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Giants’ Dawn Aponte Hire To Strip Some Of GM Joe Schoen’s Power?

By | at February 15, 2026 11:10 pm

The fact that hiring John Harbaugh as head coach meant the Giants would be required to change their front office structure was no small story. In fact, it was such a big factor that it was part of the reason for a multi-day delay between when the team announced its intentions to hire Harbaugh and when the deal was finalized.

We’d only really gotten small tidbits about how different the structure would be, but Ian O’Connor of The Athletic dropped a few key details this evening that certainly show significant potential change.

Before O’Connor’s report today, the tidbits that we’d gotten were minor. Harbaugh wanted to have roster input. Harbaugh would report directly to owner John Mara and not general manager Joe Schoen. It was a similar situation to what Harbaugh had grown accustomed to in Baltimore and didn’t seem to be shaking up the boat too much. Schoen wanted to be sure Harbaugh wouldn’t be importing front office staffers to slowly take control of a front office that had been Schoen’s domain.

That appears to still be mostly the case, but there was one hire of Harbaugh’s that appears to be mixing things up. Per O’Connor, Harbaugh was pivotal in the team’s efforts to hire Dawn Aponte away from the league office. Aponte’s position with New York has been designated as senior vice president of football operations and strategy. According to Pat Leonard of NY Daily News Sports, she will be responsible for “strategic planning for football operations, analytics, salary cap management, player contract negotiations, compliance, and working closely with the college and pro personnel departments.”

That’s not all Leonard says. If it seems like several of those responsibilities would usually reside with the general manager, it’s because they would. Per Leonard, Schoen has essentially been “relegated to handling scouting” and the “rest of the building reports to Dawn.” In addition, both O’Connor and Leonard report that Aponte will report to Harbaugh, so it is beginning to look as if Harbaugh is encroaching quite a bit more than initially understood on the duties of the general manager.

O’Connor’s report doesn’t pose the situation as nearly as much of a takeover as Leonard is painting it out to be, though. He includes quotes from Harbaugh on how impressed he’s been with Schoen and how well they are working together as they both work on building the team’s new staff and future roster. But, if what Leonard claims is true, it’s hard not to believe that Schoen is getting quietly pushed into a corner. The Giants paid a lot of money and agreed to a lot of concessions in order to bring Harbaugh in to lead their team. Time will tell how each new change will affect the team’s future success.

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Offseason Outlook: Green Bay Packers

By | at February 15, 2026 11:00 pm

During Matt LaFleur’s first five years in place as head coach of the Packers, the team totaled a record of 25-8 in games played in December and January. Things have changed quickly over the past two regular and postseasons, with Green Bay going just 3-9 over that same stretch since 2024.

A second straight promising year ending on a very low note – in particular, a five-game losing streak including a collapse in the wild-card round – invited questions about a change on the sidelines. Instead, LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst will remain in place for 2026 (and likely beyond). Reaching the playoffs will once again be the target for Green Bay next year. To boost the team’s chances of avoiding another one-and-done campaign, reinforcements in at least a few key areas will be sought.

Coaching/front office moves

LaFleur has guided the Packers to a winning record and a playoff berth all but once during his seven-year tenure. Having overseen a successful transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love at the quarterback position, LaFleur’s offense has largely remained a strong unit since his arrival. On the other hand, the past five years have produced only one playoff victory.

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Raiders To Hire Andrew Janocko As OC

By | at February 15, 2026 10:52 pm

With the Seahawks moving to hire 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury as a replacement for Klint Kubiak at offensive coordinator, the situation became much more clear for Seahawks quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. No longer an internal candidate for the Seahawks job, a deal has now been finalized to make Janocko the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

In the wake of a Super Bowl victory, the Seahawks watched Kubiak depart for Las Vegas to become a first-time head coach. There began immediate conjecture around whether or not any Seattle staffers would be following him to the Raiders and who they may be. Janocko was at the top of that list.

Janocko has worked with closely with Kubiak in five of the past seven NFL seasons. They first worked together in Minnesota, where Kubiak joined as quarterbacks coach in 2019. Janocko was entering his fifth season with the Vikings, serving as assistant offensive line coach after starting as an offensive quality control coach in 2015. In 2020, Janocko moved to wide receivers coach, and when Kubiak was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021, Janocko replaced him in the role of quarterbacks coach.

