Some are names and faces you know — Jason Kelce, Sean McVay, Kevin O’Connell, Nicole Lynn — while others are behind the scenes and under the radar … for now. This is The Athletic’s NFL 50 under 40, a list of rising coaches, executives, personalities and other personnel who significantly impact the NFL and will continue to do so in the coming decades. Over the last year, The Athletic closely monitored a group of more than 100 rising coaches, executives and other NFL personnel who were in contention for this list. Some candidates were nominated by their colleagues, their bosses or even their players, others by high-profile team and league sources, and still others by our vast network of beat writers. Candidates were discussed and debated over the span of several months and via team and league sources, and eventually the group was narrowed to 50 names. Media members who directly cover the NFL as broadcast, print, podcast or digital journalists were not considered, nor were active players. In the case of analysts, broadcast booths and personality-driven show hosts were considered. This list began in 2020 as the 40 under 40, a product of hiring trends at that time toward younger coaches and executives following McVay’s success as the Los Angeles Rams’ new head coach at age 30. Waves of 30-somethings skyrocketed to the top of their respective organizations during what was coined “the Sean McVay effect” in the late-2010s. Our two-year hiatus only revealed a growing pool of talented people — and merited the list’s expansion to 50. Recently, the NFL has returned to proven veteran head coaches like Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel, and certainly not every standout organization is packed with 30-something nominees. Still, the intent of this list has been to reveal something deeper than a quick trend: the movers and shakers in every corner of the NFL’s ecosystem who will help mold it for years to come.
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