Giants, Browns Picking Apart Old Ravens Staff
For new Giants head coach John Harbaugh, having to completely build a new staff for the first time in 18 years was going swimmingly as he cleared out several incumbent staffers and started to import assistant coaches from his old staff in Baltimore. That strategy hit a snag when the Browns hired Harbaugh’s former offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their new head coach. 
To start, there had been rumors that Harbaugh had wanted Monken to follow him to New York and coordinate his offense led by Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers. Not only does Harbaugh now have to go back to the drawing board on hiring an offensive coordinator, but he now also has to fend off his former coordinator for former Ravens staffers that both men might want in their new cities.
The first instance of this saw Monken win out as offensive line coach George Warhop decided to follow Monken to Cleveland. Warhop had only arrived in Baltimore two years ago to serve as an interim OL coach when longtime Ravens OL coach Joe D’Alessandris was hospitalized over the summer. When D’Alessandris unfortunately passed away eight days later, Warhop stepped into the full-time role. Harbaugh had expressed strong interest in bringing Warhop to New York, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, but ultimately, Monken won the battle for his services.
Shortly after that, Monken named Travis Switzer as his offensive coordinator. Switzer had spent his entire coaching career in Baltimore, joining the team in 2017 as an administrative assistant. He worked his way up the ladder, serving as a performance staff assistant in 2018, then two years as a coaching analyst for the offense, two years as an offensive quality control coach, and three years as run game coordinator. The 33-year-old has now earned his first offensive coordinator opportunity with the Browns.
Monken also worked quickly and is expected to hire former Ravens offensive assistant Danny Breyer, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, elevating him in the process to the title of pass game coordinator. Per Zenitz, Breyer worked closely with the Ravens’ talented tight ends group anchored by Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely during his three years with the team. He now heads to Cleveland where another talented pair of tight ends — veteran David Njoku and rookie sensation Harold Fannin Jr. — just finished the year with a combined 105 receptions for 1,024 yards and 10 touchdowns.
It may not only be coaches the two staffs are fighting for. We’ve already heard rumors that pending free agent center Tyler Linderbaum is a target of Harbaugh’s. With Likely also expected to hit free agency, he may want to keep working with Breyer in Cleveland. Njoku is also set to become a free agent, so Monken and the Browns may work to bring in a younger veteran who is more accustomed to working in a duo to pair with Fannin.
Harbaugh may have realized that the offense staff could be off limits. Today, it was announced that Chad Hall, who served as New York’s assistant quarterbacks coach in 2025, will stick around but with a new title. Hall is expected to be named wide receivers coach for the team in 2026, per Zenitz. Harbaugh hasn’t given up on picking apart the Ravens’ defensive staff, though. According to Zenitz, Baltimore’s former defensive backs coach, Donald D’Alesio, is set to join the coaching staff in New York. A follow-up report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us D’Alesio will join the Giants as defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach. He joins running backs coach Willie Taggart, defensive line coach Dennis Johnson, special teams coordinator Chris Horton, and assistant linebacker coach Matt Pees in the Ravens’ migration to New York.
As for Baltimore, new head coach Jesse Minter is working to fill out his first coaching staff, but as he does, he doesn’t have to worry about one aspect. Usually, pursuing a defensive coordinator hire requires an evaluation a coach’s play-calling abilities, but according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Minter has declared his plans to call the defense as head coach. Zrebiec also relayed that, much like Harbaugh enjoyed in Baltimore and demanded in New York, Minter will report directly to owner Steve Bisciotti, presumably on equal footing with general manager Eric DeCosta. In fact, DeCosta was the one who reported it to the media.
Following the filling of their offensive coordinator position, the Ravens are also looking at interviewing Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry for the same position, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. While there isn’t expected to be much change in Buffalo’s offensive staff after Joe Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach, Curry actually goes back even further with new Ravens OC Declan Doyle. The two spent four years together in New Orleans on staff with the Saints under Sean Payton.
