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Bears Hire Ben Johnson As HC

January 20th, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

No second interviews are coming for Ben Johnson, after all. The coveted coordinator has made his choice, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the Bears are expected to reach an agreement with the three-year Lions play-caller. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

Although Johnson had stepped away as the Panthers’ preferred candidate in 2023 and then informed the Commanders late in last year’s process he was out, the Bears will land the coach who had been viewed by many as this year’s biggest fish. This represents one of the more significant developments in modern Bears history, as they had been connected to the rival coordinator for months.

As of Sunday, the Jaguars and Raiders were still in pursuit. Johnson had spoken to Tom Brady for hours during a Zoom meeting, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports, but the Las Vegas setup had a notable hole the Chicago gig does not. The Bears used the Bryce Young trade to acquire the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, giving them Caleb Williams access. They have now secured a coach to develop the well-regarded prospect. The Raiders have yet to identify a quarterback, with Brady tasked with helping the organization land one. Las Vegas also dropped to the No. 6 pick thanks to two late-season wins, which may well have been a factor in this now-Brady-led HC search.

The Jaguars’ setup is not in line with what Johnson preferred, Russini adds, helping to eliminate them. Jacksonville made the unexpected move to keep Trent Baalke as GM after firing Doug Pederson. Baalke’s polarizing presence was believed to have turned off some coaching candidates, and it appears Johnson was one of them. The Jags were believed to be open to moving Baalke to a different position in the organization depending on their HC hire, as they prepared an aggressive Johnson push, but that may not have been enough to satisfy a coordinator with options.

The Bears may be zeroing in on a defensive coordinator as well. As Russini reported, both Dennis Allen and Lou Anarumo had engaged in discussions about potentially joining Johnson wherever he landed. Johnson is expected to choose Allen, and Anarumo just committed to be the Colts’ DC. Allen has indeed emerged as a prime candidate to follow Johnson to Chicago, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Allen was in charge of the Saints’ defense from 2016-24, before being fired during his third season as head coach. Though, the ex-Sean Payton assistant — Aaron Glenn‘s boss in New Orleans — played the lead role in turning the Saints’ defense around during Drew Brees‘ final seasons.

Baalke’s Jacksonville presence may not be too dissimilar to how Chicago’s power structure looks now. Candidates were curious about what role third-year president Kevin Warren would play. While Warren had said GM Ryan Poles was running what turned out to be an expansive search — featuring nearly 20 confirmed candidates — the team president was believed to be closely involved in football operations. Advertised as an exec who would primarily stay on the business side, Warren has been instead heavily involved in football matters.

This setup still did enough for Johnson, who will work with Poles in attempting to restore the Bears as a power in a strong division. It should also be noted (h/t Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager) Poles and Johnson were each Boston College graduate assistants in the late 2000s. Poles served on the football staff in 2008 after his playing career ended, while Johnson was at BC from 2009-10.

Dan Campbell said earlier today he did not expect either Johnson or Glenn to return. Glenn remains a candidate with several HC-needy teams, but Johnson has loomed as Detroit’s more coveted option. His decision to back out of the Commanders’ job came as reps from the NFC East club were en route to Detroit for interviews with he and Glenn. Rather than hire Glenn, Washington chose Dan Quinn.

The latter’s team just eliminated Johnson’s from the playoffs, freeing the Bears up to make their preferred hire now rather than wait at least another week. Had the Lions held seed and advanced to Super Bowl LIX, the Bears would have needed to wait until after the mid-February event to make their hire.

The Lions’ shortcoming will benefit the Bears, who have not been able to firmly establish themselves as a contender since at least the mid-2000s. And that defense-powered operation only stayed afloat on that level for two seasons. The Bears have not made three straight playoff berths since Mike Ditka‘s tenure more than 30 years ago. The offensive minds the Bears have hired in the recent past (Marc Trestman, Matt Nagy) have not been able to move the needle, Nagy’s two playoff berths notwithstanding. Johnson, however, checks in as a candidate on a higher plane by comparison to those two HCs or really any coach the Bears have hired in recent history.

Although the Lions did not book three straight playoff berths during Johnson’s tenure, they may well be on their way to that. Detroit’s hotshot OC, promoted from a post as tight ends coach after being hired by Matt Patricia, played a central role in the long-downtrodden organization’s climb. The innovative play-caller drove Detroit to two fifth-place offensive rankings and this season’s top mark in terms of scoring. The Lions ranked in the top four in yardage in each of Johnson’s three seasons calling plays.

