Bears Activate CB Kyler Gordon From IR

The Bears activated cornerback Kyler Gordon from injured reserve, per a team announcement, setting him up to play in Saturday night’s wild card matchup with the Packers.

Gordon, 26, only appeared in three games in the regular season due to a variety of injuries. He did not play until Week 6 due to a hamstring injury suffered in training camp. Calf and groin issues quickly forced him back on the sidelines, this time accompanied by a move to injured reserve. He returned to the field in late November and landed right back on IR after his first game back, again due to a groin injury. After missing the last four games of the regular season, Gordon was able to recover in time for the Bears’ first playoff game since 2020.

More to come.

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 the opposite) move that the franchise made 30 years ago.

Cabot reports that former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski interviewed with 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 two-thirds of the time 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 Falcon, 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. 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.

Falcons Request Interview With Seahawks DC Aden Durde

The Falcons have requested an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

League rules require that the interview take place by the end of the wild card round, giving Atlanta until Monday to complete their first formal meeting with Durde.

The Falcons are the second team to express interest in Durde. The Browns conducted their interview with the 46-year-old on Friday as they continue their process to replace Kevin Stefanski.

Finding a successor for Raheem Morris appears to be quite a different task. Cleveland seems to be headed towards another rebuild, especially on offense, while Atlanta has a bevy of young playmakers on both sides of the ball. While Michael Penix‘s future as a franchise quarterback remains unclear, the Falcons have several undeniable stars who clearly have the potential to grow into a serious playoff team. It is also possible that playing in the NFC South – where a division winner has not finished better than 10-7 since 2021 – could offer additional appeal.

Still, hiring Durde as a head coach after just two years in a coordinator role and no play-calling experience seems like a risk. The Falcons may be trying to feel him out for a defensive coordinator role under their eventual head coach hire, as they cannot interview any Seahawks or Broncos coaches after Monday, until their teams are eliminated.

Dolphins Request HC Interview With Rams DC Chris Shula

While Don Shula is arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history, he’s unquestionably the best coach the Dolphins have ever had. During a legendary run with the Dolphins from 1970-1995, Shula led them to an undefeated season and two Super Bowl wins, among many other accomplishments. With 347 career victories, including 19 in the postseason, Shula remains atop the all-time list.

Three decades after he retired, Shula’s grandson has emerged as a candidate to become the Dolphins’ next head coach. The team has requested an interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Shula will coach the Rams against the Panthers in a wild-card round meeting on Saturday. He’ll be eligible to discuss head coaching jobs next week.

The Miami-born Shula, 39, began his coaching career assisting with linebackers at Ball State in 2010. After working with Indiana and John Carroll for the next few years, he jumped to the NFL as the Chargers’ defensive quality control coach in 2015.

Shula left the Chargers after two years to join then-rookie head coach Sean McVay‘s Rams staff as an assistant LBs coach in 2017. He held a handful of other positions – OLBs coach, LBs coach, pass game coordinator, pass rush coordinator and defensive backs coach – before earning a promotion to D-coordinator in 2024.

The Rams ranked 17th in points and 26th in yardage in 2024, their defense’s first post-Aaron Donald campaign, but improved in those categories in 2025. They finished the regular season 10th in scoring and 17th in total defense. The unit placed a much more impressive fifth in takeaways and seventh in sacks. The Rams and Shula will hope that playmaking ability carries into the postseason.

As the Dolphins search for a replacement for the fired Mike McDaniel, they’re not prioritizing one side of the ball, a source told insider Jordan Schultz. The mix of offensive- and defensive-minded candidates who have come up in connection to the job so far is evidence of that:

Dolphins To Interview Klint Kubiak, Request Interview With Robert Saleh

Klint Kubiak is officially the most popular head coaching candidate in this year’s hiring cycle.

Six team have now requested an interview with the Seahawks offensive coordinator, the most of any candidate thus far. The latest is from the Dolphins, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, and Kubiak is set to interview with them today.

The Dolphins join the Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, Raiders, and Titans in expressing interest in the 38-year-old. Other coaches from teams in the wild card round as well as John Harbaugh could catch up with their interviews for next week, but for right now, Kubiak is the hottest name on the market.

It is easy to see why. He came up under his father and longtime offensive guru Gary Kubiak in Denver and in Minnesota; the latter spot also included time with Mike Zimmer until 2021. After returning to Denver for one season, Klint Kubiak was hired by Kyle Shanahan to be the 49ers pass game coordinator in 2023. Like others in that position before him, he quickly earned an offensive coordinator gig. San Francisco finished with fourth-most passing yards in the league in Kubiak’s debut year, even more impressive considering they also had the fewest passing attempts.

