HEADLINES

Mike Singletary

Bears Interview Mike Singletary For DC Job

January 20th, 2021 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears’ defensive coordinator search ratcheted up in stature this week, now involving one of the biggest names in franchise history. Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary met with Bears brass about their DC position this week, Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic report (subscription required).

Singletary has not coached in the NFL since being the Vikings’ linebackers coach during ex-teammate Leslie Frazier‘s Minnesota stay (2011-13), but he brings head coaching experience and quite the legacy with the Bears. The middle linebacker on their storied 1985 Super Bowl squad, Singletary earned first-ballot Hall of Fame status after his 12-year Bears career concluded.

Most recently, the ex-49ers head coach worked with The Spring League last year and as head coach of the Alliance of American Football’s Memphis Express in 2019. Singletary, 62, served as an advisor with the 2016 Rams as well. But the Chicago legend’s most notable coaching work obviously came with San Francisco.

Singletary went 18-22 with the 49ers, rising to their head coaching role in 2008 and staying through the 2010 season. While the overall results were mixed, Singletary did oversee the 2009 squad’s defense to a top-five ranking. Prior to presiding over Patrick Willis‘ early-career work, Singletary coached the Ravens’ linebackers for two seasons. The first of those, 2003, featured Ray Lewis following in Singletary’s footsteps by winning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim for the second time.

Chicago lost two-year DC Chuck Pagano to retirement and has assembled a short list of replacement options in the days since. Singletary joins internal candidates Jay Rodgers (D-line) and Sean Desai (safeties), ex-Cardinals and Giants DC James Bettcher and Colts DBs coach Jonathan Gannon.

Extra Points: PEDs, Manziel, Seahawks, Rams

June 28th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL Players’ Association doesn’t believe the league is right to investigate the players named in a 2015 Al Jazeera documentary on performance-enhancing drugs, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

“The NFL has chosen to initiate an investigation of these players based upon now-recanted statements that appeared in an Al Jazeera report,” stated the NFLPA, which added that the league “has decided to publicly pressure the players into submission. We will continue to advise our players about their rights and hold the NFL accountable.”

As the union alluded to, ex-Guyer Institute pharmacist Charlie Sly went back on claims that the institute supplied PEDs and-or painkillers to now-retired quarterback Peyton Manning, Packers linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and former Packer and current free agent linebacker Mike Neal, but the league still plans to interview each of those individuals in the coming weeks. Harrison, for his part, isn’t exactly thrilled about it.

The league is likely to have difficulty finding “credible evidence” to punish anyone implicated in the documentary, as Florio details.

More from around the league:

  • Attorney Bob Hinton has been removed from Johnny Manziel‘s legal defense team, according to publicist Denise C. Michaels (via Twitter). Last week, Hinton accidentally texted The Associated Press when he intended to communicate with a fellow member of Manziel’s counsel. “Heaven help us if one of the conditions [of a plea bargain] is to pee in a bottle,” Hinton wrote as part of a lengthy conversation in which he expressed major concerns about his client.In theory, Manziel could sue his now-former attorney for malpractice, according to Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter). In related news, Manziel’s father recently told one reporter that his son is a “druggie” and he hopes the free agent quarterback winds up in jail before he kills himself through substance abuse.
  • Manziel, meanwhile, took a public jab at his father Tuesday in posting an Instagram photo of himself in Cabo with the hashtag #hiDad. The 23-year-old was wearing the jersey of friend and ex-teammate Josh Gordon – the troubled Browns receiver who is currently suspended – and made sure to clarify that Gordon wasn’t with him by using the hashtag #JoshAintHere. Gordon, who missed most of the 2014 campaign and all of last season because of multiple suspensions, is eligible to apply for reinstatement to the league Aug. 1.
  • As of earlier Tuesday evening, Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin was reportedly facing up to a year in jail on one count of misdemeanor assault stemming from a December fight in San Antonio. However, Boykin’s agent, Drew Pittman, told the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta that the rookie has agreed to terms on a lesser charge and will be available for the start of training camp on July 30. The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a plea deal is in the works (Twitter links here).
  • Mike Singletary said Tuesday that he’ll serve in an advisory role with the Rams this year, but nothing has been finalized, reports Ed Werder of ESPN (Twitter link). As of now, Singletary and head coach Jeff Fisher are in the discussion phase, per Werder.
  • Tuesday was one to forget for the league, which lost legendary defensive mind Buddy Ryan at age 85 and former Colts running back Zurlon Tipton at 26.
  • In lighter news, Seattle inked star receiver Doug Baldwin to a four-year extension on Tuesday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, Raiders, Bolts

June 28th, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Seahawks rookie quarterback Trevone Boykin is facing a year in jail on one count of misdemeanor assault stemming from a New Year’s Eve fight in San Antonio, writes Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk (via TMZ). The ex-TCU standout – who signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent and is a candidate to back up Russell Wilson (depth chart) – was initially charged with a felony count of assaulting a public servant, public intoxication and resisting arrest. Boykin is alleged to have struck an officer who was trying to take him into custody after staff members removed him from a bar. As a result, TCU suspended him for its victory over Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2.

As we learned Saturday, longtime Seahawks backup and current free agent Tarvaris Jackson is facing a charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly pulled a gun on his wife Saturday. The Seahawks were interested in re-signing Jackson as of April, though that was obviously before his legal issues and prior to the team signing Boykin and Jake Heaps. Given their lack of an established option behind Wilson, PFR’s Dallas Robinson listed the Seahawks as a possible fit via trade for soon-to-be ex-Ram Nick Foles on Sunday.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary is returning to coaching this year in an advisory role for the Rams, he told WSCR-AM in Chicago on Tuesday (link via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). Singletary previously served as a linebackers assistant for the Vikings from 2011-13. He was the 49ers’ head coach before that, of course, with the team compiling an 18-22 record under him from 2008-10. The 57-year-old stated in January that he was aiming to at least become a coordinator, but that obviously wasn’t in the cards this season.
  • The Raiders have sent out an 83-question survey through the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to 10,000-plus addresses in the chamber’s database, reports Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Subjects center on such matters as interest in the team and stadium seating preferences, writes Velotta, who adds that stadium financing questions aren’t included. The proposed 65,000-seat, $1.45 billion domed stadium in Las Vegas calls for $750MM in taxpayer money, a record amount.
  • The Chargers are likely to run fewer three-receiver sets under offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt this year than they did last season when Frank Reich was at the helm, but they won’t phase veteran Stevie Johnson out of their attack, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. In his first year with the Bolts, Johnson battled injuries and posted respectable production in 10 games, racking up 45 catches on 65 targets for 497 yards and three touchdowns. As San Diego’s depth chart shows, the 30-year-old is behind Keenan Allen and offseason pickup Travis Benjamin in the club’s wideout pecking order. He’ll also have to compete with tight end Antonio Gates for targets.

Coaching Notes: Browns, 49ers, Dolphins, Singletary

January 23rd, 2016 at 9:31am CST by Ben Levine

Browns coach Hue Jackson was seeking a defensive coordinator who was familiar with the division, making Ray Horton the perfect fit. As Tom Withers of the Associated Press writes, the 55-year-old has spent time on the coaching staff for the Steelers and Bengals.

“He knows this division,” Jackson said. “He was raised in this division. He played in this division. He understands what needs to be done to get our defense back to where it needs to be. I wanted somebody that knew the lay of the land and understood the division, understands the culture here and understands the change that we need to make and someone who can lead our young players and develop players to get better.”

Let’s check out some more coaching notes from around the league…

  • The 49ers have hired former Buccaneers linebackers coach Hardy Nickerson for the same position, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole notes that Nickerson will be coaching the inside linebackers, while Jason Tarver will handle the outside linebackers.
  • The Dolphins have hired former Broncos offensive lineman Chris Kuper as their new offensive quality control coach, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
  • Former 49ers coach Mike Singletary has interviewed for several assistant gigs, but the 57-year-old told CSNBayArea.com that he’s seeking a job with more responsibility. “I didn’t want to be a linebacker coach again,” he said. “I’ve been studying my tail off since I left San Francisco to become a coordinator at the very least, and hopefully become a head coach. When that didn’t happen, I began to work that much more, visiting coaches and learning everything I could possibly learn, primarily on offense.”

Coach Notes: Giants, Texans, Bills, Titans

January 21st, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There aren’t many offensive or defensive coordinator jobs still available, as our tracker shows, but teams continue to tweak their coaching staffs in preparation for the 2016 season, interviewing and hiring position coaches and other assistants. Here are a few of Thursday’s updates on that front:

  • First-time head coach Ben McAdoo appears to be considering an assistant with head coaching experience for his staff. Per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Giants interviewed former Niners head coach Mike Singletary today for their linebackers coach job.
  • On the other side of the ball, the Giants interviewed Packers assistant Mike Solari on Wednesday for their offensive line coach position, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Marvez, Solari is a “strong candidate” to be added to McAdoo’s staff.
  • As expected, the Texans have hired former Ravens and Texans defensive lineman Anthony Weaver as their defensive line coach, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Weaver, who last played for Houston in 2008, will replace Paul Pasqualoni.
  • According to Marvez (via Twitter), the Bills are making Pat Meyer their assistant offensive line coach.
  • Marvez also reports (via Twitter) that the Titans have promoted Nick Eason from defensive line assistant to defensive line coach.
  • The Bengals announced three coaching moves today (via Twitter), re-assigning Robert Livingston as assistant defensive backs coach and adding Robert Couch and Dan Pitcher to their offensive staff.

Coaching Rumors: Harbaugh, Coughlin, Gase

December 29th, 2014 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

There has been plenty of action since our first round of coaching rumors this morning, with five teams – the 49ers, Raiders, Jets, Falcons, and Bears – now in the market for new head coaches. We’ve had enough news and rumors since then to warrant another round-up of the latest coaching-related updates, so let’s dive in….

  • Although an agreement appears to be in place between Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan, NFL teams like the Bears, Jets, and Raiders continue to make overtures to try to change his mind, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter) that the Raiders are still making a push to try to land Harbaugh, even if it looks like a long shot at this point.
  • Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been told he’ll be back to coach the team in 2015, but has a meeting scheduled for this afternoon with co-owner John Mara to discuss possible changes to the coaching staff, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
  • The Falcons and 49ers have already requested permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Coaches who currently work for playoff teams with first-round byes are allowed to interview for jobs this week, so Gase is one coordinator whose name figures to surface frequently in the next few days.
  • In addition to Gase, the Falcons may also look to talk to Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has several tidbits for us, tweeting that Jack Del Rio could emerge as a coaching candidate for the Raiders, the Falcons will contact Rex Ryan, and Mike Shanahan could have interest in the Bears‘ job.
  • Former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, who currently serves as an advisor to NFL executive Troy Vincent, would have interest in interviewing for the Bears‘ head coaching job, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Cobb, 49ers

December 7th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers plan to begin contract talks with Ben Roethlisberger, who is under contract through 2015, after this season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Pittsburgh realizes that Roethlisberger, despite his age and the number of hits he has taken over the course of his career, will command at least $20MM a year, but that will not prevent the club from making its two-time Super Bowl champion its top offseason priority.

La Canfora adds that he would not be surprised if the Steelers and Roethlisberger were able to work out an extension prior to the beginning of the free agency period in March, which would allow them to know exactly how much cap flexibility they would have to acquire players from other organizations and to retain their own free agents. Last season’s rumors that Roethlisberger once considered asking for a trade were apparently untrue, La Canfora writes, and now all interested parties agree that a third contract with the team is inevitable.

Now for some more links from around the league as Week 14 kicks off in full force:

  • ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Steelers will have an important decision to make regarding cornerback Cortez Allen this offseason, as Allen is owed a $3MM roster bonus on the fifth day of free agency.
  • Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Randall Cobb is the Packers‘ top free agent priority and that the team is working to work out a long-term extension with him.
  • Although a possible 49ers trade of head coach Jim Harbaugh following the 2014 season has been widely discussed, the machinations of such a deal are a little less clear. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Harbaugh would pick his new team, the 49ers would agree to trade terms with that team, the 49ers would release Harbaugh from his contract, and Harbaugh would sign a new deal with the other club.
  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that Vernon Davis‘ disappointing 2014 season has created a great deal of uncertainty for the 49ers moving forward, as Davis is owed just shy of $5MM in 2015, the last year of his current contract.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that highly-coveted CFL prospect Duron Carter will hold a Pro Day in Florida in early January and then will begin visiting teams. Almost half of the league has expressed some form of interest in Carter to date.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Mike Singletary could be a surprise head coaching candidate in 2015. According to Rapoport, several “high-ranking people” believe Singletary will get another crack at the top job next season.

West Notes: Singletary, Poe, Flowers, McGloin

July 1st, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Mike Singletary wants to return to the NFL in a head coaching capacity, and has signed with agent Gil Scott in the hopes of pursuing that goal, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). The Hall of Fame linebacker has been coaching in the league for 11 years, most notably as the head coach of the 49ers from 2009-10. The 55-year-old spent the past three seasons as the assistant head coach of the Vikings, but will not return to Minnesota after Leslie Frazier’s firing. Singletary is certainly respected around the league, but I’d be surprised if he got another chance at a head job; San Francisco’s immediate turnaround following his departure probably won’t help his case.

  • Dontari Poe rarely came off the field last season, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid doesn’t think things will change in 2014. “To get him off the field you have to pull him off,” Reid told Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “He’s not one to tap out. That’s not how he goes. You monitor that the best way you can. We didn’t see a decline in his play as the season wore on. There are a handful of teams that do what we do where you play certain guys a high percent of the plays.’’ Poe played on 1004 snaps last season, the most among all defensive tackles.
  • Many Chargers veterans were hoping the team would sign Brandon Flowers following his release from the Chiefs, none more so than Flowers’ college teammate, and current Charger, Eddie Royal. “I shot him a text,” said Royal, per Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “I called him shortly after. Even before I knew our team was interested, I wanted to put it out there that I would love to play with him again.”
  • Matt McGloin, who started six games as an undrafted rookie for the Raiders last season, now sits third on Oakland’s quarterback depth chart, but he is still optimistic about his career, writes Scott Walsh of Citizens’ Voice.
  • The coaching staffs of the 49ers and the Seahawks claimed the top two spots in Alessandro Miglio of Bleacher Report’s ranking of all 32 coaching cadres.