The Miami Dolphins ended their extensive searches for a new general manager and head coach by hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as the team’s GM on January 9th and Jeff Hafley as the team’s HC on Monday afternoon. Both men join the Dolphins after serving together for the Green Bay Packers — Sullivan since 2003 and Hafley […] The Miami Dolphins ended their extensive searches for a new general manager and head coach by hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as the team’s GM on January 9th and Jeff Hafley as the team’s HC on Monday afternoon. Both men join the Dolphins after serving together for the Green Bay Packers — Sullivan since 2003 and Hafley since 2024. On Tuesday, it was announced by various South Florida media members that the organization will introduce their newest head coach and general manager in a joint introductory press conference to be streamed at 11 a.m. EST on the team’s YouTube account this Thursday. Fans of the Dolphins will get their first opportunity to hear directly from Hafley, however Sullivan sat down with Dolphins media member Travis Wingfield just a couple of days ago to talk about how he envisions Miami building a “tough and physical” team that is built to play in all weather types — not just the heat of South Florida. You can find that interview by clicking this link. Plenty of topics are sure to come up, but one topic that is on the minds of most Dolphins fans would be that of former starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his future — or lack thereof — in Miami. We’ll see if Sullivan gives an honest answer, or if he sidesteps the question by answering politically. ___ What other questions do you want presented to Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan this Thursday? What types of answers are you hoping to get from the newest additions to the Miami Dolphins franchise? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up! See More: Miami Dolphins News
Dolphins to hold introductory press conference for new head coach and general manager later this week
Is Matthew Stafford playing for a Hall of Fame lock?
Matthew Stafford hasn’t been playing his best football recently, but he’s one win away from becoming the 25th starting quarterback in NFL history to reach a second Super Bowl. Would redeeming the Rams’ loss to the Seahawks a month ago and reaching the Super Bowl put any debate to rest on Stafford’s place in the […] Matthew Stafford hasn’t been playing his best football recently, but he’s one win away from becoming the 25th starting quarterback in NFL history to reach a second Super Bowl. Would redeeming the Rams’ loss to the Seahawks a month ago and reaching the Super Bowl put any debate to rest on Stafford’s place in the Hall of Fame? Just a year ago, Jalen Hurts became the 24th QB to reach his second career Super Bowl with the last two being Patrick Mahomes in 2020 and Russell Wilson in 2014. Now Stafford could reach his second Super Bowl in less than 5 years. The probable MVP, Stafford had a career-high 46 touchdown passes in 2025. Mahomes is the last regular season MVP to win the Super Bowl (2022) and the most recent before him was Kurt Warner in 1999. Anyone who has done that has made the Hall of Fame (Warner, Emmitt Smith, Bart Starr, Steve Young, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw), with the exception of Mahomes, who is already a lock. Should an MVP and a second Super Bowl guarantee Stafford as a first ballot entrant? Bomani Jones is trying to fan the flames this week by saying that Stafford shouldn’t be allowed in the Hall of Fame at all if he fails to win the Super Bowl: If the Rams win the next two games, Stafford will become the 14th QB to win two Super Bowls. The last three to do it are Mahomes, Peyton Manning, and Eli Manning. But Stafford hasn’t been that hot recently. Although he is still accumulating touchdowns, Stafford’s completion rate has taken a nose dive: Last 8 games of regular season: 62.7% completions, 6 INTs, 2 fumbles Playoffs: 52% completions, 1 INT, 2 fumbles Stafford is just 44-of-84 on passes in two playoff games. That may have a lot to do with some drops, pass protection, weather conditions, and his finger. But whatever the cause may be, Stafford’s effectiveness hasn’t been as beneficial to the Rams as it was in the first nine games of 2025, when he had 67% completions, 25 TD, 2 INT and a passer rating of 114.8. Stafford also hasn’t completed 60% of his pass attempts in any of his four career starts against a Mike Macdonald defense. To now face the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl on the line, Stafford can put the past behind him and redeem whatever questions there are about L.A.’s passing offense as a whole in the last few games. And if he does that, keeping a two-time Super Bowl QB with an MVP out of the Hall of Fame would be more controversial than putting Stafford in. See More: Los Angeles Rams History
Middling Colts continue to ‘run it back,’ while some perennial AFC playoff teams just made big changes atop
Not to beat an increasingly dead horse here, but the Indianapolis Colts have not made the playoffs since 2020 (the COVID-19 year), and have not won the division since 2014. The organizational leader largely responsible for overseeing the football operations of the organization, general manager Chris Ballard, and his inability to achieve meaningful consistent success […] Not to beat an increasingly dead horse here, but the Indianapolis Colts have not made the playoffs since 2020 (the COVID-19 year), and have not won the division since 2014. The organizational leader largely responsible for overseeing the football operations of the organization, general manager Chris Ballard, and his inability to achieve meaningful consistent success has certainly played a critical part in that shared frustration collectively from ownership, to football ops personnel, to coaching staff, to players, and to fans. Entering Year 10 this offseason, since arriving in 2017, the longtime, increasingly embattled Colts GM has one playoff win as part of that lengthy drought that began a little before him, 0 division titles to his name right now. Adding further insult to injury, is that each of the Colts’ AFC South rivals has won the division at least twice since Ballard’s arrival way back when in 2017. The Colts’ other top leader, rising 4th-year head coach Shane Steichen, has failed to make the playoffs his first 3 years head coaching Indianapolis—although has continued to face a turnstile at the starting quarterback spot. Both are seemingly facing a ‘make-or-break’ 2026 campaign (although to be fair, we’ve heard that narrative before!), but a handful of perennial NFL playoff teams, who have seen far more recent and sustained success, have already made drastic and arguably surprising changes atop to begin this offseason. The Buffalo Bills, who made the playoffs in 8 of the 9 seasons and had 5 division titles under head coach Sean McDermott, just surprisingly fired the 51-year-old head coach, worried about capitalizing on ex-NFL MVP Josh Allen’s remaining prime—and having failed to hoist a Lombardi Trophy to-date with him starring behind center. Although he stepped down, the Pittsburgh Steelers just saw longtime head coaching fixture Mike Tomlin, who arrived in 2007, take a break from head coaching after making 2 Super Bowls (winning one in 2008) to go along with 13 playoff appearances and 8 division titles. Lastly, the Baltimore Ravens and fellow Super Bowl winning, former AFC North head coach John Harbaugh surprisingly just went their separate ways, after the Ravens disappointedly went 8-9 this season and failed to make the playoffs despite having 2x NFL MVP Lamar Jackson still in his prime. Prior to that, since being hired in 2008, Harbaugh had made the playoffs 12 times with 6 division titles and a Super Bowl win in 2012. Is it downright complacency or comfortability these days for the Colts? Interpersonal relationships certainly matter in sports between ownership and their organization’s top football lieutenants, but are the Colts valuing that at the expense of actually winning football games right now? The Colts ownership, and specifically, the transitioned three Irsay daughters can operate the organization however they see fit—as it’s their legal right, no matter the increased level of fan frustration. Here, it’s arguably being operated more as a local ‘mom-and-pop’ shop than a multi-billion dollar organization that’s trying to maximize winning games on the field, but again, that’s their right—and that’s just a potential opinion. Time will tell whether the Colts’ battle-tested belief, clear conviction, and longstanding patience with both Ballard and Steichen will pay off in 2026—or whether the results will be much similar to 2025, with arguably long overdue changes finally being made next early offseason. Both top Colts leaders appear to be on the hottest of hot seats right now entering 2026, and it’s approaching now or never time in Indianapolis. See More: Indianapolis Colts Analysis
The in-house free agents that merit a Las Vegas Raiders return
On the same day the team announced the dismissal of Pete Carroll as head coach, the Las Vegas Raiders embarked on the offseason roster building the Monday the regular season concluded. General manager John Spytek, who is going to be the lead architect on the Silver & Black’s roster alongside the next head coach, got […] On the same day the team announced the dismissal of Pete Carroll as head coach, the Las Vegas Raiders embarked on the offseason roster building the Monday the regular season concluded. General manager John Spytek, who is going to be the lead architect on the Silver & Black’s roster alongside the next head coach, got busy like the rest of the other 31 NFL teams on “Black Monday” by inking 12 players to reserve/future contracts. A majority of the dozen were already in the Raiders’ program on the practice squad. And it’s a mix of young and veteran players. And it’s easy to dismiss the early offseason signings as nothing more than cannon fodder, because, most of the time, that’s