When it comes to hiring coaches, this is not Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill’s first go-around. He’s been involved in so many that it’s almost surprising he’s not better at it by now.

But the search Bidwill is about to embark upon, finding replacements for General Manager Steve Keim, who has stepped away for health reasons, and coach Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired Monday, will be unique for Bidwill.

In previous searches, Bidwill always had a partner: his father, Bill; and former general manager Rod Graves and Keim. This time, he is solo, although Bidwill said Monday afternoon he has solicited advice from people he trusts around the NFL.

That’s a good move. It would also be good if Bidwill has learned something from experience. Until now, he hasn’t. Over the years, the Cardinals’ biggest mistake when searching for a coach has been to start with a narrowly defined vision of what they wanted.

With Buddy Ryan, they wanted a big name who could enthuse a waning fan base. Same with Dennis Green. And in their last search, they wanted an innovative offensive coach who could keep pace with the way the NFL game was changing. That resulted in the hiring of Kingsbury.

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In a news conference on Tuesday, Bidwill mentioned a handful of times he is casting ‘a wide net’ to identify and interview candidates. He said he’s entering the process with an open mind, rather than thinking he’s needs an offensive coach, a defensive one or something in between. If Bidwill follows through with that philosophy, that’s a good thing for the Cardinals.

Over the decades, they tried everything to find a coach who could win consistently in Arizona. 

They hired the understated (Vince Tobin), the personable (Dave McGinnis), the bombastic (Green), the cerebral (Ken Whisenhunt), the brash (Bruce Arians) and the trendy (Kingsbury.)

All but Arians were fired, which indicates that while the Cardinals might have blown it with a hire or two, the bigger problem has been an organizational structure and culture that hasn’t provided enough support. If that had been in place, a few of the coaches mentioned above might have enjoyed long-term success.

But there is no “long-term” when it comes to coaching the Cardinals. Since the team moved to Arizona in 1988, just three have lasted longer than four seasons. Whisenhunt and Jim Hanifan are the longest-tenured Cardinals coaches in history, which began in 1920. They lasted six seasons.

That’s not to say Kingsbury received a raw deal. The Cardinals finished 4-13, equaling the most losses in a single season in franchise history. Injuries played a large role in that, but so did Kingsbury’s inability to pull the Cardinals out of a tailspin. No one was going to win nine games with the 2022 roster, but six or seven was feasible.

Keim and Kingsbury had to go, and Bidwill deserves some credit for tacitly admitting signing those two to contract extensions 10 months ago was a mistake. That’s not hindsight. Those decisions were as head-scratching then as they are now.

With a new general manager and a new coach, Bidwill has a chance to steer a different course, again.

Several times on Tuesday Bidwill emphasized that the Cardinals aren’t far away from contending, although 13 losses suggest otherwise. Mistakenly, Bidwill said several times the team was 12-2 at one point during the 2021 season, even though it finished with only 11 victories.

Tongue slips aside, his point was this: ‘I don’t know that we’re as broken as people think.’

Bidwill believes there is lot of talent on the roster, but thousands of Cardinals fans would debate that with him. The offensive line must be rebuilt. Murray regressed as a passer and will be coming off ACL surgery. They need a pass rusher, help on the defensive line and depth at cornerback. The list goes on and on. All of that likely will take more than a year to fix.

So where does Bidwill turn? He’s interviewed two internal candidates for general manager: vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson. Harris and Wilson have shared the general manager’s duties since Keim stepped away, and there have been reports that Bidwill is considering keeping that arrangement full time.

Let’s hope not because it would be a huge mistake. Job sharing doesn’t work at that level of an organization, in the NFL or anywhere else. It’s a formula for dysfunction, and the Cardinals should be trying to rid themselves of that, not add to it.

The Cardinals traditionally have promoted from within to fill the GM job, but Bidwill also thinks it might be time to bring in fresh voices and ideas. That’s why he will interview candidates from other teams.

Preferably, Bidwill said, he would like to hire a general manager before a head coach, but he’s not wedded to the idea.

NFL owners tend to hire the opposite of the coach they just fired. And that’s usually been the case with the Cardinals. Tobin and McGinnis were vastly different personalities. McGinnis had little control over anything, but his replacement, Green, was given immense power. Whisenhunt, not so much. Arians coached hard, spoke his mind and never cared much what anyone else thought. Kingsbury had never coached in the NFL and rarely gave us a glimpse of what he was really thinking.

