It’s almost Thanksgiving, and you gave me a lot to chew on. Let’s go …
From Noah Redstone (@oboenoah): Why does it seem like all you guys in the media have it out for Mike McDaniel?… yes, he’s made mistakes as an HC but the rosters he’s been given have been less than ideal.
Noah, I think you have the wrong guy. In the 20 seasons before Mike McDaniel’s arrival in Miami, the Dolphins made the playoffs twice. He got to the postseason in each of his first two years. Their 11 wins in 2023 tied for the most by a Dolphins team since 1990. Then, last year, the team got old, the locker room went sideways and they fell to 8–9. This year, questions swirled on McDaniel’s hold on the locker room, injuries and age hit, GM Chris Grier was fired and the Dolphins dealt away one of their best players at the trade deadline.
That’s where the team was going into the second weekend of November. Then, they beat a mighty Bills team that just seemed to be catching its stride, made a trip to Spain and outlasted the Commanders in overtime. So clearly, the team has not quit on McDaniel.
To me, that should have a material effect on how you look at McDaniel—a 42-year-old in his fourth year as a head coach who can clearly build and call an offense, and develop and maximize a quarterback, traits that are as important in the NFL as they ever have been.
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Now, whether he survives January is another question. The Dolphins are working on replacing Grier, and where the GM search leads owner Stephen Ross will obviously impact McDaniel’s future. Cap chief Brandon Shore could factor into all this, too, in that more teams (Lions, Rams) have empowered people in his role and gone to a sort of three-headed model to lead football operations.
If Shore and McDaniel are on the same page, and the team acquits itself well down the stretch, might it make the most sense to drop a GM into that setup to lead scouting, be that the current interim (Champ Kelly) or someone else? Or would Ross simply favor someone, through the process of interviewing GM candidates, who would keep McDaniel?
There are a lot of layers to this one. But I think the key here is that, given the chance to reset completely when Grier was let go and give well-regarded DC Anthony Weaver a trial run, Ross chose to stick with McDaniel. I’ve heard he’d heard people say McDaniel would eventually be a really good “second chance” head coaching candidate, and listened to it.
So maybe McDaniel’s first chance will last a little while longer.
From David Pearl (@dajpearl): Who do the Seahawks look to as quarterback next year?
David, I can’t tell if this is a trick question. Am I being trolled?
Sam Darnold is seventh in the NFL in passer rating, even after a rough Sunday in Inglewood, seventh in passing yards and 10th in touchdown passes (even though he’s already had his bye week), and first in yards per attempt (9.3). He’s had two games with a passer rating under 85 all year, and has been over 110 in that category in six of 10 games. He’s still just 28 years old, and he’s under contract at a relatively affordable rate for two more years.
Now, does he have a Rams problem? Last year, as a Viking, he was sacked nine times in a blowout playoff loss to Los Angeles. Last week, he avoided that problem, but looked rushed for most of the game, and wound up throwing four picks. So it’s fair to say that Rams DC Chris Shula has his number, and he’ll have a lot to prove on Dec. 18.
That, though, is hardly enough for me to put together some list of replacements for him.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams
The Bears continue to roll under quarterback Caleb Williams. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
From Logan Franz (@LivingLikeLogan): I'm definitely enjoying 7–3 but also still waiting for the other shoe to drop on the Bears’ season. Is this team for real?
Logan, I think this is one of those pixie dust runs for the Bears—five of their seven wins have come by five points or fewer—and I’d enjoy it if I were you.
So what pieces of that are sustainable for the long term? I like their balance this year. I don’t think there are discernible weaknesses on the roster anymore, so there’s a lot of good work being done by GM Ryan Poles and his group. Ben Johnson’s also instilled a physicality that’s a little reminiscent of his Lions background, just in the violence and speed with which they play.
The interesting thing to me is that what could push this thing to the next level is the guy they drafted with the No. 1 pick, who’s been up and down through 10 games. Caleb Williams has made a bunch of big plays in comeback wins—his two big scrambles against the Giants and his seam throw to Colston Loveland against the Bengals were nails—but he’s also battled some inconsistency (he’s failed to complete 60% of his passes in six of his past seven games).
This is still his first year under Johnson, whose ability to maximize a quarterback was a calling card, so I’d advise having some level of patience with him. Williams was pretty raw coming out of USC, more so than a lot of folks thought, and there’s clearly a high level of ability to harvest there. If Johnson can do that on the fly, and he turns corners as we approach the winter months, the sky’s the limit for that Chicago team.
From Douglas (@KistnerKev28995): Do you think Robert Saleh becomes a HC in the 2026 season or likely returns to SF? If he leaves, who are some candidates that could replace him? Gus Bradley? Jeff Ulbrich?
Douglas, I think Saleh is at least going to elicit interest, and may well land a job. He’ll interview well, he’s very close with a lot of the Shanahan-McVay tree offensive coaches (so finding a good OC won’t be a chore), and he’ll be able to energize a franchise that’s fallen on hard times. I could see the Titans or the Giants taking a long look at him, paired potentially with a Mike McDaniel (if he doesn’t make it in Miami) or Mike LaFleur to run the offense.
If Saleh’s out, I know current Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich would be very high on Shanahan’s list. Whether he actually becomes available is another question. He likely won’t. So my guess is Gus Bradley, who’s currently in-house in San Francisco, would probably be the guy. Shanahan has grown to really like him, and he’d be able to take the baton pretty easily from Saleh, whom he mentored years ago.
From Adam Shea (@sheaitisnotso): Do you think the NFL would ever go to college hashes? It would make field goal kicking a lot harder when they have to angle.
Adam, I like your idea on making kicks more difficult, but I tend to doubt it. To me, the size and speed of NFL players shrinks the field enough. Making the boundary side smaller might make a good percentage of the grass very difficult to access for the offense without a ton of benefit going back on the field side.
From EL Tray (@el_travs): Are Kliff Kingsbury's head coaching chances going the way of Bobby Slowik or are teams in need of a coach chalking the offensive decline up to injuries?
El Tray, I don’t think so. And I think you are right to point at the injuries, which the Commanders for the most part avoided in 2024. Jayden Daniels has been in and out of the lineup. Terry McLaurin, too. Austin Ekeler’s out for the year. And the defense has been leaky, forcing the offense to play from behind a lot—the Commanders have lost six straight, and the four before Sunday’s OT defeat to Miami each came by 20 or more points.
The circumstances are much different this year than they were last year. So would there be some concern that the NFL caught up to Kingsbury’s offense? You’d have to investigate it, of course, but I’d say if you liked him before this year, then you probably should still like him now, given all the external factors that have hit his offense this year.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones
49ers quarterback Mac Jones could make sense for the Vikings if they choose to create competition for J.J. McCarthy. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
vFrom Ed Coghlan (@EdCoghlan): Who do you think will pursue Mac Jones in the offseason? What will it cost?
Ed, this is a great question. The first thing you have to remember is that you’re trading not just players, but contracts. And Jones is under contract for $4.66 million for 2026. Having a starting quarterback at that number in today’s NFL is basically stealing. Add in the chance to franchise tag Jones in 2027 if things go really well, and there’s a ton of value there for a team looking for a bridge quarterback that they can win with.
So where could he go? I’d look at teams such as the Vikings, Dolphins and Cardinals (the latter pending any potential coaching changes). In the case of Minnesota, it’d be a way to bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy and provide a layer of insurance at an affordable rate for a loaded roster, should McCarthy not ascend through the rest of this season. In the case of the other two, Jones would be an affordable scheme fit that could help those teams detach from expensive quarterbacks who have one year left of heavy guarantees.
Putting all that together, could the Niners get, say, a Day 2 pick in 2026 and maybe a conditional Day 3 pick in 2027 for Jones? It’s not out of the question.
From Rich King (@NYGKing129): Who is the favorite for New York Giants’ head coach?
Too early to say, Rich, but they’ll cast a wide net.
Remember, the Giants have basically struck out in every form and fashion on coaches over the past decade, failing with the promising young offensive guru (Ben McAdoo), the quarterback-centric retread (Pat Shurmur), the CEO/program leader (Joe Judge) and, most recently, another offensive guru (Brian Daboll). So they aren’t going to eliminate anything out of hand, with the two months of runway they’ve given themselves.
One thing I do think is interesting to consider, though, is that the Giants’ greatest successes of the past half century came under coaches who were barely coordinators, on either side of the ball, at all. Bill Parcells spent two years as Giants defensive coordinator before being elevated in 1983, and Tom Coughlin’s seven years as an NFL assistant were all spent as a position coach (he became Boston College’s head coach from there, then went to the Jaguars, then the Giants). Those guys weren’t known as tacticians. They were five-star generals.
