Ravens Request To Interview Chiefs’ Joe Cullen For DC
The more things change the more they seem to stay the same. After the Ravens hired a former staffer to their head coaching role, they’re now seeking to interview another former staffer for their defensive coordinator role. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team requested to interview Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen for their open defensive coordinator position. 
Cullen is very familiar with the franchise in Baltimore; he spent five seasons as the team’s defensive line coach before landing his first NFL defensive coordinator job. Immediately following the end of his playing career as a star nose guard at UMass, Cullen began his coaching career in 1990, working with the Minutemen’s running backs for a year before taking on oversight of their defensive line.
He then became a bit of an NCAA journeyman, spending time as a defensive line coach at Richmond, LSU, Memphis, and Indiana and earning short-lived promotions to defensive coordinator for the Spiders and Hoosiers. He only served three non-consecutive seasons as Richmond’s defensive coordinator and a single year as coordinator at Indiana. After that lone year with the Hoosiers, he rebounded as a defensive assistant at Illinois before accepting his first NFL coaching position.
Cullen’s NFL start came with the Lions in 2006. When the staff was let go after becoming the first team to go 0-16 in 2008, he rebounded by coaching d-line for a year at Idaho State before returning to the ranks of the NFL. Upon his return, he coached d-lines at Jacksonville for three years, Cleveland for a year, and Tampa Bay for two years before landing in Baltimore.
Cullen’s stint with the Ravens was the longest-tenured job he’s held in his career. He started in Baltimore with a young defensive line featuring Brandon Williams, Timmy Jernigan, Michael Pierce, Brent Urban, and Lawrence Guy, and by his last year with the team in 2020, he was working with Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, and Nnamdi Madubuike. Over that span of time, the Ravens never finished outside the top 10 defenses in points allowed and only once finished outside the top 10 in total yards allowed.
His success with the Ravens led to his first defensive coordinator opportunity in the NFL, but unfortunately, that opportunity came under Urban Meyer. Following Meyer’s early exit from Duval, Cullen returned to position coaching and has been in Kansas City ever since, working with one of the league’s most dominant defensive lineman over the years in Chris Jones.
Cullen’s time in Baltimore coincided with new head coach Jesse Minter‘s four-year stay as a Ravens defensive coach. Cullen’s history as a defensive coordinator hasn’t ever extended past even two years, but with Minter likely to still be a heavy influence on that side of the ball, Cullen’s role as coordinator may be a bit more manageable for him than it has been in the past. The Ravens moved on from long-time head coach John Harbaugh, but in searching for the coaches to reestablish the team’s defensive identity, Baltimore has looked to some familiar faces.
Cullen becomes the first name mentioned for the defensive coordinator position in Baltimore. The Ravens’ coordinator of the last two years, Zach Orr, is technically still under contract with the team, but after needing a perfect back half of the season just to finish as a top 10 defensive in his first year as DC and finishing 18th in points allowed and 24th in yards allowed this year, he’s not expected to be retained. He was requested to interview today with the Chargers for the DC position that opened with Baltimore’s hiring of Minter.
Kevin Abrams Part Of John Harbaugh’s Initial Giants Firings
The Giants took significant strides in deciding to pursue, and ultimately land, John Harbaugh as their next head coach. The move required the acceptance that things hadn’t been working for quite some time and that bringing in someone from an organization that is known for its stability could unlock the secrets to success, even if meant breaking a few eggs. Several eggs were broken today, as Harbaugh began the process of letting go of any coaches he doesn’t intend to carry with him on his first staff in New York. 
Per Ryan Dunleavy of NY Post Sports, this included a majority of the defensive staff. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson, inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu, defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Marquand Manuel, and cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris were all told today that they wouldn’t be returning for the 2026 campaign. Apart from the defense, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported that special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial was also told to clean out his office.
The only remaining position coach on the defensive side of the ball is Charlie Bullen, who served as outside linebackers coach before being named interim defensive coordinator for the team’s final five games of the season. Bullen will be the only one who gets a chance to return to his position group, headlined by stars Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, Bullen is open to returning under the new defensive coordinator, but “several teams are circling him” with hopes of poaching. Even the rival Cowboys interviewed him for their open DC position.
Throughout the day, Harbaugh held face-to-face meetings with incumbent assistants under contract for next year, though some of the dismissed staffers didn’t get to make their case to the new head coach. Those coaches were informed by general manager Joe Schoen that they were “not part of Harbaugh’s plans and free to look elsewhere.” Per separate reports from Hughes and Raanan, Bullen and Patterson were the two in-person meetings; Patterson coached through the 2025 season as he dealt with prostate cancer.