His opposite would be a veteran of the NFL, preferably with a knowledge of how to develop a quarterback at the NFL level, and the ability to hire assistants to help him do that.

Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is a near-perfect fit. Bidwill has to make that call, if he hasn’t already. 

Payton reportedly would cost upwards of $20 million a year. And the Cardinals likely would have to give up a high draft pick or two to the Saints to get Payton out of his contract there.

The cost will be exorbitant, but If he’s serious about winning, Bidwill needs to move quickly to gauge Payton’s interest. Maybe all that will come of it is the Cardinals being used for leverage against offers from other teams. But at least Bidwill will have tried.

If Payton isn’t interested, Bidwill would be smart to pursue a general manager, and then allow him to be the point person in the coaching hire.

Asked if he was willing to spend big money on a big name, Bidwill said ‘I don’t know if the biggest name correlates to the best coach.’

In general, Bidwill’s right about that. But in this case, the biggest name, Payton, is the best coach available. Bidwill should swing big. Maybe he will connect for one of the few times in franchise history.

This is a simple story about a man you probably didn’t know.

It’s not the kind of story that will draw great page views. It’s not about a college football championship game. It’s not power rankings or gossip about who will coach what team next. 

It’s a story about a former NFL player named Charles Johnson. As you watch the playoffs starting this weekend and eventually the Super Bowl, you will see hundreds of players like him. Players who aren’t the stars but are still the lifeblood of the sport. They aren’t always noticed (unless something goes wrong). Their jerseys aren’t sold by the millions. They practice hard, play hard and go home, only to do it again and again and again. Then their careers are over and we mostly forget about them.

That’s what happened to Johnson. He was a star receiver at the University of Colorado, but in the NFL he was a solid player for four teams from 1994-2003. Johnson, like many other players before him and since, was mostly invisible in his post-playing career.

Quietly, amid a flurry of huge sports headlines over the past 48 hours, this ruling about Johnson’s death has gone almost unnoticed. But I don’t want that. I don’t want him to just disappear into the night.

Not because I knew him well (I didn’t) but because I think, occasionally, as we watch and love the NFL, we need to use moments like these to remember that football, while beautiful and graceful, is also brutal and highly destructive to the body and mind.

Then, after the game is over, some players realize there’s not much else they can do outside of football, and that takes an additional toll on their mental health. Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young this week told the ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray that the day after retiring, ‘you’re at the bottom of a cliff in a broken sack of bones.’

It would be unfair to draw a direct correlation between football and Johnson taking his own life. It is, however, accurate to say that football severely damaged his physical body, and based on the science, it’s safe to say it perhaps did damage to his mind, too.

“In the previous week, he had been acting strange and had recently purchased a funeral and cremation service,” said the medical examiner’s report, obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

A high school friend told USA TODAY Sports that Johnson said he was seeing a medical specialist to deal with issues related to head trauma from football. 

The report said Johnson had “acute oxycodone, hydrocodone and mirtazapine toxicity” after his death. There’s another important fact: The report also said Johnson had paid for a hotel room, returned home, only to depart his home again leaving his wallet, cell phone, keys and vehicle at his house.

We don’t know for certain if Johnson suffered from CTE. However, as Chris Nowinski, a behavioral neuroscientist and the founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, wrote recently in the New York Times, Boston University’s CTE Center study showed ‘that around 90 percent of the more than 300 N.F.L. players they have studied since 2008 have had C.T.E., a neurodegenerative disease that is linked with the development of dementia and is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries. While it is unlikely that those 300 N.F.L. players studied are representative of the total N.F.L. population, a separate analysis has suggested the minimum prevalence in N.F.L. players is 10 percent, more than 10 times what it is in the general population…’

We watch these games. We love them, and they are mostly played by men like Johnson: dutiful, hard-working and professional. You won’t see them in television ads or hosting ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Then, suddenly, their careers are over and they’re gone from the game.

That is what happened with Johnson until this tragedy. 

This is a simple story about a man you probably didn’t know. Johnson was an NFL player and like so many others, deserves a moment of your time beyond what happens on the field.

Just a moment. It won’t take long.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) anytime, day or night. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t need a coin flip to determine the site of Sunday’s AFC wild card matchup versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Taylor and the Bengals were disappointed in the NFL’s ruling in the aftermath of the canceled Buffalo Bills vs. Bengals Week 17 game, but the club is ready to move forward as the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs.  

‘It doesn’t matter now. It’s set the way it’s set. We won the division, and we get a home field game. So now we’ll just follow the seeding and go wherever it takes us,’ Taylor told USA TODAY Sports. ‘But it starts with this first game against Baltimore. We got to have a great plan in place and have the ability to move on to the next round.’

The Bengals are riding an AFC-best eight-game winning streak entering the postseason.

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USA TODAY Sports interviewed Taylor this week about the canceled Week 17 game, Damar Hamlin, being back-to-back AFC North champions and this year’s playoffs. Here are the highlights, lightly edited for clarity, from the exclusive conversation:

Damar Hamlin’s injury captured the attention of the country. You were praised for how you handled the unprecedented situation. Can you take us through those moments? What was going through your mind when you saw how severe Hamlin’s injury was and your thought process while the NFL was deciding whether or not to resume the game?

Taylor: It was a terrible moment on the field. We all felt terrible for Damar. We could see what the Bills were going through. It was an awful situation that you hope to never replicate. I thought the officials did a great job communicating with both teams. Obviously, the conclusion came that we couldn’t continue on with that game and people needed to be at the hospital to support him because you didn’t know what the outlook was gonna be. Ultimately, I thought everybody got to the right decision.

When did you first realize the game should be canceled?

Taylor: It was hard. When everyone was looking at Damar Hamlin on the ground, nobody is thinking about anything. They are just thinking about I hope everything is alright with Damar. I don’t think it was going through anyone’s mind are we gonna play or not play. That’s not what happens when you’re sitting right next to someone who is fighting for their life. Playing is not going through your mind. When the ambulance pulls away, that’s when you start trying to pick up the pieces and figure out what’s about to happen. There’s no precedent that’s been set. We just needed a couple moments to gather our teams and think about it.

Every moment that passed provided clarity. I don’t think anybody was thinking about playing.

Bills QB Josh Allen said some people are going to be changed forever after witnessing that moment on Monday night. Do you think your team will be changed forever after witnessing that frightening scene?

Taylor: It’s a moment that you’ll never forget. We’re thankful that the outcome has been really positive for Damar. It’s hard to imagine seven days from that happening, him being able to go back to Buffalo. I don’t think anyone would’ve been able to predict that happening. That’s awesome to see the progress he’s made. I think this week is something we’ll always remember. Just the support that everyone had for Damar and his family.

How does it feel to be back-to-back AFC North Champions?

Taylor: That was one of our goals since the beginning of the season. We have one home game in the playoffs. Our guys did a great job in earning this title. That’s two (AFC North titles) for us for the first time in franchise history.

A lot of people said, including myself, the Bengals will be going from the hunter to the hunted this season. As the defending AFC champs, you guys finished 12-4 and won the division. How do you think your team performed throughout the regular season?

Taylor: To win eight in a row to close out the regular season, this team is playing good football at the right time. We are winning the turnover battles, it’s a very unified team with great leadership. It’s not unexpected. I’m proud to be a part of this team. We’re starting a new season now. Everyone is 0-0 and we got to be able to take care of business one game at a time.

Joe Burrow is in the MVP discussion. How has he improved his game in his third season?

Taylor: He took us to the Super Bowl last year, so he had a great year last year. He continues to play really fast at a really high level. It’s his third year in the system. He has complete ownership of the system. I think he’s done a great job for us, as we expected him to do. He continues to impress every single week that passes.

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the offense get a lot of national attention. But your defense has performed at a high level this season, finishing top 10 in points allowed. Describe the impact your defense has had this year.

Taylor: There’s great leadership at every position group. We have a ton of talent on defense. The coaches have done a great job starting with (defensive coordinator) Lou Anarumo and his whole staff. They have found a way to create a lot of turnovers. That’s what they did at the end of last season, too. That really helped us in our playoff run. These last couple weeks we have seen a lot more of that. We have to continue that in (this year’s) playoffs as well.

As the defending AFC champions and runner-up in last year’s Super Bowl, what’s the message to your team as you embark on another postseason?

