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Ben Johnson (Coach)

Coaching Notes: Bears, Jaguars, Allen, Patriots, Lake

January 9th, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

GM-centric workflow models are more common in the modern NFL than those that start with head coaches, though some teams still have their sideline leaders atop the personnel pyramid. The Bears are not one of them, and it does not sound like they intend to change that after this search concludes. Chairman George McCaskey confirmed (via the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs) the team’s next HC will still report to GM Ryan Poles, who will report to president Kevin Warren.

This will close the door on a coach power play or a change in which both the Bears’ HC and GM would report to Warren. The top-down model being non-negotiable could affect the franchise’s search to some degree, though the Bears have used this setup for a while. Additionally, the Bears’ first round of interviews will be entirely virtual, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. This applies to unattached coaches, who are not bound by league rules mandating virtual meetings before January 20, the day after the divisional round wraps.

Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:

  • A Monday report did not make it clear if the Patriots would fire Alex Van Pelt along with Jerod Mayo, but the veteran OC apparently told friends shortly after the Bills matchup he and the HC were each fired, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes. This is not yet official, but coordinator statuses can go quiet as teams search for new HCs. Mayo had criticized Van Pelt during the season, leading to hot seat rumors. But the play-caller had drawn praise for his work with Drake Maye. The Patriots should expect plenty of staff turnover, the Globe’s Nicole Yang adds. That is generally the norm, but the Pats retained several staffers following their Bill Belichick-to-Mayo transition.
  • Ben Johnson is set to go through a four-pack of interviews between Friday and Saturday, as summits with the Patriots, Raiders (both Friday) and Bears and Jaguars (Saturday) loom. Buzz around the league points to Johnson being intrigued by the Jacksonville job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes, but the in-demand assistant might want his own GM. The Lions’ OC has been notoriously picky when it comes to a job, and although more noise has come about him taking one during this cycle, Trent Baalke being retained could throw a wrench into the Jags’ process. It would seem unlikely if the Jags allowed Baalke to remain GM if Johnson preferred that not remain the case, and a Wednesday report indicated the team could be open to kicking Baalke to another role. That said, Fowler adds some among the Jags are skeptical a coach could run a power play to boot Baalke from his four-year post.
  • Not much has come out about Dennis Allen‘s future post-New Orleans, but the recently fired Saints leader may have another DC chance again soon. The Colts have come up as an interested party, Fowler adds, noting the three-year Saints HC should be a candidate for the Indy DC job. The team has yet to conduct an interview, but Allen has been either a head coach or DC for most of the past 14 years. The Saints had played well defensively leading up to this season, with Allen at the helm when the team repaired a porous unit in the late 2010s.
  • No Falcons coordinator changes have come out, but some in the league are keeping an eye on their DC situation, Fowler notes. Raheem Morris did not definitively endorse Jimmy Lake for a second year. Morris brought the former Washington Huskies HC with him from the Rams’ staff, doing the same with OC Zac Robinson. After improving under one-and-done DC Ryan Nielsen, the Falcons dropped to 23rd in scoring defense and yards allowed under Lake, a first-time NFL coordinator.

Jaguars Preparing Aggressive Ben Johnson Pursuit; Kliff Kingsbury On Radar?

January 8th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:38pm: Johnson will take the Jaguars’ meeting, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. Also confirming Johnson will follow through with Bears and Patriots meetings, Russini adds Johnson’s Jags summit will occur during the Lions’ bye week. Johnson has since received a Raiders interview request, but no word has emerged he will take that interview. The Saints and Jets have not requested interviews.

9:05am: The Jaguars have sent out an interview request for Lions OC Ben Johnson. It is not yet known if the three-year Detroit play-caller will take the meeting; as of now, he has been tied to the Bears and Patriots’ HC openings. But the Jags do intend to make an aggressive play here.

Despite firing an offense-oriented HC (Doug Pederson) on Black Monday, Jacksonville is believed to be “all in” on Johnson, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. Johnson has been notoriously selective, and that should be expected to continue. After all, the Lions’ 15-2 season will keep the 38-year-old OC in demand despite his having jumped off the 2023 and ’24 HC carousels early.

Joe Brady, Liam Coen, Kellen Moore and Todd Monken join Johnson among offense-oriented candidates on the Jags’ radar. Although no interview request has come out, Pauline adds Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury is a name to monitor here. The former Cardinals HC said he is interested in returning to a top job, even though his first such chance ended badly. Jayden Daniels‘ presence would stand to allow Kingsbury to be choosey as well.

No Kingsbury interviews are on any team’s docket, and no team has requested one yet. That adds some mystery here, though the Bears — after meeting with Caleb Williams‘ 2023 QBs coach at USC for their OC position last year — are expected to huddle up with him once again at some point. Kingsbury elevating Trevor Lawrence would be the Jags’ hope here, as that will be perhaps the franchise’s chief aim after a 4-13 season.

One matter that could stand in the way of the Jags adding a hotshot offense-based candidate, Trent Baalke‘s status continues to be a talking point around the league. A Tuesday report indicated certain candidates would steer clear of the Jacksonville job because Baalke was retained, but Pauline indicates the fifth-year Jags GM might not be long for the position. Some around the NFL view Baalke’s retention as a way for Shad Khan to receive assistance in hiring the next HC and then see the embattled GM kick himself to another role within the organization.

GMs have transitioned to other jobs within buildings before, as Rich McKay and John Elway‘s transitions in the not-so-distant past remind. Baalke, 60, has also shown an ability to stick around when many expected an ouster. Baalke has been GM (of the 49ers and Jaguars) during the tenures of five HCs. That number reaching six should not be ruled out, but a scenario in which Baalke changes jobs while another GM is hired appears on the radar, at least.

That would stand to help the Jags with a Johnson pursuit, as a candidate with options certainly may express reservations about being tied to an in-house GM. For now, that would remain the case. But a Jags aggressive pursuit of the Lions’ OC probably includes flexibility in the GM role.

Raiders Request HC Interviews With Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn; Team Expected To Pursue Brian Flores

January 8th, 2025 at 9:29am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders had let Antonio Pierce speak with the media Monday, only to fire him a day later. The team will now shift focus to replacing another coach. Two big names are on the radar. The Raiders sent out interview requests for Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, SI.com’s Albert Breer reports. Another candidate is also likely to receive an interview slip.

Johnson is taking the interview, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz confirming the Detroit play-caller will meet with Las Vegas brass Friday. He is now set to meet virtually with four teams, also being on tap to talk with the Bears, Jaguars and Patriots between Friday and Saturday.

In addition to retaining GM Tom Telesco, the Raiders are set to give Tom Brady a clear voice in this search. That will be an interesting dynamic to monitor, and it also may shape where this search will go. Despite the team firing Josh McDaniels midway through the 2023 season, the Raiders are believed to be interested in another Bill Belichick disciple. The team is expected to pursue Brian Flores, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets.

Counting Rich Bisaccia, Mark Davis has now moved on from four HCs since October 2021. Pierce did receive a longer runway than the Patriots gave Jerod Mayo, as he was Las Vegas’ interim HC for nine games in 2023. But his inexperience showed. It should be expected the Raiders will target a seasoned candidate this time, though without a quarterback answer (and without a top-five pick to acquire one) and after heavy staff turnover this decade, questions loom about this job.

Johnson, 38, having been quite selective in the past will make this an interesting sales pitch on the Raiders’ part; the high-end candidate is again on track to be choosey. The only team on his interview list without a franchise QB hopeful, the Raiders may have a complicated sales pitch to complete.

Glenn, 52, has not been as picky in terms of meetings. Based on Glenn’s docket thus far, a Raiders meeting should be anticipated. Glenn has agreed to meet with four other teams (the Bears, Jaguars, Jets and Saints) this week. The Lions having booked a No. 1 seed means Glenn and Johnson can meet with HC-needy clubs virtually this week, whereas coaches on teams in wild-card matchups must wait until next week for virtual interviews to begin. The Raiders will likely attempt to schedule Glenn and Johnson meetings for this early window.

