Giants’ Chris Mara Had Informal Meeting With John Harbaugh
The Giants and Falcons have emerged as the frontrunners in the John Harbaugh sweepstakes. While the Falcons were quick to announce this evening that they completed an interview with the head coaching candidate, the Giants are also making it clear that they’re aggressively pursuing the former Super Bowl winner.
[RELATED: Falcons Meet With John Harbaugh]
Giants executive Chris Mara told Ian O’Connor of The Athletic that he met for lunch with Harbaugh yesterday and had an “informal meeting” at the coach’s house. O’Connor adds that sources from both the organization and the coach have made it clear that Harbaugh “remains very interested in the Giants job.”
This in-person meeting follows a 30-minute conversation between Harbaugh and Giants GM Joe Schoen last week, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan echoes that Schoen spoke with Harbaugh about the Giants head coaching job.
Depending on who you ask, this may have been the first sit-down that Harbaugh’s had with a potential suitor. While the Falcons themselves reported today that they definitively interviewed Harbaugh, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post says their “interview” was merely a “phone conversation.” In fact, Schwartz compared the conversation to the calls Harbaugh has fielded from other potential suitors. The reporter adds that the Giants will have a formal sit-down with Harbaugh later this week or early next week.
While it may be semantics, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network’s categorizes Harbaugh’s meeting with the Falcons today as a “virtual” conversation, which included Matt Ryan and other Atlanta execs who have been involved in the search. This would seemingly qualify as an official interview, although the Giants may have an issue with that positioning.
If there’s any takeaway, the Giants clearly want us know that they’re serious about their Harbaugh pursuit. On the flip side, we’re plenty aware that the court of public opinion will have no bearing on where the coach lands, no matter how hard the Giants may try.
Dolphins Contact John Harbaugh; Troy Aikman Assisting In HC Search
JANUARY 12: The Dolphins are not seen as a frontrunner for Harbaugh at this time, although Jackson reports further contact between the parties will take place. Whether or not Miami winds up as a finalist remains to be seen, but the team is among Harbaugh’s many suitors as things stands.
JANUARY 10: The Dolphins considered a trade for then-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in 2019. No deal came together, though, and Harbaugh remained in Baltimore for the long haul. Seven years later, the Dolphins are in the market for a head coach again. With Harbaugh a free agent after the Ravens fired him this week, he’s back on Miami’s radar. The Dolphins contacted Harbaugh and informed him of their interest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Dolphins became the seventh team to reach out to Harbaugh since he lost his job on Tuesday, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. That means every club without a head coach (excluding Baltimore, of course) has contacted Harbaugh. The Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Raiders, Giants and Titans are also in the market.
The Giants, Dolphins, Titans and Falcons look like the most realistic fits for Harbaugh, Breer observes, but interest in the 63-year-old extends beyond clubs with head coach openings. Harbaugh has heard from “at least nine other teams,” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Playoff participants such as Buffalo and Green Bay have come up as potential landing spots for Harbaugh. The Packers, however, seem likely to work out a contract extension with Matt LaFleur. That would rule out Harbaugh joining the Pack.
Harbaugh, who will begin interviewing next week, hasn’t booked anything with the Dolphins yet, Jackson reports. Considering the Harbaugh family has a “longtime relationship” with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him wind up as a front-runner for the position. However, a lack of clarity at quarterback could hurt the Dolphins’ cause.
Harbaugh enjoyed remarkable stability under center throughout his 18-year tenure in Baltimore, first with Joe Flacco and then Lamar Jackson. Thanks in large part to an incredible playoff run from Flacco, the Ravens capped off the 2012 season with a Super Bowl victory. The Ravens haven’t won a championship since then, but Jackson has been an elite QB who has twice earned MVP honors since his first full season in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan will have to figure out how to proceed with Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa is open to a fresh start, he’s owed a guaranteed $54MM in 2026. Releasing Tagovailoa would cost the Dolphins a record $99.2 in dead money, though designating him a post-June 1 cut would enable to spread that total over two seasons. Still, it would be a less-than-ideal situation for Harbaugh or anyone else who may replace the ousted Mike McDaniel as the Dolphins’ next sideline leader.
