With the hiring process of the NFL in full throttle, many seasoned coordinators are becoming head coaches at different destinations. This leaves a vacancy for their prior job. With so many coordinator spots now open, let’s dive into the most interesting the league has to offer. As of Jan. 23, all of these listed jobs are still open.
1. Los Angeles Chargers – Offensive Coordinator
After the much-deserved firing of former Head Coach Brandon Staley, the Los Angeles Chargers not only have a vacancy for their Head Coach but at Offensive Coordinator as well. With Jim Harbaugh likely the front-runner for the position, he’ll need to hire a dynamic offensive mind to get the most out of Justin Herbert, one of the most talented in the league at the quarterback position.
With all of the possible changes, their roster could look extremely different from last year, especially offensively. With Keenan Allen and/or Mike Williams on the outskirts, the new play-caller would have to get creative to harness the potential of Justin Herbert.
2. Seattle Seahawks – Defensive Coordinator
Although it didn’t always show last year, Seattle has one of the best defensive rosters in the entire league thanks to the drafting and beneficial trades done by General Manager John Schneider. It’s not close to the legion of boom we all remember from the 2000s, but it’s a damn good roster.
The group features young stud cornerbacks such as Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, as well as an underrated defensive front led by Leonard Williams, Dremont Jones and Jarran Reed. On top of that, rookie pass rusher Boye Mafe should be a force to be reckoned with when paired with a healthy Uchenna Nwosu. A bright defensive mind could turn this unit into one of the NFL’s best.
3. Philadelphia Eagles – Offensive Coordinator
A lot stands on who the Philadelphia Eagles’ Offensive Coordinator will be. A bad showing could make Owner Jeffrey Lurie decide to clean house. However, even with that risk, play-callers would be fools to not entertain this position. Jalen Hurts has proven to be a lock in the top-five quarterback list.
Not only do they have an elite quarterback, but they have arguably the best receiver duo in the league with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Throw in a top-10 tight end and Dallas Goedert, and you have a near-elite pass-catching group. Even with Jason Kelce likely retiring, the unit should continue to be one of the best in the league. As long as the Eagles get an above-average running back in the offseason, this job should be one the best available.
4. Philadelphia Eagles – Defensive Coordinator
The story is much of the same with the Eagles offense as its defense. The talent they had was not put in good enough positions to win and it showed. Both prior defensive play callers Sean Desai and Matt Patricia have been let go.
Although aging, their defense still features one of the best fronts in the whole league. With time, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter figure to be a top interior pass-rush duo for years to come. Add Haason Reddick plus Josh Sweat in the mix and you have one of the best defensive lines in the game. Assuming General Manager Howie Roseman can fix the secondary issues, they should be much improved on defense.
5. Cincinnati Bengals – Offensive Coordinator
You’d have to be crazy to not be intrigued by working with Joe Burrow. The former LSU product has cemented himself as possibly the best pocket-passing quarterback in the NFL. Although Head Coach Zac Taylor calls the plays, being the Offensive Coordinator for this team would still bring a ton of value.
Helping design an impressive offense for the likes of Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase could easily put said Offensive Coordinator on the short list of head coaching candidates for 2025 and beyond. We just saw it with former Bengals’ Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan, who was just named as the head man for the Tennessee Titans. Coaching this team could result in multiple deep playoff runs and even a Super Bowl ring.