Taylor: You can’t look beyond the first game. We have Baltimore. It’s a big game. They want a piece of us. We want a piece of them. You can’t look beyond that. Because that’s when you can stub your toe. These guys have done a great job of having a narrow focus on the seven-day week, getting great work done and being ready to go play on Sunday.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not play in the team’s playoff game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, coach Mike McDaniel said on Wednesday. 

Tagovailoa has not been cleared by doctors to resume football activities on the field with his teammates after his second documented concussion from Christmas Day.

‘It’s very frustrating for him to not go through everything with his teammates,’ McDaniel said of Tagovailoa. ‘It was a huge goal of his to get to the playoffs, and he wants to play in the playoffs.’

Still, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will heed to medical advice and continue a day-to-day recovery as he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol. He has not experienced any setbacks, but there are some ‘compounding variables in play with his evaluation,” McDaniel said.  

McDaniel did not want to speculate on Tagovailoa’s future, next week or beyond.

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‘I’m just thinking about his day, and him getting to full health as a human being. And when it’s time to turn the page, it’s time to turn the page,’ McDaniel said. ‘Next step for him to be fully through this protocol and then we can see where the land lays, so to speak. Outside of that, I’m worried about him.’

The Dolphins got the 11-6 win they needed to reach the postseason last week against the Jets. But they’ll likely need more than three field goals and a safety if they’re going to beat Josh Allen and the Bills in hope of the franchise’s first playoff win since 2000.

Immediately after McDaniel’s news conference, the betting line on the Dolphins-Bills game moved from 9.5 points to 12.5 points on Tipico Sportsbook, and even 13.5 points on other sportsbooks.

McDaniel did not name a starter for the Bills game, but it appears rookie third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson is in line to start his second straight game for the Dolphins, who reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and third time in 21 years.

Dolphins backup Teddy Bridgewater, who is recovering from a dislocated finger on his throwing hand and dealing with a knee injury, is also in question for the Bills game. The Dolphins signed and elevated veteran Mike Glennon from their practice squad last week to be Thompson’s backup.

‘I know there’s more at stake, but last week there was a lot at stake, too,’ Thompson said of the win that got Miami into the postseason.

The thing is quarterback isn’t the only Dolphins problem heading into Sunday’s game.

Starting running back Raheem Mostert, who leads Miami with 891 yards rushing, broke his right thumb against the Jets last week.

Starting left tackle Terron Armstead did not practice Wednesday, and has not played in the last two games, dealing with pectoral, toe, knee and hip injuries accumulated during the season. Left guard Liam Eichenberg (hand), right tackle Brandon Shell (knee, ankle) and backup tackle Kendall Lamm (ankle) also did not practice. 

And star edge rusher Bradley Chubb, who the Dolphins acquired from Denver at the trade deadline and gave a new five-year deal worth up to $111.25 million (including $63.2 million guaranteed) intends to play despite a right hand injury. He also did not practice Wednesday.

‘This is the hand right now. How do you play that hand?’ said McDaniel, who has led Miami to the playoffs in his first season as Dolphins coach.

Yet, the Dolphins are still elated about just getting to the playoffs – something that evaded them the past two seasons, under former coach Brian Flores, despite having winning records.

‘Each year, it’s been one game away,’ veteran safety Eric Rowe said. ‘We’ve finally pushed over that little hill.’

The Dolphins will play the Bills for the third time this season. Miami won earlier this season 21-19 at home, and lost 32-29 after a game-ending field goal in Buffalo on Dec. 17.

Still, Allen and the Bills have largely gotten the best of the Dolphins with an 8-2 record since Allen’s rookie season in 2018.

Buffalo will also continue to ride the wave of positive news surrounding safety Damar Hamlin’s recovery, as Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital and returned home Wednesday, nine days since his cardiac arrest during a Bills-Bengals game Jan. 2.

Despite the apparent odds stacked against them, the Dolphins are trying to maintain a positive perspective.

‘I know we have a dedicated, hungry football team that’s excited to play in a game they earned,’ McDaniel said.

This Dolphins’ playoff game is eerily like Miami’s last postseason game on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016.

Former backup Matt Moore started in place of former starter Ryan Tannehill, who was sidelined with a knee injury. Miami lost 30-12 in a game with a wind chill in the single digits.

