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Luke Getsy

Raiders Fire OC Luke Getsy

November 3rd, 2024 at 10:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders suffered their fifth straight loss today after starting the season 2-2, and the offense continues to struggle to get the job done. As a result, changes are being made. The latest changes come in the form of a staffing updates as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has reportedly been let go, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The team soon announced quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach James Cregg have also been dismissed.

Getsy’s second tenure as an offensive coordinator in the NFL has turned out about the same as his first stint, though Chicago afforded him a tad more leash. A former undrafted quarterback in the league back in 2007, it didn’t take long for Getsy to move on to coaching. After seven seasons in the collegiate ranks, Getsy earned his first NFL coaching gig as an offensive quality control coach with the Packers.

After leaving for a year to be offensive coordinator at Mississippi State, Getsy returned to Green Bay under then-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and head coach Matt LaFleur. This time, Getsy worked as quarterbacks coach over veteran Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers, already a two-time MVP at the time, made the entire offensive staff look good, winning his third and fourth MVPs in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. The performances earned Hackett a head coaching gig in Denver and Getsy his first offensive coordinator job in the NFL with the Bears.

In his first season calling plays, the Bears fielded the league’s top rushing offense, though a 32nd-ranked passing offense put the team at just 28th for total offense. Chicago remained one of the top rushing teams in his second year, and even improved in passing and scoring, but head coach Matt Eberflus cut ties in an attempt to keep his own job with a new offensive coordinator and a new rookie quarterback in 2024.

Getsy rebounded, hopping on staff with new head coach Antonio Pierce after the Raiders fumbled the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator. The team seemingly had an agreement in place to hire Kingsbury before the Texas Tech alum backtracked and joined the Commanders. Getsy was the consolation prize, and given tonight’s news, he apparently was hired on a “prove it” basis.

Scangarello joined the Raiders this season two years after being fired midseason from his offensive coordinator job with the University of Kentucky. Cregg was in his first role as an NFL offensive line coach after two years as assistant offensive line coach in San Francisco.

Through nine weeks of the season, the Raiders are 26th in total offense and 25th in points scored. Unlike his time in Chicago, Getsy has not been able to field a top rushing offense. In fact, the team’s 692 rushing yards on the season are only better than the Cowboys (who have 656 in one fewer game). This has forced Getsy and the Raiders to rely on a passing game quarterbacked by Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.

The results have been middling so far this year in terms of passing yardage, and the two passers have combined for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Nine lost fumbles for the offense combine with those picks to help the Raiders rank dead-last in turnovers. The team also ranks 32nd in yards per carry, 29th in yards per play, 27th in passer rating, and 26th in offensive points per game this season.

The lackluster offense could partially be blamed on injuries that have limited expected contributors like running back Zamir White and tight end Michael Mayer. The offense was also not helped by the “injury” and eventual trade of star wide receiver Davante Adams, who only appeared in three games for Las Vegas.

Still, it is the play-caller’s job to put the players available to him in positions to succeed, and that job was not getting done in Las Vegas. Just four days ago, Pierce challenged Getsy, telling the media that Getsy’s play-calling “has to get better.” Today’s performance, which saw Minshew benched for recently signed quarterback Desmond Ridder, clearly lacked the improvement that Pierce sought.

Today’s firing marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Raiders have changed either a coach or a coordinator in the middle of a season. The seemingly never-ending search for stability in the organization continues with Getsy’s dismissal. Pass game coordinator Scott Turner, formerly an offensive coordinator for the Commanders, has been tabbed as a likely replacement to take over the role of offensive coordinator, though nothing has been reported. In his three years calling plays in Washington, the team’s offense never ranked in the top half of the league.

Following the announcement of Getsy’s firing, EPSN’s Paul Gutierrez and Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal both seemed to indicate that more heads would likely roll. This could have been in reference to the dismissals of Scangarello and Cregg, reported soon after, but with the iron still hot, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few more names added to the fire.

