Ranking head coaching vacancies in the NFL: The Chargers and Falcons’ most alluring qualities
In the NFL, the selection process for head-coaching positions is typically stringent, as an average of seven out of every 32 positions become available annually. They accept the jobs that are available to them and make do with the flaws.
The eight current positions are going to draw to various candidates for distinct reasons. The following vacancies have been ranked according to three fundamental criteria: the probability of winning within the initial two seasons, the feasibility of contending for the division, and the severity to which ownership deficiencies could prove fatal.
I am not at all concerned with salary-cap space because it is susceptible to manipulation and creation, and the primary obstacle is locating talented players rather than amassing the necessary funds to acquire them.
In the NFL, the selection process for head-coaching positions is typically stringent, as an average of seven out of every 32 positions become available annually. They accept the jobs that are available to them and make do with the flaws.
The following vacancies have been ranked according to three fundamental criteria: the probability of winning within the initial two seasons, the feasibility of contending for the division, and the severity to which ownership deficiencies could prove fatal.
I am not at all concerned with salary-cap space because it is susceptible to manipulation and creation, and the primary obstacle is locating talented players rather than amassing the necessary funds to acquire them.
With head-coaching candidates ranging in age from Bill Belichick as well as Jim Harbaugh to Pete Carroll or Mike Vrabel, the Football League has arguably never before witnessed such a collection of talent and experience.
There is a multitude of accomplished coordinators who seem prepared to advance, and the NFL may never have a more favorable environment in which to make a hire. The eight current positions will appeal to various candidates for distinct reasons.
In light of this, we surveyed six reputable league sources—three from the coaching staff and three from the personnel staff—and requested their rankings of the seven vacant positions in the league as of Thursday. Team ownership, roster, and salary-cap load were given significant weight in this evaluation.
The six individuals possess diverse professional backgrounds within the league’s job pipeline. They range from individuals presently occupying positions at the apex of a franchise to those who are presently on interviewing lists and are regarded as advancing in rank. The coaching staff incorporated both offensive and defensive viewpoints.
The criterion of “owner first” was utilized by one executive and each coach as a benchmark for approaching each of those openings, and the poll generally expressed a negative external perception of Panther owner David Tepper.
And it transcended the incident involving the drink-tossing during Carolina’s season-finale matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While the group did acknowledge the observation, their concerns centered on the inconsistent employment practices at the head coach as well as general manager levels, and the enduring notion that Tepper exerted considerable influence over numerous quarterback decisions during his ownership.
Tepper is perceived as an individual who intervenes in football evaluations where he lacks the necessary expertise to make informed decisions, and his coaching staff perceives him as a micro managerial threat.
An additional persistent concern that caught attention was the fact that former coach Matt Rhule initiated legal proceedings against Tepper almost a year ago, alleging a severance payment of nearly $5 million that Rhule contends he is owed.
The league’s arbitration process has yet to resolve that dispute, but it’s not a good look when an owner who appears capricious is engaged in a financial dispute with a former coach.
The team’s prospects beyond Tepper are deemed unpromising in the immediate future, which becomes problematic when coupled with the perception that the team’s owner lacks patience.
A solid negative for a roster that appears to be in dire need of a high-percentage reboot is the absence of two premium draft picks in the past two years. One executive expressed, “Working for Tepper appears to be an absolute misery palace.”
A limited number of young players exhibit promise; however, the quarterback, Brigham Young, encountered considerable difficulty during his rookie year, which casts doubt on the notion that the quarterback position is sufficiently resolved.
Carolina is additionally constrained in terms of premium draft picks for the following two seasons, as it forfeited its first-round and second-round picks in 2024 and 2025, respectively, to the Bulls of Chicago in the transaction that ultimately resulted in the Panthers acquiring Young.