Just something to keep in mind as we get closer to the end of the year (I also wouldn’t dismiss interim Mike Kafka’s ability to win the job over the next month and a half).
From kcchiefsjunky (@kcchiefsjunky): What are the chances Travis Kelce signs an extension with K.C. and doesn’t retire?
KC, I wouldn’t venture a guess. I just know he loves football, and he’s always struck me as a guy who, for all the noise around him now, will go until the wheels fall off.
From Jon Herman (@JPH878): I’m pushing for the Vikings to bring in Drew Brees with a blank check to work with McCarthy on mechanics and accuracy. Yes or no? Or, bring in an exorcist to remove “I call him 9,” because he’s been bad since making this public.
Jon, I get your concern. But he’s got a really good mechanics coach in John Beck, whom I think can be trusted.
Broncos offensive pass game coordinator Davis Webb
Broncos offensive pass game coordinator Davis Webb could be a candidate for a head coaching position. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
From Chris guerard (@guerard_chris): Who are some lesser-known position coaches or coordinators that will probably get some head coaching interviews?
Chris, if I had to come up with a few guys that are a little further under the radar (and haven’t previously interviewed for head coaching jobs):
Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke, Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Buccaneers linebackers coach Larry Foote, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
From AJ Goncalves (@AJISDAWAY): Realistically, how many coaching jobs do you see being open this cycle? Also, are there any college coaches you are watching who might take the leap to the pros?
Let’s say seven. And check out last week’s mailbag for some candidates from the college level. We dove into those there.
From Jimmy T (@jimmy_tomredle): If the Giants pick top three in the 2026 NFL draft, is there a strong chance they look to trade down and stack up on more draft capital?
Yes, Jimmy, and much of their ability to do so—and extract proper value for the pick—would come down to the state of the quarterback class, which is shaky right now. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson are probably the top two guys as it stands, and I’m not sure either has the physical skill set that teams will be climbing over one another to land. We shall see.
From ledtear (@ledtear): Odds Pete Carroll is coaching the Raiders next season?
Led, I think he will be, but I’m not certain of it. What’s important from here on out is that young players on the roster (Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, Jack Bech, DJ Glaze, etc.) are continuing to develop. If that’s not happening, all bets are off.
From Dominic Lepage (@dom2619): Where is Ed Policy’s line between firing or giving extensions to Gutey and LaFleur? Playoffs? Conference final? Super Bowl? What’s the feel around the league?
Dominic, I’d be surprised if Matt LaFleur isn’t the Packers’ coach in 2026, and even more surprised if Brian Gutekunst isn’t the general manager. That said, Green Bay did decline to extend those two guys in the offseason, which means both will be headed into contract years next season. And, generally, that’s decision time—you either extend guys in those positions at that point or cut bait, rather than have them working into the final season of a deal.
From Dustin Hunley (@DHSportsFan): Do the Cowboys have any chance of going on a run to the playoffs with the tough remaining schedule ahead of them?
Dustin, I dove in on the Cowboys in my Tuesday notes. I love how they looked defensively Monday night, regardless of the opponent. I think it gives them hope, and makes Sunday’s game against the Eagles very, very interesting.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make his first NFL start against the Raiders on Sunday. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
From Sami Mamou (@SamiMamou_): I beg of you. Bring some reason to the rookie third-string QB, behind a rookie second-string QB, not getting first-team reps conversation.
Sami, this is pretty simple. The Browns view Shedeur Sanders, who will make his first start against the Raiders on Sunday, as a developmental prospect, and are treating him the way a lot of teams treat Day 3 draft picks who have a ways to go. Generally, you don’t just throw those guys starter reps in-season—you only have so many reps to go around, with the rules restricting all of that, and so you’re going to use those to get the guys who are actually playing ready to play on a week-to-week basis.
The simplest way to look at this, to me, is to go back to your own experience (in any sport). In high school, do you remember a lot of mixing and matching backups with starters in practice as you got ready for a game? Or do you remember the starters working together to build chemistry and get to the highest level they could before the game, while the backups gave them a look? It really is that simple. I don’t know what’s so hard to grasp about it.
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