NFL Insiders Sound Off on Top HC Candidates, Latest Rumors Ahead of Coaching Carousel

Amid all of the hype around Week 18 and how it will impact the NFL postseason picture, the final weekend of the regular season will also lead into the start of one of the most interesting hiring cycles for new head coaches in recent memory.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, the "wide open" field of candidates teams will look at in the offseason is going to feature a lot of currrent defensive coordinators.

Some of the names cited include Jeff Hafley (Green Bay Packers), Chris Shula (Los Angeles Rams), Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos) and Robert Saleh (San Francisco 49ers) and Jesse Minter (Los Angeles Chargers).

This is a rare year that could feature more high-profile defensive coaches getting serious consideration than offensive minds, but Fowler and Graziano did highlight Matt Nagy, Klint Kubiak and Joe Brady.

As far as the coaches not currently in the NFL who might get a look, it's also a light pool of candidates to choose from. Fowler cited Jon Gruden as someone who could at least get an interview with certain teams, but it would likely require his lawsuit against the league to "reach a conclusion at some point."

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who dismissed reports from earlier in the season that he has interest in the NFL, could still pop up because of his "deep" ties to the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders, per Fowler.

Fowler also listed Illinois' Bret Bielema as a "sleeper" candidate for teams. The 55-year-old had a three-year stint in the NFL from 2018 to '20 with the New England Patriots and New York Giants.

The Giants are in the market for a new head coach after firing Brian Daboll on Nov. 10.

Nagy, who is in his third season as Chiefs offensive coordinator, has been frequently connected to the Tennessee Titans. Mike Borgonzi, currently in his first year as Tennessee's general manager, was hired from Kansas City.

Shula is a name that stands out both because the Rams defense made a huge leap in DVOA from 25th in his first year in 2024 to eighth this season and NFL teams have historically liked to hire coaches from the Sean McVay tree.

Raheem Morris, who preceded Shula as the defensive coordinator in Los Angeles, parlayed his success in that role to getting the head coaching job with the Falcons.

As things currently stand, the Titans and Giants are the only teams that have fired their head coaches. The list of other potential openings could include the Raiders, Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.