The 2023 NFL season flew by, but the 2024 NFL offseason is off to a slow start, with the possibility of some big names delaying coaching moves. Until new national champion Jim Harbaugh and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick understand their situation, we might be in a bit of a holding pattern.
As such, we currently have six openings in the NFL, a surprisingly small number just days after the end of the regular season.
Things will likely change and we’ll see more jobs open up, but for now we can only rank what’s available. There are also two separate classes, with four teams ranked in the top tier, all very, very close to each other, and extra work all the way down.
Let’s classify and discuss. Send your complaints, suggestions and angry words to me on Twitter/X @WillBrinson.
For nearly 25 years, Dan Snyder made Washington’s job disastrous. He would attract big-name candidates because coaching in Washington was a BIG DEAL. It was one of the NFL’s biggest franchises for several decades and Snyder made it nearly untouchable. Enter Josh Harris, who did a great job simply by do the opposite of Dan Snyder. To wit: Harris didn’t fire Ron Rivera in his first season as owner and handled the entire situation with aplomb. Then he asks Bob Myers and Rick Spielman to serve on his search committee and there is hope again in Washington. Things may change (David Tepper seemed like a good owner early on), but for now, Commanders are at the top of the list because there’s a new owner in charge, seemingly patient, and a clear commitment to winning while upsetting the poisonous culture that has permeated the ring road for years.
Washington has the second overall pick, which doesn’t hurt either. (Maybe they can draft Drake Maye, pair him with Sam Howell, hire Mack Brown and guarantee themselves eight wins a year, just like the Tar Heels!) Trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat mid-season isn’t not great, but it increases draft capital. for the incoming coaching staff and avoiding handing out contracts to former first-round picks, and frees up a lot of salary cap space.
There’s an opportunity to land a franchise quarterback here, with potentially strong ownership, a fantastic fan base dying for quality football and a new stadium potentially on deck. The job in Washington has once again become extremely attractive.
Two words: Justin Herbert. It’s amazing the difference a superstar franchise quarterback makes when ranking potential job offers, as the Chargers would be at the bottom of the list without Herbert. In fact, I’d put the Chargers fourth if they didn’t have Herbert, mainly due to concerns over ownership and management. A caveat applies here if the Chargers draft someone like Jim Harbaugh or Bill Belichick, because bringing that kind of gravitas into the building changes the power dynamic between ownership and the coaching staff/front office. But go read the John Spanos bio on the Chargers website: the owner’s son basically welcomes the Chargers’ rise to prominence (which is quite a statement; maybe also update it and stop brag about hiring Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley?).
I am extremely concerned about the dynamics of the front office and coaching staff here, due to this situation, but Herbert’s skill set could overcome any issues with the right coaching hire. The Chargers also have some roster issues to resolve. While there is a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, this one is slowly aging and bloated from a contract standpoint. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams aren’t exactly guaranteed to be on the roster and Khalil Mack/Joey Bosa aren’t exactly spring chickens either. Austin Ekeler’s return is certainly in question as well…there’s just a little more uncertainty with this roster than you might think from glancing at the depth chart.
Hot take, but I’ll listen to anyone say the Falcons should be JOB NUMBER ONE here. This is a team that has yet another top-10 pick after a 7-10 record and might be one quarterback away from taking over the NFC South. Being in a bad division is a big plus, because winning 10 games is a death lock for a division title in the NFC South these days. Offensively, there are also weapons for a QB: Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson along with a pretty decent and secure offensive line could turn someone like Justin Fields or Kirk Cousins or Jayden Daniels pretty quickly into a dynamic signalman.
There is some stability in Atlanta despite a lack of significant victories. Arthur Blank gave his coaches plenty of winning chances, with Mike Smith getting seven years, Dan Quinn getting six, and Arthur Smith getting three seven-win years before being fired. You won’t get kicked out of town too quickly if you keep your head above water in Atlanta. I actually think it’s possible that outside interest in the position potentially hastened Smith’s departure.
This defense was really good last year. If he holds up and the Falcons find a quality offensive coach and quarterback, there are some serious upsides for Atlanta here.
This situation appears to be somewhat limited to a handful of candidates, although that changes drastically depending on what Mark Davis does with the also-vacant general manager position.
Quarterback is also an issue here, with the Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo gamble falling through (largely because Josh McDaniels failed). Aiden O’Connell showed some stuff in the second half, but this is clearly a team looking for the next franchise quarterback. The stadium is extremely attractive, as is the prestige of the team now that it is in Las Vegas.
There have been several changes for the Raiders over the past five years as head coach, but you can certainly cite extenuating circumstances: Jon Gruden was going to have as much time as he wanted in Las Vegas before an email scandal only forces him to leave. And McDaniels simply tried to create Patriots West and probably froze Davis out while trying to take control of the organization a la Bill Belichick. In other words, the Raiders’ next coach will have some wiggle room, especially if it’s a big name. I’m looking at you, Jim Harbaugh.
Antonio Pierce certainly complicates things. The interim coach is well-liked in the locker room and by fans, so the Raiders need to exercise a little caution before recreating the latest situation with a big-name coach. Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams are true superstars. The division is a big old problem, just like with the Chargers, except there’s no quarterback in place here yet.
*LARGE GAP*
5. Tennessee Titans
The Titans surprised everyone Tuesday when they fired Mike Vrabel — there are plenty of potential landing spots for him and he should find a job quickly — but there has been a lot of talk about whether Vrabel would stay in Nashville. With Vrabel gone and Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry set to become free agents, this is a full-blown rebuild in Tennessee.
General manager Ran Carthon, on the job less than a full year, won a power struggle with a former AP Coach of the Year (2021) who took this team to an AFC championship game and placed the Titans as the No. 1 seed. the AFC at some point. Suffice it to say, Carthon has the ear of Amy Adams-Strunk and has a lot of leverage in this coaching search.
For this reason, I would expect to see guys from the San Francisco coaching tree (Carthon worked for Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch for years with the 49ers) identified for this position. Frank Smith and Bobby Slowik make a lot of sense right off the bat.
This is not an easy task, however. There just aren’t a lot of building blocks. There’s no certainty at quarterback, where Will Levis has flashed, but it’s not a guarantee as a “franchise” quarterback with his second-round pedigree. DeAndre Hopkins is also likely gone. Jeffery Simmons is a star on the defensive end. A top 10 is available. Ownership and the front office should be very patient while trying to rebuild things.
Somehow the division isn’t a plus anymore – CJ Stroud is a problem, the Jaguars aren’t a speed bump, and the Colts look like they’re rebuilding things.
*ANOTHER BIGGER GAP*
My position on the situation in Carolina is well documented: the Panthers have a problem with David Tepper. Luckily for Tepper, he has plenty of money and can continue to spend money to fix the problem.
Thanks to the Panthers for being much more transparent and open in this coaching search than the last two. Unfortunately, the vestiges of the two previous regimes persist. Specifically, the Panthers are trading the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Bears, plus DJ Moore, plus additional picks for Bryce Young.
Young can still be a good quarterback, but having his rookie season recorded could potentially limit candidates. Plus, it’s hard to look past Matt Rhule and Frank Reich, which is about three years combined between them.
It appears Carolina is pursuing the “young offensive mind” archetype with the idea of fixing Young, which isn’t a bad idea. But this is a very, very big hire that needs to perform better – or at least longer – than the last two hires. The Panthers have no first-round picks, a ton of holes on the roster and plenty of questions about the stability of the current administration.