The Browns' head coach hunt might finally be coming to an end with Nate Scheelhaase being the last hope.

Mike McDaniel had ditched the Browns, cancelling their second meeting. Now, Grant Udinski has also pulled out after the second interview. This has left them with very limited options.

Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase gave his first interview with the Browns on January 16th. On the 26th, they did the second interview. It was delayed because the Rams were playing in the NFC Championship.

Scheelhaase joined the Rams in 2024 as an offensive assistant and pass game specialist. He guided the passing attack that ranked 10th with 3,868 passing yards and 227.5 passing yards per game, 12th with 11.2 yards per reception, and 13th with 367 completions.

Then he was promoted to the pass game coordinator in 2025, and the Rams ranked first in the league with 4,557 passing yards and averaged 268.1 passing yards per game. What makes him the perfect choice for the Browns is the fact that their passing game sucked this season.

They had the second-fewest passing yards this season (3,152)and the third-lowest passing touchdowns (16) as well. But the Buffalo Bills have also offered Nate Scheelhaase the head coach candidacy and have interviewed him as well.

If it comes down to Browns vs Bills, Scheelhaase might have to choose between Shedeur Sanders and Josh Allen. That might not be that hard a choice to make for someone who has worked with MVP-level talent like Matthew Stafford.

Jim Schwartz Might Be A Roadblock in Hiring Nathan Scheelhaase

The Browns have three candidates with whom they have conducted a second head coach interview. These include Jim Schwartz, Todd Monken, and Nathan Scheelhaase. Now the Browns might not want Schwartz as head coach, but they also don't want him to leave the DC position.

With him as DC this season, the Browns allowed just 283.6 total yards per game (4th-fewest) and 167.2 passing yards per game (3rd-fewest). They finished third in the league with 53 sacks, setting a new franchise record. They have now gone 45 straight games without allowing a 300-yard passer, the longest active streak in the NFL. But Scheelhaase does not want him.

"Nate Scheelhaase and other prospective candidates for the Browns head coaching vacancy are potentially hesitant to move forward with the franchise as owner Jimmy Haslam is requesting DC Jim Schwartz be retained as a condition of becoming head coach, per @JaredKMueller"

Would you take Nathan Scheelhaase as the Browns' head coach without Jim Schwartz as the DC?

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu