Ravens Request OC Interview With Bears’ Declan Doyle

The NFL has attempted to help fast-track upward mobility by loosening restrictions on coordinator movement. Teams are no longer permitted to block OC interviews if the job would allow a non-play-calling OC to commandeer a call sheet for another team.

Chicago currently employs an assistant in this position, and teams are looking into Ben Johnson‘s non-play-calling OC. After the Eagles requested a Declan Doyle OC interview, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs reports the Ravens have submitted a request to meet with the Bears’ OC.

Doyle, however, withdrew his name from the Eagles’ search today. It would be interesting if he went forward with a Ravens meeting after that decision. The Ravens hired Jesse Minter as their new HC last week. Doyle also came from the AFC West, serving as the Broncos’ tight ends coach prior to his Bears hire. Doyle, who was just 28 when hired by the Bears last year, had previously been on Sean Payton‘s final few Saints staffs.

The Bears transformed their offense in 2025. They ranked 28th in scoring during Caleb Williams‘ rookie year; they finished ninth this season. They ranked sixth in yardage and seventh in EPA per play. Johnson is naturally receiving most of the credit for that improvement, but Doyle was a central figure for Chicago’s offense as well. Rookie Colston Loveland led the Bears in receiving, and rookie running back Kyle Monangai went from seventh-round pick to 783-yard rusher as a rookie.

Being hired as an OC before age 30 is rare, and teams are taking notice. The Ravens are early in their OC search, but a few names have surfaced. Baltimore may still be eyeing Kliff Kingsbury, who interviewed for the job along with his HC meeting, but Lions assistant HC Scottie Montgomery is also on the team’s radar. Montgomery plans to take the meeting; once he does, the Ravens will be Rooney Rule-compliant. Kingsbury’s name primarily came up before Minter’s hire; it is notable Doyle’s has surfaced after the ex-Chargers HC took over.

Bills To Interview Nate Scheelhaase For HC

Nate Scheelhaase is considered a leading candidate for the Browns head coaching job, but that won’t stop the Rams pass-game coordinator from considering other opportunities. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bills have requested a head coaching interview with Scheelhaase. The meeting is expected to take place tonight, per Schefter.

The 35-year-old conducted an in-person interview with the Browns today, his second meeting with the organization. The coach is also a candidate for the open Raiders gig, and he interviewed for the Ravens and Steelers jobs. While the Browns could have locked him into a contract, Scheelhaase’s next stop on the interview circuit will lead him to Buffalo.

The former Illinois QB got his first coaching gig at the school, and he later left for a promotion at Iowa State. While working for the Cyclones, Scheelhaase primarily worked with the skills positions, coaching the likes of David Montgomery, Breece Hall, Jayden Higgins, and Xavier Hutchinson. He eventually worked his way up to offensive coordinator in 2023.

Scheelhaase later got his first NFL job on Sean McVay‘s staff. He spent the 2024 campaign serving as the Rams passing game specialist before being named their pass game coordinator for the 2025 season. The organization proceeded to lead the NFL in scoring this year and ranked second in passing yards.

The Bills continue to seek a replacement for Sean McDermott. Their wide-ranging search includes:

John Franklin-Myers, J.K. Dobbins, Alex Singleton Want To Re-Sign With Broncos

Although the Broncos endured some bad luck via the untimely Bo Nix injury, they took care of some key offseason matters early. Denver extended Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto ahead of their contract years before agreeing on deals with Luke Wattenberg, Malcolm Roach and Wil Lutz in-season.

This does not leave many notable free agents for the AFC runner-ups, but there are a few. John Franklin-Myers, Alex Singleton and J.K. Dobbins are unsigned for 2026. While the Broncos are set to finally see Russell Wilson‘s contract come off their books, the team did make a few notable contract decisions over the past several months. That will certainly influence how they proceed in free agency.

Franklin-Myers, Singleton and Dobbins each want to re-sign with the team. Singleton confirmed this (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson), while Franklin-Myers indicated he wants to stay but confirmed the team still has not made him an offer to stay, Tomasson adds. Dobbins expressed interest in a second Broncos contract just before his season-ending Lisfranc injury and reiterated a desire to stay in Denver (via Guerilla Sports’ Brandon Krisztal). Denver is projected to hold more than $27MM in cap space.

It would appear Franklin-Myers is weeks away from signing elsewhere. We have heard for months he was unlikely to fit into the team’s 2026 plans. The Broncos added him in what amounted to a salary-dump trade with the Jets during the 2024 draft. Denver then worked out a renegotiated contract (two years, $15MM) that eclipsed New York’s pay-cut offer. Franklin-Myers became an immediate starter as a 3-4 defensive end, totaling 14.5 sacks and 33 QB hits over the past two seasons.

The Broncos may not have made an offer, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team would “love” to retain the veteran inside rusher. Though, extensive free agency interest is expected to form for a player who has not previously hit the market. Franklin-Myers, 29, was a Jets waiver claim (after the Rams cut him) who then signed a New York extension. Two years remained on that deal when he redid it to facilitate the trade to Denver. He has vaulted into a strong position after two productive Broncos seasons, with Fowler labeling him this year’s top D-tackle free agent.

Sheldon Rankins, Jalen Redmond, Shelby Harris and D.J. Reader are close to the market, but Franklin-Myers will command the most money. Although the Broncos agreed to re-sign D.J. Jones just before free agency last year, their deals with he, Allen and Roach — to go with extensions for Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper — will make it tough to fit another Franklin-Myers pact into the budget.

Denver will have a decision to make on Dre Greenlaw soon. Greenlaw’s 49ers injury trouble led to a deal without any 2026 guarantees at signing. The Broncos can escape the injury-prone linebacker’s contract for $6MM in savings by cutting him before a $2MM guarantee triggers on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. A Greenlaw release could clear a path for Singleton, a four-year Broncos starter who played out a three-year, $18MM contract.

Singleton, however, is now 32; the Broncos also had issues with their linebackers in coverage. The team has LB regular Justin Strnad entering free agency once again as well. A new-look LB corps could be on tap for the Broncos in 2026. Singleton completed a recovery from testicular cancer surgery to return to his starting post soon after the diagnosis. Pro Football Focus rated the ex-Eagle as one of the season’s best run-defending LBs, ranking him 26th overall at the position.

Dobbins’ latest injury will make it difficult for him to command too much, as maladies continue to define his career. While the former Ravens and Chargers starter played well when available, he missed nine games counting the two playoff absences. Dobbins said he was “very close” to being activated off IR, but it had long been reported a Super Bowl return represented the best-case scenario.

Denver certainly missed its starter, who still finished the season with a team-high 772 rushing yards. This came after a career-best 905 with the Chargers, but Dobbins has now missed 55 regular-season games since being a 2020 second-round pick. The Broncos have RJ Harvey signed through 2028, while they can retain Jaleel McLaughlin as an RFA. Dobbins, 27, could be a target to return on another one-year, low-cost deal. But the Broncos also may want to aim for more security as they look to pair Harvey with another starter-level option in 2026.

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.

Coaching Notes: Titans, Cowboys, Leonhard, Packers, Eagles, Jaguars

Robert Saleh did not retain Titans OC Nick Holz or DC Dennard Wilson, but the new Tennessee HC kept special teams coordinator John Fassel. Saleh will also have some other Brian Callahan holdovers back. He is retaining running backs coach Randy Jordan, tight ends coach Luke Stocker and cornerbacks coach/defensive pass-game coordinator Tony Oden, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky.

Jordan, 55, coached Washington’s running backs for 10 seasons before joining Callahan’s staff last year. Ron Rivera previously retained him from the Jay Gruden staffs. An 11-year veteran tight end who last played in 2021, Stocker initially jointed the Titans’ staff in Mike Vrabel‘s final year and has been promoted in each of the past two offseasons, rising to TEs coach in 2025.

