NFL Player News

Kiffin will be replacing Rob Ryan’s 3-4 scheme with a 4-3 alignment, and is returning to the NFL after a four-year stint as his son Lane’s coordinator at USC. Kiffin has 25 years of NFL coaching experience, but will turn 73 next month. His Trojans defense fell apart last season. Regardless, Kiffin has long been one of the league’s most respected assistants, though he supposedly will not force his “Tampa 2" coverage scheme on CBs Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, who excel in press coverage. DeMarcus Ware will shift from outside linebacker to end in his new boss’ system. Ware will be doing it without the benefit of an offseason, as he’s recovering from extensive shoulder surgery.

That was fast. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported on the Commanders’ request to interview Wells just a few hours ago. Wells ostensibly has a relationship with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn from their time together with the Cowboys in 2021-2023, and Wells is said to have been a “big part of game planning” since the Cowboys hired him in 2020.

Alexander has close ties to former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, which could give him an edge with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer deserves credit for his reporting late last week, when he identified Sullivan as a candidate for the job in Miami. Per Breer, the Dolphins are expected to “have three guys atop the football side—the head coach, the new GM and [senior vice president of football and business administration Brandon] Shore.” He believes the team is seeking a general manager “with a strong player-evaluation background” to complete the trio.

Jones now has two defensive coordinator interview requests. Good for him. He is also considered a candidate to replace Vikings DC Brian Flores, if were Flores to leave the Vikings’ organization for another opportunity.

Banda has coached the Browns’ safety group since the team brought him aboard in 2023. The unit stands out in a league that now frequently utilizes two-high safety looks. The Browns’ defense allowed the league’s ninth-fewest yards per pass play (6.61) despite Banda’s unit logging an NFL-high 773 defensive snaps with just one safety lined up deep this season.

Jones was initially hired by the Vikings to coach only the defensive backs in 2022. They added defensive pass game coordinator to his title in 2023. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert believes Jones “would be on a very short list to replace Brian Flores as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, if Flores departs.”

Shortly before issuing this report, ESPN’s Todd Archer let it be known that the Falcons had denied the Cowboys’ request to interview DC Jeff Ulbirch. The Cowboys are smartly casting a very wide net to fill their vacant defensive coordinator role. Leonhard served as the Broncos’ DB coach and defensive passing game coordinator in 2024 before swapping out the DB coach role for an assistant head coach promotion in 2025.

Kittle is on track to play, though it would be great to see him practice fully on Friday. The 49ers could be short-staffed when they face the Eagles this week. No. 1 WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) has not yet resumed practicing since aggravating the PCL sprain in his knee in Week 17.

Pearsall is now on the wrong side of questionable for the 49ers’ Wild Card Round game against the Eagles. The 49ers’ talented route runner aggravated his PCL sprain in Week 17 against the Bears and was unable to play on it last week. It is possible that the team is just taking it easy with him, but things are not looking good.

Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, “a potential interview can be revisited later” if the Falcons hire a head coach “who has a different coordinator in mind.” One assumes that Falcons team owner Arthur Blank is pleased with Ulbrich’s performance last season. The defense cannot be described as an elite unit, but Ulbrich appears to be a respected figure in the organization.

Mid-week additions to the injury report typically indicate that the player suffered a new injury in practice that day. We fear this is the case here. Boutte notably dealt with a hamstring strain earlier this season, costing him two games. He is not a big-time player in the Patriots’ offense, but he helps keep safeties honest in his field-stretching role.