Jets To Hire Brian Duker As DC
The Jets have put an end to a drawn-out defensive coordinator search. They’re hiring former Dolphins pass game coordinator Brian Duker, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
More to come…
Browns To Hire Todd Monken As HC
Three-plus weeks after firing Kevin Stefanski, the Browns have found their next head coach. They’re hiring former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
After the Browns canned Stefanski on Jan. 5, they sent their first known external interview request to Monken the next day. He booked a second interview with the Browns on Jan. 20 and became a finalist for the position, joining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
Schwartz had reportedly picked up momentum toward a promotion, but the Browns will instead go outside the organization and choose a fourth straight offensive-minded head coach. While Schwartz remains under contract with the Browns, it’s unknown if he’ll agree to work under Monken or elect to go elsewhere.
More to come…
Chargers Request DC Interview With Broncos’ Jim Leonhard
As they continue searching for a successor to former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, the Chargers have requested an interview with Broncos assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
If Leonhard interviews with the Chargers, he’ll become the seventh candidate to discuss their D-coordinator position since Minter became the Ravens’ head coach on Jan. 22. Minter earned a promotion after two stellar years in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the Chargers’ defense finished top 10 in the NFL in scoring twice in a row, including No. 1 in 2024, and fifth in yards allowed in 2025.
Leonhard doesn’t have any professional experience as a coordinator, but he held the role at Wisconsin from 2017-22. Since leaving the college ranks, the former NFL defensive back has garnered two years’ experience on Denver’s staff. He began as the Broncos’ defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2024.
While the Broncos ranked a below-average 19th in pass defense a season ago, cornerback Patrick Surtain II earned Defensive Player of the Year honors on Leonhard’s watch. The Broncos improved to seventh against the pass in 2025, but they couldn’t get past the Patriots in the AFC title game despite holding quarterback Drake Maye to 86 yards in inclement weather.
With the Broncos’ season over, Leonhard could head elsewhere for a promotion in the coming days. The 43-year-old interviewed with the Cowboys and Jets for defensive coordinator earlier this month, though Dallas has since filled its job with the hiring of Christian Parker. The Bills are also expected to pursue Leonhard, but they haven’t requested an interview yet.
Here’s a look at where the Chargers’ DC search stands:
- Steve Clinkscale, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Adam Fuller, safeties coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interview requested
- Zach Orr, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/23
- Aubrey Pleasant, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
- Dylan Roney, outside linebackers coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/26
- Dennard Wilson, former defensive coordinator (Titans): Interviewed 1/23
Jets To Interview Lunda Wells For OC; Jon Gruden Declined Team’s Overtures
After parting with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday, the Jets have identified a potential replacement in Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells. They’ll interview Wells today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
The Jets are the third team of the offseason to show OC interest in Wells, who previously met with the Commanders and will discuss the position with the Steelers. Now 42 years old, Wells began his NFL coaching career in New York in 2012 in a quality control role with the Tom Coughlin-led Giants.
Coughlin’s run as the Giants’ head coach ended after 2015, but Wells stayed on their staff during the short-lived Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur eras. He served as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach from 2013-17 before working with their tight ends from 2018-19.
Wells is now coming off his sixth year in Dallas, where he has aided in the development of tight ends Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson. In joining the Jets, Wells would inherit a promising tight end in Mason Taylor, who posted a 44-catch season as a second-round rookie in 2025, as well as a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson.
While Taylor and Wilson are bright spots, the Jets’ offense otherwise lacks weapons, especially with running back Breece Hall on the verge of free agency. More importantly, though, the Jets don’t have a clear answer at quarterback. It’s something general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn will have to address this offseason after last year’s Justin Fields gamble fell flat.
Although Wells will receive some consideration to run the Jets’ offense in 2026, Glenn is reportedly focused on hiring an experienced candidate to be the “head coach” of the unit. Frank Reich is the frontrunner, but Glenn also reached out to Jon Gruden about joining his staff, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
It’s unknown whether Gruden would have become the Jets’ offensive coordinator or taken on a different position, but he declined Glenn’s overtures. The longtime head coach, 62, hasn’t worked in the NFL since he served as a consultant with the Saints in 2023. Gruden hasn’t coached since he resigned his post with the Raiders in October 2021. He stepped down after emails he sent containing racist, sexist and homophobic remarks were leaked. Gruden, who sent those emails while working as an analyst at ESPN from 2011-18, is now suing the league.
Bills Promote Joe Brady To HC
The Bills have elected to take the internal route regarding their head coaching position. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has been promoted to the role, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
The news is now official, per a team announcement. This is a five-year agreement, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds. After a nine-year run with Sean McDermott at the helm, the Bills will hope a familiar first-time head coach will be able to get them over the hump in the postseason.
