The Baltimore Ravens are starting to narrow down their head coaching search. After interviewing 16 candidates, they have finally completed their first cycle of interviews. This upcoming week, they will start conducting their second round of interviews.
With four teams already filling their head coaching vacancies, the Ravens will have to work a bit quicker to ensure they get their top guy. The Atlanta Falcons already signed Kevin Stefanski, who was reportedly supposed to go back to Charm City for another interview, and the Tennessee Titans added Robert Saleh, who was also a strong candidate for the Ravens. With the Buffalo Bills joining the party of teams looking for a new coach, Baltimore cannot afford to wait much longer.
While the Ravens keep almost everything in-house, a couple of reports have revealed candidates set to come back for a second interview. The first is expected to be Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who has plenty of experience in Baltimore. The second is possibly the most polarizing target of this entire coaching cycle: Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
The Ravens plan to bring in Bills OC Joe Brady this week for a second interview for their head coaching job, per sources. pic.twitter.com/mPrubudCYM
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2026
Ravens’ Joe Brady decision could raise eyebrows
Getting an initial interview with Brady made sense. While 2025 was rough from a passing standpoint, Brady led a unit that ranked at the top of the NFL in rushing yards per game. He had the rushing champion in James Cook and drew up some excellently designed runs for Josh Allen. With Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry occupying the backfield in Baltimore, there is reason to believe he could be a strong fit.
However, the reason many Ravens fans fear a potential hiring of Brady is his inconsistency. His passing offense ranked 15th in the league this past season, and how he utilized his wide receivers and running backs may give Ravens fans flashbacks. Khalil Shakir, who was once seen as a rising wideout, was turned into a gadget guy, and Cook was very rarely utilized in the passing game, losing out on snaps to second and third stringers. The screen game was also a common theme throughout the year, which was largely ineffective.
Simply put, while the rushing attack was strong, Brady’s passing attack lacked nuance and was very bland for the majority of the season.
With a player like Jackson under center, if Baltimore opts to go with an offensive-minded coach, it must be a guy who can enforce a strong two-dimensional offense. Brady didn’t exactly prove to do that, and after a step back in 2025, the Ravens’ offense could risk taking another step back under Brady if they were to choose him as their next head coach.