what they often are. But defensive tackle Adam Butler is a prime example of a flier signing turning into a solid 53-man roster contributor. Once Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady identify and hire the head coach they see fit to lead the Silver & Black, the roster building continues. That entails free agency in March and then the 2026 NFL Draft in April. Spytek’s player personnel group also has a group of 25 in-house free agents. And in the season-ending press conference, the general manager admitted to his shortcomings in that regard during his initial offseason in Las Vegas. It was one that saw 14 in-house free agents from the 2024 squad ink deals elsewhere. Most lucrative were safety Tre’Von Moehrig (three year, $51-million pact with the Carolina Panthers), cornerback Nate Hobbs (four-year, $48-million deal with the Green Bay Packers), and linebacker Robert Spillane (three-year, $33-million contract with the New England Patriots). Linebacker Divine Deablo was a solid defender for the Atlanta Falcons (two-year, $14-million deal) while edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson is good production/value with the Patriots (one-year, $3-million contract). “And, yeah, we don’t want to let good players leave our building. That’s happened around here,” Spytek said. “I was in charge last year when a couple good players left the building. And it’s one of the things I learned, you got to keep our good players here. And we were talking about it this morning. You look around the league there’s some former Raiders that are playing good football somewhere. And I got to do a better job in that world.” Let’s take a look at the in-house free agents that merit a return. I’ll be going through unrestricted free agents, which OverTheCap lists as 19 0f the 25 in-house free agents. The group of four exclusive rights free agents and two restricted free agents are likely back on one-year tenders. Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA) Kyu Blu Kelly, cornerback, 24 years old Charles Snowden, defensive end, 27 years old Tristin McCollum, safety, 26 Will Putnam, center/guard, 25 Restricted Free Agents (RFA) Thomas Booker, defensive tackle, 26 Jordan Meredith, center/guard, 27 Eric Stokes Cornerback, 26 years old: One of Spytek’s flier signings that hit, the 6-foot-1 and 193-pound cornerback fit the size, speed, length requires of former Raiders head coach Pete Carroll. But Stokes has the makings of a scheme versatile cover corner that can shadow top wide receivers. As a career-high 16-game starter, Stokes was charted by Pro Football Reference as allowing 34 catches on 60 targets (56.7 percent completion rate) for 329 yards and one touchdown this past season. Opposing quarterbacks sported a 77.7 rating throwing Stokes’ way. While the cornerback didn’t snare as ingle interception this year, he did have five pass deflections alongside 53 total tackles and three stops for loss. Spotrac lists Stokes’ market value to be around $6.3 and $7.1 million and the Raiders do have operating room in terms of a healthy salary cap figure. Devin White Linebacker, 28 years old: Another one of Spytek’s flier free-agent signings last offseason, White not re-upping with the Raiders would surprise me. Namely because of the fact Spytek was in the front office of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that drafted White fifth overall in the 2019 draft. White did set a new franchise record with 174 total tackles while adding 11 stops for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Sure White was picked on in coverage (70 completions on 91 targets (76.9 percent completion rate for 475 yards and three touchdowns; quarterback throwing at White had a 94.3 rating), but he’s new age Kirk Morrison. OverTheCap has a market valuation of $5.95 million annually for White, which is quite manageable. Daniel Carlson Kicker, 30 years old: The open market isn’t flooded with a standout kicker and unless the Raiders are eyeing a collegiate prospect to place kick, a reunion with Carlson is likely on the horizon. It was a down year for the kicker that’s spent the last eight seasons a Raider as he went 22-of-27 with an 81.5 percent field goal percentage (third lowest of his career). The 2025 performance marks a continued downward trend since the 2020 season where Carlson sported a 94.3 percent field goal rate. Since, it’s been 93, 91.9, 86.7, 85 and 81.5 percent. Carlson wants to return but his special teams kicking battery tag team partner punter AJ Cole III was extended as he was on a lame-duck contract year. Carlson could earn a very similar contract like the extension he inked in 2021 with the Raiders (four-year, $18.4 million) as OverTheCap has a $4.6 million valuation on Carlson. And that was the annual value of the extension he inked back in 2021. Jacob Bobenmoyer Long snapper, 28 years old: Brought in when Tom McMahon started his special teams coordinator gig back in 2022 as a coaching staff member of Josh McDaniels’ crew. Bobenmoyer
NFL head coaches: Retread or First Time hire?
