> At a Glance
> – Six NFL teams are hunting for new head coaches after Black Monday
> – Giants top the list with Jaxson Dart and a war chest of draft picks
> – Cardinals sit last thanks to a brutal division and QB uncertainty
> – Why it matters: Only 32 of these jobs exist-each vacancy reshapes the league
The day after the regular season ended, the coaching axe fell on three more franchises. Add the Falcons’ in-season move and two earlier departures, and the 2026 hiring cycle now features half-dozen vacancies-each carrying its own allure and landmines.
Job Market Power Rankings
News Of Fort Worth sized up every opening based on roster talent, front-office stability, draft capital and division difficulty. The result is a pecking order that could sway which candidate lands where.
- New York Giants – Jaxson Dart’s 24-TD rookie surge, the No. 5 overall pick, and core pieces Malik Nabers and Brian Burns make this the quickest-project turnaround.
- Atlanta Falcons – Skill-group stars Bijan Robinson and Drake London plus a historically soft NFC South path offer a playoff fast-lane-if they solve QB.
- Tennessee Titans – Fresh off a 3-win year, but Cam Ward flashed and the Vrabel-era blueprint still hangs in the hallway.
- Las Vegas Raiders – Holding the No. 1 pick and a young nucleus featuring Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, yet on coach No. 4 in four seasons.
- Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett anchors a defense, but 17 straight playoff-less seasons before 2020 weigh like lake-effect snow.
- Arizona Cardinals – Promising WR duo Marvin Harrison Jr. & Michael Wilson and TE Trey McBride, but the NFC West just sent three teams to the conference’s top tier.
## Ideal Fits for Each Situation
Franchises rarely chase retreads until options shrink, yet experience could decide who survives the grind.
- Giants: ex-Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year, mirrors the maturity the locker room lacks.
- Falcons: Mike McCarthy owns a 174-112-2 career mark and twelve playoff berths-steady beats shiny in Atlanta.
- Titans: Klint Kubiak, age 38, molded Seattle’s offense into a top unit in his first season calling plays.
- Raiders: Brian Flores‘ culture-shock style pairs with a defensive core that still features Maxx Crosby.
- Browns: Chris Shula, longtime Sean McVay lieutenant, could maximize Garrett and a young draft haul.
- Cardinals: Matt Burke coordinated Houston’s elite 2025 defense and logged a prior stint in the desert.
Key Takeaways
- Quarterback clarity separates the top half from the bottom-every coach wants a plan under center.
- Draft ammo matters: Giants (No. 5), Raiders (No. 1) and Cardinals (No. 3) can add instant difference-makers.
- Division difficulty drags Arizona down; NFC South mediocrity lifts Atlanta up.
- Short leashes loom in Cleveland and New York, where front offices may punt again after one bad year.
Six seats, hundreds of résumés, one February hiring sprint-who jumps first shapes the next contender cycle.
