Tag: Head Coach

Drew Brees on what coaches should do to help their quarterbacks

Drew Brees says hiring a head coach from an offensive background isn’t necessary to cultivate a young quarterback, but the best passers have positive influences:

Drew Brees has seen a thing or two in his football life, and he shared his thoughts on what teams should look for when hiring a new head coach during a recent appearance on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. Specifically, the legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback advocated for coaches with background working on the offensive side of the ball.

While Cowherd’s question focused on the Chicago Bears, who need a new coach to mentor and develop Caleb Williams, much of what Brees spoke about could soon apply to the Saints’ situation, too.

“Whether that’s an offensive head coach or that’s just someone who is really responsible for his growth and development, certainly you need that person,” Brees said. “And look that might be a veteran backup quarterback rather than relying on coach to be that person. At the end of the day what I think and every quarterback would tell you is that early in their career they needed someone to help them develop great habits, great discipline and great process.”

Derek Carr isn’t a youngster at quarterback, but he may not be long for New Orleans, either. The Saints haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since they picked Archie Manning way back in 1971, and that streak is going to end sooner or later. It might happen as soon as 2025 if their next head coach doesn’t plan on Carr running the offense.

And if that’s the case? It isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker for the head coach to come from an offensive background in order for a rookie quarterback to develop quickly. Like Brees said, someone needs to be there as a positive influence, whether it’s an experienced backup or a talented position coach.

We don’t know who will be coaching the Saints or the Bears in 2025. But if Brees is onto something here, both teams should be taking a hard look at the environments they’re creating for their quarterbacks, especially if New Orleans turns the page in next April’s NFL draft.

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Hall of Fame voters snub Mike Shanahan in favor of coach he beat in Super Bowl XXXII

Mike Holmgren, who lost Super Bowl XXXII to Mike Shanahan, has advanced over Shanahan as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In a huge shock, former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has been overlooked by voters for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Hall of Fame announced coach, contributor and senior finalists on Tuesday and Shanahan inexplicably did not make the cut. Ralph Hay (contributor), Mike Holmgren (coach) and Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer (seniors) have advanced in the voting process.

Shanahan, Dan Reeves, Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Clark Shaughnessy were the nine semifinalists in the coach category this year. Holmgren has advanced from that list with Shanahan being a massive snub.

Holmgren won one Super Bowl as a head coach and ironically, he lost Super Bowl XXXII to Shanahan’s Broncos following the 1997 season. Shanahan won two Super Bowls as a head coach.

The 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class will be announced during the “NFL Honors” on Feb. 6 before Super Bowl LIX.

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Mike Tomlin almost makes same mistake as recently fired Matt Eberflus

Mike Tomlin’s questionable timeout management in Week 13 eerily mirrored the mistake that cost Matt Eberflus his job in Chicago.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers were on a seemingly never-ending emotional rollercoaster in the first half of the team’s Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. After an awful missed call by the officials gifted Cincinnati a pick-six, fans were able to witness an impressive Steelers’ offensive resurgence, which put Pittsburgh up 27-21 at halftime.

However, a similar mistake that cost HC Matt Eberflus his job in Chicago almost repeated itself with poor time management to end the first half by none other than HC Mike Tomlin.

QB Russell Wilson led an impressive drive with less than two minutes in the first half, but poor usage of timeouts not only prevented the offense from scoring a TD, Tomlin’s last-second timeout call had fans thinking they’d see shades of Eberflus.

Some could argue that Tomlin’s poor time management skills cost the Pittsburgh Steelers their Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. However, the Black and Gold were fortunate to walk away with a Chris Boswell field goal to end the first half in Week 13.

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Former Wisconsin football assistant is now the Chicago Bears interim head coach

Former Wisconsin running back coach Thomas Brown was named interim head coach of the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

Former Wisconsin running back coach Thomas Brown was named interim coach of the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

The move follows the Bears firing of coach Matt Eberflus.

Brown, who had been serving as Chicago’s offensive coordinator since the team relieved Shane Waldron of his duties on Nov. 12, now inherits the most important responsibility on the team’s sidelines.

