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Falcons Request Robert Saleh HC Interview; Team To Speak With Mike Disner For Football Operations Role

By | at January 8, 2026 12:12 pm

The Falcons have a vacancy at the head coach and general manager positions. Atlanta will also soon have a new president of football operations.

A hire for the football ops role will take place before the other positions are filled. Matt Ryan remains the favorite in that capacity, but other options are (as required) being explored as well. Interviews will take place beginning today. Ian Cunningham (Bears) has received an interview request. The same is also true of Josh Williams (49ers), while Brandt Tilis (Panthers) will speak with Atlanta about the gig.

A fifth candidate has emerged for the new front office spot. Lions COO Mike Disner will interview today for the president of football operations gig, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. Cunningham’s interview will take place tomorrow, he adds. All five will have spoken with Atlanta by the end of Friday; a hire will be expected shortly thereafter.

Disner began working in the NFL with the Cardinals in 2013. His six-year run in Arizona was followed by a move to Detroit. Disner has been with the Lions since 2019, previously serving as the team’s senior vice president of football and business operations. Since 2022, he has worked in his current capacity. Disner was connected to the Panthers’ GM opening in 2024 but withdrew from consideration.

As for Atlanta’s head coaching search, another interview request has been filed. According to Breer, the Falcons are among the teams looking to speak with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. An interview cannot take place until next week in his case, but Saleh figures to be busy fielding interest from a number of teams. He has already received an interview request from the Cardinals, and more are expected over the coming days.

Saleh, 46, gained steam as a head coaching candidate during his first stint leading San Francisco’s defense (2017-20). Things did not go as planned with the Jets, but Saleh is among the top options in terms of coaches who could land a second HC opportunity during the 2026 hiring cycle. Atlanta went the route of a veteran, defense-oriented coach last time around by reuniting with Raheem Morris. It will be interesting to see if a similar approach is taken this year.

7 comments Atlanta Falcons Detroit Lions San Francisco 49ers

Giants To Interview Antonio Pierce

By | at January 8, 2026 11:23 am

The Giants are interviewing their former linebacker and ex-Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce for their head coaching vacancy on Thursday and Friday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Pierce, 47, began his NFL playing career as a Commanders undrafted free agent. He emerged as a starter in his fourth season and parlayed that into a multi-year deal with the Giants. Pierce started 94 games over the next five years, including a Pro Bowl nod in 2006 and a Super Bowl victory in 2007. He retired from playing after the 2009 season.

Pierce then began his coaching career, first as the head coach at Long Beach Poly, one of the most prestigious high school football programs in the country. He was then hired by Arizona State to wear multiple hats as a coach and recruiter, but his activites in the latter role force his resignation before the 2022 season amid an NCAA investigation. Pierce was then hired by then-Raiders HC Josh McDaniels as the team’s new linebackers coach. Las Vegas tapped Pierce as their interim HC after McDaniels’ Halloween firing in 2023, and the team went 5-4 to close out the season. That helped Pierce earn the permanent job for the 2024 season, but a 4-13 record got him fired.

His connection with the Giants makes Pierce an intriguing (and perhaps sentimental) choice, similar to the Jets hiring ex-cornerback Aaron Glenn last offseason. But he only has one-and-a-half seasons as a head coach, and his full season in charge of the Raiders did not go well. He was deal with a bad roster, and you could argue Las Vegas was using him as a placeholder as they decided their long-term direction. Pierce will likely need to impress New York’s decision-makers in his interview(s) to show he can build the culture and scheme the team is looking for.

The Giants are also conducting a multi-day initial interview with former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. He will then meet more members of the team’s search committee on Friday.

20 comments New York Giants

Ravens To Conduct HC Interview With Davis Webb, Matt Nagy

By | at January 8, 2026 8:53 am

Vance Joseph is not the only Broncos staffer drawing attention early in the head coaching hiring cycle. Davis Webb is now on the radar of at least three teams.

The Ravens will conduct an interview with Webb this afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The virtual summit will come shortly after Joseph speaks with the Ravens. This represents the third HC vacancy Webb has been connected to over the past few days.

