Falcons Request OC Interview With Buccaneers’ Bryan McClendon
Following a productive two-year stint coaching wideouts in Tampa Bay, Bryan McClendon is now getting a look for offensive coordinator gigs. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Falcons have requested permission to interview McClendon for their OC job.
[RELATED: Falcons Interview Drew Terrell For OC Job]
Following a brief summer stint with the Bears, McClendon proceeded to spend more than a decade in college football. He worked his way up the ranks at Georgia, including a brief stint as their interim head coach following Mark Richt‘s departure. He spent a few years as South Carolina’s offensive coordinator plus two years on Oregon’s staff (including a brief stint as their interim HC) before returning to Georgia in 2022.
After Brad Idzik left to become the Panthers offensive coordinator in 2024, the Buccaneers turned to McClendon for his first NFL gig. The coach entered an enticing situation in Tampa Bay, and despite a number of injuries in their WRs room, Buccaneers receivers still accounted for 28 of Baker Mayfield‘s 41 passing touchdowns.
The Buccaneers receiving corps once again dealt with injuries in 2025, with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin combining for only 63 combined catches in 17 total games. Still, the team got a standout performance from first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka, with seventh-round rookie Tez Johnson also chipping in 322 yards and five touchdowns.
McClendon would have the opportunity to take the next step of his career on Kevin Stefanski‘s new staff in Atlanta. Tommy Rees is the favorite for the Falcons OC job, but the Falcons have considered some outside names. Earlier tonight, we learned that the team interviewed Cardinals passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Drew Terrell.
Brian Daboll “In The Mix” For Titans OC Job?
Robert Saleh could potentially turn to his former New York counterpart to fill his offensive coordinator role. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo believes that Brian Daboll is in the mix for the Titans offensive coordinator job. Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS also reported this connection earlier today.
Daboll interviewed for the Titans head coaching gig but ultimately lost out to Saleh, who reportedly came to an agreement with the franchise last night. Still, that factor may not dissuade the former Giants head coach from taking a job on Tennessee’s staff.
Per Garafolo, Daboll is one of several available OC candidates who “does like what he sees” with the Titans. Garafolo cites several factors that could be alluring to potential hires. Obviously, 2025 first-overall pick Cam Ward leads that list, but the reporter also points to the team’s abundance of cap space, high draft picks, and new NFL stadium. In fact, it was those factors that led the Titans to finish second in the John Harbaugh sweepstakes, according to Garafolo.
Thanks to the attractive situation in Tennessee, Saleh will have “some cards” that he can use when recruiting his new staff to the Titans. If the new head coach wants an experienced name to guide his offense, Daboll would certainly fit the bill. The 50-year-old has held several OC jobs throughout his NFL career, including stops with the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and Bills. He didn’t see the same offensive success during his head coaching gig with the Giants, although he did have to start eight different QBs during his four years in New York.
With Mike McDaniel off the board after taking the Chargers OC job, Daboll would now be one of the hottest names left on the market. The coach is still in the running for the Eagles OC job, and he may emerge as a HC candidate in Buffalo. While he doesn’t have a true connection to the Titans, Garafolo notes that he formed a friendship with Saleh while the two were coaching in New York. Now, they could both land on the same staff in Tennessee.
Offseason Outlook: Cincinnati Bengals
After the Bengals missed the 2024 playoffs, they gave into Joe Burrow's push to extend Tee Higgins. While Cincinnati ensured its top-end wide receiver duo would remain intact, the team drifted further off the contender radar in 2025. Another Burrow injury cost Cincinnati, which also played much of the season without Trey Hendrickson. Burrow stumped for a Hendrickson deal as well, but the Bengals did not budge there, setting up the four-time Pro Bowler to depart.
Regardless of the team's Higgins-over-Hendrickson choice, it sits at a crossroads. The Bengals employ Burrow in his prime yet have missed three straight playoff brackets. This has caused some rumblings related to the quarterback's happiness in Cincy. Although Burrow is widely expected to be back for a seventh season in Cincinnati, the clock is ticking on a regime that not too long ago was sitting pretty. This Bengals offseason stands to be pivotal as the organization looks to move back on track.
