Author: nfltalk

SAN FRANCISCO — As the Seattle Seahawks piled out of their charter jet and descended down flights of stairs to the tarmac at San Jose Mineta International Airport, there were few camera phones in the hands of players and even less pomp or vanity in their swagger. It was a little past 5:30 p.m. Standard issue gray sweats were the overwhelming choice of attire. And the mission appeared to be swift: Get off one plane. Get on four busses. Get this show on the road.

Among Super Bowl arrivals, it was a standard issue “business trip.”

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In the midst of the transit, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold went to one bus. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak went to another, joining the team’s coaching staff and traveling personnel. Soon enough, the parting of their company will become more permanent, with Kubiak expected to reach an agreement to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders shortly after the Super Bowl. For the Seattle faithful, this was the bittersweet note that hung in the air Sunday, whether you were milling about in San Francisco — where the NFL is prepping for a multitude of events surrounding the game — or 40 miles to the south in San Jose, trying to catch a glimpse of the Seahawks’ airport touch down.

This Seattle roster and staff is on the doorstep of the ultimate goal, and the band is already headed for a breakup of sorts. This happens, of course. Kubiak and Darnold are certainly not the first coordinator and quarterback tandem to head into a Super Bowl knowing that divergent paths are coming. We’ve seen it happen four times in the past eight Super Bowls — three times with the Philadelphia Eagles, with Frank Reich (LII), Shane Steichen (LVII) and Kellen Moore (LIX), and once with the Los Angeles Rams and Kevin O’Connell (LVI).

Kubiak is expected to make it five in nine after Sunday. And when he departs, it will leave Darnold entering the 2026 season with his eighth — eighth — different offensive coordinator in nine NFL…

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The NFL hiring cycle is as robust as it’s been in recent memory. In all, 10 openings popped up across the league this go-around, meaning over 30% of franchises were looking for new head coaches.

When we look at the array of openings, they are quite different. On the one hand, teams like the Browns, Giants, Raiders, Titans and Cardinals all fired their head coaches — some midseason — after years that left them with some of the league’s worst records and in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Then, there are clubs like the Bills, Ravens and Steelers that moved on from their head coaches after their tenures — which were considered successful overall — ran stale and failed to meet expectations.

Now, each of those teams will have new faces leading their organizations into what they all hope will be a brighter tomorrow. With nine of the coaching positions filled and one more expected to be finalized after the Super Bowl, let’s begin rolling out our grades for each hire.

Kevin Stefanski: B+

The new brain trust in Atlanta, headlined by president of football Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski, is quite powerful.

With Stefanski, he found himself in a quarterback tornado as head coach of the Browns, particularly over the last few seasons — beginning with the arrival of Deshaun Watson and double-dipping in last year’s draft with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

Even with that instability under center, Stefanski was still able to win two NFL Coach of the Year awards (2020 and 2023), so he comes to the Falcons with a strong reputation.

Similar to the Browns, however, Stefanski’s tenure could be defined by how he develops…

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Welcome to the Sunday of our discontent.

That is because for the first time in months, there is no football on today. No Cleveland Browns game to stress over. No RedZone channel to watch. No prop bets to keep an eye on. Nothing.

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But have no fear, loyal readers, because we have a few recommendations if you need your football fix, although they are of the college variety.

If you are looking for something to watch, Saturdays in the South: A History of SEC Football is well worth your time. The eight-part, 12-hour documetary from Emmy-winning director Fritz Mitchell traces the history of the best college football conference from its post Civil War beginnings up through Nick Saban’s reign at Alabama.

If reading is more your style, then check out Jay Busbee’s Iron in the Blood: How the Alabama vs. Auburn Rivalry Shaped the Soul of the South. The book chronicles the history of the Iron Bowl, with plent of familiar names along the way.

Now that we have your day settled, let’s turn our attention to the Cleveland Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow.

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Dawgs By NatureCleveland BrownsNFL

Kickoff returns rise after rule tweaks. Concussions, too. (Washington Post) – The NFL has put the kickoff return back into the game, as demonstrated when Rashid Shaheed began the Seattle Seahawks’ lopsided victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But there is more tinkering to be done, particularly as it relates to the attempt to curb concussions.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is currently preparing for the biggest game of his life, Super Bowl LX, but not everything is going as smooth as he probably would’ve liked. The starting QB and one of this year’s MVP favorites showed up on the team’s injury report just over a week before they face the Seattle Seahawks in the big game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Maye was limited on Thursday with a shoulder injury and did not practice on Friday, with his coach Mike Vrabel saying No. 10 would’ve been out there if not for the illness.

Backup Josh Dobbs took first team reps in Maye’s place on Friday. 

Patriots QB Drake Maye could become ‘one of the best to ever play,’ ex-UNC coach Mack Brown believes

Brad Crawford

Maye and Vrabel have both addressed the injury this week and the overarching messaging from both is at this time of the year, no one is at 100 percent, but the expectation is he will be ready to go on Sunday, February 8.

The 2024 No. 3 overall pick admitted he was dealing with “bumps and bruises” after the AFC Championship road win against the Denver Broncos and this week said “I feel good.”

On Thursday, Vrabel was asked how much concern he has about Maye’s health to which he responded, “not much.”

The severity of the injury is not known, so there is no need to hit the panic button just yet, but way-too-soon overreactions are what football fans are best at. One concern Patriots Nation has is whether Maye’s shoulder will be able to last all game. As a mobile…

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Before new Buffalo Bills’ head coach Joe Brady took the stage to address the media during his introductory press conference, social media was buzzing over the news that Josh Allen, Buffalo’s dynamic quarterback, was seen with a walking boot on his right foot and using crutches to get around.

Turns out, Allen needed surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot and that the reigning NFL MVP had played through an injury late in the regular season and into the playoffs.

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During his own press conference with the media, Allen revealed the extent of the injury and offered up his thoughts on the Bills promoting Brady from offensive coordinator to become the 21st head coach in franchise history.

Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by recapping the key takeaways from Allen’s press conference, including why Allen feels strongly that if “I make one more play that game in Denver, we’re probably not having this press conference right now.”

Josh Allen on his role in the coaching search and Buffalo’s latest postseason heartache

Once owner Terry Pegula and president of football operations Brandon Beane approached Allen with the idea of having him sit in on the head coaching interviews, Allen said he threw his all into the process and didn’t take the responsibility lightly. Allen said he brought a different perspective to the interviews, serving as the voice of Buffalo’s locker room.

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“How can players be their best when it comes down to Sunday, Monday, or Thursday – whenever we’re playing,” Allen said when asked to describe his approach to the questions he asked.

As for the broken bone in his foot, which was his fifth metatarsal, Allen had the procedure done in Birmingham, AL, on Monday. Beane described the injury as being “on the outer part of his foot.” The recovery time for the injury is between eight to 10 weeks. Allen said he doesn’t think the foot injury will impact his ability to workout when Buffalo’s…

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