Written by: Tyler Deakin
There are 9 NFL teams actively searching for their franchise’s next head coach. Those teams are the Broncos, Bears, Vikings, Raiders, Dolphins, Jaguars, Giants, Saints, & Texans. That’s over a quarter of the league interviewing from the same pool of candidates this offseason. These positions are coveted by candidates, as there are only 32 of them available in the league. Not all jobs are created equal though; factors such as quarterbacks, money, draft picks, and ownership are influential in candidates determining the value & opportunities in each opening. My goal here is to rank these head coaching openings based on the established criteria above.
#1. Denver Broncos
The Broncos opening has almost everything coveted by head coaching candidates except a franchise quarterback. Fortunately for them, they should have the means to go out & get one whether that’s in free agency ($45M in cap room) or via the No. 9 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. There’s also been rumors that Aaron Rodgers wants to play there, which would be very exciting. One small issue is that the team is currently up for sale; however, some of the potential investors include John Elway & Peyton Manning. Other factors helping their cause include a recently hired GM in George Paton & the rest of the roster being in good shape, especially on defense.
#2. Chicago Bears
Finally, the Bears have a quarterback they believe they can build around in Justin Fields. The roster isn’t in great shape, but they have $34M in cap room to go out & make upgrades. Unfortunately, they don’t have a 1st round draft pick after giving it away last year for Fields. Meanwhile, their ownership should considered be a plus due to the fact that they gave Matt Nagy & Ryan Pace more than enough time & resources in an attempt to let them turn things around. Should Aaron Rodgers leave the Packers, Justin Fields could be the best QB in the division. Next steps for the Bears include hiring a new general manager & upgrading both lines of scrimmage.
#3. Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins’ presence on the team is both a blessing & curse for prospective candidates. He’s a decent QB on the last year of his deal with a cap hit ($45M) that puts the team in a bind. They’re projected to have -$12M in cap room this offseason, partially due to Cousins’ contract. Will the next head coach be willing to extend the QB or draft a rookie & let him sit for a year? That’s a fantastic question for the Vikings new regime, who have the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft. More good news for the team is that their ownership is solid, allowing Mike Zimmer & Rick Spielman to work together for almost a decade in the hopes of hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. Their offseason priorities include hiring a new general manager & fixing an awful defensive unit.
#4. Las Vegas Raiders
Similar to the Vikings dilemma, Derek Carr’s future with the team is in flux. The same things said about Cousins ring true here, as Carr is a decent QB in the last year of his contract. One key difference here though is that Carr’s cap hit ($20M) is more team friendly than Cousins. There’s also money ($28M) available for the team to spend however they wish this offseason. Unfortunately, the team has a mediocre draft pick (No. 22) and a poor history in recent drafts. Ownership for the Raiders is also questionable, as Mark Davis lured Jon Gruden out of retirement in 2018 with a 10-year contract that backfired just 3 & a half seasons into the deal. Priorities this offseason include finding a new general manager & adding playmakers on offense.
#5. Miami Dolphins
Something doesn’t quite sit right with me in the Dolphins letting Brian Flores walk away. He was 24-25 as the team’s head coach, and a reported power struggle between Flores, general manager Chris Grier, and Stephen Ross suggests that ownership of the team could be unstable. Still though, the team has a quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) & money ($67M) to work with here. That’s good to know because their draft pick, traded to them via the 49ers, will be a low one. Add all of this up and it’s clear that this job opening will be coveted, but there are red flags.
#6. Jacksonville Jaguars
This job has almost everything that candidates could ask for in a good quarterback (Trevor Lawrence), money ($61M), and a high draft pick (No. 1) to make this job look attractive. So then the question becomes why is this job listed so low in my head coaching gigs rankings? That’s because the ownership is absolutely brutal, and their GM Trent Baalke isn’t much better. Baalke’s presence makes the hottest candidates hesitant to interview there, not to mention the fact that owner Shad Khan has repeatedly failed to establish a winning culture in Jacksonville. The roster is also in shambles, with upgrades available at every position outside of quarterback.
#7. New York Giants
Giants co-owner John Mara recently released a statement admitting that the team screwed up with Daniel Jones’ development, but that the team is committed to his improvement in 2022. That sounds great & all, but is it really all that great? New regimes typically don’t love the idea of being tied down to mediocre quarterbacks like Jones, who is also in the last year of his deal. This is especially true when the team has great draft picks (Nos. 5 & 7) to upgrade the QB spot. The Giants are also lacking in money (-$5.8M) and they have questionable ownership to boot. Nobody in their right mind would want to take this job and have to deal with New York’s media.
#8. New Orleans Saints
The Saints fall from grace has been very drastic & sudden, as the team lost Drew Brees & Sean Payton to retirement in subsequent offseasons. Their championship window faded rather quickly to the point that they now have the worst cap situation in the entire league (-$72M). Ownership is stable though, and general manager Mickey Loomis is highly regarded in the NFL. That said, this team lacks a quality quarterback and faces many business decisions this offseason. Further complicating matters is the fact that their draft pick this year (No. 18) is pretty mediocre. Hiring one of the hottest head coaching candidates will certainly be a challenge for the Saints.
#9. Houston Texans
I’m just going to come out and say it, the Texans are a raging dumpster fire right now. They just fired David Culley who predictably struggled but won more games than anticipated. There’s also the ongoing Deshaun Watson drama, which might not end until after next season. This team has no quarterback, little money ($24M), and a bad owner for coaches to work with. One of their few assets is the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, which only goes so far in a rebuild. To be honest, I’m convinced that whoever takes this job is going to end up regretting it in 2023.
Spot on!