Johnson, 38, restored Jared Goff as an upper-crust quarterback, doing so after the Lions had acquired the five-year Rams starter as the throw-in piece in the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade. Goff guided Detroit to last year’s AFC championship game and a 15-2 record this season. Johnson was seen as the architect of that resurgence.

Whereas Trestman was given Jay Cutler and Nagy mostly Mitchell Trubisky, Johnson will be tasked with developing Williams. It looks like he chose a Williams partnership over seeing what Brady could come up with in Vegas or working with Trevor Lawrence — and a $55MM-per-year contract — in Jacksonville. Williams ranked 28th in QBR this season, one in which the Bears had Thomas Brown move to three positions — pass-game coordinator, OC and interim HC — during a disjointed campaign marred by a 10-game losing streak. Williams showed a Justin Fields-like penchant for taking sacks, leading the NFL with 68. But the former Heisman winner also showed flashes that attracted candidates; he is signed through at least 2026 on a rookie contract.

This Johnson hire will be the Bears’ aim to maximize their Williams investment, and the team having D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze signed long term undoubtedly helped woo the picky HC candidate. The Raiders and Jags will need to pivot to other options, while the Bears stand to immediately become more interesting in a division in which they finished five games behind the third-place Packers. Johnson will get to work at attempting to reel in his former employer and a Vikings team that just went 14-3.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is how the long-running Chicago HC search wrapped up:

Jaguars Schedule Second HC Interviews With Patrick Graham, Liam Coen

January 20th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars are planning second interviews with former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and current Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Graham and Coen will join former Jets head coach Robert Saleh on the shortlist for the Jaguars, which will no longer include Ben Johnson after he agreed to join the Bears. Both coaches will have in-person interviews with Jacksonville’s decision-makers, a group that still includes general manager Trent Baalke. His presence was more of a concern when pickier candidates like Johnson and Mike Vrabel were in the mix, but Graham and Coen – who are not interviewing for any other head coaching jobs – may not be as demanding. Saleh has interviewed with the Raiders and the Cowboys and may be looking for more personnel control after an imperfect partnership with Joe Douglas in New York. He could get that in Las Vegas, who are looking for a new general manager after firing Tom Telesco, but not Dallas, where owner Jerry Jones will continue to make roster decisions.

Now that the biggest domino in the cycle has fallen with Johnson’s move to Chicago, other teams’ hiring proceses should speed up. Coen is set to interview on Wednesday, followed by Graham on Thursday and Saleh on Friday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, putting the Jaguars in a position to make a final decision in the next two weeks

Coen did well in his first interview with the Jaguars, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. It earned him a second interview in Jacksonville and, even if he doesn’t land the job, will improve his stock heading into next offseason’s hiring cycle.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 19th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, 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.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  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. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

Todd Monken Interviews Go Well; Previous HC Experience Helping

January 19th, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is currently calling one of the most important games of his coaching career, something he spent almost all week preparing for. Unfortunately, he had to spend any free time he had interviewing for what could be the biggest jobs of his career. Despite the distraction of the playoffs, Monken has done well in his interviews, thanks, in part, to his previous experience as a head coach at the collegiate level, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Firstly, Monken commiserated with fans, lamenting that he was being forced to split his attention between two outstanding opportunities: the chance to continue competing for a Super Bowl and the chance to coach an NFL team for the first time in his career. Still, he understood the necessity of the situation while the NFL presumably seeks a solution to the conflict.

The plus is that the Ravens’ performance in the playoffs acts as a sort of supplement to his interviews, giving NFL teams a real-life example of what his coaching and leadership can lead to. As long as the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson continue to put up impressive performances against the league’s best, Monken will continue to improve his chances at landing an opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL.

As much as his current performance is factoring in, the teams interviewing him have been looking into his past, as well. Monken has extensive experience as an offensive coordinator for three different universities and three different NFL teams, but he also has three years of experience as the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Monken took over a Southern Miss program in 2013 that had just fired Ellis Johnson following an 0-12 season. With an offensive nucleus of Nick Mullens at quarterback and Ito Smith and Jalen Richard at running back, Monken gradually turned the Golden Eagles around. A 1-11 debut improved to a 3-9 second year at his post before, ultimately, Monken had the team in the conference championship game with a 9-3 regular season record. As impressive as Monken’s recent experience as a coordinator is, his record turning around a winless team in college as a head coach is perhaps just as impressive.

