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NFL Staff Rumors: Raiders, Jets, 49ers

January 12th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Based on several reports in recent days, we’ve been pushing the assumption that part-owner Tom Brady has immense influence in the Raiders‘ operations, namely the ongoing searches for a new head coach and general manager. This sentiment was all but confirmed in an article today by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. One of Bonsignore’s sources with knowledge of the situation told him that “this is Tom’s show now” and that majority owner Mark Davis wants Brady to have a “huge” voice in the team’s operations.

Brady’s influence does appear to have its limits, though. According to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, many in the NFL pinned new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel as Brady’s top option to coach in Las Vegas. Vrabel wasn’t one of the team’s scheduled interviews, though, as those became known to the media. Apparently, Davis was “not interested in another go-round with ‘Patriots Way’ after the failure of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler two years ago.”

Brady’s voice will otherwise still be heavily considered in the search for a new head coach and general manager. Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek has already been identified as a potential candidate, aided by Brady’s connection to his former team. While Tafur and Reed don’t mention any actual rumored interest, they list Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark, Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew, Lions director of scouting Dwayne Joseph, Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi, and Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley as names to watch for based on their potential compatibility with different head coaching candidates.

Here are a few other staff rumors from around the NFL:

  • The Jets were another contender for Vrabel’s services, and they reportedly were extremely interested in bringing him in. In a Q&A with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Breer stated his belief that New York would’ve allowed Vrabel to choose his own general manager had he signed with them, especially considering their main plan is to find the best guy (head coach or general manager) and build around them to achieve alignment throughout the coaching and front office staffs. Ultimately, Breer believes the reputation of team owner Woody Johnson likely dissuaded Vrabel away from the Jets.
  • Staying in New York and with Breer’s peer at Sports Illustrated, Patrick McAvoy, we got a report that SportsNet New York insider Connor Hughes is under the opinion that Rex Ryan “is completely out” of the head coaching race for the Jets. Hughes was quoted on WFAN telling Rami Lavi that “that is not gonna happen with the Jets.”
  • Following the departure of special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, the 49ers have begun the process of replacing him. To wit, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the team has completed an interview with Lions assistant special teams coach Jett Modkins. Modkins has spent the last four seasons in Detroit under coordinator Dave Fipp, who is widely considered one of the best in the game.

Jets, Saints Remain Top Suitors For Lions DC Aaron Glenn

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

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

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

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

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

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

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

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

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

2025 NFL Cap Carryover, By Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[RELATED: 2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jets Interview Mike Locksley

January 10th, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ interview process will include at least one meeting with a college coach. The team will speak with Mike Locksley today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. A team announcement has since confirmed the news.

This marks the first time the Maryland head coach has been connected to an NFL interview. Locksley has been a coach since 1992 when he immediately followed up his playing days by taking a position with his alma mater (Townsend State). He has coached at Maryland three separate times, including the 2015 season when he served as interim head coach. Earlier in his career, Locksley coached New Mexico for two-plus years (posting a 2-26 record).

That was eventually followed by a move to Alabama’s staff as an offensive assistant at first. Locksley then took over as receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator before becoming the Crimson Tide’s full-time OC in 2018. He earned the Broyles Award (given to college football’s top assistant) that season before beginning his latest run at Maryland.

The 55-year-old has been guiding the Terrapins since 2019, a stretch which has seen the team post a winning record three times (2021-23). Overall, Locksley’s Maryland record sits at 33-41, a mark which helps explain his lack of interest from NFL teams over the years. He is nevertheless the latest candidate to meet with the Jets, one of six teams in need of a new coach this offseason.

Via PFR’s HC search tracker, here is an updated look at where the Jets’ ongoing search stands:

2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

January 8th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

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. With the Titans, Raiders and Jets landing on GMs, the Jags are the only team left searching. Here is how the GM market looks:

Updated 1-27-25 (9:51pm CT)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

OT Tyron Smith Considering Retirement

January 7th, 2025 at 5:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Tyron Smith‘s illustrious career may soon be coming to an end. The veteran offensive tackle revealed today that he’s considering retirement, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

“I’ve got to make a lot of decisions going forward,” Smith said. “Within the next couple weeks, I have to decide what I’m going to do as far as playing or not playing.”

Smith’s first season with the Jets ended in November after he suffered a neck injury that required an extended stay on injured reserve. Smith revealed that his flirtation with retirement isn’t related to his growing list of injuries, with the OT also noting that he’s regained “full range of motion” in his neck.

Following a 13-year stay in Dallas, the Jets recruited Smith to New York this past offseason. The offensive tackle was accompanied by his fair share of risk, as the lineman hasn’t made it through a season unscathed since 2015. This included a recent stretch where Smith missed 37 games between 2020 and 2023.

Naturally, the Jets filled their contract with incentives, as the $6MM pact could reach a $20MM value based on playing time. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com notes, the Jets recently cleaned up their books and paid off some of those incentives as bonuses. Now, instead of letting the veteran’s contract void out, the team would likely designate Smith as a post-June 1 cut, allowing them to defer some of the owed money to 2026.

Things obviously didn’t work out for the Jets nor Smith in 2024, but the team can rest easy knowing they have their future LT on the roster. First-round pick Olu Fashanu filled in for Smith at the position down the stretch and will be penciled into the starting lineup heading into the offseason.

Jets Request HC Interview With Saints’ Darren Rizzi

January 7th, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Darren Rizzi has not been eliminated from the Saints’ full-time HC post, though considering how the only interim coach-turned-full-timer since 2017 fared, it would be rather surprising if New Orleans gave this scenario serious consideration.

Antonio Pierce went 4-13 as Raiders HC and is not certain to return. The 2023 interim Las Vegas leader, however, received interview requests from the Falcons and Titans last year. Pierce’s 5-4 run as interim Raiders HC impressed elsewhere as well. A year later, Rizzi is receiving outside interest after his half-season interim run.

[RELATED: Rizzi Aiming To Become Saints’ Full-Time Head Coach]

The Jets have made Rizzi part of their search process, requesting a meeting, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. This is an unusual place to be, as Rizzi is both expected to be included in the Saints’ interview process and would be on track to remain part of New Orleans’ next coaching staff even if he does not land the full-time HC gig. A Jets meeting could, however, throw a wrench in those plans.

Rizzi, 54, has been a special teams coordinator since 2010 and has coached in the NFL since 2009. The Jets observed Rizzi’s ST work from 2009-18, when he was with the Dolphins; the final nine years of that stint came as Miami’s ST coordinator. While working under Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin and Adam Gase, Rizzi was not brought back under Brian Flores. The Saints hired him in 2019 and bumped him up to assistant HC in 2022.

The Saints went 3-5 under Rizzi. That represents an achievement in itself given the injuries to Derek Carr, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on offense. New Orleans won its first two games with Rizzi at the helm and then pushed Tampa Bay in the teams’ Week 18 matchup, making the eventual NFC South champions sweat before ultimately falling. While Rizzi presented a compelling case, the Saints’ struggles with Dennis Allen — another Sean Payton assistant promoted — would point to an outside hire of some sort taking place.

Courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Jets’ HC search looks so far:

Jets Request GM Meetings With Brian Gaine, Jon-Eric Sullivan

January 7th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a second team has entered the GM mix, as the Titans have fired Ran Carthon after two years, the Jets have been at this much longer. Their GM search includes several names — both second-chance candidates and aspiring first-timers — and more interview slips have since gone out.

A potential rookie GM and another former front office boss are on the Jets’ radar. The team sent out requests to Bills assistant GM Brian Gaine and Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Gaine has moved into the position current Giants GM Joe Schoen once held, and teams have also been interested in Bills exec Terrance Gray for GM posts. As Buffalo has become an AFC East powerhouse after snapping a near-two-decade playoff drought, teams have shown interest in Brandon Beane‘s lieutenants. Gaine has enjoyed two stints in Buffalo, though those tenures sandwich a forgettable stint as the Texans’ GM.

Hired to replace Rick Smith in 2018, Gaine was booted from that post less than 16 months in. The Texans fired their GM after the 2019 draft, representing a historically quick hook. They did so despite Gaine having worked in Houston’s front office from 2014-16. A Jets meeting would be Gaine’s first known GM interview since his Texans ouster.

Houston had gone to the playoffs in 2018, being one of the few 0-3 teams to make it in NFL history, but the team soon gave Bill O’Brien HC/GM powers during what became a rather interesting period. Gaine ended up back in Buffalo soon after his Houston dismissal, and he has been the Bills’ assistant GM since Schoen’s 2022 exit.

Sullivan has gone through a more stable NFL run, being a Packers exec for more than 15 years. A Packers intern back in 2004, Sullivan joined the scouting ranks in 2008 and has worked his way up to the role of one of Brian Gutekunst‘s top aides. After four years as co-director of player personnel, Sullivan has been in his current post since 2022. This would be Sullivan’s first known interview for a GM post.

The Jets have already met with Louis Riddick, Jim Nagy and ex-GMs Jon Robinson and Thomas Dimitroff for the job. They have since sent out requests to former Browns GM Ray Farmer, ex-Colts GM Ryan Grigson. Chiefs exec Mike Borgonzi, Buccaneers cap chief Mike Greenberg, Bengals exec Trey Brown and Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby are also on the Jets’ radar. Borgonzi will interview for the job Wednesday, joining OC Matt Nagy in meeting with the Jets at that point. Due to their bye week, the Chiefs can see their assistant coaches and execs interview virtually for open positions now.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/25

January 6th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Ben Levine

With the regular season having come to an end, many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts. This allows organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

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