In 2022, then-Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was fired, and Kubiak and Janocko went their separate ways. Kubiak spent a year each in Denver and San Francisco and Janocko spent two seasons with the Bears before the two reunited in New Orleans two years ago. They, once again, filled their roles of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and when Mike Macdonald lured them to the Seahawks the next year, they retained their titles in the move.

So, when Kubiak made the move to become the new head coach at Las Vegas, there were two immediate options that seemed to emerge. It made sense to believe that Janocko would either follow Kubiak, once again, to Las Vegas with the potential for a promotion to offensive coordinator or remain in Seattle for a chance to become an offensive coordinator on his own with the added responsibility of calling plays, something that won’t be available to him in Vegas. The Seahawks did interview Janocko — and a few other internal candidates — for the offensive coordinator position, but their ultimate decision to bring in Fleury put the writing on the wall.

The Raiders’ search for a new offensive coordinator was short and sweet. Janocko showed up to interview today and, apparently, got a deal done. The team will have needed to be Rooney Rule compliant in order to make a hire, so one would assume some interviews have taken place that haven’t yet been reported. Here’s our account of the team’s search that led to Janocko:

  • Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Hired
  • Frisman Jackson, wide receivers coach (Seahawks): To interview
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Seahawks To Hire Brian Fleury As OC

By | at February 15, 2026 10:50 pm

The Seahawks considered a number of internal candidates to fill the offensive coordinator position. Instead, they will go outside the organization to replace Klint Kubiak.

Seattle is hiring Brian Fleury to handle OC duties, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Fleury has been in place with the 49ers since 2019, but he will now move within the NFC West. This will be his first offensive coordinator opportunity.

The Seahawks seemed to be in position to promote an in-house staffer to the role of OC this offseason. Indeed, four candidates from within the organization recently conducted an interview. A small number of coaches from outside Seattle were mentioned as names to watch as the team’s search unfolded. One of those was Fleury, who met with the Seahawks yesterday. Things clearly went well, and an agreement has now been reached.

Fleury has been coaching since 2005, and he worked in a number of capacities during his college career. Stints as a defensive and special teams coordinator preceded Fleury’s rise to the ranks of NFL staffs. The former undrafted free agent quarterback had brief tenures with the Bills and Browns prior to arriving in San Francisco.

After one season working on the defensive side of the ball, Fleury became an offensive quality control coach for the 49ers. That was followed by a four-year run as the team’s tight ends coach. In 2025, the title of run-game coordinator was added, an indication of Fleury’s importance to Kyle Shanahan‘s staff. The 49ers will now need to seek out a replacement late in the 2026 hiring cycle.

For the Seahawks, meanwhile, the status of their internal OC candidates will be worth watching closely. Quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko was among the coaches who loomed as a promotion candidate, but he has been heavily linked to the Raiders since Kubiak’s departure. At this point, a Janocko move to Vegas to fill that team’s OC position is expected.

Seattle enjoyed a stellar showing on defense en route to winning the Super Bowl this season. The team’s offense played a notable role as well, with quarterback Sam Darnold thriving on his new team and wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba taking home Offensive Player of the Year honors. Needless to say, expectations will be very high for Fleury during his first year as an NFL coordinator. He will be tasked with handling play-calling duties in 2026.

Via PFR’s Coordinator Search Tracker, here is a final look at how Seattle’s process played out:

7 comments Newsstand San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks

2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at February 15, 2026 10:15 pm

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 2-15-26 (10:15pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Drew Petzing)

  • Nathaniel Hackett, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Hired

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

  • Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed
  • Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
  • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Promoted

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Greg Olson)

  • Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Hired
  • Frisman Jackson, wide receivers coach (Seahawks): To interview

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Klint Kubiak)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Cleveland Browns (Out: Jim Schwartz)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Patrick Graham)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New England Patriots (Out: Terrell Williams)

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

  • Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

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AFC West Updates: Paton, Bolts, Chiefs

By | at February 15, 2026 10:03 pm

In an appearance on the Altitude Sports Radio show in Denver, ESPN’s Adam Schefter answered a question pertaining to the possibility of Broncos general manager George Paton potentially leaving the team. As the hosts of the show posed the situation, the Vikings are currently looking to fill their open GM role, and Paton is in the final year of his contract with Denver. Paton spent 14 years working his way through Minnesota’s front office and landed the Broncos general manager position after serving five years as director of player personnel for the Vikings.

