The first day after the end of the NFL season is known as "Black Monday" but the reality is news relating to coaching and front office firings comes throughout the course of the entire week and it comes in bunches. Make sure to stay on top of everything with our live, updating head coach and GM carousel page.
Speaking of the carousel ... welcome back to the Raiders! When I ranked the head coach openings last offseason, the Raiders were on the list. And with Tuesday's news that Mark Davis was firing Antonio Pierce, the Raiders -- along with the Patriots -- find themselves back on the list again.
That's not great news, because when an NFL team cans a coach after just a single year, it generally means something is systematically wrong with how things are being run inside the franchise, and it will certainly be reflected in the rankings.
Generally speaking, top NFL coaching candidates are wary of teams that turn over their coaching staffs faster than a Waffle house line chef. (And if you need a refresher on the best candidates available, I recommend checking out my colleague Tyler Sullivan's rankings here.)
Candidates also are concerned with the quarterback situation for each franchise as well as the current setup in the front office and how involved ownership is when it comes to the day-to-day operation of football matters. All that is reflected in the rankings below.
And when we talk about these rankings, let's keep in mind this is about as bad a list of openings as we've seen in a while. Right now, the six openings have about as bad a setup as you can get for a variety of reasons, largely relating to how ownership is operating these franchises right now.
But they're all we've got (for now!), so let's rank 'em. Send your complaints and/or kind suggestions to me on X/Twitter @WillBrinson.
1. Chicago Bears
For the third consecutive time, the Bears are hiring a head coach the year after drafting a quarterback in the first round. John Fox and Mitchell Trubisky begat Matt Nagy, then Matt Nagy and Justin Fields begat Matt Eberflus and now Matt Ebeflus and Caleb Williams will beget someone new.
The Good: Caleb Williams tops the list, obviously. Williams, who was taken first overall by the Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft, did not have a great year as a rookie on the whole. He threw for just 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns but only tossed six interceptions. Still, both his offensive coordinator (Shane Waldron) and head coach (Eberflus) were fired midseason, and you can chalk up a lot of his production to late-game or second-half garbage time stuff. Still, there's little question about his skillset and what he flashed at varying times during his first season in the NFL. A good offensive mind surely believes he can take Williams and get the most out of him. The upside is extremely high. Especially when there's a decent skill-position group around him, and there is. D'Andre Swift was fine as an offseason addition last year, but D.J. Moore (via trade) and Rome Odunze (last year's other first-round pick) are extremely attractive weapons to build around. Cole Kmet isn't bad either and Keenan Allen could be back.
Defensively the Bears were pretty good ... right up until they fired Eberflus, at which point they kind of cratered back to an average/below-average unit. That could be a red flag, but if the defense can be coached up, the right guy definitely thinks he can find a defensive coordinator to get the most out of this unit.
The Bad: The offensive line is just a problem. Williams holds onto the ball a long time but he was sacked a league-leading 68 times this past season. That's unacceptable for a team hoping to develop a franchise quarterback.
However, my biggest concern by far is the infrastructure in place in Chicago at the moment. George McCaskey, whose mother owns the team after inheriting it from her father and original owner George Halas, is essentially running this franchise. He said Tuesday he is "ultimately responsible for the failures of the Bears." I'll say! The Bears have hired three general managers and four head coaches since he took over the reigns of the franchise. McCaskey also said he doesn't think having alignment between the coaching staff and front office is a "key factor" in the hiring process, which is a deeply concerning quote.
George McCaskey on whether alignment between the GM and head coach is important during the interview process:
— Dave (@dave_bfr) January 7, 2025
“I don’t believe that’s a key factor.”
No words.
It's also fair to scrutinize whether or not Ryan Poles has done a good job as general manager. The Williams pick was a good one and the trade that led to it was an absolute fleecing but literally anyone could have taken Williams first (and some folks, including our own Pete Prisco, even said Jayden Daniels might be better and maybe he is!) and I'd put more blame on the Panthers for their decision-making process with that trade than credit Poles for being a master negotiator. The Chase Claypool trade for a second-round pick move was an absolute debacle. Montez Sweat is a really good player, but he cost a lot to acquire and extend. Poles technically hired Eberflus (although he was only on the job for two days) and was clearly involved in the offensive coordinator process over the last few years. The "key factor" quote is going to be ringing in my ears for a while.
The Best Option(s): Ben Johnson (Lions OC) or Mike Vrabel (former Browns consultant)
Not only would they pull a key cog away from a division rival, but the Bears would get one of the smartest offensive minds in the NFL in their building to work with Williams. I know Vrabel's offenses in Tennessee weren't sexy most of the time, but he hired multiple future head coaches as OC (Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith) and would bring a seriousness and experience to the Bears head coaching position that's been lacking since Lovie Smith.
2. New England Patriots
This ain't your uncle's Patriots team and that's been made clear over the last several years. I guess Jerod Mayo is going to be for Bill Belichick what Cam Newton was for Tom Brady, a one-year GOAT rental replacement before trying to swing big. Robert Kraft basically admitted to panic pulling on Mayo after he got FOMO last offseason, saying "when other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach" while also adding he just needs more time but can become "a successful head coach in this league." Mayo's game management was pretty disastrous this year and the Patriots were a bad football team, but the timing of his firing coupled with Vrabel -- a former Patriots great -- interviewing with a division rival didn't feel like a coincidence.
The Good: Like the Bears, the Patriots appear to have a franchise quarterback in tow with Drake Maye. Maye's season was marred by not starting out of the gate and some injuries, but watching him play -- especially with a terrible offensive line and absolutely zero legitimate weapons at his disposal -- it's clear he can be an NFL-caliber quarterback. The Patriots blew a shot at scoring the first-overall selection by beating the Bills' backups in Week 18, but they are holding the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and can quickly improve the offensive line or skill positions from that spot. (Ryan Wilson has them taking Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr in his latest mock draft.) Outside of that, um, there isn't a lot to love, although the duo of Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker plus 2023 sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte do offer some upside at wideout. Between Kyle Dugger, Christian Gonzalez, Christian Barmore (if he can return from a tough health situation) and a few other defensive pieces, there's some upside on that end of the ball.
The Bad: The expectations in New England are sky freaking high because of all the Super Bowls Belichick and Brady won over a 20-plus year span. It's probably time to adjust to the new reality, even if Maye offers some upside. There's just not a ton of great pieces on this roster -- the result of poor drafts during the backend of Belichick's run and with last year's class very much TBD. This division isn't hard, but the Bills and Josh Allen aren't going anywhere. The front office situation is kind of up in the air, with Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith in place but not in a firm fashion given how last offseason played out with their selection and then with how things played out this week with a soft committal from ownership. Belichick's comments on the "Let's Go" podcast this week, where he essentially said ownership, the front office and the coaching staff were not on the same page for his final four years there, should be deeply concerning for any coaching candidate.
The Best Option(s): Mike Vrabel (former Browns consultant)
This feels like a fait accompli given the timing of Vrabel's interview with the hated Jets, the firing of Mayo and then the incredibly quick move to interview Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, two pretty surprising names who also happen to fulfill the Rooney Rule in New England. Vrabel -- who is set to interview with the Patriots on Thursday -- played for Belichick, understands the New England culture, has had tons of success at the NFL level already and would get an athletic, young quarterback who can push the ball down the field, a la a younger version of Ryan Tannehill.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Two things were surprising about Doug Pederson being let go. One, that it didn't happen midseason (particularly after the Jags got drubbed by the Lions prior to their bye week) and two, that general manager Trent Baalke is sticking around to help hire yet another coach. The Jaguars blew past the rookie contract window for No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence and find themselves hiring yet another coach just three years after Pederson arrived to bring a level of professionalism to the franchise and just two years after he won the division and a playoff game.
The Good: I'm still in on Trevor Lawrence and I don't really understand people who want to bail on him as a franchise quarterback. The injuries in recent years are certainly concerning, but there were schematic issues at play in Jacksonville as well as a lack of weapons for a few years and protection problems. I'd be surprised if most prospective coaching candidates didn't feel the same way. Brian Thomas Jr. is a budding superstar after finishing with a top-10 yardage total all-time for rookie wide receivers. He and Lawrence are serious building blocks. I'm also still here for Travis Etienne. The Jaguars defense was a disaster this year, but it has a pair of double-digit sack guys in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, so it's not like there's nothing to build on there for a smart coaching staff. The Jags moved on from Urban Meyer (justified) and Pederson quickly, but generally speaking I think ownership is all in on trying to make this a good football team. Shad Khan's invested a lot in the team and the facilities in recent years. The fanbase is RABID for a good football team.
The Bad: The defense has major question marks and the other weapons for Lawrence -- Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Evan Engram -- profile as questionable free-agent signings by Baalke. And, frankly, Baalke is probably the biggest concern here. He managed to run Jim Harbaugh out of San Francisco before presiding over the disaster that was Jim Tomsula followed by Chip Kelly. He's weaseled his way up into prime position in Jacksonville, and it's impossible to figure out how he continues to maintain the ear of wealthy NFL owners despite a clear lack of production on the field for the franchises he's been stewarded with.
The Best Option(s): Ben Johnson (Lions OC) or Liam Coen (Bucs OC)
I don't think the Jags will find someone with enough juice to come in and oust Baalke, so the best-case scenario for Jacksonville is landing someone who can get the most out of Lawrence. Johnson has southern roots and has been rumored in this spot for a while now. Coen is a Sean McVay protégé who hopped back and forth from the Rams to Kentucky (!) for a few years before landing in Tampa Bay last year, where he helped produce the best season of Baker Mayfield's career in his first season there.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have a long, proud history in the NFL, but it's mostly been a never-ending, unfortunate rotating door of coaches since the last time they went to the Super Bowl. Jon Gruden's return was derailed by leaked emails, which led to an interim situation with Rich Bisaccia, which the Raiders passed on, which led to the Josh McDaniels disaster, which led to an interim situation with Antonio Pierce ... which led us to now. The biggest question is how much of an influence new minority owner Tom Brady will have on this search.
The Good: Brock Bowers is freaking awesome, setting all kinds of rookie records for tight ends in his first season in Las Vegas. Maxx Crosby doesn't want to stick around for a rebuild, but he's clearly a blue-chip pass rusher. Christian Wilkins still has massive upside. There's some talent on the offensive line. Jakobi Meyers remains perpetually underrated. The Raiders are holding the No. 6 pick in the draft after (unfortunately?) winning two of their final three games of the season, which is a high pick for sure, but also kind of a tough spot for trying to find a franchise quarterback. Brady being involved should in theory attract some interest from bigger names and/or better pedigree candidates.
The Bad: If you take this job, you are volunteering to coach against Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes, Jim Harbaugh/Justin Herbert and Sean Payton/Bo Nix for six out of your 17 games every single season for the foreseeable future. And, again, you're without a quarterback unless you can solve the situation in the draft or find someone (Aaron Rodgers?? Kirk Cousins??) willing to come to Las Vegas on a bridge/rental situation. I generally think Mark Davis wants to be patient and take a swing at finding the next great Raiders coach, but he's kind of churned through coaches since taking over for his dad, who did the same thing.
The Best Option(s): Brian Flores (Vikings DC)
I don't know what the level of interest will be here, and we've not really seen a ton of buzz about candidates for the Raiders given how recently Pierce was fired. But Flores is a "leader of men" who has done an exceptional job with the Vikings defense over the past two seasons. He's got ties with Brady and has head coaching experience, where he certainly learned his lesson with the whole Tua Tagovailoa debacle in Miami.
5. New York Jets
The Jets are such a circus they had Rex Ryan -- yes, the same Rex Ryan who coached them from 2009 thru 2014 and who has been out of coaching since 2016 -- in for an interview on Monday, and by Tuesday Rex was trash talking Aaron Rodgers "country club lifestyle" on ESPN Radio in New York while simultaneously putting down Ben Johnson as a candidate. It's a giant red flag, even if having Rex back in our lives as an NFL coach would be incredible theater. You can't call Rodgers and Davante Adams a plus or a minus at this point until we know what their future is, but it seems unlikely Rodgers is back, which makes it pretty unlikely Adams is back. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe that's a bad thing. There's no question the Rodgers acquisition will go down as a disaster, however this search plays out, barring a miraculous turnaround with him under center next year.
The Good: Ummmmmmmm, weeeeeeeeell, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall have really good Madden ratings?! I kid, kind of. The Jets have quite a few strong pieces on the roster, including Wilson, Hall and cornerback Sauce Gardner. There are significant investments in the offensive line via the draft over the last few years, including 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu, 2023 second-round pick Joe Tippmann and 2021 first-round pick Alijah Vera-Tucker. Quinnen Williams is a monster on defense as well while Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson II have flashed significant upside.
The Bad: This team is a freaking circus. It can't be danced around how silly things have been under Woody Johnson's tenure as owner. There was a lengthy exposé on the issues inside the building by The Athletic earlier this offseason and there are multiple players who have outright stated they're ready to get out of the building and head to free agency, including a good young player in D.J. Reed. The GM position remains unfilled with the Jets interviewing a slew of former and current media members. A lack of cohesion between ownership, the front office and the coaching staff has basically sunk this franchise since it was last good in 2010.
The Best Option(s): Rex Ryan (ESPN)
If I'm being honest, this is purely a selfish suggestion. Ron Rivera, the former Panthers and Commanders coach, helped clean up the buildings for both teams amid scandal and instituted pretty strong cultures, so I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the Riverboat back on the sideline, although I'm not sure how he'd mesh with the media in New York
6. New Orleans Saints
Saints fans deserve better than being the least desirable spot on this list, but I'm not sure there's a case to be made otherwise given the cap situation, the roster and the lack of success here for anyone other than Sean Payton.
The Good: The Saints have dumped recent early picks into their offensive line to make up for aging and attrition and for a hot minute this year, that was a really good unit that helped the Saints leap out to a hot start under new OC Klint Kubiak. I guess there's something there at quarterback with Derek Carr and maybe Spencer Rattler, but that feels like a pretty massive reach. When healthy, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed give this team a pair of truly dynamic weapons. There's a couple decent defensive pieces to build around but Cameron Jordan and Tyrann Mathieu are up there in age. Speaking of, so is Alvin Kamara, although he was pretty resurgent this year when healthy, so it's a matter of what he has left in the tank.
The Bad: The Saints won enough games this year where they don't really have a great draft pick (No. 9 overall), so getting a true franchise quarterback in place is going to probably take some time or some luck. Their cap space is a disaster, because it is every year, with the Saints looking to be around $-66 million on the 2025 cap. That's probably going to take some pretty creative finagling. Time is a flat circle, I suppose. Mickey Loomis is still the GM and there haven't been any real rumblings about change on that front, but his comments in the wake of Dennis Allen being fired at least raised my eyebrows about the situation.
The Best Option(s): Aaron Glenn, (Lions DC)
Glenn was with the Saints in his final year as a player, was with the Saints as a coach, and was reportedly the runner-up to Allen when he got the nod previously. He's done an outstanding job with the Lions defense in his time with Detroit. The connections and the resume make this one make a lot of sense.
