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Joe Brady Wants To Stay In NFL

By | at December 12, 2021 9:37 pm

After receiving interest for head coaching jobs just after the 2020-21 NFL season ended, former Panthers’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady is not quite ready to return to the college coaching ranks. Despite some reports linking Joe Brady to the University of Miami as a potential offensive coordinator on new head coach Mario Cristobal’s staff, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Brady has heard from multiple NFL teams and the expectation is that he will stay in the league next season.

Brady found success in college football in his lone season at LSU as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Brady and then-LSU quarterback Joe Burrow were two individuals highly regarded as contributors to the school’s 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. The success quickly vaulted Brady into coaching opportunities as, three days after the Championship win, Brady accepted the offensive coordinator job under incoming head coach of the Panthers Matt Rhule.

In Brady’s first season as the lone offensive play caller, Carolina’s offense ranked 24th in the NFL in scoring and 21st in yards, utilizing Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback and leaning on Mike Davis at running back with star Christian McCaffrey sidelined for all but three games. Through 13 weeks of the 2021 NFL season, the Panthers’ offense ranked 24th in points per game and 29th in yards yards per game. The team has struggled to find consistency at quarterback with trade acquisition Sam Darnold failing to take a firm hold of the reins of the offense and Cam Newton not providing the desired boost after signing with his former team in November. The running game has still seen Christian McCaffrey miss time and has turned to rookie fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard in his absence.

Rhule didn’t specify any reasons for firing Brady only claiming it was best for the team moving forward, so it’s understandable that some NFL teams still see potential in hiring the young offensive mind. College football jobs have been filling quickly since the end of their regular season, so Brady’s focus on the NFL indicates he probably has some pretty strong leads on a new job.

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Panthers Plan To Give HC Matt Rhule Another Year

By | at December 11, 2021 11:39 am

Despite the Panthers’ underwhelming record in one-plus season under Matt Rhule, it sounds like the head coach will get another year to figure it all out. Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Panthers owner David Tepper intends to keep Rhule around for a third season. Of course, the writer cautions that plenty could change over the next five weeks.

The Panthers are 5-7 on the year, giving Rhule a combined record of 10-18 across the last two seasons. Things haven’t gone according to plan for Rhule, but it sounds like the organization will give him some additional time to figure it out. The Panthers have dealt with inconsistent QB play over the past two years, and the team was hit hard by injuries in 2021 (including an injury to their best player, Christian McCaffrey). NFL teams took notice of Baylor’s quick turnaround from the Art Briles era when Rhule was at the helm, and it sounds like the Panthers are still hoping their HC can guide a similar revival in Carolina.

While Rhule will likely get a commitment for the 2022 season, don’t be surprised if he’s given an extremely short leash. Graziano believes the HC will be one of the major names on the “hot seat” heading into the 2022 campaign.

Meanwhile, Graziano writes that the recent dismissal of offensive coordinator Joe Brady wasn’t all that surprising. The two coaches “didn’t have the best relationship,” and if you add in Carolina’s sputtering offense, the writing was clearly on the wall.

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Panthers Fire OC Joe Brady

By | at December 5, 2021 12:26 pm

The Panthers have fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the team announced. Senior offensive assistant Jeff Nixon, along with the rest of the offensive coaching staff, will take over Brady’s duties for the remainder of the season.

Brady spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Saints from 2017-18 and truly made a name for himself as the passing game coordinator for LSU in the Tigers’ record-setting 2019 season that featured otherworldly performances from future first-round draft picks like quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. That afforded him the opportunity to join Matt Rhule‘s first staff in Carolina in 2020.

The Panthers finished in the bottom half of the league last season in terms of total offense, though subpar QB play and a three-game season from star running back Christian McCaffrey certainly played a role in that. NFL clubs were still high on Brady’s ability, as he received five interviews for head coaching positions in this year’s cycle. As Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, Brady interviewed well, and a number of execs involved in those interviews believed he was a lock for an HC gig in 2022.

Unfortunately, Carolina suffered more of the same problems this year. McCaffrey is now out for the season after having played seven games, and an injury to starting quarterback Sam Darnold also helped to derail the Panthers’ once-promising season. A four-game losing streak earlier this year led some to believe that Brady would be stripped of his play-calling duties, and while that did not happen, Brady is now out of a job completely.

This year, the Panthers have slipped to 28th in total offense, and Brady’s creative mind has not been enough to consistently overcome what opposing defensive coordinators have thrown at him. He is still only 32 years old, but his meteoric rise has come to an abrupt halt, and he may have to rebuild his stock back at the college level.

Rhule said, “I met with Joe this morning and informed him that I have decided to make a change. I’m very grateful to him for his time and effort in helping us get established over this past year and a half.”

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Panthers To Stick With Joe Brady As Play Caller

By | at October 25, 2021 11:59 am

The Panthers managed just three points in Sunday’s loss to the Giants, dropping them to 3-4 on the year. Clearly, something has to change, but head coach Matt Rhule says that he has no plans to take play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Joe Brady (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic). 

[RELATED: Panthers, Dolphins Favorites To Land Watson?]

Brady’s offense looked promising early on, thanks in part to the play of Sam Darnold. Unfortunately, the former Jets quarterback has sputtered in recent weeks He was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss, though Rhule told reporters that Darnold will “be our quarterback next week.” There’s no guarantee that Darnold will be the QB after the trade deadline, however. The Panthers are said to be in pursuit of Deshaun Watson and they could potentially outbid the Dolphins.

Brady’s offense would be in better shape with Christian McCaffrey, but he’s still on IR with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, despite all the hiccups, Brady remains a rumored candidate for the LSU vacancy.

“I didn’t really have any thoughts on it,” Brady said recently (via Sports Illustrated). “I had a great experience in my time there but I was way more concerned with our performance this past Sunday and trying to find ways to improve this Sunday. All of those things, from a coaching perspective, are things that I don’t really pay a lot of attention to…I’ve got to do a better job of being the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and that’s all I’m really concerned about right now.”

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2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 15, 2021 1:24 pm

Exiting the regular season, six teams are searching for new head coaches. That number is up from last season but not quite as high as 2019, though there may well be more vacancies that emerge during the playoffs.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 1-27-21 (7:05pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

18 comments Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Cincinnati Bengals Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans

Eagles Interview Joe Brady

By | at January 13, 2021 12:43 pm

The Eagles have interviewed Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady for their head coaching job, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brady has interviewed for nearly every opening this circuit and could be on the verge of his first HC gig.

[RELATED: 2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The Falcons, Texans, Chargers, and Jets have also chatted with the 31-year-old rising star. Brady made a name for himself in 2019 when he served as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, guiding Joe Burrows and Justin Jefferson to a record-breaking offensive campaign. In January of 2020, the Panthers called him up to the pros.

Brady’s Panthers offense did not impress, but that was largely due to injuries. Despite Teddy Bridgewater’s struggles and Christian McCaffrey’s injuries, the Panthers still got 1,000+ yards out of D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, and Mike Davis. The Birds, who are revamping their offense around Jalen Hurts, could ask Brady to lead the way.

Here’s a look at the Eagles’ other candidates, via PFR’s tracker:

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Jets Interview Joe Brady For HC Opening

By | at January 9, 2021 12:11 pm

Add another name to the list of Jets head coach candidates. The team announced today that they’ve completed their interview with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Brady, 31, made a name for himself in 2019 when he served as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, helping guide quarterback Joe Burrows, wideout Justin Jefferson, and the Tigers to a record-breaking offensive campaign. That coaching performance led to him becoming a popular name among NFL teams, and he was ultimately hired as the Panthers offensive coordinator last January.

Despite inconsistent quarterback play from Teddy Bridgewater and only three appearances from star running back Christian McCaffrey, Brady still earned praise during his first year in Carolina. Four offensive players ultimately eclipsed 1,000 yards during the 2020 campaign (D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, and Mike Davis).

After proving that he belonged in the NFL, Brady has become a hot name on the head coaching circuit. The Texans, Falcons, and Chargers have interviewed or will interview Brady for their HC vacancies.

A number of names have emerged in New York as potential replacements for former Jets head coach Adam Gase. The team recently interviewed former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and former Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are also among those on the organization’s radar.

