Category: NFL

Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) walks off the field with wide receiver Davante Adams (17) after the game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Reports: Jets decide on Darren Mougey as new GM

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New York Jets are hiring Darren Mougey as their new general manager, according to multiple reports on Saturday.

Mougey, 39, has been with the Denver Broncos’ organization since 2012 and was assistant general manager the past three seasons. He is the NFL’s third youngest GM.

Mougey’s hiring comes in the same week the Jets hired Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. New York just finished a 5-12 season in which they missed the playoffs for the 14th straight season.

Mougey will face a tough decision right at the outset of his tenure — deciding whether to retain or part ways with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Mougey knows the quarterback position well. He was a promising quarterback recruit as part of San Diego State’s 2004 class, redshirted his first season and backed up Kevin O’Connell — now head coach of the Minnesota Vikings — the next two seasons.

He spent the final two seasons (2007-08) of his college career as a receiver.

Mougey joined the Broncos as a scouting intern in 2012 and advanced up the organization until landing the assistant GM job.

The Jets interviewed 15 general manager candidates during their search.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard watches a play against Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024.

Report: Kelvin Sheppard replaces Aaron Glenn as Lions’ DC

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The Detroit Lions have filled one of their open coordinator positions, elevating linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator, NFL Media reported on Saturday.

Sheppard, 37, takes over for Aaron Glenn, who left to become the head coach of the New York Jets on Wednesday following the Lions’ divisional-round playoff loss to the Washington Commanders last weekend.

When Glenn took over as Detroit’s DC in 2021, Sheppard came on board and has spent the last four seasons learning under the former three-time Pro Bowl defensive back and 15-year NFL veteran.

Sheppard, who played linebacker for eight NFL seasons, including his final season with Detroit in 2018, served as director of player development at LSU — where he played college football — in 2020 before returning to the Motor City.

Detroit remains in search of an offensive coordinator to replace Ben Johnson, who took over head coaching duties with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) is tackled by Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Commanders DT Daron Payne (knee/thumb) ruled out vs. Eagles

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The Washington Commanders downgraded starting defensive tackle Daron Payne from questionable to out for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the host Philadelphia Eagles.

Payne, 27, missed practice all week because of a knee injury. He also is dealing with a finger injury after playing with a dislocated thumb in playoff victories over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions.

In another move Saturday, the Commanders elevated defensive tackle Carl Davis as well as cornerback Kevon Seymour from the practice squad to the active roster.

Washington, which split two regular-season games against its NFC East rival, is tasked with trying to contain Philadelphia’s star running back Saquon Barkley — now without Payne.

Payne has 42 tackles this season, including four sacks and five tackles for loss, as well as seven quarterback hits. A Pro Bowl selection in 2022 when he had career highs with 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks, Payne also was on the 2018 NFL All-Rookie team.

He has 386 career tackles, 34 sacks, 58 tackles for loss, 73 QB hits, one interception, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 115 games (109 starts). Payne has started every game since the 2020 season.

Washington selected him with the 13th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Alabama.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder (L) and president Jason Wright (R) pose for a photo before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Report: Commanders’ success is ‘killing’ ex-owner Dan Snyder

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Growing up in Maryland, Dan Snyder loved the Washington NFL team. His passion for the club only grew when his father scraped together the cash to buy tickets to take his young son to a game.

That’s according to an ESPN report on Saturday, which chronicles the life of Snyder since he was forced by his fellow NFL owners to sell his beloved Commanders.

Since that sale was completed before the 2023 NFL season, Snyder and his wife have abandoned their life on the East Coast, moving to London. They are divesting themselves of their megamansion properties in the D.C. area, donating one to charity and trying to sell another, in favor of living on their yacht or in a hotel as they await renovations being done on their future home in London.

The Commanders, now owned by a group put together by Josh Harris and his Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, will play Sunday in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, seeking their first Super Bowl berth since after the 1991 season — a game Washington never reached under Snyder’s stewardship.

It’s a good bet Snyder won’t be watching rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Commanders from across the pond.

“He f—ing hates it,” ESPN reported a Snyder colleague saying of the Commanders’ success under a new off-field and on-field regime.

Snyder sold the team for a record $6.05 billion, minus a $60 million fine assessed by the NFL for a variety of improprieties that included instigating sexual harassment, running a toxic workplace and withholding revenue from the league.

Now 60, Snyder bought the team in 1999 for $800 million. He and his representatives declined to speak to ESPN for the story.

In the end of his regime, he was forced by fellow owners to list the team for sale, and he thought the $6 billion pricetag he attached would be out of reach for prospective buyers. Then, Harris showed up, and he and his partners were able to piece together the money.

