NFL Head Coach Report Card - Grading the 10 Offseason Coaching Hires [2026]

February 12, 2026

Grading the 10 new NFL head coaching hires of the 2026 NFL offseason. Read the 10 head coaching grades for John Harbaugh, Mike McCarthy, Robert Saleh, more.

The coaching carousel was quite busy this offseason. There were 10 head coaching openings that led to a major shift across the league, including several longtime coaches switching positions, including the Ravens and Steelers moving off from their longtime head coaches.

However, not all hirings were the best choice. Let's hand out report card grades for the 10 newly-named head coaches.

Who were the best hirings of the 2025-26 head coaching carousel? Who were the worst? Let's dive in!

Arizona Cardinals

Mike LaFleur
Grade - B+

The Cardinals officially named Rams OC Mike LaFleur their next head coach earlier this week. LaFleur has served as Los Angeles's OC for the past three seoansa nd has been very effective in this role. In his debut season in 2023, LaFleur led the Rams to the ninth-highest scoring unit with the second-most yards.

While he had a down season in 2024, he brought the Rams back to the top of the sport in 2025. Led by MVP candidate Matthew Stafford, LaFleur's unit would score the most points and tally the most yards in the league.

LaFleur is the perfect candidate to help turn Kyler Murray's career around, following a disastrous 2025 campaign.

Atlanta Falcons

Kevin Stefanski
Grade - A

One of the top names available on the market was Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski, a former two-time Coach of the Year, is the prime candidate to take a talented Atlanta Falcons team to the next level. In 2025, the Browns had a disappointing season, but Stefanski has a lengthy track record of success.

In 2020 (his first season as the Browns HC) and 2023, Stefanski was named AP Coach of the Year. Over his six seasons in Cleveland, he posted a 45-56 record, but a strong 27-20 mark during his first four seasons. He brought them to the playoffs twice and picked up a playoff victory in 2020. Expect Stefanski to take a budding Atlanta defense with several productive rookies and a talented offense with the game's best running back to the postseason in 2026.

Baltimore Ravens

Jesse Minter
Grade - B

After making a surprise move to fire John Harbaugh, the Ravens opted to lean with a defensive-minded approach and bring in former Chargers DC Jesse Minter. Minter served as the Chargers' DC for the past two seasons. In 2024, Minter's unit was the best in the sport in points allowed and the 11th-best in yards allowed.

In 2025, they took a slight step back but remained elite, allowing the ninth-fewest points in the league and the fifth-fewest total yards. Given Baltimore's inconsistent defense last season, Minter should be the perfect candidate to round them into form. However, there remains some uncertainty on offense with OC Todd Monken also parting ways with the team.

Buffalo Bills

Joe Brady
Grade - B+

After falling short in the postseason once again, the Bills opted to part ways with HC Sean McDermott. Despite posting an elite 98-50 record with the Bills, his underwhelming 8-8 postseason record led to his demise.

The Bills interviewed former OC Brian Daboll, but instead promoted current OC Joe Brady to the head coaching role. Brady eventually took over the OC job once Daboll departed for New York. During his three seasons as Buffalo's offensive leader, Brady led them to a top-5 scoring offense each year. In terms of yardage, Buffalo would tally at least the fifth-most in the league in two of the three seasons.

Brady will bring a sense of stability to the franchise QB, Josh Allen, as they eye a Super Bowl appearance.

JOSH ALLEN. Dalton Kincaid. TOUCHDOWN.#NFL pic.twitter.com/goj65UPuhZ

— Sports Only (@SportsOnly____) January 18, 2026

Cleveland Browns

Todd Monken
Grade - C+

The soon-to-be 60-year-old will get his first crack at a head coaching role. Todd Monken began his time as a lead coordinator for the Buccaneers (OC) from 2016 through 2018. He then made a brief stop in Cleveland in 2019 before taking over OC duties in Baltimore from 2023 through 2025.

With the Ravens, Monken spearheaded an elite offensive attack that centered around two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. In 2023 and 2024, the Ravens ranked among the top 3 scoring offenses. However, in 2025, with Jackson dealing with lingering injuries, the Ravens scored the 15th-most points in the spot and tallied the 11th-fewest yards.

