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Tom Telesco Assisting In Browns’ HC Search; Rams’ Nate Scheelhaase A Serious Candidate

By | at January 23, 2026 3:43 pm

One year after the Raiders fired him as their general manager, Tom Telesco is working as a consultant in the Browns’ head coaching search, according to Jordan Schultz. Telesco has been in attendance for in-person meetings with candidates, Schultz adds.

Telesco spent most of the season out of football before he (and ex-Dolphins GM Chris Grier) began talks with the Browns in late December. The Browns have since moved on from head coach Kevin Stefanski, but they retained Andrew Berry as their GM. Telesco and Berry worked together in Indianapolis from 2009-12.

Telesco left the Colts in 2013 to become the Chargers’ GM, a role he held for 11 seasons. His head coaching hires with the Chargers included Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Brandon Staley. Those three led the Chargers to one playoff berth apiece. The team missed the postseason in all eight of Telesco’s other years in the organization.

Telesco became the Raiders’ GM a little over a month after the Chargers canned him, though he wasn’t in their front office for the promotion of Antonio Pierce from interim head coach to the full-time position. Owner Mark Davis made that call a few days before he brought in Telesco. Davis and influential part-owner Tom Brady wound up firing Telesco and Pierce after a 4-13 campaign.

Almost three weeks since the Browns fired Stefanski, they remain without a head coach. A hiring isn’t imminent, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes that the Browns still have not held any in-person interviews with external minority candidates. The Rooney Rule requires at least two.

One of those spots will go to Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, who is preparing for this Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks. The Browns will be able to interview Scheelhaase in person next week. They could also give another in-person interview to a minority candidate from the college ranks, per Jones, though he doesn’t name any specific possibilities.

The Browns “very much take seriously Nate Scheelhaase,” says Jones, who wouldn’t be surprised to see the team hire the 35-year-old. If the Rams advance to Super Bowl LX, which will take place Feb. 8, the Browns will have to continue waiting to make it official.

While Scheelhaase looks like one of the favorites for the job, here’s a look at the other candidates the Browns have considered:

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Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 1/23/26

By | at January 23, 2026 3:38 pm

Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 4pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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Chargers Interview Dennard Wilson For DC

By | at January 23, 2026 2:36 pm

One day after new Titans head coach Robert Saleh fired him, Dennard Wilson is now a candidate for the Chargers’ defensive coordinator position. The Chargers have interviewed Wilson for the job, per a team announcement.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is seeking a replacement for trusted confidant and former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who took the Ravens’ HC gig on Thursday. Considering the success Minter had during his two-year stay in Los Angeles, he’ll be a tough act to follow for the Chargers’ next D-coordinator. The Bolts’ Minter-led defense finished top 10 in scoring twice in a row, including No. 1 in 2024, and was fifth in yards allowed in 2025.

Wilson has ties to the Harbaugh family, having worked as Baltimore’s defensive backs coach under then-Ravens HC John Harbaugh in 2023. He parlayed that position into the Titans’ defensive coordinator role from 2024-25. The unit was 30th in scoring in Wilson’s first year, but it was a far stingier second in total defense. However, after it ranked 28th and 21st, respectively, in those categories in 2025, Wilson is now seeking employment.

Along with the Titans and Ravens, the 43-year-old Wilson has served on defensive staffs with the Rams, Jets and Eagles since his NFL coaching career began in 2012. He was the passing game coordinator and DBs coach for the 2022 Eagles, whose top-ranked pass defense helped them advance to the Super Bowl.

Wilson is the first official D-coordinator meeting for the Chargers, who have requested interviews with Ravens DC Zach Orr and Rams pass game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant. There’s a belief that Harbaugh will ultimately promote DBs coach Steve Clinkscale to replace Minter. If that’s the case, Wilson could still end up on the Chargers’ staff in some capacity. He’s also on the Commanders’ radar, having interviewed for their D-coordinator opening on Jan. 10.

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Commanders Interview Steelers’ Teryl Austin For Defensive Coordinator

By | at January 23, 2026 1:47 pm

With his future in Pittsburgh uncertain, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has interviewed for the same position with the Commanders, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

This is the first offseason interview for Austin, who’s coming off his seventh year in Pittsburgh and his fourth as its defensive coordinator. The 60-year-old may end up elsewhere in 2026 after head coach Mike Tomlin resigned. Tomlin’s successor will presumably hire someone else to run Pittsburgh’s defense next season.

Austin became the seventh D-coordinator interview for the Commanders, who are working to replace the fired Joe Whitt. Head coach Dan Quinn & Co. have also discussed the job with Brian Flores, Chiefs D-line coach Joe Cullen, ex-Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon, former Titans DC Dennard Wilson, Bears DBs coach Al Harris and Seahawks DBs coach Karl Scott.