Monken participated in two interviews this week. His first interview was with the Jaguars, who are currently considering him and 10 other candidates for the position. All of those candidates are former coordinators in the league, while four of the candidates have former head coaching experience in the NFL, as well.

His second interview was with the Bears who have no shortage of candidates. Chicago has interviewed 17 candidates so far and have plans to interview three more; they had two other candidates who turned down requests to interview. The candidates include former NFL head coaches (Pete Carroll, Brian Flores, Kliff Kingsbury, Mike McCarthy, Ron Rivera, and Arthur Smith), NFL coordinators (Joe Brady, Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, Mike Kafka, Drew Petzing, and Adam Stenavich), and current and former college head coaches (Matt Campbell, Marcus Freeman, Eddie George, and David Shaw), so Monken’s litany of experience gets a bit drowned out in comparison to the other candidates for the Bears’ job.

Monken currently has a lot on his plate in the NFL playoffs. He also has an interview planned with the Raiders. When he’s done padding his résumé this postseason, it will boast his playoff experience as a coordinator. Just as valuable will be his experience turning a winless college team into a winner as a college head coach.

49ers Expected To Offer Robert Saleh DC Job

January 18th, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

TODAY: While it’s been more than a week since Robert Saleh was first connected to the 49ers defensive coordinator job, he remains the favorite. Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently said “it’s Robert Saleh or bust” for San Francisco, with sources telling the reporter that the 49ers promised to make their former DC one of the highest-paid coordinators in the NFL (h/t @Coach_Yac).

JANUARY 8th: Preparing to hire a fourth defensive coordinator in four years, the 49ers have a familiar name on the radar. As could be expected based on his success in San Francisco (and the Jets’ freefall after his early-season firing), Robert Saleh is a name to monitor in this search.

Although the Jaguars are set to meet with Saleh about their head coaching job on Jan. 14, veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson reports the former 49ers DC can expect to receive an offer about returning to that job soon as well.

[RELATED: 49ers Fire ST Coordinator Brian Schneider]

Saleh was the 49ers’ DC from 2017-20 and spent the past three-plus seasons heading up the Jets’ defense — one that climbed into the top five in the NFL in 2022 and ’23. The Jets dismissed him from his post after five games this past season. After starting 2-3, Gang Green finished the season 5-12. While the 49ers attempted to land Jeff Ulbrich for their DC post last year, his recent boss appears to be the priority for the NFC West franchise.

The 49ers are not bringing Nick Sorensen back as DC, but they are also not certain to be removing their 2024 defensive play-caller from their staff. A special teams coordinator position has opened up, and Sorensen has experience in that area. As for the higher-profile job, the team has been connected to Saleh, Ulbrich and Gus Bradley in the early stages of this search. The 49ers must interview one external minority candidate to satisfy the Rooney Rule; a Saleh meeting would qualify.

Cementing himself as a head coaching candidate during the 2021 cycle, Saleh did not fare well as the Jets’ HC. The team’s Zach Wilson investment had plenty to do with that, and the Jets quickly launched a turnaround on defense. After ranking last in Saleh’s 2021 debut season, the Jets rocketed to fourth in points and yards allowed in 2022. In 2023, New York’s defense finished third in yardage allowed and 12th in points. To be fair to Ulbrich, the unit again ranked third in total defense this season; it ranked 20th in scoring as the wheels came off post-Saleh.

Saleh, 45, was at the controls when the 49ers completed a remarkable ascent in 2019. After a 4-12 2018 season that netted the team Nick Bosa at No. 2 overall, San Francisco earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed and stampeded through the NFC playoffs before a Super Bowl LIV loss to the Chiefs. Saleh’s unit ranked fourth in scoring defense that year. Despite the 49ers losing Bosa early during an injury-plagued 2020 season — one that reminded of the team’s 2024 slate — Saleh’s troops remained a top-five total defense.

It will be interesting to see how fast the 49ers move on this, with Saleh presumably interested in hearing the Jaguars out about a return to a top job. Jacksonville is the only team thus far to request an HC interview with the recently fired Jets coach/current Packers consultant, so it is possible San Francisco will not need to wait too long for an answer.

Ben Johnson Remains Interested In Jaguars’ Head Coaching Vacancy

January 17th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

11:03pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz both echo the sentiment that Jacksonville remains under consideration in Johnson’s situation. They also note the Bears could be a team to watch on this front, something which will of course remain the case until Chicago makes a hire.

