According to NFL Insider Jason La Canfora with the NFL Network (via the USA Today), the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be requesting an interview for New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. whose team was recently eliminated from the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers. Nate Davis with the USA Today writes:
With three NFL head coaching jobs still open, Saints OC Pete Carmichael could be emerging as a hot candidate and might even entice a bidding war.
The reason we bring this up is that if the interest in Carmichael is generally that high, and the Dolphins and Buccaneers enter the fray for a bidding war (something that the Dolphins at least could handle), it could upset the favoritism we're led to believe that Zimmer holds.
Davis continues the point why Carmichael could be the next hot coach:
He took over playcalling duties after Payton injured his leg in a sideline collision in Tampa on Oct. 16 and was forced into the coaches' booth for a few weeks. Carmichael retained the role even after Payton returned to the sideline, and the Saints finished with a single-season record 7,474 yards while QB Drew Brees broke several other marks, including passing yards in a season (5,476).
According to ESPN, the Raiders and Carmichael talked last weekend when the Saints were in San Francisco for Saturday's divisional game against the 49ers.