Eagles Conduct Second OC Interview With Jim Bob Cooter
The Eagles have cast perhaps the widest net in the NFL in their search for a new offensive coordinator, but it sounds like the organization is starting to settle on some final candidates for the job. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles conducted an in-person interview today with Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
We heard previously that the Eagles had requested an interview with the long-time offensive coach. According to Fowler, the two sides previously conducted a virtual interview. While the Philly job would represent a lateral move for Cooter, it appears as if Shane Steichen is willing to let one of his top lieutenants consider a new job.
Cooter has spent the past three seasons serving as the Colts offensive coordinator. Despite having to turn to six different starting QBs over that span, Indy’s offense has still ranked in the top-half of the NFL in yardage in each of the past three seasons. The offense has also had some success scoring the ball, culminating in an eighth-place finish in points scored this past season. While Steichen brings an offensive pedigree, Cooter also earned some praise for his ability to squeeze an impressive showing out of Daniel Jones in 2025.
The 41-year-old coordinator has been coaching in the NFL since 2009. He earned his first OC gig with the Lions in 2016, and he had stints as the Jets running backs coach and the Jaguars passing game coordinator before he got his current job with the Colts in 2023.
Cooter also has some connection to the Eagles. He worked alongside Nick Sirianni when the two were on the Chiefs coaching staff, and he later served as an independent consultant in Philly during the 2021 campaign. When Sirianni announced that move, he noted that he thinks “very highly” of Cooter while describing him as a “great football mind.”
If Cooter ends up back in Philly, he’ll be tasked with guiding an offense that took a significant step back in 2025. After ranking in the top-10 in points scored and yards each season between 2022 and 2024, the team finished 19th in points and 24th in yards in 2025. That performance led to the team parting ways with OC Kevin Patullo after the season.
Since then, the Eagles have looked high and low for a replacement. Cooter joins a long list of candidates that also includes:
- Josh Grizzard, former offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): To interview
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): To interview
- Sean Mannion, quarterbacks coach (Packers): To conduct second interview
- Matt Nagy, former offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/21
- Bobby Slowik, senior pass-game coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/23
- Frank Smith, former offensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interview requested
Rams, Steelers Request Interviews With Browns ST Coordinator Bubba Ventrone
With the Browns welcoming in a new head coach, some key assistants may be on the move. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Rams have requested an interview with Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone for the same role. Meanwhile, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that the Steelers have also requested an interview with Ventrone. Cabot adds that the Rams are the likelier landing spot for the coach.
[RELATED: Browns Hire Todd Monken As HC]
Following a playing career that saw him appear in 708 special teams snaps vs. only 16 defensive snaps, Ventrone transitioned to coaching. He got his first gig with a former team, the Patriots, where he served as an assistant special teams coordinator between 2015 and 2017. He took a promotion to special teams coordinator with the Colts in 2018 and proceeded to spend five seasons in Indy. He joined the Browns in 2023 for the same gig, but he added the title of assistant head coach.
The Browns weren’t the most efficient special teams squad in 2025. The team lost primary returner DeAndre Carter in late September, and the Browns ended up finishing 31st in kick returns and 26th in punt returns. However, Ventrone did squeeze an impressive showing out of first-time starting kicker Andre Szmyt, who converted 24 of his 27 field goal attempts and 25 of his 26 XP tries.
The Rams fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn in late December, but the move didn’t do much to improve the squad’s special teams woes. These issues popped up during the NFC Championship Game, when Xavier Smith muffed a punt that ultimately led to a Seahawks score. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Rams are also moving on from interim ST coordinator Ben Kotwica (along with assistants Mike Harris and Matthew Harper), per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Meanwhile, Mike McCarthy will be searching for a new coordinator for his staff in Pittsburgh, as long-time ST leader Danny Smith left for the same role in Tampa Bay.
New Browns coach Todd Monken will have some work to do to fill out his staff. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees left for the same job with the Falcons (alongside former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski), while intended defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is likely out of the equation after he lost out on Cleveland’s head coaching gig. Assuming Ventrone is also gone, Monken will be tasked with hiring three new coordinators this offseason.
