Ranking Most Attractive NFL Coordinator Jobs to Fill After Black Monday
Black Monday has come and gone.
The day after the conclusion of the regular season may be cause for celebration for some, but for coaches of disappointing teams, it often means cleaning out their desks.
Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars was let go Monday, and Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots didn't even make it out of Sunday.
Coupled with those who were already fired (and a couple more who may still be), the head coach carousel will be the dominant storyline for the 18 NFL teams who didn't make the playoffs over the next few weeks. There will be interviews, permission requests and rumors galore.
But for every HC opening, there are likely to be a pair of coordinator openings. They may not drive the news cycle or have the same paycheck, but they can be incredibly important—both for the fortunes of the teams involved and the coaches who fill those openings.
Cue both coordinators for the Detroit Lions nodding, with smiles on their faces.
Those new coordinators will need to coach well in their new homes. But where those homes are can make or break whether they have success and start getting mentioned as head-coaching candidates in their own right.
Right now, these are the openings that best equip coordinators for success. They don't have the Saints' cap problems, the Raiders' lack of a quarterback or the Browns' unending nightmare.
These are the jobs up-and-coming assistants should be targeting.
6. New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator
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The offensive coordinator gig in New England carries the same caveat as every other job on that side of the ball on this list: the Johnson conundrum.
Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the hottest name in this year's head coaching cycle. It's almost as if the 15-2 Lions have a good offense or something.
If he's smart, the 38-year-old won't take on too much in his first go-round as a head coach. But it's a good bet his fingerprints will be all over his new team's offense.
Frankly, the odds Johnson picks New England aren't great, anyway. The Patriots are arguably the most talent-deficient team at the offensive skill positions in the NFL. They were 31st in total offense last year and 30th in scoring offense.
Per Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network, New England had the worst offensive line in the league in 2024.
However, the Patriots do have a couple of things going for them. The first is a young quarterback in Drake Maye who showed flashes as a rookie. He completed two-thirds of his passes, topped 400 yards on the ground and gave New England's offense a spark that had been missing for some time.
The second is a top-five pick in April's draft (No. 4 to be exact) and the biggest war chest in the league in free agency: over $130 million. The Patriots don't have the pieces already in place that some of the other teams included here do. But they are a blank canvas.
It's an offense that can be molded into whatever the new coordinator desires.
5. Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator
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Honestly, in this writer's opinion this opening shouldn't even exist.
It's not Lou Anarumo's fault the Cincinnati Bengals missed the playoffs. But after finishing 25th in total defense, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that he made the difficult decision to fire his defensive coordinator, two other defensive assistants and offensive line coach Frank Pollack.
"Those were extremely hard moves for me to make," he said. "Those were all men that I have a ton of respect for and been through high and exciting times with and do not take those decisions lightly."
This is the least appealing factor to the Bengals job: Taylor fired those coaches because his own status with the team is shaky after missing the postseason in back-to-back years. Unless the Bengals turn things around in 2025, he will likely be out and his new defensive coordinator will be looking for work again.
However, there's also plenty to like here. This season's sack king, Trey Hendrickson, groused about his contract last year and will likely do so again, but he's under contract through 2025. The return of a healthy Logan Wilson should solidify the linebacker position. The secondary needs work, but the Bengals have almost $59 million in cap space with which to make moves (although re-signing wide receiver Tee Higgins would put a dent in that war chest).
The Bengals are also closer to being a legitimate Super Bowl contender than any team on this list, and Joe Burrow and Cincy's high-octane offense should take pressure off the defense in theory.
Finally, while the Bengals may have lofty aspirations next year, they have them in one of the NFL's smallest markets. A young coordinator can build a reputation there without every move they make leading off a segment of First Take.
Anarumo did, and that's away he's already being linked to numerous contenders who could be looking for a new DC soon.
4. New York Jets Defensive Coordinator
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As is the case with a few of those on this list, there's a chance this opening isn't really an opening. The New York Jets also need a head coach, and if the team hires a defense-minded one, it's possible they may want to run the defense.
However, the best head coaches delegate. And on paper, the Jets have quite a bit to offer a prospective coordinator.
We might as well get the biggest downside to this opening out of the way off the jump. It's coaching in New York. The Jets are desperate to return to relevance. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2010. And after the Aaron Rodgers debacle (which got Robert Saleh fired as head coach in-season), the fanbase is going to be that much more frenzied about a quick turnaround.
With that said, there are things to like about the Jets defense. Spearheaded by breakout edge-rusher Will McDonald IV and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, New York has talent on the defensive front. Jamien Sherwood emerged as a more-than-viable replacement for the aging C.J. Mosley at linebacker. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed are one of the better one-two punches in the league at cornerback.
Reed and Sherwood are free agents, but the Jets are sitting on over $30 million in cap space—enough to bring at least one of them back. New York also has the seventh overall pick in April's draft.
The Jets fielded the third-ranked defense in the league in 2024. If you can stomach the pressure-cooker that is the Big Apple, this is an appealing job.
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3. Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator
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An argument can be made for ranking the offensive coordinator job in Seattle atop this list—and off it altogether.
On the upside, there's a defensive head coach in Mike Macdonald who should leave the offense to his new coordinator. There's an established quarterback in Geno Smith who was just sixth in the league in passing yards.
Yes, Smith threw 15 picks last year. But he's under contract, and if Seattle cuts him loose, you may have to take off your shoes to count the teams that would be interested in the 34-year-old. In the short term at least, the 10-win Seahawks have their quarterback.
The team is also loaded with skill-position players. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are an excellent one-two punch at running back. Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerged as a legitimate WR1 in 2024—on a team that already had DK Metcalf. Veteran Tyler Lockett could return if he's willing to play for less money.
On the down side, it can be argued Ryan Grubb got the hook for the same reason Anarumo did: A head coach with a mandate for change from ownership covering his own six. Grubb was one-and-done in Seattle.
The Seahawks offensive line is also...well, it's bad. And Seattle isn't especially well-equipped to fix it. Its 10-win season leaves it picking in the back half of Round 1. The Seahawks' cap situation is rather a mess. They are one of three teams currently projected to be upside down against the cap in 2024, to the tune of well over $10 million.
It's the opposite of New England. Where the Patriots are a blank slate, the Seahawks are essentially set. There just isn't much room to change what's already there.
2. Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator
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Like the aforementioned Jets role, the new head coach hire in Chicago could impact this opening.
If the Bears were somehow able to lure Ben Johnson to Chicago, the offensive coordinator in the Windy City could be something of a figurehead.
At first glance, taking over an offense that ranked dead-last in yards per game and 28th in scoring might not appear all that appealing. But this is a unit with the potential to be much better than those numbers.
The first season of Caleb Williams' NFL career didn't go as planned, even if part of the problem is his 2024 being compared to Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders.
As Courtney Cronin noted for ESPN, a high-ranking Bears source pushed back hard on the idea the 2024 No. 1 overall pick's rookie year was a bust.
"No way," he said. "I wouldn't even use that word. I mean, go back and look at Troy Aikman. I think he was 0-11 in his first 11 starts. Look at Peyton Manning's rookie year [3-13, 26 TDs, 28 interceptions]. Caleb's done an excellent job. Not only as a player, but from a maturity level."
It's worth noting that once Shane Waldron was ousted as offensive coordinator, Williams played better. And he has no shortage of weaponry at his disposal: Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore at wide receiver. D'Andre Swift at running back. Cole Kmet at tight end. And a decent (albeit unspectacular) offensive line.
The Bears also have over $80 million in cap space and can afford to be a major player in free agency.
So, what's not to like about this job? As with the Jets, it's the spotlight. The Bears are a big-market team that hasn't enjoyed consistent success in a long time.
The new offensive coordinator will also be expected to "fix" Williams...and quickly.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Coordinator
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The Jacksonville Jaguars entered 2024 with aspirations of not only winning the AFC South but also doing damage in the playoffs. They enter 2025 with a top-five draft pick and no head coach after Doug Pederson was canned on Black Monday.
How big an imprint the new head coach (this may well be the most appealing job for Johnson) wants to leave on the offense will impact the attractiveness of the offensive coordinator job. Jacksonville's offensive line is also below average on a good day, but that will happen when a team trades its starting left tackle in midseason.
However, there's also a lot to like in Jacksonville.
The centerpiece is wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who was the best rookie receiver of 2024 by a sizable margin. He caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, and then-OC Press Taylor told reporters recently that he believes the sky's the limit for the LSU product.
"He's been extremely impressive," he said. "I mean, I couldn't speak for any other rookies and how they are in a building, but me personally, no, I have not. He's exceeded our expectations and the sky's the limit for him. It's going to be awesome to see him play."
There's no shortage of pass-catching talent around Thomas, either: Whether it's youngsters like Parker Washington or veterans such as tight end Evan Engram and wideout Christian Kirk. The running backs disappointed last year, but that's not a difficult situation to remedy given Jacksonville's $40 million and change in cap space.
The Jaguars also have their quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Is the Golden Boy ever going to live up to the avalanche of hype that accompanied him into the NFL in 2021? Probably not, but that doesn't mean he isn't a quality starter.
If Jacksonville can avoid the injuries that decimated the team this year and come close to playing to its potential in 2025, this could be a top-10 offense.
And the new offensive coordinator will look like a genius.
Follow Gary on Twitter at @IDPSharks.
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