The decision to let go of Eberflus was nowhere near difficult for the Bears. The former Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator went 4-8 with Chicago this season, including six straight losses.

The latest defeat — a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving — prompted fans and leadership alike to scratch their heads. Eberflus failed to call a timeout in the final 30 seconds of Chicago’s last drive, a sequence that ultimately resulted in an incomplete pass to end the game.

Brown will take over a Bears team that entered the season with lofty expectations. After drafting former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick of the 2024 NFL draft, it appears the team has a franchise quarterback.

That, coupled with wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, was enough to convince the fan base that Chicago could wind up as a wild-card playoff team.

The opposite occurred. Chicago is fourth in the NFC North with an uphill battle ahead.

Brown’s connection to Wisconsin goes back to 2014. Under former Badgers coach Gary Anderson, Brown captained a running back room featuring 2014 Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon and future NFL running back Corey Clement.

Following his tenure at UW, Brown spent time as the running backs coach at Georgia (2015), Miami (Florida) (2016-18) and South Carolina (2019) before making the jump to the NFL level. There, he served Los Angeles Rams’ running backs coach in 2020 and assistant head coach from 2021-22 before being hired as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2023.

Brown assumed duties as the Bears’ passing game coordinator in 2024. Over the past month, he has been promoted twice.

The Bears are next on the field on Dec. 8 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Saints ranked as one of the least-attractive head coach openings

Bleacher Report argues the New Orleans Saints have one of the least-attractive head coach openings after firing Dennis Allen:

The Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus after one of the most disappointing end of game sequences you’ll ever see. He may have been on the way out regardless, but it may have expedited the process.

This makes Chicago the third vacancy created this season. The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints moved on from Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen earlier this year.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox took those three teams and added the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants.

From there, Knox ranked those teams based on attractiveness. The only team less attractive than the Saints was the Jets. What separated the Big Easy from the Big Apple? The Jets have been a revolving door at head coach. Meanwhile, Sean Payton was a long-term coach in New Orleans.

Granted, that’s what happens when you hire a good coach, but we’ll take anything that keeps the Saints out of last.

What keeps them from being higher? They don’t have a quarterback to carry them into the future. The roster as a whole is viewed as average beyond a few foundational pieces. There’s enough to build around here, but maybe not enough resources to build with, and the Saints may struggle to attract the top candidates on the market come hiring season.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid discusses the status of newly signed offensive lineman: ‘He looked healthy’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid discusses the status of left tackle D.J. Humphries: ‘He looked healthy’ | @EdEastonJr

During his press conference on Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the recent signing of veteran left tackle D.J. Humphries. He opened up about his status since practicing with the team and being ready to play soon.

“He looked healthy, moving around, felt good; it’s just a matter of him getting back in the swing,” said Reid. “Then also compounded with the offense, making sure he has the terminology down, and he’ll go from there.”

Humphries is a nine-year veteran who lost a year of his career to an ACL injury. He has had a solid reputation throughout his career and focuses on ramping up and playing a significant role in the postseason run.

“We’ll just play it by ear, I told him, ‘Let’s just keep the communication open,’ and we’ll figure it out,” said Reid. “That’s kind of what we’ve done with the other guys that have come in, and we’ll just keep open communication. He seems like a guy that’ll shoot you straight, so that’s what I expect.”

Reid has juggled rookie Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris at left tackle throughout the season with less-than-stellar results. The addition of a veteran tackle should help stabilize the position.

Surpassing the ‘interim bump’ must be a focus for Darren Rizzi

Darren Rizzi won his first two games as interim coach, but he is placing an emphasis on not letting the energy taper. They must sustain it past the interim bump:

When a team makes a change at head coach, that can sometimes lead to a jolt around the team. Renewed energy can make you feel like you’re watching a completely different team. That energy a lot of times, but not all the time, is temporary.

The New Orleans Saints moved on from Dennis Allen in the middle of the season and appointed Darren Rizzi the interim head coach. Since then, the Saints have won their last two contests.