But he tried to get a reprieve and cancel the deal at the last hour before its closing on July 20, 2023. Per ESPN, Snyder refused to hand over his bank account number for a transfer of funds to complete the sale before he finally relented. His confidantes until the end included Super Bowl-winning coach Joe Gibbs, a longtime ally, who finally convinced Snyder that letting the sale go through was for the good of the team and the fans.

“We don’t get the Commanders if not for Joe Gibbs,” said Tad Brown, the CEO of the Harris group, per ESPN.

Snyder’s business dealings with the Commanders remain under investigation in the United States. Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue recently called Snyder “the worst owner in the history of the National Football League,” per ESPN.

Snyder has registered an investment firm in England and is conducting business from there. Rumors reportedly persist that he is looking to buy an English Premier League team — something one ESPN source shot down.

“He isn’t a fan of other sports,” the source said. “He’s a fan of the [Commanders]. That was the biggest thing.”

Another source said Snyder still his “in denial” about that everything that led up to his departure from the NFL ownership ranks.

“Sadness — for himself,” the source said of Snyder’s attitude. “It’s killing him. … It’s devastating for him.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) warms up before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Titans coach: QB Shedeur Sanders makes ‘really good first impression’

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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, expected to hear his name called early in the 2025 NFL Draft in April, is making the rounds at the East-West Shrine Bowl location but won’t play in the college All-Star game.

Instead, he’s taking part in meetings at the game site in Denton, Texas, giving NFL team officials a chance to gain insight into the former Colorado quarterback.

Count Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan among those who are impressed with Sanders, whose father is Pro Football Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders and was his college coach.

“You can tell he’s been raised right,” said Callahan, per the Titans’ website. “He’s mature, he has a really poised way about him, and he seems like a really good kid. I enjoyed talking to him. And, you could tell he’s a guy who has been in the spotlight. He knows how to handle himself, he’s been paid money, so he has a financial perspective.

“It was a really good first impression.”

The Titans have the No. 1 pick in the draft and likely are looking to move on from quarterback Will Levis, whether through the draft or free agency.

ESPN reported Saturday that the meeting with the Titans included a FaceTime call with Deion Sanders. Per the report, he also met with the Cleveland Browns, who have the No. 2 pick, and the New York Giants, who will select third. Those teams also have a quarterback on their wish lists.

The Shrine Bowl, set to be played Thursday, is the first chance for teams to get a look at players. There’s also the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, which opens a month from now in Indianapolis.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Sanders played in 13 games in the 2024 season, completing 74 percent of his passes (353 of 477) for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

“The thing that stands out the most is his toughness,” Callahan said of Sanders. “He took some pretty big shots and he kept rolling. He can stand in the pocket and deliver it. He can move and create a bit, he has some ability to move out the pocket, and he does create on his own. He’s not a high-end dynamic scrambler necessarily, but he is productive when he does. And he really has a good feel for anticipation and timing, you can tell he’s been coached in that regard. Those things show up on tape.”

Another top quarterback, Cam Ward of Miami, is not at the Shrine Bowl.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. lists Sanders and Ward 1-2 in his ranking of top quarterbacks.

–Field Level Media

Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) runs with the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Rams GM open to extension for RB Kyren Williams

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Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams enjoyed a career season and is heading into the final year of his rookie contract.

With that in mind, Rams general manager Les Snead sounds like a man who is open to discussing an extension for his star running back.

“I think that’s something that’s going to be on the plate,” Snead said on Friday. “He would be someone that after three years you could begin discussing, let’s call it, renegotiating, starting anew. Because I do think Kyren is someone who is a Ram and has a very impactful role for us.”

Williams, 24, created quite the impact in 2024, recording career highs in carries (316), rushing yards (1,299) and rushing touchdowns (14). He has rushed for 2,582 yards and totaled 31 touchdowns (26 rushing, five receiving) in 38 games since being selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Williams also became the third Rams player age 24 or younger to have at least 27 scrimmage touchdowns in a two-year span, joining Todd Gurley (40, 2017-18) and Hall of Fame member Eric Dickerson (34, 1983-84).

“When you look at it and you have an evaluation of your roster and it starts with those free agents or those guys that based on their contract status, what does that look like for you moving forward? You sit down and you say, ‘All right, let’s put this puzzle together,’” Rams coach Sean McVay said Thursday.

“It is an imperfect thing, but we try our best to make the best decisions for the football team. I’m really proud of the body of work that Kyren has put together, what he represents, and all the different things that we really want to be about as a football team. He’s checking a lot of those boxes. I think that’s certainly something that will be discussed as well.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets coach Robert Saleh reacts against the Minnesota Vikings in the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

49ers bring back Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator

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A day after The Athletic reported that the San Francisco 49ers were about to stage a reunion with Robert Saleh, the club announced Friday that the former New York Jets head coach is returning to his old job as defensive coordinator.

