Vic Fangio Got That BAG, Cardinals Coaching Search, Pro Bowl Games, and Other NFL Bullets
Because it’s just my luck, I woke up feeling pretty cruddy on day one in Vegas. It must have been the bad shrimp, as they affectionately say in hockey. Fortunately, I was able to rebound by the afternoon. It was kind of like Vic Fangio’s start to his tenure in Miami. First, it was good, then not, and now apparently good again.
- A bevy of NFL news breakers reported last Sunday that Fangio was set to join Mike McDaniel’s staff in Miami. Fangio was going to become the highest-paid coordinator in the league. The Dolphins were going to get one of the most well-regarded defensive minds in the league.
- Great, right? Not so fast. We spent the early part of the week hearing that Fangio was 100 percent in Miami, and his name was even floated as a candidate for the 49ers DC job.
- But all is well that ends well. Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that Fangio is, in fact heading to Miami, and for a record amount:
- Fangio wasn’t a fan of the early reports and took time this week to hear from other teams. Ok, I’m cool with that. Not sure how much Dolphins fans appreciate it. Nevertheless, he’s going to South Beach. While both sides have agreed to a deal, it’s not finalized. Fangio will replace Josh Boyer, who the Dolphins fired earlier this month after three seasons as defensive coordinator.
- Fangio, 64, was the Broncos’ head coach until he was fired in 2021. Before that, Fangio was the defensive coordinator in Chicago, where he won the Assistant Coach of the Year award.
- The Dolphins are getting one of the best tacticians in the league on the defensive side of the ball. Fangio will be reunited with Bradley Chubb, whom he coached in Denver.
- Sticking with the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol this week. Tagovailoa’s first stint in protocol occurred after he was slammed hard to the turf by Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou in Week 4. Tagovailoa sustained head and neck injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
- Over 13 games this season, Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
- The Arizona Cardinals have a problem. On Wednesday, Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reported that Murray’s contract/being tied to the quarterback might be giving potential candidates pause.
- Pauline is hearing that: “many of the desired candidates don’t want to take the job knowing they’ll be tied to the hip of Murray for the next four seasons. Murray signed a five-year, $230 million contract in late August, and anyone who takes the Cardinals job will have no options in the foreseeable future at quarterback.”
- More on Murray and the Cardinals coaching search:
- Accurate passer, dodgeball, water balloon toss, best catch; some of the NFL’s brightest were competing in a bevy of competitions that will help determine who will be the winner of the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games on Sunday.
- The games and the concept were good overall, but the NFL missed the beat on several points. It’s their first time under the new format, so kinks are expected, but I hope they take notes.
- Here’s the best of Thursday night’s competitions at the Raiders training facility in Henderson:
- Bengals running back Joe Mixon finds himself in some legal trouble again. PFF’s Mike Renner reported that a warrant was issued for Mixon for aggravated menacing.
- When the Eagles land in Phoenix for the Super Bowl, Haason Reddick will return to the place where his NFL career nearly fizzled out. But, this time, he’s one of the most feared pass rushers in the league.
- Love him or hate him, Tom Brady was the main event in the NFL for two-thirds of my life.
- If you’re into weird superstitions, Adam Schefter tweeted an interesting nugget about the Super Bowl on Thursday. Teams wearing their white jerseys have on 15 of the last 18 Super Bowls. The Chiefs will wear their whites on Phoenix next Sunday.
- A thoughtful Justin Fields has a unique perspective on the future of quarterbacking in the NFL:
- As they say, all good things must come to an end:
