Cowboys To Hire Christian Parker As DC
The Cowboys are expected to hire Eagles secondary coach and passing game coordinator Christian Parker as their next defensive coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Parker, 34, has spent the last two years in Philadelphia coaching a strong secondary featuring ascending cornerback duo Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. In 2024, the Eagles were the NFL’s best passing defense, and though they were not quite as dominant this season, they ranked eighth in yards and seventh in yards per attempt while allowing the fewest touchdowns. The Cowboys, in contrast, ranked 32nd in the first two categories and 31st in the third, which was one of the primary factors in firing their last defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus.
Parker’s arrival in Dallas completes an impressive ascension from Division II defensive assistant to NFL defensive coordinator. He began his coaching career in 2014 as a defensive backs coach at Virginia State and moved up to the same job at FCS Norfolk State in 2016. His first job with a major program came at Notre Dame as a defensive analyst in 2017; the following year, he took the same position at Texas A&M.
More to come.
Jesse Minter Cancels Browns HC Interview
Jesse Minter was scheduled to interview with the Browns for a second time today. Instead, that will no longer be the case. 
Minter has canceled his follow-up, as first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. This news comes as the Chargers defensive coordinator “likely” feels other HC options are more certain at this time, she adds. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Minter’s second interview with the Ravens yesterday went “very well.”
The Raiders are also in the running at this point, Schultz confirms. Minter met with Vegas for a second time on Tuesday. That makes him one of only two finalists still on the market as things stand in the Raiders’ case. Today’s Browns update certainly points in the direction of Minter winding up with either the Ravens or the Raiders relatively soon.
Minter is now the second candidate to withdraw from Cleveland’s ongoing search. Mike McDaniel recently did the same, and he is now positioned to become the Chargers’ next offensive coordinator. The Browns will once again turn their attention elsewhere with Minter no longer in the running as well. Internal and external finalists remain in contention.
The possibility of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz being promoted to head coach has long been a talking point during the 2026 hiring cycle. Keeping Schwartz within the organization in one capacity or another is seen as a high priority, and he was recently reported to be the favorite for the HC gig. Todd Monken has interviewed twice with the Browns, meaning he is a candidate to return to Cleveland instead of his expected move of following John Harbaugh to the Giants as their offensive coordinator.
The Browns are also among the teams which have shown considerable interest in Jaguars OC Grant Udinski. The sides will meet for a second interview tomorrow. Meanwhile, Cleveland has also requested a follow-up with Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. One cannot be arranged until next week, since Los Angeles advanced to the NFC championship game.
Minter was among the finalists for the Falcons before they ultimately hired Kevin Stefanski. A two-year coordinator at the NFL level, Minter has loomed as one of the top defensive HC candidates in particular throughout the hiring cycle. The 42-year-old has previously worked with the Ravens, and his time in the AFC West has made him a familiar face to the Raiders. Signs point to Minter joining one of those teams as the coaching landscape comes further into focus.
Falcons Hire Tommy Rees As Offensive Coordinator
JANUARY 22: The Falcons announced on Thursday that Rees’ hire is official. He and Stefanski will now move forward in their new setting and fill out the remainder of the offensive staff.
JANUARY 21: Tommy Rees is set to follow Kevin Stefanski from Cleveland to Atlanta. The Falcons are expected to hire Rees as their offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal isn’t official, but Rees has accepted the job, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.
This was the likely outcome when the Falcons hired Stefanski, previously the Browns’ head coach, on Saturday. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported then that the 33-year-old Rees was a candidate to rejoin Stefanski in Atlanta. The pair developed a strong working relationship in their two years together in Cleveland.
Rees interviewed to take over for Stefanski, but this move slams the door on that possibility. It’s obvious Cleveland will select a different head coaching candidate instead.
Formerly a Notre Dame quarterback, Rees got his start as a coach as a graduate assistant with Northwestern in 2015. He later returned to his alma mater to serve as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2020-22.
Rees worked in the same roles at Alabama in 2023, the last season of head coach Nick Saban‘s remarkable career. He oversaw a breakout campaign from then-sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe, who’s now a backup with the Seahawks, and then left for the NFL.
After his only year on Saban’s staff, Rees joined the Browns as their tight ends coach and pass game specialist in 2024. Stefanski promoted Rees to offensive coordinator after firing Ken Dorsey last January, but the head coach opened 2025 as the Browns’ play caller. That changed when Stefanski handed the keys to Rees before a Week 10 loss to the Jets. It’s not known yet if they’ll continue with that arrangement in Atlanta.
