| The DB and Chris Myers look back at Conference Championship Weekend at FoxSports.com. From next year on, technology will mismark footballs, not humans. This from Ozzy: @OzzyNFLBreaking NFL Chief Information Officer, Gary Brantley, reveals that ball-tracking technology will be implemented for the 2025 NFL Season.9“For 2025, we’ll be measuring the first downs just through technology.” Gary implies that the ‘Chain Gang’ will no longer be used to measure first downs, with Sony Sports’ automated Hawk-Eye technology taking over the responsibility of determining the line-to-gain. In December, Sony Sports CEO Rufus Hack discussed potential other applications of the Hawk-Eye technology, such as: – Determining if a player was inbounds on a catch– Assisting with roughing the passer penalty rulings. Sony became the official technology partner of the NFL back in July, and tested their tracking system during the 2024 preseason (video in replies). The league is confident the proposal will be approved during the 2025 Annual League Meetings (Mar. 30th – Apr. 2nd), provided it receives at least a 75% approval rate from the 32 league owners. Via:@SI_Invention [https://shorturl.at/FXMxR]@onehitGit [https://shorturl.at/wXAVm] Now the DB is wondering exactly how Hawk-Eye technology is going to determine that a foot near the ground is actually touching on a catch or exactly where the ball was the moment a body part (but not the hand or foot) touches the ground. We would note that this is not a chip in the ball, this is a camera system measuring a location. Hawk-eye Technology actually was founded for use in cricket, and their website shows soccer balls on goal lines and tennis tracking. Accurate to half an inch says Hawk-eye: “We’re in the installation phase for all of our stadiums, really getting them calibrated and up to date,” said Brantley, via ESPN. “We’re just really getting to a place where this system is as accurate as possible and really calibrating across our multiple stadiums. … We have multiple stadiums with multiple dimensions inside of those stadiums with different age. So, we’re really just going through the installation of putting in the infrastructure and making sure these cameras are installed.” Currently, the NFL uses two orange sticks that are connected to a chain to measure first downs. While possibly looked at as archaic, it’s been effective for the most part throughout the game’s history but has gone through some miscues from time to time. Even if the Hawk-Eye technology does take over, however, the method would remain in a backup capacity. The effort to bring in this new technology would further speed up the game and make plays more precise. “We’re reducing a significant amount of time, 40 seconds for each time of use that basically is making the game that much more impactful,” Sony president and chief operations officer Neal Manowitz said. “And then also the system is accurate down to less than half an inch, which is incredibly, incredibly accurate. Hopefully the fans appreciate the objective view, or at least half the fans each play will be appreciating it.” |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOBen Johnson’s DC will be Dennis Allen. The Athletic: The Chicago Bears have found their new coordinators under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears are bringing in former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen to make him their defensive coordinator, team and league sources told The Athletic. Chicago is also hiring Denver Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle to serve as the offensive coordinator, according to a team source. The team is retaining special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, according to a league source. Allen, 52, was widely believed to be the favorite to join Johnson in Chicago on the heels of the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator becoming the Bears’ coach on Jan. 21. Chicago will be Allen’s third stint as an NFL DC, with his first coming in 2011 with Denver and the second a seven-year run as the Saints DC. A respected and highly-touted defensive mind, Allen represents a major get for Johnson and Chicago as the longtime coach looks to rebound from a trying stint as the Saints head coach. New Orleans fired Allen on Nov. 4 after starting the 2024 season 2-7, ending his three-year run at the helm with a 18-25 mark. Allen brings with him to Chicago 20-plus years of experience on a NFL sideline. The Bears’ job will be Doyle’s first as a coordinator following six years as an NFL assistant. He has served as tight ends coach under Denver coach Sean Payton for the past two seasons and previously worked as a Saints offensive assistant from 2019-22. Johnson is calling the plays in Chicago but Doyle will be a key figure in helping to design an offense around quarterback Caleb Williams, who will be entering his second season. The most important hire for an offensive-minded head coach is the defensive coordinator. With Johnson calling plays in addition to being a head coach for the first time, it was important for him to have a veteran running the defense. Consider Allen the head coach of the defense, which will suit the experienced coach well — he’s been a head coach twice in his career. The Saints have been one of the league’s most efficient defenses over the past decade with Allen overseeing things, both as the coordinator and then the head coach. While Johnson never worked with Allen, there’s a strong New Orleans connection — Lions head coach Dan Campbell was with Allen and the Saints. “I would tell you we faced that defense a year ago when he was in New Orleans and gained a lot of respect for it,” Johnson said last week. “I think everywhere he has been along the way, they have been a top third-down team, a top red zone team. So there are a lot of pillars about what he does schematically that would be appealing to me. He has worked with Aaron Glenn. he has worked with Dan Campbell. Both speak very highly of him.” For his offensive coordinator, Johnson went the opposite direction, hiring a 28-year-old in Doyle, who clearly has the coaching chops, as he’s been good enough for Payton in Denver. He actually got his start in New Orleans under Payton and stuck around working with Allen, so there’s some synergy there. Hightower returning as special teams coordinator makes a lot of sense. The Bears ranked fifth in special-teams DVOA last season, with punter Tory Taylor bursting onto the scene. Kicker Cairo Santos had another strong season, and the team had three special-teams player of the week awards, finishing with Josh Blackwell’s punt-return touchdown in the season finale. With several young players on that unit familiar with Hightower already, Johnson can keep the full group together. |
| DETROITThe Lions are reaching out to Sean Payton’s Broncos staff for their new OC. Jared Dubin of CBSSports.com: The Detroit Lions have their new offensive coordinator. According to multiple reports, the Lions will hire former Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator John Morton to the role, where he will replace the departed Ben Johnson. Morton, 55, previously spent the 2022 season with the Lions as a senior offensive assistant before moving on to Denver for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. He had previously worked with Broncos head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans during the 2015 and 2016 seasons as the wide receivers coach. He crossed paths with Lions head coach Dan Campbell in the latter of those two seasons, as Campbell was hired as assistant head coach and tight ends coach under Payton in 2016. Morton also previously worked as the offensive coordinator of the 2017 New York Jets under then-head coach Todd Bowles, and he was the offensive coordinator at USC in 2009 and 2010. He has also spent time with the Raiders in both Oakland and Las Vegas, as well as the San Francisco 49ers and the University of San Diego. Morton’s hiring means suspected (but not confirmed) internal candidates — such as offensive like coach Hank Fraley, running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell and passing-game coordinator Tanner Engstrand — will not get the job. Fraley previously interviewed for the Seahawks offensive coordinator job, but that went to Klint Kubiak. It is not yet known whether any, or how many, of those offensive assistants will remain in Detroit to work on Morton’s new offensive staff. The Lions already lost wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett, so staving off any further brain drain on the offensive side of the ball is important. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASCharles McDonald of YahooSports.com on Monday’s Jerry Jones press conference where new head coach Brian Schottenheimer was also present: Schottenheimer, who was previously the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator under head coach Mike McCarthy, was flanked by owner Jerry and Stephen Jones as he sat down at the Star, the Cowboys’ headquarters, to be officially introduced as the team’s new head coach. That was about the only ordinary thing that happened during a news conference that lasted well over an hour, with most of the speaking being done by team owner Jerry Jones rather than Schottenheimer — the alleged focus of it. In terms of Schottenheimer’s approach to the news conference, he kept it basic. He laid out his broad plans for the Cowboys’ offense, gave appreciation to quarterback Dak Prescott, who was in attendance with a handful of his teammates, and made sure to mention his late father Marty, who was a longtime head coach in the NFL. It was standard from a head coaching perspective: We’re going to be multiple, play with tempo, marry the run and pass. Nothing that hasn’t been said a million times before by just about every single coach who has taken a head coaching job. However, the news conference very quickly became about Jerry Jones, most notably about how defensive he was over the hiring of Schottenheimer. The first question was a simple inquiry on why he hired Schottenheimer following the expiration of McCarthy’s contract, which led to an emotional, 10-minute diatribe that was only vaguely related to Jerry’s long history of hiring successful head coaches for the Cowboys. “In the almost 35 years that I’ve been involved with the Dallas Cowboys, I’ve only missed one Senior Bowl,” Jones said. “Thirty-five years. And I think I missed one [NFL scouting] combine, in 35 years. At the NFL, over the last four or five years, we want to come in a day early so that we can visit with prospective coaches for the future of my team and any other teams. In 35 years I don’t think I’ve ever visited with a coach, but what in my heart and mind I wasn’t having an interview. I don’t think I’ve ever had a coach visit with me that wasn’t prospectively thinking maybe someday our paths might cross … I’ve been around a lot of coaches. As a matter of fact I wanted to be a coach. Except I wanted to live better than I thought coaches lived.” OK? That’s largely irrelevant to the question and situation at hand, but Jerry eventually corralled himself into talking about Barry Switzer, Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson — great, Super Bowl-winning coaches from the past. Jones eventually steered the conversation back to Schottenheimer, but that came with an odd backhanded compliment where he said that this hire was incredibly risky because Schottenheimer has mostly been a lifelong coordinator. The general reaction from the Cowboys’ fan base has been one of disgust or loud indifference due to Schottenheimer’s mixed bag of results in the past, and Jones didn’t do much to quell those concerns, although he tried in his own specific way. “Our fans have been very patient. Very patient,” Jones said about the Cowboys’ recent blunders. “I want to tell them how appreciative I am of their support and their interest in the Dallas Cowboys. Now there’s a whole bunch of those fans who look because they want to see me grovel. But to those fans who have been with us, this decision to bring Schotty in is risky. It’s not a Hail Mary at all. At all in any way. But it’s founded over some very unique circumstances. I know how much our fans are into the Dallas Cowboys. And for me to be into it is no solace at all. We’re interested, they’re interested, I’m interested in getting into those playoffs and win it.” As the news conference went on, it became much more clear that this move was potentially as much about Jones’ ego than actually doing the best thing for the Cowboys — but that may not necessarily be a new development for people who follow this franchise. It should be said that the NFL is fairly random and it may not matter what people think about Schottenheimer coming into this job. He has the support of the franchise owner, his quarterback and a handful of players on the team he has already built relationships with. The work starts now for the Cowboys and their new head coach, but as Monday showed, this is still the Jerry Jones show as long as he’s still breathing. For better or for worse. In addition to being head coach, Schottenheimer is being elevated to play caller. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: Brian Schottenheimer will call the Cowboys’ offensive plays this season, a request of Jerry Jones before the team hired the longtime NFL assistant coach. “We wanted Brian to call the plays,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Monday, via Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. “We cherish his relationship with our players. We wanted him to call the plays. . . . I believe, if he doesn’t call the plays, he’s probably not with the Cowboys.” Mike McCarthy called the offensive plays for the Cowboys the past two years after offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and the team mutually parted ways. The Cowboys promoted Schottenheimer to offensive coordinator in the 2023 offseason, but McCarthy took back the play-calling duties. The Cowboys insist they wouldn’t have kept Schottenheimer for a third year of that arrangement. Schottenheimer, like the rest of the coaching staff, was in the final year of his contract in 2024. “Mike was going to call the plays if he were here,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “Schotty wouldn’t have been here had Mike stayed and called the plays. [Schottenheimer] was ready to go somewhere, and he had opportunities to go call plays [elsewhere].” Schottenheimer said his starting point as play-caller is “things that our players do well.” He talked about shifts, motion and tempo as elements of his offense. “Why do players like tempo?” Schottenheimer asked rhetorically Monday. “They like tempo because it allows them to play free. You guys have heard some of the play calls; Dak [Prescott] can rattle off four or five of them right now. They’re pretty long. So when you go fast, you’re playing on the ball. It’s a little more like pickup basketball.” Schottenheimer last called plays for four games in 2021 in Jacksonville after the Jaguars fired head coach Urban Meyer. He has worked as an offensive coordinator for the Jets, Rams and Seahawks as well as at the University of Georgia. |
| PHILADELPHIAA loss in the SB will confirm that the Eagles are indeed devils. Average devils at that. Or at least that’s the implication from Jay Cuda’s research: @JayCudaif the eagles lose the super bowl they will have 666 wins & 666 losses in franchise history (since 1933)– – -Like with most winning teams, Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are regarded as the key components to Kansas City’s dominance. But Mike Sando of The Athletic doesn’t see near the credit being given to Philadelphia’s coach and QB. Quarterbacks and head coaches tend to get more credit and blame than they deserve, but in the Eagles’ case, the credit-blame distribution leans more toward the blame side. General manager Howie Roseman, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and especially running back Saquon Barkley look like the Eagles’ MVPs. Barkley, acquired by Roseman in the offseason, scored on a 60-yard touchdown run before Hurts even attempted a pass during the Eagles’ 55-23 victory over Washington in the NFC Championship Game. No coach hired since 2000 can top Sirianni’s 48-20 (.706) record through 68 regular-season games with the same team, per TruMedia. Only nine quarterbacks since 1970 can top Hurts’ 46 victories through their first 66 regular-season starts, per Pro Football Reference. You’d never know it. The unsolicited emails arrive periodically in reporters’ inboxes during the season. The subject lines advertise “NFL coach firing odds” or something similar. I usually glance at them to get a feel for perceptions. The 10-1 odds for Sirianni entering the season made him the sixth-most likely coach to be let go first, despite Philly owning the NFL’s fifth-best record (34-17) since hiring him. Those odds shrunk to 4-1, behind only the 1-1 odds for Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson, after the Eagles lost two of their first four games this season. How fitting was that? The Eagles won a Super Bowl with Pederson, changed starting quarterbacks, fired Pederson, hired Sirianni, reached another Super Bowl with him as their coach and had the NFL’s fifth-best record under him (36-19 through the 2-2 start this season). All that, and Sirianni was considered in danger, while Pederson was becoming expendable for a second time. Sirianni is outpacing Reid and Pederson (who was indeed fired after the season by Jacksonville) through 68 games of their Eagles tenures, and it’s not particularly close. As for Hurts, he ranked 11th in 2024 Quarterback Tiers, but the commentary surrounding him leaned negative. “If they can’t run the ball, Hurts is not effective,” a defensive coordinator said heading into the season. “I think they might have paid a guy that they are going to have to have a really good team around to win games.” Jalen Hurts ‘just wins,’ and that’s what matters to the Super Bowl-bound Eagles The way two defensive coaches spoke about Hurts this past week — Rex Ryan as an ESPN analyst and Washington’s Joe Whitt Jr., who emphasized treating Hurts as a running back when he carried the ball — affirmed those perceptions. Hurts was good against the Commanders. Sirianni had his team ready to play. But the next two weeks are shaping up to be a celebration of Mahomes, Reid and the team Roseman has assembled, led by Barkley. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAJeff Ulbricht, most recently the interim head coach of the Jets, is the new DC of the Falcons. He is returning to Atlanta, but says his brain has been rewired. Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com: Jeff Ulbrich entered the press room Monday and shook hands with every member of the assembled media. In some cases, it wasn’t so much of an introduction as a reconnection with some familiar faces. Ulbrich, the former New York Jets interim head coach, was introduced as the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. Before the Jets, Ulbrich coached with the Falcons from 2015 to 2020 as the linebackers coach, assistant head coach and interim defensive coordinator. “It’s coming home for me,” Ulbrich said. Ulbrich worked in Atlanta under then-head coach Dan Quinn. When Quinn was fired in 2020, Raheem Morris was named interim head coach and he elevated Ulbrich to interim defensive coordinator. Now, Morris is the full-time head coach of the Falcons, going into his second season, and he hired Ulbrich, his good friend, nine days ago. “It’s funny, because Raheem and I have a very close relationship, but I love the fact that we turned this interview into a very official interview where it wasn’t just Rah and myself just chopping it up like buddies,” Ulbrich said. Ulbrich, a 10-year NFL veteran as a linebacker, said he still shares the same core principles as he did when he coached in Atlanta years ago. But he said his “football brain” is completely different now. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all schemes and systems that remain static. Offensive coordinators now are “pains in my butt,” Ulbrich said. “They watch your tape, they learn your rules, and then they beat you ways that you’ve never been beat before,” Ulbrich said. “So, because of that, you need more variety in coverage, you need more multiplicity in the front, you need more scheme. And so that’s where I’ve changed completely.” |
| NEW ORLEANSEagles OC Kellen Moore is starting to look like the leader for the only open head coaching job. The Saints had a delegation in Philadelphia on Monday night. Thoughts from Albert Breer: The New Orleans Saints looming as the last job standing does give them flexibility. Obviously, having Glenn walk away from their search, and Joe Brady pull his name out, was not ideal for New Orleans. The job does come with challenges—the coach will inherit an aging roster and, if the team decides to pull the plug on that core, a cap problem that could take a year or two to reset. The future of the quarterback spot is uncertain. And the coach won’t get to bring in their own general manager, with a front office full of long-time Saints executive there. But what the team does have now is time. There are also a few things that could attract the right candidate. You may be inheriting a personnel staff, but Mickey Loomis’s group has good people—from Jeff Ireland leading the college side, to Michael Parenton captaining the pro side, to Khai Harley doing the job on the cap. There’s also an ownership group, led by Gayle Benson, that’s shown a total willingness to invest in the football operation (spending cash over cap constantly and renovating the practice facility a number of times), and let football folks do their jobs. For my money, I think McCarthy, with his history in coaching quarterbacks, and developing young talent across the board, makes the most sense. They may not dominate social media the day they announce it, but for what the Saints need now, bringing aboard their offensive coordinator of yesteryear (2000 to ’04), would stabilize things. That said, they should also use the edge of not having to rush anything now. But there is this report from Tony Pauline that bodes well for Kellen Moore: What the Saints will do for a head coach is anyone’s guess. Time and time, people say they have no idea what the organization will do, as they are the only team left with an open vacancy. Rumors at Shrine practice had Mike McCarthy getting the job, but people told me initial conversations had not gone well. People in the New Orleans organization are not enamored with the former Cowboys coach. One issue could be GM Mickey Loomis’ desire to retain some assistant coaches. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERSean Payton and George Paton remain in Denver as coach and GM, but there has been a brain drain around them. Assistant GM Darren Mougey got the GM job with the Jets, tight ends coach Declan Doyle is the Bears new OC and pass game coordinator John Morton will be the OC of the Lions. |
| KANSAS CITYAlbert Breer on the best advice QB PATRICK MAHOMES can remember: At the time, Patrick Mahomes didn’t know what would become of the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs. Seven years into his career, and going into Year 8, the Chiefs’ quarterback had been around long enough to know that plenty can happen between the dog days of training camp and February. But, the three-time champion also knew there was a way to give himself the best chance to return to the big game, and it went back to the advice Tom Brady gave in a quiet corner of Arrowhead Stadium in January 2019. Brady told Mahomes, “to just keep doing what I’m doing.” And, Mahomes told me, he still considers it the best advice he’s ever gotten as a pro. Six months later, it’s gotten him and his teammates back to February—again. It’s the fifth time in six years that the Chiefs have extended their season past January and into the Super Bowl, which has never been done. In 13 days, they’ll have a shot at becoming the first team to win three consecutive Lombardi Trophies—something Terry Bradshaw’s Pittsburgh Steelers, Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers and Brady’s New England Patriots all failed to do after winning back-to-back titles. And the reality is, this Chiefs season has embodied the advice given to Mahomes from No. 12.– – -Even with a two-thirds win chance in any one game, Mike Sando of The Athletic says it is almost inconceivable that a team would win 17 in a row as the Chiefs have done in one-score games. He has some thoughts: The Chiefs have taken their close-game high-wire act to ridiculous heights over the past two seasons with an active 17-game winning streak in games decided by eight or fewer points. To calculate how likely a team would be to win 17 consecutive games of any kind, we take the team’s expected win rate in those games to the power of the streak duration. The Chiefs had a 42-21 record in these games when Patrick Mahomes was in the lineup from 2018 to ’23, so I used a .667 win rate to calculate probability for this Kansas City team. Win streak probability with .667 expected win pct. – .1% percent. Not 1%. A tenth of a percent. The Chiefs are unusually well-suited to win these games. Only the Bills’ Allen has approached Mahomes in scrambling ability on critical downs and in critical situations during close games, as detailed earlier in the season. Chiefs coach Andy Reid frequently seems to have the perfect call dialed up, as he did when sustaining a second-quarter touchdown drive with a Mahomes run on fourth down, one of several times Mahomes found open space to his right. Reid then clinched the game by scheming Samaje Perine wide open to convert third-and-9. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would be anyone’s top choice for calling the perfect defense when the stakes are highest. He had answers for the Bills’ quarterback sneaks and hurried Allen into a difficult throw with a fourth-and-5 pressure with the game on the line. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is another X-factor. “The whole first half is long drives against K.C., and then in the final 10 minutes, Kansas City gets the stops,” a coach from a rival team said. “It is classic with Chris Jones, too. He is a modern-day Randy Moss. He’ll play when he wants to play, and when he wants to play, look out.” Small advantages in personnel, tactics and execution can seem magnified in games with fewer possessions — Chiefs games, in other words. As the chart below shows, no games have had fewer combined possessions this season than games involving Kansas City (the Bills have had the third-fewest combined possessions in their games, on average). As another way of looking at it – a 67% free throw shooter rarely, if ever, makes 17 free throws in a row. This on a similar subject from Scott Kacsmar: @ScottKacsmarMore records for the 2024 Chiefs (playoffs included) Most wins in a season by 1-7 points (11 – tied with 2015 Broncos)Most wins in a season by 1-8 points (12)Most wins in a season by 1-9 points (13)Most wins in a season by 1-10 points (14 – beat their 2022 record by 2 wins)Most wins in a season by 1-13 points (15 – beat the 2003 Patriots’ 14)Most wins in a season by 1-14 points (16 – beat the 03 NE/04 PIT record of 15)Most wins in a season by 1-19 points (17) |
| LAS VEGASFormer RB Marshawn Lynch made his presence known, belatedly, at Pete Carroll’s introductory press conference. Eva Geltheim of SI.com: New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll had a special guest in attendance for his introductory press conference with the Raiders—his former running back, Marshawn Lynch. Lynch played under Carroll from 2010-15 before spending two seasons with the Raiders, his hometown team before they moved from Oakland to Las Vegas. After his presser, the Raiders social media team captured a video of Lynch walking behind Carroll before going up to surprise him. Carroll was clearly surprised and excited to see his former star. He said to Lynch while going to embrace him: “Oh! What are you doing? Were you up there the whole time? Were you just hiding?” Carroll hilariously did not realize that it was Lynch who yelled “Raiders!” during his press conference. Instead, Carroll replied after the yell during his presser, “there you go,” before joking, “hey, Mark [Davis], settle down a little bit.” When Carroll and Lynch reunited, Lynch asked, “You ain’t hear me yelling at you?” “No, I didn’t,” Carroll said. “You were the one who yelled ‘Raiders?”” “Who else gonna yell that while you’re talking?” Lynch hilariously said back. Lynch was a part of Carroll’s best seasons with the Seahawks. During their time in Seattle together, they advanced to two Super Bowls and took home one Lombardi trophy. Lynch was a first-team All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowler, and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice. Carroll will look to recreate that success in Las Vegas, and already appears to have the support of one of his most prominent former players. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEEThe hiring of Dave Ziegler gives the Titans a formidable brain trust says Albert Breer ofSI.com: The Tennessee Titans held off a late surge to land assistant GM Dave Zielger over the weekend. For a while, amid all the moving parts that go into carousel season, Zielger’s name was attached to Mike Borgonzi’s candidacy for general manager jobs—these sorts of arrangements are pretty common among coaches and execs in planning for the possibility of landing jobs. But at the 11th hour, Mougey, who spent four years with Ziegler in Denver during the Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning eras, checked in on his old buddy. In the end, Ziegler decided to push his deal with the Titans over the goal line. In doing so, I think he affirmed some things that Tennessee tried to establish in introducing Borgonzi as GM last week. First, while president of football operations Chad Brinker retains contractual final say over the 53-man roster, the Titans emphasized Borgonzi will run all facets of roster building. “I will pick the players,” he said. And Ziegler’s decision makes it two guys who know Brinker well, who trust it’ll be that way—since Ziegler chose not to pursue a No. 2 job in New York, presuming that’s what his job in Nashville will be. Second, that a guy with options, who’d been a GM, joined up is, I think, an endorsement of the new-fangled model here. The idea is for Brinker to free guys such as Borgonzi and Ziegler up to be GM and assistant GM in a more traditional way, where they can focus on putting the team together, and Brinker can focus on the overall operation. I like it, and really believe you have three guys there now capable of being GMs, with a promising young coach I think will grow with more support in 2025. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOThe Chiefs moved on in the Divisionals when reliable Ravens TE MARK ANDREWS could not catch a two-point conversion pass. The Chiefs moved on in the Conference Championship Round after reliable Bills TE DALTON KINCAID did not collect a fourth down pass. Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com: Though Kincaid has received online backlash for his role in the play, his teammates quickly offered their support, with many noting that a number of things could have changed the outcome of the game. Allen on Monday pointed out what he could have done to help Kincaid in his second year. “I got to be better for him. I didn’t feel like I put him in enough good situations this year, ball-placement-wise,” Allen said. “… He can sit there and think about that play over and over, but I got to be better for him. That’s what it comes down to, and get him more involved. I know he’s been battling throughout the entire year, bumps and bruises and probably games that he shouldn’t have played he was in, but he’s a tough sucker, and I got nothing but love for him, how he’s approached this year. He’s going to be so much better next year. Let his body heal up, and I’m going to be better, better for him, and I can promise you that.” Tight end Dawson Knox said Monday that Kincaid has been battling a torn PCL in one of his knees, in addition to fluid in his other knee. Kincaid was not at Monday’s media availability. He has been on the injury report due to a knee injury, but has fully participated in practice. Kincaid, 25, finished his second year catching 44 passes for 448 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season. He added six receptions for 71 yards on 10 targets in the playoffs. He missed three games (Weeks 11, 13-14) because of a knee injury but resumed playing. Against the Chiefs on Sunday, he caught 2 of 4 targets for 13 yards. “Just an opportunity for a play to be made, and just couldn’t make the play,” Kincaid said after the game. Knox had a different view. “Watching that play back, I mean he’s running full speed one direction. Josh had three guys in his face and just had to throw up a pop fly, and Dalton had to completely change directions and dive for the ball. The fact he even got contact on the ball is impressive, first of all,” Knox said. “… I told him we wouldn’t have even been in that game if he wasn’t on this team. What he brings to this offense, the incredible weapon he is, I don’t know if we would’ve won the division without him. I don’t know if we would’ve made the playoffs without him. So, if he tries to shoulder this as his fault, I’ll probably just laugh at him like, ‘Dude, you’re acting crazy right now.'” There were other issues during the play. Allen said after the game that the offensive line slid left after the Chiefs “gave a good look” that the Bills were not anticipating, which set up a surprise corner blitz from the right side. For the Bills, there were issues at times in all three phases. “I think it’s unfair, honestly, to even say [Kincaid lost them the game] and put him in that situation,” Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard said. “There’s so many plays that it comes down to throughout a game, and we just didn’t make enough of ’em.” |
| NEW YORK JETSThe Jets new GM/coach duo will have the final say on QB AARON RODGERS as owner Woody Johnson promises not to meddle. Rich Cimini with that and other tidbits as the team introduce Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn. The New York Jets have a new coach, a new general manager and a new approach to star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Glenn, who was introduced Monday in a news conference with general manager Darren Mougey, made it clear that he doesn’t consider any player bigger than the team. Glenn was noncommittal on Rodgers, saying the future Hall of Famer will be evaluated just like everyone else on the roster. “This thing is not about Aaron Rodgers, folks. This is about the roster,” Glenn told reporters after his news conference. “We plan on building the best roster that we can. So, whatever that may be — guard, tackle, defensive tackle — that’s what we’re evaluating. “Listen, everybody’s under the microscope. That’s just what it is.” It’s a new day at One Jets Drive. Glenn said that he has exchanged texts with Rodgers, and that he hopes to speak with him soon. Other than that, the newly hired coach declined to get into much detail about Rodgers. Glenn shut down questions from reporters the way he once handled wide receivers as a cornerback for the Jets from 1994 to 2001. “We’re still in the evaluation mode, so for anybody else who’s going to ask that, I’m going to give you the same answer,” Glenn said. “So don’t waste your time. We clear?” Owner Woody Johnson, whose involvement in personnel matters last season chafed people in the previous regime, said he will leave the Rodgers decision up to Glenn and Mougey. Johnson, whose relationship with the four-time MVP has appeared strained at times, said he will welcome him back if his new hires decide it’s best for the team. “Absolutely,” Johnson said. “Aaron’s a talent, for sure. He’s a Hall of Famer. … I’m not going to voice my opinion. That’s up to them.” The previous regime, which acquired Rodgers in 2023 trade with the Green Bay Packers, catered to him by acquiring some of his former wide receivers and hiring one of his closest friends, Nathaniel Hackett, as the offensive coordinator. Rodgers, 41, missed virtually the entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles and was uneven in 17 starts in 2024, finishing with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on a 5-12 team. He has said he’s undecided on whether he wants to keep playing. “First and foremost, I’ve got the utmost respect for Aaron Rogers and what he’s done in this league as a player,” said Mougey, most recently the Denver Broncos’ assistant GM. “[He’s] one of the greatest of all time to play the position — one of the greatest players of all time. “I know Aaron has his process in the offseason that he goes through. We have ours. But, yeah, that [decision] is going to come. I don’t have a timeline on it.” Rodgers is under contract for 2025, but none of his money his guaranteed. He has a $35 million option bonus, a $2.5 million salary and a manageable $23.5 million cap charge. There’s a $49 million cap hit if he’s released or retires; it can be spread over two years. If he returns under his existing contract, there will be a $63 million cap hit in 2026 — a massive charge that would hamper the team’s financial flexibility. Rodgers has said he’s open to a pay cut if he returns. “When it comes to the team, it’s always a football decision,” said Glenn, adding that he and Mougey will study every play from the 2024 season. Glenn, formerly the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, knows what he wants in his quarterback. “A winner,” he said, adding, “Mental and physical toughness.” If the Jets move on from Rodgers, they’ll be wading into a shallow pool of free agent options. The in-house alternative is backup Tyrod Taylor, 35, a former starter who played only 36 snaps in 2024. Also on the roster is 2024 fifth-round pick Jordan Travis, who sat out with an injury from college. The Jets took an unconventional approach to rebuilding their regime, hiring the coach before the GM. The team has revamped its power structure, with both Glenn and Mougey reporting directly to Johnson, according to the owner. Previously, coach Robert Saleh reported to GM Joe Douglas. Mougey will have the final say on personnel matters and the 53-man roster, but he said it will be a collaborative effort with Glenn. Glenn showed his fiery side at his introductory news conference. Alluding to the Jets’ losing history, he declared, “We’re the freaking New York Jets and we’re built for this s—!” A popular player in his day, and later a scout for the Jets (2012-13), Glenn was greeted by no fewer than 10 former Jets, many of them his former teammates. He interviewed with four other teams but said this was the only job he wanted. “We’re going to do some magical things here, bro,” he said, turning to Mougey. “Some magical things. I look forward to it.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| MEASURING DYNASTIESMike Sando of The Athletic tries to find the right place for the current Chiefs in the NFL’s Dynasty Ratings: When the Chiefs won the Super Bowl last season, I set out to determine reasonable criteria for dynastic status. My criteria: winning three-plus Super Bowls over five-plus seasons; posting the NFL’s best regular-season win rate, beginning with the first Super Bowl-winning season and ending with the final or most recent one; and reaching the conference championship round more than half the time during the dynasty. Four teams made the cut, led by the 2001-18 New England Patriots. The 1981-94 San Francisco 49ers were next, followed by the 1974-79 Steelers and the 2019-23 Chiefs. Sando then has a table with many categories. A fourth Chiefs Super Bowl title in six years would put them above the Steelers in his eyes. |
| ROONEY RULEAlbert Breer questions the Rooney Rule’s 2025 version: It’s time to take a real look at the Rooney Rule again. No fewer than three teams during this cycle didn’t just cross the line the rule sets—they laughed while dancing over it. • The Patriots interviewed Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich on the same day, right after the season ended, to fast-track hiring Mike Vrabel. They picked Hamilton and Leftwich because they needed two in-person interviews with minority candidates, and those couldn’t be with guys currently on NFL coaching staffs at that time. Leftwich had done media expressing his desire to get back in the league. Hamilton shares an agent with Vrabel. I think Vrabel was probably the best hire of this cycle. Based on their actions, eschewing even a hint of a real search (which they’ve done repeatedly), the Patriots think so, too. • The Jaguars kept their second pursuit of Coen quiet until late Thursday afternoon, largely to make sure their interview with Raiders DC Patrick Graham, which satisfied the Rooney Rule, went off without a hitch. Jacksonville had previously met Robert Saleh in-person, since Saleh was fired in October and, as such, didn’t have to wait until Jan. 20 to come in. • The Dallas Cowboys did the bare minimum, bringing in Saleh and Seattle’s Leslie Frazier (who’d previously interviewed for their DC job), before expediting the hire of Brian Schottenheimer after meeting with just four candidates. Meanwhile, after elevating Schottenheimer, they interviewed Bears safeties coach Andre Curtis for their DC job, which satisfied the Rooney Rule on that search, even if it’s presumed he was really there to be a part of Matt Eberflus’s defensive staff. So, as I see it, it’s time to put some real thought into how teams are using the Rooney Rule. This all works great when teams are running a real search, I think. But it’s less practical when a team has a target and hustles guys in to grease the skids to hire that target. Maybe there’s an answer in giving teams a chance to identify a guy before a search starts, and then handing that team and coach an exclusive negotiating window to get a deal done. Maybe the rule’s just run its course in its current form. Either way, the recent hiring cycle has certainly given well-meaning owners and folks at the league office something to talk about over the next few months. Seven open jobs this cycle, one minority hire in Aaron Glenn so far. |
