NFL News

[Cody_Russell]

Frank Reich to the Panthers.
1 of 5 HC openings is now filled. TBD about the Colts, Cardinals, Broncos, and Texans.
Couple thoughts and sharing two Tweets below… The information that Tom Pelissero provided has me thinking Ben Johnson would have been a top candidate for the Panthers opening if he didn’t back out. Panthers owner wanting to go with the “Sean McVay effect” of a young offensive mind to begin with. Ultimately settling on a veteran offensive mind. Also, a quote from the NBC Edge article:

They also possess the No. 9 overall pick. They could be tempted to make the move to No. 1 overall via Chicago. Reich will not bring electricity, but he will bring competence.

Yes, please allow the Bears to trade behind the Lions. Better opportunity for a valued position player to fall to the Lions at #6. A run on QBs would be awesome. It makes sense for the Panthers to try for Young, Stroud, Levis, or Richardson regardless. That’s the whole point of hiring Reich.

[froot loops]

I didn't find the Colts to be competent during his tenure. It seemed like every year they were an up.and comer and they looked disorganized.

[Futureshock]

They don't have enough weapons. Theirl OL and defense went sour too. I know Frank receives a pass from most people, but his hands are dirty too.

[ghandi]

It will be interesting to see if Carolina takes a gamble on Levis...Thats one of the teams the Lions might trade down with if they feel the Raiders might take him at 7.

[jaadam4]

Seahawks players not happy that Pete Carroll is not a coach of the year finalist

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 26, 2023, 4:38 AM EST

USA Today

Heading into the 2022 season, the Seahawks were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. Trading Russell Wilson away suggested that they were beginning a rebuild, and the betting odds put their over/under win total at just 5.5 games, third-worst in the NFL.

So when the Seahawks went 9-8 and made the playoffs, head coach Pete Carroll deserved a lot of credit. And many of his players weren’t happy that Carroll wasn’t named a coach of the year finalist on Wednesday.

Responding to a tweet from the NFL that listed five coaches — Nick Sirianni, Kyle Shanahan, Brian Daboll, Sean McDermott and Doug Pederson — as coach of the year finalists, Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs spoke up for Carroll.

“Man I don’t understand how Pete isn’t a finalist!” Diggs wrote. “Not a top 5 coaching job with a team everybody expected to be sorry? Y’all killed me last year when I said “Pete told me we’re not rebuilding we’re trying to win now!” once i re-signed!”

Multiple teammates retweeted Diggs’ post in support.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who was named on Wednesday as one of the finalists for the NFL’s comeback player of the year award, was more succinct in making the same point. Smith replied to the tweet listing the coach of the year finalists with the words, “Peter Clay Carroll.” Multiple teammates approvingly retweeted that tweet as well.

Carroll has never won the NFL’s coach of the year award and has never even come close in the voting. He was named college football coach of the year in 2003 at USC.

They’re def not wrong, I’d be mad too. Seattle had no business even being in the running for the playoffs let alone making the cut. Carroll had that team in the post season with Geno as their QB. That’s insane

[jaadam4]

It will be interesting to see if Carolina takes a gamble on Levis...Thats one of the teams the Lions might trade down with if they feel the Raiders might take him at 7.

They’ll need to trade up for Levis IMO.

Houston, Seattle and the Colts should all go QB.

[chemiclord]

I really only seeing Seattle going QB if someone really wows them. Otherwise, they'll be content to roll the dice with Geno another year.

But yeah, they are certainly a team that COULD go QB.

[Fraquar]

jaadam4
Pete Carroll is in the elite of the HC circles. They barely made it to begin with and that was finishing against a Jets team in total freefall and the Rams team with nothing to play for.
There is no way on the planet he belongs in the same conversation as what Dan Campbell pulled off this year - no matter his pedigree.

[Futureshock]

Fuck Baker!

[Futureshock]

Eric Bieniemy on Patrick Mahomes’ recovery: I want whatever he’s taking

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 27, 2023, 3:42 AM EST

Getty Images

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy wishes he could bottle whatever it is that has allowed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to do everything on the practice field just days after suffering a high ankle sprain.

Asked what the biggest reason is for Mahomes’ fast recovery, Bieniemy answered, “I have no idea, but I want whatever he’s taking.”

Bieniemy praised Mahomes’ competitive nature as something that sets him apart.

“He’s just a competitive person, he’s a competitive player,” Bieniemy said. “It’s the intestinal fortitude that’s in him. He just refuses to accept that he’s not going to put himself out there to be with his teammates. You love that about him. Last week was a unique situation and difficult in a lot of ways because obviously you always want to make sure that the player is OK, but more importantly, you also know that he can give you the best chance of winning.”