Despite the obvious connection, Schefter did his best to assuage his hosts’ concerns. While conceding that he had heard the name mentioned in relation to the job in Minnesota, he relayed that he hadn’t gotten any indication that Paton would leave right now. While Paton could leave one day, Schefter didn’t get the impression he was looking to go anywhere at the moment and “is pretty content” with a team that “is intent on keeping him in Denver.”

On the coaching side of things, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported yesterday that USC defensive backs coach Doug Belk is expected to be taking the same role in Denver for 2026. Last year’s defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch have both departed for new roles in Buffalo and New York, respectively, so the Broncos will now turn to Belk to coach up their elite secondary.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC West:

  • After seeing linebackers coach NaVorro Bowman depart to spend more time with his family, the Chargers have turned to another former NFL linebacker to fill the role. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Los Angeles is hiring former Steelers linebacker Sean Spence to the role of inside linebackers coach. Initially a promising third-round pick out of Miami (FL), Spence’s playing career was derailed early by injuries, but he eventually turned to coaching. Spence has spent the last three years at Western Michigan as a special teams analyst (2023), linebackers coach (2024), and edges coach (2025). If the team re-signs pending free agent veteran Denzel Perryman, Spence would be coaching his former Hurricanes teammate.
  • Schultz also reports that the Chargers are hiring Denzel Martin as an assistant outside linebackers coach. Martin spent the last six years working with outside linebackers for the Steelers, getting named OLB coach in 2023. He’ll now bring his experience working with the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Co. to Los Angeles.
  • Lastly, according to Zenitz, the Chiefs are bringing back Terry Bradden in the role of assistant defensive line coach. Bradden had worked for eight years as a defensive assistant in Kansas City before taking a job as defensive line coach at Nebraska last year. He’ll now return to the Chiefs with an upgraded title.
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Giants Finalize Coaching Staff Under Harbaugh

By | at February 15, 2026 9:16 pm

Teams around the NFL have been announcing their finalized coaching staffs for the 2026 football season, and the Giants joined the fray on Friday. We had already reported on several of the changes to new head coach John Harbaugh‘s staff, but there were a few new updates to be gleaned from the team’s announcement.

First, before the team’s announcement, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that former Titans linebackers coach Frank Bush would be joining the Giants as their new inside linebackers coach. Bush is very familiar with new Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Bush served as Wilson’s linebackers coach for the past two years in Tennessee. Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, he also serves double duty as a mentor to Wilson.

Also, while Friday’s announcement was technically finalizing the team’s coaching staff, they will already be potentially looking to replace an assistant position coach. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, recently named assistant defensive line coach Matt Robinson will be heading to Las Vegas to join new Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard‘s staff.

Formerly, the Ravens outside linebackers coach, Robinson initially followed Harbaugh from Baltimore but will now join the Raiders as their new secondary coach. He will be reuniting with Leonard now, who worked alongside Robinson as outside linebackers coach for a year in Baltimore. Per Schefter, the Giants gave their permission for Robinson to leave and supported him in doing so.

The only other update concerning a position coach has to do with Willie Taggart. When it was first announced that he was joining New York’s staff, it was unclear what role the former Ravens running backs coach would hold as he was still a potential candidate to be offensive coordinator for the Giants. Ultimately, he will retain the title he had held in Baltimore with his new team.

The offense and defense both saw additions of assistant roles in the announcement. On offense, Noah Riley was named football analyst/quality control and Adam Schrack and Mike Snyder were both named offensive quality control. On defense, Brendan Clark was named defensive quality control. Riley, Schrack, and Clark all come over from Baltimore, where they most recently filled roles as defensive football analyst, offensive quality control, and defensive quality control, respectively. Snyder was most recently an offensive assistant for two years with the Texans and has experience with the Falcons and Bears, as well.

Lastly, the announcement showed the addition of T.J. Weist as assistant special teams coach and Megan Rosburg as assistant to the head coach/defensive assistant. Weist most recently spent five years assisting the Ravens with special teams but wasn’t retained with the team after the 2023 season. Rosburg, the daughter of former longtime Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, will carry over a role similar to the one she held for the last four years in Baltimore.

