Published: Jan 05, 2026 at 12:09 PMUpdated: Jan 08, 2026 at 11:26 AM

Judy Battista

Senior National Columnist

There is no NFL divide more dramatic than the one playing out in 32 buildings across the league right now -- the 14 haves who are preparing for the postseason and the 18 have nots, who are confronting disappointment and massive decisions about the future. When owners make head-coaching changes, it's worth realizing that the success of some of the haves inspires them. 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 the available jobs this year and how they stack up.

Rank

1

Baltimore Ravens

2025 record: 8-9

The Ravens stunned the NFL by firing John Harbaugh, who led he franchise to 12 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title over 18 seasons. But in Lamar Jackson’s seven seasons, the Ravens had gotten no further than the AFC Championship Game. And this year, with Jackson battling a series of injuries, they badly underachieved, ultimately being eliminated from playoff contention on a gut-wrenching missed field goal against the Stealers as time expired in the final game of the regular season. All season, there had been whispers of a potential disconnect between Jackson and Harbaugh and questions about whether Harbaugh would survive anything less than a deep playoff run.

Harbaugh immediately becomes the most attractive candidate for the other six teams seeking head coaches, and the Ravens immediately rocket to the top of the list as the most attractive available job. It’s more than just having a two-time league MVP as the quarterback. It’s that owner Steve Bisciotti is known to be extremely patient -- 18 years with one head coach! -- and a non-meddler. It will be interesting to see who emerges with this job -- whoever it is must have a specific plan for how to maximize and protect the most unique player in the game. 

Rank

2

New York Giants

2025 record: 4-13

Perhaps the most attractive opening of this cycle. Why? They are the Giants, the flagship franchise of the NFL, with ownership that -- despite the on-field struggles of the last decade -- is respected around the league for a management style that doesn’t meddle in coaching and personnel decisions. And they have a promising quarterback, 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart. 

Maximizing Dart and a handful of other young talented players on both sides of the ball will be the mandate for the next coach, but providing steady leadership and sustained success will be just as imperative. With the exception of Brian Daboll’s first season, which yielded a playoff berth and a first-round win, the Giants have been largely adrift since Tom Coughlin left 10 years ago, cycling through coaches at a clip that team president John Mara has long said is not the way to build a winner. Most of the Giants’ recent hires have been first-time head coaches, including the recently ousted Daboll, so it’s fair to wonder if they will turn toward experience this time, and whether coming from the offensive side of the ball is a must. Another draw for this job? The Giants’ draft position, which gives them the fifth overall pick in Round 1. It’s difficult to know how this will end up. General manager Joe Schoen is leading the coaching search, a signal he is likely to be retained, although there has been no such official announcement from the team yet. Mara is undergoing cancer treatment, and it is unclear to what extent he will be involved in the hunt.

Rank

3

Cleveland Browns

2025 record: 5-12

Kevin Stefanski, whose Browns teams won just eight games in the last two seasons, is a two-time Coach of the Year winner and is likely to draw plenty of interest from other teams seeking a coach 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? 

Rank

4

Atlanta Falcons

2025 record: 8-9

It’s never a good sign when a consulting firm is brought in to take a look at how an organization works -- it almost always results in change, whether the business is manufacturing widgets or trying to win football games. That’s the case in Atlanta, where a house-cleaning has taken place. Raheem Morris is out after just two seasons, despite winning eight games in each year on the job, plus engineering a four-game winning streak to close out the 2025 campaign. This was an unusually quick hook by Arthur Blank, who is generally considered one of the more measured, patient owners in the game. But the Falcons haven’t been to the playoffs in eight seasons, and general manager Terry Fontenot, who signed Kirk Cousins to a massive contract in 2024 about six weeks before stunning the NFL -- and Cousins -- by drafting Michael Penix Jr., was also fired. The organization announced that two consulting firms will assist in the searches for HC and GM, which will be conducted concurrently.

The Falcons do have a few very attractive pieces -- Bijan Robinson, Drake London, A.J. Terrell, James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts, among others. Penix will be coming back from an ACL tear for his third season, and the new coach will have a big assessment to make about whether the erratic quarterback shows enough promise to continue as the starter -- along with a decision to make about Cousins’ future. And another big draw: The NFC South is very winnable. It was won this year by the Carolina Panthers, who finished with an 8-9 record, the same record as the Falcons and Bucs. So a quick move into divisional contention is easily in reach. There is a drawback: The Falcons don't have a first-round draft pick in 2026, because it was traded to move up to draft Pearce last April. Still, if the short timeline offered Morris is any indicator, a new coach will face pressure to make the playoffs quickly to keep the heat off. 

Rank

5

Miami Dolphins

2025 record: 7-10

It took a few days, but the Dolphins opted for a full organizational reset, firing Mike McDaniel while they are already in the middle of a search for a new general manager. It was, though, the only move that made much sense. McDaniel was there for four seasons and the Dolphins made the playoffs in the first two, losing twice in the Wild Card Round. But the team had gone backwards in the last two seasons, and this season, that included the benching of Tua Tagovailoa, to whom the Dolphins gave a huge contract, with McDaniels’ blessing. Worst of all, the Dolphins could never catch the dominant team in the AFC East -- the Buffalo Bills -- and this season watched a new dominant team emerge in New England. With McDaniels’ out, the new general manager and coach can pick their quarterback and build together, although they will also be saddled with the decision -- and the cap hit -- that will accompany whatever they decide to do with Tagovailoa. That’s medicine the franchise needs to take to move on. Because they will get a clean slate and the ability to pick the next quarterback, this is a fairly attractive job. It is very easy to recruit top free agents to South Florida and owner Stephen Ross has plenty of money and is willing to spend it. He is also a largely hands-off owner, which is good for the football brain trust but has provoked the ire of fans who wonder if he pays attention when the team struggles. He paid attention this time. And it is hard to imagine that the sudden availability of John Harbaugh did not play some role in the decision to move on. 

Rank

6

Arizona Cardinals

2025 record: 3-14

Jonathan Gannon was fired after three seasons -- 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.

Rank

7

Tennessee Titans

2025 record: 3-14

On the plus side, the Titans have quarterback Cam Ward and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, a high draft pick and an anticipated $100 million or so in cap space this offseason. Those are all powerful draws for coaching candidates who know they will have to quickly turn around the Titans in order to keep their job. And that’s the downside: There has been a lot of turnover at general manager and head coach in recent years, and that suggests a lack of patience and vision from owner Amy Adams Strunk and other top brass. Mike Vrabel’s instant success in New England, just one year after he was fired in Tennessee despite taking the Titans to the playoffs three times in six seasons without an elite quarterback, only reinforces the idea that even competent coaches might not get a long enough leash. On top of that, most of the roster is lacking in top-level talent, and a personnel overhaul is necessary to be competitive. The Titans will have the means to change out big chunks of the roster, and Nashville is an easy city to sell to free agents. But the next coach will be under pressure to win immediately. 

Rank

8

Las Vegas Raiders

2025 record: 3-14

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.

https://www.nfl.com/news/assessing-nfl-head-coaching-jobs-in-2026-hiring-cycle

Need to add the Stealers to this list. They're certainly above the Cleveland Browns.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Stealers/2026/01/13/nfl-Stealers-mike-tomlin-art-rooney-coaching-search/stories/202601130062

really no idea how the browns can be listed... handcuffed cap for the next 3 years, the average HC tenure... thats a tough spot to walk into... if im a HC im not accepting less than 5 years so i at least get paid.

33 minutes ago, BBR said:

Need to add the Stealers to this list. They're certainly above the Cleveland Browns.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Stealers/2026/01/13/nfl-Stealers-mike-tomlin-art-rooney-coaching-search/stories/202601130062

another loyal franchise, def one of the best openings

Yeah, it would honestly be tough to decide between the 3 franchises (Giants, Ravens, Stealers) for which one should be considered the best spot.

1 hour ago, BBR said:

Yeah, it would honestly be tough to decide between the 3 franchises (Giants, Ravens, Stealers) for which one should be considered the best spot.

I'd say the Ravens easily. They have a good front office and infrastructure, a franchise QB, and an owner willing to spend.

7 hours ago, sparky151 said:

I'd say the Ravens easily. They have a good front office and infrastructure, a franchise QB, and an owner willing to spend.

im not sure there is a scenario where its not new york no matter what..the fame and the money are great there, the market alone is worth a ton, if you have any success youre making double on outside income, the food and entertainment level is off the charts, and even if you fail, youre a top coordinator candidate or a big prize for a small market HC job after... it makes me wonder, id bet a 3 years stint in NYC would likely net you more than a 10 year run as HC in the AFCN division all monies from all sources considered... would be interesting.. team plays in NJ and you can live in NJ so avoiding NYC taxes is also ideal. there.

im not sure "an owner willing to spend" is much of a problem in the nfl. its not like some teams are spending half the cap every year..

to recap, so harbaugh was a shit coach then i suppose? you know, since the front office is top notch with its infrastructure and franchise qb with a losing playoff record, if the team infratructure is top notch, and jackson is a franchise mvp qb... harbaugh is just a dogshit trash coach? is that what we are concluding? not being a dick or sarcastic... whats our thinking and thought here?

fun data:

all but 1 team spent 90% or more of the available cap space... and that single team, the lowest spender, was the patriots.. because they have all youth and cut all the dead weight... so i dont know who isnt spending out there....

Ravens have the best job, good franchise, franchise that has the structure in place for success, and a top 5 QB in Lamar.

Steelers have all that but they are an old team and don't have a QB.

9 hours ago, GoBengals said:

to recap, so harbaugh was a shit coach then i suppose? you know, since the front office is top notch with its infrastructure and franchise qb with a losing playoff record, if the team infratructure is top notch, and jackson is a franchise mvp qb... harbaugh is just a dogshit trash coach? is that what we are concluding? not being a dick or sarcastic... whats our thinking and thought here?

I just think that Harbaugh made some head scratching decisions in clock management and personnel usage in crucial situations that ultimately did cost them some games. Plus, a couple of those playoff losses were not with Jackson at QB because he was hurt. I'm sure that someone will hire him quickly. I'm personally not a big fan of his because he's a whiny asshole.

Re: the Ravens, it comes down to what you think about Jackson. If you think he's a franchise QB then yeah, great spot to land. If you think he's a mobile QB who's aging fast and is getting expensive (think Russell Wilson a few years ago in his last year as a Seahawk) then that job doesn't seem too good. Personally I think it's the latter.

Yeah, I've seen chatter (fans & random know-it-alls) that are starting to talk about it being time to move on from Jackson.

I could see a new coach coming in and wanting a fresh start on the roster and I wouldn't be surprised if they traded him away for a king's ransom.

Im not sure his contract makes it easy to move on. I think he is a good QB who just hasnt had top end weapons to throw to imo. Mark Andrews is washed imo, Zay Flowers is a very good WR2, but not a 1. Find him a WR1

50 minutes ago, BBR said:

Yeah, I've seen chatter (fans & random know-it-alls) that are starting to talk about it being time to move on from Jackson.

I could see a new coach coming in and wanting a fresh start on the roster and I wouldn't be surprised if they traded him away for a king's ransom.

Lamar wants to go to Miami, maybe

1 hour ago, Jamie_B said:

Im not sure his contract makes it easy to move on. I think he is a good QB who just hasnt had top end weapons to throw to imo. Mark Andrews is washed imo, Zay Flowers is a very good WR2, but not a 1. Find him a WR1

Yep..he's had injuries as well.

Get him some weapons and it's a good spot for an incoming HC imo.

9 hours ago, Shebengal said:

I just think that Harbaugh made some head scratching decisions in clock management and personnel usage in crucial situations that ultimately did cost them some games. Plus, a couple of those playoff losses were not with Jackson at QB because he was hurt. I'm sure that someone will hire him quickly. I'm personally not a big fan of his because he's a whiny asshole.

I think the Browns should sign Mike McDonald.

He's a bright offensive minded coach ..

Could play a big part in developing Sanders.

Like Ben Johnson has done with Caleb Williams

im not sure there is a scenario where its not new york no matter what..the fame and the money are great there, the market alone is worth a ton, if you have any success youre making double on outside income, the food and entertainment level is off the charts, and even if you fail, youre a top coordinator candidate or a big prize for a small market HC job after... it makes me wonder, id bet a 3 years stint in NYC would likely net you more than a 10 year run as HC in the AFCN division all monies from all sources considered... would be interesting.. team plays in NJ and you can live in NJ so avoiding NYC taxes is also ideal. there.

im not sure "an owner willing to spend" is much of a problem in the nfl. its not like some teams are spending half the cap every year..

to recap, so harbaugh was a shit coach then i suppose? you know, since the front office is top notch with its infrastructure and franchise qb with a losing playoff record, if the team infratructure is top notch, and jackson is a franchise mvp qb... harbaugh is just a dogshit trash coach? is that what we are concluding? not being a dick or sarcastic... whats our thinking and thought here?

fun data:

all but 1 team spent 90% or more of the available cap space... and that single team, the lowest spender, was the patriots.. because they have all youth and cut all the dead weight... so i dont know who isnt spending out there....

Huh? Harbaugh was a pretty good coach and will certainly be hired by another team this offseason.

The Bengals would be an example of a team that isn't willing to spend. It's why they frontload contracts, it makes it look like they are spending when they aren't doing as much as they can to improve the roster. Contrast them with the Eagles who have a lot of deferred money due in 2028. The Browns paid out a lot in recent years but most of their over the cap spending went to Watson. Bisciotti said a couple days ago that he wasn't worried about the cap or Jackson's cap hits. You'll never hear Mike Brown or Duke Tobin say things like that.

14 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

Huh? Harbaugh was a pretty good coach and will certainly be hired by another team this offseason.

The Bengals would be an example of a team that isn't willing to spend. It's why they frontload contracts, it makes it look like they are spending when they aren't doing as much as they can to improve the roster. Contrast them with the Eagles who have a lot of deferred money due in 2028. The Browns paid out a lot in recent years but most of their over the cap spending went to Watson. Bisciotti said a couple days ago that he wasn't worried about the cap or Jackson's cap hits. You'll never hear Mike Brown or Duke Tobin say things like that.

Front-loading the contract is actually better for the players; they are less likely to see the money in backloaded contracts, where you just cut them once the guarantees are met.

Shefter reporting John Harbaugh will sign with New York Giants .

Wonder if he'll be highest paid now?

14 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

I think the Browns should sign Mike McDonald.

He's a bright offensive minded coach ..

Could play a big part in developing Sanders.

Like Ben Johnson has done with Caleb Williams

If Sanders is the starter. Watson may be back and they're paying him $46 million dollars. You don't think Haslam's going to want his money's worth?

12 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

Front-loading the contract is actually better for the players; they are less likely to see the money in backloaded contracts, where you just cut them once the guarantees are met.

Except there are ways to front load contracts cash wise and defer the cap which the Bengals lagged behind on. Also adding void years pushes the cap can down the road.

I don’t necessarily expect or desire the team to be on the cutting edge of cap management (there are some reckless teams in that regard). But we could have, for example, been on the leading edge of guaranteed monies - maybe actually save a bit of cap space by guaranteeing more. But again we chose to be on the tail end of the movement.

Dumb thing is - no matter what teams do with a contract, it hits the cap sooner or later. Deferred cap does not equal deferred cash. So in some respects, cash management is separate from cap management.

2 minutes ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Except there are ways to front load contracts cash wise and defer the cap which the Bengals lagged behind on. Also adding void years pushes the cap can down the road.

I don’t necessarily expect or desire the team to be on the cutting edge of cap management (there are some reckless teams in that regard). But we could have, for example, been on the leading edge of guaranteed monies - maybe actually save a bit of cap space by guaranteeing more. But again we chose to be on the tail end of the movement.

Dumb thing is - no matter what teams do with a contract, it hits the cap sooner or later. Deferred cap does not equal deferred cash. So in some respects, cash management is separate from cap management.

Oh I'm fully on board with trying to sign our own guys earlier than we do, it is ultimately cheaper to sign Jamar and Tee two years ago than it was this year. Instead the Bengals want to squeeze every last drop of blood they can from the rookie contracts and it ends up costing them more in the long run anyway. It's frustrating. I also wish we would consider at least guaranteeing players other than the QB and Jamar past the first year. Shit at least do two years, there is no reason not to. You aren't going to cut a guy you just gave a big contract to after one year if he had a down year that year, you will keep him to see if he turns it around, so just guarantee that 2nd year at the start since your going to keep him anyway. It's maddening. Like do we think Jessie Bates might have stayed if you gave him 2 years of the contract guaranteed?

Front-loading the contract is actually better for the players; they are less likely to see the money in backloaded contracts, where you just cut them once the guarantees are met.

Yes, but it's bad for the team. That's why better run teams don't use the Bengals structure. Bengals are slow to move on from underachieving players. Hell, they gave Bobby Hart a new contract after he sucked here.

If Sanders is the starter. Watson may be back and they're paying him $46 million dollars. You don't think Haslam's going to want his money's worth?

Watson is on the roster because he costs more to cut than keep. He'll never be the Browns or probably any team's first choice starter again.

Except there are ways to front load contracts cash wise and defer the cap which the Bengals lagged behind on. Also adding void years pushes the cap can down the road.

I don’t necessarily expect or desire the team to be on the cutting edge of cap management (there are some reckless teams in that regard). But we could have, for example, been on the leading edge of guaranteed monies - maybe actually save a bit of cap space by guaranteeing more. But again we chose to be on the tail end of the movement.

Dumb thing is - no matter what teams do with a contract, it hits the cap sooner or later. Deferred cap does not equal deferred cash. So in some respects, cash management is separate from cap management.

Yes, the family is good at generating cash for themselves but not at managing the contractually required payments to the players. Too bad the county didn't put incentives in the lease for performance. Give the team half off rent the season after they win the Super Bowl. And put a "best efforts" clause in the lease to keep the team from behaving the way they do.

13 hours ago, Shebengal said:

If Sanders is the starter. Watson may be back and they're paying him $46 million dollars. You don't think Haslam's going to want his money's worth?

I'm not sure if he think Sanders is the face or

Watsons contract...

What if Watson shows out in camps and preseason

7 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

What if Watson shows out in camps and preseason

then The Second Coming of Christ can't be far behind.