AFC North rivals could screw Browns out of top head coaching candidate

The Cleveland Browns have a lot of targets for their head coach opening, but with their AFC North rivals also looking, they will have some stiff competition.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry, right, shares a laugh with cornerback Justin Hardee Sr. after minicamp practice June 13, 2024, in Berea. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns are in the thick of the search for a new head coach and don't have an easy task in finding the right candidate with so many openings.

At least one of the nine openings in the NFL has already been filled, with the New York Giants expected to hire former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh as their head coach. That means there are eight more teams looking for a head coach, including the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cleveland has run into trouble with the Ravens and Steelers going after the same candidates. One of the candidates the Browns would love to have is Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase, but he is interviewing with Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

Assistant coach Nathan Scheelhaase works with his guys | Randy Peterson/Des Moines Register via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Browns interviewing Rams coach, but they aren't alone

Scheelhaase has become a very popular candidate, as he has mostly college experience, including his most recent role as offensive coordinator at Iowa State in 2023. He joined the Rams in 2024 as their offensive assistant and passing game specialist and was promoted to passing game coordinator this season.

Everyone has been excited about Scheelhaase because he is part of the Sean McVay coaching tree, which has seen success in other head coaching and coordinator roles. It also helps that Scheelhaase has played a role in putting quarterback Matthew Stafford in the conversation for NFL MVP.

The Browns are in need of a bright, offensive-minded coach to come into Cleveland and shake things up on offense. This has been a unit that finished in the bottom 10 under a previous offensive-minded head coach, two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.

There are big questions with the Browns' offense, with the biggest being who will be the starting quarterback in 2026. The first choice would be whether Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, or Dillon Gabriel is the right option before turning to the NFL Draft, free agency, or the trade market to find another quarterback.

Cleveland hopes a coach like Scheelhaase will have the answer to that and help the Browns find the right quarterback and develop them into the long-term solution. This is a franchise that hasn't had a true franchise quarterback since returning to Cleveland in 1999.

The Browns will have trouble competing for top candidates against some of the "better jobs" out there, like Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Cleveland will have to be aggressive with their offers if it wants the right man for the job.