The 49ers tweeted, “ALL GAS, NO BRAKE. WELCOME HOME, ROBERT SALEH.”

Saleh led the Jets for three-plus seasons before a 2-3 start led to his firing in October. He posted a 20-36 record in New York, never guiding the team to the playoffs.

Saleh, 45, served as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator from 2017-20 — the beginning of current 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure. San Francisco got to the Super Bowl following the 2019 season before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs.

After he was fired in New York, Saleh worked as a Green Bay Packers consultant late in the 2024 season.

The 49ers fired defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen this month after he was in the role only one season. San Francisco allowed the fourth-most points in the NFL this season, 25.6 points per game, despite allowing the eighth fewest yards per contest, 317.4.

Saleh began his career as assistant coach at Michigan State, Central Michigan and Georgia before arriving in the NFL as a defensive intern for the Texans in 2005. He stayed in Houston through 2010, then was part of the Seattle Seahawks’ staff (2011-13) and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff (2014-16).

The 49ers, who lost another Super Bowl to the Chiefs following the 2023 season, slipped to 6-11 and last place in the NFC West in 2024.

–Field Level Media

Jul 30, 2024; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer during training camp at the River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Cowboys promote OC Brian Schottenheimer to head coach

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Brian Schottenheimer has not been a head coach at any level, but Dallas’ offensive coordinator agreed to terms on Friday to replace Mike McCarthy and become the 10th head coach in Cowboys history.

The son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, Brian Schottenheimer served as an assistant under McCarthy the past three seasons. He joined the Cowboys as an analyst in 2022 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023 when Kellen Moore was fired.

Moore, currently the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator, was also in the running to succeed McCarthy and participated in a virtual interview last week.

Schottenheimer, 51, also beat out former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Seattle Seahawks assistant Leslie Frazier, who interviewed for the role. Saleh was hired on Friday as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator.

Schottenheimer is the third Dallas assistant to be promoted to head coach under team owner Jerry Jones, joining Dave Campo and Jason Garrett.

The Cowboys have favored offensive coaches under Jones, who hired McCarthy in 2020 to replace Garrett. Garrett was head coach in Dallas from 2010-19. He took over for Wade Phillips, who spent most of 3 1/2 seasons as coach after following Bill Parcells.

Schottenheimer has been an NFL assistant for more than 25 years. He did not hold play-calling responsibilities with the Cowboys under McCarthy.

McCarthy broke into the NFL in 1993 as a quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, working for Marty Schottenheimer. In 1998, Brian Schottenheimer became an offensive assistant on the same coaching staff.

–Field Level Media

Peppers takes the stand in his own defense. New England Patriots captain Jabrill Peppers on pleads guilty to cocaine possession before his domestic assault case in Quincy District Court after an October 4, 2024 incident in Braintree. Thursday, January 23, 2025 Greg Derr/ The Patriot Ledger Pool

Patriots S Jabrill Peppers acquitted of assault, battery

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New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was acquitted in his assault and battery trial on Friday in Boston.

Peppers was accused of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and testified in the trial Thursday and Friday. He said on the stand that his accuser had fabricated her claims and claimed “she was trying to do all this to mess up my career.”

A woman had alleged Peppers grabbed her, slammed her against a wall and choked her at an apartment in Braintree, Mass. Part of Peppers’ defense involved showing video from the night of the incident showing him asking her repeatedly to leave his home.

The accuser was cross-examined on Thursday, when the extent of her injuries was questioned. She had also filed a civil suit seeking as much as $9.5 million from Peppers, which Peppers’ attorney Marc Brofsky brought back up in court.

The jury revealed their verdict of not guilty on Friday.

“I had to be quiet for three months,” Peppers told reporters in a video posted by WCVB outside the courthouse. “This was all I could think about. This was the first time in my life where football wasn’t the most important thing on my mind. I had to just sit through everybody pouring dirt on my name. Everybody, for the most part, actually thinking that I did these things. But, to me, crimes against children and women are the most egregious things that you could do. And to be accused of that, it just hurt.”

Peppers pled guilty to possession of cocaine on Thursday ahead of the domestic violence trial. Per the Boston Globe, that charge was “continued without finding” and will be dropped if he remains out of trouble for the next four months.

Peppers, 29, missed seven games in the 2024 season while on the commissioner’s exempt list. He returned in December and played two games before multiple injuries sidelined him. The starting safety appeared in just six games in his eighth NFL season.

–Field Level Media