Zach

Orr

The move reunites Orr with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, whom Orr replaced as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator after Macdonald accepted his current role in 2024. Orr reportedly had the same job offer from the Cowboys, but preferred to learn from Macdonald once again.

Orr had been interviewed by the Cowboys earlier this offseason before they settled on Christian Parker as their defensive coordinator. There’s been some smoke linking him to the Giants with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, but that has yet to be realized. Thus, this is Orr’s only live lead for a defensive coordinator role. He had a somewhat disappointing season in 2025, but the 2024 Ravens defense finished highly in several categories, including first in yards per rush attempt allowed.

With former Chargers DC Jesse Minter now heading to Baltimore to serve as their next head coach, the Chargers have a new vacancy to fill. The obvious connection here is the Harbaughs. After spending the last two seasons coaching with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, Orr could become the latest coach and/or player to make the leap to Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers. Orr’s time in Baltimore was marked by challenges. Despite his defense ranking ninth in points allowed in 2024, the Ravens often felt like they underperformed on that side of the ball in big moments, and they fell to 18th in points allowed and 24th in yards allowed in 2025. Wherever he lands next, Orr will have a lot to prove after underperforming expectations this season.

Per Schrager, Bullen has a chance to remove the “interim” part of his title, which makes sense. He significantly improved the Giants’ defensive performance after receiving the in-season promotion in Week 13, improving their quarterback pressure rate from 32.9 to 39.9 percent and lowering their yards allowed per play average from 6.1 to 5.1. The remaining four candidates include former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, Ravens DC Zach Orr and Browns DC Jim Schwartz.

Orr’s defining trait as a defensive coordinator in his two seasons in Baltimore was figuring out where Kyle Hamilton would play after a poor month, then letting him do that. With John Harbaugh fired, Orr’s job is obviously up in the air while the Ravens wait for a new head coach. Orr wouldn’t necessarily be a superb pivot for the Cowboys, but as we have often noted, it would be hard to do worse than Matt Eberflus did last year.

Orr, 31, is a former Ravens linebacker who saw his career cut short due to neck/spinal issues. The former undrafted free agent quickly transitioned to coaching, cutting his teeth as a defensive analyst with the Ravens from 2017-2020. He spent one season with the Jaguars as an outside linebackers coach, only to return as the Ravens’ linebackers coach in 2022. As an internal candidate, Orr is more than familiar with how former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald handled the defense during his two seasons with the team. Orr will now have his chance to lead a defense that ranked third and first in points allowed in each of the last two years.

With former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald taking over as the new head coach in Seattle, there’s some thought he could bring Orr over to work under him. Orr coached inside linebackers in Baltimore the last two years, working with Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith, and spent one season as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach before that. He has served in various roles on Baltimore’s coaching staff since transitioning to coaching in 2016 following his retirement from the NFL due to a congenital neck/spine condition. Given Macdonald’s defensive expertise, it remains to be seen just how much authority any defensive coordinator would have in Seattle.

After being forced into retirement due to a neck injury, Orr spent 2017-20 on the Ravens’ staff as a defensive analyst before landing on ex-Jaguars DC Joe Cullen’s staff last year. Orr was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2016 at linebacker.

Orr was forced to retire in 2017 due to a neck injury. He spent last year as an analyst for the Ravens. This will be the first position coach role for Orr as he joins new HC Urban Meyer’s staff. Orr will work with the likes of Myles Jack and Joe Giles-Harris in Jacksonville.

A 2014 UDFA, Orr is competing with Arthur Brown for the starting spot opposite C.J. Mosley. Orr has always been considered the favorite, and he did not give up that position in OTAs or minicamp. Unless he face plants in training camp, Orr should open the season in the starting lineup.