Browns To Hold HC Interviews With Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees; Interview Requested With Bengals’ Dan Pitcher
The Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday, but it’s possible his replacement will come from the staff he assembled. The team will conduct head coaching interviews with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
While the Browns will discuss the position with Schwartz and Rees, they’re also hoping to meet with Bengals O-coordinator Dan Pitcher. The Browns have requested an interview with Pitcher, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
The 59-year-old Schwartz is the lone member of this trio with head coaching experience. He spent five years as Detroit’s head coach from 2009-13, though success largely eluded the franchise during that stretch.
The Lions went 10-6 and earned a playoff berth in 2011, but they missed the postseason in every other year under Schwartz. They fired him after he posted a 29-51 record.
A longtime D-coordinator in Tennessee before he moved to Detroit, Schwartz has worked on defensive staffs with the Bills, Eagles, Titans and Browns since 2014. He won Super Bowl LII as the Eagles’ coordinator in 2017. Schwartz has also enjoyed success since heading to Cleveland in 2023.
The Browns finished tops in the league in total defense in Schwartz’s first season, their most recent playoff campaign. Although the team logged a horrid 5-12 record in 2025, its defense ranked fourth in yardage and 14th in points. Defensive end Myles Garrett, the Browns’ franchise player, set the single-season sack record in taking down opposing quarterbacks 23 times. Garrett has made it clear that he loves playing for Schwartz, which could better the coach’s chances of a promotion.
Schwartz’s defense held its own in 2025, but the same wasn’t true for Rees’ offense. The unit, which didn’t find an answer at quarterback among Joe Flacco (traded to the Bengals in October), Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, racked up the second-fewest yards and third-fewest points in the league. It’s worth pointing out that Rees did not handle play-calling duties the entire way. Stefanski handed him those responsibilities in early November.
A former Notre Dame quarterback, Rees served in prominent coaching roles with the Fighting Irish from 2017-22. Rees worked as their quarterbacks coach before adding O-coordinator duties to his resume in 2020. He held the same positions in 2023 at Alabama, where he was an assistant to Nick Saban in the legendary head coach’s last season.
Rees jumped to the pros the next season when Stefanski brought him aboard as a pass game specialist and tight ends coach. He was a candidate to become North Carolina’s head coach last offseason, but that job went to Bill Belichick.
While the 33-year-old Rees also interviewed for Penn State’s HC vacancy last month, the Nittany Lions chose Matt Campbell instead. A few weeks later, Rees will garner some consideration at the NFL level.
Pitcher, 38, began his NFL career as a scout with the Colts in 2012. He worked under current Browns general manager Andrew Berry, then the Colts’ pro scouting coordinator, for four years. That may give Pitcher an advantage in the Browns’ Berry-led coaching search.
A coach since 2016, Pitcher has spent a decade on the Bengals’ staff. He began as an offensive assistant before later becoming the Bengals’ QBs coach in 2020, Joe Burrow‘s rookie year. Burrow has been one of the league’s premier signal-callers when healthy, though injuries have been a frequent issue. He was fully healthy in 2024, Pitcher’s first season as offensive coordinator. The Bengals had a top 10 offense then.
Burrow missed nine games with a toe injury in 2025, leaving Pitcher to work with Flacco for a six-start stretch. The Bengals ended the year a respectable 12th in scoring and a slightly below-average 17th in yards.
If Pitcher doesn’t land a head coaching job this offseason, it seems likely he’ll remain in Cincinnati. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that he doesn’t expect to make changes to his staff.
Raheem Morris Sets Up HC Interviews With Giants, Cardinals
Just days after the Falcons fired him, Raheem Morris is drawing plenty of interest from teams looking for a head coach. After scheduling a Titans interview, he’ll also meet with the Giants and Cardinals in the next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 49-year-old Morris has worked as a full-time NFL head coach twice. His first opportunity came with the Buccaneers from 2009-11. The Bucs put together a 10-win campaign in Morris’ second year, but that was sandwiched between seasons in which they went 3-13 and 4-12. First-round quarterback Josh Freeman didn’t pan out as hoped, which helped lead to Morris’ demise.
Morris primarily served as defensive assistant with Washington and Atlanta from 2012-20, though he was also the Falcons’ wide receivers coach for three years and their passing game coordinator for one. Morris also had a stint as the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020. He went 4-7 replacing the fired Dan Quinn. The Falcons hired Arthur Smith during the ensuing offseason.
With Smith taking over, Morris temporarily departed Atlanta to serve as Sean McVay‘s defensive coordinator in Los Angeles. Morris held that role through 2023. He was a key figure on the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning staff in 2021.