Once McDermott was fired in the wake of Buffalo’s latest divisional round loss, Brady was named as a logical replacement candidate the team knows well. Indeed, the Bills showed interest in former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and ex-Josh Allen teammate Davis Webb while weighing their options. All three have received looks elsewhere on the market, but instead of departing Brady has elected to remain in place and take over Buffalo’s staff.
Brady interviewed twice with the Ravens and Raiders for their HC vacancies. He also arranged an in-person meeting with the Cardinals, but that will not take place. A promotion always loomed as a strong possibility in this case, and after working in Buffalo the past four years Brady will now take on a head coaching position for the first time in his career by remaining in a familiar spot.
The 36-year-old spent two seasons as a Saints assistant before joining LSU’s staff for 2019. Brady’s work with the national champions that year drew attention based on the Tigers’ remarkable offensive production and boosted his coaching stock to a large extent. It immediately landed him an OC gig with the Panthers. Things did not go according to plan during Matt Rhule‘s Carolina tenure, but Brady did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity once his two-year Panthers run came to an end. He joined the Bills in 2022 as their quarterbacks coach.
Ken Dorsey was in place as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator at the time. That remained the case until midway through the 2023 campaign, when Dorsey was fired. Brady took over for the remainder of the season and stayed in place as the team’s play-caller through 2024 and ’25. During his two full years as an OC, Buffalo ranked second and then fourth in the NFL in scoring. The Bills also posted top-10 finishes in total offense under Brady.
Expectations will no doubt remain high for the team on offense with Brady still in place and a core highlighted by Allen under contract. Buffalo remained strong as a rushing team this past season, but struggles in the passing game proved to be an issue. The Bills will presumably aim to bring in at least one notable pass-catcher this offseason, but in the meantime Brady will now turn his attention to building a staff.
An OC replacement will need to be sought out, with a decision on whether or not Brady will call plays being required as well. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich remains in place at this time; Babich has worked as the team’s DC for the past two years but his Buffalo tenure dates back to 2017. It will be interesting to see how much Brady prioritizes experience as opposed to seeking out external options over the coming days.
As part of the decision to move on from McDermott, Bills owner Terry Pegula elected to promote general manager Brandon Beane to president of football operations. That elevated Beane’s standing in the organization and no doubt increased his sway during HC interviews. Allen also had input in the head coaching decision, and the coordinator in place from his 2024 MVP season will remain in the organization moving forward.
Candidates with a wide range of coaching experience interviewed with the Bills in the aftermath of McDermott’s dismissal. Other highly-regarded staffers such as Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak may have also received a look, but Buffalo was not eligible to speak with him until after the Super Bowl. Instead of waiting for Kubiak or any other external candidates, Pegula and Co. have decided to promote from within.
Titans Hire Brian Daboll As OC
11:28pm: The Titans announced Daboll’s hiring. It seems he’s no longer a contender to become the Raiders‘ head coach. Daboll agreed to a three-year contract, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. The Raiders still have another HC interview left, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. It is not known which candidate will meet with the Silver and Black this week.
11:18am: The Titans are set to hire Brian Daboll as their next offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. However, Daboll remains a candidate for the Raiders’ head coaching job. He conducted a second interview with Las Vegas on Tuesday, per Schefter. Daboll will join the Titans if the Raiders don’t hire him.
Daboll had been in the running to fill the Bills’ head coaching vacancy, which he reportedly preferred, but that’s now off the table after they promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Tuesday. The Raiders are now the only team the Titans will have to fend off for Daboll’s services.
Daboll has given Titans HC Robert Saleh his word that he’ll go to Tennessee if he doesn’t land a head coaching gig, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. In the event the Raiders hire Daboll, the Titans would have to pivot to a different play-calling choice. Along with Daboll, former Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, Packers OC Adam Stenavich and ex-Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis have all interviewed with the Titans.
For now, Saleh appears poised to reel in an accomplished offensive coordinator to join his first Titans staff. It also pairs up a couple of of former New York head coaches. Saleh coached the Jets from 2021-24, while Daboll led the Giants from 2022-25.
If he heads to Tennessee, the 50-year-old Daboll will receive his fifth try as an NFL O-coordinator. He previously held the position with the Browns (2009-10), Dolphins (2011), Chiefs (2012) and Bills (2018-21). The Giants hired Daboll after an excellent run in Buffalo, where he helped quarterback Josh Allen go from raw prospect to superstar.
Daboll didn’t have nearly as much success in New York with Daniel Jones, another former first-round QB. Despite early flashes, Jones didn’t develop into the answer under center for the Giants, which played a key role in Daboll’s struggles. Daboll worked with yet another first-round signal-caller, Jaxson Dart, in 2025. While Dart performed well as a rookie, Daboll wasn’t around for the entire season. The Giants fired him after a 2-8 start.
