Cardinals Request DC Interviews With Charlie Bullen, Aubrey Pleasant
The Cardinals made a rather surprising offensive coordinator hire Wednesday, changing Nathaniel Hackett‘s plans after he had previously committed to becoming the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach. Arizona is now on the hunt for a DC.
Interview slips are going out, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reporting Charlie Bullen and Aubrey Pleasant are under consideration for this job. Bullen finished last season as the Giants’ interim DC, while Pleasant is the Rams’ defensive pass-game coordinator. Bullen is a former Cardinals assistant, working in Arizona during Kliff Kingsbury‘s time as head coach.
[RELATED: NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
Pleasant has been a regular on the DC interview circuit, and he worked with Mike LaFleur for the past three seasons. It is certainly not uncommon for new HCs to bring staffers with them from their previous teams, and Pleasant has extensive experience interviewing for DC posts.
Pleasant is a two-stint Rams assistant, serving as cornerbacks coach from 2017-20, DBs coach in 2023 and assistant HC/pass-game coordinator over the past two seasons. Sean McVay assistants regularly land promotions, as the LaFleur Cardinals hire showed most recently.
The Bears and Jaguars sent Pleasant interview slips last year. The Rams met with him about replacing Raheem Morris in 2024. The Saints and Vikings discussed their positions with him in 2022. Back in 2019, the Bengals began his time on the DC carousel with an interview. The Chargers discussed their DC position with Pleasant this year. None of these meetings has produced a hire, but with LaFleur working with the Sean McVay assistant previously, this could present the best path for upward mobility yet for the 13-season NFL staffer.
John Harbaugh is prepared to retain Bullen as outside linebackers coach, but the Giants cannot block a DC interview since it represents a promotion to the coordinator tier. The Cowboys interviewed Bullen for their defensive coordinator gig earlier this offseason.
Bullen, 41, was on all four Kingsbury Cardinals staffs. After a season as Arizona’s assistant linebackers coach in 2019, he climbed to ILBs coach during Vance Joseph‘s time as DC. Bullen was on the past two Giants staffs, mentoring Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter in that span. Burns posted a career-best 16.5 sacks in 2025, earning him his first All-Pro honor. Bullen also spent seven seasons in Miami, working under Joe Philbin, Dan Campbell and Adam Gase.
Cardinals To Hire Nathaniel Hackett As OC
Nathaniel Hackett was believed to be heading to Miami to become the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach. But he is now on track to move back onto the coordinator tier.
The Cardinals are hiring Hackett as their OC under Mike LaFleur, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Hackett was LaFleur’s successor as Jets OC; the duo will now head up the offense in Arizona.
A report last week had Hackett committing to the Dolphins to become their QBs coach under Jeff Hafley, but a better offer has come up that will force Miami to keep looking. This will be a non-play-calling position, with LaFleur set to hold the play sheet in the desert. That will be familiar territory for Hackett, who served as Matt LaFleur‘s non-play-calling OC with the Packers from 2019-21. That stay boosted Hackett’s stock; the next three seasons tanked it.
Considering Hackett’s three-year stretch from 2022-24, a move back to the coordinator tier represents a risky decision on the Cardinals’ part. The Broncos fired Hackett 15 games into his HC tenure, and the Jets demoted him from play-calling duties in 2024 — after an offseason effort to strip his power failed. Hackett ended up back in Green Bay as a defensive analyst last season, and his relationship with the LaFleurs appears to be strong enough for what will be a fifth chance as an NFL OC.
Prior to Hackett’s Green Bay stay, he served in that capacity in Buffalo and Jacksonville. Fired during a disappointing Jaguars 2018 season, Hackett landed on his feet weeks later as Matt LaFleur’s OC. The Packers then secured three playoff byes in Hackett’s three years in that role, with Aaron Rodgers earning MVP acclaim in 2020 and ’21. Rodgers has consistently vouched for Hackett, to the point he is believed to have interceded with a Jets effort to fire him after the 2023 season. But Hackett has enjoyed memorable failures with and without the star QB outside of Wisconsin.
