The Commanders have gotten their search for an offensive coordinator going with an external candidate.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Washington has interviewed Cardinals receivers coach and passing game coordinator Drew Terrell for the role.
Terrell, 34, had been with Arizona since 2023. But he was previously with Washington from 2020-2022 under former head coach Ron Rivera, first as assistant receivers coach and then as receivers coach.
He also coached under Rivera with the Panthers from 2018-2019 as an offensive quality control coach.
Notably, Rapoport also reports that the Commanders have interviewed “several” internal candidates. JP Finlay of NBC 4 Washington speculates those candidates were likely assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator Brian Johnson, run game coordinator/running backs coach Anthony Lynn, and assistant QBs coach David Blough.
Cardinals Clips
This is the business we’ve chosen.
That reality is crystal clear for NFL head coaches in the early days of every New Year. The vast majority of hired coaches inevitably become fired coaches. Few leave on their own terms, without a pink slip, a push, or a nudge.
They understand it. And they’re compensated accordingly, often with millions still owed to them after they turn in their whistles.
Five days ago, there were two consensus vacancies looming for 2026, on top of the two that already existed. Starting on Sunday night, two became three (Falcons). On Monday, three became six (Raiders, Browns, Cardinals). On Tuesday, six became seven (Ravens). On Thursday, seven became eight (Dolphins).
And that may not be the end of it. Losses by the Packers or the Bills this weekend could (key word: could) spark even more changes. Also, Mike Tomlin could still decide to walk away from the Steelers whenever his latest playoff run ends.
It’s just the way it is. Owners feel compelled to do something to make things better, or at least to make it look like they’re trying. It’s a play to renew season tickets. To create hope, plausible or otherwise, for a more viable future that will keep fans engaged with their wallets, their time, their loyalty.
Adding to the willingness to fire a coach is the fact that, every year, one or more teams with new coaches immediately thrive. This weekend, two of the 12 wild-card coaches will be in their first seasons on the job. Five of the 12 are in their first two years on the job.
Quick fixes are possible. For plenty of teams, however, hiring a new coach won’t fix anything. The dysfunction flows from the top. The owner who hired the coach who was just fired will now have to hire another one. Who will eventually be fired.
Bad teams stay bad for a reason. And most of the jobs that are currently open are open because the organization can’t emerge from a cycle of dysfunction.
Except in Cleveland. Where the team is definitely not dysfunctional. Because the owner says so, despite a mountain of evidence otherwise.
Matt Nagy is set to have a busy next few days of interviews.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator will interview with the Raiders and Titans on Thursday before meeting with the Cardinals on Friday.
Nagy, 47, was the Bears head coach from 2018-2021, accumulating a 34-31 record with one division title and two postseason appearances. He was named AP coach of the year in 2018.
He has worked under Andy Reid for much of his career, starting out as a coaching intern with the Eagles in 2008 and moving to the Chiefs with Reid in 2013 as quarterbacks coach.
Nagy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator from 2016-2017 before his stint with the Bears, returning in 2022 as senior assistant and quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023.
Titans G.M. Mike Borgonzi worked with Nagy in Kansas City before being hired in Tennessee last year.
The Cardinals have requested to interview Patriots passing game coordinator Thomas Brown for their head coach job, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reports.
Brown joined the Patriots’ staff when Mike Vrabel was hired last offseason.
He finished his two seasons in Chicago as the Bears’ interim head coach, going 1-4 last season after replacing Matt Eberflus. He has been a popular interview in recent offseasons.
After starting his coaching career at the collegiate level, Brown joined the Rams’ staff in 2020 as running backs coach. He was promoted to assistant head coach in 2021.
Brown was then Carolina’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
The Cardinals have scheduled interviews with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is drawing a lot of interest from teams looking for head coaches.
Albert Breer of SI.com reports that the Giants, Cardinals and Raiders have requested interviews with Kubiak. The Falcons previously put in their request.
Kubiak joined Mike Macdonald’s staff in Seattle for the 2025 season and helped the Seahawks finish third in the league in points scored. Kubiak was the offensive coordinator in New Orleans in 2024 and has worked for the 49ers, Broncos, and Vikings earlier in his career.
Kubiak is available for virtual interviews this week because the Seahawks have a bye as the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Breer adds that he is working out how to best balance interviews with preparations for the Seahawks’ first postseason game.
The Cardinals are expected to interview Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for their head coaching vacancy this week and two more candidates from that side of the ball are also on their list of candidates.
Albert Breer of SI.com reports that the Cardinals have requested permission to interview 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that they have also requested an interview with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Saleh returned to the 49ers after spending three-plus seasons as the head coach of the Jets. Saleh was 20-36 during his time with the AFC East club.
Weaver’s name has also come up as part of the Falcons’ head coaching search. He has been on Mike McDaniel’s staff for the last two seasons and has also worked for the Ravens, Texans, Browns, Bills and Jets.
With six head-coaching openings in the NFL, and possibly more, Bill Belichick’s name will be mentioned publicly for one or more of the jobs. Whether he’s privately considered for any of them remains to be seen.
Appearing on the Let’s Go! podcast, Belichick was asked by host Jim Gray whether Belichick is interested in returning to the NFL.
“Nothing’s changed,” Belichick said. “I’m where I was a month ago. I’m here at North Carolina. I really appreciate the love and support that we’ve gotten from the community down here, from the school, from Chancellor Roberts, the ADs, Bubba Cunningham, Steve Newmark, working with Mike Lombardi and our staff here. We’re building a good program and I’m excited about the direction we’re headed in.”
It wasn’t a “no.” But it’s not relevant until someone wants to talk to him.
