NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz Around Ryan Tannehill, Cowboys Coaching Search, More

This weekend marks the beginning of the NFL playoffs, which is exciting for twelve lucky fanbases, but for the rest of the league, the offseason rumor mill has become the top priority.

Whether your team is looking for a new coach, debating whether to re-sign its prized free agents, or making a beeline for certain draft prospects, being an NFL fan in early winter is all about rounding up these little bits of minutia and trying to piece together how each team is approaching its upcoming year. 

Here, we've rounded up several bits of the most recent gossip. Two of these are coaching-related, while one has to do with the hugely-anticipated 2020 free agent quarterback carousel. 

Let's dig in.

McDaniels Has a Wandering Eye

After a one-year coaching stint in Denver and infamously leaving the Colts at the altar two years ago, it appears that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels may once again be joining the head coaching ranks.

Per NFL Media's Ian Rapaport, the Patriots have granted the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants permission to interview the long-time assistant for their respective head coach vacancies, which he will apparently be doing next Friday. Rapaport also states that McDaniels is considered one of the hottest candidates on the coaching market.

Unfortunately for the Patriots but thankfully for McDaniels, New England's surprising loss to the Titans on Wild Card Weekend will free up his schedule to be as ready as possible for those meetings. Keep a close eye on the proceedings, however, as the Patriots' loss may drastically alter McDaniels' plans and cause him to stay put once again.

Cowboys Meeting With Potential Garrett Replacements

Despite Jason Garrett becoming Schrodinger's Coach this week, the Dallas Cowboys are proceeding with a coaching search.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Dallas met with two NFL lifers yesterday: former Packer coach Mike McCarthy and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. Both McCarthy and Lewis were head coaches for over a decade, and would bring a level of intellectual competence to one of the most talented rosters in the NFL.

Neither McCarthy nor Lewis was known as much of an innovator while coaching their respective teams, but both knew how to coach a roster to its potential, which is something Garrett failed at in each of the last several seasons with some massively talented Cowboys teams. Plus, Dallas has a brilliant young offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, which should help stimulate whoever becomes the next head coach of the Cowboys.

Of course, nothing will be resolved until GM and owner Jerry Jones decides what to do with Garrett. He has not technically been fired, so this process is a little like dating a new person while deciding whether to break up with your present significant other. Hopefully, Jones makes up his mind soon so the Cowboys can move forward in planning the future of their franchise.

Tannehill Sticking Around in Nashville?

After a surprisingly good eleven-game starting stint, the Tennessee Titans may be looking to keep Ryan Tannehill under center for at least one more season.

Per Rapaport once again, the Titans are eying either a franchise tag or full-on extension for their hot new quarterback. After taking over for Marcus Mariota midway through Week Six, Tannehill has played the best football of his career, leading the entire NFL in passer rating and yards per attempt. Finally, he's looked like the player that was promised in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The question now for Tennessee becomes whether or not Tannehill's standout play this season is sustainable. Most recent past performance can be a great indicator of future performance, but the Texas A&M product also has years of mediocre play behind him in Miami, so it's possible that he just got hot this fall.

However, with weapons like Derrick Henry, AJ Brown, and Corey Davis, Titans GM Jon Robinson is putting Tannehill in a much better position to succeed than the Dolphins ever did. Even if they just agree to keep him around for one more year right now, extending Tannehill would be a good deal.