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Falcons OC Tommy Rees To Call Plays

By | at January 27, 2026 7:16 pm

New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was on staff in Minnesota for 13 years before he got an opportunity to call plays in the NFL for the first time as the team’s interim offensive coordinator. After only a year in the full-time role, he was hired to serve as the head coach of the Browns, with whom he would assume primary play-calling duties. In parts of each of the last two years, though, Cleveland has seen Stefanski cede play-calling duties to his coordinators.

For this new chapter in Atlanta, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Stefanski has opted to start the season with his coordinator calling plays. Lucky for him, the offensive coordinator to whom he is ceding play-calling duties to is Tommy Rees, who has a bit of experience calling plays from when he was the offensive coordinator Stefanski ceded play-calling duties to last year in Cleveland.

Rees’ history as a play-caller in the NFL came only in the second half of last year. Before that, his only play-calling experience came with collegiate entities, from his time at Notre Dame and Alabama. After his career as an undrafted NFL quarterback came to a fairly swift end, Rees turned to coaching as a graduate assistant at Northwestern. He made his NFL coaching debut the next year as an offensive assistant for the Chargers before returning to his alma mater to coach quarterbacks at Notre Dame.

At the end of his third year coaching for the Fighting Irish, Rees was given an opportunity to call plays in the team’s bowl game and retained the duties after getting promoted to offensive coordinator for the next season. After three years calling plays for Notre Dame, Rees took over the offensive coordinator job at Alabama for a season before getting hired back to the NFL as the Browns’ pass game specialist/tight ends coach. Following the dismissal of Ken Dorsey, Rees was promoted to his first offensive coordinator job in the NFL.

After the Browns’ bye week, Rees took over play calling, starting out with Dillon Gabriel for two games before moving on to Shedeur Sanders. Working only with rookie quarterbacks, Rees was able to help Sanders to a few strong performances including three impactful wins and a 364-yard day in a loss to the Titans. Following the season’s end, Rees found himself getting some interest as a potential head coach, first interviewing for the job at Penn State before being considered a candidate to replace Stefanski in Cleveland.

Now, in Atlanta, it appears Stefanski is getting out of the way early for Rees, letting him call plays from the onset instead of as a later resort. He’ll get to work with a slightly improved quarterbacks room that features a veteran Kirk Cousins and a recovering Michael Penix Jr. The offense also includes one of the league’s top, young running backs in Bijan Robinson and impressive pass catchers, pending a few contract decisions that will need to be addressed in the offseason. It will be interesting to see what Rees will be able to do in his first full year of calling plays in the NFL with a new group of weapons.

4 comments Atlanta Falcons

Jim Schwartz ‘Gaining Momentum’ For Browns’ HC Job

By | at January 27, 2026 5:48 pm

JANUARY 27: Shortly after Stefanski’s firing, Schwartz is believed to have spoken with some Browns defenders in an effort to land the HC job. The veteran DC told multiple players to “talk him up” as a head coaching candidate, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes. Schwartz completed his second interview for the job more than a week ago.

Schwartz, who has not been a head coach since the 2013 season, has received ownership backing to at least remain DC. This component may or may not be impacting some of the candidates’ exits from this search. But it remains clear Schwartz is a key presence in the Cleveland HC derby three-plus weeks after Stefanski’s ouster.

JANUARY 26: By completing an in-person interview with Nate Scheelhaase on Monday, the Browns have satisfied their Rooney Rule requirements and are now free to hire their next head coach.

Their decision, however, is not expected to come until at least Tuesday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. And despite Scheelhaase’s star seemingly rising in recent days, incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is “gaining momentum” to get the job, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.

Several coaches have withdrawn from consideration for the Browns’ head coaching job in the last week, including Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski on Monday morning. That effectively narrowed the list down to three finalists who have all interviewed with the team twice: Scheelhaase, Schwartz, and outgoing Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

If the Browns want to follow other teams’ recent trend of hiring young Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay assistants as head coaches, Scheelhaase is their man. He may, however, be wary of a job that multiple respected coaches passed on. Udinski joined Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter in bowing out of this HC search.

Between a meddlesome owner, a roster lacking many pieces on the offensive side of the ball, and what seems to be a cumbersome hiring process (as described by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on the Rich Eisen Show), Scheelhaase may follow other young coaches’ recent trend of waiting to land a preferred head coaching job, rather than the first one they are offered. He may even have a chance at a better opportunity this year after interviewing with the Bills on Monday as well.

Cold feet from Scheelhaase could be one reason that Schwartz’s name is making a late surge. But the longtime defensive coach was an obvious candidate for a promotion from the moment Kevin Stefanski was fired. Schwartz’s defenses have been the team’s stronger side of the ball for all three of his seasons as the team’s DC.

