2025 January - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Rex Ryan Expects To Land Jets’ HC Position

January 6th, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Rex Ryan is among the candidates for the Jets’ head coaching position, and he is set to interview tomorrow. His latest comments on the situation make it clear he sees himself as the favorite to land the gig.

“100 percent, absolutely I do,” Ryan replied during his latest appearance on ESPN Radio when asked if he expects he will ultimately be hired. “And the reason I think I’m going to get it is because I’m the best guy and it ain’t close.”

Ryan has gone public on more than one occasion recently stating his intention of returning to his former position as the Jets’ head coach. He held that role from 2009-14, a stretch which included two AFC title game appearances. Those remain the team’s most recent playoff games, but it remains to be seen if serious interest will exist on the part of the search committee to bring Ryan back into the fold.

With that said, former GM Mike Tannenbaum is among the people leading the process by which New York’s next coach and general manager will be hired. Tannenbaum was in place when Ryan was hired, and that connection will be worth watching closely as New York’s search unfolds. Several other candidates will be interviewed at least once, but Ryan sees himself as the top option despite the fact he has not coached since his Bills tenure ended in 2016.

“The thing you have to do, you have to connect with your football team, you have to connect with your fan base,” the 62-year-old added. “The way they play, that’s the most important thing. Not just the Xs and Os and all that. [Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson, I love him. I absolutely love him. But I’m a better candidate for this job than he would be.”

Aside from determining a new organizational direction, the Jets will of course have to decide on the future of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Famer is himself unsure of his outlook for 2025, but in any case the handling of the approach to the season is one area where Ryan would bring about changes from Robert Saleh‘s regime. He expounded on that as well Monday.

“If [Rodgers] comes back, things would be different,” Ryan said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “If he’s back, it ain’t gonna be the country club, show up whenever the hell you want to show up. That ain’t gonna happen. I’ll just leave it at that.”

Ryan is still in place with ESPN at this point, but the possibility remains he could receive serious consideration for the Jets posting. That would match his expectations, and his progress in interviewing for the gig will be a central storyline of the team’s search.

Latest On Raiders, HC Antonio Pierce

January 6th, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders stumbled to a 4-13 finish, dropping a one-sided Chargers rematch after winning two straight. This dropped the Silver and Black out of the top five in the draft order, which will impact the team’s ability to select one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s prospect pool.

Antonio Pierce remains in place as the Las Vegas HC, but rumors about a potential firing persist. Many around the league expected an ouster after Week 18. With Black Monday upon us, Pierce has thus far avoided it. But a dismissal may be close. Pierce is “absolutely” not safe, per Outkick.com’s Antonio Salguero.

Mark Davis met with Pierce after the Raiders’ loss to the Bolts, and another meeting may well be on tap for Monday morning. The Raiders placed Pierce in a difficult position this season, outfitting him with a bottom-tier quarterback situation. Pierce had pushed for a monster trade-up for Jayden Daniels, and while the Raiders were most likely the team that sent the Commanders the only offer for No. 2 overall, a 13-to-2 move-up was never viewed as realistic. The team’s inability to land a better QB option looks to have created issues between Pierce and GM Tom Telesco.

A report in April indicated the HC and GM disagreed on a quarterback trade-up, with Pierce landing in the camp that one was necessary. He may well have been right, as the Raiders ended up shut out of the 2024 first round. They deemed target Michael Penix Jr. a player of interest, just not one they viewed as worthy of a trade-up. Brock Bowers‘ arrival looks good on Telesco’s resume, but the Raiders now need a quarterback in what appears to be a worse offseason to do so. They sit sixth in the 2025 draft, and supply and demand points to Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward being off the board by then. Another trade-up effort may be required if the Raiders want either player.

