Some are names and faces you know — Jason Kelce, Sean McVay, Kevin O’Connell, Nicole Lynn — while others are behind the scenes and under the radar … for now.
This is The Athletic’s NFL 50 under 40, a list of rising coaches, executives, personalities and other personnel who significantly impact the NFL and will continue to do so in the coming decades.
Over the last year, The Athletic closely monitored a group of more than 100 rising coaches, executives and other NFL personnel who were in contention for this list. Some candidates were nominated by their colleagues, their bosses or even their players, others by high-profile team and league sources, and still others by our vast network of beat writers. Candidates were discussed and debated over the span of several months and via team and league sources, and eventually the group was narrowed to 50 names.
Media members who directly cover the NFL as broadcast, print, podcast or digital journalists were not considered, nor were active players. In the case of analysts, broadcast booths and personality-driven show hosts were considered.
This list began in 2020 as the 40 under 40, a product of hiring trends at that time toward younger coaches and executives following McVay’s success as the Los Angeles Rams’ new head coach at age 30. Waves of 30-somethings skyrocketed to the top of their respective organizations during what was coined “the Sean McVay effect” in the late-2010s. Our two-year hiatus only revealed a growing pool of talented people — and merited the list’s expansion to 50.
Recently, the NFL has returned to proven veteran head coaches like Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel, and certainly not every standout organization is packed with 30-something nominees.
Still, the intent of this list has been to reveal something deeper than a quick trend: the movers and shakers in every corner of the NFL’s ecosystem who will help mold it for years to come.
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The 29-year-old Purdue product bounced around the NFL as a backup quarterback before connecting with Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona. He then followed Kingsbury to Washington, where he assisted Kingsbury, Brian Johnson and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard with the development of Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury described Blough as “one of the brightest quarterbacks I’ve ever been around,” and praises his rapport with his players, his insight and communication skills. Blough received interest from Aaron Glenn and the Jets about their quarterbacks coach opening, but the Commanders blocked Blough from interviewing, viewing him as a valuable piece to their quarterback room and with potential to rise through the ranks of their organization.
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Washington Commanders
Last season, Brady landed his second full-time offensive coordinator position before hitting his 35th birthday. After serving as interim OC in 2023, Brady faced the task of keeping Buffalo’s offense among the league’s elite in 2024 despite the absence of a proven No. 1 wideout. Not only did Brady direct a more balanced and effective attack wherein “everybody eats,” as the Bills ranked 10th in total yards and second in scoring, he also helped Buffalo reach the AFC Championship Game and quarterback Josh Allen win his first league MVP honor.
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Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn
Coen has made a rapid rise through the coaching ranks, landing Jacksonville’s head job despite having only five years of NFL experience and just one as his team’s primary play caller. Coen broke into the NFL as an assistant wide receivers coach with the L.A. Rams in 2018, and two seasons later moved to assistant quarterbacks coach. After a season (2021) as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, Coen returned to the Rams as offensive coordinator — a position he held for one season. Coen landed the same role with Tampa Bay in 2024, and displayed an ability to get the most out of his players and direct a potent attack despite dealing with injuries at key positions throughout the season. Coen helped Baker Mayfield throw for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. The Bucs won their fourth consecutive divisional title and reached the playoffs for a fifth straight year.
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James Gilbert/Getty Images
An NFL season highlighted by the quarterback comeback story was also profoundly marked by the rejuvenation of Bryce Young in Carolina. The first pick in 2023, Young was mentally and physically battered after a tumultuous rookie season in which Frank Reich lasted just 11 games as head coach. Owner David Tepper moved to correct the mistakes, hiring Dan Morgan as GM and Dave Canales as head coach. Canales, the ultra-positive QB mentor, needed a right hand to help Young while the first-time head coach oversaw the entire building. Enter Idzik, whose work with Young in meetings and on the field not only rebuilt the quarterback’s confidence — but reverted him to the bona fide budding star everyone saw at Alabama.