Miami’s head coach hiring will come with input from Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who will stay on in an advisory role, Jackson relays. The Dolphins first brought the “Monday Night Football” broadcaster in to assist in a GM search that ended with Sullivan’s hiring. The team appreciated Aikman’s “diligence and effort” during the process, per Jackson. The former Cowboy will now have some say over the HC position, though Sullivan and Ross will lead the way.
In the event the Dolphins don’t hire Harbaugh, Jackson identifies Packers coordinators Jeff Hafley (defense) and Adam Stenavich (offense), former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, ex-Packers and Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy and Jaguars D-coordinator Anthony Campanile as names to watch. Sullivan, who spent over two decades in Green Bay, has worked with Hafley, Stenavich and McCarthy. Campanile was Miami’s linebackers coach from 2020-23.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur’s Status Uncertain; LaFleur, GM Brian Gutekunst Not A “Package Deal”
11:08pm: When speaking to the media today, LaFleur said (via Demovsky) he and Policy spoke briefly on the flight home from Chicago. LaFleur added further talks are expected tonight or tomorrow, and one of the topics brought up will no doubt be his future in the organization.
11:08am: Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was unwilling to discuss his future in the aftermath of his team’s devastating loss to the Bears in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. That has not stopped the rest of the NFL world from discussing it, and according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the situation is unclear.
Before the game, we learned the Packers and LaFleur would have conversations about an extension after the season, and the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also said LaFleur was not coaching for his job in the playoffs. That suggested LaFleur would be back in Green Bay for 2026 and beyond.
However, in their loss to Chicago, the Packers squandered an 18-point halftime lead and gave up 25 points in the fourth quarter alone. LaFleur should not be blamed for Brandon McManus’ missed kicks (two FGs and a PAT) or a Caleb Williams fourth-down conversion that will be forever cemented in Bears lore, but the defeat adds to a recent string of disappointing finishes.
LaFleur guided the Packers to 13-win campaigns in each of his first three seasons at the helm, and he successfully facilitated a monumental quarterback transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. On the other hand, Green Bay has now lost three straight playoff games and has not won the NFC North since 2021. Even so, Albert Breer of SI.com believes the team would not consider a coaching change under normal circumstances, though he acknowledges LaFleur’s contract situation could complicate matters.
LaFleur, 46, is presently under contract through 2026, and team president Ed Policy has made it plain that he (like most team execs) does not want to have his head coach or general manager go into a season with just one year remaining on their deals. Despite a regression from LaFleur’s stellar start to his Packers tenure, he is in line for a raise and could command $15MM or more per season. Breer openly wonders whether Policy is willing to authorize such a deal at this point (it is believed that LaFleur is presently earning less than $10MM per year, per Demovsky).
General manager Brian Gutekunst’s contract also runs through 2026, and Demovsky confirms the GM and HC are not a package deal. If Policy elects to retain one and fire the other, Demovsky believes Gutekunst would be on more solid ground. Indeed, league sources said if Gutekunst returns, he will have more authority than he currently has (when former team president Mark Murphy hired Gutekunst in 2018, he deviated from the club’s longstanding HC-GM-team reporting structure and had both the HC and the GM report directly to the president).
As Demovsky acknowledges, there are a wide variety of outcomes here, including a LaFleur extension – which may come with conditions of staff changes and/or giving up his offensive play-calling duties – an outright firing, or a trade. One way or another, a speedy resolution is expected, and if LaFleur does become available, he would immediately become a top candidate for other teams in need of a new HC, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (video link).
The Falcons, who recently hired Matt Ryan as their “president of football,” certainly profile as a logical landing spot, since LaFleur worked in Atlanta as Ryan’s quarterbacks coach during the 2015-16 seasons. And, if the Packers move on from LaFleur, they could jump to the top of John Harbaugh’s list of preferred destinations.
There has been plenty of chatter connecting Harbaugh to the Giants. But as Schefter and ESPN colleague Jordan Raanan observe, Bob Harlan’s son, Bryan, is Harbaugh’s agent. Bob Harlan joined the Packers as assistant general manager in 1971, served as president and CEO from 1989-2006, and has been a chairman emeritus since 2008. Plus, Green Bay has a talented quarterback and roster, and Raanan classifies Harbaugh as a “Midwest guy at heart.”
