Todd Haley - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers Notes: Brown, Bell, Haley

January 14th, 2018 at 10:15am CST by Rory Parks

Antonio Brown is likely to play in the Steelers’ divisional round contest against Jacksonville this afternoon, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports, although Schefter adds that Brown’s injured calf is not close to being fully healed. The league’s top wideout, who is one month removed from the partially torn left calf muscle that forced him to miss the final two games of the regular season, will go through pregame warmups to test the calf, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, every expectation is that Brown will play and will play regularly. Brown was forced to miss Friday’s practice because of an illness, but he was a full participant in practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that Brown’s illness will not impact his playing status [Twitter update: Brown is active, per Schefter].

Now for several more notes on the AFC North champions:

His idle threats notwithstanding, no one expects Le’Veon Bell to retire or sit out the 2018 season if he is hit with the franchise tag for the second straight year, least of all the Steelers themselves. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link), the Steelers are indeed expected to put the franchise tag on Bell, which has been a foregone conclusion for some time now. As Rapoport observes, Pittsburgh has historically refused to cede to the demands of players who threaten to sit out, and he does not expect the club to change it standard operating procedure for Bell. If Bell does play 2018 under the tag, he will have earned roughly $26.5MM over the 2017-18 seasons, while he would have earned $30MM if he signed the long-term deal the Steelers offered him last year. Nonetheless, we will still need to wait to see what the future holds before we can say for sure whether that was a wise financial move for Bell.
We heard at the end of December that the relationship between Ben Roethlisberger and OC Todd Haley is strained, but Rapoport goes one step further, saying that the relationship “is in as bad of a place as it’s been in years.” Nonetheless, Roethlisberger has thrived under Haley’s leadership, which puts the Steelers in something of a bind. Haley’s contract expires at the end of the season, so Pittsburgh will need to decide whether it wants to bring him back and hope he and Big Ben can put aside their personal differences since the on-field product has been so good, or whether it wants to move on. Of course, the decision could be made for the Steelers if Roethlisberger makes good on his threat to retire, or if offensive line coach Mike Munchak gets a head coaching job elsewhere and brings Haley with him, which Rapoport says is a distinct possibility.
Speaking of Munchak, who has already interviewed with the Cardinals for their head coaching job, we heard this morning that he could be a dark horse candidate for the Giants’ HC vacancy.

North Notes: Bears, Packers, Ravens, Browns

January 4th, 2018 at 7:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have concluded their head coaching interview with Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards, the club announced today. Chicago is able to interview Edwards given that Minnesota secured a first-round playoff bye, and he’s one of seven candidates to be linked to the Bears’ vacancy. Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks are all being considered for the job alongside Edwards.

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

Incumbent cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt is considered the favorite to become the Packers‘ next defensive coordinator, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Green Bay will start its DC search by interviewing three internal candidates: Whitt, safeties coach Darren Perry, and assistant head coach/linebackers Winston Moss. While all three coaches are currently under contract with the Packers, there’s no guarantee that any or all of them will return in 2018, as Demovsky writes in a separate piece. If Green Bay hires an outside candidate to replace Dom Capers, that new coach could aim to bring in his own assistants.
The Ravens will bring back offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinwheg in 2018, but it’s unclear if senior offensive assistant/tight ends coach Greg Roman will return given that his contract has expired, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Roman, a former play-caller for the 49ers and Bills, could potentially draw interest as an offensive coordinator once head coaching vacancies are filled around the league. Meanwhile, Baltimore may potentially hire a quarterbacks coach to work on Joe Flacco‘s mechanics, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters today, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Mornhinwheg currently holds the QBs coach title in addition to offensive coordinator.
Reports earlier this week indicated the Browns are interested in former Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese, and Cleveland will in fact interview him for their open offensive coordinator position, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). Browns head coach Hue Jackson, who calls his own offensive plays, had not employed an OC during his first two years in Cleveland. Zampese, the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach from 2003-16, lasted only two touchdown-less games as the club’s offensive play-caller in 2017. The Browns are also set to interview Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan for offensive coordinator in the near future.
Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley suffered a shattered pelvis during an incident at a bar on New Year’s Eve, but the injury is not expected to affect Haley’s ability to coach during the Divisional Round, reports Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. While there certainly could be more to the story, Haley was reportedly shoved while out to dinner with his wife in the Pittsburgh area.

