The NFL's new head coaching cycle should receive a jump start now that the two most prominent candidates are off the board. After John Harbaugh used his tremendous leverage to get the New York Giants to re-structure their football operations, the Atlanta Falcons moved quickly tosnag Kevin Stefanski as their next head coach.
While there are concerns about how Stefanski handled the last two years with the Cleveland Browns, he has a strong reputation after winning Coach of the Year honors twice as he remains the only coach to guide Cleveland to the playoffs in the past 20 years. With a promising Falcons' core ready to take the next step after a strong finish to the season, Stefanski should have Atlanta immediately in contention for the NFC South title in a wide-open division.
Seeing Stefanski and Harbaugh come off the board is a big step for the remaining seven teams seeking head coaches, especially since Mike Tomlin appears likely to take a break from coaching rather than jump into a new job. Let's re-set the state of the other seven head coaching vacancies and project who ends up filling each opening.
Arizona Cardinals: Vance Joseph
The Cardinals fired a defensive-minded head coach in Jonathan Gannon but their lack of clear options at quarterback may make them a less appealing destination for some of the top offensive minds in this cycle, like Klint Kubiak or Mike McDaniel. The defense was a problem for Arizona despite quality personnel so bringing in another top defensive coordinator in Vance Joseph could make sense here.
Unlike Gannon, Joseph has head coaching experience with Denver and is a strong candidate for a second chance to lead his own team. Joseph has also been able to gain some new ideas working under Sean Payton for the past few years, so giving him a chance to build a foundation with the Cardinals makes a ton of sense for both sides.
Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter
The Ravens moved on from Harbaugh after they felt his message to the locker room had become stale, so a new direction could mean giving a first-time candidate a shot to make his mark. The presence of Lamar Jackson means the Ravens can focus more on their defense, which underachieved significantly in 2025, and fewer defensive coordinator candidates have more intrigue in this cycle than Jesse Minter.
The Los Angeles Chargers saw their defense improve significantly when Minter followed Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to the NFL and he has long been described as a future head coach. Baltimore may regret letting Mike Macdonald out of the building after seeing the culture he's built in Seattle and may look to Minter to put a fresh spin on the Harbaugh principles that have worked so well for them for nearly two decades.
Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken
The Giants would love for Monken to follow Harbaugh to New York to serve as offensive coordinator, but he has already agreed to a second interview for Cleveland's head coaching position. The Browns could benefit from another offensive-minded head coach as they seek to figure out their quarterback situation, whether it means developing Shedeur Sanders into a quality starter or finding an option in the draft over the next two years.
Monken has familiarity with the Browns' organization after serving as their offensive coordinator under Freddie Kitchens in 2019, which could give him a leg up with owner Jimmy Haslam. Lamar Jackson's passing performance also took a big leap forward under Monken, who helped Jackson win his second MVP award in 2023 after joining Harbaugh's staff, so Cleveland would be betting on his track record as an offensive innovator to help them find their next franchise quarterback.
Las Vegas Raiders: Robert Saleh
Saleh has gotten a ton of interest in this round of interviews after rehabbing his image by taking a 49ers' defense gutted by injuries and guiding it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Raiders need a jolt of energy after a sleepy year under Pete Carroll and Saleh can provide that in spades, which could be a good olive branch for the organization towards Maxx Crosby, who was clearly upset at being shut down to help the Raiders land the top pick in the draft.
While Saleh's tenure as the head coach of the New York Jets was sunk by the failure of Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers' Achilles' injury, he will have an opportunity to start fresh under center with Las Vegas likely to select Fernando Mendoza No. 1 in April's draft. The offensive coordinator hire would be key here for Saleh, who could reach out to Mike McDaniel if he doens't land a job in this cycle, but he can quickly turn around the Raiders' defense to help make life easier for Mendoza as a rookie.
Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley
The Green Bay Packers expect to lose Hafley in this hiring cycle and the most logical fit appears to be in Miami, which just hired former Packers' VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan to succeed Chris Grier as their General Manager. Hafley has done wonders with Green Bay's defense in his tenure as defensive coordinator and he does have some head coaching experience, albeit collegiately at Boston College from 2020-23.
There are quarterback questions to answer in Miami, but the Dolphins could benefit from having a strong defensive mind at the helm in Hafley to come up with answers to stop Josh Allen and Drake Maye for the next 5–10 years. This build will take time since Tua Tagovailoa's contract puts the Dolphins in a salary cap bind for the next year or two, allowing Hafley to work on building a culture that is ready to help whoever their next franchise quarterback is to win quickly.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Brian Flores
Succeeding a long-time coach like Tomlin won't be easy in today's NFL, which could guide Pittsburgh's search towards someone with previous head coaching experience. This could also be an ideal spot for Flores, who worked on Tomlin's staff prior to becoming Minnesota's defensive coordinator, to re-start his head coaching career.
There is no question that Flores got a raw deal with the Dolphins, who moved on from him due to friction with Tua Tagovailoa, but his defense-first ethos would fit nicely with an organization that has been historically strong on that side of the ball. Flores also brings some key familiarity with the organization, which will be valuable during a time of transition.
Tennessee Titans: Mike McCarthy
The big qualification for Tennessee's candidates is a program builder who has experience developing quarterbacks. This makes McCarthy an ideal fit in Tennessee as his strong work with both Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott could make him the perfect coach to bring the best out of Cam Ward, who showed flashes of brilliance during a trying rookie year.
There are definitely concerns about McCarthy's ability to win in the playoffs, but a Titans' franchise that has been in disarray since firing Mike Vrabel would happily take McCarthy's floor as a consistent postseason contender. Having a proven head coach who isn't learning on the job is important for an organization that needs to reset itself, making McCarthy a good option.