January 30, 2026
New Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is ready to hit the ground running in his new gig in the Steel City and is excited about the roster that he's inheriting, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "This is not a start-over opportunity at all. This is a football team that was in the playoffs last year. This is a playoff roster," McCarthy said. The former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach is focused on filling out the rest of his coaching staff for 2026 before the team makes any decisions on impending free agents. The Steelers made the postseason in 2025 but were blown out by the Houston Texans in the Wild-Card round. Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers will be a free agent in March, and it's unclear if he even wants to play another year, let alone return to Pittsburgh. In addition to question marks at the most important position, the Steelers really could use more receiver depth behind
DK Metcalf.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Brooke Pryor
January 29, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has verbally agreed to become the next Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive coordinator, a league source told Josina Anderson. Graham will replace former DC Teryl Austin, whose contract expired after the 2025 season. It's the first hire for new head coach Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh. The 47-year-old Graham was the Raiders' DC since 2022. Before coaching in Vegas, Graham had his first DC job with the Miami Dolphins in 2019. After that, he was the New York Giants' DC and assistant head coach in 2020. Pittsburgh's defense/special teams was better in the fantasy football realm than the real-life one, as they ranked third in overall fantasy points thanks to three defensive touchdowns, but they were in the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed per game. Graham will have plenty to work with in defensive stars T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey.
--Keith HernandezSource: Josina Anderson
January 29, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham on Thursday as their new general manager, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Cunningham will replace Terry Fontenot, who was fired after the 2025 season. In his first-ever NFL GM job, Cunningham will work closely with former quarterback and president of football
Matt Ryan moving forward. He got his start in the NFL in 2008 as a personnel assistant with the Baltimore Ravens and was promoted to area scout in 2013. Cunningham has also been the Philadelphia Eagles' director of scouting in 2017 before being promoted to director of player personnel in 2020. He has been with the Bears as the assistant GM since 2021. The Falcons went 37-48 in the five years that Fontenot was the GM. Cunningham will now try to help Atlanta get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 29, 2026
Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach
Davis Webb plans to withdraw from the Las Vegas Raiders' head-coaching search and is considered a prime candidate to be promoted to offensive coordinator in Denver, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Webb has also received several offensive-coordinator requests around the league, including with the Buffalo Bills. In addition to interviewing for the Raiders' head-coaching job, Webb interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills before they hired Jesse Minter and Joe Brady, respectively. The Broncos fired OC Joe Lombardi earlier this week, likely with the intention of promoting Webb under head coach Sean Payton. A former backup QB, Webb has been a hot name in the coaching cycle this year. Given his experience working with quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle) the last two years, keeping Webb around in 2026 would be a big win for the Broncos.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 29, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders plan to interview Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak over the weekend and then make a decision on their head-coaching vacancy, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. "It's probably (Kubiak's) job to lose," one candidate predicted. Kubiak's interview with the Raiders will be his second with the organization. The Raiders cannot officially hire Kubiak until after Super Bowl LX is played on Sunday, Feb. 8. The Raiders are also looking at Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach/passing-game coordinator
Davis Webb and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for the head-coaching job, but Kubiak appears to be the clear front-runner. Under Kubiak in 2025, Seattle finished third in points per game (28.4) and eighth in total yards per game (351.4). If hired by the Raiders, Kubiak will likely be tasked with developing Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
January 29, 2026
The Baltimore Ravens requested to interview Denver Broncos defensive passing-game coordinator and assistant head coach Jim Leonhard for their defensive-coordinator job, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Leonhard played for the Ravens in 2008 and has already interviewed for the Chargers' defensive-coordinator job. He's also expected to interview for the same position with the Buffalo Bills. Before working with the Broncos the last two seasons, Leonhard was in the collegiate ranks, mostly at the University of Wisconsin. He has drawn a lot of attention with the Broncos' defense becoming one of the best units in the league over the last two seasons. If he were to land in Baltimore, Leonhard would be working under new head coach Jesse Minter, who was previously the DC for the Los Angeles Chargers. He is expected to be the front-runner to land the DC job in Buffalo.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 29, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers are hiring Western Michigan defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary as their defensive coordinator on Thursday, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN. O'Leary will be returning to the Chargers after working under Jesse Minter as the safeties coach in 2024. Before working in L.A., he coached the secondary at Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman. O'Leary is replacing Minter, who got the head-coaching job with the Baltimore Ravens. He spent six seasons with the Fighting Irish, and his defense at Western Michigan was one of the best scoring defenses in college football in 2025. While this isn't the sexiest hire for the Chargers, it makes sense because of O'Leary's already deep knowledge of the team's roster on the defensive side. When he was with the Bolts in 2024, they led the league in scoring defense and allowed just 17.7 points per game.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 28, 2026
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers talked with former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott to check about joining head coach Todd Bowles' staff, but he's expected to take this year off and reassess his options in 2027, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. McDermott overlapped with Bucs general manager Jason Licht during their time from 2003 to 2007 with the Philadelphia Eagles, and McDermott interviewed for Tampa's head-coaching job back in 2016. Buffalo surprisingly fired McDermott after nine years with the organization. He led the franchise to eight playoff wins during that time, but he was never able to get over the hump in the postseason and lead them to a Super Bowl appearance. Given his success with the Bills, McDermott should be one of the best head-coaching candidates in 2027 for the next coaching carousel.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Greg Auman
January 28, 2026
The future of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz with the Cleveland Browns is unclear after the team decided to hire former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Schwartz was visibly upset and told other coaches in the building that he was not coming back after the Browns informed him that they were choosing Monken over him. He remains under contract with Cleveland, and the Browns want to retain him. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the only way they were probably going to keep Schwartz around is if they promoted him to head coach after they fired Kevin Stefanski following the 2025 season. It's unclear if Schwartz will stick around and coach a talented Browns defense, but it may not be up to him, as Monken might decide to go in another direction at defensive coordinator.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
The New York Jets are hiring former Miami Dolphins passing-game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker as their next defensive coordinator, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Duker, 36, spent time with Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on the Detroit Lions' coaching staff from 2021 to 2023, when Glenn was the defensive coordinator, and Duker was a rising assistant coach. The Jets interviewed Duker for the job less than 24 hours ago. He beat out eight other candidates, including veteran defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. The Jets are also searching for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday. Duker and Glenn have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball going into next season, as the Jets became the first team in NFL history in 2025 to go an entire season without a single interception. They also ranked second-to-last with 29.6 points allowed per game.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers are requesting to interview Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator and assistant head coach Jim Leonhard for their vacant defensive-coordinator position, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Leonhard has also received interest from the Buffalo Bills, among other teams. The Chargers are looking for a new defensive coordinator after Jesse Minter left to become the next head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Leonhard has done a standout job with the Broncos' defense, one of the best units in the NFL, as they allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game (187.2) during the 2025 regular season. The Chargers' defense was sneaky good this past season, too, allowing the seventh-fewest yards per play and the fifth-lowest offensive success rate. Leonhard will have a lot to work with if he chooses to go to L.A.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 28, 2026
The Cleveland Browns are hiring former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 59-year-old spent the last three years running the Ravens' offense under head coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore. Monken served as the offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2019 under head coach Freddie Kitchens. This will be Monken's first head-coaching job in the NFL, although he did serve as the head coach in college at Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015. The Browns fired previous head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons at the helm after the team finished 5-12 in 2025. Monken will have his work cut out for him in his first head-coaching gig in the NFL. First and foremost, on the offensive side of the ball, the Browns must decide who their quarterback will be.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 27, 2026
The Arizona Cardinals interviewed former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in-person for their head-coaching vacancy, a source told Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Rivera is currently the general manager for the football team at the University of California. The 64-year-old coached the Panthers from 2011 to 2019, which included a Super Bowl appearance and two NFL Coach of the Year awards. He wasn't as successful in a shorter stint as the Commanders' head coach from 2020 to 2023, as he never had a winning record in D.C. Rivera hasn't coached in the NFL for the last two seasons, but he's on Arizona's radar as they look to replace Jonathan Gannon. Rivera has plenty of experience in the NFL as a head coach, but it's believed that Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is the favorite to be named the Cardinals' next head coach.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
January 27, 2026
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who won eight Super Bowls, will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, according to Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN. Belichick fell short of the 40 of 50 votes needed for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility, according to four sources with first-hand knowledge of the outcome. Sources who spoke with the coach over the weekend described Belichick as "puzzled" and "disappointed." "Politics kept him out. He doesn't believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments," a source familiar with Belichick's thinking said. Per Ari Meirov, former Bills and Colts general manager and long-time Patriots rival Bill Polian told some voters that he thought Belichick should "wait a year" as penance for the Spygate and Deflategate scandals. Most fans considered Belichick to be a lock as a first-ballot Hall of Famer with an NFL coaching record of 333-178, including the playoffs.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham
January 27, 2026
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Tuesday that both offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will remain with the team for the 2026 season. Both Udinski and Campanile interviewed for multiple head-coaching openings this cycle, so they will return to Duval next season. The Jaguars excelled on both sides of the ball in 2025 under first-year head coach Liam Coen, which led to the team winning the AFC South. Jacksonville was unable to advance past the Buffalo Bills in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs, but they are a rising organization with the coaching staff staying intact. Under the 30-year-old Udinski, the offense ranked in the top 10 in points per game (27.9), scoring margin, first downs, and total touchdowns. Under Campanile, the Jags had the best run defense in the NFL and also set franchise records with 102 pass breakups, 31 takeaways, 22 interceptions, and a plus-13 turnover differential.
--Keith HernandezSource: Jaguars PR
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