Philadelphia Eagles News & Rumors

Eagles Interview Kliff Kingsbury For OC Job

With Brian Johnson out in Philadelphia, the Eagles are starting to reach out to potential replacements. The first on the list is Kliff Kingsbury, who interviewed for the Eagles offensive coordinator job today, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The meeting was done virtually, per Garafolo.

[RELATED: Eagles To Fire OC Brian Johnson]

After getting fired as the Cardinals head coach last offseason, Kingsbury caught on with USC for the 2023 campaign. He served as the school’s senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach, and he was tasked with coaching top prospect Caleb Williams. While the quarterback’s numbers dropped a bit from his 2022 Heisman Trophy campaign, Williams still finished this past season with 30 touchdowns vs. only five interceptions.

Most notably, Williams improved his completion percentage from 66.6 to 68.6. And while the QB ran less frequently, he found the end zone more often, scoring 11 rushing touchdowns (vs. 10 touchdowns in 2022). Williams’ performance (and perhaps Kingsbury’s tutelage) didn’t do anything to impact the prospect’s draft stock, as the QB is still expected to be among the first few picks in this year’s draft.

Kingsbury’s offensive acumen was what earned him the Cardinals job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, culminating in an 11-win season in 2021 (the Cardinals would go on to lose their lone playoff game). However, following a 2022 campaign that saw Arizona drop to 4-13, Kingsbury was relieved of his duties.

Following a year away from the league, the coach is now back on the NFL radar. Kingsbury earned an interview for the Bears OC job, and now he’ll be vying for the chance to replace Johnson in Philadelphia.

Following two strong seasons as the Eagles’ QBs coach, Johnson earned a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2023. The Eagles finished this past season ranked eighth in yards per game and seventh in scoring, but the team’s late-season nosedive ultimately cost the coach his job. The Eagles certainly have all the pieces needed for the next coordinator to succeed, and a creative offensive mind could help take the unit to the next level.

Eagles Likely To Retain Nick Sirianni; Team Arranges DC Interviews With Ron Rivera, Mike Caldwell

Since the Eagles’ last-season collapse was punctuated by a lopsided wild-card loss, questions have emerged regarding the job security of the team’s coaching staff. Head coach Nick Sirianni has been the subject of speculation, but he appears to be safe.

Sirianni will take part in a press conference with general manager Howie Roseman on Wednesday, as noted by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The former’s participation in that media availability seems to put to rest any remaining questions about his status in the organization. Sirianni recently met with owner Jeffrey Lurie to discuss his future and his plans for a new set of coordinators.

As expected, Sean Desai is out after an underwhelming tenure as defensive coordinator, one which did not last the entire season. His replacement in that capacity, Matt Patricia, is likewise not in line to return. OC Brian Johnson also faces an uncertain future, though his departure could come about as a result of a head coaching opportunity. In any case, changes were needed after the manner in which a 10-1 start to Philadelphia’s season ended with the team losing six of its last seven games.

A report from earlier this month suggested Sirianni would be safe, although more recent signs pointed to some members of the organization at least preparing for the third-year coach to be let go. Instead, Sirianni is now in line to carry on with a re-vamped staff as he looks to lead the team to the postseason for a fourth straight campaign.

The Eagles are moving quickly in their bid to find a new defensive coordinator, and their first interviewee is a high-profile target. Philadelphia is set to interview Ron Rivera for the position, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Rivera’s tenure in charge of the Commanders came to an expected end on Black Monday, leaving him free to pursue other openings. The 62-year-old recently made it clear he intends to continue his coaching career, even though doing so would require taking a coordinator posting.

Rivera added that he has spoken with multiple teams, and the Eagles are clearly one of them. Philadelphia would be highly familiar with Rivera given his time in the NFC East with Washington, and he is still regarded as one of the league’s top defensive minds. His last DC posting came with the Chargers from 2008-10, and in the final year of that stretch the team ranked first in total defense and 10th in points allowed.

In addition to Rivera, the Eagles have an interview lined up with ex-Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell, Fowler adds. Caldwell was one of several defensive staffers fired at the end of the season after Jacksonville underwhelmed in a number of capacities. He played for the Eagles from 1998-2001, so a deal allowing him to join Sirianni’s staff would represent a reunion.

Plenty of questions – particularly at the coordinator spots – have yet to be answered in Philadelphia. More clarity will likely emerge in the coming days, though, and at a minimum the matter of Sirianni’s future is no longer in doubt.

Panthers Likely To Retain AGM Dan Morgan; Team No Longer Interested In Eagles OC Brian Johnson

As the 2024 hiring cycle continues, the Panthers remain a team to watch closely with a vacancy at both the head coach and general manager positions. Updates on both fronts have emerged.

Carolina has included assistant general manager Dan Morgan in the team’s head coaching interviews, as detailed by Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). Morgan is one of three front office candidates who have a second interview lined up for the Panthers’ GM position. Regardless of he is ultimately hired in that capacity, Person notes Morgan is on track to remain in the organization in some fashion.

Morgan was a key member of Carolina’s front office during Scott Fitterer‘s three-year tenure in charge of the team. As a result, it would have come as little surprise if the latter’s firing had prompted owner David Tepper to clean house during the 2024 offseason. Instead, Morgan appears poised to either take over as general manager himself (a scenario in which, Person adds, an outside staffer with a salary cap background would be targeted to pair with him) or in some other role.

Carolina has cast a wide net in terms of potential GM candidates, but the same is true of the team’s HC vacancy. 11 candidates have been interviewed, and a 12th – Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson received a request last week. Person reports, however, that Carolina is no longer interested in interviewing Johnson, who has met with other HC-needy teams during this year’s cycle.

Johnson was promoted from QBs coach to OC last offseason following Shane Steichen‘s departure. The Eagles started the campaign well, but the team’s late-season collapse culminated in a wild-card defeat in which they were limited to nine points. Philadelphia has, as expected, moved on from defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Johnson being replaced as OC is also firmly on the table, although he has interviewed with both the Falcons and Titans for their head coaching positions.

With coaches (other than the ones whose teams are set to play in the conference championship games) now free to interview in person, movement in the coaching carousel is expected to pick up in the coming days. The Panthers have a number of key decisions to make in the near future, and clarity will likely emerge soon in both of their ongoing searches.

Eagles Fire DC Sean Desai

8:57pm: With Desai departing, some may think to look to Patricia as a potential successor. Well, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Patricia is not under contract with the Eagles for the 2024 season. Additionally, Pelissero reports that Patricia has plans to explore other opportunities outside of Philadelphia.

5:57pm: With their season over after losing six of their last seven games following a 10-1 start, the Eagles have made the call to fire defensive coordinator Sean Desai, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. For a time, both of the team’s coordinators seemed destined to leave for greener pastures, but following a brutal closing stretch, Desai will likely be aiming to land another coordinator job.

The move is mostly ceremonial, as Desai had already been demoted, losing play-calling duties to senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia back in December. Desai was demoted after two straight losses following the 10-1 start; the team would go 1-4 the rest of the way with Patricia calling plays. Desai still retained the defensive coordinator title while remaining with the team in a different capacity, but having lost the responsibility he was hired to take, Desai became expendable in Philadelphia.

Before his time with the Eagles, Desai was the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, a season in which Chicago finished sixth in terms of total defense, though it’s points per game and defensive DVOA rankings were not quite as impressive. When head coach Matt Nagy was let go at the end of the 2021 season, his defensive-minded replacement, Matt Eberflus, elected not to retain Desai, who subsequently became associate head coach and defensive assistant for the Seahawks.

Still, Desai’s one season of relative success as defensive coordinator and his long track record as a defensive assistant at the collegiate and NFL levels made him a popular defensive coordinator target in the 2023 hiring cycle. He ended up taking interviews with five different clubs before ultimately choosing the Eagles and becoming the replacement for Jonathan Gannon, who left Philadelphia to take the Cardinals’ head coaching gig.