Curry has interviewed for offensive coordinator openings with the Broncos and Jets and could still win either job, so he’s not necessarily locked in right now with Buffalo. Since the move to Baltimore would be a lateral one, Brady and Co. may opt to block him from interviewing, but if he does miss out on an OC position and get the opportunity to interview with the Ravens, it will be interesting to see if Curry gets his pick at choosing between the two most-recent MVP-winners.
Browns To Hire Travis Switzer As OC
Newly named Browns head coach Todd Monken is set to hire Ravens run game coordinator Travis Switzer as his offensive coordinator, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. The hiring will become official once the Browns satisfy the Rooney Rule, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
As the Ravens’ offensive coordinator from 2023-25, Monken spent the past three years working with Switzer, a coach in Baltimore since 2017.
‘Travis was Todd Monken’s right-hand man,” a source told Wilson. “He’s a very, very smart, excellent coach.”
Between his hiring as an administrative assistant-performance and his promotion to run game coordinator in 2024, Switzer held several different positions on ex-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh‘s staff.
The Ravens boasted an elite running game in two seasons under Switzer, who coached an uber-talented attack led by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. The team led the league in rushing in 2024. Henry was 79 yards short of 2,000, while Jackson fell 85 shy of his third 1,000-plus campaign.
Although Henry wasn’t quite as otherworldly in 2025, he still amassed 1,595 yards on 5.2 per carry. Injuries limited Jackson to 13 games, depriving the Ravens of half of their two-headed monster for a sizable chunk of the year. However, No. 2 running back Keaton Mitchell helped pick up the slack in averaging an excellent 5.8 yards per attempt on 59 tries. With Henry, Jackson and Mitchell all putting up over 5.0 yards a carry, the Ravens finished first in YPC and second in ground yardage.
It’s unknown if Monken or Switzer will call the plays in Cleveland, but turning around its offense will be a tall order. The Browns are coming off a season in which they ranked 30th or worse in total yards, passing and scoring, which undermined a high-end defensive performance during a 5-12 campaign.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Browns don’t have an obvious answer at quarterback among Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson. All three could compete for the job during the summer, though that may depend on whether the Browns make outside additions at the position during the offseason.
Cleveland’s sure to address other offensive issues, including a lack of weapons beyond tight end Harold Fannin, running back Quinshon Judkins and receiver Jerry Jeudy. More importantly, though, the Browns’ line may be in for a major overhaul. Guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, tackles Cam Robinson and Jack Conklin, and center Ethan Pocic (coming off a late-season Achilles tear) are all slated to reach free agency. As a former offensive lineman at Akron, Switzer may have input in making over the Browns’ front five.
Rams To Hire Bubba Ventrone As Special Teams Coordinator
Late in the regular season, the Rams made a change at the special teams coordinator position. A hire for the 2026 campaign is now being made. 
Los Angeles is bringing in Bubba Ventrone as STC, Aaron Wilson of KRPC2 reports. He had previously held the same role with the Browns for the past three years. Cleveland has a new head coach in place in the form of Todd Monken, and his staff will include a change at that spot.
Chase Blackburn had been in charge of the Rams’ special teams since 2023. His unit’s struggles increasingly became an issue this season, though, leading to his dismissal. That made Los Angeles one of several teams in search of a new STC during the 2026 hiring cycle. Shortly after losing in the NFC title game, the Rams turned their attention toward finding Blackburn’s full-time replacement.
An interview request with Ventrone was issued yesterday. Interest was also showed by the Steelers on that front. Instead of exploring the possibility of joining his hometown team, however, the Pittsburgh native will head to the West Coast for his next NFL gig. Ventrone, 43, spent five years as the Colts’ special teams coordinator prior to joining the Browns’ staff.
The former UDFA played 102 combined regular season and playoff games in the NFL. Ventrone hung up his cleats after the 2014 season ended and he immediately began his coaching career. That included three years with the Patriots as an assistant special teams coach. Since then, Ventrone has become an experienced staffer at the pro level. The next chapter of his career will see him aim to provide stability on special teams as the Rams’ fifth STC under head coach Sean McVay.