Since being fired two years ago, he has had one interview, with the Falcons. The Falcons are looking again, with a clean slate (for now) in the front office.
Would owner Arthur Blank want to give Belichick another look, periodic trolling by Jordon Hudson notwithstanding? While it’s unclear where his coaching skills currently reside (e.g., would Belichick put a defensive coach in charge of the offense?), we’re confident that Belichick wouldn’t have given $100 million guaranteed to Kirk Cousins before using a top-10 pick on Michael Penix Jr. if he’d been the Atlanta coach in 2024.
Belichick is currently on the board for five existing vacancies: +4000 for the Giants, +8000 for the Titans, +4000 for the Browns, +1200 for the Falcons, and +1600 for the Raiders. (DraftKings doesn’t have odds for the Cardinals’ job, for some reason.)
A team will first need to be interested in Belichick. And he’d need to be interested in the team. (Belichick expressed to Gray disdain for teams that use search firms, which could make the search firm running the Falcons’ search less inclined to seek him out.)
Last year, when it became clear to Belichick that he wouldn’t get a job in the 2025 cycle, he went to North Carolina. Lombardi thereafter questioned whether there are any good jobs in the NFL, while also explaining that he and Belichick prefer working in college football.
Most of the jobs that come open are open for a reason. Still, if Belichick wants to catch Don Shula for the all-time wins record, no number of victories at UNC will matter.
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is able to interview with teams looking for a head coach this week because Denver has a first-round bye and it looks like he’ll be taking full advantage of that opportunity.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Joseph is expected to interview with the Raiders, Cardinals, Giants, and Titans in the coming days.
Joseph has previous head coaching experience — he was 11-21 with the Broncos in 2017 and 2018 — and previous experience with the Cardinals. Joseph ran Arizona’s defense under Kliff Kingsbury from 2019-2022 and returned to Denver after Kingsbury was fired following the 2022 season.
All interviews at this point will be held virtually. If a team wants a second, in-person interview with Joseph, they will have to wait until the Broncos are eliminated or until the break between the conference title games and the Super Bowl.
Plenty of NFL owners would have us believe that they make no decisions whatsoever about the future of their coaches and/or G.M. until after the last second has elapsed from the final game of a lost season. If that’s true, it’s a crappy way of doing business.
The more likely reality is that they know what they’re going to do. And many surely begin the process of planning the coaching and/or G.M. search to come.
Look at how quickly the Falcons implemented the terminations of coach Raheem Morris and G.M. Terry Fontenot. Owner Arthur Blank and those advising him knew what was going to happen, at some point before the Falcons ended the season with four straight wins.
The Cardinals surely knew as well, at some point during a nine-game losing streak that gave the organization its first-ever 14-loss season.
What’s the point in waiting? What’s the point in letting the head coach finish the season when the decision has been made to replace him?
The situation in Arizona was clearly not sustainable. Gannon was first asked about his status on November 17, the day after a pair of blowout losses following the most recent win, on a Monday night against the Cowboys.
Said Gannon at the time, “I didn’t hire myself. I’m not gonna fire myself, so, seriously, no, I know it comes up. That’s the business we’re in.”
That business includes the ever-present risk of being fired. It also includes the possibility of continuing to work, day in and day out, while someone higher up in the operation knows damn well what’s coming when the season ends.
When the Packers fired coach Mike McCarthy late in the 2018 season, some expressed disagreement with the move, arguing that McCarthy deserved the right to finish the job. The counter was simple — once the decision to move on is made, it’s more respectful to relieve the coach of his duties, and it’s more productive to officially launch the search for a replacement.
The Titans and Giants, by implementing their decisions when they were made, had a head start on the full-blown process. Teams with vacancies can interview candidates who currently aren’t employed by other NFL teams, if they want. They can do background work on all of the assistant coaches with other teams in whom they may be interested, without fear that someone who catches wind of the effort will say something to someone in the media. And they don’t have to tiptoe around the truth, with as few people as possible knowing the coach isn’t going to be the coach for very long after the season ends.
The Cardinals, who haven’t done much right on the field in recent years, successfully concealed their plans for Gannon. As of Sunday, no one was reporting that Gannon would be out. (Unlike the reports that had surfaced as to the Raiders and Browns making a change.) On Sunday, the team’s Twitter account wished Gannon a happy birthday. Before the game, owner Michael Bidwill sought Gannon out for a bear hug that, in hindsight, has Fredo Corleone Happy New Year vibes.
Bidwill didn’t decide after the Week 18 loss to the Rams that he’d be hiring a new coach. He didn’t have anything to sleep on (which, on Monday, he told reporters he did). He made the decision at some point before Sunday and kept it very quiet until today. Through it all, he kept the organization from getting the ball rolling on finding the best replacement.
Why did he choose to do it? The simplest explanation is this: Dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill confirmed that General Manager Monti Ossenfort will be leading the search for the team’s next head coach during a Monday press conference and Ossenfort weighed in another major offseason decision later in the session.
Quarterback Kyler Murray missed the final 12 games of the season with a foot injury and there was plenty of speculation during the season that he’s played his final game as a Cardinal. During Monday’s press conference, Ossenfort noted that Murray remains under contract and said that all options are on the table for what the team will do at the position in the future.
The identity of the next head coach will obviously have bearing on what direction the Cardinals choose to go. Murray’s contract guarantees him over $39 million in 2026 and keeping him on the roster through the fifth day of the new league year will add another $19.5 million in guarantees for 2027. The Cardinals would get limited cap savings by making Murray a post-June 1 cut and a trade would likely require them to eat some money in order to find a taker for Murray in 2026.
Moving on from Murray would also require the Cardinals to find another starter, so choosing the next coach is only the start of a busy offseason for Ossenfort and the Cardinals.