Desai’s departure was mostly expected as general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have reportedly been reaching out to other coordinator candidates throughout the week, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. This has all come after Sirianni met with owner Jeffrey Lurie about his own future. Between the calls to potential new coordinators and Siranni reportedly firing Desai himself, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it’s looking more and more like Sirianni’s job is safe for at least another year.

When looking to replace Desai, it appears that the team has reached out to former Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and former Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. The Eagles have also been reaching out to offensive coordinator candidates, with Brian Johnson interviewing for multiple head coaching opportunities. Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has been mentioned as a potential replacement.

Desai should be able to rebound this offseason, if he chooses to. There are many defensive coordinator jobs opening up in the offseason. New head coaches will be likely be interested in building their own staff, as well, providing more opportunities. Desai’s success in Chicago will likely continue to get him chances in the NFL. Whether or not that chance is a coordinator position in 2024 will be determined in the next few months.

Latest On Eagles’ Coaching Staff

JANUARY 20: While questions remain regarding whether or not Sirianni will be retained, a name to watch has emerged on the offensive side of the ball. Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter could return to Philadelphia in the same role in the event Johnson takes a head coaching gig or is replaced, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports (video link). Cooter was a consultant with the Eagles in 2021 between his previous OC posting in Detroit and his current one in Indianapolis. Steichen operates as the Colts’ offensive play-caller, but Cooter would likely take on those duties if he made the lateral move to the Eagles.

JANUARY 18: Like all teams whose seasons are over, the Eagles will spend the coming days processing the way in which their campaign came to an end. That will include a meeting between owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Nick Sirianni in the near future.

That summit was initially set to take place yesterday, but it could not be arranged, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The meeting has been pushed to Friday, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.

At Sirianni’s upcoming exit interview, the three-year HC will be required to present a plan for 2024 including a number of new faces on the coaching staff, Russini and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport note (video link). Even before Philadelphia’s wild-card loss, it was expected changes would be taking place at the defensive coordinator spot at a minimum.

Matt Patricia took over for Sean Desai as the Eagles’ defensive play-caller in December, but that switch did not produce the intended results. Second-guessing over the decision to being in Desai last offseason (rather than promoting Dennard Wilson) has permeated through the front office, though Philadelphia’s regression on offense has not reflected well on OC Brian Johnson either. The latter has received head coaching interest, but a new face overseeing the offense would come as no surprise in the event Sirianni were to remain in place for 2024.

The latter has led the Eagles to the postseason in each of his three years in his current post. That stretch includes a trip to the Super Bowl last year, but a nosedive through the closing weeks of the 2023 campaign has led to questions about his job security. Recent signs pointed to him being safe for now, but nothing is assured at this point. As Russini notes, Sirianni’s meeting with Lurie has been preceded by feelers being sent out for outside coaching options capable of taking over the coordinator posts.

Part of the Eagles’ regression can be traced to the loss of both Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon to head coaching positions last year. The team’s defense also suffered a number of losses due to free agent departures as well as injuries over the course of the 2023 campaign. Still, Sirianni’s stock has seen a significant downturn relative to where it was one year ago. More clarity on his job status should emerge once he presents his plan to Lurie, the aftermath of which will no doubt involve staff changes of some kind taking place.

Panthers Request HC Interview With Eagles OC Brian Johnson; Lions Exec Mike Disner Withdraws From GM Consideration

JANUARY 20: Disner has withdrawn from general manager consideration, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. As a result, he will remain in Detroit for at least a fifth straight season. Carolina was the only team to request an interview with him, but the Panthers have reached out to a number of other candidates in recent days as their search for a Fitterer replacement continues.

JANUARY 10: Although this Eagles season has skidded well off course, the team still reached 11 wins. Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator situation has seen some twists and turns, but its offensive play-caller is now part of the coaching carousel.

