The hires last offseason of Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel and Liam Coen transformed the Bears, Patriots and Jaguars, respectively, making contenders of also-rans in the space of a few months. That is what every owner who jettisons a head coach imagines happening for his or her team.
That it so often does not work out that way is a testament to how difficult these decisions are and how much goes into making a regime successful. Who could have imagined that the Raiders' hiring of Pete Carroll would result in a disaster of a season, especially after he was reunited with quarterback Geno Smith? Or that the Cowboys' unconventional route -- they did not interview any of the other top candidates last season, and chose a coach who had last been seen as a hot candidate 15 years ago -- would lead to what was apparently the right hire? Brian Schottenheimer navigated Dallas' pre-season trade of Micah Parsons and the in-season death of Marshawn Kneeland with toughness and humanity, all while boosting the offense into the league's top five.
There were seven openings after the 2024 season and eight following the 2023 season, so nearly half the league has turned over a head coach in the last two offseasons. That's a lot, but hope springs eternal. Here are how this year's available vacancies stack up and an assessment of the positions that have already been filled:
The coaching carousel has gone berserk this year, and immediately following the Divisional Round, it claimed a TENTH head man: Sean McDermott, who took the Bills to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons (making each of the last six Divisional Rounds) and won 106 games in Buffalo, but not enough of the biggest ones. Most glaringly, the Bills lost two AFC Championship Games, despite the presence of Josh Allen. The devastation of the Bills' overtime loss to the Broncos pointed to the reality that this team knew a prime opportunity had been lost and there were likely to be changes made, even if many did not expect McDermott to be among them. With the Giants job already filled by John Harbaugh, Buffalo's opening rockets to the top of the most-desirable list, alongside the Ravens. Allen is, of course, what makes this gig so appealing. He's a league MVP who has routinely thrown the Bills on his back and carried them. That he buckled Saturday against the Broncos in a mistake-riddled performance doomed their postseason, but it also underscored just how much help the franchise should be trying to get the star signal-caller. Whoever takes this job is going to have a busy offseason because there is significant work to be done on the roster. Buffalo has expiring contracts with starters on the offensive line, as well as at defensive end, linebacker and safety. A massive remake of the wide receiver room is in order. And right now, the Bills are projected to be over the salary cap. So, getting back to where this team was is going to be a project. Still, Allen is a huge draw and so is the brand-new stadium that will open next season. General manager Brandon Beane is staying on and has been named president of football operations, giving him greater power, including oversight of the coaching staff. That's an interesting development, considering there were some inarguable roster deficiencies this season.
Kevin Stefanski, whose Browns teams won just eight games in the last two seasons, is a two-time Coach of the Year winner who's already been scooped up in this cycle following his departure from Cleveland. He was handed the league's worst quarterback situation this season. First, the team traded for Kenny Pickett, then drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, traded away Pickett, started Joe Flacco, then traded Flacco shortly after Gabriel took over the QB1 job -- which he eventually ceded to Sanders. Oh, and Deshaun Watson, at the center of perhaps the worst trade and contract in which a team has engaged in history, is still there.
There are other holes -- the skill-position players need an upgrade, the offensive line is aging and injury-prone -- that need to be filled to get the Browns back to competitiveness. But the next coach inherits a more hopeful situation. Sanders made some improvement late in the season. The Browns' rookie class looks to be a strong one -- linebacker Carson Schwesinger is a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year, while running back Quinshon Judkins, defensive tackle Mason Graham and tight end Harold Fannin Jr.. provided good contributions. And the Browns have two first-round picks, so they will have the means to draft one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class. Plus, the new coach will only have to deal with the tail end of the disastrous Watson contract. Whoever lands this job must have a strong plan for the quarterbacks, to finally put an end to the circus at the position that the Browns have endured. General manager Andrew Berry will stay in his job. This team is in a rebuild, but at least there are resources. They question is, with no obvious slam-dunk candidates out there this year, which voice will be the one to finally make the right QB decisions and push this team forward?
