Six NFL teams have hired new head coaches this offseason, leaving only two openings available throughout the league.
Here are the coaches who have been hired so far:
Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots)
Hired: January 12
The Patriots moved on from legendary head coach Bill Belichick after 24 years that included six Super Bowl titles after plenty of speculation about his future. New England regressed over the last two years and has not reached the postseason since 2021. The team opted to promote from within, elevating 37-year-old linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, an eight-year NFL veteran as a player, to head coach, making him the youngest head coach in the NFL.
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Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders)
Hired: January 19
Some have argued that the Raiders should have kept interim head coach Rich Bisaccia as their permanent head coach in 2021, but they opted to give Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels a second chance as a head coach. The experiment failed miserably as a playoff-caliber team quickly turned into a hot mess. Vegas learned its lesson this time and decided to keep interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who won over the team after its disastrous start, permanently.
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Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans)
Hired: January 24
Tennessee’s firing of Mike Vrabel was shocking after the success he had throughout his tenure, but the team clearly regressed this season. For all the things Vrabel did well, he never quite had the offense that could compete with the contenders despite having a few dynamic pieces with which to work. Callahan is a veteran coordinator and the son of a former NFL head coach who reached the Super Bowl, and he should be able to design a better offense than just handing the ball to Derrick Henry and hoping he runs over everyone.
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Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers)
Hired: January 24
Harbaugh has flirted with a return to the NFL for a few years now, but it was mostly seen as a way to influence his contract at Michigan. However, after winning the national championship, Harbaugh achieved what he was brought to Ann Arbor to do and will move on. Regardless of your opinion of Harbaugh, the man has been successful at all levels of football and even took the 49ers to a Super Bowl. The fit in Los Angeles is outstanding, given the offensive personnel, and if he can bring defensive coordinator Jesse Minter with him, the defense may finally reach its full potential.
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Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons)
Hired: January 25
After being rumored as a destination for Belichick’s next act, Atlanta took the more familiar approach and hired Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who served as the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020 when they fired Dan Quinn. Since leaving Atlanta, Morris has routinely produced top-10 defenses and helped the Rams win a Super Bowl. As he returns, he’ll be tasked with turning around a group of promising players that has yet to live up to expectations.
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Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers)
Hired: January 25
Many names were thrown around, but Carolina chose Canales. He helped guide a good Buccaneers offense this season and got above-average play from Baker Mayfield at quarterback. The Panthers struggled offensively and could be thinking Canales can get them over the hump, but they really need to add some pieces before that has any shot of coming to fruition.
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And here are the remaining vacancies:
Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll moves into a front-office role after 14 seasons at the helm and winning a Super Bowl in 2014. The Seahawks had huge aspirations this season after making the playoffs in 2022 but folded down the stretch and finished on the outside looking in. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl-winning squad, was among those who have talked to Seattle about the vacancy.
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Washington Commanders
Washington moved on from Ron Rivera after a 4-13 season, which saw many talented defensive players depart at the trade deadline and a team struggling to compete. The Commanders have plenty of things to figure out, like their offensive line and who they believe can be their franchise quarterback, but they have some good pieces surrounding those areas. It would make sense for them to hire an offensive coach, but with so many struggles, the real goal should be to hire someone who can impact the entire team and knows how to develop talent.