The Lions have ridden Johnson’s innovative offense to a 15-2 record, building on the climb they made in 2023. Glenn’s unit has stepped up this season. Despite losing Aidan Hutchinson in October, the Lions rank seventh in scoring defense. A fixture on recent HC carousels, Glenn now has real momentum and looks to have his best shot to date at landing a head coaching job.

A Flores pursuit would be quite interesting given his ties to the Patriots. Davis cleaned house on his Patriot Way plan midway through its second season, firing McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler hours after the 2023 trade deadline. Flores worked with both, with he and McDaniels being part of the Patriots’ coaching staff together across eight seasons. Flores, however, has done plenty since leaving Foxborough. He spent three years as the Dolphins’ HC, a tenure that led to a class-action discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams (one that is ongoing).

Flores, 43, has fared well as the Vikings’ DC; the 14-3 team’s defense ranks fifth in scoring. The former three-year Miami HC’s recent work has generated interest from other teams. It should be expected he would take a Raiders meeting — if an interview request eventually surfaces — as he said this week he would honor all interview requests.

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 8th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Six teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the now-HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-11-25 (11:05am CT)

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Patriots Arrange Mike Vrabel HC Interview, Met With Pep Hamilton For Job

January 7th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

After being passed over during the 2024 HC carousel, Mike Vrabel missing out this year would be borderline shocking. He has now been tied to every team with a vacancy; that includes the Raiders, who just made their Antonio Pierce firing official.

The Patriots, however, have made the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker and Titans HC their frontrunner. What stands to be a significant meeting is now on tap. Vrabel will meet with his former team Thursday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

New England has also already brought in another candidate, having met with former Colts and Texans OC Pep Hamilton, Rapoport and NFL.com colleague Tom Pelissero add. This comes after a Byron Leftwich meeting. While it comes across as cynical, the Pats have now satisfied the Rooney Rule requirement that stipulates clubs must meet with two external minority candidates before hiring a head coach. This is not to outright dismiss Leftwich and Hamilton, but neither has coached in the NFL for the past two seasons. The team has announced both interviews, setting the stage for Vrabel.

An expedited process burned the Patriots last year, as they did not interview any other candidates before promoting Jerod Mayo. A quick Vrabel decision would not technically be especially different, but the ex-Patriots defender has obviously proven plenty already. The former NFL Coach of the Year has also drawn widespread interest, as the Patriots are now competing with several teams. However, a report last week pointed to Vrabel being interested in the job. It is also worth wondering if the Patriots would have fired Mayo so quickly had they not known Vrabel was a prime candidate to accept an offer.

The Pats would not be the first team to meet the Rooney Rule requirement and then quickly hire another coach. Although Pierce is Black, the Raiders did so last year, meeting with Leslie Frazier and Kris Richard before quickly removing Pierce’s interim tag. The Pats took the interesting step of inserting language in Mayo’s contract to circumvent the Rooney Rule, naming the Black assistant Bill Belichick‘s successor. The Mayo move did not work out, with Robert Kraft blaming himself for a mistake. It is certainly possible the Pats want a proven commodity to quickly move past that chapter.

It should not be determined a Vrabel New England return is an open-and-shut process, but it would be surprising if the Pats did not offer him the job. Vrabel, 49, spent this past season as a Browns consultant. He took the Titans to three playoff berths, winning two AFC South titles and helping the team to its first AFC championship game since 2002.

A Patriot from 2001-08, the former linebacker/occasional red zone receiving weapon trekked to Foxborough during Tennessee’s bye week last season — an act that did not go over well with Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk — to go into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame. Vrabel sat with Kraft during that ceremony. While the owner passed on an interview last year in elevating Mayo (whom Kraft had said he had deemed Belichick’s successor years ago), it appears the Patriots want this hire to happen soon.

Hamilton, 50, last coached as Texans OC in 2022. Andrew Luck‘s former OC in Indianapolis, Hamilton moved from Houston’s QBs coach in 2021 to the OC role under Lovie Smith a year later. Hamilton, who also helped Justin Herbert to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as Chargers QBs coach in 2020, is currently working for the NFL Network.

