HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Latest on Niners’ Trent Williams

January 29th, 2022 at 5:38pm CST by Ely Allen

After injuring his ankle in the 49ers’ Divisional Round win over the Packers, offensive tackle Trent Williams is looking likely to start in the NFC Championship game tomorrow in Los Angeles, according to a tweet from ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. In the tweet, Wagoner relayed a message from head coach Kyle Shanahan that Williams is adamant that he will be able to play and that Shanahan would be surprised if he doesn’t. 

There was a bit of concern for Williams in Green Bay last Saturday night when he was seen on crutches after the game. The first-team All-Pro appeared to injure his ankle early in the third quarter, according to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn, but finished the game with some ankle tape and some true grit. Williams was a question mark to play in the team’s Wild Card win over the Cowboys due to an elbow injury suffered in Week 17. He sat out the regular season finale – which would have ended San Francisco’s season if not for a come-from-behind victory over their next opponent, the Rams – but was able to start once again for both playoff games. The nine-time Pro Bowler has continued to play at an elite level in his second season with the 49ers, an encouraging sign given that he is under contract with the team for another five years after this season concludes.

Wagoner continued in a follow up tweet that running back Jeff Wilson is the only other player on the injury report, being the listed as questionable alongside Williams.

Bears To Hire Eagles’ Ian Cunningham As Assistant GM

January 29th, 2022 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after being hired as the next Bears general manager, Ryan Poles reached an agreement to bring in a right-hand man. Eagles exec Ian Cunningham is joining Poles’ staff as assistant GM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Cunningham has been a key Howie Roseman lieutenant in Philadelphia for years, having risen to the position of player personnel director. Cunningham interviewed for the Bears job Friday.

A Ravens staffer for nine years, Cunningham joined Philly’s staff in 2017 and climbed the ranks since. The Jets attempted to hire Cunningham in multiple offseasons, but he ended up staying with the Eagles. The young exec, however, will make the move this offseason and work with a first-time GM in the 36-year-old Poles.

Despite not working together previously, Poles and Cunningham are close. Each was an ACC offensive lineman, with the latter playing at Virginia in the 2000s. Both were UDFAs in 2008, and Cunningham briefly landed with the Chiefs. The 30-somethings will be the point men leading a Bears rebuild effort.

Tom Brady Undecided On Retirement?

January 29th, 2022 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:20pm: Brady is still expected to retire, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who offers the issue that has since surfaced likely relates to the timing of the announcement rather than the decision itself (video link). An official announcement figures to come at some point soon, though it may take some time.

3:42pm: The Buccaneers still have not received definitive word their quarterback is retiring. Since ESPN’s report surfaced indicating Tom Brady was walking away, the 22-year veteran told GM Jason Licht he has not made a decision on retiring, The Athletic’s Greg Auman tweets.

During his call to the Bucs, Brady indicated he is “not even close” to deciding on retirement, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (on Twitter). Brady’s father has also weighed in on the matter. Tom Brady Sr. said his son has not retired, via Kylen Mills of KRON4 News (on Twitter). Brady’s agent, Don Yee, also tried to push pause on this situation.

While Brady has not indicated he won’t retire, true finality here has not come just yet. This story has certainly moved into a weird place, and it might well drag out for a while.

A Twitter user himself, Brady could easily clear this matter up. As of now, the 44-year-old passer has yet to confirm he is done playing. Brady has long indicated he wanted to play until his age-45 season, though rumblings of his retirement have surfaced for several days before Saturday’s report.

This decision comes at a key point for the Bucs, who failed to defend their Super Bowl title after bringing back their entire core from last season’s team. Tampa Bay has numerous starters set for free agency and has no Brady heir apparent lined up. Their two-year passer’s retirement call could also determine the futures of Bruce Arians and Rob Gronkowski. Arians has said he will continue as Tampa Bay’s head coach, but it will be interesting to hear from the 69-year-old HC once Brady makes his statement.

