Raiders Rumors: Brady, Spytek, Whitmer
John Spytek was hired before Pete Carroll, who has since been fired. This year’s Raiders HC search — their fourth in the past five offseasons — will be the GM’s first with true involvement. Spytek was not involved in the Carroll hire last year, ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler and Ryan McFadden indicate in an expansive look at the Raiders’ present state of affairs.
The team hired Spytek two days before hiring Carroll last year. This is not uncommon for teams seeking to fill HC and GM positions in one offseason. Ryan Poles technically arrived before Matt Eberflus in 2022, but he was not a key player in that search. Spytek, though, is the point man for the Raiders in-house, as he is running things locally while Tom Brady — who has been involved from afar since being approved as a minority owner in fall 2024 — made “five or six” appearances at the team facility in 2025, Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller estimated.
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Brady did play the lead role in the Raiders firing Tom Telesco and hiring Spytek, his former college teammate who later ended up in the Buccaneers’ front office during the QB legend’s Tampa stopover. Brady later led the Raiders’ pursuit of Ben Johnson and then played the central role in a failed Matthew Stafford recruitment. The 47-year-old QB retiree-turned-FOX analyst was believed to be against a Sam Darnold free agent signing, and he was a key figure in the trade for Geno Smith, per an agent of a Raiders player (via Kahler and McFadden). That certainly appeased Carroll, but the Carroll-Smith reunion backfired quickly.
Brady will continue to carry plenty of say with the Raiders, who are believed to be pursuing an offense-oriented HC to pair with expected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. But Spytek will be the one running things from inside, as Brady will continue with his FOX role for a third season in 2026.
“My preparation is very much centered around what I have to do in broadcasting,” Brady said of his Raiders role, via The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. “I love, obviously, having a chance to be involved with the Raiders. To be a former player and have a minority ownership is like a dream come true.
“I couldn’t afford to pay to be a general partner. I did very well in my career. It’s awesome to kind of help shape and strategize and be a visionary for a team. I love being involved in football.”
The Raiders will be expected to move on from Smith, who appears destined to follow Jimmy Garoppolo and Gardner Minshew as Vegas QB acquisitions to last one season. Although Smith signed a two-year, $75MM extension, it will cost the Raiders just $18.5MM in dead money to drop him. That amount would be lessened in the post-June 1 scenario.
Mendoza is the latest QB to rocket to the top sector of the draft with a dominant college season. The Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick, shelving Brock Bowers and, more controversially, Maxx Crosby (who has since undergone knee surgery for an injury he believed he could play through), for the season’s final two games. One of Mendoza’s Indiana coaches, co-OC/QBs coach Chandler Whitmer is a name to monitor regarding a Raiders role, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore tweets.
Whitmer, 34, was on all three Brandon Staley Chargers staffs before landing with the Falcons in 2024. He joined the Hoosiers last year, and his role in Mendoza’s Heisman-winning season and the team’s 16-0 national championship season certainly brought a stock boost.
The Raiders, though, still have a head coach to hire before turning their attention to assistants. Brady heavily influenced Chip Kelly‘s move from the college ranks back to the NFL; that would make another college-to-NFL hire draw some scrutiny. The Raiders gave their one-and-done OC a $6MM-per-year deal only to fire him in-season. Kelly is now Northwestern’s OC.
Titans To Retain STC John Fassel; Team Firing Dennard Wilson, Nick Holz
New coaches coming in regularly leads to coordinator changes. Kevin Stefanski‘s decision to retain Jeff Ulbrich as Falcons DC is the exception, not the rule. It should come as no surprise, then, that Robert Saleh is starting anew with his top coordinator positions.
Saleh will not retain Titans OC Nick Holz or DC Dennard Wilson, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. Both were Brian Callahan hires who finished out the season in their respective roles, with Callahan being fired in October. Saleh, however, is not canning the entire staff.
