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It’s official—Bill Belichick is off the NFL coaching market, heading to the college game instead as the new head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
And so that leaves the question of who will be the top coaching candidates this offseason. We already know some teams that will have vacancies (Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints), while other organizations are trending toward making offseason changes like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, to name a few.
Below, we’ll go through the top names those franchise could, or should, be considering.
The Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator is one of the most creative and dynamic play-callers going, and the result has been an offense that ranks second in yardage this season (394.8 YPG) and first in scoring (32.1).
Field Yates @FieldYates
“Everybody’s gonna have their eyes on Ben Johnson, the Lions offensive coordinator, and I think he might have some interest in that job. We’ll see if they can convince him to come to Chicago.” 👀 https://t.co/chkhZcrJzK
Yes, the Lions are loaded with talented weapons, but every game they seem to pull out some new, innovative gadget play or scheme, keeping defenses off balance. For a team desperate to inject some life into its offense, Johnson is going to be the candidate.
Mike Vrabel’s six seasons as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans resulted in a 54-45 record and three playoff berths, though the team was just 2-3 in the postseason. This year, he’s served as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns, but he’s widely expected to be one of the top names on the coaching market.
The Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs and let Gabe Davis walk in free agency this offseason, among other departures, leaving star quarterback Josh Allen seemingly devoid of many weapons.
No matter. Allen’s MVP-like performance this season, combined with offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s scheme in his first full year on the job—he took over OC duties for Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 season—has the Bills ranked second in scoring (30.5 PPG) and 10th in yardage (355 YPG).
That should make Brady, who previously served as the passing-game coordinator for LSU and offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, one of the hot names on the coaching market this offseason.
The Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator and former Miami Dolphins head coach has his unit ranked second in takeaways (27), sixth in points allowed (18.5 PPG), fourth in sacks (40) and second in run defense (87.2 YPG).
Mike Tomlin—who hired Flores as a linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant in 2022, had nothing but praise for him.
“He came in and did everything we asked him to do,” he told Conor Orr of SI.com. “He was always willing to add additional insight that his experience and capabilities provided, but he was not heavy-handed with that. I was just really impressed with how he managed the opportunity that he had here and what he brought to us. Being around him day to day and getting to know him as a football man and a football coach.”
“I feel the same way about him as I felt about Raheem Morris when I talked to people regarding his candidacy,” he added. “I thought Raheem was the best coaching candidate in the world without a head coaching job, and I feel the same way about Flo in this cycle.”
The Baltimore Ravens are a somewhat disappointing 8-5 on the season, but it’s hard to blame the offensive side of the ball for the team’s choppy play.
Under Todd Monken, in his second season as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Ravens rank first in yardage (422.5 YPG), third in scoring (29.5 PPG), fifth in passing (243.4 YPG) and second in rushing (179.1 YPG).
Jamison Hensley @jamisonhensley
Todd Monken, who is the play-caller for the No. 1 offense in the NFL, will likely get linked to head coach openings.
How does he handle that? “I don’t pay attention to it,” he said. pic.twitter.com/AmLeM2EnZ9
Last season, Lamar Jackson won MVP, while this season Derrick Henry has terrorized opposing offenses. The talent in place is undoubtedly a huge part of Baltimore’s offensive success, but Monken is clearly maximizing the weapons he has.