Denver’s quarterbacks coach/pass-game coordinator has already interviewed with the Raiders for their opening. Webb, 30, was also recently mentioned as a name to watch regarding the Giants. The former quarterback has increasingly gained traction as a head coaching candidate in short order. Webb has worked with Sean Payton during each of his three seasons at the helm of the Broncos, generating interest as a presumed offensive coordinator target but also, as it turns out, an in-demand staffer when it comes to early HC interviews.

The Ravens will look into Webb but also one of the more experienced coaches in the 2026 pool. Chiefs OC Matt Nagy will interview with Baltimore on Sunday, per Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Nagy has been linked to the Giants while also arranging a number of other interviews. He will speak with Raiders, Titans and Cardinals over the next two days.

Nagy’s stint leading the Bears came to an end following the 2021 season. Since then, the 47-year-old has been with Kansas City for the second time in his career, serving as QBs coach for one year before replacing Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. Webb, like Joseph, faces restrictions on the timing of his interviews and a potential hire with the Broncos in the playoffs. Nagy, by contrast, is free to interview with and (if applicable) join a HC-needy team at any time.

Here is an updated look at the Ravens’ search for their John Harbaugh replacement:

  • Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): To interview 1/8
  • Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Mentioned as candidate
  • Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interview requested
  • Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): To interview 1/11
  • Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interview requested
  • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): To interview 1/8
3 comments Baltimore Ravens Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs

John Harbaugh Didn’t Lose Locker Room?

By | at January 7, 2026 11:13 pm

In an appearance today on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter pushed back on one of the narratives that gained traction in the wake of John Harbaugh‘s dismissal in Baltimore. As McAfee suggested the insiders had seen this coming, Schefter voiced his dissent to the notion Harbaugh had lost the locker room.

“I don’t think that information right there could be any…less true,” Schefter exclaimed. “The players were coming to his office, crying, hugging him, sending him ‘goodbyes,’ calling him one by one. If they felt that way, why are Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely and all these players coming in crying, hugging him, giving him these long, warm goodbyes. I’m not buying it.”

[RELATED: Assessing Lamar Jackson’s Role In Ravens’ Coaching Decision]

As the interview continued, McAfee appealed to one of his frequent guests, former NFL center A.Q. Shipley to back up what Schefter was claiming. Shipley, who played for Harbaugh and the Ravens back in 2013, the second season of his eight-year career, called Harbaugh his favorite coach, after which Schefter chimed in to say that “that would be consistent with the type of things” that he had heard from other players. Shipley pointed to instances in which Harbaugh had his players’ backs and spoke to the respect that those moments garnered within Shipley and his teammates.

As McAfee went on to question why the departure would occur, if that were the case, Schefter mused on the concept that, sometimes, it’s just time for a change. He pointed to the Broncos as a two-time example of this fact, first utilizing the example of Dan Reeves. Reeves coached Denver for the first 12 years of his coaching career, amassed a 110-73-1 record, made the playoffs six times, won the division five times, advanced to the AFC Championship four times, and advanced to three Super Bowls but lost all three. Then-owner Pat Bowlen opted to part ways with Reeves and promoted Wade Phillips. Though, two years later Bowlen circled back to Mike Shanahan, who would win back-to-back Super Bowls shortly after, the first championships in franchise history.

Later on, in Denver, John Fox stepped in as head coach, and in a short, four-year stint went 46-18, winning the AFC West every season but losing his only Super Bowl appearance in 2013. Once again, the Broncos decided to move on from success, and Gary Kubiak won them their third Super Bowl the next year. Harbaugh had so much success up front, winning nine playoff games in his first five years, but as the franchise concluded his 18th season seeing only four more playoff wins in the 13 years since their Super Bowl victory, it’s clear there was a similar feeling with owner Steve Bisciotti.

It’s not all gloom for Harbaugh, though, as Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports that nine suitors have already emerged for Harbaugh; there are only seven open jobs in the NFL right now, including Baltimore. That means three teams with head coaches in place already have kicked the tires to inquire about his possible interest. The Dolphins are one such team, per Vacchiano, though Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald pushes back on that notion, “citing people on both sides.” And, though the other teams remain unnamed, Vacchiano also mentions “a big push” that could come from a team “playing this weekend in the wild-card playoff round.”

