HEADLINES

Matt Eberflus

Packers’ Getsy Expected To Become Bears’ OC

January 29th, 2022 at 9:52pm CST by Ely Allen

It looks like Matt Eberflus is getting the guy to run his offense as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted out that Packers’ quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Luke Getsy is expected to be hired as the Bears’ new offensive coordinator.

Getsy has spent his entire NFL coaching career in Green Bay joining the Packers as an offensive quality control coach in 2014. He worked his way up to wide receivers coach before taking a year away from the team to be the offensive coordinator at Mississippi State University. He returned to Green Bay in 2019 as the quarterbacks coach and added the passing-game coordinator title to his job for the following two seasons.

The Packers have been a top ten passing offense in each of Getsy’s two years as passing-game coordinator, helping them to earn the top-seed in the NFC and setting up quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a potential fourth MVP award.

Getsy’s departure leaves holes for Green Bay at two offensive positions. The Packers have lost former-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who took the position of head coach for the Broncos and now are expected to be without their quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator.

It’s expected that Eberflus will consider Getsy’s input in putting together the rest of the offensive staff. We wrote earlier about the Bears’ interest in Browns’ offensive line coach Bill Callahan and a few other expected hires for Chicago. Eberflus’ first NFL staff is starting to come together nicely.

Bucs To Start Post-Brady Rebuild?

January 29th, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Ely Allen

With three-time MVP quarterback Tom Brady announcing his retirement earlier today, speculation has already started on the future of the Buccaneers’ franchise. Brady’s retirement has experts wondering about the futures of tight end Rob Gronkowki and head coach Bruce Arians. Both have flirted with retirement before. 

Contributing to the postulation on Arians’ situation is head coaching interest in the Buccaneers’ coordinators on both sides of the ball. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich recently had his second interview for the Jaguars open coaching position. Reportedly, talks have stalled as Leftwich has expressed issues with current general manager Trent Baalke continuing in that position, with Leftwich preferring Cardinals’ vice president of pro scouting Adrian Wilson to replace the polarizing GM. The Saints have requested an interview with Leftwich, who previously received interest from the Bears before they hired Matt Eberflus. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, and Vikings. With the Bears’ job taken, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels being the presumed frontrunner in Las Vegas, and Jacksonville having conducted multiple second interviews Bowles’ opportunities for a head coaching job are starting to dwindle, as well.

More cause for speculation has risen from an article from Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. In the article Wilson reports that Arians has informed the entire coaching staff that they have permission to seek jobs around the league regardless of whether or not the new position would be a promotion. With the potential exit of the two New England-legends and the impactful group of Buccaneers heading into free agency, this permission could potentially be an opportunity to abandon ship before the start of a Tampa Bay rebuild.

In terms of those free agents, joining free-agent-to-be Gronkowski are three other significant role players: wide receiver Chris Godwin, center Ryan Jensen, and cornerback Carlton Davis. Godwin is expected to be the top free agent priority in Tampa Bay after he received the franchise tag for this past season. Jensen came over three years ago from the Ravens on what then made him the highest paid center in the NFL. Davis was a key contributor due for a big contract year on defense before being placed on IR after Week 4 of the season and missing eight weeks during a crucial year.

The domino-effect of Brady’s retirement is already looming large over the Buccaneers’ prospects for the 2022 NFL season. Tampa Bay has the entire offseason to navigate these obstacles and mitigate the potential fallout. After winning a Super Bowl just last year, the departure of Brady could be as game-changing to the Buccaneers as his arrival was nearly two years ago.

Updates To Eberflus’ New Bears’ Staff

January 29th, 2022 at 7:12pm CST by Ely Allen

New head coach Matt Eberflus has wasted no time in starting to piece together his new coaching staff in Chicago. 

The Colts’ former defensive coordinator will bring some familiar names with him from Indianapolis on the defensive side of the ball. According to Zak Keefer, of The Athletic, it’s been confirmed that linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi will follow Eberflus to Chicago to retain the same position. Borgonzi has played a crucial role in the development of players like Darius Leonard, Anthony Walker, and Bobby Okereke. Rumors have been circulating that cornerbacks coach James Rowe and defensive line coach Rod Marinelli could soon follow in Borgonzi’s footsteps.

