NFL Rumors: Latest on Eagles, Lions Coaching Searches, Anthony Lynn's Future

Seven NFL teams fired their head coach following the conclusion of the 2020 regular season. And now, some of those jobs are starting to get filled.

This week, Urban Meyer became head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Robert Saleh was hired to be the head coach of the New York Jets and Arthur Smith became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. That leaves four teams that still have openings at the top of their staff: the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans.

Those positions should soon be filled, too. But until then, expect rumors to continue to circulate regarding potential candidates and who those teams may be targeting for the job.

Here's some of the latest coaching-search buzz from around the NFL heading into divisional-round weekend.

Brady, Staley on Eagles' List of Candidates

Brian Westerholt/Associated Press

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley have each only served one season in their current roles. And neither has prior head-coaching experience. But it appears that hasn't stopped the Eagles from considering both as candidates to succeed Doug Pederson.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, Brady and Staley are "both on the Eagles' list" of candidates they're considering for the job. Not only have Brady and Staley only been in their current jobs for one season, but it was also the first time that either has held a coordinator position.

"While many believe it might be too soon for those first-time offensive coordinators to ascend to head-coaching jobs, the Eagles are of the mind that it's better to grab a guy a year too early than a year too late if you believe in him," Fowler and Graziano wrote.

Fowler and Graziano also reported that Philadelphia could be considering another interesting candidate: Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, who just completed his fourth season leading the Sooners and has never coached in the NFL.

The ESPN writers noted that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is a "big fan" of Riley and remains "very interested" in trying to lure him to Philadelphia, although it's not known if Riley is "seriously interested."

The Eagles had three straight winning seasons from 2017-19 (which included capturing the first Super Bowl title in franchise history at the end of the 2017 campaign), but Pederson was fired after they went 4-11-1 this past season. It will be interesting to see whether Philadelphia goes with one of these less experienced candidates or ends up pivoting to somebody else for the job.

Lions 'Zeroed In' on Campbell During Coaching Search

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

On Friday, it appeared the Lions' coaching search was nearing an end. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that New Orleans Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell had emerged as the favorite in Detroit's search, with Fowler and Graziano reporting that the Lions have "zeroed in" on him.

Not so fast, though. Detroit can't hold an in-person interview with Campbell until after New Orleans is eliminated from the playoffs. And while Fowler and Graziano noted that the search is "trending" in Campbell's direction, it's still "too soon," as the Lions have said they currently have two finalists in the search.

Fowler and Graziano noted that the other finalist could potentially be either Brady or former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who hasn't been in the NFL since he was fired after the 2018 season but had a "strong interview" with the Lions.

However, Campbell also impressed Detroit "very much," per Fowler and Graziano. So perhaps the job will end up going to Campbell once the Saints are eliminated and the Lions can further pursue him.

Campbell has been in his current position with the Saints since 2016. He previously served on the Miami Dolphins' staff from 2010-15, which included going 5-7 as their interim head coach in his final season.

The Lions fired their previous head coach, Matt Patricia, after a Week 12 loss to the Texans. Detroit ended up finishing the year at 5-11, its third straight losing season.

Could Lynn Potentially Join Seahawks' Staff?

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

After four seasons as the Chargers' head coach, Anthony Lynn was fired at the end of the 2020 campaign. However, it's possible that he'll be back on the NFL sidelines when the 2021 season arrives.

Pelissero and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Lynn has had a conversation with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll regarding the offensive coordinator opening on the team's staff. The Seahawks fired Brian Schottenheimer after the season, so they're now looking for a new to offensive assistant.

"Lynn hasn’t decided what he wants to do in 2021, but he’d be among Seattle’s top choices," Pelissero tweeted.

Lynn went 33-31 during his time as Los Angeles' head coach. And although he finished with a winning record, the Chargers only reached the playoffs once during that stretch and had a losing mark each of the past two seasons. They went 7-9 and finished third in the AFC West in 2020.

Before arriving in Los Angeles, Lynn had a long career as an NFL assistant, having stints with the Denver Broncos (2000-02), Jaguars (2003-04), Dallas Cowboys (2005-06), Cleveland Browns (2007-08), New York Jets (2009-14) and Buffalo Bills (2015-16).