The Saints then hired Kubiak as their offensive coordinator in 2024, but after an exciting start, the unit faded down the stretch. When New Orleans brought in Kellen Moore last offseason, Kubiak departed for Seattle to work under Mike Macdonald. He immediately molded the Seahawks’ offense into one of the best in the league. Among his success were quarterback Sam Darnold, who answered questions about his ability to match his 2024 performances; wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the league in receiving; and running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, who were one of the league’s best one-two combos.

The Dolphins have gone with offensive coaches for five of their six head coaching hires dating back to 2006, but they could also be looking for a stronger culture-setter as they head for at least a semi-rebuild. Another coach with connections to Shanahan – 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh – could fit that bill. The Dolphins requested an interview with Saleh, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, though that cannot take place until next week.

Saleh’s success as a defensive coordinator is undeniable. Four years in San Francisco got him hired in New York, but his tenure as the Jets head coach did not go according to plan. The team went 20-36, though it is hard to argue that Saleh was their biggest problem. Owner Woody Johnson, general manager Joe Douglas, and quarterback Zach Wilson were just as reponsible, if not more so, for the Jets’ struggles in that time. If the Dolphins share that perception, they may be more willing to give Saleh a second chance in the top job.

Buccaneers Interview Falcons OC Zac Robinson; Bucs Interested In Ravens’ Todd Monken

Two days since firing offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, the Buccaneers have discussed the position with multiple candidates. They held a virtual interview with Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Greg Auman of FOX Sports reports. Along with Robinson, the Buccaneers have already spoken with former Titans head coach Brian Callahan.

The Falcons don’t have a head coach, which puts Robinson’s future with the organization in question, but it’s notable that they allowed him to interview elsewhere. The team previously blocked the Cowboys from interviewing defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich for the same role.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank has made it known that his preference is for Ulbrich to keep his job under the club’s next head coach. Although Robinson could join the NFC South rival Buccaneers, it doesn’t seem Blank is as attached to him as he is to Ulbrich.

An NFL quarterback from 2010-13, Robinson began his coaching career with Sean McVay‘s Rams in 2019. He spent his first season with the team as an assistant quarterbacks coach. That proved to be Jared Goff‘s last year as the Rams’ signal-caller. The Rams traded him to the Lions in a deal for Matthew Stafford during the ensuing offseason.

Robinson shifted to assistant wide receivers coach in 2020 before moving back to his assistant QBs coach role in 2021, a Super Bowl-winning campaign for the Rams. He then earned a promotion to pass game coordinator/QBs coach, responsibilities he held from 2022-23.

When former Rams assistant Raheem Morris took over as the Falcons’ head coach in 2024, he brought Robinson with him to Atlanta as his O-coordinator. Morris is now out after combining for a 16-18 record in two seasons. The 39-year-old Robinson could follow him out the door soon.

The Falcons’ Robinson-coached offense finished 23rd in points and yards in 2024, but it improved to 19th and 15th, respectively, in those categories this season. Robinson assisted in a first-team All-Pro season for running back Bijan Robinson and a second-team All-Pro campaign for tight end Kyle Pitts, but a knee injury cost No. 1 wide receiver Drake London five games. That didn’t help matters, and nor did lackluster play at quarterback.

Although the Falcons made major investments in both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., neither has performed all that well in two years under Robinson. Since the firing of Morris, he and Robinson have drawn criticism for failing to make better use of Penix’s arm strength.

If Tampa Bay hires him, Robinson would inherit a better QB situation with Baker Mayfield, with whom he’d reunite. Robinson and Mayfield briefly worked together in LA when the latter was trying to revive his career in 2022. He’s now locked in as the Bucs’ starter.

Despite a disappointing season that ended without a playoff berth, the Buccaneers’ offense still features some strong pieces beyond Mayfield. However, wide receiver Mike Evans may retire or leave in free agency, and tight end Cade Otton is also without a contract for 2026.

Meanwhile, Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan will return at wideout. So will tight running back Bucky Irving. After a terrific rookie year in 2024, Irving took a sizable step backward this season. It didn’t help that standout O-linemen Cody Mauch, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke missed significant time with injuries.

While Robinson may work with at least some of those players in 2026, the Buccaneers haven’t just eyed him and Callahan. They’ve also shown reported interest in former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase. Ravens O-coordinator Todd Monken‘s name has also come up in connection to the Buccaneers. The Bucs will indeed have “big interest” in Monken if he doesn’t end up with a head coaching job, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Monken interviewed for the Browns’ HC opening on Saturday.

Dolphins Contact John Harbaugh; Troy Aikman Assisting In HC Search

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.

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.

Packers, HC Matt LaFleur To Discuss Extension After Season

With Green Bay heading into a wild-card round showdown in Chicago on Saturday, a report earlier this week indicated Packers head coach Matt LaFleur may need a win to feel “completely” safe. That’s not the case, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who reports that LaFleur isn’t coaching for his job in the postseason.

