Grading Mike LaFleur to the Cardinals and Every New NFL Head Coach Hiring of 2026

The coaching carousel in 2026 is arguably the wildest in recent memory. Over a quarter of the NFL's teams have openings at the top—including a pair of teams that haven't changed coaches in two decades.

The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills all entered the offseason looking for new leaders of their franchises.

The first domino fell ahead of the divisional round, when news broke that the Giants were finalizing a five-year deal with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, that deal was finalized on Saturday, January 17.

Now the final opening has been filled, with the Arizona Cardinals bringing in Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

As the other head coaching vacancies are filled, Bleacher Report NFL Analysts  Gary Davenport, Kris Knox, Maurice Moton, and Brent Sobleski will be here to offer their assessments of which teams chose widely and which clubs will wish they could take a mulligan a year from now.

Arizona Cardinals Pluck the Sean McVay Coaching Tree by Hiring Rams OC Mike LaFleur

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

The final head coaching domino has fallen.

Per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Arizona Cardinals are set to make Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur their next head coach. The 38-year-old LaFleur, who is the brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, spent three years as the Rams' OC after serving in the same capacity for the New York Jets in 2021 and 2022.

It's an easy hire to like on more than a few levels. LaFleur lacks head-coaching expertise, but he's a bright offensive mind who comes from a Sean McVay coaching tree that has borne quite a bit of fruit in recent years. Last year, the Rams led the NFL in both total offense (394.6 yards per game) and scoring offense (30.5 points per game).

LaFleur admittedly won't have the offensive firepower at his disposal in the desert that he did in Los Angeles—especially if the team moves on from quarterback Kyler Murray in the offseason. But it's at least possible that LaFleur's hiring signifies that Arizona may be willing to try one last reclamation project with Murray giving the financial implications of trading or replacing him.

But in any event, the Redbirds got a proven offensive mind who is yet to turn 40 to try to turn the franchise's fortunes around.

Given that Arizona was the last team to fill their coaching vacancy, it's just about the best-case scenario for the Cardinals.

Grade: A-

Raiders Will Be Patient in Hiring Klint Kubiak To Be Their New Head Coach

AP Photo/John Froschauer

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak

As Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak prepares for Super LX, he can't formally come to an agreement with another team for a head-coaching position. 

However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Kubiak "intends" to work out a deal with Las Vegas for its vacancy.

Weeks ago, Pete Carroll's firing set the stage for an offseason that could change the franchise's long-term outlook. The Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft and are projected to have the second-most cap space. Now, they likely have their new head coach on the way following the Super Bowl.

Assuming the two sides agree on a deal, Kubiak walks into a situation that will allow him to mold the Raiders' quarterback of the future, presumably Fernando Mendoza, and a roster that needs upgrades in various spots. 

Raiders' brass likely sold Kubiak on a long-term rebuild, which will give him more time than previous head coaches, Carroll, Antonio Pierce and Josh McDaniels. Expect a four-to-five-year deal to match general manager John Spytek's long-term contract.

Last offseason, Las Vegas swung and missed on Ben Johnson, who went on to become the Chicago Bears' head coach. Kubiak doesn't have the play-calling resume that compares to Johnson's three-year run in Detroit, but quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold have played at a Pro Bowl level in his system. 

Kubiak is coming off a season in which he called plays for the Seahawks' third-ranked scoring offense. Fox Sports broadcast analyst and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady had a front-row seat to Kubiak's work in the playoffs, giving him valuable insight into what the Raiders could do with running back Ashton Jeanty and All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers moving forward. 

If this becomes official next week, the Raiders would have the home-run hire that should allow them to compete in a strong AFC West division.

Grade: A

Cleveland Browns Settle on Long-Time OC Todd Monken at Head Coach

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

In news that should surprise exactly zero people, the Cleveland Browns were not the most attractive opening in this coaching cycle. The Browns have major issues on both sides of the ball, including no set future at quarterback. Multiple candidates for the team's coaching vacancy withdrew their name from consideration.

In equally unsurprising news, the guy they did land on to lead the team isn't going to inspire any cartwheels from the fanbase.

In hiring former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken (per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi), the Browns got a coach who has extensive NFL experience. But none of that experience comes as a head coach—Monken's only go-round in that role came over a decade ago at Southern Miss, where Monken was 13-25 over three seasons, capturing Conference USA Coach of the Year honors in 2015. He has served as the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, Cleveland and most recently Baltimore.

Hiring a soon-to-be 60-year-old who has never been a head coach at the NFL level is a very Browns thing to do, even if the team's options had dwindled to Monken or promoting defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. However, not only have the Browns now made one of the least exciting hires of the cycle, but per the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Schwartz was "visibly upset" about the hiring and won't be staying on.

That's great.

Monken's a solid OC whose Ravens led the league in total offense in 2024. But there's no Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry in Cleveland.

And it's hard to see how going from Kevin Stefanski to Monken moved the team in a positive direction.

At least the Browns can get a head start on filling the head-coaching vacancy the team will have in 2028.

It's never too early to be told, "no."

Grade: F

Bills Stay In-House, Promote Joe Brady as Head Coach

AP Photo/Doug Murray

The Buffalo Bills were one of the NFL's most successful teams during the Sean McDermott era. The team held a 98-50 record, with five AFC East titles and eight playoff appearances during the previous head coach's nine seasons at the helm. But McDermott established a new standard in Buffalo, which became his downfall, and opened the door from someone on his staff to take the reins.

"I did not fire Coach [McDermott] based on a bad officiating decision. If I can take you into that locker room, I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall year after year—13 seconds, missed field goal, the catch," Bills owner Terry Pegula explained to reporters after his decision to fire McDermott. "So, I just sensed in that locker room, like, where do we go from here with what we have? And that was the basis for my decision."

Interestingly, Pegula didn't go in a completely new direction. Instead, he hired from within by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, per the NFL Network.

Obviously, Brady's hire preserves continuity. He's been on the staff since the 2022 campaign. He also has a close relationship with the franchise player, Josh Allen, after directly coaching him during the last four seasons.

At the same time, Brady's familiarity doesn't necessarily bring what Pegula identified as his qualifier for McDermott's firing, which was a new voice. Technically, Brady hasn't led the team, but he has been in the same locker room during the aforementioned times.

How differently will Brady do things and will those differences in approach lead the Bills' to their first Super Bowl victory? These are legitimate questions after making an internal move instead of looking outside of the team's walls and going in a completely different direction.

The possibility of this move bringing more of the same is probably higher than reaching the stated goal.

Grade: C

Steelers Set to Hire Mike McCarthy for Pittsburgh Homecoming

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Head coach Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers will hire their fourth head coach in 57 years. Mike McCarthy will take over for Mike Tomlin, who resigned after the team's Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans. 

The Steelers have deviated from the mold of their previous three head coaching hires. Unlike the late Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin when they took on the job, McCarthy isn't in his 30s and comes in with a proven head-coaching resume, having won a Super Bowl and 61 percent of his games.

McCarthy will coach a third storied franchise after stints with the Green Bay Packers (2006-2018) and Dallas Cowboys (2020-2024). He led the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-5 campaigns, which included two division title reigns in five seasons.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Pittsburgh isn't hiring McCarthy to sway Aaron Rodgers into staying for another year. That said, one has to wonder if the 42-year-old quarterback would be interested in a reunion with the head coach who helped him lead the Packers to a Super Bowl win, ironically against the Steelers in 2011.

For McCarthy, who grew up in Pittsburgh, it's a homecoming. The Steelers get a 62-year-old lead skipper with a strong resume, but he doesn't fit the recent wave of young hires.

McCarthy will be tasked with remodeling an offense that hasn't ranked within the top 10 in scoring or yards since 2018.