The Browns’ offense ended the year a horrid 30th in yards and 31st in scoring, but the unit wasn’t exactly teeming with weapons. Although neither Stefanski nor Rees found an answer at quarterback among Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, that wasn’t a major surprise.
The 41-year-old Flacco was brought in as a stopgap, and the Browns wound up trading him to the Bengals in early October. Gabriel, a third-round rookie, struggled mightily before suffering a concussion in Rees’ second game as a play caller. Sanders, a fifth-round rookie, held the reins for the rest of the year. While Sanders performed better than Gabriel, he’s hardly a slam dunk to establish himself as the Browns’ solution under center.
The Falcons have a far more talented offense than the Browns (running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London are among the game’s best at their positions), but QB is also a concern in Atlanta. After the 2023 season, former general manager Terry Fontenot made a mammoth free agent investment in Kirk Cousins and then surprisingly used the eighth overall pick on Michael Penix Jr. a little over a month later. Those two remain in place for now, but they’ve offered lackluster production for the Falcons.
Despite inking a four-year, $180MM contract, Cousins didn’t play well enough in his first Falcons season to keep the starting job. Then-head coach Raheem Morris benched Cousins for Penix in Week 16. Penix stuck as the Falcons’ starter this season until he went down with a partially torn ACL in Week 11. That continued a long history of serious injuries dating back to a college career divided between Indiana and Washington.
In the wake of his latest injury, it’s unknown if Penix will be healthy enough to start Week 1 in 2026. That’s assuming the Falcons’ new leaders – president of football Matt Ryan, a to-be-determined general manager and Stefanski – decide to go forward with Penix as the No. 1 option. They’re likely to release Cousins either way.
Along with questions at the game’s most important position, the Falcons’ offense is facing uncertainty at tight end. Kyle Pitts is due to become a free agent on the heels of a second-team All-Pro campaign. After successfully working with tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin in Cleveland, Stefanski and Rees may prefer to keep Pitts in the fold.
With Robinson, London and Pitts posting terrific numbers, the Falcons finished a slightly above-average 14th in total offense under coordinator Zac Robinson in 2025. Only eight teams amassed fewer points, though, and Stefanski and Rees will aim for better results next season.
Commanders Interviewing Bears DBs Coach Al Harris For DC Job
The Commanders are interviewing Al Harris, the Bears’ defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator, for their defensive coordinator vacancy, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
With Brian Flores and Jeff Ulbrich staying in their current DC jobs in Minnesota and Atlanta, the Commanders are adding more candidates to their list, per NBC4’s JP Finlay.
Harris, 51, spent 13 years as an NFL cornerback – primarily with the Eagles and the Packers – before joining the coaching ranks. After an internship with the Dolphins, he spent six years in Kansas City and one at Florida Atlantic University before landing in Dallas in 2020, where his reputation began to soar.
As the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach under head coach Mike McCarthy, Harris oversaw the development of ballhawking cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, who led the league in interceptions, return yards, and return touchdowns in back-to-back years. The team’s passing defense as a whole ranked as a top-10 unit in 2022 and 2023, but regressed in 2024 in no small part due to injuries. Harris added assistant head coach to his title that year, his final in Dallas as McCarthy was fired at the end of the season.
Harris quickly found a new job in Chicago on Ben Johnson’s staff, but the Bears’ pass defense did not excel statistically this year. They led the league in interceptions, including an individual league-high by Kevin Byard. After earning Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro nods with the Titans in 2017 and 2021, the veteran safety returned to those heights in his first year under Harris.
Brian Daboll Prefers Bills’ HC Position
Brian Daboll is among the staffers still in contention for at least one head coaching opportunity but also an offensive coordinator gig. If he has his way, Daboll will once again be leading an NFL staff in 2026. 
The ex-Giants HC’s “top choice” would be to return to the Bills as their next head coach, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Daboll worked in Buffalo as the team’s offensive coordinator for four years prior to receiving his first head coaching opportunity. An in-person interview will take place with the Bills today.
In the wake of Sean McDermott‘s firing, Daboll quickly emerged as a strong candidate to replace him. A reunion would allow quarterback Josh Allen to once again work with the play-caller who was in place during the early stages of his NFL development. The Bills posted a top-five finish in both total and scoring offense during Daboll’s final two years with the team.
Duplicating that level of success would of course be welcomed by all parties, although Buffalo has managed strong offensive showings under current OC Joe Brady as well. Brady is a candidate to be promoted to head coach as he also draws outside head coaching interest. Daboll, meanwhile, has been connected to multiple offensive coordinator positions. Some of the vacancies in that respect remain unfilled at this time.
