Headlines

Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Bengals, Warhop

By | at January 28, 2026 4:15 pm

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.
4 comments Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns

Jim Schwartz ‘Gaining Momentum’ For Browns’ HC Job

By | at January 27, 2026 5:48 pm

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.

55 comments Cleveland Browns

Falcons Hire Craig Aukerman As Special Teams Coordinator

By | at January 26, 2026 10:22 am

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.

1 comment Atlanta Falcons Cleveland Browns New York Giants

Grant Udinski Withdraws From Browns’ HC Search, Reaches New Jags OC Agreement

By | at January 26, 2026 9:23 am

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.

[RELATED: HC Search Tracker]

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.

15 comments Buffalo Bills Cleveland Browns Jacksonville Jaguars

Browns Conduct HC Interview With Anthony Lynn

By | at January 24, 2026 11:00 pm

Relatively late in the interview process, a new name has emerged in the Browns‘ ongoing head coaching search. Anthony Lynn completed an interview on Saturday, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports.

The meeting was in person, Anderson adds. As a result, the Browns have conducted one of their two mandatory in-person interviews with external minority candidates. Another will take place on Monday when Cleveland speaks with Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.

Once the Browns satisfy the Rooney Rule, a hire could soon follow. They are one of four teams still in need of a head coach at this point in the hiring cycle, one which will see 10 of the NFL’s teams make a change at the HC spot when it is complete. Lynn also interviewed with the Bills today.

The 57-year-old was a running backs coach in Cleveland during the 2008 and ’09 seasons. Lynn had already held that role with two other teams at that point, and he has since done so with another four. In between, he was the Chargers’ head coach from 2017-20. The Bolts posted a winning record for Lynn’s first two years in charge, but that was followed by 5-11 and 7-9 campaigns.

Lynn followed up his debut HC stint with a single campaign as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties midway through the season, and to no surprise a parting of ways took place at the end of the year. Lynn then spent a pair of seasons with the 49ers with his title including assistant head coach. Since 2024, he has worked as the Commanders‘ RBs coach and run-game coordinator.

Washington’s staff is undergoing a number of changes in the wake of a disappointing campaign. That could include Lynn departing, depending on how the Bills and Browns proceed over the coming days. Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand in Cleveland’s case:

7 comments Cleveland Browns Washington Commanders

Browns Arrange Second HC Interview With Nate Scheelhaase

By | at January 24, 2026 9:48 pm

Nate Scheelhaase was recently named as a leading candidate for the Browns‘ head coaching position. To no surprise, a second interview with the Rams pass-game coordinator has been arranged.

Scheelhaase will conduct an in-person interview with the Browns on Monday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. Rams staffers were not able to speak with suitors this past week with the team preparing for the NFC championship game. By Monday, however, Los Angeles’ season will be over or the team will be on a bye week in advance of the Super Bowl.

This meeting will take place in California regardless of if the Rams win or lose tomorrow, Breer adds. Scheelhaase is one of several coaches involved in the NFC title game who have been drawn considerable HC interest. At the age of 35, Scheelhaase is much younger and less experienced than many other candidates in this year’s hiring cycle.

That has not stopped him from speaking with several HC-needy teams this month, however. Scheelhaase has interviewed with the Ravens, Raiders and Steelers in addition to his Browns ties. The openings in Baltimore and Pittsburgh have since been filled, but Vegas is still in need of a new head coach. Vegas has not yet attempted to set up a second Scheelhaase interview, and it will be interesting to see if the team does so given this sustained push from Cleveland.

The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski after his sixth season at the helm came to an end. Since then, a long list of replacement candidates has emerged, although two – Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter – withdrew from consideration. An outside hire is of course still possible at this time, but defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz remains a contender to be promoted to the role of head coach. Retaining Schwartz in one capacity or another is high on the team’s priority list as its search plays out.

Scheelhaase’s college coaching tenure included one season as Iowa State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The following season saw him debut on an NFL sideline by serving as an offensive assistant on Sean McVay‘s staff. Scheelhaase was then promoted to his current role for the 2025 campaign. Los Angeles led the NFL in scoring this year and ranked second in passing yards.

The Rooney Rule requires teams to conduct at least two in-person interviews with minority candidates during a head coaching search. Once the Scheelhaase meeting takes place, at least one more will be required to satisfy the rule in Cleveland’s case. Here is an updated look at where things stand for the Browns:

7 comments Cleveland Browns Los Angeles Rams

Tom Telesco Assisting In Browns’ HC Search; Rams’ Nate Scheelhaase A Serious Candidate

By | at January 23, 2026 3:43 pm

One year after the Raiders fired him as their general manager, Tom Telesco is working as a consultant in the Browns’ head coaching search, according to Jordan Schultz. Telesco has been in attendance for in-person meetings with candidates, Schultz adds.

Telesco spent most of the season out of football before he (and ex-Dolphins GM Chris Grier) began talks with the Browns in late December. The Browns have since moved on from head coach Kevin Stefanski, but they retained Andrew Berry as their GM. Telesco and Berry worked together in Indianapolis from 2009-12.

Telesco left the Colts in 2013 to become the Chargers’ GM, a role he held for 11 seasons. His head coaching hires with the Chargers included Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley. Those three led the Chargers to one playoff berth apiece. The team missed the postseason in all eight of Telesco’s other years in the organization.

Telesco became the Raiders’ GM a little over a month after the Chargers canned him, though he wasn’t in their front office for the promotion of Antonio Pierce from interim head coach to the full-time position. Owner Mark Davis made that call a few days before he brought in Telesco. Davis and influential part-owner Tom Brady wound up firing Telesco and Pierce after a 4-13 campaign.

Almost three weeks since the Browns fired Stefanski, they remain without a head coach. A hiring isn’t imminent, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes that the Browns still have not held any in-person interviews with external minority candidates. The Rooney Rule requires at least two.

One of those spots will go to Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, who is preparing for this Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks. The Browns will be able to interview Scheelhaase in person next week. They could also give another in-person interview to a minority candidate from the college ranks, per Jones, though he doesn’t name any specific possibilities.

The Browns “very much take seriously Nate Scheelhaase,” says Jones, who wouldn’t be surprised to see the team hire the 35-year-old. If the Rams advance to Super Bowl LX, which will take place Feb. 8, the Browns will have to continue waiting to make it official.

While Scheelhaase may be one of the favorites for the job, here’s a look at the other candidates the Browns have considered:

5 comments Cleveland Browns Los Angeles Rams

Jesse Minter Cancels Browns HC Interview

By | at January 22, 2026 12:06 pm

Jesse Minter was scheduled to interview with the Browns for a second time today. Instead, that will no longer be the case.

Minter has canceled his follow-up, as first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. This news comes as the Chargers defensive coordinator “likely” feels other HC options are more certain at this time, she adds. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Minter’s second interview with the Ravens yesterday went “very well.”

The Raiders are also in the running at this point, Schultz confirms. Minter met with Vegas for a second time on Tuesday. That makes him one of only two finalists still on the market as things stand in the Raiders’ case. Today’s Browns update certainly points in the direction of Minter winding up with either the Ravens or the Raiders relatively soon.

Minter is now the second candidate to withdraw from Cleveland’s ongoing search. Mike McDaniel recently did the same, and he is now positioned to become the Chargers’ next offensive coordinator. The Browns will once again turn their attention elsewhere with Minter no longer in the running as well. Internal and external finalists remain in contention.

The possibility of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz being promoted to head coach has long been a talking point during the 2026 hiring cycle. Keeping Schwartz within the organization in one capacity or another is seen as a high priority, and he was recently reported to be the favorite for the HC gig. Todd Monken has interviewed twice with the Browns, meaning he is a candidate to return to Cleveland instead of his expected move of following John Harbaugh to the Giants as their offensive coordinator.

The Browns are also among the teams which have shown considerable interest in Jaguars OC Grant Udinski. The sides will meet for a second interview tomorrow. Meanwhile, Cleveland has also requested a follow-up with Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. One cannot be arranged until next week, since Los Angeles advanced to the NFC championship game.

Minter was among the finalists for the Falcons before they ultimately hired Kevin Stefanski. A two-year coordinator at the NFL level, Minter has loomed as one of the top defensive HC candidates in particular throughout the hiring cycle. The 42-year-old has previously worked with the Ravens, and his time in the AFC West has made him a familiar face to the Raiders. Signs point to Minter joining one of those teams as the coaching landscape comes further into focus.

34 comments Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers

Falcons Hire Tommy Rees As Offensive Coordinator

By | at January 22, 2026 12:02 pm

JANUARY 22: The Falcons announced on Thursday that Rees’ hire is official. He and Stefanski will now move forward in their new setting and fill out the remainder of the offensive staff.

JANUARY 21: Tommy Rees is set to follow Kevin Stefanski from Cleveland to Atlanta. The Falcons are expected to hire Rees as their offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal isn’t official, but Rees has accepted the job, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.

This was the likely outcome when the Falcons hired Stefanski, previously the Browns’ head coach, on Saturday. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported then that the 33-year-old Rees was a candidate to rejoin Stefanski in Atlanta. The pair developed a strong working relationship in their two years together in Cleveland.

Rees interviewed to take over for Stefanski, but this move slams the door on that possibility. It’s obvious Cleveland will select a different head coaching candidate instead.

Formerly a Notre Dame quarterback, Rees got his start as a coach as a graduate assistant with Northwestern in 2015. He later returned to his alma mater to serve as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2020-22.

Rees worked in the same roles at Alabama in 2023, the last season of head coach Nick Saban‘s remarkable career. He oversaw a breakout campaign from then-sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe, who’s now a backup with the Seahawks, and then left for the NFL.