With the exception of Flores, who will stay with the Vikings if he doesn’t land a head coaching job, everyone from that group is still available. Austin easily carries the most experience of the bunch.

Over a decade after beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Penn State in 1991, Austin received his first NFL opportunity as the Seahawks’ DBs coach in 2003. Between his four-year tenure in Seattle and his Pittsburgh stint, he worked in various NFL roles with the Cardinals, Ravens, Lions and Bengals. Austin’s first experience as a coordinator came at Florida in 2010, and Quinn succeeded him in that job the next season. In the pros, Austin was a coordinator in Detroit (2014-17) and Cincinnati (2018) before he caught on with Tomlin’s staff as a senior defensive assistant and secondary coach in 2019.

After Austin grabbed the defensive reins in Pittsburgh, the unit finished top 10 in scoring in three straight seasons, though it ranked a less impressive 12th to 21st in yards allowed in each year. Pittsburgh’s defense is now fresh off its worst season in points (17th) and yards (26th) under Austin, but it piled up the league’s fourth-most takeaways (27) and sixth-most sacks (48).

On the other hand, the Commanders’ defense hardly excelled at anything in 2025. While Washington was a respectable 12th in sacks, it was 27th in points, 31st in takeaways and dead last in yards. Quinn took play-calling duties from Whitt after Week 10, though the head coach could pass those responsibilities to the battle-tested Austin if he joins the Commanders’ staff in 2026.

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Rams Designate RT Rob Havenstein For Return

By | at January 23, 2026 1:34 pm

JANUARY 23: The Rams will continue to go without Havenstein in the NFC Championship Game, Sarah Barshop of ESPN reports. He’ll miss his 10th straight game.

JANUARY 22: Although the coaching carousel has ignited PFR’s search trackers into high gear, our IR Return Tracker is still covering four teams. And a few are making moves ahead of this weekend’s conference championship round.

The Broncos have designated both J.K. Dobbins and Luke Wattenberg for return, while the Patriots saw Mack Hollins return to practice Thursday. The Seahawks designated running back George Holani for return as well. The Rams are now on the board here, as their longest-tenured player — right tackle Rob Havenstein — is back at practice after several weeks off, per the AP’s Greg Beacham.

Havenstein has not played since Week 11, a win over the Seahawks, but could be back in time for the team’s rubber match. Havenstein, who has only played in seven games this season, has missed extensive time due to ankle and knee trouble. The Rams were without their 11th-year right tackle for a three-game stretch in October as well. Although he returned for some November work, he has been on the shelf since the Rams’ home win over the Hawks.

Havenstein, 33, has been the Rams’ RT starter since Nick Foles‘ lone season at the controls. The former St. Louis second-round pick — the only Ram left from their Missouri years — has started 148 games for the team, having signed two extensions to stay in Los Angeles. That ranks seventh among O-linemen in the Rams’ near-90-year history as a franchise. If the two-time Super Bowl starter returns for the 2026 season, he could move past Orlando Pace and into the top five.

But the Rams have seen their once-durable blocker run into persistent injury trouble over the past two seasons. Havenstein missed six games last year, battling ankle trouble in 2024 as well. He also missed three games in 2023. The Wisconsin product was on the field for the Rams’ two playoff games last season, before undergoing surgery on both shoulders, and will have a chance to return for Sunday’s NFC decider. If the Rams do not activate Havenstein and win Sunday, they could activate him for Super Bowl LX.

L.A. has used Warren McClendon as its Havenstein replacement. McClendon, a 2023 fifth-round pick, has started 10 games this season. All 667 of his 2025 snaps have come at right tackle. Pro Football Focus has graded McClendon 15th among all qualified tackles, giving the Rams a potential option in 2026. Havenstein’s three-year, $34.5MM contract expires at season’s end.

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Titans Speak With Steelers’ Arthur Smith About OC Position

By | at January 23, 2026 12:43 pm

With new head coach Robert Saleh working to assemble his staff in Tennessee, the Titans could turn to a familiar face at offensive coordinator. They’ve spoken with Steelers OC and former Titans assistant Arthur Smith about the position, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Smith, 43, was among the coaches the Titans interviewed for their HC job, but he did not rank among their finalists. The Titans ultimately chose Saleh out of a group that also included Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley. After Hafley agreed to become the Dolphins’ head coach on Monday evening, the Titans hired Saleh several hours later.