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Eric Hartline/Imagn
Johnson was a top head coaching candidate in multiple hiring cycles before landing with the Bears this winter. His knack for creating in general is an early trademark — whether that means plays and play calls, scheme and design, strategy or relationships with his players. Johnson, the former star Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, is part of an ascending wave of head coaches such as Dan Campbell or Kevin O’Connell who are experts in certain areas like game strategy, quarterbacking and/or leadership but who can also apply a broader lens to their entire ecosystem. In fact, he seems a cross between the both of them — now his NFC North rivals. Johnson’s next moves in Chicago with 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams will be a big NFL story in 2025.
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Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The former Utah quarterback spent 11 seasons in the college ranks before joining the Philadelphia Eagles as quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 and offensive coordinator in 2023. Johnson moved to the Washington Commanders’ staff as assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator last season. There, he joined forces with Kliff Kingsbury to help guide Jayden Daniels to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in a season in which Washington won 12 games and reached the NFC Championship Game after fielding one of the top offenses in the league. Kingsbury may depart for a head coaching job in the next hiring cycle. Johnson would likely succeed him as OC if he doesn’t get snatched up by another team.
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Washington Commanders
Johnson’s extensive background with C.J. Stroud and several ascending young quarterbacks in general through development groups such as Nike’s Elite 11 made him an invaluable part of the Houston Texans’ talent identification process. Now Stroud — the No. 2 pick of the 2023 draft — is one of the faces of the NFL. Johnson has interviewed for offensive coordinator jobs in the last two hiring cycles but many in league circles believe his true potential lies beyond that — as a future head coach.
Entering his third season as quarterbacks coach for the Buccaneers, Lewis has played a role in Baker Mayfield’s career revival. The former Duke quarterback and NFL journeyman was a coaching intern with Tampa Bay in 2020 and then served as assistant wide receivers coach in 2021 and 2022. Lewis took over as quarterbacks coach in 2023 and helped position Mayfield for back-to-back 4,000-yard campaigns and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. As a result, Lewis has started generating interest on the offensive coordinator level.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Seahawks’ second-year head coach dazzled as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 and 2023 before leaving for Seattle. Macdonald held various position coach jobs with Baltimore from 2014-2020 before leaving to be Michigan’s defensive coordinator. He returned to the Ravens a year later as DC. At the time of his hiring, Macdonald (now 37) became the youngest active head coach in the league. In his first season at the helm, Macdonald guided the Seahawks to a 10-7 record and second place in the NFC West.
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Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Is this guy 40 yet? Not quite. The youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach in NFL history turned 39 this year, but it seems like he’s lived an entire lifetime of coaching since he was initially hired to lead the Rams in 2017 — at age 30. After considering a departure from football in 2022, McVay helmed the pivot from the “F them picks” championship era to the team’s current draft-and-develop model and postseason appearances in back-to-back years. McVay, the winningest head coach in franchise history, also has led the Rams to two NFC championships, four NFC West titles and missed the playoffs just twice in his eight seasons.
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Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The former Boise State star turned NFL coach has spent the last seven seasons as an assistant with Dallas, the L.A. Chargers and Philadelphia. He has long been viewed as a future head coach and after interviewing for positions during several cycles, he finally landed his first leading gig, signing with the New Orleans Saints. Moore directed some of Dallas’ most prolific offenses in recent years, but delivered his finest work this season with Philadelphia as he helped guide Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LIX. Two days later, the Saints made Moore the youngest head coach in the league.
After winning a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator of the L.A. Rams to cap the 2021 season, O’Connell landed the Vikings’ head coaching job and has made an instant impact, posting a 13-win season in Year 1 and a 14-win season in Year 3. Minnesota’s 14 wins in 2024 represented the most for the team since 1998’s 15-win campaign. The Vikings have reached the playoffs in two of O’Connell’s three seasons. The AP Coach of the Year in 2024, O’Connell delivered an impressive body of work while helping resurrect the career of quarterback Sam Darnold, who previously had been deemed a bust after disastrous stints with the New York Jets, who drafted him third overall in 2018, and the Carolina Panthers. Darnold earned Pro Bowl honors after ranking fifth in the NFL with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes.