On the offensive side of the ball, Eberflus will have to build a new system. We’ve already seen Eagles’ passing-game coordinator Kevin Patullo’s name surface as a potential coordinator, especially being a former coworker of the Bears’ new skipper in Indianapolis. We’ve also seen Packers’ quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy‘s name mentioned as the favorite candidate to land the coordinator job.

Still nothing has been announced, but Sanjay Lal, who has coached wide receivers for six different NFL teams, most recently in Jacksonville, is reportedly interviewing today for the offensive coordinator job, according to Jane Slater of NFL Network. A London-native, Lal started out coaching in a California high school for about six years before earning opportunities to coach at a few local colleges, culminating in a position as the quarterbacks coach at the University of California, Berkeley. Lal got his first NFL opportunity joining Lane Kiffin‘s Oakland Raiders staff in 2007 as a quality control coach, getting promoted to wide receivers coach in 2009. The journeyman coach then spent time as a wide receivers coach for the Jets, Bills, Colts, and Cowboys before not being retained in Dallas when Mike McCarthy took over. After spending a year as a senior offensive assistant in Seattle for a year, Lal got another chance to coach wide receivers for the Jaguars under Urban Meyer, where he spent the past season.

The only other offensive position we’ve heard about comes from Sports Mockery writer Erik Lambert who reports that Eberflus and the Bears will pursue Browns’ offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Callahan has coached a laundry list of Pro Bowl players over the years and has two connections to the Bears’ job. Firstly, he worked with Eberflus in Dallas for about three seasons, and, second, Callahan was born and raised in Chicago.

Two names have surfaced so far at the special teams coordinator position. Lambert mentions Raiders’ interim-head coach Rich Bisaccia as the favorite to take over the special teams unit in Chicago as it becomes less and less likely that he’ll be retained as the head ball coach in Las Vegas. The other name mentioned came from Jordan Raanan who covers the Giants for ESPN. Ranaan tweeted out that Giants’ special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey is scheduled to interview for the same position with the Bears tomorrow. McGaughey has already interviewed for the Chargers’ special teams coordinator job and has not ruled out remaining with the Giants.

It’s an impressive potential lineup for Eberflus as he attempts to put together his first full staff as a head coach. Updates should be expected shortly as all the names mentioned so far are no longer participating in the playoffs.

Jaguars “Close” To Hiring Adrian Wilson For GM, Byron Leftwich For HC

January 27th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

As news keeps coming on the head coaching front, the lone remaining finalist for the Jags’ HC role looks to be coming to Jacksonville. That doesn’t appear to be the only major hire the team is set to make, however. Mike Jurecki of AZCardinals.com reports (via Twitter) that the team is “close” to not only hiring Bucs OC Bryon Leftwich as its new head coach, but also Cardinals vice president of pro scouting Adrian Wilson as its new general manager. 

[Related: Jaguars Interview Vic Fangio For Head Coach]

Leftwich’s status as the favorite for the HC position has only grown in the past few days. The belief that he would be the Jags’ top choice has been strengthened by the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett in Denver and Matt Eberflus in Chicago earlier today. However, Adam Schefter tweeted not long after Jurecki’s initial report that the Saints have requested an interview with Leftwich. That would certainly suggest, among other things, that it is not quite a done deal yet for the 42-year-old.

As for Baalke, it has been believed by many around the league that his grip on the GM position was loosening. Earlier in the month, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported that his presence would deter certain HC candidates from interviewing for the position. In a follow-up to Jurecki’s report, JLC adds that there was a good chance Baalke “would be gone by the draft”. Given his support for Bill O’Brien, and later, Eberflus, as HC candidates earlier on in the hiring process, his departure might happen “sooner”.

Wilson, meanwhile, was one of nine candidates to interview with the Giants for their GM opening, so his hiring wouldn’t come as a complete surprise. The 42-year-old has been an executive with the Cardinals since 2015, which immediately followed his retirement as a player. He has held his current job title for only one year, so a jump to GM would be a rather large one, irrespective of the fact that it would also, surely, mean an end to Baalke’s time in the role.

Bears Hire Matt Eberflus As Head Coach

January 27th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Adam La Rose

Hours after the first head coaching hire was made, the second has been soon to follow. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Bears are hiring Matt Eberflus as their new head coach. 