The Broncos named Hackett as head coach in January 2022; in early March, they completed a blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. This move took place shortly after Rodgers recommitted to the Packers on a three-year extension. The Broncos were connected to Rodgers for a while, and although they insisted their Wilson trade was not connected to the then-reigning MVP’s Packers decision, the Hackett-Wilson partnership was a historic bust.
Giving Wilson’s camp considerable influence in the building and having the perennial Seahawks Pro Bowler partially dictate how the offense was structured, Hackett proved to be a poor HC fit. Hackett game management gaffes that September led to the Broncos bringing in an assistant (Jerry Rosburg) to run that department, and the embattled HC then removed himself from play-calling duties, giving the play sheet to QBs coach Klint Kubiak. The Broncos canned Hackett after a blowout loss to the Rams, with Rosburg finishing the season as interim HC. Despite Denver’s disjointed offense ranking last in 2022, Hackett landed the New York OC job in 2023.
After LaFleur saw Zach Wilson‘s struggles lead to his ouster, Hackett was soon forced to work with the QB bust after Rodgers’ Week 1 Achilles tear. The Jets ranked 29th in scoring in 2022 and ’23, though Hackett’s attack was worse in yardage (31st) and EPA per play (32nd). Robert Saleh sought to strip power from Hackett during the 2024 offseason, but a stealth search for a de facto OC failed. Saleh was planning to demote Hackett early that season, but the Jets fired their head coach. The team removed Hackett from play-calling duty anyway, giving the play sheet to QBs coach Todd Downing.
It is not known which external minority candidate the Cardinals interviewed; teams must interview one external minority before filling OC or DC posts. Regardless, Hackett (46) will receive yet another chance. He will provide an experienced voice for Mike LaFleur, 38, but his Denver and New York work brings obvious concerns.
Hackett was at the controls for a surprisingly effective 2017 Jaguars offense — one that reached the Super Bowl LII precipice — but he is mostly known for recent failures. He will presumably have a say in how the Cardinals proceed at quarterback, as Kyler Murray is far from certain to enter an eighth season as the team’s QB.
Steelers To Hire Brian Angelichio As OC
Mike McCarthy is close to a deal with an offensive coordinator. The Steelers are nearing an agreement with Brian Angelichio, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports.
Only connected to the Pittsburgh OC position during this year’s cycle, Angelichio has been Minnesota’s tight ends coach for the past four seasons. He also served as pass-game coordinator during that span. Angelichio has a past with McCarthy, coaching Packers tight ends from 2016-18. While ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Vikings made an effort to retain Angelichio, the allure of an OC role will be too enticing to turn down.
A Tuesday report pointed to Angelichio being the favorite for this role. This came after Scott Tolzien — a former Packers QB and Cowboys assistant under McCarthy — removed his name from consideration. Tolzien is returning to the Saints, clearing a path for Angelichio to land his first OC opportunity at 53.
An NFL assistant since 2012, Angelichio does have a Pittsburgh past. He served as Pitt’s tight ends coach from 2006-10. After a year at Rutgers, Angelichio followed Greg Schiano to the NFL as Buccaneers tight ends coach. He then served in that capacity for the Browns, Packers, Washington and Panthers from 2014-21. The Vikings hired him for the same role but added a pass-game coordinator title as well. But Angelichio will move up after a 14-season span coaching tight ends.
Previous Steelers OC Arthur Smith had been among the TEs coaches to display upward mobility from that role, but Angelichio had not been interviewed for an OC post since 2023. The Cowboys and Ravens interviewed him during that offseason, but no OC meetings came in 2024 or ’25 for the long-running assistant. Kevin O’Connell has fared well in Minnesota, however, and this marks a coaching tree branch for the 2024 Coach of the Year.
