Ranking the 2026 NFL Head Coaching Vacancies

The Baltimore Ravens sent shockwaves throughout the NFL on Tuesday afternoon when they fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons on the job. Harbaugh was 180-113 and had a .614 winning percentage during his time with the Ravens, and he led Baltimore to a Super Bowl title. Several teams have already reached out to him to gauge his interest in their openings, immediately making him the biggest name on the block this coaching cycle. That also makes Baltimore the most enticing opening in the league this offseason, putting the Ravens atop the list of teams that can immediately win with a new head coach.

1. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore was one of the Super Bowl favorites entering the 2025 NFL season. The Ravens got off to a 1-5 start due to some uncharacteristic late-game fumbles from Derrick Henry, an injury to Lamar Jackson, and horrible play on defense. However, they rallied after their bye week with five straight victories to move above .500 and looked poised to make some noise in the postseason. Harbaugh was only able to lead the Ravens to victories in two of their last four games, though, despite four consecutive 100-yard games for Henry.

The next head coach of Baltimore will be in an enviable position compared to every other team with a head coaching vacancy. The core of the team is locked up for at least two more seasons as Jackson, Henry, Roquan Smith, and Ronnie Stanley are under contract until 2027, while star safety Kyle Hamilton signed a five-year extension this offseason. Baltimore will be among the Super Bowl favorites next season, no matter who ends up leading the team.

2. New York Giants

Brian Daboll was fired after a 2-8 start to the season, and interim head coach Mike Kafka is very unlikely to take on the role full-time after losing his first five games. The New York Giants would have had the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if they had lost just one of their final two games, but the Giants won two meaningless games at the end of the season and now have the No. 5 overall pick.

There is a lot to like about the future of the Giants. Jaxson Dart was the top-performing rookie quarterback by a mile, and he didn’t have No. 1 target Malik Nabers available for much of the season. Nabers will have plenty of time to recover from his injury, as will rookie running back Cam Skattebo. Big Blue’s next head coach has a cornerstone left tackle in Andrew Thomas and a potential game-changing pass rusher in Abdul Carter.

3. Tennessee Titans

It might be a bit jarring to see Tennessee with the third-most appealing job opening, but the Titans are in a better place than most of the other teams with coaching vacancies, even though they might have the least talent of any team in the NFL. No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward showed some flashes in his rookie season, and the Titans have one of the league’s most underrated defenders in Jeffery Simmons.

Tennessee has more cap room than any other team in the NFL. Ward is the only player under contract for more than the next three seasons, and only four Titans are slated to make more than $13 million next season. Additionally, Tennessee has the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving the new head coach plenty of flexibility when it comes to retooling this team.

4. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta might have been lower on this list if Kirk Cousins hadn’t agreed to restructure his contract. However, Cousins’ new deal gives the Falcons some immediate flexibility this offseason, and that’s a good thing considering Atlanta is also in the market for a new general manager.

The Falcons don’t have their first-round pick after an ill-advised draft day trade, but they have the benefit of playing in the worst division in football. Carolina became the fifth team in NFL history to win its division despite having a losing record, and Atlanta also finished at 8-9, along with Tampa Bay. Additionally, Arthur Blank has shown that he is willing to spend money to bring a winner to Atlanta, so this is a place where the right coach can win.

5. Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski was named NFL Coach of the Year twice during his tenure with the Cleveland Browns, but that still wasn’t enough to save him from the axe this offseason. Stefanski was fired even though he led Cleveland to two of the franchise’s three playoff appearances since the Browns returned in 1999. There’s little doubt that he will eventually be a head coach again, and he has already been floated as a potential replacement for Harbaugh in Baltimore.

Cleveland is a mess, but the next Browns’ head coach won’t be in a truly awful spot. Soon-to-be two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett signed an extension back in March, and the Browns will be out from under the weight of the Deshaun Watson contract after next season. Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders flashed some potential, and Cleveland has the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

This franchise hasn’t recorded a postseason win since 2002. Pete Carroll was fired after just one season coaching the Las Vegas Raiders, and the ownership situation is an absolute mess. Las Vegas is in the toughest division in the AFC, too, making this one of the toughest jobs in the NFL at the moment.

However, the next head coach should have a pretty long leash, considering the Raiders have had five head coaches over the last five seasons. Las Vegas has the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and will almost certainly take a quarterback, giving the next Raiders’ head coach some extra job security.

7. Arizona Cardinals

Woe to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are in the toughest division in the NFL, and they put themselves in a difficult spot by signing Kyler Murray to a five-year, $230 million extension in July 2022. Murray was effectively benched by former head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was fired just one day after Arizona’s social media team celebrated the coach’s birthday.

There isn’t a lot of talent on this roster, as years of poor drafting have taken their toll on this depth chart. Arizona is in a total rebuilding situation, and the Cardinals will likely need years to be competitive again.