Latest NFL Rumors Surrounding Top 2026 Head Coach Candidates amid Wild-Card Round

The John Harbaugh sweepstakes is the primary storyline of the NFL coaching cycle.

The former Baltimore Ravens head coach is in demand across the league after he was let go last week.

A handful of franchises should have Harbaugh as their No. 1 option, but he won't interview with every single team that needs a head coach.

Plenty of other head coach candidates will interview in the next week, but all eyes are currently on Harbaugh.

John Harbaugh

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According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, John Harbaugh " will soon put together his interview schedule for this week."

Jones reported that the belief around the league is the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons are Harbaugh's top two choices. He also added that there is "mutual interest" between Harbaugh and the Cleveland Browns.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that Harbaugh is going to narrow his list down to three or four teams to interview with.

All of the teams with openings would love to have the Super Bowl-winning coach on their sideline next season, but only a few spots are intriguing enough for Harbaugh.

The Giants stand out because they already have a young quarterback to work with in Jaxson Dart.

Atlanta has loads of offensive talent, led by Bijan Robinson, but a decision has to be made there on the quarterback due to Michael Penix Jr's injury history.

Mike McDaniel

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According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Mike McDaniel has five interviews set up for this week.

McDaniel will interview with the Browns, Falcons, Titans and Ravens for their head coach openings and with the Lions for their open offensive coordinator spot.

McDaniel would obviously like to be a head coach again, but if the right situation doesn't pop up for him, he could go back to being an offensive coordinator.

McDaniel's success as an offensive mastermind got him the job with the Miami Dolphins. He showed off his play-calling skills with the Dolphins, but the team's record did not get better year-after-year.

Atlanta is a fascinating potential landing spot for McDaniel because of all the offensive talent already on the roster.

Baltimore stands out on the interview list as well because McDaniel could bring fresh ideas to the Lamar Jackson-led squad.

Rams Assistants in High Demand

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A few members of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff could be on the interview trail this week.

According to The MMQB's Albert Breer, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and pass-game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase have multiple interview requests.

Shula has requests from six of the teams with head coach openings, while Scheelhaase has three requests and LaFleur has two.

The Sean McVay coaching tree produced a handful of head coaches already, so it's no surprise to see his assistants once again be in demand during the coaching cycle.