Three days clear of Black Monday, and the NFL’s coaching carousel continues to have plenty of steam.
Thursday morning, the Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel − just three days after he seemed to express some confidence about his future with the organization. “My understanding is that I am the coach of the Miami Dolphins until I’m told otherwise,’ McDaniel said Monday, when he also expressed his belief he’d be involved in helping to identify Miami’s next general manager while also sharing his thoughts about the offense’s outlook for 2026, which would have been his fifth season.
What changed in South Florida? Most notably, perhaps, was the availability of former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, fired himself Tuesday after 18 seasons and one Super Bowl win in Charm City and now likely to be as coveted as anyone in the upcoming hiring cycle.
McDaniel’s professional demise brings the number of NFL head coaching openings to eight. The Giants and Titans made changes during the season. The Falcons fired head man Raheem Morris (and GM Terry Fontenot) on Sunday night. Black Monday claimed two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, former Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll and ex-Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon.
And while more vacancies could yet develop in the coming days and maybe even weeks, let’s assess the eight* jobs that are presently open − ranked from most attractive to least. (*Subject to change.)
1. Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback situation
They don’t come much better than two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson, who’s as dynamic as anyone who’s ever played the position. Naturally, he has detractors − not yet able to win the Super Bowl and more pointed recent questions about his work ethic and relationship with Harbaugh. Jackson also tends to get banged up and misses a lot of practice time. Still, most teams would love to have such problems behind center.
However there’s a major financial issue facing Jackson and the team in the aftermath of what was a massively disappointing season for him personally and the team as a whole. Jackson carries a $74.5 million salary cap number in both 2026 and 2027, the final two years of his five-year, $260 million extension. Those are untenable figures for any team looking to maintain or improve a roster, suggesting some kind of renegotiation or new extension is needed − assuming Jackson remains in Baltimore, which seems a virtual given.
Backup Tyler Huntley is about to hit free agency. Cooper Rush, who was signed to be the primary backup a year ago but struggled when Jackson was out and eventually replaced by Huntley, is signed for the 2026 season but could be a cap casualty.
Roster
Heading into the 2025 season, the Ravens were widely viewed as a team with one of the best talent quotients in the league. Yet it’s fair to say that, while acknowledging its injuries, the team added up to much less than the sum of its parts over the course of an 8-9 campaign. Baltimore wound up with six players earning Pro Bowl honors in a season when Jackson and star RB Derrick Henry didn’t. Kyle Hamilton is arguably the game’s best safety, leading a talent-laden secondary. But there’s clearly work to be done on both lines.
Salary cap
GM Eric DeCosta is set to have about $28 million at his disposal this year, per Over The Cap, putting the team in the upper half of the league in terms of spending power. However Jackson’s contract muddies that outlook. Pro Bowl C Tyler Linderbaum, TE Isaiah Likely, Pro Bowl P Jordan Stout, S Alohi Gilman, LB Kyle Van Noy and Pro Bowl FB Patrick Ricard are among the pending free agents.
2026 NFL draft
Baltimore is scheduled to pick 14th in the first round this year, which would match the earliest spot it has selected in the past decade. Given the roster holes free agency is likely to create, DeCosta is likely to have a busy offseason.
Outlook
As currently constructed, the Ravens remain one of the league’s most formidable teams − yet probably one that needed a new voice and philosophy after Harbaugh held sway for nearly two decades. He maintained them as a near-perennial contender and won Super Bowl 47 but has been dogged in recent years by rampant tactical failures and repeated challenges holding onto fourth-quarter leads. The organization should have its pick from plenty of qualified candidates, but the main priority may be finding someone who will jibe with Jackson while getting the rest of the roster to play all the way up to its estimable potential.
2. New York Giants
Quarterback situation
Jaxson Dart’s rookie season was a mixed bag, his swagger a nice fit in the Big Apple even if his typically reckless on-field approach too often undermined his health and availability. After the Giants traded back into last year’s first round to obtain Dart, it will be incumbent on the next coach and his staff to rein in the young slinger enough to reasonably protect himself while also giving him sufficient leeway to leverage his multi-dimensional play-making ability and get this offense truly humming. Russell Wilson’s one-year stay is up, but Jameis Winston remains in 2026 as one of the league’s top backups.