Harbaugh has most notably been made the No. 1 target for the Giants. They’ve made it no small secret that they are interested in hiring him, and according to Vacchiano, “they are high on Harbaugh’s list,” too. A source from the team claimed, “They have no reason to believe that Harbaugh is not seeking excessive power in the organization or that he feels he wouldn’t be able to work with (general manager Joe Schoen).” And, though Harbaugh has yet to set a meeting with the team, NFL insider Gary Myers backs Vacchiano’s report up, saying himself that Harbaugh “has genuine interest” in the job in New York. In fact, Harbaugh hasn’t made meetings yet with any teams, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the 63-year-old free agent is not expected to take part in any interviews until next week.

In Baltimore, though, the Ravens have hit the ground running in search of only the fourth head coach in franchise history. Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are both names that have come to the forefront early, but according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is a name to watch out for as the hiring process picks up. Kubiak is the only one of the three not to have already worked in Baltimore or coached on the defensive side of the ball. Weaver was assistant head coach/defensive line coach for the Ravens not long ago, while Minter worked with the team’s defensive backs from 2017-20.

What’s interesting is that all three candidates have zero head coaching experience. That’s obviously not something that scares off the Ravens, though, considering Harbaugh’s 18 years for the team were his first in a head coaching role. What’s more important, it seems, is the potential that Weaver or Minter could be able to reestablish the defensive identity that made Baltimore such a feared opponent in Harbaugh’s early years, or the idea that an offensive-minded candidate like Kubiak may be just what Lamar Jackson needs to deliver the franchise’s third Super Bowl, one that Jackson promised the day they took him as the last pick in the first round.

22 comments Baltimore Ravens Miami Dolphins New York Giants

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Facing Domestic Violence Allegations

By | at January 7, 2026 9:55 pm

After starting his season with a six-game suspension and ending it on injured reserve due to lingering concussion symptoms, Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice may not be done with his legal troubles. According to Nick Sloan of KMBC 9 News, Rice is being accused of domestic violence by Dacoda Nichole, his ex-girlfriend of eight years.

In the post, Nichole displayed a series of photos showing injuries she alleges were caused by Rice. The text of the post claimed that the alleged abuse had been ongoing throughout the span of their eight-year relationship. Rice has not been charged with anything to this point in time, but the situation has evolved to a point wherein the league will intervene and, likely, investigate.

The Chiefs released a statement (per Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star), saying, “The club is aware of the allegations on social media and is in communication with the National Football League. We have no further comment at this time.”

Rice is no stranger to legal troubles. His six-game absence to open the season stemmed from a series of incidents in the 2024 offseason. It started when Rice was the driver of vehicle that caused a chain reaction collision, and Rice chose to hit and run. He ended up taking a plea bargain pleading guilty to two third-degree felonies for collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He followed that up with an incident at a club in Dallas, where he allegedly punched a photographer, though no arrests were made or charges filed.

Again, no charges have been filed with today’s allegations, either, but the charges may not be totally necessary for the NFL to take action. As Rice is starting to become a bit of a frequent flier with the league’s disciplinary committees, the results of their investigations may be enough for them to choose to levy another suspension.

50 comments Kansas City Chiefs

2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 7, 2026 9:50 pm

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Here are the candidates connected to all eight of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-12-26 (9:0am CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

10 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants PFR Originals Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

Falcons Interested In John Harbaugh; Latest On Giants’ Pursuit

By | at January 7, 2026 9:45 pm

It took no time for former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to draw interest from other NFL teams.

No club appears to be more invested than the Giants, who are “all-in” in securing the 62-year-old coach, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. They were among the first teams with reported interest, though several followed suit. Among them are the Falcons, who are “increasingly interested,” according to Hughes.

Teams will be looking to move fast to secure Harbaugh’s services. He could meet with the Giants as early as this weekend (via The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor), as they have already begun interviewing their candidates. Their other potential hires include ex-Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was seen as an early frontrunner before Harbaugh became available.

