Bowl contender with just a few moves.

Quarterback is a long-term “problem” technically, depending on what the current crop of free agent (or employed?!) coaches thinks about Geno Smith and Drew Lock. But the Seahawks used the Russell Wilson trade to completely retool their organization and restock with talent on both sides of the ball.

John Schneider is as good a GM as it comes in the NFL. There are young pieces on the offensive line and a sick trio of wide receivers in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet round out a really stacked offense. Defensively, there’s plenty there, too, especially with the way young guys like Devon Witherspoon and Boye Mafe developed this year.

The biggest downside might be the obvious coaching candidate for the gig: Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl in his first run as a head coach. Atlanta hired him because of his work as Carroll’s defensive coordinator. He’s crushed it in Dallas and has been patient waiting for his next opportunity. He would make the transition in Seattle borderline seamless. Both Mike Vrabel and, dare I say, Bill Belichick would be fascinating candidates for this gig if they were interested as well.

2. Washington Commanders

For nearly 25 years, Dan Snyder made the Washington job a disastrous one. He would attract big name candidates, because coaching in Washington was a BIG DEAL. This was one of the biggest franchises in the NFL for several decades and Snyder made it almost untouchable. Enter Josh Harris, who has done a great job simply by doing the opposite of Dan Snyder. To wit: Harris didn’t fire Ron Rivera during his first season as owner and handled the entire situation with aplomb. Then he nabs Bob Myers and Rick Spielman to become part of his search committee and there’s hope again in Washington. Things can change (David Tepper seemed like a good owner early) but for now the Commanders top this list because there’s a new, seemingly patient owner in charge and a clear commitment to win while upending the poisonous culture that’s pervaded the beltway for years.

Washington has the No. 2 overall pick, which doesn’t hurt either. (Maybe they can draft Drake Maye, pair him with Sam Howell, hire Mack Brown and guarantee themselves eight wins a year just like the Tar Heels!) Trading away Chase Young and Montez Sweat midseason isn’t great, but it boosts the draft capital for the incoming coaching staff and by avoiding handing out contracts to former first-round picks, and clears up plenty of salary-cap space.

There’s an opportunity to land a franchise quarterback here, with potentially strong ownership, a fantastic fanbase dying for quality football and a new stadium potentially on deck. The Washington job is back to being wildly attractive.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Two words: Justin Herbert. It’s amazing what a difference a superstar, franchise quarterback makes when ranking potential job openings, because the Chargers would be way down the list without Herbert. I’d actually put the Chargers fourth if they didn’t have Herbert, primarily because of concerns about ownership and management. A caveat applies here if the Chargers land someone like Jim Harbaugh or Bill Belichick, because carrying that kind of gravitas into the building changes the power dynamic between ownership and the coaching staff/front office. But go read John Spanos bio on the Chargers website — the owner’s son essentially lauds himself for the Chargers rise to prominence (which is quite the claim; also maybe update it and stop bragging about hiring Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley?).

I’m extremely worried about the front office/coaching staff dynamic here based on that situation, but Herbert’s skillset could overcome all issues with the right coaching hire. The Chargers also have some roster issues to deal with. While there’s ton of talent on both sides of the ball, it’s quietly aging and bloated from a contractual standpoint. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams aren’t really guaranteed to be on the roster and Khalil Mack/Joey Bosa are not exactly spring chickens either. Austin Ekeler’s return is certainly in question as well … there’s just a little more uncertainty with this roster than you might think glancing at the depth chart.

4. Atlanta Falcons

Hot take, but I’d listen to anyone saying the Falcons should be the NUMBER ONE JOB here. This is a team that’s got yet another top-10 pick after going 7-10 and might just be a quarterback away from taking over the NFC South. Being in a bad division is a big plus, because winning 10 games is a mortal lock for a division title in the NFC South these days. Offensively there are weapons for a QB too: Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson along with a pretty decent and secured offensive line could turn someone like Justin Fields or Kirk Cousins or Jayden Daniels into a dynamic signal caller pretty quickly.

There’s some stability in Atlanta despite a lack of significant winning. Arthur Blank’s given his coaches plenty of chances to win, with Mike Smith getting seven years, Dan Quinn getting six and Arthur Smith getting three years of seven wins before being let go. You won’t get run out of town too quickly if you’re keeping your head above water in Atlanta. I actually think it’s possible external interest in this job potentially expedited Smith’s departure.

This defense was really good last year. If it maintains and the Falcons find a quality offensive coach and a quarterback, there’s some serious upside here for Atlanta.

5. Las Vegas Raiders

This situation feels like it may be somewhat limited to a handful of candidates, although that changes dramatically depending on what Mark Davis does with the also vacant general manager position.

Quarterback is also an issue here, with the Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo gambit failing (largely because Josh McDaniels failed). Aiden O’Connell showed some stuff in the second half, but this is clearly a team in search of the next franchise quarterback. The stadium is extremely attractive, as is the high-profile nature of the team now that it’s in Las Vegas.

There have been several changes for the Raiders in the last five years at head coach but you can certainly argue extenuating circumstances — Jon Gruden was going to get as long as he wanted in Las Vegas before an email scandal forced him out. And McDaniels simply tried to create Patriots West and likely froze out Davis while attempting taking control of the organization a la Bill Belichick. In other words, the next Raiders coach will be given some leeway, particularly if they’re a big name. Looking at you, Jim Harbaugh.

Antonio Pierce certainly complicates matters. The interim coach is beloved in the locker room and by the fanbase, so the Raiders have to be a little careful about recreating the last situation with a big-name coach. Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams are straight-up superstars. The division is a big old problem, just like with the Chargers, except there’s no quarterback in place here yet.

*GAP*

6. New England Patriots

This is not me saying the Patriots job is BAD. It’s a great job. Working for Robert Kraft seems like it would be fantastic. And this is a legendary franchise. But just like the Alabama job, this is a situation where you’re following BILL FREAKING BELICHICK. Look no further than the Patriots quarterback situation. Even with Cam Newton serving as a buffer, Mac Jones is still getting comped to Tom Brady. The next coach of the Pats will have Super Bowl banners glaring down on him every time he glances around.

From a roster perspective, this is not the greatest setup either. The offense is a hot mess — there are no skill-position guys to really speak of outside of Rhamondre Stevenson (maybe you can make the case for Tyqan Thorton or DeMario Davis?). Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe don’t look like the answer. Defensively there are a lot of really fun guys, but injuries devastated the Patriots last year and Belichick’s coaching held them together; can the next coach produce a top-tier defense like Belichick did with the Pats? That’s asking a lot.

The No. 3 pick is quite nice, but it’s also not the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, where you feel a lot more comfortable about getting a quarterback.

*ANOTHER GAP*

7. Tennessee Titans

The Titans surprised everyone on Tuesday when they fired Mike Vrabel — there are plenty of potential landing spots for him and he should find a job quickly — but there had been plenty of simmering chatter about whether Vrabel would stick around in Nashville. With Vrabel gone and Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry set to become free agents, this is a full-blown rebuild in Tennessee.

GM Ran Carthon, on the job for less than a full year, won a power struggle with a former AP Coach of the Year (2021) who took this team to an AFC Championship Game and had the Titans set as the No. 1 seed in the AFC at one point. Suffice to say, Carthon has Amy Adams-Strunk’s ear and wields plenty of power in this coaching search.

Because of that, I would expect to see guys from the San Francisco coaching tree (Carthon worked for Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch for years with the 49ers) identified for this job. Frank Smith and Bobby Slowik make a lot of sense right off the bat.

This is not an easy job, however. There are simply not a lot of building blocks. There’s no certainty at quarterback, where Will Levis flashed but isn’t a guarantee as a “franchise” quarterback with his second-round pedigree. DeAndre Hopkins is also likely gone. Jeffery Simmons is a star up front on the defensive side. There’s a top-10 pick available. Ownership and the front office should show a lot of patience in trying to build things back up.

Somehow the division is no longer a plus — C.J. Stroud is a problem, the Jaguars aren’t a speedbump and the Colts look like they’re building things back up.

*YET ANOTHER GAP*

8. Carolina Panthers

My stance on the situation in Carolina is well documented: the Panthers have a David Tepper problem. Fortunately for Tepper, he has tons of money and can keep throwing cash at the problem.

Credit to the Panthers for being much more transparent and open about this coaching search than the last two. Unfortunately the remnants of the previous two regimes are still lingering. Specifically, the Panthers trading the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Bears, plus D.J. Moore, plus additional picks for Bryce Young.

Young can still be a good quarterback, but having his rookie season on tape could potentially limit candidates. Additionally, it’s hard to look past Matt Rhule and Frank Reich making it roughly a combined three years between them.

It looks like Carolina is pursuing the “young offensive mind” archetype with the idea to fix Young, which isn’t a terrible idea. But this is a really, really big hire that needs to work out better — or at least longer — than the last two hires. The Panthers have no first-round pick, a ton of holes on the roster and many questions about the stability of the administration in place.