10:40am: In recent days, the Raiders have emerged as the presumed destination for Ben Johnson with respect to his high-profile head coaching candidacy. The Lions’ offensive coordinator still has other suitors, of course, and the Jaguars are among them.

Prior to the news strongly tying Johnson to Vegas, Jacksonville was reported to be “all in” on hiring him. Neither the Raiders nor the Jags have made a hire yet, and Johnson will of course not be available to officially take the position with either franchise until the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs. In-person interviews with coaches whose team’s seasons have ended can take place once the divisional round ends; Johnson could participate in such a meeting with interested teams during the bye week leading up to the Super Bowl should the Lions make it to the title game.

As the watch for further developments on the Raiders front continues, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports Johnson remains interested in “exploring” the Jaguars’ vacancy. She adds the Jags continue to ask about how a potential Johnson-led staff would look, an indication that feeling is still mutual. Jacksonville moved on from an offense-oriented head coach (Doug Pederson) at the end of the season, but doubling down on that side of the ball would of course be a move aimed at – among other things – maximizing quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s potential.

Anderson adds that Lions pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand would likely be a name to watch regarding potential offensive coordinator hires in the event Johnson were to take the Jaguars’ gig. Hiring an experienced defensive coordinator would be expected in that event, per Anderson, something which would come as no surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2024. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke (who, to the surprise of many, was retained but may see another front office staffer added during the hiring cycle) will need to pivot to other candidates if Johnson drops out of the running or lands elsewhere. This connection still persists as the 2025 coaching landscape takes shape, though.

Via PFR’s HC search tracker, here is a look at Jacksonville’s situation:

Kliff Kingsbury Won’t Interview For HC Jobs Until After Commanders’ Season

January 16th, 2025 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a successful return to the NFL as the Commanders offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury is once again on the head coach radar. While Kingsbury has already been connected to a handful of jobs, it sounds like the former NFL journeyman isn’t in any rush to return to the top coaching job.

We heard earlier this week that the coach would be wary of leaving his current job in Washington considering the presence of QB Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury is apparently doubling down on his lack of urgency, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that the current coordinator won’t take any head coaching interviews until after his team’s eliminated from the playoffs. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport backs up this report, noting that Kingsbury’s approach increases the chances of him returning to Washington in 2025.

Instead of the distraction of head coaching interviews, Kingsbury is fully focused on the Commanders upcoming playoff matchup against the Lions. While the Commanders obviously face an uphill battle against the NFC’s top team, Kingsbury could only help to improve his future HC chances with another successful playoff showing.

As Florio notes, Kingsbury also doesn’t have any financial urgency to return to the head coach role. The former Cardinals head coach is still being paid by the organization; the team famously fired Kingsbury less than a year after handing him a six-year extension. Kingsbury’s stint in Arizona saw its fair share of ups and downs, although he lost some of his shine after guiding the team to only one winning season and a single one-and-done playoff appearance through four years.

Since his firing, he’s done an admirable job of rehabbing his reputation. He spent the 2023 campaign at USC, where he worked closely with eventual first-overall pick Caleb Williams. Then, after getting hired as the Commanders new OC, he helped guide his squad to one of the best offensive outputs in team history. His 2024 success came with a rookie under center, as Daniels finished his first NFL season with 25 passing touchdowns and close to 900 yards rushing.

With Kingsbury having worked with two of the league’s brightest young stars, it’s no surprise that he’s back in the hiring cycle. As our 2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, the Bears and Saints have already requested interviews with the coordinator, and the Jaguars have also been mentioned as a potential suitor. There’s a chance that Kingsbury could be ready to interview with those organizations as soon as Sunday, but the coach is still risking those teams making a decision before he’s ready for a meeting.

Cowboys To Interview Kellen Moore For HC

January 16th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Sam Robinson

10:30am: Moore is expected to interview virtually for the position Friday, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. The Cowboys will join the Jaguars and Saints in speaking with the experienced play-caller before the Eagles’ divisional-round Rams matchup.

9:56am: Now coaching a 14-3 Eagles team preparing for the divisional round, Kellen Moore has improved his stock from where it was after his one-and-done as Chargers OC. As could be expected, the veteran OC’s other former NFL employer has circled back to him.