Antonio Pierce: Luke Getsy’s Play-Calling Needs Improvement

October 31st, 2024 at 11:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Luke Getsy came to the Raiders after the team’s negotiations with Kliff Kingsbury broke down. Eventually pivoting to a Commanders offer (with some help from minority Commanders owner Magic Johnson), Kingsbury sought a three-year deal from the Raiders, who were offering a two-year pact.

The Raiders circled back to Getsy, who had received interest for official and unofficial (in the Jets’ unique case, which also involved Kingsbury) OC jobs following his Bears firing. Getsy has seen the Raiders change quarterbacks and the latest preferred starter (Aidan O’Connell) go down with an injury. The Raiders have also traded their top offensive player, unloading a disgruntled Davante Adams. As could be expected, Las Vegas is struggling on that side of the ball.

Las Vegas ranks 26th in scoring (18 points per game) and 28th in total yardage. DVOA slots Getsy’s offense in that neighborhood, measuring it 27th through eight games. Although Antonio Pierce is not contemplating a change, the Raiders HC took aim at his play-caller amid a four-game skid.

“It has to get better,” Pierce said of Getsy’s play-calling, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. “… There’s been a lot of opportunities for us to score points and make opportunities. And, yeah, that’s on the play-caller. It does start with the coordinator. He’s got to be the one that takes the fall for that and gets most of the blame. But it is collective.”

Pierce further couched that assessment by saying the team’s struggles are “on all of us,” but this situation will be one of the many to monitor moving forward. The Raiders have not scored more than 20 points since Week 3, when the Panthers stampeded to their only win of the season (after a bounce-back 2023, Patrick Graham‘s defense ranks 27th in points and 23rd in DVOA). The Raiders rank 31st in rushing yards, as their post-Josh Jacobs period has not started well.

Las Vegas let Jacobs walk, not submitting an offer in the ballpark of a four-year, $48MM Packers deal that included just $13.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Raiders instead added Alexander Mattison to play behind Zamir White, adding the ex-Vikings Dalvin Cook replacement on a one-year, $2MM deal. Neither White nor Mattison has impressed, respectively sporting 3.0 and 3.2 per-carry averages. Pro Football Focus ranks the Raiders’ O-line 18th.

The Raiders have seen Brock Bowers become their runaway lead target but would-be sidekick Michael Mayer, whom the team traded up for early in the 2023 second round, land on the reserve/NFI list. Pierce said earlier this month Mayer is dealing with “personal stuff” and did not have a return timetable. Jakobi Meyers, who has landed in trade rumors, leads Raiders wide receivers with 325 yards. Adams contributed just three games to the Raiders’ cause, going down with a hamstring injury. The team viewed Adams as slow-playing his return amid trade uncertainty.

Getsy drew some iffy hands with the Bears as well, with Justin Fields not establishing consistency as a passer. He now looks to be in a worse situation, as the Raiders remain in search of their next franchise QB and appear to be considering moving Meyers after trading Adams. How the team’s second half unfolds will affect Pierce’s future, and Getsy’s will certainly be tied to it.

Jets Spoke To Eric Bieniemy, Kliff Kingsbury, Luke Getsy About Staff Position

October 14th, 2024 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are greenlighting another chance for Todd Downing beginning tonight. Fired after two seasons as Titans OC, Downing is the team’s emergency replacement for Nathaniel Hackett. While Hackett remains on staff, both Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich sought to demote him.

Saleh wrestled with this situation for much longer, being given a mulligan after Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 injury wrecked the Jets’ 2023 season. A January report indicated Saleh was looking to strip power from Hackett, who did not perform well (albeit with Zach Wilson back in the saddle) in his debut OC season with the Jets. Arthur Smith‘s name came up as reports of this effort emerged. As it turns out, the Jets looked into a few more experienced play-callers before ultimately sticking with Hackett.