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The departure of Mike Macdonald to Seattle put Orr in the spotlight as the Ravens’ new defensive coordinator in 2024. Less discussed? The Ravens also lost multiple position coaches, including Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson and Orr’s job was to smooth over those significant gaps within a scheme known for its complexity to newcomers. Orr, a former Ravens linebacker, kept fiddling with position changes and adjustments while growing with his new assistants — and the defense markedly improved down the backstretch of the season.
Parker was specifically identified by Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio (who he worked with in Denver) to help overhaul a bad secondary in 2024, and along with safeties coach Joe Kasper turned a unit featuring a unique mixture of young players and veterans into the best passing defense in the NFL. En route to a Super Bowl title, Parker helped develop standout rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Parker interviewed for the Packers’ and Patriots’ defensive coordinator jobs in 2024, the Saints’ defensive coordinator job this week and league sources believe he has significant buzz for such a role heading into next offseason’s hiring cycle.
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Philadelphia Eagles
Petzing is viewed as a future head coach thanks to a steady climb from Cleveland Browns coaching intern in 2013, before holding various offensive assistant positions with Minnesota during a six-year span. The former Middlebury College (DIII) defensive back returned to Cleveland, where he was tight ends coach and then quarterbacks coach. Success under Kevin Stefanski with the Browns led Petzing to Arizona, where he has been offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Players and colleagues praise Petzing for his vision, his knack for finding ways to maximize his players’ strengths and his strong communication skills.
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
After four seasons as Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach, Pitcher took over as offensive coordinator last season when Brian Callahan took the Titans’ head coaching job. Coach Zac Taylor praises Pitcher for his work with Cincinnati’s quarterbacks, including Joe Burrow, whom Pitcher helped develop after the Bengals drafted him first overall in 2020. Taylor also credits Pitcher for the effectiveness on third downs, where Cincinnati ranked fifth. Pitcher has started sparking interest as a future head coach and it’s believed in NFL circles it’s a matter of when, not if.
Sean McVay promoted Pleasant to assistant head coach as the 2024 season began, and considers the defensive coach to be one of his closest confidants. Pleasant’s work as a technical coach and his knack for reaching players helped the Rams’ young defense exceed expectations after major roster turnover in 2023, and transition into one of the NFL’s ascending groups quickly after Aaron Donald’s retirement last spring. Pleasant interviewed for the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator vacancy this winter.
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When Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon picked Rallis as his first-time defensive coordinator in 2023, everyone on staff understood the roster had a long way to go and expectations were low. But under Rallis, a talent-thin Arizona defense outperformed those expectations and — watch the tape — played hard every week for their young coordinator. Veteran quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford noted Rallis’ scheme as malleable, able to shapeshift from week to week to attune to the matchup (and often experimentally so). With patience and roster investment, Rallis could be coaching one of the league’s top units in the coming seasons.
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Robinson was hand-selected by Falcons coach Raheem Morris for his attention to detail and work with quarterbacks and running backs in L.A. (Robinson helped revive Baker Mayfield’s career in his brief stint with the Rams in 2022, and worked with Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams to overhaul the L.A. run game in 2023). His challenge in 2024? Coach and scheme for two quarterbacks at once, as veteran Kirk Cousins physically declined and rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. ascended. The Falcons underwhelmed last season in part because Cousins hit a wall, but people around the league believe the future partnership between Robinson and Penix is very bright.
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A former Illinois quarterback who still holds records there, including for scrimmage yards (10,634), Scheelhaase coached in various roles at Illinois and Iowa State (where he was offensive coordinator) between 2015-23. Scheelhaase got on Sean McVay’s radar last spring and has taken on a significant role in assisting the Rams head coach and the quarterbacks room.
“He will be a head coach in two years,” said one senior NFC executive of Scheelhaase, who interviewed for the Bucs’ and Jaguars’ offensive coordinator vacancies before McVay talked him off the interview circuit with the intent of promoting him in Los Angeles.
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Michael Ainsworth/AP
A first-time coordinator in 2024 after a long stint as a position coach in Los Angeles, Shula faced a steep task after future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s retirement last spring. Week by week as the season continued, Shula and his assistants steadily improved a unit that featured all rookies or second-year starters along the defensive line, undrafted free agents at inside linebacker, and either rookies or second- and third-tier free agents at safety and cornerback. In December, the defense held opponents under 10 points per game for three consecutive weeks and stifled the high-powered Vikings in their wild-card win
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Springer is one of just a few staffers from the previous regime retained by Mike Vrabel this offseason, and previously worked under Sean McVay. His high-level energy and eccentric but personable manner reaches top special teamers and bottom-of-the-roster players alike. He can coach: The Patriots went from the Nos. 28 and 32-ranked special teams units in 2022-23 to No. 13 last season. Springer also might be the only coach on this list who ran with the bulls in Spain in 2024. That’s the ideal level of insanity for a top special teams coach.
A direct nomination from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, Udinski was among the coaches who worked closely with quarterback Sam Darnold during his season of rejuvenated play. Udinski also took on a lead role with rookie J.J. McCarthy to onboard him into the offense despite his season-ending knee injury and surgery. O’Connell took a special interest in developing Udinski after hiring him in 2022 and other assistants in Minnesota say the younger coach reminds them quite a bit of O’Connell. Udinski was a candidate for offensive coordinator jobs with the Bucs, Texans and Seahawks before the Jaguars hired him.
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Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn
In a season all about the development of high-profile rookie quarterbacks, Bo Nix’s steady growth in Denver wasn’t just a product of Sean Payton’s scheme. Webb, a former Texas high school quarterback who played at Texas Tech and Cal and then for a brief stint in the NFL, was handpicked by Payton to work with Nix/an incoming young quarterback as the team considered its options post-Russell Wilson. Webb was among those whose opinions Payton leaned on when deciding to draft Nix, the head coach said in June.
The former scout is the right-hand man of Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, who leans on Brown because of his versatility, extensive knowledge and keen eye for talent. In addition to his five seasons with the Bengals, Brown also has worked in the Patriots’ and Eagles’ front offices, as well as with the AAF’s Birmingham Iron and XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. Brown has been on the radar for several teams in search of general managers the last couple years, interviewing with the Jets and Jaguars this offseason.
With her appointment in 2022, Coleman made history as the second-ever female team president in NFL history. And if we can be totally honest, Coleman has had her work cut out for her. On her fix list: a partially-built practice facility in Rock Hill, S.C., that was ultimately demolished, a relatively new owner who was last virally in the news for throwing a drink on a heckling fan, a franchise in despair only a few years removed from a sexual and racial abuse workplace scandal involving the previous owner. But as 2024 continued, an air of hope started creeping into the franchise. Coleman, David Tepper and their staff made key decisions like hiring new head coach Dave Canales, reconstructing the front office under Dan Morgan and re-committing their investment into a bright local community in Charlotte. They also expanded their international brand with their recent game in Germany. Coleman spearheads the Panthers’ stadium renovation project, ultimately securing the Charlotte City Council’s vote for a joint $800 million renovation plan that ties the franchise to the city for the next 20 years. She also leads the team’s new indoor practice facility project set to open in 2026.
Coleman’s efforts paved her ascension into her promotion to CEO of Tepper Sports and Entertainment in 2024, a multi-franchise operation in a rapidly expanding Queen City. Between her efforts and some optimism in the football building, the Panthers might just be at the turn of the tide.
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Cunningham, a former University of Virginia offensive lineman who studied education and psychology, has put his expertise in those fields to use while rising through the NFL’s scouting and executive ranks since 2008. Cunningham has been a member of two powerhouse staffs: the Baltimore Ravens (2008-16) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2017-21) before good friend Ryan Poles coaxed him to Chicago to serve as assistant general manager. Cunningham, who had a lead role in drafting quarterback Caleb Williams last spring and in hiring new head coach Ben Johnson, has been a finalist for multiple GM openings over the last two seasons because he is knowledgeable, experienced and well-rounded between football, scouting and analytics departments. He is a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM opening, with those interviews continuing Wednesday.
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Brian Cassella/Getty Images
The ready-to-win Texans made big moves in free agency and via trade this past season, led in part by Debick’s efforts in pro personnel. Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon, Azeez Al-Shaair and Stefon Diggs were all key additions (though Diggs suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8), and extending star receiver Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz was important while C.J. Stroud remains on his rookie contract. Debick also played a key role in bringing in new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, a former Rams assistant who was among the top candidates in this coaching cycle.
Disner wears many hats for the Lions, overseeing both the team’s football operations and administration as well as the business side’s strategy and revenue teams. Lions coach Dan Campbell credits Disner for cleaning up the Lions’ cap situation and positioning them to build the squad into a contender in the last several seasons. Meanwhile, Disner also has worked to strengthen the culture of the organization by serving as a bridge between the team and community and past legends.
Engelken was a rare example of an impassioned nomination from both Broncos ownership and executive leadership for her efforts leading the Denver Broncos Foundation. Engelken manages programs that serve 175,000 Colorado youth, leads community engagement efforts for players and staff, and helped make girls flag football a high school varsity sport in the state. Under Engelken, the Broncos were ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year in 2022 and new ownership trusts her directly to spearhead ongoing and new initiatives. The foundation recently announced it will donate 15,000 new football helmets across all 277 Colorado high schools, a $12 million investment.
The Rams nailed their last two draft classes, identifying 10 starters through that span with just one first-round pick. Standout players from the 2023 and 2024 classes include receiver Puka Nacua, outside linebackers Byron Young and Jared Verse, defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske and guard Steve Avila. Turner was a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 while Verse won it in 2024. Gladstone oversaw the strategic overhaul of the Rams’ draft processes after 2022 and has since led their modern and complex methods. He is a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM vacancy, with those in-person interviews scheduled Wednesday.
As GM Howie Roseman’s longtime right-hand man, Halaby was once pigeonholed as an “analytics executive” by a previous Eagles coaching regime. All the while, the Harvard graduate helped Roseman build out the best offensive and defensive lines in football and championed the signing of free-agent running back Saquon Barkley last offseason while many analytically minded experts argued against paying the position. League sources said Halaby was a runner-up for the New York Jets’ GM opening this cycle, and the Carolina Panthers’ opening last winter.
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Drew Hallowell/Philadelphia Eagles
Pastoors was the financial architect of the “F them picks” Super Bowl-winning Rams era, and then the abrupt pivot into their sprint rebuild of 2023. The Rams took a risk by incurring the second-most dead money in NFL history the latter season as they gutted their championship roster. They balanced a 14-member rookie class with cheap but quality veterans and became a wild-card playoff team that found its future young core of players. Pastoors, who now works directly with owner Stan Kroenke upon team president Kevin Demoff’s promotion, is believed to be on a team president track in L.A. or elsewhere after drawing interest over the last few years.
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Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn
Now in his fourth year as general manager in Chicago after 13 seasons with the Chiefs, Poles has remade the Bears’ roster thanks to a strong emphasis on building through the draft. He also has made some strategic trades and shrewd free-agent signings to meet the Bears’ need for veterans at key areas. At 39, Poles is the second-youngest general manager behind Cleveland’s Andrew Berry (37). Colleagues say Poles is a meticulous planner who encourages input, and is big on player and staff development. And, “when it’s go-time,” Poles executes and leads with decisiveness. Poles still is looking for his first winning season as a general manager, but just landed a top head coaching candidate in Ben Johnson, so Chicago appears to be trending in the right direction.
