Hot seat watch!: Ranking the top NFL assistants, and what coaches they should replace

We know what bad NFL head coaches need to go, but have we really fleshed out who could be next? Yes, somebody does have to take over for your bad head coach whenever questionable ownership decides to fire him and go in a totally different direction. While you may be familiar with some names on the come-up like Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik, Mike Vrabel is still out there to be had as well.

With Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network putting out there '22 young coaches to watch in 2025 NFL hiring cycle' it had me wondering if I could put an assistant to a team probably needing a new head coach. It was a more challenging exercise than I could have possibly imagined. I don't know if I will be right on any of these. I am merely trying to play matchmaker. So let's see what jobs could be available.

Entering Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season, these are the two head-coaching jobs that are available.

• New Orleans Saints
• New York Jets

For this exercise, I have made these seven other jobs become available, as they feel the most likely.

• Chicago Bears
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Dallas Cowboys
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Las Vegas Raiders
• New York Giants

While I do not envision these jobs opening up, here are a few other ones to keep an eye on as well.

• Carolina Panthers
• Green Bay Packers
• Indianapolis Colts
• Miami Dolphins
• New England Patriots
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The NFL is screwy enough to where I have to open my mind up to the possibility of at least half of the league could potentially move on from their head coach. It could be as few as six or seven, it may be as many as 10, but I settled on nine. I also want to say that I did not include any current head coaches at any level who may be in the mix for any openings (Kevin Stefanski, Marcus Freeman, Lincoln Riley).

Let's start with an on-the-rise coaching candidate who might end up taking the worst job this winter.

9. Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing

There are varying reasons someone ends up taking the worst job in the cycle. Well, it is one of 32, so there is always that. Other reasons could include a retread who may not get another opportunity, an older coach who has never gotten his, or an average coordinator whose only chance to be a head coach is in a situation like this. There are also coordinators on the rise with some organizational ties.

Drew Petzing seems to check that box as the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals. He has played a huge part in the Cardinals' impressive turnaround under Jonathan Gannon the last two years. Petzing has been key in Kyler Murray's development into the second phase of his career. The worst job that may open up is one Petzing has ties to: The Cleveland Browns where he once worked.

I think other candidates for the Browns job like Todd Monken and Mike Vrabel land somewhere else.

What team does Drew Petzing lead next year?: Cleveland Browns

8. Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore

We have arrived at Kellen Moore once again. He is a name that people all over the football world know all about. He was a legendary college quarterback at Boise State before playing in the league for a few years with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. Moore got into coaching by working in Dallas before bouncing around to the Los Angeles Chargers and now with the reviled Philadelphia Eagles.

While Moore may be doing a great job in Philadelphia this year, I remember how it ended for in Dallas. His one-year run working for Brandon Staley in Los Angeles was completely forgettable. However, there is one bad job in particular I think he would take, rather than wait for the next coaching carousel to start moving around this time next year. He won't be able to say no to the Dallas Cowboys' opening.

Once again, Jerry Jones will choose to hire someone he knows and can control than ever be brave.

What team does Kellen Moore lead next year?: Dallas Cowboys

7. Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter

This is a newcomer of sorts into the equation for me. I know that Jesse Minter was a fantastic defensive coordinator at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh. He followed Harbaugh to the NFL after Michigan's national championship run. It may have had something to do with sanctions eventually coming down the pipeline, but this guy can coach. I think he ends up getting one of these nine jobs.

As far as where the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers ends up, I think there is a halfway decent chance it might be in-division. The Las Vegas Raiders are so incredibly dysfunctional, but Harbaugh used to coach there. More importantly, fellow Michigan man Tom Brady is a part owner of Mark Davis' team. The Raiders need to move on from Antonio Pierce, but this job is not hopeless.

Minter was in the college game only a year ago, so he would have a leg up when it comes to drafting.

What team does Jesse Minter lead next year? Las Vegas Raiders

6. Baltimore Ravens head coach Todd Monken

My Dawg, Todd Monken! I don't care how old you think he is. Monken is the reason why my alma mater has a pair of national championships in recent years. After leading the Georgia Bulldogs' offense to back-to-back national titles, Monken returned to the NFL to go coach Lamar Jackson. While he never stays anywhere for very long, the people who have worked with Monken all rave about his coaching.

Of the projected openings I envision there being, I think Monken would be a strong candidate for at least three of them, possibly more. The Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator would be a finalist for these three jobs: Chicago, Cleveland and Jacksonville. He may be Cleveland's top choice, but he could use that as leverage to take a job at a place where used to coach back in the day down in Duval.

Todd Monken is the quarterback whisperer to save Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

What team does Todd Monken lead next year?: Jacksonville Jaguars

5. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady

If I were to throw any active head coach into the equation, I think Kevin Stefanski would be one helluva candidate for a team like the New Orleans Saints. I would also say he would be great for teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets. If he were to be fired, I would venture to guess he would be taking one of these candidates' spots. That would probably be the case when it comes to Joe Brady.

The former passing game coordinator at LSU failed as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator under Matt Rhule. He then resurfaced as a key pieces on the Buffalo Bills coaching staff. To me, Brady needs to come back for one more year to be the best coordinator candidate ahead of 2026. I think he leaves for one of two jobs: The Cincinnati Bengals or New Orleans Saints. He gets offered the latter.

I would hire Stefanski over Brady if I were the Saints, just like Brady might prefer the Bengals' opening.

What team does Joe Brady lead next season?: New Orleans Saints

4. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn

The Detroit Lions will lose both of their star coordinators to other jobs next season. While everyone and their brother wants to win the Ben Johnson sweepstakes yesterday, let's not be stupid and sleep on Aaron Glenn just yet. The Lions defensive coordinator followed Dan Campbell to Detroit from the New Orleans Saints. He seems to be a leader of men, but specializes on the defensive side of the ball.

There will be two or three jobs that I think it would make sense for Glenn to leave Detroit over. Among them would have to be the Las Vegas Raiders, the New Orleans Saints or the New York Jets. Since he favors the same side of the ball as Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas and may be too close to the Sean Payton regime in New Orleans, I think he goes to the team he once starred for and has great success.

New York Jets fans may not like this hire upon first glance, but he can get Gang Green to the playoffs.

What team does Aaron Glenn lead next year?: New York Jets

3. Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik

There is too much positive momentum surrounding Bobby Slowik's name for him not to get his own team this time around. He was too new to the coaching carousel cycle for uninformed owners to know who he was. Well, he is absolutely thriving as DeMeco Ryans' offensive coordinator for the contending Houston Texans. While I do think where he lands matters, I do think he lands quite well.

I would say that Slowik is up for the same jobs that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is gunning for. Unfortunately for him, Johnson is a more known commodity right now and he would get to pick his choice to next before Slowik gets to decide. However, Slowik reads the room carefully, and ends up with the best job of the cycle. He gets to coach Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Johnson's bad judgement affords Slowik the best job, while Joe Brady is in utter shambles over this.

What team does Bobby Slowik lead next year?: Cincinnati Bengals

2. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

It sounds ridiculous, but these are potentially the three best jobs that could open up: That would be the Chicago Bears, the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Giants. Chicago has the idea of Caleb Williams. Cincinnati has a proven commodity in Joe Burrow. New York might be picking the first quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson will be the one to gum up the coaching carousel.

Of those three jobs, the Bengals is the best because of Burrow. He plays with poise, Williams is erratic and this is not the right offseason cycle to be looking for a rookie quarterback. Johnson will leave something fantastic in Detroit for something far less than in Chicago. While Chicago Bears fans do cartwheels in the streets over Johnson picking, I still do not trust ownership and the front office at all.

I would only take this job under the condition that I get a new general manager to be partnered with.

What team does Ben Johnson lead next season?: Chicago Bears

1. Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

And that leaves us with Mike Vrabel... While I think he is a serious candidate to replace Ryan Day at his alma mater of Ohio State should he fail, Vrabel is the only head-coaching candidate who I would say will work anywhere. He should have his pick of any job he wants, but Ben Johnson is the shiny new toy everyone is so damn infatuated over. Vrabel currently works for Kevin Stefanski over in Cleveland.

I am sure you have done the math and have deducted Vrabel is the one to help completely reset the New York Giants as a franchise. I don't know who he brings in with him as a general manager or as an offensive coordinator, but I trust his judgement when it comes to aligning himself with good people. He will pick the right quarterback for this team between Jalen Milroe, Sheduer Sanders or Cam Ward.

For whatever reason, I think Milroe is the guy unless Carson Beck or Quinn Ewers test incredibly well.

What team does Mike Vrabel lead next year?: New York Giants