The NFL coaching carousel of opportunities started early this season.
Brian Callahan was fired by the Tennessee Titans in the middle of October and about a month later, Brian Daboll was fired by the New York Giants.
It’s not too risky to say that they will be joined by several coaches in the coming weeks. On average over the last decade, there have been 6.5 coaching positions per year that have been affected by changes.
It would be surprising if collectively the NFL doesn’t come close to that number in 2026.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted which coaching positions are most likely to be vacated in the coming weeks.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Projected salary space in 2026: $110.7 million (4th highest total)
Joe Burrow’s comments in recent weeks about having fun playing football have raised concerns in Cincinnati.
Fans still have in mind the injury to Carson Palmer, who eventually decided not to return to the game, then was traded to Oakland.
These same fans now fear losing their star quarterback. Burrow and his teammates clarified, however, that those comments were not about Burrow’s desire to play in Cincinnati or elsewhere.
If Burrow doesn’t like losing, what can the Bengals do to change that? Since their appearance in the Super Bowl in 2021 and their appearance in the AFC Finals in 2022, the Bengals have been left out of the playoffs three seasons in a row.
Burrow was injured in 2023 and 2025, but even when he was on the field, Zac Taylor was only 17-15, which clearly isn’t good enough with a quarterback like Burrow.
Defense remains an issue in Cincinnati and although the Bengals fired the defensive coordinator last season in hopes of seeing change, the results have been no different in 2025. The Bengals have the worst defense in the NFL for tackles and players often miss routine coverages.
Firing Taylor and hiring a defensive specialist would be the best possible move for the Bengals to win with a Burrow in his prime.
Although offensive coaches will be interested in the job, the offer may be more interesting for defensive specialists like Jesse Minter (Chargers) and Jeff Hafley (Packers).
Turning the Bengals’ poor defense into an average defense would allow the Bengals to make the playoffs year after year.
CARDINALS OF THE ARIZONA
Projected salary space in 2026: $39.2 million (17th highest total)
Are the Cardinals better than their record? Absolutely, they are 2-7 in games that end with a margin of seven points or less.
They were one first down away from defeating the 49ers, they blew an inexplicable lead against the Titans, they missed a sequence near the end zone against the Colts while trailing by four points, they blew a lead in the final two minutes against the Packers and they lost in overtime to the Jaguars.
Is this enough to allow Jonathan Gannon to keep his job? Probably not. The Cardinals played the majority of the season without Kyler Murray, but the defense fell apart (with some injuries), despite several starters being added before the season.
There is, however, a lot of positive in Arizona, with promising youngsters like Walter Nolen III, Will Johnson and Garrett Williams. Trey McBride has been spectacular and while Marvin Harrison and Paris Johnson Jr. haven’t reached the standards that come with their draft rank, they are better than average starters at important positions.
The problem is knowing what to do at the quarterback position. Murray is under contract through 2026, but the Cardinals should be able to get something in return if they decide to trade him.
The Cardinals currently have the sixth pick in the draft and if there is a young quarterback that a potential coach likes, the Cardinals could be in competition to hire said coach.
The Cardinals are in a very good division with the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks, all of whom have 10 or more wins. For a coach, it is therefore perhaps less attractive to have a position in the NFC West.
But we can also look at the NFC North, where the Bears seemed far behind the Lions at 15-2, the Vikings at 14-3 and the Packers at 11-6. A year later, thanks to the hiring of Ben Johnson, the Bears are atop the division with a 10-4 record.
If the Cardinals hire the right coach and fix the quarterback situation, they may have the ability to do the same thing in 2026.
BROWNS DE CLEVELAND
Projected salary space in 2026: $7.9 million (26th highest total)
If the Browns decide to end their association with Kevin Stefanski after six seasons (and two Coach of the Year honors), their new coach will be joining an organization still in transition.
There is one season remaining on Deshaun Watson’s five-year, $230 million contract, a disaster, and even though the Browns have let it be known that Watson will be on the roster in 2026, there is no reason for Cleveland to keep Watson on the team.
A new coach should help determine whether the Browns will use one or both of their first-round draft picks (to move up their draft ranks) to draft a new quarterback.
The Jaguars’ first pick, obtained in the trade possibly involving Travis Hunter, may be late in the first round. The Browns will therefore have to focus on their own choice to try to get their hands on a new starter.
Shedeur Sanders, who has the worst QB Rating of the NFL since he started, is likely to interest only one coach: Deion Sanders and the latter should remain in Colorado.
What hurts most about the Watson acquisition is the lack of talent on the Browns due to the three first-round picks that were traded away. It takes years to rebuild a team after trading away so many high picks. Fortunately, the Browns have had success with the 2025 draft (Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Carson Schwesinger, Harold Fannin Jr. and Dylan Sampson). The only disappointments are Dillon Gabriel as well as Sanders.
Cleveland may not be competitive until 2027, at best, since the team still has several crucial needs to fill.
OTHER CANDIDATES FOR A CHANGE OF COACHES
– Titans you Tennessee
– Giants de New York
– Atlanta Falcons
-Miami Dolphins
– Las Vegas Raiders
