Month: January 2025

Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws against Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6) during the second quarter of a NFC wild card playoff at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Buccaneers promote Josh Grizzard to OC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With Liam Coen out the door for a head coaching opportunity, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard to fill their offensive coordinator post Friday.

Grizzard, 34, joined the Buccaneers’ staff last year as Todd Bowles’ pass game coordinator. He spent the previous seven seasons in a variety of roles on the Miami Dolphins’ staff, including wide receivers coach in 2020-21.

With Grizzard helping OC Liam Coen on the Tampa Bay passing game, quarterback Baker Mayfield had the best statistical season of his career, racking up 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and a 71.4 percent completion rate. Mayfield was named to his second Pro Bowl in three seasons.

“Josh is bright and innovative and was instrumental in our game planning and play design over the last year,” Bowles said in a statement. “After interviewing several outstanding candidates throughout this process, it ultimately became clear that our best option was here in our building. We had a lot of success offensively last season and during our conversations, Grizz provided some great ideas on how we can build on that. His familiarity with our offense, our players and the staff will ensure the continuity that is crucial for sustained success.”

Coen departed Tampa Bay to take over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view of the stadium before the game between Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Revisiting New Orleans’ Super Bowls: Ravens turn lights out on 49ers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

NEW ORLEANS — When the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles meet in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 in the Caesars Superdome, New Orleans will make history by tying Miami for the most Super Bowls hosted (11).

But it’s the games themselves that have produced plenty of history for the Crescent City.

In the city’s first Super Bowl (IV), the Chiefs made their only previous title game appearance in New Orleans at Tulane Stadium, which was the site of three Super Bowls before the Superdome came along.

The previous year, the New York Jets made Joe Namath a prophet by upsetting the heavily favored Baltimore Colts and demonstrating that the AFL and the NFL were more competitive than had generally been accepted, with the merger of the two leagues approaching.

When Hank Stram’s Chiefs rolled into New Orleans and upset the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in the last game involving the AFL, it further solidified the incoming teams’ legitimacy.

Fast forward 43 years, and the last Super Bowl played in New Orleans made history as the first one in which the two head coaches were brothers when John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens against Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers.

But it became notable for another, more bizarre reason when a power outage knocked out the lights inside the Superdome early in the third quarter.

In between the first and last Super Bowls in New Orleans, the Crescent City was the site of:

–the first Super Bowl titles won by the Cowboys and the Steelers;
–another Cowboys title in the first Super Bowl played indoors once the Superdome opened;
–the Eagles’ only previous appearance in a New Orleans Super Bowl in a loss to the Raiders;
–the Bears’ only Super Bowl title;
–the 49ers’ last Super Bowl title with Joe Montana;
–the Packers’ first post-Lombardi title;
–and the Patriots’ and Tom Brady’s first title in the first post-/911 Super Bowl.

Then came the Harbaugh Bowl.

Joe Flacco threw touchdown passes to Anquan Boldin, Dennis Pitta and Jacoby Jones to give Baltimore a 21-6 halftime lead. Jones, playing in his hometown, returned the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown.

The Ravens were rolling. Then the power outage knocked the lights out for 34 minutes.

When play resumed, the game changed.

San Francisco scored 17 unanswered points, the last seven of which came on Colin Kaepernick’s touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree that trimmed the lead to 28-23 at the end of the third quarter.

Justin Tucker kicked a field goal for Baltimore before Kaepernick ran 15 yards for a touchdown. The 49ers had a chance to tie, but a two-point conversion failed with 9:57 left.

Another Tucker field goal pushed the lead to 34-29 and San Francisco drove to the Ravens’ 5-yard line in the final two minutes, but turned the ball over on downs.

Baltimore took a safety in the final seconds, completing the scoring in one of the most unusual and entertaining Super Bowls.

And now the big game is back in the Superdome. Both Harbaughs had a chance to return but the Ravens lost a divisional playoff to Buffalo and Jim’s first season as head coach of the Chargers ended with a wild-card loss to the Texans.

