Welcome to the weekly Fantasy Notebook, the must-stop spot for keeping your finger on the pulse of Fantasy Nation. NFL news and developments drive fantasy values. The Notebook is here to keep you in the loop on all of it throughout the season.
The Coaching Carousel Starts Spinning
I know. It happens every year. It's become so much a part of our routine that the day after the end of the NFL regular season is now known as "Black Monday."
Even the league's own media outlet, NFL Network, brands its coverage with that name.
It's all part of the annual ritual of renewal, revitalization, and rebuilding, which is a big part of what makes the fantasy component of the NFL so enjoyable.
Fresh starts with different minds behind the players we invest in keep it interesting.
While there may be more head coaching and front office jobs opening up, we have six new ones: The Falcons, Cardinals, Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, and Raiders. They join the Giants and Titans, both of whom fired coaches in-season, as the first teams in line for new brain trusts.
Most were expected. At least one, Baltimore, was shocking.
More are likely coming. Some might be surprising, too . . .
Is There a Thread Connecting Them?
Even if it's not a direct cause, the most critical position on the field -- quarterback -- influences the outcomes for the most important position on the sidelines.
In the case of the moves made this week, there are clear quarterback-related issues . . .
Let's Set the Table
While there are many things to be resolved in the coming weeks, it's always good to have a solid baseline of information to build on.
This week's Fantasy Notebook will be the starting point, with coming editions keeping you on top of developments and the fantasy implications for all involved . . .
Cardinals Clip Gannon's Wings
Arizona fired head coach Jonathan Gannon on Monday, the day after a 37-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which concluded their worst season of the modern era.
Arizona finished 3-14 this season, bringing Gannon's record to 15-36 in his three seasons as the Cardinals' head coach. He never reached the playoffs and never finished higher than third in the NFC West.
Still, expectations were high heading into this season.
This was supposed to be the third year of a three-year rebuild with Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort, who was hired about a month before Gannon in 2023.
Arizona focused primarily on defense during free agency and the draft, adding just four offensive players -- none of whom started the season as starters. The offense struggled all season, especially when it came to closing out games, even in their two wins to open the year.
Gannon was fired despite Arizona playing with a roster that was repeatedly decimated by injuries throughout the season.
Heading into Sunday's game against the Rams, Arizona had 42 different players miss a combined 309 games due to injury and had 25 players on injured reserve -- the most in the NFL. Most notable among them was quarterback Kyler Murray. Running backs James Conner and Trey Benson and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. also missed portions of the season.
The Quarterback Connection: Murray's Future
While hiring a new head coach is the immediate priority, Ossenfort, who will spearhead the search, faces another major offseason decision.
Quarterback Kyler Mmissed the final 12 games of the season with a foot injury, and there was plenty of speculation during the season that he had played his final game as a Cardinal. During Monday's press conference, Ossenfort noted that Murray remains under contract and said that all options are on the table for what the team will do at the position in the future.
Murray's contract guarantees him over $39 million in 2026, and keeping him on the roster through the fifth day of the new league year will add another $19.5 million in guarantees for 2027.
As Profootballtalk.com suggested, the next head coach will obviously have a bearing on what direction the Cardinals choose to go at the position.
Nonetheless, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Tuesday that he believes the team is "planning to move on" from Murray, regardless of who is hired as the next head coach.
Moving on from Murray would also require the Cardinals to find another starter or stick with Jacoby Brissett, who replaced Murray and has a year remaining on his contract.
So choosing the next coach is only the start of a busy offseason for Ossenfort and the Cardinals . . .
New Cast for the Falcons; Morris, Fontenot Out
A four-game winning streak to end the season couldn't extend Raheem Morris' second chance with the Falcons, nor did it allow general manager Terry Fontenot to earn the opportunity to work with a third head coach.
Morris was fired after just two seasons. His firing came after Atlanta wrapped up an 8-9 season with a 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Several players, including Drake London, Jessie Bates III, and Bijan Robinson, expressed their hopes that Morris would be back for a third season.
"I want Rah back with all my heart," London said.
London won't get his wish.
Overall, Morris' record with the Falcons was 16-18. Coaches who can't lay claim to that level of success are keeping their jobs this year.
Nonetheless, the Falcons have not had a winning record for the last eight seasons and haven't made the playoffs since 2017, the second-longest drought in the league.
The Falcons do have pieces in place to attract a good candidate, namely the defensive standouts on their front-seven -- James Pearce Jr., Brandon Dorlus, and Jalon Walker -- as well as cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr., Robinson, and London.
Even Kyle Pitts Sr. finally appeared to make good on his massive potential with a career-best season. Pitts is not under contract with the Falcons next season -- although they could place the franchise tag on him.
Beyond that, of course, there's the situation under center . . .