Coaching/front office moves:
- Retained Zac Taylor, de facto GM Duke Tobin, DC Al Golden
- Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher interviewed for Browns' HC job, Buccaneers' OC post
The Higgins swerve notwithstanding, the Bengals are not known to cave into player or fan pressure. Seeing recent trade requests rescinded serves as a reminder there. But unrest has certainly developed over the past three years. Since the Bengals ventured to the 2022 AFC championship game -- the only instance of back-to-back AFC title game appearances in franchise history -- they have missed the postseason with and without Burrow being healthy. While the team saw Burrow setbacks derail matters in 2023 and '25, its 2024 edition finishing 9-8 proved damning for Taylor's operation. Cincinnati's defense was somehow worse in 2025.
Chargers Expected To Hire Mike McDaniel As Offensive Coordinator
The Chargers are close to naming Mike McDaniel their next offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington of ESPN report. McDaniel, who’s having dinner with team brass on Tuesday, is expected to take the job.
While McDaniel dropped out of the running to become the Browns’ head coach on Tuesday, he remains a candidate for the openings in Las Vegas and Baltimore, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. If he doesn’t land with the Raiders or Ravens, though, McDaniel is primed to sign a deal to join Jim Harbaugh‘s staff in Los Angeles. The Chargers have informed other candidates they’re planning to hire McDaniel, Dianna Russini of The Athletic relays.
After McDaniel’s four-year run as the Dolphins’ head coach ended on Jan. 8, the Lions, Eagles and Buccaneers joined the Chargers in showing interest in him for their offensive coordinator positions.
The Lions have since hired Drew Petzing, though the Eagles and Buccaneers each regarded McDaniel as their top target, per Darlington. However, McDaniel’s desire to return to California will win out. He previously worked there from 2017-21 as an assistant on Kyle Shanahan‘s staff in San Francisco.
McDaniel’s success with the 49ers led the Dolphins to hire him as their head coach, and the move paid dividends initially. The Dolphins combined for a 20-14 record and earned playoff berths in McDaniel’s first two seasons. Their offense impressed in finishing sixth in yards and 11th in scoring in 2022, but the unit found another gear in 2023.
During an 11-win campaign, the Dolphins scored the most points and racked up the second-most yards in the NFL. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing en route to a Pro Bowl nod, while Tyreek Hill ended the year tops in receiving yards.
Unfortunately for McDaniel, the 2023 campaign proved to be his peak in Miami. After the Dolphins combined for a 15-19 mark over the past two seasons, owner Stephen Ross fired him. A significant Tagovailoa decline helped lead to McDaniel’s ouster. The left-hander played so poorly in 2025 that McDaniel benched him for seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers ahead of Week 16. Tagovailoa sat out each of Miami’s final three games. The Dolphins’ offense wrapped up the year 25th in points and 26th in yards.
As the fifth overall pick in 2020, Tagovailoa entered the league one selection before Chargers QB Justin Herbert. The 27-year-old put together his second Pro Bowl season in 2025 to help the Chargers to 11 wins and a playoff berth. However, after an ugly 16-3 loss to the Patriots in the wild-card round, Harbaugh fired offensive coordinator and longtime friend Greg Roman.
In Roman’s second and last year running their offense, the Chargers racked up the 12th-most yards in the league, but they struggled to put points on the board. LA was just 20th in scoring, though it hurt Roman’s cause that the team’s starting tackles, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, didn’t play together all year.
Slater sat out the entire season with a torn patellar tendon, while an ankle injury ended Alt’s campaign after just six games. The Chargers were also shorthanded at running back, where offseason free agent pickup Najee Harris tore his Achilles in Week 3 and first-round rookie Omarion Hampton fractured his ankle and wound up missing eight games.
Although this season didn’t go according to plan for the Chargers, they’re now on the verge of reeling in one of the game’s most respected offensive minds. The 42-year-old McDaniel is slated to work with an enviable group of talent that will include Herbert, Slater, Alt, Hampton, wide receivers Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Tre Harris, and tight end Oronde Gadsden II. While it doesn’t appear McDaniel will receive his second head coaching job this winter, that could change a year from now if he revives the Chargers’ offense in 2026.
Giants Contacted Mike Tomlin During HC Search; Tomlin Done Coaching?
It appears Mike Tomlin‘s resignation as the Steelers’ head coach last week will lead to at least a one-year absence from the sidelines. It may even be a permanent retirement from coaching.
As a guest on Wake Up Barstool on Tuesday, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer revealed that “probably seven teams” have contacted him to inquire about Tomlin’s availability (via Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot). Tomlin isn’t interested, according to Glazer, who’s friends with the coach.
Asked if Tomlin could emerge as a candidate for the newly available job in Buffalo, Glazer replied: “That’s not happening. Mike T’s done.”
Based on Glazer’s comments, we may have seen the last of Tomlin as a head coach after 19 seasons. Now 53 years old, Tomlin took over in Pittsburgh as a first-time head coach in 2007 and went on to compile a 193-114-2 regular-season record with eight division titles, including an AFC North crown in 2025, 13 playoff berths, two AFC championships and a Super Bowl title.
The Steelers didn’t post a sub-.500 season under Tomlin, adding to his impressive list of accomplishments, but playoff success was elusive in the second half of his Steel City tenure. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2017, and they dropped their last six postseason contests under Tomlin. His Steelers stint ended with a 30-6 wild-card round blowout at the hands of the Texans.
Although his time in Pittsburgh featured plenty of early January disappointment over the past several years, it’s no surprise teams would have interest in giving the potential Hall of Famer a second chance as a head coach. That’s especially the case when considering the unusually high number of HC vacancies this winter.
The Bills became the 10th opening of the offseason when they fired Sean McDermott on Monday, though the number is down to six after the Falcons (Kevin Stefanski), Giants (John Harbaugh), Dolphins (Jeff Hafley) and Titans (Robert Saleh) made hires. The Giants began working toward an agreement with Harbaugh late Wednesday, but a member of their ownership reached out to Tomlin before then, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Tomlin informed the Giants he doesn’t plan to coach in 2026, leading the team to pour all its efforts into reeling in Harbaugh. They officially reached a deal last Saturday.
Unlike Harbaugh, who was a free agent, the Giants would have had to work out a trade to bring in Tomlin. The Steelers still hold Tomlin’s contractual rights for another season, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. If Tomlin sits out 2026 and returns to coaching after that, he’d be free to sign anywhere, but it’s now fair to wonder if he’ll ever roam the sidelines again.
Packers To Interview Jonathan Gannon For DC Job
After being fired as Cardinals head coach earlier this month, Jonathan Gannon continues to generate interest for defensive coordinator openings. The latest team to schedule an interview is the Packers, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
[RELATED: Cowboys Scheduling Second Interviews With DC Candidates]
Gannon spent years coaching defensive backs in Minnesota and Indianapolis before being hired as the Eagles defensive coordinator in 2021. Following an inconsistent first season at the helm, Philly’s defense took it to another level in 2022, finishing second in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed. That performance ended up earning him the Cardinals head coaching gig (although not without a bit of controversy).
The coach’s stint in Arizona proved to be forgettable, as he never guided the Cardinals to a winning record during his three seasons with the organization. His best showing was in 2024, when the team finished 8-9. However, they took a major step back in 2025, finishing with a 3-14 record. Gannon also struggled to get the most out of his defense during his time in Arizona; the Cardinals never finished better than 15th in points allowed and 21st in yards allowed.
Still, Gannon clearly has a reputation as a respected defensive mind. He’s garnered a second interview for the Cowboys defensive coordinator job, and he was a candidate for the Commanders gig. Gannon also interviewed for the Titans head coaching vacancy before the team opted for Robert Saleh.