Jonathan Gannon was fired after three years -- they lost 14 of their last 15 this season -- setting off another period of transition for the Cardinals. Kyler Murray is still there and owed $36.8 million next season, although a change at quarterback appears on the horizon, whether the team is able to trade him or release him. Having Murray out of the picture could enhance the job -- a new coach would be able to select his own quarterback. Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who was a candidate for Arizona before Gannon was hired, could again be in the mix, particularly because the Cardinals' defense never got better under Gannon, a defensive coach himself. There is some talent on the roster, including tight end Trey McBride and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., among others, so a turnaround is possible even in the NFC West, which is the NFL's most difficult division. Despite the churn at head coach here, Michael Bidwill is not viewed as an impatient owner, but candidates have to have a plan at quarterback.
Coming off a completely disastrous season, the Raiders are hitting the reset button again, with the anticipated quick turnaround under Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith failing to materialize. There is plenty of intrigue here, especially surrounding the involvement of Tom Brady, a minority owner, in the coaching search (he was involved before the Carroll hire and is expected to play a key role again) and how pivotal his opinion will be in deciding what to do with the most important thing the Raiders can offer their candidates: the No. 1 overall draft pick. That means the Raiders could take their choice of quarterbacks, though their roster needs go well beyond that position. After the failure of the Carroll experiment, it's reasonable to think the Raiders will go with a younger, offensive minded head coach. Whoever it is, his first order of business should be mending fences with Maxx Crosby, the Raiders' elite pass rusher, who was furious over the Raiders' decision to shut him down with two games to go. But this is a long rebuild -- the Raiders are the worst team in the league by a not particularly close margin, and they are in the AFC West, one of the toughest divisions in the game.
THE HIRINGS
HIRED: Mike McCarthy
The Steelers have had only three head coaches since 1969 and Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin had a few things in common: They were all in their 30s when they were hired, they came from the defensive side of the ball and had never been a head coach, and all won Super Bowls. McCarthy is a sharp departure in background, but the Steelers hope not in results. At 62, McCarthy, Pittsburgh born and bred (his dad was a Pittsburgh firefighter and police officer, and also owned a local bar; Mike grew up rooting for the Steelers), has been an offensive coach for his entire career. He won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and this is his third stint coaching one of the NFL’s premier franchises, after also spending five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy brings a wealth of experience, of course. In 18 seasons as a head coach, his teams had losing records just five times. He went to the playoffs nine times with the Packers and for all but one of those seasons, his quarterback was Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers had been open to Rodgers returning next season, although it was assumed he might not be interested after the departure of Tomlin, with whom Rodgers had a strong relationship. The arrival of McCarthy means Rodgers’ return is back in play, and that could allow the Steelers to conduct the competitive rebuild they need by using Rodgers as a bridge to a younger quarterback.
HIRED: Kevin Stefanski
What will Kevin Stefanski be like as a head coach with relatively stable quarterbacking? We’re about to find out. Stefanski was a two-time Coach of the Year award winner in Cleveland despite a revolving door at quarterback and having his tenure saddled with the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade. Stefanski had perhaps the worst quarterbacking situation this season. Now he gets Michael Penix Jr. and a whole lot of other talent -- Bijan Robinson is a superstar, there are receivers, there is young defensive talent and there is a very winnable NFC South division. One other thing -- usually new head coaches take over teams that have bottomed out. That’s not the case here. The Falcons were 8-9 last season -- the same record as the division-winning Carolina Panthers -- and finished on a four-game winning streak, indicating this team’s arrow was already pointing up and that they are poised to contend for the playoffs immediately. This is no rebuild. Stefanski’s arrival ramps up the intrigue surrounding Kirk Cousins, with whom he enjoyed great success in Minnesota and who is expected to be released by the Falcons this offseason. Stefanski’s experience should be especially helpful because Matt Ryan is a rookie president of football and the Falcons could also have a first-time general manager.
