The Cleveland Browns are still hunting for their next head coach, and the search is only getting tougher. As of now, they’re one of just four teams across the league still without someone at the helm - a group that includes the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals.
Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC North has moved quickly to fill their vacancies. The Steelers made a splash by bringing in Mike McCarthy, the veteran coach with a Super Bowl ring and stints in both Dallas and Green Bay. Over in Baltimore, the Ravens tapped into the defensive side of the ball, hiring Jesse Minter, who had been coordinating the Chargers’ defense.
But in Cleveland, the list of potential candidates is thinning. Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has officially withdrawn from consideration for the Browns’ head coaching job.
According to reports, Udinski has agreed to a new deal in Jacksonville that comes with a raise. The Jaguars are still giving him the green light to pursue the Bills’ job, but if that doesn’t pan out, he’ll return to his OC role in Duval.
Udinski isn’t the only name to back out. Jesse Minter, now with the Ravens, and former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel also took themselves out of the running for the Cleveland job.
The Browns’ coaching search has become a bit of a revolving door, and with top candidates choosing other paths, the pressure is mounting. Whoever eventually takes over in Cleveland will inherit a roster with pieces to work with - but the longer this process drags on, the more it feels like the Browns are losing ground in a competitive AFC landscape.