Saleh is now on the lookout for an experienced O-coordinator to work with quarterback Cam Ward, and Smith fits the bill. The Memphis-born Smith, who worked in various roles with the Titans from 2011-20, is a two-time NFL offensive coordinator (with the Titans from 2019-20 and the Steelers since 2024). He had a three-year run as the Falcons’ head coach from 2021-23 between his OC stints.

Smith struggled to a 21-30 record in Atlanta, which hired him after he impressed as an assistant under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. The Titans’ offense was top 10 in scoring in back-to-back seasons under Smith, who guided the unit to a fourth-place ranking in that category and a second-place position in yards in 2020. QB Ryan Tannehill enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, while running back Derrick Henry eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark on the ground, and wide receivers A.J. Brown and Corey Davis posted solid production.

After the Falcons fired him, Smith resurfaced on Mike Tomlin‘s staff in Pittsburgh. While he’s still a Steelers employee, Smith’s future is uncertain after Tomlin’s resignation. It seems likely he’ll end up elsewhere in 2026. Regardless, it’s fair to say the Steelers have produced middling-at-best results under Smith. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as their signal-callers in 2024, the Steelers finished 16th in scoring and 23rd in total offense. They were a similar 15th and 25th, respectively, in those categories with Aaron Rodgers under center this season.

The Steelers haven’t surrounded their QBs with great supporting casts over the past couple of years, and that’s even more true in the Titans’ case. Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, took a league-high 55 sacks as a rookie. Between the struggles of the Titans’ O-line, instability on the sidelines, and a lack of weapons in the passing game (none of the team’s pass catchers reached the 600-yard mark), Ward unsurprisingly endured a difficult rookie year as part of a 3-14 campaign.

Nick Holz, whom Saleh will not retain, acted as a non-play-calling OC for the Titans in 2025. QBs coach Bo Hardegree called the plays, but either Smith or another outside candidate is expected to take on that role next season.

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Bills To Conduct HC Interview With Philip Rivers

By | at January 23, 2026 11:56 am

The list of Bills targets for their head coaching vacancy continues to grow. One of the more interesting names on the market will now receive a look.

Philip Rivers is set to interview with Buffalo today, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The eight-time Pro Bowler briefly resumed his playing career down the stretch, making three starts for the Colts after Daniel Jones was lost to an Achilles tear. Rivers later confirmed he would not play again.

The door is open to a coaching career, however. Prior to the 2026 head coaching hiring cycle beginning, Rivers was named as a wild-card candidate to watch. As of earlier this month, he had yet to receive an interest from around the NFL. With the Bills in the midst of their search, though, at least one interview will now take place.

Before he un-retired, Rivers had been coaching his eldest son’s high school team. The 44-year-old has stated a desire to return to that role for 2026 in the absence of an NFL opportunity. Rivers’ football acumen and leadership were sources of praise throughout his decorated career, making him a logical candidate for a coaching role of some kind.

On the other hand, Rivers has never worked as a head coach, coordinator or position coach at the pro or college levels. That lack of experience would make a jump directly to the HC ranks in the NFL a risky one to say the least. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if a mutual interest exists between the parties once this in-person interview concludes.

Sean McDermott was fired following Buffalo’s latest postseason loss. Owner Terry Pegula‘s actions and remarks since then have made it clear general manager Brandon Beane won out in a power struggle of sorts with respect to disagreements over roster construction; Beane was promoted to president of football operations earlier this week. Quarterback Josh Allen will be present for Buffalo’s upcoming interviews, and he is in position to have a “significant say” in the team’s eventual hire. It will be interesting to see how Allen feels about the possibility of Rivers (who played 17 full NFL seasons, including 16 with the Chargers) stepping into a head coaching role immediately after hanging up his cleats.

Here is an updated look at where things stand for the Bills:

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Chargers Request Zach Orr DC Interview

By | at January 23, 2026 10:38 am

The Chargers lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter yesterday. One of the NFL’s top head coaching candidates of this year’s cycle is now in place with the Ravens.

Los Angeles could look to Baltimore to find Minter’s replacement. The Chargers have requested an interview with Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr for their DC vacancy, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Orr has held his current title with Baltimore for the past two years.

When Mike Macdonald departed to become head coach of the Seahawks in 2024, the Ravens took the familiar route of promoting from within. A former Baltimore linebacker, Orr took on the D-coordinator role as Macdonald’s replacement. The 33-year-old has been held in high regard in Baltimore throughout his tenures in the organization.

Orr struggled during his first season as DC. Changes were made along the sidelines and on the field which brought about a turnaround, though. The Ravens finished 2024 ranked ninth in points allowed. This season, things did not go according to plan. Orr’s unit consistently struggled, albeit with injuries partially to blame. Baltimore dropped to 18th in scoring defense in 2025.

That did not stop Orr from receiving external DC interest. The former UDFA interviewed with the Cowboys for their D-coordinator gig before Dallas ultimately hired Christian Parker for the role. Orr’s Ravens status remains unclear at this point with Minter likely to handle play-calling duties in Baltimore. He and Orr worked together from 2017-20.

The Chargers have Steve Clinkscale – who served as a co-DC alongside Minter at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh – in place as a strong internal replacement candidate. Los Angeles is required to conduct at least one interview with an external minority candidate, however. The team requested an interview with Rams defensive pass-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant. Orr is now in position to receive a look as well, and it will be interesting to see if the Chargers find themselves in position to bring in Baltimore’s DC in the wake of Minter joining the Ravens.

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Bills To Interview Mike McDaniel For HC Position

By | at January 23, 2026 9:45 am

Mike McDaniel reached an agreement with the Chargers earlier this week to become their new offensive coordinator. He remains on the market for a head coaching gig at this point of the hiring cycle, however.

McDaniel will conduct an interview with the Bills today for their HC vacancy, as first reported by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. This in-person summit will come in the wake of McDaniel withdrawing from the Browns’ search. That seemed to leave him short on head coaching opportunities, but at least one of the league’s five remaining vacancies could be a possibility in his case.

McDaniel’s job security with the Dolphins remained a talking point through the end of the 2025 campaign. A relatively strong finish to the season appeared to help his standing in the organization, but having already moved on from general manager Champ Kelly owner Stephen Ross elected to clean house not long after Week 18 wrapped up. The Dolphins have since brought in Jon-Eric Sullivan and former Packers colleague Jeff Hafley to lead the way.

The Bills, meanwhile, will continue to have Brandon Beane guiding the front office. The veteran general manager was promoted to president of football operations shortly after the decision was made to fire head coach Sean McDermott. A number of familiar names – such as current offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former OC Brian Daboll and ex-Josh Allen teammate Davis Webb – have been strongly linked to Buffalo as the search for McDermott’s replacement unfolds.

The Bills went up against McDaniel’s Dolphins eight times in the regular season and once in the playoffs during his Miami stint. There is of course a high degree of familiarity already in this case as a result, but it will be interesting to see what takes place following this interview. Buffalo has other meetings set for this weekend, so a small group of finalists should emerge relatively soon.

Buffalo owner Terry Pegula along with Beane and executives Brian Gaine and Terrance Gray are present for the upcoming set of interviews, Breer notes. He adds Allen will take part in the interviews as well, confirming Pegula’s comments on that matter from earlier this week. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Allen will have a “significant say” in the Bills’ ultimate HC decision. Buffalo’s McDermott replacement will be the second head coach of the 2024 MVP’s NFL career.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where the Bills currently stand:

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Fernando Mendoza Declares For NFL Draft

By | at January 23, 2026 8:52 am

As expected, Fernando Mendoza will be turning pro in 2026. The anticipated No. 1 pick announced on Instagram Friday he has declared for the NFL draft.

Many of the quarterbacks held in high regard entering the 2025 college season did not meet expectations. Mendoza was an exception, however, with the Cal transfer playing a pivotal role in Indiana’s storybook campaign. The Hoosiers continued their rapid ascent under head coach Curt Cignetti this year, capping off a perfect season by winning the national championship on Monday.

Mendoza easily enjoyed the most productive season of his three-year college career along the way. He posted a 41:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing 72% of his passes. Mendoza’s rushing ability is not viewed as a staple of his game at the NFL level, but he posted 276 yards and seven scores this season. That production, coupled with Indiana’s dominance, helped land Mendoza All-American honors along with several other individual accolades.

The Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner has long been viewed as a first-round lock in April’s draft. Opinions were split on his ceiling as a pro passer during the regular season, although Mendoza’s stock has continued to rise through Indiana’s CFP run. The QB-needy Raiders are slated to select first overall, and Dante Moore recently elected to stay at Oregon for next season.

As a result, Mendoza is widely seen as the projected first overall pick in this year’s draft. Vegas is one of five teams with a head coaching vacancy at the moment, and the Raiders hope to bring in a HC with an offensive background. Developing Mendoza will of course be a central priority for the franchise as the Raiders look to rebound from a 3-14 showing during Pete Carroll‘s one-and-done season.

Plenty can and will change with respect to draft evaluations over the coming months. Movement near the top of the first-round order will, as always, be something to watch for as the draft approaches. With respect to the Raiders, however, anything other than calling Mendoza’s name first overall would be seen as a major upset given where things currently stand.

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