Catching on with the Titans would give Daboll another chance to work with a prized young passer in Cam Ward. The Titans chose Ward first overall in last year’s draft, but he wasn’t in an ideal spot to succeed in 2025. The Miami product took a league-worst 55 sacks, tying him with the Raiders’ Geno Smith, lacked weapons in the passing game and didn’t enjoy stability on the sidelines during a 3-14 campaign.
The Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan in October, leaving Mike McCoy to take over for the rest of the season. QBs coach Bo Hardegree called plays, but Daboll is now primed to play a major role in developing Ward going forward.
Broncos Fire OC Joe Lombardi
A day after their season ended with a 10-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game, the Broncos have fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
This closes out a three-year tenure in Denver for Lombardi and ends a long-running partnership with head coach Sean Payton. Lombardi previously coached under Payton in New Orleans from 2007-13 and 2016-20. He was the Saints’ quarterbacks coach for the majority of his 12 years with the team.
[RELATED: Three Teams Send Davis Webb OC Interview Requests]
Also a former NFL offensive coordinator with the Lions (2014-15) and Chargers (2021-22), Lombardi took on a non-play-calling role in Denver. Payton has continued to handle those duties. The Broncos did not rank among the league’s cream-of-the-crop offenses in any seasons with Lombardi on the staff, though, and Payton has decided to make a change heading into the third year of quarterback Bo Nix‘s career.
The Broncos are coming off a season in which they finished a respectable 10th in yards, but they were closer to middle of the pack in scoring (14th). Losing running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending Lisfranc injury in mid-November didn’t help matters.
Over 10 games and 153 carries, Dobbins hummed along on 5.0 yards per attempt. Second-round rookie RJ Harvey stepped in as the Broncos’ primary back after Dobbins’ injury, but despite notching seven rushing touchdowns, he averaged a meager 3.7 yards on 146 tries. Harvey’s production went backward in the postseason, a pair of games in which he ran for just 57 yards on 19 carries.
Thanks largely to a premier defense that led the league in sacks, the Broncos went 14-3, ended the Chiefs’ nine-year run atop the AFC West and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Broncos then got past the Bills in a 33-30 overtime shootout in the divisional round, but Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury late in the game.
With Nix out of commission, the Broncos had to turn to backup Jarrett Stidham as their starter against the Patriots. Stidham looked good early and completed a 52-yard first-quarter pass to Marvin Mims that set up a touchdown, but the Broncos didn’t score again after that. On a day in which the weather dramatically swung during a snowy second half, Stidham went 17 of 31 for 133 yards, a TD, an interception and a costly fumble. The Broncos amassed just 181 total yards.
Had Nix been available Sunday, there’s a good chance the Broncos would be preparing to face the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Instead, though, the Broncos are done for the year and shaking up their coaching staff. More changes could be in store, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who mentions the possibility of the Broncos eventually promoting pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to replace Lombardi. For now, Webb is a candidate to become the Raiders’ next head coach. They interviewed Webb for the second time on Monday.
Jets, OC Tanner Engstrand Part Ways
After just one season, the Jets are moving on from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The two sides are parting ways.
This doesn’t come as a surprise after a weekend report indicated Engstrand’s future was in limbo. It nonetheless continues a major staff shakeup for Glenn, who has cleared out several coaches – including both coordinators – dating back to the mid-December firing of DC Steve Wilks.
While Glenn and Engstrand discussed a non-play-calling position for 2026, they ultimately decided to go in other directions, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. Glenn is now on the hunt for a veteran replacement for Engstrand, someone to serve as a “head coach of the offense,” a source told Connor Hughes of SNY . Former Colts and Panthers head coach Frank Reich looks like the frontrunner to take over, but the Jets will need to interview at least one external minority candidate before that could take place.
Glenn, previously the Lions’ defensive coordinator, worked with Engstrand in Detroit from 2021-24. Engstrand shifted from offensive quality control coach to tight ends coach/passing game coordinator to passing game coordinator during that four-year span. Glenn saw enough positives from Engstrand to bring the former Ben Johnson understudy to New York as a first-time NFL offensive coordinator last January. However, Engstrand’s hiring only came after Nick Caley turned down the Jets. Then the Rams’ tight ends coach, Caley became the Texans’ offensive coordinator in early February.
Several weeks after hiring Engstrand, the Jets added former Bears and Steelers quarterback Justin Fields on a two-year, $40MM deal in free agency. The Jets guaranteed Fields $30MM, but they’re already poised to move on this offseason after an unproductive 2025 in which Glenn benched him for the rest of the year in mid-November.
With Fields, journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor and undrafted rookie Brady Cook playing in at least five games apiece, the Jets averaged a paltry 140.3 passing yards per contest. They easily placed last in the league in that category, falling short of the 31st-ranked Browns by 25 yards per game.
