| We’re sorry that we missed Monday, but we are back with a full report today. Our review of the Divisionals at FoxSports.com is here |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOBen Johnson chose QB CALEB WILLIAMS, a lot of money, the current Bears management, the current Bears roster and a lot of money in deciding to become the next Bears coach. Brigid Kennedy of SI.com: Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the “early figure” for Johnson’s contract is $13 million per season, $5 million more than the roughly $8 million first-year head coaches earn on average. Though he has no head coaching experience or Super Bowl wins under his belt, Johnson was one of the most coveted picks this hiring cycle thanks to the Lions’ high-octane offense, which led the league in points scored this season. Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders were said to be interested, as well, but it’s possible that Johnson was enticed by the idea of working with and developing Chicago’s rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, among other selling points that brought him to the midwest. For comparison against the 2024 season, Johnson’s reported salary would fall behind the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid ($20 million), Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton ($18 million), Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin ($16 million), Los Angeles Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh ($16 million), Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay ($15 million), and San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan ($14 million), but would come in one million ahead of the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh ($12 million), per Front Office Sports. Especially if he’s getting paid like this, Johnson has a lot to prove once he takes the reigns in Chicago. The mandate is clear: the Bears will be looking for their first playoff appearance since 2020, and a better record than the dismal 5–12 with which they rounded out this current season. This from Adam Schefter: @AdamSchefterBen Johnson has been busy assembling a star-studded coaching staff. The leading candidate to become his defensive coordinator in Chicago is former Saints HC Dennis Allen, per league sources. Jon Greenberg of The Athletic endorses the Bears decision to hire Johnson: Classic Chicago Bears. Hire the assistant coach who just lost a playoff game where his team was a 9 1/2-point home favorite. Can’t they ever get anything right? Kidding. Kidding. Put down the pitchforks and the torches. Put on the giant furry Bears head hat. The Bears got this right. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. The Bears got this right. We don’t know whether Ben Johnson is going to lead the Bears to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl, but at this pivotal moment for the consistently embattled charter franchise, he feels like the right guy for a very big job. When was the last time the Bears hired someone this well-regarded? President/CEO Kevin Warren will say Jan. 12, 2023, but you’d really have to go a lot further back. Maybe Dave Wannstedt, who was the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Dallas Cowboys when he accepted the job? Wanny didn’t quite fill Mike Ditka’s shoes, but the hire made a lot of sense at the time. It’s a different era now, of course, and finding an offensive-minded coach who can develop former No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and lead the Bears was the task for GM Ryan Poles and Warren. We had a lot of questions about the process and the people running it, but they deserve credit for making the easy choice. The weeks of interviewing candidates were, as expected, just busy work as Johnson was the clear No. 1 choice, especially after Mike Vrabel took the New England Patriots’ job. That the Lions lost to Washington on Saturday night was a fortuitous turn of events for the Bears. Things fell into place for them, but it was imperative for them not to screw up their opportunity. The Commanders team that beat Johnson’s Lions was led by a coach (Dan Quinn) the Bears passed up to hire Matt Eberflus, an offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) the Bears waved off to land Shane Waldron and a rookie quarterback (Jayden Daniels) the Bears didn’t even interview at Halas Hall because they were set on Williams. It was a perfect example of how the Bears see a fork in the road and just wander into the weeds. Only Williams remains and there’s no reason to believe he can’t lead the Bears to a conference championship game like Daniels. While he might be polarizing around the NFL, I have faith in Williams, who had an up-and-down season but still demolished the franchise’s shabby rookie records, and so does Johnson, apparently, because he’s now tying his future to the young quarterback. Williams needs a coach like Johnson to make sure he develops. The Bears couldn’t get it right with Jay Cutler, Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields, but this could be different. Williams has the mix of talent, confidence and maturity to go as far as he wants in the NFL. But he can’t do it alone. What we saw from him in his rookie year was enough to give you both faith and pause. The Bears have been so lousy for so long, the drafting of Williams was cause enough for a rebirth of optimism in Chicago. That things went so dramatically wrong this season was cause enough for a return of our well-worn cynicism. Firing Eberflus in-season just led to more embarrassing losses. Listening to Poles, Warren and chairman George McCaskey talk after the season ended made you wonder how they keep the power on at Halas Hall, let alone run a football team. But they figured it out. For all my pessimism, I thought Johnson and the Bears made the most sense, considering the other open jobs, as long as Johnson liked Williams. Going back to December, Johnson helped the Lions beat the Bears at Soldier Field with a clever trick play called “Stumble Bum.” It turned out that he found a weakness in the Bears defense from a game the previous year. An NFL executive later texted me, “It’s as though Ben Johnson is watching all of the Bears games from the last two years!! He wants the job!!!” The trick plays aren’t the reason to hire someone — see Nagy, Matt — but everything else I’ve heard about Johnson leads me to believe he’s the right guy for this moment. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs told me that Johnson ripped into the team at halftime because they failed in some red zone opportunities. Johnson has the “genius” rep, but he’s not a wallflower. Hiring the hot offensive coaching candidate isn’t an automatic elixir for a franchise.Intensity will be helpful. Marc Trestman was actually a good play caller, but he couldn’t intimidate an entire NFL team. Johnson’s success with the Lions will certainly endear him to the defensive players on the Bears — talent respects talent — and it’s up to him to show he’s more than a good OC. “I think he could do whatever he wants to do,” Gibbs said. “He’s just that smart and he has that connection with people. He’s good with people. He’s a good person to be around, too. So I’m pretty sure whatever team (he goes to), if he ever chooses to be a head coach somewhere, players would love him.” If Johnson wins in Chicago, everyone will love him. The Bears have had four winning seasons and three playoff appearances since making the Super Bowl 18 years ago. In their last three seasons, they won as many games (15) as the Lions did in this one. Johnson won’t be packing his bags in the middle of Year 3 like Eberflus, but can he really win as a head coach? That’s the hard part. Johnson gave the Lions the X’s and O’s, but he also had the Jimmies and Joes. The Bears still need a lot of work on their roster, starting with a better offensive line. The locker room needs an attitude adjustment as well, and perhaps this move will shape things up. Good players need great coaching and there’s no league where it’s more important than the NFL. The Bears were literally begging for better coaching during the season and while their effort and focus left a lot to be desired — you don’t lose 10 in a row strictly because of the coaches — you can’t blame them for being upset. NFL careers are short and the windows to win can close before you feel the breeze coming in. Poles failed them. Landing Johnson is a nice way to make up for it. This hire could save a lot of jobs at Halas Hall. With Johnson and Williams as the faces of the franchise, it’s OK for Bears fans to believe again. Ben Johnson just made sense and the Bears didn’t screw it up. There is hope with this change. No, we don’t know what the future holds for the Bears, but it looks a lot more promising than it did yesterday. |
| MINNESOTAThe Vikings have made things right with Coach Kevin O’Connell and he apparently has his extension. ESPN.com as we go to press: . — The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O’Connell agreed Tuesday on a multiyear contract extension, closing an unusual chapter and locking down one of the NFL’s top young head coaches. Terms were not immediately available. ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported that the Vikings are working on an extension for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Like O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah signed a four-year contract when the Vikings hired him in 2022 and thus has one year remaining on his deal. O’Connell was displeased after the 2023 season when owners Zygi and Mark Wilf opted against extending his contract, ESPN has reported, at a time when the franchise planned to start over at the quarterback position. Multiple teams were positioning themselves this month to make trade offers if the sides were not able to agree on an extension, as Fox Sports first reported and ESPN later confirmed, given the possibility that O’Connell could always choose to simply work through the expiration of his deal and become a coaching free agent in 2025. But O’Connell said twice this month that he wanted to remain with the Vikings, and after meeting with the Wilfs last week, he added: “I love our ownership.” O’Connell was not made available for comment Tuesday. In a statement released by the team, he said in part: “It is an absolute honor to continue leading the Minnesota Vikings. Holding this prestigious position is something I never take for granted, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Wilf family for their unwavering belief in what we are building together.” |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASIs this serious or just something to occupy the Cowboys time until Kellen Moore’s season with the Eagles ends? A Tweet from Calvin Watkins: @calvinwatkinsCowboys are interested in Brian Schottenheimer for an interview according to a person briefed on their vacancy. Cowboys have interviewed three people so far. He was the OC last year, but didn’t call plays in deference to the deposed Mike McCarthy. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the betting markets are going gaga over Schottenheimer: The DraftKings odds for the next Cowboys coach, which have been more on-again/off-again of late than Elaine Benes and David Puddy, are back up. And there’s a new favorite. Current Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer now leads the way, at -250. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who spent five years on the coaching staffing in Dallas, previously was the favorite. He’s now +250. The initial favorite, Colorado coach Deion Sanders, has plunged to +750 — with six others in front of him. DraftKings has taken the odds down on multiple occasions, apparently due to the volatility of the market. And they might go down again. For now, though, it takes a $250 bet on Schottenheimer to win $100. Here’s why Schottenheimer makes sense. Quarterback Dak Prescott wants continuity. He doesn’t want to learn a new offense. If, as it appears, coach Mike McCarthy is gone simply because he and owner/G.M. Jerry Jones couldn’t agree on the length of a new deal, why not bump Schottenheimer up and keep it going? Here’s why Schottenheimer doesn’t make sense. Now 51, he has never been a head coach, at any level. He has never been a serious candidate to be an NFL head coach. He has failed as an offensive coordinator in multiple NFL stops. It would not be an inspired hire, to say the least. But it would give Jones someone who would be sufficiently grateful for the opportunity to not complain about the owner’s habit of conducting multiple interview radios per week and post-game media scrums and treating the workplace like it was an amusement park. |
| WASHINGTONGilberto Manzano of SI.com lays it out on QB JAYDEN DANIELS: Jayden Daniels There were some snickers out there on social media after I wrote it’s time to stop calling Daniels a rookie. Hold the jokes, captains of the obvious. Obviously, Daniels is still technically a rookie, but I don’t care. What he has done isn’t normal for a first-year signal caller and it’s not just about the two playoff wins—including one giant road victory vs. the No. 1 seed armed with the No. 1 scoring offense. It’s the poise in big moments, the green lights from coaches on fourth downs and operating a high-flying offense, one that just dropped five touchdowns and racked up 481 total yards in a hostile environment in Detroit. The Commanders are a real threat to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sunday’s NFC title game because of Daniels. Jackson didn’t operate this type of offense until his second year when he won league MVP. C.J. Stroud quickly developed into a pocket assassin as a rookie last season, but even his offensive attack had limitations. Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert also had prolific rookie years, but they didn’t make the playoffs and weren’t operating game-winning drives at a frequent rate. Again, this is a special rookie year from Daniels, one that we haven’t seen before when you combine productivity and playoff wins. Shaun King, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez and Brock Purdy are the other rookie quarterbacks who have led their teams to championship Sunday. If you’ve been following football the past 25 years, you’ll quickly notice that each of those quarterbacks had stout defenses and ideal surroundings. This is not to say Daniels is doing it on his own, because the Commanders’ defense did its part by generating five turnovers against the Lions. But Daniels is already the centerpiece that makes this franchise go. Perhaps now the critics who say they’ve seen this movie before in Washington with Robert Griffin III’s short-lived success 12 years ago will start to separate the two teams and two quarterbacks because Daniels is in a class of his own. |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASJordan Schultz of FoxSports.com says that the Raiders were playing catchup from the start in their pursuit of Ben Johnson: @Schultz_ReportFrom my understanding — and as I mentioned last week — there was never a point when the #Raiders were the frontrunners for Ben Johnson, per sources. They had an interview that went really well, but Chicago was the early favorite in this process, and they finalized it today. |
| AFC NORTH |
CINCINNATINotre Dame DC Al Golden, not withstanding Monday’s Ohio State offensive outburst, is the favorite to be the next Bengals DC. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com: @MikeGarafoloWith the national title game over, the #Bengals can make their push to hire Notre Dame’s Al Golden for defensive coordinator. Sources tell me and @RapSheet, he’s a leading candidate and Zac Taylor has paused the search to speak to Golden, his LBs coach in Cincy from 2020-21.– – -Justice for QB JOE BURROW as four illegal aliens from Chile are arrested for plundering his home. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: The alleged burglars at Joe Burrow’s have been brought to justice. Via Karin Johnson of WLWT.com, four Chilean nationals have been arrested for burglarizing a home that, based on police report, strongly suggests that the home belongs to Burrow. Per the report, Alexander Chavez, Bastian Morales, Jordan Sanchez, and Sergio Cabello have been charged with participating in a criminal gang, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, obstructing official business, and possession of criminal tools. The official documents don’t specifically name Burrow, explaining generally that the quartet was arrested as part of “an ongoing investigation involving burglaries of multi-million dollar-homes in multiple states” — and that a search of the suspects’ SUV resulted in the retrieval “an old LSU shirt and Bengals hat believed to be stolen from the December 9, 2024 burglary in Hamilton County.” That’s the day Burrow’s home was robbed, and his home was the only multi-million-dollar home in Hamilton County that was burglarized on that day. When apprehended on January 10, the suspects provided false names. From the documents: “After the four male Chileans’ true identifications were learned all four males were identified as being illegally in the country or overstayed their permissions.” In an interview with police, the men said they came to Ohio for a vacation, in order to see snow. As the DB understands it, every citizen of Chile can see snow every clear day of their life as the Andes Mountains are observable for the 2,653 mile length of the 110-mile wide country. They may not be able to feel it at sea level, but they certainly can see it. The four illegal alien Chieans were arrested in Clark County, Ohio whose county seat is Springfield, famous for news on the alleged eating habits of Haitians. ![arriving Santiago, Chile on Jan 13th – Rick McCharles]() |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISLou Anarumo is heading up I-74 to run the Colts defense after being bounced in Cincinnati. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: The Colts made their hire of Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator official on Tuesday. Anarumo joins the Colts after serving as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator the past six seasons. He brings 36 years of coaching experience to Indianapolis and has an extensive background coaching defensive backs. “I’m thrilled to add Lou Anarumo as our defensive coordinator,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said in a statement. “With many years of coaching experience, Lou is a proven leader who will demand the best out of our players. His strategic mindset and unique scheme will be invaluable as we build a fast and disciplined defensive unit.” Anarumo spent seven seasons as a defensive backs coach for the Dolphins (2012-2017) and Giants (2018) before landing in Cincinnati. He also served as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator in 2015 under interim head coach Dan Campbell. Before making the jump to the NFL in 2012, Anarumo coached at the college level for 23 years. Anaumo coached defensive backs for Purdue from 2004-11 and was Marshall’s defensive backs coach from 2001-03. He doubled as the Thundering Herd’s special teams coordinator in 2003. From 1995-2000, Anarumo was Harvard’s assistant head coach, defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator, and it was at Harvard where he met Joe Philbin, then the Crimson’s offensive line coach. Philbin hired Anarumo as the Dolphins’ defensive backs coach upon being hired as Miami’s head coach in 2012. |
| JACKSONVILLEThe Jaguars are down to three finalists to succeed Doug Pederson as GM Trent Baalke’s coach. The AP with a good look at the state of the race: The Jacksonville Jaguars are seemingly narrowing their coaching search. The Jaguars announced Monday they have scheduled in-person interviews with three of their 10 initial candidates: Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Las Vegas defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh. All three are slated to be in Jacksonville this week to meet face-to-face with owner Shad Khan, general manager Trent Baalke and others. Coen was scheduled to interview Wednesday, with Graham going the following day and Saleh on Friday. The Jags lost out on Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who agreed to become Chicago’s head coach Monday, and appear to be out on Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Glenn reportedly has in-person interviews scheduled with New Orleans and the New York Jets. Jacksonville still could double back on Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Philadelphia offensive coordinator Kellen Moore or Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Under NFL rules, the earliest they can interview again is next week because their teams are in conference title games. The only head coaching interviews Coen and Graham have completed during this cycle came with Jacksonville. Saleh’s first interview with the Jags was the only one done in person. The 39-year-old Coen just finished his first season as Tampa Bay’s play-caller. The Buccaneers ranked third in the NFL in yards (399.6 per game) and fourth in points (29.5). He had much less success during his one season with the Los Angeles Rams, who ranked last in the league in yards in 2022. The 45-year-old Graham began his NFL coaching career with New England (2009-15). He was the New York Giants’ defensive line coach (2016-17), Green Bay’s linebackers coach and run-game coordinator in 2018 and Miami’s defensive coordinator a year later. He spent the last three seasons with the Raiders, who ranked 25th in points and 15th in yards in 2024. The 45-year-old Saleh worked as Jacksonville’s linebackers coach (2014-16) under former coach Gus Bradley and in the same role with San Francisco (2017-20) before landing the Jets gig. He went 20-36 with New York. Khan fired coach Doug Pederson a day after the team’s regular-season finale and following his 18th loss in 23 games, a stunning stretch of futility that had a lot to do with injuries to quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a defense that regressed under first-year coordinator Ryan Nielsen. Khan insisted that keeping Baalke in place would not hinder the coaching search. Three of the five coaches Baalke has worked alongside have had one-and-done tenures. The Jaguars (4-13) have a young quarterback (Lawrence) with upside, a budding star at receiver (Brian Thomas Jr.), a few defensive building blocks (cornerback Tyson Campbell and pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker), a relatively new practice facility, a $1.4 billion stadium renovation upcoming and a hands-off owner with deep pockets. They have the fifth overall draft pick in April and roughly $50 million in salary cap space for 2025, play in arguably the NFL’s weakest division (AFC South) and work in a state with plenty of sunshine and no income tax. They also went 3-10 in one-score games — an indication they could be a quick fix. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDJosh McDaniels will have a third stint with the Patriots. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com: The New England Patriots are expected to hire Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. McDaniels will return to the franchise for a third time, this time to work under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and help tutor promising quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft. The Patriots interviewed McDaniels on Tuesday. They also spoke with Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown and Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady for the position, sources said. McDaniels did not coach in the NFL in 2024 after serving as Las Vegas Raiders head coach in 2022 and into the 2023 season. He has never coached on a staff with Vrabel, but the two have a connection from the time Vrabel played for the Patriots (2001-2008) as a member of three Super Bowl championship teams. McDaniels broke into the NFL in 2001 as an assistant coach under Bill Belichick in New England. After leaving in 2009 to become Broncos head coach until his firing in December 2010 and serving a year as Rams offensive coordinator in 2011, he returned to New England from 2012 to 2021. In 2021, McDaniels mentored quarterback Mac Jones to a successful rookie season that resulted in him being named an alternate for the Pro Bowl, and now he’ll look to duplicate that with Maye, who started 12 games as a rookie in 2024 and went 225-of-338 for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maye added 54 rushes for 421 yards and two touchdowns. Barstool Sports first reported that McDaniels’ hire was imminent. |
| NEW YORK JETSIf Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is to be believed Lions DC is the apple of the Jets eye. The New York Jets appear to have zeroed in on their first choice to be their next head coach, and they’re not planning on wasting an in-person opportunity. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is visiting the Jets on Tuesday, with the goal for New York being to not let him leave the building, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources. Rapoport added that while the deal isn’t done and there are still details to discuss, Glenn could be named the head coach by the end of the day if everything goes well. This will be Glenn’s second interview with the Jets, having completed a virtual meeting with the team in the midst of the Lions’ playoff run. He has had interview requests from six of the seven teams thath had a head coach vacancy and has second interviews scheduled with the Jets and Saints, with Glenn set to visit New Orleans next if Tuesday’s interview doesn’t lead to a hiring. Glenn has a history with Gang Green. He was drafted by thet Jets in the first round and then played in New York for eight of his 15 years in the league, making two Pro Bowls along his stay with the Jets. And once he moved into the world of coaching, his first NFL job came from New York, which hired him as a scout in 2012. Since then he has worked in the Browns, Saints and Lions organizations, having coached Detroit’s defense for the last four years. While Glenn was among those who interviewed for open head-coaching positions in last offseason’s cycle, he ultimately returned to Detroit for the 2024 season, where his navigation of the Lions’ unprecedented injury woes earned him significant praise from inside and outside the organization. The unit ranked No. 7 in scoring defense, allowing the second-lowest completion percentage (61.1) and the lowest passer rating (82.0) in the league, while also finishing fifth in rushing yards allowed per game (98.4) en route to the team’s 15-2 record and NFC North title. If Glenn does officially become the next head coach for the Jets, either Tuesday or at a later date, he will inherit a team that finds itself at a crossroads, with decisions needing to be made about Aaron Rodgers and some of their young talent in the quest to get New York back into contention. The hiring of a general manager, a selection that has not yet been made but has involved 15 interviews so far, will likely be the next domino to fall. This from Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com says there is a GM finalist: There’s a similar feeling about Commanders assistant G.M. Lance Newmark becoming the team’s next General Manager. He also had a second interview on Tuesday and, like Glenn, he’s the only candidate who has been invited back for an additional meeting with the team. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| BROADCAST NEWSThe Divisional Ratings were strong – but not record-setting per Mike Florio: On Sunday, the Rams and Eagles played outdoors in the snow. Millions watched from the comfort of their homes. According to NBC, the game generated an average audience of 37.8 million. It’s the fourth biggest divisional round audience for NBC since 1988. But it fell short of last year’s 40.4 million who watched the Lions host the Buccaneers in Detroit. It continues a downward trend for the NFL in comparison to last year. The Saturday afternoon audience increased from 32.3 million to 32.7 million. The Saturday night window fell from 37.5 million to 33.6 million. Through three games, the total average for the 2024 divisional round is 34.7 million. Through the first three games last year’s divisional round, it was 36.7 million. The last piece to the puzzle will come from Sunday night’s game between the Ravens and the Bills. Last year, Chiefs-Bills averaged 50.39 million, which pushed the per-game average to 40 million. To get to 40 million this year, Ravens-Bills needs to hit 55.9 million. |