Although no official OC search commenced, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the Jets spoke with Eric Bieniemy, Kliff Kingsbury and Luke Getsy about a job that would have brought significant offensive responsibilities without an official title (subscription required). Though, Smith or one of these names signing on would have led to reduced Hackett responsibilities. This arrangement likely would not have gone over well with Rodgers, despite his recent willingness to accept his longtime friend being booted from the play-calling role, and would not have been especially appealing to coaching candidates with options.

Saleh sought an experienced staffer to help out, Russini adds, but did not have an OC title to offer. Rodgers’ presence almost definitely prevented Saleh from firing Hackett outright. Considering his job was on the line as well, Saleh being handcuffed to Hackett could certainly have generated tension between he and his quarterback.

Getsy, who worked with Rodgers (under Hackett) in Green Bay, received multiple interview requests following his Bears ouster. He ended up with the Raiders once Kingsbury’s negotiations broke down. Kingsbury reestablished momentum a year after his Cardinals firing, interviewing for the Bears, Eagles and Raiders’ jobs before maneuvering his way to Washington for the Commanders position. Bieniemy, the Commanders’ 2023 offensive coordinator, is now UCLA’s OC.

Woody Johnson approved the Hackett hire last year, as it became a gateway for the Jets to acquire Rodgers. The two worked together with the Packers from 2019-21, and Rodgers has consistently championed the embattled coordinator. He did so again this offseason. Hackett received criticism regarding his attention to detail last season, which unfolded largely without Rodgers, and the Jets have not improved at the level they expected despite the four-time MVP’s return from Achilles surgery. The Jets exited their London loss to the Vikings 25th in points and 27th in total offense.

Last week’s decision marks Hackett’s third in-season firing or demotion since 2018. As the Jaguars’ Blake Bortles extension skidded off track quickly, the team booted Hackett in November 2018. The Broncos canned Hackett 15 games into his HC stay; at the time, he joined only Urban Meyer as first-year coaches fired before season’s end in the past 40 years. Although Hackett is still on staff, this Jets demotion will restart a career nosedive for the second-generation coach. The Jets employed Paul Hackett as OC from 2001-04; the elder Hackett resigned following the ’04 season, which produced criticism early in the Chad Pennington era.

With Saleh gone and Nathaniel Hackett likely on the way out in New York, the remaining coaches from this Jets regime will attempt to keep their jobs under Ulbrich. Downing, a one-and-done Raiders OC who saw a DUI arrest lead to his Titans dismissal after two seasons, will lead the way in that effort.

Raiders “Very Unlikely” To Pursue Justin Fields?

February 21st, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders are one of the few QB-needy teams that don’t possess a top-three pick and don’t have exclusive negotiating rights with a starting-caliber option. As a result, they’ve been mentioned as a natural suitor for Bears QB Justin Fields. However, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur dismisses that notion, stating that it’s “very unlikely” the Raiders pursue Fields.

[RELATED: Raiders Interested In Acquiring No. 1 Pick]

Tafur’s logic mostly surrounds the presence of new Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who guided the Bears’ offense for the past two years. Following disappointing results between 2022 and 2023, Getsy was let go by Chicago, but that didn’t stop Antonio Pierce from bringing him on the Raiders staff.

As Tafur notes, the Raiders hired Getsy because of his previous pass-game work in Green Bay and his creative “run-game concepts” in Chicago, with Pierce and the organization chalking up the Bears’ offensive struggles to the player under center. The team has apparently already made up their mind about who was to blame in Chicago, and it doesn’t sound like they have any interest in replicating that arrangement in Las Vegas.

Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t expected to be back with the Raiders next season, and despite Aidan O’Connell’s solid showing as a starter, the 2023 fourth-round pick won’t just be handed the reins in 2024. While a few signs point to the Raiders pursuing a veteran QB via free agency, it sounds like the organization will be more aggressive in moving up in the draft.