Grade: B

Ravens Eye Defensive Turnaround, Hire Jesse Minter

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Jesse Minter

On Thursday, the Ravens announced that they have hired Jesse Minter as their new head coach. The former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator will be just the fourth head coach in franchise history, following Harbaugh, Brian Billick, and Ted Marchibroda.

Minter also has his own history with Baltimore, having served in various roles with the Ravens between 2017 and 2020.

There's a lot to like about his return to Baltimore, beginning with the fact that he does carry a defensive background. Poor defense has been an ongoing issue for the Ravens since Mike Macdonald departed to become the Seattle Seahawks' head coach in 2024.

Baltimore's defense ranked 24th overall and 18th in points allowed this past season.

Minter will need to hire a staff that can keep Lamar Jackson and the offense rolling. If he can boost the defense, though, Baltimore should be right back in the playoff mix as early as next season.

Minter's Chargers defense ranked fifth overall and ninth in points allowed this past season.

At only 42 years old, Minter can potentially lock down Baltimore's job for the foreseeable future if he turns out to be a successful head coach. And while Minter has no prior head-coaching experience, he was trending as a hot candidate during the season, thanks to the resurgence of L.A.'s defense.

"I don't know of anybody who's a bigger fan of Jesse Minter than I am," Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said, per Dan Greenspan of The Associated Press.

If the Ravens truly moved on from John Harbaugh because things had gotten stale after 18 years, replacing him with Minter was a logical choice. He's young, he knows the organization, and he should have a plan for getting Baltimore's defense back into playoff form.

Grade: B

Robert Saleh Beats Out Matt Nagy to Become Titans Head Coach

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Tennessee Titans soon-to-be head coach Robert Saleh

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Tennessee Titans are set to hire Robert Saleh after his second interview with the team.

Despite his 20-36 record with the New York Jets between 2021 and 2024, Saleh became a prominent head-coaching candidate as his banged-up 13th-ranked scoring defense played well up until the NFC divisional round of the playoffs. Still, even with the blowout loss to Seattle, the 46-year-old gets a second chance to lead an NFL team.

This time around, Saleh will have a young, promising quarterback in Cam Ward to build around for the long term. Also, unlike his tenure in New York, he'll call defensive plays, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Rapoport noted that Saleh impressed the Titans in the interview process. He must have blown team brass away because TitanInsider's Terry McCormick, among others, considered former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy the front-runner for the job.

As a defensive-minded head coach, Saleh will make a critical decision in choosing an offensive coordinator, an idea he likely shared with the Titans' brass. 

We know Saleh brings enthusiasm to the locker room and elevates defenses, two things Tennessee needs after finishing the 2025 season near the bottom of several defensive statistical categories under an interim head coach.

However, Saleh will be judged on how his staff helps Ward develop into a pro as the new face of the franchise. As a defensive lead skipper, his hire raises question marks, though his ability to assemble a quality group of offensive assistants will make-or-break his tenure in Tennessee.

Grade: C

Miami Dolphins Go Defense-First With Jeff Hafley's Hire

AP Photo

Jeff Hafley bet on himself by leaving a Power Four head coaching gig to become an NFL defensive coordinator, which created a pathway to become the Miami Dolphins head coach, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Less than three years ago, Hafley was still leading the Boston College Eagles program. He then chose to jump ship for the Green Bay Packers. At the time, Hafley stated the opportunity to join that particular franchise and coaching staff was the right move.

"It really has more to do with this place than anything else," Hafley told reporters.

"And one was Matt (LaFleur). I've known Matt for a while. I worked with his brother (Mike), worked with Kyle (Shanahan), worked with Robert (Saleh), worked with guys that he's known, so I've known of Matt. I've respected what he's done. ...

"And then lastly, as a guy that grew up loving football, it's the Green Bay Packers. This is like the Mecca of the football world to me and probably to most people who grew up loving football. Just being here and driving into Lambeau every day, it still feels surreal. The community, maybe the best fans in all of the world, as well, that made a really, really hard decision—leaving Boston College, players that I loved, staff that I loved, the leadership at the school—it made a really hard decision a lot easier and, ultimately, that's why I decided to come."