The Browns made no secret of their desire to keep him in Cleveland, and bumping him into the top job is the only way to guarantee that. The team would prefer to retain Schwartz as their defensive coordinator if they go in another direction for their head coach, but he could bristle at being passed over for a relatively inexperienced candidate. Scheelhaase has just two years of NFL experience with only one year as a coordinator at the college level; Schwartz has been coaching football as long as the young Rams coach has been alive.

55 comments Cleveland Browns

Cardinals Interview Ron Rivera For HC

By | at January 27, 2026 5:08 pm

Three head coaching jobs remain vacant, and they have been unfilled since Black Monday. As the Ravens, Dolphins, Steelers and Bills made hires after post-Black Monday firings, the Browns, Cardinals and Raiders’ searches drag on. An unexpected name has emerged amid Arizona’s process.

Ron Rivera completed an interview for the Cardinals’ HC position, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. The former Panthers and Commanders HC is currently serving as Cal’s GM. Rivera, 64, took the Cal position in 2025; he has not coached since the 2023 season. This hiring cycle has seen two coaches over 60 hired, with John Harbaugh and Mike McCarthy landing jobs.

This is not Rivera’s first interview since being ousted in Washington. The Bears, Jets and Raiders met with him about their openings in 2025. Rivera has 13 years’ experience as an NFL head coach. The former Coach of the Year has a Super Bowl appearance on his resume, though the back half of his Panthers tenure and most of his Commanders years did not go especially well.

Rivera is 102-103-2 as an NFL HC. He guided the Panthers to four playoff berths in a five-year span, backing Cam Newton with a few stout defenses during that span. The Panthers stormed to Super Bowl 50 after a 15-1 season, but after losing to the underdog Broncos, the team did not approach those heights again. After making one playoff appearance from 2016-18, Rivera received his walking papers — by second-year owner David Tepper — during the 2019 season.

Receiving personnel control to help a Washington franchise find some stability late in Dan Snyder‘s tenure, Rivera did lead the then-Washington Football Team to the 2020 playoffs — albeit at 7-9. The team could not find a quarterback during Rivera’s tenure, missing on Carson Wentz and Sam Howell. Another new owner, Josh Harris, booted Rivera after the 2023 season. That ’23 campaign ended badly enough — with eight straight losses following the trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young — it helped the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn regime land Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in 2024.

The Cardinals have already seen Jonathan Gannon and Drew Petzing land on their feet. The three-year coworkers will be coaching against each other in the NFC North, with Gannon now the Packers’ DC and Petzing the Lions’ OC. Arizona’s search passed the three-week mark Monday, and a few names are out of the process. Joe Brady, Anthony Campanile, Jeff Hafley, John Harbaugh, Jesse Minter and Robert Saleh landed elsewhere or, in Campanile’s case, bowed out of the search. Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is how the search stands as of Monday evening:

19 comments Arizona Cardinals

Steelers To Interview Jake Simmons, Patrick Graham For DC Job

By | at January 27, 2026 4:54 pm

The Steelers have officially hired Mike McCarthy as their next head coach. Now, he will have to build his new coaching staff, starting with his coordinators.

Commanders pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham are Pittsburgh’s first two candidates for their DC job, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.

Simmons, 49, has multiple connections with the Steelers. The 1998 fifth-round pick spent the first three years of his playing career in Pittsburgh. After he retired, his first coaching job was under McCarthy in Green Bay. Simmons worked for the Packers for nine years, primarily coaching the secondary with a two-year stint as an assistant special teams coach. He then took on defensive pass game coordinator roles with the Panthers and Raiders before joining Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington.

Graham, 47, has been the Raiders’ defensive coordinator since 2022. He started his coaching career in college before landing his first NFL job with the Patriots. After seven years in New England, he spent two years as the Giants’ defensive line coach before joining the Packers in 2018, McCarthy’s last year in Green Bay. Since then, Graham has held defensive coordinator jobs with the Dolphins and Giants. He was then hired by former colleague and then-Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels

Hiring Simmons would continue the Steelers’ pattern of investing in players and coaches that have a history with Pittsburgh – the franchise or the city. Outgoing defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, for example, grew up 60 miles outside of Pittsburgh and played college football at Pitt. McCarthy grew up in the city, which appeared to be a factor in his hiring, and current starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is the son of legendary Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. That is not to say Simmons is not a worthy candidate; he quickly reformed the Commanders pass defense after arriving in Washington, though the unit regressed significantly this past season.

Graham brings no direct connections to the Steelers outside of his one year under McCarthy in Green Bay. In the last three years, the Raiders’ defense has been their stronger side of the ball by far with three middle-of-the-pack finishes in yards allowed. The offense, by contrast, has been a bottom-10 unit.

2 comments Las Vegas Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers Washington Commanders

Bills Expected To Pursue Broncos’ Jim Leonhard For Defensive Coordinator

By | at January 27, 2026 4:06 pm

Although the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott after another disappointing postseason defeat, they didn’t venture outside the building for his replacement. The Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Tuesday, though it doesn’t appear he’s content to run it back with McDermott’s staff.

Bobby Babich has been the Bills’ defensive coordinator since 2024, but his job is now in serious jeopardy. Broncos assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard is expected to emerge as a leading candidate for the Bills’ D-coordinator role, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The Bills may become the fourth team this offseason to pursue Leonhard for that position.

Leonhard, 43, interviewed with the Cowboys and Jets earlier this month. The Cowboys have since hired Christian Parker, but the Jets’ gig is still available. Leonhard was also reportedly a finalist to become the Giants’ defensive coordinator before they hired Dennard Wilson.

An NFL defensive back from 2005-14, Leonhard spent a decent chunk of his career in Buffalo, where he played from 2005-07 and again in 2013. He went into coaching at his alma mater, Wisconsin, in 2016. Leonhard’s first (and only) experience as a defensive coordinator came with the Badgers from 2017-22. He also led the Badgers to a 4-3 record as an interim head coach in 2022, but he left after they hired Luke Fickell for the full-time post.

After Leonhard spent a year as a senior football analyst at Illinois, Broncos head coach Sean Payton offered him his first NFL coaching opportunity. Leonhard was the Broncos’ defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2024, when cornerback Patrick Surtain II earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Broncos are now coming off a season in which they finished with the league’s seventh-ranked pass defense, earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC and advanced to the conference title game. Although the Broncos’ pass defense allowed just 86 yards to MVP candidate Drake Maye on a snowy Sunday, injured quarterback Bo Nix‘s absence proved too much to overcome in a 10-7 loss.

With Denver’s season over, Payton may soon have to replace Leonhard. If Leonhard returns to Buffalo as a coach, he’d grab the reins of a defense that ranked first against the pass, seventh in yards, 12th in scoring and 15th in takeaways in 2025. Those are solid to great numbers, but the Bills will need to repair a porous run defense and an unspectacular pass rush. Only four teams allowed more yards on the ground than the Bills, who finished a below-average 19th in sacks.

The Bills’ lack of pressure on Nix proved costly in a 33-30 loss to Denver in the divisional round. After failing to sack Nix in an elimination game, the Bills could turn to one of the Broncos’ coaches to lead their defense in 2026.

10 comments Buffalo Bills Denver Broncos

Mike McCarthy Wants Aaron Rodgers Reunion, Will Call Offensive Plays

By | at January 27, 2026 3:37 pm

As soon as the Steelers decided on Mike McCarthy as their next head coach, talk about an Aaron Rodgers reunion began to swirl.

Rodgers signed with the Steelers largely due to Mike Tomlin, so the longtime coach’s resignation seemed to signal the end of the veteran quarterback’s time in Pittsburgh. Hiring McCarthy, who coached Rodgers for 13 seasons in Green Bay, has changed all that.

During his introductory press conerence on Tuesday, McCarthy said that he was “definitely” interested in bringing Rodgers back to Pittsburgh for another year.

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” he added (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). The two have already spoken about the possibility, but Rodgers will likely spend another offseason courting attention about his next career move.

If Rodgers does not run it back in Pittsburgh, the Steelers do not have a clear starter for the 2026 season. Currently rostered are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, neither of whom profile as a starting quarterback for a team that, presumably, plans to compete next year. McCarthy said (via Pelissero) that he was “really excited” about working with Howard, a 2025 sixth-round pick who did not see a single regular-season snap as a rookie.

Regardless of the Steelers’ QB (or offensive coordinator), McCarthy plans to call the team’s offensive plays. He held that role in Green Bay and later in Dallas (after Kellen Moore‘s departure in 2022). That could affect McCarthy’s search for an offensive coordinator who may be seeking play-calling duties to boost their own resume.

13 comments Pittsburgh Steelers

Anthony Campanile, Grant Udinski To Stay With Jaguars

By | at January 27, 2026 3:00 pm

Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski have received head coaching interest this offseason, but the team announced the two will return in 2026. Campanile agreed to a contract extension on Monday night, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Udinski, who also agreed to a new deal, withdrew from the Browns’ head coaching search on Monday. The 30-year-old wunderkind was still in the running for the job in Buffalo at the time, but that ended when the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Tuesday. It’s now official that Udinski will remain a prominent part of Jaguars head coach Liam Coen‘s staff in 2026.

Campanile, 43, interviewed for head coach openings with the Ravens, Dolphins and Cardinals this month. While the Ravens and Dolphins have since hired different candidates, the Cardinals’ job is still open.

As of last Saturday, Campanile was reportedly a leading candidate to take over in Arizona, but the team will have to look elsewhere. Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who has booked a second interview with the Cardinals, may end up as their pick.

Like Udinski, Campanile is fresh off a successful first year in Jacksonville, whose defense helped the Jags to a 13-4 record and an AFC South title. In Campanile’s first season as an NFL coordinator, the Jags’ defense finished second in takeaways, eighth in scoring and 11th in yards.

While either or both of Campanile and Udinski could be part of the head coaching market again next year, it’s a boon for Coen that he won’t have to replace either of them in 2026. Continuity in the coaching staff should improve the Jaguars’ chances of building on an impressive season that ended with a three-point loss to the Bills in the wild-card round.

5 comments Arizona Cardinals Jacksonville Jaguars

Jets Interview Brian Duker For DC

By | at January 27, 2026 2:34 pm

Add Dolphins pass game coordinator Brian Duker to a growing list of candidates for the Jets’ defensive coordinator position. The Jets have completed a virtual interview with Duker, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: Jets, OC Tanner Engstrand Part Ways]

Duker spent the past two seasons in Miami, where he worked under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. With Weaver likely on his way out of Miami after the hiring of new head coach Jeff Hafley, the 36-year-old Duker may end up elsewhere in 2026 even if the Jets don’t hire him.

Before joining the Dolphins, Duker formed a rapport with Jets head coach Aaron Glenn while the two were on the same staff in Detroit. With Glenn serving as the Lions’ defensive coordinator, Duker held three different roles – defensive assistant, safeties coach and defensive backs coach – from 2021-23. Duker assisted in the development of safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch along the way.

Although Duker doesn’t have any play-calling experience in the NFL, it may not matter in this case. Glenn reportedly prefers to handle those duties himself, which could point to someone with little to no experience as a defensive coordinator serving in that role with the Jets next season.

Veteran DC Steve Wilks was at the helm for most of 2025, but Glenn fired him in mid-December. Defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Chris Harris took over for Wilks for the final three games of the season. The Jets’ immense struggles continued after that. In losses to the Saints, Patriots and Bills, they surrendered a total of 106 points.

New York’s defense, which said goodbye to cornerback Sauce Gardner and lineman Quinnen Williams in Nov. 4 trade deadline deals, ended the year 25th in yards and 31st in points. Worse, the Jets failed to record an interception.

Duker became the ninth candidate to interview for the Jets’ job. Here’s the rest of the list:

2 comments Miami Dolphins New York Jets

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Undecided On Playing Future

By | at January 27, 2026 1:04 pm

The Rams came up short in the NFC title game on Sunday. That marked the end of quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s 17th season in the NFL.

Over much of his Rams tenure, Stafford has faced questions about the possibility of retirement. His future remained uncertain for a long period of the 2025 offseason before a new Los Angeles agreement was ultimately worked out. For now, Stafford does not have a firm timeline on deciding whether he wishes to continue his career or not.

“It’ll be a lot that goes into it,” the Super Bowl winner said during an appearance on the Let’s Go! podcast. “It’s a physical, a mental and emotional decision, a personal and a family decision as well… So when I’m ready to figure that out, I’ll be ready to figure that out. That moment isn’t right now. I have so much more time, I feel like, to reflect on just the people and the season that we just had.”

Amidst a new round of uncertainty regarding his status, Stafford loomed as a trade candidate last year. The Rams allowed his camp to seek out a deal and an accompanying extension; the Raiders and Giants emerged as serious contenders. Part of their selling point was an extension worth more than what Los Angeles was prepared to pay. In the end, though, Stafford elected once again to remain in place with the Rams on a new deal.

That 2025 agreement included a raise as well as – crucially – $40MM in 2026 compensation which is set to vest on the fifth day of the new league year. By mid-March, the Rams will therefore need to know Stafford’s intentions. When speaking after Sunday’s loss, head coach Sean McVay confirmed (video link via ESPN’s Kimberley Martin) the team will welcome him back for next season if that proves to be an option.

Stafford will turn 38 at the end of next week. A lingering back issue was a major talking point through training camp, with the Rams appearing to be uncertain about his ability to remain healthy all season. In fact, Stafford was available throughout the campaign and enjoyed an incredibly productive year. The former No. 1 pick led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, earning first-team All-Pro honors and his third career Pro Bowl nod along the way.

Expectations would be high for Stafford and the Rams once again in 2026 if their partnership were to extend into a sixth season. At this point, though, it is unknown if the team will have stability under center or if Los Angeles will be forced into finding a new QB1 this spring.

26 comments Los Angeles Rams
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