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Raiders Preparing Big Ben Johnson Offer?

January 16th, 2025 at 11:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears and Jaguars have superior quarterback situations to the Raiders, who have a major question to answer entering the offseason, and Ben Johnson has been one of the choosiest coordinators in recent memory. As Chicago and Jacksonville remain in the mix for Johnson, buzz persists about Detroit’s OC giving strong consideration to the Raiders.

Tom Brady‘s presence has driven this, with Mark Davis giving the quarterback-turned-announcer/part-owner a significant say — perhaps the lead voice — as the team searches again for a new head coach and general manager. Brady has had his eye on Johnson for a while, beginning an effort to bring him to Las Vegas when covering the Lions in Week 9.

The more aggressive stage of this recruitment began last Thursday, the same day the Raiders fired Tom Telesco, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. While not confirming Johnson called for the Raiders to fire their GM, Florio lends more in the direction of Johnson wanting “alignment” as he determines a potential landing spot. The reporting coming out of the Telesco firing had Brady playing the lead role, determining Telesco needed to go to bring in the team’s next HC and GM on the same timeline.

It is unlikely Johnson’s desire for alignment and Brady’s determination the Raiders needed to start fresh is a coincidence, and Florio adds the Raiders may have already dangled a “massive” offer to the three-year Lions play-caller. The Raiders have not yet met Johnson face-to-face, with only virtual interviews allowed with candidates tied to other teams until Jan. 20. The team cannot meet with Johnson until the Lions are eliminated (or the Super Bowl bye week, if Detroit books its first Super Bowl berth), but Brady is still with FOX and is set to call the Commanders-Lions divisional-round game Saturday night. This conflict of interest could benefit the Raiders, as the analyst certainly could make a point to speak with the high-profile coordinator.

Davis is not among the league’s wealthiest owners, but he did authorize a 10-year, $100MM Jon Gruden contract in 2018. Johnson was also linked to a $15MM-per-year salary ask during the 2024 offseason. Coaching salaries are not public, but Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton are believed to be earning between $15-$20MM and are classified as top-five-salaried HCs (or in that ballpark). The Raiders’ QB situation and their struggles finding a coach during Davis’ ownership tenure may required a monster offer near this neighborhood, even if Johnson has not proven a successful head coach yet like Payton and Harbaugh have.

The Raiders cannot match the Jaguars or Bears’ QB setups just yet, and Davis has Brady set to play perhaps the lead role — especially now that Telesco’s gone — in fixing the roster’s biggest problem. Las Vegas hold the No. 6 overall pick. The team also faces Harbaugh, Payton and the two-time reigning champion Chiefs twice a year; it went 0-6 in those games this season. For Johnson to turn down the Commanders and give this much consideration to the Raiders certainly would appear to show Brady’s impact on this process. Other candidates remain in play for the Raiders, but everything to this point suggests Johnson is the clear favorite.

Lions’ Derrick Barnes, Carlton Davis Out For Season; David Montgomery To Return

January 16th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 16: Montgomery is off the Lions’ injury report altogether for their Commanders matchup. The Lions will also have Arnold ready to go for the divisional round, as the cornerback has shaken off the injury sustained in Week 18.

JANUARY 7: The Lions’ injury activation puzzle continues to come into focus. Dan Campbell shed light on some of his players on IR and those rehabbing injuries while still on the active roster. Good and bad news has emerged.

Chiefly, David Montgomery‘s dodging of a season-ending injury — the feared scenario when Detroit’s starting running back went down in Week 15 — is close to producing a return. After Montgomery took part in a full workout before the Lions’ Week 18 game, Campbell said (via the Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers) he expects the recently extended RB to be ready for the team’s divisional-round matchup.

Generally, when “team fears”-driven headlines surface, bad news emerges. This represents a rare positive development from that place, and the Lions now have two more weeks to prepare Montgomery to reform his elite tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs, who thrived as the team’s starter in the veteran’s stead. Gibbs is coming off a four-touchdown performance in the Lions’ dismantling of the Vikings. As a result, Gibbs’ backfield mate has more time to recover.

While Gibbs took on a bigger role this season, Montgomery still totaled 775 rushing yards and 12 TDs in 14 games. Montomgery also became a far more significant part of Detroit’s passing attack, amassing 341 receiving yards after totaling just 117 in his first Lions season. The team gave him a two-year, $18.25MM extension weeks before his MCL injury.

Montgomery does not factor into the Lions’ IR-return puzzle, having been kept on the active roster. Otherwise, he would have needed to wait one more week to return. Linebacker Derrick Barnes does, but Campbell said neither he nor Carlton Davis will be expected to play again this season. Barnes has been on IR since September with a knee injury. The Lions had not ruled him out, pointing to a potential late-season reemergence. Like D-lineman John Cominsky, however, no comeback is likely.

This is a tough blow to a former Day 3 pick in a contract year, and Barnes had started 26 games for the Lions since being part of the first Campbell-Brad Holmes draft. That included three starts this year. While Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez are done for the season, Alex Anzalone‘s return alongside Jack Campbell made a difference against Minnesota. Barnes’ injury activation place could be allocated to rookie DB Ennis Rakestraw. Campbell said the second-round pick is likely to be ready to go soon, Rogers adds. Rakestraw, a cornerback chosen 61st overall, suffered a hamstring injury during a late-November practice. The Missouri alum would represent some insurance, having only played 46 defensive snaps this season, for a position group battered by injuries.

Davis sustained a broken jaw in Week 15, and while the Lions did not place the trade pickup on IR as hope existed regarding a potential 11th-hour return, Campbell said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) that is unlikely. Acquired in a package that brought a third-round pick to the Bucs, Davis started all 13 games he played for the Lions. He is heading toward free agency. Turning 28 just last week, the former Super Bowl LV starter should be expected to command extensive interest.

The Lions saw free agency addition Amik Robertson play quite well in relief Sunday night, operating primarily on Justin Jefferson and largely neutralizing the Vikings superstar. The former Raiders regular has started the past three games in place of Davis, playing alongside first-rounder Terrion Arnold. Being unable to put weight on his injured foot upon leaving the Lions’ Week 18 tilt, Arnold suffered a foot contusion. While Campbell stopped short of confirming Arnold would be back for Round 2, the fourth-year HC called the rookie’s prognosis “positive.”

Ben Johnson ‘Seriously Considering’ Raiders; Latest On Tom Brady’s Impact

January 15th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has placed significant restrictions on Tom Brady during his time as a broadcaster. Since the future Hall of Fame quarterback is now part-owner of the Raiders, he is prohibited from speaking attending practices, traveling to clubs’ facilities or doing onsite interview prep with coaches ahead of broadcast assignments.But a loophole may influence the Raiders’ coaching search.

Brady will be in Detroit for FOX’s divisional-round game (Commanders-Lions), and he would have a chance to both closely evaluate Ben Johnson (and Lions DC Aaron Glenn) and continue speaking with a coach who looks to be — at this juncture, at least — the Raiders’ early favorite.

Raiders-Johnson momentum is building, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. Clearly residing as a frontrunner here, Johnson is “seriously considering” the Raiders, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. In predicting fits, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson placed Johnson in Vegas.

While Mark Davis is technically atop the organization, it is widely believed Brady is running the team’s HC and GM pursuits. A report pointed to this search being “Tom’s show,” and Tafur offers more in that direction by adding that the minority owner was heavily involved in the decisions to fire Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco last week. Telesco was ultimately canned because the Raiders wanted to start fresh rather than pair a new coach with a holdover GM.

It is abnormal for a part-owner to have this much influence in searches of this magnitude, but Brady’s stature in the game makes him a special case. The 47-year-old exec’s presence is believed to have driven Johnson to add the Raiders to his interview list. The Lions’ OC has been picky about jobs since first joining a coaching carousel in 2023, and he famously backed out as the Commanders’ frontrunner last year. For Johnson to then be open to taking a Raiders job despite the lack of a quarterback presence and considering Davis’ lack of patience with coaches in recent years, it would certainly say a lot about Brady’s ability to recruit.

Las Vegas may be eyeing a Detroit-centric plan, with Tafur adding Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark is believed to have an early leg up on the competition for the GM job. This would be an interesting development, as Newmark has not received an interview request just yet. Packers exec Jon-Eric Sullivan, Steelers staffer Sheldon White and ex-Brady Michigan teammate John Spytek — a Buccaneers assistant GM — are the interviewees thus far. Spytek held early momentum as a candidate to watch; Newmark making up ground would be interesting due to his history.

Although Newmark left for Washington in 2024, he spent more than 20 years as a Detroit exec. That obviously covers the time Johnson has spent with the franchise, and Tafur adds the Raiders view Newmark as a staffer who could pair well with the 38-year-old play-caller.

Brady began vetting Johnson when he did a Week 9 Lions-Packers broadcast, Tafur offers. This would obviously be an unusual way for a franchise to gather intel on a candidate, and it obviously calls Brady’s FOX role into question as far as objectivity goes. Considering the steam Johnson has gained with the Raiders, the ongoing Brady conflict-of-interest subplot will continue Saturday.