Morris’ efforts with the Rams earned him another head coaching shot in Atlanta, where he succeeded the fired Smith, but the reunion didn’t go well. The Falcons posted a subpar 16-18 record under Morris from 2024-25. Although the Falcons made big investments in quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr, neither provided an obvious solution under center over the past two years. The franchise cleaned house in giving Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot their walking papers last Sunday night.
Any coach who has a suboptimal QB situation is likely to struggle. Finding an answer at the position has been a problem so far for Morris, who has gone a woeful 37-56. However, he’d inherit a potential franchise signal-caller in New York. The Giants are hopeful they found one when they used the 25th pick in the 2025 draft on Jaxson Dart, who had a promising rookie year despite concussion issues.
Morris would work with Dart in New York, but there’s less clarity in Arizona. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is under contract for another year. He may stick around as a bridge QB, though the Cardinals could find their next starter in the draft. They’re slated to pick third overall in the spring. Former No. 1 overall selection Kyler Murray is still on the roster, but the Cardinals are likely to trade or release the seven-year veteran in the next couple of months.
Matt Nagy To Interview With Raiders, Cardinals
Looking to land his second head coaching job, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has a busy few days ahead. It was already known that Nagy would interview for the Titans’ head coaching position on Thursday. He’ll also meet with the Raiders on Thursday and the Cardinals on Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Nagy led the Bears from 2018-21, a four-year run in which they made the playoffs twice and went 34-31. He won Coach of the Year honors after helping the Mitch Trubisky-quarterbacked club to a 12-4 campaign.
Nagy’s Bears were unable to build on the success they experienced in his first season. They didn’t win more than eight games in any of his other three years, and they finished 0-2 in the playoffs. He lost his job on the heels of a 6-11 campaign in which then-rookie Justin Fields served as the Bears’ primary starting QB.
Both Trubisky and Fields entered the NFL as first-round picks. Nagy could have another shot at developing a young first-round signal-caller if the Titans, Raiders or Cardinals hire him. The Titans used the No. 1 pick on Cam Ward last spring. The Raiders are expected to take a QB with the first selection in 2026, and the Cardinals could do the same at No. 3 overall.
Nagy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator in 2017, Patrick Mahomes‘ rookie campaign, but the future Hall of Fame QB sat behind veteran Alex Smith that year. Since returning to the Chiefs as a senior assistant/QBs coach in 2022, Nagy has been part of three AFC-winning teams and two Super Bowl champions.
Nagy’s second stint as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator began in 2023, though head coach Andy Reid has called the plays. Nagy said he doesn’t plan on handling play-calling duties if someone hires him as a head coach, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. In the event Nagy doesn’t receive a second HC chance in 2026, it’s unknown where he’ll wind up. After reportedly rejecting an extension offer from the Chiefs, the 47-year-old is without a contract.
Giants Set Up HC Interviews With Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefanski
Former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may land with a third NFC team. The Giants will interview McCarthy for their head coaching position next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Their meeting will take place Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
After the Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday, he reportedly vaulted to the top of New York’s wish list. The Giants will need a fallback plan if they’re unable to lure Harbaugh, though, and the 62-year-old McCarthy represents another experienced option with plenty of past success.
Like Harbaugh, McCarthy is a former Super Bowl winner. He helped the Packers to their most recent championship in 2010, his fifth season as their coach. Entering the playoffs as a 10-win wild-card team, the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers ripped off four straight victories en route to a title.
McCarthy lasted seven more years as Green Bay’s head coach after its Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers. The Packers made the playoffs in five of those seasons, but a 4-7-1 start in 2018 led to McCarthy’s ouster.
After a year off, McCarthy took over for Jason Garrett as the Cowboys’ head coach in 2020. Dallas struggled to a 6-10 mark in McCarthy’s first year, but the team put together three straight 12-win seasons after that. The Cowboys won just one playoff game out of four during that stretch, though, before taking a significant step back in 2024. Quarterback Dak Prescott missed nine games with a severe hamstring injury, which helped lead to a 7-10 finish. Owner Jerry Jones allowed McCarthy’s contract to expire and went on to replace him with Brian Schottenheimer.
With his time in Dallas up, McCarthy interviewed for HC vacancies in Chicago and New Orleans last winter. Neither they nor anyone else hired McCarthy, who didn’t work in 2025. The offensive-minded McCarthy could resurface with the Giants, who would assign him the task of helping develop young quarterback Jaxson Dart. McCarthy would also attempt to build on an impressive 174-112-2 record as a head coach.
As the Giants wait to talk with McCarthy, they’ve already begun discussions with ex-Browns HC Kevin Stefanski. It was reported Monday that he would interview with the Giants. The two sides had dinner on Tuesday night, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Stefanski’s interview will occur on Wednesday, per Schefter.
