Raymond

Ventrone

Ventrone began his coaching career in 2015 as an assistant special teams coach with the Patriots. He became the Colts’ special teams coordinator in 2018 before the Browns hired him as the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator in 2023. He is widely viewed as one of the NFL’s best special teams coaches.

Pelissero said Ventrone, widely seen as one of the NFL’s best special teams coaches, is not expected to stay on with new Cleveland head coach Todd Monken, who will presumably clean house and bring in his own coaches for 2026. The Rams in 2025 had what was by most measures the worst special teams unit while the Steelers were mostly middle of the pack in special teams metrics. Ventrone’s Browns allowed the seventh most yards per kickoff return and the fifth most yards per punt return in 2025.

Ventrone was in contention for the Colts’ vacant head coach role in 2023 before ultimately ending up in his current roles with the Browns. The 42-year-old appears to be on the head coaching fast track and accepting the temporary position at the Senior Bowl will both provide valuable head coaching experience while also giving Ventrone an in-depth look at the 2025 rookie class. Giants offensive coordinator and assistant head coach will lead the other Senior Bowl squad.

Considered one of the top special teams coaches in the league, Ventrone was also interviewed for the Colts head coaching vacancy before the team ultimately decided on Shane Steichen. A former player for the Browns (2009-2012), Ventrone first joined the coaching ranks in 2015 as an assistant special teams coach with the Patriots before being hired by the Colts in 2018.

Ventrone, one of the NFL’s top special teams coaches who interviewed for the Colts’ head coaching opening in January, would replace recently-dispatched Cleveland special teams coordinator Mike Priefer. Ventrone, 40, headed the league’s fourth best special teams unit in 2022, per Pro Football Focus grades. He was a special teams standout for the Browns from 2009 to 2014. Ventrone would be an outsized loss for the Colts if he takes Cleveland’s offer.

A long-haired special teams wild man during his NFL playing days, Ventrone, 40, started his coaching career in 2015 with the Patriots and landed the Colts special teams coordinator job in 2018. He’ll be among a cavalcade of coaching candidates -- including, somehow, Jeff Saturday -- to vie for the team’s head coaching gig this month. Pro Football Focus graded the Colts’ special teams unit as the league’s fourth best in 2022.

Ventrone was a practice squader that many around the Patriots organization thought had a lot of potential. He’s questionable for the start of training camp.

A core special teamer, Ventrone is hoping to play through the injury, presumably with a club on his hand. Without Ventrone, the Browns gave up an 81-yard punt return score to Pacman Jones in Week 2.

Ventrone, 30, can’t function on defense. He’ll vie for a special teams role.

“Bubba” Ventrone spent nine seasons in the NFL, bouncing from New England to Cleveland to San Francisco. He was a career special teamer and should fit in nicely on the Patriots’ staff after getting his start there.