Quarterback Connection: An Open Question
As NFL.com's Bobby Kownack laid it out, a month and a half into Morris' first offseason with Atlanta, the Falcons landed free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins on a four-year contract that was worth $180 million and included $100 million in guarantees.
Another month and a half later, the Falcons used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft on QB Michael Penix Jr. This shocking move surprised even Cousins, who was coming off a torn Achilles but moved from Minnesota to Atlanta expecting to be the guy.
Cousins started the '24 season but seemed much diminished from his finer efforts with the Vikings, throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions with an 88.6 passer rating. He faded down the stretch, throwing zero touchdowns during a four-game losing streak as a 6-3 Falcons team dropped to 6-7. Following a poor performance in a Week 15 win, Cousins was replaced by Penix.
Penix showed flashes this season, but his play was uneven and trending toward poor. When he suffered a season-ending, partially torn ACL, he had lost four straight -- just as Cousins had at the end of his run as a starter the year prior. Cousins took back over in Week 12, and by Week 14, the Falcons were ousted from playoff contention, staring at an offseason Morris admitted would require altered preparation thanks to Penix's injury.
Now that will all be on Morris' and Fontenot's replacements . . .
An Unkindness of Ravens, John Harbaugh Moving On
In case you didn't know, a group of ravens is called an unkindness. Also, firing the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL might be considered an unkindness -- unless the decision was mutual.
Whatever the case, the Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday, ending the run of the most successful coach in franchise history.
In a statement, Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti called the decision "incredibly difficult."
Harbaugh instantly became the hottest name in the coaching market.
His agent, Bryan Harlan, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that in the first 45 minutes after Harbaugh was fired Tuesday, he received calls from seven NFL teams expressing interest in his client. There are currently seven NFL head coach openings, including Baltimore's.
Sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Harbaugh was in touch with members of his staff Tuesday about a potential exit, with the impression from those talks being he had a say in the decision to leave and is expected to get right back into coaching this cycle.
Harbaugh ranks 12th for most all-time wins by a head coach in NFL history with 193 and guided the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2012. In leading the Ravens for 18 seasons, he was the second-longest active-tenured coach in the league behind Mike Tomlin, who is in his 19th season with the Steelers.
But Harbaugh didn't produce as much postseason success in recent years as he did earlier in his career, which was a major disappointment considering he had two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. In eight seasons with Jackson, Harbaugh won only three playoff games and never advanced past the AFC Championship Game.
And that brings us to our connecting thread . . .
Quarterback Connection or Not?
In the wake of Sunday’s season-ending loss in Pittsburgh, Harbaugh was asked if he wanted another shot to coach the Ravens.
The coach replied, "Yes, I love these guys."
In his post-game press conference, Jackson declined to answer whether he felt he was going to be back with the team next season -- and whether Harbaugh should remain as Baltimore's head coach.
"You're asking me about next year," Jackson replied. "I'm so caught up in what just happened tonight. I can't focus on that right now, I just told you. Like he asked me, 'Are you stunned?' I'm stunned right now, and I'm still trying to process what's going on. I know we lost, but what the -- you know?"
The intrigue surrounding Jackson's non-answer came with context.
In the weeks prior to the season-ending loss, rumors about Jackson's and Harbaugh's future in Baltimore percolated. A report from the Baltimore Sun in late December indicated that the Ravens might have to pick either Jackson or Harbaugh and move on from the other due to their relationship fracturing.
Both Jackson and Harbaugh dismissed those rumors when the report emerged, though.
Jackson called it "noise."
Developments may have given us a better answer.
They certainly opened the door to at least one of these people getting the wish implied in that Sun report.
Maybe both . . .
New Year, Same Browns; Stefanski Fired
The Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday. The Browns finished the 2025 season with a 5-12 record en route to their second straight last-place finish in the AFC North and their fourth losing season under Stefanski.
The Browns also announced that Andrew Berry, who arrived in Cleveland with Stefanski in 2020, will remain in his position as general manager.
The decision to part ways with Stefanski comes two seasons after he won his second NFL Coach of the Year award and less than two years after he received a contract extension.
From 2020 to 2023, Stefanski led the Browns to two playoff appearances and the highest winning percentage (.552) for the team over four years since 1986-89. Still, Cleveland has struggled over the past two seasons with a combined record of 8-26. This season marked the Browns' fourth losing season under Stefanski.
It's nothing new. The Browns' next head coach will be the franchise's 11th since 1999.
Cleveland's issues in recent seasons were highlighted by ineptitude on offense, which was supposed to be Stefanski's calling card as playcaller.
The Browns scored fewer than 20 points in 11 games this season, tied for the most in the league. When Cleveland returned from its Week 9 bye, Stefanski announced that he was handing playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.
It marked the second consecutive year that Stefanski reclaimed that initially-relinquished responsibility.
And, of course, following along with this year's theme, there was a noticeable problem in Cleveland . . .
Quarterback Connection? Of Course, It's Cleveland
During Stefanski's six seasons, the Browns used an NFL-high 13 different starting quarterbacks. Those quarterbacks ranked in the bottom five in Total QBR, yards per attempt, and completion percentage. They threw an NFL-high 98 interceptions.
As PFT's Mike Florio reminded his readers, four years ago, someone within the Browns organization had a bright idea.
The team opted to trade for Deshaun Watson instead of sticking with Baker Mayfield as the long-term quarterback.
They did it even though Watson had missed an entire year of football, and even though he was facing an inevitable suspension based on more than 20 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct during massage-therapy sessions.
Not surprisingly, it didn't work. The Browns dug a multi-year hole for themselves.
Watson has played in only 19 games because of suspension and injuries since making his debut in Cleveland. Most recently, Watson suffered a season-ending right Achilles tendon rupture in October 2024, had surgery, but then re-ruptured the tendon during rehab in January 2025, requiring a second surgery.
Watson has one more year remaining on his contract and an $80.7 million cap hit in 2026, the largest in the NFL.
In 2025, the Browns used three different starting quarterbacks -- Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Flacco, who helped lead Cleveland to the playoffs in the 2023 season after a season-ending shoulder injury sidelined Watson, started the first four games but was benched following a 1-3 start and then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 7.
Gabriel, a third-round pick, started six straight games until he suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, which paved the way for Sanders, a fifth-round pick, to make his first start.
Sanders started the final seven games of the season.
While it's safe to assume Stefanski will land on his feet, the same can't be said of the Browns . . .
Getting Weird in Miami; McDaniel Out
The Miami Dolphins reportedly including two Hall of Fame quarterbacks to aid in their search for a new general manager. The search group will feature Dolphins legend Dan Marino as well as former Dallas Cowboys star Troy Aikman, per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe.
But wait. There's more . . . Mike McDaniel said he will be part of the team's interview process for its next general manager and will remain the head coach until he's told otherwise.
Unfortunately, team owner Stephen told him just that on Thursday, relieving McDaniel of his duties.
As ESPN.com's Marcel Louis-Jacques reminded readers, McDaniel spent most of the 2025 season among the favorites to lose their job, after Miami lost seven of its first nine games, but rebounded with a four-game winning streak to come within a game of a .500 record.
The Dolphins (7-10) still finished with a losing record for the second consecutive season, which McDaniel called a "failure."
When asked about his job security, the fourth-year coach said it's "my understanding I'm the coach of the Miami Dolphins until told otherwise," and added that he'll speak with team owner Stephen Ross about how to move forward successfully.
A source told Louis-Jacques the team believed in McDaniel throughout the Dolphins' struggles and suggested their issues were quarterback-related. Half of that -- the quarterback part -- was true . . .
The Quarterback Connection: Tua's Time Likely Over
McDaniel benched starter Tua Tagovailoa after a Week 15 loss in favor of rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers. Tagovailoa finished the season with his fewest passing yards since 2021 and a career-high 15 interceptions.
Not surprisingly, Tagovailoa said he would be just fine going elsewhere.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Tagovailoa was asked on Monday if he was hoping for a fresh start.
"That would be dope," Tagovailoa said. "I would be good with it."
Jackson added that reporters who asked him the question made sure he knew that a fresh start meant being elsewhere, but Tagovailoa declined to elaborate.
Tagovailoa is owed $54 million guaranteed in 2026. He could be released with a post-June 1 designation at the start of the new league year to split his $99.2 million cap charge over two years.
In 14 games in 2025, Tagovailoa completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 1,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions . . .
One and Done In Las Vegas; Carroll Fired
As ESPN.com's Ryan McFadden reported, the Pete Carroll era with the Las Vegas Raiders is over after just one year.
The team fired the 74-year-old coach Monday after it went 3-14 this season, a campaign that ended with a 14-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Before the game, Las Vegas had already lost 10 straight and locked up the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Carroll strongly believed that his history of winning (nine seasons with at least 10 wins and a Super Bowl XLVIII victory) would be enough to put the Raiders on the right track. He was "blindly optimistic" about the talent on the roster and was reminded throughout a brutal season that the Raiders were further away from being competitive than he had hoped.
Las Vegas lost by double digits in nine games and was shut out twice.
Defensively, the philosophies of Carroll and coordinator Patrick Graham didn't translate to much consistency. Las Vegas was 25th in points allowed (25.4).
It was worse on offense and special teams.
During his time in Seattle, Carroll never fired a coach midseason.
In November, he fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and offensive coordinator Kelly in a span of 16 days. Las Vegas ranked at the bottom in every major offensive category, including rushing yards per game (77.5) -- despite the addition of rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
Oh, and they didn't get much help from the most crucial position . . .
