HEADLINES

Ben Johnson (Coach)

Jaguars Schedule Second HC Interviews With Patrick Graham, Liam Coen

January 20th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars are planning second interviews with former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and current Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Graham and Coen will join former Jets head coach Robert Saleh on the shortlist for the Jaguars, which will no longer include Ben Johnson after he agreed to join the Bears. Both coaches will have in-person interviews with Jacksonville’s decision-makers, a group that still includes general manager Trent Baalke. His presence was more of a concern when pickier candidates like Johnson and Mike Vrabel were in the mix, but Graham and Coen – who are not interviewing for any other head coaching jobs – may not be as demanding. Saleh has interviewed with the Raiders and the Cowboys and may be looking for more personnel control after an imperfect partnership with Joe Douglas in New York. He could get that in Las Vegas, who are looking for a new general manager after firing Tom Telesco, but not Dallas, where owner Jerry Jones will continue to make roster decisions.

Now that the biggest domino in the cycle has fallen with Johnson’s move to Chicago, other teams’ hiring proceses should speed up. Coen is set to interview on Wednesday, followed by Graham on Thursday and Saleh on Friday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, putting the Jaguars in a position to make a final decision in the next two weeks

Coen did well in his first interview with the Jaguars, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. It earned him a second interview in Jacksonville and, even if he doesn’t land the job, will improve his stock heading into next offseason’s hiring cycle.

Lions OC Ben Johnson ‘Deeply Considering’ Bears’ HC Position?

January 20th, 2025 at 2:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ben Johnson is free to meet in person with interested teams, something he could do in multiple cases over the coming days. The in-demand Lions offensive coordinator is known to be a key target of the Raiders, Jaguars and Bears.

Vegas is expected to produce a major offer — something which the team does not need to wait for now that the Lions’ season is over — but Jacksonville and Chicago are of course still in the mix until Johnson makes a final call. Reports from last week indicated the 38-year-old is interested in Jacksonville’s opening. The same apparently remains true for Chicago.

Johnson is believed to be “deeply considering” the Bears’ head coaching position, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports. He was among the first candidates to conduct an an initial (virtual) interview with Chicago’s search committee, although that was of course also the case with several other interested teams. Still, it comes as no surprise the Bears’ wide-ranging search has not concluded with Johnson still on the market.

On Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted he expects both Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to find one of the six current head coaching vacancies around the league. Johnson will move to schedule second interviews with teams, though The Athletic’s Dianna Russini cautions he is not a lock to meet with all three teams. Those he does huddle up with in person can safely assume the high-profile HC candidate remains interested in an elusive commitment.

The Bears have been in pursuit of Johnson since the fall, and a December report suggested the three-year Lions OC was “intrigued” by this job. Johnson, 38, would be a strong choice to mentor Caleb Williams. Conversely, Williams — who is tied to a rookie contract through at least 2026, creating roster-building opportunities — should be a draw for candidates. The 2024 top pick’s presence separates this job from the Jaguars and Raiders’ openings. Trevor Lawrence is now on a $55MM-per-year deal without having established himself as a surefire franchise-level passer, while the Raiders remain in search of an option at the game’s premier position — and their two late-season wins dropped them to sixth in the draft order.

Johnson remains tied to both his AFC suitors. He may well be the top choice for each of these three HC-needy franchises. With the Commanders knocking off the Lions in the divisional round, this will be an interesting week — from a long-term perspective — for the Bears, Jags and Raiders. The Bears made a last-ditch sales pitch to Mike Vrabel before he committed to the Patriots. Their last chance with Johnson appears to be coming soon.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post

Lions HC Dan Campbell Expects Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn To Depart

January 20th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn reside as two of the top coaching candidates still available. Six head coaching vacancies remain around the league, but that figure could drop very soon.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted there is a strong possibility of both Johnson and Glenn departing during this year’s hiring cycle. Such a scenario would leave Detroit in need of a new offensive and defensive coordinator for 2025, while other staffers could leave as well by following Johnson and Glenn to their new destinations. Nothing is imminent on that front, but Campbell knows he will likely be shorthanded in the near future.

“I would expect to lose both, but I haven’t been told anything,” Campbell said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I just, I’ve got a feeling, but I am prepared to lose both.”

Johnson has been strongly linked to the Raiders, although the Jaguars and Bears remain in play as well. Glenn’s presumed top suitors have been the Jets and Saints throughout the interview process, and to no surprise both teams have lined up an in-person meeting with him. With the hiring cycle likely to heat up over the coming days, both staffers (whom Campbell has publicly endorsed as logical head coaching targets for outside teams) will be worth watching closely.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as NFL Network’s Peter Schrager note Johnson and Glenn could each have a head coaching gig lined up by the middle of this week. That would fall in line with current expectations since they are both free to speak with teams at any time over the coming days. Coaches still involved in the playoffs, by contrast, cannot meet with suitors this week.

Interestingly, Campbell added that in the event Johnson departs, quarterback Jared Goff will have input in the search for a new OC. The former Rams No. 1 pick has enjoyed plenty of production with Johnson in Detroit, something highlighted by the $53MM-per-year extension he is currently attached to. Campbell noted duplicating the setup in place with Johnson will be a key goal in the (hypothetical) search for his replacement.

“This thing is set up for Goff to have success with our playmakers,” Campbell said. “[Amon-Ra] St. Brown, our running backs, the O-line, the whole deal. Jamo [Jameson Williams]. And so I want to keep that in place. I want to keep our terminology in place, and I want to make sure that Goff is comfortable, cause he’s playing at a high level.”

To no surprise, Campbell left the door open to both internal promotions and external hires when speaking about potentially needing to fill the void left by his coordinators. It remains to be seen if either path will be necessary, but no one would be surprised at this point if a number new faces were on the sideline for the Lions next year.

Bears Interview Eddie George For HC Job

January 19th, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Rory Parks

As GM Ryan Poles promised at the outset of the Bears’ current head coaching search, the club has been rather thorough in exploring its HC options (as seen in our head coaching search tracker). Chicago is now adding a surprising name to its long list of candidates, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the team is scheduled to interview Eddie George for the position this morning.

Before today, the 51-year-old had only been mentioned in passing in PFR pages. Once one of the top running backs in the collegiate and professional ranks, George’s illustrious playing career ended in 2003, and while he was with the Bears during 2023 OTAs as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin), he has never drawn publicly-reported interest for a coaching job at the NFL level.

In 2021, George became the head coach of FCS program Tennessee State, and as Glazer observes, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner and four-time Pro Bowler led the team to a conference co-championship in 2024 and was named the OVC-Big South Coach of the Year for his efforts. Still, it is a far cry from that position to an NFL head coaching position.

George, whose post-playing career includes an MBA from Northwestern University and a role in a Broadway production of (appropriately enough) Chicago, is clearly a dark horse for the Bears’ HC post. Nonetheless, he made enough of an impression in his current job – and perhaps during his time with the team in 2023 – to merit some level of consideration.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has long been viewed as one of the most attractive HC candidates available in this year’s cycle – just as he was in each of the past two years – and since Detroit’s season surprisingly came to an end by virtue of last night’s divisional round loss to the Commanders, Johnson can now take in-person summits with interested clubs. The same is true of Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who (like Johnson) interviewed virtually with the Bears on January 11.

We heard just yesterday that, if the Lions should be upset by Washington, there could be a flurry of head coaching activity as teams rush to conduct in-person sit-downs with Johnson and Glenn. A source tells Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that Johnson could have his pick of the Bears’, Raiders’, or Jaguars’ jobs, and while recent buzz has suggested Johnson could be Las Vegas-bound, it appears that all three clubs are still in the mix. 

Biggs adds that former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract with Dallas was allowed to expire last week and who interviewed with Chicago one day later, has a “legitimate shot” at the Bears’ gig.

NFL Staff Rumors: Allen, Sanders, Williams, Panthers, Saints

January 19th, 2025 at 8:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was hired to rejoin his old coworker, Raheem Morris, in Atlanta as defensive coordinator. This threw a wrench in some other plans in coaching searches around the league. Specifically, two teams that viewed him as a defensive coordinator candidate will have to look elsewhere to fill the position.

After Ulbrich filled in for a fired Robert Saleh in New York, he was likewise being viewed as a backup candidate for defensive coordinator behind Saleh in San Francisco. The 49ers are hoping to hire Saleh back to his old job as their defensive play-caller. Saleh is still interviewing for some open head coaching positions, though, and in case he becomes unavailable, Ulbrich was seemingly the second option.

The second team watching Ulbrich was whatever team ends up hiring former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Johnson had Ulbrich tabbed as the potential defensive coordinator on his first staff as an NFL head coach. Rapoport claims former Saints head coach Dennis Allen is the new name to look out for to join Johnson’s first staff.