This time, Kansas City will chase what would be a history-making three-peat while Philadelphia will try to prevent history and win its second Super Bowl title.

Hopefully the lights stay on.

–Les East, Field Level Media

Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on the sidelines during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Report: Saints to interview Kellen Moore again post-Super Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis informed other coaching candidates Friday that the team plans to continue discussions with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, NFL Network reported.

Per league rules, Moore cannot meet with the Saints again or officially be hired until after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9.

The Saints are currently the only NFL team without a head coach after firing Dennis Allen in November following a 2-7 start. New Orleans went 3-5 under interim coach Darren Rizzi.

Per reports, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver both have interviewed with the Saints on two occasions.

Moore, 35, was the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys (2019-22) and Los Angeles Chargers (2023) before moving to the Eagles this season.

In his first season with Philadelphia, Moore helped the Eagles to a No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs behind a rushing attack that ranked second in the league with 179.3 yards per game.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams walks on the sideline before the game against the Washington Commander at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-Imagn Images

Report: Cards’ Klayton Adams to interview for Cowboys OC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams will have an in-person interview with the Dallas Cowboys for their vacant offensive coordinator position, NFL Network reported on Friday.

He had a remote interview earlier this week with the Cowboys, who are filling a vacancy left open when then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was promoted to head coach.

Schottenheimer, who did not hold play-calling responsibilities this past season under then-head coach Mike McCarthy, is expected to call plays for the Cowboys in 2025.

Adams, 41, spent the past two seasons with the Cardinals after working four years with the Indianapolis Colts as an assistant offensive line coach (2019-20) and tight ends coach (2021-22).

Under Adams’ watch, the Cardinals ranked seventh in the league in 2024 in rushing yards and 11th in total offense.

ESPN reported on Thursday that Ken Dorsey is also considered a candidate for the Cowboys’ OC job.

Dorsey, 43, was fired earlier this month after one season as the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.

–Field Level Media

Jun 11, 2024; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers linebackers and running game coordinator Anthony Campanile runs during minicamp. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images

Jaguars hire Anthony Campanile as defensive coordinator

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Anthony Campanile as defensive coordinator.

“Anthony Campanile represents exactly what we want to be as a defensive unit and football team,” head coach Liam Coen said in a statement issued Thursday. “He brings an aggressive defensive mindset and a system that is adaptable to our players and allows them to play fast and physical.”

Most recently, Campanile served as the linebackers coach/run game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers in 2024.

Campanile, 42, previously was the linebackers coach (2020-23) of the Miami Dolphins.

He began his coaching career as an assistant coach in the high school ranks at New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep before moving on to positions on the staffs at Rutgers, Boston College and Michigan.

His only season leading a defense came in 2018 at Boston College, where he was co-defensive coordinator.

The Jaguars hired Coen earlier this month to replace Doug Pederson as head coach. Previously the offensive coordinator at Tampa Bay, he made an awkward exit from the Buccaneers, who reportedly were set to make him the highest-paid OC in the NFL before he spurned them to move north.

Per reports, the Bucs aren’t going to make it easy for Coen to fill out his staff.

ESPN reported Friday morning that the Buccaneers won’t agree to Jacksonville’s request to interview assistant offensive line coach Brian Picucci for a potential role on Coen’s staff. The Tampa Bay Times added that the Buccaneers also declined the Jaguars request to talk with offensive line coach Kevin Carberry.

–Field Level Media

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti on the sidelines before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Report: Big Ten considering private equity investors

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Big Ten Conference is gauging investment interest from private equity firms despite the league’s previous opposition toward meshing risk capital and college sports, Sportico reported Thursday.

The investment bank Evercore, which was previously retained by the Big Ten, fielded initial offers from private equity firms earlier this week, per the report. A Big Ten spokesperson confirmed Evercore’s inquiries to Sportico but declined to provide additional details.