Browns Hire Todd Monken As HC
11:30pm: Monken’s contract with the Browns will be five years in length, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. That has become the standard for new head coaching hires, with all of this year’s hires receiving a similar deal.
9:49am: Three-plus weeks after firing Kevin Stefanski, the Browns have found their next head coach. They’re hiring former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. The Browns have officially announced the move.
After the Browns canned Stefanski on Jan. 5, they sent their first known external interview request to Monken the next day. He booked a second interview with the Browns on Jan. 20 and became a finalist for the position, joining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
The Browns told Scheelhaase they were going in another direction this morning, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Scheelhaase will remain with the Rams in 2026, according to Fowler.
Schwartz had reportedly picked up momentum toward a promotion, but the Browns will instead go outside the organization and choose a fourth straight offensive-minded head coach. While Schwartz remains under contract with the Browns, there’s “no guarantee” he’ll stay in place, according to Fowler. Unsurprisingly, Schwartz is likely to draw widespread interest from across the NFL, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports relays.
With the 60-year-old Monken on his way in, the Browns haven’t hired a defense-first candidate since they handed the reins to Mike Pettine in 2014. Between Pettine’s two-year run and Stefanski’s six-season tenure, the Browns turned to Hue Jackson for a couple of disastrous campaigns and Freddie Kitchens during a one-and-done 2019. Monken was Cleveland’s offensive coordinator under Kitchens. The unit finished 22nd in scoring and total offense that year, making for an interesting reunion given the dysfunction that engulfed the Browns during Kitchens’ 2019 season in charge. Although Monken was not believed to be happy during that Kitchens-led season, he is coming back to Cleveland to run the show.
After his first stint with the Browns, Monken returned to the college ranks, where he has garnered most of his coaching experience since he began as a graduate assistant at Grand Valley State in 1989. Monken was Georgia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2020-22, an eminently successful run in which the Bulldogs won two national championships.
Before the Browns brought him back, Monken spent the past three seasons running AFC North rival Baltimore’s offense. The Ravens boasted an elite offense during Monken’s first two years at the controls. Quarterback Lamar Jackson won the MVP award in 2023 and nearly repeated during a first-team All-Pro campaign in 2024. With injuries limiting Jackson to 13 games in 2025, the Ravens finished 11th in scoring and 16th in yards.
The Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh after stumbling to an 8-9 record, and they didn’t interview Monken before hiring Jesse Minter. With Harbaugh now the Giants‘ head coach, it seemed likely Monken would follow him to New York as his offensive coordinator. Indeed, the team was “very confident” it would reel in Monken, per Connor Hughes of SNY. The Giants and Monken had even worked on a contract in recent days, Fowler adds, but Harbaugh will have to look elsewhere.
While Monken’s reputation as a coordinator precedes him, he’s largely an unknown as a head coach. His only experience in that position came with Southern Miss from 2013-15. The Golden Eagles combined for a dismal 4-20 mark in Monken’s first two seasons, but they made a huge leap to 9-5 in his last year on the job. Monken then departed to become the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, and Southern Miss hasn’t reached nine wins in any season since then.
In his first head coaching role in the NFL, Monken will face another daunting task in attempting to reverse the Browns’ fortunes. Stefanski earned Coach of the Year honors twice and led the Browns to two playoffs appearances, most recently in 2023, but posted a horrid 8-26 record over the past two seasons. The Browns’ Schwartz-coached defense ranked fourth in yards allowed in 2025, though an offense that finished 30th in yards and 31st in scoring doomed the club to a 5-12 mark.
Monken worked with a superstar quarterback in Baltimore, but he won’t have that luxury in Cleveland – at least not at first. Shedeur Sanders may be the frontrunner to start 2026 after finishing this season as the Browns’ No. 1 option. While Sanders oddly received a Pro Bowl invitation as a sub, the fifth-round rookie didn’t prove himself as a slam-dunk answer during his first seven starts in Cleveland. Meanwhile, third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel fared worse than Sanders before suffering a concussion against the Ravens in Week 11.
Along with Sanders and Gabriel, Deshaun Watson could also factor in to some degree after missing all of this season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. The Browns’ decision to trade a bounty of picks to the Texans in 2022 and immediately hand Watson $230MM in guarantees was a head-scratcher from the get-go, and it has aged like milk since then.
Watson has made 19 mostly underwhelming starts in a Browns uniform over four years. Even though the former star signal-caller is due to count $80.72MM against the Browns’ cap next season, they’re likely stuck with him. It would cost the Browns an eye-popping $131.16MM in dead money to release Watson in 2026.
General manager Andrew Berry, who acquired Watson, is confident Monken is the right fit for Cleveland.
“Todd has a varied and diverse background that we found as a particularly appealing match for our team at this stage in its life cycle,” Berry said on Wednesday. “He has a direct, demanding, and detail-oriented leadership style that will create a great incubator for a young team. His successful offensive track record at both the pro and college level with a variety of offensive systems and QB skill sets will allow maximum flexibility as we make several, long-term investments on that side of the ball.”
Berry’s statement suggests the Browns will exercise patience with Monken, which will be necessary in the short term. With the Browns holding two first-round picks this year, including the sixth overall selection, Berry will be in position to give Monken more young talent to work with in 2026.
Browns DC Jim Schwartz Wants Out; 49ers Among Potential Suitors
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was among three finalists for the Browns‘ head coaching job before they announced their choice Wednesday. As of Monday, Schwartz was reportedly “gaining momentum” for a promotion, but the team instead passed on him and Rams assistant Nate Scheelhaase in favor of ex-Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The decision isn’t sitting well with Schwartz.
Although Schwartz is still under contract with the Browns, he has informed those close to him that he wants out of Cleveland, according to Rapoport of NFL Network. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network and Jordan Schultz pass along similar information.
Schwartz’s contract status prevents him from taking another job, but a source told Schultz, “If it has to get ugly, Schwartz is someone who will be perfectly fine making it ugly.”
It probably won’t get to that point, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports says. In an ideal world for the Browns, Schwartz will stay in his current post. If Schwartz truly wants out, though, Jones doesn’t expect the Browns to turn this into a “hostage” situation. The sense in the building is that there’s “no chance” Schwartz will be back in 2026, Schultz adds.
If Schwartz does head elsewhere in 2026, San Francisco is among the teams that could pursue the 59-year-old, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. It’s a situation the 49ers are “undoubtedly monitoring,” Nick Wagoner of ESPN relays. Schwartz would replace former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who left to become the Titans’ head coach. Kyle Shanahan identified assistant head coach Gus Bradley as an “obvious” successor to Saleh last week, but with Schwartz potentially about to hit the market, that may change.
The 49ers are just one possibility for Schwartz, who will surely land on multiple teams’ radars if his divorce with the Browns goes through. While Schwartz had a largely unsuccessful run as the Lions’ head coach from 2009-13, he has long been one of the game’s top assistants on the defensive side. A longtime D-coordinator in Tennessee before he moved to Detroit, Schwartz has worked on defensive staffs with the Bills, Eagles (with whom he won Super Bowl LII), Titans and Browns since 2014.
The Browns finished No. 1 in total defense under Schwartz in 2023, his first year as their coordinator. The unit took steps backward last year, but it was fourth in total defense and 14th in points allowed in 2025. Defensive end Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record with 23, and he has made his affinity for Schwartz known in the past.
“(I) love Jim and I love playing for him,” Garrett told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com earlier this month.
Garrett requested a trade in early February of last year, though he wound up signing a four-year, $160MM extension a month later. The Browns went on to win just five games in 2025, though, and Garrett made it clear toward the end of the season he’s not interested in a rebuild. Whether Garrett believes a potential Schwartz exit would damage the Browns’ chances of competing in 2026 is unknown, but we may hear his opinion soon enough.
Rams, Steelers Request Interviews With Browns ST Coordinator Bubba Ventrone
With the Browns welcoming in a new head coach, some key assistants may be on the move. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Rams have requested an interview with Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone for the same role. Meanwhile, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that the Steelers have also requested an interview with Ventrone. Cabot adds that the Rams are the likelier landing spot for the coach.
[RELATED: Browns Hire Todd Monken As HC]
Following a playing career that saw him appear in 708 special teams snaps vs. only 16 defensive snaps, Ventrone transitioned to coaching. He got his first gig with a former team, the Patriots, where he served as an assistant special teams coordinator between 2015 and 2017. He took a promotion to special teams coordinator with the Colts in 2018 and proceeded to spend five seasons in Indy. He joined the Browns in 2023 for the same gig, but he added the title of assistant head coach.
The Browns weren’t the most efficient special teams squad in 2025. The team lost primary returner DeAndre Carter in late September, and the Browns ended up finishing 31st in kick returns and 26th in punt returns. However, Ventrone did squeeze an impressive showing out of first-time starting kicker Andre Szmyt, who converted 24 of his 27 field goal attempts and 25 of his 26 XP tries.
The Rams fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn in late December, but the move didn’t do much to improve the squad’s special teams woes. These issues popped up during the NFC Championship Game, when Xavier Smith muffed a punt that ultimately led to a Seahawks score. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Rams are also moving on from interim ST coordinator Ben Kotwica (along with assistants Mike Harris and Matthew Harper), per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Meanwhile, Mike McCarthy will be searching for a new coordinator for his staff in Pittsburgh, as long-time ST leader Danny Smith left for the same role in Tampa Bay.
New Browns coach Todd Monken will have some work to do to fill out his staff. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees left for the same job with the Falcons (alongside former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski), while intended defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is likely out of the equation after he lost out on Cleveland’s head coaching gig. Assuming Ventrone is also gone, Monken will be tasked with hiring three new coordinators this offseason.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Bengals, Warhop
Three new staffers are joining Jesse Minter in Baltimore. The Ravens are hiring Dwayne Ledford and Shawn Flaherty from the Falcons along with Mike Mickens from Notre Dame, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Ledford will move from Falcons O-line coach to the same position with the Ravens, making the switch after Kevin Stefanski hired Bill Callahan in Atlanta. Ledford joined Arthur Smith‘s Falcons staff in 2021, after a career at the college level, and he has been instrumental in the success of Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson. Ledford was previously Louisville’s OC.
Minter will sign off on the Falcons’ OL staff coming over. Flaherty was in place as Atlanta’s assistant O-line coach from 2023-25, and he will hold the same position in Baltimore. The Falcons ranked in the top 10 in rushing in each of those seasons, though ESPN’s run block win rate metric ranked Atlanta’s front 30th (the Ravens ranked 17th) last season. Mickens spent the past six seasons at Notre Dame, working as the Fighting Irish’s defensive backs coach. He will take the same job in Baltimore, with Minter installing Mickens as his defensive pass-game coordinator. This will be Mickens’ first NFL gig.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- The Ravens are also blocking one staffer from leaving. Inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci will not be allowed to pursue another opportunity, per Zrebiec, as the Ravens will be retaining the former Georgia Tech DC in 2026. The Ravens hired the one-year Yellowjackets DC as their ILBs coach in 2025. While John Harbaugh may have eyed him for a Giants role, his recent hire will be on Minter’s staff.
- Departing Ravens OC Todd Monken landed his first HC job today, accepting the Browns‘ position. He will bring veteran O-line coach George Warhop with him to Cleveland, Schefter tweets. Warhop, 64, has been in coaching since 1983 and has been an NFL staffer since 1996. An O-line coach for eight teams over the past 30 years, Warhop is returning to Cleveland, where he was OL coach from 2009-13. Monken worked with Warhop in Tampa and had him in place as the Ravens’ O-line coach over the past two seasons.
- Trey Hendrickson appears all but certain to leave Cincinnati. The five-year Bengals defensive end staple received a hefty raise in 2025, after the team did not budge on a refusal to offer post-Year 1 salary guarantees, and The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. indicates Hendrickson will almost definitely depart in free agency. It does not appear a franchise tag, which would cost more than $30MM, would be in play for the four-time Pro Bowler coming off just a seven-game season.
- A far better chance exists Dalton Risner will stay in Cincinnati, however. Mutual interest exists for the journeyman guard — who has repeatedly struck out in free agency as the market devalues his work — to stay, Dehner adds. Risner, 30, joined the Bengals just before last season and started 11 games. He played for just $1.34MM in 2025, and neither of his one-year Vikings deals topped $3MM. The ex-Broncos second-rounder will likely be cheap for the Bengals to retain at RG.
- As the rest of the AFC North teams make sweeping staff changes, the Bengals are standing pat after a 6-11 season. Retaining Zac Taylor and de facto GM Duke Tobin, the Bengals are also not making scouting changes, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes. The Bengals have the NFL’s smallest scouting staff, employing just six full-timers. That is a fraction of where most teams’ staffs sit. “Our scouting staff is, in my opinion, the size that it is because I think the collaboration is better at that size,” Tobin said. “We have never lacked for information on a player. There’s never been a player selected that we didn’t have multiple reports and a large background on. It’s not about the volume of information we have.”
- The Bengals’ latest Tanner Hudson contract checks in at one year and $1.35MM, per OverTheCap. This represents another incremental raise for Hudson, who played for $1.26MM in 2025. He will see $50K guaranteed.
Jim Schwartz ‘Gaining Momentum’ For Browns’ HC Job
JANUARY 27: Shortly after Stefanski’s firing, Schwartz is believed to have spoken with some Browns defenders in an effort to land the HC job. The veteran DC told multiple players to “talk him up” as a head coaching candidate, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes. Schwartz completed his second interview for the job more than a week ago.
Schwartz, who has not been a head coach since the 2013 season, has received ownership backing to at least remain DC. This component may or may not be impacting some of the candidates’ exits from this search. But it remains clear Schwartz is a key presence in the Cleveland HC derby three-plus weeks after Stefanski’s ouster.
JANUARY 26: By completing an in-person interview with Nate Scheelhaase on Monday, the Browns have satisfied their Rooney Rule requirements and are now free to hire their next head coach.
Their decision, however, is not expected to come until at least Tuesday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. And despite Scheelhaase’s star seemingly rising in recent days, incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is “gaining momentum” to get the job, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Several coaches have withdrawn from consideration for the Browns’ head coaching job in the last week, including Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski on Monday morning. That effectively narrowed the list down to three finalists who have all interviewed with the team twice: Scheelhaase, Schwartz, and outgoing Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
If the Browns want to follow other teams’ recent trend of hiring young Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay assistants as head coaches, Scheelhaase is their man. He may, however, be wary of a job that multiple respected coaches passed on. Udinski joined Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter in bowing out of this HC search.
Between a meddlesome owner, a roster lacking many pieces on the offensive side of the ball, and what seems to be a cumbersome hiring process (as described by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on the Rich Eisen Show), Scheelhaase may follow other young coaches’ recent trend of waiting to land a preferred head coaching job, rather than the first one they are offered. He may even have a chance at a better opportunity this year after interviewing with the Bills on Monday as well.
Cold feet from Scheelhaase could be one reason that Schwartz’s name is making a late surge. But the longtime defensive coach was an obvious candidate for a promotion from the moment Kevin Stefanski was fired. Schwartz’s defenses have been the team’s stronger side of the ball for all three of his seasons as the team’s DC.
The Browns made no secret of their desire to keep him in Cleveland, and bumping him into the top job is the only way to guarantee that. The team would prefer to retain Schwartz as their defensive coordinator if they go in another direction for their head coach, but he could bristle at being passed over for a relatively inexperienced candidate. Scheelhaase has just two years of NFL experience with only one year as a coordinator at the college level; Schwartz has been coaching football as long as the young Rams coach has been alive.
Falcons Hire Craig Aukerman As Special Teams Coordinator
The Falcons have made another notable hire as Kevin Stefanski fills out his initial staff. Atlanta has brought in Craig Aukerman as special teams coordinator, per a team announcement. 
Over the course of his coaching career, Aukerman has primarily worked on special teams. He spent 2025 as the Dolphins’ STC, but once head coach Mike McDaniel was fired it became likely a change of scenery would be likely. Indeed, new HC Jeff Hafley hired Chris Tabor to serve as Aukerman’s replacement last week.
An NFL staffer since 2010, Aukerman has previously worked as an assistant special teams coordinator with the Jaguars and Titans. He led the way in Tennessee from 2018-23, during his second stint with the team. The 49-year-old also worked as a special teams coordinator with the Chargers in 2016 in addition to his Dolphins stint in the same capacity this past season. The Buccaneers interviewed him as part of their STC search.
Aukerman and Stefanski have never worked together, but there will be several familiar faces in Atlanta for 2026. As expected, Tommy Rees followed Stefanski from the Browns to the Falcons to serve as the team’s offensive coordinator. Bob Quinn has also made the same move. The Falcons announced Monday that Cleveland’s former senior personnel/coaching executive has been hired; Quinn’s new title will be senior advisor to the head coach.
In other staff news, the Falcons have also brought back Robert Prince as their new wide receivers coach. Prince’s lengthy coaching career saw him spend three years (2004-06) in Atlanta. He coached the team’s running backs, tight ends and quarterbacks over that time. Since then, Prince has largely operated as a WRs coach, something he did with the Dolphins in 2025. This move comes shortly after Prince interviewed with the Giants for their offensive coordinator vacancy, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
While Stefanski has brought in a number of new staffers, there will be a degree of continuity as well. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was retained earlier this month, and several position coaches will also remain in place. The Falcons announced on Monday that defensive line coach Nate Ollie, secondary coach Justin Hood and tight ends coach Kevin Koger are each staying with the team for 2026.
Grant Udinski Withdraws From Browns’ HC Search, Reaches New Jags OC Agreement
Another candidate has taken himself out of contention for the Browns‘ ongoing head coaching search. Grant Udinski is no longer in the running to be hired by Cleveland. 
Udinksi has withdrawn from the Browns’ search, as first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Notably, he adds Udinski and the Jaguars have reached a new agreement; a pay raise has been worked out, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds. 2025 marked the first season for Udinski in Jacksonville, with him serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
That position did not include play-calling duties, a responsibility head coach Liam Coen handled. Nevertheless, it represented another move up the ladder in Udinksi’s coaching career. The 30-year-old has only been an NFL staffer since 2020, spending two years with the Panthers and then three in Minnesota. Udinksi’s stock rose sharply during his Minnesota tenure, and it came as little surprise when he landed a coordinator opportunity last winter.
Jacksonville ranked sixth in scoring this season en route to a division title. Coen was of course a key figure in that success, but Udinkski helped his HC candidacy as well. A first opportunity to lead an NFL staff could still be coming. Per Garafolo, the Jags will allow Udinski to continue pursuing the Bills‘ HC opening. If a Buffalo hire does not take place, though, Jacksonville will have stability on the sidelines in 2026.
Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter have also withdrawn from consideration in Cleveland’s case. McDaniel has an agreement in place with the Chargers to become their offensive coordinator, although he is not entirely out of the running for a head coaching gig at this point. Minter, meanwhile, was hired by the Ravens as their new HC last week. Udinski’s future is unclear at this point, but he will not be heading to Cleveland despite interviewing twice with the team.
The Browns have an internal candidate in the form of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Cleveland has also met with Todd Monken and Anthony Lynn in person. The Browns could arrange interviews with one or both of Nate Scheelhaase and Chris Shula now that the Rams’ season has ended. Given today’s news, it is increasingly clear a member of that group will emerge as the Browns’ eventual hire.