Author: Jason Butt

Mike Mularkey will be staying put in Tennessee.

According to a report from NFL.com, the Buccaneers requested permission to interview Titans tight ends coach Mike Mularkey for their open offensive coordinator position. However, Tennessee declined that request, keeping Mularkey with the Titans.

Mularkey has had success as an offensive coordinator before, most recently in Atlanta. He's known for a run-first, conservative style, though it did work with playoff appearances in 2009 and 2010 with the Falcons. He then took the head coaching job in Jacksonville, where he lasted only a year.

It's clear Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to keep Mularkey around to hopefully right the ship of being one of the worst NFL teams in 2014.

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The New York Jets are meeting with two head coaching candidates on Friday.

According to a report from NFL.com, the Jets will be interviewing Dan Quinn and Tom Cable for their open head coaching position. Quinn's name has garnered a lot of buzz over the past few years as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.

Cable was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2008-2010. Since 2011, Cable has been the assistant head coach/offensive line coach with the Seahawks.

This follows the Jets meeting with Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner on Thursday for their open general manager position.

It's no surprise Seahawks employees are getting a ton of looks for open jobs. Seattle won the Super Bowl a year ago and are once again the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Seattle has been the envy of the league the last two years and have done a great job maximizing the talent they've drafted and acquired.

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Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will be in the running for a head coaching gig it looks like.

Via the Lions' official site, Austin said that the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons have asked to interview him for their open head coaching positions. Austin has done a great job in his first year as Detroit's defensive coordinator, leading the unit to the NFL's No. 2 overall ranking.

It appears to be a situation where the Lions themselves believe Austin will head elsewhere once their season is over.

“For all of us, for him, I think and his family, I think he's deserving of it. and I think he's going to get one,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I think if, once they get an opportunity to see him and listen to him and watch what he's been able to do, I think it'll happen for him and I think it'll be absolutely outstanding.”

Austin can't interview for jobs until after the Wild Card weekend is over.

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Based on what happened the last time Cincinnati played Indianapolis, the Bengals sure do need A.J. Green on the field this weekend

However, Green is still in the NFL's concussion protocol after taking a hit to the head in Sunday night's 27-17 loss to the Steelers. Green was unable to finish the game and was diagnosed with a concussion.

On Wednesday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told reporters Green has yet to be cleared.

When the Bengals lost to the Colts 27-0 in a regular-season meeting this year, they were without Green. Without their top outside target, the Colts repeatedly blitzed Andy Dalton and got him off balance. It can be assumed the same would occur if Green can't go Sunday night.

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Ravens head of security Darren Sanders has been placed on paid leave after being charged with a fourth-degree sexual assault offense, reports The Baltimore Sun and National Football Post's Aaron Wilson.

Sanders is not expected to travel with the Ravens to this Saturday's Wild Card round game against the Steelers.

The Baltimore Sun's Justin Fenton was first to report the story of Sanders being charged. He's since reported that a female accuser is alleging Sanders groped her at M&T Bank Stadium, and was reported following the Ravens game against the Jaguars. The claim was filed with Baltimore police on Dec. 14.

Sanders' attorney Andrew Alperstein has denied these allegations.

“It does a disservice to real victims when people make things up like this,” Alperstein told The Sun. “People like [Sanders] are susceptible to made-up allegations. It puts you in a vulnerable position.”

The maximum punishment for a fourth-degree sex offense in Maryland is a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Sanders was charged through a summons and has not been arrested. His court date is Feb. 9, 2015.

This development comes at the tail end of a Ravens season that began in turmoil due to Ray Rice's legal issue. Rice was ultimately released from the organization after a videotape showed the former Pro Bowl running back punching his then-fiancee and now wife Janay Palmer in the face, knocking her unconscious.

The NFL has since instituted a new domestic abuse policy and has made amendments to its personal conduct policy.

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Calling it a “homecoming,” Jim Harbaugh was introduced as the 20th head coach in the history of the University of Michigan football program on Tuesday in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh, one of the game's hottest coaching names, chose to coach his alma mater over potentially taking another job in the NFL. Harbaugh and the 49ers mutually parted ways shortly after Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

In four years with the 49ers, Harbaugh took San Francisco to three NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance in 2012. Harbaugh lost that game 34-31 to his brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens.