Harbaugh may have a similar effect on other head coaching searches. That could raise questions about the NFL’s Rooney Rule, especially if a team fires their current head coach to hire Harbaugh. They would still have to interview at least two minority candidates under the Rooney Rule, but those would clearly be shams, resulting in declined interviews and/or punishment from the NFL. Going to New York or Atlanta, who already have openings and interview requests out to multiple minority candidates, might be the cleanest outcome.

Like the Giants, the Falcons have a young quarterback in place, though he may not have the same affinity for Michael Penix Jr. that he reportedly does for Jaxson Dart. But Atlanta’s roster is stocked with young talent on both sides of the ball that would keep Harbaugh out of a rebuilding situation he would likely prefer to avoid. New York seems like a bigger risk for that kind of scenario, though Harbaugh may also want to spearhead a rebuild for his second act, too. And of course, even a single offseason of heavy investment via the trade, free agency, and the trade market could get the Giants back in playoff contention next year.

Of course, Harbaugh will still need to close the deal in his interviews. He is going in with the huge advantage of his pedigree and the respect he commands around the NFL, but the Ravens did not fire him for no reason. He will need to prove he can still remain adaptable to the modern league and continue to connect with players four decades his junior.

20 comments Atlanta Falcons New York Giants

Buccaneers To Retain HC Todd Bowles; New OC In Play

By | at January 7, 2026 9:39 pm

Although the Buccaneers won their Week 18 game over the Panthers, the Falcons’ four-game win streak ultimately did them in. Carolina advanced to the wild-card round due to the NFC South’s three-way tiebreaker at 8-9, leaving Tampa Bay out of the bracket for the first time since Jameis Winston‘s 2019 finale.

Reports ahead of the Bucs’ Week 18 game tabbed Todd Bowles as more likely to stay, despite the team’s collapse, and the veteran HC confirmed as much to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Bowles will be back for a fifth season as Bucs HC. Staff changes, however, are coming.

Bowles, 62, confirmed there will be changes. The prospect of the Bucs having yet another new offensive coordinator is in play, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the team has kicked around the idea of pairing Bowles with a new OC hire and potentially changes on the defensive side.

Josh Grizzard was believed to be on the hot seat closing out his first season as the team’s offensive play-caller. The defensive changes could include a coordinator, but as it stands, that job is vacant. Bowles calls the Bucs’ defensive plays, and the former Super Bowl-winning DC is still highly regarded there.

Bowles signed a through-2028 extension this past offseason, and the prospect of firing a coach with three years left on a contract was believed to factor into the team’s decision. The Bucs slunk from 6-2 to 7-9, failing to win another NFC South title despite the division underwhelming yet again. But Bowles is poised to have at least one more chance. This will make him the first Bucs HC to coach a fifth season since Jon Gruden‘s seven-year tenure.

The Bucs have continued to pour resources into retaining their core, regularly extending and re-signing starters while relying little on outside acquisitions. That strategy limited the Colts for a while, and the team ultimately deviated. The Bucs have enjoyed more success in that area, in part because the Saints-Falcons-Panthers trio has struggled for most of this decade, and Bowles won a playoff game as HC when the Bucs ousted the Eagles in the 2023 wild-card round. But the team has stagnated since, leading to speculation about the HC’s future.

Tampa Bay has employed a different OC in each of Bowles’ first four seasons. They fired Byron Leftwich after the 2022 season, and both Dave Canales and Liam Coen booked head coaching jobs on the back of strong Baker Mayfield seasons. Tampa Bay opted for continuity rather than an outside hire this past offseason, promoting Grizzard to the OC role. The team started strong but ran into a host of injuries. The Bucs played much of the season without wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. Bucky Irving also missed a chunk of his second season.

Offensive line issues also hounded the team, with Stroud adding ownership factored these into the decision to retain Bowles. These limitations clearly affected the offense, but the Bucs also lost late-season contests with their optimal skill-position corps available. That will turn up the heat on Grizzard.

