Colts DC Lou Anarumo Expected To Draw HC Interest From Giants
Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is expected to draw interest from the Giants’ regarding their head coaching vacancy, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.
Anarumo, 59, is one of the most respected defensive coaches in the NFL. He began his career with the Dolphins in 2012, serving as their defensive backs coach until 2017 with a brief stint as interim defensive coordinator in 2015. After a year as the Giants’ DBs coach in 2018, Anarumo was hired by the Bengals in 2019 under incoming head coach Zac Taylor.
Anarumo turned a Cincinnati defense that ranked 30th in points and 32nd in yards allowed into a respectable one within a few seasons. However, the unit only ranked among the league’s top-10 in either category during his tenure, though that could also be attributed to the team’s poor draft-and-develop record with defensive players. After the Bengals regressed to the 25th-ranked defense in 2024, Anarumo was fired.
The veteran coach quickly drew DC interest and interviewed with the Colts and the Falcons. He was hired in Indianapolis and has been a major part of their 8-3 start. Though the offense has been the primary driver of the Colts’ success, their defense has more than held up their end of the bargain. The Bengals, meanwhile, are not just the league’s worst defense; they are a historically bad unit.
Anarumo’s success in Indianapolis will likely get him on the radar for open head coaching jobs during the 2026 hiring cycle, including the Giants’ vacancy. He has past experience in New York under the same ownership and a relationship with general manager Joe Schoen. The two overlapped in Miami from 2012 to 2016, where Schoen rose through the scouting department to eventually become the director of player personnel. The familiarity with Schoen as well as Giants owner and president John Mara could certainly be a factor in getting Anarumo an interview.
When asked about his interest in a head coaching position on Tuesday, Anarumo said (via Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star) that he would be lying if he said he did not want a top job, but added that his focus was on the Colts’ next opponent.
It will be interesting to see if New York pursues a defensive-minded coach. They have not hired a former defensive coordinator as a head coach since Bill Parcells in 1983.
Giants Fire DC Shane Bowen
Further changes along the sideline are taking place in New York. Shane Bowen‘s defensive coordinator tenure with the Giants has come to an end. 
Bowen has been fired, as first reported by NJ.com’s Art Stapleton. The move comes after interim head coach Mike Kafka‘s second game at the helm. The Giants once again found themselves in position to close out a win yesterday, but they wound up dropping a 34-27 contest in overtime to the Lions. With defensive breakdowns still an issue, Bowen is being replaced. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
On five occasions this season, the Giants have held a lead of 10 or more points but gone on to lose; that includes three blown double-digit leads in the fourth quarter. That trend has led to increasing calls for Bowen to be dismissed. The 38-year-old’s job security was a talking point after the 2024 campaign with owner John Mara publicly criticizing him. As of early September, Bowen joined then-head coach Brian Daboll as a candidate to be replaced during the season.
Kafka took over from Daboll two weeks ago, and he did not make any immediate moves in terms of coordinator changes. Nevertheless, it was reported at the time Bowen was on thin ice. Overall, the former Titans DC’s unit ranks 30th in both points and yards allowed, something which has played a major role in New York’s 2-10 record. Today’s decision thus comes as little surprise.
In a move which many predicted in the immediate aftermath of the Bowen firing, outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will take over as interim DC. Kafka has informed the team of Bullen’s promotion, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. This will be Bullen’s first stint as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels.
After beginning his coaching career at Iowa, Bullen began working at the NFL as a Dolphins assistant. He worked with the team’s linebackers from 2016-18 before doing the same with the Cardinals over a four-year span. Bullen served as Arizona’s outside linebackers coach during the final three years of that tenure before holding that same title with Illinois for the 2023 campaign.
Bullen joined the Giants in 2024, the same time Bowen was hired following the period which saw Don Martindale‘s feud with Daboll lead to his departure. Things have not gone according to plan since that move, with a number of notable defensive additions (such as the free agent signings of cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland this past spring) not yielding an improved showing in terms of defensive production in Bowen’s second season.
The Giants will play the Patriots in the final game of Week 13. The team’s bye will follow, and then Kafka and Bullen will have a four-game run to close out the campaign. How those two fare in their respective roles down the stretch will be a central storyline for the team and help determine how the coaching staff is handled ahead of the 2026 hiring cycle.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/24/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR K.J. Osborn
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Dominique Hampton, TE Qadir Ismail, DL Jeremiah Martin
- Placed on IR: TE Nikola Kalinic
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OT Marques Cox
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Ameer Speed
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: WR Jimmy Holiday
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Maximilian Mang
- Released: K Jude McAtamney
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Anthony Goodlow
Giants May Explore Trading For Next Head Coach
We’ve seen some recent rumors concerning the Giants’ open head coaching job following their dismissal of Brian Daboll. Some rumors have focused on names from the collegiate ranks like Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, who was identified as an emerging candidate, or North Carolina’s Bill Belichick, who declined to pursue the job. Other reports focused on the decision to target a quarterback whisperer — for rookie Jaxson Dart — or a so-called “leader of men” type, in the mold of a Mike Tomlin or a Dan Campbell. 
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, though, New York hasn’t yet ruled out a fairly unorthodox method for finding their new coach. While the team is sure to explore the options available at the collegiate level as well as any of the NFL’s coordinators and assistant coaches who deserve a chance at more responsibility, the Giants are reportedly open to entertaining the idea of trading for a current head coach.
NFL trades including head coaches are extremely rare but not unheard of. In the history of the league, there has only ever been two true trades in which offers were made before things were finalized in some form or fashion. Six other transactions have taken place that were essentially trades, though they didn’t start out that way.
Before the concept of trading for a head coach was an established idea, there were still coaches who wanted to terminate their existing contract in favor of greener pastures. The first such example saw former Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula leave the franchise to accept a perk-filled offer to coach the Dolphins. Baltimore accused Miami of tampering, and then-commissioner Pete Rozelle decided that the Dolphins would send a 1971 first-round pick to the Colts to make up for the years that had remained on Shula’s contract when he left.
Similar such transactions have occurred a few times since, wherein head coaches would either resign or retire with time remaining on their contract before ultimately choosing to coach elsewhere. This happened twice between the Jets and Patriots, with Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick both serving as the main pieces in those “trades.” The Seahawks poached Mike Holmgren from Green Bay in the ’90s, and we’ve recently seen examples with Bruce Arians and Sean Payton, who both took a year away from the NFL before taking new jobs that required an additional exchange of draft compensation for their former teams.
The two true trades saw Jon Gruden shipped from Oakland to Tampa Bay in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and $8MM in cash and Herm Edwards shipped from the Jets to the Chiefs for a fourth-round pick. Because there aren’t any free agent coaches, currently, who walked away from remaining contract years, it appears this would be the route New York would need to pursue.
This method would require the Giants to reach out to the front office of any coaches they may be interested in to determine if any interest in a deal is mutual. From there, the two teams would work out what they agree is sufficient compensation, but before sealing the deal, the coach would get a chance to veto. We saw the first part of this occur last year, when rumors were reported that the Bears were interested in acquiring 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and in 2014, we saw the second part, when then-49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh nixed a deal that would’ve sent him to Cleveland.
It’s not the likeliest method for how the Giants are expected to find Daboll’s replacement, but it’s certainly interesting that they’re not turning it down as a possibility. And if New York has a chance to pair a coach currently under contract with their litany of young, drafted standouts on both sides of the ball, it wouldn’t be out of bounds for them to use some of that draft capital to bring in a standout head coach, as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/25
Here are Week 12’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Sunday slate tomorrow:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: CB Darren Hall
- Elevated: TE Pharaoh Brown, LB Channing Tindall
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: LB Chandler Martin, CB Amani Oruwariye
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: RB Gary Brightwell, CB Jalen Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: QB Bailey Zappe
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: LB Jamon Johnson, RB Pierre Strong
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: S Tanner Ingle
- Elevated: LB Elias Neal, WR Brennan Presley
New England Patriots
- Elevated: DT Jeremiah Pharms
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Dante Pettis, G William Sherman
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP: RB Eric Gray
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, WR Dalen Cambre
- Placed on IR: TE Thomas Fidone II
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- Waived: LB Ja’Markis Weston
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: LB Patrick O’Connell, LB Jamie Sheriff
- Placed on IR: WR Tory Horton (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: S Marcus Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: RB Kalel Mullings
- Elevated: WR Xavier Restrepo
There hasn’t been much of an update since it was reported that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was going through the league’s concussion protocol. He was able to get some limited practice time in yesterday, but he hasn’t yet been cleared. With Gabriel’s status up in the air, Zappe is getting called up in case he’s needed to back up the new starting rookie, Shedeur Sanders.
