Will the NFL’s 2022 hiring cycle be over by Valentine’s Day? Hopefully. But not necessarily. With eight teams needing a head coach and four needing a general manager, it’s been a slog. But in today’s rundown of NFL coaching/GM news and rumors, we point out that the dam might slowly be breaking.
NFL News and Rumors Today
The Jacksonville Jaguars might be ready to make an offer to a coach. But they’ll have to hold off the Chicago Bears for their preferred candidate. And the New York Giants seem to be closing in on a general manager hire. But those are just the first dominoes that need to fall.
Chicago Bears
Fired: Matt Nagy (HC), Ryan Pace (GM)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Todd Bowles
Buccaneers defensive coordinator - Jim Caldwell
Former Colts, Lions head coach
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Brian Daboll
Bills offensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Matt Eberflus
Colts defensive coordinator
Monday, Jan. 17 (first), Monday Jan. 24 (second) - Brian Flores
Former Dolphins head coach
Friday, Jan. 14 - Leslie Frazier
Bills defensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Byron Leftwich
Buccaneers offensive coordinator - Doug Pederson
Former Eagles head coach
Wednesday, Jan. 12 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Browns vice president of football operations - Morocco Brown
Colts director of college scouting
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Ran Carthon
49ers director of player personnel - Glenn Cook
Browns vice president of player personnel - Ryan Poles
Chiefs director of player personnel - Jeff Ireland
Saints assistant general manager
Friday, Jan. 14 - Champ Kelly
Bears assistant director of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Omar Khan
Steelers vice president of football and business administration - Reggie McKenzie
Dolphins senior personnel executive - Monti Ossenfort
Titans director of player personnel
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Joe Schoen
Bills assistant general manager
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Eliot Wolf
Patriots director of scouting
Tuesday, Jan. 18
The latest: Eberflus is the hot name this cycle, but it doesn’t sound as though he’ll make a decision this week. Chicago has requested a second interview with the Colts DC, but NFL Network reports it won’t occur until Monday. The Bears meanwhile continue churning through GM interviews, but the light might soon be near the tunnel’s end. With the news that the Giants were narrowing their list to finalists, there will surely be motivation for the Bears to wrap things up soon, too. One name we know will not get the job: Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who NFL Network reports withdrew his name from consideration.
Denver Broncos
Fired: Vic Fangio (HC)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Eric Bieniemy
Chiefs offensive coordinator - Brian Callahan
Bengals offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Jonathan Gannon
Eagles defensive coordinator
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Luke Getsy
Packers QB coach/passing game coordinator
Friday, Jan. 14 - Aaron Glenn
Lions defensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Jerod Mayo
Patriots LB coach
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Kevin O’Connell
Rams offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 18
The latest: Wednesday is Mayo’s day in the spotlight. The Patriots’ 35-year-old inside linebackers coach is a rising star in the coaching ranks, and while some think he might need a year or two more of seasoning, the sheer volume of openings could speed up that time frame.
Houston Texans
Fired: David Culley (and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Brian Flores
Former Dolphins head coach
Friday, January 14 - Jonathan Gannon
Eagles defensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Joe Lombardi
Chargers offensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Kevin O’Connell
Rams offensive coordinator - Hines Ward
Florida Atlantic special assistant to the head coach
Saturday, Jan. 15
The latest: The idea that the Texans will hire Flores with the expressed purpose of mending fences with Deshaun Watson needs revision.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio was asked about that scenario on Sports Radio 610 this week, and replied: “That more than likely would not be the case.”
Jacksonville Jaguars
Fired: Urban Meyer (HC)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Darrell Bevell
Jaguars interim head coach
Tuesday, January 11 - Todd Bowles
Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Friday, January 3 (Jan. 7 has also been reported) - Jim Caldwell
Former Colts and Lions head coach
Tuesday, January 4 - Matt Eberflus
Colts defensive coordinator
Saturday, January 15 (first); Thursday, January 20 (second) - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Friday, January 14 - Byron Leftwich
Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Friday, January 7 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator
Friday, January 7 - Bill O’Brien
Alabama offensive coordinator
Thursday, January 13 - Doug Pederson
Former Eagles head coach
Thursday, December 30 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
The latest: The news that Eberflus will sit for a second interview Thursday was a sign that the Jaguars are finally inching toward a resolution. NFL Network’s report that Bill O’Brien isn’t getting the job speaks well for Shad Khan’s decision-making.