The Miami Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley as their head coach on Monday, beginning a new era for the franchise. Hafley joins Miami after two years as the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator. He enters the position as the first time, he has been named an NFL head coach, though he did spend four years as […] The Miami Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley as their head coach on Monday, beginning a new era for the franchise. Hafley joins Miami after two years as the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator. He enters the position as the first time, he has been named an NFL head coach, though he did spend four years as the head coach at Boston College. Dolphins fans are struggling with the hire. Some have issues with the team’s new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, who was previously the Packers’ vice president of player personnel, hiring a coach with whom he worked previously. Two weeks ago, Dolphins fans wanted the then-head coach, Mike McDaniel, fired so the new GM could hire a head coach he wanted and with whom he could work. Sullivan hired a coach he wanted and with whom he could work, and somehow that is wrong. Another issue Dolphins fans are having revolves around hiring a “first-time head coach.” Many fans wanted the new coach to bring previous NFL head coaching experience to the team. Arguments are made that first-time head coaches always fail, so the Dolphins needed to go get a coach with experience. In an offseason that includes John Harbaugh and Sean McDermott being fired while Mike Tomlin stepped down, there are options for an experienced coach, but is that the only way to have success in the NFL? How do coaches get experience as a head coach if they should not be hired to be a head coach the first time? How many “retread” coaches are there in the NFL? I went through each of the 32 teams this morning to look at what experience their head coach had. Across the league, eight teams have a coach who was a head coach for another NFL team at some point in his career. There are 16 teams who have a head coach who had no head coaching experience prior to being hired. The Dolphins are the only team with a coach who has only had head coaching experience at the collegiate level. The remaining six teams are still searching for their next head coach – with McDermott likely to land one of those jobs and increase the number of experienced coaches. It also appears that the Pittsburgh Steelers are closing in on hiring Mike McCarthy as their head coach, potentially adding another former head coach to the list. Of note, no head coach has won a Super Bowl with multiple teams – just to add that to the discussion. Atlanta Falcons – Kevin Stefanski Falcons head coach (2026-Present) Browns head coach (2020-2025) Denver Broncos – Sean Payton Broncos head coach (2023-Present) Saints head coach (2006-2011, 2013-2021) Super Bowl XLIV (2009-20210) winner Kansas City Chiefs – Andy Reid Chiefs head coach (2013-Present) Super Bowl LIV (2019-2020), LVII (2022-2023), and LVIII (2023-2024) winner AFC Champion (2024-2025, 2020-2021) Eagles head coach (1999-2012) NFC Champion (2004-2005) Los Angeles Chargers – Jim Harbaugh Chargers head coach (2024-Present) University of Michigan head coach (2015-2023) San Francisco 49ers head coach (2011-2014) NFC Champion (2012-2013) Stanford University head coach (2007-2010) University of San Diego head coach (2004-2006) New England Patriots – Mike Vrabel Patriots head coach (2025-Present) Titans head coach (2018-2023) New York Giants – John Harbaugh Giants head coach (2026-Present) Ravens head coach (2008-2025) Super Bowl XLVII (2012-2013) winner Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Todd Bowles Buccaneers head coach (2022-Present) Jets head coach (2015-2018) Tennessee Titans – Robert Saleh Titans head coach (2026-Present) Jets head coach (2021-2024) Washington Commanders – Dan Quinn Commanders head coach (2024-Present) Falcons head coach (2015-2020) NFC Champion (2016-2017) Miami Dolphins – Jeff Hafley Boston College head coach (2020-2023) Highest assistant coaching positions annotated. Carolina Panthers – Dave Canales Panthers head coach (2024-Present) Buccaneers offensive coordinator (2023) Chicago Bears – Ben Johnson Bears head coach (2025-Present) Lions offensive coordinator (2022-2024) Cincinnati Bengals – Zac Taylor Bengals head coach (2019-Present) AFC Champion (2021-2022) University of Cincinnati offensive coordinator (2016) Dolphins offensive coordinator (2015) Dallas Cowboys – Brian Schottenheimer Cowboys head coach (2025-Present) Cowboys offensive coordinator (2023-2024) Seahawks offensive coordinator (2018-2020) University of Georgia offensive coordinator (2015) St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator (2012-2014) New York Jets offensive coordinator (2006-2011) Detroit Lions – Dan Campbell Lions head coach (2021-Present) Saints tight ends coach/assistant head coach (2016-2020) Green Bay Packers – Matt LaFleur Packers head coach (2019-Present) Titans offensive coordinator (2018) Rams offensive coordinator (2017) Ashland University offensive coordinator (2007) Houston Texans – DeMeco Ryans Texans head coach (2023-Present) 49ers defensive coordinator (2021-2022) Indianapolis Colts – Shane Steichen Colts head coach (2023-Present) Eagles offensive coordinator (2021-2022) Chargers offensive coordinator (2020) Jacksonville Jaguars – Liam Coen Jaguars head coach (2025-Present) Buccaneers offensive coordinator (2024) University of Kentucky offensive coordinator (2023) Rams offensive coordinator (2022) University of Kentucky offensive coordinator (2021) University of Maine offensive coordinator (2016-2017) Los Angeles Rams – Sean McVay Rams head coach (2017-Present) Super Bowl LVI (2021-2022) winner NFC Champion (2019-2020) Commanders offensive coordinator (2014-2016) Minnesota Vikings – Kevin O’Connell Vikings head coach (2022-Present) Rams offensive coordinator (2020-2021) Commanders offensive coordinator (2019) New Orleans Saints – Kellen Moore Saints head coach (2025-Present) Eagles offensive coordinator (2024) Chargers offensive coordinator (2023) Cowboys offensive coordinator (2019-2022) New York Jets – Aaron Glenn Jets head coach (2025-Present) Lions defensive coordinator (2021-2024) Philadelphia Eagles – Nick Sirianni Eagles head coach (2021-Present) Super Bowl LIX winner NFC Champion (2022-2023) Colts offensive coordinator (2018-2020) San Francisco 49ers – Kyle Shanahan 49ers head coach (2017-Present) NFC Champion (2023-2024, 2019-2020) Falcons offensive coordinator (2015-2016) Browns offensive coordinator (2014) Commanders offensive coordinator (2010-2013) Texans offensive coordinator (2008-2009) Seattle Seahawks – Mike McDonald Seahawks head coach (2024-Present) Ravens defensive coordinator (2022-2023) University of Michigan defensive coordinator (2021) Vacant Arizona Cardinals
John Harbaugh news: NY Giants’ new head coach on Jaxson Dart, a winning culture
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After making the playoffs just twice in 14 years, and winning just one playoff game, the New York Giants needed a jolt of energy. After 18 mostly successful years coaching the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh seemed on Tuesday to feel like a new start was good for him, too. “It’s a profound honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of coaching the New York Football Giants,” Harbaugh said. “One of the most iconic franchises in all of sports. I wanted this job … to be on the biggest stage in the biggest sport.” Harbaugh said he is “really excited” about the idea of starting over again and building something from scratch. “I can’t wait,” he said. Harbaugh said he never considered taking time off, but his next job “had to be the right opportunity.” “This was kind of the obvious one from the beginning. This is the one I wanted,” Harbaugh said. “I wanted it because we have an opportunity to go win. I like these players, man.” Harbaugh said there will be “a relentless commitment … to do things the right way every single day.” ‘When we set out to do this we knew that John was going to be the perfect person for the New York Giants,“ said general manager Joe Schoen. Earlier on Tuesday, I posted ‘10 questions Harbaugh needed to answer’ at his introductory press conference. In some way, Harbaugh touched on many of those questions during his first media availability. Let’s go through some of what he said about those topics. What does a ‘winning culture’ look like to you? Harbaugh said the Giants “have to earn the right” to win games. “You build anything together. You build it from the inside out,” Harbaugh said. “Culture’s kind of a crazy word. What does it really mean? “ … What is it in football? It’s a bunch of guys that see the game the same way. It’s a bunch of guys that want to play the game together the same way. It’s a relentless brotherhood, having each other’s back. Being unwilling to give up because that guy next to you is unwilling to give up.” More than a dozen Giants players were gathered in the back of the field house to watch Harbaugh’s presser. He pointed them as he continued: “We’ll decide what the culture looks like together every single day by what we do together. That’s how you build it. Together.” Harbaugh, using a saying he got from his dad, long-time coach Jack Harbaugh, talked about “attacking the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.” “When you do that day-by-day, you build something, you take it on to the field and you let the chips fly, and you go play some ball.” Harbaugh said that many things change in the NFL, but the “principles” behind everything “are written in stone …. they aren’t ever going to change.” What kind of players does Harbaugh want? “To me, the number one thing is we have to have guys that love football. You just have to. It’s football. What are we here for? What do we do? What is this building for? It’s for football. This is a football team,” Harbaugh said. “We need guys that love everything about football. They love the games. They love the practices. They love the weightlifting. They love the meetings. They love the dining hall. They love every part of football. If you love football, guys, if you love football, you’re going to want to be here. You’re going to want to drive in that parking lot every single day. You’re going to want to walk through those doors, you’re going to want to walk up in those halls, you’re going to want to get in front of that tape and watch tape every single day because you’re going to be around a bunch of guys that love what you love. They love football, because that’s what we’re going to be doing, football, all the time, every day. “If there’s guys around that don’t love football, Joe, we’re probably going to let those guys go play someplace else because if you don’t love football, you’re not going to love it here because we’ll be doing football. That’s the plan.” Will you consider retaining any current Giants assistants? Harbaugh said he will start interviewing assistant coaches on Wednesday. He will talk to current Giants assistants, who are believed to still be under contract. “Great coaches on this staff that we’re looking forward to talking to,” Harbaugh said. “We’re talking to people all across the league, talking to people in Baltimore, obviously, too. We will build the very best coaching staff that we can.” Harbaugh said he does believe a few of the assistant coaches from Baltimore will join him with the Giants, but he wasn’t ready to offer names. “My dad always said it starts with teachers. Coaches are teachers first,” Harbaugh said. “The ability to teach, the ability to take a vision that’s well-organized, a structure that’s put together in a really good way that the players can play fast, play around their skillset, you’ve got to create something like that and then present it to the guys and train it in a way that the guys can get out there and play with a lot of confidence.” What are the important factors in developing a young quarterback? Developing Jaxson Dart is a big part of the key to whether Harbaugh will succeed or fail in New York. Harbaugh did not lay out a plan for Dart, but did share his excitement about working with him. “The quarterback’s kind of important. That’s kind of a big deal,” Harbaugh said. “I’m excited about Jaxson Dart … You build your team around your quarterback. “I lik the way he plays. I like his talent, his skillset … more than that I like who he is and what he’s about. To me he’s about football. This young guy loves football.