Until we see Mahomes on the field on Sunday, we don’t know precisely how far he has come in his recovery from that ankle injury, but from all accounts, he’s going to be able to play and play well.

[Futureshock]

Statement from Steve Wilks’ lawyer is also a warning to the Cardinals on Brian Flores

Posted by Mike Florio on January 27, 2023, 12:50 AM EST

Getty Images

The statement came swiftly from lawyer Doug Wigdor. And it should be regarded by Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill as a clear warning.

Wigdor, who represents former Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks, reacted sharply to the news that the Panthers had passed over Wilks for Frank Reich.

“We are shocked and disturbed that after the incredible job Coach Wilks did as the interim coach, including bringing the team back into playoff contention and garnering the support of the players and fans, that he was passed over for the head coach position by David Tepper,” Wigdor said. “There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL, and we can assure you that we will have more to say in the coming days.”

The statement comes at a time when the primary plaintiff in the lawsuit Wilks has joined — Brian Flores — is under consideration for the head-coaching job in Arizona. Wilks has sued the Cardinals for firing him after one year. Wilks likely will be suing the Panthers, given the content of Wigdor’s statement. And Flores joined the Texans to the litigation last year, after they interviewed him for the head-coaching job, made him one of three finalists, and eventually went off the board and hired Lovie Smith.

The argument that Flores made against the Texans, that Wilks likely will make against the Panthers, and that Flores would potentially make against the Cardinals is a simple one. The decision not to hire them was motivated in whole or in part by the fact that they have attempted to pursue their rights under federal anti-discrimination laws.

Although many non-lawyers assume it’s perfectly fine to shun someone who has dared to pursue available legal remedies, the law provides separate protection against retaliation. In many cases, the retaliation case is less difficult to prove than the original case, since it’s conceptually easier to sell a jury on the notion that someone who has legitimately made trouble for an employer is regarded derisively as a troublemaker.

By interviewing Flores, the Cardinals have made it hard not to hire him. Unless the person they hire is clearly and obviously more accomplished than Flores, they would be inviting a claim for Flores for retaliation. Basically, that means they need to hire Sean Payton (who interviewed for the job on Thursday) or Flores.

But at least the Cardinals gave Flores an interview. The Texans didn’t, even though he was a finalist last year. The Broncos didn’t; they’re one of the teams Flores sued, alleging a sham interview in the process that resulted in the hiring of Vic Fangio. Neither the Colts nor the Panthers interviewed Flores either, putting them at risk for a retaliation claim, too.

The Cardinals can do the NFL and all of its teams a favor by hiring Flores. The Cardinals also may be doing themselves a favor from a football standpoint by hiring him, since he could be exactly what the organization currently needs, in the aftermath of the loose ship that Kliff Kingsbury ran during his four seasons with the team.

For now, here’s the main point. Wigdor’s statement about the Panthers includes a very strong message to the Cardinals. If they don’t hire Flores, they’d better be able to prove that they have a good reason for it — and that reason can’t be “we don’t want to do business with someone who has dared to sue The Shield.”

[Futureshock]

Deion Sanders confirms Mike Zimmer is joining his staff at Colorado

Posted by Charean Williams on January 26, 2023, 10:36 PM EST

Getty Images

Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will have a role on Deion Sanders’ staff at the University of Colorado.

Sanders confirmed that during an interview with Thee Pregame Show posted on YouTube on Monday. He did not indicate Zimmer’s role.

Zimmer served as an analyst for Sanders at Jackson State in 2022.

Former Florida State head coach Willie Taggart also is joining the Colorado staff.

“Taggart’s coming, too, by the way,” Sanders said during the interview. “Coach Zimmer’s coming, too, by the way. So another two head coaches. One in the NFL as well as collegiate. But not only that. Forget the titles — they know this game and they know kids and they’ve been capable of making tremendous decisions with the kids and the young men in mind. So that’s what I adore the most — understanding how to establish the relationships with these young men.”

Zimmer was the Vikings’ head coach for eight seasons. He also has served as a defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, Falcons and Bengals.

He was the defensive backs coach of the Cowboys from 1995-99 when Sanders was a cornerback for the team.

[Futureshock]

We do too Beaver
Mike McCarthy: Jerry Jones wants me to coach Cowboys as long as Tom Landry did

Posted by Charean Williams on January 26, 2023, 6:26 PM EST

Getty Images

On more than one occasion, Jerry Jones called Jason Garrett his Tom Landry. As recently as the 2019 offseason, the Cowboys owner said Garrett had a chance to become the longest-tenured coach in franchise history.