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Browns Close To Hiring D-Coordinator

By | at February 15, 2026 6:28 pm

6:28pm: Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com named three finalists for the defensive coordinator job in Cleveland today. Per Cabot, the two external candidates are both still in consideration, but of the two internal options, Banda will not be considered moving forward. In the next day or two, the Browns will be choosing between Undlin, Tarver, and Rutenberg for their defensive coordinator position.

11:52am: Nine days since Jim Schwartz resigned as their defensive coordinator, the Browns are getting closer to naming his replacement. Head coach Todd Monken‘s decision could come “within the next day or two,” Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.

Monken has spent this weekend conducting in-person interviews with candidates, according to Cabot. Two finalists, Texans defensive pass-game coordinator Cory Undlin and Falcons PGC Mike Rutenberg, have met with Monken.

Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver and safeties coach Ephraim Banda are also still in contention. Thanks in part to his defensive coordinator experience with the Raiders from 2012-14, Tarver is the “stronger internal candidate” than Banda, Cabot writes.

Banda was the co-defensive coordinator at Miami from 2019-20 and the DC at Utah State between 2021-22, but he has spent all three of his NFL seasons coaching safeties. If professional coordinator experience is preferred, Banda and Rutenberg may fall behind Undlin (the Lions’ DC in 2020) and Tarver in the pecking order.

Rutenberg has combined for 15 years in the league with Washington, Jacksonville, San Francisco, the Jets and Atlanta, but the longtime Robert Saleh colleague has never run a defense. He has also never been on the same staff as Schwartz. Considering Monken intends to keep Schwartz’s system in place, that may be important.

With Schwartz then the Eagles’ DC, Undlin spent four years under him (2016-19) as their defensive backs coach. They won a Super Bowl together in 2017. In addition to his experience with Schwartz, Undlin has also worked with Monken. The two overlapped as Jaguars assistants from 2009-10.

Tarver and Banda helped Schwartz’s defense finish 2025 fourth in scoring and 14th in yards. With a record 23 sacks, Myles Garrett steamrolled his way to Defensive Player of the Year honors. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, Tarver’s pupil, was a tackling machine (156) who chipped in 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. That was enough for the second-rounder from UCLA to collect the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

The Browns have a lot of problems to fix on the offensive side of the ball, but Garrett and Schwesinger help make their DC job an attractive one. With the Browns in the final stages of their search, here’s a refresher on the other names they’ve considered:

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Raiders To Conduct OC Interview With Andrew Janocko

By | at February 15, 2026 4:08 pm

Once the Raiders hired Klint Kubiak as their new head coach, attention turned to the possibility of other Seahawks staffers following him to Seattle. Andrew Janocko is among them.

Not long after Kubiak’s hire, Janocko was identified as the favorite for Vegas’ offensive coordinator position. As Kubiak and the Raiders evaluate their OC options, Janocko will – to no surprise – receive a look. An interview has been arranged for today in Vegas, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Janocko and Kubiak worked together in Minnesota and New Orleans prior to their joint Seattle stint during the 2025 season. A hire on this front would certainly not come as a shock as a result. Of course, the potential for an OC position with the Seahawks loomed as well in this case. With that having changed earlier this afternoon, though, a hire with the Raiders would be expected by many. Per Schefter, Janocko is indeed now in line to be hired as Vegas’ OC.

The Seahawks were thought to prefer an internal promotion to fill the OC vacancy. Janocko was one of four in-house staffers who interviewed for the position recently, and he presumably remained in the running until today. Seattle also spoke with Jake Peetz, Justin Outten and Mack Brown as internal candidates before reaching an agreement with Brian Fleury.

The Raiders’ approach on offense will be a major storyline around the league. Improvements in many areas will be needed as the team seeks to rebound from a 3-14 campaign in 2025. That is widely presumed to include the addition of quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in April’s draft. Kubiak himself will obviously be a central figure in Vegas’ efforts to take needed steps forward on offense, but his OC hire will be critical as well. Particularly if a familiar face in the form of Janocko is brought in, expectations could be raised in relatively short order.

Kubiak has been busy on several fronts within the first few days of his initial head coaching opportunity. The Raiders already have their DC (Rob Leonard) and special teams coordinator (Joe DeCamillis) in place. Bringing in Janocko would/will fill another notable vacancy on the sidelines.

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