LaFleur will address reporters at 4pm CT on Sunday. There may or may not be more clarity on his status at that time, though the Green Bay job would threaten the Ravens’ and Giants’ gigs as the most appealing vacancies on the market if it opens up.
Dolphins’ GM Hire Could Improve Giants’ Odds Of Landing John Harbaugh; Miami HC Job Not Viewed As Desirable
The Giants have been connected to former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh from the moment Baltimore fired him last week, with initial reports saying New York is “all-in” on the former Super Bowl winner. The Dolphins have also contacted Harbaugh, but in the estimation of the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (video link), Miami’s GM hire is good news for Big Blue’s pursuit.
The ‘Fins recently named Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager, bypassing Chad Alexander in the process. Interestingly, Alexander – who worked for the Ravens during 11 of Harbaugh’s 18 years with the club – was added to Miami’s GM search just hours before Baltimore relieved Harbaugh of his duties. The Chargers have employed Alexander as their assistant GM since Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, became the Bolts’ head coach in 2024.
Without the Harbaugh connection in place at the top of the Miami front office, Garafolo believes one potential suitor is off the board. Plus, he suggests Harbaugh – who could have his pick of non-Ravens teams in need of a head coach – may not want to join the Dolphins anyway due to their uncertain quarterback situation and difficult salary cap picture, which could necessitate a reset of sorts.
Fox Sports’ Eric D. Williams echoes that sentiment. Citing Tua Tagovailoa’s contract and 2025 performance, cap constraints, and an aging roster, only one of the league sources with whom Williams spoke ranked the Miami post among the top three HC vacancies in the league. The Giants offer a more promising roster, which includes a rookie-contract quarterback in Jaxson Dart who flashed in 2025, and that is one of the reasons why the New York job is generally considered to be a more attractive one.
We heard just yesterday that Harbaugh is watching film on Dart and Tennessee QB Cam Ward and is staying in touch with decision-makers for both the Giants and Titans as well as members of his most recent Baltimore coaching staff. In a separate report for the NFL Network (video link), Garafolo says the Giants are not taking a “Harbaugh-or-bust” approach to their HC search, though he does acknowledge they are hoping they make Harbaugh’s short list and will land an interview with him. While Garafolo does not say so explicitly, the NFL Network included a graphic indicating former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski is one of the team’s other top candidates.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post says that if the Giants truly want Harbaugh, they may need to step outside of their comfort zone on multiple fronts. In addition to commanding a salary at or near the top of the HC market – although a portion of that will be offset by the roughly $34MM the Ravens are obligated to pay through the end of the 2028 season – Harbaugh ran what one league source called a “big program” that may include additional investments in a larger coaching staff, team facilities, and other aspects of the operation.
Per Schwartz, Harbaugh will also want assurances that he will be able to hire any coordinator or coach he wants without financial constraint. Nonetheless, he is said to be willing to have a conversation with GM Joe Schoen, and considering the appeal of their vacancy, it is not surprising that Schwartz believes the Giants are squarely in the mix for Harbaugh’s services.
Falcons Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football
Longtime Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is returning to Atlanta in a key front office role. The Falcons announced that they have hired Ryan as their president of football.
The Falcons created the position for Ryan, one of the greatest players in franchise history. Ryan originally joined the Falcons as the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. The Boston College product quarterbacked the team through 2021 and made four Pro Bowls.
During an MVP-winning season in 2016, Ryan led the Falcons to a Super Bowl bid. After a gut-wrenching loss to the Patriots, the Falcons rebounded to earn a playoff berth again in 2017 for the sixth and final time in the Ryan era. They have not gone back to the postseason since then.
Failing to reach the playoffs in five years under general manager Terry Fontenot and two seasons under head coach Raheem Morris led owner Arthur Blank to move on from the pair a week ago.
Blank acted quickly in hiring Ryan, most recently a CBS NFL analyst. The 40-year-old Ryan beat out Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams and Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham for the job. He’ll now leave behind his role with CBS.
In a statement announcing his hiring, Ryan said: “Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today. While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
In taking over as the Falcons’ top football executive, Ryan will hold “final decision-making authority,” Blank stated on Friday. Ryan will immediately get to work on hiring a new GM and head coach.
With Ryan firmly in charge, the NFL regards the Falcons’ GM opening as a secondary position, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. That means the Falcons technically don’t have to conduct any interviews before hiring someone for the role. However, the Falcons’ president of football interviews also served as GM interviews, sources told Dianna Russini of The Athletic (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports). While the Falcons may offer the job to Disner, Tilis, Williams or Cunningham, hiring either Williams or Cunningham would have to wait because those two are working for current playoff teams. It’s also possible that those individuals’ teams could block them from taking the Falcons’ gig if they view it as a lateral move.
There are fewer complications with the Falcons’ HC opening. They’re set to interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The Falcons also have interest in John Harbaugh, the most established choice on the market, but they’re not ready to “go all-in” on him yet, Jones reports.
Once Ryan settles on replacements for Fontenot and Morris, his focus will turn to improving a roster that produced an 8-9 record in 2025, the team’s eighth straight sub-.500 season. The Falcons haven’t finished above .500 since Ryan was under center in 2017. Evaluating the team’s current QBs – Kirk Cousins, a likely release candidate, and Michael Penix Jr. – will rank among Ryan’s most important tasks in the coming weeks.
More Details Emerge On John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Exit
This coming Tuesday, Ravens team owner Steve Bisciotti will meet with the media to do an interview with reporters for the first time in four years, per a report from The Athletic, featuring Dianna Russini, Jeff Zrebiec, and Ian O’Connor. The topic of discussion will center around his ultimate decision to dismiss John Harbaugh, the head coach of the past 18 seasons and only the third head coach in the franchise’s 30-year history. 
Harbaugh’s tenure as the head coach in Baltimore came to an end following a loss in the team’s regular season finale that determined if the Ravens would have a winning record, win the AFC North, and make the playoffs in 2025. The following day, Harbaugh met early Monday morning with general manager Eric DeCosta, executive vice president (and former general manager) Ozzie Newsome, and team president Sashi Brown. The meeting was intended to be a discussion about Harbaugh’s vision for the team and staff moving forward, and though an “unsettled” feeling hung in the room, the thought was still that momentum was moving in the right direction for Harbaugh.
Following the meeting, Harbaugh led a final team meeting with 2025’s roster and roamed around the locker room as players cleaned out their lockers and said goodbyes for the offseason. Many of the players in the building reportedly expected some level of change at the assistant coach or coordinator level, but expectations were that Harbaugh would be returning.
The next day, Bisciotti reportedly began to meet with multiple players throughout the day to discuss their thoughts on Harbaugh and the direction of the team, with one player even reportedly meeting at Bisciotti’s house for the discussion. Like has been seen from differing reports between NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, even the players inside the building had different views of Harbaugh and his hold on the locker room, which perhaps speaks to his actual hold on the locker room.
There had been noticeable grumbling throughout the year about the coaching staff, most notably concerning Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Per a joint report from ESPN’s Jamison Hensley and Jeremy Fowler, players showed particular discontent with Monken’s playcalling. Some disagreement on the team’s run/pass balance, targets for certain pass catchers, and star running back Derrick Henry‘s usage was heard throughout the year. Any vocalization of these issues likely rang loud in Bisciotti’s ear as Harbaugh appeared willing to run it all back with the coordinators returning to their roles next year.
The biggest point of concern, in terms of lack of connection, was Harbaugh and Monken’s connection to star quarterback Lamar Jackson. The two sides respected and admired each other, as they would frequently support and defend each other to the media throughout the years, but they often appeared to be on different pages, with Harbaugh and Monken struggling to understand Jackson, who would reportedly internalize frustrations. With Bisciotti and players in the locker room looking to Jackson as one who holds the franchise’s future in his hands, the coaching duos inability to truly get on the same page with him proved detrimental.
Following his meetings with players Tuesday evening, Bisciotti called Harbaugh as the coach drove home for the day and informed him of his decision. A day was given to let emotions subside, then Harbaugh met with Bisciotti on Thursday to hear the owner’s explanation for his decision. An annual meeting after the season is the usual for Bisciotti and Harbaugh, but with the possibility of a full coaching search on the horizon, prompter action became a necessity. 
Harbaugh is reportedly at peace with the decision and has moved on to search for new opportunities to be a head coach elsewhere. Upon his dismissal, he immediately became the top option for several teams looking to fill a vacancy, and though many have reached out to express interest, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that Harbaugh will take the weekend to narrow down the interviews he will take to three or four teams.
In looking for clues on which teams may get a slice of his time, Russini notes that Harbaugh is spending today and the next few days watching film specifically on rookie quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward, while staying in communication with decision-makers from both the Giants and Titans along with members from his own most-recent coaching staff. This is a critical part of the evaluation of head coaching candidates for those teams, as Russini adds that one of the first three questions each team is asking candidates is what their plan is for the young passers.
Ever since he became available the Giants have made it known that Harbaugh at the top of their wish list, and the research he’s putting into Dart suggests he may have mutual interest. The Titans don’t have any obvious connection to Harbaugh, but general manager Mike Borgonzi shares an ex-coworker in Andy Reid with Harbaugh. Borgonzi and Harbaugh’s shared relationships with Reid may lend to familiarity in culture and approach. And if Harbaugh had any issues deciphering Jackson’s internalized frustrations, Ward has had no trouble being extremely vocal about his own. We’ll see if each team makes Harbaugh’s final three or four interviews and who may join them.
Ravens Interview Kevin Stefanski For HC; Browns Plan John Harbaugh Interview
The Ravens and Browns will always be tied to each other. The Ravens are sometimes referred to as “the old Browns,” in reference to the old Cleveland franchise’s move to Baltimore in 1996. Now, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, the two cities could potentially see two coaches make the same (and opposite) move that the franchise made 30 years ago. 
Cabot reports that former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski interviewed with the Ravens yesterday for an opportunity to replace John Harbaugh as the team’s next head coach. Meanwhile, the Browns are planning to set up an interview with Harbaugh to fill the seat left vacant after they fired Stefanski on Monday. Cabot reports that Cleveland was one of the original seven teams to immediately reach to Harbaugh following his Tuesday dismissal, and they hope to meet with him as he begins his interview circuit in the coming week.
Harbaugh and Stefanski are two of the hotter names in the coaching market right now. After a stagnant Ravens team cut Harbaugh loose, he immediately jumped to the top of every team’s wish list, boasting a 180-113 regular season record, having made the playoffs in two-thirds of his seasons in Baltimore, and having brought the franchise its second-ever Lombardi Trophy. His reputation as a leader of men and culture-builder had every team with a vacancy (and some without one) reaching out to inquire on his availability.
Stefanski’s success in Cleveland wasn’t nearly as sustained, but it was still incredibly impressive. He came into his first head coaching opportunity to take over a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff game since 1994, made the playoffs since 2002, or even had a winning record since 2007, and he broke all three streaks in his first year with the team. Stefanski also maintained some level of success over the next few years, keeping the Browns competitive despite a quarterback carousel that, at times, felt beyond his control and taking the team to the playoffs a second time in 2023.
Stefanski’s ability to keep the team mostly afloat despite blow after blow being dealt to the quarterbacks room due to injury or legal trouble has teams giving the 43-year-old a strong look to remain a head coach in 2026. Now that we know Baltimore has been involved, aside from the Browns, the Cardinals are the only team with a vacancy that we haven’t seen linked to Stefanski in any way. He’s been a rumored candidate in Miami, plans to interview today with the Titans and later with the Falcons, and has already interviewed with the Giants, Raiders, and now the Ravens.
The Ravens’ head coaching search will be an extensive, competitive one as the job became, perhaps, the most attractive opening the moment Harbaugh was let go. Stefanski becomes the 11th name linked to the position and the fourth candidate to have interviewed for it. The distribution of candidates has been extremely even concerning offensive versus defensive background, and Stefanski’s addition to the list pushes the ratio in favor of offensive candidates 6:5.
In Cleveland, Harbaugh is one of eight candidates currently in the mix. The Browns have already interviewed two internal candidates (both coordinators Tommy Rees and Jim Schwartz) and one external candidate, Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. They have interviews scheduled with Harbaugh’s former offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, and Bengals OC Dan Pitcher. and have requested one with Chargers DC Jesse Minter.
You can follow along with all the team openings and candidates involved in PFR’s 2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker. We’ll see if the cities of Baltimore and Cleveland trade pieces once again, but as the Tracker will show, there are many names in consideration for both teams and many teams interested in both candidates.
Fallout From Mike McDaniel’s Firing; Latest On John Harbaugh
JANUARY 10: As expected, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal tells us that Cleveland has an interview scheduled with McDaniel “for some point next week.” He adds that Harbaugh is also an interview they are trying to schedule, but they’ll need to make the cut.
JANUARY 8: The Dolphins brought an end to the Mike McDaniel era with Thursday’s firing. The move came as a surprise to McDaniel, who previously informed his staff that he’d continue as the Dolphins’ head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says.
McDaniel was involved in Miami’s search for a general manager, an indication he’d stay, but it didn’t bode well for him when team brass began asking candidates about working with a different head coach.
Although owner Stephen Ross was a McDaniel advocate throughout the coach’s four-year tenure, the tide began turning on Tuesday. McDaniel presented a plan to Ross then, but the latter was “leaning toward making a change” when their meeting ended, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Despite valuing McDaniel’s “intelligence and offensive mind,” Ross didn’t want to continue with the “status quo,” according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. That would have meant giving McDaniel another chance after two straight sub-.500 seasons in which the Dolphins combined for a 15-19 record.
McDaniel’s firing came not long after the Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh on Tuesday, though the Dolphins’ decision was unrelated, Jeff Darlington of ESPN reports. While Darlington adds that the Dolphins have not reached out to Harbaugh to gauge his interest in the position, that will change “very soon,” Jackson relays.
There’s a “longtime relationship” between Ross and the Harbaugh family, Jackson notes, and that may aid the team in a potential pursuit of the 63-year-old coach. Indeed, the Dolphins and Giants are among teams Harbaugh will seriously consider for his second head coaching job, per Jackson. Harbaugh is reportedly the Giants’ preferred candidate.
As for McDaniel’s future, his next stop may be in the AFC North, Harbaugh’s former division. The Browns are interested in McDaniel, as reports from Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com and Josina Anderson of The Exhibit indicate. The team has “long admired” McDaniels’ offensive mind, according to Cabot, and there’s familiarity between him and the organization. As McDaniel climbed up the coaching ranks, the Kyle Shanahan disciple spent 2014 in Cleveland as its wide receivers coach.
The Browns have not set up a meeting with McDaniel yet. However, it’s possible an interview will occur next week, according to Cabot. With a total of eight head coaching vacancies across the NFL, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see multiple teams consider McDaniel.
Bills, Packers On Radar For John Harbaugh?
When six non-Ravens HC openings existed, a report indicated seven teams reached out to John Harbaugh within minutes of his firing. Seven non-Baltimore openings are now present, with the Dolphins firing Mike McDaniel today. Another report, however, indicated as many as nine teams had contacted Harbaugh before the Miami development.
A Wednesday report indicated a push from a team playing in the wild-card round is a rumor floating out there, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio pinpoints two potentially interested clubs. The Bills and Packers are viewed by some around the league as teams to monitor with regards to lurking Harbaugh suitors.
Some other teams playing in the first round should not be completely disqualified from Harbaugh pursuits in the event of one-and-done playoff journeys, but Florio mentions Buffalo and Green Bay as the two being discussed the most. The Bills have employed Sean McDermott since 2017, and he has guided them to eight playoff berths. Matt LaFleur was a 2019 hire; he has missed the playoffs only one time since coming over from Tennessee.
LaFleur, though, may not be completely safe. The seventh-year Packers HC may need to win his first-round game to feel “completely” safe, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, citing a feeling around the NFL on this situation. LaFleur is under contract through 2026, via the extension he signed in July 2022. New Packers president Ed Policy came out against lame-duck HCs, meaning a decision will need to be made on an extension before the 2026 season — and likely much earlier. Neither LaFleur nor GM Brian Gutekunst were extended before this season.