Here are a few other rumors in staff conversations around the NFL:

  • As more and more hurdles continue to present themselves in the Cowboys‘ pursuit of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, it’s beginning to seem like him becoming their next head coach is an unlikely scenario. According to another Rapoport report, the NFL Network reporter claimed he “would be surprised — probably very surprised — if (a formal interview) did, in fact, get scheduled.”
  • New Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hasn’t spoken much of how much of the existing staff in New England will be salvaged, but the understanding seems to be that, like in most new head coaching situations, Vrabel will likely be replacing both coordinators. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, one name to watch for defensive coordinator is Lions defensive line coach and run-game coordinator Terrell Williams. Williams was one of Vrabel’s most-trusted assistants during his time as head coach in Tennessee, where Williams served as assistant head coach in addition to his duties as defensive line coach. Especially with the likely turnover expected on the defensive staff in Detroit, it makes perfect sense that Williams would explore the opportunity to take his first coordinator position.
  • The Panthers are reportedly moving on from passing game coordinator Nate Carroll, son of former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Joe Person of The Athletic confirmed the report, adding that the team does not expect Carroll back in any capacity.
  • Switching for moment from coaching staffs to the front office, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis addressed the consistency of staff in the team’s personnel department. Amidst questions concerning job security, Loomis claimed that “he loves (vice president/assistant general manager — college personnel) Jeff Ireland and (director of pro personnel) Michael Parenton in their” current roles, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. While he does expect changes and tweaks in their processes and procedures, Irelend and Parenton’s jobs appear secure.

Raiders To Interview Lance Newmark For GM Position

January 19th, 2025 at 9:04am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders will interview Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark for their GM post today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It was reported just a few days ago that Newmark had a “leg up” on the competition for the Las Vegas job even though the club had not yet formally requested an interview as of the date of that report.

The timing of the interview could be telling. Newmark spent 26 years as a Lions scout/executive before leaving for Washington last year, and as Schefter notes, he has a strong relationship with Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (both of whom have already interviewed virtually with the Raiders). Since the Lions lost to the Commanders in last night’s divisional round bout, both Johnson and Glenn are free to have sit-down interviews with any team, a development that could set off a chain reaction of coaching hires around the league.

The Bears and Jaguars reportedly remain in the Johnson sweepstakes, though there have been increased rumblings connecting the coveted OC to the Raiders. Schefter’s ESPN colleague, Jeremy Fowler, reiterates that the prospect of a Newmark-Johnson tandem in Las Vegas has been gaining traction in league circles. That is particularly true since Johnson has made plain his desire for “alignment” with whatever GM he works with, a desire that may have made Tom Telesco a one-and-done GM with the Raiders.

Newmark has already met with the Jets about their vacant GM post – he interviewed for the same position back in 2019 before Gang Green hired Joe Douglas – and while he lost out on the Lions’ most recent GM search to Brad Holmes, he remained in Detroit as the team’s senior director of player personnel before being poached by the new Washington regime. The success that the Lions have had over the past several seasons and the success that the Commanders have enjoyed this year have obviously boosted Newmark’s credentials.

Courtesy of our GM search tracker, here is the current status of the Raiders’ pursuits:

NFL Coaching Rumors: Johnson, Orlovsky, Sanders

January 18th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Ely Allen

There has been a bit of criticism in recent days over the interview process for head coaching candidates on playoff teams as coordinators for the Lions, Bills, Chiefs, Eagles, and Ravens have all been participating in interviews during their free time throughout the week. Many of the teams looking to fill head coaching jobs will be watching the Lions’ game against the Commanders tonight, as the results could be a big catalyst for things to come.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, if Detroit were to fall to the Commanders tonight, a chain reaction could result for coaching jobs as a mad dash would be incoming to complete in-person interviews with both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. If the Lions continue to win, though, it could continue to stall the hiring process until both coaches become available for in-person interviews.

In anticipation for this expected interest, Johnson has hired a new agent, Rick Smith of Priority Sports, per Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Smith will likely be apprised of what Johnson’s preferences are and will be fielding phones calls for second interviews as soon as he becomes available.

Johnson has interviewed for the Bears’, Jaguars’, and Raiders’ open positions, as well as the Patriots’ job that was filled by Mike Vrabel. He has not been mentioned as a candidate in New Orleans or New York, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter doesn’t believe he’s in play for the Cowboys’ job.

