This offseason, there were 7 NFL teams that hired a new Head Coach. Some were obvious, some were puzzling, but there can be goods and bads found in each. Here, we will rank each one from top to bottom, looking at the fit, and taking a look at what this next season and future seasons could look like.
7) Brian schottenheimer - Dallas Cowboys
I actually don't hate this move as much as some others, but it just seems so odd to hire the offensive coordinator hired by the coach you just let go of. I would've liked to see team Owner and GM Jerry Jones make an outside hire. If they were going to do this, they might as well have kept Mike McCarthy. Still, it's mainly this low because it feels like a lateral move. Even as somebody that was a fan of Mike McCarthy, I don't think that the team could possibly get better with Schottenheimer.
He wasn't a horrible offensive coordinator, though. Schottenheimer was dealt a bad hand this past year when QB Dak Prescott went down with a season ending injury. Even when the season was lost, they found a way to win games with Cooper Rush. Additionally, since he took over as OC in 2023, Kavontae Turpin has grown into a role as a solid WR2/3. There is a little potential shown in developing players but this is by no means a hire that is going to set the world on fire.
6) Aaron Glenn - New York Jets
Glenn was one of the most desired candidate of this cycle, largely due to his work with the Lions as defensive coordinator. I'm not totally buying it, though. He has done a solid job of developing individual players, but the defensive unit struggled to play well together at times, which ultimately proved to be the team's demise in the playoffs. Perhaps I would give a more generous ranking if he was hired by a better team. In the middle of this past season, the Jets fired Robert Saleh, citing the need for a more offensive minded Head Coach. They proceeded to hire a defensive coordinator to fill that void. It all doesn't make sense, because their truly isn't a lot to improve on the Jets defense.
The team will likely look to move on from current QB Aaron Rodgers -- rightfully so -- to give him a chance to contend in his final year(s), so Glenn will be one of the leaders in NY's search for their QB of the future. It's unlikely that one of the top 2 signal callers fall to them at #8, and nobody else is worth a first round pick, so their main guy probably won't come through the draft this year. There are some options through free agency, but nothing too substantial. I, personally, would like to see them bring in at least one contender for the starting job, and give last year's 5th round pick Jordan Travis a chance as well. For a team that seems to be forever stuck in the middle of a rebuild, I don't see immediate relief coming in MetLife.
5) Pete Carroll - Las Vegas Raiders
With this ranking, I am by no means questioning whether or not Carroll is a good coach, but at 73 years old, it's a puzzling hire for a team stuck in a rebuild. My guess is that both Carroll and Raiders ownership are aware that this is temporary, for him to come in and develop their younger players into strong contributors on a future Super Bowl roster. If that's the case, I wish they would've brought him in as a coordinator or consultant, and taken a flier on a younger guy.
Carroll has at the very most 5 years left on the sidelines, and I doubt he even stays for that long. The team is in a peculiar position as well. They have no clear option at QB, and their draft pick isn't likely to garner them one. They have a solid WR1 in Jakobi Meyers, but will need to bring in a RB to support the passing game. Vegas's defense is solid enough to the point where it won't be prioritized in the offseason, and also won't be the difference maker in too many games during the season. Who knows, maybe Pete Carroll is just what the Raiders need, but for now this seems like an odd fit in Las Vegas.
4) Kellen moore - New Orleans Saints
Moore had essentially given a verbal commitment to the Saints in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, so the news didn't come as much of a shock to fans around the country. After a disappointing 2023 campaign -- due in large part to poor coordinators -- the Eagles took a swing on Moore, who immediately paid off. The offensive line, which was already a strong suit in Philadelphia, cleared the path for Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley to find easy success, and Philly ran the risk of losing their coordinator because of it. Sure enough, after struggling to find someone who would actually accept their Head Coaching job, the New Orleans Saints hired Kellen Moore.
Moore's ranking on this list is largely due to my opinion of him, not the Saints. The team is actually in a horrible position. Their money is tied up with players who don't provide enough to the team anymore, and the core is built around aging stars. There is no clear option at QB, and all these factors contributed to many coaches actually opting to pull their name out of the running for the position. Moore should look to find younger, high upside players in this offseason who can be mentored by the older guys on this team . This New Orleans team is clearly not an easy fix, and it won't be quick either. It might take a while, but I believe Kellen Moore is the right person for this tough job.
3) Ben Johnson - Chicago Bears
Johnson was considered the golden hire for the past two off-seasons now, and Chicago found a way to land him. I'm not doubting his ability to turn the franchise around, but this ranking more speaks to the talent of this years head coaching pool that I believe went largely unnoticed. Johnson had great success as the Lions Offensive Coordinator, which Chicago is hoping will carry on to their own offense. Still, the Bears' biggest problem for years now has been their offensive line, a position that the Lions excelled with. A large part of Johnson's success in Chicago will be determined by that offensive line.
Coming into his rookie year, Caleb Williams was dubbed a "generational prospect." In Detroit, Jared Goff had struggled before Johnson's stint as OC, so he should be just the guy to develop a young QB. Still, I worry about the defense, a unit that has generally been strong in Chicago, under an offensive-minded Head Coach. That was one area where Matt Eberflus excelled, and it would be nice to keep that side of the ball strong to support the offense. An overall good hire for the Bears, with just a couple possible downsides.
2) Liam coen - Jacksonville Jaguars
Though his exit from Tampa Bay came under peculiar circumstances, I believe Coen was the right hire for the Jags. After a disappointing season in Jacksonville, the organization decided to move on from Doug Pederson. Originally, they had trouble in their head coaching search, and Liam Coen was said to have removed himself from the running, and agreed to an extension with the Buccaneers. But they proceeded to fire GM Trent Baalke, and Coen then ghosted the team he signed an extension with and signed with the Jags. Though brutal, it was the right career move for him.
This past year felt like an outlier, though, with injuries all over the team. Coen did an excellent job turning Baker Mayfield into a high tier starter, and the hope is that he can do the same with Trevor Lawrence. They have some questions on defense, and it will be interesting to see what the new GM does at the RB position, but the future is already looking up in Duval.
1) Mike Vrabel - New England Patriots
After an off year as a personnel consultant in Cleveland, Mike Vrabel decided to take his talents to New England, where he spent much of his playing career. He should be able to grit out some wins, even with what is currently considered one of the weakest rosters in the league. The team has a young QB in Drake Maye, who found some success last year with what is currently considered the weakest receiving core in the league, a position they will certainly look to upgrade this offseason.
There are certainly some other holes to fill on the roster, though. Rhamondre Stevenson is a solid option at running back, but I'd like to see them bring in some competition there. Additionally, an offensive line upgrade would greatly help Drake Maye's development. Even with just a decent roster, Vrabel could turn this top 3 pick squad into a playoff team, just as he did in Tennessee. I do question his taste in assistants that he has hired, as he has a long history of bad coordinators, but Vrabel also has shown that he can rise above those bad coordinators and lead his team to success under just about any circumstances.
Eli Knight
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