The Panthers sent Eagles OC Brian Johnson an interview request Wednesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This would be Johnson’s first NFL head coaching interview. The former college OC is finishing up his first season as an NFL play-caller. Johnson has been on Carolina’s radar for a bit. Steve Wilks had eyed Johnson as his OC, but the Panthers gave the HC job to Frank Reich.

Johnson, 36, has seen his profile raised since Shane Steichen accepted the Colts’ offer to become their head coach. The Eagles moved outside the organization to fill their DC post — something they may need to do again soon, considering what has transpired since Jonathan Gannon‘s Cardinals interview — but promoted Johnson after his two-year run as QBs coach.

The Eagles have dipped a bit offensively since last season, when Steichen’s attack featured dramatic Jalen Hurts improvement and third-place rankings in both scoring and yardage. Johnson’s offense ranks seventh and eighth, with Hurts suffering an early-season injury and playing through it. The Eagles have lost five of their past six games.

Carolina has been connected to a young, offense-oriented coach. Johnson checks both boxes and joins Brian Callahan (Bengals), Dave Canales (Buccaneers), Ben Johnson (Lions), Todd Monken (Ravens), Bobby Slowik (Texans) and Frank Smith (Dolphins) as OCs contacted by the Panthers, who are searching for both a head coach and a GM for the first time in the same cycle since John Fox and Marty Hurney were hired in 2002.

The Panthers have also completed a virtual interview with interim HC Chris Tabor. Tabor is not expected to be a serious candidate to become Carolina’s full-time HC. That said, ESPN.com’s David Newton indicates he is likely to receive consideration to stay on as special teams coordinator under the new coach.

On the GM note, the Panthers have two more candidates on their radar. In addition to Dan Morgan, another internal staffer — VP of football administration Samir Suleiman — is interviewing for the job. A salary cap specialist, Suleiman received a promotion in 2022. The Panthers have been linked to pairing Morgan with a football ops-side hire; Suleiman joins a list filled with this genre of GM candidate.

Adding another name to that list, Lions COO Mike Disner received an interview request as well. Disner’s background also is cap- and contract-related. Disner, who has been with the Lions for four years, has a connection in Carolina. He and the Panthers’ VP of player personnel, Adrian Wilson, worked in the Cardinals’ front office together under Steve Keim. Then again, it is far from certain the Panthers will carry over many Scott Fitterer-era front office staffers; the team hired Wilson last year. A relationship to perhaps monitor more closely: Ben Johnson has been with the Lions throughout Disner’s Detroit stay.

Latest On Bill Belichick, Falcons; Cowboys, Eagles Looked Into HC?

The Falcons look to be moving closer to one of the highest-profile coaching hires in NFL history. Arthur Blank has never hired a head coach that had held the position before, but this weekend’s second interview could well lead to an agreement.

Bill Belichick‘s upcoming meeting with a Falcons executive committee — after the first interview consisted of just Belichick and Blank — is expected to double as one in which the 29-year veteran HC inquires about how a prospective partnership would work rather than Falcons brass interviewing the accomplished leader, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. Given Belichick’s experience, the Falcons needing to sell him as much as the other way around makes sense. It is not certain Belichick will not take other interviews, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates league buzz is pointing to the six-time Super Bowl winner ending up in Georgia.

[RELATED: Falcons, Seahawks Showing Interest In Mike Vrabel]

Atlanta remaining in the thick of this pursuit despite Dallas and Philadelphia enduring embarrassing playoff losses is notable, and perhaps telling. Some in league circles believe the Cowboys and Eagles showed interest in Belichick, according to Florio. The Cowboys have since announced they are retaining Mike McCarthy for a fifth season, while the Eagles may be settling on Nick Sirianni retooling his staff. Philly is already believed to have put out feelers to coordinators, pointing to a Sirianni fourth season in charge. Thus far, Belichick has only met with the Falcons.