[RELATED: 2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
John Fassel is staying on as special teams coordinator, Kuharsky adds. Also a Callahan hire, Fassel carries considerable experience. The former Raiders, Rams and Cowboys’ ST coordinator (and Los Angeles interim HC), Fassel joined the Titans in 2025. His contract runs for at least one more season, per Kuharsky.
The son of former Giants HC Jim Fassel, John has been an NFL ST coordinator since 2008. The Rams retained him in the role for eight seasons (2012-19), while the Cowboys employed him as such for the next five. It was believed Fassel had clamored for a head coaching interview, joining Wilson in that regard, but nothing happened. Still, he will be back under new leadership.
It is certainly not surprising to see Holz go. Saleh presented a detailed plan to ownership about Cam Ward‘s development, including what would happen if another team hired a Titans OC as a head coach. Holz served as a non-play-calling OC, to the point he was passed over for the role when Callahan’s job was in jeopardy and when he was fired. QBs coach Bo Hardegree finished the season as Tennessee’s play-caller. Holz, 41, spent 10 years on the Raiders’ staff before working as UNLV’s OC (2022) and Jaguars pass-game coordinator (2023). Brian Daboll is believed to be squarely on the radar for this job, though it is understandably his second choice — behind the Bills’ HC post.
Wilson, 43, called Titans defensive plays for the past two seasons. He has been a bigger name than Holz on the coaching circuit, interviewing for the Packers, Giants and Rams’ positions in 2024 and speaking with the Commanders about their current vacancy. The Titans ranked 30th and 28th in scoring defense over the past two years, respectively, but Wilson’s unit did rank second in yardage in 2024. Tennessee crashed down to 21st there in 2025.
Wilson is believed to have suitors about a 2026 landing spot, according to the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard, who matches him to the Giants. New York preferred either Wilson or Bobby Babich to ex-Titans DC Shane Bowen in 2024. Wilson worked for John Harbaugh as Ravens DBs coach in 2023. He has not interviewed for that position, but it would not surprise if Harbaugh wanted to meet with him. Ex-Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver has also come up about that DC post. Ditto Daronte Jones, who will not be promoted to Vikings DC unless Brian Flores — extended this week — lands a head coaching gig.
Additionally, the Titans are not retaining defensive assistant Lori Locust, Kuharsky notes. One of a handful of female assistant coaches around the league, Locust was a Mike Vrabel holdover who also worked as the Buccaneers’ assistant defensive line coach from 2019-22.
Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, Kingsbury, Webb, 49ers, Falcons, Petzing, Lions, Fraley, Jaguars, Commanders
As the Steelers and Bills’ searches get underway, the Browns, Cardinals and Raiders’ processes have shifted into the background a bit. Two candidates (Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter) pulled out of the Cleveland search, while Kevin Stefanski exited the Vegas derby. No known candidates have interviewed for the Arizona job and withdrawn, but insider Jordan Schultz still expects the NFC West team to have a difficult time attracting a quality candidate. Citing an organizational reputation in paying lower-end money to coaches, as evidenced most recently by Jonathan Gannon‘s bottom-tier HC salary, Schultz also points to the Cardinals’ standing in the NFC West as a deterrent to candidates. The division produced three playoff teams this season, and the Cards have not booked a postseason berth since 2021. They also carry a significant QB decision, with some of Kyler Murray‘s 2026 money guaranteed. It is not a lock Murray will be traded or released, but the next HC has a sketchier path to landing a successor due to this draft’s makeup.
Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:
- The Cardinals’ three-year OC, Drew Petzing, landed on his feet by winning the race for the Lions‘ play-calling post. Petzing can thank former Vikings coworker Hank Fraley, in no small part, for this job. Detroit’s O-line coach made a recommendation for Petzing, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds the Lions’ push to keep Fraley — an OC candidate last year — made his word valuable on this year’s carousel. The Lions wanted some familiarity in their hire, Breer adds. While Petzing has never worked with Dan Campbell, his past with Fraley helped. Detroit was burned by familiarity last year, as John Morton‘s second Lions stint did not work out. But they will try their hand with Arizona’s previous play-caller (and ex-Vikings Mike Zimmer-era staffer).
