The coaching carousel in the NFL continues to spin.
Eight teams are looking for a new head coach after the Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday and the Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday.
Others could join the search if their team is eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Harbaugh’s sudden availability, after 18 seasons with the Ravens, could create a new opportunity.
Several teams are interested in Harbaugh, including a club that currently has no vacancies, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press. Both wished to remain anonymous because the discussions are private.
Teams that already have a head coach cannot work behind the scenes to hire Harbaugh or anyone else because the NFL adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003. It requires teams to conduct in-person interviews with at least two diverse candidates (minorities or women) who are not currently working for the team.
The Buccaneers are not among the teams looking for a new head coach because Todd Bowles is still on the job in Tampa Bay, a person familiar with the team’s intentions told the AP.
Bowles is under contract for three more seasons and will return for a fifth year as head coach, despite the Bucs’ spectacular collapse in the second half of the season. They went from 6-2 to 8-9 and missed the playoffs after winning the National Association South title four straight times. Bowles was the defensive coordinator under Bruce Arians when Tom Brady led the Bucs to the Super Bowl five years ago.
The New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders also have head coaching vacancies to fill.
Here are three other teams that could decide to change head coaches:
Bills de Buffalo
Sean McDermott led the Buffalo Bills (12-5) to the playoffs eight times in nine seasons at the helm of the team. But after five straight AFC East titles, the Bills entered the playoffs as a sixth-place draft team.
McDermott and Josh Allen are expected to lead the Bills to the Super Bowl after falling short in last year’s AL championship game. They lost in the sectional playoffs the previous three seasons. The Bills, however, won’t have to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have eliminated them four times in the last five years.
The Bills are a one-point favorite on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. If they lose, it could result in McDermott’s departure — despite his great track record.
Packers de Green Bay
Matt LaFleur has led the Packers (9-7-1) to the playoffs six times in seven seasons. He guided them to three straight 13-win seasons in his first three years, but they lost twice at home in the National championship game. They were ranked seventh for the last three seasons.
The Packers are a one-point road favorite against their section rivals, the Chicago Bears, on Saturday night. The Packers and Bears have split wins this season.
The loss of star quarterback Micah Parsons was a major blow to the Packers’ hopes of winning the Super Bowl. LaFleur will have a difficult task to accomplish at the end of the season.
Steelers de Pittsburgh
Mike Tomlin came within a missed 44-yard field goal attempt to close his team to elimination, which would have allowed Harbaugh and the Ravens to host the Houston Texans this week as the AFC North champions rather than the Steelers.
Tomlin, who has already led his team to the Super Bowl, has led the Steelers for 19 seasons, one more than Harbaugh in Baltimore. He is 193-114-2 in the regular season and 8-11 in the playoffs. But the Steelers (10-7) haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and Tomlin has been the subject of numerous rumors throughout the campaign. A loss Monday night against the Texans could lead to his departure.
