Ten days into their head coach search, the Cleveland Browns requested their 10th interview of the 2026 NFL hiring cycle. Their latest candidate, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, was a bit surprising, though.
The Browns are late to the party on Shula, who thanks to his longtime connection to Sean McVay is one of the top candidates in this year’s hiring pool. If granted the interview, Shula would add Cleveland to a list that includes the Cardinals, Raiders, Dolphins, Titans, Ravens and Steelers.
Shula would obviously make sense for the Browns, whose defense, led by Myles Garrett, has been among the best in football for multiple years running. There’ll be a ton of competition for him, though, and he’s not the hidden-gem type that fits the Browns’ current candidate list, like Grant Udinski, Dan Pitcher and Nate Scheelhaase.
At this point, fans hoping for their team to go all-in on a seasoned coach like Jim Schwartz or Mike McDaniel have to be feeling underwhelmed. Eight of Cleveland’s 10 interview requests so far have no prior NFL head coaching experience, and six of them come from offensive-focused backgrounds.
Shula’s definitely a serious candidate, but are the Browns serious about hiring him after waiting until Jan. 14 to throw their hat in the ring? Again, it’s a somewhat surprising move — especially when there’s another defensive guru out there, with prior head coach experience, who spent more than a week waiting for a phone call.
Interest in Brian Flores is heating up, and the Browns are still on the sideline
After the news of Kevin Stefanski’s firing broke on Black Monday, Brian Flores felt like a name that had to be on the Browns’ wish list.
His defense helped carry the Minnesota Vikings, hamstrung by some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL, to a 9-8 record. They won their final five games of the season while allowing just 9.0 points per game to opposing offenses.
Yes, Flores still has an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in the hiring process. He also admitted fault in mishandling his relationship with QB Tua Tagovailoa as head coach of the Dolphins during their two years together.
But Flores is still only 44, won four Super Bowls on Bill Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots, and has more than earned a second chance. There aren’t 32 coaches better than Flores in the NFL right now, and there might not be one better at scheming up havoc for opposing QBs.
Pairing Flores with Garrett, Carson Schwesinger, Denzel Ward, and the Browns' defense would be a terrifying proposition for the NFL. With the Vikings missing the playoffs, and his contract officially up with the team, Cleveland could have gotten to him early in the process and been the first in line.
Similar to Shula, it might be too late now. Flores already interviewed with the Ravens and is set to meet with the Steelers next. He also interviewed with Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders for their vacant defensive coordinator job.
Steelers now have requested a head coach interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2026
Flores is in Washington today, interviewing for the Commanders DC job. Steelers HC interview is expected next. pic.twitter.com/3MOtRLQGDq
None of the NFL’s nine HC openings have been filled yet, so everything’s still on the table for the Browns. It does feel like the team’s leaning towards a young, up-and-coming coach with an offensive background as Stefanski’s replacement, which makes sense; their offense was among the worst in football in 2025, and that’s not going to change until they figure out QB, left tackle, and No. 1 wide receiver.
But why request a late interview for the hot commodity in Shula, when there was a more proven and experienced candidate in Flores who went all of last week without a single interview request?
The Browns don’t seem to be overly serious about the defensive-minded coaches, outside of maybe Jim Schwartz, and they better hope that they’re right.