Angelichio’s most notable work as a tight ends coach came when Gary Barnidge produced a 1,043-yard season to lead the Browns in receiving in 2015. Barnidge had not eclipsed 200 yards before that unexpected age-30 breakout. He oversaw T.J. Hockenson‘s transition to Minnesota in recent years, with the trade acquisition reaching 960 yards in an injury-shortened 2023 season. Angelichio’s past with McCarthy is probably a bigger factor in this hire than intermittent success with tight ends, however.
McCarthy is set to call plays in Pittsburgh, establishing Angelichio as his top game-planning lieutenant. This marks a major change for the Steelers, whose OCs have called plays for ages — as Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were all defensive-minded HCs. The Steelers have not sported a top-10 offense since Antonio Brown‘s 2019 departure, but they did rank 16th and 15th in scoring during Smith’s two seasons calling the shots. Smith is heading to the college ranks, set to become Ryan Day’s next OC at Ohio State.
AFC Staff Notes: Texans, Titans, Ravens
Here’s a look at the latest coaching staff updates from the AFC:
- The Texans recently moved on from tight ends coach Jake Moreland, assistant linebackers coach Ben Bolling, and offensive assistants Patrick Reilly and Mike Snyder, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 (links: 1, 2). They subsequently brought in James Ferentz as their tight ends coach and Alex Ward (not to be confused with the Raiders’ long snapper) as an offensive assistant. An NFL offensive lineman from 2014-23, Ferentz spent his first two years with the Texans. He immediately became the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach after his playing career ended. After two seasons in New York, he’s moving back to Houston to work with tight ends. Dalton Schultz, the Texans’ top TE, finished with a career-high 82 catches in 2025.
- The Titans have hired Cade Knox as their offensive assistant/game management, Paul Kuharsky reports. The Harvard alumnus held a similar position from 2022-25 with the Giants under head coach Brian Daboll, who’s now the Titans’ offensive coordinator. Knox will replace Rob Riederer in Tennesee and assist with timeouts and challenges.
- Nebraska hired Miles Taylor as its safety coach last month, but he’s already leaving for a promotion. The Ravens are hiring Taylor, per Sean Callahan of On3. He’ll serve as their assistant defensive backs coach, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds. Taylor spent 2025 as a coaching fellow with the Chargers. New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter was the Chargers’ defensive coordinator then. A few weeks after the Chargers’ season ended, Taylor and Minter are reuniting in Baltimore.
- The Chiefs recently requested an interview with Raiders running backs coach Deland McCullough, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. McCullough, who’s coming off his first year with the Raiders, previously coached Chiefs running backs from 2018-20 under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. While Bieniemy left the organization in 2023, he became Kansas City’s OC again last month. That could open the door for McCullough’s return.
- The Jaguars interviewed Bills assistant offensive line coach Austin Gund for their run game coordinator opening, per Jordan Schultz. The Jags went on to hire Brian Piccuci instead, leaving Gund’s future up in the air. Gund has assisted along the Bills’ offensive line since 2023, but O-line coach Aaron Kromer retired after the season. The Bills replaced Kromer with Pat Meyer, and it’s now unclear if Gund will return in 2026.
Giants Hire Dawn Aponte As Senior VP
Dawn Aponte is leaving the league office for an executive position with the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Aponte will serve as the Giants’ senior vice president in football operations.
This ends a nine-year run with the league for Aponte, a Staten Island native who had been the NFL’s chief administrator of football operations since 2017. Working with a team isn’t anything new for Aponte, however. Since beginning as an accountant in 1994, Aponte has garnered significant experience with the Jets, Browns and Dolphins.
In her seven years before joining the league office, Aponte held three different titles in Miami, including executive VP of football administration for five seasons. Joe Schoen, now the Giants’ general manager, was a Dolphins employee during Aponte’s entire tenure with the organization.
