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Mike McDaniel Withdraws From Bills’ HC Search

By | at January 24, 2026 11:23 pm

Mike McDaniel was scheduled to interview for the Bills’ head coaching vacancy on Friday, but he decided to withdraw from consideration before the two sides met, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

McDaniel, 42, has interviewed for several head coach and offensive coordinator jobs in the last few weeks. In backing out of his interview with the Bills, he has narrowed his options down to the Chargers and the Raiders. The Chargers are planning to hire McDaniel as their next offensive coordinator, unless the Raiders do not offer their head coaching job to him. McDaniel has only met with Las Vegas’ top brass once, but the interview did take place in person.

Early in the hiring cycle, McDaniel reportedly preferred an offensive coordinator opportunity with a stronger team rather than a head coaching job with a weaker one. After the Bills fired Sean McDermott, Buffalo immediately became one of the top destinations for potential head coaches, making it somewhat of a surprise that McDaniel backed out of the running. Perhaps he believed that the job would ultimately go to another candidate and preferred to focus his attention on his remaining suitors.

The Raiders, however, do not seem like a particularly desirable destination unless McDaniel is committed to a major rebuild of a roster that lacks many long-term pieces. Working with projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza – along with the rest of the team’s significant draft capital and future cap space – could be enticing, but the Raiders have been stuck in the mud for years. If McDaniel is looking to make his next head coaching opportunity stick, he might continue to wait out the market until the right job comes along in the next few offseason.

In the meantime, the Chargers’ OC gig is a solid opportunity for McDaniel to work with Justin Herbert, who has played under a revolving door of suboptimal offensive architects and play-callers in his career. McDaniel could finally allow Herbert to thrive within the Chargers’ offense rather than in spite of it.

43 comments Buffalo Bills

Arthur Smith Departing NFL For Ohio State OC Job

By | at January 24, 2026 11:20 pm

In the wake of the news of Mike McCarthy‘s agreement to become the next head coach of the Steelers, Pittsburgh’s incumbent offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has some plans of his own. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Smith is expected to be named the next offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

This marks a departure not only from Pittsburgh – as could be expected – but the NFL coaching ranks altogether. Smith received a head coaching interview request from the Cardinals as part of their ongoing search. He also spoke with the Titans before Robert Saleh was hired. Even in the absence of a second NFL HC opportunity, Smith loomed as an offensive coordinator candidate elsewhere in the league.

The 43-year-old interviewed with the Chargers and Titans for their respective OC vacancies. Tennessee’s remains open at this time, but instead of a potential return Smith will now spend at least one season at the college level. He is the latest veteran coach to join Ryan Day‘s Buckeyes staff.

Diana Russini of The Athletic notes Smith had been in contact with the Titans but also the Eagles. Philadelphia moved on from Kevin Patullo after the team’s wild-card loss in a decision which came as no surprise. The team does not have a replacement in place at this time, and Smith had not previously been linked to Philadelphia’s OC gig or any other positions under Nick Sirianni.

After a lengthy run on the Titans’ staff in a number of roles, Smith was promoted to offensive coordinator. He held that position for two years and parlayed his time leading Tennessee’s offense into a head coaching opportunity. Smith guided the Falcons for three seasons, posting a 7-10 record each year. Upon being fired, he immediately landed another OC gig by joining Mike Tomlin and the Steelers in 2024.

Pittsburgh posted similar numbers on offense this season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback as the team did with a combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center. Once Tomlin stepped aside, the door was opened to widespread staff changes during this year’s hiring cycle. Smith’s departure confirms the Steelers will be among the teams hiring a new offensive coordinator in the near future. He handled play-calling duties during his Pittsburgh tenure, but it would come as no surprise if McCarthy did so upon arrival.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

25 comments Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers

Raheem Morris, Anthony Campanile, Mike LaFleur Leading Candidates For Cardinals’ HC Position?

By | at January 24, 2026 11:10 pm

The Cardinals are one of four teams which still have a head coaching vacancy. A hire could be coming soon, though, with a trio of top candidates in place.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Arizona considers Raheem Morris, Anthony Campanile and Mike LaFleur to be the “leading” options at this point. All three have interviewed at least once with the Cardinals as part of their ongoing search. Campanile met with the team for a second time on Thursday, something other candidates are also set to do shortly.

[RELATED: HC Search Tracker]

The current Jaguars defensive coordinator has been a popular head coaching candidate during this year’s cycle. Campanile interviewed with the Ravens and Dolphins, but both teams have since gone in a different direction to fill their HC positions. 2025 marked the 43-year-old’s first season as a coordinator at the NFL level, so taking on a head coaching gig would represent another major career move.

LaFleur has a more extensive history as an NFL coordinator, having served as an OC with the Jets from 2021-22 and with the Rams for the past three seasons. He has not handled play-calling duties in Los Angeles while working under Sean McVay, but the 38-year-old has helped his stock over the course of his Rams stint. A follow-up interview was not possible in LaFleur’s case this past week with the Rams advancing to the NFC title game. One could be arranged in the near future, however.

