Klint Kubiak Was Cardinals’ Preferred HC
During their search for a head coach to replace the fired Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals identified NFC West offensive coordinators Klint Kubiak (Seahawks) and Mike LaFleur (Rams) as favorites. Both coaches interviewed with Arizona twice, but LaFleur was the pick after Kubiak agreed to take the Raiders’ job.
If the Cardinals had their way, they’d have hired Kubiak instead of LaFleur, an NFL general manager told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. They’d have been willing to wait until after the Super Bowl to make it official, as the Raiders did.
“Trust me, Kubiak was their guy,” said the GM, who also had interest in hiring Kubiak. “They would have done whatever they could to get him, but it wasn’t going to happen. They would have waited as long as it took. And then they had to scramble.”
The Cardinals aren’t known for spending big on head coaches or assistants, as La Canfora notes, but they’d have veered from their usual modus operandi in this instance. It’s easy to understand why Kubiak went in another direction, though, and it begins with the presence of influential Raiders minority owner and legendary quarterback Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion “made a unique appeal to Kubiak,” La Canfora writes.
In joining Brady and the Raiders, Kubiak will grab the reins of a team that could reel in a long-term quarterback solution with the first pick in this year’s draft. After winning the Heisman Trophy and national championship at Indiana in 2025, Fernando Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to become a Raider in late April.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, don’t have an answer at the game’s foremost position. Although they drafted another former Heisman winner, Kyler Murray, first overall in 2019, they’re now hoping to trade him seven years later. Arizona joins Las Vegas in owning a premium draft pick (No. 3 overall), but barring an unexpected development, there isn’t a QB in this class worth taking that high. It’s not considered a strong group of signal-callers beyond Mendoza. That’s a harsh reality for the Cardinals and other QB-needy teams near the top of the first round.
In addition to the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Raiders possess the league’s second-most cap space ($91.52MM, per OverTheCap). The Cardinals are also in good shape in that regard, but at $42.19MM, they’re about $50MM behind the Raiders.
Both LaFleur and Kubiak have their work cut out in turning around long-suffering franchises, but it should be more difficult for the Cardinals. While Kubiak will walk into a very tough AFC West and battle the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs, the NFC West was the best division in the league in 2025.
Kubiak’s Super Bowl-winning Seahawks, LaFleur’s Rams and the 49ers combined to go a dominant 38-13 in the regular season. All three swept the 3-14 Cardinals. Now, after losing out on Kubiak, the Cardinals are left to hope LaFleur will lead them out of the basement.
Offseason Outlook: New York Giants
The Giants have finished with double-digit losses nine times since the 2014 season. The second half of Eli Manning's career has stalled his path to Canton, while Daniel Jones bombed on his second contract. The latter development led Brian Daboll to the firing precipice, but the Giants still let their embattled head coach drive the bus for a Jones successor. Struggles closing games in Jaxson Dart's rookie year prompted the franchise to fire Daboll, but GM Joe Schoen remains.
This offseason included several instances of teams holding HCs accountable for undesired results while keeping GMs employed. Schoen, however, has drifted downward in the Giants' organizational pecking order. After four unsuccessful coaching hires post-Tom Coughlin, the Giants swung big and landed this market's top prize. John Harbaugh agreed to take over in New York, and the longtime Baltimore leader now runs the show. The Super Bowl-winning HC will be tasked with turning around a franchise that has not experienced sustained success since Manning's early years.
Coaching/front office:
- Retained GM Joe Schoen, changed reporting structure
- Hired John Harbaugh as head coach
- Hired Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator, Dennard Wilson as DC
- Hired Chris Horton as special teams coordinator
- Interim HC Mike Kafka joined Lions' staff
- Added Brian Callahan as quarterbacks coach, Mike Bloomgren as O-line coach
- Interim DC/OLBs coach Charlie Bullen on Browns, Cardinals' DC interview lists
- Greg Roman added as senior offensive assistant
- Senior VP Kevin Abrams fired; Dawn Aponte handed same title
The Chiefs' reign atop the AFC held back the Bills and Ravens, with only the Bengals sneaking through to a Super Bowl between 2019-24. Buffalo also bested Baltimore twice in the playoffs during Lamar Jackson's run. More Jackson injury trouble surfaced in 2025, and a do-or-die game going the Steelers' way without D.K. Metcalf available proved too much for Steve Bisciotti to stomach. The Ravens' 8-9 season ended with Harbaugh refusing to separate from OC Todd Monken, with the coach's relationship with Jackson not believed to be on solid ground by season's end. The Ravens fired their 18-year head coach soon after Tyler Loop's season-ending missed field goal.
