The NFL coaching cycle has been crazy with 10 coaching spots opening up. All these vacancies have been filled with candidates. Here are my grades for each coaching hire.
Jessie Minter – A
Jesse Minter was the hottest candidate this offseason. He was the only candidate interviewed by every team looking for a head coach. He led a stout defense this year for the Chargers that was top 5 in yards allowed, top 10 in scoring, and top 10 in sacks and turnovers. The Baltimore Ravens were looking for change after another year of coming up short, and Minter should be able to give them a new identity while still being great. I think he is set up to be in the best position for success in his first year.
Kevin Stefanski – A
Stefanski was the one to take the fall for the struggles in Cleveland, and he was fired after a horrible 5–12 season that saw him start three different QBs. The former two-time Coach of the Year led the Browns to their first winning season since 2007 and their first playoff appearance since 2002 in his first season as Browns head coach. Even without a franchise QB, he helped the Browns stay out of the bottom of the league for years up until this year, when the lack of a QB and overall playmakers caught up to him. Now that he has found a new home in Atlanta, he has a good foundation of playmakers with stars like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. He will have to decide if he wants to stick with young QB Michael Penix or find a different guy. He was a top candidate for many of the openings because of his great track record. I think he will be successful and lead the Falcons back to the top of the NFC South.
John Harbaugh – A-
A home run hire for the New York Giants after a disastrous 2025 season that ended 4–13. John Harbaugh was let go after another season of falling short with the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh comes into a situation where he can really be a floor-raiser and bring a “sleeping giant” back to life. They have what looks to be a superstar QB/RB duo in Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. They also have some young pieces on defense that he can build with. I really like this hire because John Harbaugh needed a change of scenery after his recent struggles with Baltimore, and the Giants could be a place where he can flourish.
Mike LaFleur – C-
The Cardinals are looking directionless after a horrible 3–14 season and probably the worst roster in the NFL. Mike LaFleur has had experience with both good and bad teams in the NFL. He was the OC for the Jets for two years and was then let go. After that, he became the OC of the Rams and enjoyed back-to-back playoff appearances. The big question mark here is how he is going to be as the leader of a franchise. The positives are that it looks like he has two studs on the offensive side of the ball in TE Trey McBride and WR Marvin Harrison Jr. He also has the number three overall pick, which could bring in a great player or be traded for more compensation. I think LaFleur could really struggle because of the lack of talent in Arizona. They lack a franchise QB and overall talent on the roster. I would’ve thought they would go for someone who was more of a floor-raiser and a proven head coach.
Robert Saleh – B-
The Titans had another bad season, and they parted ways with their coach Brian Callahan midseason. The 3–14 finish signaled something needed to change, and they went to pick up 49ers DC Robert Saleh. Saleh was a former head coach with the New York Jets for three seasons and had a 20–36 record. He was let go and bounced around as an assistant before being hired back by the 49ers as the DC. He had a lot of injury issues this year but still put on an impressive performance that made him a very desirable candidate. The Titans are a team that unfortunately let go of Mike Vrabel, who just won Coach of the Year and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl. They have not been able to reach the same heights since firing him. I think Saleh could really bring some new life and a new identity to this young team. He has the former first overall pick in Cam Ward at QB and some young weapons with a hungry defense. The reason for the lower ranking is because his track record as a head coach is not eye-catching, but the Jets front office is not anything to write home about, so I think he can be successful in his new position.
Klint Kubiak – A
The Raiders experimented with a 70-year-old Pete Carroll at head coach this year, and he did one thing well, which was getting the team the first overall pick. Other than that, they were the worst team in football. They needed a new identity, and they went big with their new hire, Klint Kubiak. The hottest offensive mind on the market was wanted by everyone, and the Raiders waited to interview him and were able to land him. Klint Kubiak enjoyed an amazing season with the Seattle Seahawks, where he helped lead them to a Super Bowl. He helped bring Sam Darnold over the hump and helped Jaxon Smith-Njigba win Offensive Player of the Year. I think this is a great hire for the Raiders, who have offensive weapons like Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. He also looks to be getting a new QB in Fernando Mendoza with the first pick. I think this could be an A+ hire, but Kubiak doesn’t have the head coaching experience to make him a perfect candidate.
Todd Monken – C
The Browns made a bold move this offseason, firing two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. They didn’t look too far for their next choice, as they hired Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken. Monken’s résumé looks pretty good on paper. He was the offensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs when they won back-to-back national championships. He then went on to be the Ravens’ OC for the past three years and led them to an AFC Championship appearance in 2023. I think this is an interesting hire because Monken had a down season last year. He does have a decision at QB on whether to keep rolling with Pro Bowl QB Shedeur Sanders or find a different option. He also recently lost a great DC in Jim Schwartz. He has a young defense full of studs like DPOY Myles Garrett, DROY Carson Schwesinger, and Pro Bowl CB Denzel Ward. I think they were silly to let Stefanski go, and they didn’t hire someone better, which is why my grade is a little low.
Joe Brady – B-
The Bills finally made the tough decision to let go of Sean McDermott after another postseason flameout. They looked at some candidates, including Philip Rivers, but ultimately decided on a promotion for Joe Brady, who was the OC for the past two years. Brady has helped change the Bills’ offense, and since he took over, he helped lead the Bills to an AFC Championship and helped Josh Allen win MVP. I think this could be a good hire because Brady is a great offensive mind; however, his lack of head coaching experience could be concerning. After the interesting words from owner Terry Pegula calling out Sean McDermott and the rest of the team, there is a lot of pressure on this Bills team, especially on Joe Brady, to get over the hump. I think the lack of experience is not what this job needs, and he has to live up to the expectations set by McDermott, who was a consistent playoff participant. I like leaning on your best player in Josh Allen by giving him an offensive-minded coach.
Jeff Hafley – C+
The Dolphins finally got rid of Mike McDaniel after another season with no playoff appearance. McDaniel got stuck with subpar QB play from Tua Tagovailoa and even benched him in favor of rookie QB Quinn Ewers. The Dolphins were stuck with Tua after giving him a massive contract, so they chose to get rid of McDaniel instead. They went for a completely different approach by hiring Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley. Hafley was the head coach of Boston College, where he didn’t look that impressive with a 22–26 record over four seasons. He left for the Packers’ DC job and led the Packers to a top-10 defense in back-to-back seasons. I think this is an interesting choice because even though he led a top defense the past two seasons, his past head coaching experience is very lackluster. I also think the drastic change from offensive-minded to defensive-minded could be problematic, though the change might be necessary. Hafley will have a decision to make at QB, so I don’t love this hire for Miami.
Mike McCarthy – C
Mike Tomlin never had a losing season in his 19 years, but he also didn’t have a playoff win since 2016. He finally resigned after another playoff exit. The Steelers have had three head coaches since 1969, which is very impressive, and they have always hired a new coach in his 30s. They went in a different direction by hiring 62-year-old Mike McCarthy. The hometown guy was ecstatic to be the coach. Ironically, McCarthy was the coach who beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers. He has Super Bowl experience and has led teams to playoff success. His most recent stint with the Cowboys was filled with mixed results, as he led them to great regular-season success but limited playoff success. I think this is an interesting hire and story because McCarthy grew up a Steelers fan, and this job could bring back his fire. I’m just cautious about hiring an older coach after letting go of an older coach. I think they should’ve kept going with their younger-coach approach. He could be successful reuniting with Aaron Rodgers, but the pressure of keeping the 22-year winning-season streak alive is a lot to handle.
