2025 January - Pro Football Rumors

Month: December 2024

Vikings Not Planning Kevin O’Connell Trade

January 5th, 2025 at 6:52pm CST by Rory Parks

6:52pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has been informed by a source inside the Vikings’ building plainly stating an O’Connell trade will not take place. That update may not dissuade interest from potential suitors, but it points further in the expected direction of a long-term Minnesota tenure being on tap for O’Connell.

12:33pm: The consensus seems to be that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel are the top two candidates in this year’s HC cycle. But if he were available, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell would be at the top of many wishlists, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that multiple teams are considering trying to trade for the Coach of the Year candidate (video link).

O’Connell’s contract with Minnesota expires at the end of the 2025 season. While a report last month indicated that the team is expected to discuss an extension with him, those talks had not commenced as of the time of the report, and Glazer says nothing has changed in that regard over the last 30 days. Because the 39-year-old is entering a theoretical lame duck campaign, rival clubs apparently feel it is at least worth making an overture to the Vikes to gauge trade interest.

Needless to say, it would be borderline shocking if Minnesota did not retain O’Connell. Over his first three seasons as the Vikes’ HC, O’Connell has posted a 34-16 record, including a 14-2 mark this season (and, if the team wins today’s regular season finale against the Lions, it will have captured the NFC’s No. 1 seed). He has also been lauded for the proficiency of his offensive system, which has coaxed quality performances out of Kirk Cousins and an out-of-the-blue Pro Bowl showing from Sam Darnold – who was signed merely as a bridge option last offseason – in 2024.

Indeed, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com says ownership is thrilled with O’Connell’s performance, and while the third-year coach is due for a hefty raise, the only way he is not with the Vikings in 2025 is if he for some reason wants to leave (and there is no indication that’s the case). Likewise, despite the lack of urgency to get a deal done before now, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports that ownership has every intention of talking contract with O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah whenever the team’s season draws to a close.

Perhaps, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com posits, Glazer’s report stemmed from O’Connell’s camp as a way to increase the coach’s leverage in impending negotiations. Regardless, barring a major turn of events, it seems that teams in need of a new HC will need to turn their attention elsewhere.

Titans Secure No. 1 Pick In 2025 NFL Draft

January 5th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

The early window of NFL action on Sunday decided the order at the top of the draft board for 2025. Week 18’s results have left the Titans in place to select first overall.

Tennessee lost in Houston, leaving the team with a 3-14 record. That mark was matched by the Browns with their loss yesterday as well as the Giants since they lost on Sunday afternoon as well. New York was in the lead for the top spot heading into last week’s action, but a win over the Colts moved the Patriots into pole position entering the final week of the campaign.

Relying mainly on rookie quarterback Joe Milton III, New England won out against a Bills team which rested Josh Allen amongst others since they were locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed. With that win, the Patriots dropped from first to fourth in the projected order (pending other results from Sunday’s games). As a result, it will be the Titans kicking off the draft in April.

Tennessee made a number of changes this offseason, the most notable of which being the decision to hire Brian Callahan as a first-time head coach. The former Bengals offensive coordinator was tasked with guiding quarterback Will Levis into a long-term solution at the position. Selected 33rd overall in 2023, Levis entered this season as the team’s undisputed starter, but injuries and poor play (especially regarding turnovers) resulted in Mason Rudolph briefly seeing time atop the depth chart. Levis still considers himself a starter with the Titans or another team, but his future is in the air at this point.

Two more year remain on the 25-year-old’s rookie pact, but even if Tennessee elects to keep him in place competition should be expected. That is especially true since Rudolph is on an expiring deal. Free agency will offer plenty of options for a quarterback addition, but holding the No. 1 selection will obviously give the Titans the opportunity to again take the draft route to find a franchise passer. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the highest-ranked QBs in a 2025 class which is not held in high regard.

Well before a decision on the top pick is made, of course, the futures of Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon will need to be sorted out. The latter’s job security could be in question after two years at the helm, but if he is retained by owner Amy Adams Strunk the way he proceeds with the No. 1 pick will be critical. Using it on a quarterback (or another prospect like two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter) would add to the team’s core, but as usual the number of teams looking for a franchise passer will outweigh the availability of qualified QBs. As such, trading down could become feasible based on the trade market which emerges.