Broncos Still Eyeing Packers Assistants, Request DC Interview With Anthony Weaver

January 29th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have gone through a few offensive coordinators since Gary Kubiak‘s departure, and their pursuit of landing Nathaniel Hackett‘s first OC has run into some interesting hiccups.

After the Packers denied the Broncos permission to speak with Adam Stenavich for their OC gig, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds the team also sought a meeting with Green Bay wide receivers coach Jason Vrable. That interview will not happen, either, per Silverstein, who indicates tight ends coach Justin Outten is on Denver’s radar. Vrable is believed to be under contract. QBs coach Luke Getsy — a Broncos HC interviewee and Bears OC target — is believed to be a coaching free agent, per Denver7’s Troy Renck (on Twitter).

Hackett appears intent on bringing a Packers assistant to Denver. While that makes sense ahead of Hackett’s effort to install his offense, it is interesting how far down the chain the new Broncos HC will go to fill his coordinator spot. Outside candidates would make sense at a point, and the Broncos are planning to interview Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger for the OC job. Koger, 32, spent the 2019 and ’20 seasons as a quality control staffer with the Packers but has only been a position coach for one season.

Additionally, the Broncos sent out a defensive coordinator interview request for Ravens D-line coach Anthony Weaver, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Weaver interviewed for the Baltimore DC job that went to Mike Macdonald, who is returning to the Ravens from Michigan. Weaver, 41, spent the 2020 season as the Texans’ DC. He also worked with Hackett in Buffalo, with the two each assistants on Doug Marrone‘s Bills staff in 2013.

Vikings To Interview Jim Harbaugh For HC Job

January 29th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Harbaugh has only been linked to the Raiders in this year’s HC hiring cycle, but a team in Big Ten country is also pursuing the Michigan leader. The Vikings are set to interview Harbaugh, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets.

This certainly injects additional intrigue into this year’s carousel and adds the biggest name to the Vikings’ search. Before Harbaugh surfaced in this search, the Vikes had already interviewed nine coaches. New GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, however, was with the 49ers during part of Harbaugh’s tenure.

Adofo-Mensah began his NFL career with the 49ers in 2013, Harbaugh’s third year with the team. While Minnesota’s current GM stayed in San Francisco long after Harbaugh’s exit, this connection is certainly interesting given Harbaugh’s stature. The Michigan HC surfaced on the Raiders’ radar earlier this month, but not much has emerged on that front in recent days. The Raiders may be moving toward giving Josh McDaniels another chance at being a head coach.

Harbaugh, 58, spent four seasons with the 49ers before leaving for Ann Arbor after the 2014 season. He has been connected to various teams in the past, but this year represents the closest link to the former NFC champion coach returning to the NFL. Harbaugh is coming off his best season with the Wolverines, who qualified for the College Football Playoff for the first time. Given his NFL past and persistent connections to the league, it would not shock if the seven-year Big Ten leader would leave his alma mater and try his hand with another NFL team.

The Vikings finished their Patrick Graham HC interview Saturday. Beyond Harbaugh, no more known interviews are scheduled. The team has satisfied its Rooney Rule requirements, meaning a hire could come at any time. Here is how Minnesota’s search looks:

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady To Retire

January 29th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The increased rumblings of a Tom Brady retirement following his 22nd season did not let up, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports this is the direction the all-time great is expected to take. Not long after that report surfaced, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington confirm the Buccaneers quarterback is set to walk away (Twitter link).

Brady has long said he wanted to play through at least his age-45 season, with even that lofty timetable being potentially extended after his seventh Super Bowl victory last year. Those plans appear to have changed. Last weekend’s Rams game indeed looks like it will be Brady’s finale, though some uncertainty exists on the Bucs’ part.

While Schefter and Darlington add the Bucs have braced for Brady’s exit for weeks, the team did not receive advance notice of Saturday’s news. Bruce Arians indicated earlier this afternoon (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud, Twitter links) he had not yet been informed about the retirement. Brady’s agent also tried to hit pause on this situation (via SI.com’s Albert Breer, on Twitter). Brady does appear to be ending his career, but Greg Auman of The Athletic notes (on Twitter) TB12Sports deleted a tweet acknowledging its top client’s accomplishments. Bucs players are nevertheless voicing their appreciation for Brady on social media.

The 44-year-old quarterback has pushed the boundaries of the position to an unprecedented place, remaining a Pro Bowl-caliber player into his mid-40s. Brady finished as this season’s second-team All-Pro passer and had the Bucs as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Tampa Bay’s reload operation did not result in the team defending its Super Bowl title, with Chris Godwin‘s injury and Antonio Brown‘s explosive exit weakening this year’s team late in the season. But Brady did not show much in the way of decline following his bounce-back 2020 slate. But one of the greatest players to in the sport’s history is unlikely to go through a walk-off tour next season despite having signed a through-2022 extension last year.

Given the cap gymnastics the Bucs performed to bring back their entire Super Bowl-winning core, it was going to be difficult for the team to pull off a similar act for the 2022 season. The likes of Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, Jason Pierre-Paul, Carlton Davis, Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa are among the Bucs set for free agency in March. With on the cusp of ending his storied career, it can certainly be expected a second Gronkowski retirement will soon follow. Gronk said this week that if he was forced into a decision now, he would indeed leave the game for a second time.

Having been a pro in every 21st-century season and having started for the past 21 years, Brady will finish as the NFL’s leader in every major statistical category. The former Patriots mainstay’s postseason resume laps his peers’, and after his NFL-most 43 touchdown passes this season, Brady will finish his career with 624 — 53 more than the next-closest passer’s total. He and Drew Brees passed this record back and forth last season, and while the recently retired Saints legend is a bit closer to Brady in passing yards, the ageless Bucs QB will exit the game with that record (84,520) as well. Brady’s retirement comes a year after Brees’ and days after Ben Roethlisberger‘s.

Brady’s place as the game’s greatest player can be debated in the years to come, but the former sixth-round pick is without question the best draft investment in NFL history. The 199th overall pick in 2000, Brady launched his unexpected rise to NFL stardom by keeping the Patriots’ QB1 job after a September 2001 Drew Bledsoe injury. The Michigan product proceeded to start 316 games, missing time only because of a 2008 ACL tear and 2016’s four-game Deflategate suspension. In between, Brady piled up six Super Bowl-winning seasons with the Pats.

While the Patriots machine centered around Bill Belichick‘s defenses in the early 2000s, with Brady making just one Pro Bowl in his first four seasons as a starter, he collected three rings in that span. After the Patriots acquired Randy Moss in 2007, Brady made a seismic leap by throwing 50 touchdown passes and winning the first of his three MVP honors. Although the Pats’ hopes at a 19-0 season did not come to fruition, with that upset loss to the Giants coming months before Brady’s September 2008 knee injury, the New England centerpiece remained on his position’s top tier for another decade and change.

Including the famed 25-point comeback win in Super Bowl LI, Brady finished his career with a record five Super Bowl MVP awards and won four championships past age 37. Brady’s decision to sign with the Bucs for two years and $50MM led to the end of that franchise’s 12-year playoff drought and Tampa Bay’s second Super Bowl win.

This retirement call may close the team’s title window, with the Bucs fully committing to Brady and not acquiring an heir apparent. It will be interesting to see if Arians retires for a second time, though the 69-year-old Tampa HC said he would return in 2022. The Bucs will need to dive back into the quarterback market soon, be it another veteran or through the draft, after their successful 2020 plan is abruptly coming to a halt.

Broncos Eyeing Kevin Koger For OC

January 29th, 2022 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger is turning into a popular name on the OC circuit, and it sounds like the coach got another interview. According to Troy Renck of Denver7 (via Twitter), the Broncos will ask to interview Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger for their OC vacancy.

Koger is plenty familiar with new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Koger was the Packers offensive quality control coach in 2019 and 2020, with Hackett serving as OC. The 32-year-old spent the 2021 season in Los Angeles, where he served as the Chargers tight ends coach.

Koger was previously connected to the OC vacancy in Green Bay that opened when Hackett left for Denver. Even if the coach doesn’t land a promotion, interviews at this juncture of his career certainly reveal a positive view of the young assistant.

Per Renck, Hackett could also consider adding a passing-game coordinator to his staff. Either way, the new HC will be the one calling plays.

Damon Arnette Arrested, Released By Chiefs

January 29th, 2022 at 11:13am CST by Ben Levine

Damon Arnette was arrested last night in Las Vegas for assault with a deadly weapon, a source tells NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Arnette is also facing weapons and drugs charges (Twitter link). The Chiefs immediately released the cornerback.

This is another troubling off-field incident for the former first-round pick. The Raiders cut Arnette earlier this year after a video surfaced showing him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun. Arnette is also facing multiple lawsuits, one for a car accident that resulted in injuries.

He later caught on with the Dolphins practice squad, and he was inked to a reserve/futures deal with the Chiefs following the regular season. Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Chiefs signed him “with a commitment to intense counseling and zero tolerance.” Arnette ended up lasting only nine days with his new squad.

The Raiders used Arnette as a seven-game starter in 2020, with the defensive back finishing with 25 tackles and two passes defended. He was relegated to a part-time role this year in Las Vegas, where he collected four tackles in four games before earning his release.

Giants Eyeing Don Martindale For DC

January 29th, 2022 at 9:25am CST by Ben Levine

After parting ways with the Ravens earlier this month, Don Martindale is starting to generate interest from other teams. According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, Brian Daboll and the Giants have interest in the veteran coach for their DC vacancy.

Martindale has been a coordinator for two teams, also serving as the Broncos’ DC during a poor 2010 season. He revamped his reputation with the Ravens. Baltimore ranked as a top-10 defense from 2018-20, with Martindale’s units helping the team’s Lamar Jackson transition result in three straight playoff trips. Prior to being promoted to replace Dean Pees as Baltimore’s DC, Martindale headed up the team’s linebacking corps from 2012-17. The first of those seasons ended with the team’s second Super Bowl win.

Martindale entered the season with lame-duck status in Baltimore, and the two sides ultimately decided to part ways. The Ravens regressed defensively this season, dropping to 25th in yards allowed, but the team dealt with injuries throughout.

Current Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham could also keep his role, per Vacchiano. Serving as New York’s defensive play-caller during Joe Judge‘s tenure, Graham improved the unit considerably in 2020. The Giants ranked ninth in scoring defense, after their 2019 unit ranked 30th. But the team regressed this season, falling back to 23rd. DVOA slotted Graham’s second Giants defense 18th, however. The Graham-overseen improvement also caught the Steelers’ attention, with an interview request previously coming Graham’s way.

 

Ken Dorsey To Be Considered For Bills, Giants OC Jobs

January 29th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Ben Levine

Following Brian Daboll‘s hiring in New York, another Bills coach will likely be getting a promotion. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Bills passing-game coordinator and QB coach Ken Dorsey will likely earn a promotion to OC.

As Schefter notes, that opportunity could come from two places. Dorsey could easily slide in to the OC vacancy with the Bills, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets his believe that Dorsey will ultimately get the job in Buffalo. However, as Lindsay Jones of The Athletic tweets, the Rooney Rule will require the organization to interview at least one minority candidate for the job, so Dorsey won’t be a shoo-in.

Alternatively, the coach could join Daboll in New York and become the Giants new OC. Dorsey worked alongside Daboll for three seasons in Buffalo.

Dorsey has been an NFL QBs coach since 2013. He spent five years with the Panthers before following the pipeline up north, joining his former bosses in Buffalo. Dorsey was with Carolina during the franchise’s most recent Super Bowl season, when Cam Newton soared to MVP honors in 2015. Since then, he’s raised his stock even further, taking Josh Allen from an inaccurate prospect to an MVP candidate.

 

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