The NFL is a success based business, as well as teams are a “what have you done lately” organization. NFL coaches and general managers who succeed will often find job security easier than those who consistently struggle to win in the NFL.
This analyst decided to take a look around the league at the current openings at Head Coach/General Manager, as well as predict a few teams who could move on from their current staff at season’s end. We’ll walk through each teams combo, and what they can bring to their new organization, from a HC/GM standpoint.
Without further ado, let’s start in Orchard Park, where Gang Green decides to bring a little Motown flair to the big apple:
Jets HC: Aaron Glenn, DC, Detroit Lions
Jets GM: Lions AGM Ray Agnew
With the New York Jets having fired both their head coach (Saleh) and their GM (Douglas) in the past couple of weeks, this team is staring down the barrel of a rebuild. Aaron Rodgers is on the wrong side of 40, and could look to retire at season’s end, as he likely doesn’t want to endure a rebuild. This team likely will have around 32 million in cap space for 2025, pending Rodgers retirement, among a few other moves.
This Jets team also is likely going to be selecting in the top 10 of the NFL Draft, which is an excellent way to add premier talent at a significantly lower cost. With that said, the Jets will bring in Lions Assistant General Manager Ray Agnew, who started his career with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 as the director of pro personnel, moving up to assistant GM for the Lions in 2021.
Agnew’s track record of identifying and building talent for the Lions will translate well to the jets, who are in need of an influx of good personnel directors who can identify talent. Agnew also will bring Aaron Glenn with him from Detroit, which is a homecoming of sorts for Aaron, having been drafted by the Jets in the first round in 1994.
I see this hire as a two fold affair: a goodwill gesture bringing back Jets fans to see one of their own as a head coach, as well as Woody going after one of the better head coaching prospects in this cycle.
Ultimately, this hire will hinge on two important keys: How will this new Front Office and Coaching Staff handle the Aaron Rodgers saga, and how will they build for the future, while also prioritizing the current timeline of players they have?
Bears HC: Ben Johnson, OC, Detroit Lions
In Chicago, I expect Ryan Poles to be retained as general manager, as he hasn’t been terrible navigating his time in Chicago, especially as it relates to the handling of back to back top end selections in the draft. However, Matt Eberflus will likely be let go by season’s end, if not shortly thereafter.
The next head coach will need to be an offensive mastermind to unlock and get the most out of Caleb Williams, while also retooling the offensive line in front of him. Enter Ben Johnson, whose offenses in Detroit have ranked at the top of the league statistically on a consistent basis since taking over as offensive coordinator in 2022.
Ben and Ryan will have over 82 million in cap space, coupled with several draft picks, including 2 second round selections in order to retool this team to challenge for the NFC North Crown next season. Ultimately, their success will be tied to Caleb and his success, whether it deserves to be or not.
Cowboys HC: Bill Belicheck, Former HC, New England Patriots
While Deion Sanders has been the trendy selection to take over for Mike McCarthy in Dallas, this analyst will go in a different direction. Jerry Jones is currently the owner and defacto GM, so any head coach taking over will not only report to him, but may also want to have a say in talent evaluation and selection.
Jerry may also look to recapture the magic that Bill Belicheck had over many seasons in Foxborough as the head man for the New England Patriots by bringing in Belicheck as well. The most important factor in this hire is how much control will BB have over player personnel versus Jerry’s somewhat stubborn reluctance to give up control.
In addition, it also remains to be seen how they navigate some of the higher dollar contract extensions, including Micah Parsons’ pending contract extension, as well as if the deal given to Dak Prescott remain an albatross for this team in Dallas.
Ultimately the success in big D will hinge on whether Belicheck still has it as a head man, as well as how much control Jerry will relinquish to the future hall of fame head coach.
Jaguars HC: Bobby Slowik, OC, Houston Texans
Jaguars GM: Mike Borgonzi, Kansas City Chiefs Assistant GM
Jacksonville will need to perform a complete reset at season’s end, as this team is much closer to rebuilding than they are to completing for playoff games and championships. With that said, they look to copy the success of the Chiefs dynasty by hiring Mike Borgonzi, the right hand man of the current GM in Kansas City, Brett Veach.
Mike’s first order of duty as the general manager in Jacksonville is to find a head coach who can take Trevor Lawrence to the next level at quarterback. Taking a page from their division rival, they hire Bobby Slowik, who has shown exceptional work with CJ Stroud in Houston, as well as during his time in San Francisco.
