New NFL Rumors on Favorite for Falcons HC Job After John Harbaugh Buzz

As the New York Giants move closer to finalizing a deal with John Harbaugh, the Atlanta Falcons appear to have zeroed in on Kevin Stefanski as their preferred head-coaching candidate.

Per Connor Hughes of SNY.tv, Stefanski is expected to be the favorite for the Falcons after Harbaugh spurned them for the Giants. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported that Stefanski will meet with the Falcons on Saturday to conduct a second interview about the position.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons will "likely" interview Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Sunday.

The Falcons were the only team known to have completed an interview with Harbaugh prior to his meeting with the Giants.

Since firing Raheem Morris on Jan. 5, the Falcons have been aggressive in meeting with several candidates. They completed interviews with eight different coaches in five days from Jan. 10-15, including Stefanski, Klint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Jeff Hafley and Jesse Minter.

Even though the Falcons also have an opening at general manager after firing Terry Fontenot, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported the club's preference was to hire a coach before a GM.

Falcons legend Matt Ryan is overseeing the front office in the newly-created president of football role. Team owner Arthur Blank has said the coach and general manager will report directly to Ryan.

Stefanski has been a popular candidate for several openings after being fired by the Cleveland Browns. The 43-year-old has also met with the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans.

Prioritizing a strong offensive-minded coach like Stefanski isn't a surprise given that the Falcons need to find out what the best version of Michael Penix Jr., who is recovering from ACL surgery, looks like going into his third season.

The Falcons don't have a path to upgrade at quarterback this offseason with no first-round pick, so Penix seems likely to be the starter going into 2026 as long as his knee is healthy.

Stefanski went 45-56 with two playoff appearances in six seasons with the Browns. Even though his .446 winning percentage doesn't immediately stand out, it is the best by any non-interim head coach for Cleveland since Bill Belichick went 36-44 (.450) in five seasons from 1991 to '95.