Oden, 52, has been an NFL staffer since 2004. Of the trio known to be staying, Oden is the only one to overlap with Saleh in the past. That history is extensive. Saleh’s first NFL job — as a Texans intern in 2005 — overlapped with Oden’s Houston stint. Oden broke into the NFL with the Texans a year prior to Saleh but stayed on Dom Capers‘ staff for one more season. Saleh then worked with Oden on the 2020 49ers and brought him to New York for his Jets staff. Oden served as a senior defensive assistant who worked with the team’s corners from 2021-24. He caught on with the Titans last year.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • The Packers had eyed Jim Leonhard for their DC opening back in 2021, but the then-Wisconsin coordinator was believed to have received an offer. Leonhard did not factor into the Pack’s search to replace Joe Barry in 2024, but it was believed he was back on the team’s radar this year. Matt LaFleur was expected to talk with Leonhard, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein. While Leonhard is now free to interview, Green Bay hired Jonathan Gannon shortly before the Broncos’ AFC championship game tilt. A 2024 report indicated Leonhard was LaFleur’s top choice in 2021, so it is interesting the Packers did not formally interview him this time.
  • Leonhard remains on the Broncos’ staff as DBs coach but may well receive more DC consideration. The Cowboys interviewed him before hiring Christian Parker, a previous Denver DBs coach. Dallas made the Parker hire Thursday, with the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins indicating the team did not feel it could wait out Leonhard. Had the Broncos booked a Super Bowl LX berth, the Cowboys could not have hired Leonhard until after that game.
  • The Cowboys set up interviews with recent Vikings staffer Marcus Dixon and Eagles assistant linebackers coach Ronnell Williams, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Dixon worked with Parker on the Broncos’ staff from 2022-23, serving as the team’s D-line coach. Dixon spent the past two years as the Vikings‘ D-line coach, and ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes his contract has expired. While Minnesota could work out a new deal as it did with Brian Flores, Dixon is scheduling interviews elsewhere. Dixon was with the Cowboys as a player from 2008-10. Williams has worked with the Eagles since 2023, overlapping with Parker over the past two seasons. Williams is still under contract with the Eagles, per Watkins.
  • Philadelphia made an in-house promotion after losing Parker to Dallas. The Eagles are elevating safeties coach Joe Kasper to DBs coach/defensive pass-game coordinator, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets. Interest came in from elsewhere, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s EJ Smith, but the Eagles will retain Kasper by promoting him. Kasper followed Vic Fangio from Miami in 2024; he served as Dolphins safeties coach in 2023. Kasper, however, is in his second stint with the Eagles; he was on Nick Sirianni‘s staff from 2021-22.
  • The Jaguars are adding Brian Picucci from the Buccaneers’ staff. Picucci is joining Liam Coen‘s staff as the Jags’ run-game coordinator on offense, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Bucs blocked Coen from poaching Picucci last year, after Coen’s acrimonious Tampa exit, but the two have an extensive history. Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa in 2024; he served as the Bucs’ O-line coach in 2025, after Tampa Bay had blocked him from interviewing for that job in Jacksonville.

Chargers Interview Dylan Roney For DC Position

The Chargers lost their highly-regarded defensive coordinator last week when Jesse Minter was hired as the Ravens’ new head coach. The search for his replacement continues.

Los Angeles announced on Monday that an interview has taken place with one of the team’s top internal candidates. Outside linebackers coach Dylan Roney met with the Chargers for their DC gig. This is the first coordinator posting he has been linked to.

The Chargers have already interviewed three other staffers, although one of them (Dennard Wilson) is no longer on the market. Another two outside options – Zach Orr (Ravens) and Aubrey Pleasants (Rams) – have spoken with the team. It would come as little surprise if the Bolts looked internally to replace Minter, with defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale a name to watch on that front.

Clinkscale and Minter both spent time working under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan before following him to Los Angeles in 2024. Roney took that same route, working as a graduate assistant from 2021-23 on the Wolverines’ staff. He then became a defensive assistant with the Chargers during Harbaugh’s first season back in the NFL. Roney took on his current role ahead of the 2025 season.

Los Angeles posted 45 sacks this year, with much of that production coming from the team’s OLBs. Tuli Tuipulotu totaled a career-high 13 sacks, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way. Khalil Mack chipped in as well, while midseason trade acquisition Odafe Oweh posted 7.5 sacks in 12 games after being held without one in five Ravens contests to begin the season. That success has no doubt helped Roney’s stock regarding a promotion or at least a lengthy tenure on the Chargers’ staff.

Mike McDaniel was officially hired on Monday to fill Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator vacancy. Attention will now increasingly turn to the DC position, with Roney a staffer to watch as Harbaugh weighs his options.

Lions To Add Mike Kafka, Retain Jim O’Neil

The Lions made their offensive coordinator choice recently, tabbing Drew Petzing to call plays in 2026. But they are adding another seasoned play-caller to their staff.

Mike Kafka is joining Dan Campbell‘s staff for an unspecified “high ranking” position, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The recent Giants interim HC called plays for most of his OC tenure in New York. Rather than hit the coordinator carousel, Kafka will step back and hold a key non-play-calling role in Detroit.

Campbell also reached an agreement to retain Jim O’Neil, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. A former NFL DC who interviewed for the Jets’ DC post, O’Neil has been in place as a defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024. The Lions also announced their Petzing hire Monday.

The Lions had interviewed Kafka for the job ultimately given to Petzing, and the former also met with the Eagles during their long-running OC search. Prior to that, the Buccaneers brought in Kafka about their OC vacancy. Other OC positions have opened and will open soon, as the HC carousel still spins, but Kafka will settle in Michigan for the 2026 season. This will be Kafka’s third NFL employer (as a coach), after stints with the Chiefs and Giants.

Taking what amounted to a courtesy Giants HC interview after being their interim leader to close the season, Kafka went 2-5 in that role. Though, the Giants’ two wins came over disinterested Raiders and Cowboys teams; the latter benched Dak Prescott midway through the Week 18 Giants matchup.

Kafka, 38, still received HC consideration during multiple previous cycles. He met with the Bears and interviewed twice with the Saints last year. He met with the Titans in 2024 and spoke twice with the Seahawks that year, later being blocked from interviewing for Seattle’s OC job. The Cardinals, Colts and Panthers met with Kafka in 2023, on the heels of the Giants’ surprising divisional-round trek.

The Giants have been unable to approach that level of success since, leading to their $20MM-per-year John Harbaugh contract. New York did show some promise with Jaxson Dart, even if it rarely translated to wins. The team ranked 17th in scoring offense and 13th in yardage, with Kafka taking back the play sheet in 2025 — after Brian Daboll called the shots in 2024. The team ranked 31st in scoring in 2024.

This will be an interesting dynamic for the Lions, who demoted one-and-done OC John Morton in Week 10. Campbell called plays the rest of the way, and the Lions finished fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage. Campbell now has two three-season play-callers on his staff, with Petzing having that responsibility from 2023-25 in Arizona.

Formerly the Browns and 49ers’ DC, O’Neil has been off that tier for 10 years now (though, he did serve as Northwestern’s DC from 2021-22). Settling in with the Lions over the past two seasons, O’Neil had worked with the Jets previously under Rex Ryan. Aaron Glenn has not made a decision on his next DC yet, but two of his candidates — O’Neil and Mathieu Araujo — have taken other jobs. The Jaguars hired the recent Dolphins CBs coach last week.

Ravens To Conduct OC Interview With Scottie Montgomery

Todd Monken has not officially departed the Ravens yet, but he is on track to coach elsewhere in 2026. Baltimore’s list of offensive coordinator replacement options is set to expand.

The team will interview Lions receivers coach Scottie Montgomery, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. That makes him the fourth candidate connected to Baltimore’s OC vacancy. One of them – Mike McDaniel – officially accepted the Chargers’ offensive coordinator gig on Monday.

A different former NFL head coach in the form of Kliff Kingsbury remains a name to watch for the Ravens regarding their OC spot. Montgomery does not have as much experience leading a staff at the college of NFL levels but he has been a trusted voice on the sidelines several times in his career. In place with Detroit since 2023, Montgomery has held the title of assistant head coach all three years.

The 47-year-old has worked as a position coach at several stops during his coaching career. Montgomery – who took on his current role in 2025 after two years coaching Detroit’s running backs – has also been an NCAA offensive coordinator in the past. He led Maryland’s offense for two years (2019-20) before returning to the NFL coaching ranks. After a two-year run coaching the Colts’ running backs, Montgomery joined Dan Campbell‘s staff and became a key figure. This is the first known coordinator interview in Montgomery’s case during the 2026 cycle.

Monken guided the Ravens’ offense for the past three years, taking over from Greg Roman. The unit battled inconsistency in 2025, a year in which injuries to Lamar Jackson and others were prevalent. The 2023 and ’24 campaigns saw Baltimore finish in the top four in scoring, though, so expectations will be high for the team’s new OC with Baltimore aiming to return to the postseason.

New head coach Jesse Minter has a lengthy defensive background, and improvement on that side of the ball will be targeted in 2026 and beyond. The offensive coordinator spot will be critical as a play-calling presence, however, making this search one to watch closely.

Cardinals Arrange Second Mike LaFleur HC Interview

With the Rams‘ season having ended on Sunday, their staffers are free to speak with interested teams about head coaching vacancies. That makes Mike LaFleur one of the top names to watch over the coming days.

LaFleur has been strongly linked to the Cardinals with their HC search ongoing. A second interview has now been arranged between the two. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Rams’ offensive coordinator will meet in person with Arizona today and tomorrow.

A Saturday report named LaFleur, along with former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile as the “leading” candidates for the Cardinals’ HC gig. As such, today’s update comes as little surprise. LaFleur has also met with the Raiders, one of four teams still in need of a new head coach.

Arizona fired Jonathan Gannon on ‘Black Monday’ in a move which ended his three-year run with the team. Since then, a number of other vacancies have emerged and – based on the level of activity regarding hires and interviews – many have proven to be more attractive. Indeed, six other HC hires have taken place at this point. Of the teams still looking for a head coach, only the Bills reached the playoffs in 2025.

After winning eight games in 2024, a postseason berth would not have been a major surprise in Arizona’s case. Instead, the team ended on a nine-game losing streak and finished 3-14. Improvement will be sought out by the Cardinals’ next head coach, someone who will have to make staffing decisions such as the hiring of a new offensive coordinator (to replace Drew Petzing) upon arrival. Gannon came to Arizona with a defensive background, whereas the opposite is true of LaFleur.

The brother of current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Mike worked as the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and ’22. Since then, he has worked a non-play-calling OC with the Rams. LaFleur, 38, has never been a head coach at the college or NFL levels. He is one of the top candidates still on the market at this point, however, and it will be interesting to see if this upcoming Cardinals interview produces an offer.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is a look at where things stand for Arizona:

Chargers, DT Teair Tart Agree To Extension

Teair Tart will be staying in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to an extension on Monday, ESPN’s Kris Rhim reports.

Tart was on track for free agency this March, but this deal ensures he will not reach the open market. According to Rhim, the sides have agreed to a three-year pact. The deal is worth a maximum of $37.5MM and includes $20MM guaranteed, a massive raise compared to Tart’s previous NFL contracts.

Over the course of his career, Tart has amassed roughly $13MM in earnings. His time with the Chargers has gone well to say the least, though, and a sizable commitment has now been made to demonstrate as much. The former UDFA spent his first four seasons in the AFC South, splitting his time between the Titans and Texans. Tart joined the Dolphins in 2024 but ended up being cut in August. That resulted in a low-cost Chargers deal.

During his first year playing under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, Tart handled a rotational role. He did enough to earn another one-year pact with the Bolts last offseason, with a notable bump in pay accompanying it. The FIU product secured $3.5MM guaranteed on his previous deal, one which set him up to handle a full-time starting role. Tart saw a career-high 49% snap share in 2025; he totaled 32 tackles, four pass deflections and one forced fumble along the way.

The 28-year-old was held without a sack in 2025 and has totaled just 3.5 over the course of his career. Tart will not expected to emerge as a major interior presence from a pass-rush perspective over the course of this contract, but he will be leaned on to remain an impactful contributor against the run. Los Angeles ranked eighth in that regard this season, and with Tart still in the fold expectations will be high for the team’s success to continue.

The Bolts recently lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter when he became the new head coach of the Ravens. Tart loomed as a candidate to follow Minter to Baltimore in free agency, but given today’s news that will not be happening. The Chargers have made a number of draft investments along the defensive interior during recent years. Much of their core at that spot will remain intact, although Otto Ogbonnia‘s rookie contract is set to expire shortly. This Tart investment could point to a free agent departure in Ogbonnia’s case.