We heard recently that the Raiders were eyeing a move for the first-overall pick, although the Bears are expected to require a historic haul for the selection. Pierce’s connections to Jayden Daniels, who was at Arizona State during the new Raiders HC’s time with the Sun Devils, have also emerged. With Caleb Williams likely going No. 1, the Raiders wouldn’t have to deal with Chicago’s trade demands in that scenario. Still, if the Raiders are truly interested in the LSU product, they’d have to find a way to move up from their current No. 13 draft position.

Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

  • Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
  • Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
  • Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
  • Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
  • Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
  • Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

  • Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
  • Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
  • Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
  • Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
  • Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
  • Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
  • Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
  • Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

  • Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
  • Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
  • Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
  • Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
  • Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
  • Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
  • Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
  • Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
  • Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
  • Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
  • Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
  • Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
  • Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
  • Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
  • Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 9th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

Raiders Hire Luke Getsy As OC

February 6th, 2024 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 6: The Raiders have made it official. The team announced the hiring of Getsy as its new offensive coordinator.

FEBRUARY 4: Less than a day after Kliff Kingsbury backtracked on a reported agreement to become the Raiders’ offensive coordinator, the team is moving toward another option. The team is zeroing in on Luke Getsy.

The Raiders and the recently fired Bears OC are working on an agreement, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. A hire is expected, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. This would be for another play-calling OC gig; the Bears axed Getsy after two years in the same role. This has been an eventful search for Antonio Pierce‘s team, but it is looking like — barring another 11th-hour breakdown — the AFC West club will have a new play-caller in place soon.

A number of Raiders targets took OC jobs elsewhere. The Bengals promoted Dan Pitcher to what is a non-play-calling OC position. Ex-Browns OC Alex Van Pelt interviewed with the Raiders but accepted the Patriots’ play-calling OC role. The Raiders also had Klint Kubiak, Zac Robinson and Shane Waldron on their radar. This trio of candidates respectively is now aligned with the Saints, Falcons and Bears. As a result of Kingsbury’s course change, the Raiders are ready to commit to a future with Chicago’s previous play-caller.

The Kingsbury agreement surfaced on Thursday. As of Saturday morning, however, the deal was off. Kingsbury informed the Raiders he would not take the job; this came after contract negotiations fell apart. The USC quarterbacks coach is believed to have sought a three-year deal, while the Raiders were aiming at a two-year pact. This might not boil down to only term length, but as it stands now, Kingsbury is squarely on the Commanders’ radar to become their play-calling OC.

Following the Kingsbury news, dot connecting between the Raiders and Getsy commenced. Though, the Raiders also spoke with Eric Bieniemy about the position. With Kingsbury and Chip Kelly — another Raiders candidate — on the radar in Washington, it certainly appears Bieniemy will not be retained. Seeing as Bieniemy arrived in Washington when Dan Snyder and Ron Rivera were still in power, it seemed a long shot he would stay — especially after a 4-13 season — under this new Josh Harris–Adam Peters–Dan Quinn regime.

Getsy, 39, interviewed for the Raiders’ OC job last week; they were the first team to reach out. While the interview went well, the Raiders did not position the ex-Packers QBs coach as their first choice. Getsy also interviewed for the Patriots and Saints’ OC positions, meeting with the Saints twice. But the team is prepared to go with Kubiak.

Tasked with developing Justin Fields, Getsy drew criticism as that effort did not go smoothly. That said, the ex-Aaron Rodgers position coach made a concerted effort to utilize Fields’ gifts in the run game midway through the 2022 season. The result nearly brought down Lamar Jackson‘s single-season QB rushing record; Fields finished with 1,143 rushing yards — second-most by a QB in a season — in 2022. The jury is still out on Fields as a passer, leading to the Caleb Williams rumors, but the Bears respectively ranked first and second on the ground in Getsy’s two seasons.

On the whole, the Bears ranked 23rd and 18th in scoring offense during Getsy’s two seasons in Illinois. Prior to that stay, he also served as the Packers’ pass-game coordinator from 2020-21. Current Raider Davante Adams ripped off his first two All-Pro seasons during that span.