The Bucs regressed from third to 21st in total offense from 2024 to ’25 and fourth to 18th in scoring. Grizzard being fired after an injury-plagued season would represent a tough beat, but with Bowles’ seat warming, he may need to make a move to better ensure improvement. A similar offensive cast should return in 2026, though Evans is again out of contract. As is Cade Otton. That could bring challenges for the next Bucs OC or if Grizzard manages to stay on, though the team regularly has shown the ability to re-sign pending FAs.

Bowles has not employed a true DC during his tenure, having moved from that role to his HC position midway through the 2022 offseason. The Bucs, though, did rank 20th in points allowed this season. The team lost four straight to opponents with losing records, bottoming out with a Week 15 loss to the Falcons. If nothing else, Fowler adds defensive staff additions — potentially south of the coordinator level — are being considered.

Staving off firing rumors in the past, Bowles will probably be on one of the league’s hottest seats entering the 2026 season. The defensive-minded leader will be tasked with elevating the Bucs past their place as a second-tier NFC contender, where they have resided since Tom Brady‘s unretirement.

9 comments Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/26

By | at January 7, 2026 9:37 pm

Today saw four teams establish reserve/futures deals for next year:

Cincinnati Bengals

  • WR Dohnte Meyers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

1 comment Cincinnati Bengals Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants San Francisco 49ers Transactions Washington Commanders

Latest On Falcons’ Firings Of Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris

By | at January 7, 2026 9:36 pm

Although the Falcons ended the season on a four-game winning streak, it was not enough to save general manager Terry Fontenot or head coach Raheem Morris. Hours after wrapping up an 8-9 season, the Falcons fired the duo on Sunday night.

There was cautious optimism on the Falcons’ staff that the club’s late surge would prevent a housecleaning, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, that small sample of success came after the Falcons had already been eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. It wasn’t enough to convince owner Arthur Blank to give Fontenot or Morris another shot in 2026.

Blank’s Falcons have now gone eight straight years without earning a postseason berth. Fontenot was atop the team’s front office for five of those seasons, all of which ended with either seven or eight wins.

Morris had a shorter leash than Fontenot, lasting just two seasons as Arthur Smith‘s successor. He received his walking papers after overseeing back-to-back 8-9 campaigns.

Fontenot’s handling of the quarterback position helped lead to his undoing in Atlanta. The move to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM guaranteed in March 2024 backfired. Fontenot took the gamble just five months after Cousins’ last season with the Vikings ended with a torn Achilles. In reworking Cousins’ contract on Tuesday, the Falcons all but guaranteed that they’ll release the 37-year-old sometime in the next two months.

Atlanta pulled the plug on Cousins as its starter late in his first season with the team. Fontenot stunningly used the eighth overall pick on former Indiana and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. mere weeks after signing Cousins. With Cousins posting lackluster production and struggling to stay healthy in his first 14 starts in 2024, Morris replaced him with Penix.

While Penix retained the job this year, he underwhelmed before his season ended with a partially torn left ACL in Week 11. It added to a long line of health woes for the left-handed Penix, who tore his right ACL twice and suffered season-ending injuries to both shoulders in college. His most recent knee injury “dinged Fontenot’s draft profile a bit,” Fowler writes.

When healthy, Penix hasn’t necessarily looked the part of a franchise passer. The 25-year-old has put up a 59.6 completion percentage with 7.2 yards per attempt, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 85.8 rating in 14 games. However, Morris’ firing may give Penix a better chance to unlock his potential.

In speaking with “multiple scouts and coaches,” Fowler heard that the Falcons’ offense under Morris and coordinator Zac Robinson wasn’t the right fit for Penix. The scheme didn’t make good enough use of his arm strength, those individuals told Fowler.

With Fontenot and Morris gone, it’ll be up to a new regime to decide how to proceed with Penix. The Falcons haven’t found a franchise QB since Matt Ryan‘s 14-year run as their signal-caller ended in 2021. Five years later, Ryan is likely to return to Atlanta as its president of football operations. In taking on that position, Ryan would have plenty of say over Penix’s future.

20 comments Atlanta Falcons
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