In 2024, eight years after leaving the Dolphins, Aponte interviewed for the Chargers’ GM job. Then seeking a replacement for the fired Tom Telesco, the Chargers went on to hire Joe Hortiz. The Jets also interviewed Aponte for their GM opening before hiring Darren Mougey last year, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports.
Aponte will now take on an important role in New York in replacing Kevin Abrams, whom the Giants let go last month after almost three decades with the franchise. Abrams’ ouster came shortly after the Giants hired head coach John Harbaugh, who has worked to reshape the organization early in his tenure.
Like Abrams, Aponte is known as a skilled contract negotiator. Aponte, who has a degree from New York Law School, will deal with matters related to contracts and the salary cap as a member of the Giants’ front office.
NFC Staff Notes: Cowboys, Pack, Rams
After interviewing Chidera Uzo-Diribe on Tuesday, the Cowboys are expected to hire the former Georgia assistant as their outside linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. As PFR’s Nikhil Mehta noted earlier this week, Uzo-Diribe helped develop OLBs Nolan Smith, Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker into first-round picks during his time on Kirby Smart‘s coaching staff. He’ll now play a key role under new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Marcus Dixon will join Uzo-Diribe and Parker in Dallas as the team’s defensive line coach, Todd Archer of ESPN reports. A Cowboys D-lineman from 2008-10, Dixon began his coaching career as a Rams assistant in 2021. He spent 2022-23 leading the D-line in Denver alongside Parker, then the Broncos’ defensive backs coach. Dixon held the same position with the Vikings over the past two seasons. The Vikings allowed Dixon’s contract to expire after the season, and they’ve since found a replacement in Ryan Nielsen.
Stephen Bravo-Brown, previously the Browns’ assistant receivers coach, is also on his way to Dallas, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. It’s unclear which role Bravo-Brown will take with the Cowboys after he wore multiple hats over six years in Cleveland. Before working with receivers last season, Bravo-Brown spent time as a defensive quality control coach and a special teams assistant.
Here are more staff updates from the NFC:
- Longtime 49ers assistant defensive backs/safeties coach Daniel Bullocks is joining the Packers’ staff in an unspecified role, Zenitz relays. Bullocks, a defensive back with the Lions from 2006-09, spent nine seasons in San Francisco and coached the team’s safeties over the past seven years. Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Talanoa Hufanga, Tashaun Gipson, Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha are among 49ers safeties who enjoyed success under Bullocks.
- After hiring Bubba Ventrone as their special teams coordinator, the Rams have brought in Kyle Hoke as an assistant, per Wilson. A college coach for 13 years, Hoke jumped to the NFL for the first time last season and worked in Cleveland under Ventrone. Now in Los Angeles, the two will attempt to turn around a special teams unit that helped lead to the Rams’ downfall in 2025. ST gaffes were an all-too-frequent occurrence for the Rams during the regular season, and they reared their head in the playoffs with Xavier Smith fumbling a punt in an NFC title game loss to the Seahawks.
Bears Could Promote Press Taylor To OC
A successful first season as Chicago’s passing game coordinator may lead to a promotion for Press Taylor. The Bears will consider Taylor for their offensive coordinator job, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Head coach Ben Johnson is on the hunt for a new O-coordinator after losing Declan Doyle to the Ravens last week. Doyle left to work as a play-caller, which is a responsibility Johnson handles in Chicago. Taylor and Cardinals passing game coordinator Connor Senger are the first known candidates to replace Doyle.
Unlike Senger, the 38-year-old Taylor has previous OC experience, having held the position in Jacksonville from 2022-24. Head coach Doug Pederson called the plays in the first of those seasons, but he passed those responsibilities to Taylor over the next two years.
While the Jaguars finished a respectable 13th in total offense and scoring in 2023, they plummeted to 25th and 26th in those categories during a four-win 2024. That led to a coaching change in Jacksonville and Taylor’s departure.
