The Cleveland Browns reportedly may be close to hiring a new head coach, and in some ways, that decision may be getting made for them. Several candidates have either removed their names from consideration or taken a new job elsewhere.
Now, it seems that one of Cleveland’s top candidates, Grant Udinski, is withdrawing from the race. It is the latest blow in what is turning out to be a lengthy and somewhat discouraging search.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Udinski has told the Browns he is passing on their opportunity to either remain as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars or become the head coach of the Buffalo Bills.
“Jaguars OC Grant Udinski has informed the Browns that he is removing himself from consideration for their HC position, per a source. Udinski has a new deal in place with Jacksonville that will bump his pay for next season, but the Jaguars are allowing him to continue pursuing the Bills’ HC job. If Udinski doesn’t get the Buffalo job, he will be back as the Jaguars’ OC,” Schefter wrote on X.
Jaguars OC Grant Udinski has informed the Browns that he is removing himself from consideration for their HC position, per a source.
Udinski has a new deal in place with Jacksonville that will bump his pay for next season, but the Jaguars are allowing him to continue pursuing… pic.twitter.com/6CDaggeI4a
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 26, 2026
During the process, Udinski emerged as arguably the hottest candidate for Cleveland, gaining momentum as it went along. He was believed to be one of the three finalists for the job, along with current Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
It is unclear how much the Bills’ firing of head coach Sean McDermott after their playoff elimination changed the equation for Udinski. It is also unknown whether the Browns’ drawn-out process played a role.
However, Cleveland may have already decided on Scheelhaase as its top choice. The Browns patiently waited to conduct a second interview with him as the Rams were preparing for their NFC Championship Game matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
With Los Angeles having lost that game to end its season, the 35-year-old is now available to be hired, which the Browns reportedly could do very soon. Schwartz has also been a strong candidate since Kevin Stefanski was fired, so he could be the final fallback option if talks with Scheelhaase fall through.
Having already been spurned by John Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter, and perhaps McDermott, losing out on Udinski could be seen as a discouraging setback, but if the Browns do land the coach they wanted all along, all of those disappointments will be forgotten.
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