Chargers Interview Adam Fuller, Steve Clinkscale For DC Job
The Chargers were busy today interviewing defensive coordinator candidates. The team announced that they completed interviews with two internal candidates: Adam Fuller and Steve Clinkscale.
Fuller is a new addition to the growing list of options. The long-time college coach had stints as head coach (at Assumption) and defensive coordinator (at Wagner, Chattanooga, Marshall, Memphis, and Florida State) before finally taking his first NFL job on Jim Harbaugh‘s Chargers staff ahead of the 2025 campaign.
As the team’s new safeties coach, Fuller was tasked with guiding a unit led by All-Pro Derwin James, who once again graded out as a top-10 safety on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings in 2025. Fuller mixed and matched with the other safety spot, turning to the likes of Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, RJ Mickens, and Alohi Gilman. Each of those four players ended up getting into more than 250 defensive snaps this past season.
Clinkscale was mentioned as a major candidate for the Chargers defensive coordinator job once former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter started generating interest for head coaching gigs. He’s got plenty of familiarity with Harbaugh; he worked as Michigan’s DBs coach in 2021 before being the Wolverines’ co-DC alongside Minter from 2022-23. Minter was the one to earn the DC opportunity in Los Angeles, but Clinkscale still came along with Harbaugh in 2024. He’s worked as the team’s defensive backs coach for the past two seasons.
While Harbaugh seems intent to promote from within (he also interviewed OLBs coach Dylan Roney for the job), he’s also eyed some outside names for the position. Ravens DC Zach Orr, Rams pass-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant, and former Titans DC Dennard Wilson have also interview for the gig.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/26/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Denver Broncos
- LB Levelle Bailey, TE Caleb Lohner, DT Jordan Miller, RB Cody Schrader, G Calvin Throckmorton, RB Deuce Vaughn
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
- OT A.J. Arcuri, WR Tru Edwards, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Cam Lampkin, OT Dylan McMahon, LB Eli Neal, DT Bill Norton, WR Brennan Presley, TE Mark Redman, WR Tyler Scott
Texans Interested In Retaining OL Ed Ingram
The Texans are expected to make offensive line a priority this offseason, and their efforts could start with re-signing one of their own. GM Nick Caserio told reporters (including Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston) that he expects to have talks with impending free agent lineman Ed Ingram.
A former second-round pick by the Vikings, Ingram was dealt to the Texans for a sixth-round pick last offseason. After serving as a rotational lineman during his final season in Minnesota, he returned to a full-time starter role during the 2025 campaign. He graded out as a middling lineman throughout his tenure with the Vikings, but Ingram finished this season 12th among 80 qualifying guards on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
Considering his lack of track record, Ingram may be behind the likes of guards Isaac Seumalo, David Edwards, Alijah Vera-Tucker in the free agent hierarchy. Still, considering the need for capable linemen, Ingram should expect a significant contract this offseason.
While the Texans may be preparing a run to retain Ingram, they could also look outside the organization for OL help. Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports writes that the team is expected to make a run at center Cade Mays. The former sixth-round pick has spent the majority of his career with the Panthers, starting 27 of his 52 appearances. PFF ranked him 24th among 37 qualifiers for his performance in 2025.
While the Texans offensive line struggled earlier in the 2025 campaign, they found their footing during the final chunk of the regular season. After taking 90 sacks through his first two NFL seasons, quarterback C.J. Stroud finished this past season with only 23 sacks in 14 games.
Kyle Pitts: It’d Be “Dope” To Play Under Kevin Stefanski
Kyle Pitts has an opportunity to parlay his career year into a lucrative contract, opening the door for him to play elsewhere in 2026. However, the impending free agent tight end is intrigued by the opportunity to continue his Falcons career playing under new leadership.
While speaking with Jordan Schultz and Draymond Green on the Why is Draymond Green Talking About Football? podcast, Pitts said it’d be “dope” to play for new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“That’d be dope in general as a room and just for morale as an offensive piece, [with] the tight end being one of the focal points in it,” Pitts said (via Schultz on X).
The tight end clarified that he had a significant role under Arthur Smith and Raheem Morris, but he expected an “enhanced role” if he sticks in Atlanta for the long haul. Pitts even said he’s talked with David Njoku about Stefanski’s willingness to showcase tight ends.