John Harbaugh news: Tom Coughlin helped Chris Mara, NY Giants land head coach
The New York Giants courtship of new head coach John Harbaugh has been described as a “full-court press.” That, however, seems to be underselling things a bit. After all, you can only executed by the players currently on your team. The Giants’ pursuit of Harbaugh was aided by Giants past and present, and perhaps nobody did more to make this union possible than former Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin. It’s somewhat ironic that the man who delivered Harbaugh the fourth loss as a rookie head coach back in 2008 helped to deliver Harbaugh to the Giants. But that’s exactly what Coughlin did when he connected Harbaugh and Chris Mara shortly after the former was fired by the Baltimore Ravens. “I didn’t think he’d [Harbaugh] be available,” Mara told reporters. “I really didn’t. But for us, it was a home run.” While it was reported at the time that the Giants had hypothetical discussions about Harbaugh should he become available, they didn’t think it was a realistic opportunity. When the Ravens fired him, however, they knew they had to act quickly. “I just was really conscious of the fact that there was going to be so many different openings,” Mara said, “Especially with some of these playoff teams that were possibly going to get rid of their coaches. So that’s why I thought it was important to beat everybody to it, and that’s what we did.” The problem? Chris Mara had never spoken to Harbaugh before. After all, as Mara said, he didn’t think Harbaugh would be available. Enter Coughlin. “I got in contact with him [Harbaugh] after a conversation with Tom Coughlin,” Mara said. “And he’s the one that put us together.” Of course, anyone who remembers the Giants’ ornery former coach knows it couldn’t have been that simple. “He was absolutely over the top,” Mara said. “He yelled at me 15 times before it was done. And once we got it done, he yelled at me again.” “We discussed it as a group, as an ownership, and as an organization,” Mara said of the decision to go after Harbaugh following his firing. “I decided that it was time to act on it. And Friday night, before the playoff game started, I talked to John and Steve and said, I’m driving to Baltimore tomorrow, and I’m going to talk to Tom [Coughlin]. I’m going to talk to John [Harbaugh], and Tom Coughlin set it up for me in terms of contact info. I had never talked to John Harbaugh in my life until I got to his house.” Mara says that he and Harbaugh had a long conversation set to the backdrop of a playoff game neither of them were involved in. “He asked me eight million questions about players, about facility, about structure,” Mara said of the conversation. “And we just had a man-to-man talk for a couple hours while the game was going on in the background. And he wanted to know about a lot of the players, some of the coaches we have. I gave him some first-hand information. “When I left his house on that day,” Mara said, “I drove there, I drove home, and I talked to John, I talked to Steve, and I said, this guy wants to be a Giant.” And now Harbaugh is a Giant — thanks in no small part to Tom Coughlin, once again proving the saying “Once a Giant, always a Giant.” See More:
Denver Broncos Without Bo Nix: Why defense and special teams keeps their Super Bowl chances alive
Daire Carragher breaks down why the Denver Broncos Super Bowl hopes are still alive despite quarterback Bo Nix’s season-ending injury. Denver Broncos Without Bo Nix: Why defense and special teams keeps their Super Bowl chances alive Defense wins championships: The biggest reason the Denver Broncos can still win the Super Bowl is their fantastic defense, led by Nik Bonitto. Special teams ace: Devon Key‘s versatility and quality play in all phases earned Key recognition as the NFL’s only first-team All-Pro special teamer, and Denver’s special teams prowess gives them a shot to win in the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team. Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes Not many teams, when faced with the situation the Denver Broncos currently find themselves in, would be given even the slightest chance of winning the AFC Championship Game and progressing to Super Bowl LX. While Denver’s offensive output in Bo Nix‘s absence remains unknown, its defensive prowess keeps the team firmly in the mix for the Lombardi Trophy. It starts with edge defender Nik Bonitto, who is in the best form of his career right now. Bonitto posted his third consecutive pass-rushing grade above 80.0 on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. His 90.3 overall PFF grade since Week 15 ranks third behind Will Anderson Jr. and Aidan Hutchinson. Bonitto will be up against a New England Patriots offensive line that allowed Will Anderson Jr. to wreak havoc last week with three sacks on four pressures. While 79% of Anderson’s regular-season snaps were against right tackles, Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans switched things up in the divisional round by aligning Anderson up against the left tackle on 17 of his 24 pass-rushing snaps. This was done to take advantage of the Patriots’ rookie left tackle, Will Campbell, who was no match for Anderson’s ferocity. Campbell finished the game with a 16.5 PFF pass blocking grade — easily his worst outing of the season. Now, Campbell will be tasked with handling Bonitto. Unlike the Texans, the Broncos won’t have to make any adjustments to their defensive alignment. Bonitto lines up across from left tackles 87% of the time, as 70 of Bonitto’s 78 pressures this season have come when he’s situated to the quarterback’s left. The Broncos will feel they have the edge on Drake Maye’s blindside, but this young MVP candidate has been winning with his eyes all season. It’s what’s in front of Maye that really counts. Former undrafted free agent Ja’Quan McMillian is also in the best form of his life right now, cemented by his remarkable game-sealing contested interception on Josh Allen. Over his last three games, McMillian has allowed six receptions for a grand total of -5 air yards. In other words, the only situations where receivers are getting open around McMillian are on designed screen passes McMillian has been responsible for just two 20-plus-yard completions over his last 230 coverage snaps. Since the penultimate week of the regular season, McMillian’s 90.7 PFF coverage grade and 16.7 passer rating allowed both rank first among all cornerbacks. If the Broncos are to keep pace with Maye’s Patriots and whomever they would end up facing in Super Bowl LX, there’s no question that they will need more out of star cornerback Pat Surtain II. The fifth-highest paid cornerback in the NFL hasn’t been bad by any means, but given his elite play in previous seasons, his 70.3 overall PFF grade this season leaves a little to be desired. While Surtain has been battling injury throughout this stretch, there was optimism that the extended break afforded by Denver’s bye week would see him back to being his best. That didn’t exactly prove to be the case as he surrendered a 142.7 passer rating in coverage versus the Bills — ironically, his highest passer rating allowed since last season’s playoff loss against the Bills. Although Drake Maye has been excellent at cutting through zone coverage all season, he has looked slightly more questionable when faced with man coverage. The Patriots don’t possess elite separators who can win outright versus press-man coverage — a strategy Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph frequently employs. Maye’s 64.1 PFF passing grade versus man coverage this season ranks 22nd out of 32 quarterbacks. It’s a far cry from Maye’s 90.7 PFF grade versus zone coverage this year, which ranks second, behind fellow MVP candidate Matthew Stafford. It makes a lot of sense for Joseph to implement a man-heavy coverage approach on Sunday afternoon. His 32.8% man coverage usage on the season ranks second, behind only the Cleveland Browns. Beyond just McMillian and Surtain, the Broncos have a litany of reputable man-to-man coverage defenders, including strong safety Talanoa Hufanga. In his first season with the Broncos, Hufanga has been the fourth-highest graded safety in the NFL versus man coverage, and his six forced incompletions in man-to-man defense are tied for the most of any safety. Players such as Hufanga, Bonitto and McMillian may rightfully garner the majority of the attention as Denver gets set to host its first AFC Championship Game in 11 years, but this Broncos team is littered with crucial contributors in all three phases. Perhaps none of these players is more overlooked than special teams ace Devon Key, who hadn’t played a defensive snap all game when he was called onto the field with 16 seconds remaining in the first half versus the Bills to man the middle of a prevent defense look. Ever the opportunist, Key leaped on a loose fumble and spotted the Broncos an extra three points to extend their lead to 10 heading into the half. Those points would prove essential for the Broncos to hold off Buffalo’s late rally and make it to overtime. Key played just three defensive snaps in the divisional round. It brings his snap tally on the season to just
How will Rams address corner in playoffs and beyond?