Although the Packers opted against extending the contracts of LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst in 2025, a new deal for the coach may come together soon. The Packers will discuss an extension with LaFleur when their season ends, per Rapoport, who adds there’s mutual interest in an agreement.

With LaFleur under contract for another year, the Packers aren’t in danger of losing him to another team this offseason. However, Packers CEO Ed Policy has made it known he doesn’t like when coaches and GMs are in lame-duck territory.

“I’m generally opposed — I’d never say never — [but] I’m generally opposed to a coach or GM going into the last year of their contract,” Policy said last summer. “That creates a lot of issues. I think normally you have a pretty good idea of where that relationship is going when you have two years left — not always, but normally.”

That may also point toward an offseason extension with Gutekunst, who has formed an effective tandem with LaFleur. While the Packers haven’t gone to a Super Bowl since the two began working together in 2019, they have earned six playoff berths and three NFC North titles in seven years. The 46-year-old LaFleur has gone 76-40-1 in the regular season. Though his 3-5 mark in the playoffs is underwhelming, LaFleur’s .654 regular-season winning percentage ranks 16th on the all-time list.

The LaFleur-led Packers have successfully transitioned from future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, who looks as if he’ll be the franchise’s third consecutive long-term answer under center. Hall of Famer Brett Favre held the reins from 1992-2007, Rodgers from 2008-2022, and Love has emerged as a quality starter over the past three years. He finished top 10 in the NFL in 2025 in QBR (tied for second), passer rating (sixth) and yards per attempt (eighth).

Love has been MIA since suffering a concussion in a loss to the Bears in Week 16. He was healthy enough to play in Week 18, but with Green Bay locked into the seventh seed, LaFleur rested him. The Packers, once 9-3-1, will go into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. Even if the skid extends to five with a season-ending loss in Chicago, it appears LaFleur is safe. That means John Harbaugh, a rumored candidate to land in Green Bay in the event of a LaFleur firing, will have to look elsewhere.

Browns To Interview Todd Monken For HC; Ravens’ OC Interviewed For Michigan Job

JANUARY 10: The Browns will interview Monken today, per a team announcement.

JANUARY 6: Todd Monken does not appear to be assured he will be back with the Ravens for a fourth year as their OC, but he has received an interview request about a head coaching position.

The Browns want to speak with Monken about their HC vacancy, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Monken has been with the Ravens since 2023 but has a brief history with the Browns. Cleveland employed Monken as its OC during Freddie Kitchens‘ one-and-done season at the controls in 2019.

Although Andrew Berry is a two-stint Browns staffer, the current Cleveland GM was in Philadelphia during Monken’s time in northeast Ohio. The Browns have retained Berry despite the disastrous Deshaun Watson contract remaining on the payroll, firing HC Kevin Stefanski on Monday. More interview requests will be coming out of Cleveland, possibly today, as the Browns search for a new HC for the first time since 2020.

John Dorsey resided as the Browns’ GM during Monken’s brief Cleveland stay. The Browns oozed dysfunction under the overmatched Kitchens, with Monken serving as an experienced staffer to backstop the underqualified head coach. Like Kyle Shanahan in 2014, Monken was believed to be unhappy during his lone season as Browns OC. Monken, 59, became the Georgia HC after the Berry-Stefanski duo arrived in 2020. The Ravens hired him after three seasons in Athens, and the results have mostly been impressive.

Lamar Jackson won MVP honors in 2023 and took home first-team All-Pro acclaim following a statistically superior 2024 season. This season brought a step back, due largely to Jackson injury trouble resurfacing. Fourth in scoring offense in 2023 and third last season, Baltimore ranked 11th (to go with a 16th-place yardage finish) this season before being eliminated in Week 18. Because the Ravens were eliminated, Monken can meet with the Browns beginning Wednesday. Had Baltimore beaten Pittsburgh, Monken would need to wait until three days after a Ravens wild-card game to conduct interviews.

This request is interesting due to Monken’s past in Cleveland but also for his standing in Baltimore presently. Rumors about the Ravens considering coordinator changes have come up following the disappointing 8-9 season. Zach Orr has been under more fire than Monken, but it is certainly notable the Ravens would consider firing a coach who had Jackson on the first-team All-Pro tier as recently as 2024.

Monken met with the Chargers and Panthers in 2024 and interviewed for the Bears, Jaguars and Raiders’ positions last year. After not landing those jobs, the Ravens gave him an extension. Like Kliff Kingsbury entering the week, Monken is on the HC radar but not assured of retaining his own OC post. The Commanders have since moved on from Kingsbury; will the Ravens make Monken a coaching free agent soon as well?

In addition to Monken’s potential opportunities in the pros, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes he interviewed for the Michigan HC job last month. The Wolverines ended up hiring Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, but it is obviously notable Monken took the meeting. His Ravens status will be known soon. While Jackson isn’t going anywhere, big changes could be on tap in Baltimore.