Just as the playoffs are getting underway, the offseason is in full force for the 18 teams that were not good enough to make the postseason. Six of them have the added challenge of attempting to hire the right head coach to lead them to the promised land. Let’s take a look at each of the openings and which candidate provides the best fit for each team.
New York Jets – Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan remains the last coach to lead the Jets to the playoffs all the way back in 2010. Could he be the guy that finally snaps the longest active playoff drought in the NFL? Ryan has continually expressed interest in taking the job for a second time and, honestly, the Jets could do a lot worse. Although Ryan has not been a coach since 2016, he is exactly the type of candidate that the Jets need to revitalize their franchise and, as he showed during his first stint with the team, he can be successful leading a franchise that has been historically associated with futility.
New England Patriots – Mike Vrabel
This one seems obvious, does it not? Of all of Bill Belichick’s disciples in New England, Vrabel saw the most success as a head coach during his 6-year stint with the Tennessee Titans. He is also the closest to Belichick in coaching style, preaching a tough, hard-nosed brand of football that is seldom seen in today’s NFL. The Patriots have seemingly found their franchise quarterback of the future. Now, they must find a way to rebuild their championship culture, and there does not appear to be a better candidate for that task than Mike Vrabel.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Flores
The Jaguars’ defense was one of the worst in the entire league in 2024. They ranked 31st in yards per game allowed (389.9), 27th in points per game allowed (25.6), 29th in yards per play allowed (6.08), and 31st in 1st downs per game allowed (22.9). They are in desperate need of defensive improvement, making Brian Flores an ideal choice. Under Flores, the Vikings were a top five scoring defense in 2024. To put that in perspective, Minnesota had the 3rd-worst scoring defense in 2022—the year before Flores took over as defensive coordinator.
Las Vegas Raiders – Deion Sanders
The Raiders have a huge problem beyond just searching for a new coach, a new quarterback, and, mostly, a new roster. They have to compete in a division where each of the other three teams has an elite QB/head coach duo. Unless they find their own elite duo they will be whisked into further obscurity for the foreseeable future.
We know that Deion Sanders is capable of building a team from the ground up, as was the case when he took over a Colorado program that had won just a single game the year before. Hiring Sanders would provide more hope and excitement for Raiders’ fans than pretty much any other candidate they could realistically get. They would also be wise to trade up in the draft to ensure that they can get Shedeur Sanders as their signal-caller of the future.
Chicago Bears – Ben Johnson
Caleb Williams showcased that he can be a franchise quarterback throughout his rookie season. However, his efforts only accounted for so much due to Chicago’s atrocious offensive line play which allowed Williams to get sacked a whopping 68 times. The Bears have some valuable pieces on their roster, but they still need a coach who can reverse their backwards offensive philosophy.
Ben Johnson might be the hottest candidate of the 2025 hiring cycle with each of the teams with vacancies seeking to interview him. Johnson has been played an integral role in Detroit’s rise to the top of the league, providing them with one of the most innovative and creative offensive schemes in the entire NFL. It has been ages since the Bears were a powerhouse on offense, making it only logical that they should go after the most coveted offensive mind on the market.
New Orleans Saints – Aaron Glenn
Both of the Lions’ coordinators are worthy of earning head coaching jobs during this offseason. Aaron Glenn did an exemplary job at rallying together Detroit’s defense after Aidan Hutchinson’s significant leg injury. Everyone expected the Lions’ defense to take a big step backwards in Hutchinson’s absence, but that was far from the case. Detroit even managed to finish the season as a top 10 scoring defense.
The Saints have a murky future ahead of them that is marred by a large amount of uncertainty. They could use someone like Glenn to provide them with some stability as they attempt to climb back into relevancy.
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