HIRED: Jesse Minter
John Harbaugh hired Jesse Minter in 2017, bringing the Georgia State defensive coordinator onto the Ravens’ staff as a defensive assistant. Nine years later, Minter is replacing Harbaugh. In the intervening years, Minter was, among other things, the defensive coordinator at Michigan for Jim Harbaugh and, for the last two years, was Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator for the Chargers. This season, the unit was in the league’s top 10 in fewest points allowed and fewest yards allowed. Last season, L.A.'s defense was No. 1 in points allowed, making Minter one of the hottest names in this hiring cycle. Much like John Harbaugh when owner Steve Bisciotti hired him, Minter has never been a head coach at any level. But his familiarity with the Ravens, with Bisciotti, with Ozzie Newsome and general manager Eric de Costa, should smooth over some of the normal growing pains of a first-time head coach. His defensive acumen should also stop a downward trend by the Ravens defense over the last two years. His selection of an offensive coordinator will be hugely important, given the presence of Lamar Jackson, who made this the most attractive available job this cycle and who will almost certainly have input into the candidates. The Ravens interviewed, among others, Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury, and if they don’t get head jobs elsewhere, they could be considered for the offensive coordinator role.
HIRED: Jeff Hafley
It may seem like the Dolphins simply opted for the opposite of Mike McDaniel, selecting a defensive coordinator to replace an offensive guru. This hire gives the Dolphins more than defensive acumen, although they need that, too. They needed a coach who could instill some toughness and grit into a team that, fairly or not, has a reputation for not being physical enough and for struggling when playing in cold weather. Hafley coordinated Green Bay’s defense, which was top five in 2024, his first season there, and might have duplicated that in 2025 until Micah Parsons got hurt. Hafley had been so eagerly pursued during this coaching cycle that the Packers have already been preparing for his departure. He will be aligned with the Dolphins new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, who also came from Green Bay. And, perhaps importantly, he was a head coach at Boston College, so he knows how to oversee an entire operation. That’s going to be important, because one of the first major decisions he will have to make with Sullivan is what to do about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and who should be the next quarterback. Hafley’s mandate is simple. Win playoff games. The Dolphins haven’t since the 2000 season.
HIRED: John Harbaugh
It’s not hyperbole to say that landing John Harbaugh as the next head coach represents the best day for the Giants franchise since they last won the Super Bowl 14 years ago. After wandering in the coaching wilderness for a decade, the Giants reeled in the top fish in this year’s cycle, a Super Bowl winner, a tone-setter, a steady leader who will command the entire building and which has set off giddy celebrations from an exhausted fan base. This hire also says a few things. This was the best job available to Harbaugh and he never would have accepted it if he had concerns about collaborating with general manager Joe Schoen, who worked doggedly to convince Harbaugh to take the job. And, despite the recent losing, the Giants ownership of the Mara and Tisch families remains deeply and rightly respected in league circles. Harbaugh is expected to bring along from Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken, which is a boon for quarterback Jaxson Dart, given Monken’s previous work with, among others, Lamar Jackson. But more than the Xs and Os, Harbaugh has already brought respectability back to the Giants. It’s been a rough few years for them, particularly the last one. This is a huge win for John Mara, Steve Tisch, Schoen and legions of energized and now hopeful fans.
HIRED: Robert Saleh
When the Titans chose Saleh to be their next head coach, they followed an early trend in this hiring cycle: Teams are opting for candidates with previous head-coaching experience. Saleh's was with the Jets, and after he was fired, he decided that if he got another opportunity, he would call the defensive plays (he didn't in New York) because he felt too disconnected when he didn't. After a brilliant 2025 campaign as the defensive coordinator for the 49ers -- in which he navigated season-ending injuries to his two best players, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa -- Saleh gets his second chance with Tennessee. Saleh's high energy should invigorate a team that could use an identity and galvanize a group that is likely to include plenty of new faces -- the Titans are flush with salary cap space and have a high draft pick. And, in the best news for Saleh, he is inheriting a quarterback -- former first overall pick Cam Ward -- who showed promise in his rookie season. Saleh's selection of an offensive coordinator will be critical -- he never had the right coordinator and quarterback at the same time in New York. It's also crucial that he and incumbent general manager Mike Borgonzi work well together to shore up a roster that was often overmatched last season.