His "love of the game" answer didn't include opportunity, which was clearly baked into the decision-making process.

Hafley did an excellent job coordinating the Packers defense after the unit struggled previously under Joe Barry's direction. This season, Hafley's unit finished Top 12 in total and scoring defense. A year prior, the group ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. Hafley now takes over a depleted Dolphins squad that finished bottom 11 in those same categories.

The Dolphins' latest hire also brings a previous working experience with the franchise's new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who spent the past 21 years in Green Bay's front office.

Miami decided to act quickly despite the Buffalo Bills' surprise decision to fire Sean McDermott hours earlier. According to Pelissero, Hafley "blew everyone away" during his initial interview. Plus, the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals were all interested in the candidate.

Considering Hafley's previous head coaching experience, ties to Miami's general manager, history working with top-notch coaches and a strong defensive resume, his hire makes complete sense. Though he faces a major obstacle when it comes to no obvious plan at quarterback or a history of developing one. Miami's identity will need to be on defense until a competent QB1 is found.

Grade: C+

The Giants Land John Harbaugh on Five-Year Contract

AP Photo/Nick Wass

John Harbaugh

The Giants were one of two teams that fired their head coach during the 2025 regular season—the Tennessee Titans being the other.

Neither franchise owner John Mara nor general manager Joe Schoen said it publicly. However, New York's braintrust likely didn't believe that Brian Daboll was the right coach to lead rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and a promising young roster into the future.

Harbaugh isn't the sort of "offensive guru" that teams with young quarterbacks often seek. However, he's a seasoned coach with Super Bowl success who found success with a variety of roster lineups in Baltimore. He'll know how to build a support system around Dart, and he'll provide stability to a franchise that has had six head coaches (including interim) since Tom Coughlin resigned after the 2015 season.

The 63-year-old comes from an AFC North division that was consistently competitive, and his teams made the playoffs in 12 out of his 18 seasons. The Giants have to feel good about their chances of returning to relevance in the NFC East with Harbaugh at the helm.

It's unclear how well Harbaugh and Schoen can work together on personnel decisions. However, NFL insider Jordan Schultz recently told WFAN that he's heard nothing to suggest that the two can't coexist.

With New York finally closing the deal to secure Harbaugh, it's hard to consider the move anything but a win.

Grade: A

Falcons Agree to Hire Kevin Stefanski

AP Photo/Kin Cheung

Kevin Stefanski

According to The Athletic's Josh Kendall, Atlanta was the only other team known to have interviewed Harbaugh before he agreed to join New York on Thursday. It's probably not a coincidence that the Falcons moved to hire Stefanski hours after Harbaugh's deal with the Giants finally got done.

A 43-year-old two-time Coach of the Year, Stefanski was arguably the biggest name on this year's coaching market after Harbaugh. For the Falcons, he makes plenty of sense.

Atlanta has a talented roster that is more than good enough to compete in the NFC South—the Falcons tied for the best record in the division this past season. It also has a promising young quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., though he's coming off a season-ending knee injury.

Stefanski's record over the last two years (8-26) leaves plenty to be desired, but the fact that he was saddled with nothing but instability at quarterback during that span can't be ignored. He delivered two playoff berths and a winning record in his first four seasons. He should build an effective offense around Penix, assuming the third-year signal-caller is healthy by next season.

The longtime Minnesota Vikings assistant also helped quarterback Joe Flacco resurrect his career in 2023. Flacco now looms a potential veteran insurance policy if Atlanta doesn't bring back Kirk Cousins—who played under Stefanski with the Minnesota Vikings.

The challenge for the Falcons and new president of football Matt Ryan will be to pair Stefanski with the right general manager and not give him a roster full of holes like the one he had this past season.

In a vacuum, though, Stefanski is a younger coach who can provide a long-term solution and who shown that he can put a team into the postseason.

Grade: B+