Roster
The team’s enviable young core is damaged but not irreparably so. Incandescent WR Malik Nabers (ACL) and rookie RB Cam Skattebo (ankle) didn’t survive the 2025 season. OLB Abdul Carter, the third overall pick of last year’s draft, could wind up being the best player on the team – but he’s got plenty to work on in terms of his professionalism, on and off the field. Veteran OLB Brian Burns, DL Dexter Lawrence II and LT Andrew Thomas are all Pro Bowl-caliber players. The defense needs extensive work behind its front, and Thomas is the only player whose name should be written in pen on the O-line … when he’s healthy enough to play.
Salary cap
GM Joe Schoen, who’s running the coaching search and will retain his post despite coach Brian Daboll’s firing in November, is currently set to have about $11 million in cap space. It’s a figure that has the Giants middle of the pack league-wide, but the clubs above them have significantly more spending power – especially if they decide to target WR Wan’Dale Robinson, who’s coming off his first 1,000-yard season, or frontline Cor’Dale Flott, who are both headed for free agency.
2026 NFL draft
In contention for the No. 1 overall pick barely a week ago, the Giants will now select fifth in this year’s first round. They still owe the Houston Texans their third-rounder to consummate last year’s draft night deal to get Dart.
Outlook
Despite largely residing in the wilderness since they won Super Bowl 46 to cap the 2011 season, the Giants remain one of the league’s flagship franchises and a plum job – even if the organizational stability they boasted for years seems to have largely evaporated. Schoen has made questionable decisions during the draft and free agency but has also amassed an ample amount of talented players to win – and maybe fairly quickly if the right coach is able to translate potential into production.
3. Cleveland Browns
Quarterback situation
Insert shrug emoji? As much national interest as they generated in 2025, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders − mostly Sanders − were a mixed bag as rookies. They have fairly distinct skill sets, yet both flashed their positive traits while also raising enough questions to suggest neither is likely to be instantly anointed QB1 in 2026 by Stefanski’s successor. Deshaun Watson is under contract for one more season – for a fully guaranteed $46 million – and returned to practice late in the season after undergoing multiple Achilles surgeries after originally being injured during the 2024 season. He could obviously rejoin the mix, yet also (still) seems like a problematic figure – in a football context and otherwise – as the next staff tries to get this club back to the playoffs. Going fishing for another option in the 2026 draft is certainly on the table.
Roster
It’s fair to call DE Myles Garrett legendary at this point, and he might legitimately be the best player in the NFL. He’s also one whose prime is being wasted and only a year removed from requesting a trade after expressing a belief he’d never win a Super Bowl in Cleveland – which tracks given no player ever has. Yet there’s a lot to like around Garrett, particularly a highly promising 2025 draft class that includes DT Mason Graham, LB Carson Schwesinger, TE Harold Fannin Jr., WR Isaiah Bond, RBs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson … and maybe one or both quarterbacks. WR Jerry Jeudy and CB Denzel Ward are generally among the league’s better players at their respective positions, though 2025 wasn’t a banner year for either. With Gs Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio out of contract, it’s high time to reconstruct the offensive line – particularly if GM Andrew Berry and the next coach target another young QB.
Salary cap
Currently, Berry will need to trim more than $12 million to simply be cap-compliant once free agency starts, and he and the team won’t get relief from ownership’s Watson gaffe for another year – whether or not he’s on the roster in 2026. TE David Njoku is the most high-profile pending free agent, but Fannin and the cap crunch likely make him expendable.
2026 NFL draft
The Browns own the sixth overall pick this year plus the first-rounder of the Jacksonville Jaguars, wherever that lands. Berry could put together a package to target a specific quarterback, but such a gambit could be quite expensive given what appears like a dearth of high-end prospects at the position this year. And continuing to load up on needed talent elsewhere wouldn’t be a bad fallback as Cleveland resets − while also potentially giving Sanders, Gabriel or someone else the opportunity to run with the reins a little longer.
Outlook
Dismissing Stefanski was a bold (and perhaps misguided) choice given what he’d accomplished despite the drawbacks of this job – especially after he and Berry got saddled with Watson and had to prematurely offload Baker Mayfield. Moving forward, quarterback remains the obvious issue holding back a team that will likely continue to look up at the rest of the AFC North until it’s solved. But, if it gets rectified by Berry and the next coach in short order, this team could emerge as a powerhouse in almost no time.
4. Tennessee Titans
Quarterback situation
Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft, was basically treated to a learning experience as a rookie. He was hamstrung by the lack of talent around him, to say nothing of the consequential chaos that firing coach Brian Callahan at midseason created. Ward made his fair share of mistakes, too, taking way too many sacks – which certainly isn’t to suggest all of the league-high 55 he absorbed were his fault – while also regularly reverting to his college habit of trying to extend plays that probably wouldn’t have good outcomes under most circumstances. But given the challenges he faced, it’s hard to give Ward a fair evaluation for 2025 – and, to his credit, he remained accountable and didn’t back away from the leadership chops that helped make him such a coveted prospect to begin with.
Will Levis, the 33rd overall pick of the 2023 draft, presents an interesting dilemma. This team obviously belongs to Ward, which would theoretically make Levis, who’s under contract for 2026, somewhat intriguing trade bait entering an offseason when quarterback-needy teams may not have a lot of alternatives. But he’s also coming off surgery to his throwing shoulder, which kept him on injured reserve for all of 2025. It might be worth trying to showcase Levis in the preseason in hopes of getting something in return for him.
Roster
Ward needs to be a foundational piece and should get at least another two years to prove as much. Otherwise, there’s not much to hang your hat on here aside from Pro Bowl DT Jeffery Simmons, whom the team refused to trade at last year’s deadline, and maybe OL Peter Skoronski. Much of the damage here was done via misguided forays into free agency by the front office that preceded first-year GM Mike Borgonzi.
Salary cap
Borgonzi is projected to have upwards of $105 million to spend in free agency this year, more fiscal resourcing than any other team has. However he’d probably be wise to be far more measured than his predecessors given this team seems at least a year away from being a year away. Borgonzi’s time in Kansas City would suggest he’ll spend intentionally in the short term while establishing a new culture as he focuses on drafting the players who will need to get the Titans off the mat.
2026 NFL draft
Tennessee’s 3-14 record once again tied for the league’s worst. But this year, the tiebreakers didn’t pan out in Borgonzi’s favor, the Titans slotted with the No. 4 pick. They’ll certainly get an excellent prospect, just no opportunity to leverage the value of a first or second overall selection.
Outlook
Borgonzi should have plenty of discretion to chart a path as he now gets to pick his own guy to run the team. But it will be interesting to see how things play out given the disconnect in the recent past between former coach Mike Vrabel, the front office and ownership. And there probably will be some pressure to try and microwave a winner here as the franchise plans to move into its new stadium in 2027 − preferably with a bang.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback situation
It’s bad. Right now. The decision to trade for and extend Geno Smith last year smacked of an organization unwilling to embrace an obviously needed rebuild. Aidan O’Connell and Kenny Pickett seem like quality backups at best – and there’s probably not much reason for Pickett to re-sign here. All that aside, a team that holds the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft seems almost certain to invest anew at the position, whether it’s for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza or someone else.
Roster
It’s bad. Right now. Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby has long been a loyal warrior, but even he was disillusioned by the end of the 2025 campaign given how his injury situation was handled. Kolton Miller is a solid left tackle. He’s also 30 and missed 13 games this season. Recent first-rounders Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty should be cornerstones – but good luck finding a winner that was built around a tight end and running back, respectively … and the decision to select Jeanty sixth overall last year deserves even more scrutiny now than it did at the time.
Salary cap
It’s great. Right now. The Raiders also have upwards of $100 million in their free agency coffers. But whether it’s minority owner Tom Brady or GM John Spytek who earmarks those funds, they’d be wise to not throw more good money after bad at a talent deficit that obviously requires longer-term thinking and an infusion of young players from the draft.
2026 NFL draft
Vegas won’t pick atop every round but pretty close to it. The Raiders also picked up a fourth-rounder for dealing WR Jakobi Meyers, who was unabashedly eager to leave Sin City, at the trade deadline. The big question is whether they actually pull the trigger for a quarterback off the top … or try to flip the pick and address their numerous needs elsewhere before replacing Smith in earnest further down the road.
Outlook
This operation is nicely set up to rise from the ashes … provided it recognizes it’s covered in ashes and shouldn’t be pursuing coaches in their seventies. But it’s also worth monitoring how things proceed. It’s widely assumed Brady is calling a lot of the shots behind the scenes even as Spytek and Carroll were the ones front and center answering questions about the franchise’s direction and philosophy − and still hard to say what those are exactly after a categorically disastrous and wasted year.
6. Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback situation
Uh, yeah. What seemed like a powder keg two years ago when Fontenot signed Kirk Cousins to a massive free agent contract before taking oft-injured Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in the 2024 draft – without revealing that strategy to Cousins from the jump – has indeed blown up in this franchise’s face. Penix hardly set the league on fire in his second season and is now dealing with his latest ACL injury, one that seems likely to keep him off the field at the start of next season. Meanwhile, Cousins now knows he’s a placeholder but may very well be needed in that role given the unknowns with Penix. However Cousins does only have $10 million guaranteed remaining on the final two years of his contract, which should theoretically make him far easier to trade or release if the next regime so chooses.
Roster
There are certainly some studs in house. RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and G Chris Lindstrom all rank among the best players at their respective positions – Robinson seemingly on the cusp of being one of the league’s faces. Rookie pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. and S Xavier Watts gave the defense a much-needed boost and should form its nucleus for years to come. The cupboard’s hardly bare beyond that, though much will depend on how the existing depth chart aligns with the preferences of the next decision makers.
Salary cap
Fontenot’s replacement will have to trim about $4 million off the books before free agency begins in March, a pretty easy lift. The issue is that Atlanta has little bandwidth to retain pending free agents like TE Kyle Pitts, OLB Arnold Ebiketie or RB Tyler Allgeier – a valuable sidekick who spares Robinson a lot of the harder miles. London is already somewhat overdue for a contract extension, and Robinson is newly eligible for one – and his price tag could get astronomical, relative to his position, the longer the team waits to reward him. Unloading Cousins in some fashion would cause a lot of money to flow back into the budget – but such a decision obviously comes with its own ramifications.
2026 NFL draft
A year after the shocking selection of Penix, Fontenot dealt back into the bottom of the 2025 draft’s first round for Pearce – and he unequivocally has the makings of a good player, leading the Falcons with 10½ sacks. But the opportunity cost of what seemed like something of a desperate reach at the time is the loss of this year’s Round 1 choice – No. 13 overall – which now belongs to the Los Angeles Rams. Fontenot also spent this year’s fifth-rounder in a separate trade in 2025 – but that’s aging well so far given it put Atlanta in position to choose Watts.
Outlook
The quarterbacking morass is a major issue – and that probably would have been the case even if Penix was fully healthy. There are some enticing components of this roster, though another of Fontenot’s unorthodox strategies – which hasn’t borne the desired results – was pouring so much first-round capital into offensive skill players. The good news is that winning the NFC South should remain a bar that’s not all that difficult to clear – and Atlanta was only one win shy of doing it this season. But whether or not the Falcons are sensibly constructed for the long haul is another question entirely, as desperate as 83-year-old owner Arthur Blank is to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl.
7. Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback situation
Unclear as it was whether deposed Gannon would move forward with Kyler Murray, it’s equally unclear if another coaching staff would embrace a player who tends to freelance and hasn’t done much to craft a rep as the locker room CEO most successful NFL quarterbacks are. Murray is guaranteed $36.8 million in 2026, and cutting him would incur a cap hit of nearly $55 million – though that’s hardly prohibitive in this era of the ballooning salary scale. A decision on his future could be further accelerated given nearly $20 million more will be guaranteed to Murray in 2027 if he remains on the roster on March 15. The two-time Pro Bowler and top pick of the 2019 draft is also only 28 and might yet fetch something on the trade market – especially if the Cards are willing to eat some money to facilitate a transaction.
But moving on from him – if that winds up being the eventual course of action – isn’t as daunting a prospect on the field given career backup and occasional bridge QB Jacoby Brissett remains under contract after operating the offense at a much higher efficiency level than Murray did in 2025.
Roster
The makings of a really good passing game are in place (though a more balanced offense would likely benefit the greater good). Trey McBride has emerged as the league’s best receiving tight end, WR Michael Wilson was a revelation late in the season, and Paris Johnson is a top-shelf left tackle. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to be something of a disappointment – especially relative to draft mates like Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and even Ladd McConkey. First-round DL Walter Nolen III only appeared in six games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Elsewhere, OLBs Josh Sweat and Zaven Collins had solid seasons. Otherwise, there’s a lot of work to be done here on both sides of the ball.
Salary cap
Similar to the Giants, GM Monti Ossenfort has some spending power with a projected $21 million budget. While that’s much more than some teams have, it’s a lot less than those that are shaping up as the significant free agent power brokers in 2026. Murray’s situation also seems bound to have further impact here.
2026 NFL draft
Ossenfort has a full complement of picks, including No. 3 overall – though that would likely force him to reach for a quarterback this year if that’s the way the franchise wants to go. Like the three other 3-14 teams from the 2025 season, the Cards will rotate near the top of every round.
Outlook
It appeared like they were building toward a positive crescendo under Gannon. But Murray’s health – and whatever else is going on there – a torrent of other injuries and simple bad luck (in the form of eight losses by one score) caused the bottom to fall out over the past few months. Arizona’s issues are further amplified by its membership in the NFC West, which currently serves as the home of three of the league’s very best teams. The road back to relevance here seems to remain long and winding.
8. Miami Dolphins
Quarterback situation
McDaniel’s departure, which comes two months after former GM Chris Grier and the team divorced, does seemingly pave the way for what seems like the inevitable exit of QB Tua Tagovailoa as well. The 2020 first-rounder not only had his worst season on the field since his rookie year, benched after Week 15, he also made a habit of airing the locker room’s dirty laundry. Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension ($167.2 million of it guaranteed) before the 2024 season. Compensated at $53.1 million annually on average, he currently ranks sixth on the league’s QB compensation scale … but was nowhere near No. 6 from a performance perspective.
Cutting him this year triggers close to $100 million in dead cap money whether it’s eaten entirely in 2026 – the requisite $99.2 million hit would establish a new record among cap financial mistakes – or spread over two years. There is a $15 million option due in March that the Fins could trigger to mildly assuage the financial fallout for Tagovailoa, whose contract has $54 million guaranteed in 2026. His pact, combined with a troublesome concussion history, make him virtually untradeable. But with a complete leadership turnover at the top of the organization, swallowing the bitter financial pill that would come with cutting Tua, who’s expressed a desire for a fresh start, now seems far more palatable. And logical.
Coming off their rookie seasons, Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller are the only quarterbacks on the roster currently under contract for 2026. Ewers did a solid enough job in his three-game audition following Tagovailoa’s benching.
Roster
There’s some talent in place, but it’s worth wondering how much of it might be going out the door in the coming weeks and months. WR Jaylen Waddle and, especially, RB De’Von Achane are dangerous playmakers − though it’s worth wondering if they might have more value as trade commodities given the new direction the Dolphins have signaled. Selloffs are probably less feasible for DT Zach Sieler, S Minkah Fitzpatrick and OLB Bradley Chubb, who will also be at least 30 this year and come with hefty contracts. WR Tyreek Hill, who dislocated his knee in September, is owed $36 million (none of it guaranteed) in the final year of his contract − circumstances almost certain to lead to his release. OLB Chop Robinson and C Aaron Brewer could be players to build around.
Salary cap
Miami is currently more than $23 million over budget on its 2026 cap. Dumping Hill would balance the books, however parting with Tagovailoa would add $11 million to the deficit − if he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut. Otherwise, his release would accelerate another $42.8 million alone onto this year’s expenditures. Not pretty. But at least this won’t be a team that should be looking to make a free agency splash in 2026 anyway.
2026 NFL draft
A 7-10 season confers the 11th overall pick this year − certainly a range that should bring a very good player if not one likely to step in immediately at quarterback, assuming Tagovailoa isn’t long for Miami. Grier acquired an additional third-rounder from Houston during last year’s draft, and interim GM Champ Kelly picked up another one for dealing OLB Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline. Helpful assets, if not to Grier or Kelly.
Outlook
Miami hasn’t won a playoff game in more than 25 years, the longest dry spell in the league. Tagovailoa briefly seemed like the guy to stop the revolving door behind center that’s spun almost perpetually since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season. Those will remain clear and present challenges for the next administration, which likely faces a very daunting 2026 − when the successful establishment of an improved culture is probably the most important win this team can hope for. But after that? It’s certainly not difficult to recruit NFL players to Miami, it’s just going to remain a matter of getting the right ones.