La Canfora’s Latest: Jets, Panthers, Steelers

December 24th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While Josh McCown hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll continue his career in 2018, those close to him believe the veteran quarterback will return for another season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. McCown, who is currently on injured reserve after breaking his hand, posted arguably the best campaign of his career while starting 13 games for the Jets this year. Given that he’ll be entering his age-39 season, McCown won’t command a long-term contract, and could theoretically make sense as a bridge quarterback for a number of clubs. When he does hang up his cleats, McCown is expected to generate interest as a coach.

Here’s more from La Canfora as Week 16 comes to a close:

Speaking of the Jets, it would qualify as “shocking” if Gang Green doesn’t release defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson prior to next season, per La Canfora. Wilkerson has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks, and he isn’t expected to play for New York again this season despite being fully healthy. Missed meetings and other off-field offenses have led the Jets’ coaching staff to become “fed up” with Wilkerson, and there’s almost no chance the club will opt to pay him $17MM in 2018. Still, Wilkerson is expected to generate interest if he hits the free agent market next spring.
Although reports of a $2.5 billion price for the Panthers may have been exaggerated, sources still expect the Carolina franchise to garner at least $2 billion, as La Canfora writes. Although the NFL will require full cooperation as the league investigates claims of harassment against owner Jerry Richardson, the league won’t be able to tell Richardson to whom he can sell his team. Because Richardson isn’t keeping the club in his family, he has the right to sell to whomever he chooses.
The relationship between Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley has become strained, per La Canfora, who adds Roethlisberger has asked for a “buffer” between him and Haley during games. As such, quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner has begun coaching from the sidelines (instead of the press box) in order to act as that go-between. While reports of complications between Roethlisberger and Haley may have no affect, the relationship could potentially affect offseason staff plans for Pittsburgh.
The Patriots, Eagles, and Vikings are all expected to lose members of their staff this offseason as coaches leave for promotions with other clubs, according to La Canfora. New England, Philadelphia, and Minnesota are three of the most successful teams in the league in 2017, and coordinators such as Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Jim Schwartz, Frank Reich, John DeFilippo, Pat Shurmur, and George Edwards could all be on the move.

NFC Notes: Giants, Bradham, Gholston

November 24th, 2017 at 9:16pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Giants coaching questions are now back in full force after the team lost to Washington on Thanksgiving night. There was some reprieve from the consistent rumors after Giants head coach Ben McAdoo beat the Chiefs two weeks ago, but now there is speculation about where the front office may turn if they chose to replace McAdoo at the end of this season.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY speculated a number potential candidates to replace McAdoo if the team were to move on from the second-year head coach. Vacchiano had a number of former head coaches on his list, which included Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. He also included big college names that seem a little more like long shots in Stanford head coach David Shaw and Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Up and coming coordinators Teryl Austin and Frank Reich rounded out his list.

New York is a pretty big draw that could get a few more well known coaches to at least consider the position. Plus, the team will have a top pick, solid defense and a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. to build around. More coaching rumors will be popping up as the seasons moves along, but it’s interesting to see what names may be on the radar, even though there’s been no indication that the front office will assuredly to fire McAdoo.

The Giants have dealt with a number of injuries this season. The team has likely lost two more players for the season in cornerback Donte Deayon (fractured forearm) and linebacker Curtis Grant (knee), reports Dan Duggan of NJ Advanced Media. New York has placed seven defenders on IR so far this season, so losing two more depth pieces doesn’t bode well for how competitive the Giants can be in the final six weeks of the regular season.
The Eagles are the best team in the NFL right now, and are in the process of deciding which of their building blocks to lock up for the long haul. The team already agreed to a contract extension with Timmy Jernigan earlier in the month and now may be turning their attention to linebacker Nigel Bradham, opines Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. A former fourth round pick back in 2012, the 28-year-old leads the team in tackles with 56 and ranks as the 33rd best linebacker in football, according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles have 13 players heading for unrestricted free agency after the season, so they’ll definitely have to make some tough decisions regarding who they want to build around and who they’re willing to let go.
The Buccaneers will likely welcome back William Gholston this Sunday after the defensive end missed the team’s previous two games with a neck injury, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. While the absence seems short when compared to some other more serious injuries, Gholston is thankful that the ailment wasn’t more severe. “The neck is a little worrisome, because you have to think about everything else, think about family and all that,” Gholston said. “They definitely took all of the correct steps. … I’m not glad it happened, but I’m glad they took the right steps for me to get back.” Tampa Bay will try to extend their win streak to three games when travel to Atlanta for a Sunday afternoon matchup.

Todd Haley Open To HC Jobs

January 9th, 2017 at 11:58am CST by Zachary Links

Last year, when teams came calling for Todd Haley, he said “Thanks, but no thanks.” This time around, the Steelers offensive coordinator would interview for a head-coaching vacancy, if asked, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT.