Here are some other coaching rumors from around the league:

  • One media name has been floating around coaching rumors as former NFL quarterback and ESPN personality Dan Orlovsky has expressed interest in entering the coaching world. Orlovsky claimed on the Pat McAfee Show that he’s “had conversations with places about stuff in the coaching world.” While he’s very happy with his place on television, ESPN jobs are pretty unstable, as we’ve seen in recent years, and Orlovsky admits that if the right situation presented itself, he would be open to exploring it. Later in the week on the show, Schefter confirmed that Orlovsky has been communicating with teams in search of any positions that may fit the bill and interest him. Orlovsky’s interest would be more in the realm of a quarterbacks coach or perhaps even an offensive coordinator gig, but nothing substantial seems to be forming as of yet.
  • There’s been a lot of momentum lately on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders as a candidate for the Cowboys‘ open position. One hurdle mentioned has been a roughly $10MM buyout that could certainly be a deterrent in landing his services. NFL Insider Josina Anderson recently pointed out another hurdle in the process. In order to formally interview Sanders, the Cowboys would need to obtain approval from the school’s athletic director, Rick George, and inform the league office.

Ben Johnson Remains Interested In Jaguars’ Head Coaching Vacancy

January 17th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

11:03pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz both echo the sentiment that Jacksonville remains under consideration in Johnson’s situation. They also note the Bears could be a team to watch on this front, something which will of course remain the case until Chicago makes a hire.

10:40am: In recent days, the Raiders have emerged as the presumed destination for Ben Johnson with respect to his high-profile head coaching candidacy. The Lions’ offensive coordinator still has other suitors, of course, and the Jaguars are among them.

Prior to the news strongly tying Johnson to Vegas, Jacksonville was reported to be “all in” on hiring him. Neither the Raiders nor the Jags have made a hire yet, and Johnson will of course not be available to officially take the position with either franchise until the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs. In-person interviews with coaches whose team’s seasons have ended can take place once the divisional round ends; Johnson could participate in such a meeting with interested teams during the bye week leading up to the Super Bowl should the Lions make it to the title game.

As the watch for further developments on the Raiders front continues, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports Johnson remains interested in “exploring” the Jaguars’ vacancy. She adds the Jags continue to ask about how a potential Johnson-led staff would look, an indication that feeling is still mutual. Jacksonville moved on from an offense-oriented head coach (Doug Pederson) at the end of the season, but doubling down on that side of the ball would of course be a move aimed at – among other things – maximizing quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s potential.

Anderson adds that Lions pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand would likely be a name to watch regarding potential offensive coordinator hires in the event Johnson were to take the Jaguars’ gig. Hiring an experienced defensive coordinator would be expected in that event, per Anderson, something which would come as no surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2024. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke (who, to the surprise of many, was retained but may see another front office staffer added during the hiring cycle) will need to pivot to other candidates if Johnson drops out of the running or lands elsewhere. This connection still persists as the 2025 coaching landscape takes shape, though.

Via PFR’s HC search tracker, here is a look at Jacksonville’s situation:

Raiders Preparing Big Ben Johnson Offer?

January 16th, 2025 at 11:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears and Jaguars have superior quarterback situations to the Raiders, who have a major question to answer entering the offseason, and Ben Johnson has been one of the choosiest coordinators in recent memory. As Chicago and Jacksonville remain in the mix for Johnson, buzz persists about Detroit’s OC giving strong consideration to the Raiders.

Tom Brady‘s presence has driven this, with Mark Davis giving the quarterback-turned-announcer/part-owner a significant say — perhaps the lead voice — as the team searches again for a new head coach and general manager. Brady has had his eye on Johnson for a while, beginning an effort to bring him to Las Vegas when covering the Lions in Week 9.

The more aggressive stage of this recruitment began last Thursday, the same day the Raiders fired Tom Telesco, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. While not confirming Johnson called for the Raiders to fire their GM, Florio lends more in the direction of Johnson wanting “alignment” as he determines a potential landing spot. The reporting coming out of the Telesco firing had Brady playing the lead role, determining Telesco needed to go to bring in the team’s next HC and GM on the same timeline.

It is unlikely Johnson’s desire for alignment and Brady’s determination the Raiders needed to start fresh is a coincidence, and Florio adds the Raiders may have already dangled a “massive” offer to the three-year Lions play-caller. The Raiders have not yet met Johnson face-to-face, with only virtual interviews allowed with candidates tied to other teams until Jan. 20. The team cannot meet with Johnson until the Lions are eliminated (or the Super Bowl bye week, if Detroit books its first Super Bowl berth), but Brady is still with FOX and is set to call the Commanders-Lions divisional-round game Saturday night. This conflict of interest could benefit the Raiders, as the analyst certainly could make a point to speak with the high-profile coordinator.