Bobby would be one of the younger head coaches in the NFL, completing a fast rise through the coaching ranks. However, Jacksonville would love to etch his name next to Sean McVay and Mike Tomlin, two of the youngest head coaches to ever win a Super Bowl with his coaching performance in Jacksonville.
These hires successes would be determined by whether Slowik can maximize the potential and talent of Trevor Lawrence, and if this team can use the 60 million in cap room to stockpile this team with additional talent.
Saints HC: Joe Brady, OC, Buffalo Bills
Saints GM: Terrance Gray, Buffalo Bills Director of Player Personnel
New Orleans is likely the least attractive job on this list from this analyst’s point of view. This team has a need at quarterback as Derek Carr is sunsetting his career as a starter, is also lacking talent on both sides of the ball due to poor drafting and scouting, and has serious cap compliance problems (currently 63 million over the cap going into 2025.)
However, Mickey Loomis likely takes a page from the AFC East playbook, hiring Terrance Gray, the Buffalo Bills director of player personnel. Terrance brings years of scouting experience to the table, having been a scout for the Chiefs, 49ers, and Bills over an extensive career, and took over as the director of player personnel fully in 2022 for Buffalo.
Terrance will likely attack this offensive side of the ball in New Orleans, bringing Joe Brady back down to the big easy as his new head coach. Having worked with Joe Burrow as his passing game coordinator in 2019 at LSU, as well as the QB coach and Offensive Coordinator in Buffalo with Josh Allen, Joe Brady will be able to get the most out of whoever is the signal caller for New Orleans.
Ultimately Terrance’s premier scouting experience will be needed early, as this team will only survive the cap strapped years by hitting on cheap talent in the NFL Draft, and developing a signal caller to take this team from the bottom to the top of the NFC South.
Raiders HC: Deion Sanders, HC, Colorado
It’s time to get flashy with this hire. In this scenario, Antonio Pierce is not retained as head coach, putting the Raiders on the hunt for a new play caller.
With Shedeur Sanders entering the NFL Draft this year, and his father having coached him at multiple stops, this fit would be predicated on Deion wanting to make the jump, and the Raiders selecting his son in the first round of the draft.
This analyst can see both happening, as the Raiders have a need a quarterback and could be looking to selecting Shedeur early on in the 2025 NFL Draft. I also believe, given the chance, Deion would love to coach his son at the highest level, helping him navigate the pressures of being an NFL player and potential star.
Ultimately, Deion may not wish to coach at the NFL level, which if the case, the Raiders would likely retain Antonio Pierce to give him his quarterback of the future. But with Tom Brady as part owner, the Raiders may be looking to make a major splash, and what better way to do that than to have Primetime as your Head Coach, and his son as your Quarterback of the future.
Colts HC: Mike Vrabel, Former HC, Tennessee Titans
Colts GM: Ed Dodds, Assistant General Manager, Indianapolis Colts
Time for a dark horse opening: The Colts have a clear issue in-house: this culture is in need of a shake up. That is clear with the handling of the Anthony Richardson benching earlier this season.
I could see Irsay looking to clear out this Head Coach/General Manager combo after the season, and look to install a new culture in Indianapolis, especially if the Colts miss the playoffs yet again. The good news is he wouldn’t need to look far, as Ed Dodds would be a perfect fit as the head man, with his no nonsense attitude in the front office.
The next key would be the selection of his head coach, with this analyst predicting Mike Vrabel to be the head man. Vrabel’s time in Tennessee was built on installing a culture of blue collar, hardworking players who are worried more about each other and success on the field, rather than factors outside the organization.
Vrabel’s first order of business would be to change the culture surrounding the Indianapolis Colts locker room. The second? Finding a way to maximize the talents of Anthony Richardson and Johnathan Taylor, while also improving the weaponry and protection around these two.
Mike Vrabel’s coordinator hires will be some of the more important hires in this cycle, but if this team gets it right, the Colts could be right back at the top of the AFC South and completing for playoff wins as well.
On average, there are between 7-8 head coach openings in the NFL each season, as teams look to put the proper talent in place to lead their franchises into the future. It’s likely that all of the jobs become available, or none of them, depending on the rest of the results over the NFL season.
However, this analyst, as a Browns fan, knows the struggle of searching for the proper head coach to lead your franchise. Once you get it right? It leads to many, many successful years of football.
Like my takes here? Disagree with who I think your team will end up as head coach? Feel free to give me a follow on “X” @sparkscouting, and let’s discuss it, or if there is someone you think would fit better!