Haley was identified as a potential candidate for the Dolphins early in their search process last year, but his name didn’t surface after that for any openings around the league and that’s presumably because he turned them away. For one reason or another, Haley is now open to a second head coaching stint.

Haley’s first run as a head coach came with the Chiefs. That stint lasted two-and-a-half seasons as KC went 19-26 with one playoff berth. In 2012, Haley joined up with the Steelers and he has restored his image as an offensive guru by steering Ben Roethlisberger & Co. to success, though he does have some of the game’s best weapons at his disposal, including Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

The Steelers take on Haley’s former team, the Chiefs, on Sunday afternoon. If the Steelers have a deep playoff run, it might be a while before Haley can interview. Of course, that’s also a non-issue until a team actually requests and interview with him. So far, to our knowledge, that hasn’t happened in this cycle.

AFC Notes: Jags, Pats, Browns, Jets, Chiefs

December 30th, 2016 at 5:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thanks to the now-fired Gus Bradley‘s disastrous stint as a first-time head coach, the Jaguars are unlikely to hire a replacement who doesn’t bring prior experience, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. That makes it all the more probable the team will tab a previously reported candidate like Tom Coughlin, who interviewed Wednesday, interim head coach Doug Marrone or ex-Falcons head coach and current Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Steelers O-coordinator Todd Haley have also been head coaches, but it’s unlikely either will end up a match for Jacksonville, per Mortensen.

Steelers Notes: Haley, Bell, A. Brown, Ben

January 28th, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (hat tip to Pro Football Talk), Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is believed to have told people he wasn’t interested in any head coaching jobs this year. Haley was identified as a potential candidate for the Dolphins early in their search process, but his name didn’t surface after that for any openings around the league, and Bouchette’s note helps to explain why.

Bouchette and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review each passed along several more Steelers-related items today from team president and co-owner Art Rooney II, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

The Steelers are optimistic that Le’Veon Bell will fully recover from his torn MCL and still view the running back as a difference-making player. Bell is under contract for one more year, and Rooney isn’t sure if Pittsburgh will explore an extension now or later, but the team has him in its long-term plans (all Twitter links via Kaboly).
The Steelers will likely address Antonio Brown‘s contract “as the offseason goes on,” though Rooney didn’t go into specifics, and said the team will have to be “cautious” when considering a restructure or extension for the star wideout (Twitter links via Kaboly).
Although he acknowledged that the team still has some work to do, Rooney said the Steelers’ cap situation is “manageable,”and should allow the club to be “maybe a little better” at going after free agents (Twitter links via Bouchette).
Rooney identified pass defense as an area that the Steelers will focus on this offseason, so the team figures to keep a close eye on defensive backs in free agency and the draft (Twitter link via Kaboly).
It doesn’t sound like the Steelers will draft Ben Roethlisberger‘s eventual successor this year. Rooney said today that there’s not much sign of Roethlisberger falling off, so the club won’t start down that road yet (Twitter link via Bouchette).

Latest On Dolphins’ Head Coaching Search

January 4th, 2016 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

8:13am: The Dolphins have also lined up an interview with Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that Marrone is interviewing with the Browns as well.

7:51am: With the Dolphins’ season now over, weekend reports indicated that the team would interview Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase on Thursday, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin at some point this week. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), that Austin interview will take place on Tuesday, which is the same day the Detroit assistant is reportedly scheduled to meet with the Browns.

Austin won’t be the only head coaching candidate to sit down with the Dolphins on Tuesday. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports that former Denver and Washington coach Mike Shanahan will interview for Miami’s head coaching job on Tuesday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (via Twitter) that it will be Shanahan’s second meeting with the team, after having interviewed with the Fins on December 22nd.

According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), another candidate of interest to the Dolphins is Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. However, with Haley’s Steelers set to play this weekend in the Wild Card round, Miami wouldn’t be able to schedule an interview with him until next week.

Finally, while he’s not viewed as a top candidate for the Dolphins’ permanent head coaching job, interim HC Dan Campbell will get a formal interview from the club this Friday, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, Campbell may be a long shot, but he’ll at least get the opportunity to state his case.

East Notes: Dolphins, Giants, Eagles, Cowboys

January 2nd, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell, whose short stint is almost sure to end Sunday, spoke about his tenure to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald.

On what he’ll do differently if given another opportunity in the future, Campbell said, “I would do a better job of holding everyone more accountable, from staff to players.”

