HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

AFC East Rumors: Van Pelt, Jets, Dolphins

January 15th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Giants and Vikings submitted viable offers to the Patriots for the No. 3 overall pick last year, with each NFC franchise eyeing Drake Maye. Each would have netted the Pats an additional second-rounder in last year’s draft and a first this year. New York’s proposal would have given New England this year’s third overall choice, but Maye now serves as the Pats’ franchise centerpiece. Ultimately, then-acting GM Eliot Wolf and ownership stayed and picked Maye. Though, there appeared to be some supporters of accepting a trade-down offer. At the time, it is believed OC Alex Van Pelt was among those who viewed the Pats’ roster as too deficient to pass on moving down, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes.

While it may not be certain Mike Vrabel moves on from Van Pelt, the OC effectively confirmed this by telling friends he had been fired following the team’s Week 18 game. This came despite the organization being pleased with how he had helped develop Maye. Vrabel’s next play-caller’s chief assignment will be elevating Maye to another level in 2025.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • In December, Davante Adams was noncommittal about his Jets future. After all, the player responsible for him being traded to New York — Aaron Rodgers — appears on his way out. After the season, Adams did not confirm (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he would be following Rodgers out the door, but he said staying with the team post-Rodgers would depend on a few factors. Adams’ Raiders-built contract runs through 2026. Allen Lazard was more enthusiastic about staying with the Jets. The lower-profile Rodgers come-with guy at receiver, Lazard went from being a healthy scratch at a point in 2023 to totaling 530 yards and six touchdowns this season. Lazard said (via Cimini) he wants to stay and later retire a Jet. Though, his four-year, $44MM contract would produce $11MM in savings if removed from the payroll via a post-June 1 release.
  • Calais Campbell said before season’s end he was not closing the door on playing an 18th NFL season, and the accomplished defensive lineman noted after the Dolphins‘ year wrapped (via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that he will consider an age-39 slate. Campbell notched five sacks, and his 12 tackles for loss were his most since 2018. The Dolphins had him on their books for just $2MM this season, and after they nearly traded him back to the Ravens at the deadline, it stands to reason the Miami alum will look into landing with a contender soon.
  • Elsewhere on the Dolphins’ roster, both Jaelan Phillips and Austin Jackson are expected to be fine for the 2025 opener, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets. Phillips, who suffered an Achilles tear in 2023 and a partially torn ACL this season, is going into his fifth-year option campaign. Jackson, who suffered a meniscus tear, is tied to a three-year, $36MM extension. Swing tackle Kendall Lamm is almost definitely set to depart in free agency, Jackson adds. The Dolphins’ Patrick Paul second-round draft choice had pointed the veteran elsewhere. That said, Grier said the Dolphins “are going to have to” invest in O-linemen this offseason. While the team has three higher-end tackle investments under contract, its interior situation is less solidified.
  • Staying with O-lines, Vrabel confirmed (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi) the Patriots‘ front will be a priority this offseason. This echoes a recent report that suggested OL and WR would be New England’s top target areas. The Pats struggled up front, with the loss of David Andrews and the left tackle carousel being among the issues. Vrabel leaned on the ground game in Tennessee, largely because of Derrick Henry‘s presence, but the Pats have by far the most cap space exiting the season. With questions existing just about everywhere outside of Michael Onwenu‘s presence (and even his position has fluctuated), allocating considerable resources up front seems likely as the Pats attempt to protect Maye.

Cowboys Plan To Meet With Robert Saleh

January 15th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Sam Robinson

As they have been known to do, the Cowboys went through with an unusual separation with their head coach. The team moved on from Mike McCarthy a week after Black Monday, thus delaying its entrance onto the coaching carousel.

Dallas is getting started on its candidates, however. The first known name will be Robert Saleh, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the former Jets coach received an interview request. Saleh is already on the Jaguars and Raiders’ interview lists, and he has been closely tied to a potential return to the 49ers as defensive coordinator.

[RELATED: 49ers Expected To Offer Saleh DC Job?]

Saleh has completed his Jaguars meeting; his Raiders summit is set for Thursday. No date for Saleh’s Cowboys meeting has emerged, but the unattached coach should be expected to take the interview. Saleh spent four seasons working for an owner (Woody Johnson) who received criticism for meddling. That would be sufficient prep for Jerry Jones, who operates as the Cowboys’ owner and GM.

The Jets fired Saleh five games into this season; they went 3-9 without him after a 2-3 start. New York’s skid under Jeff Ulbrich made Saleh’s tenure look a bit better. The Broncos keeping Zach Wilson as their No. 3 quarterback all season did as well. Saleh went 7-10 in back-to-back seasons with Wilson as the primary triggerman, and the Jets boasted a No. 4 ranking in total defense in both years after beginning Saleh’s tenure ranking last. The Cowboys have not gone defense for a coaching hire since Wade Phillips in 2007, but they will surely be tied to a few candidates on both sides of the ball during this cycle.

The Cowboys’ 2020 coaching search was quite thin, however. The team only met with McCarthy and Marvin Lewis, satisfying the Rooney Rule — which has since been beefed up. Dallas must meet with two external minorities. It would be rather unusual to see Jones pass on a true search once again, but this franchise has operated differently when it comes to head coaches for several years now.

Deion Sanders has already discussed the job with Jones, and while the Colorado HC reaffirmed his commitment to the Big 12 program, he called the job “intriguing” in doing so. A Sanders extension at Colorado may be in the offing, as the Cowboys present potential leverage, but it does not appear the former Cowboys superstar is truly out of the running yet. More traditional candidates are coming, however, with Saleh being the first.

QB Quinn Ewers Declares For Draft

January 15th, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

Following Texas’ CFP semifinal loss to Ohio State, Quinn Ewers said he did not expect to be playing college football next season. The multiyear Longhorns starter made that official Wednesday.

Ewers is entering the 2025 draft, he announced on his X account. While Ewers is not currently viewed as a no-doubt first-round pick, he is expected to be one of the first QBs chosen in a crop that has generated significant questions. Ewers’ Austin exit also clears a path for Arch Manning, who is already drawing down-the-line NFL interest.

Going 21-5 as a starter under Steve Sarkisian, Ewers enjoyed a quality college career. He held off Manning for two seasons, remaining the starter despite the super-prospect seeing time as a redshirt freshman this past season. The 6-foot-3 QB piloted the Longhorns to back-to-back CFP semifinal games.

Ewers threw 31 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions this season, helping the Longhorns back to the semis. This season did bring a completion percentage step back, dropping from 69% to 65.8%, and a lower yards-per-attempt number (8.8 to 7.8) compared to his sophomore season. Ewers was unable to solidify himself as a surefire first-rounder, but he will get to work on attempting to do so before the draft.

ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rates Ewers as the No. 60 overall prospect. Among quarterbacks, that places him third in the class — behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward and ahead of Jalen Milroe. That said, Sanders and Ward are candidates to be top-five picks. As far back as November, we heard a tier gap existed between the Colorado and Miami arms and the rest of the 2025 QB class. Nothing has yet emerged to indicate that assessment was inaccurate, and a more recent report pointed to evaluators being more intrigued by the 2026 and ’27 QB classes — one of which could well include Manning — compared to this year’s group.

With Manning on track to start for Texas in 2025, Ewers could have entered the transfer portal and commanded a lofty NIL payout to stay in college and further his stock for the 2026 draft. He had a senior year of eligibility to use. Georgia’s Carson Beck is taking this route, passing on a 2025 NFL entrance and transferring to Miami. Milroe, however, will join Ewers in declaring for a draft that features extensive question marks at the QB position.

An Ohio State recruit once upon a time, Ewers had reclassified to enter college earlier. He did redshirt as a first-year collegian, eventually using up three years of eligibility at Texas. Ewers will turn 22 a month before the draft. Rather than take the Jayden Daniels–Bo Nix–Michael Penix Jr. route to better his prep and enter a draft in his mid-20s, Ewers will follow the more traditional route Caleb Williams and Drake Maye took last year.