Green Bay successfully transitioned from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love under LaFleur. While Love has not flashed MVP-level form like Rodgers did by his third season at the controls, the successor has accounted himself well. Love finished third in QBR this season, finishing with 23 touchdown passes and six interceptions while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. This came as the Packers played much of the season without Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft. The fast-emerging tight end’s unavailability has hurt the team’s passing attack, and the Packers’ defense has been without Micah Parsons since Week 15. LaFleur’s bunch sunk to 9-7-1, though the team did not play starters in Week 18.
The Pack booked three straight playoff byes from 2019-21 under LaFleur, venturing to two NFC championship games in that span. LaFleur’s decision to kick a field goal down eight in the final minutes of an NFC title game loss to the Buccaneers backfired, and his team went one-and-done as the No. 1 seed a year later. Although the Packers upset the No. 2-seeded Cowboys in Love’s first playoff game and then pushed the No. 1-seeded 49ers a week later, they lost to the Eagles in Round 1 last year. Though, the Eagles stampeding through the playoffs to a Super Bowl title did not make that loss look too bad.
The Bills are in a somewhat similar situation. LaFleur actually has as many conference championship game appearances as McDermott, despite the latter leading Josh Allen-led rosters for eight of his nine seasons. The Bills lost divisional-round games in three straight years before edging the Ravens to reach the AFC championship game last season.
Buffalo’s defense has regularly underwhelmed in marquee games against Kansas City, despite the AFC East powerhouse dominating that series in the regular season, and Allen (25:4 playoff TD:INT ratio) faces the prospect of turning 30 next year without a Super Bowl berth on his resume.
Harbaugh, 63, would seemingly be a fit for both teams due to neither being in rebuilding mode. The same cannot be said for a handful of the current lot of HC-needy teams. He will not take any interviews until next week, with Florio pointing to that timetable as matching up with the potential openings that could emerge after this weekend’s games. Harbaugh’s looming presence adds intrigue to the Packers and Bills’ opening-round contests.
As for the latest team to create a coaching vacancy, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson note the Dolphins have not reached out to Harbaugh yet. It would stand to reason that it is only a matter of time before that happens, however. But the Bills and/or the Packers entering this race could throw a wrench into other, less successful teams’ HC plans.
Mutual Interest Between John Harbaugh, Browns For HC Job?
John Harbaugh could end up sticking around the AFC North. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are “definitely doing their diligence” on the former Ravens head coach. Interestingly, that interest may be mutual.
Cabot says that Harbaugh is “believed to have legitimate interest” in the Cleveland job, even with their uncertainty on offense. Besides an opportunity to play his former team twice a year, Cabot notes that there a handful of reasons why Harbaugh could be a logical fit for the organization.
For starters, the coach has deep Cleveland roots. Both John and Jim Harbaugh grew up as Browns fans, and their parents even honeymooned at a Browns game. Both of their parents are Ohio natives, with Jack Harbaugh once playing football at Bowling Green. John Harbaugh, of course, ended up tormenting his favorite childhood team throughout his Baltimore tenure, going 27-8 during his 18 seasons as the Ravens head coach (including a 12-5 record in Cleveland).
Next, Harbaugh also has interest in working alongside a pair of Browns coaches. Cabot says that Harbaugh would consider retaining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and the former Ravens head coach is also a big fan of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. That duo already interviewed for the Browns HC opening this week, and Cabot notes that the franchise would love to keep both of the coaches in some capacity depending on the outcome of their search.
Of course, there are also rumblings that Harbaugh would likely recruit Ravens OC Todd Monken to his next stop, per Armando Salguero of Outkick.com. There have been a handful of reports that Harbaugh’s unwillingness to fire Monken in Baltimore may have contributed to his ouster with the Ravens. Interestingly, the Browns requested a head coach interview with Monken.
To top it all off, Cabot notes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admired Harbaugh for many years. As the team embarks on a thorough search for a replacement for Kevin Stefanski, Harbaugh would seemingly be the organization’s main target. Of course, Harbaugh likely leads the list for most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams.
Cleveland’s current list of candidates includes:
- Aden Durde, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interview requested
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Rumored candidate
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interview requested
- Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): To interview 1/8