Ranking every head coaching opening after Black Monday and who will take them

In what has become a very interesting development, a large percentage of the NFL is happy with the job their head coaches are doing. At the very least, they are satisfied enough to give them another chance. Despite incredibly disappointing seasons from the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers, none of those coaches are paying for it with their jobs. Some teams, like the Colts and Giants, sent out statements to reaffirm their commitment to their head coaches. 

After the Jerod Mayo firing in New England and the Doug Pedersen firing in Jacksonville, the NFL has just five head coaching vacancies going into the NFL Playoffs. Of course, there is a possibility that more can open during the playoffs, and we’re still trying to understand Mike McCarthy’s fate in Dallas, but now that Black Monday is behind us, we’re ranking the job openings and predicting who’s taking them. 

6. New Orleans Saints
2024 Record: 5-12

The New Orleans Saints find themselves on the bottom of this list for a few reasons. Their direction feels directionless. Years and years of kicking the can down the road with the salary cap has them facing massive dead cap hits, with more than $342 million in cap liabilities for the 2025 season according to Over the Cap. Even with a massive rise in the cap (expected to be more than $290 million), the Saints have to shed well over $60 million in cap liabilities. 

So while we like having a veteran on the roster like Derek Carr or a gadget player like Tayson Hill, does their injury history really allow the Saints to keep them knowing their cap numbers ($51 million for Carr and $18 million for Hill) far exceed their current effectiveness? 

The Saints lost Carr for most of this season, and we learned that Spencer Rattler was not the answer to their future. They do have the ninth-overall pick in the NFL Draft, and there could be talented quarterbacks that fall this season, but nothing about roster management is simple in the Big Easy. 

The Saints are in a tough spot and they don’t have the foundation they had under Sean Payton to survive it. It actually makes sense for the Saints to eat it this year, similar to what the Buffalo Bills did, and hope one year of taking it on the chin gets them out of this constant cap circumvention that puts them in a constant state of budget cutting and kicking the can.

Projected next head coach: Brian Flores

After a tumultuous tenure in Miami that led to lawsuits, Brian Flores is ready to be a head coach again. He’s done amazing things with the Minnesota Vikings defense, and he’s a big reason why they were able to fight for the number-one seed up until Week 18. Flores has expressed interest in the New England job, showing he’s willing to leave his post for a top position. We feel like the Saints might end up being his last option, but if he has patience, it might be the perfect re-application into head coaching.

5. Las Vegas Raiders
2024 record: 4-13

The Las Vegas Raiders finally made the move to fire Antonio Pierce after a disappointing four-win season. The Raiders felt compelled to hire Pierce last offseason after a successful stretch as the interim coach after Josh McDaniels firing, but it just feels like going steady with a rebound. The locker room was enthralled in the different approach from McDaniels, who has been proven to be a bad HC and just should focus on being an OC. 

However, Pierce showed all season that he didn’t have the right handle on the job. While he showed an ability to build relationships with his players, he wasn’t able to make the most of the roster. There were issues, including DaVante Adams forcing his way out early in the season, and the rest of this roster never did much.

As for future coaches, it all depends on the talent that falls to the Raiders in the draft. Will they have Shedeur Sanders as their next quarterback, or will they have to sign another expensive Band-Aid like they did this season with Gardner Minshew? They can’t wade into the waters of Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins if they want to be serious. The next head coach knows this. 

Projected next head coach: Deion Sanders

There is a huge caveat to this decision. The Las Vegas Raiders would have to find a way to get Shedeur Sanders on this roster to entice Deion Sanders to leave his current job with Colorado. His team is on the upswing, but a chance to coach your son during his NFL career is something that almost never happens in the history of this league. The Raiders organization is crazy enough, and magnetic to headlines, to make this type of hire. However, this might be one of those “so crazy it works” situations. 

4. Jacksonville Jaguars
2024 record: 4-13

Honestly, what happened in Jacksonville this season? What keeps happening in Jacksonville? Since 2009, they have 13 picks in the top ten of the NFL Draft (although once was because of a trade), and they are back there again with the fifth-overall pick in the draft. There’s just something not right with this team, and despite their clear asset mismanagement, they decided to keep general manager Trent Baalke. Will the roster keep getting better with him at the helm?

The Jaguars do have one thing going for them: they have stars at premium positions. We’ll get to Trevor Lawrence in a moment, but let's take a quick look at some of the other players on this team. Brian Thomas Jr. looks like a legit Rookie of the Year candidate despite the general disappointment of the Jaguars. He might be the best rookie receiver in a dominant class that includes Marvin Harrison Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Malik Nabers. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are an incredibly talented running back duo. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are a decent defensive end connection. 

The issue here is what the Jaguars really need. They need someone who is going to get Trevor Lawrence to be a superstar. The Jaguars have tried with a National Champion (Urban Meyer) and a Super Bowl Champion (Doug Pedersen) to get the most out of Lawrence. Now, they just need to get a mind that works. If a coach can get the best out of Lawrence, it can turn Jacksonville into an instant contender.