Ladell Betts, Tyke Tolbert Among Those Joining Dolphins’ Staff
A former NFL running back, Ladell Betts made his debut coaching in the league last season. The Giants employed the former Washington cog as its RBs coach in 2025, but he is heading to Florida.
The Dolphins will hire Betts for the same role, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Betts is among Jeff Hafley‘s new hires. Veteran wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert will be Miami’s new wideouts coach, per NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. Zach Yenser is coming over from the Texans to be the Dolphins’ new offensive line coach, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson linked Yenser to Miami previously, and he adds the team is hiring Ryan Downard from the Packers as DBs coach.
Prior to Betts’ New York arrival, he coached RBs at his alma mater — Iowa — for four seasons. Betts, 46, spent the previous seven seasons coaching at the high school level. Betts was Clinton Portis‘ top backup for much of his Washington tenure, which lasted from 2002-09. He finished his career with the Saints in 2010.
Tolbert, 58, has been coaching wideouts in the NFL since 2003. He comes over after a two-year stint as Titans WRs coach. This will be Tolbert’s eighth gig coaching wideouts in the pros. Prior to the Titans, Tolbert coached Cardinals, Bills, Panthers, Broncos, Giants and Bears receivers from 2003-23. He has not previously worked with either Hafley or OC Bobby Slowik. Tolbert earned a Super Bowl ring while in Denver.
Hafley will bring Downard with him from Green Bay. Downard, 37, has ties to both Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan. The Packers had kept Downard on their staff through the Mike Pettine, Joe Barry and Hafley DC tenures. He oversaw Xavier McKinney‘s first-team All-Pro season in Hafley’s debut and helped Evan Williams prosper early as a fourth-round pick. Downard will also serve as Dolphins defensive pass-game coordinator, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky.
Yenser worked under Slowik in Houston, and he spent the past two seasons as the Texans’ assistant O-line coach. He had served as Kentucky’s O-line coach under Liam Coen in 2023. This will mark Yenser’s first shot at being an NFL O-line coach. Yenser also worked with Slowik in San Francsico.
Additionally, Wilson notes Sullivan is expected to bring at least one Packers scout with him immediately. The Dolphins are expected to hire Green Bay staffer Venzell Boulware. The former college lineman spent his final collegiate season (2018) at the University of Miami.
Steelers Nearing Patrick Graham DC Hire
4:29pm: An official interview has not yet taken place. It is believed to be scheduled for Thursday, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Graham landing this job would mean a fourth DC opportunity.
1:51pm: Patrick Graham served as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator under three HCs, being retained by both Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll. With a to-be-determined Raiders HC arriving, Graham is close to landing on his feet elsewhere.
The Steelers are close to hiring him as their next DC, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports. Graham scheduled an interview for the position. Graham, 47, spent a year on Mike McCarthy‘s Packers staff, serving as an assistant during the new Steelers HC’s final year in Green Bay (2018). He has been a defensive coordinator ever since.
A longtime Patriots staffer, Graham reunited with Josh McDaniels as the Raiders’ DC in 2022. This came after he had served in that capacity with the Dolphins (2019) and Giants (2020-21). Two ex-Patriot HCs (Brian Flores, Joe Judge) appointed Graham to those posts, and while a third hired him when the McDaniels reunion commenced, Graham impressed enough to stick around in Las Vegas under Pierce and Carroll. He appears close to reuniting with McCarthy.
The Raiders have struggled on defense for the better part of a two-plus-decade span. They have only ranked in the top half of the league in scoring once since their Super Bowl XXXVII season. That came under Graham in 2023, when the team ranked ninth. The Raiders were unable to sustain that form over the past two seasons, ranking 25th in each campaign. The team did lose prized free agent signing Christian Wilkins early in 2024, before a contentious 2025 separation, and lost a few starters (Robert Spillane, Tre’von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs) in free agency this past offseason.
Pittsburgh had employed Teryl Austin as its DC for the past four seasons. Mike Tomlin only had three DCs in 19 seasons; Keith Butler‘s stint covered 2015-21, and Dick LeBeau‘s second Steelers stop lasted from 2004-14). Graham has also been a regular on the HC carousel. He met about the Dolphins’ HC position this year and interviewed for the Commanders’ DC job. The Jaguars met twice with Graham about their HC post last year, while the Chargers and Seahawks interviewed him in 2024.
While more staff turnover will be expected, McCarthy plans to retain a few Tomlin assistants. Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, DBs coach Gerald Alexander and linebackers coach Scott McCurley are coming back, Dulac adds. The team was also planning to retain veteran special teams coordinator Danny Smith, according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly, but that was before the McCarthy hire became known. Smith is now the Buccaneers’ ST coordinator.
McCurley will reunite with his longtime boss, as McCarthy oversaw the veteran defensive staffer throughout his Green Bay years before bringing him to Dallas as linebackers coach in 2020. McCarthy’s first Packers season (2006) doubled as McCurley’s NFL debut. Arth has coached the Steelers’ QBs for three seasons, while Alexander has been on the team’s staff for two stops.
After coaching on Tomlin’s staff from 2022-23, he was the Raiders’ safeties coach in ’24. Tomlin rehired him in 2025. Graham coming to Pittsburgh would make for a reunion with Alexander, who has been on the DC carousel previously.
Pittsburgh is also hiring Adam Henry as its new wide receivers coach, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe adds. Henry spent the past three years as the Bills’ wideouts coach. He has a connection to McCarthy, having been the Cowboys’ WRs coach from 2020-21 before leaving to be Indiana’s OC for a year. Henry has also coached wideouts with the 49ers, Browns and Giants since 2015.
While the Bills struggled at the position post-Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir made the transition from fifth-rounder to the team’s most reliable target during Henry’s time. The 2021 Cowboys also featured three 800-yard receivers (CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup) in 2021.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Bengals, Warhop
Three new staffers are joining Jesse Minter in Baltimore. The Ravens are hiring Dwayne Ledford and Shawn Flaherty from the Falcons along with Mike Mickens from Notre Dame, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Ledford will move from Falcons O-line coach to the same position with the Ravens, making the switch after Kevin Stefanski hired Bill Callahan in Atlanta. Ledford joined Arthur Smith‘s Falcons staff in 2021, after a career at the college level, and he has been instrumental in the success of Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson. Ledford was previously Louisville’s OC.
Minter will sign off on the Falcons’ OL staff coming over. Flaherty was in place as Atlanta’s assistant O-line coach from 2023-25, and he will hold the same position in Baltimore. The Falcons ranked in the top 10 in rushing in each of those seasons, though ESPN’s run block win rate metric ranked Atlanta’s front 30th (the Ravens ranked 17th) last season. Mickens spent the past six seasons at Notre Dame, working as the Fighting Irish’s defensive backs coach. He will take the same job in Baltimore, with Minter installing Mickens as his defensive pass-game coordinator. This will be Mickens’ first NFL gig.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- The Ravens are also blocking one staffer from leaving. Inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci will not be allowed to pursue another opportunity, per Zrebiec, as the Ravens will be retaining the former Georgia Tech DC in 2026. The Ravens hired the one-year Yellowjackets DC as their ILBs coach in 2025. While John Harbaugh may have eyed him for a Giants role, his recent hire will be on Minter’s staff.
- Departing Ravens OC Todd Monken landed his first HC job today, accepting the Browns‘ position. He will bring veteran O-line coach George Warhop with him to Cleveland, Schefter tweets. Warhop, 64, has been in coaching since 1983 and has been an NFL staffer since 1996. An O-line coach for eight teams over the past 30 years, Warhop is returning to Cleveland, where he was OL coach from 2009-13. Monken worked with Warhop in Tampa and had him in place as the Ravens’ O-line coach over the past two seasons.
- Trey Hendrickson appears all but certain to leave Cincinnati. The five-year Bengals defensive end staple received a hefty raise in 2025, after the team did not budge on a refusal to offer post-Year 1 salary guarantees, and The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. indicates Hendrickson will almost definitely depart in free agency. It does not appear a franchise tag, which would cost more than $30MM, would be in play for the four-time Pro Bowler coming off just a seven-game season.