Now Harbaugh will have the task of restoring glory to the school he quarterbacked from 1983-1986. Wearing a maize and blue striped tie, Harbaugh told reporters he was excited for the challenge.

“Michigan is about excellence, is about greatness, and you have my pledge that I will carry forward the tradition of excellence of the University of Michigan football program,” Harbaugh said at his introductory press conference.

Harbaugh replaces Brady Hoke, who progressively got worse during his time at Michigan. After going 11-2 his first season, Hoke led the Wolverines to 8-5, 7-6 and 5-7 seasons in consecutive years. Hoke was fired after losing to Ohio State for the third consecutive year.

Harbaugh's deal is worth $35 million for seven years, though interim athletics director Jim Hackett said the deal will be reviewed for market value after his first season. According to Michigan insider and Wall Street Journal writer John U. Bacon, Harbaugh elected against an $8 million per year salary, which would make him the highest-paid football coach in college football history, so that he could have more money to spend on his assistants.

It's not out of the realm to expect Harbaugh to return Michigan to college football prominence. Whether it was at the University of San Diego, Stanford or the 49ers, Harbaugh has won as a football coach. It can safely be assumed the same will follow with the Wolverines, a program in need of someone to turn the program around.

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The Chicago Bears reportedly have at least four candidates they're looking at for their open general manager position.

Those four are Vince Newsome (Ravens director of pro personnel), Chris Ballard (Chiefs director of player personnel), Marc Ross (Giants vice president of player evaluation) and Lake Dawson (Titans vice president of player personnel), according to a report from NFL.com.

The Bears fired Phil Emery from the general manager position after the regular season ended.

Former NFL executive John Wooten, the chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, confirmed Newsome's candidacy to The Baltimore Sun and National Football Post's Aaron Wilson.

“The Bears are doing it the right way, (director of Bears search committee) Ernie (Accorsi) is doing it the right way,” Wooten told Wilson. “They want to get the GM in place and then find their coach. It's the right way to do things.”

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The New York Jets have at least five names in mind for their open head coaching job.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets have requested interviews for Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, Seahawks assistant head coach Tom Cable, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Of these candidates, Kubiak and Cable have previous head coaching experience. Kubiak coached the Texans from 2006-2013 and Cable coached the Raiders from 2008-2010.

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What we know: Lions nose tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on Aaron Rodgers' injured left calf during Green Bay's 30-20 victory over Detroit.

What we don't know: Was the act intentional?

That's something only Suh knows, though his track record could prevent folks from giving him the benefit of the doubt in this instance. Suh does appear to look at Rodgers, down on the ground after throwing a pass, before taking a step backward on to his affected calf. Judge for yourself by watching th clip.

What Suh did wasn't a vicious stomp. But given his history, Suh very well could have done his part to try and hide his intent by making it seem more innocent than it was.

One thing's for sure, regardless of what it looked like, Packers coach Mike McCarthy wasn't pleased to find out Suh was stepping on his quarterback's injured calf.

“I didn't see it live, I didn't see it on the (scoreboard), but from what I'm told, I'm told it was ridiculous,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said, via The Detroit Free Press. “There's no place for that. That's where I'm at with it. I don't understand it, frankly.”

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Quarterback Kyle Orton has announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons with five teams.

Orton spent the 2014 season with the Buffalo Bills after signing with them late in the preseason. He started 12 games and posted a 7-5 record after relieving E.J. Manuel, who got off to a poor start to the year.

“I just have been going at it for 10 years and it’s just a family decision and I’ve decided to get home and be a dad and call it a day,” Orton said in a press release.

Orton was drafted by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. After four years with Chicago, Orton bounced around to the Broncos, Chiefs, Cowboys and Bills. He'll conclude his career with 18,037 yards, 101 touchdowns and 69 interceptions.

Follow me on Twitter: @JasonHButt