With the 2023 regular season in the rearview mirror, 28 of the NFL’s 32 teams are now done for the year. That means it’s time to turn our attention toward the league’s coaching carousel, where there are currently five vacancies.
The New England Patriots started things off by promoting Jerod Mayo to replace Bill Belichick, and the Las Vegas Raiders removed the “interim” tag from Antonio Pierce’s title. We saw our first outside hire Monday, when the Tennessee Titans began to finalize the hiring of former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Arguably the biggest shoe to drop thus far came in Los Angeles with the Chargers hiring Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh on a five-year deal, per ESPN.
As for the open jobs, the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders remain.
Current openings
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers made Frank Reich the first coach fired after letting him go on Nov. 27 following Carolina beginning the year 1-10 in his first season in charge. Reich’s 11-game tenure is the shortest with a team since Pete McCulley lasted nine games with the 1978 San Francisco 49ers. Carolina finished the season with the NFL’s worst record, 2-15, and the league’s worst scoring offense (13.9 points per game) in 2023 first overall pick quarterback Bryce Young’s rookie season.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons fired Arthur Smith following the conclusion of the final day of the regular season on Jan. 7 after finishing 7-10 in each his first three seasons. That run made Smith the first Falcons head coach to ever lose 10 games in three consecutive seasons. Game management wasn’t his strong suit this season as Atlanta had four losses when leading in the final minute of a game this season. That’s the most by any team since the 2015 New York Giants.
His biggest failing as a head coach is being resistant to featuring the three offensive skill position players the team drafted in the top 10 in each of the last three drafts: tight end Kyle Pitts (fourth overall pick in 2021), wide receiver Drake London (eighth overall pick in 2022) and running back Bijan Robinson (eighth overall pick in 2023). In the past, Smith had said his job as an NFL head coach is about finding a way to win and not playing fantasy football. However, utilizing three of the team’s most talented playmakers sure could have helped an offense that averaged 19.6 points per game in 2023, the ninth-worst scoring offense in the league.
Washington Commanders
Ron Rivera’s time with the Washington Commanders is now over as he has been fired by the franchise. The team went 4-13 this season in Year 1 of the Commanders new ownership group fronted by Josh Harris. The Commanders defense, Rivera’s side of the ball, was the worst in the NFL across the board in 2023.
Seattle Seahawks
And the Seahawks followed suit a day later, announcing that Pete Carroll had “evolved” from the head coaching job to an advisor position, opening the top job on their staff after two straight non-playoff seasons.
Here is some quick analysis about what awaits prospective candidates for each of the current head coaching vacancies.
NFL hirings and firings
| TEAM | OUT | IN | ANALYSIS |
|---|---|---|---|
Carolina Panthers | Frank Reich | Bryce Young’s 5.5 yards per pass attempt in 2023 ranked as the fourth-worst in NFL history with a minimum of 500 pass attempts. He also ranked last in the NFL in passer rating (73.7) in his rookie year. Whoever takes this job needs a contractual guarantee from owner David Tepper about getting at least a few years. They have had six different head coaches in six seasons under Tepper. The franchise had four in their first 23 seasons. | |
Las Vegas Raiders | Josh McDaniels | Antonio Pierce | Pierce has building blocks on both sides of the ball with All-Pro wideout Davante Adams and Pro Bowl defensive Maxx Crosby. However, the quarterback of the future probably isn’t on the roster, and the AFC West goes through Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for the foreseeable future. |
Los Angeles Chargers | Brandon Staley | Jim Harbaugh | The Chargers are the rare team with a coaching vacancy that has its franchise quarterback secured in Justin Herbert. The problem is much of the roster is injury-prone and/or expensive. Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa hasn’t been able to play double-digit games in each of the last two seasons. Wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a torn ACL three games into 2023. Center Corey Linsley has suffered a malady of injuries since becoming a Charger. Los Angeles is projected to be about $35 million over the salary cap in 2024, positioning them to have to turn over their roster ASAP. Like the Raiders, they have a Chiefs problem as well, but Harbaugh’s arrival instantly should solve the in-game issues that plagued the franchise under Staley. |
| Atlanta Falcons | Arthur Smith | The Falcons are fairly well-stocked in terms of their offensive personnel except for their glaring hole at quarterback where Desmond Ridder clearly isn’t the answer. They could use some wide receiver depth behind Drake London, but a trio of London, Robinson and Pitts is a nice place to start. Upgrades along their aging front seven would help, but their secondary has two strong contributors in safety Jessie Bates III and cornerback A.J. Terrell. The team has money to spend ($34.1 million in cap space) and draft capital in the first five rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, starting with the eighth overall pick. | |
| Washington Commanders | Ron Rivera | Rivera keeping his job did seem like a long-shot with the new ownership group coming aboard and likely wanting to put their own stamp on things. As the season rolled along, Rivera didn’t give them much of a reason to stick around as they finished with one of the worst records in the league and arguably the worst defense in the NFL. As for the job itself, there are some intriguing pieces on the roster and the Commanders do have the No. 2 overall pick at the 2024 NFL Draft, which could mean a possible franchise quarterback like UNC’s Drake Maye. Washington is also slated to have over $78 million in cap space, which is currently the most in the NFL | |
| Tennessee Titans | Mike Vrabel | Brian Callahan | Mike Vrabel is gone in Tennessee after six seasons, a 54-45 record, four winning campaigns, three playoff appearances, 2-3 in postseason games and a trip to the AFC Championship Game during the 2019 season. Despite finishing at least three games under .500 the past two years, Vrabel is widely respected in NFL circles and will likely be a hot candidate for other head coach openings. As for the Titans, they get a proven offensive coordinator who appears ready to lead his own franchise. |
| Seattle Seahawks | Pete Carroll | Pete Carroll moves out of the head coaching position into an advisor role after 14 years. The longtime leader went 139-87 atop Seattle’s staff, guiding two Super Bowl appearances and a championship victory in 2013. He told reporters immediately following the 2023 campaign that he expected to return in 2024, only to reverse course Wednesday. | |
| New England Patriots | Bill Belichick | Jerod Mayo | It is the end of an era in Foxborough. After 24 seasons as head coach, the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick have decided to part ways. This decision spearheaded by Robert Kraft and Belichick comes after the Patriots went 4-13 during the 2023 season, which found them in last place in the AFC East for the first time since Belichick’s first season with the organization in 2000. On Friday, Jerod Mayo was hired to replace Belichick. |
