Bears’ mum on future of kicker Parkey with the team
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace wouldn’t say if Cody Parkey will return for another season, and coach Matt Nagy called out the struggling kicker for appearing on the “Today” show last week.
Pace was adamant Monday that the Bears need improvement in the kicking game. He also said “those are things that need to play out” when asked if Parkey will return for a second season.
Nagy, meanwhile, made it clear he wasn’t thrilled Parkey went on the “Today” show Friday. The appearance was just days after the kicker’s potential winning field goal hit the left upright and crossbar in a 16-15 wild-card loss to Philadelphia caught him off guard.
The kicker’s future in Chicago is in question after a breakthrough 2017 season.
Arctic blast expected: Break out the parkas for Sunday night’s AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The National Weather Service is projecting an arctic blast to settle over Kansas City for the Chiefs’ game against the New England Patriots. Temperatures at kickoff could range from 10 degrees to well below zero, potentially making it the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history.
Twice it has been 1 degree at kickoff, including a December 2016 game against Tennessee.
Browns hire coordinators: New Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens has hired Todd Monken as offensive coordinator and Steve Wilks to run his defense.
Monken spent the past three years with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers ranked first in passing yardage per game (320.3) and were 12th in points. Monken called plays, but Kitchens is expected to keep that duty following his eight-game run as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator.
Wilks was recently fired after going 3-13 in one season as Arizona’s coach. He has a deep defensive background, spending 12 years as a secondary coach before becoming Carolina’s coordinator in 2017.
Garrett waffles on coordinator’s return: Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett had two different answers Monday for whether oft-criticized offensive coordinator Scott Linehan would return next season.
The first was on his morning radio show, when Garrett responded, “I do,” when asked if he thought Linehan would be back for a sixth season with the Cowboys. At a news conference several hours later, Garrett wasn’t even close to definitive.
Linehan was heavily criticized during Dallas’ sluggish start because a misfiring offense was largely to blame.
Dallas was much better offensively in the second half of the season, after sending its first-round pick in this year’s draft to Oakland for receiver Amari Cooper.
But the Cowboys were one of just four teams to convert fewer than half their trips inside the 20-yard line into touchdowns.
Munchak makes move: A person with knowledge of the agreement says Mike Munchak, who had been a finalist for Denver’s head coaching job, is making a lateral move from the Pittsburgh Steelers to serve as the Broncos’ new offensive line coach.