The Titans in particular are a team to watch as it pertains to Daboll. It was reported yesterday the 50-year-old’s preference in the absence of a HC agreement would be to handle offensive coordinator duties in Tennessee. Earlier this week, the Titans hired Robert Saleh as a veteran head coach but one with a defensive background. An experienced play-caller on offense would represent a logical pairing, and Daboll certainly fits the bill.
After a surprise run to the divisional round of the postseason during his first year with the Giants, things went downhill in Daboll’s case. He did not survive to the end of his fourth season with New York, and overall Daboll posted a record of 20-40-1 during his first head coaching opportunity. A second chance in a familiar setting will certainly be something to watch for as Buffalo’s ongoing search comes into focus over the coming days.
Eagles Submit OC Interview Request For Declan Doyle
Mike McDaniel is in position to become the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Zac Robinson, meanwhile, has reached an agreement to take on the OC gig with the Buccaneers.
Both of them were Eagles targets regarding their offensive coordinator vacancy. The team’s list of candidates to replace Kevin Patullo continues to grow, however. Philadelphia has submitted an interview request for Bears OC Declan Doyle, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
This marks the first time Doyle has been linked to another team’s coordinator opening. A move to Philadelphia’s staff would technically not be a lateral one since Bears head coach Ben Johnson handled play-calling duties during his first season leading the team. The Eagles’ next OC will likely be tasked with calling plays, although head coach Nick Sirianni‘s level of involvement on offense in 2026 remains to be seen.
Doyle began his coaching career in 2016 as a student assistant at Iowa. After three years in that role, he made the jump to the NFL. Following a four-year Saints tenure, Doyle joined Sean Payton in Denver in 2023; he spent two seasons as the Broncos’ tight ends coach. Doyle’s first coordinator opportunity came during last year’s hiring cycle when he joined Johnson’s initial Bears staff.
The possibility of numerous Chicago departures was raised shortly before the coaching carousel began spinning in 2026. Eric Bieniemy is indeed set to reprise his role as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, and other changes could be coming soon as well. Doyle will also be a name to watch in the wake of Chicago’s highly successful campaign.
Via PFR’s Coordinator Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for the Eagles:
- Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator (Colts): Interview requested
- Brian Daboll, former head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/20
- Declan Doyle, offensive coordinator (Bears): Interview requested
- Josh Grizzard, former offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): To interview
- Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/17
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): To interview
- Matt Nagy, former offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/21
- Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator (Falcons): Interviewed 1/16
- Bobby Slowik, senior pass-game coordinator (Dolphins): Interview requested
Giants Request OC Interview With Willie Taggart
Todd Monken continues to loom as the Giants‘ expected offensive coordinator hire. Other staffers currently in place with the Ravens are receiving a look as well, though. 
New York has requested an interview with Willie Taggart, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He is one of several coaches with a history of working under Harbaugh who represents a logical target for the Giants. Taggart served as a college head coach with five different programs between 2010 and 2022.
[RELATED: Harbaugh Begins Sweeping Changes On Giants’ Staff]
After a lengthy run in the NCAA ranks, Taggart took his first NFL gig by joining Harbaugh’s Ravens staff. For 2023 and ’24, the 49-year-old held the role of Baltimore’s running backs coach. This past season, Taggart maintained that responsibility while also having assistant head coach added to his title.
The Ravens have consistently been among the NFL’s top rushing teams for several years, and Taggart has played a key role in that success. Over the past two seasons, he has coached a unit led by Derrick Henry, who has amassed over 3,500 rushing yards and scored 32 touchdowns upon transitioning from Tennessee to Baltimore. Other backs such as Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell have found notable roles as well during Taggart’s Ravens tenure.
The Giants saw Cam Skattebo emerge as a productive figure on offense before his rookie campaign came to an abrupt end. New York also has wideout Malik Nabers in place as a productive young roster piece along with quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose presence was among the selling points for Harbaugh to become the team’s new head coach. That decision will soon see a number of Baltimore staffers receive the opportunity to come to New York in the case of interview requests which are not blocked. Taggart would not take on OC duties in the expected event of a Monken hire, but he still represents a candidate for another important role on Harbaugh’s 2026 staff.
Buccaneers Hire Zac Robinson As OC
The Buccaneers have landed on their new offensive coordinator. Zac Robinson is headed to Tampa Bay, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
This news will reunite Robinson with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield made a “big push” for Tampa Bay to acquire Robinson, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Shortly after a follow-up interview with the Buccaneers, a deal has been struck.
Robinson was among not only the candidates who spoke once with the team for the OC gig but the finalists as well. He conducted a second interview yesterday, and Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports an agreement was reached late last night. After two years leading the Falcons‘ offense, Robinson will now take on the same responsibility in Tampa Bay.
