Start the music and the carousel will now be in motion.
With the NFL regular season now in the rearview, the offseason has begun for 18 of the league’s 32 teams. After all, every minute counts for those who missed the playoffs. As soon as Tyler Loop’s field goal went wide right to end the Baltimore Ravens’ season on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ it was time for multiple coaches to exit stage right on ‘Black Monday’ in the NFL.
It was a mostly uneventful day across the league, with four head coaches given the pink slip – bringing the total to six vacancies to be filled before offseason activities ramp up.
Then the Baltimore Ravens decided to ignite a fire under the carousel by parting ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. It’s a move that will completely change the entire coaching landscape this offseason.
There are now seven head coach vacancies for this cycle. The Tennessee Titans and New York Giants got ahead of ‘Black Monday’ by firing Brian Callahan and Brian Daboll midseason. The Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens followed suit when the season concluded.
Now it’s one big game of musical chairs, with no telling where everyone will settle when the music stops.
Which coaching candidates will ultimately land the available jobs across the NFL? Here are USA TODAY Sports’ predictions for the NFL’s 2026 hiring cycle.
NFL coach landing spot predictions 2026
Arizona Cardinals: Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
The Cardinals feel like a forgotten franchise at times and might just be the worst head coach opening at the moment. Arizona’s quarterback situation remains undefined and there is a massive Kyler Murray question hanging over the organization.
To make matters worse, the Cardinals head into the 2026 NFL Draft owning the No. 3 pick in what profiles as a two-quarterback class at best. Barring a trade or some funny business ahead of them, the Cardinals won’t be finding that solution during the draft. The bad seems to outweigh the good at the moment. Arizona plays in a loaded NFC West with no real path to contention right now.
It’s fair to wonder whether the Cardinals can do better than Jonathan Gannon in their search. In a world where there are only 32 openings, someone is bound to take the job, but will it be a top candidate? That’s hard to imagine. The Cardinals feel like a team primed to take the Kellen Moore route that the Saints did last offseason. It worked out well for them.
Perhaps poaching an offensive coordinator from a division rival pays off in more ways than one. Kubiak coached the No. 3 scoring offense in the league this season, averaging 28.4 points per game in Seattle. For a Cardinals team in need of direction, Kubiak is an excellent fit for the job.
Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski, former Cleveland Browns head coach
The Falcons have arguably the most attractive head coach opening in the league. Or at least they did, until the Ravens fired John Harbaugh. Regardless, Atlanta has an established crop of skill position players in a division that is winnable every year. Stefanski would have to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders in the NFC East, but there is nowhere near the same threat in the NFC South.
Between that and Atlanta’s lack of a general manager, the former Browns coach could step into a situation with a clean slate and win right away.
The quarterback situation is far from solved, but this is a home run hire if Stefanski is a believer in Michael Penix Jr. Despite countless issues this season, the Falcons finished tied for first in the NFC South at 8-9. Some better coaching and another year of development for some of the team’s younger players would make for a quick turnaround.
They don’t have a first-round pick in 2026, which is a negative. However, Stefanski would likely welcome the idea of calling plays for Bijan Robinson and Drake London – a pair of players the Browns didn’t have during his tenure in Cleveland.
Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator
Baltimore sent shockwaves through the NFL coaching carousel by firing John Harbaugh on Jan. 6, opening up a huge vacancy with a potential Super Bowl contender. The Ravens were far from one in 2025 despite those big expectations, but this roster is still talented and led by the two-time league MVP, Lamar Jackson.
It makes sense to think that the Ravens would opt for an offensive-minded coach to pair with Jackson, but what about dipping into the old coaching staffs that once patrolled the sidelines in Baltimore? Minter isn’t Harbaugh, but he was part of the Ravens’ coaching pipeline under the now-former boss.
That close connection to Harbaugh could be enough to rule him out. However, no one in Baltimore would be upset if Mike Macdonald were running the show for the Ravens right now. The Seahawks’ coach is one of the best in the sport currently after leading Seattle to the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Perhaps the Ravens can find the next great coach with Minter, who profiles as a solid leader that can also fix the team’s shoddy defense. In that world, keeping Todd Monken as offensive coordinator isn’t out of the realm of possibility. After all, offense hasn’t been the problem for Baltimore.
Cleveland Browns: John Harbaugh, former Baltimore Ravens head coach
Harbaugh is instantly the top storyline of the coaching carousel now. While the Browns aren’t the most attractive job, they do offer a few things the others don’t. Harbaugh is an Ohio native and also played college football at Miami (Ohio).
Perhaps there is an appetite to return to his roots without having to travel far. After all, his brother, Jim, did that at Michigan and coached his alma mater. Harbaugh would add instant credibility to a Browns organization that has severely lacked that in recent years.
Jimmy Haslam could boost the franchise’s perception by backing up the Brinks truck and giving Harbaugh everything he wants and more.
The Browns are still rebuilding and no one knows if Harbaugh would be willing to accept that. However, he would have the chance to compete against the Ravens two times a year after his unceremonious departure. Building the Browns into a contender could be enticing for someone like Harbaugh, who already has a Super Bowl ring on his finger.
Las Vegas Raiders: Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Tom Brady appears determined to rebuild a mid-2010’s juggernaut. He tried, and failed, with Pete Carroll in 2025. Cross the Seahawks off that list. Now he can set his sights on his former team, the Patriots and bring Flores on board.
Make no mistake, Flores is an attractive candidate. He has routinely coached some of the league’s better, more aggressive defenses. It didn’t end well in Miami. Flores also has ongoing lawsuits against the league and several teams. Those cases were filed in 2022, alleging racial discrimination in the hiring process.
None of that prevents the Raiders from hiring Flores though. In fact, he might be one of those coaches who thrives after being given a second chance. Could Daboll also be someone who joins Flores in the desert? Given their dysfunction over the past few seasons, the Raiders need a stabilizing force like Flores.
New York Giants: Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator
If there’s one thing the Giants like, it’s having a connection to the coach they eventually hire. Daboll was a Bill Belichick disciple, and the same was true for Joe Judge. Pat Shurmur previously worked under Steve Spagnuolo, who, like Ben McAdoo, had a connection to the good old days with Tom Coughlin.
Hafley doesn’t come with any of those connections, but he does have a connection to the area. A Montvale, New Jersey, native, the Packers’ defensive coordinator has a lengthy coaching history dating back to 2001. He coached one season at Rutgers and also served as head coach at Boston College from 2020 to 2023.
That might not be the flashy hire that fans want, but you don’t win games by stealing headlines. Hafley’s defense took a step back in Green Bay over the past month after losing Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt to season-ending injuries.
Injuries aren’t Hafley’s fault and if he can bring along a solid offensive coordinator, he might just be the perfect fit for the Giants.
Tennessee Titans: Mike McCarthy, former Dallas Cowboys head coach
McCarthy seems determined to land a head coaching gig this offseason. The former Cowboys coach sat on the sidelines after parting ways with Dallas after the 2024 season.
Now he appears ready to get back into coaching and Tennessee feels like a great fit. The 62-year-old likely won’t want a lengthy rebuild, which isn’t guaranteed with the Titans. However, if he is a fan of Cam Ward, then McCarthy would have the luxury of helping mold the roster the way he envisions it.
Offense has never been a problem for McCarthy’s teams and he is one of the more established coaches available this offseason.
The Titans will also want to take some steps in the right direction before moving into their new stadium in 2027. Like it or not, football is also a business and selling fans on a coach like McCarthy is a lot easier than whatever coordinator they can land in an uninspiring cycle.