O’Connell and Sheriff are getting called up with linebackers Tyrice Knight out with a concussion and Ernest Jones questionable with a knee injury. This will be O’Connell’s third and final practice squad elevation, so if the Seahawks wants to see him play again this year, they will need to sign him to the active roster.
NFC Injury Updates: Giants, Rams, Packers, Falcons, Seahawks
Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo will sit out Sunday’s matchup with the Lions because of a sprained MCL. It’ll be the fourth straight absence for Adebo, though the Giants haven’t placed him on IR. He was on track to play in the Giants’ loss to the Packers last week before suffering a setback in warmups, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. It’s unclear whether Adebo will be ready to return against the Patriots in Week 13. If not, he’ll have an extra week to recover with the Giants on a bye after that. Adebo missed 10 games with a broken leg in 2024, his final season with the Saints, but still scored a three-year, $54MM contract in free agency. In his first seven games with the Giants (all starts), Adebo has recorded 48 tackles and four passes defensed.
More injury updates from around the NFC…
- The Rams are “getting close” to exploring opening cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon‘s 21-day practice window, according to head coach Sean McVay (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). Witherspoon broke his clavicle in a Week 2 win over the Titans, forcing him to go on IR. Expectations then were that Witherspoon would need 12 weeks to recover. If his timeline hasn’t changed, he could return in the first half of December. Meanwhile, McVay is optimistic that wide receiver Tutu Atwell (hamstring) will be back in the lineup in Week 13. Atwell, who has been on IR since Oct. 27, will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday.
- Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness has missed five games in a row with a foot injury. He’s officially questionable for a matchup with the rival Vikings on Sunday, but the Packers are hopeful he’ll play (via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). The former first-round pick opened the season with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first five games.
- Falcons defensive back Billy Bowman will miss Week 12 after sustaining an Achilles injury during a walk-through on Friday morning, head coach Raheem Morris revealed (via Tori McElhaney of the team’s website). Morris said it’s “not good,” which suggests Bowman is in line for a lengthy absence. It’s the second noteworthy injury of the year for Bowman, a fourth-round rookie from Oklahoma who missed three games earlier in the season with a hamstring problem. In his first six games (one start), Bowman has flashed some playmaking ability with 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble.
- The Seahawks have considered an IR stint for rookie receiver Tory Horton, head coach Mike Macdonald said (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). Macdonald revealed that information before the Seahawks’ loss to the Rams in Week 11. Horton missed that game with a shin injury, his second straight absence, and the Seahawks have ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the Titans. The fifth-round pick scored two touchdowns in his most recent appearance, a win over the Commanders in Week 9. While Horton has just 13 catches for 161 yards in eight games, he has already found the end zone six times, including once on a punt return.
- The Giants placed offensive lineman Evan Neal on IR with a hamstring issue last week. It turns out Neal suffered the injury during a workout, interim head coach Mike Kafka announced (via Duggan). The 2022 seventh overall pick and former tackle didn’t play a snap this year after a demotion to backup guard duties. It seems unlikely Neal will return in 2025. The 25-year-old is scheduled to reach free agency in the offseason at an inopportune time.
Giants Rule Out QB Jaxson Dart For Week 12
Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka announced that Jaxson Dart is still in concussion protocol and will not play in Week 12 against the Lions. 
The team was expecting their rookie quarterback to be cleared for Sunday’s game, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, but they will instead turn to Jameis Winston for a second game in a row. Winston started last week against the Packers and completed 19 of his 29 passes for 201 yards, plus a rushing touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, after Green Bay got back on top with a touchdown of their own, Winston threw an interception to dash any hopes of a late comeback. He will be looking for better results in Detroit, though the Lions’ defense projects to be a difficult matchup.
Dart went down at the end of the third quarter of New York’s Week 10 loss in Chicago. Russell Wilson finished the drive with a field goal, but the Bears scored 14 unanswered points to hand the Giants their eighth loss. In the wake of that game, Brian Daboll was fired and replaced with Kafka for the remainder of the campaign. That change on the sidelines saw a swap in the QB depth chart, one which will last at least one more game.
Dart has remained in concussion protocol since suffering his injury, but he did take a step toward a return by participating in practice earlier this week (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). The first-rounder will look to continue making progress over the coming days. New York’s schedule includes a Week 13 matchup with New England before the team’s bye week.
A cautious approach in Dart’s case would of course come as little surprise given his status as the team’s present and future under center and its 2-9 record. One of Kafka’s priorities once Dart is back in the fold will be a reduction in the number of hits the Ole Miss product takes. As Raanan’s colleague Adam Schefter writes, Dart has been hit a total of 84 times between passing situations and QB runs since he took over the starter’s gig in Week 4. Reducing that figure is something which has been stressed to the 22-year-old from people inside and outside the Giants’ building, per Schefter.
Winston, added in free agency prior to the Dart selection, is under contract through 2026 (as opposed to Wilson, who is a pending free agent). The veteran half of New York’s quarterback tandem for next season will look to lead the team to a win in his second Giants start, while Dart’s status will remain one to watch.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/25
Here are today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Jared Bartlett, WR Trent Sherfield, T Trey Wedig
- Released: WR Jalen Virgil
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Jacoby Windmon
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Nick Leverett
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Damon Arnette
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: CB Alex Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: S John Saunders Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Jha’Quan Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Tomon Fox
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Stone Blanton
- Released: WR Russell Gage
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/25
Wednesday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): LB Damone Clark
- Waived: K Matthew Wright
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): S Chris Smith
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: K Harrison Mevis
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Rams’ practice squad: CB A.J. Green
- Placed on IR: CB JuJu Brents (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: WR Kevin Austin
New York Giants
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: RB Eric Gray
Philadelphia Eagles
- Practice window opened: T Myles Hinton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Reverted to season-ending IR: CB Cory Trice
21 days have gone by since the Steelers opened Trice’s practice window. They’ve made the decision not to activate him from injured reserve, so he will remain on IR without the possibility of being activated.
Gray has been on New York’s physically unable to perform list since they set their initial 53-man roster. With rookie running back Cam Skattebo hitting IR earlier in the season, Gray’s return could add some needed depth at the position.
Giants’ Abdul Carter Benched For Opening Series Of Week 11
The Giants were shorthanded along the edge in Week 11 with Kayvon Thibodeaux out of the lineup. That allowed Abdul Carter to take on an increased workload, but not until after the team’s first defensive series. 
Interim head coach Mike Kafka benched Carter for the Packers’ opening drive. That amounted to six missed plays before Carter found himself on the field for every snap the rest of the way. The No. 3 pick addressed the matter after the Giants’ loss without going into detail on it.
“I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team,” Carter said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “I already know that whatever I do is going to have consequences. That was the consequence, have to live with it, keep playing.”
Providing further details on the issue, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports Carter missed a walk-through during the week leading up to the Packers game. He adds Carter was asleep in the team’s facility at the time of the walk-through. The 22-year-old has since denied that he was asleep, stating he was instead undergoing recovery. In any case, this led to Kafka’s decision to keep him on the sidelines for the opening series. Per Duggan, late attendance to team meetings has been a trend in Carter’s case which former head coach Brian Daboll tolerated without discipline. Carter wound up posting one quarterback hit on Sunday.
The Penn State product has been on the field for 71% of the Giants’ snaps during his rookie campaign. That workload has not yielded much in the way of production so far, however. Carter has recorded just 0.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits and 14 pressures in 2025. Brian Burns has enjoyed a strong season with a career-high 13 sacks and counting, while Thibodeaux has continued to operate as a regular along the edge.
Thibodeaux is a pending free agent, and a departure would pave the way for Carter to pair with Burns as the Giants’ edge tandem for years to come. All involved will be seeking improved production over the closing weeks of the season in Carter’s case, though. He will also look to avoid a repeat of this incident and in doing so avoid further team discipline.