Ranking top NFL head coach candidates for 2026 openings

The new year is just around the corner and with it the new year has also arrived nfl head coaching cycleTwo jobs– titans And veteran — have become available during SeasonAnd as always, expect more to open up after the season ends. It’s the reality of the NFL that about a half-dozen of these jobs change hands every year. It may not be the best way to do business for the teams, but these decisions could shape the future of these franchises.

When a coach loses his job, the focus turns to who will replace him. This time last year, Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel were some of them top candidateHe is now finding success as a first-year head coach in Chicago and New England, respectively, We weren’t hearing much about Pete Carroll, who surprisingly got a job in Las Vegas, there are Always Candidates are a surprise, but we do our best to call various agents and team executives at the end of the season to get an idea of ​​who can be interviewed – and more importantly, get the jobs.

There are a lot of names flying around, but we’ve narrowed this annual list down to the most interesting candidates. I ranked the top nine head coach candidates based on what am i listening toAnd I’ve included a wild card below that may not be available.

Jump on…
top offensive coordinator
top defensive coordinator
wild-card candidate

1. Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator, denver broncos

Joseph’s defense in Denver has been one of the league’s best over the past few years and he has a chance to break the single-season sacks record in 2025 (55 over 13 games). Joseph is also a former head coach, having led the Broncos in 2017 and 2018. He didn’t have much success in the role, but they also didn’t have a star quarterback and he has performed well enough in his current role that teams are interested in him for a potential second chance.

Many of the people I spoke to for this list indicated that NFL head coaching experience would be a priority for some teams looking for new coaches, and Joseph has it.

2. Chris Shula, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams

It seems like a lot of defensive coordinators would be interesting head coaching candidates this year. This is a change from recent years, but it likely also reflects the speed with which several sought-after offensive coordinators have been hired and fired as head coaches in recent years.

Shula is well respected, as the Rams’ young defense has had excellent seasons, and Sean McVay’s assistants have always been given a lot of attention (and often the head coach’s role as well). Shula has been the Rams’ defensive coordinator for two years, and Los Angeles ranks fourth in defensive EPA (59.8) and has given up the third-fewest points per game (17.5) in 2025.

Shula is expected to be a popular candidate in many places this cycle. And don’t be surprised if their relationship with McVay leads to interview requests for Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and passing game coordinator Nate Scheilhaase.

3. Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator, green Bay Packers

Hafley was the head coach at Boston College before taking the Packers’ defensive coordinator job ahead of the 2024 season. He has garnered a lot of attention for his work scheming and coaching the Packers defense and the fact that he has been a head coach (even if it was in college) is a point in his favor. Green Bay has allowed only 4.7 yards per play, fifth-best in the NFL. Hafley is well-liked by players and fellow coaches and has a strong ability to connect with different personalities.

Those factors, plus the Packers’ success on defense this season, make him one of the top candidates in this year’s cycle. The Packers’ stellar season means several members of Matt LaFleur’s staff – including renowned offensive coordinator Adam Stanovich – could draw interest.

4. Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator kansas city chiefs

Things have become more difficult for the Chiefs’ offense during the second half of the season, which may diminish the public’s enthusiasm for Nagy. But his name garnered a lot of attention early this season when the Titans job became available, and he has a relationship with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi in Kansas City.

Nagy, another former NFL head coach, may not have been beloved by Chicago fans, but his Bears teams reached the playoffs twice during his four-year tenure and won the NFC North with a 12-4 record in his first season there. (Chicago has not won it since and has finished no better than third since Nagy left.)

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Schefter doesn’t expect major changes to the Chiefs’ coaching staff

Adam Schefter does not expect the Chiefs to make any voluntary changes to their coaching staff this offseason.

5. Joe Brady, offensive coordinator, buffalo bill

Buffalo’s offense hasn’t been as efficient a machine this season as it was last season, but Brady has still done an excellent job since taking over during the 2023 season. He has been of interest to the teams and has also given several head coach interviews.

I hope that this time he will be in the candidate list of many teams. But as he demonstrated by turning down an interview with the Jets after last season, perhaps the situation would have to be right for him to leave. josh allenBuffalo ranks third in offensive EPA (94,6), fifth in scoring (27,3 points per game) and fourth in yards per game (6,1),

6. Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator, san francisco 49ers

The Jets defense collapsed after that Saleh was fired As head coach at the start of the 2024 season and he hasn’t been the same type of high-level unit since. But the 49ers’ defense this season has held things together despite several key injuries to key players such as nick bossa And fred warner,

Saleh is a strong interviewer who has an extremely impressive track record as a defensive coach and also has experience as a head coach. No, it hasn’t been good for him with New York (20-36 in three and a half seasons), but the Jets have consistently been considered one of the worst teams in the league. It’s possible that front offices that liked Saleh as a head coach prospect won’t hold his tenure against him too much.

Minter replaced current Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald as the defensive coordinator at Michigan when McDonald joined the Ravens in 2022. After winning a national title there in 2023, Minter moved to the Chargers with Jim Harbaugh, and his defense has earned respect as one of the better-coached defensive units around the league. Los Angeles ranks second in interceptions (15) and eighth in takeaways (18).

The Harbaugh connection, the Chargers’ success, his success at Michigan and McDonald’s success in Seattle boosted Minter’s stock as a rising star in coaching circles and made him a strong candidate to get the job early in this cycle.

8. Clint Kubiak, offensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks

Teams are chasing success, and the Seahawks are having plenty of success with Kubiak this season Sam Darnold-Leaded the offense and oversaw superstar breakouts Jackson Smith-NjigbaSeattle ranks fifth in yards per play (6,0),

Kubiak was getting a lot of recognition at the start of the 2024 season, when the Saints started out as one of the hottest offenses in the NFL, before injuries struck and derailed the season. He has flourished in Seattle, and in a year when the offensive coordinator pool may not be considered as deep as in years past, he seems like he is a guy that teams will want to talk to this winter.

9. Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, pittsburgh steelers

We’ll end the nine-name ranking with another former NFL head coach who has gone back to his coordinator roots and maintained his reputation around the league as a good coach and strong playcaller. Smith has worked with a number of starting quarterbacks during his time as an offensive coordinator and head coach in Tennessee, Atlanta and now Pittsburgh – and not all of those QB situations have been ideal. Yet he has built successful offenses around different personnel at multiple locations.

Smith interviewed for a few head coach jobs last cycle, and I’m confident he’ll interview this time as well. It’s worth noting his connection to the Titans; He was Mike Vrabel’s offensive coordinator before getting the head coach job in Atlanta and he maintains strong relationships in that building.

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wild card

Okay, let me explain. I have full confidence that Stefanski will be a head coach of an NFL team in 2026. That team could be the Browns. We don’t know if Cleveland is interested in letting him go. But I mention him because, if the Browns let him go, I’ve been told by multiple people involved with these situations that Stefanski would move to the top of the list of desirable candidates. He will have a stronger chance of moving from one head coach job to another in a short period of time, as has happened before Andy Reid did it When his tenure in Philadelphia ended.

Stefanski is well liked and respected around the league, and the perception is that deshaun watson What’s wrong with the position and the quarterback is not his fault. Then again, it’s possible — likely, even — that the Browns feel the same way and decide they don’t want to lose him. However, if they advance, I’ll put them at the top of this list.