In order to fire coaches who have accomplished what Sirianni and McCarthy have, the NFC East teams would need to be confident they could lure a better coach. On the Belichick front, Florio adds the all-time great may be done with big-market media. After coaching 24 seasons in the Boston area, Belichick coming to Atlanta would bring a change of pace. That said, Belichick’s presence would naturally make whatever team he ends up a frequent topic of discussion. Low-key NFL teams certainly do exist; the Falcons have operated as one in recent years. But the concept of Belichick residing off the mainstream radar — as he changes teams and sits 14 wins shy of Don Shula‘s all-time wins record — would be difficult to imagine.

If Belichick is truly zeroing in on Atlanta, he would obviously bring credentials that lap the rest of Blank’s hires. The longtime owner saw this firsthand, via Super Bowl LI, and Belichick the coach would provide a major upgrade — particularly on the defensive side. The subject of personnel power would become more complicated. Belichick excelled for years in this area, his issues drafting first-round wideouts notwithstanding, but has struggled recently. The Falcons made a point to say GM Terry Fontenot was not leading this HC search but belatedly said the fourth-year exec’s role has not diminished. It would be interesting to see Belichick, 71, cede power to Fontenot, 43, with the Falcons. The NFC South club could also consider bringing in personnel staffers more familiar with the coach.

On that note, some around the league also believe Belichick would probably reunite with assistants Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia were he to become the next Falcons HC, Maske adds. Belichick’s sons, Steve and Brian, are believed to have an opportunity to stay in New England under Jerod Mayo. But it would stand to reason the assistants will be wanted in Atlanta should their father sign on.

McDaniels’ failures as a head coach aside, he provided considerable value under Bill Belichick in New England. The polarizing play-caller was on staff for all six New England Super Bowl wins, the final three coming when he was in place as offensive coordinator. The Patriots’ freefall post-McDaniels probably should not be overlooked. Patricia stands as a key of that downslide, with Belichick strangely installing him as the 2022 team’s primary offensive play-caller. Patricia and Judge, fired by the Giants after two seasons, held the keys on offense for the ’22 Pats edition. Belichick was believed to have wanted Patricia to stay in 2023, rather than the team hiring Bill O’Brien.

Would the Falcons be willing to go with a Patriots South setup? They would be far from the only team to sign up for a Patriot Way effort, but this endeavor would be a bit different, seeing as the architect would be coming rather than a lieutenant being tasked with replicating Belichick’s approach.

The Falcons have already interviewed six other candidates, satisfying their Rooney Rule requirements in the process. The team is set to meet with Rams DC Raheem Morris on Saturday. While Morris is a former Falcons interim HC who spent six years with the team under Dan Quinn, he may not have left on bad terms. But Belichick buzz has overshadowed the Falcons’ search thus far. We could be days away from the former Browns and Patriots HC receiving a third opportunity, one that would put him in position to break Shula’s record, which has stood since 1995.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/18/24

Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures deals:

Los Angeles Rams

  • K Tanner Brown

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

  • WR Brycen Tremayne

Falcons Interview Eagles’ Brian Johnson For HC Job

Brian Johnson has now received three interview requests about head coaching jobs, moving from quarterbacks coach to this position in a year’s time. The Falcons announced Thursday they interviewed the first-year Eagles OC for their HC position.

This does come amid rumors Johnson is not certain to keep his own job after Philadelphia’s late-season swoon. The Eagles have not committed to retaining Nick Sirianni as head coach, and even if the NFC championship-winning HC does stay, he could have two new coordinators in place for the 2024 season.

While it was easy to see the Eagles would have another new defensive coordinator next season, Johnson’s unit began to unravel in the 2023 campaign’s final weeks. This culminated in the team’s ugly loss to the Buccaneers on Monday night. Jalen Hurts entered the Philly-Tampa Bay game frustrated about the state of the offense. Hurts’ lengthy pre-Philadelphia history with Johnson, due to the latter being coached by Hurts’ father in high school, only made the Eagles’ offensive swoon stranger. The team undeniably missed Shane Steichen this season, though the drop-off on offense — third to seventh in scoring — was not nearly as visible as what took place post-Jonathan Gannon on defense.

