Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden may have coached his last game with the Irish on Monday night.
Golden is a top candidate to be the Bengals’ new defensive coordinator, according to NFL Network.
The Bengals had identified Golden as a candidate for their vacancy but waited until Notre Dame finished playing in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game before putting out the word.
If Golden does get the job, it will be his second stint in Cincinnati. He was the Bengals’ linebackers coach in 2020-21. Prior to that, he was on the Lions’ staff for four years.
Golden is best known to football fans for his 10 years as a college head coach, five at Temple and five at Miami.
The 55-year-old Golden also spent a brief time as a player in the NFL, signing as an undrafted rookie tight end with the Patriots in 1992, although he never played in a regular-season game.
The Colts have found their next defensive coordinator.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that they are finalizing a deal to hire Lou Anarumo to run their defense. The Colts fired Gus Bradley after the end of the regular season.
That is also when the Bengals dismissed Anarumo. He was hired in Cincinnati along with head coach Zac Taylor in 2019 and helped the team make it to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season, but the Bengals defense fell on hard times the last couple of years.
The Colts will be hoping that the change of scenery leads to a return to better results for Anarumo. If he can’t turn things around and the Colts fail to find their way to a better record, there may be more widepread changes in Indianapolis at this time next year.
The Bengals have filled a couple of the openings on Zac Taylor’s coaching staff.
The team announced the hiring of Scott Peters as their new offensive line coach on Monday. They parted ways with Frank Pollack after the end of their season.
Peters was the offensive line coach for the Patriots during the 2024 season. He spent the previous four years as an assistant offensive line coach with the Browns.
“Scott is a great fit for our offense,” Taylor said in a statement. “He is passionate about the position, and has done a great job of both developing young players and helping veteran players continue to grow. He is familiar with the AFC North and knows what it takes to win in our division. I am excited to have him on our staff.”
The Bengals also hired Michael McCarthy as their assistant offensive line coach. He had the same role with New England in 2024.
The awards are out. Ten in all.
Here’s a list of them along with links to the corresponding stories, which also give credit to the others who were in contention for each one.
Offensive rookie of the year: Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Defensive rookie of the year: Rams linebacker Jared Verse.
Assistant coach of the year: Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Coach of the year: Lions coach Dan Campbell.
Comeback player of the year: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Most improved player: Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
Executive of the year: Commanders G.M. Adam Peters.
Defensive player of the year: Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II.
Offensive player of the year: Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
Most valuable player: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt avoided a penalty for a hit to the head of Steelers running back Najee Harris in Week 18, but he received some discipline from the league this week.
The NFL announced that Pratt has been fined $22,511 for using his helmet to make contact with Harris’s head. ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk said during the game that Pratt could have been flagged and the NFL’s fine suggests they thought he should have been penalized.
Harris was evaluated for a concussion and he was able to return to the game.
The NFL also announced that Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither was fined $14,956 for a hip-drop tackle and that Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was fined $22,511 for a facemask violation.
