Miami Dolphins News & Rumors

Darrell Bevell, Tommy Rees To Interview For Browns’ OC Job

Firing their offensive coordinator in back-to-back years, the Browns no longer seem committed to finding someone that will coax a Deshaun Watson bounce-back effort. The embattled quarterback has seen a setback in his Achilles rehab, and Browns brass had already stopped short of confirming the high-priced passer would start again.

With the prospect of a first-round quarterback firmly in play, the Browns are moving on their OC search. They have tight ends coach Tommy Rees in line to interview for Ken Dorsey‘s old job, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. Rees is expected to draw interest elsewhere, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, so the Browns will need to weigh outside interest with Rees’ qualifications to move up internally.

Two assistants bringing more experience will join Rees in interviewing for the position. Veteran Darrell Bevell will meet about the job, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The former Seahawks OC is currently the Dolphins’ pass-game coordinator. Current Seahawks QBs coach Charles London will also meet with the Browns, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Bevell will interview today, Cabot adds.

Rees also came up previously as someone who could follow Mike Vrabel, but Josh McDaniels — who has an extensive history with the HC candidate dating back to his linebacker days — is also in play there. Rees has more experience at the college level, having been the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and Alabama. Rees, 32, landed the Fighting Irish gig at just 27. He would be the youngest active NFL OC if promoted. The ex-Nick Saban assistant joined the Browns’ staff last year.

Bevell, 55, has been in the NFL since 2000 and has held OC gigs with four teams (Vikings, Seahawks, Lions, Jaguars). At the controls when the Seahawks emerged as the NFL’s top team early in Russell Wilson‘s career, Bevell spent seven seasons as the play-caller under Pete Carroll. He later served as interim HC for both the Lions and Jaguars. Bevell has been at the helm under Mike McDaniel since 2022. With Tua Tagovailoa taking a substantial leap in that span, Bevell is again drawing interest.

London, 49, has also been a regular on the OC interview circuit in recent years. He met about the Titans and Commanders’ jobs in 2023, but no interviews took place last year. The Rams and Dolphins met with London in 2022. London has coached QBs with the Falcons, Titans and Seahawks since 2021.

Additionally, the Browns hired a new offensive line coach. Mike Bloomgren will come from the college ranks to take over for Andy Dickerson, whom the team fired along with Dorsey. Bloomgren, who spent the past seven seasons as Rice’s head coach, has been in the college game since 2011. He worked under David Shaw at Stanford for seven years. In the four years prior to that, however, Bloomgren was a Jets assistant. He did not rise beyond the quality control level at that point.

CB Justin Bethel Retires

Justin Bethel‘s playing days have come to an end. The veteran corner/special teams ace announced his retirement via Instagram on Wednesday.

“23 years. 12 years pro,” Bethel wrote. “That’s how long I’ve played the game of football! Been blessed more than I can imagine. Met a lot of great people thanks to football and been to a lot of cool places. But my greatest years are ahead of me.”

Bethel entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2012. He played all 16 games in his rookie year but hardly saw the field on defense. With respect to special teams, though, his 70% snap share showcased his immediate contributions. It was in the third phase that Bethel would go on to make his most notable impact in the NFL. That included three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2013-15.

Following a six-year run in Arizona (including the 2017 campaign, in which he logged his heaviest defensive workload), Bethel spent one year with the Falcons. That, in turn, was followed by time with the Ravens, Patriots and Dolphins. He logged a full season in 2023 with Miami but was out of the league this past campaign. Rather than attempting a return for the 2025 season, Bethel has elected to hang up his cleats.

In all, the 34-year-old played 200 combined regular and postseason games in the NFL, collecting five interceptions and 282 tackles along the way. Thanks in large part to his first Cardinals extension, Bethel amassed roughly $20MM in career earnings.

2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

The Titans and Raiders again became part of a GM carousel in the 2020s. Tennessee canned its front office boss after two seasons, while Las Vegas moved on after one. These two joined the Jets, and after two-plus offseason weeks, the Jaguars followed suit by firing Trent Baalke. Here is how the three AFC teams’ searches look thus far. If other teams make changes atop their front offices, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-25-25 (3:51pm CT)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Dolphins To Prioritize Backup QB Job

Despite Tua Tagovailoa‘s history of concussions, the Dolphins did not upgrade at backup quarterback in 2024, sticking with Skylar Thompson and releasing Mike White before the start of the regular season.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said on Tuesday that the team was pursuing “a couple of top-flight backup QBs,” during last offseason, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but couldn’t finalize any signings due to salary cap constraints. Instead, they had Thompson and White compete for the backup job in training camp.