Johnson is still in play for the Bears and Jaguars’ jobs, and while it is not known if the teams have him as a favorite, Mike Vrabel being off the carousel leaves Johnson as the hottest candidate based on history and the Lions’ dominant season on offense. The Jags are believed to be heavily interested. Johnson cannot conduct any second interviews until a Super Bowl bye week, or if the Lions are eliminated earlier.

For Johnson to back out of the Commanders’ search only to join the Raiders would represents a borderline coup for Brady, and it would add even more intrigue to a division that has seen tremendous coaching talent join Andy Reid in recent years. Johnson would join Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh in the AFC West. The Raiders still have interviews to go through, and Johnson’s past should remind this is not a done deal. But this much noise about the situation is certainly interesting this early in the process.

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven 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 1-25-25 (4:06pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

49ers Notes: Ward, Kittle, Juszczyk, OL

January 15th, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers are heading into a pivotal offseason, headlined by oncoming negotiations with Brock Purdy on a long-term extension.

Among the 49ers’ pending free agents is cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has started 46 of the team’s 51 games since joining on a three-year, $40.5MM contract during free agency in 2022. Only one of those absences was due to injury, though. The other four were personal: Ward stepped away from the team for three weeks after his daughter, Amani Joy, passed away in October, and later sat out in Week 17 to welcome a son, Charvarius Jr.

Ward acknowledged that the personal tragedy he endured this year may impact his decision to return to San Francisco in 2025.

“I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” Ward said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s probably going to ever happen to me — knock on wood — happened in California.”

Ward’s free agency situation is a glimpse into how players’ personal lives – not just the desire for money or championships – can factor into their career decisions.

“It can just bring up bad memories,” continued Ward. “Every time I get on a plane and come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it just brings up bad memories.”

Ward’s girlfriend does not want to live in California after the tragedy, further pulling him away from San Francisco. The couple had their son in Dallas, where Ward began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Cowboys. They are on his list of desired destinations in free agency, along with other teams in the south where he grew up and attended college.

The 28-year-old hasn’t ruled out a return to the 49ers, saying that general manager John Lynch has talked to him about re-signing, but he’s not sure they can afford him. San Francisco already signed Deommodore Lenoir to a five-year extension worth just under $90MM after using a second-round pick on Renardo Green in last April’s draft.

Ward should be able to match or beat Lenoir’s contract as an unrestricted free agent. He was excellent in 2023, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections, and his step back in 2024 is perfectly understandable considering his personal tragedy. Though the 49ers are projected to have $46.5MM in cap space this offseason, per OverTheCap, another top-15 cornerback deal might not be available with multiple other contract situations to figure out.

Here is the latest out of San Francisco:

  • For example, the 49ers may be considering an extension for All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who set league records with his last extension. His $15MM per-year average set a new high for tight ends at the time of signing (2020), and his $75MM in total money remains the most in the position’s history. He is “all ears” to ideas from the 49ers front office and emphasized that he wants to stay in San Francisco for the rest of his career, per Wagoner.
  • Fellow offensive chess piece Kyle Juszczyk also hopes to stay in San Francisco, according to Wagoner. The veteran fullback took a pay cut last offseason and will count for $6.5MM against the 49ers’ salary cap in 2025. He could be a cap casualty this offseason, but Kyle Shanahan will be hard-pressed to find another player who can fill Juszczyk’s diverse role in the offense. He’s earned eight straight Pro Bowls since signing with the 49ers and will likely remain a crucial part of their offensive attack.
  • The 49ers also have a few offensive line spots to evaluate this offseason. Right guard Aaron Banks is expected to price himself out of San Francisco after last year’s explosion in the position’s free agency market. Ben Bartch is also a free agent, but he will be cheaper to retain and could take over for Banks in 2025. At center, meanwhile, the 49ers will likely stick with veteran Jake Brendel, but 2022 sixth-rounder Nick Zakelj could factor into the team’s future plans, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
  • The 49ers almost added another cornerback last offseason, pursuing now-Lions defender Amik Robertson in free agency, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Robertson opted for a two-year, $9.25MM deal in Detroit, where he managed to avoid the defense’s injury bug to appear in 17 games, including three starts to end the regular season. He is now set to play a major role in the Lions’ postseason push for a Super Bowl.

Mike McCarthy Fallout: Failed Negotiations, Cowboys Candidates, McCarthy Suitors

January 13th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The Mike McCarthy era in Dallas finally came to an end today, as the team announced that they wouldn’t be re-signing their head coach. With McCarthy’s contract set to expire tomorrow, the two sides were reportedly negotiating the terms of a new deal. However, it sounds like true contract talks never took place.

[RELATED: Cowboys Considering Deion Sanders For Head Coaching Job]

In a statement, owner Jerry Jones clearly stated that he made the determination to move on from McCarthy before any contract talks could commence.

“Over the past week, Mike [McCarthy] and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team,” Jones said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover. Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction.”

While Jones’ statement was pretty clear, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero slightly pushes back at the notion that the two sides never discussed a new contract. Pelissero somewhat points to semantics, noting that “contract negotiations” would signal a definitive exchange of proposals (vs. the informal “talks”). Either way, the reporter believes the two sides did indeed discuss a path forward but ultimately couldn’t agree on contract length.

It didn’t take long for the Cowboys to start preparing for their impending head coaching search. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the team’s decision makers took part in “inclusive hiring training” this afternoon, only hours after news broke of the McCarthy divorce. Soon, we’ll start hearing of some definitive candidates, but the rumor mill is already churning with potential names. Deion Sanders has already been linked to the Cowboys, and there are some initial rumblings surrounding other big names.

Predictably, the biggest name on the market will be connected to the offseason’s biggest vacancy. Sources told Jonathan Jones that Bill Belichick could be towards the top of the organization’s list of candidates, and sources also told the reporter that the iconic HC would have interest in the Dallas gig if it became available. While Belichick’s UNC contract includes a $10MM buyout, sources believe that penalty wouldn’t stop owners from pursuing the future Hall of Famer. Still, many reporters (including Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com) are skeptical that Jones would be willing to pay for a buyout…a relevant note in their potential pursuits of Belichick and Sanders.

Jonathan Jones also suggests that the Cowboys could look to the college ranks for another candidate: Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. The long-time college coach has never held the HC role in the NFL, although he did have a stint as the Falcons offensive coordinator. Sarkisian would also require a buyout. Among current NFL coaches, two popular names are also expected to be on the team’s list of candidates. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says Eagles OC Kellen Moore is a name to watch. Moore, of course, finished his playing career with the Cowboys before moving to the sideline, where he worked his way up from QBs coach to offensive coordinator.

The Cowboys will presumably also have interest in Lions Ben Johnson, but the team missed their window to interview the popular HC candidate. As Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes, the Cowboys will now have to wait until Detroit is knocked out of the playoffs until they can talk to Johnson about their vacancy. Fortunately, Jonathan Jones notes that Johnson shut down communication with teams following the first round of interviews, as the coordinator is now solely focused on Detroit’s playoff run. So, if the Cowboys do truly have interest in Johnson, it shouldn’t take a whole lot for the team to make up ground on their competition.

As for McCarthy, the veteran head coach has reportedly already scheduled an interview with the Bears, and NFL Network’s Jane Slater says Chicago’s interest is “very real.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the Saints are also expected to show interest in McCarthy; New Orleans was listed as a potential landing spot for the coach before his ouster in Dallas.

The rest of McCarthy’s staff is also free to speak with teams starting today, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Practically the entire Cowboys staff had expiring contracts, and Slater notes that there were some assistants who grew tired of the lack of uncertainty over their futures. It sounds like that includes Mike Zimmer, as the defensive coordinator has contemplated retirement, per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. Zimmer just joined the Cowboys last offseason, and it was believed that his status with the organization would be tied to McCarthy’s status.

Jets, Saints Remain Top Suitors For Lions DC Aaron Glenn

January 12th, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

To no surprise, Aaron Glenn is among the most popular candidates in this year’s head coaching cycle. With the top-seeded Lions on the bye this week, the team’s defensive coordinator was busy taking interviews with each of his numerous suitors.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Glenn spoke with five teams in recent days, taking every interview with an interested party except for the Patriots. New England has since become the first team to fill its HC vacancy, making the expected move of hiring Mike Vrabel. Now that the first domino has fallen, Glenn’s name in particular will be worth watching closely.

The 52-year-old “crushed” each of his interviews, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports (video link). As a result, Glenn could very well find himself involved in follow-up meetings with at least a few teams as their searches heat up. To no surprise, Jones notes the Jets and Saints remain potential landing spots provided Glenn does indeed land a head coaching position for the first time in his career.

During the course of his 15-year tenure as a player, Glenn spent eight seasons in New York. It was with the Jets that he earned two of his three Pro Bowl nods, and his success on the field (not to mention the degree to which his stock as a coaching candidate has increased in recent years) helped make him one of the team’s first recipients of an interview request. Indeed, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes the three names mentioned most frequently in connection to the Jets are Glenn, Vrabel and Vikings DC Brian Flores.

Having moved on from Robert Saleh after three-plus seasons, the Jets are a candidate to change approaches on the sidelines by looking to a coach with an offensive background. Graziano’s colleague Rich Cimini notes some observers agree that is the route the team will take, although others point to Glenn as the “best fit” for their current vacancy. He has been an NFL staffer since 2014, including four years in his current post as the leader of Detroit’s defense.

Of course, Glenn’s first coordinator gig was preceded by a five-year run in the Saints’ organization. He worked as New Orleans’ defensive backs coach during that span, and a return to the city to replace Dennis Allen remains a possibility to watch for. A recent report suggest Glenn could be the leading candidate for the Saints, one of the teams which has kept an eye out for the potential of Mike McCarthy reaching the open market.

McCarthy and the Cowboys are negotiating a new deal, though, and it remains to be seen if his existing contract will expire without a new agreement being in place (or at least imminent). Provide McCarthy winds up being unavailable, the Saints could move quickly in arranging a second interview with Glenn. The Jets will also be worth watching on that front.

2025 NFL Cap Carryover, By Team

January 11th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the regular season in the books, all NFL teams have declared their cap carryover for the 2025 league year. Unused cap space from the current campaign will roll over, a substantial element of many teams’ financial planning.

Last offseason saw a record-breaking jump in the salary cap ceiling (pushing the upper limit to $255.4MM). To no surprise, another spike is expected but a smaller year-to-year increase is likely to take place. It was learned last month that teams are preparing for the 2025 cap to check in at a figure between $265MM-$275MM.

As teams evaluate key roster-building decisions – including restructures and cuts aimed at manufacturing cap space – carryovers are crucial. It it still not known what exactly the cap ceiling will wind up as, but in the meantime every club’s space which has been rolled over will add a degree of clarity with respect to how their offseason will take shape. Several teams (including the top two on this year’s list) have made a concerted effort in recent years to carry unused space through the course of a campaign knowing a spike in cap charges for core players are forthcoming.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the full breakdown of each team’s 2025 cap carryover amount:

  • San Francisco 49ers: $50.01MM
  • Cleveland Browns: $41.95MM
  • New England Patriots: $34.86MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $33.57MM
  • Detroit Lions: $23.73MM
  • Washington Commanders: $19.83MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $18.84MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $15.89MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $15.11MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $14.72MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $11.38MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $10.1MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $8.42MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $6.83MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $6.81MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $6.63MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $6.07MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $5.94MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $5.94MM
  • Chicago Bears: $5.08MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $4.89MM
  • Houston Texans: $4.81MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $3.15MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $2.93MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $2.75MM
  • Baltimore Ravens: $2.14MM
  • Denver Broncos: $1.91MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $1.34MM
  • New York Giants: $1.17MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $490K
  • New York Jets: $346K

Jets To Interview Darren Mougey, Lance Newmark, Chris Spielman For GM Job

January 11th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets are already well into their general manager search, and we’ve got a handful of new names to add to their robust list of candidates. According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports, the Jets are interviewing three previously unreported candidates for the job today: Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey, Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark, and Lions executive Chris Spielman.

[RELATED: 2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker]

The Jets are also meeting with Bengals exec Trey Brown and Vikings SVP of Player Personnel Ryan Grigson today. We learned about the organization’s interest in the duo earlier this week.

Mougey quickly climbed the ranks in Denver, working his way up from an intern to assistant general manager. He’s provided the front office with a bit of continuity over the past few years, as he is one of the few executives to work under both former general manager John Elway and current general manager George Paton.

“Darren is an outstanding evaluator who has an excellent reputation around the league as an up-and-coming personnel executive,” Paton said when Mougey earned a promotion to Director of Player Personnel in 2021. “Getting to work with Darren over the last five months, he is a strong communicator and has great leadership qualities. We’re fortunate to have Darren leading our pro and college scouting while also being a sounding board on all roster decisions.”

This isn’t Newmark’s first time meeting with the Jets; he also interviewed for the team when they were seeking a GM in 2019 (a job that ultimately went to Joe Douglas). Newmark spent 26 seasons with the Lions, and while he lost out on the team’s most-recent GM search to Brad Holmes, he still stuck around as the team’s senior director of player personnel. That was until last offseason, when Martin Mayhew lured him to Washington to serve as the Commanders assistant GM.

Speaking of the Lions, Spielman has transformed into a key member of Detroit’s front office in recent years. The former Pro Bowl Lions linebacker and FOX analyst works as a special assistant to the team’s president/CEO; he is believed to carry notable power within the organization, and the team made an effort to keep Spielman for the foreseeable future by extending his contract last offseason.

The Jets’ GM search is now at 15 names, with the group of candidates also including:

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