Davis is not among the league’s wealthiest owners, but he did authorize a 10-year, $100MM Jon Gruden contract in 2018. Johnson was also linked to a $15MM-per-year salary ask during the 2024 offseason. Coaching salaries are not public, but Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton are believed to be earning between $15-$20MM and are classified as top-five-salaried HCs (or in that ballpark). The Raiders’ QB situation and their struggles finding a coach during Davis’ ownership tenure may required a monster offer near this neighborhood, even if Johnson has not proven a successful head coach yet like Payton and Harbaugh have.

The Raiders cannot match the Jaguars or Bears’ QB setups just yet, and Davis has Brady set to play perhaps the lead role — especially now that Telesco’s gone — in fixing the roster’s biggest problem. Las Vegas hold the No. 6 overall pick. The team also faces Harbaugh, Payton and the two-time reigning champion Chiefs twice a year; it went 0-6 in those games this season. For Johnson to turn down the Commanders and give this much consideration to the Raiders certainly would appear to show Brady’s impact on this process. Other candidates remain in play for the Raiders, but everything to this point suggests Johnson is the clear favorite.

Ben Johnson ‘Seriously Considering’ Raiders; Latest On Tom Brady’s Impact

January 15th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has placed significant restrictions on Tom Brady during his time as a broadcaster. Since the future Hall of Fame quarterback is now part-owner of the Raiders, he is prohibited from speaking attending practices, traveling to clubs’ facilities or doing onsite interview prep with coaches ahead of broadcast assignments.But a loophole may influence the Raiders’ coaching search.

Brady will be in Detroit for FOX’s divisional-round game (Commanders-Lions), and he would have a chance to both closely evaluate Ben Johnson (and Lions DC Aaron Glenn) and continue speaking with a coach who looks to be — at this juncture, at least — the Raiders’ early favorite.

Raiders-Johnson momentum is building, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. Clearly residing as a frontrunner here, Johnson is “seriously considering” the Raiders, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. In predicting fits, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson placed Johnson in Vegas.

While Mark Davis is technically atop the organization, it is widely believed Brady is running the team’s HC and GM pursuits. A report pointed to this search being “Tom’s show,” and Tafur offers more in that direction by adding that the minority owner was heavily involved in the decisions to fire Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco last week. Telesco was ultimately canned because the Raiders wanted to start fresh rather than pair a new coach with a holdover GM.

It is abnormal for a part-owner to have this much influence in searches of this magnitude, but Brady’s stature in the game makes him a special case. The 47-year-old exec’s presence is believed to have driven Johnson to add the Raiders to his interview list. The Lions’ OC has been picky about jobs since first joining a coaching carousel in 2023, and he famously backed out as the Commanders’ frontrunner last year. For Johnson to then be open to taking a Raiders job despite the lack of a quarterback presence and considering Davis’ lack of patience with coaches in recent years, it would certainly say a lot about Brady’s ability to recruit.

Las Vegas may be eyeing a Detroit-centric plan, with Tafur adding Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark is believed to have an early leg up on the competition for the GM job. This would be an interesting development, as Newmark has not received an interview request just yet. Packers exec Jon-Eric Sullivan, Steelers staffer Sheldon White and ex-Brady Michigan teammate John Spytek — a Buccaneers assistant GM — are the interviewees thus far. Spytek held early momentum as a candidate to watch; Newmark making up ground would be interesting due to his history.

Although Newmark left for Washington in 2024, he spent more than 20 years as a Detroit exec. That obviously covers the time Johnson has spent with the franchise, and Tafur adds the Raiders view Newmark as a staffer who could pair well with the 38-year-old play-caller.

Brady began vetting Johnson when he did a Week 9 Lions-Packers broadcast, Tafur offers. This would obviously be an unusual way for a franchise to gather intel on a candidate, and it obviously calls Brady’s FOX role into question as far as objectivity goes. Considering the steam Johnson has gained with the Raiders, the ongoing Brady conflict-of-interest subplot will continue Saturday.

Johnson is still in play for the Bears and Jaguars’ jobs, and while it is not known if the teams have him as a favorite, Mike Vrabel being off the carousel leaves Johnson as the hottest candidate based on history and the Lions’ dominant season on offense. The Jags are believed to be heavily interested. Johnson cannot conduct any second interviews until a Super Bowl bye week, or if the Lions are eliminated earlier.

For Johnson to back out of the Commanders’ search only to join the Raiders would represents a borderline coup for Brady, and it would add even more intrigue to a division that has seen tremendous coaching talent join Andy Reid in recent years. Johnson would join Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh in the AFC West. The Raiders still have interviews to go through, and Johnson’s past should remind this is not a done deal. But this much noise about the situation is certainly interesting this early in the process.

Load More Posts