Brian Flores, who worked with the Patriots for 15 years, is also interested in the position. No interview request has gone out. It would, however, be interesting to see if the Pats were still interested in Ben Johnson — who is believed to be prepared to interview — after the Vrabel meeting. It would stand to reason, given the Lions OC’s stock, the Pats would hold off on a Vrabel hire until at least going through the virtual meeting with Johnson.

Vrabel can meet with the Patriots in-person due to not being tied to a team; Johnson can only do so virtually for the time being. The Lions are giving Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn from Thursday to Saturday to do their interviews, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds; they are allowed to do so this week due to Detroit having secured a first-round bye.

Jaguars Submit HC Interview Requests

January 7th, 2025 at 11:09am CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, the Jaguars fired Doug Pederson following his third season at the helm. As a result, Jacksonville is one of five teams in need of a new head coach.

On Monday, it was learned a trio of offensive coordinators were on the Jaguars’ radar: Ben Johnson (Lions), Liam Coen (Buccaneers) and Joe Brady (Bills). All three have indeed received an interview request, but the team announced on Tuesday that other coaches are also on the radar.

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is among the coaches whom the Jags are seeking an interview with. Monken has already received a slip from the Bears, and it comes as little surprise he is drawing interest from multiple suitors. Baltimore led the league in total offense this season, ranking third in scoring with an average of 30.5 points per game. A veteran position coach and coordinator at the college and pro levels, the 58-year-old has never been a head coach in the NFL.

Another OC on the Jaguars’ radar is Kellen Moore. Following a four-year run as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, the former quarterback spent the 2023 season in the same role with the Chargers. With the Bolts making sweeping moves on the sidelines last offseason under Jim Harbaugh, though, Moore was expectedly on the move again in the 2024 hiring cycle. The 35-year-old has worked with the Eagles this year, and the team ranks top-10 in points and yards per game. Moore has also received an interview request from the Saints for their HC position.

A trio of coaches with a defensive background have received a slip from Jacksonville. That includes, interestingly, Robert Saleh. The 45-year-old was this season’s first head firing when his Jets tenure came to an end in Year 4. Saleh’s coaching history also includes four years as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator and, prior to that, several gigs as a positional coach. One of those was Jacksonville’s linebackers coach from 2014-16. Saleh has worked with the Packers since October, and it will be interesting to see if he considers a return to Duval County during this year’s hiring cycle.

In addition, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has received an interview request. He spent the past three seasons leading Vegas’ defense, and he also has experience as a DC with the Dolphins and Giants. Graham, 45, served as an assistant head coach during two of his years in New York, but he has never led a staff at the college or NFL levels. This is his first HC interview request of the 2025 hiring cycle.

Rounding out the Jags’ list is Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. To little surprise, he has joined Johnson as one of the top candidates this year, and his name has been attached to three other suitors. Jacksonville could therefore have competition for his services if an interview is arranged and it goes well.

Many were surprised when it was learned Jags general manager Trent Baalke will be retained in the wake of Pederson’s dismissal. Questions have been raised about how willing the top candidates will be to head to Jacksonville as a result, and it will be interesting to see how many of the team’s initial targets set up an interview over the near future.

Jaguars Interested In Ben Johnson, Joe Brady, Liam Coen; Team Open To Hiring Executive VP

January 6th, 2025 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Shad Khan gave both Gus Bradley and Doug Marrone more time, he canned Doug Pederson after three seasons. Trent Baalke is staying on, which has surprised many around the league. Baalke will now be part of the team’s HC search, which looks to have a certain skillset in mind.

Offensive creativity will be factored into the Jaguars’ search, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who reports the AFC South club has Ben Johnson, Joe Brady and Liam Coen on its radar. Despite having gone offense with Pederson, Khan appears to be leaning in a similar direction.

Pederson came to Jacksonville as a five-year play-caller, but the former Super Bowl winner relinquished that responsibility — to the chagrin of many — after the 2022 season. Embattled OC Press Taylor remained the Jags’ play-caller over the past two seasons, despite the team’s fortunes worsening since December 2023 began a regime-defining swoon. Nevertheless, the Jags are targeting more play-callers, as they attempt to maximize Trevor Lawrence.

No interview requests have come yet, but it would surprise if these three did not receive slips. Although the Jags finished 4-13, Lawrence’s presence figures to add intrigue to the post. Teams with QB issues may have a much harder time attracting top candidates, even though the 2021 No. 1 overall pick has not yet justified his summer megadeal. Lawrence is also recovering from shoulder surgery completed midway through last month.

Johnson has long been believed to be the top play-caller type available, having restored Jared Goff as a quality passer after the Lions acquired him as a throw-in as part of the Matthew Stafford trade. Johnson has called plays for the past three seasons, and the Lions have continued to climb. Detroit’s 68 offensive touchdowns this season trail only the 2013 Broncos’ record-setting attack. The Lions led the NFL in scoring and finished second in yardage. Johnson, 38, has been selective but is tentatively viewed as more likely to take a job this year. He is set to meet with the Patriots and Bears, two teams that just drafted top-three QBs.

Coen did plenty to sustain Baker Mayfield‘s 2023 resurgence, helping to elevate the formerly maligned passer. Mayfield shattered his career high by throwing 41 touchdown passes this season. Coen, 39, did not stand out as Rams OC in 2022 but has restored his stock in Tampa. The four-time reigning NFC South champion Bucs navigated Dave Canales‘ departure well, ranking third in scoring offense, and Coen is drawing interest in a league starved for promising play-callers. Coen should be expected to garner extensive attention this year, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager adds.

A Bills team that already had a dominant quarterback has benefited from Brady, who has been at the controls during Josh Allen‘s most complete season. The MVP favorite had already propelled Brian Daboll to a top job, and his current 35-year-old conductor may not be long for the Bills’ OC chair. The Saints are also interested in Brady, who coached in New Orleans previously.

When the Jags’ job was last open back in 2022, rumblings about potential difficulty working with Baalke surfaced. The second-chance GM, who battled Jim Harbaugh in a mid-2010s San Francisco power struggle, is believed to have seen his relationship with Pederson worsen in 2024. He has fended off rumors about a firing, doing so as Pederson took the fall. The Jags considered hiring an executive VP to operate between Baalke and ownership previously, but nothing came of it. Khan did not rule out another search, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, and said some front office talent will be added due to the present Jags staff being “lean.”

Baalke rode shotgun to Urban Meyer upon becoming the Jags’ GM, and it is rather interesting that the former 49ers leader will be on staff with a fourth Jags HC. The AFC South franchise hired Baalke during Marrone’s tenure in 2020 and promoted him to GM under Meyer. Baalke’s presence will be one of the most interesting components on this year’s HC carousel.

Ben Johnson Planning To Meet With Bears, Patriots; No Jets Interview Expected

January 6th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed, finishing 15-2. This season has obviously done nothing to cool interest on Ben Johnson, who has been one of the league’s most popular HC candidates for the past two offseasons.

Requests are coming in for Detroit’s play-caller. The Bears and Patriots have submitted interview requests, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Although Johnson has become rather famous for backing out of coaching searches, Breer indicates he will meet with both teams.

It still is not certain Johnson is set to leave Detroit, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting some indeed believe he is happy being a mad-scientist offensive coordinator while Dan Campbell handles the top responsibilities with the Lions. Though, Jay Glazer’s latest FOX offering conflicts with that. Johnson is “more apt” to take a job during this year’s cycle than he has been previously, per Glazer. Johnson backed out of the Panthers’ HC search in 2023 — as a rumored early favorite — and informed the Commanders he was out as they had sent reps to Detroit for an interview.

Dialing up hook-and-ladders — to wide receivers and right tackles — and other creative plays to help the Lions secure home-field advantage in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Johnson is expected to draw widespread interest. His Washington backtrack should not do much to deter teams, as Josh McDaniels once landed a head coaching job after having backed out of an actual agreement with the Colts. Johnson, 38, will have considerable momentum once again.

The Bears and Patriots each fired defensive coaches, and teams regularly veer in the opposite direction after ousters. Rumors pointed to Johnson commanding a high HC salary last year. Given the struggles Chicago has gone through (and its interest in developing Caleb Williams) and Robert Kraft‘s about-face involving Jerod Mayo, that might not be a dealbreaker for these teams. But Glazer’s report would seemingly point to Johnson being more interested in this year’s batch of jobs compared to 2023 and ’24.

Initial reports did not peg Johnson as overly interested in the Bears’ job, but more recent submissions have changed that assessment. Johnson is believed to be “intrigued” by the Chicago gig. Candidates are curious regarding team president Kevin Warren‘s role, even as GM Ryan Poles is believed to be running Chicago’s search. Considering Johnson’s past, teams will need to check boxes for the hotshot coordinator to sign on. It would not surprise to see Johnson draw multiple offers during this year’s cycle, as he is again set to be selective.

It is also worth noting the Jets are not planning to reach out to Johnson, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Johnson has made it clear — both now and in the past — he will be choosey, and Russini adds if the Jets had a better quarterback situation, more interest would emerge on the candidate’s part. This would help explain why the Jets are not planning to bother.

Whereas the Bears and Pats drafted potential franchise options in Williams and Drake Maye last year, the Jets do not have a similar answer. They are expected to release Aaron Rodgers, though that may not be a lock just yet, and they are not in a great position to draft a high-end prospect this year. The Jets have also seen Woody Johnson‘s meddling affect the perception of their HC and GM jobs. For now, Johnson is not a candidate to end up in New York.

NFC Coaching Rumors: Cowboys, Vrabel, Johnson

December 31st, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Ely Allen

After failing to make it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year as Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy entered the 2024 NFL season on a bit of a hot seat. Often that type of pressure comes externally from a disgruntled fan base or media criticism, but the fact that nearly the entire coaching staff, including McCarthy, was playing on the final year of their contracts didn’t help.

McCarthy is known for coaching playoff teams. In 13 years with the Packers, McCarthy took the team to the playoffs nine times. Green Bay did make it to four NFC Championship Games under McCarthy, advancing to (and winning) only one Super Bowl. In Dallas, McCarthy has seen similar regular season success followed by postseason struggles. After a 6-10 debut season with the Cowboys, McCarthy led the team to the playoffs with three straight 12-5 seasons. In those three postseason appearances, McCarthy’s squad has only won one game, failing to make any NFC Championship Game appearances.

According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones doesn’t believe the staff’s lame duck status was a distraction during a tumultuous 2024 campaign. In fact, Jones believes “people do better…when they don’t have a contract.” So far, Jones has been noncommittal on the future of McCarthy and his staff. He claimed in a recent interview that he doesn’t feel that he’s “under any unusual time frame at all.”

Jones doesn’t seem to have made much of an indication at all hinting at whether or not he sees McCarthy returning, and at the moment, he doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to make such a decision.

Here are a few other coaching rumors coming out of the NFC:

  • In an interview on the Rich Eisen Show, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tabbed Browns coaching and personnel consultant Mike Vrabel as a name to watch for the Giants‘ likely opening head coaching position. After his first head coaching stint with the Titans came to an end, Vrabel was unable to secure another gig, settling at the time for a minor role in Cleveland. Breer believes that New York has an advantage in securing Vrabel’s services, thinking that Vrabel’s likely picks for general manager (Ryan Cowden) and defensive coordinator (Shane Bowen) are already in house. Cowden was vice president of player personnel (and interim general manager) during Vrabel’s tenure in Tennessee and now serves as executive advisor to the general manager in New York. Fired alongside Vrabel in Tennessee, Bowen went from one defensive coordinator job to the other, coaching the Giants’ unit this season. Though the season is not yet over for Cleveland, head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that Vrabel’s contract was amended in order “to allow him to get a jumpstart” on interviews, per ESPN’s Tony Grossi.
  • In another interview, this one with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Good Morning Football, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was discussed. According to Pelissero, Johnson’s likeliest destination in 2025 remains Chicago. Johnson is looking for a place at which he can build alignment and sustainable, long-term success, similar to what was built in Detroit. So far, all signs seem to be pointing to Johnson taking the intra-divisional job with the Bears, keeping in mind, of course, that him getting hired as head coach of Washington seemed like a sure thing last year before he made the decision to remain with the Lions. With Vrabel and Johnson being established as the two hot names for teams looking for a new skipper this offseason, we’ve seen their names connected to several teams. Breer recently reported a new connection, though, claiming that many see the Jaguars as a good fit for Johnson, should they part ways with Doug Pederson.