Per Rapoport, senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese along with pass-game coordinator T.J. Yates are among the names to watch regarding Falcons staffers who could join Robinson with the Bucs. Nothing is official on that front at this time, but it is of course common for new hires to bring familiar faces with them when changing teams.
Leading up today’s news, Robinson’s future was unclear even though his Atlanta departure was expected. The Falcons cleaned house immediately after the end of the regular season, dismissing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. On Wednesday, it was learned new HC Kevin Stefanski is expected to bring Tommy Rees with him from Cleveland to Atlanta to handle offensive coordinator duties. That confirmed Robinson would be heading elsewhere during this year’s hiring cycle.
In addition to his Bucs interviews, Robinson met with the Lions and Eagles regarding their OC openings. Detroit’s vacancy has been filled, but Philadelphia’s list of candidates has now been thinned. Robinson will become the latest in an increasingly long line of coordinators tasked with leading Mayfield and Co. in Tampa Bay. Josh Grizzard became a one-and-done staffer in that role when he was fired following the end of the 2025 season.
Prior to Grizzard’s brief tenure, Liam Coen and Dave Canales were each in place for only one year. Both of them parlayed strong campaigns as a coordinator into head coaching opportunities. Stability would be welcomed at the OC spot for the Buccaneers, a team looking to bounce back from their highly underwhelming end to this season. Grizzard’s unit ranked 21st in total offense and 18th in scoring during his lone campaign leading it.
Robinson, 39, led Atlanta to a sixth-place finish in total offense during his first season in place. The Falcons regressed in a number of ways on offense in 2025, though, prompting the sweeping changes made throughout the organization. Prior to his Atlanta stint, Robinson spent five seasons with the Rams. That included his time as Los Angeles’ quarterbacks coach in 2022, the year in which Mayfield briefly played for Los Angeles. All parties involved will hope a reunion between the two will help bring Tampa Bay back into the postseason in 2026.
Terry Pegula: Bills’ Coaches Pushed For Keon Coleman Draft Pick
As the Bills sent out several HC interview requests Wednesday morning, Terry Pegula conducted an interesting press conference. One of the topics covered a player who may not be long for Buffalo.
The longtime Bills owner interrupted football ops president/GM Brandon Beane on an answer regarding Keon Coleman, indicating the coaching staff pushed for the wide receiver’s selection in 2024. The Bills traded out of Round 1 to No. 33 and opened Day 2 of that draft with Coleman, but his second season — a playoff touchdown notwithstanding — brought considerable disappointment.
[RELATED: Pegula, Beane Not Happy With Sean McDermott’s Roster Assessment]
“I’ll address the Keon situation. The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon,” Pegula said. “I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but [Coleman] wasn’t his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. And you know, he’s taken — for some reason — heat over it, and not saying a word about it. But I’m here to tell you the true story.”
The Bills traded out of No. 28, allowing the Chiefs to come up and draft Xavier Worthy. Two more receivers — Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Legette — went to close Round 1. Coleman opened the draft’s second night despite running a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Beane is quoted on a pre-draft video indicating Coleman’s 4.57-second 40 time at Florida State’s pro day would help the team land him, and the GM confirmed he signed off on the pick.
“I made the pick,” Beane said. “Terry’s point was that we might have had a different order of personnel versus coaching, and I went that way. But ultimately, I’m not turning a pick for a player that I don’t think we can succeed with. So don’t misunderstand that.
“Keon Coleman is a young player that has been here two years, has two years left on his deal. It’s up to us to work with him and develop him. His issues have not been on the field. They’ve just been maturity things that he owns. I give him credit. … He doesn’t make excuses, which I appreciate.”
Sending the Dolphins and offer of first- and third-round picks for Jaylen Waddle at the deadline, the Bills scoured the market for wide receiver help. The team evidently did not out-offer the Jaguars or Seahawks for Jakobi Meyers or Rashid Shaheed, and it ended up adding a few options — including Brandin Cooks — via in-season free agency. Coleman’s lack of development keyed the team’s wide receiver need, with Josh Allen having little in terms of reliability at the position beyond Khalil Shakir.
At the time of the pick, Beane said Allen helped coaches scout receiver prospects. Coleman was among those the superstar passer preferred. It has not worked out thus far. By not singling out McDermott, Pegula left the door open to multiple Bills staffers pushing for Coleman. Joe Brady, among the team’s HC candidates, was in place as OC by then.