The temporary nature of these jolts isn’t lost on Rizzi, and it’s his responsibility to ensure the momentum wasn’t temporary. He labels keeping energy steady a point of emphasis. Rizzi encouraged players to focus on “all the reasons we’ve done well the last two games.” Remain consistent on that and the hope is the results will the same as well.

As far as energy fading, Rizzi doesn’t see that as a concern this week. The energy and enthusiasm in the locker room remains high. Rizzi felt the team had one of their best practices on Tuesday. It just needs to translate and earn results on Sunday.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid joins Skechers All-Star Ambassador roster

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid joins Skechers All-Star Ambassador roster | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is one of the all-time winningest coaches in league history and is now the latest Skechers All-Star Ambassador. Reid appears in a Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins print campaign that illustrates the comfort and convenience of the brand’s innovative and effortless signature footwear collection.

“I tell our players to never get too comfortable mentally, but after standing on NFL sidelines for more than 30 years, I can very much appreciate being able to kick off—or slip in—to my shoes comfortably,” said Andy Reid in a statement. “Skechers knows comfort better than anyone, and these Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins are the best thing to ever happen in footwear! Who has time to worry about tying laces when we have games to win!”

Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins® RF: Durham – Delvor. Designed with championship-level comfort and convenience, this walking-friendly shoe features Skechers Exclusive Heel Pillow™. It securely holds the foot in place, making it easy to step right in and eliminating the need to bend down to tie shoelaces. The lace-up style also features a leather and synthetic upper for an elevated-looking exterior yet maintaining all-day comfort thanks to its Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam® cushioned insole.

Reid joins a team of global Skechers ambassadors, including music icon Snoop Dogg, lifestyle legend Martha Stewart, and former NFL stars such as Tony Romo and Howie Long. He will lead both the Chiefs and the next phase of his Skechers campaign, which will be announced in 2025.

Skechers x Andy Reid debut campaign, available on Skechers.com

Former Steelers All-Pro RB calls out fans over Mike Tomlin criticism

Former RB Le’Veon Bell defends Mike Tomlin amid rising calls for the Steelers’ head coach to be fired following the team’s Week 12 loss.

In what has resulted in a terrible Pittsburgh Steelers blame game, the team’s Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns has taken a toll on players and fans alike.

While much discussion over who is more directly responsible for the 24-19 loss to Cleveland has resulted in several prominent names being thrown under the bus, such as HC Mike Tomlin, OC Arthur Smith, QB Russell Wilson, and P Corliss Waitman, former Steelers All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell is sick of hearing it.

This blame game has recently turned into a Tomlin witch hunt, with fans calling for the head coach to be fired. Bell, who spent the majority of his career under Tomlin’s leadership, recently made it clear on social media that any fans calling for the coach’s firing are “not real Steelers fans.”

Out of everything Bell touched on, the truest statement he made is that everyone is clearly overreacting to the Steelers’ Week 12 loss. Within a few weeks, fans will forget this stinging defeat, and the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers can prove why the 2024 season will finally lead to a deep playoff run.

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2 ex-Broncos players fail to advance in Hall of Fame voting

The Broncos will not have any players added to the Hall of Fame in the 2025 class.

Former Denver Broncos defensive linemen Neil Smith and Simeon Rice are not among the 25 modern-era semifinalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. So the Broncos will not be represented by any players in next year’s class.

Smith, 58, spent the first nine years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Broncos in 1997. He won back-to-back Super Bowls in Denver and then finished his career with the San Diego Chargers.

Smith totaled 625 tackles, 104.5 sacks, 30 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries and four interceptions during his 13-year career.

Rice, 50, played five years with the Arizona Cardinals and then had a six-year run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl XXXVII with the Bucs. He spent part of his final year in the NFL with the Broncos in 2007.

Rice recorded 483 tackles, 122 sacks, 43 pass breakups, 28 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and five interceptions during his 12-year career.

Former coaches Mike Shanahan and the late Dan Reeves were previously named coach semifinalists for the 2025 class in October. The selection committee voted on a coach finalist yesterday, but the result is not expected to be announced until December.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan
  2. Coach Dan Reeves

The list of modern-era player semifinalists will be trimmed down to a finalists list later this fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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