NFL Rumors: Recent Chatter Surrounding 2019 Head Coaching Vacancies

We had eight NFL teams in playoff action over the weekend, and an equal number of teams have spent the last week seeking their next head coach. Those searches are going to continue next week, even as four more teams leave the Super Bowl race.

That's right, a full quarter of the NFL's franchises—the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—is in the market for a head coach.

These teams face a ton of pressure with their decisions, but there cannot possibly be enough quality coaches to go around.

With so many openings out there, it's no surprise that the rumor mill has been spinning at full tilt. With the first weekend of the playoffs now in the books, let's dig into some of the latest chatter.

John Harbaugh on the Move?

Some of the most notable rumors have surrounded Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. They are notable because, well, Harbaugh is under contract for the 2019 season. This isn't stopping other teams from being interested in him.

"I think the most sought-after candidate right now has a job and will be coaching this weekend," Albert Breer of The MMQB told Ross Tucker on the Dan Patrick Show last week. "That's John Harbaugh. I'll just tell you that I think a lot of teams are out there waiting to see what happens."

If the Ravens aren't sold on Harbaugh's future, they may explore trading him rather than letting him coach out the final year.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Baltimore is still working to ink an extension with the 56-year-old, but at the same time, at least two other teams are "strongly considering" offering up a trade to acquire him.

Now that the Ravens are out of the postseason, we can likely expect the smoke surrounding Harbaugh to increase.

Bruce Arians to Un-retire?

Do you remember during the regular season when retired head coach Bruce Arians told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that the Cleveland Browns were the "only" team he'd consider un-retiring for? Well, apparently, he's had a change of heart.

The Buccaneers announced on Saturday they had completed an interview with the former Cardinals head coach:

Here's where things could get tricky. Arians retired while he was still under contract with Arizona, and he had a team option for 2019. This raised the question of whether the Buccaneers would owe the Cardinals compensation upon signing him. According to Rapoport, the answer is no:

Rapoport's explanation is that since the team option was declined, Arians wouldn't be under contract next season. Of course, Arizona may argue that if the coach hadn't retired, it would have picked up that option.

The Browns, meanwhile, have not reached out to Arians, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

Kitchens May Have a Shot in Cleveland

The Browns haven't reached out to Arians, but they have spoken to several candidates, including interim head coach Gregg Williams, New England Patriots defensive play-caller Brian Flores, New Orleans Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

The Browns are going to interview interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens this week, and there's a legitimate chance he could get the job.

At the very least, Cleveland seems eager to keep Kitchens around as the full-time coordinator, as Cabot recently explained in answer to a question over why the Browns are rejecting requests from other teams to speak to the 44-year-old:

"It means that the Browns want Kitchens to stick around at least as offensive coordinator and maybe even as head coach. He'll have his head coach interview next week, and will try to convince John Dorsey that he can handle all the demands of the job. Short of that, Kitchens will be a favorite to remain as the offensive coordinator and play caller in the event the Browns hire a non-play caller."

Keeping Kitchens makes a ton of sense, as he has some obvious chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Keeping him as head coach, though, could be tricky. He hasn't even been a coordinator for a full season, and hiring him would likely leave the Browns also looking for a defensive coordinator—assuming Williams wouldn't be willing to stay.

It seems like it would be easier for the Browns to find a defensive head coach who would be willing to keep Kitchens. Either way, there's a strong chance that his presence plays a big role in Cleveland's coaching search.