NFL Player News

He was targeted once. Taylor wound up getting a couple of red-zone carries and not doing much with them. Taylor will likely remain on the practice squad in Week 5 with Joe Mixon on schedule to return.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported today that Nielsen is being hired as the Vikings’ new defensive run game coordinator, though prior reporting suggested he may also coach the defensive line. He spent the 2025 season as a senior defensive assistant with the Bills. He served as the Jaguars (2024) and Falcons’ (2023) defensive coordinator in recent seasons.

The hiring reunites Duggan with former Packers DC and new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley. Duggan, 32, entered the NFL’s coaching ranks as a Packers defensive assistant in 2024. He was promoted to linebackers coach in 2025, evidently impressing Hafley along the way.

The news comes shortly after the Cardinals hired Rams OC Mike LaFleur as their next head coach. Morris was one of three finalists for that role. Morris now reunites with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the two previously worked together with the Buccaneers (2004-2005), Commanders (2012-2013) and Falcons (2015-2016).

LaFleur entered the NFL’s coaching ranks as an offensive intern with the Browns in 2014, studying under then-OC Kyle Shanahan. LaFleur followed Shanahan to the Falcons in 2015 after accepting an offensive assistant position. Evidently impressed with LaFleur’s development, Shanahan hired LaFleur as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach after Shanahan was hired as the team’s head coach in 2017. LaFleur shed the wide receivers coach title in 2019, and later accepted the Jets’ offensive coordinator position in 2021 after former 49ers DC Robert Saleh was hired as the Jets’ next head coach. LaFleur parted ways with the Jets in 2023 and was hired by Rams head coach Sean McVay as the Rams’ offensive coordinator. He has served in that capacity in each of the last three seasons. LaFleur’s offense led the league in yards per play this season (6.1), while using creative play designs featuring play action, shifts and motion. He signed a five-year contract with his new team.

Smiley coached in the college ranks from 2005-2012 before making the leap to the NFL in 2013 as the Jaguars’ assistant special teams coordinator. He made a lateral move in 2017, joining former Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s staff in the same role. Smiley was then promoted to special teams coordinator in 2022 and served in that role for three seasons.

No move could become official until after the Super Bowl, but after meeting with both the Cardinals and Raiders in-person before departing for San Francisco, it sounds as if Kubiak will be off to Vegas early next week. Assuming the two sides agree to a deal, Kubiak would take over as the lead man for the Raiders, who hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and are expected to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with that pick. Kubiak took over a Sam Darnold led Seahawks offense this season and helped lead them to a third place finish in total points while also ranking eighth in yards. He would take over a Raiders team that was among the worst in league offensively last season, and that has multiple issues on the offensive side of the ball outside of quarterback. Kubiak joining the Raiders means the Cardinals would be the only team in the league still left with a head-coaching vacancy.

Engstrand was one-and-done as the Jets’ offensive coordinator after the team decided to move on once they realized they would strip him of play-calling duties. The 43-year-old coach will now oversee the Falcons’ passing game under head coach Kevin Stefanski, a role that he also had from 2022 to 2024 with the Lions. Engstrand won’t have Ben Johnson as offensive coordinator to make his passing game look good in Atlanta, but hopefully a familiar role will give him a chance to rebound following a rough year with Gang Green.

Both teams conducted their second interview with Kubiak, who now heads to San Francisco to prepare for the Super Bowl. Kubiak seems like a lock to leave Seattle after his first season with the team, with the Raiders and Cardinals the only teams still with a head-coaching vacancy. Any decision on where he coaches will likely be made after the Super Bowl, but both teams make for interesting landing spots, especially the Raiders, who currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Bevell becomes the second known coach on the Jets’ list of in-person interview candidates for their OC opening. It was recently announced that former Chargers OC Greg Roman would also get an in-person interview. Bevell has spent the last four seasons with the Dolphins, and last served as an offensive coordinator in 2021 with the Jaguars. Bevell has years of offensive play-calling experience and had his longest tenure with the Seahawks from 2011-2017. The last time he worked with a top-10 offense was in 2015, when the Seahawks finished fourth in both scoring and total yards.

The Buccaneers and Chargers both spoke with Callahan about their offensive coordinator jobs earlier this offseason, but both opted to go in another direction. Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner also believes Callahan could be in the mix to return as the Bengals’ OC if Dan Pitcher were to leave — although, that seems unlikely at this time. Callahan’s market has been relatively quiet, which is no surprise given how his time with the Titans went, but he could be a fit with John Harbaugh and the Giants, who are left without an OC after Todd Monken took the Browns’ job. Callahan served as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2023 before landing with the Titans in 2024, but the team left play-calling duties to Zac Taylor. Callahan struggled to get the Titans’ offense off the ground in his brief 23-game tenure with the team, and would likely be tasked with calling plays in New York should he get the job. In addition to Callahan, Fowler also reports that former Commanders’ OC Kliff Kingsbury could be in the running for the Giant’s job, which was reported earlier by Giants’ writer Jordan Raanan.