With Taylor assisting their aerial attack in 2025, the Bears climbed from 31st in passing to 10th. Quarterback Caleb Williams made obvious strides in the second year of his career, helping the Bears to 11 wins and an NFC North title. While wide receiver D.J. Moore‘s production declined significantly, and fellow wideout Rome Odunze missed five games because of a foot injury, tight end Colston Loveland helped pick up the slack during an outstanding rookie campaign.
The Bears selected Loveland 10th overall last year and then grabbed another promising target, receiver Luther Burden, in the second round. After he helped Loveland and Burden combine for 105 catches, 1,365 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, the Bears are considering a bigger role for Taylor.
Jets Hire Frank Reich As OC
After the Jets parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand last week, Frank Reich quickly became the favorite to replace him. The Jets will indeed hire Reich as their offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 64-year-old Reich, who conducted his second interview with the Jets on Tuesday, beat out fellow veteran coaches Greg Roman and Darrell Bevell for the job. He’ll now return to the NFL after serving as the interim head coach at Stanford in 2025.
An NFL quarterback from 1985-1998, Reich spent the ’96 season with the Jets. Former defensive back and current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was Reich’s teammate in New York. Thirty years later, Glenn is bringing in Reich to boost an offense that finished 29th in both points and yards this past season.
“Frank has a rare combination of experience, creativity, and calm under pressure,” Glenn said in a team-issued statement. “He’s lived this game from every angle — as a quarterback in this league and as a coach who’s led offenses at the highest level. He is unique in his ability to see the game for what it is right now and adapt when appropriate. Frank understands offense and how to utilize the strengths of players. I am looking forward to how he will help this team have success.”
Reich, who began his coaching career as an intern with the Colts in 2006, later worked as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15 and the Eagles’ OC between 2016-17. After winning a Super Bowl with backup QB Nick Foles in his last year in Philadelphia, Reich returned to Indianapolis in 2018 as its head coach.
In four-plus years with the Colts, Reich combined for a 40-33-1 record and two playoff berths despite instability under center. Andrew Luck was the Colts’ starter in Reich’s first year, but after his out-of-nowhere retirement in August 2019, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz each held the role in the ensuing three seasons. There was more upheaval at the position in 2022, when Matt Ryan succeeded Wentz. The Ryan-led Colts got off to 3-5-1 start that year, leading to Reich’s ouster.
Reich immediately received a second chance as Carolina’s head coach in 2023, former No. 1 pick Bryce Young‘s rookie year, but it was a disastrous stint. With the Panthers off to a 1-10 start, they pulled the plug on Reich. He spent 2024 out of football before reuniting with Luck, Stanford’s general manager, for a year.
In his return to the pros, Reich will once again enter into a less-than-ideal QB situation. The Jets, who easily finished last in passing in 2025, don’t have an in-house answer at the position. They could re-sign journeyman Tyrod Taylor, but he’s better off in a backup role.
While Justin Fields inked a two-year deal with $30MM in guarantees last March, the Jets are likely to release him after a rough season in which Glenn benched him for Taylor. Brady Cook made four starts as an undrafted rookie, but he didn’t look like any kind of solution during that stretch.
With the league’s fourth-most spending space (around $83.57MM, per Over the Cap), a pair of first-round picks and four selections in the top 44, the Jets are in position to upgrade at QB this offseason. That would help Reich’s cause, as would re-signing soon-to-be free agent running back Breece Hall. As of now, though, there’s little high-end offensive talent on hand outside of wide receiver Garrett Wilson, tight end Mason Taylor, and tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou.
Glenn made it known during his OC search that he wanted Engstrand’s replacement to work as the “head coach of the offense.” With the experienced Reich now running the unit, Glenn will take on a bigger role on the defensive side in 2026. Glenn, who hired first-time D-coordinator Brian Duker last week, will call the defensive plays next season.
Giants To Hire Matt Nagy As OC
The Giants have landed on their new offensive coordinator. Matt Nagy is heading to New York, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Nagy had spent the past four seasons in Kansas City. After his Bears head coaching tenure ended, he returned to the Chiefs as their quarterbacks coach in 2022. For the next three seasons, Nagy operated as the team’s offensive coordinator (a role which did not involve play-calling duties). He turned down an extension offer, making it clear to head coach Andy Reid before the start of the 2025 season a departure was his intention.
The 2026 hiring cycle appeared to include a clear opportunity for Nagy to land a second HC gig. The Titans were long thought to be a destination in his case given the presence of former Chiefs front office staffer Mike Borgonzi. In the end, though, the Titans hired Robert Saleh as their new head coach. The NFL’s remaining vacancies were filled over time, leaving an offensive coordinator gig as Nagy’s next target. The 47-year-old will now take charge of an offense, with the New York OC post including the responsibility of calling plays.
The Giants were successful in their push to hire John Harbaugh as their new head coach. Once his deal was in place, many expected Todd Monken to follow Harbaugh from Baltimore to New York. The two worked with each other on the Ravens’ staff for three seasons. Harbaugh attempted to recruit Monken for the Giants’ offensive coordinator post, but the opportunity loomed for a first ever NFL head coaching opportunity with the Browns at the time. Monken wound up joining Cleveland as the team’s new head coach last week.
Monken’s decision forced Harbaugh to pivot. A long list of coordinator candidates emerged, with many receiving an interview. Nagy – who spoke with the Eagles about their OC gig – was not known to be a Giants target as of Tuesday, but he will now take charge of New York’s offense. Harbaugh was known to be seeking a veteran for this position, and Nagy fits the bill. He began his career by working on Reid’s Eagles staff before advancing to the role of offensive coordinator during his first stint with the Chiefs.
Nagy earned Coach of the Year honors in 2018, his first season at the helm of the Bears. Chicago went 12-4 that year, but Nagy did not manage a winning record during any of his three subsequent seasons in place. It remains to be seen if a second opportunity to lead a staff will come about in Nagy’s case. For now, his attention will turn to developing a young Giants offense as the team looks for immediate success under Harbaugh.
New York added quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo during the 2025 draft. Both players figure to be a part of the team’s core for years to come, with the same being true of wideout Malik Nabers. The Giants ranked 17th in scoring this past season despite dealing with a number of injuries on offense and the transition from Brian Daboll to Mike Kafka as head coach. With several new faces on the sidelines, it will be interesting to see how the Giants fare in 2026.
Offseason Outlook: Detroit Lions
After finishing as the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2024, the injury-riddled Lions suffered a one-and-done exit in the playoffs. Expectations were high for another strong showing in 2025, a year in which Dan Campbell proceeded with several new faces on his coaching staff.
The expected departures of Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and others during last year’s head coaching hiring cycle led to questions about Detroit’s ability to remain among the league’s elite this time around. Many members of the Lions’ core were still present, but the team battled inconsistency throughout the season. Detroit salvaged a 9-8 record by upsetting Chicago in Week 18, but the three-game losing streak which preceded it ensured a return to the playoffs would not be possible.
That leaves Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes and Co. with a number of crucial decisions to make over the coming weeks. A few notable staffing changes have already taken place, but several ascending players currently face an uncertain future beyond 2026. With cap maneuvering and a potential offensive line rebuild on the way, the Lions figure to be busy managing a number of in-house situations this spring.
Coaching/front office moves:
- Fired offensive coordinator John Morton
- Hired Drew Petzing as OC replacement
- Added former Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka to staff
- Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard interviewed for Dolphins’ head coaching position
Campbell elected to go internal with one coordinator move last offseason but tapped Morton as an outside hire. The latter faced the tall task or replicating the success enjoyed under Ben Johnson, who led Detroit to three straight top-five finishes in scoring during his OC tenure. Under Morton – who worked with the Lions in 2022 – the team managed to finish fourth in points. A substantial regression in the running game proved to be a problem, however.
