| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOCarmen Vitali and David Helman of FoxSports.com explore how Ben Johnson will mesh with QB CALEB WILLIAMS: How do you like Ben Johnson’s fit with Caleb Williams? What will be the biggest adjustment each will need to make for each other? Vitali: From this standpoint, the hiring of Ben Johnson should be a slam dunk. Johnson has brought out the best in Jared Goff in three years as his coordinator. After posting a 45.5 QBR in his first year in Detroit in 2021, a career low for a full season, Goff’s been in the 60s three straight years, including a career-high 68.4 this season while leading the Lions to a franchise-record 15 wins. From being given up on by the Rams to being in the MVP conversation in 2024, what Johnson has done for Goff’s career cannot be overstated. The Bears are hopeful Johnson does the same for Williams, who is much younger and less experienced than Goff was when Johnson became Detroit’s OC. Will that speed up or prolong the process? It’s a fair question. But it’s worth noting that in Johnson’s three years as a coordinator, his offenses never finished lower than fourth in yards per game or fifth in points per game. How Johnson adjusts to Williams’ inexperience and personality will be the biggest hurdle on both sides. Williams had high praise for Johnson’s scheme this year, while Bears players across the roster talked about how they wanted a no-nonsense type of coach who demands accountability. Well, they’re about to get one. Johnson has been described to me as “intense” and “more of a pitbull than people realize” by people who worked with him in Detroit. How Johnson balances that intensity with also having to be accountable for the whole organization will be his biggest adjustment. He doesn’t just have to worry about the offense, like he did as a coordinator, he now has to decide what the team’s schedule is like, how they dress on road trips, what the menu is within the building, how to best communicate his vision to his staff, team personnel and even the business side of the building. He has to meet with the media and answer for not only the offense but all three phases. Oh, and he has to do it in the third-largest media market in the country. All of that while trying to develop a second-year quarterback. That’s no small feat, and there will undoubtedly be a learning curve. Will Williams (and Chicago as a whole) have the patience for Johnson to figure it all out? Helman: We don’t know this for sure yet, because we’ve only ever seen Johnson design an offense for Jared Goff. But if Johnson is as good as we think he is, then I’d hope he can tailor an attack to fit Caleb Williams — even if that means making significant changes to what worked so well in Detroit. That feels like the biggest adjustment to me: adapting the offense to fit a completely different style of quarterback. Goff is more of a point guard passer, whereas Williams’ athleticism and ability to make plays out of structure is what makes him unique. Johnson would be wise to accentuate those abilities while also reining in and correcting some of Williams’ worse tendencies — namely, hanging onto the ball too long and not attempting enough throws on time within the play design. To Carmen’s point, I think Williams’ biggest adjustment will be sharing his primary coach and play caller with the rest of the team, which was not something he had to do as a rookie until Thomas Brown got promoted late in the season — to mixed results. I do think Johnson will do a good job of mitigating that by hiring qualified coaches to fill out his staff. |
| GREEN BAYThe Packers have a vacancy at defensive line coach. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The list of candidates to be the next defensive line coach in Green Bay continues to grow. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the Packers have interviewed Eric Washington for the position. They have also interviewed Aaron Whitecotton and Kacy Rodgers since parting ways with Jason Rebrovich. Washington was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Bears in 2024 and he took over as the team’s defensive play-caller after head coach Matt Eberflus was fired. The Bears have settled on Ben Johnson as their new head coach and Dennis Allen is considered the top candidate to fill Washington’s former position on the staff. Washington had a two-year run as the Panthers defensive coordinator and he was the defensive line coach in Buffalo between the two coordinator stints. The Packers had fired defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich on January 17 after three seasons. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIADerrik Klassen of The Athletic points out that it was boom or bust for RB SAQUON BARKLEY on Sunday: Barkley’s performance against the Los Angeles Rams was nearly historic, but not in the way you might think. Just as he did in Week 12 against the Rams, Barkley cleared the 200-yard mark on the ground. Though it was Barkley’s second time doing so this season, it was only the 96th such game by any player since 2000, including the playoffs. Of course, a majority of 200-yard rushing games are incredibly efficient. It’s difficult to churn out that much yardage without getting consistent, reliable gains to support explosive plays. That’s not how Barkley got it done Sunday. Instead, he was so explosive in a couple key moments — first, a 62-yard score; then, a 78-yard touchdown run — that his down-to-down efficiency didn’t matter whatsoever. In fact, Barkley mustered a mere 34.6 percent success rate on the ground, according to TruMedia. It’s the third-lowest success rate for any 200-plus-yard rushing game since at least 2000, only ahead of a pair of Jamal Lewis performances. This may feel like quiet panic about the Eagles’ run game consistency, but it’s not. No run game is going to be firing on all cylinders every single down of every game, especially in the playoffs. But it’s just fun to marvel at how Barkley is so explosive and so dynamic that containing him for a majority of plays can become meaningless in an instant, if he gets a runway. That is the kind of high-powered ability that propels a team through the playoffs. |
| WASHINGTONDerrik Klassen of The Athletic on the splendid Saturday for OC Kliff Kingsbury: Two months ago, there were questions swirling around the NFL media sphere about whether the “Kliff cliff” had arrived. Kingsbury’s offenses in Arizona were notorious for falling off after the midpoint of the season, and there were signs of that happening again with the Commanders. (In hindsight, a lot of that had to do with Jayden Daniels clearly being bothered by a rib injury, but the Kliff conversations were rolling nonetheless.) Fast forward to the divisional round. Not only have the Commanders rebounded from their midseason inconsistency, but also Kingsbury may have called his best game of the season Saturday night against the Detroit Lions. Kingsbury’s answers for the blitz shined brightest. The Lions showed they wanted to bring a ton of heat from the jump, but the Commanders were ready with immediate answers — and continued to find new ones over the course of the game. For example, spread-RPO looks from the Commanders put the Lions’ defense in a bind. The Commanders regularly came out in wide trips or trips bunch formations, getting them in position to tag wide receiver screens onto option-run concepts from shotgun. Detroit constantly wound up outmanned on the perimeter. The Commanders caught the Lions with this kind of concept on their second play from scrimmage, then again on Terry McLaurin’s 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The Lions blitz both the nickel and the linebacker to the trips side of the field, leaving themselves exposed on the perimeter. McLaurin takes the space afforded to him and never looks back. Kingsbury’s offense found so many solutions in this game. The constant chip help in pass protection both stifled Detroit’s blitzers and gave Daniels reliable checkdown options, of which he often took advantage. Kingsbury also was on fire on critical downs, allowing the Commanders to again come out ahead in the fourth-down battle. His naked keeper call into the boundary for Daniels on fourth-and-2 late in the third quarter was inspired. And the value of Kingsbury’s college-inspired run game popped up. A number of Washington’s key plays on the ground came off same-side runs from shotgun, whereas most shotgun runs in the NFL go to the side away from the running back’s alignment — in other words, the back aligned to the left means the run will go to the right, or vice versa. Defenses often align their front strength with this in mind, but Kingsbury found ways to pull offensive linemen and hit some of those same-side runs that many other offenses don’t have in their playbooks. Kingsbury outclassed Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn from start to finish. That is not a sentence I thought I would ever write. It was the reality, though, and the Commanders are marching into championship weekend because of it. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYOC Liam Coen is staying with the Buccaneers – see JACKSONVILLE. |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSShould QB MATTHEW STAFFORD return to the Rams or ride off into the sunset? Gilberto Manzano of SI.com: Matthew Stafford was immediately asked about his future after the Los Angeles Rams fell short in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Stafford had another stellar postseason, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be back in Los Angeles for his 17th NFL season. The Rams and Stafford will likely need to agree on another revised contract to make it work for the upcoming season—that’s if he doesn’t have plans to retire. Rams need to bring back Matthew Stafford for 2025Manzano’s view: Fact Judging from Stafford’s words, there were hints of wanting to play football in 2025 but he avoided saying too much partly because of a looming contract dilemma with the Rams. If Stafford, who turns 37 next month, decides to continue his career, perhaps he shouldn’t be so quick to tell the Rams he doesn’t have plans to retire. Stafford has plenty of leverage after two impressive playoff performances and Los Angeles doesn’t have a succession plan ahead of a draft considered to be a down year for quarterback prospects. As Stafford mentioned, he still played “good ball” in 2024 and showed plenty of zip toward the end of the season, including a strong start to set the tone against the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round and a valiant effort in a Philly snow game to give his team a chance in the final two minutes. But Stafford did have sluggish stretches throughout the season and got bailed out a few times