- Jeff Ulbrich intends to retain some of his staffers under Stefanski. The second-year Falcons DC appears set on keeping DBs coach Justin Hood. The 49ers requested a meeting with Hood for a high-ranking job, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, but the Falcons blocked it. (This would not have been for a DC job, as the Falcons could not block that.) Hood, 39, has only been in the NFL since 2021 and was not an Ulbrich hire. Hood was part of Jimmy Lake‘s defensive staff in 2024; prior to that, he was a three-year quality control coach with the Packers. But he is now an Atlanta priority.
- Davis Webb remains in the Raiders’ HC search and has been connected to the Bills, impressing in interviews. The third-year Broncos QBs coach cannot complete another interview until next week, but a potential pairing with an OC has come up. Webb linking up with Kliff Kingsbury has circulated as a possibility, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would be interesting given the experience disparity, as Kingsbury was Webb’s coach at Texas Tech. Webb, 30, played under Kingsbury, 46, for three seasons in Lubbock before transferring to Cal in 2016. Kingsbury is no longer in the running for any HC jobs but has been linked to the Ravens and Titans’ OC posts.
- The Commanders are making another key promotion on their offensive staff. Darnell Stapleton, part of Dan Quinn‘s first two staffs, is moving up to the offensive line coach position, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets. Stapleton, 40, spent the past two years as Washington’s assistant O-line coach. That was his first NFL job, having come to the NFL after two seasons as Florida’s O-line coach. Stapleton has worked closely with new OC David Blough since coming to D.C., per Graziano. Shane Toub is moving into Stapleton’s former position. The son of longtime Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub, Shane spent the past three seasons as a quality control staffer. Dan Quinn kept him from Ron Rivera‘s final staff and is now promoting him to a position coaching role.
- The Jaguars are hiring Dolphins cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Among the Jets’ DC candidates, Araujo evidently will not land that job. Araujo reunites with former Dolphins coworker Anthony Campanile, though the Jags’ current DC is still up for the Cardinals’ HC job. Araujo was on all four McDaniel Miami staffs, three of those including Campanile.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/22/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers
- TE Hayden Rucci
Leal spent four seasons with the Steelers, starting six games over his first two. The 2022 third-round pick only saw action in nine Pittsburgh games over the past two campaigns. He has one career sack. Leal has, however, offered some versatility, seeing regular time on the edge and at defensive tackle in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme.
Falcons Request Joe Douglas GM Meeting
The NFL currently does not feature a second-chance GM. The two most recent such execs — Trent Baalke, Tom Telesco — were fired early in the 2025 offseason. But the Falcons will consider one.
Atlanta sent an interview request to Philadelphia staffer Joe Douglas, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. The former Jets GM has settled back into a role on Howie Roseman‘s Eagles staff, as a senior personnel director; this marks his first interview request since his 2024 Jets firing.
Matt Ryan is heading up the Falcons’ front office, and Kevin Stefanski is helping guide the team to a GM. This setup will naturally make this GM role less impactful than most others. But with Ryan not having any experience, the Falcons are naturally seeking a seasoned staffer to pair with he and Stefanski.
Douglas, 49, was part of Roseman’s Super Bowl LII-winning front office before landing the Jets’ GM job in 2019. Douglas took that job after the Jets had a head coach (Adam Gase) in place. The Jets fired Gase following the 2020 season, giving Douglas the chance to hire his own coach. That became Robert Saleh in 2021, and this partnership became memorable for the wrong reasons.
Although the arrangement deteriorated in 2024, the Jets did build a strong defense during Douglas’ time. Douglas was not in place for the team’s Quinnen Williams draft choice, but he did select Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald. Douglas also was in place when the Jets added All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams and steady cornerback starter D.J. Reed. Douglas drafted Garrett Wilson as well, though another Wilson he chose came to define his tenure.
