It's been a wild few weeks in the AFC North. Since Mike Tomlin's decision to step down as head coach, the Pittsburgh Steelers joined divisional rivals the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns in pursuit of the next coach who will lead their franchise.
As four of the ten head coaching openings have been filled, the rest of the potential hires are starting to come into focus... and it looks like the Ravens are going to land one of the best young coaches in this hiring cycle.
There's a growing belief that Baltimore is preparing to sign Jesse Minter.
Minter interviewed in person with the Ravens on Wednesday, per CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz, and he's believed to be the top HC candidate for Baltimore. In fact, some believe that Minter has been the guy all along—even before officially relieving ex-head coach John Harbaugh of his duties.
Minter has been the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers for the past two seasons. In addition to spending over a decade as a college assistant coach and coordinator, Minter spent four years with the Ravens as a defensive assistant and defensive backs coach from 2017 to 2020, so the connection is already there.
While Minter was a name initially on Pittsburgh's head coaching interview list, Minter-to-Pittsburgh now feels like a pipedream. But Steelers fans shouldn't want the brilliant young defensive mind in Baltimore.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should hope the Baltimore Ravens don't hire Jesse Minter as their next head coach
The LA Chargers had one of the worst defenses in the NFL before Minter was hired to run the defense. In 2023, Los Angeles ranked 28th in the league in yards allowed, surrendering 362.9 yards per game. In the same year, the Chargers had the NFL's 23rd-ranked scoring defense, allowing 23.4 points per game.
But when Minter came along, everything changed.
Over the past two seasons, the Chargers finished as a top-10 defense. This past season, Minter's defense allowed just 290.6 yards per game (7th) and 19.8 points per game (8th). The Chargers also finished 10th in DVOA defense and 6th in defensive EPA per play.
The most impressive part is that he was able to do this without an abundance of talent on the defensive side of the football.
Outside of Derwin James and an aging Khalil Mack, the Chargers don't have star power defensively. Yet, the entire defensive unit played well together while keeping some impressive offenses in check. Late in the season, they allowed just 19 points to the Eagles and 17 points to the Cowboys on their way to a four-game winning streak.
Just like Mike Macdonald did for the Ravens before leaving to become the Seahawks' head coach in 2024, Jesse Minter could get Baltimore's defense back on track in a heartbeat. This hiring has not been announced, but it certainly feels like Minter is going to land with the Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest AFC North rival.