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Quincy Milton III's NFL head coach power rankings for all 32 teams following free agency. Where does each NFL head coach stand in our latest power rankings?
An NFL head coach is one of the toughest jobs one could hold. These coaches go through the wringer every year as they attempt to get their team to the postseason and the Super Bowl. Many coaches are on very short leashes in an environment in which owners and fan bases grow more impatient with each passing season. Those who last more than a few seasons are lucky.
With so much impatience around the league, it is not uncommon to see between six and 10 head-coaching changes throughout each offseason. This offseason featured 10 head-coaching changes in what many thought would be a light year. The unpredictability can be as exciting as it is detrimental.
With legendary head coaches such as John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin no longer leading the Ravens and Steelers, respectively, this season's head-coaching changes will be all the more interesting. Will the new head coaches of those respective teams live up to expectations? Will brand new head coaches around the league last more than a season or two? Let's dive in and find out how each head coach stacks up as we head into the 2026 season.
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No. 32: New York Jets - Aaron Glenn
Aaron Glenn is a brilliant defensive mind and a fun personality. Unfortunately, his chops as an NFL head coach have yet to be developed. Glenn's lone season at the helm has featured a variety of media blunders, organizational mistakes, and coaching fails. Glenn is taking control of the Jets defense in 2026 and has overhauled his staff. It is all on him now.
No. 31: Cleveland Browns- Todd Monken
Todd Monken is receiving his first crack at a head-coaching job at 60 years old. Historically, older first-time head coaches struggle mightily. Still, Monken should at least provide a stabilizing presence and solid leadership for a team that never seems to be able to get anything right.
No. 30: Arizona Cardinals - Mike LaFleur
Mike LaFleur will join his older brother Matt among the ranks of NFL head coaches this coming season. LaFleur comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, which has placed solid head coaches throughout the league over the last several seasons. There is a lot of work to be done on this Cardinals roster, but the team should give other squads a run for their money this year.
No. 29: Miami Dolphins - Jeff Hafley
Jeff Hafley will receive his first crack at a head-coaching gig in Miami this season. This roster is in tough shape, with little maneuverability due to some large cap hits. As such, this is definitely a rebuild, but perhaps Hafley has what it takes to instill a winning culture here.
No. 28: Las Vegas Raiders - Klint Kubiak
Klint Kubiak is bringing a fresh offensive mind to Las Vegas. Fresh off a Super Bowl win in Seattle, Kubiak has championship experience that will be invaluable for this team. If anything, the Raiders offense should improve with Kubiak. Time will tell if he succeeds as the boss in Las Vegas.
No. 27: Atlanta Falcons - Kevin Stefanski
Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski landed in Atlanta this offseason. Many people feel as though he could have done a lot more good in Cleveland with a better roster and consistent quarterback play. With that type of expectation, it is now on Stefanski to go out and prove his head-coaching chops with a solid roster in 2026.
No. 26: Dallas Cowboys - Brian Schottenheimer
Brian Schottenheimer was unable to do much in his first year as Cowboys head coach, with a terrible defense holding back an excellent offense. Don't look now, but the Cowboys actually had a pretty good offseason. Schottenheimer may very well put this team in a solid position to succeed in 2026.
No. 25: Tennessee Titans - Robert Saleh
Robert Saleh only had to sit out one season before landing another head-coaching job. His landing spot in Tennessee is underrated. Saleh will absolutely field a solid-at-worst defense this season.
However, it is the development of quarterback Cameron Ward that should have Titans fans excited. Saleh managed to hire Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator. As a result, this offense could hum in 2026.
No. 24: Cincinnati Bengals - Zac Taylor
Zac Taylor has received a pass for missing the playoffs three years in a row due to injuries to quarterback Joe Burrow and the lack of a defense. Taylor is likely on his last leg in Cincinnati at this point. Now, several years from a Super Bowl appearance, the rose-colored glasses have worn off, and Taylor must simply get the job done or be replaced.
No. 23: Washington Commanders - Dan Quinn
In his two stints as a head coach, Dan Quinn has come out firing and then faltered. He reached the Super Bowl in Year 2 with the Falcons and the NFC Championship Game in Year 1 with the Commanders. The lost 2025 season can be chalked up to injuries, but Quinn's seat will quickly grow lukewarm if wins do not come early in 2026.
No. 22: New Orleans Saints - Kellen Moore
Kellen Moore's years-long wait for a head-coaching job may have paid off. He seems to be a perfect fit in New Orleans as he looks to shepherd in a new era. The Saints improved dramatically in 2025, and they gave their fans hope. With a potential post-Drew Brees franchise quarterback in place and continued roster improvements, New Orleans could make some noise in a weak NFC South in 2026.
No. 21: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Todd Bowles
Todd Bowles is in the ultimate hot seat this year. With two straight disappointing endings to the season, Bowles will have to get this team over the hump to save his job. Tampa Bay needs to step it up in a division that is slowly catching up to it.
No. 20: Carolina Panthers - Dave Canales
Dave Canales seems to have hit his stride in Carolina. He has done well to help develop quarterback Bryce Young. The question is whether this team has hit a ceiling. Then again, Carolina did push the NFC runners-up in the Los Angeles Rams to the brink in the NFC Wild Card round this past season. At this point, Canales will likely go as far as Young can take him.
No. 19: Indianapolis Colts - Shane Steichen
Shane Steichen continues to manage to hold onto his job as injuries keep dooming his seasons as the head coach of the Colts. One must assume that Steichen's seat is pretty warm heading into this season. He will have to hope that quarterback Daniel Jones returns healthy this year; otherwise, Steichen may be looking for an offensive coordinator position in 2027.
