Miami OC Gailey leaves franchise
Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has resigned one season after coming out of retirement.
The announcement was made Wednesday, one day after Gailey’s 69th birthday and one day after coach Brian Flores said he expected all of his assistant coaches would return in 2021.
With Gailey calling plays, the Dolphins scored 404 points, their highest total since 1986. He had a major role in the development of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who struggled at times but went 6-3 as a starter.
The Dolphins finished 10-6 with one of the NFL’S youngest teams. A blowout loss Sunday at Buffalo kept them out of the playoffs.
Gailey’s resignation means Flores will have his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons in 2021.
If Flores decided to promote Gailey’s successor from within the organization, candidates include tight end coach George Godsey and running backs coach Eric Studesville. Godsey was offensive coordinator for the Texans in 2015-16.
This season was Gailey’s 21st as an NFL coach and his second stint with Miami. He was head coach for the Buffalo Bills (201012), Georgia Tech (200207) and the Dallas Cowboys (1998-99).
He did not coach in 2017-19.
Falcons interview N.O. exec for GM
The Atlanta Falcons conducted a virtual interview for general manager Wednesday with New Orleans Saints executive Terry Fontenot.
Atlanta is seeking a replacement for longtime GM Thomas Dimitroff, who was fired along with coach Dan Quinn after the team began the season with five straight losses.
Fontenot is the Saints’ vice president and assistant general manager in charge of pro personnel. He has been with Atlanta’s NFC South rival for 16 seasons.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles says he will interview to be Atlanta’s coach.
Bowles was 26-40 as the New York Jets coach from 2015-18 and was 2-1 as Miami’s interim coach in 2011.
The Falcons held virtual interviews with Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in their coach search on Monday. Atlanta interim coach Raheem Morris interviewed on Friday.
Fontenot was the fifth candidate to interview for the GM job.
The Falcons previously met with former Texans GM Rick Smith, Atlanta director of college scouting Anthony Robinson, and two other directors of college scouting, Brad Holmes of the Los Angeles Rams and Morocco Brown of the Indianapolis Colts.
Chiefs’ Bieniemy meets with Jets
The New York Jets kicked off their coaching search by interviewing Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Wednesday.
With six vacancies around the league, the 51-year-old Bieniemy is one of the most popular candidates after helping the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes win the Super Bowl last year and directing the NFL’S No. 1 offense this season. Bieniemy also interviewed with Atlanta and Detroit earlier this week.
Teams are speaking to coaching and general manager candidates through virtual interviews rather than in-person visits in early round discussions because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Odds and ends
Seahawks safety Jamal Adams said there’s no question he’ll play in his first career playoff game Saturday despite a shoulder injury. The Seahawks face the Rams … The Chiefs placed rookie defensive end Mike Danna on the reserve/covid-19 list.