Raiders To Interview Broncos’ Davis Webb For Head Coaching Job
JANUARY 7: Webb will interview with the Raiders today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
JANUARY 6: Broncos pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb may jump from one AFC West franchise to another. The Raiders have requested a head coaching interview with Webb, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Webb, who will turn 31 on Jan. 22, has seen his stock soar during his brief coaching career. A former Giants, Bills and Jets quarterback from 2017-22, Webb immediately dove into coaching when his playing days ended. He has been part of head coach Sean Payton‘s staff for three seasons. Webb worked solely as the Broncos’ QBs coach for two years before Payton added to his responsibilities this season.
Denver did not make the playoffs in 2023, the last year of the ill-fated Russell Wilson era, but has evolved into an AFC superpower since then. Quarterback Bo Nix, a first-round pick in 2024, took over as the Broncos’ starter as a rookie. The team went 10-7 and broke an eight-year playoff drought. The Broncos improved to 14-3 in 2025, earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and are on a bye week in the first round of the playoffs.
Webb has played an important role in Nix’s development, which is part of the reason the Broncos are on the shortlist of Super Bowl favorites. Nix, who finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, has continued to serve as a nice complement to an elite Denver defense this season.
Nix and the Broncos swept Las Vegas during a nightmare campaign for the Raiders. After finishing 3-14, the Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday. At 74, Carroll became the oldest head coach in NFL history during his lone season with the Raiders. Webb will become one of the youngest ever hired if he lands the Raiders’ job, but he’ll have to beat out several other candidates, including Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Ending up in Vegas would presumably give Webb another opportunity to work with a young signal-caller. The Raiders are expected to select a quarterback with the first pick in the 2026 draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/26
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return from IR: G Chandler Zavala
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Karene Reid
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad QB Desmond Ridder
- Waived: QB Clayton Tune
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: DE Darrell Taylor
- Waived: S K’Von Wallace
Set to host the Rams in the wild-card round on Saturday, the Panthers have opened Zavala’s 21-day practice window. That will at least give Zavala a chance to return this week. Zavala has been on IR twice this year – once for a knee injury, again for a calf problem – which limited him to seven games and five starts during the regular season. He hasn’t played since Week 12.
The Packers rested starting quarterback Jordan Love in their regular-season finale against the Vikings. Backup Malik Willis was unavailable because of shoulder and hamstring issues, which led to Tune receiving his second NFL start. It went poorly for the 26-year-old Tune, who completed 6 of 11 passes for 34 yards in a 16-3 loss. Ridder, who combined for 18 starts with the Falcons and Raiders from 2022-24, will replace Tune on the Packers’ roster as they prepare for a playoff showdown with the rival Bears.
David Blough A Candidate For Lions’ Offensive Coordinator Job
Former Lions quarterback David Blough could return to the organization as a coach. Blough, the Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, is a candidate to become the Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. It’s unclear if he’ll interview for the position.
The Lions’ hunt for an O-coordinator began when they fired John Morton on Tuesday afternoon. Morton, the Lions’ initial replacement for Ben Johnson, lasted just one year in the role.
Detroit ranked fifth in both total offense and scoring in 2025, but Morton didn’t call the plays for the entire season. Head coach Dan Campbell took over the responsibilities in Week 10. The unit improved after Morton’s demotion.
Blough, an NFL quarterback from 2019-23, spent a good chunk of his short career in the Motor City. There’s familiarity with Campbell, who coached him in 2021 and ’23.
Still just 30 years old, Blough has been on Commanders head coach Dan Quinn‘s staff since 2024. Blough worked under former quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard for most of the past two seasons, and the two aided in the development of Jayden Daniels during that span.
While Daniels enjoyed a tremendous first season en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, injuries limited him to seven games in 2025. The Commanders fell from NFC Championship Game participants in 2024 to a dismal 5-12 during an injury-wrecked campaign. They lost Pritchard when he left to become Stanford’s head coach in late November. Blough finished the season as the Commanders’ interim QBs coach.
In returning to Detroit as a coordinator, Blough would inherit one of the league’s most talented offenses. Quarterback Jared Goff, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and tight end Sam LaPorta are among their weapons under contract through at least next season.
Even if the Lions don’t hire him, it’s unclear if Blough will remain in Washington in 2026. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury exited his post on Tuesday. Kingsbury’s replacement may want to hire an entirely new group of coaches, which would leave Blough to look elsewhere.
Cardinals Request HC Interview With Patriots’ Thomas Brown
Add Patriots passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Thomas Brown to the Cardinals’ list of head coaching candidates. The Cardinals have requested an interview with Brown, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
A running back with Atlanta and Cleveland from 2008-10, Brown climbed up the college coaching ranks before joining the Rams’ staff in 2020. He worked under Sean McVay as a running backs coach, assistant head coach and tight ends coach through 2022.