Las Vegas Raiders
Resigned: Jon Gruden (HC)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Jerod Mayo
Patriots LB coach
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Trey Brown
Bengals scout - Ed Dodds
Colts assistant general manager - Dave Ziegler
Patriots director of player personnel
The latest: Brown should be a familiar name for discerning Raiders fans. He was a candidate for the job the last time around when it went to Mike Mayock. Brown is a valued member of the Bengals’ small scouting department, and his departure would be felt. Brown previously worked for the Eagles and in both the XFL and AAF.
Miami Dolphins
Fired: Brian Flores (HC)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Thomas Brown
Rams assistant head coach
Friday, Jan. 21 - Brian Daboll
Bills offensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Leslie Frazier
Bills defensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Vance Joseph
Cardinals defensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Mike McDaniel
49ers offensive coordinator
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20
The latest: We hear the Dolphins are running their most open-minded search in years, and the wide range of candidates reflects a willingness by owner Stephen Ross to turn over every rock. McDaniel is a perfect example of that approach. He isn’t an archetypal NFL head coach, but Ross hasn’t gotten it right yet, so perhaps it’s time to think outside the box. Meanwhile, NFL Network reports that the schedule has been set for sitdowns with Moore, Quinn and Joseph.
Minnesota Vikings
Fired: Mike Zimmer (HC), Rick Spielman (GM)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Todd Bowles
Buccaneers defensive coordinator - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator - Jonathan Gannon
Eagles defensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Raheem Morris
Rams defensive coordinator - Kevin O’Connell
Rams offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator - DeMeco Ryans
49ers defensive coordinator
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Browns vice president of football operations
Monday, Jan. 17 - Brandon Brown
Eagles director of player personnel
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Glenn Cook
Browns vice president of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Monti Ossenfort
Titans director of player personnel
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Ryan Poles
Chiefs director of player personnel
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Catherine Raîche
Eagles vice president of football operations
Monday, Jan. 17 - John Spytek
Buccaneers vice president of player personnel
This week - Eliot Wolf
Patriots player personnel consultant
Thursday, Jan. 20
The latest: Ryans probably doesn’t need to bring his résumé to Wednesday’s meeting, but he’d be smart to bring a copy of Sunday’s All-22. He called an excellent game against Dak Prescott and the high-powered Dallas Cowboys, and if he repeats the performance this weekend in Green Bay, he should be hired on the spot.
New York Giants
Fired/retired: Joe Judge (HC), Dave Gettleman (GM)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Ran Carthon
49ers director of pro personnel
Monday, Jan. 17 - Ryan Cowden
Titans vice president of player personnel
Friday, Jan. 14
- Quentin Harris
Cardinals vice president of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Joe Hortiz
Ravens director of player personnel
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Monti Ossenfort
Titans director of player personnel
Friday, Jan. 14 - Adam Peters
49ers assistant general manager
Monday, Jan. 17 (first), Thursday, Jan. 20 (second) - Ryan Poles
Chiefs executive director of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 13 (first), Wednesday, Jan. 19 (second) - Joe Schoen
Bills assistant general manager
Wednesday, Jan. 12 (first), Tuesday, Jan. 18 (second) - Adrian Wilson
Cardinals vice president of pro personnel
Wednesday, January 12
The latest: Schoen, Peters and Poles are the Giants’ three finalists. And that’s smart. They’re three of the best candidates this cycle. The sooner they make a decision, the sooner the Giants can start interviewing head coaches. And that’s good for everyone involved. Meanwhile, NFL Network reports that the Giants have put a request in to speak with Quinn, the first coaching candidate to surface for New York.