ESPN's Jeremy Fowler told "The John Kincade Show" on Tuesday that some members of the Philadelphia Eagles aren't taking the team's decision to fire offensive coordinator Brian Johnson very well.
Staff members are upset about Brian Johnson being let go, says @JFowlerESPN.
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 23, 2024
“There’s some weird vibes out of there. I just don’t know that everybody on the staff is happy about everything that’s gone down – especially with Brian Johnson who was sort of caught in the middle.” pic.twitter.com/EwUNf48ufk
“We’ll see what other staff changes are made. I think there are people on the staff that may not want to be there because of some of the dysfunction that went on the last few months. It could go beyond a couple coordinators.”
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 23, 2024
- @JFowlerESPN via @975JKShow
Steph Chambers pic.twitter.com/uqcJ5ZETA7
Derrick Gunn first reported Monday that "all indications" were Johnson wouldn't be returning to the Eagles. That news was confirmed by a host of insiders on Tuesday morning.
The news on Johnson comes in the wake of the firing of defensive coordinator Sean Desai on Sunday and the recent decision to let go of defensive play-caller Matt Patricia. Philadelphia is now looking for a new offensive and defensive coordinator for the second straight season.
“I think the input on some of these staff changes is not strictly coach driven – where I think some other places the coach would have full autonomy over that. I don’t get the sense that’s the case in Philadelphia.”
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 23, 2024
- @JFowlerESPN on how the organization hires the coaching staff pic.twitter.com/M6THDsAqcc
The OC job for the Birds could be a tough sell for one reason, according to @JFowlerESPN.
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 23, 2024
“I think coaches know going in that this is a tough situation – especially on offense because you know Nick Sirianni is going to have major influence over the game plan.”
Steph Chambers pic.twitter.com/baUcyrpKRf
Following last year's run to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII, both offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon landed their first jobs as a head coach.
Steichen led the Indianapolis Colts to a 9-8 record and near-playoff berth, while Gannon went 4-13 with the Arizona Cardinals.
While the Eagles sideline may look different with new assistants and coordinators in 2024, it appears that head coach Nick Sirianni will be returning for another season.
The 36-year-old Johnson served as Philadelphia's quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 before being promoted to offensive coordinator when Steichen departed for Indianapolis. He's been interviewed for multiple head-coaching gigs this winter, including with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Mike Williams from the New York Jets at the 2024 trade deadline. The move provided immediate dividends, as the Steelers won a game against the Washington Commanders thanks to a catch from Mike Williams in his first career game with the Steelers. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of his time in Pittsburgh ,and now he's headed back to where it all started... Chargers sign third former Steeler of the Week, WR Mike Williams "BREAKING: The Chargers are signing WR Mike Williams to a 1-year deal worth up to $6M as he returns to Los Angeles — where he spent the first seven years of his career, sources tell NFL on FOX. Williams is back catching passes from Justin Herbert." - Jordan Schultz, Fox Sports In case you missed the first two, Donte Jackson and Najee Harris headed to the West Coast earlier in the week. Jackson will be a bit of an acquired taste in Los Angeles and for HC Jim Harbaugh. After receiving him in a trade that sent Diontae Jackson packing, many were skeptical of trading for an often-injured corner who is smaller and slighter than what the Steelers normally covet. Najee Harris averaged less than four yards per carry during his time with the Steelers, and he never had that second gear that Pittsburgh saw at Alabama. However, Harris also never played with a good offensive line and was asked to be the bell cow for an offense that changed running schemes multiple times. And still, he reached over 1,000 yards and five-plus rushing TDs every year in Pittsburgh, all the while not missing a start, much less a game. Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh has a type at RB, and Najee Harris fits that type. A road grader with a ton of durability and power, he’s exactly what the Chargers want their lead back to look like. So it’s a move that brings Najee Harris back to his home state of California and brings the Los Angeles Chargers closer to being the offense they want to be: A smashmouth team that throws off play action. As for Mike Williams, the familiarity with the Chargers and the fact that the team still has a need at the WR position made this move easy to see coming.
The Los Angeles Chargers went out to get one of the more talented offensive linemen prospects in this free agency cycle. They went out and landed behemoth guard Mekhi Becton. He agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers franchise on Friday evening, according to Tim McManus of ESPN. He shined this year for the Philadelphia Eagles and managed to stay healthy during the 2024-2025 campaign. Becton plans on playing guard with the Chargers, the same position he played this year with the Philadelphia Eagles.
For two seasons, NBA icons Dennis Rodman and David Robinson were teammates on the San Antonio Spurs. And according to Jack Haley, who played with Rodman and Robinson, Rodman didn’t respect Robinson one bit. “Dennis had a real problem in his respect for David Robinson as a player,” Haley said in Roland Lazenby’s book Blood On the Horns: The Long Strange Ride of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. “He had problems with David’s intensity and work ethic in practice. One thing about Dave: Dave could be the most talented player and athlete in the NBA. … Therefore, he’s not a big practice guy. Not a big work ethic guy. By [January], Dave would have sat out 30 practices. It’s tendinitis. It’s, ‘I’m sore today.’ Whatever it was, Dennis is a practice guy, and it didn’t sit well with Dennis. That caused a lot of problems… “Dave tried everything … imaginable to bond with Dennis Rodman, to get through with Dennis Rodman to form a friendship. I’m good friends with Dennis and I’m good friends with Dave. Dave would ask me, ‘Why don’t the three of us go to lunch? Why don’t we sit down and try to talk?’ He would try to talk to Dennis about basketball to form a bond. Dennis wouldn’t respond. Dave is very religious. He felt that part of his quest was to get through to Dennis Rodman on a religious level, to try to turn his life around. That didn’t work out at all.” The Spurs traded Rodman to the Chicago Bulls in 1995 and Robinson was delighted about the move. Rodman finished his San Antonio career with averages of 5.6 points, 17.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks in 128 games. The Bulls benefited significantly by adding Rodman, one of the best rebounders in NBA history. Chicago won three consecutive championships and went 72-10 in 1995-96. Rodman averaged 5.2 points and 15.3 rebounds with the Bulls, who beat the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals and the Utah Jazz in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals. Rodman won three straight rebounding titles in Chicago. The Bulls won three NBA titles before acquiring Rodman. However, Rodman said in The Last Dance docuseries that Chicago wouldn’t have won three more rings without him. “You got the great Michael Jordan, the great Scottie Pippen, the great Phil Jackson, but if you take me away from this team, do they still win a championship? I don’t think so,” Rodman said in The Last Dance. “I love Michael Jordan to death. I love Scottie Pippen, all these guys, but they really don’t do the things that I do. I’m the only guy who does all the dirty work, taking abuse from other players. I wanna go out there and get my nose broke. I wanna get cut. Something that’s gonna really just bring out the hurt, the pain. I wanna feel that.” Rodman won five championships during his career, while Robinson won two. Both players are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
New Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram sure found a way to make "NFL history in such a random way" as NBC 9 News sports reporter Scotty Gange put it. Engram, who signed with the team on Thursday, was photographed with a No. 1 Broncos jersey that has his name on it, which Gange highlighted on Friday. As DNVR sports reporter Henry Chisholm pointed out, that hasn't happened with a tight end "in at least 51 years" of NFL history. "No tight end has worn No. 1 in the five years since the NFL changed its jersey number rules, which had stood (with a few tweaks) since 1973," Chisholm wrote on X.com on Thursday. "That means Evan Engram is the first tight end to wear No. 1 in at least 51 years." Engram, who wore No. 17 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, needed a new number since Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele already took that number. Previously, Engram has worn No. 88 with the New York Giants, where he began his pro career in 2017 as a first-round draft pick out of Ole Miss. While Engram's jersey decision could have an impact on the fan base with jersey sales, his on-field play could make a difference for the Broncos this fall. Engram has a career average of 78 catches for 775 yards and four touchdowns per 17-game season. "I think Evan's going to be great on the Broncos this year, but regardless of how the dude plays, he's already a legendary tight end," Gange said.