None of the moves were major surprises — that is, until Ian Rapoport dropped the bomb that senior vice president of football operations and strategy Kevin Abrams had been let go, setting off a chain of stunned reactions from the local beat reporters. Abrams had been a respected employee of Big Blue since 1999, spanning four general managers and even serving as an interim fifth GM in 2017.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Abrams was a key contributor on negotiating contracts and, per FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, was once considered the GM-in-waiting behind Dave Gettleman before Gettleman’s tenure came to an abrupt end. Whenever Schoen came in to replace Gettleman, Abrams took a backseat to allow for a smooth transition and even took a further step back so that Brandon Brown could come in as assistant general manager, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Though several reporters’ reactions confirmed it, it was Hughes who voiced that Abrams was seemingly “untouchable for just about every Giants regime.”
While the reactions were those of shock, all seemed to be on the same page that these moves are necessary in order to elevate out of the pitfalls of the past. Harbaugh’s hiring, including the days of discussion about reporting roles, was designed to provoke a departure from “bad organizational habits,” per Pat Leonard of NY Daily News. Leonard claims Harbaugh “must act quickly and harshly to dismantle the Giants’ toxicity.” Leonard’s fiery rhetoric continued with phrases like “half measures will not do,” “ripped out at the root,” “there can be no delay,” and “no protection of tenured employees for the sake of relationships.”
While softer language conveyed the message from other accounts, the message itself was clear. Leonard argued that Harbaugh could have toed the party line and moved unwanted personnel to positions of less importance but that would just continue the cycle of politics. Instead, Harbaugh is taking the initiative to make the moves necessary to enact actual change in the building. More shocking changes could rise up on the horizon, as well.
To fill out the new holes on the defensive staff, Harbaugh took the obvious initial route of requesting interviews with several of his former staffers in Baltimore, just to be blocked by his former team. Though team owner Steve Bisciotti implied sweeping coaching changes in the future, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the executive is still acting in the Ravens’ best interests and giving the eventual new head coach first dibs at the guys still under contract in Baltimore.
Dunleavy points out that a worst-case scenario could see Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter named head coach of the Ravens. According to senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, Minter concluded his in-person, second-round interview with the team today, and Dunleavy asserts that, due to Minter’s prior history on the Ravens’ coaching staff, he may be one of the few head coaching options to deny Harbaugh a chance to interview the defensive staffers that Minter may want to retain.
Falcons Request GM Interview With Mike Bradway
The Falcons have named a fifth candidate in the running for their open general manager position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Bradway has been requested to interview for the job in Atlanta.
Bradway joins Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Texans assistant GM James Liipfert, and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams as candidates to replace Terry Fontenot as general manager. All five names came in over the past two days, hot on the heels of the team’s hiring of Kevin Stefanski to fill their open head coaching position.
Despite Bradway owning nearly 20 years of NFL front office experience, a move to Atlanta would match Bradway with only his third NFL franchise. Much like many others in the Chiefs’ building, Bradway’s only NFL ties are to Kansas City and Philadelphia. The son of former Jets general manager Terry Bradway, Mike began his NFL front office career with a 10-year stint with the Eagles. In 2018, Bradway reunited with several who made the move to Kansas City about six years prior, when head coach Andy Reid departed from Philadelphia and landed the same job with the Chiefs.
Bradway’s first role with the Chiefs in 2018 was assistant director of personnel. Two years later, he was promoted into a joint assistant director of player personnel role with current Bears GM Ryan Poles, who had already served a year in the position. In 2021, both got promotions with Bradway being named director of player personnel and Poles being named executive director. When Poles departed for Chicago, Bradway earned another title bump up to senior director, serving in that role for three seasons before finally landing in his current role.
With Bradway getting his first general manager interest in the league today, he advances one step closer to following in his father’s footsteps towards landing a full GM position. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Falcons will begin interviewing candidates tomorrow, starting with Liipfert and Weidl over Zoom and continuing with more virtual interviews throughout the week, likely with the intention to move to in-person interviews next week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/21/26
Wednesday’s minor moves:
New England Patriots
- Designated for return from IR: DT Joshua Farmer
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from IR: RB George Holani
With only four teams remaining in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy, there are fewer and fewer minor transactions from day-to-day. Today, though, the Patriots and Seahawks opened the 21-day practice windows for backups Farmer and Holani. The Patriots stand to benefit the most from today’s transactions as they look for the fourth-round Florida State rookie to potentially end his first year of play on the field.
Vikings Extend DC Brian Flores; Flores Still HC Candidate
While Brian Flores is currently pursuing a higher position elsewhere, the Vikings have signed him to an extension. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Flores is still considered a candidate for the open head coaching jobs in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, but he’ll now have his job as defensive coordinator in Minnesota if those teams end up hiring other candidates. 
Similiar to another coach on the offensive side of the ball, Mike McDaniel, Flores was getting interest around the league lately for his potential to become both a team’s new head coach or a team’s new defensive coordinator. The former Dolphins head coaches were both looking to return to another leading role, and Flores has interviewed with the Ravens and Steelers, while also being mentioned as a candidate for the job in Las Vegas.
With his contract as defensive coordinator in Minnesota coming to an end, though, other teams around the league were showing signs of interest in Flores continuing in his role as a defensive play-caller. A week ago, he interviewed for the job in Washington, so the speculation was already up in the air on whether Flores would end up being a head coach or a coordinator with a new team. With this extension in place, though, Flores’ two options are to land a head coaching job with a new team or return to the Vikings and remain as defensive coordinator.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell had recently expressed doubt that Flores would leave for the same job with another team. In reaction to the news of Flores’ extension, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifer, O’Connell told the media, “The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation. On a personal level, I’ve really valued the relationship we’ve built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment, and high standard will continue to be critical to our success.”
As Flores had continued as a candidate outside the building, the team had held discussions concerning the potential for a new deal like this with Flores, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. In his three years as defensive coordinator in Minnesota, Flores’ unit has given up the second-fewest points per game in the NFL over that span. The unit has improved each year and finished seventh in points allowed and third in yards allowed at its peak this season, anchored by a defense that gave up the league’s second-fewest passing yards per game this year.
The Ravens are starting to select finalists as they move slowly through their interview process, and the Steelers have made it known that Flores is considered to be a “serious contender” to land as their head coach, but the Vikings have been loud in their assertion that seeing him return to lead the defense was their No. 1 priority. Now, they’ve held up their end of the bargain and secured his place on next year’s staff. They’ll just have to hope that Baltimore and Pittsburgh neglect to had him a bigger opportunity.
Jeff Hafley Emerging As Dolphins’ HC Frontrunner
JANUARY 18: Jackson adds in a follow-up report that it is a real possibility Miami does not allow Hafley to leave the building without a contract in hand following his Monday interview. An agent for another candidate tells Jackson that Hafley is the team’s top choice.
In addition to Graham and Hafley, the ‘Fins will have an in-person meeting with Kelvin Sheppard on Monday. The Graham and Sheppard summmits would satisfy the Rooney Rule and thereby make the Dolphins eligible to hire Hafley.
JANUARY 17, 10:05pm: A representative for one of the other candidates connected to the Dolphins’ vacancy told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald he believes the job is Hafley’s to lose at this point. With at least many of the seven remaining HC vacancies likely to be filled in the coming days, this situation will be worth watching closely.
2:08pm: Coming quick off the heels of news that he is being brought in for the second round of the Dolphins‘ interview process, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has “emerged as a frontrunner” for the head coaching job in Miami. No decisions have been made on either side, but Hafley seems to have the early favor of the Dolphins’ search committee. 
Miami and Hafley are still moving forward with their interview processes, as usual, though. This isn’t John Harbaugh cancelling meetings after one in-person interview with the Giants just yet.
The Dolphins have first-round interviews still on the schedule for this weekend and are in the process of setting up more second-round interviews beyond Hafley. It seems, as they’re wrapping up the first round of interviews with Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Sunday and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham on Monday, Hafley will be kicking off the first of multiple in-person, second interviews. Dianna Russini of The Athletic has noted that they’re attempting to get former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in for his in-person on Wednesday.
We also aren’t aware if the feelings are mutual for Hafley, though; Miami isn’t the only team to have moved him on to the next stage of the interview process, and according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Hafley is expected to be a finalist everywhere he’s interviewed. Pelissero notes that the Titans, Falcons, Raiders, and Cardinals have also requested second interviews for Hafley, and he’s in the process of completing another initial interview today with the Steelers.
In fact, Hafley is scheduled to come to Miami on Monday, and he already has his visit to Tennessee scheduled for the Tuesday, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. The Dolphins are certainly trying to get out ahead of what appears to be a lot of interest in Hafley by scheduling him early and pronouncing their interest very publicly. We’ll see if that tactic earns them any points with Hafley or if it turns on the pressure in his pursuit.
