Head-coaching searches are in full swing across the NFL as teams that didn’t make the playoffs readjust in an attempt for a brighter 2026.
One team that doesn’t appear to be looking for a new coach: the Green Bay Packers. The team is expected to negotiate an extension with coach Matt LaFleur, despite its stunning wild-card loss to the Chicago Bears, ESPN reported.
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The NFL coaching carousel was spinning fast the week after the regular season ended. On Saturday, the Atlanta Falcons, as expected, officially hired franchise legend Matt Ryan as their new president of football operations. The move was expected following the firings of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
The Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel. A day later, on Friday, the Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel, as their new general manager. Sullivan will help guide the search for McDaniel’s replacement.
McDaniel’s firing came two days after the Baltimore Ravens stunned the league by parting ways with head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons and a Super Bowl win. That job quickly became the most attractive vacancy of the bunch, according to Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab.
Harbaugh, as you can imagine, will be in high demand this coaching cycle with the Dolphins and Cleveland Browns reportedly reaching out to request interviews for their open head coaching jobs.
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This week delivered the end for several other head coaches and one general manager, and the scramble begins to fill those positions.
The changes haven’t been limited to just head coaches. As was widely expected, the Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on Tuesday after the team surrendered more than 500 points in a season for the first time in franchise history.
Staying in the NFC East, the Washington Commanders moved on from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and mutually agreed to part ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Both were part of Dan Quinn’s inaugural Commanders staff that helped lead Washington to its first conference title game appearance since the 1991 season. Kingsbury is expected to receive head-coaching consideration and to have OC options after assisting Jayden Daniels’ NFL breakout.
The first victims of the week were Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, who were both fired Sunday after the Falcons finished 8-9. Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan also could be returning to the organization in a new role as president of football.
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On Monday, the Cleveland Browns parted ways with head coach Kevin Stefanski. Two hours after Stefanski was let go, the Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with coach Pete Carroll after just one season. Not long after that, the Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon following his third straight losing season.
Two head coaches, the Tennessee Titans’ Brian Callahan and the New York Giants’ Brian Daboll, lost their jobs during the season. Another whose status might have been in question, Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen, is returning next season, along with general manager Chris Ballard. The Cincinnati Bengals answered a similar question Monday, announcing the return of head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin for another season.
Here’s the rundown on where the carousel currently stands, plus the latest coaching news updates. We also rank the top coaching openings, from least to most attractive. And here are the top candidates on the market to fill those vacancies.
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FIREDMike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Record with team: 35-35 (including playoffs), four seasons
Why he was fired: Things got off to a miserable start this season, as the Dolphins were embarrassed by the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. From there, the Dolphins found increasingly inventive ways to lose. With the team at 1-6 to open the season, McDaniel and the Dolphins showed some life down the stretch. The team won five of its next six games, salvaging what, to that point, had been a miserable start. But that surge couldn’t save McDaniel … or Tua Tagovailoa.
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Record with team: 193-124 (including playoffs), 18th season
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Why he was fired: The Ravens were surprisingly mediocre this season, and it can’t all be attributed to Lamar Jackson’s injuries. Their defense yo-yo’d between outright bad and competent, and some of Harbaugh’s in-game decisions have drawn scrutiny. Harbaugh has failed to get back to the Super Bowl with a two-time MVP quarterback in Jackson, and there had been a general sense that a breath of fresh air at head coach might be good for the Ravens.
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Record with team: 15-36, three seasons
Why he was fired: Gannon was hired in part to toughen up Arizona’s defense, and that didn’t really happen. This season’s unit was 26th in EPA per play allowed, 27th in success rate allowed, and in general hasn’t taken a step forward despite 17 of Gannon’s 28 draft picks being on that side of the ball, including six of seven last spring. It’s hard to say the Cardinals are demonstrably better than they were when Gannon was hired.
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Potential replacements: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
Record with team: 3-14, one season
Why he was fired: Carroll was supposed to bring stability to the franchise, but it was more losing under the 74-year-old former Super Bowl winner. The Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs in their season finale to end a winless streak that dated to Week 6. The offseason trade for Carroll’s preferred QB Geno Smith never yielded much, the offensive and special teams coordinators were both fired in November, and now there was a dispute with Maxx Crosby over the star pass rusher being placed on injured reserve. None of it reflected well on Carroll, who was in over his head trying to fix a franchise where the rot goes much deeper (and higher).
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Potential replacements: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Giants coach Brian Daboll, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Record with team: 46-58 (including playoffs), six seasons
Why he was fired: The Browns suffered their fourth losing record in six years under Stefanski, as well as a second straight year picking in the top seven of the draft. The cataclysmic Deshaun Watson trade is partly on Stefanski, who recruited him in the spring of 2022, and for all of Stefanski’s offensive acumen, none of the 13 quarterbacks who’ve started under his watch has proven to be the long-term solution.
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Potential replacements: Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Record with team: 16-18, two seasons
Why he was fired: Morris hadn’t been flat-out bad. The Falcons won their final four games of the season, seemingly helping Morris’ cause. But the Falcons regressed overall this season and the operation felt shaky under his watch. While he ended up a fall guy alongside general manager Terry Fontenot, who oversaw an all-in 2025 that included trading away the team’s first-round draft pick next spring, Morris didn’t always build the strongest case for himself. The Falcons now look like they will completely revamp their football operations department with former quarterback Matt Ryan poised to come in as Atlanta’s new president of football.
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Potential replacements: Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Record with team: 21-41-1, three full seasons and 10 games
Why he was fired: Daboll won Coach of the Year in his first season in charge, leading the Giants to a playoff win behind Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. But injuries and underachievement dug a hole Daboll couldn’t coach his way out of, and his handling of the Giants’ overall operation — from game management to interfering with concussion protocol to repeatedly exposing 2025 first-round rookie QB Jaxson Dart to extra punishment in the run game — became too much for the franchise to bear.
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Potential replacements: Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
Record with team: 4-19, one full season and six games
Why he was fired: Callahan was more successful at drawing attention to himself off the field than winning on it. He blew up at QB Will Levis multiple times during games, admitted he didn’t know a rule that cost the Titans early this season, excoriated referees and more. Despite his reputation as an offensive guru, it didn’t seem like No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward was making much progress under his auspices, and the Titans decided to admit their mistake and cut bait.
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Potential replacements: Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
SAFETodd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record with team: 36-36 (including playoffs), fourth season
Why he could have been fired: Despite winning Saturday against the Panthers, the Saints’ defeat Sunday blocked the Bucs from the postseason. Entering Week 18, Bowles’ Buccaneers lost seven of eight. The downturn came as they got healthier, which was confusing. There were some bad losses, and for a coach without a great career record, maybe there isn’t a reason to believe things will be decidedly better in the 2026 season.
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Why he’s safe: Bowles was on the verge of his fourth straight division title, albeit in a mediocre NFC South. This is the first time in Bowles’ run with Tampa that the Bucs haven’t made the postseason. That appeared to be enough to save Bowles, who said Wednesday his job was safe after meeting with the Glazer family.
NFL coaching news live blogLive142 updates
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 1:32 PM PST
Ian Casselberry
The Dallas Cowboys are considering making an internal hire for their defensive coordinator opening, created when Matt Eberflus was fired last week.
Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton will interview for the position, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Whitecotton joined the Dallas staff when Eberflus was hired before the 2025 season. Prior to coaching with the Cowboys, he was on Robert Saleh’s staff with the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Whitecotton has also been an assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
Considering that Whitecotton was part of the same staff that coached the NFL’s third-worst defense, it seems unlikely that he’ll be promoted to the coordinator role.
Among the coaches Dallas has already interviewed are Denver Broncos defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard, Miami Dolphins assistant Daronte Jones and Cleveland Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda. The team has also requested an interview with Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 12:40 PM PST
Ryan Young
John Harbaugh has completed his first interview. The Atlanta Falcons officially interviewed Harbaugh, who was fired by the Baltimore Ravens last week after 18 seasons with the organization, on Monday.
Harbaugh is widely considered to be the top coaching candidate this cycle, and will undoubtedly interview with several other teams in the coming days.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 12:12 PM PST
Criss Partee
The Cleveland Browns have requested an interview with Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski for their head coaching job, sources tell Tom Pelissero. Udinski is 30 years old and just completed his first year as an OC.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 12:09 PM PST
Criss Partee
The Baltimore Ravens requested an interview with Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head coaching job, sources tell Tom Pelissero.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 11:30 AM PST
Criss Partee
Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator interviewed for the Ravens head coaching job on Monday. Kingsbury is the sixth candidate to officially interview with Baltimore for the position.
Kingsbury also has four years of head coaching experience with the Arizona Cardinals, where he posted a 28-37-1 record and led them to one playoff appearance.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 11:15 AM PST
Criss Partee
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel interviewed with the Cleveland Browns for their open head coach position on Monday and will also interview with the Atlanta Falcons later in the evening. McDaniel served on both teams as an assistant while working his way up the NFL coaching ladder.
In 2014, McDaniel was a wide receivers coach in Cleveland, then worked as an offensive assistant for two years in Atlanta from 2015-2016.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 9:58 AM PST
Tarohn Finley
The New York Giants will interview Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for their head coach opening, according to Mike Garafolo.
Anarumo is coming off his first season as the Colts’ defensive coordinator. He previously spent the last six seasons as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator. The Staten Island native was the Giants’ defensive back coach in 2018.
The Giants fired former head coach Brian Daboll 10 games into the season after a 2-8 start.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 8:48 AM PST
Chris Cwik
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris will reportedly interview with the Tennessee Titans on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Morris, 49, was fired by the Falcons after going 16-18 with the team over the past two seasons.
Morris has previous experience as a head-coaching candidate. Prior to joining the Falcons, he coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three seasons, putting up a 17-31 record. He also served as an interim coach with the Falcons in 2020, going 4-7 over 11 games.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 5:53 AM PST
Chris Cwik
The Green Bay Packers are going to give head coach Matt LaFleur another chance. The team is reportedly working to keep LaFleur despite the team going 0-5 in its last five games, including a brutal loss to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
LaFleur, 46, has spent the last seven years in Green Bay, going 76-40-1 with the franchise.
LaFleur’s current contract with the franchise runs through the 2026 NFL season. While the Packers don’t have to extend him now, the team doesn’t want to head into next season with a lame duck at head coach. Instead, it sounds like that Packers will get ahead of that and commit to LaFleur down the road.
After getting off to a strong start in 2025, the Packers collapsed down the stretch after losing star pass rusher Micah Parsons. The Packers finished out the year 0-5, with two of those losses coming against the rival Bears.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 5:23 AM PST
Chris Cwik
Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will interview for the Baltimore Ravens’ vacant head-coaching role, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Kingsbury, 46, was fired by the Commanders after the team failed to repeat last season’s success. He has previous experience as a head coach, going 28-37-1 with the Arizona Cardinals over four seasons.
After ranking fifth in points scored in Kingsbury’s first season as offensive coordinator, the Commanders dropped to 22nd in points scored in 2025. The team was hurt by injuries to Jayden Daniels, which limited the quarterback to just seven games in his second season.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 5:10 AM PST
Chris Cwik
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is going to be busy before the divisional round of the playoffs. McDaniel is set to meet with four teams about their vacant head-coaching positions.
Those four teams are the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, according to NFL Network.
McDaniel, 42, is also expected to interview for the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator position.
McDaniel is seeking his next opportunity after going 35-33 over four seasons with the Dolphins. While things looked promising in Miami early in his tenure, it fell apart over the last two seasons, leading to his firing.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 2:37 PM PST
Criss Partee
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed a virtual interview with Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson for their open OC position. Robinson just finished his second season as OC in Atlanta and began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Rams in 2019.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 1:57 PM PST
Criss Partee
The Atlanta Falcons have requested permission to interview Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for their head coach vacancy. Carolina extended Evero’s contract over the weekend as it was set to expire in the coming days.
Carolina swept the season series with Atlanta this season and shut out the Falcons in their September matchup.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 1:41 PM PST
Criss Partee
The Las Vegas Raiders have requested permission to interview Panthers DC Ejiro Evero for their head coach vacancy. Carolina extended Evero’s contract over the weekend as it was set to expire in the coming days.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 1:05 PM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals will interview Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur for their head coach openings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
LaFleur has been the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. He was previously the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator and the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator. LaFleur also coached with the Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Browns
LaFleur is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafluer.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 12:45 PM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Atlanta Falcons interviewed former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski for their head coach opening, according to the team.
The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski after six seasons with the team. Stefanski finished 46–58 and led the Browns to two playoff appearances and had two Coach of the Year awards.
The Falcons hired former head coach Raheem Morris after two 8-9 seasons as head coach of the Falcons. The team also fired former general manager Terry Fontenot after the season.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Las Vegas Raiders requested to interview Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase for their head coach opening, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Browns have also requested to interview Scheelhaase for their head coach position.
Scheelhaase has spent the last two seasons with the Rams’ offense, after coaching at Iowa State and the University of Illinois. The Raiders and Browns fired their head coaches after the season ended.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 11:31 AM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins have requested to interview Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The Packers were eliminated from the playoffs after Saturday’s loss to the Chicago Bears.
Hafley was the Packers’ DC for the last two seasons. Hafley was previously Boston College’s head coach for four seasons. He went 22–26.
The Raiders and Dolphins fire their former head coaches after the season.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 10:52 AM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Carolina Panthers extended defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s contract, according to head coach Dave Canales. Evero’s contract was originally set to expire in the next 72 hours.
Canales said Evero will absolutely be back with the Panthers next season. Evero has served as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator for the past year. Evero was originally part of former Panthers head coach Frank Reich’s staff and was retained by Canales.
Before joining the Panthers, Evero served as the defensive coordinator of the Broncos and secondary coach & passing game coordinator with the Rams. Evero has also spent time coaching with the 49ers and Packers.
Sun, January 11, 2026 at 10:43 AM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Baltimore Ravens interviewed Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy for their vacant head coaching position, according to the team’s official account.
Nagy has served as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. Previously, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears for four seasons. Nagy was 34-31 and led the team to two playoff appearances.
The Ravens fired former head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons on Tuesday.