‘We got whooped,’ Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, the only player still on Miami’s roster from that Steelers playoff loss, said succinctly Wednesday.

The Dolphins hope for a different outcome this time around.

The defense knows it must do its part against Allen, so Thompson and the offense – led by star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle – have a chance.

‘Skylar could have the best game of his career and put up 50 points, but if we don’t stop nobody on defense, then that’ll mean nothing,’ Rowe said of the Dolphins defense. ‘We have to focus on us, and how to stop Josh Allen.’

Thompson – who was 20 of 31 for 152 yards, while Miami ran the ball 32 times for 162 yards against the Jets – hopes his experience watching from the sideline during Miami’s last game in Buffalo can help this week.

‘Honestly, every snap, I feel more and more confident,’ Thompson said.

‘It’s going to be a great challenge for us. I got the experience for seeing it in person, what the atmosphere is going to look like, snowballs being thrown at us. All that. It was awesome. … I’m looking forward to going out there and competing, and I know our guys are, too.’

Before TikTok, there was Vine. And the kids who went viral on Vine are all grown up now. Case in point, the ‘Popeyes kid,’ now 18, is an NCAA Division II college football player, and just signed an NIL deal with Popeyes. 

Who is the Popeyes kid? 

Dieunerst Collin, you might not know the name, but you’ll likely know the meme.

Ten years ago, Collin was the unassuming kid waiting in the Popeyes soda fountain line with his cup when a man recorded himself approaching Collin, apparently mistaking him for Lil Terrio, one Vine’s most popular stars at the time.

“Terrio at Popeyes,” the man says, before turning his camera on Collin. “Say oooh (Terrio’s catchphrase)…. Ooh,” he instructs Collin, who says nothing and delivers meme-perfect side eye. 

The Vine raked in millions of views (or loops as Vine called them). Screencaps and GIFs of Collin’s reaction have been deployed online to express awkwardness ever since. 

Collin signs an NIL deal

Now, standing 6 foot 1 and 330 pounds, he’s an offensive lineman at Lake Erie College’s Division II football program.

Twitter caught wind of Collin’s athletic success Tuesday, and quickly called on Popeyes to sign him to an NIL deal, which is essentially a brand sponsorship deal for NCAA athletes.

Collin said Popeyes reached out to him on Twitter, and confirmed that they landed on an NIL deal. 

‘Only thing I can say is that I will be promoting that business like crazy,’ Collin told USA TODAY Wednesday. ‘I actually love Popeyes myself.’ 

The 18-year-old said the attention he got at school following the viral vine was overwhelming. 

‘It would affect me… to the point where it was like ‘I don’t ever want to walk outside ever again’,’ Collin said. But by the time he won a high school football championship, he had embraced the fame.

He went viral again, this time on Twitter, when someone posted a picture of him striking the famous pose. The tweet led to an offer from Lake Eerie College in Ohio to play football, Collin said. 

Collin now studies sports management at Lake Erie College, according to his biography on the football team’s website. He said hopes to play professionally, and eventually become a football analyst on TV.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant wants to take action after an 11-year-old girl had her autographed basketball stolen at a Grizzlies game.

WMC Action News 5 reported that two adults stole the autographed basketball at Monday’s game between the Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs. Ellie Hughes had been going to Grizzlies home games with her grandfather since she was 5.

After news of the story reached Twitter, Morant replied to a tweet about the incident.

“Do anybody know the family info?” Morant tweeted.

Hughes’ family is asking that the basketball be returned to the lost and found at FedExForum, no questions asked.

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Naomi Osaka has announced that she is pregnant.

The tennis star shared the news Wednesday with a social media post featuring an ultrasound image and a message in English and Japanese reflecting on her journey in tennis and the life lessons she’s gathered.

‘The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that (it’s) the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun,’ she wrote. ‘These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to. I realize that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom.’, haha.’

The post comes three days after Osaka, a two-time champion, confirmed she will not play at the Australian Open. She shared in the note that she plans to be back for the 2024 Australian Open.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King was among those who sent well wishes to Osaka, writing ‘Congratulations from both of us!’ on the original Twitter post. King is married to former pro tennis player Ilana Kloss.