by an emerging defense to eventually win the NFC West. Despite their QB’s age and minimal decline, the Rams should do what it takes to at least secure Stafford for 2025 to give them more time to figure out a long-term quarterback plan. Also, with a few roster upgrades, the Rams could be in the playoff mix again next season and compete for a Super Bowl. Los Angeles has the option of cutting Stafford after agreeing in the summer to a revised contract that essentially paid him $36 million guaranteed for 2024. All that’s guaranteed for Stafford in ’25 is a $4 million roster bonus that’s due in March. With limited quarterback options out there, the Rams will likely pay the tab, but it’s tough seeing Stafford playing next season without more financial security, possibly leading to a contract dispute or a trade if the two sides can’t agree on a number. Stafford didn’t make top-10 quarterback money, but he again played like one, even in a season with a few highs and lows. And clearly, he thinks he’s still playing at a high level after telling reporters, “I feel like I was playing some pretty good ball.” The Rams should do what they did last summer and offer more money upfront for 2025, let’s say, north of $45 million, with the option of moving on in ’26 in case Stafford’s play quickly diminishes. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYCredit to QB PATRICK MAHOMES for admitting to and apologizing for his obvious attempt to draw yet another call from the officials on Saturday. Kristin Wong of SI.com: No NFL playoff matchup so far has sparked more outrage than the Kansas City Chiefs’ divisional round victory against the Houston Texans, when Patrick Mahomes received two controversial calls that went his way during the game. The first was a soft roughing the passer penalty on Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. in the first quarter, and the second was an unnecessary roughness penalty on two Texans defenders who the refs thought hit Mahomes as he was giving himself up. In the wake of the NFL’s latest officiating debate, Mahomes shared his honest take on being at the center of growing controversy over the Chiefs arguably receiving preferential treatment this postseason. “I’ve kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, something is going to come out about (the refs) if you win, if you continue to win,” Mahomes told Carrington Harrison on The Drive. “I don’t really pay attention to it. Obviously, I’ve been on both sides of it as far as how I’ve felt that calls were made. But at the end of the day, those guys are doing their best to make the best calls and keep it to where the players are making the plays in the game and that’s what decides the outcome. “Obviously, there was a call here and there that people didn’t agree with, but at the same time I think there were a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game.” Mahomes finished the game with 177 passing yards and one touchdown—not his most impressive playoff outing by any means, but he did enough to help the Chiefs clinch their seventh consecutive AFC championship berth. The Chiefs’ defense and special teams unit also put in the work to block a field goal and sack Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud eight times. Mahomes did mention one play from the game he wasn’t proud of: His embarrassing flop. “I would say the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get the flag,” continued Mahomes. “The ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that.”– – -Warren Sharp has studied Kansas City’s postseason penalty playoff record. It is indeed one-sided in the Chiefs’ favor in strict terms of penalties assessed. In their pursuit of being the first team ever to win three straight NFL Championships, the Kansas City Chiefs have played 11 playoff games since 2021. In those 11 games, how many times have the Chiefs had more penalties than their opponents? Zero. In those 11 games, how many times have the Chiefs opponents had more penalties than the Chiefs? Ten. That’s correct, and I triple-checked because it was initially tough to believe when I first heard this stat. 10 games in which opponents had more penalties. 0 games in which the Chiefs had more penalties. I was curious how the Chiefs fared in these metrics in the regular season. If they are avoiding penalties and also drawing them on opponents because they are simply a sound, well coached team, we should see evidence of this in the regular season. Out of 68 regular season games during this sample (since 2021): 27 games the Chiefs had less penalty yardage (39.7%)38 games the Chiefs had more penalty yardage (55.9%) And then in the playoffs (out of 11 games): 10 games the Chiefs had less penalty yardage (90.9%)1 game the Chiefs had more penalty yardage (9.1%) In the regular season: 36 games the Chiefs had fewer penalties (52.9%)25 games the Chiefs had more penalties (36.8%) And then in the playoffs: 10 games the Chiefs had fewer penalties (90.9%)0 games the Chiefs had more penalties (0.0%) Chiefs Playoff Penalty Advantage By the NumbersThe Chiefs have gone 10-1 in those 11 playoff games with two Super Bowl wins and potentially a third on the way. In total, the Chiefs have 36 penalties in those 11 games. Their opponents have 66. That’s 30 more penalties and nearly 225 more penalty yards against Chiefs opponents as compared to what they have been flagged for. Some of the largest, most significant penalties have gone in favor of the Chiefs. Many of those are judgment calls rather than cut and dry delay of game, offsides, and so on. Some of these include: 3 total Defensive Pass Interference or Defensive Holding called on the Chiefs.11 total Defensive Pass Interference or Defensive Holding called on their opponents. 1 total Roughing the Passer (15 yards) called on the Chiefs.7 total Roughing the Passer (15 yards) called on their opponents. 1 total Unnecessary Roughness (15 yards) called on the Chiefs.4 total Unnecessary Roughness (15 yards) called on their opponents. 0 total Unsportsmanlike (15 yards) called on the Chiefs.1 total Unsportsmanlike (15 yards) called on their opponents. Explaining Chiefs Playoff Penalty AdvantageWhile this may look suspicious, several valid explanations explain the delta. First, it is a tiny sample of games. Second, the Chiefs have played in more playoff games than their opponents and are thus more accustomed to the stage. They may not get the nerves that would potentially cause them to be out of place and commit penalties that other, less experienced teams might commit. Third, they are well coached on both sides of the ball, and well coached teams tend to commit fewer penalties. (Looking at all teams with a minimum of five postseason games) one thing immediately stands out: There are many teams with good coaches and plenty of playoff experience, and none of them come close to the number of games where penalties or penalty yardage went in their favor. Look at all the teams with at least 5 playoff games during this span and the net games where penalty yardage was in their favor: Chiefs: 10-1 in their favor, net +9Ravens: 3-2 in their favor, net +1Rams: 4-3 in their favor, net +1Eagles: 3-4 against them, net -149ers: 4-5 against them, net -1Bills: 3-5 against them, net -2Bucs: 2-4 against them, net -2Bengals: 1-6 against them, net -5 Many of those teams have good coaching and experience, yet penalties have been relatively neutral for their games in all cases (+2 games to -2 games) save for -5(!) for the Bengals. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 10-1 for a +9 net in number of games with penalty yardage in their favor. And they are +10 in the number of games with penalties in their favor. Regardless of why this penalty discrepancy exists, the referees will be under the spotlight as the Chiefs host the Bills in the AFC Championship Game. Scott Kacsmar has a long, long defense of the Chiefs on this topic which we will get to tomorrow. Here’s a tease: @ScottKacsmarI can make a stronger case that McVay’s Rams have gotten more favorable calls than the Chiefs with the NFL trying to build up the LA market. But the Rams don’t get people’s blood boiling because they still don’t win enough big games. – – -Adam Teicher of ESPN.com on TE TRAVIS KELCE in the locker room. Alex Smith played with hundreds, maybe thousands, of teammates during his 14-year career as an NFL quarterback. None, he said, was quite like Travis Kelce. “If I had to make a team from those guys of the teammates I remember and will always remember, Travis is absolutely first-team on that list,” said Smith, who retired in 2020. “He’s in the huddle. Travis is a guy who gives energy. Every interaction with him you like. You always feel better after talking to him. “There aren’t many teammates you would say that about. Some relationships are so unique. Some people are so magnetic and you love being around them, and Travis is one of those guys.” Smith isn’t the only teammate to feel that way about the 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Others describe him as what most might expect — a bold, larger-than-life personality. “He’s pumping us up every time we’re walking out on the field, [like], ‘Let’s go boys, let’s go,'” said linebacker Leo Chenal, now in his third season with the Chiefs. “Every time somebody makes a play, he’ll call him out specifically or go on the side after a play: ‘That’s great, that’s great. Keep it going, keep it going.’ “He’s so personable, but at the same time he’s a great leader.” The emotional, boisterous side of Kelce is the one most obvious to fans, after he scores a touchdown or makes a clutch play. Kelce, a 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time choice for first-team All-Pro, is sure to go down as one of the greatest tight ends of all time. He’s third among players at his position in career catches (1,004) and yards (12,151). He also carried the passing game with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the divisional round to help the Chiefs to their seventh straight AFC title game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS). But that’s one side to Kelce. There’s another side only those in the football world see. Kelce is quick to console someone who lost a fumble. If a teammate is running late, he’ll stay behind and wait for them. He’s the first one to welcome new guys, like when he texted rookie offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia after the Chiefs drafted him in the second round last April, somebody he didn’t know at the time. If he sees someone struggling on or off the field, he’s there to put his arm around their shoulder. “I’ve always thought sports are the ultimate hangout with friends,” said Kelce, adding he has close friends from all of his sports teams, going back to when he was a kid. “So I just want to make sure I bring the energy every day. I like to come here and have fun.” THE NIGHT BEFORE every home game, the Chiefs stay in a local hotel. Players are required to arrive by a certain time or be subject to fines. But one night before a game, when it became apparent that then-Chiefs running back Charcandrick West wasn’t going to make it on time because he was stuck in traffic, he called Kelce. The tight end, who was already at the hotel, told him to just get there as quickly as possible. When West finally arrived, several minutes late, there was one guy waiting for him out front: Kelce. “He didn’t want me to be the only one to get into trouble for being late,” said West, who played for the Chiefs 2014-2018. He said the Chiefs didn’t fine him for his tardiness, adding, “I guess if you’re going to be late, you want to be late with Trav.” Kelce couldn’t remember whether he was fined for being late with West, saying, “I’ve been fined so many times for things that I can’t remember what they were for.” As for waiting outside for West, Kelce said that’s part of being a good teammate. “Sometimes you just need somebody to be there with you even if you feel like you’re doing something wrong,” Kelce said. Early in his career, Kelce lost a fumble late in a game against the Arizona Cardinals that cost the Chiefs a chance at a victory. At the time, the Chiefs were driving for a potential tying or winning score but wound up losing by three points. Kelce remembers the lonely feeling afterward. So when West, making his first NFL start in 2015, lost a fumble in a similar situation against the Minnesota Vikings, Kelce sought him out after they returned to Kansas City. “We sat and talked,” West said. “I told him, ‘I lost the game for us.’ I was really down about it. But he wouldn’t let me stay down. He told me that things like that happened to everyone. He told me I would help the Chiefs win a lot of games.” The next week, West had his first 100-yard game and scored his first touchdown. The Chiefs won the first of 11 straight games and West went on to lead them in rushing that season. “He was a big morale boost for me,” West said. “He made sure I didn’t lose confidence in myself. I don’t know what would have happened without Travis.” THOSE WHO HAVE played with Kelce find it difficult to describe exactly what it’s like. “Let’s see if I can do it justice,” said Smith, who played five seasons with Kelce with the Chiefs before being traded to Washington in 2018. “It was always the small things with Travis,” Smith said. “The ribbings, the jokes, the smiles. But it was also the realness. I know people can boil football down to a boys’ game, which it is. But when you get to the NFL, it’s hard. It’s stressful. The games mean so much. It’s rare to find people unaffected by all that stress. He was one of those guys, and by being who he is, he helped everyone around him. “He was always so comfortable in his own skin. That was great as a teammate because he made everybody else comfortable. He enjoys coming to work, and that’s infectious.” Fans might see Kelce jetting off to a Taylor Swift concert or other events, but they don’t see the time he puts in on football, Smith said. He pointed to the freedom coach Andy Reid gives Kelce to improvise on routes depending on what he might see from the defensive coverage. The most famous example came in the 13-second sequence late in the fourth quarter of the divisional round playoff game against the Bills three years ago, when Kelce altered his route against zone coverage to find a seam for a 25-yard gain that set up the tying field goal. The Chiefs went on to win in overtime on a Kelce touchdown catch. “You won’t find a tight end, maybe in history, that has a bigger leash on route running than Andy gives him,” Smith said. “He empowered Travis to do that, but he earned it. He studied and put in his time and he earned it. Look at how crafty he’s always been. That only comes with preparation and work. Some of the stuff he does looks backyard-, recess-type stuff, but it’s not. There was a method to the madness. The only way Travis is the player he is is because he understands all the nuances.” Linebacker Drue Tranquill, who joined the Chiefs in 2023, said he never came across a player like Kelce in his four prior seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Kelce routinely quizzes him on the practice field about coverages and what he might have seen that led him to defend a particular route a certain way. “Little aspects of the game still strike his curiosity,” Tranquill said. Smith was replaced as the Chiefs’ quarterback by Patrick Mahomes, who was the backup for one season as a rookie in 2017. By the time the Chiefs traded Smith, Kelce and Mahomes had become close. But Kelce took it hard when Smith was traded. “I wanted to get [a Super Bowl] for Alex,” Kelce said. “He was such a leader to me, showed me how to do it the right way. I wanted to go out and get one for him or at least keep fighting for him. I felt guilty I wasn’t able to get one for him. “At the same time, everybody knew what we had in Pat. I was excited about having a new wave of energy and excitement in the offense, a guy with a big arm, a guy that could do it all.” Kelce, who is still close to Smith, went on to quickly build rapport and chemistry with Smith’s successor. He set what at the time were career highs in catches (103), yards (1,336) and touchdowns (10) in 2018, Mahomes’ first season as the starter. Mahomes described Kelce as a teammate in much the same terms Smith did. He said Kelce is at the Chiefs’ practice facility in the offseason more than he expected, given Kelce’s many offseason projects. “It’s always helped me that he practices as hard as he does and he plays as hard as he does and does all the small things because it lets me be able to get the best out of all the young players,” Mahomes said. |