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Texans, Falcons, Chargers To Interview Panthers OC Joe Brady For HC Openings

By | at January 5, 2021 12:37 pm

There’s been a trend around the league in recent years of teams with head coach openings going after young and innovative offensive minds, and there’s no reason to believe it’s slowing down. To that end, Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady is starting to get a lot of buzz.

Brady received interview requests from the Texans, Falcons, and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Houston already completed their interview on Tuesday with the 31-year-old, the team announced. The man running Matt Rhule’s offense has seen a meteoric rise through the ranks in the past handful of years, and as recently as 2016 he was only a graduate assistant at Penn State.

He then became and offensive assistant with the Saints for two years before landing the gig as LSU’s passing game coordinator for the 2019 season. We all know what happened then, as he turned LSU’s offense into a juggernaut, helped Joe Burrow win the Heisman and become the first overall pick, and helped LSU win a national title.

After just one season at LSU, Rhule plucked him to be on his inaugural staff in Carolina. The Panthers were a mixed bag this year, but they did get pretty creative on offense even while missing Christian McCaffrey for pretty much the entire season. Even by today’s standards Brady would be pretty young and inexperienced, but more and more teams are learning that fortune often favors the bold. Even if he doesn’t land a job this cycle, Brady will be a candidate next year and the one after.

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Panthers To Hire LSU’s Joe Brady As OC

By | at January 14, 2020 4:41 pm

Joe Burrow‘s transcendent season may well have opened the door to a major opportunity for LSU’s passing-game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Joe Brady has informed people Tuesday he plans to join Matt Rhule‘s Panthers staff, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This move will make Brady the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets.

The Panthers were linked to the 30-year-old LSU assistant for their offensive coordinator role recently. Brady agreed to an LSU extension, but that deal will not stand to impede a return to the NFL. This would mark a return to the NFL for Brady, who served as a Saints offensive assistant from 2017-18.

Originally linked to an OC role if Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale landed a coaching job, Brady will instead follow Rhule to Charlotte and become the NFL’s youngest active OC. Brady’s stay at LSU produced one of the most dominant seasons in college football history, with Burrow throwing an astounding 60 touchdown passes (against only six interceptions). Not traditionally known for their passing attack despite employing some top-flight receiver prospects, LSU stampeded through a brutal schedule to a national championship.

The Tigers’ wideouts thrived under Brady, with both Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson eclipsing 1,500 yards. Chase, a potential 2021 first-round pick, caught 20 touchdown passes. Jefferson, who is eligible for the 2020 draft, was not far behind with 18. Neither Odell Beckham Jr. nor Jarvis Landry surpassed 10 TDs in a season with the Tigers. Twelve more than any Division I-FBS quarterback threw this season, Burrow’s 60 TD passes would have ranked second to any LSU quarterback’s career total.

This will represent a big jump for Brady, who has never been a coordinator at any level. Prior to joining Sean Payton‘s staff three years ago, the former William & Mary wide receiver’s highest coaching rank was as a Penn State graduate assistant. He is now expected to be Carolina’s second coordinator from the college ranks, joining former Baylor DC Phil Snow.

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Panthers Eyeing Joe Brady For OC Role

By | at January 11, 2020 9:07 am

Could Joe Brady be heading to the NFL? NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Panther head coach Matt Rhule is considering the LSU passing game coordinator as his own offensive coordinator.

As Rapoport notes, the school recently worked out an extension for Brady, but the deal hasn’t been signed. This means the coach can continue to hunt around for a better-paying gig (of course, he might just prefer to head to the NFL altogether).

Brady, 30, has moved up the coaching ranks very quickly. He coached linebackers at his alma matter, William & Mary, between 2013 and 2014 before moving on to Penn State. He spent two years as an offensive assistant with the Saints before joining Ed Orgeron’s staff at LSU for the 2019 campaign. As LSU’s wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator, Brady earned this season’s Broyles Award, which recognizes the top assistant coach.

When Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale was getting buzz for head coaching gigs, we heard that Brady could be an option for the staff. Martindale was especially connected to the Giants, but that ship sailed when the organization tabbed Joe Judge as their new head coach.

We heard earlier this week that Rhule had identified Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow for the same role with the Panthers. The new head coach will also have a say in the hiring of an assistant GM.

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