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Bears Request HC Interviews With Aaron Glenn, Mike Kafka, Drew Petzing, Anthony Weaver

January 6th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

In addition to a much-anticipated Ben Johnson meeting, the Bears are using Black Monday to roll out other interview requests. Four more assistants received invites for meetings.

The Lions’ other top coordinator, Aaron Glenn, will be a popular name once again; he is part of the Bears’ initial batch of requests. Chicago also sent out interview slips to Giants OC Mike Kafka, Cardinals OC Drew Petzing and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport report.

These meetings will take place along with a Thomas Brown interview. The interim Bears HC is expected to meet with the team, via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin. Although the Bears have realized the difficult situation they put Brown in, it would be rather surprising if he drew serious consideration given the team’s freefall during the season’s second half. It would then stand to reason Brown — the team’s pass-game coordinator, interim OC and interim HC this season — will be relocating for a third straight offseason.

Glenn, 52, has been the Lions’ DC for four seasons. Detroit’s group took a leap to start this season, with Aidan Hutchinson surging to Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner status. Hutchinson’s broken leg gutted Detroit’s pass-rushing capabilities, and other injuries impacted the Lions on that side of the ball. The NFC’s No. 1 seed, however, still finished the season seventh in points allowed. Glenn’s unit also closed the regular season with a strong showing in the winner-take-all matchup with the Vikings, a game that turned into a blowout thanks largely to a bounce-back Lions defensive effort.

While this might be the year for Glenn to break through, this is new territory for Petzing and Weaver. The Cardinals’ OC came up as a name to watch on the HC circuit earlier this season, though Arizona struggled after moving into playoff contention around midseason. Kyler Murray has also not taken a noticeable step forward under Petzing, who came to the desert after residing as Browns QBs coach under Kevin Stefanski. The 37-year-old play-caller coached the Cards to a 12th-place finish in scoring offense, however; that brought a nice jump from 24th in Jonathan Gannon‘s debut.

Landing the Miami DC job last year, Weaver was among three 2023 Ravens assistants to move up last year. The 44-year-old DC’s Dolphins unit also made strides despite not having Bradley Chubb throughout and not having Jaelan Phillips for most of this season. The Dolphins ranked 10th in scoring defense and fourth in yardage, marking improvements from Vic Fangio‘s year in charge. These marks came despite an offense that took major steps back as Tua Tagovailoa battled injuries. Additionally, Russini notes Ryan Poles has done extensive homework on Weaver — in the event the Bears want to follow a defensive hire with another.

Kafka’s stock may have actually received a slight boost this season, as Brian Daboll taking over Giants play-calling duties brought a steep descent. Kafka was at the controls when the Giants made a surprising run to the divisional round in 2022, though his unit — largely without Daniel Jones at the helm — declined in 2023. Kafka may also be a candidate for other OC jobs, with rumors about a split with Daboll — as the Giants may not block him from a lateral move this year — surfaced over the weekend.

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.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Houston Texans (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  24. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  26. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Detroit Lions (15-2)

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Cowboys Not Looking At Other HC Candidates; Mike McCarthy In Play To Stay

January 5th, 2025 at 8:13am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 5: Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears form “Dallas sources” that McCarthy will receive a new contract — perhaps a four-year pact as opposed to a five-year accord — to remain with the Cowboys. To be clear, no one is willing to confirm as much because no contract talks have taken place at this point. Still, with McCarthy reportedly a viable candidate for other jobs, Dallas brass may not want to let him get away, and McCarthy himself loves the Dallas area and prizes his relationship with Prescott.

JANUARY 3: McCarthy’s contract will expire Jan. 14, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note. This would mean the Cowboys could block McCarthy from interviewing elsewhere between season’s end and that date. Reminding of the Cowboys’ two offseasons in which Garrett was on an expiring deal, the team will have barely week between season’s end and that expiration date to negotiate an extension without the threat of other teams looming.

