Kansas City Chiefs News & Rumors

Titans Request GM Interviews With Mike Borgonzi, Terrance Gray, Catherine Hickman

Searching for a new GM for a second time in three years, the Titans are moving forward after firing Ran Carthon. They have sent out three GM interview requests, with familiar names — albeit one with a slight adjustment — surfacing early.

Tennessee sent out interview slips to Kansas City assistant GM Mike Borgonzi and Cleveland AGM Catherine Hickman, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Hickman was formerly Catherine Raiche; she has been with the Browns since the 2022 offseason. The team also sent a request to meet with Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports.

Hickman remains one of the frontrunners to become the NFL’s first modern-era woman GM. She has been part of the GM carousel in the past, having interviewed for the Vikings’ top front office job in 2022. Hickman came over from the Eagles in 2022, being one of four Philly execs to earn an assistant GM job elsewhere that offseason. Hickman arrived in Cleveland months after the team’s Deshaun Watson trade/extension, which may well be important given where that arrangement has headed.

The other team in need at GM, the Jets, is interviewing Borgonzi today. Because the Chiefs earned a first-round bye, their GM and HC candidates — thus far Borgonzi and Matt Nagy, respectively — can meet with clubs virtually this week. Borgonzi has been with the Chiefs since 2009, predating Andy Reid‘s tenure. The Scott Pioli-era hire has climbed the ladder during the Reid-Brett Veach years, however, becoming the AFC superpower’s assistant GM in 2021. Borgonzi has a strong relationship with Titans president of football ops Chad Brinker, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds, so this will be something to follow closely in the days to come.

Gray joins Brian Gaine as Bills execs to receive an interview slip during this year’s cycle; the Jets requested a Gaine audience. Gray has been part of past GM cycles, most recently interviewing for the Chargers and Raiders’ jobs. He declined a Patriots interview, joining multiple others, as most correctly predicted Eliot Wolf would remain in charge post-Bill Belichick. Gray will have another opportunity now.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/7/25

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
  • Released: OT Max Pircher

To make room for veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott, the Chargers moved on from a veteran wideout. Laviska Shenault spent the majority of this season with the Seahawks, where he hauled in five catches in 11 games. The former second-round pick caught on with the Chargers practice squad in December and ended up getting into one game with the squad.

Ray Farmer, Ryan Grigson, Mike Greenberg, Mike Borgonzi Receive Jets GM Interview Requests

General managers do not receive second chances nearly as often as head coaches. The Jets’ early round of interview requests has shown, however, they are quite open to the notion of a rebound GM.

After meeting with Thomas Dimitroff and Jon Robinson, the Jets have since sent interview requests to Ray Farmer and Ryan Grigson, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Farmer and Grigson, respectively, enjoyed tenures as Browns and Colts GMs during the 2010s. As could be expected, a number of candidates seeking their first GM opportunity are also in the Jets’ plans.

Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi received a Jets request, per Russini, while Schefter adds Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg did as well. Bengals senior personnel exec Trey Brown is on the Jets’ request list, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, while Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby is as well. Halaby will interview for the position Wednesday, Pelissero adds.

Farmer has not been a part of this process for a while. Now 50, Farmer is nearly 10 years removed from his Browns GM tenure. He has conducted one GM interview — for the Jaguars’ post that went to Trent Baalke in 2021 — since the Browns fired him after the 2015 season. Once suspended for sending text messages to the sideline from his press box seat during the 2014 season — his first as Browns GM — Farmer oversaw one of the more successful seasons since Cleveland’s franchise rebooted. The Browns went 7-9 in 2014, though that year was marred by a disastrous first round that saw Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel become historic busts. Farmer is now with the Rams, working as a senior personnel exec. He picked up a Super Bowl ring for his work three years ago.

Grigson, the Colts’ GM from 2012-16, works as a Vikings exec presently. Minnesota hired him as senior VP of player personnel; he has worked under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for two years. The two worked together in Cleveland under GM Andrew Berry as well. The Colts reached the AFC championship game under Grigson, who was present for the Andrew Luck pick, but they also struggled to build a foundation around their franchise passer, who suffered career-altering injuries to help lead to Grigson’s ouster.

The Chiefs’ success figures to make Borgonzi a popular target. Kansas City lost one of its front office pieces last year, as the Panthers hired Brandt Tilis to a non-GM post. Borgonzi works as Brett Veach‘s right-hand man presently. Borgonzi’s Chiefs tenure predates Andy Reid, as he arrived in Kansas City as a Scott Pioli hire. Borgonzi has climbed the ladder during the team’s rise, moving to the AGM post in 2021. The Commanders are the only team, however, that has met with him for a GM interview thus far.

Brown has taken a few interviews previously; ditto Greenberg. The latter grew up a Jets fan on Long Island, and Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager indicates the Bucs could be in danger losing him this year. Greenberg, who has been with the franchise for two decades, serves as the Bucs’ lead cap guru and has been chiefly responsible for the team being able to retain both members of its Super Bowl LV-winning nucleus along with Baker Mayfield.

A Kansas City-area native, Brown is 39 but has been in the NFL ranks since 2010. He has worked in the Cincinnati front office since 2020. This will be Halaby’s second offseason on the GM carousel; he met with the Commanders and Panthers last year. The Eagles promoted the analytics staffer to assistant GM in 2022, when the franchise saw four of its execs become assistant GMs elsewhere.