CB K’Waun Williams Expected To Retire

January 15th, 2025 at 10:07am CST by Sam Robinson

After missing all of the 2023 season due to injury, K’Waun Williams did not play in 2024. The veteran cornerback does not appear prepared to aim for a comeback in 2025, either.

The veteran slot defender is expected to retire, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. Williams spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons in Denver but will be best remembered for his time in San Francisco. Williams played 10 NFL seasons.

Williams, 33, suffered an ankle injury in summer 2023 and ended up on IR. The Broncos carried Williams through to their 53-man roster, in hopes the experienced inside corner could return later that season. That never transpired, as Williams did not make it back from surgery in time. The former Browns UDFA’s contract expired after that ’23 season. While five or six teams reached out about potential 2024 landing spots, Williams’ agent said (via Tomasson) no fit developed.

The Broncos had signed Williams to take over for the oft-injured Bryce Callahan in 2022, and the former played 14 games during Denver’s disappointing Nathaniel Hackett-led campaign. Denver signed off on a two-year, $5.2MM deal; that ran Williams’ career earnings past $18MM. The Pittsburgh alum’s two 49ers contracts did the heavier lifting to reach that total.

After the Browns waived Williams in 2017, following an ongoing dispute about an ankle injury, he landed with the 49ers during Kyle Shanahan‘s first offseason running the show. That agreement proved pivotal, as Williams manned the slot under Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans for five years. Williams was a regular for the 2019 49ers, who rebounded from a 4-12 season to reach Super Bowl LIV, and then was their slot staple in 2021 — after the team bounced back from a 6-10 slate to reach the NFC championship game. Williams forced four fumbles to help San Francisco to a 13-3 record during that 2019 season; he added a fifth during the 49ers’ NFC title game win over the Packers.

Helping a team that did not have the same stability at outside corner during this span, Williams was charged with just two touchdowns surrendered across his final four NFL seasons. Earning a three-year, $8.85MM extension early during the 2017 season, Williams joined Richard Sherman and Emmanuel Moseley as 49ers regulars during the Super Bowl LIV run. The 49ers then re-signed him to a one-year deal for the 2021 campaign. Williams played two seasons for the Browns, the first of which (2014) doubling as Shanahan’s Cleveland OC stopover. The Bears had claimed Williams off waivers in 2016 but did not pass him on a physical.

San Francisco struggled to find a Williams replacement in 2022 and ’23, seeing various options play in nickel sets alongside Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir in that span. The Broncos have turned to UDFA Ja’Quan McMillian in the slot post-Williams. If this is it for Williams, he will close his career with five interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 34 passes defensed.

Texans Waive WR Diontae Johnson

January 14th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Diontae Johnson‘s latest NFL gig has proven to be short-lived. The Texans waived the veteran wideout today, per a team announcement. In another roster move, tight end Cade Stover has been placed on injured reserve.

This continues an astoundingly eventful year for Johnson, who entered the 2024 offseason as one of the NFL’s top route runners and as a player who could have commanded considerable value in free agency — once he reached that point. A year later, a receiver who had been attached to a two-year, $36.7MM contract has torpedoed his value by wearing out his welcome everywhere he has gone. And he has now traveled to many NFL cities.

A fourth team has now given up on him in a 10-month span. Traded from the Steelers and Panthers, Johnson has now seen the Ravens and Texans waive him. Two teams — the Texans and Chargers — claimed Johnson once Baltimore moved on last month. Johnson, 28, now appears headed to free agency. It is difficult to overstate the damage the sixth-year wideout has done to his NFL stock.

Following the Texans’ wild-card rout over the Chargers, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports Johnson was visibly upset and needed to be calmed down by teammates. Issues with his usage, the theme of his Baltimore tenure, resurfaced in Houston.

Johnson played 16 offensive snaps for the Texans, who used the former Steelers target commander on 22 plays against the Titans. Johnson caught one pass for 12 yards against the Bolts; he snared two passes for 12 yards against the Titans in Week 18. This usage reminded of the role the Ravens gave the depressed asset, and Johnson has voiced considerable displeasure about this participation downturn.

It should be expected Johnson will generate internal discussions from teams who need receiver help for 2025, but anything beyond a one-year “prove it” deal seems unrealistic at this point. Johnson’s regular production with the Steelers aside, it will be difficult for teams to divorce that from his tumultuous 2024 season. Johnson still resembled his Pittsburgh version in Carolina, averaging 51 yards per game (30 catches, 357 yards); that is in line with some of his lower-octane Steelers seasons. But he has either wanted to leave teams (Steelers, Panthers) or seen them move on from him (Ravens, Texans). That will be a tough sell for personnel departments moving forward.

Johnson had wanted the Texans to trade for him at the deadline, but the Ravens did so instead. The former Steelers third-round find griped about his playing time in Baltimore and eventually refused to enter a Ravens-Eagles game, leading to a suspension. After that one-game ban, the Ravens did not activate him for their Week 16 game against the Giants. Days later, Baltimore waived the sunk cost. While Johnson was connected to the Chargers and Chiefs, the Texans swooped in with a claim. DeMeco Ryans had praised Johnson as recently as last week. Ditto Joe Mixon, via Wilson. None of it ultimately mattered, and the former 1,100-yard Ben Roethlisberger target will seek a fifth NFL home soon.

The Texans have not seen C.J. Stroud take a step forward after his breakthrough rookie season, but in the 2023 No. 2 overall pick’s defense, he lost his No. 2 and No. 3 receivers — Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell — for the season. Dell’s injury, a severe knee setback that required ambulance transportation from Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16, prompted the Johnson claim. The Texans, however, used Robert Woods, John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson in front of Johnson in the wild-card round. That trio will again complement Nico Collins as the Texans aim to derail the Chiefs’ threepeat bid Saturday.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Browns To Promote Tommy Rees To OC

January 14th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns‘ search for a new offensive coordinator is set to come to an end. Tight ends coach Tommy Rees is being promoted, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Ken Dorsey took on the role of OC last offseason, allowing him a quick turnaround following his in-season 2023 firing by the Bills. Things did not go according to plan on offense for Cleveland this year, however resulting in another dismissal. Many expected a return to someone familiar with head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s with the next hire. As a result, this news comes as no surprise.

Rees quickly emerged as one of the candidates to receive offensive coordinator consideration. An interview was lined up last week, and with reported interest existing from outside teams, Cleveland needed to move quickly with respect to handing him the reins on offense. After speaking with Darrell Bevell (Dolphins), Charles London (Seahawks), Kevin Koger (Falcons) and Klint Kubiak (Saints), the top in-house candidate has received the no. This will be Rees’ third OC position in his career, but the first at the NFL level.

The 32-year-old quickly transitioned from playing to coaching, holding down one-year positions in the college and pro games in 2015 and ’16. After that, Rees worked as the quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame, his alma mater. He served in that capacity from 2017-22, with the final three seasons of that stretch doubling as his time at the helm of the team’s offense. In 2023, Rees joined Nick Saban‘s staff at Alabama and handled OC responsibilities.

That period was followed by a return to the NFL coaching ranks with the Browns. Rees held the role of tight ends coach but also pass game specialist during his first year working under Stefanski. This promotion will result in a major increase in responsibilities and expectation, although the possibility remains Stefanski will reclaim play-calling duties. In any case, a step forward in production will be needed for the Browns in 2025.

Indeed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes Stefanski is expected to take back play-calling responsibilities. This will make Cleveland’s 2025 OC job a bit less important than the team’s 2024 position proved to be, but the Browns canned Dorsey after one year, doing so shortly before elevating a coach who drew interest elsewhere. Rees had emerged on Mike Vrabel‘s radar as a possible Patriots option, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Vrabel, a Browns consultant this past season, had been tied to Rees before he committed to the Pats. Josh McDaniels has also surfaced as an option for Vrabel’s team.

It certainly says plenty about Rees’ stock in Cleveland that the Browns passed over far more experienced options to go with him, and if the former Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide OC fares well, HC looks will be expected in the not-too-distant future. For now, the Browns — who employed Alex Van Pelt as Stefanski’s non-play-calling OC for four years — will go with a third OC in three seasons. As they aim to find a starting QB upgrade on the underperforming Deshaun Watson (who suffered a second Achilles tear), Rees will be a key part of the team’s equation.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Mike Tomlin Confirms Intent To Coach Steelers In 2025; QB Situation In Flux

January 14th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

A report over the weekend pointed to the expected Steelers coaching scenario — Mike Tomlin returning for a 19th season — taking shape. Nothing has emerged to contradict it, and the veteran HC addressed the matter himself Tuesday.

Regarding any potential trade inquiries HC-needy teams may have, Tomlin told prospective suitors to “save your time” regarding such an effort. Moving closer to Chuck Noll‘s tenure duration in Pittsburgh, Tomlin said he is prepared to continue as Steelers HC in 2025.

Noll lasted 23 years at the helm, while Tomlin has moved past Bill Cowher (15 seasons). Even as Tomlin’s high-floor/low-ceiling routine has irked many Steelers supporters in recent years, he has made the team one of the safest bets in modern sports at avoiding poor seasons. Though, early playoff exits have mounted since the team’s run to the 2016 AFC championship game. And that Patriots matchup is the Steelers’ only conference championship appearance since Super Bowl XLV.

“I don’t make excuses for failure,” Tomlin said, via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor. “I own it, but I also feel like I’m capable and so as long as I’m afforded an opportunity to do that, I will continue, but I certainly understand their frustrations and probably more importantly than that, I share it because that’s how I’m wired.”

Rumors about teams considering Tomlin trade offers surfaced in December 2023, and some uncertainty about his 2024 status circulated as well. Tomlin squashed those soon after and received another contract extension — his seventh as Steelers HC — this past summer. Although the Steelers have continued to hit a wall in the wild-card round, after having lost as a No. 2 seed in the 2017 divisional round, Tomlin has shown no indication he is fed up with the situation. That said, he met with ownership and GM Omar Khan on Monday and did indicate Tuesday there will be organizational changes.

While the 52-year-old leader declined to specify where changes were coming, quarterback will be a closely monitored situation in Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson has repeatedly indicated he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, and while the organization has been tied to having the same sentiment, a Monday report suggested the team has cooled on its primary 2024 starter. Not tipping his hand, Tomlin offered neither an endorsement of his QBs nor a firm indication another new group will arrive.

“We don’t have a quarterback under contract. We are certainly open to considering those guys, but we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Tomlin said of Wilson and Justin Fields.

Adding to the uncertainty here, Tomlin did say both QBs can help the Steelers in 2025 and praised both players’ professionalism. The Steelers, however, did not threaten the Ravens in their Saturday wild-card loss. The team has now lost five consecutive playoff games, with its most recent win coming in a 2016 divisional-round matchup in Kansas City.

Tomlin’s streak of .500-or-better seasons reaching 18, however, continues to impede the Steelers when it comes to finding quarterback help in the draft. By virtue of their 10-7 record, the Steelers hold the No. 21 overall pick in this year’s draft — one not viewed as teeming with QB talent. Their last attempt to fill a need through the draft came in a worse draft for QBs, with the Kenny Pickett miss highlighting this shaky period for the organization at the game’s premier position.

Some veteran avenues may be open, but major questions would come with any of the high-profile options. depending on other teams’ actions.

Sam Darnold‘s shaky showings in high-stakes Vikings spots to close the season could certainly impact the team’s desire to use the franchise tag to keep him off the market. That would stand to intrigue a team like the Steelers, though Darnold’s free agency price tag should still be fairly high. Similarly, Kirk Cousins‘ stock dropped late in his season. The Falcons are likely to release the 36-year-old passer, who was part of Wilson’s 2012 draft class, as no trade appears realistic. Aaron Rodgers is still expected to be a Jets cap casualty. Rodgers has not committed to playing in 2025, and PFR readers were not high on a Steelers fit — as interesting as the increasingly outspoken QB pairing with Tomlin would be.

Names like Daniel Jones or even Jimmy Garoppolo could come up as lower-cost choices, but the Steelers would seemingly be more likely to keep Wilson or Fields than take one of those routes. Pittsburgh has been unable to find a high-end quarterback for a while now, with Ben Roethlisberger‘s 2019 elbow injury effectively ending his prime. The team has continued to rely on its defense since, and while that unit should still be formidable in 2025, Tomlin and Co. have several weeks to determine if there is a viable upgrade on the Wilson/Fields setup out there.

QB Skylar Thompson Signs Reserve/Futures Deal With Steelers

January 14th, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Former Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson has signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers, according to his agency, SportsTrust Advisors.

In 2024, Thompson beat out Mike White for the Dolphins’ backup quarterback job during training camp and appeared in three regular season games, including a Week 3 start in place of Tua Tagovailoa after his concussion. Thompson was sacked five times in the game before leaving with a rib injury. He played just two more snaps before the end of the season and finished with 21 completions on 33 attempts for 187 passing yards.

The former seventh-round pick also started two games during Tagovailoa’s absence in Thompson’s 2022 rookie year. The former Kansas State Wildcat struggled in his first taste of NFL action, completing just 60 of his 105 passing attempts for 534 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.

Now, Thompson will join the Steelers as Mike Tomlin and his staff prepare to spend a second straight offseason navigating the quarterback position. Last year, they signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields, who combined for less than $5MM against the salary cap, per OverTheCap. Wilson won the starting job in training camp, but a calf injury gave Fields the chance to start the first six games of the 2024 season. The Steelers led the AFC North with a 4-2 record with Fields under center, but still turned to Wilson once he was healthy. Pittsburgh went 6-5 in his starts and fell to second place in the division after two losses to the Ravens.

Fields averaged 158.5 passing yards per game in his starts compared to Wilson’s 225.6, but the players recorded similar passer ratings. Fields also brought more to the run game and occasionally took the field for Wilson in short-yardage situations later in the season. Wilson has recently expressed his desire to remain in Pittsburgh, but his late-season struggles may have the team turning towards a younger and less expensive option in Fields.

Regardless of which 2024 starter stays in Pittsburgh, Thompson will likely compete for the Steelers’ backup gig next summer. As of now, no other quarterbacks are under contract, though Kyle Allen could re-sign after spending this year as the third-stringer.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/14/25

January 14th, 2025 at 10:18pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Once the regular season ends, teams that are eliminated from the playoffs can sign players – typically young members of their practice squads – to reserve/futures contracts. Teams that lose in the playoffs are also eligible to sign such deals. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts from around the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Holley is a former Western Michigan Bronco who started his professional career with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 2022. He then signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts for the 2023 season and played a key role in their 2024 Grey Cup championship. Holley led all CFL interior defensive linemen with 8.0 sacks, drawing attention from multiple NFL teams before signing with the Browns, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Steward was an undrafted rookie out of Troy in 2024 who spent the year on the Bears’ practice squad. He was pursued by multiple teams once the regular season ended, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, but ultimately chose to stay within the NFC North with the Vikings.

Seahawks Request OC Interview With Vikings Assistant Grant Udinski

January 14th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks requested an interview with Vikings assistant Grant Udinski for their vacant offensive coordinator position, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Udinski is currently the assistant offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Minnesota. He has helped the Vikings navigate major quarterback injuries in each of the last two years, including a 2023 season that saw four different players start under center. In 2024, Udinski coached Sam Darnold to a career-best season with top-five finishes in passing yards (4,319) and touchdowns (35) among all quarterbacks.

Udinski began his career as a coaching assistant under Matt Rhule in Carolina in 2020 and 2021 before joining Kevin O’Connell‘s staff as an assistant to the head coach in 2023. If hired, the 28-year-old would become the youngest coordinator in the NFL and would match the likes of Sean McVay (Washington) and Nick Rallis (Arizona) as being hired as coordinators at this age.

Udinski is the fourth reported Seahawks offensive coordinator candidate. He also joins QBs coach Josh McCown in generating interest from O’Connell’s offensive staff. McCown, who joined Minnesota’s staff last year, is set to interview for the Jets’ head coaching job.

The team has already interviewed Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley, Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, and Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The Seahawks’ interview process is expected to expand beyond these four candidates, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

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