2022 February - Pro Football Rumors

Jaguars To Hire Mike Caldwell As DC

February 11th, 2022 at 3:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

FRIDAY: Although the Jaguars interviewed former Dolphins secondary coach Gerald Alexander for their defensive coordinator job this week, Caldwell will indeed land the position. The Jags are hiring the Buccaneers’ inside linebackers coach for their top defensive spot, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This will be Caldwell’s first DC gig, but the former NFL linebacker has been in coaching since 2008. He and Pederson broke into coaching together on Andy Reid‘s Eagles staffs in the late 2000s. The two were also each on the Eagles’ roster in 1999, Reid’s first year with the team.

TUESDAY: The name first associated with new head coach Doug Pederson has landed the role of defensive coordinator on his first Jaguars staff. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the team is close to hiring Mike Caldwell as their new defensive coordinator (Twitter link).

Caldwell was named as a top candidate for the DC role soon after Pederson’s hiring. The 50-year old spent five years with the Eagles working with their linebacking corps. He was gone by the time Pederson became Philadelphia’s HC, though, so the only connection between the two is the overlap in their playing careers there in 1999.

Caldwell also has experience as the LBs coach with the Cardinals, Jets and Buccaneers. His three years in Tampa Bay saw him oversee one of, if not the best, tandems in the league at that position in Devin White and Lavonte David. That success, including a Super Bowl championship last season, earned him an interview with the Ravens for their DC vacancy.

Now, Caldwell will take on a coordinator role for the first time in his career. It’s the first to be filled under Pederson, as the team is still in search of a new OC, and it was recently announced that former special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen will not be returning.

Rams Move Tyler Higbee, Joe Noteboom To IR; Darrell Henderson, Sebastian Joseph-Day Back On Roster

February 11th, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams are on track to see some familiar faces in uniform Sunday. The anticipated activations of Darrell Henderson and Sebastian Joseph-Day took place Friday.

But the NFC champions are now certain to be without Tyler Higbee and backup offensive lineman Joe Noteboom. The Rams placed both on IR to make room for Henderson and Joseph-Day. The sprained MCL Higbee suffered in the NFC championship game prevented him from practicing this week.

While the Bengals are likely to see C.J. Uzomah return to action after his championship-round injury, the Rams will be forced to use backups. Kendall Blanton and second-year cog Brycen Hopkins are the only other active-roster tight ends for Los Angeles. The former made key contributions against the 49ers, catching five passes for 57 yards. This came after Blanton scored a touchdown against the Buccaneers. Higbee’s absence will move Blanton into a key auxiliary role in the passing game.

This would have been Higbee’s second Super Bowl. He played against the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII but did not catch a pass. This season, the Rams turned to Higbee more frequently, having let Gerald Everett walk in free agency. Higbee finished with 61 receptions for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Noteboom has served as Andrew Whitworth‘s backup for the past two seasons. He stepped in for the 40-year-old left tackle starter against the Bucs but did not play in the NFC championship game. A chest injury will wrap Noteboom’s season early. A 2018 third-round pick, Noteboom is set to be a free agent next month. Whitworth returned for the 49ers matchup and will make his Super Bowl debut Sunday.

Henderson also suffered an MCL sprain and has not played since Week 16. While the third-year running back started for most of this season, his role almost certainly will be minimized upon return. Sony Michel had begun to eat into Henderson’s workload late in the season, and Cam Akers has since made his return to action. Still, the Rams will soon have a deep backfield for Super Bowl LVI. It will be the first time Henderson, Akers and Michel will each be available.

Joseph-Day has not played since Week 7, having suffered a chest injury that required surgery. The third-year interior D-lineman has been a Rams starter for most of his career. Prior to going down in October, Joseph-Day had registered a career-high three sacks. This stands to bolster L.A.’s depth up front and present an embattled Bengals offensive line with another challenge.

C.J. Uzomah On Track To Play In Super Bowl

February 11th, 2022 at 1:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Bengals in the build-up to Super Bowl LVI has been the availability of tight end C.J. Uzomah. The news appears to be positive on his health status, as he is “tracking to play on Sunday”, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Uzomah suffered an MCL injury in the team’s AFC Championship game against the Chiefs before registering a catch. That put his status in serious doubt, even with the extra week off to heal. However, he has maintained throughout his media availabilities that he would be able to suit up for the title game.

As Rapoport notes, the 29-year-old missed practice on Wednesday, but put in a limited session on Thursday. His colleague James Palmer tweets that Uzomah is also expected to participate in today’s lighter, but final, practice today. That further points to the Bengals having their full array of pass-catchers available.

Uzomah had a career year in 2021, posting 49 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns in 16 regular season games. He also played a large role in Cincinnati’s playoff wins over the Raiders and Titans, making a combined 13 receptions for 135 yards and one score. Regardless of if he is able to play on Sunday or not, the pending free agent has likely earned himself a big payday come the offseason.

Assuming Uzomah is able to suit up, the Bengals’ offense will be at full strength, maximizing their chances of pulling off another upset.

Jets’ Berrios, Fatukasi Likely To Test Free Agency

February 11th, 2022 at 11:49am CST by Adam La Rose

With free agency looming, the Jets face some key decisions as they try to retain players that will help their rebuild. The two names at the top of the list, when it comes to 2022 free agents, are wide receiver/returner Braxton Berrios and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes, New York could be in tough to keep both of them.

Much has already been reported about Berrios, and the type of contract he is expected to be looking for on the open market. Fatukasi, likewise, is expected to command one of the biggest contracts amongst pending Jets free agents. As Cimini writes, “the Jets want to keep both players and have been talking to their agents”, but “there’s a good chance they get to market”.

Berrios put up intriguing numbers, especially late in the season, which has been the source of buzz that he could land somewhere around $9MM per season on a new deal. Cimini cautions, though, that “it would be a surprise if the Jets go that high”, given the money already invested in fellow receivers Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole.

As for Fatukasi, his play in 2021 has earned him a payday in New York or elsewhere. The 27-year-old was highly effective stopping the run, but failed to develop an effective pass rush. For that reason, he is “thought to be seeking about $8MM per year”. Again, however, the team already has sizeable commitments in other areas across the defensive front. Losing Fatukasi would be a blow to a unit that, even with him, ranked 29th against the run last year.

Cimini also posits that safety Marcus Maye is likely headed elsewhere. The 28-year-old was charged with a DUI this past October, and suffered a torn Achilles one month later. While he “has some support within the organization”, Cimini writes, “it sounds like this relationship has probably run its course”.

With decisions needing to be made around other veterans, including Crowder, for instance, the Jets face what appears to be an uphill battle to keep their best pending free agents. How much they are willing to spend to keep them – or, perhaps more realistically, which one they decide to prioritize over the others – will dictate much of the rest of their offseason, as they look to take a step forward in 2022.

Seahawks Hire Sean Desai As Associate Head Coach

February 11th, 2022 at 10:50am CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks have landed one of the biggest coaching names as they rebuild their defensive staff. Sean Desai has been hired under the title of associate head coach – defense (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

Seattle has been looking for a new coach to lead the defense since they parted ways with defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. nearly a month ago. Desai was among the candidates for the role, along with DC jobs on the Giants, Raiders and Vikings, making him one of the most sought-after defensive minds in this hiring cycle. Originally, Ed Donatell was set to take on an assistant role in Seattle, but he pivoted to Minnesota yesterday.

At the age of 38, Rapoport notes, Desai is one of the youngest coaches in the league to hold such a high-ranking title. The hire proves the high regard he was held in due to his work with the Bears. Since coming to Chicago in 2013, he worked his way up the coaching ladder, getting promoted to DC one year ago. That made him the first coordinator of Indian descent in NFL history.

The Bears ranked sixth in the league in yards allowed per game (316.7), in spite of injuries to an number of key pieces on the unit. That success could certainly lead to him playing a role in helping the Seahawks rebound from their disappointing performances on that side of the ball in recent years.

Emmanuel Sanders Considering Retirement

February 11th, 2022 at 9:52am CST by Adam La Rose

Emmanuel Sanders has spent the past few seasons chasing a second Super Bowl ring, but 2021 may have been the final chapter in that endeavor. As Nick Fierro of Sports Illustrated writes, the veteran is giving retirement some serious consideration.

Sanders will be 35 by the start of the 2022 season, which would be his 13th year in the league. In an interview with Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, he made it clear that his priorities may be changing with regards to the balance between football and family.

“I’ve got my son, he’s getting older”, he said. “I’ve got a daughter getting older. And for the past three years, [I’ve] been traveling and moving from team to team, trying to win a Super Bowl. But I’ve got some reflecting I want to do and possibly retire. I don’t know yet. I’m just feeling it out”.

Sanders spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers, after being drafted in the third round in 2010. His longest – and most successful – stint came with the Broncos, which included a stretch of three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. It’s also where he won his only Super Bowl to date. He got a chance at another title with the 49ers in 2019, but wound up on the losing end of that game.

After a season with the Saints which saw another playoff appearance, and demonstrated he could still be a productive complementary receiver, Sanders joined his third new team in as many years. He signed a one-year, $6MM deal with the Bills last March. Even though Sanders didn’t exactly fill the stat sheet (42 catches, 626 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games), he had another good opportunity at a Super Bowl. Once again, he was ousted by the Chiefs, though, in an iconic game which may have been his last in the NFL.

If Sanders does find a home for another season, he would need 755 yards to reach 10,000 for his career. If he doesn’t return to Buffalo, the Bills would still have Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis under contact for next season.

Dolphins Retain Josh Boyer As DC

February 11th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

While the coaching staff in Miami has seen some notable changes this offseason, the man at the head of the defense will be remaining with the team. As Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper writes, Josh Boyer will be retained as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

New head coach Mike McDaniel has been busy assembling his staff on the offensive side of the ball. Yesterday saw the addition of Jon Embree as assistant head coach, along with Wes Welker to coach the teams’ wide receivers. The search for a new offensive coordinator also began, as the team interviewed veteran coach Curtis Johnson for the position.

On the defensive staff, though, continuity was expected given not only McDaniel’s status as a first-time HC, but the unit’s success in the latter half of the season in particular. It was reported at the beginning of the week that Boyer was one of several members of the defensive staff McDaniel would be trying to keep in place, so this news isn’t a surprise.

Boyer, 45, began his NFL coaching career with the Patriots in 2006, where he worked with the team’s secondary. When Brian Flores left Foxborough to take the HC job with the Dolphins in 2019, Boyer followed. After one season working with Miami’s cornerbacks, he replaced Patrick Graham at the DC role.

The Dolphins tied for fifth in the NFL in sacks this past season, with 48, giving up scoring (21.9) and yardage (337.5) totals that are more than respectable, given the team’s offensive struggles. With a familiar face at the helm in 2022, they’ll look to build on that foundation.

NFC Coaching Notes: Bears, Vikings, Giants

February 10th, 2022 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The post-Sean Payton era has started in New Orleans, with Dennis Allen officially taking over as the Saints new head coach. When speaking about his promotion, Allen mentioned the value of continuity within the franchise.

“I think that was one of the unique things about this job is that this was not a broken job. This is a job that’s a desirable job. This is a job that has a foundation and culture of winning that’s already been built,” Allen said (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett). “I don’t see this as something where we need to have a ton of change.”

While Allen acknowledged that he’ll preach a lot of the lessons he learned from Payton, he also intends to put his “own spin” on the job.

“I want to take the lessons that I’ve learned, I want to build upon those lessons, and I want to create my own legacy here with the New Orleans Saints,” the coach said.

More coaching notes out of the NFC…

Andre Curtis is the Bears new safeties coach, the team announced. The 45-year-old has spent the past seven years with the Seahawks, including the past four years as the defensive passing game coordinator. Per the Bears’ website, the Seahawks had six defensive backs earn at least one Pro Bowl nod during Curtis’s stint with Seattle.
The Vikings are expecting to hire Chris Kuper as their offensive line coach, reports Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (via Twitter). Kuper had an eight-year playing career with the Broncos, and following a three-year coaching stint with the Dolphins, he joined the Broncos as their assistant offensive line coach in 2019. He ultimately spent three seasons in Denver.
The Vikings are also hiring Chris Rumph as their defensive line coach, per Wilson (on Twitter). The 50-year-old spent the 2021 season in the same role with the Bears, and he’s also had an NFL coaching stint with the Texans.
The Giants are hiring Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach, according to Pro Football Talk. Groh spent the past two years as the WRs coach with the Colts, and he had a previous stint with the Eagles that saw him getting promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

AFC Coaching Notes: Texans, Browns, Ravens, Jaguars

February 10th, 2022 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard previously that new head coach Lovie Smith was going to retain defensive play-calling duties with the Texans, and it sounds like the defensive-minded coach won’t even add a DC to his staff. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Texans won’t be hiring a defensive coordinator.

As Rapoport details, Smith is operating as if this is “his defense,” so he’ll continue to control that side of the ball for the time being. However, the reporter cautions that the Texans could fill the role eventually, and the team still has a number of “key spots” to fill on their staff.

The former Bears and Buccaneers HC had been in the college ranks for five seasons prior to resurfacing as the Texans’ defensive coordinator last year. Now, Smith will wear two rather important hats for the rebuilding team.

More coaching notes out of the AFC…

The Texans are making other changes to their staff. Assistant receivers coach Ben McDaniels has been promoted to passing game coordinator and receivers coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (on Twitter). The brother of Josh McDaniels, Ben McDaniels has bounced between the NFL and NCAA throughout his coaching career, including stints with the Bears, Buccaneers, and Broncos.
After leaving for the University of Mississippi earlier this offseason, Chris Kiffin has changed his mind and will return to the Browns, reports Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal (on Twitter). The defensive line coach decided he wanted to continue working in the NFL, and the Browns were more than happy to welcome him back. The son of Monte Kiffin and brother of Lane Kiffin, Chris Kiffin has been the Browns D-line coach since 2020.
The Ravens are hiring George Godsey as their tight ends coach, reports Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (via Twitter). Godsey was the Texans offensive coordinator between 2015 and 2016, and he most recently served as the Dolphins co-OC/tight ends coach with Miami. The veteran coach will be replacing Bobby Engram, who left to become the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin.
The Jaguars are hiring former Chicago Bears outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey for the same role, reports Wilson (on Twitter). Shuey had been with the Bear since the 2018 season, but he wasn’t retained following the firing of Matt Nagy.

Dolphins To Interview Curtis Johnson For OC Job, Add Wes Welker To Staff

February 10th, 2022 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

After hiring Jon Embree as assistant head coach/tight ends coach earlier today, the Dolphins are now eyeing offensive coordinator candidates. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the team is interviewing Curtis Johnson for their OC job.

Johnson has had two long stints with the Saints, most recently as a senior offensive assistant (and wide receivers coach in 2021). The 60-year-old also had a stint as the Bears WRs coach, and he was head coach at Tulane between 2012 and 2015. Johnson coached at Miami (FL) between 1996 and 2005, so this would be a bit of a homecoming for the veteran coach.

Meanwhile, Armando Salguero reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins have hired Wes Welker as their wide receivers coach. Welker appeared in 46 games for the Dolphins before turning into a Pro Bowler with the Patriots. Since his playing career ended, Welker has switched to coaching. He served on the Texans coaching staff in 2017 and 2018, and he’s been the 49ers wide receivers coach since 2019.

One coach who won’t be sticking around Miami is Gerald Alexander. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network (on Twitter), the Dolphins have fired the defensive backs coach. Wolfe described this as a “shocking move” considering how Alexander is viewed in NFL circles. The former second-round pick switched to coaching following his playing career, and he had been with the Dolphins since 2020.