White lost and joined the Bills’ practice squad, forcing the Dolphins to scramble in Week 2 when Tagovailoa went down. They signed Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad and Tim Boyle off the street, though neither represented a serious improvement over Thompson.

Grier is determined to have more success finding a new backup after Huntley, Boyle, and Thompson went 2-4 as starters this season. The three combined for a 78.67 passer rating across their appearances, which would rank third-worst among qualified quarterbacks.

The annual quarterback carousel will give Grier plenty of options this offseason, though the Dolphins remain strapped for cap space. They’re already in the red for 2025 with just 37 players under contract, per OverTheCap. The usual array of cuts and restructures can free up some money, but Miami will still need to fill and upgrade their roster if they want to make the playoffs in 2025. Grier will have to balance his desire to shore up his quarterback room with his need to improve other areas of the team.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/25

Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players through the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

  • DE Anthony Goodlow, OL Sincere Haynesworth, RB Zonovan Knight, NT P.J. Mustipher

Atlanta Falcons

  • WR Makai Polk

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • TE Jordan Murray

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

  • DL Tyler Manoa

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

Dolphins’ Chris Grier: Tyreek Hill Has Not Issued Trade Request

In the aftermath of the Dolphins’ Week 18 contest, Tyreek Hill caused a stir with his post-game remarks. The All-Pro wideout openly discussed moving on from Miami despite agreeing to a new contract with the team this past summer.

Speculation has increased since then that a trade will take place, although nothing is imminent on that front. On Tuesday, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel held a press conference and to no surprise, Hill’s decision to pull himself from the game (after it had become clear reaching the playoffs would not be possible for Miami) was a topic which came up early.

“It’s not acceptable to leave a game and won’t be tolerated in the future,” McDaniel said (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques). “[Hill] embraced accountability… I don’t think there’s anything to fix.”

Even though Hill “opened the door” to a deal sending him out of Miami with his Sunday comments (and has not yet retracted them), Grier noted a trade request has not been made (h/t Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network). Grier added he and Hill had a “productive conversation” in the wake of the season coming to an end. Speculation will no doubt continue on this situation, but the lack of a desire on Hill’s part for a trade to be worked out is a sign he could remain in Miami moving forward.

The two-time Super Bowl winner was dealt from the Chiefs to the Dolphins in 2022, and he received a four-year, $120MM upon arrival. That $30MM AAV was inflated by the non-guaranteed figures at the back end of the deal, and in August team and player agreed to a restructure which brought in new money (including $65MM in total guarantees) without adding any new years to the pact. Hill’s future seemed to be secure once that was in place, but his comments – provided they are to be taken at face value – certainly point to another change of scenery being something he would welcome.

Hill is under contract through 2026, and nearly all of his base compensation ($27.75MM total) for next year is already guaranteed. Jaylen Waddle is also on the books long term, and that receiver duo will remain the focal point of Miami’s offense if both of its members stay in place moving forward. In Hill’s case, it appears neither team nor player will spend the near future working to find a trade partner.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/25

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

  • Re-signed (two years): CB Jason Maitre

New Orleans Saints

  • Re-signed: K Charlie Smyth

A number of impending free agents quickly re-signed with their current organizations today. While these players aren’t shoo-ins for roster spots in 2025, they are attached to actual NFL contracts (vs. reserve/futures contracts, which would need to be converted into real contracts if a player makes a 53-man roster).

In addition to hanging on to kicker Charlie Smyth today, the Saints also had to deal with some notable details on a previously-agreed-upon contract. The NFL rejected the team’s contract to safety Travion Fluellen, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The organization later revised the agreement, bumping the contract from a two-year pact to a three-year pact. It’s uncertain why the league rejected the initial deal, although it could be due to Fluellen’s status as a former UFL player.

Saints Request HC Interviews With Kellen Moore, Anthony Weaver, Mike Kafka

We’ve got three more names to add to the growing list of Saints head coach candidates. The Saints have requested interviews with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver (via The Athletic’s Dianna Russini), and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (via Josina Anderson).

[RELATED: Saints Request HC Interviews With Joe Brady, Aaron Glenn]

This request represents Moore’s first of the current hiring cycle. The veteran coach just completed his first regular season as Philly’s offensive coordinator, with the Eagles failing to improve on their 2023 offensive rankings (seventh in points, eighth in yards). Still, he helped guide Saquon Barkley to a historic season, and he was previously lauded for his offensive approach in stops with the Chargers and Cowboys.

Moore isn’t a stranger to the head coaching interview circuit. He’s earned interviews in each of the past three offseasons, including meetings with the Chargers (2024), Panthers (2023), Broncos, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Vikings (2022).