Although Coleman showed promise as a rookie (29 receptions, 556 yards, four touchdowns), he fell off after an explosive Week 1 outing this season. Coleman finished the regular season with 38 catches for 404 yards and four TDs. This sophomore season included healthy scratches, with Sean McDermott citing professionalism as an issue for the second-year player. With Gabriel Davis and Tyrell Shavers tearing ACLs in the Bills’ playoff opener, Coleman was thrust into a key role once again to close the campaign.
Being drafted 33rd overall, Coleman is due guaranteed money through 2027. The Bills guaranteed $9.64MM of Coleman’s $10.1MM rookie deal. That will factor into any trade talks. Even as Beane attempted to walk back Pegula’s comments, it is uncommon for an owner to single out a player in the way Pegula did. That points to potential Coleman trade availability, as the Bills will surely prioritize the WR position as they change coaching staffs this offseason.
Kevin Abrams Part Of John Harbaugh’s Initial Giants Firings
The Giants took significant strides in deciding to pursue, and ultimately land, John Harbaugh as their next head coach. The move required the acceptance that things hadn’t been working for quite some time and that bringing in someone from an organization that is known for its stability could unlock the secrets to success, even if meant breaking a few eggs. Several eggs were broken today, as Harbaugh began the process of letting go of any coaches he doesn’t intend to carry with him on his first staff in New York. 
Per Ryan Dunleavy of NY Post Sports, this included a majority of the defensive staff. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson, inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu, defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Marquand Manuel, and cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris were all told today that they wouldn’t be returning for the 2026 campaign. Apart from the defense, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported that special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial was also told to clean out his office.
The only remaining position coach on the defensive side of the ball is Charlie Bullen, who served as outside linebackers coach before being named interim defensive coordinator for the team’s final five games of the season. Bullen will be the only one who gets a chance to return to his position group, headlined by stars Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, Bullen is open to returning under the new defensive coordinator, but “several teams are circling him” with hopes of poaching. Even the rival Cowboys interviewed him for their open DC position.
Throughout the day, Harbaugh held face-to-face meetings with incumbent assistants under contract for next year, though some of the dismissed staffers didn’t get to make their case to the new head coach. Those coaches were informed by general manager Joe Schoen that they were “not part of Harbaugh’s plans and free to look elsewhere.” Per separate reports from Hughes and Raanan, Bullen and Patterson were the two in-person meetings; Patterson coached through the 2025 season as he dealt with prostate cancer.
None of the moves were major surprises — that is, until Ian Rapoport dropped the bomb that senior vice president of football operations and strategy Kevin Abrams had been let go, setting off a chain of stunned reactions from the local beat reporters. Abrams had been a respected employee of Big Blue since 1999, spanning four general managers and even serving as an interim fifth GM in 2017.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Abrams was a key contributor on negotiating contracts and, per FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, was once considered the GM-in-waiting behind Dave Gettleman before Gettleman’s tenure came to an abrupt end. Whenever Schoen came in to replace Gettleman, Abrams took a backseat to allow for a smooth transition and even took a further step back so that Brandon Brown could come in as assistant general manager, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Though several reporters’ reactions confirmed it, it was Hughes who voiced that Abrams was seemingly “untouchable for just about every Giants regime.”
While the reactions were those of shock, all seemed to be on the same page that these moves are necessary in order to elevate out of the pitfalls of the past. Harbaugh’s hiring, including the days of discussion about reporting roles, was designed to provoke a departure from “bad organizational habits,” per Pat Leonard of NY Daily News. Leonard claims Harbaugh “must act quickly and harshly to dismantle the Giants’ toxicity.” Leonard’s fiery rhetoric continued with phrases like “half measures will not do,” “ripped out at the root,” “there can be no delay,” and “no protection of tenured employees for the sake of relationships.”
While softer language conveyed the message from other accounts, the message itself was clear. Leonard argued that Harbaugh could have toed the party line and moved unwanted personnel to positions of less importance but that would just continue the cycle of politics. Instead, Harbaugh is taking the initiative to make the moves necessary to enact actual change in the building. More shocking changes could rise up on the horizon, as well.
To fill out the new holes on the defensive staff, Harbaugh took the obvious initial route of requesting interviews with several of his former staffers in Baltimore, just to be blocked by his former team. Though team owner Steve Bisciotti implied sweeping coaching changes in the future, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the executive is still acting in the Ravens’ best interests and giving the eventual new head coach first dibs at the guys still under contract in Baltimore.
Dunleavy points out that a worst-case scenario could see Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter named head coach of the Ravens. According to senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, Minter concluded his in-person, second-round interview with the team today, and Dunleavy asserts that, due to Minter’s prior history on the Ravens’ coaching staff, he may be one of the few head coaching options to deny Harbaugh a chance to interview the defensive staffers that Minter may want to retain.