“To better support its 18 member institutions, the conference is evaluating potential strategic partnerships in order to enhance the conference’s event, sponsorship and other ancillary business endeavors,” the Big Ten spokesperson told Sportico in an email.

Evercore’s inquiries come after Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti pushed back on welcoming private equity into intercollegiate sports last fall. Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey took a similar stance when leaders from the two conferences met in October in Nashville. The Big Ten and SEC will reconvene for another summit next month in New Orleans.

No other conferences currently have a private equity deal, although the Big 12 explored that route, CBS Sports reported last June. Things could change in the near future if the House v. NCAA lawsuit is finalized this spring. The groundbreaking settlement would permit schools to share revenue directly with their athletes and distribute about $2.8 billion to former athletes who were not compensated for their name, image and likeness.

The Big Ten generated $880 million in revenue in 2023, the most among all conferences, according to Sportico. That also marked the first year of the Big Ten’s seven-year multimedia rights deal with CBS, Fox and NBC worth $7 billion.

–Field Level Media

Jan 30, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; NFC wide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings (18) catches the ball during the Satisfying Catch event at the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge at Nicholson Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFC grabs 14-7 lead in Pro Bowl Skills Showdown

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jared Goff, Justin Jefferson and the NFC built a big lead over the AFC in the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games on Thursday, the first night of competition for this year’s NFL all-stars in Orlando.

Over six total events — five live and one prerecorded — the NFC side secured a 14-7 lead ahead of the Sunday finale, which will feature three additional contests and a flag football game to determine the winner.

The Skills Showdown began Thursday with the Passing the Test competition, which put the Pro Bowl quarterbacks’ accuracy and trivia knowledge to the test.

Goff of the Detroit Lions secured three points for the NFC with 44 total points scored. He was followed by the Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold (39 points).

Each quarterback started with 40 seconds on the clock and received an additional 10 seconds for every trivia question they answered correctly. Targets in the passing portion of the game were worth one to five points.

Up next was the Satisfying Catches competition. It featured a wide receiver, tight end and defensive back from each conference squaring off in an obstacle course requiring them to catch machine-thrown passes at three different locations.

The Vikings’ Jefferson, the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride and the Chicago Bears’ Jaylon Johnson secured the win in 1 minute, 57 seconds while the AFC side of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers and the Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. fell just short at 2:06.

In The Big Spike event, three linemen from each side used the “Spike-O-Meter” to determine who could spike the ball the hardest. Each player got three attempts to secure the top spike — measured by a combination of power and impact.

The New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams scored a 982 to get the AFC on the board in the Pro Bowl Games. The New York Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (979 points) was a close second with his first spike of the night.

The NFC edged the AFC 8-6 in the Helmet Harmony event, a gameshow competition testing players’ knowledge of their teammates. Six participants from each side were involved in this new event, hosted by actor Terry Crews, with one point handed out for each correct answer.

The NFC was also declared the winner in the Relay Race. Three groups of four players from each conference participated in three heats of 40-yard dashes, with each competitor handing a football off to the next teammate. The NFC took two of three heats for a 2-1 advantage in overall points for this contest.

In one of the most highly anticipated events, the AFC and NFC both took home three points. Two rounds of Dodgeball were played with five players on each side. The AFC won the first game, and the NFC secured three points for the second game.

There was some confusion before and during the Skills Showdown, as the rules were released just one day before the action kicked off.

The Pro Bowl Games are held annually during the week between the conference championships and Super Bowl. They will wrap up on Sunday afternoon.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the guardian cap on the helmet of New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers (5) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NFL reports ‘historic low’ for concussions in 2024

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In announcing injury data for the 2024 season Thursday, the NFL said that concussions had decreased to a “historic low” as helmet safety continued to rise.

Concussions were down 17 percent from the 2023 campaign and 12 percent compared to the 2021-23 three-year average.

“Today is an important milestone but not the end of our work,” Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president overseeing player health and safety, said in a news release. “Through improved equipment, rules modifications and a continued culture change, we will make the game safer and more exciting.”