The Cowboys parted ways with Garrett after the 2019 season, with Garrett’s 9 1/2 seasons as head coach ranking second behind Landry but 19 1/2 behind Landry.

Now, Jones is telling Mike McCarthy the same thing in an apparent vote of confidence for the head coach after three seasons and with back-to-back losses to the 49ers in the postseason.

“As far as my relationship with Jerry, just using his words, we’re in an excellent spot,” McCarthy said in a news conference Thursday. “The partnership that we have, he’s excited about. He told me a number of times this week that he wants me to coach here as long as coach Landry did. And I said, ‘OK, that’s a long time.’ I feel really good about our relationship. I think or ability to discuss and disagree we do a good job of that, and I think that’s important.”

Since Jones bought the team in 1989 and fired Landry, he has hired eight head coaches. Only Jimmy Johnson and Garrett lasted longer than four seasons.

If that’s not enough to convince you that McCarthy won’t outlast Landry with the Cowboys, McCarthy would need to coach to age 85 to have as many seasons as Landry. Romeo Crennel was the oldest coach in NFL history when he was interim coach of the Texans at age 73.

McCarthy has put together back-to-back 12-win seasons, something that hasn’t been done in Dallas since the 1990s when the Cowboys won the final three of the franchise’s five Super Bowls. Despite his 30-20 regular-season record, McCarthy is 1-2 in the postseason with a loss to the 49ers in the wild-card round in 2021 and a loss to the 49ers in the divisional round last week after a win over the Bucs in the wild-card round two weeks ago.

Jones publicly backed McCarthy on Sunday after the 19-12 loss at San Francisco.

Despite outside speculation, McCarthy never doubted he would return for a fourth season.

“I get to talk to Jerry a lot, so I’ve never, I’ve never felt [his job was in jeopardy],” McCarthy said. “The narrative was externally generated.”

[Futureshock]

Mike McCarthy on Dan Quinn’s return: This is big for us

Posted by Charean Williams on January 26, 2023, 5:30 PM EST

USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn might not have gotten an offer from any of the three teams he interviewed with for their head coaching job. But he ended any and all possibilities of leaving the Cowboys when he took himself out of the running for a head coaching job with the Colts, Broncos or Cardinals.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was late to his news conference Thursday because he was meeting with Quinn. McCarthy didn’t reveal any details of their meeting in his 30-minute question-and-answer session, but he did make it sound as if Quinn was staying.

And, indeed, only a few minutes after McCarthy’s news conference ended came multiple reports that Quinn is staying in Dallas as defensive coordinator.

“We’re all extremely excited to have Dan back. This is big for us,” McCarthy said in a walkoff with reporters, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “It gives us continuity. Frankly, on a personal note, I can’t tell you how thankful I am.

“Clearly, Dan is in the position to be selective, and I’m extremely excited about the decision.”

Quinn took over a defense that allowed the most points in franchise history the previous season (2020) and turned them into one of the best over the past two seasons. The Cowboys led the league in takeaways in back-to-back seasons, the first time that’s been done in the NFL since the Steelers did it three years in row from 1972-74.

The Cowboys ranked seventh in points allowed in 2021 and fifth this past season.

[Futureshock]

Lawyer representing Steve Wilks: “There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL”

Posted by Mike Florio on January 26, 2023, 4:22 PM EST

Getty Images

When Panthers owner David Tepper made Steve Wilks the interim head coach on October 10, Tepper was asked whether Wilks had a shot to keep the job beyond 2022.

“If he does an incredible job, he has to be in consideration,” Tepper said.

Wilks arguably did an incredible job. He forced the team into playoff contention. He won the loyalty, admiration, and respect of his players. Players spoke up in his favor.

Now, the team that fired its head coach during the season has hired a coach who was fired by another team during the season, instead of Wilks. And Doug Wigdor, who represents Wilks in the pending Brian Flores racial discrimination case against the league and several teams, has made it clear that Wigdor and Wilks have a problem with the move.

“We are shocked and disturbed that after the incredible job Coach Wilks did as the interim coach, including bringing the team back into playoff contention and garnering the support of the players and fans, that he was passed over for the head coach position by David Tepper,” Wigdor said in a statement that was both circulated by email and tweeted. “There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL, and we can assure you that we will have more to say in the coming days.”

This clearly implies that the Panthers could soon be added to the pending lawsuit as yet another defendant, for not giving Wilks a chance to do from scratch that which he was able to do after Tepper tasked Wilks with the inherently difficult position of trying to win with a team that was bad enough to get its coach fired less than a month into the season.