After his only year on Saban’s staff, Rees joined the Browns as their tight ends coach and pass game specialist in 2024. Stefanski promoted Rees to offensive coordinator after firing Ken Dorsey last January, but the head coach opened 2025 as the Browns’ play caller. That changed when Stefanski handed the keys to Rees before a Week 10 loss to the Jets. It’s not known yet if they’ll continue with that arrangement in Atlanta.

The Browns’ offense ended the year a horrid 30th in yards and 31st in scoring, but the unit wasn’t exactly teeming with weapons. Although neither Stefanski nor Rees found an answer at quarterback among Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, that wasn’t a major surprise.

The 41-year-old Flacco was brought in as a stopgap, and the Browns wound up trading him to the Bengals in early October. Gabriel, a third-round rookie, struggled mightily before suffering a concussion in Rees’ second game as a play caller. Sanders, a fifth-round rookie, held the reins for the rest of the year. While Sanders performed better than Gabriel, he’s hardly a slam dunk to establish himself as the Browns’ solution under center.

The Falcons have a far more talented offense than the Browns (running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London are among the game’s best at their positions), but QB is also a concern in Atlanta. After the 2023 season, former general manager Terry Fontenot made a mammoth free agent investment in Kirk Cousins and then surprisingly used the eighth overall pick on Michael Penix Jr. a little over a month later. Those two remain in place for now, but they’ve offered lackluster production for the Falcons.

Despite inking a four-year, $180MM contract, Cousins didn’t play well enough in his first Falcons season to keep the starting job. Then-head coach Raheem Morris benched Cousins for Penix in Week 16. Penix stuck as the Falcons’ starter this season until he went down with a partially torn ACL in Week 11. That continued a long history of serious injuries dating back to a college career divided between Indiana and Washington.

In the wake of his latest injury, it’s unknown if Penix will be healthy enough to start Week 1 in 2026. That’s assuming the Falcons’ new leaders – president of football Matt Ryan, a to-be-determined general manager and Stefanski – decide to go forward with Penix as the No. 1 option. They’re likely to release Cousins either way.

Along with questions at the game’s most important position, the Falcons’ offense is facing uncertainty at tight end. Kyle Pitts is due to become a free agent on the heels of a second-team All-Pro campaign. After successfully working with tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin in Cleveland, Stefanski and Rees may prefer to keep Pitts in the fold.

With Robinson, London and Pitts posting terrific numbers, the Falcons finished a slightly above-average 14th in total offense under coordinator Zac Robinson in 2025. Only eight teams amassed fewer points, though, and Stefanski and Rees will aim for better results next season.

17 comments Atlanta Falcons Cleveland Browns Newsstand

Kyle Shanahan: Gus Bradley ‘Obvious’ Choice For 49ers’ DC Job

By | at January 21, 2026 7:29 pm

The 49ers are without a defensive coordinator after Robert Saleh became the Titans’ head coach on Monday, but it doesn’t appear they’ll go outside the organization for a replacement. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan “all but said” assistant HC Gus Bradley will take over for Saleh, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Asked if he’d cast a wide net for Saleh’s successor, Shanahan revealed: “I’m not going to say it’s a real wide net. Gus is the obvious one to everyone. And (he) is to us, too. Gus would be the main internal candidate. I feel very fortunate to get Gus and feel great about that.”

While it appears the 49ers will promote Bradley, the Rooney Rule requires them to hold in-person interviews with two minority candidates before a decision is made. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz may also emerge as a possibility for the 49ers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN notes. Schwartz is in the running to become the Browns’ head coach, but even if that doesn’t happen, they’d like to retain him.

If Shanahan ultimately chooses Bradley, it would put the 59-year-old in position to serve as a D-coordinator for the fifth time in his career. Bradley previously led defenses for the Seahawks (2009-12), Chargers (2017-20), Raiders (2021) and Colts (2022-24). His greatest success came in Seattle during the early stages of the “Legion of Boom” era. The Seahawks boasted the top scoring defense in Bradley’s last season on the job, but he left a year before they won the Super Bowl.

Bradley departed Seattle to become the head coach of the Jaguars, but it didn’t go well. The Jags posted a disastrous 14-48 record under Bradley from 2013-16, and he hasn’t gotten a second HC chance since then. Notably, Saleh was on Bradley’s staff in Jacksonville. He also worked under Bradley in Seattle.

The familiarity between Saleh and Bradley suggests the 49ers’ defense would transition smoothly from the former to the latter in 2026. In Saleh’s lone year on the job, San Francisco’s defense finished 13th in yards and 20th in points. A rash of injuries – including to the unit’s two best players, linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa – prevented the group from reaching its full potential.

A dislocated and broken ankle ended Warner’s season in Week 6, three weeks after Bosa tore his ACL. Warner underwent surgery in October, but the four-time first-team All-Pro should have a clean bill of health in 2026. Warner said he won’t require any offseason procedures, per Wagoner.

7 comments Cleveland Browns San Francisco 49ers
Show all
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors