The Los Angeles Rams may not be losing one of the bright young minds of their coaching staff after all.
According to reports, the Cleveland Browns are hiring Todd Monken as their next head coach, passing on Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Scheelhaase, 35, has a good chance to remain with the Rams after Cleveland went in a different direction, which is great news for Los Angeles.
The Raiders and Cardinals are the two remaining teams with head coaching vacancies, and Scheelhaase only interviewed with the Raiders for their job. Mike LaFleur also looks like the frontrunner for Arizona's position, so it could come down to whether Scheelhaase lands the Raiders gig – or gets an opportunity to be an offensive coordinator elsewhere.
ESPN Sources: the Cleveland Browns are hiring former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach. pic.twitter.com/zyTpFKSuJf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 28, 2026
He joined the Rams in 2024 after a six-year stint at Iowa State, climbing his way to the position of offensive coordinator in 2023. He started as an offensive assistant and passing game specialist with the Rams last year but after drawing interest from the Jaguars and Bucs as an offensive coordinator candidate, Sean McVay promoted him to pass game coordinator in 2025.
A former college quarterback, Scheelhaase has drawn rave reviews from Rams players and coaches. Puka Nacua called him a “modern-age” coach, praising his ability to communicate with players in practice and during games.
McVay has loved having Scheelhaase on his staff, saying this about the young coach last March after he was promoted to pass game coordinator.
“The best thing I can say about him, Nate, is—there are certain people you're around and they come in and they have a role and a responsibility that's defined and they do a great job of that,” McVay said. “But the great ones, they redefine what that is because they just do a little bit more and they're just a little bit more intrinsically motivated and they got just a little bit better feel on how you deal with people. And I think this guy's a special coach and I'm not going to take for granted the time that I do have with him because I thought it was cool that he chose to stay with us with some other opportunities he had, that meant a lot to me and he is a rising star without a doubt.”
Scheelhaase was one of the first targets for the Browns but didn't end up being their choice for head coach, with Cleveland favoring the more experienced Monken over Scheelhaase.
If LaFleur gets the Cardinals' head coaching job, Scheelhaase is a strong candidate to be promoted to offensive coordinator, keeping some continuity on that side of the ball for the Rams. As disappointing as it is for Scheelhaase not to get the Browns job, it will benefit the Rams if he sticks around for another year.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Browns hire Todd Monken, pass on Rams' Nate Scheelhaase