Mark Davis: Maxx Crosby ‘A Great Raider’
Even though defensive end Maxx Crosby has been in the Raiders’ building rehabbing from a left knee injury, he reportedly doesn’t want to play for them anymore. A blockbuster offseason trade centering on the five-time Pro Bowler could be in the offing, but rookie head coach Klint Kubiak and owner Mark Davis are hoping it doesn’t come to that.
Immediately after winning Super Bowl LX as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator on Sunday, Kubiak officially took the top job in Las Vegas. Before his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Kubiak had coffee with Crosby.
While Kubiak didn’t go into detail about his meeting with Crosby, who didn’t attend the news conference, he told the media his desire is for the pass-rushing dynamo to remain in place (via Ryan McFadden of ESPN).
“We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There’s no doubt about that,” Kubiak said. “He’s one of the best players in the NFL, so that’s a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with his organization.”
Also asked about Crosby, Davis stated: “He is a great Raider. He’s gone through a lifetime of development here for seven or eight years, and he still is a Raider. So, it’s all good.”
Whether it’s truly “all good” between Crosby and the Raiders is up in the air, especially after a contentious ending to 2025. With two games left and the Raiders vying for the No. 1 pick (which they went on to secure), they used Crosby’s knee injury as an excuse to shut him down for the season. That didn’t sit well with Crosby, who wanted to play through it. He has since undergone a meniscus repair that could prevent him from returning to full strength for a few months.
Crosby’s knee bothered him for a large portion of the season, but he still managed 73 tackles, 53 pressures, 20 QB hits, 10 sacks, six pass deflections and two forced fumbles in 15 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Crosby as the game’s 15th-best edge player among 119 qualifiers. Although he’s not 100% at the moment, the 28-year-old’s trade value should be sky-high.
If the Raiders deal Crosby, an acquiring team presumably wouldn’t have to work out a new contract after he inked a three-year, $106.5MM extension last March. The Raiders shut down trade rumors centering on Crosby then, and it appeared that would remain the case for the foreseeable future. But after a 3-14 campaign that ended with Crosby going on injured reserve against his wishes, the seven-year Raider’s future with the team is in question for the second offseason in a row.
Falcons Make Three Coaching Hires, Retain Two More
Yesterday, the Falcons announced decisions on four positions on their coaching staff. They announced that inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud and defensive assistant John Timu would be retained and that LaTroy Lewis and Ricky Manning Jr. had been hired as assistant defensive line coach and assistant defensive backs/nickels coach, respectively. In addition to being retained, Timu has also been promoted to outside linebackers coach.
After coaching eight years at the collegiate level, Ruud joined the Falcons in 2024. His past two seasons in Atlanta have seen strong production from linebackers Kaden Elliss and Divine Deablo. Timu joined the team at the same time as Ruud and worked closely alongside defensive line coach Nate Ollie, who was also retained, as the Falcons defense notched a franchise-high 57-sack season. A former linebacker with the Bears, Timu previously worked three seasons with the Chargers, helping them to one of their best pass rushing seasons in recent memory, as well.
Lewis will now be working closely alongside Ollie, as well. The new assistant DL coach comes from his most recent role as defensive line coach at Toledo. Another former NFL linebacker, Lewis made other collegiate coaching stops at Akron, South Alabama, Wake Forest, and Michigan. Manning, a former cornerback with the Panthers and Bears with 14 career interceptions, began coaching in 2016 as assistant defensive backs coach with the Seahawks. After a three-year stint as a defensive assistant with the Jets, Manning was named cornerbacks coach for a season in Las Vegas. He didn’t coach anywhere this past season.
In addition to the team’s announcements, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported today that Chase Blackburn will also be joining the staff as assistant special teams coach. A former linebacker with the Giants and Panthers, Blackburn stayed on in Carolina after his playing career ended and became a special teams staffer. He had a four-year stint as special teams coordinator for the Panthers and just concluded a three-year stint in the same role with the Rams after the team fired him. He will be working under new special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman.