- A far better chance exists Dalton Risner will stay in Cincinnati, however. Mutual interest exists for the journeyman guard — who has repeatedly struck out in free agency as the market devalues his work — to stay, Dehner adds. Risner, 30, joined the Bengals just before last season and started 11 games. He played for just $1.34MM in 2025, and neither of his one-year Vikings deals topped $3MM. The ex-Broncos second-rounder will likely be cheap for the Bengals to retain at RG.
- As the rest of the AFC North teams make sweeping staff changes, the Bengals are standing pat after a 6-11 season. Retaining Zac Taylor and de facto GM Duke Tobin, the Bengals are also not making scouting changes, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes. The Bengals have the NFL’s smallest scouting staff, employing just six full-timers. That is a fraction of where most teams’ staffs sit. “Our scouting staff is, in my opinion, the size that it is because I think the collaboration is better at that size,” Tobin said. “We have never lacked for information on a player. There’s never been a player selected that we didn’t have multiple reports and a large background on. It’s not about the volume of information we have.”
- The Bengals’ latest Tanner Hudson contract checks in at one year and $1.35MM, per OverTheCap. This represents another incremental raise for Hudson, who played for $1.26MM in 2025. He will see $50K guaranteed.
Bo Nix Expected To Return By OTAs
While a blinding snowstorm ground the AFC championship game to a halt, the Broncos’ offense largely struggled in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots. A “what if?” component loomed after Bo Nix suffered a fractured ankle late in Denver’s divisional-round win over Buffalo, as the Broncos were unable to reach Super Bowl LX with Jarrett Stidham at the helm.
Stidham could be needed for some more QB1 reps in a few months, as Nix rehabs from ankle surgery. But it is quite possible the Broncos’ two-year starter returns for OTAs. Sean Payton said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) Nix’s surgery went well, and the three-year Denver HC expects his top quarterback to be ready by the time OTAs begin in late May, per 9News’ Mike Klis. This recovery timeline matches up with a weekend assessment from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who pegged a 12-week rehab timetable.
Nix suffered a broken ankle on a designed run during the Broncos’ game-winning overtime drive against the Bills. Payton quickly ruled him out for the season postgame. Although Nix had not missed an NFL game due to injury and holds the record for most Division I-FBS starts by a QB (61), he has experienced ankle trouble at multiple points in the past. Nix has undergone two prior surgeries on his injured ankle, Payton said, adding his QB
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed where they always find a little bit more when they go in and it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when,’’ Payton said of Nix suffering an ankle injury. “When you look at the play, the surgeon said this was going to happen sooner than later.”
This would certainly invite questions about Nix’s durability moving forward. The Broncos have used the former Auburn and Oregon signal-caller as a runner frequently; he carried the ball a season-high 12 times against the Bills and 83 times during the regular season. Nix attempted 92 runs as a rookie.
Neither Payton nor CEO Greg Penner expressed any reservations Nix would become a health risk, with the latter indicating (via the Denver Post’s Troy Renck) he has “zero concerns” about the QB’s ankle being a recurring health issue moving forward. Schefter also indicated doctors are not concerned about Nix’s ankle trouble long term. This break occurred in a different spot compared to two prior breaks — one in high school and another in college. Still, ankle issues are piling up for the passer.
Playing well in the Broncos’ biggest games this season, Nix has now undergone two ankle surgeries since entering the NFL. He also dealt with a transverse process fracture in his back. The previous ankle surgery — performed after last season — addressed an issue that nagged the QB at the Combine and during his rookie slate. It is obviously notable a more serious ankle malady occurred to end his second NFL season, and it will be worth monitoring moving forward in Denver. Stidham’s two-year, $12MM contract runs through the 2026 season.
The Broncos are entering a pivotal offseason, as they will be able to build a roster around Nix’s rookie contract without the constraints the Russell Wilson dead cap albatross brought. Wilson’s $84.6MM dead money charge was spread over the 2024 and ’25 Broncos payrolls, but it is now off the books. After Nix established himself as a promising starter over the past two years, 2027 extension talks will be expected. His health in 2026, however, will be a chapter to follow ahead of that point.