Weaver was a popular name during last year’s hiring cycle, with the defensive-minded coach earning interviews with the Falcons and Commanders. He ultimately landed in Miami as the Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator. While the team’s defense struggled at times, Weaver still squeezed out a top-10 showing out of his unit, with the Dolphins ranking fourth in yards allowed and 10th in points allowed. The defensive coordinator also oversaw the development of some key defenders, including first-round edge rusher Chop Robinson.

A long-time defensive line coach, Weaver earned national attention following his three-year stint in Baltimore. He served as the Ravens defensive line coach/run game coordinator in 2021 before earning a promotion to assistant head coach in 2022. His current gig in Miami represented another promotion, so the next logical step of his coaching career would see him earning the head coach title. We learned earlier today that the Bears requested an interview with Weaver.

A former NFL journeyman, Kafka made a name for himself while coaching Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. He parlayed his performance as Chiefs QBs coach into an OC gig with the Giants, where he’s spent the past three years. Brian Daboll wrestled away play-calling responsibilities from his OC this past offseason, and there have been rumblings that Kafka could be ousted since the head coach will be sticking around.

Kafka’s potentially ugly ending in New York clearly hasn’t hurt his head coaching chances, as we learned earlier today that the Bears requested an interview with the coordinator. Kafka interviewed for both the Seahawks and Titans gigs last offseason, and he garnered interviews for all five head coaching vacancies in 2023.

This trio joins Joe Brady and Aaron Glenn, who the Saints requested interviews with earlier today. The team has also been connected to the likes of Mike Vrabel and Matt Nagy, while interim head coach Darren Rizzi is also expected to push for a promotion to the full-time gig.

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

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.

Tyreek Hill Open To Dolphins Trade

Sunday saw the Dolphins drop to 8-9 on the season and fall short of the playoffs. The team’s season is over as a result, and Tyreek Hill‘s future is once again a talking point.

The All-Pro wideout has played in Miami for the past three seasons, and a contract agreement from this past summer seemed to ensure he would remain in place for years to come. Based on his post-game comments, though, Hill’s career could include another change of scenery. A trade is something Hill would welcome, as he indicated on Sunday.

[RELATED: Dolphins To Retain Mike McDaniel, Chris Grier]

“I have to do what’s best for me and my family – if that’s here or wherever the case may be,” the 30-year-old said (video link via Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald). “I’m about to open up that door for myself… I’m out. It was great playing here but at the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

Given those remarks, Hill’s future will certainly become a major talking point. The eight-time Pro Bowler referring to his Dolphins tenure in the past tense immediately after a game is a noteworthy element of his public stance on his career. Hill has since taken to social media to thank the Dolphins’ fanbase, although that by no means ensures he intends to demand a trade. Still, this is a surprise considering the new commitment the Dolphins made prior to this season.

Taking note of the latest jump in the WR market, Hill made it clear he was seeking a new contract last offseason (although he also insisted negotiations not reach the point where a trade would be on the table). In the end, team and player agreed to a restructure which saw the value of his pact increase to $90MM (including $54MM locked in at signing and $65MM in total guarantees) while keeping him in place through 2026. Nearly all of Hill’s base compensation ($27.75MM) for next season is guaranteed, and he is due a $3.17MM option bonus in late August.

As a result, a release or trade before June 1 would not be feasible from a cap perspective from the Dolphins. A deal sending Hill to a new team after that date would create a slight net positive from a financial standpoint ($14.95MM in savings against $12.73MM in dead money), but it would of course create a major vacancy at the receiver spot. The Dolphins – who have Jaylen Waddle signed through 2028 – have relied heavily on Hill since his arrival from the Chiefs. The former fifth-rounder topped 1,700 yards in his debut Miami campaign and led the NFL with 1,799 (along with an NFL-best 13 touchdowns) last year. His production dropped this season, one in which the Dolphins’ offense dealt with many injury problems.

That includes the torn wrist ligament Hill played through for the entire campaign. He elected not to undergo surgery during the year, but his health will be something to watch closely moving forward. Hill’s postgame comments included the revelation he was dealing with a right wrist injury today (whereas the year-long ailment affected his left wrist). He exited the Dolphins’ loss midway through the contest, noting he was aware of the Chiefs-Broncos score (which was heavily in favor of Denver, something which ensured Miami would not be able to reach the playoffs even with a win) at the time he departed the game.

The Dolphins have a number of important decisions to make this offseason, but sorting out Hill’s future was not expected to be one of them. Instead, addressing his willingness to play elsewhere in 2025 will become an organizational priority, and this situation has the potential to become one of the top storylines around the league depending on how successful that effort is.