[Related: Bears To Hire Ryan Poles As GM]

Eberflus was one of three finalists for the job, along with Jim Caldwell and Dan Quinn. He conducted a second interview with the team on Wednesday, and the front office – which now includes, of course, former Chiefs exec Ryan Poles – clearly liked what they heard.

The 51-year-old has long been regarded as one of the league’s top defensive minds, something that has been confirmed with Chicago giving him his first HC opportunity. He was a candidate for the Jets’ and Chargers’ vacancies last year, but came up short. He also interviewed twice with the Jaguars for their current opening. Schefter tweets that Eberflus going to Chicago furthers Byron Leftwich‘s status as the “clubhouse leader” for Jacksonville’s next HC.

Just like the other hire of the morning, this represents a reversal of positional background for the affected team. After the Broncos replaced Vic Fangio with an up-and-coming offensive mind in Nathaniel Hackett, Eberflus will bring a celebrated defensive background to the Bears after they dismissed Matt Nagy.

Here’s the final rundown of the Bears’ HC search:

With the updates coming fast and furious now, be sure to check in on our Head Coach Tracker regularly.

Byron Leftwich Moving Toward Jags’ HC Job?

January 26th, 2022 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY: More smoke is emerging here. The Jags and Leftwich continue to discuss a deal, with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times noting the two sides are working to close out an agreement. A conflicting report, via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, pushes back a bit, indicating the Jags still have Eberflus in the mix and have not yet decided on a direction here (Twitter links). Nathaniel Hackett, who is a finalist for the Broncos’ job as well, is also not out of the mix, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. Hackett would certainly be an interesting decision, considering the Jags fired him as offensive coordinator in 2018.

Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that the Jaguars “launched” contract talks with Leftwich on Tuesday before the two sides hit an impasse this morning.

TUESDAY: The chances of a Byron Leftwich-Jaguars reunion appear to be improving. The Buccaneers offensive coordinator went through a second Jaguars interview Tuesday, and momentum is building toward a return to the place where his NFL career started.

Leftwich conducted an in-person interview with Shad Khan and GM Trent Baalke, and Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes many around the NFL expect him to land the job. Leftwich joins Colts DC Matt Eberflus as those who have taken second interviews with the Jaguars.

Moving to Tampa after working under both Bruce Arians and Steve Wilks in Arizona, Leftwich has begun sending out staff feelers. Bucs wide receivers coach Kevin Garver and outside linebackers coach Larry Foote are under consideration for a Leftwich-led staff, Wilson adds. Garver, 34, has been with the Bucs throughout Arians’ tenure and began his NFL coaching career with the Cardinals in Arians’ first season (2013). Foote, 41, both played under Arians with the Cards and worked for him in Arizona and Tampa. Leftwich and Foote played together with the Steelers in 2008 and in the early 2010s.

The Jags were under different ownership when they drafted Leftwich seventh overall in 2003. Khan did not own the team during Leftwich’s four-year stay in Jacksonville, though hiring a former Jaguar — one who is now a Super Bowl champion play-caller — may count as a positive step after the Urban Meyer debacle. Here is how the Jags’ coaching search looks as of Tuesday night:

Latest On Bears’ Head Coaching Search

January 25th, 2022 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

TUESDAY: Quinn and Eberflus will travel to Chicago for their interviews, per ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (on Twitter). With new GM hire Ryan Poles now on board, the Bears will likely make their choice soon. Quinn will meet with Poles and Co. on Tuesday, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Additionally, Allen’s interview did not go on as scheduled Tuesday, Breer tweets. The longtime Sean Payton assistant stayed in New Orleans for the 16-year HC’s press conference, during which he announced he was leaving his post. Allen is now on the short list to succeed Payton in New Orleans.

MONDAY: The Bears are giving Dan Quinn and Jim Caldwell a second look. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Bears have requested second interviews with the two candidates.

[RELATED: 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Quinn has been one of the most sought-after candidate of this year’s HC cycle. His work with Dallas’ defense in just one season – seventh in the league in points allowed per game, first in interceptions, to name a few statistics – has put him in line to get another HC gig one year after being fired by the Falcons. Quinn has already scheduled a second interview for the Broncos HC job.

Caldwell, 66, served as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 before health issues forced him to step aside. Fortunately, he’s said to be back to full health now, and it sounds like he’s ready for his next job. Between his time with the Colts and Lions, Caldwell owns a career 62-50 record as a head coach with four playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance. Caldwell’s last stop in Detroit saw him never finish with fewer than seven wins, but he was still canned following back-to-back 9-7 seasons.

Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Matt Eberflus will have his second interview on Wednesday, while Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will get his first crack at the gig tomorrow.

Jags’ GM Backs Eberflus for HC

January 22nd, 2022 at 8:39pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars have had a bit of turbulence as they try to replace Urban Meyer, but a favorite has emerged as Colts’ defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was the first candidate to be invited back for a second interview. An important aspect of Jacksonville’s search, Eberflus has received a strong backing from Jaguars’ general manager Trent Baalke, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. 

Baalke has a reputation for being a difficult general manager for head coaches to work with. Back when Baalke was the 49ers’ general manager in 2014, many reports of clashes with Jim Harbaugh littered the season, which ended with San Francisco and Harbaugh parting ways. This has made the search for a new head coach difficult as La Canfora reports that top candidates for the job are “only seriously considering it if assured Baalke would be out following the draft.” Baalke has been accused by sources of trying to prize his job security while securing a head coach.

Baalke first endorsed University of Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, but, after O’Brien interviewed for the position, Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan‘s son, Tony Khan, and a high-ranking official with the team shared their issues with O’Brien’s history of toxicity.

With O’Brien out of the running, Baalke set his sights on Eberflus. The four-year defensive coordinator in Indianapolis has overseen a top-10 scoring defense in three of his four seasons calling the defense. Eberflus’s defense was exposed by the very team he’s interviewing for when the Colts’ allowed 26 points in a must-win Week 18 loss to the Jaguars that eliminated Indianapolis from postseason contention.

Jacksonville’s willingness to seriously consider the candidate Baalke prefers points to them potentially wanting to keep Baalke as general manager. If this is the route they follow, it will likely tie Baalke’s future to Eberflus’s. There are still several candidates alive in this search, though. Keep track of the situation by following our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Matt Eberflus Set For Second Bears Interview

January 19th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Bears will conduct a second interview with Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus next week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). With that, Eberflus now finds himself as a finalist for both the Bears and Jaguars. 

Despite lots of injuries, Eberflus’ Colts defense has been mostly solid over the past four years. The 51-year-old has long been regarded as one of the league’s sharpest minds and, finally, it appears that he’s on the verge of scoring his first ever head coaching position.

The Jets strongly considered Eberflus last year, but ultimately found a different defensive guru in Robert Saleh. The Chargers also met with Eberflus, though they ultimately chose Brandon Staley as their HC.

Colts head coach Frank Reich has spoken highly of Eberflus’ credentials and so has Nick Sirianni, the one-time Colts offensive coordinator who now serves as the Eagles’ HC.

“Adapt or get exposed at practice. Yes, we hustle. Yes, we finish. But we put a (higher) standard on it after being with Flus for a little bit,” Sirianni said towards the end of 2020 (via FOX59). “The way they practice obviously makes us better. The reason I think we’re good at protecting the football is because of how crazy they are at coming after it. Not everybody practices that way.’’

Matt Eberflus Set For Second Jags Interview

January 18th, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two teams have Matt Eberflus in their respective coaching searches, at present, though that list could expand. The Jaguars are strongly considering the Colts’ defensive coordinator, however.

Eberflus will receive a second interview with the Jaguars on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The four-year Indianapolis DC is the first candidate Jacksonville will interview a second time.

The Jags are plenty familiar with Eberflus, having played his defenses eight times since he took over the Colts’ unit. Brought to Indy during Josh McDaniels‘ brief time assembling a staff for a Colts job the Patriots staffer ended up declining at the 11th hour, Eberflus has overseen top-10 scoring defenses in three of his four years. Eberflus, 51, skipped the in-season virtual interview with the Jags but has moved forward in this process since the season ended.

The former Cowboys assistant has seen his name surface in a few HC searches in recent years. The Bears interviewed him for their vacancy Monday, and the Texans, Jets and Chargers met with him last year. As for where the Jags stand, here is how their interview process is shaping up as of Tuesday night:

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