Bengals, Chase Brown In Contract Extension Talks
Fresh off the best season of his three-year career, Bengals running back Chase Brown is eligible for a contract extension. While Brown will become a free agent if the Bengals don’t lock him up by March 2027, the two sides are making an effort to prevent that.
Brown told Ben Baby of ESPN that his representatives and the Bengals have been “working hard” on a new deal. The soon-to-be 26-year-old is hopeful they’ll hammer out an agreement.
“I would love to do something and be a part of this team,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere else.”
A fifth-round pick in 2023, Brown accrued just 44 carries in 12 games while backing up Joe Mixon as a rookie. Cincinnati traded Mixon to Houston during the ensuing offseason, though, and Brown has taken over as the Bengals’ primary back since then.
Brown burst on the scene as a major dual-threat scorer in 2024, when he found the end zone 11 times (seven rushing, four receiving) in 16 games. He also rushed for 990 yards on 229 carries (4.3 YPC) and added 54 receptions for another 360 yards.
Following up his 2024 breakout, Brown put together his second straight 11-TD showing this season (six rushing, five receiving). He also played all 17 games, surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time (1,019 yards on 232 attempts; 4.4 YPC), and caught 69 passes for 437 yards. With 1,456 yards from scrimmage, Brown ranked 11th in the league.
Brown is scheduled to make approximately $3.7MM in 2026. As far as a long-term arrangement goes, his camp may look to the the extensions the Bills’ James Cook and the Rams’ Kyren Williams signed before last season as potential comps. Cook inked a four-year, $48MM pact with $30MM in guarantees. Williams signed a three-year, $33MM deal with a guaranteed $23MM. Both Cook (seventh) and Williams (eighth) rank near the back half of the league’s top 10 in AAV at their position.
While the Bengals want to keep Brown, it remains to be seen how far they’ll go to keep him under wraps. They already have their three best offensive players, quarterback Joe Burrow and the wide receiver tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, eating up a massive chunk of cap space for the foreseeable future. Every member of that trio is signed through at least 2028.
The Bengals have a superb offensive core in place, but they’ll also need to pour resources into fixing a defense that was among the worst in the league in 2025. With an injured Burrow missing nine games and their defense struggling to stop anyone, the Bengals largely wasted Brown’s high-end performance during a 6-11 season.
Cowboys To Interview Shane Bowen, Dismiss Defensive Staffers
Dismissed by the Giants late in the season, Shane Bowen has not resurfaced on the coordinator carousel. But the two-time DC is back in the mix for another potential position.
The Cowboys hired Christian Parker from the Eagles as defensive coordinator, and they are now looking into adding the Giants’ previous DC. Bowen is interviewing for a Cowboys job, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. It is not known which position Bowen is discussing, but he coached the Titans’ outside linebackers prior to his Tennessee promotion under Mike Vrabel.
Dallas also interviewed Steelers OLBs coach Denzel Martin, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz. This meeting will be about Martin making a lateral move to Dallas. Martin spent the past 10 seasons with the Steelers, working his way up to OLBs coach. He was at the helm when T.J. Watt tied the single-season sack record in 2021 and was a central figure in Alex Highsmith‘s development to an extension-worthy Watt sidekick.
With the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin, there will be staff turnover. The same goes in Dallas, where some of the defensive assistants are not being retained. Defensive pass-game coordinator Andre Curtis, who doubled as the team’s safeties coach, will not be back. Neither will secondary coach David Overstreet nor linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins notes.
Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton is joining the Titans as their D-line coach, veteran Tennessee reporter Paul Kuharsky adds. Whitecotton, who also interviewed for Tennessee’s DC job, will also serve as the team’s run-game coordinator on that side of the ball, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Whitecotton has an extensive history with Robert Saleh; he served as the Jets’ D-line coach from 2021-24. Whitecotton was also a 49ers assistant in 2020 and a Jaguars staffer from 2014-16, a period where Saleh was on the Jacksonville staff.