Osaka has been dating rap artist Cordae since 2019. He has yet to make a public statement about the pregnancy.

In May 2021, Osaka withdrew from the French Open after not participating in post-match news conferences, citing the need to take care of her mental health. In September of that year, she announced she was going to take a break from tennis with no set date to return.

Osaka played in 2022, including in the Miami Open in April when she reached the finals. She also participated in the Pan Pacific Open in September, but withdrew in the second round due to illness.

Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam winner.

Sean Payton is arguably the hottest name on the market as this new hiring cycle for NFL head coaches kicks off. Hotter than Jim Harbaugh. Hotter than Leslie Frazier, Steve Wilks and DeMeco Ryans – three names who should be on any team’s short list, based on results. 

Who wouldn’t want to fill a head coaching vacancy with Payton? The former New Orleans Saints coach, with a Super Bowl win on his résumé, brings creativity, passion and resourcefulness. A huge payday is likely coming, in addition to hefty compensation to the Saints because Payton knows how to touch the quarterback as one of the game’s foremost offensive strategists. And we know how NFL owners, fair or not, have become so enamored with offensive gurus like Payton.

On top of all that, Payton also stands as something like an accidental barometer for how NFL teams comply with the Rooney Rule this time around, with five head coaching jobs currently open.

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No, Payton, who happens to be white, doesn’t count as one of the two minority candidates from outside their organizations that teams must interview to comply with the Rooney Rule.

Yet nearly a year since Brian Flores filed a federal lawsuit against the NFL and several teams alleging, among other things, that he was the victim of sham interviews – reflecting suspicions that have existed for years with multiple candidates – the scrutiny of the process for teams who may be falling over themselves in pursuing Payton will be significant.

Remember Jon Gruden? Like Payton, he was once the hot coaching target on the market. Before the mess surfaced that sealed his split from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, when racist and misogynistic emails were exposed as part of the Dan Snyder probe (resulting in another still-unresolved lawsuit from Gruden), Raiders owner Mark Davis’ pursuit of Gruden upon hiring him in January 2018  was Exhibit A for shady Rooney Rule compliance.

This historical context is relevant because it’s supposed to be different now. That doesn’t mean that Payton is any less attractive of a candidate. But with the NFL incorporating even more layers to the Rooney Rule against the backdrop of the Flores suit and the dismal results over recent years when it comes to hiring minority coaches, it will be interesting to get a sense of how robust the commitment will be from teams when it comes to the spirit of complying with the Rooney Rule.

One of the teams exploring Payton, the Denver Broncos, appears to be in a better place with its process than it was when Flores accused the team’s previous regime of conducting a sham interview. The Broncos, with a new ownership group headed by Rob Walton (and including Black women Mellody Hobson and Condoleezza Rice as limited partners), are expected to meet with Payton as early as next week and conducted a video interview on Monday with Harbaugh.

And the Broncos, seeking to replace fired coach Nathaniel Hackett, have also requested permission to interview Black defensive coordinators Ryans (San Francisco 49ers) and Raheem Morris (Los Angeles Rams), along with Dan Quinn (Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator). The team will also interview its own D-coordinator, Ejiro Evero, who is Black.

But still: Could a team land a big prize in Payton, yet still find itself accused of conducting sham interviews?

“With all that’s at stake and with the awareness of what is expected, I just don’t see us in that world of failing it,” Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, told USA TODAY Sports. “There’s enough checks and balances. The guidelines that have been formalized makes things very clear.”

As the NFL has intensified efforts in recent months to bolster minority hiring (and likely for more legal insulation, too), some key requirements and recommendations are in play for this cycle. Among them:

Owners and other key decision-makers are now required to participate in inclusive hiring training before starting a search process.Documentation for each candidate interviewed that includes identifying club personnel conducting the interviews and the approximate length of interviews has become more formalized and must be submitted to the league office.In-person interviews of candidates employed by other NFL teams can’t be conducted until the wild-card round of the playoffs are completed (In Payton’s case, he’s still under contract with the Saints, preventing him from interviewing in person until Tuesday). Video conference interviews don’t satisfy Rooney Rule requirements.

The revisions are promising enough. On top of the requirements, it is also recommended that clubs enlist the help of an “inclusive hiring process coach” to ensure that the search is fair and equitable.

