AFC Coaching Updates: Ravens, Chargers, Murray, Titans, Colts
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter continues to build his first staff as a head coach in Baltimore. His newest hires will be overseeing a receiving corps that’s set to return Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Devontez Walker. Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Keary Colbert is expected to be hired as wide receivers coach and Prentice Gill is expected to be promoted to assistant wide receivers coach.
A former NFL wide receiver, Colbert turned to coaching immediately following the end of his playing career. He worked through a circuit of collegiate jobs, spending time at Georgia State, USC, Alabama, and Florida. He made the jump to the NFL in 2023 and has worked the past three years as the Broncos wide receivers coach, starting with a Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton tandem before losing Jeudy and getting the most out of role players like Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant.
Two years ago, Gill worked as an offensive analyst for Baltimore. He spent this past season as a coaching fellow and has finally been rewarded with a role as a position coach. Per Zenitz, he also has experience working with Colbert from when both were at USC.
After promoting Anthony Levine to special teams coordinator earlier today, the Ravens are expected to hire Ben Kotwica as a senior assistant on special teams, as well, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Alongside long-time senior assistant Randy Brown, Kotwica will provide experienced support behind Levine after having worked as a coordinator in New York, Washington, Atlanta, and Denver as well as an interim coordinator with the Rams last year.
Here are a few other coaching staff updates from around the AFC:
- With the Chargers bringing former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel in as their new offensive coordinator, a few other offensive staffers appear to be tagging along from Miami. According to Zenitz, former Dolphins run game specialist Chandler Henley is expected to be on McDaniel’s new staff in Los Angeles, though an expected title has not been reported. There’s a chance he could be stepping into a role similar to that of run game coordinator/tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, who Zenitz reports is expected to part ways with the team. Additionally, the Chargers are expected to hire Julian Campenni to a role as assistant defensive line coach, per Zenitz. Campenni most recently worked as the outside linebackers coach at Rutgers.
- Zenitz was the first to report that former NFL running back DeMarco Murray had emerged as a person-of-interest for the running backs job in Kansas City, but it was NFL insider Jordan Schultz who first reported that the Chiefs are hiring Murray for the job. Murray started coaching as the running backs coach at Arkansas in 2019 and has held the same role at Oklahoma for the past six years. He’ll follow in the footsteps of former NFL running back Eric Bieniemy and officially join the Andy Reid coaching tree.
- After losing Charlie Partridge to Notre Dame just after New Year’s, the Colts have finally found his replacement. According to Zenitz, Indianapolis is expected to hire Marion Hobby as their new defensive line coach. A former college coach who saw a seven-year run as an NFL defensive line coach with stops at Jacksonville, Miami, and Cincinnati, Hobby spent the 2025 season as a defensive analyst at Tennessee and had recently accepted the defensive line coach position at Arkansas. If the expected hire goes through, it appears he will be spurning the Razorbacks for a chance to return to the NFL.
- Lastly, Zenitz reports that Titans head coach Robert Saleh is hiring his cousin, Ahmed Saleh, to Tennessee’s staff for 2026. Saleh most recently worked as the linebackers coach/special teams coordinator at Wayne State, and per Titans Insider Paul Kuharsky, he will serve as a defensive quality control coach with the Titans.
Jason Tarver, Joe Woods Among Names To Watch For Raiders DC Job
It sounds like Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak could be zeroing in on an offensive coordinator, but the status on the defensive side of the ball isn’t as clear. While Jim Schwartz was initially mentioned as a preferred option for the DC job, it’s seeming increasingly likely that the veteran coach will sit out the 2026 campaign.
[RELATED: Andrew Janocko Favorite To Become Raiders’ OC?]
If the Raiders aren’t able to recruit Schwartz to Las Vegas, Kubiak will have to look elsewhere for a defensive leader. Albert Breer of SI.com provides several names that could emerge as candidates for the gig, including Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, Seahawks pass-game coordinator Karl Scott, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver, and Raiders defensive backs coach Joe Woods.
Cullen would bring plenty of experience to Las Vegas, as the 58-year-old has been coaching since the early 1990s. He got his first NFL gig with the Lions in 2006 and has spent most of his professional coaching career as a defensive line coach. Following a five-year stint in that role with the Ravens, he got a chance as a defensive coordinator with the Jaguars in 2021. However, with Urban Meyer failing to make it through one full season and the organization seeking a fresh start in 2022, Cullen wasn’t retained. He quickly caught on with the Chiefs, where he’s earned a pair of Super Bowl rings in four seasons.
While Kubiak is eyeing some offensive coaches from his old staff, Scott is the only current member of Seattle’s defensive staff that’s been connected to a Raiders gig. The 40-year-old spent years coaching defensive backs in college before getting hired by the Vikings for that same role in 2021. He was recruited to Seattle in 2022, and he stuck on the staff after the team switched from Pete Carroll to Mike Macdonald. During his time with the Seahawks, Scott has been credited with the development of Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen.
A Tarver hire would represent a bit of a homecoming for the coach, as he actually served as the Raiders defensive coordinator under Dennis Allen between 2012 and 2014. He stuck through multiple head coaches in San Francisco, where he served as the 49ers linebackers coach, and he later had a two-year stint as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. Most recently, the 51-year-old has served as the Browns linebackers coach, a job he’s held since the 2020 season.
Woods joined the Raiders ahead of the 2025 season as their pass-game coordinator, and Breer notes that the coach is expected to stick with the organization despite the change in leadership. The veteran coach has had multiple stints as defensive coordinator in stops with the Broncos, Browns, and Saints. While Woods guided several of his units to top-10 showings, the majority of his defenses were middle-of-the-road. A new coaching staff spelled the end of his tenure in New Orleans, although he was already on thin ice following a 2024 season where the Saints ranked 30th in yards allowed.
While the Raiders showed interest in Texans secondary coach Dino Vasso, the 38-year-old won’t be heading to Las Vegas. Vasso inked a new deal to stick on Houston’s coaching staff, taking him out of contention for the promotion.
Final 2026 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LX in the books, the full 2026 NFL draft order has been set. Free agency is not far away, but attention will increasingly turn to April’s event as the offseason progresses.
The top of the first-round order is not subject to much in the way of speculation. The Raiders own the No. 1 selection and are widely seen as the landing spot for Fernando Mendoza, the lone quarterback regarded as a first-round lock at this point. How other QB-needy teams positioned throughout the order operate over the coming weeks – knowing there is a lack of high-end prospects this year – will make for an interesting storyline around the league.
This year’s NFL Combine will begin on February 23. Events such as the Senior Bowl have already taken place, leaving the Combine as the next major checkpoint in the evaluation of top prospects. Teams will begin arranging ‘Top 30’ visits with several players of interest relatively soon during the build-up to the draft. This year’s event will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
Pending the inevitable trades which will shake up the order, here is a final look at how things stand leading up to Day 1:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce Leaning Towards Continuing Playing Career?
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s contract expired at the end of the 2025 season, which put retirement squarely on the table for the 36-year-old. Although he was not prepared to make a decision on his playing future in the immediate aftermath of the campaign, he did say he would make up his mind before the start of the new league year in March. As of now, signs are pointing to a return to the field in 2026.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), a 14th season for Kelce “is looking more real than ever,” and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Kelce and the team have been in touch about a continuation of his on-field career. Rapoport adds, to no surprise, that KC wants the future Hall of Famer back.
To that end, the two sides plan to reconvene after Super Bowl LX to finalize a mutually-workable plan. It is unclear exactly when Kelce will formally announce his decision, but it would be fair to expect a new contract to be hammered out between a player and a team that have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship.
The return of longtime offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the Chiefs’ staff in his familiar OC role may have made Kelce more inclined to come back. His comments on the matter suggested as much.
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce said. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy.”
The Chiefs posted a 6-11 record in 2025, but Kelce himself enjoyed another strong season, recording 76 catches for 851 yards and five scores. After posting a career-low 8.5-yards-per-reception rate in 2024, Kelce was back to double-digits last year with an 11.2 mark.
Speculatively, it could be that Kelce does not want to end his playing days following a season in which the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Even so, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests money could be a complicating factor.
As of the time of this writing, Kansas City is projected to be roughly $55MM over the salary cap, which puts the team in the worst financial situation in the league. It is unclear how much the Chiefs are willing to pay Kelce, but it would be surprising for him to earn over $17MM per year on his next contract, as he was on his most recent deal.
Of course, there are plenty of machinations that will allow KC to become cap-compliant and to keep the players it prioritizes. While Rapoport acknowledges the team’s current cap status, he does not believe it will create a real hurdle to a Kelce re-up.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/4/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
AFC Staff Notes: Texans, Titans, Ravens
Here’s a look at the latest coaching staff updates from the AFC:
- The Texans recently moved on from tight ends coach Jake Moreland, assistant linebackers coach Ben Bolling, and offensive assistants Patrick Reilly and Mike Snyder, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 (links: 1, 2). They subsequently brought in James Ferentz as their tight ends coach and Alex Ward (not to be confused with the Raiders’ long snapper) as an offensive assistant. An NFL offensive lineman from 2014-23, Ferentz spent his first two years with the Texans. He immediately became the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach after his playing career ended. After two seasons in New York, he’s moving back to Houston to work with tight ends. Dalton Schultz, the Texans’ top TE, finished with a career-high 82 catches in 2025.
- The Titans have hired Cade Knox as their offensive assistant/game management, Paul Kuharsky reports. The Harvard alumnus held a similar position from 2022-25 with the Giants under head coach Brian Daboll, who’s now the Titans’ offensive coordinator. Knox will replace Rob Riederer in Tennesee and assist with timeouts and challenges.
- Nebraska hired Miles Taylor as its safety coach last month, but he’s already leaving for a promotion. The Ravens are hiring Taylor, per Sean Callahan of On3. He’ll serve as their assistant defensive backs coach, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds. Taylor spent 2025 as a coaching fellow with the Chargers. New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter was the Chargers’ defensive coordinator then. A few weeks after the Chargers’ season ended, Taylor and Minter are reuniting in Baltimore.
- The Chiefs recently requested an interview with Raiders running backs coach Deland McCullough, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. McCullough, who’s coming off his first year with the Raiders, previously coached Chiefs running backs from 2018-20 under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. While Bieniemy left the organization in 2023, he became Kansas City’s OC again last month. That could open the door for McCullough’s return.
- The Jaguars interviewed Bills assistant offensive line coach Austin Gund for their run game coordinator opening, per Jordan Schultz. The Jags went on to hire Brian Piccuci instead, leaving Gund’s future up in the air. Gund has assisted along the Bills’ offensive line since 2023, but O-line coach Aaron Kromer retired after the season. The Bills replaced Kromer with Pat Meyer, and it’s now unclear if Gund will return in 2026.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/2/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures deals on Monday. Here are the latest updates:
Dallas Cowboys
- QB Will Grier
Kansas City Chiefs
- QB Jake Haener
New York Jets
- DT Jack Heflin
Haener, 26, was offered a futures deal by the Saints, per Jeff Duncan of The Times Picayune, but sought a better opportunity instead. Kansas City may present one. The Chiefs only have one quarterback – Chris Oladokun – under contract for the 2026 season other than Patrick Mahomes, who will spend the next several months working his back from a torn ACL. Mahomes is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, so the Chiefs will be evaluating alternative quarterback options this offseason. It seems like Haener will be one of them.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/26/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Denver Broncos
- LB Levelle Bailey, TE Caleb Lohner, DT Jordan Miller, RB Cody Schrader, G Calvin Throckmorton, RB Deuce Vaughn
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
- OT A.J. Arcuri, WR Tru Edwards, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Cam Lampkin, OT Dylan McMahon, LB Eli Neal, DT Bill Norton, WR Brennan Presley, TE Mark Redman, WR Tyler Scott
Matt Nagy Had Planned To Depart Chiefs After 2025 Season
Building one of the great coaching resumes in NFL history, Andy Reid has served as the Chiefs’ primary play-caller throughout his 13-season tenure. The three-time Super Bowl champion is coming back for the 2026 season, but Kansas City is making an awkward-looking transition at offensive coordinator.
Despite Matt Nagy not landing the Titans’ HC job — one for which he was a long-rumored candidate — the Chiefs rehired Eric Bieniemy as their OC. Kansas City did not conduct a thorough search, tabbing Bieniemy after his season as the Bears’ running backs coach. Bieniemy was the Chiefs’ OC before Nagy’s second stint in the role.
[RELATED: Assessing Chiefs’ 2026 Offseason Priorities]
Nagy is without a job presently, but it does not appear he and the Chiefs are on bad terms. Although the team is bringing back Bieniemy to replace Nagy, Reid said his previous OC had long planned to leave Kansas City after the 2025 season. Nagy turned down a Chiefs extension offer last year.
“I know everybody’s going to question everything and I get all that; it’s understandable. But Matt and I have a great relationship,” Reid said. “And here he sits, and before the season, right before the season even started here, I knew that he wanted an opportunity to have his own show.
“He’s been a head coach. He was Coach of the Year. I mean, all the things I’ve said about him, I still feel about him. There’s nothing different there. He deserves to have a head coaching job. And if not, it gives him an opportunity to go out and do his thing.”
By “have his own shown,” Reid is referring to calling plays on offense. Nagy served as a non-play-calling OC in Kansas City over the past three seasons. The Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII and ventured to Super Bowl LIX during Nagy’s second OC stint, but their offense took a step back, ranking 15th in scoring in those seasons. The steady decline of Travis Kelce, some misses at wide receiver and left tackle probably affected the Chiefs more than anything their non-play-calling OC did in that time, and Nagy has received considerable interest coming off the 2025 season.
Nagy interviewed for the Cardinals, Raiders and Ravens’ HC jobs, losing out to Robert Saleh — despite a close relationship with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi that looked to have him in or near the lead for that post — in Tennessee. However, the Eagles have since included the former Bears HC in their OC derby, interviewing him last week. Serving as a part-time Chiefs play-caller in 2017, Nagy called plays for the bulk of his Bears tenure. This included a Coach of the Year honor in 2018 and another playoff berth in 2020. While Chicago fired Nagy after the 2021 season, his guiding Mitch Trubisky to two playoff brackets has aged rather well.
It will be interesting to see if Nagy enters the mix for one of the OC jobs set to open, as the HC carousel produces destinations, or if he can land either the Cardinals or Raiders’ HC position. Bieniemy did not fare especially well leaving Kansas City for a play-calling role (in Washington) in 2023, but he is back in his comfort zone due to Nagy’s decision to leave.