Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks with Alabama head coach Nick Saban before the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
NFL Coaching Carousel Overview
Exactly one-quarter of the NFL’s 32 teams are looking for a new coach. And a few more could happen if contract extensions aren’t reached in the coming days.
Who’s looking? Who’s in line for the jobs? Here is a look at the eight current openings and the coaches who may fill them.
Atlanta
If QB Michael Pennix can get coached up properly and more importantly stay healthy this might be one of the best jobs available. That’s a really big if, however. The Falcons have really good skill players on offense and some good young players on defense. So who’s in line? It’s hard to say since the Falcons also need a GM. Keep in mind they flirted with Bill Belichick before hiring Raheem Morris, so a big name is not out of the question. This might be a reach, but is Georgia coach Kirby Smart tired of the transfer portal and NIL?
Arizona
What the new coach has to decide before he even gets the job is what to do with QB Kyler Murray. It appears the Cards are going to trade him and start over, but then who will be their next QB? Arizona’s recent MO suggests they will go for a hot coordinator so keep Buffalo OC Joe Brady and Seattle OC Klint Kubiak (if he wants to stay in the division) near the top of your list.
Baltimore
John Harbaugh hadn’t gotten out of the Ravens building yet when I got a text from a very reliable source that read “Jesse Minter to Baltimore, book it.’’ It’s a little ironic that Jim Harbaugh’s right-hand man in L.A. would take John’s job in Baltimore. Minter was with the Ravens from 2017-20 before joining Jim at Michigan as DC.
Cleveland
This might surprise some, but I truly believe the Browns win the Harbaugh Sweepstakes. If you fire a two-time Coach of the Year you better hire someone good. The Browns will be willing to give John what he wants in terms of money and control. And he gets to stay in the AFC North to play the Ravens twice a year. He also goes home to Ohio where he still has a lot of family.
Las Vegas
Looks like Tom Brady is going to be real involved and that could mean one-time Patriots assistant and former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is on the way with former Giants head coach Brian Daboll as his OC. This is probably the least attractive job available, although you do have the No. 1 pick in the draft for what that’s worth.
Miami
John Harbaugh’s name will be mentioned here a lot. Former Green Bay Packers executive Jon Eric Sullivan was just named general manager of the Dolphins, however, which could lead to a Packers connection. The team’s defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who was also the head coach of Boston College, is a possibility. Hafley is on a few team’s list. Sullivan had been with the Packers since 2008, so there is also a connection to former Green Bay and Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy.
New York Giants
The Giants want Harbaugh, but are they willing to get rid of general manager Joe Schoen to get him. That might have to be a prerequisite. Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who will surface on a lot of lists, could be Plan B for the Giants and the Giants might actually be Stefanski’s preferred choice. That wouldn’t be the worst thing for QB Jaxson Dart.
Tennessee
This might be the best place for McCarthy and McCarthy might be the ideal hire for the Titans and young QB Cam Ward. Consider that in his career McCarthy revitalized Brett Favre, developed Aaron Rodgers and got the most out of Dak Prescott. This could be the most perfect marriage of the entire group.
