Browns Arrange HC Interviews With Dan Pitcher, Aden Durde

Earlier this week, Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher and Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde each received a head coaching interview request from the Browns. Both have accepted.

Per a team announcement, interviews with both Pitcher and Durde will take place today. As required by NFL rules, they will be conducted virtually. These will mark the first two interviews of outside candidates for the position, after Tommy Rees and Jim Schwartz both interviewed for the chance to replace Kevin Stefanski.

To date, Pitcher has only been connected to the Browns’ HC opening. The 38-year-old entered the NFL as a scout with the Colts, but his coaching tenure has consisted entirely of work with the Bengals. Pitcher joined Cincinnati in 2016, and over time he worked his way up to quarterbacks coach. When Brian Callahan departed in 2024 to become the Titans’ head coach, Pitcher replaced him as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator.

Head coach Zac Taylor remained Cincinnati’s play-caller after Pitcher’s promotion. That is likely to continue into 2026, and Taylor does not intend to make any major staff changes this offseason. Pitcher will look into at least one head coaching opportunity during this year’s cycle, though.

Durde, 46, has seen his stock rise over the course of his time as an NFL coach. A former Cowboys and Falcons intern, he drew strong reviews for his work as a position coach during later stints in Atlanta and Dallas. That resulted in Durde’s first coordinator opportunity in 2024. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has called plays on defense for Seattle, but Durde has served as a key staffer for the unit. In 2025, the NFC’s top seed ranked No. 1 in scoring defense. That has landed Durde at least one interview, but more could follow in the near future.

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

  • Aden Durde, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): To interview 1/9
  • John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Rumored mutual interest
  • Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Rumored candidate
  • Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
  • Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): To interview 1/9
  • Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8

2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Now, following a wild-card loss, the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are separating after 19 years. Here are the candidates connected to all nine of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-18-26 (10:00pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/26

Wednesday’s midweek minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

In Green Bay, head coach Matt LaFleur relayed that Melton doesn’t have a torn ACL, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but his knee injury is just going to take some time to recover. Meanwhile, the Chargers and Seahawks look to return two role players to offenses as they ready for their first playoff games.

The 21-day practice windows have come and gone for McLeod and Willams. Without an activation, both players will return to their respective injured lists.

Ravens Request HC Interview With Anthony Weaver, Klint Kubiak

The Ravens have begun their search to replace longtime head coach John Harbaugh.

Baltimore’s first two interview requests have gone to Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Weaver, 45, is a former Ravens player and coach. He was drafted by then-general manager Ozzie Newsome in the second round of the 2022 draft and started for his entire time in Baltimore. He then spent three years in Houston before retiring and joining the coaching ranks, first at the college level before jumping to the NFL with the Jets. He then served as a defensive line coach for the, Bills, Browns, and Texans before a stint as interim defensive coordinator in Houston after Bill O’Brien was fired in 2020.

Weaver went back to Baltimore in 2021, this time as a coach with a dual DL coach/defensive run game coordinator role. In 2022, he added associate head coach to his title. The Ravens were consistently one of the league’s top run-stopping defenses under Weaver, and his unit was a huge factor in the team’s success under Mike Macdonald in 2022 and 2023.

Weaver interviewed for the Ravens’ DC job when Macdonald left for Seattle, but it went to Zach Orr instead. Weaver was then hired by Mike McDaniel to replace Vic Fangio in Miami. The Dolphins defense improved from 22nd in points and 10th in yards in 2023 to 10th and fourth, respectively, in 2024. The unit regressed to bottom-10 numbers this past season, though Weaver was not helped by general manager Chris Grier. He virtually ignored the defense in the offseason, leaving his DC especially weak at cornerback and defensive tackle.

Weaver would return to Baltimore armed with two years of play-calling. experience and a few connections to potential offensive coordinators. Ex-Texans OC Bobby Slowik spent the 2025 season in Miami, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that Dolphins owner and Michigan alum Stephen Ross consideres replacing McDaniel with Harbaugh. That could make McDaniel an option to come with Weaver to Baltimore as OC, though he himself may garner head coaching consideration, too.

Kubiak, 38, is arguably the hottest offensive head coach candidate this hiring cycle, which is far stronger in defensive-minded coaches. He has been with five different teams in the last five years, which is a potential red flag, but it also gives him a number of connections around the league. He has also spent time under Kyle Shanahan and Mike Zimmer, two other experienced, well-respected coaches that add to Kubiak’s pedigree. That could help him build a strong staff – for example, bringing Seahawks DC Aden Durde to Baltimore. He also has play-calling experience for multiple offenses and could likely adapt his system to Lamar Jackson’s skillset.

Obviously, Kubiak’s last name is relevant to the Ravens, who employed his father, Gary Kubiak, as their offensive coordinator in 2014. Kubiak departed the next season for Denver, but he is still fondly remembered in Baltimore.

Browns Request Interview With Seahawks DC Aden Durde

Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde has joined the Browns’ list of head coach candidates.

The Browns submitted an official request to interview Durde on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The 46-year-old U.K. native began his coaching career in Europe before internships with the Cowboys (2014-2015) and the Falcons (2016) led to more opportunities in the NFL. He returned to Dan Quinn’s staff in Atlanta in 2018, first as a defensive quality control assistant and then as outside linebackers coach. Durde then followed Quinn to Dallas in 2021 and took over as the Cowboys’ defensive line coach.

The Seahawks came calling last offseason after hiring Mike Macdonald as their new head coach. Though Macdonald has been Seattle’s defensive play-caller, Durde has still played a key role in a unit that finished 11th in scoring and 14th in total defense in his debut season before ranking first and sixth, respectively, in 2025.

The Browns seem to be open to a new head coach with a background on either side of the ball, though their last four hires have all been offensive-minded coaches. Durde would not only represent a departure from that pattern, but a major leap of faith in a relatively unproven coach. His units in Seattle have been excellent, but that might have more to do with Macdonald, who is among the foremost defensive minds in the NFL. Handing Durde play-calling duties along with the other responsibilities of a head coach would be a tremendous leap of faith, one that could probably only be inspired by a flawless interview process.

Durde seems like a long shot to land the top job in Cleveland, but his consideration reflects the defensive focus of this offseason’s hiring cycle. Continued success in Seattle this postseason and in 2026 will keep him in the mix for future head coaching vacancies.

Klint Kubiak Receives HC Interview Requests From Giants, Cardinals, Raiders

To little surprise, Klint Kubiak is a popular early candidate for head coaching opportunities. The Seahawks OC has received plenty of interest from teams with a HC vacancy.

Kubiak was already known to have received an interview request from the Falcons. He is also expected to be a target for the Titans regarding their opening. In addition, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports the Giants, Cardinals and Raiders have submitted an interview slip. This marks the first offseason in which Kubiak has received an HC interview request. Giants rumors had emerged before the regular season’s conclusion.

Seattle clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed and with it a bye during the wild-card round. As a result, NFL rules permit Kubiak to interview virtually with interested teams this week. All interviews he conducts must take place before the opening round of the playoffs wraps up. Per Breer, Kubiak is currently in the midst of planning his schedule with his focus still mainly on the Seahawks.

Kubiak has worked as an offensive coordinator with three different teams (Vikings in 2021, Saints in 2024 and Seahawks this season). The 38-year-old has not lasted beyond one season in any of those roles, though the Seahawks certainly would be interested in retaining him for the 2026 season. The Vikings fired Mike Zimmer after the 2021 campaign, and the Saints dismissed Dennis Allen midway through the ’24 season. That led to new offensive play-callers arriving and Kubiak heading elsewhere.

The second-generation play-caller coached the Broncos’ quarterbacks during an eventful 2022 season in Denver; Nathaniel Hackett went around OC Justin Outten to give Kubiak play-calling duties as the season spiraled. Hackett then worked as the pass-game coordinator under Kyle Shanahan in 2023, helping Brock Purdy to a Pro Bowl season as the 49ers soared to Super Bowl LVIII. The Seahawks reunited Kubiak with Sam Darnold this past offseason, with the assistant’s presence a draw for the QB, and the Seahawks have booked the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in 11 years.