A rebound from this season’s showing will be expected for Tennessee in 2025. Today’s outcomes will prove to play a large role in that effort, though, given the team’s prime draft position.

Jaguars OL Tyler Shatley Retires

January 5th, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Reserve veteran lineman Tyler Shatley has officially hung up his cleats, retiring from the NFL after an 11-year career, per a team announcement with a message from Shatley. Shatley spent his entire career in Jacksonville, serving as a key primary backup on the offensive line.

Shatley, 33, came to the NFL originally as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson. Signing as part of the 2014 rookie class in Jacksonville, Shatley was a surprise member of the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie, though he only appeared in one game. A year later, he was playing in 13 games as a special teams lineman.

In 2016, Shatley got his first shots on the offense, starting two games at center and two games at left guard in injury relief. By 2017, he had established himself as a go-to sixth man on the interior of the offensive line, once again being called up to start four games at center in relief of an injured Brandon Linder, who had earned the starting job the year before. He also served as the emergency long snapper for a short time that season. In 2018, Shatley got his first extended stretch of starting experience, closing out the final seven games of the season with Linder on injured reserve.

A healthy 2019 season for Linder pushed Shatley back to the bench and special teams for a year, but more injuries in 2020 and 2021 once again limited Linder to nine games apiece, opening the door for more playing time for Shatley at center.

After Linder retired, Shatley lost out on the starting gig to replace him, but a season-ending injury to starting left guard Ben Bartch opened up the door for Shatley to make a long-term return to the starting lineup. Last year, the Jaguars struggled the find consistency along their offensive line, and though he couldn’t carve out a consistent role, Shatley was key in ensuring there was coverage along the line.

Coming into the 2024 NFL season, for the first time, Shatley failed to make the 53-man roster. The Jaguars didn’t leave him without a job for long, signing him to the practice squad in late-November. He didn’t make an in-game appearance in this final year in Jacksonville, but no doubt his presence on the practice squad gave the team some assurance that depth was available.

It takes a lot to remain in the NFL for 11 years, especially on the active roster for 10 of those years and especially with all 11 years being on the same team. Shatley may have never earned big contracts or superstar recognition, but his 11 years with the Jaguars are a testament to his reliability and importance to their roster makeup.

Jaguars Assistants Expecting Staff Changes

January 5th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the 2024 season has progressed, the Jaguars’ continued struggles have led to an strong sense of head coach Doug Pederson dismissal being likely. That would certainly not come as a surprise at this point, especially given the sentiment of his assistants.

Many members of Pederson’s staff have been “preparing as though they’ll need new jobs” once the season ends, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones writes. Jones, like many others, adds Pederson is viewed as being a lock to be dismissed as early as tonight. Likewise, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted on Sunday morning’s NFL Countdown that Pederson is among the coaches seen as not being safe with respect to firing decisions (video link).

The most recent updates on the matter suggested firing Pederson was not necessarily a guarantee, but taking into account owner Shad Khan‘s optimism about the 2024 season he will no doubt be dissatisfied with the results of the campaign. That could also lead to general manager Trent Baalke being replaced, although Khan’s quiet stance on the situation has left it unclear how he will proceed on that front. Jones confirms the expectation around the league remains that Baalke – in place since 2021 – will be fired.

Offensive coordinator Press Taylor has been in place since Pederson’s arrival in 2022, reuniting with the Super Bowl winner after their shared time in Philadelphia. Baalke reportedly urged Pederson to fire Taylor after last season, one in which the Jaguars collapsed during the second half of the campaign. Injuries to quarterback Trevor Lawrence and receiver Christian Kirk (among others) have hampered Jacksonville’s offense this year, but Taylor’s name will certainly be one to watch if Pederson is fired. Major changes were made on the defensive side of the ball last offseason, but those did not produce the desired results either.

Jones adds Jaguars assistants have been “demoralized” during the closing weeks of the campaign, one which ended Sunday afternoon with an overtime loss to the Colts. Khan could very well react with sweeping changes, in which case adding a new head coach and quickly filling out the rest of the staff will become a priority. Khan has not made contact with potential candidates at this point, but Jones notes a search firm will likely be brought in presuming Pederson’s tenure comes to an end.

As Black Monday approaches, the Jaguars are among the teams to watch closely after a 4-13 season. Further signs point to a head coaching change, and many other positions on staff could soon be open.

OC Mike Kafka Could Be Fired If Giants Retain HC Brian Daboll?

January 5th, 2025 at 2:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants are among the teams which could soon make moves on the sidelines and/or the front office. Head coach Brian Daboll could be retained for the 2025 campaign, however, something which could lead to a shake-up on the team’s offensive staff.

Provided Daboll does receive another opportunity – something which may well be the case for general manager Joe Schoen as well – offensive coordinator Mike Kafka could become the subject of scrutiny. “Buzz” has emerged pointing to Kafka being dismissed in the event Daboll remains in place, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes. Such a development would likely be centered on Daboll reclaiming full control of the Giants’ offense. Kafka is under contract for 2025, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, who adds a mutual desire is believed to exist for he and Daboll to continue working together.

Daboll’s head coaching stock was built in large part on his success working with Josh Allen as the Bills’ offensive coordinator before he was hired by the Giants. It thus came as a surprise when he initially handed play-calling duties over to Kafka in 2022, but those responsibilities have changed hands over time. Daboll turning his attention back to leading the offense would come as little surprise given how much New York has struggled on that side of the ball with and without Daniel Jones at quarterback.

The former No. 6 pick was benched and then waived earlier this season, paving the way for a new passer to be added (likely via the draft, although the Giants may not find themselves in range for top quarterbacks in the class). Starting over at the position is something often accompanied by a head coaching change, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Daboll could indeed be given a fourth season at the helm (video link). The option remains that Daboll will be dismissed with Schoen being retained, although that would come as a surprise to many of PFR’s readers and would also mark a departure from the latest indications on the situation.

Kafka, 37, spent time on the Chiefs’ staff before taking the coordinator gig in New York. His success in that role from the 2022 season led to head coaching interviews, but he was blocked by the Giants when the opportunity to meet with the Seahawks for their OC position emerged. Kafka currently holds the title of assistant head coach under Daboll, though that could change once ownership decides on the organization’s direction.

Titans GM Ran Carthon In Danger Of Being Fired; Latest On HC Brian Callahan

January 5th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

As Week 18 of the NFL season continues, several teams near the bottom of the standings are still in contention to land the top pick in the upcoming draft. The Titans are among them, but securing the No. 1 selection could include notable changes in the organization.

Much of the season was predicated on first-time head coach Brian Callahan‘s ability to lead a rebound on offense for Tennessee. In particular, his work in developing quarterback Will Levis was a central point of focus, but things have not gone according to plan on that front.

It remains to be seen if a new potential franchise quarterback will be targeted in the offseason as a result, but general manager Ran Carthon may not be charged with overseeing that effort. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes there is “growing chatter” about Carthon being fired after this season. Bovada’s Josina Anderson adds this situation is being monitored by many around the league regarding a potential firing.

Jon Robinson was fired near the end of the 2022 campaign, his seventh at the helm of the Titans. The team sat at 7-5 on the year at that point, and the timing therefore came as a surprise to many. Then-head coach Mike Vrabel was not included in the decision, one which allowed him carry on his role for another season. Amidst indications Carthon and Vrabel were not on the same page, though, the latter was dismissed after the 2023 campaign came to a close.

Callahan was hired to take over coaching duties while working with Carthon to oversee Tennessee’s transition to a younger roster. Several veterans on both sides of the ball saw their Titans tenures end in cost-shedding moves in recent years, leaving the new regime with a long-term rebuilding project. Still, Tennessee’s record entering Sunday’s action (9-24) under Carthon leaves plenty to be desired. Attention will thus turn to owner Amy Adams Strunk over the coming days.

Meanwhile, Callahan’s future will of course remain uncertain until he receives a vote of confidence from ownership. The former Bengals offensive coordinator was the subject of a recent report indicating he should be safe, though, and further signs point in that direction. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted on this morning’s NFL Countdown Callahan should remain in place for 2025, although that is not certain at this point (video link). Schefter cautions, however, that some in the Titans’ organization are expecting significant changes of some kind in the wake of a disappointing year.

Whether or not that includes moves in the front office or along the sidelines will be interesting to monitor in the immediate future. A number of major roster-building decisions loom this spring for the Titans, but before that the team’s coaching and management staff could see replacements brought in.

Dolphins Likely To Start Tyler Huntley In Week 18; Tua Tagovailoa’s Status For Playoffs Uncertain

January 5th, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 5: Offering further context on Tagovailoa’s injury, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the passer’s hip muscle could tear further if he continues playing, which is why he has not been medically cleared (video link). As such, even if the Dolphins secure the AFC’s final playoff spot today, it is uncertain whether their QB1 would be under center in the wildcard round.

