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which nfl teams need a head coach

Heading into the 2026 offseason, seven NFL teams currently need a head coach: the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens.

Current vacancies

These are the franchises actively in the market for a new head coach as of early January 2026.

  • New York Giants – Moved on from their head coach during the season and are now pairing GM Joe Schoen with a new hire to reset the direction of the team.
  • Cleveland Browns – Fired Kevin Stefanski after the 2025 season but retained GM Andrew Berry, who is leading the search for a replacement.
  • Atlanta Falcons – Parted ways with their head coach on “Black Monday” after another disappointing year, joining the early wave of openings.
  • Tennessee Titans – Made an in‑season move at head coach, so they entered the offseason already in search mode.
  • Arizona Cardinals – Fired Jonathan Gannon but kept GM Monti Ossenfort to oversee the next hire and broader roster build.
  • Las Vegas Raiders – Let go of Pete Carroll after just one season, with Tom Brady (as minority owner) expected to have a voice in the next hire.
  • Baltimore Ravens – Shockingly fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons following a late‑season collapse that cost them the AFC North and a playoff spot.

Why these jobs are open

Each team reached its breaking point for slightly different reasons, but they all share the theme of underperformance versus expectations.

  • Poor records and playoff droughts pushed teams like the Falcons, Browns, and Cardinals to act after the regular season ended.
  • The Giants and Titans made earlier moves, trying to get a head start on the market by firing coaches during the 2025 season.
  • The Ravens and Raiders are the headline “shock” moves, with Baltimore ending a long, stable era and Las Vegas quickly admitting the Carroll hire did not work.

Coaching carousel context

The 2026 cycle is shaping up as one of the more dramatic in recent years, with several historically stable or high‑profile franchises involved.

  • A long‑tenured Super Bowl–winning coach like John Harbaugh hitting the market changes the dynamics for every other opening.
  • Media and fan discussions are already focusing on “future head coach candidates,” including a strong group of defensive‑minded coordinators being touted for these jobs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.