The Falcons join the Panthers and Titans in being interested in Johnson, who just completed his third season as an NFL assistant. Dak Prescott‘s former QBs coach at Mississippi State, Johnson used the Florida OC position as a platform to land with the Eagles in 2021. Even with his position in Philly unstable, Johnson is receiving his first ride on the HC carousel.

Courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how Atlanta’s Arthur Smith replacement effort looks:

Kliff Kingsbury, Marcus Brady, Zac Robinson On Bears’ OC Radar

Kliff Kingsbury spent this season out of the NFL, returning to the college ranks after his Cardinals ouster. The Bears are interested in gauging his credentials for their newly vacated offensive coordinator gig.

The USC assistant is expected to interview for the Chicago opening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Kingsbury has never been an NFL coordinator, though he spent four seasons as the Cards’ HC. Additionally, the Bears requested an OC meeting with Eagles assistant Marcus Brady, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Brady spent two seasons as Colts OC under Frank Reich.

With Caleb Williams potentially Chicago-bound, the Kingsbury fit would certainly be interesting. Kingsbury joined Lincoln Riley’s staff ahead of Williams’ final Trojans season, serving as the Pac-12 program’s quarterbacks coach. The familiarity gained would be of interest to a Bears team — perhaps even as an additional Williams scouting mission.

Although Kingsbury is the bigger name here, Brady and Matt Eberflus have more history. Both were assistants under Reich from 2018-21. The 2021 season involved Brady, who replaced Nick Sirianni as Indianapolis’ OC, and Eberflus in place as Reich’s coordinators.

The Reich coaching tree has taken a hit this year, seeing as Reich himself has been fired during the past two seasons and Sirianni’s Eagles completing one of the most shocking freefalls in recent memory. But Eberflus received a third year with the Bears, showing improvement down the stretch. He should be expected to meet with Brady, who spent this season as a senior offensive assistant in Philly. Brady has not yet called plays in the NFL, with Reich holding that responsibility throughout his Colts tenure.

Kingsbury, 43, guided a Cardinals team down J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins to the playoffs in 2021. But cracks in Arizona’s foundation became glaringly apparent a year later. Kingsbury-Kyler Murray discord emerged, and the Cardinals’ offense — already reliant on shorter passes — took a step back in a 4-13 campaign that ended with Murray on the shelf with a torn ACL and Kingsbury fired months after he had inked an extension. The Cards ranked 21st offensively in 2022 but finished 13th and 11th in 2020 and ’21, respectively. Kingsbury was believed to be rejecting OC meetings last year, though he did end up in Houston to discuss the Texans’ play-calling job that went to Bobby Slowik.

Returning to the college level, Kingsbury coached Williams to another strong season. Although Williams was not on the Heisman radar in 2023, he topped his Heisman-year numbers in yards per attempt and completion percentage. The Trojans also finished third in scoring nationally, matching their place from 2022.

Additionally, the Bears scheduled an OC interview with Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Robinson, 37, has been on Sean McVay’s Rams staff for the past five years. Four of those, including the team’s Super Bowl-winning year, have come coaching QBs. Losing OC Kevin O’Connell in 2022, McVay elevated Robinson to QBs coach; he had been L.A.’s assistant QBs coach in 2021. The Rams went outside the organization to replace Liam Coen as OC, hiring Mike LaFleur, but Robinson remained onboard as QBs coach.

The Bears, who essentially have a Williams-or-Justin Fields decision looming, is Kingsbury’s first connection to another NFL job. Here is how their OC chase looks so far:

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Thomas Brown, offensive coordinator (Panthers): To interview
  • Liam Coen, offensive coordinator (Kentucky): To interview
  • Kliff Kingsbury, quarterbacks coach (USC): To interview
  • Greg Olson, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/12
  • Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/18
  • Greg Roman, former offensive coordinator (Ravens): To interview
  • Shane Waldron, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interview requested