While the Cowboys have not closed the door on McCarthy staying, Rapoport and Pelissero indicate no substantive extension talks have taken place. With teams not being able to meet in-person with candidates until after the divisional round, McCarthy would not run the risk of being frozen out of this coaching cycle by this contract timeline. He should be expected to draw HC interest elsewhere, Rapoport adds.

JANUARY 2: Coming off a 41-7 loss to an Eagles team missing Jalen Hurts, the Cowboys saw their late-season momentum blunted. Mike McCarthy‘s contract covers one more game, the team’s season-ender against Washington. Will that be it for him in Dallas?

The Cowboys took the highly unusual step of letting McCarthy coach out his contract, driving numerous headlines about his future and how the organization plans to replace him. But some buzz about McCarthy receiving a second Cowboys contract has surfaced in recent weeks. At least, no definitive indication the team will fire McCarthy has emerged.

[RELATED: Jones Does Not Believe McCarthy’s Contract Affected Season]

McCarthy and his assistants are on expiring deals, which would make for a cleaner transition. Waiting until season’s end to make a call, the Cowboys are not tipping their hand. They plan to meet with their fifth-year HC next week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. McCarthy’s contract makes this one of the stranger situations over the past several coaching carousels, however.

Because McCarthy will have coached throughout a five-year deal, he will be free to explore other opportunities. Teams could interview the former Super Bowl-winning leader immediately, as only coaches under contract would need to wait until divisional-round week. Some around the league believe McCarthy has a “small” chance to stay in Dallas, per Fowler. While that is not especially optimistic, it also represents an improvement based on where the embattled HC’s chances were when Dak Prescott sustained a season-ending injury. Prescott has since provided a strong endorsement for McCarthy.

Third-chance HCs are not too common anymore. No active coaches are on their third try, though we do not have to too far back to find leaders who match that description. Jon Gruden received two shots with the Raiders, with his Buccaneers stay sandwiched in between, while Pete Carroll wrapped a third NFL HC stint last season and John Fox did so within the past decade. The Jets also are interviewing Ron Rivera about what would be a third opportunity, while Rex Ryan may be in the mix for a third chance himself. McCarthy being an active coach would seemingly boost his chances here, even if he might not be the first choice anywhere.

A candidate pool not viewed as especially deep would work in McCarthy’s favor in Dallas and potentially elsewhere. The weak candidate crop will affect McCarthy’s future in Dallas, per Fowler, who adds the coach could look at Chicago soon. Some around the league view this the Bears’ opening as one that would appeal to McCarthy, who is now 61. This is not to definitively say the Bears would be interested, but a veteran offensive mind would stand to be intrigued by the Chicago opening due to Caleb Williams‘ presence.

While McCarthy is 7-9 this season, he is 49-34 in Dallas. Jerry Jones cited the wild-card letdown against the Packers last season as why McCarthy did not receive an extension on the back of his three straight 12-win seasons. That certainly could push McCarthy to explore other options, should any arise, but Jason Garrett‘s tenure also shows Jones has been willing to stick with an unpopular coach for an extended period. Garrett coached the Cowboys for 9 1/2 seasons. McCarthy will need another contract soon if Jones has designs on him staying for a sixth.

Kliff Kingsbury Wants Another HC Opportunity

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has put together an excellent debut season in Washington; his offense is ranked fourth in yards and fifth in points, while quarterback Jayden Daniels is the runaway favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Kingsbury’s success in Washington has placed him among the top head-coaching candidates in this offseason’s hiring cycle and seems open to another opportunity after a disappointing four seasons leading the Cardinals.

When asked about the subject on Thursday, Kingsbury said that he would want to be a head coach again “at some point,” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post), though he declined to comment on potential interviews this year.

Kingsbury is an obvious candidate for the Bears’ vacant head coaching position after serving as a senior offensive analyst at USC during Caleb Williams‘ final college season. The two have a “solid relationship,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, which will be crucial to getting the most out of the 2024 No. 1 overall pick after a false start of a rookie year.

Kingsbury is expected to interview in Chicago, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, though he may not be in a rush to leave Washington. His contract with the Cardinals ran through 2027, so Kingsbury is still drawing a head coach’s salary in addition to his current pay from the Commanders. That gives him the flexibility to be “selective” – like Lions OC Ben Johnson – with his next opportunity, per Fowler.

Kingsbury also enjoys working with Daniels under Dan Quinn in Washington, according to Breer, and the Commanders could be even better in 2025 after their surprising playoff run this season. That would boost Kingsbury’s coaching stock further, potentially setting him up for an even better opportunity a year or two down the line.

Kingsbury may also draw renewed interest from the Jets after interviewing for their head coaching job in 2019. He impressed the Johnson family during his interview process, per Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated, though it’s worth noting that owner Woody Johnson was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom at the time. Kingsbury opted to join the Cardinals, but he could once again find himself on the Jets’ shortlist this time around.

Keenan Allen Only Open To Playing In Chicago, Los Angeles In 2025

January 3rd, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Keenan Allen changed agents this offseason; his new representation will have an interesting task ahead. One of the biggest names on track for free agency at wide receiver, Allen does not sound interested in a true open market. Ahead of what would be his age-33 season, the decorated wideout is only open to landing in two cities.

Allen only wants to continue his career with the Bears or in Los Angeles, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. The perennial Pro Bowler joined the Bears in a contract year, and the team is set for a transition. It is interesting that Allen will keep the door open to a Chicago signing, as the GM who acquired him (Ryan Poles) will be back. Allen said early last month he wanted to re-sign with the Bears, but family reasons have kept the L.A. door open.

Clarifying Allen’s L.A. stance, Finley notes the 12-year veteran would be open to returning to the Chargers or joining the Rams. Allen’s family still lives in Southern California; they would relocate if he re-signed with the Bears. It would be interesting to see if another team could change the veteran’s mind, as sticking to this three-teams-or-bust route would significantly limit his options. As it stands, however, Allen is not preparing to be a true free agent — even though he has never been on the open market previously.

The Chargers and Allen experienced a memorable fallout, with the team attempting to reduce the wideout’s pay early during the Jim Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz run. An extension offer made would have led to a reduction on Allen’s $20MM-per-year deal; he is instead playing out the contract with the Bears. Prior to being traded, Allen had expressed hope of finishing his career with the Bolts.

Allen experienced steady success with Justin Herbert targeting him and trails only Antonio Gates in receiving yards with the now-L.A.-based franchise. The former San Diego draftee is one of the best players in team history, though based on what transpired this past offseason, expecting a big-ticket contract offer from the Bolts may be unrealistic.

The Cal alum made it clear he has not decided on playing a 13th NFL season. This Bears campaign has brought a step back, as the team has made major changes while breaking in a rookie quarterback. Allen has topped 100 yards just once this season, entering Week 18 with 719 during Caleb Williams‘ rookie year. The Bears had acquired Allen to help the No. 1 overall pick develop, but the team fired OC Shane Waldron weeks into his first season — as criticism from Allen and D.J. Moore surfaced — and has used pass-game coordinator-turned-OC-turned-interim HC Thomas Brown as its play-caller since. The Bears have not won a game since giving up a Hail Mary touchdown to the Commanders in Week 7.

Allen’s age already stood to limit his 2025 market, as a short-term deal would be likely — in the event the six-time Pro Bowler did not choose to retire. Tee Higgins is set to headline the 2025 WR class — if the Bengals do not reapply the franchise tag — while the likes of Chris Godwin, Marquise Brown, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins and Brandin Cooks in a mostly veteran-heavy crop that also includes ex-Allen sidekick Mike Williams, who has not made much of an impact in his first post-Chargers season.

The Bears gave Moore a long-term deal this summer and used a top-10 pick on Rome Odunze, likely limiting where they would go for Allen. The Chargers have centered their receiving corps around second-round sensation Ladd McConkey, who became the first Chargers wideout since Allen to post 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. Harbaugh’s team needs help here, however, especially with Josh Palmer headed to free agency.

It is unclear how interested the Rams would be, having passed on a Cooper Kupp trade and seeing Puka Nacua become one of the NFL’s best pass catchers. Sean McVay‘s team eyeing Allen as a complementary piece would be something to monitor, Allen Robinson‘s Chicago-to-L.A. faceplant notwithstanding, especially if the quality route runner sticks to his California-or-Illinois plan.

Sitting 18th on the all-time receptions list (971) and 41st in yards (11,249), Allen probably needs to submit more to build a viable Hall of Fame case. It will be interesting to see if he passes on potential offers from non-Chicago or Los Angeles-based teams to ensure he continues his career on his terms.

Front Office Notes: Jets, Colts, Grier, Bears

January 3rd, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Given a mulligan for the Jets‘ Aaron Rodgers-less 2023 season, Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas did not make it too far into the 2024 campaign. The latter did not have a good working relationship during his final year in charge, seeing Woody Johnson (and, apparently, his sons) influence Jets personnel moves. Johnson had largely stripped power from Douglas during the GM’s final months in New York. As it turns out, Douglas’ frustration with Johnson predates 2024. The five-plus-year Jets GM had expressed dismay at one of Woody Johnson’s sons, Brick, scouring the internet and seeing those opinions (through Woody Johnson) make it back to Douglas, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes.

This situation may or may not have influenced Douglas to decline a Jets extension proposed more than a year ago. While Pauline stops short of confirming that, the veteran draft-based reporter indicates many informed him that was the case. Douglas “did not like or respect” Woody Johnson for years during his Jets run, Pauline adds. As the Jets have begun their GM and HC searches, they may have considerable explaining to do about the owner and his family’s influence on the team.

Entering Week 18, here is the latest from around the NFL’s front offices:

  • The Dolphins gave Mike McDaniel an extension this past summer, and no rumors have pointed to the young HC needing to be too concerned about his job security. Rumblings are emerging, however, pertaining to the status of GM Chris Grier. In his sixth season with full autonomy in Miami, Grier is in his ninth season as GM. Miami is a place to monitor regarding a potential GM change, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Grier essentially won a power struggle with Brian Flores three years ago and has overseen back-to-back playoff appearances since, which would make it rather surprising if ownership made a change this coming offseason.
  • Chris Ballard was believed to be on solid ground going into Week 17, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. That aligns with a Thursday report that pointed to Ballard being more likely than not to be retained. Though, the Colts losing to a two-win Giants team — in a game that reminded of the 2021 team’s undoing in a win-and-in opportunity in Jacksonville as two-touchdown favorites — did not exactly provide assurance the team is headed in a good direction. With Ballard set to be just 2-for-8 in playoff berths as Indianapolis honcho, this situation will also be one to monitor over the next few days.
  • Tennessee’s post-Mike Vrabel season has gone quite poorly, with Ran Carthon‘s Titans operation sitting 3-13. But no major changes are expected this year. Brian Callahan is on track to stay for a second season as HC, and Fowler indicates a good energy — the 13 losses notwithstanding — is present around an organization run by Carthon, Callahan and VP of football operations Chad Brinker. Next season, then, figures to be Carthon’s regime can be truly evaluated. A clash with ownership drove Vrabel out of Nashville, and an improvement will almost definitely be required for Callahan in 2025. What remains to be seen is how much improvement will be necessary for Carthon.
  • The Bears have used search firms in the past to help determine their coaching hires, but it appears the team will leave this year’s search to its front office. No consultant is on track to come in and shepherd Chicago’s HC search, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. The team did take that route in 2015 and 2022, respectively bringing in John Fox and Matt Eberflus. GM Ryan Poles was not in place when the Eberflus search started, signing on late in that process. With considerable input from president Kevin Warren on tap, Poles will lead this year’s Bears search.

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.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 30th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New England Patriots (3-13)
  2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
  3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
  4. New York Giants (3-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
  6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
  7. New York Jets (4-12)
  8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
  13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
  14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
  15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
  16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
  17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
  19. Houston Texans (9-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (9-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
  24. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
  25. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
  26. Washington Commanders (11-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
  30. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
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