To make matters worse for Engstrand, knee issues limited star wide receiver Garrett Wilson to seven games. With Wilson down for 10 games, running back Breece Hall was the Jets’ only established offensive weapon. Hall put up the first 1,000-yard season of his four-year career, and tight end Mason Taylor had a 44-catch rookie campaign, but bright spots were otherwise few and far between.
After ranking 29th in both total offense and scoring under Engstrand, the Jets will employ a 12th different offensive play-caller in a 16-year span in 2026 (h/t: Cimini). Although Glenn will return after posting a 3-14 record as a rookie head coach in 2025, his staff will take on a much different look next season.
NFC North Notes: Walker, Doubs, Tom, Wyatt, Byard
This past weekend, Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker was arrested at LaGuardia Airport on gun charges, per a report from multiple contributors at the New York Post. On Friday morning, Walker was taken into custody after trying to check a bag that contained a handgun and ammunition.
Arthur Aidala, Walker’s attorney, explained that Walker legally owned the firearm but that it is licensed in Wisconsin, and he didn’t know that he couldn’t travel with the gun to New York. It was actually Walker’s attempt to disclose the contents of the locked gun box in his luggage that led to his arrest.
Walker was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. After an appearance at criminal court, Walker was released on his own recognizance with a return date of March 19. Aidala is confident that the case will be dismissed.
Here are a few other recent rumors from around the NFC North:
- In the Packers’ young receiving corps, pending free agent Romeo Doubs has been perhaps the most consistent contributor in the talented position group. When asked if he would be returning to Green Bay in a recent appearance on the Up & Adams Show, Doubs wanted to make it known that he “would love to be a Green Bay Packer” but that he knows the nature of the business.
- Packers right tackle Zach Tom was unable to finish out the season with his team in the playoffs this year due to a knee injury, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tom tried to get back on the field using a PRP injection, but he didn’t feel he would be able to pass block with it. He’s expected to undergo surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon with a recovery timeline of approximately six months.
- Silverstein also reported on the injury to Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, who reportedly suffered a broken fibula and torn ligament in his ankle. The soft tissue injury certainly lengthens any recovery time, but per Silverstein, Wyatt expects to be back in time for training camp.
- Following a surprising late-season run into the playoffs, Bears pending free agent safety Kevin Byard made it known that he “would love to be back” in Chicago on a new deal, according to Bears writer Gabby Hajduk. Byard expressed a desire to “finish what (the Bears) got started this year” as he “wants to be on a team that wants to win.” There’s no doubt Chicago will want to retain Byard, but the question will be if they can afford it. Byard led the NFL in interceptions this year for the second time in his career, earning a third first-team All-Pro selection as a result. Two picks in the two years before this season seemed to indicate a fall off as Byard ventured into his thirties, but he turned back the clock just in time for it to pay off in a big way on his next deal.
Broncos’ Davis Webb Receives Three OC Interview Requests
Following the Broncos’ loss in the AFC Championship this weekend, pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Davis Webb became available to interview for head coaching opportunities with the Raiders and Bills. After Buffalo pulled the trigger on promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady, a few teams reached out hoping Webb might be available to interview for a lesser role. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles, Giants, and Ravens all requested to interview Webb for their open offensive coordinator positions. 
We’ve sees our fair share of meteoric rises in the coaching world, but what Webb has people saying at this point in his career feels unprecedented. A former quarterback, Webb was a third-round pick in 2017 but didn’t make his NFL debut until 2021. He played four snaps that year with the Bills then made his first and only start the next year with the Giants. Those two games were Webb’s only NFL action as a player, but he clearly must’ve seen a better road ahead in coaching, as ESPN’s Jordan Raanan can testify to.
The next season, Webb joined Sean Payton‘s staff in Denver as the quarterbacks coach. Under Payton and Webb, veteran Russell Wilson had a resurgent season in Denver following a rough first year away from the Seahawks. In Webb’s second season coaching, he was handed a first-round rookie quarterback in Bo Nix. In two years, Nix has impressed, averaging a 64.8 completion percentage, 3,853 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 11.5 interceptions. With Webb adding the pass game coordinator title in 2025, the passing offense improved from 20th in yards gained in 2024 to 11th this year.
An impressive early résumé and what must be some serious inside coach speak have made Webb a serious candidate for head coach jobs and offensive coordinator positions. He hasn’t even gotten an opportunity to call plays yet, and all three openings requesting his interview would require him to do just that. With head coaching jobs dwindling, more and more candidates will need to look for lower positions soon, if they’re not already under contract. And, if Webb doesn’t end up landing a head coaching position, one would wonder if he doesn’t end up just staying in Denver to replace recently fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.