Brown impressed enough on McVay’s staff to land the Panthers’ offensive coordinator job in 2023, but it ended up as a one-and-done stint. The Panthers finished 2-15 during a season in which they fired head coach Frank Reich in late November. With Brown as their on-again, off-again play caller and rookie Bryce Young at quarterback, the Panthers ranked last in total offense and 31st in scoring.
With the Panthers moving on to a Dave Canales-led coaching staff in 2024, Brown spent the season with the Bears. He began the year as the Bears’ passing game coordinator before replacing the fired Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator in mid-November. That was the first of two in-season promotions for Brown, who finished the year as Chicago’s interim head coach after the firing of Matt Eberflus. The Bears went 1-4 under Brown, and their offense scored the fewest points in the league in quarterback Caleb Williams‘ rookie campaign.
Brown interviewed to become Chicago’s full-time head coach last January, but the role wound up going to Ben Johnson. That decision has worked out beautifully for the NFC North-winning Bears, while Brown has upped his stock as a Mike Vrabel assistant in New England.
Thanks largely to their passing attack, the Patriots pulled off a stunning 10-win improvement from 2024 to 2025. The 14-3 Pats won the AFC East and will enter the postseason as the second seed in the conference. With Brown’s help, second-year quarterback Drake Maye has quickly turned into an MVP front-runner. Maye finished the season first in completion percentage, yards per attempt, traditional passer rating and QBR. He also ranked third in touchdown passes and fourth in yards.
Unlike the Patriots, the Cardinals don’t have an obvious answer at quarterback. They’re expected to trade or release Kyler Murray in the offseason. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is under contract for another year, but he isn’t a long-term solution. It’s an area Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort and their next head coach, whether it’s Brown or another candidate, will likely address in the coming months.
49ers To Sign LB Kyzir White
Battling a slew of injuries at linebacker as they prepare for a first-round playoff matchup against the Eagles on Sunday, the 49ers are adding veteran insurance at the position. They have agreed to a practice squad deal with Kyzir White, insider Jordan Schultz reports.
The 49ers went through most of the regular season without their best linebacker, four-time All-Pro Fred Warner, who broke and dislocated his ankle in Week 6. Tatum Bethune stepped in as his replacement, but he suffered a season-ending groin injury in Week 18. Meanwhile, the statuses of fellow banged-up linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps) are uncertain as San Francisco’s trip to Philadelphia draws closer.
Warner may return if the 49ers advance a couple of rounds in the playoffs. In the meantime, they have another much-needed healthy option in White, though a hamstring injury shelved him for most of 2025.
After signing a practice squad deal with the Titans in early September, White’s only appearance of the regular season came in Week 3. The Titans waived him Dec. 5. The 29-year-old hoped to land with a contender when Tennessee cut him. A month later, he’ll get his wish.
White, who now has 93 games and 73 starts on his resume, entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Chargers in 2018. Also a former Cardinal and Eagle, White has gone over the 100-tackle mark on three occasions and logged two 17-start seasons. He was a full-time starter in 2024 in Arizona, where he finished with 137 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Although White has barely played since his two-year Cardinals tenure ended, he could factor into the 49ers’ postseason plans at linebacker. Eric Kendricks (currently on the practice squad), Curtis Robinson and Garret Wallow are among the injury-riddled team’s other options.
Falcons Request Interview With 49ers Exec Josh Williams
Atlanta is expected to hire Matt Ryan as its president of football operations, but the team is required to interview other candidates for the role first. That may include 49ers director, scouting and football operations Josh Williams. The Falcons have requested a meeting with Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Falcons are the second team to show interest in the 38-year-old Williams since the regular season ended Sunday. He’s also on the Dolphins’ radar as they search for a general manager. Williams was a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM job a year ago. They interviewed him twice before hiring James Gladstone instead.
After finishing as a runner-up to Gladstone, Williams stayed in San Francisco’s John Lynch-led front office this year. Since joining the 49ers in 2011, Williams has garnered significant experience as a scout. In his current position, he “directs pro and college scouting efforts, supports player development, and assists in contract negotiations,” according to the 49ers’ website.
Williams could follow former Lynch assistants Martin Mayhew, Ran Carthon and Adam Peters in earning a major promotion elsewhere, but landing the Atlanta gig looks like a long shot. Barring an unexpected change of heart from owner Arthur Blank or Ryan, the former quarterback appears to be a near-lock for president of football ops duties.
At minimum, interviewing Williams would help the Falcons satisfy the Rooney Rule. It’s worth noting that they’re also in the market for a GM. That job could conceivably go to Williams, who would work under Ryan. Looking to fill that position, the Falcons have already requested an interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham.