{"id":778995,"date":"2026-07-04T18:04:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/778995\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T18:04:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:04:08","slug":"atlanta-falcons-kevin-stefanski-ranked-nfls-no-21-head-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/778995\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski ranked NFL’s No. 21 head coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated July 4, 2026, 1:12 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

How high will the Atlanta Falcons<\/a> fly under new head coach Kevin Stefanski in 2026? While they haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, former head coach Raheem Morris left the team in solid shape for Stefanski and his staff.<\/p>\n

The Falcons won their final four games of the 2025 season and finished with an 8-9 record for the second year in a row. However, since they failed to live up to expectations, team owner Arthur Blank fired Morris and brought in the two-time NFL Coach of the Year.<\/p>\n

Stefanski has a proven track record as an offensive play-caller, but his most impressive feat was having success in Cleveland. And while the Browns may have struggled over the last two seasons due to some questionable decisions at quarterback, they’ve historically been one of the worst franchises of the Super Bowl era.<\/p>\n

So where does Stefanski rank among the 32 NFL head coaches entering the 2026 season?<\/p>\n

Our frenemies over at Saints<\/a> Wire released a detailed ranking and breakdown<\/a> of every head coach. Arye Pulli graded the coaches on five categories: identity\/culture, schematic edge, player development, roster situation and confidence level entering 2026. Stefanski landed at No. 21 with a score of 39 overall.<\/p>\n

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n

“Stefanski has shown he can keep teams competitive despite difficult offensive circumstances (ie: his time in Cleveland),” wrote Pulli<\/a>. “Everything should work out once the Falcons find their long-term quarterback, but that has yet to be realized.”<\/p>\n

The fact that the Falcons landed someone like Stefanski during an offseason in which 10 NFL teams made head-coaching changes has to be considered a win for Matt Ryan and Arthur Blank.<\/p>\n

Stefanski was ranked one spot ahead of Saints head coach Kellen Moore. Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> head coach Todd Bowles landed at No. 17. As for the NFC South-champion Carolina Panthers, head coach Dave Canales was last among the four division coaches, landing at No. 26.<\/p>\n

Make sure to check out Pulli’s full head coach rankings<\/a> for the complete breakdown.<\/p>\n

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