Projected next head coach: Ben Johnson

Despite the Jaguars falling down this list and Johnson likely having his choice of the available jobs, this is the job that’s most intriguing from an offensive standpoint. Also, the Jaguars want to get this right. They will throw money at this problem. Johnson has been incredible with the Lions offense over the last two seasons. If he can make Jared Goff into one of the best quarterbacks in the league, then he can turn Trevor Lawrence into Patrick Mahomes. Okay, that’s asking a lot, but this creative mind will take one look at the weapons at his disposal (and the paycheck) and sign on the dotted line.

3. New England Patriots
2024 record: 4-13

The New England Patriots said goodbye to franchise legend Jerod Mayo after one year in seat as the team’s head coach. It was clear Mayo was overwhelmed by the position as his game management left much to be desired. Yet, he did get some things out of the most important members of the roster. Both Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez gave Patriots fans something to look forward to every Sunday. Still, big losses made it clear Mayo still needed some seasoning before he could be a successful head coach.

This a roster with a ton of question marks. They have a good secondary and some pieces in the front seven, but quite a few unsuccessful draft picks have the team in a rough spot. They are weak at offensive line, wide receiver (despite much draft pick investment), and running back. They need better linebackers, and Christian Barmore’s blood clots could put the entire defensive line in flux.

However, this is a franchise with the right ownership to win. They will invest when necessary, and Robert Kraft is trying to rebuild a winner with quickness. The GM is an issue, but we’ll see how long Eliot Wolf lasts. 

Projected next head coach: Mike Vrabel

Don’t overthink this one. Mike Vrabel is the next head coach of the New England Patriots. He makes the most sense, can give them a foundation on defense, will get them back to the professionalism they had under Bill Belichick without the authoritarian attitude, and the team can be patient as they build around Maye and Gonzalez. We forget how successful Vrabel was with a flawed Titans team. This would be a perfect match.

2. New York Jets
2024 record: 5-12

With everything that’s surrounding the New York Jets over the past two seasons, it’s probably a huge surprise that they are this high on the list, but there is so much to love about this team. For one, it sounds like Aaron Rodgers is up in the air about his future. As much drama as he brings to this organization, him leaving would be what’s best for everyone to move on. While that leaves the Jets without a quarterback, it’s still better than sticking with Rodgers just for the short-term gain.

This gives the Jets new head coach and GM (who was also fired during the season) a clean slate to build around a stacked roster. This team still has Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, and Breece Hall under 25 years old. They have a nice mix of veterans and young players, along with very high picks across the board in this year’s draft. Outside of QB, this roster is built to win now and in the future. 

The Jets will be a desired target, and there’s also one factor that might help them even more. Owner Woody Johnson hasn’t been a favorite amongst the fanbase, but there’s a real possibility he leaves his position to once again serve in the Trump Administration. He did that during his last term, so it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he did it again.

Projected next head coach: Aaron Glenn

As much as we want to say it’s going to be Rex Ryan for the pure hilarity of it, Aaron Glenn makes too much sense for the Jets. He’s a former Jets star, spending eight seasons in New York during his 15-year career. He understands what he’s getting into, and he showed this season with the Lions he can face professional adversity and step up to the plate (or sideline in this case). 

1. Chicago Bears
2024 record: 5-12

Calling the Chicago Bears the best spot for a future head coach of the available jobs says more about the status of the NFL than it does about the Bears situation itself, but let’s talk about the facts. The Bears had a pretty bad coach here to start last year, and it likely impacted Caleb Williams during his first starts. There’s the making of a good offense in the Windy City, with additions of Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze to go along with D.J. Moore. 

They also have pieces on defense like Montez Sweat, Jaylon Johnson, and Tremaine Edmunds. The draft picks they’ve accumulated over the years will start to develop, and this team could be competing with the monsters in the NFC North. We thought about downgrading the Bears because of the division they are in, but coaches will ignore that to be the leader of this locker room.

The Bears have been tied to some interesting methods of coach acquisition. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a team trade for a head coach, but the Bears are reportedly considering it. There are some questions about ownership here, like many of the teams on the list, but again, not enough to overlook the level of talent on this roster.

Projected next head coach: Mike McCarthy

Yeah, this is going to cause a snowball for this list, but we are predicting that Mike McCarthy will be the next head coach of the Chicago Bears. The “current” Dallas Cowboys head coach has had a vote of confidence from Jerry Jones, but there’s a reason this Bears rumor isn’t going away. McCarthy has to be interested in this situation if only to go back to a situation where the expectation is reasonable. The Bears need a head coach to take them to the playoffs, and he’s done that in three of the last four seasons in Dallas and most of his years in Green Bay. The Bears want a veteran coach with a big name, and McCarthy might be looking to lead young talent in his twilight coaching years.