One of the underrated aspects of the Los Angeles Rams’ divisional round playoff win over the Chicago Bears was how they adjusted at corner and forced three interceptions on Caleb Williams. Corner has been the Achilles heel of the Rams team for the 2025 season. Bigger receivers—AJ Brown, Michael Wilson, and others—have abused this secondary […] One of the underrated aspects of the Los Angeles Rams’ divisional round playoff win over the Chicago Bears was how they adjusted at corner and forced three interceptions on Caleb Williams. Corner has been the Achilles heel of the Rams team for the 2025 season. Bigger receivers—AJ Brown, Michael Wilson, and others—have abused this secondary for very productive outings. It has swayed the outcomes of games and almost cost them an opening postseason victory against the Carolina Panthers. But credit to the Rams for adapting and finding a solution to win against the Bears. Let’s take a deeper dive into what changes they made, how the depth chart could shake out moving forward, and what the plan could be for 2026. LA’s adjustments versus Bears The Rams started the game with Cobie Durant and Roger McCreary on the outside. This forced usual starter Emmanuel Forbes to the bench. Darious Williams, who was inactive in recent weeks, opened as a backup. Forbes played some in the first half but (1) suffered a shoulder injury that limited him and (2) did not play well over his four snaps. The former first round pick was targeted on half of his reps and allowed two catches for 32 yards. Not great. Durant was on the field for 54 of 81 (67%) defensive snaps. He received the team’s highest Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage grade out of the corner group at 71.4. Durant also caught two of the team’s three interceptions. His playing time was more sparce in the second half, though he did pick off Williams in the third quarter. McCreary was involved in 42 plays (52%) for his largest role so far with the Rams. Williams played 62 snaps which is good for the highest snap ratio at 77%. For the second half the Rams opened with Darious Williams and McCreary on the outside. McCreary performed well, though I’m still not sure whether Williams is a better option than Durant. Here’s how the group fared in coverage overall: Durant: 3/8 for 25 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT’s, 1 PBU McCreary: Wasn’t targeted Williams: 3/5 for 33 yards Who should start moving forward? It’s clear that McCreary has earned the opportunity to start the next game. The bigger question is who should play opposite of him. Durant’s interception production so far into the playoffs—three through two games—shows that his ball skills are valuable even if he is bested by bigger receivers. Williams may be more steady on a down-to-down basis; however, the turnover battle decides outcomes in the postseason and it’s difficult to make too convincing of a case against Durant. I’d like to see the Rams roll with McCreary and Durant on the outside and then mix in Williams situationally. The plan for 2026 The only corners under contract for 2026 are Quentin Lake (if you count him), Josh Wallace, Emmanuel Forbes, and Darious Williams. Williams isn’t likely to be back as he’s nearing the end of his career. The Rams can save nearly 7.5M against the salary cap by moving on. Wallace proved his worth as a backup to Lake and is worth keeping around. He also plays a role on special teams. Could the Rams give up on Forbes after spending the last year and a half investing in his development? Their patience has paid dividends, though there have been more low moments than highs. Los Angeles should also consider retaining Durant and/or McCreary with an extension. While Durant is undersized for an outside corner and isn’t a favorable matchup against bigger targets, the Rams could do worse if they move on. Durant has impressive ball skills that date back to his college production. McCreary still remains an unknown but could be playing his way into a new deal by performing well in the most important games. If you haven’t read Venie Randy Soares’ preview of the 2026 NFL Draft for corners, it’s very apt to this conversation. Even if Lake, Wallace, Forbes, and/or Durant/McCreary return, the Rams must future proof this position or add younger talent. Even if the Rams are improving at corner from where they started the postseason, the group is almost certain to look a lot different into 2026. See More: Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart
Jordan Addison to Face No Charges from Trespassing Incident
A week or so after it looked like it might, potentially, be another rough offseason for Minnesota Vikings reciever Jordan Addison, it appears that things are going to be a lot smoother than anticipated. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, charges are not going to be filed against Addison stemming from an incident in […] A week or so after it looked like it might, potentially, be another rough offseason for Minnesota Vikings reciever Jordan Addison, it appears that things are going to be a lot smoother than anticipated. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, charges are not going to be filed against Addison stemming from an incident in a Florida casino last week. Addison will now, apparently, be filing a civil claim arising from what is now being deemed as a wrongful arrest. Addision was arrested and charged with trespassing at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino just over a week ago. The charge was a first-degree misdemeanor that saw Addison post a $500 bond in Hillsborough County to secure his release. It would have been Addison’s third offseason arrest in his three seasons with the Vikings and could have, potentially, gotten him in more trouble with the league. He had to serve a three-game suspension to start this past season after agreeing to a plea deal for the incident that saw him fall asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle and block traffic near LAX, and another incident. . .particularly one that could have involved substance abuse. . .could have gotten him significant discipline from the shield. However, it appears that will not be an issue. With this incident, apparently, no longer an issue, hopefully this will be the last time we have to post anything about Addison until this April, when the team will have to make its decision as to whether or not they will pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Hopefully Addison will keep himself far away from any sort of situations that could, potentially, have him in any sort of legal hot water going forward. See More:
