Report: Duce Staley informs Jets he's expecting to join Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns have been busy making a number of changes to their coaching staff this offseason. Former Carolina Panthers assistant Duce Staley is reportedly joining the Browns, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN. Staley informed the New York Jets on Wednesday evening that he’ll be joining the Cleveland coaching staff. He spent the 2023 campaign working as the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Carolina Panthers, before being fired on November 27th, 2023.

He has more than a decade of coaching experience in the NFL. After playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers during his playing career, Staley joined the Philadelphia coaching staff in 2011. He held multiple roles there through the 2020 season, including running backs coach. Since then, he’s continued to be an assistant head coach and running backs coach.

Recently, he interviewed with the New York Jets and things were progressing between the two parties. They were planning to make an offer for Staley to join their coaching staff, according to reports.

New York is also looking to replace assistant, Taylor Embree, who was the team’s running backs coach since 2021. It was his first stint working as a running backs coach and during that time, working to develop running back Breece Hall. Prior to coming to New York, Embree had been a quality control coach in San Francisco, working with Robert Saleh. However, issues running the ball in 2023 led to the Jets struggling overall on offense during the season.

For his part, Duce Staley is a South Carolina legend who played for the Gamecocks in the mid-1990s. He was later drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles before later playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. There, he helped the Steelers win a Super Bowl.

Staley was one of the best all-purpose backs in the National Football League when he played for the Eagles. He had three seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards. He also had back-to-back seasons of hauling in more than 500 receiving yards (2001 and 2002). Staley also tacked on another which he reeled in over 400 receiving yards. During his impressive career in the NFL, he finished with 5,785 total rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, he hauled in over 2,500 receiving yards in his career and 10 touchdowns, displaying his super soft set of hands.

When he played his college football for the Gamecocks, Staley was ranked No. 13 in the nation with 1,116 yards. During his whole career there, he had 345 carries for 1,852 yards. Staley also hauled in 59 catches for 489 yards and two total touchdowns. He earned first team All-SEC honors in 1996.

On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.