In need of a head coach for the first time in five years, the Cowboys are interested in a potential Moore reunion. They have sent the Philadelphia play-caller an interview request, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. Moore previously spent four seasons as the Cowboys’ OC.

[RELATED: 2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Moore, 36, has an extensive history in Dallas. The former Tony Romo and Dak Prescott backup transitioned to quarterbacks coach immediately upon retiring, landing that job while still in his 20s. The Cowboys thought so highly of Moore they bumped him to OC during Jason Garrett‘s final year and kept him aboard despite changing coaching staffs. Mike McCarthy turned to Moore as his play-caller for the first three years of his HC tenure, before the sides separated in 2023. Moore is now in play to replace his former boss.

Joining Leslie Frazier and Robert Saleh as confirmed candidates (along with Deion Sanders, who is lurking here), Moore brings six years of OC experience despite not yet being in his late 30s. He has been at the controls for Saquon Barkley‘s dominant season — one that likely would have produced the single-season rushing record had Nick Sirianni opted to play the All-Pro in Week 18 — and is one of the catalysts for the Eagles motoring to the NFC’s No. 2 seed after a 2023 collapse. The Eagles rank seventh in scoring offense.

The Saints and Jaguars have met with Moore during this year’s cycle. The Colts interviewed him in 2023. After the Cowboys’ 12-5 2021 campaign, four teams — the Broncos, Dolphins, Jags and Vikings — spoke with Moore, who came up as a name to watch for this Dallas vacancy hours after the team’s McCarthy dismissal. The Chargers also hired Moore as OC within hours of his 2023 split with McCarthy.

While Jalen Hurts has not progressed this season and Moore’s year-long Justin Herbert mentorship did not lead to substantial growth, he did plenty to elevate Prescott during his time in Dallas. Prescott broke through as a passer in 2019, throwing 30 touchdown passes and thus upping his extension price, and then compiled a 37-10 TD-INT ratio in his first season back from a fractured ankle. The 2019 Cowboys led the NFL in total offense, while the 2021 unit paced the league in scoring. It is fair to place Prescott’s 2022 regression (league-high 15 INTs) on Moore as well, but several teams have sought HC interviews with the former Boise State QB during his coaching run. This may be the most important one yet.

Moore’s Cowboys interview must be virtual, if it is to occur this week, and the Cowboys’ delayed decision on McCarthy will present a time crunch. Moore will meet with the Jags and Saints by Saturday, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. If the Cowboys do not squeeze in a meeting before the Eagles’ divisional-round game, they would need to wait until the team is eliminated (or hold off until the Super Bowl bye week in the event Philly books another berth).

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

Liam Coen In Contention To Land Jaguars’ HC Position?

January 15th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars are one of five teams currently seeking out a head coaching hire. A long list of candidates have been connected to the position, but an early contender may have emerged.

Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is meeting today with Jacksonville. No other team has requested an interview to this point, something which makes him stand out compared to more in-demand HC candidates. He will remain a candidate to monitor closely in this situation, however.

Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports Coen is “believed to be a top name to watch” regarding Jacksonville’s head coaching gig. To no surprise, Doug Pederson was dismissed after the 2024 campaign, his third in Duval County. The former Eagles Super Bowl winner comes from an offensive background, and teams often move in a different direction in that regard when replacing coaches. A number of candidates on the Jags’ radar are offensive coordinators, though, so Coen is one of many staffers whose success on that side of the ball could make him attractive as the team looks to maximize quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s potential.

From 2018-23, Coen alternated between Sean McVay‘s Rams staff and time at Kentucky. That period gave him offensive coordinator experience at the college and NFL levels (although he did not call plays in Los Angeles). The 39-year-old took charge of the Buccaneers’ offense this season, and his success in that endeavor has not gone unnoticed. Tampa Bay ranked top-four in the NFL in passing and rushing yards per game in 2024, and it was reported in December Coen would likely be involved in this year’s head coaching carousel.

Jacksonville is one of the long list of suitors for Lions OC Ben Johnson, who is believed to be intrigued by the prospect of taking over the Jaguars. Johnson has several other potential landing spots, of course, and the Raiders have recently emerged as the top option in that regard. Especially if Johnson ends up being unavailable for the Jaguars (in spite of their predicted “aggressive pursuit,”), Coen could be a target for a second interview when the team narrows down its list of finalists. As Schultz notes, Jacksonville’s search process is far from finished at this point.

Via PFR’s head coaching search tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand with the Jaguars:

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