Now, he’s drawing interest from Green Bay to replace Jeff Hafley, who recently took the head coaching job in Miami. As Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes, Matt LaFleur praised Gannon earlier this year, describing him as a “really good coach” and saying that he did a “hell of a job” in Arizona. Gannon is joining a group of candidates that currently features Vikings DBs coach Daronte Jones and Eagles DBs coach Christian Parker.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/20/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Chicago Bears
- WR Maurice Alexander, RB Brittain Brown, TE Stephen Carlson, LS Luke Elkin, DB Dallis Flowers, DL Jonathan Garvin, LB Dominique Hampton, OL Kyle Hergel, TE Nikola Kalinic, DB Dontae Manning, DL Jeremiah Martin, DB Gervarrius Owens, WR JP Richardson, LB Nephi Sewell
Green Bay Packers
- DL Jaden Crumedy, QB Kyle McCord
Houston Texans
- DE Solomon Byrd, C Eli Cox, WR Josh Kelly, TE Luke Lachey, S Kaevon Merriweather, G Sidy Sow, DT Junior Tafuna, LB Xavier Thomas, WR Jared Wayne
Philadelphia Eagles
- CB Ambry Thomas
Pittsburgh Steelers
- DB Doneiko Slaughter, OL Lorenzo Thompson
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Isaac Alarcon, DL Evan Anderson, CB Eli Apple, WR Junior Bergen, DL William Bradley-King, DB Derrick Canteen, LB Andrew Farmer, S Darrick Forrest, LB Jalen Graham, QB Adrian Martinez, OL Drake Nugent, OL Brandon Parker, WR Malik Turner, DL Sebastian Valdez
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/20/26
Today’s practice squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: C Michael Deiter
With Broncos starting center Luke Wattenberg expected to return from IR for the AFC Championship Game, the team decided to move on from veteran center Michael Deiter. The 29-year-old got into 17 games for the Commanders last season and appeared in two games with them in 2025. He caught on with the Broncos practice squad earlier this month. Taking his place is Brandon Johnson, who is the son of former Colorado Rockies catcher Charles Johnson and cousin of former NFL standout Chad Johnson. The wideout has seen time in 23 career games, hauling in 26 catches for 335 yards and five touchdowns.
Falcons Interview Drew Terrell For OC Job
Drew Terrell‘s coordinator candidacy is starting to heat up. We learned yesterday that the Cardinals passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach interviewed for the Chargers OC job, and now NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Terrell also interviewed for the Falcons job.
[RELATED: Chargers Interview Drew Terrell For OC]
Following his four-year collegiate career at Stanford (where he was recruited by Jim Harbaugh), Terrell kicked off his coaching career with a job at Virginia Tech. He quickly moved on to Michigan’s staff under his former college coach before taking his first NFL coaching gig with the Panthers in 2018.
Terrell joined the Commanders franchise in 2020 and quickly earned a promotion to WRs coach, where he guided the likes of Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. He lost out on the Cardinals OC job in 2023 but still ended up joining their staff as the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach. While Terrell struggled to get the most out of Marvin Harrison during his time in Arizona, he has played a key role in the development of Michael Wilson and (to a lesser extent) Trey McBride.
Terrell has turned into a relatively popular name during this year’s hiring cycle, as he’s scheduled interviews with the Commanders and Chargers. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to join Kevin Stefanski‘s new staff in Atlanta. While Tommy Rees is the favorite for the Falcons OC job, Terrell represents the team’s first official interview for the position.
Buccaneers Hire Danny Smith As ST Coordinator
The Buccaneers are turning to a veteran coach to guide their special teams. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Tampa Bay is hiring Danny Smith as their new special teams coordinator.
Smith’s coaching career dates back to the 1970s, when he served as a graduate assistant at Edinboro. After spending more than a decade in college football, he got his first NFL job with the Eagles in 1995. Since then, he’s had stints with Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, and Pittsburgh.
He most recently served as the Steelers special teams coordinator, a job he held since 2013. During his time with the organization, Smith was credited with the development of kicker Chris Boswell, who currently ranks second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
Following Mike Tomlin‘s departure, Smith considered new opportunities. The 72-year-old now lands with the Buccaneers, who have been seeking a replacement for the ousted Thomas McGaughey. Smith interviewed for the job on Friday, and Todd Bowles didn’t take long to make a hire. The gum-chewing coordinator beat out the likes of Craig Aukerman, Anthony Levine Sr., Michael Clay, and Jett Modkins for the job.