Douglas made the mistake of trading Sam Darnold upon earning the 2021 No. 2 overall pick. That became Zach Wilson, a megabust who largely sank Saleh’s tenure. The Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers in 2023, and after the all-time great’s Achilles tear prompted Woody Johnson to give Saleh and Douglas a mulligan, the owner fired both in 2024. Johnson fired Saleh without Douglas’ approval in October 2024 and then canned Douglas, after largely stripping the GM of power that year, weeks later. This period included the infamous Madden-rating story involving Johnson, one that prompted Douglas to allegedly say he “answer(ed) to a teenager (Brick Johnson). The Eagles rehired Douglas in May.
With the Falcons announcing their interviews with James Liipfert and Andy Weidl are complete, here is how their GM search looks so far:
- Mike Bradway, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interview requested
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interview requested
- Joe Douglas, senior personnel director (Eagles): Interview requested
- James Liipfert, assistant general manager (Texans): Interviewed 1/22
- Andy Weidl, assistant general manager (Steelers): Interviewed 1/22
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interview requested
Bills QB Josh Allen May Undergo Procedure On Foot
The Bills’ press conference with owner Terry Pegula and general manager Brandon Beane drew a lot of headlines on Wednesday, but one piece of information seems to have slipped under the radar.
Beane revealed (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe) that star quarterback Josh Allen may undergo a procedure on his foot this offseason. It is not expected to affect his availability for OTAs.
Allen’s foot injury popped up in Week 17 and sidelined him for multiple practices in Week 18. The issue continued to hamper Allen for the rest of the season, though he did not appear to be playing with any limitations in the playoffs.
The 2024 MVP has not missed a game due to injury since his rookie year. His only absences have been games at the end of the season with the Bills’ playoff qualification and seeding already set.
Allen’s procedure should not alarm anyone in Buffalo. Even if he were to miss any offseason training time as he recovers, it seems extremely unlikely to affect his availability beyond mandatory minicamp.
Lions OL Dan Skipper Announces Retirement
Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his retirement via Instagram on Thursday.
The 31-year-old spent time with seven different teams in his seven-year career, though he is best known for his time in Detroit. He signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2017, but eventually made his way to Detroit for his NFL debut later that year. Skipper spent time with the Broncos and Patriots over the next two seasons before seeing his next regular-season action with the Texans in 2019.
Skipper returned to Detroit in 2019 where he would spend the rest of his career aside from brief stints with the Raiders and Colts. In 2022, he made his first start at left guard; he would go on to start five games that year, all at guard, a position he had not played in the NFL. Skipper then served as the Lions’ swing tackle from 2023 to 2025 with 10 starts at left tackle in the last two years.
The Lions also introduced Skipper’s now-signature role as the Lions’ sixth offensive linemen in 2022. Then-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would frequently roll out ‘jumbo’ packages which would typically feature Skipper as an extra blocker. He would occasionally run a route and caught two passes, including a touchdown in 2023. The strategy often confused the defense and sometimes the referees. It also made Skipper beloved among Lions fans.
Injuries were a factor in Skipper’s decision, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network. He will now move into coaching and already has his first gig set up as the offensive line and tight ends coach for the East/West Shrine Bowl next week.
At 6-foot-10, Skipper was also the NFL’s tallest active player. That title is now passed to a number of players who all stand at 6-foot-8.
Pats WR Mack Hollins Returns To Practice
Mack Hollins could be available to the Patriots in time for this week’s AFC title game. The veteran receiver has returned to practice, as noted by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. 
An abdomen injury suffered in December landed Hollins on injured reserve late in the regular season. That ensured an absence of at least four games stretching into the start of the playoffs. With New England managing to win at home in the wild-card and divisional rounds, though, a return to action is now in play.
Hollins has played for six teams (including three in the AFC East) over the course of his career. He landed a two-year deal in free agency last offseason to join the Patriots, a move which has proved worthwhile. In 15 games during his first New England season, Hollins posted 550 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 46 catches.
Those totals fall short of his career-best Raiders output from 2022, but they demonstrate Hollins’ importance to New England’s passing attack. Having the 32-year-old back in the fold in time Sunday’s game against a strong Broncos defense could prove to be critical. Overall, the Patriots have 21 days to activate Hollins so a win this week would still leave the door open to a Super Bowl return.
New England has Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte – who ranked first and second in regular season receiving yards by wideouts on the team – in place. Diggs topped 1,000 yards during his debut Patriots campaign, while Boutte’s one-handed touchdown against the Texans played a key role in ensuring the team would advance to this week’s AFC championship. Receiving a secondary contribution from Hollins would of course be welcomed.
The former fourth-rounder is one of three players whose practice windows are currently open. The Patriots have six IR activations available with no more than two games remaining in their season.
Dolphins Request OC Interview With Texans QBs Coach Jerrod Johnson
The Dolphins have requested to interview Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for their offensive coordinator vacancy, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
This is the first official interview request for Johnson, though he is drawing from other teams as well, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson. The 37-year-old is a former quarterback who spent time with seven NFL teams, though he never appeared in a regular-season game.
After ending his playing career in 2016, Johnson took coaching fellowships with the 49ers (2017) and the Colts (2019). The latter opportunity turned into a full-time job as an offensive quality control coach. Johnson then took over as the assistant quarterbacks coach in Minnesota in 2022 before moving to Houston to develop first-round pick C.J. Stroud in 2023.
Stroud’s rookie season is certainly a feather in Johnson’s cap, but his regression over the last two years offers some reason for concern. Stroud has taken a step back in nearly every statistical category from his rookie season, though he only took 23 sacks in 2025 after 90 in his first two seasons.
The Dolphins also submitted a request to interview Cowboys assistant special teams coach Carlos Polk for their special teams coordinator vacancy, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Polk has held his current title with five different NFL teams dating back to 2010. This is his second stint in Dallas; he worked under Jason Garrett in 2019 before joining Brian Schottenheimer‘s staff last offseason.
Titans Seeking Experienced OC
Almost every head coaching candidate the Titans spoke to had experience in the position at the NFL level. Robert Saleh‘s staff will unsurprisingly target a veteran play-caller on offense as well. 
So far, the Titans have been connected to former head coaches Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll with respect to their offensive coordinator position. Daboll’s top OC destination appears to be Tennessee, although he is also interested in returning to the Bills as their head coach. The list of Titans targets is set to expand shortly.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Tennessee’s options include former Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Packers OC Adam Stenavich and Dolphins pass-game coordinator Bobby Slowik. Each have them has been a coordinator at the pro level before, and all but Stenavich have called plays during at least one NFL stint.
Kingsbury has conducted multiple head coaching interviews recently, and he was among the staffers linked to Tennessee in that regard. The former Cardinals HC also met with the Ravens about their offensive coordinator position. Without a hire taking place on either front, Kingsbury remains on the market at this point. His NFL stints have included time overseeing the development of quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels, and working closely with Cam Ward during his second year and beyond will be a top priority for any OC hire.
Smith also met with the Titans early in their head coaching search. The 43-year-old was then linked to OC vacancies in Detroit and Los Angeles. The Lions and Chargers (provided Mike McDaniel does not land a head coaching position) have filled them, however. Smith thus looms as another offensive coordinator option with experience not only as a play-caller but as a head coach as well.
Slowik, 39, followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco to Houston in 2023. During his two seasons as the Texans’ offensive coordinator, Slowik’s unit ranked 13th and then 19th in scoring. He received an interview request from the Eagles, but one could also be coming shortly from the Titans. Stenavich has been with the Packers since Matt LaFleur‘s arrival in 2019. For the past four seasons, he has operated as Green Bay’s offensive coordinator (albeit without calling plays).
The Titans ranked 30th in total and scoring offense in 2025. Improving on the team’s showing under former head coach Brian Callahan and interim replacement Mike McCoy will be a major priority for next season, and a veteran OC will likely be leaned on to lead the way.