Monken will have a tall task improving a Cleveland offense that scored the second-fewest PPG last season.

Las Vegas Raiders

Klint Kubiak
Grade - A

The Pete Carroll experience did not work out as planned. In his return to coaching, the former Super Bowl Champion and longtime Seattle Seahawks head coach stumbled, leading them to just three victories. During the regular season, the Raiders averaged a league-low 14.2 PPG, despite having several talented players on the offense.

A change was needed, and the Raiders quickly opted to move off Carroll as they look to take the next step in their rebuild. Holding the first overall pick, adding a top offensive mind to pair with their soon-to-be franchise QB, Fernando Mendoza, Klint Kubiak, seems like a perfect fit.

Serving as Seattle's OC, he played a lead role in guiding them to the NFC's top seed and Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks averaged an elite 28.4 PPG, the third-most in the league. They were a very balanced team, averaging 123.3 rushing yards per game and 228.1 passing yards per game.

Kubiak helped Sam Darnold turn his second-straight 4,000-yard campaign and created a game plan that allowed both Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet to enjoy the best seasons of their career.

145 total yards
3 Touchdowns

Kenneth Walker III got a hat trick and a trip to the NFC Championship 🎩 @seahawks pic.twitter.com/QOvRNaCZpl

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026

While an experienced coach would also be a great match for Mendoza, the Raiders are looking for not only a budding offensive mind but also a coach who can provide a massive spark to the locker room, which is coming off a three-win season. Kubiak is prepared to lead a rebuild and will also create a running scheme to assist Ashton Jeanty round into form following a disappointing debut season.

Miami Dolphins

Jeff Hafley
Grade - C-

Jeff Hafley was one of the top coordinators available in this coaching cycle. Hafley was the mind behind the Green Bay defense for the past two seasons. Serving as their DC, Hafley would lead a stellar unit in 2024, as they surrendered the fifth-fewest points and sixth-fewest yards. However, in 2025, they enjoyed a dominant start but finished the season near the middle of the pack, allowing the 12th-fewest yards and the 11th-fewest points.

While Hafley will provide a significant boost to this defense, the Miami offense has serious question marks following the departure of Mike McDaniel. With the lack of a long-term solution at QB on the roster, Hafley may not be the best option to develop a potential franchise QB.

New York Giants

John Harbaugh
Grade - A

The Giants were looking for an experienced coach with a winning track record to shape the next decade of Big Blue football and made the perfect hire. Former Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh will be tasked with taking this young Giants roster out of rebuilding and into a competing window.

Harbaugh has spent the past 18 years as the Ravens' HC, leading them to a 180-113 record. In the postseason, Harbaugh posted a 13-11 record. He was named AP Coach of the Year in 2019.

Harbaugh played a major role in developing Lamar Jackson and will now have a similar task in developing second-year QB Jaxson Dart. Dart showed flashes of immense upside in his debut season and could emerge as one of the sport's next great QBs with Harbaugh leading the charge.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike McCarthy
Grade - D

Following the departure of 19-year HC Mike Tomlin, the Steelers appeared focused on entering a much-needed rebuild. However, after hiring Mike McCarthy, the Steelers appear poised to remain competitive despite not having a long-term answer at QB.

McCarthy was out of the league in 2025 following his four-year stint with the Cowboys. As HC of the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy led them to a solid 49-35 regular-season record and a 1-3 postseason record. He spent most of his career as the HC of the Green Bay Packers, where he won a Super Bowl and held an overall 125-77-2 record.

With McCarthy taking over head coaching duties, it is likely that future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers will look to return for his 22nd NFL season.

Tennessee Titans

Robert Saleh
Grade - B

The Titans hired former New York Jets HC and San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh. As the head skipper in New York (for 3.5 seasons), Saleh posted a modest 20-36 record. However, Saleh consistently led an elite defense but saw most of their production held back on the offensive side of the ball.

In 2022 and 2023, the Jets allowed the fourth and third-fewest yards in the NFL. With the 49ers this past season, Saleh's unit allowed the 13th-fewest points, despite dealing with numerous injuries. Saleh will help lead a massive turnaround for a struggling Tennessee defense that allowed the fifth-most points per game in 2025.

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