Jeff Ulbrich and the Atlanta Falcons caught a major break when Robert Saleh failed to poach Mike Rutenberg for his defensive coaching staff in Tennessee. Instead, he hired Gus Bradley to be the Titans' defensive coordinator, which led fans to believe Rutenberg would be back in Atlanta in 2026.
However, we may have spoke too soon on that front. The Cleveland Browns are clearly feeling spiteful given how ugly their breakup with Kevin Stefanski has been, and have interest in one of his and Ulbrich's top assistants, as they requested to interview Rutenberg for their defensive coordinator job.
Browns have requested to interview Falcons defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg for their defensive coordinator job, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 9, 2026
Rutenberg was the No. 2 for the Tennessee DC job that went to Gus Bradley. https://t.co/YFE8cvKKUP
Something worth noting is that Rutenberg isn't the only name on Todd Monken's wish list. Now that we have confirmation that Jim Schwartz won't be sticking around around after being passed over for Monken for the head coaching position, they're casting a wide net in their search to replace him.
The Browns will also speak with Aubrey Pleasant, Jonathan Cooley, Cory Undlin, and Charlie Bullen for their DC job, and there's a chance that more interviews could follow. And given that Rutenberg was a serious candidate in Tennessee, he will be a legit candidate to leave the Falcons again.
Falcons' defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg is interviewing for the Browns' defensive coordinator job
Basically every assistant coach Monken has hired so far has ties to John Harbaugh or the Ravens, but the Browns were banking on Schwartz wanting to come back. Because they are wildly incompetent, they are back to square one, and their ineptitude could really come back to haunt the Dirty Birds.
Rutenberg is someone the Falcons want to keep, and for good reason. The 44-year-old led one of the league's best pass defenses until injuries took its toll, while the secondary tied for sixth in the NFL with 16 interceptions and ranked seventh in takeaways, which is impressive all things considered.
While it helped to finally have game-wreckers on the defensive line, the secondary wasn't an overly talented unit. While Xavier Watts shined, A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes both had down seasons, while Jessie Bates' own future in Atlanta is up in the air now that Raheem Morris is the DC in San Francisco.
Dee Alford had a breakout season and Billy Bowman Jr. impressed before getting hurt, so he did more with less comparatively speaking. But in Cleveland, he would be equipped with a lot more talent, especially given he would have reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett at his disposal.
Something worth noting is that he was only seriously considered in Nashville due to his history with Saleh, and he still didn't get the job. The Browns aren't exactly a haven for top coaching talent though, so it remains to be seen if he'll sacrifice career advancement for continuity in Atlanta.