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    NFL News and Rumors Today: The return of Jim Harbaugh?

    Are the Raiders truly interested in Jim Harbaugh? We explore that and more in today's news and rumors surrounding the NFL's hiring cycle.

    Day 11 of the NFL offseason has dawned, and it feels a bit like Groundhog Day. In truth, having the head coach and general manager hiring cycle wrapped up by Feb. 2 is overly ambitious. It’s probably going to stretch until Valentine’s Day. That’s why, even though the progress is incremental, we provide daily news and rumors on the widest (wildest?) NFL coaching search in recent memory.

    NFL News and Rumors Today

    Will Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh return to the NFL? Or is the chatter just a leverage play? It’s a nice subplot to a hiring cycle that, for many reasons, is slower than normal. But we’ll also discuss candidates who have actually been scheduled interviews for the 12 big-time jobs currently available in the NFL.

    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
      Saturday, Jan. 22

    Scheduled/requested GM interviews:

    • Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
      Browns vice president of football operations
      Thursday, Jan. 13
    • Morocco Brown
      Colts director of college scouting
      Monday, Jan. 24
    • Ran Carthon
      49ers director of player personnel
      Wednesday, Jan. 19
    • Glenn Cook
      Browns vice president of player personnel
      Wednesday, Jan. 12
    • 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: Carthon has worked with Adam Peters for years on John Lynch’s staff in San Francisco. Both trusted personnel evaluators could be running their own shops in 2022.

    Peters’ strength is the draft. Carthon handles the pro personnel side following stints with the Falcons and Rams. The Bears appear to have a quiet day Thursday ahead of an interview with Frazier Friday.

    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
      Thursday, Jan. 20
    • Dan Quinn
      Cowboys defensive coordinator
      Tuesday, Jan. 18

    The latest: Nine of the Broncos’ 10 first-round head coach interviews will be in the books by day’s end. They’re in Los Angeles for a meeting this evening with O’Connell, the latest Sean McVay pupil to have a moment in the sun. Before they meet, Broncos’ brass will interview Callahan by Zoom, per Mike Klis of 9News.

    Houston Texans

    Fired: David Culley (and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly)

    Scheduled/requested interviews:

    • Brian Flores
      Former Dolphins head coach
      Friday, Jan. 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: O’Connell has a busy month, particularly if the Rams keep winning. Sports Illustrated reports that the Texans want some face time with him as well but have yet to lock down a date. Instead, they’re planning to meet, according to Albert Breer’s reporting, sometime later this month. This month!?!? It’s hard to see how the Texans have a hire before February.

    Jacksonville Jaguars

    Fired: Urban Meyer (HC)

    Scheduled/requested interviews:

    • Darrell Bevell
      Jaguars interim head coach
      Tuesday, Jan. 11
    • Todd Bowles
      Buccaneers defensive coordinator
      Friday, Jan. 3 (Jan. 7 has also been reported)
    • Jim Caldwell
      Former Colts and Lions head coach
      Tuesday, Jan. 4
    • Matt Eberflus
      Colts defensive coordinator
      Saturday, Jan. 15 (first); Thursday, Jan. 20 (second)
    • Nathaniel Hackett
      Packers offensive coordinator
      Friday, Jan. 14
    • Byron Leftwich
      Buccaneers offensive coordinator
      Friday, Jan. 7
    • Kellen Moore
      Cowboys offensive coordinator
      Friday, Jan. 7
    • Bill O’Brien
      Alabama offensive coordinator
      Thursday, Jan. 13
    • Doug Pederson
      Former Eagles head coach
      Thursday, Dec. 30
    • Dan Quinn
      Cowboys defensive coordinator

    The latest: The Jaguars very well could make an offer Thursday. This is good because they’ve seemingly been at this since Christmas. Eberflus is a finalist for two jobs: Jacksonville and Chicago. It’s not hard to envision Shad Khan trying to convince Eberflus not to get on a plane again after their meeting.

    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: The Jim Harbaugh-to-the-Raiders chatter seems a lot more like Harbaugh trying to manufacture a market for his services than one actually existing. Either he or someone who knows him well told The Athletic that he’d probably leave Michigan for the Raiders job. The thing is, he doesn’t seem to be a candidate for the job — at least right now.

    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: When Bill Parcells was running the Dolphins, he tried to make them the Dallas Cowboys East. Fourteen years later, at least for one day, it feels a bit the same. Moore and Quinn both will meet with the Dolphins Thursday, presumably in Dallas. Quinn is a real name to watch for this job — he checks nearly all the boxes — but the sense around the league is he will end up in Denver.

    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: Busy, busy day in the Land of a Thousand Lakes. Gannon will try to wow the Wilfs with his CEO approach, but the Vikings are probably more eager to meet with Cook and Wolf, who might be their final first-round GM interviews. Expect word soon that the Vikings have narrowed their search to a few finalists.

    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: It’s not a surprise that Quinn’s name is the first to emerge as a Giants HC candidate. The Giants wanted to wait until they had a GM lined up before turning their attention to the head coach search. But Quinn could get an offer at any time, so if they wanted a shot at landing him, they couldn’t mess around. A GM offer could be imminent, however. Peters has his second meeting with ownership Thursday.

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