JANUARY 3: Mike McDaniel poured cold water on any Dolphins hopes of having Tua Tagovailoa available for Week 18. Miami’s starting quarterback is unlikely to play against the Jets on Sunday.

A second straight Tyler Huntley start is now expected, ESPN.com’s Marcell Louis-Jacques tweets. This will deal a blow to the Dolphins’ chances of making a third consecutive playoff berth, though the team would need both a win and a Broncos loss to a Chiefs team resting starters to qualify. Sunday will be Huntley’s fifth start this season; the Dolphins are 2-2 with their backup at the wheel.

Tagovailoa is battling a hip injury, one that kept him out of Miami’s Week 17 game in Cleveland. The fifth-year QB is in line to miss his sixth game of the season, with the first four coming because of the concussion the talented passer suffered in Week 2. The Dolphins enter their regular-season finale at 8-8, with their quarterback’s injury trouble heavily factoring into that .500 record. This would mark the second time in three seasons Tagovailoa will have failed to finish a season; the former No. 5 overall pick’s 2022 concussion issues sidelined him to close out that campaign.

McDaniel described Tua’s injury as a “unique muscle issue,” rather than a bruise, via the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s David Furones. Surgery is not in play, McDaniel added (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson), as this is rather a rest-and-rehab situation. Even so, it is still notable the former No. 5 overall pick could be shut down before season’s end. Tagovailoa dealt with injuries prior to his concussion-marred 2022 season, missing time in 2020 and ’21 — after he came into the league with a hip injury.

The dislocated hip Tagovailoa sustained in November 2019 affected the two-year Alabama starter’s draft stock, though Joe Burrow‘s dominant 2019 had plenty to do with where the 2020 draft’s QB prospects went. McDaniel has said this issue is unrelated to the college setback, which also involved a posterior wall fracture. That said, the Dolphins committed to Tagovailoa — via a four-year, $212.4MM extension — this summer. That preceded another concerning season on the injury front.

Between another concussion and another hip injury, Tagovailoa will enter the offseason with more doubts about his long-term stability. The southpaw QB has played well when healthy, leading the NFL in QBR in 2022 and pacing the league in passing yards (4,624) last season. Injuries have unfortunately been a significant part of Tua’s NFL career, and until he can show sustained health, questions in this area will persist.

Signed off the Ravens’ practice squad following Tagovailoa’s September concussion, Huntley has also needed an IR stint this season. The former Lamar Jackson Baltimore backup is a free agent at season’s end, but Miami wants to keep him around beyond that point. If the Broncos slip up against Chiefs backups Sunday, it will be Huntley playing the lead role in determining who the Bills’ first-round opponent will be. A Dolphins-Bills wild-card encounter would bring familiar territory, as a Tua-less Miami squad trekked to Buffalo with Skylar Thompson at the helm two years ago. Based on the information we have, Tagovailoa would be far from certain to play against the Bills if the Dolphins were to qualify this time around.

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Likely To Be Fired?

January 5th, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Rory Parks

Just a few days ago, we heard that first-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was likely to keep his job for the 2025 season. After all, he was owner Robert Kraft’s hand-picked successor to Bill Belichick, and he inherited a team that was clearly in the early stages of a rebuild, so it would be reasonable to give him some time to learn the ropes as a bench boss and to grow into the role as the club continues to try to improve the roster.

However, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes that Mayo has a “weakening case” to be retained, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that “nerves are extremely frayed” among team staffers as they ponder Mayo’s Black Monday fate. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter also hears that there seems to have been a shift in organizational thinking over the last month (video link).

As such, Schefter believes that Mayo will be fired. He references fan anger and fan apathy in his report, and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald notes that Gillette Stadium was only half-full for the team’s 40-7 drubbing at the hands of the Chargers last week, with multiple “fire Mayo” chants breaking out in the stands late in the game.

Fan reactions are presumably not factors that will motivate Kraft to move on from Mayo, but the nature of the Los Angeles loss, in which the team was outclassed in every facet, certainly could. That defeat was the latest in a string of six consecutive losses, and even late-December reports suggesting that Mayo would be safe included the caveat that a “collapse” over the final three games of the season could change things. While the club did put up a valiant effort in a 24-21 loss to the Bills – the AFC’s No. 2 seed – in Week 16, it is hard to describe a six- or seven-game losing streak to close out a season as anything other than a collapse.