Still, it’s rather shameful that in 2023 and with roughly 70% of the player base consisting of Black men, some owners and key executives may need some sort of shock treatment to deal with apparent biases and an alleged “check the box” mentality when it comes to interviewing minority candidates.

“I think people get it that this is a priority,” Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, chairman of the league’s diversity committee, told USA TODAY Sports. “At every league meeting, this is on the agenda. We don’t take any meetings off, in terms of talking about it. I think all the clubs understand that it is a priority for the league.”

Whether it’s a priority for the individual teams, though, remains in question.

Perhaps the pursuit of Payton and the intense spotlight that comes with it, regardless of where he lands, will provide some necessary clues about whether the NFL’s hiring process has really changed for the better.

We’re a long way away from this even being a possibility, but the NFL is already starting to consider its contingency plan should the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills – the top two seeds in the AFC for the 2023 playoffs – both reach the AFC title game.

After Damar Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest during a pivotal and now cancelled Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals roughly two weeks ago, the league decided to even things out by guaranteeing a neutral site AFC Championship Game between the Bills and Chiefs in a theoretical playoff matchup. The main consideration appeared to be Buffalo losing out on clinching the de facto No. 1 seed through no fault of its own (it literally lost a game off its record) after already beating the Chiefs earlier this year and owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.

With reports stating the league expects to decide on the location of a potential Bills-Chiefs AFC title showdown later this week — and fans getting very creative with their jokes about a preferred locale — here’s a ranking of some of the best possible stadium options. For anyone who wants to be romantic about football while thinking about another potential instant classic between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, you’ll feel right at home here.

6. FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland

Cleveland might be a little too close to Buffalo to be considered a real option, but keeping an AFC title game between the two best teams in the league in the elements would be welcome.

5. Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh

Acrisure Stadium has been suggested as a seamless choice given its association with Pennsylvania native Damar Hamlin. A sweet thought and a definite possibility as a result, but there are simply better fields potentially in play.

4. TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville

I’m not sure this is really on the NFL’s prospective list, but I’m throwing it into the pot by virtue of being in Florida, which likely guarantees solid weather. Also, with the Jaguars being the No. 4 seed in the AFC, it’s possible this would be the only pro football game on this field until late Summer 2023.

3. Rose Bowl, Pasadena

It’s high time someone in the NFL recognize that this absolute treasure of a football stadium would be perfect for one of the biggest games in the sport. Plus, it’s in Southern California — a relatively far but neutral distance for both squads to travel. And by late January, it should be picturesque for any major AFC showdowns.

2. Soldier Field, Chicago

This sorry excuse for a professional stadium that can’t be abandoned fast enough is barely fit to house its current primary guest. That said, the allure of Chicago as a tourist attraction with plenty of hotel space as a city at a relative midpoint between Kansas City and Buffalo, makes Soldier Field one of the more realistic choices. Not to mention, again, the NFL could keep the door open on an outdoors championship game.

1. Lambeau Field, Green Bay

I mean, come on: It’s not like the Packers will be using this pristine jewel of a modern coliseum any time soon, right? Lambeau Field is the best location for a football game. Period. If the league truly wanted to maintain the luster of a vital conference championship between the two faces of the sport, then you can’t go wrong with Lambeau. Even if it’d be frigid, it’d be a beautiful wintry game to behold.

Damar Hamlin is going home. 

The Buffalo Bills safety, who went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, has completed what doctors have called a ‘remarkable recovery’ with his release from the hospital on Wednesday.

With every update on his condition drawing intense national attention, Hamlin spent a week in intensive care at the Universtity of Cincinnati Medical Center before being transferred to Buffalo General Medical Center on Jan. 9. 

‘We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,’ critical care physician Dr. Jamie Nadler said in a statement released by the team.

‘LOVE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING’: Hamlin thanks well-wishers on social media

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The 24-year-old defensive back collapsed to the turf after making what appeared to be a routine tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of their Monday night game. 

Medical personnel at the game were able to revive him and quickly get him from Paycor Stadium to the nearby UC Medical Center, saving precious time and perhaps his life in the process.

Hamlin has continued to praise his doctors and hospital staff involved with his recovery, while also acknowledging the outpouring of prayers and support from fans all across the country.

His GoFundMe page, to raise money for his Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive, has received more than $8.6 million in donations.