Going forward, Campbell believes the Dolphins need more leadership from quarterback Ryan Tannehill and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

“Certainly, those are two guys that you’d love to see grow more into that area, and it would help,” he stated.

Campbell also used the word “frustration” to describe the Dolphins’ 5-10 season (and 4-7 mark under his reign). He’ll try to go out with a win Sunday as the Dolphins host AFC East rival New England.

More on the Dolphins and three NFC East teams:

With the Giants’ Tom Coughlin era seemingly on the verge of ending, the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano wrote Friday that the team should pursue the Saints’ Sean Payton and Alabama’s Nick Saban as possible successors. In addition to Payton and Saban, Vacchiano listed more potential candidates Saturday. Featured prominently: New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, current Giants O-coordinator Ben McAdoo – though Vacchiano argues that he’d be tough to sell to their fan base – as well as college head coaches Brian Kelly (Notre Dame) and David Shaw (Stanford). There’s also Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, a pair of Carolina assistants in OC Mike Shula and D-coordinator Sean McDermott, two more O-coordinators (Pittsburgh’s Todd Haley and Cincinnati’s Hue Jackson), and Jacksonville assistant Doug Marrone. Haley, Jackson and Marrone were all mixed bags in their prior head coaching stops, while Spagnuolo and McDaniels flamed out in epic fashion in St. Louis and Denver, respectively.
The Dolphins’ Olivier Vernon, who leads the team in sacks (seven), could be playing his last game with the team Sunday, ESPN’s James Walker writes. Vernon, 25, stands to cash in as a pending free agent. Thus, he might not fit within the Dolphins’ budget. Vernon does want to stay in Miami, though. “I’d like to be here,” Vernon told Walker. “But at the end of the day, business is business. So if this is my last game and I enter free agency, then I’m going to see how that goes.”
As we learned Saturday afternoon, the Eagles interviewed running backs coach Duce Staley for their vacant head coaching job. Whether they’re truly serious about him remains to be seen, but the interview means they’ve already fulfilled the Rooney Rule because Staley is a minority candidate. That means they could hire Chicago offensive coordinator Adam Gase, whom they’re interested in, as early as Monday. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that won’t happen. Gase will bide his time and explore all options, per Florio.
Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee will lose out on $2MM extra if he doesn’t play Sunday against Washington, Brandon George of SportsDay writes. Lee, whose status is up in the air because of a hamstring injury, has incentives in his contract that will kick his 2015-16 salary from $3MM to $5MM if he plays 80 percent of snaps on the season. He’s currently at 82.1.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Lynch, Giants, Browns

January 1st, 2016 at 10:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As the Dolphins get their head coaching search under way, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero lists a slew of candidates. Chip Kelly, Todd Haley, Josh McDaniels, Jim L. Mora, Jim Schwartz and Hue Jackson are those with NFL head coaching experience. The potential first-timers consist of three offensive coordinators – Carolina’s Mike Shula, son of legendary ex-Dolphins coach Don Shula, as well as Chicago’s Adam Gase and Tampa’s Dirk Koetter. The Dolphins are looking for a leader of men capable of assembling a great staff, according to Salguero.

More from around the league as the first day of 2016 wraps up:

Welcome news for the Seahawks as the playoffs near: Running back Marshawn Lynch should return to practice Monday, head coach Pete Carroll said (link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). Lynch has been out since mid-November because of abdominal surgery.
Sunday could be head coach Tom Coughlin‘s last game with the Giants. The same holds true for a pair of the club’s defensive institutions, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, as end Jason Pierre-Paul and cornerback Prince Amukamara are both pending free agents. “I’d be lying if I said it’s never come up in my head or someone has never brought it up to me,” said Amukamara, whom the Giants chose in the first round of the 2011 draft. Amukmara added that he’d like to remain a Giant. “I love the organization, definitely treated first class here, so it’s been great.’’ There’s no word on whether the Giants want to retain Amukamara, but there was a report Thursday that they are hoping to keep Pierre-Paul, a 2010 first-rounder.
Browns pass rusher Paul Kruger indicated Thursday that the team’s coaching staff hasn’t deployed him properly this year. “Personally, I probably wouldn’t say so. I don’t have too much more to say about it, and I don’t put everything personally this year on that, but I don’t think I was utilized in the best way,” he opined, per Jeff Schudel of the Morning-Journal. Kruger has just 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2010, though Schudel notes that he’s second in the league in quarterback hurries (33, up from 18 in 2014). Assuming Kruger’s with the Browns next season, he’ll probably work under a different staff than the one with which he’s currently disenchanted, as head coach Mike Pettine and coordinator Jim O’Neil are both on the outs.