Assuming this Getsy-Raiders partnership becomes official, this year’s OC carousel will feature three recently fired coordinators — Getsy, Van Pelt, Ken Dorsey — landing jobs elsewhere. The Chargers also did not retain Kellen Moore, but he is now in place as the Eagles’ OC. Ditto Seattle and Waldron, who left for Chicago after three years as Pete Carroll‘s OC. Getsy will step into an interesting position in Las Vegas.

Some of this era’s top offensive minds reside in the AFC West. Andy Reid is set to coach in his fifth Super Bowl, while the Broncos have former Super Bowl champion Sean Payton in his second offseason running the show. The Chargers have upped the ante, hiring ex-Super Bowl HC and reigning national champion Jim Harbaugh to oversee Justin Herbert‘s development. Getsy will join a team that has by far the least experienced head coach in the division, and with Pierce’s background on defense, it will be Getsy in full command on the offensive side.

The Raiders also have a quarterback question to answer, joining the Broncos in that regard. Getsy will either be charged with developing a draft choice or working with a veteran acquisition. Either way, plenty will be on the young assistant’s shoulders in 2024.

Kliff Kingsbury Now Leading Candidate For Commanders’ OC Job; Latest On Raiders’ Options

February 3rd, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Quickly following news that the Raiders would not be closing the deal to make former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury their next offensive coordinator under now official head coach Antonio Pierce, rumors are circulating that Kingsbury is now the leading candidate for the same position in Washington, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. After spending 2023 as a senior offensive analyst at USC, Kingsbury’s return to the NFL seems inevitable at this point.

Two days ago, the NFL world was under the impression that Kingsbury would become the next offensive play-caller in Las Vegas. That story changed this morning with Kingsbury informing multiple people in the Raiders organization that he would not be joining the team. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, there was “a contractual hang-up” that prevented Kingsbury from following through on those initial reports, and as a result, the Commanders have swooped in, setting Kingsbury in their sights. Arizona Football Daily‘s Mike Jurecki adds that the Raiders offered a two-year contract, whereas Kingsbury was aiming for a three-year pact.

Washington makes sense for Kingsbury for a number of reasons. The Commanders recently landed on former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their replacement for former head coach Ron Rivera. Quinn being a defensive coach puts the Commanders in a different situation than teams like the Titans or Panthers, whose offensive-minded head coaches will be calling plays over their respective offensive coordinators. Kingsbury will be handed the keys to a young offense, something he has experience with from his time in Arizona.

The Commanders also make sense because there seems to be a very real chance that the team could draft a former pupil of Kingsbury’s in USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Though Williams has long been rumored to be the No. 1 overall pick and the Commanders sit at No. 2, rumors have picked up recently that the Bears, who hold the top pick, will not be trading down. While that could mean Williams is headed to Chicago to try and displace Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, there have been an equal number of rumors stating that Williams wants nothing to do with the Bears, meaning he could slip down to No. 2 and end up a Commander being coached by his former mentor.

Kingsbury reportedly interviewed with the Commanders and Quinn recently, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, and though neither side seems to have settled on an agreement, both sides seem to be moving in the right direction.

As for Vegas, their search for their next play-caller under Pierce continues. UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, who had been a name to watch in Washington before this most recent news of Kingsbury’s prospects, and former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy are names to watch, according to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. Getsy was considered a top candidate for the position when Kingsbury was originally announced, and Kelly may shift focus to the Raiders if the Commanders do indeed shift theirs to Kingsbury.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN mentions that Las Vegas recently spoke to former Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, amounting to what could essentially be considered a coordinator exchange should Bieniemy land in Vegas and Kingsbury be hired in DC. He also mentions that the team spoke with former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton but includes that Hamilton may just be in consideration for a position coaching job.

So, today’s breaking news from Vegas does create a bit of a shuffle, but both the Raiders and Commanders seem to have reacted quickly in the fallout. As a result, Washington could be closing in on their new play-caller, while Las Vegas continues to explore their options.

Saints To Conduct Second OC Interview With Luke Getsy

January 30th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Conducting their first OC search in 16 years, the Saints are not cutting corners. They have multiple candidates in place to conduct second interviews. Luke Getsy will be one of those.

The Saints are set to bring the former Bears OC in for another meeting, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. The second Getsy-Saints meeting will take place Wednesday in New Orleans. Pete Carmichael has already landed on his feet, becoming the latest ex-Saints staffer to sign on with the Broncos under Sean Payton.

The Bears fired Getsy, 39, last month. He will join Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson as candidates to receive a second interview for this job. The Saints, however, have also met with a few more still-available staffers. New Orleans has seen some of its candidates land elsewhere. Dan Pitcher, Zac Robinson and Shane Waldron — Getsy’s eventual Chicago replacement — have taken OC jobs with other teams.

Getsy remains in consideration for the Patriots’ OC job, with Breer confirming his previously reported Pats interview is transpiring today. The Pats also had Robinson, Pitcher and Waldron on their interview docket. The Bengals promoted Pitcher, and Robinson quickly became a candidate to follow Raheem Morris to Atlanta. That hire came to pass, taking another option off the table for OC-needy clubs.

The Bears employed Getsy as a play-calling OC for two seasons. The former Packers assistant made a smart pivot to an offense that capitalized on Justin Fields‘ run-game strengths midway through the 2022 season, and the Bears led the NFL in rushing that year. Chicago finished second on the ground this past season. Fields showed signs of development as a passer in 2023, but his standing in that area is driving the Bears’ seminal Fields-or-Caleb Williams call. Fields finished 23rd in QBR this season.

The longtime NFC North staffer is also in contention for the Raiders’ OC post. Here is how the Saints’ pursuit stands as of Tuesday afternoon:

Patriots Promote DeMarcus Covington To DC

January 27th, 2024 at 2:21pm CST by Ben Levine

2:21pm: The Patriots have made it official, announcing that Covington will be promoted to the defensive coordinator position. Under the new head coach, Mayo, Covington will officially be the team’s first defensive coordinator since Matt Patricia left in 2017.

11:57am: It sounds like Jerod Mayo has zeroed in on his defensive coordinator. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, “all signs point” to the Patriots promoting defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator.

While the Patriots haven’t announced the move, Breer notes that the organization has notified other candidates that they’re out of the running. The move is expected to be made official early next week.

Covington has spent his entire NFL coaching career with the Patriots, working his way up from coaching assistant to defensive line coach, a role that he’s held for the past four seasons. Covington has helped with the development of former second-round pick Christian Barmore, and Matt Judon and Josh Uche have both had success on the edge under the coach’s tutelage.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Covington impressed during last year’s coordinator interviews, as the coach met about the DC jobs with the Cardinals and Chargers. It seemed like only a matter of time before he earned a coordinator job, and that opportunity has apparently come in New England.

The Patriots didn’t employ a traditional defensive coordinator during Bill Belichick‘s final seasons in New England, but Mayo and Steve Belichick were generally considered the leaders of the defensive coaching staff. Considering Mayo having been promoted to head coach and the younger Belichick’s uncertain future with the organization, the organization looked to fill the leadership void on their staff. Covington was one of four known candidates for the position, joining Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges, Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, and Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker.

Elsewhere in New England, the Patriots have added two offensive coordinator candidates to the mix. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Patriots interviewed 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury for their offensive coordinator job. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that former Bears OC Luke Getsy also interviewed for the position.

Fleury has spent the past five seasons in San Francisco, including the past two in his current role. With Fleury leading the tight ends, George Kittle hauled in a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2022. This past season, Kittle topped the 1,000-yards receiving mark for the first time since the 2020 campaign.

Getsy lost his job earlier this month despite guiding one of the league’s top rushing attacks over the past two seasons. Before his two-year stint in Chicago, Getsy spent three seasons with the Packers as their quarterbacks coach.

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