Additionally, in contrast to prior reports that the Patriots’ locker room remained united despite the difficult season, some players have told Kyed that the team suffers from a poor culture and lack of leadership. Such discontent, in conjunction with some of Mayo’s public actions that Jones and/or Kyed have classified as “gaffes” – starting Jacoby Brissett in Week 1 despite admitting that Drake Maye had outplayed Brissett in the preseason, seemingly slighting OC Alex Van Pelt in a postgame presser, and telling a pregame radio show that RB Antonio Gibson would start over Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 17 before making a “coach’s decision” to start Stevenson less than an hour later – could certainly spell trouble for Mayo.

Underscoring all of this, of course, is the presence of franchise icon Mike Vrabel, who is one of the two most coveted coaching candidates in this year’s cycle and who is all but certain to get a head coaching job in the near future. If New England wants Vrabel – and if it does, the interest appears mutual – then now would be the time to make the move.

If Mayo is retained, he is expected to add more veteran coaches to his staff, per Jones. Meanwhile, Jones suggests that executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf will be retained, and that he could make further changes to the club’s staff. That presumably includes firing Van Pelt.

Wolf will have the No. 1 overall pick at his disposal in the 2025 draft if the Patriots fall to Buffalo in today’s season finale, which would give the team a 3-14 record.

Giants’ GM Joe Schoen, HC Brian Daboll Not A “Package Deal”; Team Inclined To Retain Both?

January 5th, 2025 at 10:18am CST by Rory Parks

JANUARY 5, 2025: In keeping with the reports that Schoen and Daboll are not a “package deal,” FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz says that the Giants have put out exploratory feelers to see what options might be available to them if they keep one but fire the other. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that both men will be retained, and sources that Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports has spoken to also believe that Schoen will keep his job. Those sources likewise feel it is more likely than not that Daboll is back in 2025, though that is less of a sure thing.

Both Florio and Jones note that Mara is unconvinced he could do better than Daboll if he were to go in a different direction. According to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, some believe that Mara will feel compelled to fire someone in light of how the 2024 season has gone, and Daboll would be the one to get the axe in that scenario (though Vacchiano also thinks Daboll will ultimately stay).

In any event, Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch will speak with Schoen and Daboll before making a decision, and the club may not make the final call on Black Monday. It could take another day or two before the GM and HC know their fates.

DECEMBER 29, 2024: Late last month, a report on the respective futures of Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll indicated that both men were likely to retain their jobs for the 2025 season. However, our Sam Robinson noted at the time that owner John Mara’s history with such matters would suggest Schoen is safer than Daboll, and multiple outlets have confirmed that the GM and HC are not a “package deal.”

In other words, although Schoen and Daboll were both hired in January 2022 following their successful tenures with the Bills, Mara will evaluate them separately at the end of the season and is open to retaining one and firing the other, as Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Per Russini, there are increased rumblings around the league that Daboll could receive his walking papers, while Schoen continues to believe his job is secure (just as he has throughout the year).

A source close to Mara did indicate that the owner – who said in October that he planned to give Schoen and Daboll another opportunity in 2025 – intends to stay true to his word. However, the fact that the Giants have not won a game since October 6 could obviously change things, and Russini says Mara will sit down with his top power brokers at season’s end, at which point he will presumably make his final decision.

Interestingly, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com use the same terminology as Russini, noting that Schoen and Daboll are not a package deal and could be facing different fates in several weeks’ time. Like Russini, the NFL.com duo hears that Mara does not want to make a change, and that he believes his 2022 hirees remain highly capable.

While any GM or HC change qualifies as a watershed event in a club’s timeline, the Giants could soon be facing an especially critical moment. As a result of New York’s current 10-game losing streak, it is poised to secure the No. 1 overall selection of the 2025 draft and, by extension, a franchise signal-caller. Mara will have to determine, among other things, whether Schoen is the right person to make the pick and whether Daboll is the right person to develop whichever player is selected. Given how the last two campaigns have unfolded, those will not be easy questions to answer.

Should the Giants lose to the Colts today, they will have gone an entire season without a home victory for the first time since 1974 (h/t Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News). They are also on pace for their worst overall record since 1966, when they finished 1-12-1 (h/t Rapoport and Pelissero).

In a recent poll, the majority of PFR readership expected Mara to ultimately part ways with both Schoen and Daboll, while roughly 22% of voters expected both men to be retained. About 17% predicted Mara will keep Schoen and can Daboll, and a scenario wherein Schoen is fired but Daboll retained was viewed as the least likely.

Cowboys Not Looking At Other HC Candidates; Mike McCarthy In Play To Stay

January 5th, 2025 at 8:13am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 5: Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears form “Dallas sources” that McCarthy will receive a new contract — perhaps a four-year pact as opposed to a five-year accord — to remain with the Cowboys. To be clear, no one is willing to confirm as much because no contract talks have taken place at this point. Still, with McCarthy reportedly a viable candidate for other jobs, Dallas brass may not want to let him get away, and McCarthy himself loves the Dallas area and prizes his relationship with Prescott.

JANUARY 3: McCarthy’s contract will expire Jan. 14, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note. This would mean the Cowboys could block McCarthy from interviewing elsewhere between season’s end and that date. Reminding of the Cowboys’ two offseasons in which Garrett was on an expiring deal, the team will have barely week between season’s end and that expiration date to negotiate an extension without the threat of other teams looming.

While the Cowboys have not closed the door on McCarthy staying, Rapoport and Pelissero indicate no substantive extension talks have taken place. With teams not being able to meet in-person with candidates until after the divisional round, McCarthy would not run the risk of being frozen out of this coaching cycle by this contract timeline. He should be expected to draw HC interest elsewhere, Rapoport adds.

JANUARY 2: Coming off a 41-7 loss to an Eagles team missing Jalen Hurts, the Cowboys saw their late-season momentum blunted. Mike McCarthy‘s contract covers one more game, the team’s season-ender against Washington. Will that be it for him in Dallas?

The Cowboys took the highly unusual step of letting McCarthy coach out his contract, driving numerous headlines about his future and how the organization plans to replace him. But some buzz about McCarthy receiving a second Cowboys contract has surfaced in recent weeks. At least, no definitive indication the team will fire McCarthy has emerged.

McCarthy and his assistants are on expiring deals, which would make for a cleaner transition. Waiting until season’s end to make a call, the Cowboys are not tipping their hand. They plan to meet with their fifth-year HC next week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. McCarthy’s contract makes this one of the stranger situations over the past several coaching carousels, however.

Because McCarthy will have coached throughout a five-year deal, he will be free to explore other opportunities. Teams could interview the former Super Bowl-winning leader immediately, as only coaches under contract would need to wait until divisional-round week. Some around the league believe McCarthy has a “small” chance to stay in Dallas, per Fowler. While that is not especially optimistic, it also represents an improvement based on where the embattled HC’s chances were when Dak Prescott sustained a season-ending injury. Prescott has since provided a strong endorsement for McCarthy.

Third-chance HCs are not too common anymore. No active coaches are on their third try, though we do not have to too far back to find leaders who match that description. Jon Gruden received two shots with the Raiders, with his Buccaneers stay sandwiched in between, while Pete Carroll wrapped a third NFL HC stint last season and John Fox did so within the past decade. The Jets also are interviewing Ron Rivera about what would be a third opportunity, while Rex Ryan may be in the mix for a third chance himself. McCarthy being an active coach would seemingly boost his chances here, even if he might not be the first choice anywhere.

A candidate pool not viewed as especially deep would work in McCarthy’s favor in Dallas and potentially elsewhere. The weak candidate crop will affect McCarthy’s future in Dallas, per Fowler, who adds the coach could look at Chicago soon. Some around the league view this the Bears’ opening as one that would appeal to McCarthy, who is now 61. This is not to definitively say the Bears would be interested, but a veteran offensive mind would stand to be intrigued by the Chicago opening due to Caleb Williams‘ presence.

While McCarthy is 7-9 this season, he is 49-34 in Dallas. Jerry Jones cited the wild-card letdown against the Packers last season as why McCarthy did not receive an extension on the back of his three straight 12-win seasons. That certainly could push McCarthy to explore other options, should any arise, but Jason Garrett‘s tenure also shows Jones has been willing to stick with an unpopular coach for an extended period. Garrett coached the Cowboys for 9 1/2 seasons. McCarthy will need another contract soon if Jones has designs on him staying for a sixth.

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