Bears Looking Into Brian Flores For HC; Candidates Curious About Kevin Warren’s Role

December 30th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores is prepared to once again pursue a head coaching job while simultaneously suing the NFL and several teams regarding his previous HC stay and some of his interviews. The Vikings’ defensive success may allow him to land a second-chance role before his discrimination lawsuit wraps, as interesting as that would be.

While the Bears may well have another NFC North candidate higher on their preference list, Flores joins Lions OC Ben Johnson among candidates Chicago is studying. The Bears are indeed looking into Flores, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, with connections involving both GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren noteworthy here.

[RELATED: Ben Johnson “Intrigued” By Bears’ HC Post?]

Poles and Flores played together at Boston College in 2003; the latter joined the Patriots as a scout a year later while the former’s college career continued. Poles went into the front office ranks after his college run. The two have never worked together, but that overlap would make for an interesting reference — especially considering Johnson has been quite choosey while on HC carousels. Warren has also vetted Flores with former Vikings contacts, as the current Bears president was on Minnesota’s staff for 15 years previously. Thus far, per Breer, that vetting effort has generated “strong reviews” for the bounce-back coordinator.

Flores, 43, has said he wants to be a head coach again. Minnesota’s success on defense this season may yield such an opportunity, but his background also may work against him. Although the Bears have been connected to seeking a “leader of men”-type HC, Breer now adds candidates who do not have a background coaching quarterbacks would need a clear and sustainable plan for Caleb Williams‘ development. This could work against Flores, who will undoubtedly need to explain what happened during Tua Tagovailoa‘s first two Dolphins seasons. The current Miami starter was not complimentary of Flores’ hard-edged coaching style when asked earlier this year. Tagovailoa also took major steps forward after Flores’ ouster.

Leading the Vikings to a fourth-place ranking in scoring defense during their 14-2 season, Flores is likely to book multiple interviews on the 2025 HC carousel. He met with the Cardinals in 2023 and with the Bears, Giants, Saints and Texans in 2022. Flores did not meet about a head coaching gig this year, but Minnesota’s success figures to change that. He has come up as a candidate far more frequently than OC Wes Phillips, and the connection to Poles — who is running Chicago’s HC search — may be important.

For anyone considering the Bears, however, it appears Warren’s presence is a sticking point. Top HC candidates are curious about Warren’s role with the team, Breer adds. It was initially reported the president — hired in January 2023 after a role as Big Ten commissioner — would run the business side, but it has become clear this gig has brought football-ops responsibilities. Warren has offered key input regarding football matters, including a recent comment indicating the Bears job would be the most coveted of 2025’s openings.

Poles reports to Warren, and the team president is expected to be heavily involved in this HC search — even if the GM is running it. This power structure, which canned Matt Eberflus (the team’s first in-season HC firing) while letting him speak to the media following a disastrous Thanksgiving loss, will be something HC candidates take into consideration. Warren took players’ input for an extensive period following the loss in Detroit and has held an “active role” on the football side since coming to Chicago.

Thomas Brown seeing his interim tag removed would be borderline shocking based on how the post-Eberflus period has gone, but Breer notes Bears brass does have sympathy for the challenge this situation has brought. With Williams’ development the central issue for Chicago, it would stand to reason the team will start over on offense. Johnson should be expected to meet with the Bears, Breer adds, but it does not seem the third-year Lions play caller is a lock to take that job if offered. He will be selective once again, keeping the door wide open for other Bears HC candidates.

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