Seattle ranks third in scoring offense and eighth in yardage, and Darnold has delivered on his free agent contract. The Seahawks have seen some second-half inconsistency from their starter, but he has done enough to keep the offense afloat en route to a 14-3 record. Jaxon Smith-Njigba also smashed a Seahawks single-season record by tallying an NFL-leading 1,793 yards. With this coaching crop heavier on the defensive side, Kubiak was bound to receive requests. The Seahawks, who fired Ryan Grubb after one season, could face the prospect of replacing their OC for a third straight year.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Falcons Request HC Interviews With Klint Kubiak, Anthony Weaver

An eighth straight season without a playoff berth led to a major organizational shakeup for the Falcons, who fired general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday. The Falcons’ former franchise quarterback, Matt Ryan, is expected to take over as president of football operations.

Although Ryan hasn’t officially rejoined the organization yet, Atlanta – with the help of search firm ZRG Partners – is acting quickly to find a new head coach. The team has requested interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

This head coaching market doesn’t feature many slam-dunk offensive-minded candidates, but the 38-year-old Kubiak has made a case for a promotion this season. Thanks in part to the Seahawks’ Kubiak-led offense, which finished the regular season third in scoring and tied for seventh in yardage, the team went 14-3 and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

With Kubiak’s help, quarterback Sam Darnold put together a second straight strong season in 2025 – his first with the Seahawks after reviving his career with the Vikings in 2024. Darnold’s favorite target, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, led the league with 1,793 yards.

Kubiak’s presence helped draw Darnold to the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5MM contract last March. It’s possible the success the two have had since then will lead to a first head coaching job for Kubiak. Moving on from Seattle would mean a third straight one-and-done stint as an offensive coordinator for Kubiak, the son of former Texans and Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak.

Klint Kubiak’s first OC opportunity came with the Vikings in 2021, when he succeeded his retired father in the role. With productive efforts from Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, the unit finished with above-average rankings in yards (12th) and points (14th). However, the Vikings then made a head coaching change in replacing Mike Zimmer with Kevin O’Connell, and Kubiak did not return in 2022.

After leaving Minnesota, Kubiak divided the next two seasons between Denver and San Francisco. His year as Russell Wilson‘s quarterbacks coach went poorly, but Kubiak boosted his stock as Kyle Shanahan‘s passing game coordinator in 2023. He first worked with Darnold, then a backup to Brock Purdy, that year. It was the first full season as a starter for Purdy, who fared well with Kubiak and helped the 49ers advance to the Super Bowl.

Kubiak’s performance with the 49ers led to his second shot as an offensive coordinator with the Saints last year. In what proved to be quarterback Derek Carr‘s final season, an injury-limited campaign in which he played 10 games, the Saints’ offense wound up 21st in yards and 24th in points. With New Orleans in the midst of a coaching search last January, Kubiak left for Seattle – a move that has gone swimmingly for both sides.

Weaver, 45, was a defensive lineman for the Ravens and Texans from 2002-08. After coaching D-lines with the Jets, Bills, Browns and Texans from 2012-19, he took over as Houston’s D-coordinator under Bill O’Brien in 2020. O’Brien did not last the full season, though, and after the Texans’ defense finished 27th in yards and 30th in points, Weaver didn’t retain his post for a second year.

Following his Houston exit, Weaver had a three-year run as a D-line coach on John Harbaugh‘s staff in Baltimore. He impressed enough with the Ravens to grab the reins as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2024. While the Dolphins ranked fourth in total defense and 10th in points under Weaver last year, they fell to 22nd and 24th in those categories this season. Nevertheless, Weaver will be part of the head coaching interview cycle for the second straight offseason. He met with the Bears and Saints last winter.

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

With the AFC North now settled (in rather dramatic fashion), the 2025 regular season is in the books. Following their decisions to shelve Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick. After entering Week 17 in that slot, the Giants — as they did in 2024 — slipped out of the top two thanks to a late-season win.

Big Blue’s victories over the Raiders and Cowboys dropped them to No. 5, with today’s win allowing the Jets, Cardinals and Titans to leapfrog them. The Giants, who fell out of the No. 1 spot last year thanks to a Drew Lock-led win over the Colts in Week 17, will still hold a top-five pick — just not the one most expected two weeks ago. The Jets saw the Colts’ collapse, which dropped them from 8-2 to 8-9, give them two picks in the top 16.

The Cardinals started 2-0 but managed to close the season with 14 losses over their final 15 games. This will give Arizona a top-four pick for the third time in the Monti Ossenfort era. The GM traded out of that slot in 2023 before drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024; Ossenfort is expected to be retained for a fourth season, providing another opportunity. This will be the third straight year the Titans will hold a top-seven pick.

The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday, but thanks to a three-way NFC South tie, Tampa Bay’s draft slot will land out of the playoff positions for the first time since 2020. Because Atlanta defeated New Orleans today, Carolina’s first-round pick will slide into the bottom 14 despite its 8-9 finish — one that secured playoff entry for the first time since 2017.

Although the draft order is not fully set due to the upcoming playoffs, the first 18 picks are. Here is how the order looks after Week 18:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
  2. New York Jets (3-14)
  3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  5. New York Giants (4-13)
  6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
  7. Washington Commanders (5-12)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
  11. Miami Dolphins (7-10)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
  13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
  15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
  16. New York Jets (via Colts)
  17. Detroit Lions (9-8)
  18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
  19. Carolina Panthers (8-9)
  20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
  24. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
  25. Chicago Bears (11-6)
  26. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
  27. Houston Texans (12-5)
  28. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
  30. New England Patriots (14-3)
  31. Denver Broncos (14-3)
  32. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)

Seahawks, LT Charles Cross Agree On Extension

As Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross missed his third game in a row with injury, he and the team were able to agree to a new extension. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Seattle and Cross have come to terms on a four-year, $104.4MM extension. The deal pays out $40.5MM in the first year and included $75MM in guaranteed money.

The deal comes with little surprise. When Cross expressed his interest in an extension in the weeks leading up to his fourth season in the NFL, the Seahawks shut down any notion of that occurring during that time. The team had been operating under the notion that they don’t extend contracts that have more than a year left on them, and after Cross’ fifth-year option was exercised last April, the then-24-year-old still had two years left on his slate. As soon as one of those years was finished and Cross had only one year left, Seattle couldn’t even wait 24 hours to extend their blindside blocker.

The new contract makes Cross the fifth-highest paid offensive tackle (per annual average value) in the NFL behind Rashawn Slater, Tristan Wirfs, (right tackle) Penei Sewell, and Trent Williams. Perhaps more impressive, Cross’ contract is the largest for a non-quarterback in franchise history, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Cross is more than deserving of the new deal. Since getting drafted by the Seahawks at No. 9 overall in 2022, Cross has started in all but six games (consisting of two three-week absences). He established himself as one of the best tackles in the league last year as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him out as the ninth-best player at his position last year. He followed that up with a ranking at 27th out of 87 this year.

Though three of those six career absences have consecutively come in the past three weeks due to a hamstring injury, Cross is expected to be back in the lineup for the playoffs. Luckily for Cross and the Seahawks, the team’s victory over the division-rival 49ers secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, so the 25-year-old will have a little extra time to work his way back to the field. They’ve clearly decided to be productive with the two weeks they have until their next game as they checked one thing off the offseason checklist nice and early.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/26

After the final standard gameday practice squad elevations of the 2025 regular season, the three-game elevation limit resets for the postseason, so only players getting signed to the 53-man roster because of the limit will be noted today. Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Browns made it known yesterday that they were shutting down Schwesinger and tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. for the final week of the season, but the Defensive Rookie of the Year-favorite is the only one to land on IR.

In Dallas, Williams failed to practice this week as he dealt with shoulder and neck issues. With Davis also being placed on IR, the Cowboys will rely on rookie fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue and the recently activated Mafah, a seventh-round rookie, in Week 18. The team used their eighth and final IR activation to bring Mafah back for a potential NFL debut.

Because Green Bay didn’t elevate recently signed practice squad quarterback Desmond Ridder, it appears either Malik Willis will be healthy enough to back up Clayton Tune or Jordan Love will serve as the potential QB2 for the Packers in Week 18.

Judon is set to make his Bills debut in the team’s regular season finale after signing to their practice squad two weeks ago.

With Saints backup quarterback Spencer Rattler not practicing this week with a finger injury, Haener gets the call to back up rookie Tyler Shough.

Hall in Tennessee had already been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation three times this season. In order for him to appear in the Titans’ regular season finale, the move to the 53-man roster was necessary.

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