Inconsistent QB play prevented Njoku from reaching the top-tier of NFL tight ends, but the long-time Brown still had at least 60 touches per year between 2022 and 2024. Stefanski also got an unexpected performance from TE Harold Fannin in 2025, with the rookie finishing with 79 touches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns.
Pitts has struggled to live up to his fourth-overall-pick billing. While he topped 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie, he was limited to only 1,625 combined receiving yards over the following three years. The impending free agent showed signs of life in 2025, finishing with a career-high 88 catches for 928 yards and five scores. That performance should set him up for a payday, as he’s expected to lead a TE free agent class that also includes Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert, Isaiah Likely, and Njoku.
There were rumblings that the Falcons could look to retain Pitts via the franchise tag. However, with the Falcons employing new leadership, it’s uncertain if the organization still has the former first-round pick in their plans.
Ravens Request OC Interview With Bears’ Declan Doyle
The NFL has attempted to help fast-track upward mobility by loosening restrictions on coordinator movement. Teams are no longer permitted to block OC interviews if the job would allow a non-play-calling OC to commandeer a call sheet for another team.
Chicago currently employs an assistant in this position, and teams are looking into Ben Johnson‘s non-play-calling OC. After the Eagles requested a Declan Doyle OC interview, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs reports the Ravens have submitted a request to meet with the Bears’ OC.
Doyle, however, withdrew his name from the Eagles’ search today. It would be interesting if he went forward with a Ravens meeting after that decision. The Ravens hired Jesse Minter as their new HC last week. Doyle also came from the AFC West, serving as the Broncos’ tight ends coach prior to his Bears hire. Doyle, who was just 28 when hired by the Bears last year, had previously been on Sean Payton‘s final few Saints staffs.
The Bears transformed their offense in 2025. They ranked 28th in scoring during Caleb Williams‘ rookie year; they finished ninth this season. They ranked sixth in yardage and seventh in EPA per play. Johnson is naturally receiving most of the credit for that improvement, but Doyle was a central figure for Chicago’s offense as well. Rookie Colston Loveland led the Bears in receiving, and rookie running back Kyle Monangai went from seventh-round pick to 783-yard rusher as a rookie.
Being hired as an OC before age 30 is rare, and teams are taking notice. The Ravens are early in their OC search, but a few names have surfaced. Baltimore may still be eyeing Kliff Kingsbury, who interviewed for the job along with his HC meeting, but Lions assistant HC Scottie Montgomery is also on the team’s radar. Montgomery plans to take the meeting; once he does, the Ravens will be Rooney Rule-compliant. Kingsbury’s name primarily came up before Minter’s hire; it is notable Doyle’s has surfaced after the ex-Chargers HC took over.
Bills To Interview Nate Scheelhaase For HC
Nate Scheelhaase is considered a leading candidate for the Browns head coaching job, but that won’t stop the Rams pass-game coordinator from considering other opportunities. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bills have requested a head coaching interview with Scheelhaase. The meeting is expected to take place tonight, per Schefter.
The 35-year-old conducted an in-person interview with the Browns today, his second meeting with the organization. The coach is also a candidate for the open Raiders gig, and he interviewed for the Ravens and Steelers jobs. While the Browns could have locked him into a contract, Scheelhaase’s next stop on the interview circuit will lead him to Buffalo.
The former Illinois QB got his first coaching gig at the school, and he later left for a promotion at Iowa State. While working for the Cyclones, Scheelhaase primarily worked with the skills positions, coaching the likes of David Montgomery, Breece Hall, Jayden Higgins, and Xavier Hutchinson. He eventually worked his way up to offensive coordinator in 2023.
Scheelhaase later got his first NFL job on Sean McVay‘s staff. He spent the 2024 campaign serving as the Rams passing game specialist before being named their pass game coordinator for the 2025 season. The organization proceeded to lead the NFL in scoring this year and ranked second in passing yards.