The NFL cited the “largest safety improvement in helmets worn on field since 2021” as a key factor. Not only have helmet technology continued to evolve in recent years, 2024 was the first season that players could wear soft-shelled Guardian Caps over their helmets in games. They were previously used only in practice settings.

The league also heralded its divisive “dynamic kickoff” rule, also new in 2024. Per the NFL, the new kickoff format lowered the rate of touchbacks, raising returns by 57 percent, while lowering players’ average speeds. This meant a 43 percent decrease in concussions on kickoffs compared to the 2021-23 average, along with the fewest lower extremity strains on kickoffs since at least 2018.

“This season’s injury data underscores real progress in our efforts to reduce concussions and lower-extremity strains, key areas of focus for the league’s injury reduction strategy,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said in a statement. “We’re glad to see continued focus on these injuries pay off, and as always, will be using this injury data to inform and further strengthen our injury prevention and reduction approach during the offseason.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks off as punter Jordan Stout (11) holds during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Massage therapists accuse Ravens K Justin Tucker of sexual misconduct

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by six massage therapists in an investigative story by the Baltimore Banner on Thursday.

Tucker released a statement on social media vehemently denying the allegations, and the Ravens said in their own statement that they “take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”

The Banner reporters who published the story said they received a tip Jan. 9 and began investigating the allegations. The six women who spoke to the news organization were kept anonymous out of their fear that the Ravens or their fans would retaliate.

Five accused Tucker of requesting that they “massage his pelvic region or inner thighs while he had an erection,” then proceeding to expose his genitals by moving the sheets laid over him. Two claimed that Tucker brushed them with his exposed penis, and three said that he left “a large wet spot” on their massage tables that they “strongly believed to be ejaculate.”

The alleged incidents took place between 2012 and 2016.

“The allegations in The Baltimore Banner article about me are unequivocally false,” Tucker wrote in a lengthy denial.

“Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork. I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session, and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business.”

The Banner’s story claimed that two Baltimore-area spas banned Tucker from returning, but Tucker’s attorneys deny that that is true. The attorneys also denied Tucker ever ejaculated at a spa.

“In accusing me of misconduct, the article takes innocuous, or ambiguous, interactions and skews them so far out of proportion they are no longer recognizable, and it presents vague insinuations as fact,” Tucker’s statement continued. “This is desperate tabloid fodder.”

Tucker retained the law firm Clare Locke and called them “the leading defamation law firm in the U.S.”

“As a matter of principle, I respect when individuals come forward to report misconduct of any kind,” Tucker wrote. “I support a process that allows claims to be properly investigated. But, for the sake of myself and my family, I cannot allow false claims to go unchallenged. I cannot be any clearer. These allegations are false and incredibly hurtful to both me and, more importantly, my family.”

An NFL spokesperson told ESPN that it was not aware of allegations against Tucker until the Banner contacted the league for their story.

Tucker, 35, is the most accurate field goal kicker in league history (89.1 percent) and the longest-tenured member of the Ravens. He has spent his entire 13-year career (2012-24) with Baltimore.

–Field Level Media

Aug 5, 2024; Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey during a press conference at the Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Report: Ken Dorsey under consideration for Cowboys OC job

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ken Dorsey is considered a candidate for the vacant offensive coordinator position with the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN reported on Thursday.

The position is open after then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was promoted to the role of head coach.

Schottenheimer, who did not hold play-calling responsibilities this past season under then-head coach Mike McCarthy, is expected to call plays for the Cowboys in 2025.

Dorsey, 43, was fired earlier this month after one season as the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns’ offense was hampered by rotating quarterbacks and another season-ending injury to running back Nick Chubb. Cleveland mustered an NFL-low 15.2 points per game. Dorsey assumed the play-calling role midway through the season.

This is the second consecutive season that Dorsey has been fired. The Buffalo Bills dismissed him 10 games into the 2023 season amid perception the Josh Allen-led offense was underachieving.

–Field Level Media