Lastly, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Jacquies Smith, who formerly filled the outside linebackers position now held by Timu, will become the new outside linebackers coach at Texas Tech after not being retained in Atlanta. He replaces C.J. Ah You, who recently accepted the same position with the Steelers.
AFC Coaching Updates: Ravens, Chargers, Murray, Titans, Colts
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter continues to build his first staff as a head coach in Baltimore. His newest hires will be overseeing a receiving corps that’s set to return Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Devontez Walker. Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Keary Colbert is expected to be hired as wide receivers coach and Prentice Gill is expected to be promoted to assistant wide receivers coach.
A former NFL wide receiver, Colbert turned to coaching immediately following the end of his playing career. He worked through a circuit of collegiate jobs, spending time at Georgia State, USC, Alabama, and Florida. He made the jump to the NFL in 2023 and has worked the past three years as the Broncos wide receivers coach, starting with a Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton tandem before losing Jeudy and getting the most out of role players like Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant.
Two years ago, Gill worked as an offensive analyst for Baltimore. He spent this past season as a coaching fellow and has finally been rewarded with a role as a position coach. Per Zenitz, he also has experience working with Colbert from when both were at USC.
After promoting Anthony Levine to special teams coordinator earlier today, the Ravens are expected to hire Ben Kotwica as a senior assistant on special teams, as well, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Alongside long-time senior assistant Randy Brown, Kotwica will provide experienced support behind Levine after having worked as a coordinator in New York, Washington, Atlanta, and Denver as well as an interim coordinator with the Rams last year.
Here are a few other coaching staff updates from around the AFC:
- With the Chargers bringing former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel in as their new offensive coordinator, a few other offensive staffers appear to be tagging along from Miami. According to Zenitz, former Dolphins run game specialist Chandler Henley is expected to be on McDaniel’s new staff in Los Angeles, though an expected title has not been reported. There’s a chance he could be stepping into a role similar to that of run game coordinator/tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, who Zenitz reports is expected to part ways with the team. Additionally, the Chargers are expected to hire Julian Campenni to a role as assistant defensive line coach, per Zenitz. Campenni most recently worked as the outside linebackers coach at Rutgers.
- Zenitz was the first to report that former NFL running back DeMarco Murray had emerged as a person-of-interest for the running backs job in Kansas City, but it was NFL insider Jordan Schultz who first reported that the Chiefs are hiring Murray for the job. Murray started coaching as the running backs coach at Arkansas in 2019 and has held the same role at Oklahoma for the past six years. He’ll follow in the footsteps of former NFL running back Eric Bieniemy and officially join the Andy Reid coaching tree.
- After losing Charlie Partridge to Notre Dame just after New Year’s, the Colts have finally found his replacement. According to Zenitz, Indianapolis is expected to hire Marion Hobby as their new defensive line coach. A former college coach who saw a seven-year run as an NFL defensive line coach with stops at Jacksonville, Miami, and Cincinnati, Hobby spent the 2025 season as a defensive analyst at Tennessee and had recently accepted the defensive line coach position at Arkansas. If the expected hire goes through, it appears he will be spurning the Razorbacks for a chance to return to the NFL.
- Lastly, Zenitz reports that Titans head coach Robert Saleh is hiring his cousin, Ahmed Saleh, to Tennessee’s staff for 2026. Saleh most recently worked as the linebackers coach/special teams coordinator at Wayne State, and per Titans Insider Paul Kuharsky, he will serve as a defensive quality control coach with the Titans.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/11/26
After they announced 11 futures deals yesterday, the Patriots opted to add on a couple more today:
Miami Dolphins
- CB Miles Battle
New England Patriots
Gutierrez has been a practice squad journeyman since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Minot State in 2022. This is actually a reunion for the Patriots, who were the first to add Gutierrez to a taxi squad as a rookie after the Broncos, who initially signed him out of college, waived him around final roster cuts. He’s also spent time on rosters in Las Vegas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Indianapolis, making multiple stops with the Raiders, 49ers, and Browns. Gutierrez has spent time in two games so far in his career, playing three snaps on offense and seven on special teams.
Mitchell started his career with the 49ers, who, in the wake of Frank Gore‘s departure and a Carlos Hyde rental, had resorted to a running back by committee approach in the late 2010s. As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Louisiana, Mitchell played a huge role, leading the team in rushing with 963 yards and five touchdowns, while Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert dealt with injuries. In Year 2, Mitchell suffered a sprained MCL in the season opener, and Wilson took over RB1 duties before the team ultimately traded for Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell found his way back to the field, after sitting for several weeks, but tore his MCL just three weeks later. A season-ending hamstring injury in the final year of his rookie contract ended his time in San Francisco, and he spent most of last year in Kansas City, getting cut after only appearing in one game by late December.
After the Patriots opted not to include Battle in their batch of reserve/futures deals, the division rival Dolphins opted to offer him a deal in Miami.
Jason Tarver, Joe Woods Among Names To Watch For Raiders DC Job
It sounds like Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak could be zeroing in on an offensive coordinator, but the status on the defensive side of the ball isn’t as clear. While Jim Schwartz was initially mentioned as a preferred option for the DC job, it’s seeming increasingly likely that the veteran coach will sit out the 2026 campaign.
[RELATED: Andrew Janocko Favorite To Become Raiders’ OC?]
If the Raiders aren’t able to recruit Schwartz to Las Vegas, Kubiak will have to look elsewhere for a defensive leader. Albert Breer of SI.com provides several names that could emerge as candidates for the gig, including Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, Seahawks pass-game coordinator Karl Scott, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver, and Raiders defensive backs coach Joe Woods.
Cullen would bring plenty of experience to Las Vegas, as the 58-year-old has been coaching since the early 1990s. He got his first NFL gig with the Lions in 2006 and has spent most of his professional coaching career as a defensive line coach. Following a five-year stint in that role with the Ravens, he got a chance as a defensive coordinator with the Jaguars in 2021. However, with Urban Meyer failing to make it through one full season and the organization seeking a fresh start in 2022, Cullen wasn’t retained. He quickly caught on with the Chiefs, where he’s earned a pair of Super Bowl rings in four seasons.
While Kubiak is eyeing some offensive coaches from his old staff, Scott is the only current member of Seattle’s defensive staff that’s been connected to a Raiders gig. The 40-year-old spent years coaching defensive backs in college before getting hired by the Vikings for that same role in 2021. He was recruited to Seattle in 2022, and he stuck on the staff after the team switched from Pete Carroll to Mike Macdonald. During his time with the Seahawks, Scott has been credited with the development of Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen.
A Tarver hire would represent a bit of a homecoming for the coach, as he actually served as the Raiders defensive coordinator under Dennis Allen between 2012 and 2014. He stuck through multiple head coaches in San Francisco, where he served as the 49ers linebackers coach, and he later had a two-year stint as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. Most recently, the 51-year-old has served as the Browns linebackers coach, a job he’s held since the 2020 season.
Woods joined the Raiders ahead of the 2025 season as their pass-game coordinator, and Breer notes that the coach is expected to stick with the organization despite the change in leadership. The veteran coach has had multiple stints as defensive coordinator in stops with the Broncos, Browns, and Saints. While Woods guided several of his units to top-10 showings, the majority of his defenses were middle-of-the-road. A new coaching staff spelled the end of his tenure in New Orleans, although he was already on thin ice following a 2024 season where the Saints ranked 30th in yards allowed.
While the Raiders showed interest in Texans secondary coach Dino Vasso, the 38-year-old won’t be heading to Las Vegas. Vasso inked a new deal to stick on Houston’s coaching staff, taking him out of contention for the promotion.
RB Kenneth Walker Expected To Stick With Seahawks
Kenneth Walker III set himself up for a lucrative payday thanks to this year’s playoff run, which culminated in him earning Super Bowl MVP following the Seahawks’ win over the Patriots. While it remains uncertain how much money the running back will earn on his next contract, there does seem to be a bit more certainty about where he’ll be playing in 2026. In his review of franchise tag candidates, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones said there is “little doubt” that Walker will stick with the Seahawks.
While there was once a belief that Walker may be trending towards a Seattle exit, things have changed dramatically over the past few weeks. First, Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL that could sideline him for much of the 2026 campaign, putting extra reliance on Walker. The fourth-year player more than stepped up as a three-down back, averaging more than 100 rushing yards in his three playoff games. Even before his MVP-winning performance in the Super Bowl, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald expressed interest in re-signing the RB, and Walker himself later stated his desire to stick with the team.
While Walker faced little competition for carries as a rookie, he ceded carries to Charbonnet over the past three years. The 25-year-old has also dealt with a handful of injuries, including a 2024 campaign where he missed six games. Those factors led to him generally being ranked third in this year’s free agent class behind Breece Hall and Travis Etienne.
Of course, outside of his standout playoff performance, there were still plenty of reasons to like Walker. The running back hauled in at least 25 catches for the fourth time in four NFL seasons, and his big-play ability (he finished sixth in 2025 with 33 rushes of 10-plus yards) is appealing to any team. Add in his 417 yards from scrimmage in three postseason games, and Jones estimated that the impending free agent has “earned himself millions” on his next contract.
However, while Jones is confident that the RB will re-sign with the Seahawks, he’s also wary of prolonged negotiations. Jones says Walker could point to Josh Jacobs‘ $12MM AAV, a number that ranks just outside of the top-five at the position. Jones also opines that the Seahawks front office could opt for the franchise tag, meaning Walker would earn roughly $14MM via a one-year contract.
Regardless of the terms of his next contract, it appears that Walker’s worth has taken a significant jump following his impressive playoff run.
Dolphins Add Kevin Patullo As Pass-Game Coordinator
Kevin Patullo is heading to Miami. After losing his offensive coordinator title in Philadelphia, Patullo is joining the Dolphins as their new pass-game coordinator, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Patullo held that same title with the Eagles between 2021 and 2024, but he earned a promotion to offensive coordinator following Kellen Moore‘s departure last offseason. After grading out as a top-10 offense each season between 2022 and 2024, the Eagles offense took a major step back in 2025, finishing 19th in points and 24th in yards. While regression was expected from the likes of Saquon Barkley, the regression was especially troubling considering the Eagles returned 10 of their 11 starters from their Super Bowl-winning squad.
Following the team’s first-round loss to the 49ers, Nick Sirianni announced that the team would be demoting Patullo from his post. The Eagles ended up adding Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, and while Patullo technically stayed on the staff over the past month, it seemed clear that his time with the organization had likely come to an end. As Garafolo notes, the coach spoke with several teams about assistant roles during the recent hiring cycle, and he ultimately found a home in Miami.
Patullo will now be joining a revamped Dolphins coaching staff that’s led by head coach Jeff Hafley and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. While it’s uncertain if Patullo will earn the associate head coach title he had with the Eagles in 2023 and 2024, Garafolo expects the new hire to assist Hafley with “head-coaching responsibilities during the week and on gameday.”
While the Dolphins coaching staff has basically taken shape, the offensive personnel is still a major question mark. The team seems set to move on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Tyreek Hill‘s tenure with the organization will also likely come to an end. While wideout Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane represent skilled options on offense, the unit will surely look a lot different in 2026.
Seahawks Arrange Interviews With Four Internal OC Candidates
In the aftermath of Seattle’s Super Bowl victory, Klint Kubiak‘s departure became official. The Seahawks’ 2025 offensive coordinator will take charge of the Raiders next season. 
As a result, head coach Mike Macdonald finds himself in need of a new OC for the third time in as many years. At least some external candidates will receive a look, but Kubiak’s replacement has a strong chance of coming from within the organization. The team will conduct four in-house interviews over the coming days.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Seattle will interview quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, pass-game coordinator Jake Peetz, run-game specialist Justin Outten and tight ends coach Mack Brown. Their interviews will take place tomorrow and Friday. Each of them have been floated as logical targets for the Seahawks as a Kubiak replacement. Of course, every member of that quartet is also a candidate to follow Kubiak from Seattle to Las Vegas.
Janocko in particular is a name to watch in the Raiders’ case. The outcome of his Seahawks interview will be critical as a result as Kubiak aims to build his staff deep into the 2026 hiring cycle. Janocko, 37, previously worked with Kubiak in New Orleans. Provided the two continue their working relationship in a new setting once more, Seattle’s attention will turn elsewhere.
Peetz, 40, has worked in a number of roles over the course of his coaching career. He has previously been an offensive coordinator in college (LSU, 2021) but not at the NFL level. Outten had a one-year OC stint with the Broncos in 2022. The 42-year-old has also served in several other capacities over time. Brown was hired as part of Macdonald’s initial staff following five years with the Jets. He split his time between work on offense and defense over that time.
The Rooney Rule requires teams to conduct at least one in-person interview with an external minority candidate before making a coordinator hire. The list of staffers Seattle looks into will grow as a result, but the team’s attention will be aimed largely at in-house options.