The Bills continue to seek a replacement for Sean McDermott. Their wide-ranging search includes:
- Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator (Colts): Interviewed 1/22
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Daboll, former head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/22; prefers Buffalo gig
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Rumored candidate
- Anthony Lynn, run-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed 1/24
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): To interview 1/23; withdrew from search
- Philip Rivers, former NFL quarterback: Interviewed 1/23; withdrew from search
- Grant Udinski, offensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed 1/25
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/24
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/26
John Franklin-Myers, J.K. Dobbins, Alex Singleton Want To Re-Sign With Broncos
Although the Broncos endured some bad luck via the untimely Bo Nix injury, they took care of some key offseason matters early. Denver extended Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto ahead of their contract years before agreeing on deals with Luke Wattenberg, Malcolm Roach and Wil Lutz in-season.
This does not leave many notable free agents for the AFC runner-ups, but there are a few. John Franklin-Myers, Alex Singleton and J.K. Dobbins are unsigned for 2026. While the Broncos are set to finally see Russell Wilson‘s contract come off their books, the team did make a few notable contract decisions over the past several months. That will certainly influence how they proceed in free agency.
Franklin-Myers, Singleton and Dobbins each want to re-sign with the team. Singleton confirmed this (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson), while Franklin-Myers indicated he wants to stay but confirmed the team still has not made him an offer to stay, Tomasson adds. Dobbins expressed interest in a second Broncos contract just before his season-ending Lisfranc injury and reiterated a desire to stay in Denver (via Guerilla Sports’ Brandon Krisztal). Denver is projected to hold more than $27MM in cap space.
It would appear Franklin-Myers is weeks away from signing elsewhere. We have heard for months he was unlikely to fit into the team’s 2026 plans. The Broncos added him in what amounted to a salary-dump trade with the Jets during the 2024 draft. Denver then worked out a renegotiated contract (two years, $15MM) that eclipsed New York’s pay-cut offer. Franklin-Myers became an immediate starter as a 3-4 defensive end, totaling 14.5 sacks and 33 QB hits over the past two seasons.
The Broncos may not have made an offer, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team would “love” to retain the veteran inside rusher. Though, extensive free agency interest is expected to form for a player who has not previously hit the market. Franklin-Myers, 29, was a Jets waiver claim (after the Rams cut him) who then signed a New York extension. Two years remained on that deal when he redid it to facilitate the trade to Denver. He has vaulted into a strong position after two productive Broncos seasons, with Fowler labeling him this year’s top D-tackle free agent.
Sheldon Rankins, Jalen Redmond, Shelby Harris and D.J. Reader are close to the market, but Franklin-Myers will command the most money. Although the Broncos agreed to re-sign D.J. Jones just before free agency last year, their deals with he, Allen and Roach — to go with extensions for Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper — will make it tough to fit another Franklin-Myers pact into the budget.
Denver will have a decision to make on Dre Greenlaw soon. Greenlaw’s 49ers injury trouble led to a deal without any 2026 guarantees at signing. The Broncos can escape the injury-prone linebacker’s contract for $6MM in savings by cutting him before a $2MM guarantee triggers on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. A Greenlaw release could clear a path for Singleton, a four-year Broncos starter who played out a three-year, $18MM contract.
Singleton, however, is now 32; the Broncos also had issues with their linebackers in coverage. The team has LB regular Justin Strnad entering free agency once again as well. A new-look LB corps could be on tap for the Broncos in 2026. Singleton completed a recovery from testicular cancer surgery to return to his starting post soon after the diagnosis. Pro Football Focus rated the ex-Eagle as one of the season’s best run-defending LBs, ranking him 26th overall at the position.
Dobbins’ latest injury will make it difficult for him to command too much, as maladies continue to define his career. While the former Ravens and Chargers starter played well when available, he missed nine games counting the two playoff absences. Dobbins said he was “very close” to being activated off IR, but it had long been reported a Super Bowl return represented the best-case scenario.
Denver certainly missed its starter, who still finished the season with a team-high 772 rushing yards. This came after a career-best 905 with the Chargers, but Dobbins has now missed 55 regular-season games since being a 2020 second-round pick. The Broncos have RJ Harvey signed through 2028, while they can retain Jaleel McLaughlin as an RFA. Dobbins, 27, could be a target to return on another one-year, low-cost deal. But the Broncos also may want to aim for more security as they look to pair Harvey with another starter-level option in 2026.
Matt Nagy Had Planned To Depart Chiefs After 2025 Season
Building one of the great coaching resumes in NFL history, Andy Reid has served as the Chiefs’ primary play-caller throughout his 13-season tenure. The three-time Super Bowl champion is coming back for the 2026 season, but Kansas City is making an awkward-looking transition at offensive coordinator.
Despite Matt Nagy not landing the Titans’ HC job — one for which he was a long-rumored candidate — the Chiefs rehired Eric Bieniemy as their OC. Kansas City did not conduct a thorough search, tabbing Bieniemy after his season as the Bears’ running backs coach. Bieniemy was the Chiefs’ OC before Nagy’s second stint in the role.
[RELATED: Assessing Chiefs’ 2026 Offseason Priorities]
Nagy is without a job presently, but it does not appear he and the Chiefs are on bad terms. Although the team is bringing back Bieniemy to replace Nagy, Reid said his previous OC had long planned to leave Kansas City after the 2025 season. Nagy turned down a Chiefs extension offer last year.
“I know everybody’s going to question everything and I get all that; it’s understandable. But Matt and I have a great relationship,” Reid said. “And here he sits, and before the season, right before the season even started here, I knew that he wanted an opportunity to have his own show.
“He’s been a head coach. He was Coach of the Year. I mean, all the things I’ve said about him, I still feel about him. There’s nothing different there. He deserves to have a head coaching job. And if not, it gives him an opportunity to go out and do his thing.”
By “have his own shown,” Reid is referring to calling plays on offense. Nagy served as a non-play-calling OC in Kansas City over the past three seasons. The Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII and ventured to Super Bowl LIX during Nagy’s second OC stint, but their offense took a step back, ranking 15th in scoring in those seasons. The steady decline of Travis Kelce, some misses at wide receiver and left tackle probably affected the Chiefs more than anything their non-play-calling OC did in that time, and Nagy has received considerable interest coming off the 2025 season.
Nagy interviewed for the Cardinals, Raiders and Ravens’ HC jobs, losing out to Robert Saleh — despite a close relationship with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi that looked to have him in or near the lead for that post — in Tennessee. However, the Eagles have since included the former Bears HC in their OC derby, interviewing him last week. Serving as a part-time Chiefs play-caller in 2017, Nagy called plays for the bulk of his Bears tenure. This included a Coach of the Year honor in 2018 and another playoff berth in 2020. While Chicago fired Nagy after the 2021 season, his guiding Mitch Trubisky to two playoff brackets has aged rather well.
It will be interesting to see if Nagy enters the mix for one of the OC jobs set to open, as the HC carousel produces destinations, or if he can land either the Cardinals or Raiders’ HC position. Bieniemy did not fare especially well leaving Kansas City for a play-calling role (in Washington) in 2023, but he is back in his comfort zone due to Nagy’s decision to leave.
Coaching Notes: Titans, Cowboys, Leonhard, Packers, Eagles, Jaguars
Robert Saleh did not retain Titans OC Nick Holz or DC Dennard Wilson, but the new Tennessee HC kept special teams coordinator John Fassel. Saleh will also have some other Brian Callahan holdovers back. He is retaining running backs coach Randy Jordan, tight ends coach Luke Stocker and cornerbacks coach/defensive pass-game coordinator Tony Oden, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky.
Jordan, 55, coached Washington’s running backs for 10 seasons before joining Callahan’s staff last year. Ron Rivera previously retained him from the Jay Gruden staffs. An 11-year veteran tight end who last played in 2021, Stocker initially jointed the Titans’ staff in Mike Vrabel‘s final year and has been promoted in each of the past two offseasons, rising to TEs coach in 2025.
