Seattle Seahawks Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Plan On Retaining Geno Smith?

February 15th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks’ QB situation faces plenty of uncertainty entering the 2024 league year. Geno Smith is set to pass an important checkpoint on the way to retaining his starter’s role, however.

Smith was informed by the team on Thursday that he will remain on the roster through February 16, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That is important because Smith’s $12.7MM base salary will shift from an injury guarantee to being guaranteed in full tomorrow. As a result, today’s news greatens the chances of the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year staying in Seattle.

However, Smith also has a $9.6MM roster bonus which will not vest until March 18. The decision to retain Smith for the time being could therefore open up a window to explore a trade with an interested team before the new league year begins. As Schefter’s colleague Brady Henderson notes, Smith’s deal includes offset language which could allow the team to release him before March 18 if no trade partner is found. The 33-year-old’s future is thus still far from certain.

Smith enjoyed a career year in 2022, proving to be a bargain for Seattle and helping the tam reach the postseason. He parlayed that success into a three-year, $75MM deal which includes incentives and performance escalators. With $27.3MM guaranteed at signing, 2023 was still seen as a ‘prove-it’ season for him. Smith’s totals regressed, leading to speculation Seattle could move on from him and transition to Drew Lock under center. The latter has drawn praise from general manager John Schneider, who following the end of Pete Carroll‘s coaching tenure now has full say in roster decisions.

As Henderson notes, part of Schneider’s desire to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos was the fact the Seahawks could acquire Lock as part of the return package. Lock is a pending UFA, however, and his play while filling in for an injured Smith during the season could help his chances of landing a more lucrative deal than the one-year, $4MM pact he played on last year and a starting gig in the process.

Neither Schneider nor new head coach Mike Macdonald have offered a firm endorsement of Smith or Lock. Still, today’s news points toward the former being in Seattle’s plans for the time being as he potentially moves closer to a third straight campaign in the starter’s role. Given his age and Lock’s contract status, though, it would come as little surprise if the Seahawks invested in a rookie passer this spring. The team currently holds three of the draft’s first 81 selections, including No. 16.

Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

Seahawks To Hire Rams’ Jake Peetz

February 15th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the candidates for the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator position, Jake Peetz will instead join another team that recently hired a new head coach. This will result in another Sean McVay assistant departing the Rams.

The Seahawks are adding Peetz to their staff as pass-game coordinator, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Peetz has not previously coached alongside Mike Macdonald or new Seattle OC Ryan Grubb. He will nevertheless become the latest Rams assistant to depart Los Angeles and join one of this year’s new HC hires.

Peetz, 38, has been with the Rams for two seasons; he served as a pass-game specialist. He will follow Raheem Morris, Zac Robinson, Jimmy Lake and Eric Henderson off McVay’s staff. Previously the Panthers’ QBs coach under Matt Rhule in 2020, Peetz has spent time in the college game. But he did not coach on the same teams that employed Grubb and Macdonald previously. The Bucs interviewed Peetz late last month but hired another ex-McVay staffer, Liam Coen, to be their play-caller.

Peetz worked as LSU’s offensive coordinator in 2021 and was on Nick Saban‘s Alabama staff in 2013 and then again in 2018. Macdonald was at Georgia in 2013, prior to his long-term Ravens stint, and then resurfaced at Michigan in 2021. While Grubb has spent most of his career in the college ranks, he was in Division I-FCS or at the mid-major level prior to becoming Washington’s OC in 2022. But hiring McVay staffers represents a trend that has not cooled off within the NFL.

While this will keep a McVay tributary flowing to Seattle, Peetz did not work on the same staff as previous Seahawks OC Shane Waldron. The Rams ranked 10th in pass offense last season, and Matthew Stafford bounced back from an injury-filled 2022 to finish sixth in QBR. The 35-year-old passer led a team tied to a retooling year back to the playoffs, nearly toppling the No. 3-seeded Lions in the wild-card round. McVay now must replace his QBs coach and pass-game specialist. Peetz turned down a chance to work with Rhule at Nebraska late in 2022, opting to continue his career in the pros.