For the other candidates set to interview with Miami, it’s certainly discouraging, assuming Hafley prefers the Dolphins. It’s hard enough to overcome Hafley’s Green Bay ties to Miami’s new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan but adding in his proclamation from the media as an early frontrunner makes it necessary to hope Hafley prefers to be elsewhere. In fact, strangely, the rumor of Hafley being the frontrunner first was leaked by Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, whose source was an agent of one of the several other candidates for the job. After seeing the rumor confirmed by Pelissero this afternoon, seekers of the Miami job will be hoping the Dolphins don’t get their guy.
The only certainty anywhere comes out of Green Bay where Mike Garafolo reports the Packers have begun researching defensive coordinator candidates. While it’s still extremely up in the air where Hafley lands, it’s quite certain that he won’t be coming back to Green Bay. As Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post points out, Broncos defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach Jim Leonhard once turned down the Packers’ defensive coordinator position under Matt LaFleur thinking he’d be at Wisconsin long-term. Having since moved on from the Badgers, one would think Leonhard’s name would come up in Green Bay relatively soon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/17/26
Here are today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations for the rest of the divisional round of the playoffs:
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: TE Nikola Kalinic
Houston Texans
- Elevated: DT Leki Fotu
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: S Tanner Ingle, LB Elias Neal
New England Patriots
- Activated from IR: CB Alex Austin
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson, DT Leonard Taylor III
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: T Brandon Parker, DL Sebastian Valdez
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: RB Velus Jones Jr.
Titans Setting Up Second HC Interviews For Three Candidates
With Mike McCarthy visiting today, Jonathan Gannon arriving in Nashville tomorrow, and Robert Saleh interviewing tomorrow virtually, the Titans are wrapping up their first round of head coaching interviews. Tennessee is moving on to the second round of their process, scheduling interviews with Kevin Stefanski, Matt Nagy, and Jeff Hafley, per Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. 
There’s a bit of concern that Stefanski may not end up making his appointment. The former Browns head coach is scheduled to arrive in Nashville tomorrow, but he’s spending today conducting his second interview with the Falcons. Reports today have indicated that Stefanski is the “top candidate” in Atlanta, and since the team has met the interviewing requirements of the Rooney Rule, there’s nothing stopping them from offering him a contract today.
If news comes out over the next several hours that Stefanski is staying in Atlanta, it would be the second time Tennessee will have been stood up for a second, in-person head coaching interview. The team’s first brush with that type of misfortune came when John Harbaugh cancelled the Titans’ in-person meeting in Baltimore after spending the day before with the Giants and ultimately accepting New York’s offer.
There’s a chance the same issue could arise in Hafley’s situation, as well. The Dolphins boldly pronounced the Packers defensive coordinator as their frontrunner today ahead of his Monday second interview in Miami. Hafley’s Green Bay ties to new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan could have Hafley desiring a reunion with his former coworker. The Titans have Hafley’s second interview schedule for the following day, so there’s a non-zero chance Tennessee could see the same situation play out three times with three coaches coming off the board after prior-day visits with three other teams.
Both candidates have reason to hear out multiple offers, though. Like Harbaugh, Hafley is currently considered to be a favorite with any team that has interviewed him. Stefanski also has his fair share of suitors, so if the Falcons and Dolphins don’t seem to be going all-out like the Giants did for Harbaugh, it would probably behoove Hafley and Stefanski to allow other teams to throw out competing offers.
With all this in mind, the Titans may want to schedule Nagy’s second interview as soon as possible. The Chiefs offensive coordinator doesn’t have any second interviews scheduled elsewhere, so at the moment, he would be the least likely candidate to accept another team’s offer the day before his second interview with the Titans. Nagy only interviewed for the Jets job last year, so his four interviews and his advancement to the second round of interviews in Tennessee this year show him moving in a positive direction as he continues to work his way back from his four-year stint as a head coach in Chicago.
As the Titans move into the next phase of their hiring process, team owner Amy Adams Strunk will be getting involved. Throughout the initial interviews, general manager Mike Borgonzi has led a four-person committee thus far. The decision will still be left to Borgonzi, but Adams Strunk will have final approval of his choice. They’ll just have to hope that they get opportunities with Stefanski, Hafley, and Nagy so that their decisions don’t become limited as a result of other teams eliminating their options.
Kevin Stefanski Considered ‘Top Candidate’ For Falcons HC
Head coaching searches are starting to come into focus this weekend. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is considered the “top candidate” for the open Falcons job. He’s set to conduct his second interview with Atlanta today and some sources believe they may attempt to pull the trigger. 
The reason this could be a possibility is because, as Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS reported this morning, the Falcons are Rooney Rule compliant, so if they truly believe Stefanski is the man for them in his second interview today, they are able to hire him. The Rooney Rule requires NFL teams interviewing new head coaches or general managers to interview at least two minority candidates. The interviews must be in-person to satisfy the Rooney Rule, but Atlanta has publicly disclosed which of its interviews were virtual or in-person. Based on Jones’ report, at least two of their minority candidates must have conducted their first interview in person.
Aside from the second interview that John Harbaugh cancelled in favor of accepting the Giants’ head coaching position, no other candidate has been scheduled for a second interview in Atlanta, except for Stefanski. Stefanski, though, still has plenty of interest from other teams hoping he stays available after today’s meeting. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, he’s scheduled to head to Tennessee tomorrow following today’s interview, and the Dolphins and Ravens are both working to bring him in for second, in-person interviews on Wednesday, as well.
An indicator Stefanski may be likely to take Atlanta up on a potential offer was reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who claimed that the 43-year-old coach had done research on the potential aspect of working with current Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Team owner Arthur Blank has reportedly expressed a desire to hold on to Ulbrich, who he believes would immediately become a top DC candidate if put on the free agent market. The Cowboys requested to interview him for their open position a little over a week ago, but Blank denied their request. If Stefanski and Ulbrich seem like a good fit, the Falcons may be well on their way to filling out their staff for the 2026 NFL season.
Lots of eyes will be on reports coming out of Atlanta over the next several hours as it looks like the coaching dominos may be starting to fall. An agreement today would mark the closing of the second head coach opening in this cycle, after the Harbaugh deal was made official earlier today.
Chargers To Interview Mike McDaniel For OC Position
Since he was fired by the Dolphins just over a week ago, Mike McDaniel has been offered a litany of opportunities to move on in some form or fashion. Some teams (Titans, Falcons, Browns, and Ravens) have expressed interest in him as a potential head coach again, while some teams (Lions, Eagles, and Buccaneers) still have head coaches in place and are interested in him returning to a potential offensive coordinator job. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Chargers can be added to the latter group of teams as they are set to interview McDaniel to potentially replace Greg Roman. 
It’s been a busy week for McDaniel. Following his dismissal in Miami, he kicked off his week with his head coaching interviews with Atlanta and Cleveland. On Tuesday, he interviewed with the Lions for their offensive coordinator job, following that up with head coaching interviews with Tennessee on Wednesday and Baltimore on Thursday. Today, McDaniel returned to the coordinator interest, interviewing with Tampa Bay. Nothing’s been announced as scheduled for McDaniel this weekend, so perhaps he’s just enjoying a couple days off, but Rapoport expects his interview with Los Angeles to take place “early next week.”
Since firing Roman, the Chargers have looked at a number of names to fill his shoes. They first looked internally, granting an interview to passing game coordinator Marcus Brady of Montreal Alouettes fame. He has arrayed experience with both young and veteran talent, and his familiarity with Herbert could be a strong place to start with the likely journey to a new offensive scheme. Their second internal candidate was quarterbacks coach Shane Day. Day held the passing game coordinator title for two seasons in 2021-22 but was fired after the team blew a 27-point lead in Herbert’s first playoff game. He returned this year, much to the joy of the team’s star quarterback.
Mostly recently, the team interviewed former Titans head coach Brian Callahan for the open position. Callahan’s experience with young quarterbacks is a bit of a mixed bag. He helped kickstart what has been a strong start to Joe Burrow‘s career in Cincinnati, but in Tennessee, he struggled to get much out of offenses led by Will Levis and Cam Ward. In an attempt to save his job this year, he ceded play-calling duties after an 0-3 start to the Titans’ season, but he was relieved of his head coaching duties, too, after only three more games.
McDaniel only had one season of coordinator experience with the 49ers, and he didn’t call plays as the OC, but he was the Dolphins’ primary play-caller throughout his four-year run with the team. His arrival in Miami seemed to unlock Tua Tagovailoa in his third season as the offense improved from 25th in total yards and 22nd in scoring to sixth in total yards and 11th in scoring in McDaniel’s first year with the team. In Year 2, the Dolphins led the league in total yards and finished as the second highest-scoring offense. Injuries would limit the team over his last two seasons in Miami, but it’s clear why McDaniel is such a respected name in offensive coaching circles.
Pairing McDaniel with Herbert, young running back Omarion Hampton, a versatile receiving corps, and eventually, two extremely talented, recovered offensive tackles could make for a dangerous unit. In order to land him, though, the Dolphins will need to hope the right head coaching opportunities don’t come his way and that he’ll prefer to work for them. There’s a long way to go in this process but bringing McDaniel in certainly makes the team’s OC search more interesting.