Pierce-Telesco disagreements do not look to have ceased after the Bowers pick. Pierce privately continued to express disappointment over the QB situation he was handed, Salguero notes, indicating friction between he and Telesco continued into the season. This could well end up keying a Pierce firing, which will obviously not go over well with the former linebacker-turned-HC given the hand he was dealt. That said, Pierce does not bring a tactical background and needs both offensive and defensive play-callers. He also fired OC Luke Getsy midway through their first season together. Will Davis give his HC the chance to hire a new play-caller on that side of the ball?

Players stumped for Pierce last January, as he had gone 5-4 as Vegas’ interim HC. This year’s 4-13 outing has him squarely on the hot seat. Minority owner Tom Brady also looks likely to snare some of Telesco’s decision-making power, with Davis expected to turn to the legendary QB-turned-announcer for help to fix the quarterback situation. Brady is also on track to have a major say on the HC matter, though his Super Bowl LIX responsibilities with FOX may interfere on the latter front. Despite Pierce making it into Black Monday (unlike Jerod Mayo), he may not end the day as the Raiders’ HC.

Kirk Cousins Intends To Play In 2025

January 6th, 2025 at 10:28am CST by Sam Robinson

Kirk Cousins‘ days of maneuvering his way into windfall contracts are almost definitely over, as the Falcons came to regret the deal they authorized in March. Michael Penix Jr. replaced Cousins late in the season, leading to rumors of the veteran quarterback contemplating retirement.

The deliberation looks to have produced an answer. Cousins is aiming to continue his career next season, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes. This effort will, of course, be centered around landing with a fourth NFL team. The Falcons are expected to release the longtime starter, a move that will come sign significant dead money.

Atlanta guaranteed Cousins $90MM at signing, which will make a release painful. A 2025 cut will carry a $65MM dead money hit, one that will undoubtedly be spread out over two offseasons via a post-June 1 designation. The Cousins release, even in a world in which the Jets cut Aaron Rodgers, would rank second in NFL history for dead money (behind the Broncos’ Russell Wilson cut). If/once Atlanta designates Cousins a post-June 1 release at the start of the 2025 league year, a $40MM 2025 cap hit would hit the books. As Penix will have a full offseason to prep as the Falcons’ starter, his short-lived mentor will look elsewhere.

The Falcons had long planned to use Cousins as their starter for two seasons, but their top-10 Penix investment interfered with that reality from the start. As it turned out, the team pulled the trigger late in Year 1. Penix will enter the offseason as Atlanta’s unquestioned starter.

Cousins’ concerning 2024 form will drastically alter his market, though a degree of interest should still emerge. This may not be a good year to need a quarterback. The 2025 QB draft class is not viewed as a group on the level of the past two crops, and the Vikings could take Sam Darnold off the market via the franchise tag. The likes of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Daniel Jones would move up the free agency board in that event. Rodgers has not decided on playing in 2025; that will also be a variable that affects Cousins. The Steelers’ late-season swoon also stands to affect Wilson’s market, as the 36-year-old may not be too far north of where Cousins checks in financially come March.

The supply-and-demand issue at QB should still generate interest in Cousins, who turned 36 just before this season. Teams who will find themselves unable to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward will need to look into bridge options. Cousins carried strong enough value in 2024 he was seemingly able to avoid a bridge scenario — or, so he believed at the time of signing — but nothing in the realm of a four-year, $180MM contract is coming. It will, then, be interesting to see what kind of numbers the 10-year NFL starter commands.

Cousins led the NFL with 16 interceptions, despite being benched after 14 games. He did elevate the Falcons’ passing attack compared to where it was with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, helping the team to seven wins while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Now being nearly 18 months removed from the October 2023 Achilles tear also would stand to help the immobile vet, but his 2024 form will still factor prominently into his market.

Bengals Fire DC Lou Anarumo

January 6th, 2025 at 8:45am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals fell just short of the playoffs this year, and at least one notable coaching change has taken place as a result. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Other staffers are also out. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports offensive line coach Frank Pollack, along with linebackers coach James Bettcher and D-line coach Marion Hobby have been fired. Cincinnati’s defensive staff in particular will certainly look much different in 2025.

Anarumo had been in place with the Bengals since head coach Zac Taylor‘s arrival in 2019. His unit has generally not delivered strong rankings in total or scoring defense (with 2022 being a notable exception), and that remained the case this season. Cincinnati finished the year on a five-game winning streak based in large part on Joe Burrow and the offense, but the team’s earlier struggles were centered on defensive shortcomings.

Overall, the Bengals finished the year ranked 25th in terms of points and yards allowed per game. Injuries (especially at the cornerback spot) hindered the effectiveness of the team’s secondary and continued a trend predating 2024 of big plays allowed in the passing game. While some standouts were in place – including Trey Hendrickson leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5 – it would not come as a surprise if several roster changes were to be made on defense this offseason.

That will of course be difficult since Ja’Marr Chase will again be looking for an extension and fellow wideout Tee Higgins is a pending free agent. Hendrickson is under contract for 2025 but none of his base salary for the year is guaranteed, so he will resume his efforts to secure an extension (after they fell short last offseason). Addressing those areas will use up much of the Bengals’ cap resources.

The team’s offseason efforts will now include finding a replacement for Anarumo. The 58-year-old had a lengthy career in the college ranks before taking his first NFL gig with the Dolphins in 2012. He worked as Miami’s defensive backs coach for six years, a stretch which also included an interim defensive coordinator opportunity. After one year as DBs coach with the Giants, he took his first coordinator position with the Bengals. Anarumo drew head coaching interest in 2022 and ’23, with Bettcher being named last summer as a potential successor in the event he departed. Now, both are on the lookout for a new gig.

Of course, today’s news means Taylor is likely safe to coach a seventh season in Cincinnati. A trip to the Super Bowl was followed in 2022 by an AFC title game appearance. Over the past two years, though, the Bengals have gone 9-8 and fallen short of a postseason berth. Taking a step forward will be the goal in 2025, but that effort will include several new faces on the sidelines.

Patriots Fire Jerod Mayo

January 5th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots have acted quickly in making a coaching move. Jerod Mayo is out after one season at the helm, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The decision is now official.

“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” a statement from owner Robert Kraft reads in part. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. … When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. … Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.

“I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.”

The former All-Pro linebacker spent his entire eight-year career with the Patriots, and not long after hanging up his cleats he joined the team’s staff as linebackers coach. Mayo emerged as a staffer often mentioned as a potential heir apparent to Bill Belichick (as a coach, but not as a de facto general manager) and by the end of the latter’s tenure that arrangement was officially in place.

Once Belichick and Kraft parted ways last offseason, Mayo ascended to his first head coaching role at the college or NFL levels. This came due to a contract arrangement, rather than Mayo beating out competition for the job. Kraft clearly grew to regret passing on a true HC search. A year later, a Patriots HC search will be on tap.

Expectations were tempered given the state of the Patriots’ roster heading into the 2024 campaign. Questions were raised about the offensive line and skill positions, among others, but the decision to select quarterback Drake Maye made his development (once inserted into the starting lineup) a central priority. While the No. 3 pick has shown flashes, the team as a whole has not delivered consistent performances. New England entered Week 18 at or near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories, an underwhelming development given the team’s continuity from 2024 on that side of the ball.

As the Patriots’ losses piled up during the year, speculation increased with respect to Mayo’s job security. Last month, indications emerged suggesting Kraft would allow for at least one more season at the helm, but a disappointing late-season performance was named as a possibility which could sway the situation. Indeed, questions have grown louder in recent weeks, and Sunday’s result leaves the Patriots with a record of 4-13. With the pendulum having swung, the latest updates on the matter pointed to another coaching change being made on Kraft’s part this winter. That has now proven to be the path he has taken.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Mayo firing has not been matched with any dismissals in the front office at this point. No assistant coaches have been let go as of now, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated adds. That could of course change in the near future, but for now Eliot Wolf – in place as the Patriots’ top executive since May – is safe as he prepares to oversee the next phase of the team’s rebuild. That will include considerable cap resources and a premium Day 1 draft pick.

The Patriots’ win on Sunday cost them the top selection in April’s draft, but even that end-of-the-year outcome has proven insufficient for Mayo to be retained. The 38-year-old certainly has a long runway in terms of his coaching future, but in the wake of a poor first showing as a head coach it will likely take several years for him to receive his next opportunity in that capacity. Roles as a position coach or defensive coordinator could of course still await him in the future, though.

Kraft will now turn his attention to another head coaching search. Belichick was in place for 24 years, but his departure has now been followed by another after only one campaign. Mike Vrabel has been named as a candidate to watch, although that is the case for many other teams looking for a new coach. It will be interesting to see if another former Patriots player will be tapped for the gig, or if the team will ultimately move in another direction for 2025.

Browns Fire OC Ken Dorsey, OL Coach Andy Dickerson; HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry To Be Retained

January 5th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Rory Parks

Hours after their dismal 3-14 campaign came to an end, the Browns have made major changes to their offensive staff. The team has fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network was first to report.

Dorsey, 43, appeared in five games at quarterback for the Browns between the 2006 and 2008 seasons, and he began his coaching career as a quarterbacks coach for the Panthers in 2013, a role he held for five years. He took the same job with the Bills in 2019, and his work with Buffalo QB Josh Allen encouraged the club to promote him to offensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 campaign, following Brian Daboll‘s departure to become head coach of the Giants.

Dorsey’s first season in charge of the Bills’ offense went as well as could be expected, as the team finished second in the league in terms of both yards per game and points per game. In 2023, however, the unit appeared to stagnate, and Dorsey was given his walking papers at a time when Buffalo was 5-5 (even though the team was still in the top-10 in total and scoring offense).

Despite the midseason ouster, the former Miami (Fla.) standout generated OC interest last offseason. With a roster that otherwise appeared playoff-worthy, the Browns hired Dorsey to replace Alex Van Pelt in the hopes that the former could work the same magic with Deshaun Watson that he had with Allen in Buffalo and Cam Newton in Carolina. Of course, those hopes were unrealized, as Watson struggled before succumbing to a season-ending injury in October.

Immediately after Watson’s injury, head coach Kevin Stefanski — who had been calling offensive plays up to that point — handed the reins to Dorsey. When the switch happened, Cleveland was 1-6 and was 29th in the league in scoring and last in total offense (h/t Zac Jackson and Larry Holder of The Athletic (subscription required)). And while there was some improvement when Jameis Winston was inserted into the lineup, including upset wins over division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Winston himself was benched in the wake of a familiar spate of interception-laden contests, and the team played out the last three games of the season with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe under center.

Clearly, Dorsey is not the primary reason for Cleveland’s failures this season, but Stefanski has proven that his offense — whose concepts did not mesh well with Dorsey’s — can work with anyone other than Watson at quarterback, and as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirms, the head coach will remain in place in 2025 (the same is true of GM Andrew Berry). Watson, by virtue of his albatross contract that was recently restructured yet again, will also be back with the Browns, though the team is expected to pursue another starter-caliber passer in the coming months.

A compelling plan in that regard will likely be necessary to convince a coveted external candidate to come to Cleveland, as it would be surprising to see a coach with other options hitch their wagon to Watson at this point. Should the Browns choose to promote from within, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports names tight ends coach Tommy Rees as a name to watch. The team could have competition for Rees, as he has been mentioned as a possible OC hire for Mike Vrabel if Vrabel — who just wrapped his consulting gig with the Browns — should become a head coach in the upcoming cycle.

Dickerson, 42, also lasted just one season in Cleveland. He had big shoes to fill when former O-line coach Bill Callahan left to join son Brian Callahan‘s first staff in Tennessee, and the difficulty of his job was compounded by the numerous injuries that the Browns’ front five sustained this year. As Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Jounral notes, left guard Joel Bitonio was the only OL who did not miss time in 2024.

By season’s end, Vrabel was also working quite a bit with the O-line, at which point the writing was on the wall for Dickerson.

49ers Unwilling To Authorize Top-Of-Market Extension For QB Brock Purdy?

January 5th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Parks

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be eligible for an extension at season’s end, and a report from last month indicated that San Francisco wants to hammer out a new deal for its starting signal-caller this offseason. Earlier this week, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported that the team could wait on a Purdy extension – perhaps with an eye towards franchise-tagging him in 2026 if need be – but Robinson confirms the Niners would prefer to strike a multiyear accord in the coming months.

After all, the QB market continues to boom, even for players below the top tier of the position. Although Purdy has regressed from his excellent 2023 performance and has been more inconsistent in 2024 – while also turning the ball over 15 times – players like Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence arguably had not proven as much as Purdy when they entered their own negotiations, which culminated in $55MM/year contracts for the former first-rounders.

It therefore stands to reason that Purdy could command at least that much in his impending talks with the 49ers, and according to Robinson, the success of the contract discussions will depend on how ambitious Purdy’s camp plans to be. If 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant shoots for the top of the market – in other words, if he aims for Dak Prescott’s record-smashing $60MM AAV or Joe Burrow’s $146.51MM in full guarantees – then San Francisco could balk (even though Purdy has had more postseason success than Prescott, the Cowboys’ passer had unique leverage due to his prior contractual dealings with Dallas).

On the other hand, if Purdy is more “reasonable” in his demands and would be willing to accept a deal akin to Love’s (four years, $210MM, with $100MM in fully guaranteed money), the Niners may be willing to play ball. Since Purdy, as a seventh-round pick, has made less than $3MM over his first three years in the league, even a payout on Love’s level would doubtlessly be quite tempting.

That said, the Iowa State product continues to be a QBR darling, as he presently ranks seventh in the metric after leading the league in that regard, along with “traditional” quarterback rating, in 2023. He ranks 13th in quarterback rating among regular starters in 2024 (coincidentally, one spot behind Love). This is despite the fact that invaluable skill-position players Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey have played a combined 11 games, with future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams also missing significant time.

Plus, Purdy has compensated for his downturn in passing output with an improvement in his efforts as a runner, as he has carried the ball 66 times for 323 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and five scores. He is not a perfect player, and he may need more talent surrounding him than a truly elite passer might, but when it comes to quarterbacks, clubs are understandably reluctant to pass on a bird in the hand, no matter the cost. The Niners’ competitive window still appears to be wide open, and unlike the Cowboys during their first round of extension talks with Prescott, they may want to lock down their QB1 before the market continues to soar.

Tyreek Hill Open To Dolphins Trade

January 5th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday saw the Dolphins drop to 8-9 on the season and fall short of the playoffs. The team’s season is over as a result, and Tyreek Hill‘s future is once again a talking point.

The All-Pro wideout has played in Miami for the past three seasons, and a contract agreement from this past summer seemed to ensure he would remain in place for years to come. Based on his post-game comments, though, Hill’s career could include another change of scenery. A trade is something Hill would welcome, as he indicated on Sunday.

“I have to do what’s best for me and my family – if that’s here or wherever the case may be,” the 30-year-old said (video link via Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald). “I’m about to open up that door for myself… I’m out. It was great playing here but at the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

Given those remarks, Hill’s future will certainly become a major talking point. The eight-time Pro Bowler referring to his Dolphins tenure in the past tense immediately after a game is a noteworthy element of his public stance on his career. Hill has since taken to social media to thank the Dolphins’ fanbase, although that by no means ensures he intends to demand a trade. Still, this is a surprise considering the new commitment the Dolphins made prior to this season.

Taking note of the latest jump in the WR market, Hill made it clear he was seeking a new contract last offseason (although he also insisted negotiations not reach the point where a trade would be on the table). In the end, team and player agreed to a restructure which saw the value of his pact increase to $90MM (including $54MM locked in at signing and $65MM in total guarantees) while keeping him in place through 2026. Nearly all of Hill’s base compensation ($27.75MM) for next season is guaranteed, and he is due a $3.17MM option bonus in late August.

As a result, a release or trade before June 1 would not be feasible from a cap perspective from the Dolphins. A deal sending Hill to a new team after that date would create a slight net positive from a financial standpoint ($14.95MM in savings against $12.73MM in dead money), but it would of course create a major vacancy at the receiver spot. The Dolphins – who have Jaylen Waddle signed through 2028 – have relied heavily on Hill since his arrival from the Chiefs. The former fifth-rounder topped 1,700 yards in his debut Miami campaign and led the NFL with 1,799 (along with an NFL-best 13 touchdowns) last year. His production dropped this season, one in which the Dolphins’ offense dealt with many injury problems.

That includes the torn wrist ligament Hill played through for the entire campaign. He elected not to undergo surgery during the year, but his health will be something to watch closely moving forward. Hill’s postgame comments included the revelation he was dealing with a right wrist injury today (whereas the year-long ailment affected his left wrist). He exited the Dolphins’ loss midway through the contest, noting he was aware of the Chiefs-Broncos score (which was heavily in favor of Denver, something which ensured Miami would not be able to reach the playoffs even with a win) at the time he departed the game.

The Dolphins have a number of important decisions to make this offseason, but sorting out Hill’s future was not expected to be one of them. Instead, addressing his willingness to play elsewhere in 2025 will become an organizational priority, and this situation has the potential to become one of the top storylines around the league depending on how successful that effort is.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

Tennessee Titans (3-14)
Cleveland Browns (3-14)
New York Giants (3-14)
New England Patriots (4-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
New York Jets (5-12)
Carolina Panthers (5-12)
New Orleans Saints (5-12)
Chicago Bears (5-12)
San Francisco (6-11)
Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
Miami Dolphins (8-9)
Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
Houston Texans (10-7)
Denver Broncos (10-7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
Los Angles Rams (10-7)
Green Bay Packers (11-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
Washington Commanders (12-5)
Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
Buffalo Bills (13-4)
Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
Detroit Lions (15-2)

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Dolphins Retaining GM Chris Grier, HC Mike McDaniel

January 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Ely Allen

As Black Monday approaches and NFL teams around the league are preparing to part ways with their team leaders, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has released a statement saying that general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel will continue in their roles in 2025. Grier will enter his 10th season as GM, while McDaniel is headed into his fourth year with the team.

In Grier’s nine years, the Dolphins have cycled through three head coaches. Before the arrival of McDaniel, Grier’s Dolphins only made the playoffs once, finding the postseason in his inaugural season with then-head coach Adam Gase and then missing the playoffs in the next five years under Gase and Brian Flores. It is also worth noting Grier has only held full control since 2019, but he has held the GM title throughout three coaching tenures.

McDaniel arrived in Miami in 2022 and took the Dolphins to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons with the team, an immediate improvement. Still in all three playoff appearances under Grier, including the two under McDaniel, Miami has failed to register a single postseason win, going one-and-done in all three appearances. The Dolphins still gave McDaniel an extension this offseason.

In the statement released by Ross, he claimed that the “positive working relationship” between Grier and McDaniel “is an asset” to the team, adding that he believes “in the value of stability.”

He went on, saying, “However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough. We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.”

It’s hard to know exactly where that blame will fall and from where those changes will come. From the outside, lots of criticism has been directed at the building of an expensive roster that has returned middling team results, indicating an issue at the top of the personnel department, namely Ross. What those areas are where they deem themselves to “have fallen short” is yet to be seen.

Despite the obvious improvement since he’s arrived on staff, there were rumblings that McDaniel may find himself on the chopping block, too. Ross’ statement clears the air in that regard, as McDaniel will return for Year 4.

Going 24 years without a playoff win has Dolphins fans desperate for change and answers. Ross’ statement makes it clear that, if changes are indeed on their way, they won’t affect the job statuses of Grier or McDaniel.

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