NFL Rumors: Latest Gossip Surrounding 2017 Head Coaching Vacancies

While 12 NFL teams are gearing up for the upcoming postseason, six others are searching for the right head coach to eventually take them to that promised land. 

Five of those openings came as the result of firings. Three teams (Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams) fired their coaches before season's end. The San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers parted ways with Mike McCoy and Chip Kelly, respectively, shortly after the regular season came to a close. The sixth and final opening is with the Denver Broncos, as Gary Kubiak stepped down of his own accord after two seasons. 

The end of the regular season has seen a ramping up in the coaching news and rumors. Meetings have already been scheduled or taken place, with playoff-bound coordinators in demand agreeing to fit interviews with the wanting teams into their busy schedules. 

There likely won't be many (if any) official hirings until after a round or two of the postseason as teams wait to meet with candidates and deliberate on this all-too-important process. Here's a look at the latest rumors before Wild Card Weekend. 

      
Anthony Lynn In Demand

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Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn is a target for several teams as the coaching carousel gets in motion. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Lynn is expected to interview with the Jaguars for their open position, bringing the total to four teams looking his way:

Lynn met with the 49ers on Wednesday, becoming the first coach to interview for the job, per CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. He played for the 49ers for two seasons from 1995-96. 

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The 48-year-old is a longtime NFL coach, having spent much of his coaching career as a running backs coach before getting a chance to serve as offensive coordinator for part of the 2016 season with the Bills, and then finally stepping into the interim role when the team fired Rex Ryan on Dec. 27. The Bills lost to the New York Jets 30-10 in Week 17 with Lynn at the helm.

Though Lynn is a hot commodity, he very well may take the head coaching gig in Buffalo. The team is interested in retaining him, and star running back LeSean McCoy has spoken highly of his position coach/coordinator, per Nick Veronica of the Buffalo News:

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I like Coach Lynn, I really do. He makes everybody accountable. He’s that leader, that type of coach we need. A lot of players like playing for him, (including) myself.

When I first got here as a running back and I found out he’s my coach, dealing with him on a day-to-day basis, I fell in love with him. So I’m actually excited that he’s up for the job. And we’ll see. Hopefully he gets it.

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Though the familiarity with the organization and players might be too tempting for Lynn to pass up, there is some uncertainty when it comes to the team's most important position.

The Bills could be looking to part ways with quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the starter for the past two seaons and an integral component of the rushing attack. Taylor was essentially held out of the Bills' Week 17 loss to the Jets, and the Bills likely aren't keen on extending his contract.

If the Bills don't keep Taylor, Lynn might be tempted to look elsewhere knowing the passing and running game is liable to take a big hit. Blake Bortles stumbled through a bad season this year in Jacksonville, but he did throw 35 touchdowns a season ago and is surrounded by talented wide receivers. The Jags also boast a strong defense, perhaps easing the transition concern for an offensive-minded coach like Lynn. 

Though Lynn's best fit is staying in Buffalo, he's certainly doing his own due diligence as teams show interest.

         
Kyle Shanahan Reportedly Eyeing Broncos Head Coaching Job

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Former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan won two Super Bowls and made seven total playoff appearances in 14 seasons coaching the Denver Broncos from 1995 to 2008.

His son, Kyle Shanahan, is a wildly successful offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, but it appears he could have his heart set on a promotion.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said on Wednesday's Up to the Minute Live that the younger Shanahan prefers the Mile High City over other possible head coaching roles, perhaps with the chance to build on his father's legacy. 

"The word around the league right now," Garafolo said on the program (via NFL.com's Chris Wesseling), "the word with people involved in coaching searches and gathering all of this information is that that's the job Shanahan has his eyes on—going to Denver where his father coached." 

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ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell noted that Shanahan could make for an especially smooth transition from Kubiak: 

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The natural fit for the Broncos seems to be Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, whose stock is at an all-time high after leading Atlanta to a league-high 540 points this season. Shanahan would make some sense. His offense can incorporate many of the same zone-blocking concepts utilized by Kubiak, in part because Shanahan once worked as Kubiak's offensive coordinator in Houston, and Kubiak served as an offensive coordinator in Denver under Shanahan's father, Mike, for 11 years. The Broncos did fire the elder Shanahan in 2008, which may have left a sour taste, but that was before his former starting quarterback, John Elway, took over the organization.

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Of course, Shanahan isn't the only candidate up for the Broncos job, and he may not even be the top choice. On Tuesday, Sporting News' Alex Marvez reported that Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph might be first in line for the Denver gig:

Joseph is getting plenty of attention in his own right, and his status as a defensive coordinator might be particularly attractive to the Broncos, who will want to ensure that their elite defense remains the driving force of the franchise. 

Still, the Broncos are in need of an overhaul on offense, averaging just 13.7 points over their last five games this season. Shanahan's familial ties to the organization and massive success with the Falcons this year might trump whatever the other head coaching candidates bring to Denver. 

      

49ers Want Josh McDaniels, But He May Not Want the Job

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The 49ers are done with the innovations and machinations of Kelly, and have also done away with general manager Trent Baalke. That leaves a clean slate to make a mark on for a new head coach in San Francisco.

According to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, the 49ers are reportedly keen on New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, although he may not be interested in taking the job: 

McDaniels will indeed interview with the 49ers on Saturday—taking advantage of the Patriots' first-round playoff bye—along with the Rams and Jaguars, per the Boston Globe's Ben Volin. 

McDaniels might be seen as a safer choice for some teams, as he's steeped in Bill Belichick's winning tradition and already has some head coaching experience under his belt.

At the young age of 33, he took the reins in Denver from 2009-2010 after several seasons as a New England assistant and offensive coordinator. Things did not go well for McDaniels in Denver, as he went 8-8 in his first season and 3-9 in his second before getting fired with approximately a month to go in the campaign. 

Back with the Patriots since 2012, McDaniels should do what he can to find the right fit for his next go-around as head coach. He's still only 40 years old, plenty of time to soak up as much as he can from Belichick and continue his winning ways steering Tom Brady and company to great success on offense.

The allure of a head job is going to be difficult to ignore, however, so McDaniels will more than likely fill one of the vacancies available this offseason. The 49ers might not prove to be the most comforting destination for McDaniels, who has already suffered a quick canning as head coach.

They've burned through Kelly and Jim Tomsula in the past two seasons and haven't had a head coach stick around for longer than four seasons since Steve Mariucci was at the helm from 1997-2002. The lack of stability and open questions about the general manager position could very well dissuade McDaniels long enough for another team to pluck him from the Patriots.