| LAS VEGASPete Carroll to the Raiders? Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic: On to Plan B. The Las Vegas Raiders were legitimate contenders to land the hottest available candidate as their next head coach, but former Detriot Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided Monday to join the Chicago Bears instead, according to league sources. Raiders minority owner Tom Brady has been working on Johnson since a pregame chat in early November, but Johnson seemingly preferred quarterback Caleb Williams to the nebulous void at that position in Las Vegas. Brady and controlling owner Mark Davis could’ve offered Johnson a big contract and input on the general manager decision, but they couldn’t really address the biggest question in the NFL these days: What’s the plan at quarterback? The Raiders don’t have an answer on the roster. Neither Aidan O’Connell nor Gardner Minshew II is ideally suited to be more than a backup in the NFL. The Raiders could attempt to trade for an upgrade such as Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks or Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, but it’s unclear whether players of that caliber would be available. The veteran options set to hit free agency are similarly unattractive. While the Raiders have the sixth pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they’re behind three quarterback-needy teams: the Tennessee Titans (No. 1), the Cleveland Browns (No. 2) and the New York Giants (No. 3). There’s a world in which they could still have a shot to land a top prospect such as Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, but it’s far from a guarantee. The uncertainty at quarterback was a major factor in Johnson’s decision to head elsewhere, according to league sources. Williams, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, had a solid rookie season with the Bears and has the potential to become one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. That’s something the Raiders simply couldn’t match. Now, the Raiders have to turn to their alternatives, and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is believed to be the Raiders’ top option, according to league sources. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also believed to be a strong candidate, but many around the league expect him to wind up with the New Orleans Saints, the team he played for and coached for, or the New York Jets, who he also played for. Jed Hughes, who the Raiders have contracted from search firm Korn Ferry to help coordinate their GM and head-coach searches, helped place Carroll with the Seahawks in 2010, so there’s plenty of familiarity there. Carroll will turn 74 next season and would be the oldest head coach in NFL history if he returns to the sidelines, but the Super Bowl XLVIII champion has a strong resume and could still have something left in the tank. Last week, the Raiders interviewed Carroll, former Jets head coach Robert Saleh and former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in person. Saleh and Rivera are diverse, so Las Vegas has satisfied the Rooney Rule and is free to hire a head coach. There are three other candidates who the Raiders have interviewed virtually: Glenn, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. The Raiders also plan to interview Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The Raiders can set up in-person interviews with Glenn, Joseph and Monken, but they’ll have to wait until the Chiefs are eliminated if they want to talk to Spagnuolo again. Missing out on Johnson could also alter the Raiders’ plans for hiring a general manager. Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark has ties to Johnson and Glenn and is a legit candidate — he has also interviewed for the Jets’ GM vacancy. If the Raiders aren’t going to hire Glenn, though, it could make sense to head in another direction. The Raiders had in-person interviews with Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown and Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander on Monday. They’ve also done virtual interviews with Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek, Pittsburgh Steelers director of pro personnel Sheldon White and Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. Spytek was part of the front office that brought Brady to Tampa Bay in 2020 and was his college teammate at Michigan. He’s now believed to be the front-runner at GM, according to league sources. Brady played a big role in cultivating Johnson’s interest in the Raiders. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Brady and Johnson recently spent hours on a Zoom call to discuss the job. Brady’s pitch to Johnson was multifaceted. With the Raiders, Johnson would have had the opportunity to be fully aligned with the next GM. Being able to offer that symmetry played a big role in the Raiders’ decision to fire GM Tom Telesco after just one season. The Raiders have interviewed six GM candidates, but their first in-person sit-down was with Newmark on Sunday. Newmark overlapped with Johnson for four seasons in Detroit, so they had a pre-existing relationship and could’ve come to the Raiders as a package deal. The Raiders were also prepared to make a substantial financial commitment to Johnson. The franchise was once held back by controlling owner Mark Davis’ lack of liquidity, but that’s no longer the case. Silver Lake CEO Egon Durban and Discovery Land Company chairman Michael Meldman, who each bought 7.5 percent of the team last month, and Knighthead Capital co-founder Tom Wagner, Brady’s business partner, made it clear that money wouldn’t be an issue when it came to courting Johnson, according to league sources. That not only would’ve given Johnson additional job security, but it also would’ve allowed him to be more aggressive in building out his coaching staff and making roster moves. In the end, the Raiders were done in by the uncertainty at quarterback. For whoever they hire as their next GM and head coach, finding a way to remedy that issue must be the top priority. The Super Bowl-winning resume of new minority owner Tom Brady couldn’t help the Las Vegas Raiders land the coveted Ben Johnson as the club’s new head coach. Brady may, however, end up luring a fellow Super Bowl champion to Sin City, with former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll now believed to be the Raiders’ top target for their head coaching vacancy, according to The Athletic. Carroll, who was born and raised on the West Coast, knows Brady well, having led the Seahawks against Brady’s New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX at the close of the 2014 NFL season. The former also landed his previous job in Seattle thanks in part to an endorsement from Jed Hughes, the search-firm strategist currently working with the Raiders on their search, per The Athletic. The 73-year-old Carroll spent 14 seasons as the Seahawks’ coach from 2010-2023, leading Seattle to 10 playoff appearances, including two Super Bowl bids. He exited that job prior to this season in favor of Mike Macdonald, moving into an advisory role in the Seahawks’ front office, but has repeatedly expressed an interest in returning to the sidelines. Carroll also spent three seasons as the Patriots’ coach from 1997-1999, before Brady and Bill Belichick’s arrival in 2000, and coached at USC from 2001-2009. So it was CALEB WILLIAMS after his mixed rookie season over Door #2 (Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, who else?). |
| LOS ANGELES CHARGERSEDGE KHALIL MACK will return to action in 2025, perhaps with the Chargers. ESPN.com: Nine-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Khalil Mack, who said after the Chargers’ postseason loss to the Texans that he needed to take some time to mull his future, will indeed play in the 2025 season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday. Mack, 33, is set to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his 11-year NFL career. Mack, a Defensive Player of the Year winner (2016) and one of the most decorated outside linebackers in NFL history, had six sacks this season — and two more in the Chargers’ 32-12 wild-card loss at Houston. He has 107.5 sacks in his career. At their end-of-season news conference, both Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and coach Jim Harbaugh said they hoped to re-sign Mack if he decided to return for a 12th season in 2025. Mack had said earlier this month that if he decided to continue playing, he believed his best chance to win was with the Chargers. “As long as Justin Herbert is your quarterback. You got [safety] Derwin James and all these guys that love the game of football. And Jim Harbaugh coaching?” Mack said on Jan. 12. “You know you always have a chance to win. Yeah, that’s a no-brainer.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREEven as Ravens fans send “death threats” to TE MARK ANDREWS, Bills fans as is their history, are supporting him. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is getting support from Buffalo fans this week, after his two costly miscues helped propel the Bills to the AFC Championship Game. Bills fan Nicholas Howard started a GoFundMe to support Andrews’ favorite charity, Breakthrough T1D, a type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, after Andrews lost a fumble and dropped a two-point conversion pass in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ win over the Ravens. “As many of you know Ravens TE wasn’t able to catch the the game tying 2 point conversion and upset Ravens fans,” Howard wrote on the GoFundMe. “On top of that the TE has been receiving death threats and nasty comments after his performance last night. We want Bills Mafia to donate to Mark’s charity for Juvenile diabetes.” As of early Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe has raised $52,238 for Breakthrough T1D. Andrews, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 9, serves as a youth ambassador for Breakthrough T1D. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLELike Byron Leftwich before him, Liam Coen would rather be a Buccaneers OC than work as Trent Baalke’s head coach. Or at least that will be the spin in certain quarters. @AdamSchefterBuccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is taking himself out of the running for the Jaguars’ head coaching job to stay in Tampa on a new contract that now will place him amongst the highest-paid coordinators in the NFL, per sources. Bucs are keeping their OC. This from John Shipley of SI.com: @_John_Shipley#Jaguars were all in on Liam Coen. What a massive blow to a coaching search that, IMO, has now gone off the rails. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOThe new, improved QB JOSH ALLEN hasn’t turned the ball over – leading to this amazing stat from Scott Kacsmar: @ScottKacsmarMost consecutive games not losing the turnover battle, NFL history (since 1960) 1. 2023-24 Bills – 21 games (active)2. 2006-07 Patriots – 20 games3. 2010-11 Packers – 19 games |