Morris is the only member of the trio who has worked as a head coach at the NFL or college levels. He was at the helm of the Buccaneers from 2009-11; Morris also served as the Falcons’ coach for a total of 45 games across two different stints. Over that span, his teams posted a winning record just once. Morris, 49, is regarded as one of the game’s top defensive minds but his head coaching winning percentage sits at .398. Interest in multiple D-coordinator positions could be coming in this case in the even Morris does not land the Cardinals gig, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Plenty remains to be seen over the coming days, but SNY’s Connor Hughes reports LaFleur is “believed to be the frontrunner” for the Arizona HC position at this time. For now, his attention will be focused on the Rams’ game against the Seahawks with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Nevertheless, a deal bringing with it a first head coaching opportunity allowing LaFleur to remain in the NFC West could be coming soon.

Here is an updated look at where Arizona’s search stands:

11 comments Arizona Cardinals Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Rams

Dolphins Promote Bobby Slowik To OC

By | at January 24, 2026 11:05 pm

Newly hired Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has found his offensive coordinator. The Dolphins are promoting senior passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik to the OC role, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

This will be the second NFL offensive coordinator job for the 38-year-old Slowik, who held the position with the Texans from 2023-24. Slowik got off to an auspicious start in Houston, which orchestrated an impressive turnaround under then-rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans.

The Texans’ offense finished 2023 11th in scoring and 14th in yards, helping the team to 10 wins and an AFC South title. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl nod.

On the heels of a successful first year in Houston, Slowik drew serious head coaching consideration in January 2024. The Panthers, Titans and Seahawks all interviewed Slowik, who emerged as a finalist for openings in Atlanta and Washington. Slowik didn’t get any of those jobs, but another strong offensive showing in 2024 may have convinced someone to hire him.

While the Texans put together a second straight 10-win, division-winning campaign last year, their offense took steps backward. With Stroud’s numbers declining to a noticeable degree, the Texans ranked an underwhelming 19th in scoring and 22nd in total offense. After the unit mustered a mere 14 points in a loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round, the Texans fired Slowik exactly one year ago today.

A couple of weeks after his Texans tenure ended, Slowik reunited with then-head coach Mike McDaniel in Miami. The two first worked together on Kyle Shanahan‘s staff in San Francisco from 2017-2021. Slowik spent the first two of those seasons in a defensive quality control post before joining McDaniel, then the 49ers’ run game coordinator, as an offensive assistant.

The Slowik addition didn’t do much to help the Dolphins in 2025. The team sputtered to a 7-10 record, ending McDaniel’s four-year run as its head coach. A feeble passing attack was among the reasons the Dolphins’ offense slumped to a 25th-place mark in points and ranked an even worse 26th in yards.

With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the helm for most of the year, the Dolphins had the game’s eighth-worst passing offense. During the sixth (and worst) year of his career, Tagovailoa finished 26th out of 28 qualifying passers in QBR and posted a mediocre 88.5 passer rating.

With Tagovailoa’s 15 interceptions leading the league through Week 15, McDaniel benched him for seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. Tagovailoa didn’t play again in 2025, and the Dolphins have since replaced McDaniel with Hafley and Frank Smith with Slowik.

Before the Dolphins promoted Slowik, the Eagles showed interest in him for their vacant OC gig. Landing that job would have given Slowik a chance to work with a more talented offense and a clear-cut starting quarterback in Jalen Hurts. The Dolphins have at least a couple of legitimate weapons in running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the futures of Tagovailoa and wideout Tyreek Hill are up in the air as the offseason approaches.

7 comments Miami Dolphins Newsstand

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

Titans To Interview Dino Vasso For DC Job

By | at January 24, 2026 10:26 pm

A third name has emerged on the list of candidates for the Titans‘ defensive coordinator position. The team will look into a staffer from within the AFC South.

Tennessee has lined up an interview with Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This marks the first sign of interest in Vasso’s case regarding a coordinator vacancy. He was not on the DC radar previously in the 2026 hiring cycle or any others.

After a brief start to his coaching career at the college level, Vasso received his first NFL opportunity with the Chiefs in 2013. Three years as an assistant in Kansas City was followed by a move to the Eagles. Vasso worked his way up to assistant defensive coordinator, a role he held in 2020. For the past five years, he has been on the Texans’ staff.

Vasso initially joined the Texans as a cornerbacks coach; he held that role for three years. The 38-year-old’s purview was expanded slightly in 2024 with his title shifting to defensive backs coach. The Texans’ defense has certainly benefited from strong play in the secondary during recent years, and Rapoport notes both Jim Schwartz and Matt Burke have offered endorsements for Vasso.

Those strong reviews will now result in at least one interview for a coordinator position. The Titans hired Robert Saleh as their new head coach earlier this week. Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson was among the coaches who will not return as part of the new staff. Saleh’s defensive background could see him call plays on that side of the ball with his new team, but even in that event his DC hire will be key. It would be interesting if Saleh were to tap a first-time D-coordinator as part of his initial staff.

Of course, the Titans’ other candidates at this point – Aaron Whitecotton (Cowboys) and Al Harris (Bears) – have never been an NFL coordinator either. Vasso will join those two in seeking out an initial opportunity in Tennessee.

2 comments Houston Texans Tennessee Titans

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:

5 comments Cleveland Browns Los Angeles Rams

Jets Fire Several Assistant Coaches; Tanner Engstrand’s Future Unclear

By | at January 24, 2026 9:00 pm

9:00pm: Engtrand’s future with the Jets remains unclear at this time, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic confirms. He adds Glenn has reached out to “multiple offensive assistants” about calling plays. An external OC search could be forthcoming, but a number of internal decisions will need to be made first.

3:25pm: The first year of Aaron Glenn‘s tenure as head coach of the Jets has come and gone, and with it, several coaches from his first assembled staff in New York have reportedly hit the road.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports quarterbacks coach Charles London, passing game coordinator Scott Turner, defensive line coach Eric Washington, linebackers coach Aaron Curry, and defensive assistants Roosevelt Williams and Alonso Escalante have all been let go after their first year under Glenn in New York. Despite the dismissal of several key offensive assistant coaches, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand notably remains in place, after Glenn dismissed defensive coordinator Steve Wilks midseason.

While it’s not uncommon for first-time head coaches to make adjustments to their staff after a first attempt, this is a pretty large amount of turnover for Glenn. After letting go of one coordinator in December, hanging on to Engstrand might have been a necessity, but per Wilson, after Engstrand’s unit finished 29th out of 32 teams in both total points and total yards, a change in structures, roles, and responsibilities was expected. That structure has yet to be strictly defined, but with the dismissal of London and Turner, it’s clear a change in the approach to the passing game is a top priority.

The Jets will obviously be looking to add a quarterback for 2026, and they’ll rely on Engstrand to build a strong support staff to either develop a young draft pick or implement a new veteran addition. New York has assembled a group of pass catchers that features Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, and tight end Mason Taylor, but with free agency and the draft still to determine much of how the rest of the offense will look moving forward, putting together the right staff around the pieces they know are in place becomes a crucial consideration.

The dismissal of multiple defensive staffers was mostly expected. The unit was handicapped by the front office a bit after trades that removed star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the picture, and injury issues surely didn’t help. Still, the Jets defense allowed the second-most points of any defense in the NFL, allowed the most touchdowns through the air of any team in the NFL, and became the first defense in NFL history not to record a single interception (since interceptions became a stat).

Turning around this Jets team was already going to be a struggle for Glenn and Co., and that job got harder with the loss of some top talent over the course of Glenn’s first season. Now, New York is hitting a bit of reset in Year 2 of the 53-year-old head coach, who now needs to hire a defensive coordinator and fill three position coach openings. Once the staffing is complete, the Jets will turn their attention towards reinforcing their depleted roster with what Overthecap.com says is the fifth-most cap space in the league and two first-round picks.

14 comments New York Jets

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/26

By | at January 24, 2026 7:37 pm

Here are today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Conference Championship teams not covered in larger posts:

Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks

Following a season-ending ACL tear to RB2 Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks are calling up Akers and Jones to assist recently activated running back George Holani in backing up Kenneth Walker for the NFC Championship game.

0 comments Los Angeles Rams Seattle Seahawks Transactions

Broncos Activate C Luke Wattenberg From IR; RB J.K. Dobbins Ruled Out

By | at January 24, 2026 5:47 pm

After losing him for the final couple weeks of the regular season and missing him in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos have activated starting center Luke Wattenberg off their injured reserve in time for tomorrow’s Conference Championship. In a corresponding move, the team placed quarterback Bo Nix on IR following his season-ending ankle injury.

After playing every snap of the season through 15 games for the Broncos, Wattenberg appeared on the injury report leading into Week 17 with a shoulder issue. Ultimately, it was determined that he would need to be placed on IR with the possibility that he may be able to make a return at about this point of the playoffs.

Denver turned to backup center Alex Forsyth, a third-year lineman taken out of the seventh round from Oregon, to take over in Wattenberg’s absence. Forsyth had previous subbed in as a starter for four games that Wattenberg missed in 2024, as well. In his role as the backup center, Forsyth ended up having some injury issues himself. In both his Week 18 and Divisional Round starts, third-string center Sam Mustipher was tasked with filling in for a couple snaps in place of Forsyth.

Now Wattenberg returns to close out the season for the Broncos, who are limping along at this point after the injury to Nix. The team is also without veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, who was officially ruled out yesterday and will remain on IR, per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Additionally, second-leading wide receiver Troy Franklin seems to be trending in the wrong direction as he attempts to work through a hamstring injury.

As a result, the Broncos are utilizing their two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore for Sunday’s game. Moore was called up last week, as well, but has still yet to make his Broncos debut. According to Tomasson, Moore was aware that he wouldn’t be playing last week and that the elevation was just a way of rewarding him with a full game check. Franklin’s hamstring issue opens the door, though, to some potential playing time for taxi squad pass catchers.

Though the offense isn’t at 100 percent, it’s the Broncos defense that’s gotten them this far. They’ll need that side of the ball to hold off the visiting Patriots enough to allow for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, rookie running back RJ Harvey, and the rest of the offense to find success at this most crucial point of the season.

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