Commanders Interview Lunda Wells For OC Job
The Commanders have interviewed their first potential replacement for Kliff Kingsbury. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported earlier today that the organization had requested permission to interview Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells for their OC vacancy. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that Wells completed an interview this evening for the job.
[RELATED: Commanders, Kliff Kingsbury Part Ways]
As Dan Quinn is tasked with rebuilding his coaching staff, he’s considering a familiar face to guide his offense. Wells served as the Cowboys TEs coach throughout Quinn’s three-year stint as the team’s defensive coordinator. Quinn actually pursued Wells two years ago to lead his offensive line, so the Commanders HC clearly thinks highly of the coach.
Wells had an eight-year stint with the Giants to begin his NFL coaching career, working his way up from an offensive quality control coach to tight ends coach. During his two seasons in that latter role, Evan Engram had two of the best yards-per-game showings of his career. Wells moved to the Cowboys in 2020, where he guided Dalton Schultz to his most productive NFL season before developing Jake Ferguson into a Pro Bowl-quality tight end.
Wells was also recruited by the Bears last offseason, so the 42-year-old has clearly been emerging as a popular name in coaching circuits. The Cowboys made an effort to retain him last offseason, including signing the coach to an extension. Now, he may have an opportunity to take that next step of his career with a division rival.
After being forced to move on from his offensive and defensive coordinator, Quinn also fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson yesterday. The team kicked off their DC search by requesting an interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Mutual Interest Between John Harbaugh, Browns For HC Job?
John Harbaugh could end up sticking around the AFC North. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are “definitely doing their diligence” on the former Ravens head coach. Interestingly, that interest may be mutual.
Cabot says that Harbaugh is “believed to have legitimate interest” in the Cleveland job, even with their uncertainty on offense. Besides an opportunity to play his former team twice a year, Cabot notes that there a handful of reasons why Harbaugh could be a logical fit for the organization.
For starters, the coach has deep Cleveland roots. Both John and Jim Harbaugh grew up as Browns fans, and their parents even honeymooned at a Browns game. Both of their parents are Ohio natives, with Jack Harbaugh once playing football at Bowling Green. John Harbaugh, of course, ended up tormenting his favorite childhood team throughout his Baltimore tenure, going 27-8 during his 18 seasons as the Ravens head coach (including a 12-5 record in Cleveland).
Next, Harbaugh also has interest in working alongside a pair of Browns coaches. Cabot says that Harbaugh would consider retaining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and the former Ravens head coach is also a big fan of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. That duo already interviewed for the Browns HC opening this week, and Cabot notes that the franchise would love to keep both of the coaches in some capacity depending on the outcome of their search.
Of course, there are also rumblings that Harbaugh would likely recruit Ravens OC Todd Monken to his next stop, per Armando Salguero of Outkick.com. There have been a handful of reports that Harbaugh’s unwillingness to fire Monken in Baltimore may have contributed to his ouster with the Ravens. Interestingly, the Browns requested a head coach interview with Monken.
To top it all off, Cabot notes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admired Harbaugh for many years. As the team embarks on a thorough search for a replacement for Kevin Stefanski, Harbaugh would seemingly be the organization’s main target. Of course, Harbaugh likely leads the list for most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams.
Cleveland’s current list of candidates includes:
- Aden Durde, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interview requested
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Rumored candidate
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interview requested
- Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): To interview 1/8
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/8/26
A handful of teams continued adding to their reserve/futures stashes today:
Cincinnati Bengals
- WR Dohnte Meyers
Indianapolis Colts
- CB Robert Carter Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- OT Marshall Foerner, WR Garrett Greene, WR Dennis Houston, LB Mohamed Kamara
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/8/26
A handful of playoff teams shuffled their practice squads today. We’ve listed all of the moves below:
Carolina Panthers
- CB Michael Reid
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Placed on IR: LB Ty Summers
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: S Kaevon Merriweather
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Sebastian Gutierrez
- Released: CB Miles Battle
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/26
One minor move to pass along:
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: S Jaylen Reed
A rookie sixth-round pick, Reed has spent half of the 2025 season on the sideline. He started the season on PUP thanks to a knee injury, but he managed to make his NFL debut in late October. He ended up getting into seven games (one start) for Houston, collecting 14 tackles (12 of which came in one game) in 73 defensive snaps. He landed on injured reserve in December after suffering a forearm injury that required surgery. The Texans will be able to use him as an extra practice body for much of the postseason.
Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese Declares For Draft
Arvell Reese is heading to the NFL. The Ohio State edge rusher/linebacker announced that he’s declared for the 2026 draft, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Reese is generally considered the top defensive prospect in this year’s draft, with some pundits even considering him as the top player in the class. While he might not be selected in the top-two considering the Raiders’ and Jets’ need for a franchise QB, he’ll surely be selected within the top-five picks. ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently had Reese going fourth-overall to the Titans, but there’s a chance he may not fall past the Cardinals at No. 3.
Reese mostly played linebacker this season at Ohio State, although many teams would likely target him for an edge role in the NFL. Despite only getting into 97 snaps at the position in 2025, Reese still ranked seventh in the FBS in pressure rate (18.5%). Scouts have lauded his explosiveness and physicality, and his versatility could prove to be an asset as a professional.
The prospect had a rapid rise up the draft rankings in 2025. While his 2024 campaign put him on the NFL map, he solidified himself as a top prospect with a breakout performance this past year. He ultimately finished the season with 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks, earning him a consensus All-American nod and the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year award. He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the top linebacker in college.
As ESPN’s Jake Trotter notes, Reese joins wide receiver Carnell Tate and safety Caleb Downs as Buckeye players who have declared for the draft this week. Both Tate and Downs are also expected to hear their names called in the first half of the first round.
Titans To Interview Mike McCarthy For HC Job
Mike McCarthy is now officially a candidate for two head coaching jobs. After scheduling his interview with the Giants, the former Packers and Cowboys head coach is also set to interview for the Titans vacancy, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The interview is scheduled for next Saturday.
Besides being one of the most experienced head coaching options on the market, McCarthy also has a connection to Titans leadership. Tennessee’s President of Football Operations Chad Brinker worked alongside McCarthy during their decade-plus tenures in Green Bay. Brinker worked his way up from a scouting intern to football administration executive. He left to be the Titans assistant GM in 2023, and he was given full control of the team’s roster in 2024 following Ran Carthon‘s ouster.
Following a 7-10 showing in 2024, McCarthy wasn’t retained as the Cowboys head coach. He still remained in the HC circuit last offseason, interviewing for open positions with the Bears and Saints. He obviously didn’t get either of those two gigs, and he ended up spending the 2025 campaign out of the NFL.
McCarthy made a name for himself as an offensive-minded coach while working with the likes of Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Dak Prescott. That would make him a natural fit for the Titans, who are looking to maximize 2025 first-overall pick Cam Ward. In 18 years as a head coach, McCarthy only had five seasons where he finished with a losing record. This would surely be alluring for a Titans organization that hasn’t finished above .500 since the 2021 season.
As mentioned, the Titans aren’t the only team eyeing McCarthy. The coach is set to interview for the open Giants job next week. New York will have the first opportunity to speak to the long-time coach, with that interview scheduled for Tuesday.
McCarthy joins a growing list of candidates for the Titans gig. The current list of definitive and potential targets includes:
- Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator (Colts): To interview’
- Anthony Campanile, defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Mentioned as candidate
- Jason Garrett, former offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interview requested
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Titans): Mentioned as candidate
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed 1/7
- Kliff Kingsbury, former offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interview requested
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Mentioned as candidate
- Mike McCoy, interim head coach (Titans): To interview
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Mentioned as candidate
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): To interview 1/12
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): To interview 1/8
- Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator (49ers): Mentioned as candidate
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Mentioned as candidate
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Steve Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interview requested
- Kevin Stefanski, former head coach (Browns): To interview 1/10
More to come…
Matt Ryan Hoping To Retain TV Duties Despite Falcons Gig?
JANUARY 6: Although Brady has the FOX/Raiders overlap, Ryan does not appear to be under the impression he would have the opportunity to keep going at CBS and play a lead role in Falcons decision-making. As it turns out, Pelissero indicates Ryan would only work for the Falcons if he indeed becomes their football ops president.
This is an interesting about-face, and it is worth wondering if Ryan floated the prospect of doing both jobs. But the Atlanta resident looks to be committed to working with the Falcons. This would open an NFL Today slot for the 2026 season.
JANUARY 5: The Falcons appear set to hire former quarterback Matt Ryan as their new president of football operations. If the former MVP has his way, he’ll continue his TV gig.
[RELATED: Falcons Expected To Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football Operations]
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (h/t Awful Announcing), Ryan is “hoping to retain his duties at CBS.” Ryan joined the network as an analyst for the 2023 season, and he’s been apart of The NFL Today pregame show since 2024.
Naturally, this arrangement would present some potential conflicts of interest. However, the NFL has already set a precedent in regards to executives working for media partners. Despite being a partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady has continued to serve as the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox.
A recent report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic indicated that Brady was only at the team facility “a handful of times this season.” While Brady was still heavily involved in the Raiders’ daily operations, there’s also a clear distinction between a minority owner and the leader of football operations. While Brady was allowed to juggle both responsibilities, it’s uncertain if the same flexibility will be afforded to Ryan, both from the NFL and from Falcons ownership.
Of course, Ryan’s television duties shouldn’t distract from his initial tasks as Atlanta’s president of football operations. The former quarterback will be responsible for spearheading the organization’s search for a new head coach and general manager. Once those hires have been made, Ryan will presumably also have major influence over the team’s roster. This duty would surely extend into the 2026 regular season.
RB Rachaad White Expects To Depart Buccaneers
Rachaad White seems to think he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2026. The impending free agent running back posted a farewell message to the Buccaneers on Instagram, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
A former third-round pick, White once seemed like he was going to lead the Buccaneers RBs room for years to come. He played alongside Tom Brady as a rookie and finished with 771 yards from scrimmage, and he took his production to another level in the Baker Mayfield-led offense in 2023. White finished his sophomore campaign with 1,539 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns.
However, the Buccaneers added Bucky Irving in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, and the Oregon product ended up emerging as the lead option by the end of that season. Irving’s rookie campaign saw him finish with more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns, while White finished with 1,006 offensive yards and nine scores. Irving ended up missing a chunk of games this season, but White had one of the least productive showings of his career, finishing with 4.6 yards per touch.
Sean Tucker is set to hit restricted free agency, leaving Irving as the only definitive Buccaneers RB to return in 2026. Considering the organization’s ability to juggle multiple players at the position in recent years, the Buccaneers probably wouldn’t completely shut the door on re-signing White. However, the veteran seemed to indicate in his social media post that he’ll be playing for a new squad in 2026.
Considering White’s success as a starter and his pass-catching ability, he shouldn’t lack for suitors as a free agent. He’ll be joining a relatively strong free agent class that includes the likes of Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, and Javonte Williams.
Chargers Add OL Ben Cleveland To Practice Squad
Ben Cleveland has found a new home. Days after getting waived by the Ravens, the offensive lineman has signed with the Chargers practice squad, per the team. To make room, the Chargers have released safety Marcus Maye.
Cleveland served as a rotational offensive lineman after he was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2021 draft. He started seven of his 64 appearances for Baltimore, appearing in 673 offensive snaps across five seasons. He also had a consistent special teams role.
The veteran was limited to only three offensive snaps in 10 games to begin the 2025 campaign before he was hit with a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Substances of Abuse Policy. Instead of activating the 27-year-old back to the active roster, the Ravens opted to waive him instead.
Cleveland passed through waivers and has now landed with a playoff team. With Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater sidelined, the Chargers offensive line has struggled mightily this season. According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the team has shuffled through 29 different OL combinations, the third-most in the NFL. A player with Cleveland’s experience will provide some extra depth, but the team surely won’t turn to a newcomer ahead of a playoff game.
A former Jets second-round pick, Maye has spent parts of the past two seasons in Los Angeles. He made four appearances for the team in 2024, compiling 12 tackles and an interception. He joined the Chargers practice squad in December and was promoted for their season finale.