Four head-coaching openings have all been filled, but six remain – at least as of this writing. The Buffalo Bills fired their head coach, Sean McDermott, over the weekend after losing to the Denver Broncos in overtime. That means the last two MVPs, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, are both without head coaches. Add in the Pittsburgh Steelers, which have hired just three head coaches in the last six decades, and you can understand why this coaching carousel deserves wall-to-wall coverage.
Every fanbase has its favorite, but that rarely lines up with who the franchise actually picks. However, even that outcome is far better than the worst-case scenario.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Worst-case scenario: Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy isn't a bad head coach, but he is a bad fit for a Steelers team that doesn't have a lot of experience hiring head coaches. There are two ways to look at this Pittsburgh opening. The first is overwhelmingly positive, as the Steelers have had just three head coaches – Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin – in over five decades. You can't buy that kind of job security.
The other is that the fanbase has high expectations. However, much of what I've read about Steelers fans suggests that, with the right coach and approach, they'd be willing to give their new leader a break. Not everyone can be Noll, Cowher or Tomlin. This roster needs an overhaul and most importantly a quarterback. That's the problem with McCarthy.
While the pair aren't the best of friends, bringing in McCarthy will ultimately pique Aaron Rodgers interest. A Rodgers return, at 43, would be a disastrous turn of events for a franchise that must enter the modern age. Rodgers best days are behind him, as are McCarthy's.
Arizona Cardinals
Worst-case scenario: Arthur Smith
Believe it or not, Arthur Smith has interviewed for this job. The Cardinals are inarguably the worst job opening remaining for any possible head coach. Arizona is a good bet to trade its franchise quarterback, Kyler Murray, who has flopped horribly the last few seasons. They also offer perhaps the least amount of job security in the bunch, having just fired Jonathan Gannon.
The Cardinals are right to target an offensive mind. Smith is a longshot to land this job, but he's been a head coach before and a successful offensive coordinator in Tennessee. I hesitate to include the Steelers on Smith's resume because, while he helped turn a dreadful offense into an average one, they're still light years behind where they ought to be. Much of that has to do with personnel. Overall, it's a wash for Smith, who needs to start over as the Steelers hire a new coach and thus a new staff.
The Cardinals need an innovative offensive mind to either fix Murray or find their next franchise quarterback. They could take a chance on someone like Nate Scheelhaase or Grant Udinski, who haven't been a head coach before but could rejuvenate a fanbase that desperately needs it.
Cleveland Browns
Worst-case scenario: Tommy Rees
There's a lot to like about the Browns opening. First, they already have a tremendous defense and can hopefully keep coordinator Jim Schwartz around for at least another season. Myles Garrett is signed long-term, and the offense is a blank slate. Add in general manager Andrew Berry's impressive 2025 draft class, and it's easy to forget that this is the same franchise that employs Deshaun Watson.
Cleveland should avoid handing this job to an in-house candidate. While Tommy Rees is well-regarded in the college landscape, he hasn't offered the Browns much since he was hired. Sure, he doesn't have much to work with (Shedeur Sanders and scraps), but the Browns need an outside perspective like Cleveland needs the sun.
Thankfully, the Browns have circled Udinski as their ideal candidate, and it's easy to see why. Udinski has spent time in the Vikings and Jaguars organizations, and picked up a lot of information along the way. He is one of their top candidates.
Las Vegas Raiders
Worst-case scenario: Matt Nagy
I'd like to think Tom Brady knows better than to hire Nagy, whose only real head-coaching experience was with the Chicago Bears. Nagy was so bad he made Matt Eberflus look like a capable candidate after him, and thus set Chicago back a full decade combined. Thankfully the Bears found their bearings and hired Ben Johnson, but that's beside the point.
Brady wants an offensive mind to lead the Raiders (and likely Fernando Mendoza) into their next era. Hiring Patrick Mahomes offensive coordinator seems like a good idea, but keep in mind Nagy does not call plays for the Chiefs. That would be Andy Reid's job.
Nagy failed the first time he left Kansas City. So did Eric Bieniemy. Are you sensing a pattern here? He's not worth the trouble, especially for a franchise that needs so much help to reach its ultimate goal.
Baltimore Ravens
Worst-case scenario: Brian Flores
I actually think Flores deserves another chance to be a head coach, and that may come with the Ravens' rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flores spent time on Mike Tomlin's coaching staff just a few years ago, and has maintained a good relationship with the organization.
However, while Flores looks like a good fit on paper for most AFC North teams, I'm not buying it with the Ravens. When he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Flores wasn't patient with starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and butted heads with the high-priced first-round pick as a result.
"To put it in simplest terms," Tagovailoa explained, "if you woke up every morning, and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven't earned this right, and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, 'Dude, you are the best fit for this. You are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that.' How would that make you feel, listening to one or the other? You see what I'm saying?"
This isn't to say Flores wouldn't vibe well with Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens are entering contract talks with their quarterback – who doesn't have an agent – once again this offseason. Why add more mystery to what could be a chaotic negotiation?
Buffalo Bills
Worst-case scenario: Anthony Lynn
We have much less to work with thus far since the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott earlier this week. Lynn has head coaching experience with the Los Angeles Chargers, and spent last year as the running backs coach and run game coordinator for the Washington Commanders. I'm by no means saying that Lynn is a bad coach, but for a team so close to Super Bowl contention like the Bills, they ought to aim higher.
Buffalo will also interview offensive coordinator Joe Brady, as well as former Bills assistant Brian Daboll, who's maintained an excellent relationship with quarterback Josh Allen. And if you don't think Allen's opinion carries some weight in that building, you'd be mistaken.
You can expect Buffalo to move quickly here, especially once Championship weekend is over and done with. That'll open up the interview pool for most teams in need of a head coach. Out of the candidates mentioned, Daboll is the odds-on favorite, as he has head-coaching experience and was missed when he left Buffalo. But, again, it's far too early to assume to have an answer in Buffalo.