The Giants hired Bowen in 2024, and he played a memorable part in their infamous Hard Knocks: Offseason series. The Giants ranked 21st defensively in 2024 but dropped to 26th this past season, plummeting despite the additions of Abdul Carter, Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland. The team fired Bowen not long after canning Brian Daboll. Bowen, 39, has not been connected to other jobs during this year’s cycle.
Prior to New York, Bowen spent six years on the Titans’ staff under Vrabel. The final three came as DC, where he served as the team’s primary play-caller. Bowen came over from the Texans, following Vrabel from Houston to Tennessee. It would stand to reason Vrabel would consider adding Bowen to New England’s staff, but the two-time DC is on Dallas’ radar presently.
Packers To Hire Bobby Babich As Defensive Pass Game Coordinator
After two years as Buffalo’s defensive coordinator, Bobby Babich is leaving for Green Bay. The Packers are hiring Babich as their defensive pass game coordinator/secondary, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
This closes the door on a long run in Buffalo for Babich. After joining the team in 2017, he worked in various roles (including assistant DBs coach, safeties coach and linebackers coach) under Sean McDermott for the head coach’s entire nine-year tenure.
The Bills fired McDermott after the season and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to replace him on Tuesday. Babich was not among the Bills’ HC candidates.
With Brady expected to pursue Jim Leonhard for defensive coordinator, it quickly became clear Babich would coach somewhere else in 2026. A day later, the 42-year-old will take over for Ryan Downard in Green Bay and assist new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Downard followed former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, now the Dolphins’ head coach, to Miami earlier this month. Babich will also be replacing pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley, who is leaving the organization after losing his 2025 title, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Babich, who was among the candidates Hafley beat out to become the Packers’ D-coordinator two years ago, was at the helm of the NFL’s top-ranked pass defense in 2025. The Bills also ended the year a respectable 11th in interceptions.
The Packers, meanwhile, finished 11th in pass defense and a far less impressive 28th in picks this season. They intercepted just seven passes, and Keisean Nixon was the team’s only cornerback to register an INT. Babich, known for emphasizing the importance of takeaways, will work to significantly increase the Packers’ pick total in 2026.
“We talk about it constantly, just about taking the ball away and opportunities to do that,” Babich told BuffaloBills.com last year. “Then we emphasize it in practice. We show the whole defense when we take it away in practice. We’re just constantly talking about it. It’s not just me, it’s the coaching staff and the players.”
Replacing Babich will be one of Brady’s most important tasks at the outset of his head coaching tenure in Buffalo. While the Bills may have interest in Leonhard, he’s the only potential candidate whose name has come up so far.
Chargers Request DC Interview With Broncos’ Jim Leonhard
As they continue searching for a successor to former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, the Chargers have requested an interview with Broncos assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
If Leonhard interviews with the Chargers, he’ll become the seventh candidate to discuss their D-coordinator position since Minter became the Ravens’ head coach on Jan. 22. Minter earned a promotion after two stellar years in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the Chargers’ defense finished top 10 in the NFL in scoring twice in a row, including No. 1 in 2024, and fifth in yards allowed in 2025.
Leonhard doesn’t have any professional experience as a coordinator, but he held the role at Wisconsin from 2017-22. Since leaving the college ranks, the former NFL defensive back has garnered two years’ experience on Denver’s staff. He began as the Broncos’ defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2024.
While the Broncos ranked a below-average 19th in pass defense a season ago, cornerback Patrick Surtain II earned Defensive Player of the Year honors on Leonhard’s watch. The Broncos improved to seventh against the pass in 2025, but they couldn’t get past the Patriots in the AFC title game despite holding quarterback Drake Maye to 86 yards in inclement weather.
With the Broncos’ season over, Leonhard could head elsewhere for a promotion in the coming days. The 43-year-old interviewed with the Cowboys and Jets for defensive coordinator earlier this month, though Dallas has since filled its job with the hiring of Christian Parker. The Bills are also expected to pursue Leonhard, but they haven’t requested an interview yet.
Here’s a look at where the Chargers’ DC search stands:
- Steve Clinkscale, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Adam Fuller, safeties coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interview requested
- Zach Orr, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/23
- Aubrey Pleasant, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
- Dylan Roney, outside linebackers coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Dennard Wilson, former defensive coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/23