NFL News: Friday, January, 27th

There are still three very important NFL games set to take place over the next few weeks, but just four teams are left standing in the postseason. The rest of the league is already starting to look to next season, and that includes trying to fill out a coaching staff. 

NFL teams fire head coaches more often than any other league, and there has been plenty of movement already this offseason. Here are some of the biggest news stories surrounding the NFL, especially when it comes to coaching hires or changes.

Panthers Hire Reich; Replacing Wilks

The Carolina Panthers came into the offseason needing a full-time head coach, but they already had a great candidate on staff. Steve Wilks led the team to a 6-6 record while taking over the job on an interim basis, and many around the organization were hopeful that he would get the head coaching position. 

Carolina fired Matt Rhule early in the 2022 season, and they are now moving in a completely different direction. Frank Reich has been chosen as the new head coach in Carolina, and the team is expected the move on Monday. 

Wilks currently has an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL for his firing by the Arizona Cardinals, and his lawyers released a statement after he was passed up. The Panthers went with Reich because he has an offensive background in the NFL, and every other coach in team history has been from the defensive side of the ball. 

It’s unclear if Wilks and his company will add the most recent decision to the lawsuit or if anything else will be made of the situation. Either way, it will be Frank Reich that is now leading a new team after being fired by the Indianapolis Colts just a few months ago. 

Cowboys Catch a Break

The Dallas Cowboys are not a team that is looking for a new head coach, as owner Jerry Jones has announced that Mike McCarthy will return as head coach. There were some concerns that Dallas would be looking for a new defensive coordinator, but that won’t be the case either. 

Dan Quinn has informed the team that he plans to return to Dallas next season despite interviewing with three teams. Quinn was one of the top choices in Carolina, Arizona, and Denver, but his desire is to remain with the Cowboys. 

McCarthy spoke highly of Quinn at the end of the season, but that wasn’t the case with some of the other top assistants. Keeping Quinn on board might mean that other coaches are going to get fired, as Dallas is still trying to get over the hump. 

Jets Hire Hackett

The New York Jets were looking for a new offensive coordinator after firing Mike LaFleur at the end of the season. LaFleur struggled to get command of that offense in his first season in New York and has moved on to pursue opportunities in other franchises. 

New York head coach Robert Saleh interviewed more than a dozen candidates for the opening and decided to go with Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett was fired by the Denver Broncos earlier this season after a rough season as head coach. 

Hackett had plenty of success with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive coordinator, and the Jets are hoping for similar results.

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All Media on this page by Associated Press.