Oden, 52, has been an NFL staffer since 2004. Of the trio known to be staying, Oden is the only one to overlap with Saleh in the past. That history is extensive. Saleh’s first NFL job — as a Texans intern in 2005 — overlapped with Oden’s Houston stint. Oden broke into the NFL with the Texans a year prior to Saleh but stayed on Dom Capers‘ staff for one more season. Saleh then worked with Oden on the 2020 49ers and brought him to New York for his Jets staff. Oden served as a senior defensive assistant who worked with the team’s corners from 2021-24. He caught on with the Titans last year.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
- The Packers had eyed Jim Leonhard for their DC opening back in 2021, but the then-Wisconsin coordinator was believed to have received an offer. Leonhard did not factor into the Pack’s search to replace Joe Barry in 2024, but it was believed he was back on the team’s radar this year. Matt LaFleur was expected to talk with Leonhard, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein. While Leonhard is now free to interview, Green Bay hired Jonathan Gannon shortly before the Broncos’ AFC championship game tilt. A 2024 report indicated Leonhard was LaFleur’s top choice in 2021, so it is interesting the Packers did not formally interview him this time.
- Leonhard remains on the Broncos’ staff as DBs coach but may well receive more DC consideration. The Cowboys interviewed him before hiring Christian Parker, a previous Denver DBs coach. Dallas made the Parker hire Thursday, with the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins indicating the team did not feel it could wait out Leonhard. Had the Broncos booked a Super Bowl LX berth, the Cowboys could not have hired Leonhard until after that game.
- The Cowboys set up interviews with recent Vikings staffer Marcus Dixon and Eagles assistant linebackers coach Ronnell Williams, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Dixon worked with Parker on the Broncos’ staff from 2022-23, serving as the team’s D-line coach. Dixon spent the past two years as the Vikings‘ D-line coach, and ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes his contract has expired. While Minnesota could work out a new deal as it did with Brian Flores, Dixon is scheduling interviews elsewhere. Dixon was with the Cowboys as a player from 2008-10. Williams has worked with the Eagles since 2023, overlapping with Parker over the past two seasons. Williams is still under contract with the Eagles, per Watkins.
- Philadelphia made an in-house promotion after losing Parker to Dallas. The Eagles are elevating safeties coach Joe Kasper to DBs coach/defensive pass-game coordinator, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets. Interest came in from elsewhere, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s EJ Smith, but the Eagles will retain Kasper by promoting him. Kasper followed Vic Fangio from Miami in 2024; he served as Dolphins safeties coach in 2023. Kasper, however, is in his second stint with the Eagles; he was on Nick Sirianni‘s staff from 2021-22.
- The Jaguars are adding Brian Picucci from the Buccaneers’ staff. Picucci is joining Liam Coen‘s staff as the Jags’ run-game coordinator on offense, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Bucs blocked Coen from poaching Picucci last year, after Coen’s acrimonious Tampa exit, but the two have an extensive history. Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa in 2024; he served as the Bucs’ O-line coach in 2025, after Tampa Bay had blocked him from interviewing for that job in Jacksonville.
Chargers Interview Dylan Roney For DC Position
The Chargers lost their highly-regarded defensive coordinator last week when Jesse Minter was hired as the Ravens’ new head coach. The search for his replacement continues. 
Los Angeles announced on Monday that an interview has taken place with one of the team’s top internal candidates. Outside linebackers coach Dylan Roney met with the Chargers for their DC gig. This is the first coordinator posting he has been linked to.
The Chargers have already interviewed three other staffers, although one of them (Dennard Wilson) is no longer on the market. Another two outside options – Zach Orr (Ravens) and Aubrey Pleasants (Rams) – have spoken with the team. It would come as little surprise if the Bolts looked internally to replace Minter, with defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale a name to watch on that front.
Clinkscale and Minter both spent time working under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan before following him to Los Angeles in 2024. Roney took that same route, working as a graduate assistant from 2021-23 on the Wolverines’ staff. He then became a defensive assistant with the Chargers during Harbaugh’s first season back in the NFL. Roney took on his current role ahead of the 2025 season.
Los Angeles posted 45 sacks this year, with much of that production coming from the team’s OLBs. Tuli Tuipulotu totaled a career-high 13 sacks, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way. Khalil Mack chipped in as well, while midseason trade acquisition Odafe Oweh posted 7.5 sacks in 12 games after being held without one in five Ravens contests to begin the season. That success has no doubt helped Roney’s stock regarding a promotion or at least a lengthy tenure on the Chargers’ staff.
Mike McDaniel was officially hired on Monday to fill Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator vacancy. Attention will now increasingly turn to the DC position, with Roney a staffer to watch as Harbaugh weighs his options.