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| Ranking the best jobs available |
Coaching in the NFL is always difficult, but some positions are certainly worse than others. Here's how I'd rank the attractiveness of the six head coach openings in 2026:
6. Browns. Cleveland boasts an elite defense led by the league's best pass rusher, an owner who spends more cash than any other team and a promising nucleus from the 2025 draft class.
But it's an uphill battle for any coach willing to inherit this mess and work with an owner that cited the kicker as proof of success. Seriously.
As for Cleveland's 43rd starting QB since 1999? There's no obvious answer, but Alabama's Ty Simpson is an option with the Browns' late first-round pick (projected to be No. 28, via the Jaguars). They pair Simpson with Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 5 in our latest mock draft, an ideal outcome.
5. Falcons. Atlanta has plenty of talent, finished with the best record (8-9) among teams hiring and wisely fired its general manager. But ...
- It's unclear what it has in QB Michael Penix Jr., as the 26-year-old has been inconsistent and inaccurate across his first two seasons. The underlying stats aren't great (Penix ranked 25th in EPA per dropback across nine starts in 2025) and his health is no guarantee after an ACL tear in late November — the fifth season-ending injury in his last eight years of football.
- Whoever takes the role is significantly restricted by the prior regime. The Falcons traded their 2026 first-round pick, have the league's lowest-valued draft capital (per Tankathon's rankings) and minimal cap space this offseason, though cutting Kirk Cousins could help.
There's still positives: Arthur Blank is a patient owner and the Falcons are ideally situated in the winnable NFC South, so if Penix's next coach can get the best out of him, Atlanta could be a playoff team before long. Here are 18 candidates Atlanta might pursue. |
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4. Cardinals. After a 2-0 start, Arizona lost five straight games to the 49ers, Seahawks, Titans, Colts and Packers — playoff-caliber teams, outside of Tennessee — by a combined total of 13 points. This team was more competitive than its 3-14 record shows. It has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but ...
- Quarterback is a question-mark, with Kyler Murray more likely to get a fresh start than return to Arizona. Murray's guaranteed $36.8 million in 2026, but a lack of free-agent options could make the 28-year-old a tempting trade target.
- Who might the Cardinals replace Murray with? Not Indiana's Fernando Mendoza or Oregon's Dante Moore, projected to go before Arizona picks at No. 3. It's also unlikely Daniel Jones joins the underwhelming free-agent QB class, which might be headlined by revived Packers backup Malik Willis. Not ideal.
Depending on the Cardinals' coaching hire, they might have the most attractive opportunity for any QB this offseason. Arizona's got talented receiving options, like tight end Trey McBride and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and an offensive line that can be league average. But you can't win without a quarterback, as Jonathan Gannon learned.
3. Raiders. We saw what Mike Vrabel was able to do in New England with a roster filled with holes, $100 million in cap space and a highly drafted quarterback. Could Las Vegas find similar success in Year 1 with whoever it hires? Unlikely.
- Let's pencil in either of the top two quarterback prospects and assume the Raiders draft Mendoza at No. 1. He'll be behind an awful offensive line, armed with a weak rushing attack and the league's worst receiver room (excluding TE Brock Bowers).
- The Raiders are also in the ultra-competitive AFC West, and whichever coach takes this role will face Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh, and Bo Nix with Sean Payton for the foreseeable future. That's tough.
This team has several blue-chip talents to build around, including Bowers, left tackle Kolton Miller, running back Ashton Jeanty and edge Maxx Crosby (though that could change this offseason, given recent discontent and how tradable his contract is). It also has a $100 million war chest and plenty of draft picks, so if everything breaks right, the Raiders could be competitive ... in 2027.
2. Titans. I'm convinced the Titans have a franchise QB in Cam Ward, along with a league-leading $105 million in cap space and eight draft picks (starting at No. 4) to make this position surprisingly attractive. The fixes are obvious:
- Improve the league's worst receiver room while continuing to invest in the quietly-improving offensive line. Add a pass rusher with the first pick, a receiver in Round 2 and then spend heavily on patching holes in free agency.
- Just stop the organizational dysfunction, which has plagued the team for years. By keeping general manager Mike Borgonzi, they've again mismatched front office and head coach. The AFC West is also suddenly competitive, with the Jaguars, Texans and Colts all likely in the playoff hunt next season.
Unlike Las Vegas, which is yet to find its QB, if Tennessee gets the hire right — while adding talented receivers and a pass rusher — it could turn things around quickly. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is a game-wrecker, and it has other young building blocks, like linebacker Cedric Gray. Ironically, it just needs a coach like Vrabel.
1. Giants*. They nearly emerged from a tough early-season schedule with a 5-2 record, but were instead 2-5 after losing in overtime to the Cowboys, turning the ball over five times in a loss to the Saints and blowing a 26-8 fourth-quarter lead against the Broncos. Yet this might be the league's most attractive opening, because:
- Young building blocks in Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, Malik Nabers and Abdul Carter — all on rookie contracts — pair with an offensive line that's above-average, so long as left tackle Andrew Thomas is healthy.
Note: The asterisk (*) is because of Joe Schoen, who has consistently made questionable decisions since landing in New York and has a 22-45-1 record.
As my colleague Dan Duggan suggests, the Giants' decision to keep Schoen is inexcusable, and I recommend this year's hire pull a Liam Coen-like refusal and force ownership to move on from the GM. This can be an attractive opening, as Schoen himself suggested. |
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