Black Monday and the ensuing days were merciless to over a half-dozen NFL coaches. At this very moment, there are eight head coaching jobs available. 25 percent of all pro football clubs need new leadership in their locker rooms. The plethora of options for job-seeking coaches range from teams like the Baltimore Ravens, who are on the cusp of greatness, to perennially downtrodden franchises like the Las Vegas Raiders.
Baltimore elected to part ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons amid speculation of a rift with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Harbaugh will easily be the most coveted candidate in an expanding field of prospective NFL sideline bosses. His 180 career wins is 14th all-time, and he also boasts a Super Bowl ring and .614 career win percentage – higher than Hall of Fame coaches Bill Parcells, Marv Levy, Tom Landry, and Chuck Noll.
On the flip side, Pete Carroll became the NFL’s latest one-and-done coach after the Raiders’ brass of Mark Davis and Tom Brady gave him the pink slip. Carroll had effusive praise and exuberant optimism for the embattled franchise back in July, when he predicted that they’d win a lot of games. There’s no doubt that Freezing Cold Takes had a field day with that one.
Carroll and Harbaugh’s departures are just two small creaks in a colossal window of opportunity for veteran and neophyte coaches alike. Which of these eight opportunities are the best?
It was time for John Harbaugh to go. Since winning Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 season, Harbaugh produced a 4-7 playoff record and only advanced to the AFC Championship Game once. That was despite having Lamar Jackson for most of those contests.
There’s little doubt that the Ravens’ job opening is the best on the market. Lamar Jackson needs no introduction; it’s just a matter of him staying healthy. He’s got two years remaining on his current deal, and is easily the most electrifying player in the NFL.
Also still in Baltimore is Derrick Henry, who is just the fourth player in NFL history to post at least 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in seven different seasons. The future Hall of Famer is still operating at optimal capacity. Other notable Ravens still on the team entering the offseason are Roquan Smith, Nnamdi Madubike, Kyle Hamilton; Ronnie Staley, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman.
The bottom line is that the Ravens are a franchise that’s ready to win now. The team needs a coach who can not only extract even more greatness from Lamar Jackson, but also someone capable of revitalizing the defense. Baltimore’s stopping unit is, historically, its calling card, but that was hardly the case this past season. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s squad finished 24th in yards allowed and 17th in DVOA.
It’s also worth mentioning that team owner Steve Biscotti offers something that almost no other NFL owner can: job security. In 30 years of existence, the Ravens have employed just three (soon to be four) head coaches: Ted Marchibroda, Brian Billick, and the aforementioned John Harbaugh.
In a profession in which job security and stability are precarious, Baltimore offers a patient front office. In 13 of the last 16 offseasons, there have been six, seven or eight coaching changes, so the Ravens are appealing for that reason.
The Atlanta Falcons are one of just two NFL teams that have failed to get to the playoffs during this decade. The New York Jets are the only other pro football team that can lay claim to that dubious distinction.
Raheem Morris didn’t even make it to the abhorred Black Monday; Falcons owner Arthur Smith relieved him of his duties on Sunday night. While a venerable defensive coordinator, Morris was never an ideal hire, considering his infamous tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite the fact that Atlanta does not have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, there is a plethora of talent waiting in the wings for one of the NFL’s most embattled teams. Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, A.J. Terrell, Jessie Bates III, and potential Defensive Rookie of the Year winner James Pearce are all there. They all comprise a promising nucleus of young talent that has yet to be coached in a competent manner.
While a quarterback controversy would be a deterrent to many NFL head coaching candidates, such a challenge can also embolden coaches to prove their mettle. Michael Penix Jr. is coming off ACL surgery, but he still has one of football’s finest supporting casts.
Atlanta is another team on the precipice of greatness, and they are in desperate need of the right man for the job. The team hasn’t done anything since its historic collapse in Super Bowl LI, and now is the team to take the next step.
Often heralded as one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, the New York Giants seemingly engaged in bizarre self-sabotage in 2025. They waited too long to let Jaxson Dart roll up his sleeves and get game action, and they also showed Brian Daboll the door while inexplicably retaining general manager Joe Schoen.
It was time for Daboll to be given his walking papers, in fairness, but the concept of keeping the same executive who assembled the current roster is quite the decision, to say the least. Schoen’s Giants are 22-45-1 during his tenure as general manager, which began in 2022. Only the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals have more losses in that span.
With that all being said, the Giants are a tantalizing destination. Jaxson Dart will get some Offensive Rookie of the Year votes, receiver Malik Nabers will be healthy, and the G-Men will have the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft.
Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh will almost certainly be at top of the list for every team that needs a coach, and the Giants are no exception. Harbaugh’s resume speaks for itself, and Stefanski is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner. Time to pony up, Big Blue.
With eight vacancies and a lack of star power outside of Stefanski and Harbaugh in this coaching job cycle, the bidding wars will create some of the best storylines of the off-season for eight teams. The Ravens, Falcons, and Giants are the top three destinations for coaching candidates right now, and it’ll certainly add plenty of drama during the playoffs.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