| NEW ENGLANDThe Lions are losing a defensive coach for a promotion – and it is not Aaron Glenn (as of yet). Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s first staff in New England is continuing to come together. ESPN reports that Terrell Williams will be Vrabel’s defensive coordinator during the 2025 season. Williams was identified as the team’s top choice earlier this week. Williams worked for Vrabel with the Titans from 2018 through Vrabel’s final season in Tennessee in 2023. He was the defensive line coach and assistant head coach. Williams spent the 2024 season as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Lions. The Lions have seen offensive coordinator Ben Johnson become the head coach of the Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also expected to become a head coach, so there will be significant changes to Dan Campbell’s staff in Detroit. Vrabel has also selected Josh McDaniels as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer is set to remain on the staff in New England. |
| NEW YORK JETSThe Jets were not supposed to let Lions DC Aaron Glenn out of the building without a deal. That was yesterday’s tale. But Glenn did leave Florham Park. Bryan DeArdo of CBSSports.com: While Aaron Glenn is reportedly in line to be the New York Jets’ next head coach, he hasn’t officially been offered the job just yet. The Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator visited with the team’s brass on Tuesday but left without a deal in place, as confirmed by CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Lance Newmark, the Commanders’ assistant general manager who has also been linked to New York’s GM vacancy, also visited with the team but also reportedly did not receive a contract. The 52-year-old Glenn also has a second interview lined up with the New Orleans Saints. He has also spoken with the Jaguars about their head coaching position. Glenn also spoke with the Bears before they hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| THE OFFICIALSThe NFL has announced the referees and other officials for the remainder of the postseason and they were pretty much in line with what we expected last week. The conference championship games went as expected to Shaun Hochuli (NFC) and Clete Blakeman. Blakeman, in the AFC, has the hot spot as all eyes will be glued to his performance in the wake of the widely-held perception that the Chiefs, in general over the years and in 2024 in particular, have received an inordinate amount of support from the officials. Whether this is a valid perception or not, things are on high alert after referee Clay Martin threw two flags on hits to QB PATRICK MAHOMES on Saturday (actually the second one seemed to be more a collision of two Texans defenders in close proximity to Mahomes). We don’t profess to know Blakeman’s history with the Chiefs specifically, but we do note that he will be able to drive to the game from his home in Omaha, 180 miles or so from Arrowhead. The 60-year-old Blakeman is very experienced at this sort of thing, working his sixth conference championship game or Super Bowl (he has SB 50). Blakeman has not had the Chiefs in postseason since the 2018 AFC Championship Game, won by New England, 37-31, in OT at Arrowhead. He worked the NFC Championship Game last year. He did not have the Chiefs at all in this regular season game – and the last time he worked a Kansas City game, the Raiders actually prevailed in Kansas City on Christmas Day in 2023. For Hochuli the Younger, it is his first conference championship game. His legendary father, Ed, worked nine conference championship games. Perhaps of interest is that, two members of Hochuli’s regular crew, including umpire Terry Killens who usually stands next to him in the backfield also are working a championship game – but on Blakeman’s AFC crew. Blakeman also has his regular replay official Chad Adams. Meanwhile, Blakeman’s regular line judge, Julian Mapp, will be on Hochuli’s NFC crew in Philadelphia. As far as the Super Bowl goes, it’s Ron Torbert getting the call for the second time. He also had SB56 when the Rams beat Cincinnati. Side Judge Boris Cheek will be working his 4th Super Bowl, the rest are SB rookies. Umpire Mike Morton has the unusual double of working both a championship game this week (the NFC) and the Super Bowl. Further marking Morton as someone to watch, he (and down judge Max Causey) are getting Super Bowl assignments in only their third season as an NFL official Here is that crew in its entirety: Previous postseason gamesR Ron Torbert 12 LVIU Mike Morton 2 DJ Max Causey 2 LJ Mark Stewart 5 FJ Mearl Robinson 5 SJ Boris Cheek 20 XLII, 50, LIVBJ Jonah Monroe 7 RO Kevin Brown |
