Out of the nine teams in the head-coach market for the 2026 season, one vacancy has reportedly already been filled, with the New York Giants hiring John Harbaugh as their next head coach. That move now shifts the focus to the remaining eight openings. And the Cleveland Browns are firmly among them after parting ways with Kevin Stefanski.

As they begin the process of finding his replacement, the Browns announced on Friday that they’ve scheduled interviews with two head-coaching candidates for the role. We’re talking about the Los Angeles Chargers‘ defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, and the Los Angeles Rams‘ pass game coordinator, Nate Scheelhaase.

That brings Minter and Scheelhaase in as the seventh and eighth candidates to interview for the job. Before them, the Browns spoke with their own coordinators: offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, along with the Cincinnati Bengals OC, Dan Pitcher, the Seattle Seahawks DC, Aden Durde, the Baltimore Ravens‘ OC, Todd Monken, and former Miami Dolphins‘ head coach, Mike McDaniel.

Both Minter and Scheelhaase will interview virtually on Friday, as in-person interviews aren’t permitted until after the divisional round. Starting with Minter, the 42-year-old joined the Chargers in 2024 and immediately stabilized their defense. The Chargers finished 11th in total defense in Minter’s first season. In 2025, that unit took another step forward. The team ranked fifth overall while allowing just 285.2 yards per game. And they allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards at 179.9 per game.

Scheelhaase’s rise has been just as notable on the other side of the ball. The 35-year-old joined the Rams as an offensive assistant and pass game specialist in 2024. He helped guide a passing offense that ranked 10th in yards and 12th in yards per reception. Promoted to pass game coordinator in 2025, the results were even louder. The Rams finished first in the NFL with 4,557 passing yards and averaged 268.1 yards per game through the air.

Taken together, Minter and Scheelhaase represent two of the younger, upward-trending candidates in Cleveland’s search. Whether either ultimately lands the job remains to be seen. Minter has already drawn interest from all nine head coach-teams. Scheelhaase, meanwhile, is also expected to interview with the Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders.

For now, the Browns’ decision-making process continues. However, many around the league believe the decision could be influenced by how the organization plans to move forward at quarterback, including the looming Shedeur Sanders factor.

NFL coaches have seemingly made their opinions clear on Shedeur Sanders

“I think I did what I was able to do, and I definitely grew from a lot of things, and I got experience now,” Shedeur Sanders said while addressing his future as the Browns’ quarterback. “So, I’m always the same, confidence-wise, I’m there. But like, that’s not in my hands. Like, that’s not my decision. I can’t speak on what other people feel.”

And while Sanders remains uncertain about his standing in Cleveland, the Browns’ direction at quarterback appears to be quietly influencing how NFL head-coaching candidates view the job. There’s already a recent example. Before accepting the head-coaching role with the Giants, John Harbaugh reportedly spent time evaluating two rookie quarterbacks. Neither of them was Shedeur.

“John Harbaugh is spending today and the next few days watching film specifically on quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said. “He’s also been in contact with team decision makers, while continuing to communicate with potential members of his own coaching staff.”

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Which naturally raises the bigger question: how confident are head-coaching candidates about Sanders being the Browns’ long-term answer at quarterback? That’s something Cleveland may not fully resolve before hiring its next head coach. And it could quietly shape how attractive the job looks behind the scenes.