No. 18: Buffalo Bills - Joe Brady
Sean McDermott is out, and Joe Brady is in in Buffalo. The Bills felt like they needed a change, and they kept things simple by retaining Brady, who has excelled as the team's offensive coordinator for two seasons. Of course, it all comes down to whether Buffalo can get out of the AFC.
No. 17: Baltimore Ravens - Jesse Minter
Baltimore went with the young defensive genius, Jesse Minter, to usher in a new era. Minter has been coaching under Jim Harbaugh since 2022. He should be a quality head coach given Harbaugh's mentorship. The Ravens have a talented roster, and Minter should slot in nicely as he looks to fill the shoes of Harbaugh's older brother.
No. 16: Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy is back in the NFL after a one-year hiatus. He is currently recruiting quarterback Aaron Rodgers back to the team. We know what McCarthy is at this point in his career. However, he will bring stability to a franchise known for it. Who knows, perhaps the new message from McCarthy will take this team to the next level.
No. 15: Minnesota Vikings - Kevin O'Connell
Kevin O'Connell will look to work his quarterback magic this season with either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy. O'Connell will have to hope that one of these two players can return Minnesota to the postseason. The Vikings are built to win now, and O'Connell's leash will shorten if the team stumbles once again this year.
No. 14: New York Giants - John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh essentially had his pick of the field as a free-agent head coach this offseason. His decision to take over in New York was indicative of his thoughts about the roster construction. Harbaugh should have this team playing very competitive football in the NFC East this coming season. As a CEO-style head coach, Harbaugh's staff decisions will make or break him in New York.
No. 13: Houston Texans - DeMeco Ryans
Three years, three losses in the AFC Divisional Round. DeMeco Ryans has been an excellent stabilizing force for the Texans in his three years at the helm. However, the team has certainly hit a ceiling and does not seem to be improving in a rapidly improving AFC South. Ryans' job is not in jeopardy, but he will need to get more out of this team, particularly the offense.
No. 12: Green Bay Packers - Matt LaFleur
All the talk of a split between LaFleur and the Packers was silenced with a new contract extension for LaFleur this offseason. This Packers team continues to find success every year, but it has not been able to reach the NFC Championship Game since Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback. The job will only continue to get harder with the NFC North rapidly improving.
No. 11: Jacksonville Jaguars - Liam Coen
We are quite far removed from the famous "Duvalllll" blunder from Coen at his introductory news conference. Coen proved that he is a serious coach with his mentorship of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his near Wild Card victory in 2025. Jacksonville is once again well-positioned to win the AFC South and host another playoff game in 2026.
No. 10: Philadelphia Eagles - Nick Sirianni
Despite winning 59 games over the past five seasons, Nick Sirianni seems to be under constant scrutiny. This is likely because the offense seems to refuse to evolve despite a definite need to. Given that he coaches in Philadelphia, Sirianni always seems to be on the hot seat. However, Philadelphia has so much talent that the winning should not stop this year.
No. 9: Los Angeles Chargers - Jim Harbaugh
Harbaugh is entering Year 3 in Los Angeles as he looks to take this team to the next level. We all know that all Harbaugh does is win, so expect this team to become dominant at any moment. Harbaugh should finally have all of his guys, and the addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel should do wonders for this offense.
No. 8: Chicago Bears - Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson turned Chicago around in Year 1 at the helm. Some of the Bears' success may have been due to luck, but there is no denying Johnson's impact on the team. However, Chicago's future is quite unpredictable given how good the NFC North is right now.
No. 7: Detroit Lions - Dan Campbell
Detroit finished 9-8 in 2025, yet it still missed the playoffs. The rest of the NFC North seems to have caught up to this team in some regard. Still, Campbell has the utmost respect of his players and staff. He will get the most out of this team, and Detroit should be right back in the mix in 2026.
No. 6: Kansas City Chiefs - Andy Reid
Andy Reid and the Chiefs may have had a down season in 2025, but do not forget that this is still one of the best head coaches in the league. Reid always seems to have a new answer offensively. It also does not hurt to have a guy like quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the roster. The Chiefs may not be dominant this season, but watch out for a bounce back at minimum.
No. 5: San Francisco 49ers - Kyle Shanahan
2025 may have been Kyle Shanahan's best job as an NFL head coach. Amid mounting injuries, Shanahan still guided this team to an NFC Divisional Round appearance. It was famously trounced by Seattle, but the roster had no business being there in the first place. Watch out for this team in 2026 with an improved roster and players returning from injury.
No. 4: Denver Broncos - Sean Payton
Sean Payton guided the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game in 2025. If quarterback Bo Nix had been healthy, this team may very well have gone to the Super Bowl. Payton will have his work cut out for him with the Chiefs likely re-entering the fold in 2026.
No. 3: Los Angeles Rams - Sean McVay
Sean McVay continues to get the job done in Los Angeles. He just led another NFC Championship appearance and a near victory. After the potential retirement reports a couple of seasons ago, McVay seems to have rediscovered his zest for coaching. It is a good site to see.
No. 2: New England Patriots - Mike Vrabel
All Vrabel did in Year 1 at the helm was to take back the AFC East and guide the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Vrabel's ability to shift the Patriots' culture is unrivaled. This team should be right back at the top of the AFC East once again in 2026.
No. 1: Seattle Seahawks - Mike Macdonald
All it took was two seasons for Mike Macdonald to win a Super Bowl in Seattle. Macdonald has built one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL. With few holes to patch this offseason, Seattle's question marks lie on the offensive side of the ball, where it lost offensive coordinator Kubiak to the Raiders.
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