Ranking NFL's 8* head coaching vacancies after Bills fire Sean McDermott

As it pertains to the job security of NFL head coaches, we've officially entered the theater of the absurd.

Monday morning, two days after their overtime loss in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Broncos in Denver, the Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott after nine seasons ... and eight playoff appearances.

Just wow.

And so Buffalo becomes the 10th franchise in the league, and second that qualified for the 2025 postseason, that will have a change atop its coaching staff. Only two of those jobs have been filled. The New York Giants officially hired John Harbaugh, and the Atlanta Falcons chose Kevin Stefanski - after both of them were summarily dumped in the aftermath of the 2025 regular season - on Saturday evening.

Are we done yet? Who's to say? Memo to Sean McVay, Mike Macdonald, Sean Payton and Mike Vrabel: Watch your backs.

But, for the moment, let's analyze the eight* jobs that are presently available - 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 - yet to reach the Super Bowl and more pointed recent questions about his work ethic and relationship with Harbaugh and his staff, though Jackson has denied any friction existed. He 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 franchise 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 essentially untenable figures for any team looking to maintain or certainly improve a roster, suggesting some kind of renegotiation or new extension is needed - owner Steve Bisciotti signaling last week that he wants to sign Jackson to a fresh pact.

Backup Tyler Huntley is about to hit free agency. Cooper Rush, who was signed to backstop Jackson a year ago but struggled when he went down and was eventually replaced by Huntley, is signed for the 2026 season but could be a cap casualty.

Roster

Heading into 2025, 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 $14 million at his disposal this year, per Over The Cap, putting the team in the middle range in terms of spending power this year. Jackson's contract muddies that outlook but an extension would actually give DeCosta more financial freedom elsewhere. 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 will probably 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. Buffalo Bills

Quarterback situation

They don't come much better than 2024 league MVP Josh Allen, who's as dynamic as anyone who's ever played the position ... if hardly a clone of Jackson. Allen's 79 career rushing TDs are a record among NFL quarterbacks, yet he's first and foremost an exceptional passer - one who wildly improved his accuracy after being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. Allen needs 17 more TD passes to tie Hall of Famer Jim Kelly's franchise record (237). If one wants to call it a knock on Allen, his notable failure to date has been the inability to carry Buffalo to its first Super Bowl victory, much like Kelly decades before him. Allen's eight postseason wins are the most ever by a quarterback who has not played on Super Sunday.

Allen, who has started 137 consecutive games, including playoffs, is the only passer under contract for the 2026 season, backup Mitchell Trubisky currently ticketed for free agency.

Roster

Obviously, it was sufficiently good to get the Bills to the playoffs eight times in McDermott's nine seasons - including a five-year run atop the AFC East. RB James Cook just won his first rushing title with 1,621 yards. However, aside from LT Dion Dawkins, there's something of a dearth of elite players on offense, the team infamously failing to replace WR1 Stefon Diggs after trading him to Houston after the 2023 season. The team typically had one of the league's better defenses under McDermott, though - again - it features a lot of good, if not great, players behind D-lineman Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver.

Salary cap

GM Brandon Beane, who was also just promoted to president of football operations following McDermott's firing, has a lot to sort out. The Bills have to cut nearly $11 million off the payroll to be in compliance once free agency starts in March. On top of that, they have a lot of significant players on expiring contracts, a list that includes DE Joey Bosa, G David Edwards, FB Reggie Gilliam, S Damar Hamlin, C Connor McGovern, DE A.J. Epenesa, LB Matt Milano and Trubisky. Aging contributors such as DL DaQuan Jones, S Jordan Poyer and CB Tre'Davious White are also out of contract.

2026 NFL draft

Beane owns all of his organic selections in the first five rounds, including 26th overall. Given his constricted cap and number of players he stands to lose, he might need to try and add more picks.

Outlook

The quarterback is exceptional. The fan base is exceptional. The team has been exceptional for a protracted period of time. But as the Bills prepare to move into their new stadium this fall, the mandate to win a Super Bowl is obvious - and that objective won't get any easier for the next coach given what seem like multiple obstacles to improving Buffalo's nucleus ... and at a time when the recently crowned AFC East champion Patriots have a lot more roster-building resources.

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 in December following multiple Achilles surgeries. He was originally injured during the 2024 season. Watson 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 $24 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, which has slotted into the 24th spot following their wild-card loss. 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. Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarterback situation

A resounding loss to Houston in the wild-card round is now even likelier to be Aaron Rodgers' final game in the NFL given how closely he linked his decision to come to Pittsburgh with his affinity for Tomlin. Regardless, with his one-year deal about to expire, Rodgers also had as much agency in his future with the Steelers as the team did. At present, Mason Rudolph - he's spent all but one of his eight NFL seasons primarily as a backup in Pittsburgh - and Will Howard, a sixth-round draft pick last year, are the only passers under contract for 2026.

Roster

Built to win now - which was always the expectation under Tomlin - there's a talented group here ... but a decidedly aging one. Perennial All-Pros like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt, who are both north of 30, headline the league's most expensive defense - which also includes DB Jalen Ramsey and LBs Alex Highsmith and Patrick Queen. Offensively, Rodgers offered heavy praise and admiration for the team's generally young and talented offensive line. But WR DK Metcalf is the only bona fide downfield weapon, and the backfield committee of Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren won't strike fear into most defenses.

The bigger question is how the organization wants to proceed - specifically whether GM Omar Khan and the next coach want to do a hard reset and divest a lot of the veteran talent and costs associated with it. However owner Art Rooney II doesn't seem too keen on that approach.

Salary cap

With nearly $38 million in the coffers - maybe more if there's a veteran purge - Khan's free agency budget currently ranks among the league's top 10. Still, the Steelers have historically put a premium on drafting, developing and rewarding their own players. This doesn't seem like the time for them to go on an extensive spending spree. Rodgers, Gainwell, LG Isaac Seumalo and WR Calvin Austin are among Pittsburgh's notable free agents.

2026 NFL draft

Reminder: It's going to occur in Pittsburgh. No pressure, Omar. Khan owns the 21st pick of the first round and has an extra selection in Round 3, courtesy of last year's trade of WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Still, for a franchise so badly in need of a young quarterback to help redefine it, this probably isn't the year you're going to find that guy.

Outlook

If this was a blind resume, there wouldn't be a second thought about slotting the Steelers behind their feckless rivals in Cleveland. The Browns, for example, have a lot more long-term assets on their roster - and the ability to further fortify it - than does Pittsburgh. But would you rather work for a franchise that's almost never sniffed the Super Bowl or for the Rooney family, whose six Lombardi Trophies are tied for the most in league history? At present, it seems fairly likely Pittsburgh is headed for the losing season in 2026 that it never experienced under Tomlin. But there's an opportunity here to be great - and a demand for excellence that hasn't been fulfilled in recent years, Tomlin losing his last seven playoff games in decisive fashion. That alone is illustrative that this job historically comes with an unrivaled level of NFL job security. Aspiring candidates should be beating a path to the confluence of the Three Rivers in a bid to lead one of pro sports' truly great brands.

Statement from Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/66O3ktES2m

- Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 13, 2026

5. 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, maybe OL Peter Skoronski and certainly rookie WR Chimere Dike - an All-Pro return man who led the NFL with 2,427 all-purpose yards. 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 close to $94 million to spend in free agency this year, more fiscal resourcing as 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 - even if it wasn't Harbaugh. It will be interesting to see how things unfold given the disconnect in the recent past between Vrabel, the front office and ownership. And there probably will be some pressure to try and microwave a winner as the franchise plans to move into its new stadium in 2027 - preferably with a bang.

6. 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. Now? He might be more valuable to the Raiders as a trade asset. 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 more than $82 million at their disposal. 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 numerous needs elsewhere before replacing Smith.

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 year.

7. Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback situation

Unclear as it was whether deposed coach Jonathan Gannon would move forward with Kyler Murray, it's equally unclear if another staff will 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 a member of 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., who ended the season on IR, 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 IIIappeared 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

GM Monti Ossenfort has some decent pending power with a projected budget of roughly $30 million. 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 significantly 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 came 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 other 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 speculating how much of it could be going out the door in the coming weeks. WR Jaylen Waddle and, especially, RB De'Von Achane are dangerous playmakers - though it can be argued they might have more value as trade commodities given the new direction the Dolphins are taking. Selloffs are probably less feasible for DT Zach Sieler, S Minkah Fitzpatrick and OLB Bradley Chubb, who will all 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 $30 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 former 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 new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who faces a daunting 2026 - when the successful establishment of an improved culture is probably the most important win his new 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. And if it's a clean-ish slate Sullivan and his eventual coach have, this might be an optimal situation - even if it means not much headway will likely be made until 2027 ... at the earliest.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking NFL's 8 head coach openings after Bills fire Sean McDermott