Quarterback Connection: Carroll's First Mistake?
As Las Vegas Review-Journal beat writer Vinny Bonsignore reminded readers, Carroll pushed the Raiders to trade for Geno Smith, whom he coached for four years in Seattle, and to sign him to a two-year, $75 million contract extension.
Smith never lived up to Carroll's expectations, throwing for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-high 17 interceptions.
That played a massive role in the Raiders' 3-14 record and Carroll's firing.
Now that Carroll is gone, Smith's days with the Raiders are likely over, too. The 35-year-old even removed Raiders references on his social media platforms on Monday.
With the first pick overall available in April's draft, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana would represent a clear vision for the future in Las Vegas. His strong pocket-passing ability would pair perfectly with Brock Bowers and complement the Jeanty-led run game.
Mendoza has thrown 36 touchdown passes and just six interceptions in 14 games.
Remember: Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement that general manager John Spytek will lead football operations along with minority owner Tom Brady. The duo will run the search for the team's next coach.
Multiple reports point to Brady and Spytek recreating the Patriot Way in Vegas.
No, that doesn't mean Josh McDaniels is coming back to the Raiders. Instead, rumor has it Brady will make the case for bringing in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
As the chatter goes, Flores would be the head coach, and former Giants head coach Brian Daboll would be the offensive coordinator. Like Flores, Daboll has extensive experience with the Patriot Way. Daboll was there for the first three Super Bowl wins of the Brady/Bill Belichick era, and for two of the second trio of championships.
A Giant Opening in New York
As PFT's Josh Alper pointed out, the Bears and Patriots both hired new coaches without hiring new general managers in 2025, and both teams made the playoffs, so it's no surprise that Joe Schoen chose to highlight their success in his Monday press conference.
Schoen will return for a fifth season as the Giants' GM despite the team's 13-38 record over the last three years and their decision to fire Daboll during the regular season.
Schoen said he's heard from "a lot of potential head coaching candidates that are excited about the opportunity" for a simple reason . . .
Quarterback Connected: Dart Hits the Bullseye
The reason is Jaxson Dart, who will head into his second season trying to emulate what Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams were able to do in their second NFL seasons.
"That would be the goal. That would be ideal," Schoen said.
Let's not lose sight of how impressive Dart's inaugural season was. He made NFL history as a rookie quarterback and did it in just 12 games.
Jaxson Dart is the first rookie QB in NFL history to end the season with the following:
— SleeperGiants (@SleeperGiants) January 5, 2026
2,000+ passing yards
450+ rushing yards
15+ passing TD
9+ rushing TD's
5 INT's or less
Dart started 12 games this season…what a season 🔥
(via @WBG84) pic.twitter.com/iK1PELUINS
Dart had 2,740 total yards from scrimmage and a 74.3 percent adjusted completion rate in just 12 starts this season. Throw in a supporting cast that will include Malik Nabers, whose timetable in his return from a torn ACL is unclear, and Wan'Dale Robinson would have to be intriguing to an offensive-minded coach . . .
Titans Up?
In case you missed it, Brian Callahan was fired on Oct. 13 after a 1-5 start to his second season. Mike McCoy took over as interim coach.
Now, as Mark Mihalk of USA Today's Titans Wire noted Tuesday, Tennessee's search for its next head coach is coming into focus, and the initial interview phase is in full swing.
Following the news that Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy would be having a first virtual interview on Thursday, the dates and times for some interviews for other candidates have come out.
Multiple reports on social media indicate that Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will meet with Mike Borgonzi on Wednesday, followed by Nagy on Thursday. The team will then follow that up by meeting with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on Saturday and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on Monday.
In addition, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett will also interview with the Titans on Friday.
Garrett won the NFL's coach of the year award in 2016, the year that started with veteran quarterback Tony Romo being unavailable due to a back injury, opening the door for Prescott, a fourth-round rookie, to lead the team to a 13-3 record. Garrett then worked as offensive coordinator for the Giants in 2020 and 2021.
He joined NBC Sports in 2022 and has served as a commentator since.
Tennessee will also meet with interim head coach Mike McCoy, and is rumored to have interest in former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Quarterback Connection: Resolved?
Although he was hurt early in Week 18, Cam Ward went into the game on a bit of a heater. The first pick overall in last year's draft, Ward had delivered multiple touchdown passes in the four games before that, giving him eight scoring strikes over that stretch.
As ESPN.com's Turron Davenport pointed out, this came after he had thrown only six touchdown passes through the first 12 games.
Ward was intercepted just once over the past four games after getting picked off six times in the first 12 games.
While the Titans will need to add more dynamic playmakers on offense this offseason and improve Ward's pass protection, it does look like there's something to build on here . . .
