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NFL notebook: Titans part ways with Mularkey

[January 16, 2018] The Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Mularkey mutually agreed to part ways in a surprise move Monday morning.

The news came just 36 hours after the Titans were routed by the New England Patriots 35-14 in a divisional playoff game on Saturday night. Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, along with general manager Jon Robinson, couldn't come to an agreement with Mularkey over his future.

"I want to thank Mike Mularkey for his contributions to our franchise over his tenure with our organization," Adams Strunk said in a statement. "He took over our team during a low moment and together with Jon built a solid foundation for our franchise. I appreciated that Mike devoted himself to this team and the community."

Mularkey was named head coach of the Titans in Jan. 2016 after he served as interim coach for the final nine games of the 2015 season. The Titans finished 9-7 this season and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season.

--Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is expected to be the next head coach of the New York Giants, according to multiple reports.

The Giants cannot officially hire Shurmur until the Vikings' season -- which was extended by Stefon Diggs' miracle touchdown on Sunday -- is over. However, reports say Shurmur is the Giants' top choice to succeed Ben McAdoo, and that Shurmur will accept the position if offered.

The 52-year-old Shurmur has been one of the hottest coaching candidates this offseason after he helped Case Keenum to a career season in Minnesota. Shurmur's career record as a head coach to 10-23. He spent 2011 and 2012 at the helm of the Cleveland Browns, going 4-12 and then 5-11 before being fired, and also won a game in 2015 as interim coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

--His $100 million contract expires at the end of February, but 39-year-old quarterback Drew Brees plans to return to the New Orleans Saints for another run at a Super Bowl in 2018.

Downtrodden after a staggering defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC divisional playoff Sunday, Brees, who turned 39 on Monday, stated his belief that the Saints are a Super Bowl contender going forward.

"I'm hoping I'm a part of a few more that I feel that way about and we can make a run at it," Brees said. "Unfortunately, sometimes experience is a tough teacher, and things happen, and you can go one of two ways with it. Does it put you in the tank? Does it pull you apart? Or does it unite you and make you stronger and mold you and strengthen you? That's the outlook I'm taking, and I think that's the outlook that our entire team is taking."

--Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has told teammates he wants to play "at least" three more NFL seasons, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.

Roethlisberger, 35, said after Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that he intends to return next season. He publicly flirted with the idea of retirement last offseason in the aftermath of an AFC Championship game defeat to the New England Patriots.

However, according to the Post-Gazette, those comments may have been prompted by "biting words" from offensive coordinator Todd Haley, whose future with the team is now cloudy as his relationship with Roethlisberger has recently shown more cracks. The report notes that Roethlisberger and Haley rarely spoke or discussed strategy on the sideline during games, with issues coming to a head when the coaching staff didn't have a play ready in the closing seconds of the team's controversial Week 15 loss to the Patriots.

--Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall underwent minor hand surgery, according to multiple reports.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which first reported news of the surgery, said it was to repair a small bone that had been bothering Randall the entire 2017 season.

Randall, 25, is expected to need six to eight weeks of recovery time, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Randall, the Packers' first-round pick (30th overall) in 2015, bounced back from an early-season benching to lead the team with four interceptions despite missing the final two games because of a knee injury.

--The Indianapolis Colts are expected to hire New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the team's next head coach.

The NFL Network and CBS reported the Colts' pending hiring of McDaniels on Monday. If true, the move will not be made official until the Patriots' season is over. New England plays host to Jacksonville in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, and a win puts them in the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.

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McDaniels, 41, has been with New England for all but three seasons since 2001. He has been the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2012, the same positions he held in New England from 2006-08. He also went 11-17 as head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-10, and was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Rams in 2011, when they were in St. Louis.

--New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia declined to address reports that he will become the next head coach of the Detroit Lions, instead focusing on the Jacksonville Jaguars and Sunday's AFC Championship game.

Asked about the Lions job, Patricia was non-committal and reiterated on Monday that he went through the process of interviewing for head-coaching job openings.

For now, the Lions are forbidden from finalizing a contract with Patricia according to the NFL's tampering rules. Patricia, 43, would replace Jim Caldwell, who was fired Jan. 1.

--A week after the San Francisco 49ers announced Ken Norton Jr. as assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach, the Seattle Seahawks have brought Norton back to Seattle as their defensive coordinator, according to a Seattle Channel 5 report.

Per the report, Norton signed a three-year deal to replace coordinator Kris Richard, who remains under contract. It's unclear what the move means for Richard's status, but reports last week said he was encouraged to find work elsewhere for professional growth.

Norton coached linebackers in Seattle from 2010 to 2014 before becoming the Oakland Raiders' defensive coordinator in 2015. He was fired from that post Nov. 21 as the defense continued to struggle. Norton also coached linebackers under Carroll at USC from 2004 to 2009.

--Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence, King County, Washington online records show.

According to the records, Jeremy Rashaad Lane was arrested at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday and released a little less than four hours later. He posted $1,000 bail and was released under his own recognizance.

ESPN reported Monday morning that Lane was stopped while traveling eastbound on Interstate 90 near Mercer Island, which is located in Lake Washington, just east of Seattle. Neither the Seahawks nor county authorities have commented publicly on the arrest.

--Danica Patrick confirmed the rumors that had been swirling for weeks -- she is dating Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The famed auto racer told The Associated Press, "Yes, Aaron and I are dating." The two met at the 2012 ESPYs, Patrick told The AP. She is an avid Bears fan but said, "Now I'm going to cheer for the (Packers)."

Patrick recently lost her ride with Stewart-Haas Racing and couldn't find another sponsor or owner to give her a deal. She has said she plans to race in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 this year. As for Rodgers, he suffered a broken collarbone on Oct. 15 and missed the next two months and the Packers missed the playoffs.

--The staffs of the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints will coach in the 2018 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced.

The game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 28 in Orlando, with light practices and skills challenges taking place in the week leading up to the game.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will guide the AFC with help from "Legends" captains LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor, who will lead the offense and defense, respectively. Saints head coach Sean Payton will have Warrick Dunn (offense) and Derrick Brooks (defense) helping him lead the NFC.

--Field Level Media

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