The Jets also sent out a host of HC interview slips Monday, and they are not committing to a GM-centric power structure. That will be a pertinent question for GM candidates, as organizational power is an obvious driver for execs and coaches. The team is not committed to hiring either position first, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini indicates, adding some additional intrigue to a process that already features plenty. Woody Johnson‘s overreach has generated numerous headlines as of late, and the owner’s meddling stands to have an impact on the team’s HC and GM searches.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

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.

Saints Expected To Have Interest In Matt Nagy For HC Job

We heard previously that Matt Nagy should be in the mix for head coaching vacancies this offseason, and the Chiefs offensive coordinator is now being connected to definitive gigs. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Saints are expected to show interest in the veteran coach.

[RELATED: Chiefs OC Matt Nagy Could Be 2025 HC Candidate]

After starting his coaching career with the Eagles, Nagy made a name for himself while guiding the Alex Smith iteration of Kansas City’s offense. Nagy ended up spending two years as the Chiefs offensive coordinator (plus an additional three as QBs coach) before getting a shot at the top job in Chicago.

Nagy hit the ground running during his first year as the Bears head coach in 2018, helping guide the squad to a 12-4 record before losing to the Eagles by one point in the Wild Card Round. The coach followed that up with two-straight underwhelming 8-8 showings, and the Bears had another one-and-done playoff appearance during the 2020 postseason. The team somewhat bottomed out in 2021, with the Bears finishing 6-11. That performance ended up spelling the end of Nagy’s tenure in Chicago, as the coach was fired following that campaign.

After being let go by the Bears, Nagy returned to Kansas City. He initially served as Patrick Mahomes QBs coach in 2022, and he was promoted back to offensive coordinator after Eric Bieniemy left for Washington ahead of the 2023 season. Nagy hasn’t been responsible for calling plays during his time in Kansas City, a factor that could work against him as he searches for another HC gig.

The Saints fired Dennis Allen back in November and promoted Darren Rizzi to interim head coach. Per Russini, Rizzi is also expected to get a shot at the full-time job, and even if the team goes in another direction, the coach is expected to stick around New Orleans in some capacity. Rizzi has served as the team’s special teams coordinator since 2019. Russini also mentions Mike McCarthy as a potential candidate for the Saints job if the coach isn’t retained by the Cowboys.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25

The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.

Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.

Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).

Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.

Chiefs Designate Jaylen Watson For Return

The Chiefs have a rare opportunity at significant rest before the playoffs, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Christmas Day. Andy Reid‘s team is taking advantage of that, being set to rest starters — to the point it is a double-digit underdog in Denver — in Week 18.

Kansas City is also starting to see some players lost early in the season return. Weeks after Isiah Pacheco and Marquise Brown‘s returns from IR, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes cornerback Jaylen Watson is being designated for return. Watson has been out since late October with a broken leg.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Watson operated as the Chiefs’ initial L’Jarius Sneed replacement. Although the team was undecided on this job leading up to the season, Watson won it and played at least 93% of the team’s defensive snaps when healthy this season. The Chiefs will have three weeks to activate Watson. Considering they do not play a meaningful game for two weeks, the third-year defender has some time to complete his recovery.

Continuing a pattern of moving on from starting cornerbacks rather than paying them, the Chiefs dealt Sneed to the Titans for a 2025 third-round pick. After losing Williams, however, Kansas City has seen its usual blueprint fail to produce consistent coverage beyond standout Trent McDuffie.

In a small sample size this season, Pro Football Focus did have Watson rated 30th among corners. The boundary defender’s return stands to help a defense that already ranks second in points allowed heading into the playoffs. Watson replacement options Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson have each struggled. After playing a part-time role during the Chiefs’ 2022 and ’23 playoff runs, Watson figures to see extensive work — provided he is sufficiently recovered — during the team’s threepeat attempt.

These recoveries may well play a central role in the Chiefs’ chances at becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Kansas City will not have Rashee Rice back, but beyond the promising wideout, the two-time defending champs could be nearly at full strength when they suit up for their divisional-round game. Watson is attempting to follow Pacheco in returning from a fractured fibula. While Kansas City (15-1) has received steady criticism for its run of narrow victories regardless of opponent quality, the experienced team will certainly be a tough out during the postseason.

Chiefs Designate Mecole Hardman For Return

The Chiefs have designated wide receiver Mecole Hardman for return from injured reserve and opened his 21-day practice window, per Bleacher Report’s James Palmer.

Hardman landed on IR on December 7 with a knee injury after a quiet start to the season. He appeared in Kansas City’s first 12 games this season but made just 12 catches for 90 yards across his 114 offensive snaps.

Hardman had a bigger impact on special teams, averaging 10.2 yards on 20 punt returns and posting a career-high 26.4 yards per kickoff return. He will likely return to that role once healthy, though Nikko Remigio has done a solid job in his absence.

Hardman’s return may seem of little consequence given his lack of production this year, but he has been a solid playoff performer for the Chiefs in past championships runs. He has 393 combined rushing and receiving yards and four total touchdowns in his postseason career, including the game-winner in last year’s Super Bowl.

If Hardman is activated in time for the Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup with the Broncos, he will be catching passes from Carson Wentz, not Patrick Mahomes, according to Palmer. Head coach Andy Reid is opting to rest Mahomes and several other key starters for Sunday’s game with the AFC’s No. 1 seed already secured. Mahomes and the other resting players will have two weeks off before Kansas City embarks on their quest for a third straight championship.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/30/24

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Activated from commissioners/suspended list: LB Markus Bailey

Indianapolis Colts

  • Released from practice squad injured list: DT Trysten Hill

Kansas City Chiefs

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

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)