Additionally, the Seahawks are hiring Scott Huff as their offensive line coach, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Huff spent the past seven years as Washington’s offensive line coach. He was also set to follow Kalen DeBoer alongside Grubb to Alabama. But Grubb will instead bring him back to the Pacific Northwest. Huff previously served as Boise State’s co-OC, being on Chris Petersen’s staff for 11 seasons — several of them coaching the Broncos’ O-linemen or tight ends. Like Grubb, this will be Huff’s first NFL assignment.

Seattle is also adding Devin Fitzsimmons as its assistant special teams coach. Fitzsimmons will work under ST coordinator Jay Harbaugh. Fitzsimmons has nine seasons’ worth of NFL experience, most recently serving as the Panthers’ assistant ST coach.

Latest On Seahawks’ Leonard Williams

February 15th, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Leonard Williams‘ Giants tenure came to an end at the 2023 trade deadline, and he had a productive audition period with the Seahawks to close out the campaign. That could result in a Seattle contract, something the veteran defensive lineman would be open to.

“I definitely like being here,” Williams said when asked about his future, via Michael Shawn-Duggar of The Athletic (subscription required). “It’s been fun playing here. I feel like I’ve thrived in the system and this environment. I love the fans, love the stadium, love Seattle as a city. But, you know, you never know going forward, so I’m just going into it open-minded.”

Despite being a pending free agent, Williams was acquired for a second-round pick in this year’s draft along with a fifth-round selection in 2025. That price led to the expectation Seattle would move quickly in negotiating an extension, but no in-season talks took place on that front. Williams totaled 41 tackles, four sacks and 11 QB hits in 10 games with the Seahawks, demonstrating his potential on a long-term Seattle agreement.

The 29-year-old played on a $63MM pact over the past three years, and it will be worth monitoring to see how much of a market he generates if he reaches free agency. Age will be a factor taken into account by the Seahawks and other interested teams, but Williams made it clear he intends to keep playing for the foreseeable future.

“I’m obviously about to be in Year 10 next year, but I played 18 games this year, and I feel fresh,” the former first-rounder added. “I don’t think I’m feeling the years, honestly. I feel like I probably have five, six, seven more years in me, to be honest. I feel like I can play in this league for a long time.”

The Seahawks already have one major D-line investment in the form of Dre’Mont Jones. The former Bronco inked a three-year, $51MM deal last offseason, and he and Williams were part of a defensive front which struggled against the run. Improving in that department will be a top offseason priority for the team, and making a significant addition in free agency would prove especially challenging if Williams were to be retained. As free agency draws closer, it will be interesting to see how much progress is made between the two sides during contract talks.

Dolphins Will Not Retain Renaldo Hill, Sam Madison; Team To Hire DeShawn Shead

February 14th, 2024 at 12:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Renaldo Hill left his post as Chargers DC to rejoin former boss Vic Fangio in Miami. With Fangio determining he was not a good fit in South Florida, leading to a quick return to Philadelphia, the Dolphins have since changed plans.

As Anthony Weaver transitions to his role as Dolphins DC, Hill will not be in the equation. Neither Hill nor Sam Madison will be part of Weaver’s defensive staff, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Fangio kept Madison, a former Pro Bowl cornerback in Miami, in place as cornerbacks coach.

A Dolphins safety from 2006-08, Hill had coached under Fangio with the Broncos. The Chargers hired the two-year Denver assistant to be their defensive coordinator in 2021. Brandon Staley retained play-calling duties on that side of the ball during his Los Angeles tenure, and when Fangio accepted the Dolphins’ lucrative DC offer in 2023, Hill made the interesting move to leave a DC post for a position coaching role. The Dolphins employed Hill as their DBs coach. This marked the longtime assistant’s second tour of duty with the franchise; the Dolphins had Hill in place as assistant DBs coach in 2018 under Adam Gase.

The Chiefs had Madison in place as their corners coach from 2019-21; he returned to Miami to work under then-DC Josh Boyer in 2022. A 1997 Dolphins second-round pick, Madison spent nine seasons with the team. He collected All-Pro accolades in four of those years, signing a lucrative extension in in 2000. Madison, 49, will be in search of a new team moving forward.

Miami has since replaced Hill with Brian Duker, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. While the Dolphins are also making Duker their pass-game coordinator on defense, he will make a lateral move after serving as the Lions’ DBs coach under Aaron Glenn. Duker took over as Detroit’s DBs coach following the midseason firing of Aubrey Pleasant in 2022. The Lions gave Duker more help in 2023, via the additions of several free agents and second-round pick Brian Branch. But Duker’s unit lost C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley early. The Lions also made tweaks to their secondary this season, accounting for Branch’s rise and the struggles of cornerback Jerry Jacobs.

Additionally, the Dolphins are hiring DeShawn Shead from the Seahawks, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Although Shead’s role is not yet confirmed, the Seahawks had the ex-Legion of Boom supporting-caster in place as their assistant DBs coach from from 2021-23. It is certainly reasonable to expect Shead, 34, to work in that capacity under Duker in Miami. After an ACL tear during a Seahawks 2016 divisional-round loss to the Falcons sidetracked Shead’s playing career, he eventually found his way to coaching for his former team. The Pete Carroll favorite will follow the longtime HC off Seattle’s staff.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

February 12th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the 2023 campaign has come to a close. Teams outside Kansas City and San Francisco had already turned their attention to the offseason well before Sunday’s game, of course.

Regular season standings determine the order for the top 18 picks, so they have been known since the conclusion of Week 18. For the second straight year, the Bears face the question of dealing away the top selection and starting over at quarterback or re-committing to Justin Fields. Expectations still point toward Caleb Williams heading to Chicago, although the Bears will not move the No. 1 pick at a discounted price.

With the Commanders also in position to add a signal-caller second overall, the Patriots and Cardinals will be worth watching closely. New England will be in the market for a QB, but it may not come via the team’s top selection. Arizona’s position could also be a trade-up target for teams seeking a quarterback addition. This year’s class is expected to be dominated by blue-chip prospects under center, as well as at wide receiver and offensive tackle.

The final 14 spots in the draft order are filled by postseason results. The Chiefs find themselves in familiar territory picking at or near the end of the first-round order for the fourth time in the past five years following another Super Bowl appearance. The team has a mixed track record with its selections in that regard, but another impact rookie would of course help its bid to sustain its impressive run.

While a number of selections will no doubt be swapped between now and draft day, here is the full 2024 first-round order:

Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
Washington Commanders: 4-13
New England Patriots: 4-13
Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
New York Giants: 6-11
Tennessee Titans: 6-11
Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
Chicago Bears: 7-10
New York Jets: 7-10
Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
Denver Broncos: 8-9
Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
New Orleans Saints: 9-8
Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
Miami Dolphins: 11-6
Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
Houston Texans (via Browns)
Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
Green Bay Packers: 9-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
Buffalo Bills: 11-6
Detroit Lions: 12-5
Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Falcons, Saints

February 11th, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Ely Allen

With their offensive and defensive coordinators in place, the Panthers shored up their final coordinator position under new head coach Dave Canales by hiring Seahawks assistant special teams coach Tracy Smith as their new special teams coordinator, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt.

Like new offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who coached with Canales in Tampa Bay and Seattle, Smith was on a staff with Canales and Idzik when the three were all coaching for the Seahawks. In his time with Seattle, Smith has been a part of a special teams group that has been among the league’s best in each of the last three seasons.

With Idzik and Smith taking over units that will play with a top-four defense led by Ejiro Evero, the Panthers are hoping their new coaching staff under Canales will deliver the desired results in 2024.

Here are a few more staff updates coming out of the NFC South:

The Panthers were also able to add a new mentor for second-year quarterback Bryce Young today. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Will Harriger has been hired as Carolina’s new quarterbacks coach. Harriger, who comes out of Dallas as a quality control coach and offensive assistant, has experience with Canales from their time in Seattle.
Carolina wasn’t the only NFC South team to add a new quarterbacks coach recently as both the Saints and Falcons found new passing mentors, as well. Atlanta is bringing in Saints offensive assistant D.J. Williams to coach their passers as assistant quarterback coach, per Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune. Williams is the son of former NFL quarterback and current Commanders personnel senior advisor Doug Williams. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tells us that New Orleans will hire Andrew Janocko as quarterbacks coach. Janocko most recently served the same role in Chicago and has worked with the Vikings, as well.
Finally, the Panthers will part ways with senior director of football strategy and analytics Taylor Rajack, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. A former Eagles staffer, Rajack has been with Carolina since 2019.

Seahawks To Hire Ryan Grubb As OC

February 10th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Mike Macdonald has landed on his new offensive coordinator. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the Seahawks are hiring Ryan Grubb as their new OC.

After spending the past two years as the offensive coordinator at Washington, Grubb recently accepted the same position on Alabama’s coaching staff. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Macdonald recently made a “major recruiting pull” to convince Grubb to join his staff in Seattle. Per Condotta, Grubb met with Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider last night to “iron out the details” of their agreement. The move is expected to be officially announced next week.

Sources told Condotta that Grubb was always atop the Seahawks’ list of OC candidates, even as the team eyed other options like Chip Kelly and Tanner Engstrand. While some pundits believed Grubb was the leader in the clubhouse, the coach seemed to double down on his recent job offer. Per Condotta, Grubb appeared at an Alabama booster event earlier this week and introduced himself as the school’s new offensive coordinator.

Instead, the 47-year-old will be sticking in the state of Washington. He was name the Huskies’ offensive coordinator/assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in 2022, and he immediately helped turn around the school’s offense. The team finished the 2022 campaign first in the nation in passing yards per game, and he helped guide the offense to a second-place finish in total offense.

He also worked closely with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who emerged as one of the top signal-callers in the nation. While Penix couldn’t crack the projected top-three QB draft grouping of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, the prospect is still expected to hear his name called during one of the first two days of the draft.

While Grubb was recently credited with Washington’s passing offense, he also has extensive experience coaching the running game. During stops at Fresno State, Eastern Michigan, Sioux Falls, and South Dakota State, Grubb was tasked with coaching running backs and offensive linemen.

After Nick Saban retired, Alabama was quick to hire Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. Washington opted not to promote Grubb to their open HC job, so the coordinator decided to follow his head coach to Alabama. Grubb is also expected to bring current Alabama offensive line coach (and former Washington OL coach) Scott Huff with him to the Seahawks, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Macdonald has done quick work filling his staff, adding Aden Durde as defensive coordinator and Jay Harbaugh as special teams coordinator. Grubb will be replacing Shane Waldron, who took the Bears’ OC job after the Seahawks moved on from Pete Carroll.

Seahawks To Hire Aden Durde As DC

February 9th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aden Durde‘s first offseason featuring DC interviews brought five such connections. Four teams went in other directions with their hires, but it looks like Durde will have a chance to move to the coordinator tier this year.

The Seahawks are preparing to hire the Cowboys’ defensive line coach to be their next DC, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Durde also interviewed for the Dallas post, but the team will go with an outside hire in Mike Zimmer, who has an extensive history with the franchise. This will lead Durde to Seattle. Durde and Chiefs D-line coach Joe Cullen were the only known candidates for the role.

A Dan Quinn assistant in Atlanta, Durde followed his boss to Dallas in 2021. Quinn, however, is not believed to have placed Durde atop his list for the DC gig in Washington. That job went to Cowboys DBs coach Joe Whitt. The Cowboys’ decision not to promote from within limited Durde’s options, but the NFL’s final 2024 DC vacancy looks like it will go to the England-born assistant. Regardless of who is going where, the Cowboys are losing Quinn, Whitt and Durde from their staff.

Durde, 44, hails from Middlesex, England; he entered the coaching ranks after a background in NFL Europe as a player during the 2000s. Durde was later involved in the NFL’s International Pathway Program on the coaching side, not joining an NFL staff until his late 30s. His first position coaching gig came in Dallas; three years later, he landed on many teams’ DC radars. The Falcons, Packers and Rams sent out interview requests but went with other options (Jimmy Lake, Jeff Hafley, Chris Shula) at DC.

Three of the five teams to consider Durde sought a play-calling DC, but he is not on track to call plays in Seattle. Mike Macdonald said he would begin his Seahawks tenure by calling plays, though the recently hired HC noted he was open to that changing. But Durde should be expected to begin his Seahawks stay by serving as a non-play-calling coordinator.

Under Durde, the Cowboys rolled out an impressive defensive line. Becoming essentially a full-time D-lineman in 2022, Micah Parsons has ripped off three straight seasons of 13-plus sacks. The 2022 Cowboys finished third in sacks, with 54, as Dorance Armstrong broke through for 8.5. While DeMarcus Lawrence‘s sack production has declined in recent years, Armstrong emerged along with a Dante Fowler bounce-back effort following a disappointing Falcons stint.

