NFL notes: Bears meet with Shurmur, McDaniels about head coaching job

The Chicago Bears interviewed the offensive coordinators in Minnesota and New England for their coaching job on Friday.

The Bears met with Pat Shurmur in Minnesota in the morning before meeting Josh McDaniels in New England. Chicago is looking to replace the fired John Fox, and both candidates have head coaching experience as well as reputations for developing quarterbacks. The Bears are looking to get the most out of Mitchell Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft last spring.

Shurmur was 9-23 as the Cleveland Browns’ coach from 2011-12. He returned for a second stint as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator from 2013-15. He joined the Vikings as tight ends coach in 2016. He served as interim offensive coordinator for the final nine games that year following the resignation of Norv Turner and took over the job in 2017.

McDaniels lasted less than two seasons as the Denver Broncos’ coach after he was hired in 2009. But as a top assistant in one of the most successful regimes in NFL history and with a long history of working with one of the greatest quarterbacks in Tom Brady, he is one of the top candidates on the market.

Chicago interviewed Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards in Minnesota on Thursday and Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio at their headquarters on Wednesday.

The Bears fired Fox after a 14-34 record in three years and a .292 winning percentage that ranks as the second-lowest in franchise history. The Bears were 5-11 this season.

The New York Giants also interviewed McDaniels as well as Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. McDaniels, the Patriots offensive coordinator met with new general manager Dave Gettleman, Giants co-owner John Mara and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams. Patricia talked with the trio in the morning.

Injury updates

— Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee practiced for the first time in three weeks Friday, increasing his chances of playing in a wild-card game against Buffalo. Lee missed the final two regular-season games after spraining his right ankle. He was limited in his practice Friday, but did enough to please coach Doug Marrone, who said Lee “looked better than I envisioned.”

— Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy is questionable for Sunday’s AFC wild-card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. McCoy suffered a right ankle injury in Sunday’s 22-16 win over the Miami Dolphins. He was carted off the field but returned to practice on a limited basis Friday. On Thursday, McCoy said that he was feeling “a lot better” but didn’t want to make any guarantees about playing. He declined to speak with reporters on Friday.

Etc.

Miami Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry has been fined $48,620 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct, but he avoided a suspension for his role in a brawl with the Buffalo Bills. Miami running back Kenyan Drake and Bills cornerback Leonard Johnson were each fined $12,154 for their parts in the fight. Landry and Drake were ejected following the fight in the fourth quarter. For Landry, the fine was a record by $2. He was fined $48,618 a year ago for grabbing his crotch and spiking his helmet during a touchdown celebration. …

The Denver Broncos have reached agreements with three new assistants, including former New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan to serve as their new quarterbacks coach. Klint Kubiak, who had served as the Broncos’ interim QBs coach, is expected to remain on the staff in another capacity. The Broncos also have an agreement with former Bears running backs coach Curtis Modkins to coach their running backs, a position that had been held by Eric Studesville since 2010. The Broncos replaced offensive line coach Jeff Davidson with former UTEP head coach Sean Kugler. …

The NFL is sending the remaining portion of a $30 million investment in neurological research to government-funded entities despite ending the original agreement for the project. The league said Friday it would send $7.7 million each to the Department of Defense and a group that studies traumatic brain injuries. Another $2.3 million will go to the National Institute for Aging. An agreement to issue the funds through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health ended in August, and the NFL chose the final dispersals following discussions with experts on the most pressing scientific research needs.