The Philadelphia Eagles punched their ticket to Super Bowl 59, ending Jayden Daniels’ spectacular rookie season in the process. Premium Content Sign Up NFL Conference Championship Game Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 55, Washington Commanders 23 2S9HH6F Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after running for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) By Ben Cooper Posted Jan 26, 2025 6:37 pm EST • Washington Commanders • Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles bided their time, watching Jayden Daniels and Washington Commanders convert over and over on third and fourth downs. The 18-play, 7-minute opening drive culminated in a field goal — a positive start for a rookie quarterback in a rowdy road playoff environment. Then, the retort: a one-play, 18-second drive to take the lead. Saquon Barkley caught a pitch deep in the backfield and hit a wide-open hole before slipping through two tacklers and racing to the goal line. The Commanders’ early calm was no match for the Eagles’ bully ball, and although Washington punched back in spurts, a 55-23 result clinched Philadelphia’s spot in Super Bowl 59. Daniels’ sensational rookie campaign comes to an end. The No. 2 overall pick guided Washington to its first playoff win in 20 years and its best regular-season record and deepest playoff run since the 1991 campaign, instilling hope in a franchise that needed it as badly as any. Barkley’s sensational first year with the Eagles continues. The star running back has brought new life to Philadelphia’s offense this season, finding the end zone three times in this game. Now, a Super Bowl battle with the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs is on the docket. PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at noon ET. In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field. Sign up for PFF+ for in-depth analysis, PFF grades, Premium Stats, fantasy football tools, betting dashboards and much more! HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS CB Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles (88.4) QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (85.3) CB Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles (84.3) Note: Follow along with PFF’s in-game grading as our analysts evaluate every player on every play in real time! Grades will then be relocked 90 minutes after the final whistle as our first-run analysis is reviewed. Click here to see PFF’s initial grades from this game! PLAYER OF THE GAME “Coop” chants rang out often at Lincoln Financial Field, prompted by rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean. He finished the game with two forced incompletions and just 9 yards allowed on four targets into his coverage. He also contributed an assisted tackle in run defense and earned a career-high 88.7 PFF overall grade, pending final reviews. ADVANCED BOX SCORE
NFL Conference Championship Game Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 55, Washington Commanders 23
Cooper Kupp trade idea by Florio lacks common sense, cap knowledge
Kara Durrette/Getty Images Mike Florio wants you to read PFT, so he’ll throw anything at the wall If Les Snead gets a team to agree to trade for Cooper Kupp’s $20 million owed this year, it will be the highlight of his career as Rams general manager. But ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio isn’t concerned with realism if it allows him to write the headline, “Rams kick door open to potential Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp trades”. Don’t worry, I read it so you don’t have to. As to the possibility of trading Kupp or re-doing his deal, it was this: “[W]e hadn’t talked to him first so I wouldn’t do it here. Cooper and all these players that are at the end — macro level, we’re talking about a subset of players, not just Matthew and Cooper, that are coming to the end of their career and their contracts, they still have contracts with Rams. Do you keep going forward with that same contract? Do you restructure it in some way? For many reasons, those are all issues we really have to sit down and talk through. We haven’t done it yet.” Even if you read that as Snead saying the team will trade Cooper Kupp if the right offer comes along, Florio makes sure to ignore the logistics of a deal so that he can make fans believe that there’s a chance it could happen. By no means does it appear that a team will trade for the rights to pay a 32-year-old receiver $20 million when he just ranked 49th in receiving yards and has missed significant action in three straight seasons. The Rams will either release Kupp or the receiver will agree to give money back so that he can stay on the team. Because players rarely give back money — even if Kupp doesn’t attract more on the open market, an “open market” at least implies that he could negotiate for more — there’s a 95% chance that Snead will just release Kupp before his $7.5 million roster bonus is due on March 19th. He won’t pay him that roster bonus or his $12.5 million base salary. That’s $20 million cash for a player who is more likely to make $10 million as a free agent, if he’s lucky. Cooper Kupp free agent comparisons If we look at some recent players of Kupp’s caliber and age, we find example after example of why NFL teams do not want 32-year-old receivers anymore — a trend I started writing about over three years ago. Stefon Diggs, Texans The Texans traded for Diggs and re-did the $22 million he was owed so that it would be spread out over five years. Mistake! Diggs was 94th in receiving yards in 2024. Keenan Allen, Bears The Bears took on the last year of Allen’s four-year, $80 million contract and he delivered 744 yards, his lowest total since he was injured in 2016. DeAndre Hopkins, Chiefs Has there even been a star receiver on a championship team with less of a profile than Hopkins? The 32-year-old might go to his first Super Bowl this weekend, but he didn’t do much to help Kansas City’s cause. Hopkins averaged 43 yards per game and didn’t catch a pass in the win over Houston last week. Tyler Lockett, Seahawks Lockett was the least valuable starting outside wide receiver in the NFL in 2024, but he made $12 million after taking a pay cut. Amari Cooper, Bills I was wrong, there is a star receiver playing this week who is more anonymous than Hopkins. Cooper, 30, averaged 37 yards per game after getting to Buffalo. How Cooper Kupp would be viewed on the free agent market is very simple: He would get an opportunity to compete for a starting role on team, but the general feeling of such a contract would be… Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Teams do not trade for $20 million to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, especially at the position that has delivered the most bargains through the draft in recent years. Couldn’t the Rams pay his bonus, then trade him? Of course, a team “could do” anything. But there are two reasons this won’t happen: The Rams don’t want to pay $7.5 million to trade a player for a fourth round pick (at best) The Rams still won’t know if anyone wants to pay Kupp the $12.5 million he’d be owed Mike Williams signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Jets after he was released by the Chargers. Williams also has an injury history, but he’s two years younger than Kupp and the Jets paid him $10 million — $2.5 million less than Kupp’s base salary. What a huge mistake that was: Williams averaged 18 yards per game and was let go, joining the Steelers. In Pittsburgh, Williams averaged 14 yards per game. Teams — including the Rams — do not want Cooper Kupp at this stage of his career unless it is for a low base salary and guarantee. Yeah, a lot of teams don’t learn from the mistakes of others, but it is not as though his Triple Crown season was a year ago. That was 2021 and he hasn’t had a healthy year since then. Kupp will find a job, but he won’t find a job that pays him $20 million for one year. The Texans did that with Diggs — right after he had 107 catches for 1,183 yards and 8 TDs — and they will regret that move. The Bears will regret renting Allen, even if it only cost them a fourth round pick. Mike Florio wants you to believe different because it’s more salacious than the truth. Snead, whether he’s posturing as if the Rams can trade Kupp or not (because it suits him to pretend that he can), knows that is the truth too.
Dolphins OLB Coach Ryan Crow earns second defensive coordinator interview
George Walker IV-Imagn Images Ryan Crow will meet with the Dallas Cowboys after interviewing with the New England Patriots. The coaching carousel is slowing down, but Dolphins outside linebacker coach Ryan Crow remains in the mix for potential opportunities. One week after interviewing with Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Crow will speak with the Dallas Cowboys just days after announcing Brian Schottenheimer as the team’s next head coach. Cowboys requested to interview Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their DC position, per sources, and he is due to meet with Dallas soon. Crow interviewed last week for the Patriots DC spot. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 26, 2025 Crow has been with the Dolphins for just one season, joining first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s staff after six seasons with Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans. That said, there isn’t a similar link between Crow and Dallas’ Schottenheimer. Crow was dealt a tough hand with Miami’s outside linebackers. Jaelan Phillips tore his ACL in Week 4, and Bradley Chubb was unavailable as he recovered from a torn ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon in December 2023. Even then, the unit found success in the form of first-round rookie Chop Robinson, who proved he wasn’t too big for the moment with six sacks and being named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and his staff overcame various obstacles last season— which helps explain why he remains a candidate for the New Orleans Saints job, and Crow is interviewing with a second team for an open defensive coordinator role.
Report: Detroit Lions interview Broncos coach for offensive coordinator position
Photograph by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The first candidate for the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator position has emerged: Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton. Not much has been reported about the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator search thus far, but Ian Rapoport has the first candidate publicly known for the job. According to Rapoport, Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton has interviewed for the Lions’ job, and the NFL Network reported him a “candidate to watch.” If the name John Morton sounds familiar, that’s because Morton was on the Lions’ staff in 2022 as an offensive assistant. Additionally, Morton interviewed for the Lions’ offensive coordinator job when coach Dan Campbell first arrived in Detroit back in 2021. Morton is a Michigan native, having been born in Auburn Hills and he graduated from Western Michigan. Campbell talked about his one season in Detroit and how he helped out current passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand. “John Morton, man, Johnny was – Johnny’s a superstar now and there’s a number of things that he did for us last year that are things that we’ve kept,” Campbell said. “And I really feel like that helped Tanner as well. And he took a lot of that, and he learned from that, and he’s grown from that.” Morton has nearly 30 years of coaching experience in the NFL. He started as an offensive assistant with the Oakland Raiders back in 1998. Since then, he’s had stops with the New Orleans Saints (passing game coordinator, 2006; wide receivers coach 2015-16), San Francisco 49ers (WR coach 2011-14), and he was the offensive coordinator for a single year with the New York Jets in 2017, but was fired after a single season. For the past two years, he’s been the pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos under coach Sean Payton. This year, the Broncos were a surprisingly successful team with rookie Bo Nix having a strong rookie season. Denver finished 10th in points scored on offense, and their passing offense ranked 15th in DVOA. Due to his connections with Payton and his previous stint with the Lions, there is an obvious philosophical connection between Morton and Campbell. We’ll see if he can land the job.
Brandon Graham on if he’ll return for the Super Bowl: “We gonna see”
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images The Eagles’ veteran DE isn’t ruling out returning from his tricep injury in time for the Super Bowl. Brandon graham didn’t leave the team when he went down with a triceps injury earlier in the season, but there’s a chance he can do more than just support his team on the sideline in Super Bowl LIX. Reporters caught up with the Eagles veteran DE who said they’ll know more in the coming days in terms of if he’s ready to get back to work. Brandon Graham said he isn’t sure if he’ll be able to play in the Super Bowl but said he’ll find out more tomorrow. Didn’t completely rule it out. — Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) January 27, 2025 BG was sidelined in late-November against the Rams, when a helmet to the elbow exacerbated an already existing problem. He didn’t mince words after the game and was quick to announce that he would miss the remainder of the season and would require surgery. He always left the possibility open of him returning should the Eagles make it far enough into the playoffs, but now it seems like a legit possibility. Brandon Graham on if he’s playing in the Super Bowl. “We gonna see.” #Eagles — Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) January 26, 2025 There was a lot of speculation following his injury with regard to his NFL future — the 2024 season was supposed to be his farewell tour, and he didn’t get to complete it. If he is able to return for the Super Bowl, it might be the perfect sendoff for an Eagles legend that has meant so much to this franchise and this city.
Eagles players and alumni react to NFC Championship Game victory
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images THE EAGLES ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl bound thanks to a dominating performance in the NFC Championship Game to beat the Washington Commanders. Players and coaches were celebrating on the sideline before the final whistle — a luxury when you’re able to sit your starters mid-way through the fourth quarter —, and went on to enjoy the moment with each other and their families on the field as the confetti fell. Those celebrations continued in the locker room, and with former Eagles and guys throughout the league giving this Philly team their flowers for an unbelievable win. It was an exceptional game, and now they get to go and compete for the Super Bowl win they should’ve have two years ago. Here’s a look at some of the reactions online from guys on the team and around the NFL: MOOD ‼️ #PaveTheLane #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/G3Jqb2y601 — Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) January 27, 2025 Super Bowl Bound #FlyEaglesFly — C.J. Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) January 27, 2025 IM GOING TO FUCKING BOWLLLL!!!!!! (Excuse my French) BUT GAH DAMN!!!! — Trending Topic ♂️ (@BigTicket73) January 27, 2025 TO THE BOWL !!!! — Jahan Dotson (@JahanDotson) January 27, 2025 “You doubted, you doubted. Oh my god, 2-2, the sky is falling.” — Brandon Graham on his way to the locker room — Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) January 26, 2025 Yall said my career was over !!!!!! IMGOINGTOTHESUPERBOWL ️ ️ — Isaiah Rodgers Sr. (@rodgers_isaiah) January 27, 2025 WE BACK AT THE CRIBBBB WID IT !!!!! — DeVonta Smith (@DeVontaSmith_6) January 27, 2025 Jalen Hurts lighting his victory cigar: pic.twitter.com/gMYozaFOOW — Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 27, 2025 A whole lot of Eagles alumni celebrated the win on Sunday, too. Well that was fun, these dudes are ridiculously good! GO FUCKING BIRDS!! — Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) January 26, 2025 Congrats to the good guys! @Eagles — Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) January 27, 2025 NFC Champions! Have fun tonight, Philly! One more to go! — Nick Foles (@NickFoles) January 26, 2025 7 rushing TD’s & 55 points…Kellen Moore was in his bag. Know exactly what his offense is & how they win….easier said than done. — Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) January 26, 2025 They also got some love from players around the league, including guys they beat on the way to Super Bowl. I thought the Eagles were the best team we played this year ♂️ https://t.co/nwtkjARYLH — marlonhumphrey.eth (@marlon_humphrey) January 26, 2025 BLOOD BATH. Commanders got bodied — Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) January 26, 2025 Sheeeesh! 50 piece chicken McNugget please with sweet and sour sauce. — Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) January 26, 2025 Damn Aj u goin back to Super Bowl dawg — Elijah Moore (@e_moore03) January 26, 2025 Big Ticket ️ to the Super Bowl! @BigTicket73 #RedemptionArc — Laken Tomlinson (@laken77) January 26, 2025
Eagles vs. Commanders NFC Championship Game: The mostly good, the bad, and the ugly
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Highlights and lowlights from Philadelphia’s third straight playoff win. Josh Harris was not on the sideline this time. The Washington Commanders’ owner was nowhere to be found. Harris, who is connected to Philadelphia as the owner of the NBA’s 76ers, was off hiding after the Eagles scored a record 55 points in an NFC Championship game, beating Washington, 55-23, to reach the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. The Eagles amassed 459 yards of offense, caused four turnovers, with three fumble recoveries amounting to 21 points, while Nick Sirianni became the first coach in Eagles’ history to lead the franchise to two Super Bowls. Saquon Barkley rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns, while Jalen Hurts completed 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown, scoring three touchdowns himself. This marks the fifth time the Eagles will be playing in the Super Bowl (1980, 2004, 2017, 2022 and 2024). The Eagles did not face their first third down until there was 9:43 left in the first half. Entering the Super Bowl, they have caused 10 turnovers and have yet to turn the ball over themselves. Linebacker Zack Baun continued to be a terror, with a game-high 12 tackles, eight solo, causing a fumble and recovering a fumble. Oren Burks, who has been filling well in at middle linebacker for the injured Nakobe Dean, had nine tackles and a sack, with Nolan Smith and Jordan Davis coming up with key sacks themselves. There was a mountain of good, some bad, and some ugly crumbs, in the Eagles’ emphatic 55-23 NFC Championship win over to the Washington Commanders. The Good The Eagles rushing attack, behind a makeshift offensive line. Their seven rushing touchdowns tied the most all-time in a postseason game, equaling the Chicago Bears’ seven rushing TDs in the infamous 1940 73-0 NFL Championship against Washington. The Eagles finished with 229 yards on 36 carries, averaging 6.4 yards a carry. A.J. Brown chewing up man coverage for six catches on eight targets with a touchdown and 96 yards. The Eagles’ defense. They caused four turnovers, scored 21 points off three fumble recoveries, had three sacks for minus-27 yards and 13 pressures with a four-man rush. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s interception with 4:51 left to play. Nolan Smith’s 9-yard sack on fourth-and-11 at the Commanders’ 31 with 10:24 left to play. Barkley’s 22-yard run in the first minute of the fourth quarter on a second-and-one to the Commanders’ one. It led to a series of Washington “tactics,” deliberating going offsides until Hurts finally scored his third touchdown and gave the Eagles a 41-23 lead with 12:24 left to play. It sealed the victory for the Eagles. It was the third touchdown off the third fumble caused by the Eagles. Linebacker Oren Burks stripping Austin Ekeler on a first-and-10 at the Washington 49 with 32 seconds left in the third quarter. It was the third time the Eagles caused a fumble, which was recovered by Baun at the Eagles’ 49. Landon Dickerson, banged up himself and began wearing a brace on his left knee during the game and walking with a limp, moving from left guard to center replacing injured center Cam Jurgens in the first half. Tyler Steen moved in at left guard and held up well, save for a second-quarter false start. Jurgens started the second half, with Steen remaining in the game to replace the injured Dickerson. The Eagles’ second drive of the second half, when Hurts found Dallas Goedert on a second-and-3 for 26 yards to the Washington nine. The following play, Hurts scored his second touchdown and a 34-15 Eagles’ lead with 8:58 left in the third quarter. It looked like the Eagles had the game wrapped up at that point. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis’ 12-yard third quarter sack on Washington’s first drive of the second half. It came on a second-and-eight at the Commanders’ 28 and was a vital play in forcing Washington to punt on its first second-half series. The Eagles’ 14 points off turnovers in the first half. There was the Reed Blankenship fumble recovery in the first quarter, caused by Baun and corner Cooper DeJean, and the second caused by Will Shipley, recovered by Kenneth Gainwell at the Washington 24. Hurts ending the half on a third-and-goal with a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. The Eagles went after rookie corner Mike Sainristil in the corner of the end zone. Hurts’ 31-yard sideline completion to Brown on a fourth-and-five at the Washington 45 at the two-minute warning. Brown just overpowered Commanders’ cornerback Marshon Lattimore, shoving him out of the way and running by him. The Eagles got away with Saquon Barkley holding Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu. Well, it was actually pretty clear, Barkley held Luvu, hooking him with his right arm as he came rushing through the middle. Barkley scoring his second TD on the Eagles’ second drive, with two carries and two touchdowns for 64 yards. DeJean holding up Kyami Brown and Baun coming in to punch the ball free on the Commanders’ second drive at their 48. It resulted in an Eagles’ 14-3 lead after Barkley scored his second TD. Barkley’s first touch, taking a toss 60 yards for a touchdown on the Eagles’ first offensive play of the game. He ran through Washington defensive backs Quan Martin and Jeremy Chinn. Left tackle Jordan Mailata came down on Washington’s Noah Igbinoghene, A.J Brown had a great block inside on defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and that seemed to cave in the Washington interior front. After that, it was all Barkley. The 60-plus yard TD gave Barkley seven touchdowns of 60 yards or more in 2024, exceeding the previous mark of six held by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (1988), Jim Brown (1963) and Elroy Hirsch (1951). DeJean knocking down a third down pass intended for Austin Ekeler at the Eagles’ 10 on Washington’s first possession. Will Shipley’s 36-yard kickoff return to
Why did the refs say they could award a touchdown to the Eagles?
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images The refs were prepared to award the Eagles a touchdown if the Commanders kept up the tomfoolery. The Washington Commanders kept jumping offsides as the Philadelphia Eagles lined up at the goal line to try and Tush Push their way into the endzone. On first and goal from the Washington one-yard line, Jonathan Allen was called for lining up offsides. The Birds ran the next play for no gain and then the longest second and goal play in NFL history happened. Commanders’ linebacker Frankie Luvu tried to time the snap count and went flying over the Eagles offensive line, knocking Jalen Hurts over and, obviously, receiving an encroachment penalty. The Eagles lined up again and…Luvu jumped over the line again, this time with Hurts dodging out of the way. well that’s new https://t.co/6jvZmJOsI6 pic.twitter.com/JU06qeGTXB — NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2025 At this point, the refs warn the Commanders to stop with the shenanigans and, shockingly, the dirty cheaters from Washington didn’t stop! Jonathan Allen was called for encroachment and the ref, Shawn Hochuli, announced to the crowd: “Washington has been advised that at some point the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again. For now, it’s a replay of second down.” Many people were miffed at this ruling! I honestly had no idea that was an NFL thing — that at some point an official can award a score. What? — Judy Battista (@judybattista) January 26, 2025 Well, according to Rule 11, Section 2, Article 1-5 of the NFL Rule Book, “the Referee awards a touchdown to a team that has been denied one by a palpably unfair act.” What is a “palpably unfair act?” Glad you asked! “A player or substitute shall not interfere with play by any act which is palpably unfair” the rules say. Rule 12, Article 4: Palpably Unfair Act Penalty: For a palpably unfair act: Offender may be disqualified. The Referee, after consulting the officiating crew, enforces any such distance penalty as they consider equitable and irrespective of any other specified code penalty. The… pic.twitter.com/Q4WdC0gly5 — Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) January 26, 2025 And here is some further reading on “special enforcement for penalties” especially in regards to half the distance to the goal fouls. Sadly we didn’t get to the point where the officials awarded the Eagles a touchdown because the Commanders couldn’t control themselves. It didn’t really matter because Hurts did score and now Philadelphia is on their way to the freaking Super Bowl!!!!!!!!!
Colts to hire James Bettcher as linebackers coach
Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com The Colts are hiring the former Bengals assistant in a similar role According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Indianapolis Colts are hiring former Cincinnati Bengals defensive assistant James Bettcher as their linebackers coach. The #Colts are hiring James Bettcher as their linebackers coach, per source. An experienced hire for new DC Lou Anarumo, who had Bettcher in the same position the past three years in Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/JJnnjDAJaC — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 26, 2025 The move comes a few days after the Colts hired former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator. The two had spent the past 3 seasons in Cincinnati, both in the same role they are taking on in Indianapolis. Bettcher was previously a defensive coordinator in Arizona for 3 seasons from 2015 to 2017, and New York (with the Giants) for 2 seasons in 2018 and 2019. He previously spent one season in Indianapolis in 2012 as an outside linebackers coach. In 2018 in New York, the two of them were also on the same staff with Bettcher as the defensive coordinator and Anarumo as the defensive backs coach. Between the end of his Giants stint and before his Bengals stint, he took a year off during the 2020 Covid season and then was a senior defensive assistant with the 49ers in 2021. The Colts finished last season towards the bottom in many statistical categories, including 24th in points allowed, 29th in yards allowed, and 24th in sacks amongst other categories. Anarumo and Bettcher saw success in a couple of Bengals playoff runs where the team’s defense drove a lot of their success, but they struggled mightily last season which led to their firings. There are still a few more coaches to hire on the defensive side, plus the team still needs to confirm if some of the current coaches on staff are being retained. The move to bring Bettcher brings another experienced coach on staff, as Anarumo has previous coordinator experience, as does Bettcher and Charlie Partridge is a former NCAA head coach and defensive coordinator. Bettcher had great success in Arizona as their defensive coordinator, consistently ranking in the top 10 and was even considered a potential successor to Bruce Arians when he retired. Bettcher will be tasked with coaching Zaire Franklin as well as young upstart linebacker Jaylon Carliess. The other starter from last season, EJ Speed, is an unrestricted free agent and returning to the Colts is far from guaranteed for next season.
Raiders quarterback 2025: Testing John Spytek’s mettle as GM from the jump
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback room this past season featured Aidan O’Connell, left, and Gardner Minshew II as the starter at various points of the 2024 campaign. | Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images Known as a renowned talent evaluator, Las Vegas new personnel man gets tested with QB room The search is complete. John Spytek is the new general manager. Pete Carroll is the new head coach. The Las Vegas Raiders’ vacancies are filled and soon enough, the Silver & Black’s new power structure will roll up their sleeves and get cracking on building a team that can compete — in the ultra-competitive AFC West and beyond. And from the jump, Spytek’s mettle as talent evaluator and roster builder will be tested thoroughly as the Raiders are lacking at the all-important position of quarterback. While the Raiders had four signal callers on the roster during the 2024 campaign — starters Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew II, Desmond Ridder, and Carter Bradley — the likliehood of the quarterback room looking like that in 2025 is as low as Ben Johnson coming to Las Vegas truly was. 5 things to know about GM John Spytek ⬇️https://t.co/E0oPk4Chjz — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 25, 2025 Minshew was the starter when the regular season began but his effectiveness waned as the season went on and he landed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone. O’Connell has the look of a serviceable quarterback that’s more bridge-/backup-type than a franchise signal caller. Ridder and Bradley bring fringe roster type to the table. The duo of Spytek and Carroll will need to figure out how that room looks and who the leading man is for the 2025 campaign. And it’ll be interesting to see the makeup of the quarterback room as the offseason progresses. Las Vegas isn’t without options, of course. Spytek can explore the trade and free agent markets along with the 2025 NFL Draft. The Raiders own the No. 6 overall pick in April’s event and while that appears out of range for a top prospect in the opening round, we’ve seen risers and fallers draft day that result in prospects dropping when it was originally thought they wouldn’t. And franchise signal callers aren’t only found in the first round, either. Carroll is well aware of this himself — during his time with the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson (third-round pick, No. 75 overall in the 2012 draft) — as is Spytek — he was Michigan teammates with Tom Brady (sixth-round pick, No. 199 overall in 2000 draft) as well as helping bring TB12 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With his 27 years as a head coach in both the collegiate and professional landscape, Carroll is going to have input on his new team’s quarterback situation. And the synergy he and Spytek display as they chart a new course for the Silver & Black bears keen watching. 5 things to know about HC Pete Carroll ⬇️https://t.co/8LTPmi2zmy — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 25, 2025 The first decision is likely what to do with Minshew. The 28-year-old is coming off injury and holds a $14 million cap number in 2025 and turns 29 in May. Perhaps 2024 was an anomaly for Minshew as Las Vegas was ineffective with both Luke Getsy and Scott Turner calling plays. A decision on if he remains is likely one of Spytek’s key decisions this offseason. According to Over The Cap, cutting Minshew with a post-June 1 designation would leave $7.66 million in dead cap ($4.66 million in 2025, $1.5 million in 2026, $1.5 million in 2027) but present a $10.84 million cap savings ($9.34 million in 2025, $1.5 million in 2026). O’Connell is on his rookie contract as a fourth-round pick (No. 135 overall) in the 2023 draft and that runs course for two more seasons as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2027 (and age 29). So he’ll likely be on the roster as it’s not completely known what O’Connell can do with a consistent coaching staff. Free agency is an option and that’s a well Spytek is familiar with as an NFL personnel man. But that’s going to cost a pretty penny with Sam Darnold — who had a resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings this past season — atop the market if he gets there. Then there’s the draft with Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedur Sanders as the headliners. The 2025 class isn’t as bountiful as previous drafts, but there’s talent beyond Ward and Sanders. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Syarcuse’s Kyle McCord, and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel are draft bound. Carroll’s eventual coaching staff, scheme, and system looms large on what kind of personnel the Raiders need and will deploy, of course. But getting a long-term solution to the quarterback conundrum that’s plagued the Raiders is going to be priority No. 1 for Spytek.