In steady decline in the years since the Legion of Boom’s breakup, the Seahawks’ defense is coming off back-to-back 25th-place rankings in points allowed. Seattle’s defense dropped to 30th in yardage last season. Two-year DC Clint Hurtt left to become the Eagles’ D-line coach weeks ago, before it became known Macdonald would take over as head coach. While Macdonald’s offensive coordinator will be the more important hire — due to the play-calling responsibilities that will come with that job — Durde is stepping in as the young HC’s top defensive lieutenant.

AFC Coaching Notes: Dickerson, Browns, Bills, Addae, Day, Chargers, Dolphins, Colts

February 9th, 2024 at 4:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns allowed Bill Callahan out of his $3MM-plus contract to join son Brian in Tennessee. Given Bill Callahan’s status as one of the NFL’s best O-line coaches, this left a void on Cleveland’s staff. The team will fill it with one of the candidates it interviewed for its OC post. Seahawks O-line coach Andy Dickerson will take the same position with the Browns, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Set to work under Ken Dorsey, Dickerson was one of the ex-Sean McVay staffers who followed Shane Waldron to Seattle. The Seahawks promoted Dickerson to their O-line coach in 2022. Upon removing Pete Carroll from his longtime HC post, the Seahawks let their assistants speak with other teams. Additionally, the Browns are adding Roy Istvan as their assistant O-line coach, per the Associated Press’ Tom Withers. Istvan was most recently the Eagles’ assistant O-line coach under acclaimed staffer Jeff Stoutland; Istvan had been in that role for five seasons.

Here is the latest from the AFC coaching ranks:

Recently retired safety Jahleel Addae will return to the NFL as a coach. The former Chargers starter will join the Bills as their cornerbacks coach, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel tweets. Addae, 34, had been on the Miami Hurricanes’ staff. Addae started 63 games during his nine-year career, with most of the starts coming as a Charger.
The Bills are not bringing back DBs coach John Butler, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News tweets. Butler had been Buffalo’s DBs coach since 2018. With the Bills moving Bobby Babich to DC, some changes are being made. Another will be the hire of Matt Edwards as assistant D-line coach. The team recently bumped up Marcus West to D-line coach, replacing the departed Eric Washington. Edwards previously worked as a Raiders defensive assistant, concentrating on the team’s pass rush.
Shane Day is coming back to Los Angeles. Spending two seasons as the Chargers‘ QBs coach under Joe Lombardi, Day was with the Texans as a senior offensive assistant. Jim Harbaugh will bring Day back to the Bolts as their QBs coach, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Justin Herbert became the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter under Day in 2021, and Garafolo adds the star QB enjoyed working with Day. Though, Brandon Staley fired both Lombardi and Day following the Bolts’ wild-card collapse in Jacksonville. The veteran assistant was with the 49ers on two separate occasions, though neither was during Harbaugh’s San Francisco run.
The Chargers are also hiring Sanjay Lal as their wide receivers coach, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Lal has been coaching wide receivers in the NFL since the late 2000s. One of those tenures — 2015-16 with the Bills — overlapped with new Bolts OC Greg Roman. Lal was most recently the pass-game coordinator and WRs coach with the Seahawks.
Recent Titans assistant Ryan Crow will move to Miami. The Dolphins are hiring Crow as their outside linebackers coach, Breer adds. The Vikings, Seahawks and Giants showed interest as well, per Breer. The Browns also interviewed Crow last month, but he will instead work with the likes of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips in Miami. Crow’s former boss, Shane Bowen, is now in New York, explaining the Giants’ interest. Crow will replace Ryan Slowik, who interviewed for the DC job that went to Anthony Weaver. But Slowik is set to stay with the Dolphins in a different capacity, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. The older brother of Texans OC Bobby Slowik, Ryan has been an NFL assistant for more than 15 years. Although Mike McDaniel hired him in 2022, the two were low-level staffers in Denver in 2005.
The Colts found their next D-line coach at the college level. Charlie Partridge, who spent the past seven seasons as Pitt’s D-line coach, will take the same position under Shane Steichen in Indianapolis, Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes. The former Florida Atlantic HC, Partridge has never coached in the NFL previously, spending more than 25 years in the college ranks. Partridge coached recent first-round pick Calijah Kancey at Pitt and was J.J. Watt‘s position coach at Wisconsin.

Seattle Seahawks News & Rumors

2022 OC hires

2023 OC hires

2024 OC hires