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Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Eagles’ VP of football operations left the world of finance to intern in Washington’s front office and worked his way up the ranks as a scout during a nine-year span. Scott joined Philadelphia’s scouting department in 2021 and continued his ascension while being promoted to his current role in 2024. Scott handles a wide variety of responsibilities including college and pro talent evaluation, roster evaluation, player development and more. After helping build the Eagles into a Super Bowl champion, Scott may soon draw interest around the league for future general manager openings.
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Philadelphia Eagles
After holding a variety of administrative jobs with college programs like the Cincinnati Bearcats and USC Trojans, Sosna joined the Detroit Lions as senior director of football administration in 2022. After two years, he moved to Washington, where as senior vice president of football operations, Sosna serves as lead contract negotiator. Sosna also oversees Washington’s analytics, health and performance departments while also taking part in aspects of the team’s business operations.
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Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn
Streicher headlines a small but valued group of coaches in hybrid situational management/analytics/coaching roles who have made their way onto the field and into the headset of the head coach. Championed by now-Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel because of a knack for exploiting tiny rules and situational advantages during their time together with the Titans and then poached by Sean McVay for that same reason in 2024, Streicher has helped to evolve the two prominent coaches’ in-game decision-making.
The former college offensive lineman and congressional intern just completed his third season with the Philadelphia Eagles and his 12th overall in the NFL. Walls played at Old Dominion University before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a master’s in public administration. Walls worked in the Packers’ scouting department from 2013-20 and then spent two seasons as a college scout for the Browns. In Walls, Jeff Scott and senior director of scouting Brandon Hunt, 43, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has a strong cast of young, future GMs assisting in Philly’s championship efforts.
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Philadelphia Eagles
One senior former colleague in San Francisco calls Washington “Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s go-to guy” in Minnesota, where Washington is building out advanced draft and pro personnel talent identification processes using technology, analytics and bespoke programming alongside traditional football scouting methods. Washington’s understanding of how to marry technology with football is championed by Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings’ scouting and football departments. The two executives previously led the San Francisco 49ers’ forward-thinking Research and Development department before teaming up in Minnesota in 2022.
Williams, a Columbia University graduate and former financial analyst, has worked in a range of scouting and front-office roles in San Francisco since 2011 and held a lead role in building the playoff teams of 2019 and 2021-23, including two Super Bowl appearances. After his first season as the 49ers’ director of scouting and football operations in 2024 (where he opted to stay instead of joining GM Adam Peters in Washington), he became a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM vacancy, with in-person interviews starting Wednesday. Williams also organizes a multiday forum for a diverse group of ascending NFL and NBA executives each offseason — an event that amplifies elite candidates throughout both sports and promotes networking and career development opportunities.
In 2020, the former NFLPA employee launched a social media account intended to celebrate the intersection of football and fashion by highlighting the ways NFL players expressed themselves through unique dress. Five years later, Anoh’s company, Blitzfits, has expanded to not only highlight players’ fashion choices, but also to team with the athletes to tell their stories with a blend of sports and fashion, while also serving as a partnership-forming bridge between players and apparel brands.
Where most of the NFL’s hiring cycles are controlled by a few powerful agencies, Carter stands out. His relentless effort to amplify his clients despite working for a relatively smaller company was noted by several people in the nomination process. Carter was the only player or coach/executive agent nominated specifically by a significant number of beat reporters across several cities and media outlets because his methods are atypical in the space. Carter has strong relationships with top insiders, but doesn’t limit information-sharing to just those people nor only to transactions. He works every beat at a grassroots level, providing context for a variety of levels of media and building coach-to-reporter connections that ultimately shape his coaches’ and players’ larger legacies.
As head of business and legal affairs at NFL Players Inc., Gage serves as one of the leading advocates for NFL players while overseeing legal strategy, litigation management and business development. Gage serves as a trusted mentor/adviser and problem solver while offering creative visions that empower players and strengthen the NFLPA.
What initially began as an idea for a training program for athletes has turned into a multimillion-dollar operation that is skyrocketing in popularity, and Hawkins — a former wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals — is at the center of it all. In 2020, Hawkins and former college quarterback Troy Jones started sports software company StatusPro and two years later launched Pro Era, a first-person virtual reality video game that uses player data to create simulations of NFL action. Now licensed with the NFL and NFLPA, the game has more than one million users and last year raised $20 million in funding to expand its reach and capabilities.
After retiring from the NFL, the former Philadelphia Eagles center has turned into a media darling, serving as an analyst and late-night talk show host for ESPN, which signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract. Kelce, of course, still hosts the ever-popular “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Travis. Regardless of platform, the colorful former lineman brings both insight and comedic relief and a wide array of unique wardrobe choices.
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Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Lynn has made a steady rise to prominence in the player rep world. In 2019, she became the first Black woman to represent a top-three draft pick (Quinnen Williams). Then, in 2020, she became the first to represent top-10 picks in back-to-back drafts. In the 2023 offseason, Lynn negotiated what was at the time a record-breaking $255 million contract for Jalen Hurts, who just won the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP honors.
McCarthy earned several nominations — including across other agencies — for his work with high-profile clients such as Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, rising offensive coordinators Zac Robinson (Atlanta Falcons) and Nick Caley (Houston Texans) and players such as Philadelphia Eagles rookie star defensive back Cooper DeJean. McCarthy is a former Notre Dame and NFL player whose relentless energy and strong relationships with his clients has drawn praise from senior members of his agency.
“Kyle embodies what people should be about in this business,” LaFleur said. “He operates with integrity and his work ethic is second to none. He’s dealt with more than most people know — displaying toughness and dedication through anything life throws at him.”
McClendon joined WME’s newly formed coaches division in 2023 after serving as the Rams’ director of football affairs. A former NFL player who earned his master’s degree from Brown during L.A.’s Super Bowl run in 2021, McClendon’s unique combination of competitiveness and amiability has quickly broken through the space. He represents Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales and Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen, among other coordinators and high-ranking executives across the NFL.
“Jacques cares about our clients and works tirelessly to serve them on the field and off,” said WME co-head of coaches Clint Dowdle. “His dynamic and infectious personality has helped him build genuine and lasting relationships throughout the industry.”
While Olsen’s talent in the booth is undeniable, people in every profession felt a kinship with the former tight end turned Fox color analyst after he was supplanted by the less experienced Tom Brady this season. Olsen’s skill — and his open desire to get back to calling the biggest games — sent an early signal to every TV partner of the NFL. Olsen’s Charlotte-based “HEARTest Yard” initiative has also raised more than $8 million in support, in-home and advanced hospital care for pediatric patients and their families battling congenital heart disease.
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Cindy Ord/Getty Images
The Stanford offensive lineman turned analytics expert served as director of football operations for the XFL and played a large role in the reimagination of the kickoff, which the NFL has adopted with a couple tweaks of its own. Schwartzstein and XFL officials wanted to return the kickoff to relevance while also finding ways to improve player safety. They accomplished that goal with the modification of the kickoff formation, and experienced so much success that the NFL took note. After carefully studying the success of Schwartzstein’s version of the kickoff and making modifications, NFL officials approved a rule change to implement the “dynamic kickoff,” which both made the play relevant once again, while also reducing concussions across the league. He is now Prime Video’s analytics expert for “Thursday Night Football.”
(Top illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; photos of Kevin O’Connell, Jason Kelce and Nicole Lynn: Brace Hemmelgarn, Jerritt Clark, Ric Tapia / Getty Images)
