The Browns have narrowed their search for a new defensive coordinator to replace Jim Schwartz.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports that the Browns are choosing among Texans passing game coordinator Cory Undlin, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver and Falcons passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Undlin and Rutenberg interviewed in person this weekend.
Undlin and Tarver have NFL coordinator experience, and both coaches have extensive experience working under Schwartz. That would allow the Browns to keep a successful system in place.
Undlin served as defensive coordinator of the Lions in 2020, and Tarver was defensive coordinator of the Raiders from 2012-14.
Tarver has worked as the Browns’ linebackers coach the past six seasons, including the past three under Schwartz, and Undlin worked under Schwartz from 2016-19 in Philadelphia. Undlin has spent the past three seasons as the Texans’ passing game coordinator.
Rutenberg became the Falcons’ defensive pass game coordinator in 2025 after four seasons as linebackers coach for the Jets.
The Browns are getting closer to finding their defensive coordinator.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that they are interviewing a pair of candidates in person this weekend. Texans defensive pass game coordinator Cory Undlin and Falcons defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg have advanced to this round of the search.
Undlin has worked for the Texans since 2023 and was the secondary coach for the 49ers for two years before moving to Houston. He spent the 2020 season as the Lions’ defensive coordinator.
Rutenberg moved to Atlanta for the 2025 season and worked under Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich for four seasons as the linebackers coach with the Jets.
The Cardinals are hiring former NFL quarterback Matt Schaub as their quarterbacks coach, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur was on staff with Atlanta in 2016 when Schaub was still playing with the Falcons.
Schaub entered the NFL as a third-round pick of the Falcons in 2004, but he didn’t start a game his first three seasons as Michael Vick’s backup. The Falcons traded him to the Texans before the 2007 season.
He played seven seasons for the Texans, one with the Raiders and one with the Ravens before returning to the Falcons.
Schaub made two Pro Bowls, started 93 games, and threw for 25,467 with 136 touchdowns and 91 interceptions.
He served as a football analyst for the Falcons in 2023 before returning to his alma mater, Virginia, as a football analyst.
Now, Schaub will wait to see what the Cardinals do at the position. They are expected to move on from Kyler Murray.
The Falcons haven’t fully committed to Michael Penix as their starting quarterback for the 2026 season at this point, but they gave some hints about how they’ll use Penix or any other quarterback on Wednesday.
Penix has largely played out of the pistol or shotgun since entering the NFL, but offensive coordinator Tommy Rees suggested that would not be the case in the offense that will be installed this offseason. Rees, who came over from Cleveland with head coach Kevin Stefanski, said that his goal as a play-caller is to “keep the defense off balance” and that one way of doing that is by lining up differently.
“You can do it both,” Rees said at a press conference. “I think there’s definite benefits to being under center. That’s been a huge part of the identity of Kevin going back throughout his career. It’s been identity as we’ve worked together and something that we believe in.”
Rees did not comment on the chances of Penix earning the starting role, but he did say the quarterback has “extreme arm talent” and praised his toughness during his first public comments since joining Atlanta’s staff.
The Falcons are hiring Chase Blackburn as their assistant special teams coach, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
Blackburn will work under Craig Aukerman in Atlanta.
The Rams fired Blackburn with two games remaining in the 2025 regular season after a special teams meltdown against the Seahawks.
Blackburn, 42, played 10 seasons in the NFL, winning a pair of Super Bowls with the Giants. His coaching career began in 2016 as an assistant special teams coach with the Panthers. Carolina promoted him to special teams coordinator in 2018, and Matt Rhule retained Blackburn in 2020.
The Panthers fired Blackburn after the 2021 season.
After one season as the Titans’ assistant special teams coach, Blackburn joined the Rams in 2023.
