National Football League

[Alpe d'Huez]

2026 NFL head coach openings: Ranking the best available jobs

Lost all respect for whomever wrote that article when they listed the Browns as the 3rd best option. They still have a $96m boat anchor in the form of a serial sexual predator they must pay over the course of the next two years. Plus they will be paying him through 2030 even after his contract ends. Making this far worse, if they cut him, the cap hit is nearly $117m, with a staggering $81m dead money cap hit for 2027, which would be over 1/4th their entire cap going to just paying to not have him around. This is because of the way they kept restructuring his contract, as it's 100% guaranteed. The Browns also have maybe the worst, most meddling owner in the entire league.

They also failed to recognize the Raiders have $110m in cap space for next year, and a staggering $296m heading into 2027 (and zero dead money then). The Raiders are also likely to have even more money if they win their arbitration with the Christian Wilkins fiasco (which I think they will). Plus they will have possibly 9 or 10 picks this coming draft, likely in the valuable 4th and 5th rounds, due to compensatory picks. Plus they'll have the #1 overall pick.

 

[Unchained]

Lost all respect for whomever wrote that article when they listed the Browns as the 3rd best option. They still have a $96m boat anchor in the form of a serial sexual predator they must pay over the course of the next two years. Plus they will be paying him through 2030 even after his contract ends. Making this far worse, if they cut him, the cap hit is nearly $117m, with a staggering $81m dead money cap hit for 2027, which would be over 1/4th their entire cap going to just paying to not have him around. This is because of the way they kept restructuring his contract, as it's 100% guaranteed. The Browns also have maybe the worst, most meddling owner in the entire league.

They also failed to recognize the Raiders have $110m in cap space for next year, and a staggering $296m heading into 2027 (and zero dead money then). The Raiders are also likely to have even more money if they win their arbitration with the Christian Wilkins fiasco (which I think they will). Plus they will have possibly 9 or 10 picks this coming draft, likely in the valuable 4th and 5th rounds, due to compensatory picks. Plus they'll have the #1 overall pick.

https://www.totalprosports.com/nfl/browns-owner-blaming-deshaun-watson-for-teams-disappointing-season/

 

[movingtarget]

Todd Bowles to return for fifth season as Buccaneers head coach

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

https://www.totalprosports.com/nfl/browns-owner-blaming-deshaun-watson-for-teams-disappointing-season/

WTF? No one to blame but himself. He's the jackass that wanted the guy, and came up with the genius idea to pay him all that money. Then he and his brilliant GM thought it would be smart to keep restructuring Watson's contract to push the money further into the future. So now a heap of it is backloaded, and there's no damn way they can get out of it. And then they make Kevin Stefanski the scapegoat for their losses? Unreal.

And this is supposedly the third best coaching opportunity out there??

 

[Nomad]

Some offensive minded HC (and OC) will want to coach the Raiders, because it will get them:

• Access to Fernando Mendoza (or Dante Moore)

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/BuSb7cgxhbk?si=hJltlhcQ7Yzxxyq6

This isn't a bad idea if Cignetti is interested. He has a background as a QB coach & OC (he himself played QB at West Virginia). And I'm sure he could make a lot more money coaching in the NFL. However, don't know if he would want to leave Indiana - a program that he's turned into a FBS powerhouse literally overnight.

 

[Oldman]

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/BuSb7cgxhbk?si=hJltlhcQ7Yzxxyq6

This isn't a bad idea if Cignetti is interested. He has a background as a QB coach & OC (he himself played QB at West Virginia). And I'm sure he could make a lot more money coaching in the NFL. However, don't know if he would want to leave Indiana - a program that he's turned into a FBS powerhouse literally overnight.

Leave Indiana for the bright, blaring lights of Las Vegas....Not if they gave him 51% team ownership if he wants to enjoy the rest of his working life. His contract at Indiana pays him $10m/year.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I don't see him taking the gig. Then again, if he wins the national championship, there is no greater achievement in college sports. So anything is possible.

 

[Nomad]

Todd Bowles to return for fifth season as Buccaneers head coach

Well then, he better move on from Mayfield. Mayfield is a #1 OA pick & Tier 2, and they finish 8-9 in a lousy division missing the postseason. Lol. And TB has actually gotten worse with him. In his first year, they won the division & actually won a playoff game. Last year they won the division again but were eliminated in the WC round. This year, no division...no playoffs. So, Mayfield is 1-2 in 3 seasons there. Another colossal underachiever & borderline bust. And the sad thing with him is that he's so full of himself thinking he's actually a good QB. Lol

 

[SHAD0W93]

WTF? No one to blame but himself. He's the jackass that wanted the guy, and came up with the genius idea to pay him all that money. Then he and his brilliant GM thought it would be smart to keep restructuring Watson's contract to push the money further into the future. So now a heap of it is backloaded, and there's no damn way they can get out of it. And then they make Kevin Stefanski the scapegoat for their losses? Unreal.

And this is supposedly the third best coaching opportunity out there??

Maybe trying to complaint to get out of the stupid contract they gave in.

 

[movingtarget]

Must give the Browns the sheets to have to keep Watson on the roster until the cut becomes more financially favourable. He's obviously untradeable. What a disaster for a team that has had a playoff quality defense for a few seasons now.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Well then, he better move on from Mayfield. Mayfield is a #1 OA pick & Tier 2, and they finish 8-9 in a lousy division missing the postseason. Lol. And TB has actually gotten worse with him. In his first year, they won the division & actually won a playoff game. Last year they won the division again but were eliminated in the WC round. This year, no division...no playoffs. So, Mayfield is 1-2 in 3 seasons there. Another colossal underachiever & borderline bust. And the sad thing with him is that he's so full of himself thinking he's actually a good QB. Lol

Borderline bust, huh?

And who exactly are they going to get to replace him? Kyler Murray? Tre Lance? Zach Wilson? Geno Smith?Maybe someone like Ty Simpson will fall to them in the draft? Maybe they can swing a trade with Cleveland. Send Mayfield back to Cleveland in exchange for Watson?!

 

[SHAD0W93]

https://community.raptive.com/t/breaking-miami-dolphins-fire-head-coach-mike-mcdaniel/105651?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPMrslleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEebXFT68-uYEP1HEek-vTDlaBIVP1Lj-dBRZh4kQuu08ny6VV5v3x0cRWm-1M_aem_-_45nCkKpjokvR6tEODjwA

Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Eagles, Ravens and Lions should all be trying to get him as OC.




Rice also now accused of beating his ex but don’t know how true it is.

 

[Oldman]

Well then, he better move on from Mayfield. Mayfield is a #1 OA pick & Tier 2, and they finish 8-9 in a lousy division missing the postseason. Lol. And TB has actually gotten worse with him. In his first year, they won the division & actually won a playoff game. Last year they won the division again but were eliminated in the WC round. This year, no division...no playoffs. So, Mayfield is 1-2 in 3 seasons there. Another colossal underachiever & borderline bust. And the sad thing with him is that he's so full of himself thinking he's actually a good QB. Lol

He may get good after getting kicked around a bit. It can't help from team morale perspective that he's on more commercials than post game interviews where he can credit the team...

 

[Potomac]

McDaniel and Morris heading my way to become the OC and DC.

Well, at least I hope they do.

 

[movingtarget]

Colts GM Chris Ballard believes QB Daniel Jones has 'bright future' in Indianapolis

 

[movingtarget]

Buccaneers fire Josh Grizzard after one year as OC; special teams coach Thomas McGaughey also out

 

[movingtarget]

Top 25 NFL rookies of 2025: Ranking the best first-year standouts

 

[Nomad]

Borderline bust, huh?

And who exactly are they going to get to replace him? Kyler Murray? Tre Lance? Zach Wilson? Geno Smith?Maybe someone like Ty Simpson will fall to them in the draft? Maybe they can swing a trade with Cleveland. Send Mayfield back to Cleveland in exchange for Watson?!

Definitely a bust. C''mon Alpe, a #1 OA & Heisman winner - and what does he have to show for it? He's 2-3 in the postseason in his 8 season career. No SB appearances, no conference CG appearances...just 2 WC round wins only to get eliminated in the next round. Boy...that's really impressive...Mayfield must be the real deal. Lol.

Let's compare him to Burrow - a fellow #1 OA & Heisman winner. Burrow in 6 seasons is 5-2 with a SB appearance & only one of 2 QBs to beat Mahomes in the AFC playoffs (the other is Brady). And Burrow has missed the better part of 2 seasons due to injuries.

Let's compare hin to Purdy - drafted completely at the other end of the spectrum as "Mr. Irrelevant." Purdy in just 4 seasons is 4-2 with a SB appearance. And the 9ers have a fair chance of getting back to the SB. Mayfield should be embarrassed that a guy drafted last is so successful in the postseason winning more than he has.

And those names you threw out there are either busts (Wilson, Lance & Murray) or underachievers (Smith). You're not going to get anywhere with these guys.

And not Ty Simpson - that's another 1st rd gamble. I'm thinking more of Mateer & klubnik - two solid dual-threats that are projected as 2nd or 3rd rounders. Grab a offensive lineman or skill position player in the 1st rd & then your future QB in the 2nd or 3rd rd. Never forget Hurts came from the 2nd rd.

 

[Nomad]

Final offensive line rankings. Broncos #1 & the Raiders last (no surprises there):

Final 2025 NFL offensive line rankings

The Broncos, powered by tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz, lay claim to the top spot in the final 2025 NFL offensive line rankings

www.pff.com

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

McDaniel I think has a chance at being hired as HC somewhere. Especially if that team has a strong GM, and are planning on turning over the defense to an established DC to run the defense.

Let me give an example: Who would make a better head coach: Mike McDaniel, or Klint Kubiak? How different are they, other than McDaniel has been a HC already?

I can see why Tetairoa McMillan was at the top of that rookie list. But I simply did not see how Cam Ward was better than Tyler Shough.

 

[movingtarget]

Final offensive line rankings. Broncos #1 & the Raiders last (no surprises there):

Final 2025 NFL offensive line rankings

The Broncos, powered by tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz, lay claim to the top spot in the final 2025 NFL offensive line rankings

www.pff.com

Think he overrated the 49ers O line. Top 5 is a stretch.

 

[Nomad]

McDaniel I think has a chance at being hired as HC somewhere. Especially if that team has a strong GM, and are planning on turning over the defense to an established DC to run the defense.

Let me give an example: Who would make a better head coach: Mike McDaniel, or Klint Kubiak? How different are they, other than McDaniel has been a HC already?

Since Kubiak has never been a HC before, you'd have to give him a chance & see if he can do better than McDaniel?

I don't see what is so great with McDaniel...am I missing something here? Playoffs in only 2 out of his 4 seasons at Miami (both first round eliminations) & back to back losing seasons the last 2 yrs.

Even trying to convince ownership that he's found his QB with 7th rounder Ewers didn't save his job. Lol

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Since Kubiak has never been a HC before, you'd have to give him a chance & see if he can do better than McDaniel?

How well did that work with Josh McDaniels? Adam Gase? Gus Bradley? Matt Patricia? Cam Cameron? Norv Turner? Dennis Allen? Hue Jackson? *** Lebeau?

At least McDaniel took teams to the playoffs. An awful lot of coaches never even do that. And there's zero guarantee Kubiak will.

I don't see what is so great with McDaniel...am I missing something here? Playoffs in only 2 out of his 4 seasons at Miami (both first round eliminations) & back to back losing seasons the last 2 yrs.

Look at what he had to deal with. A highly concussion prone QB who after one good year, simply couldn't run anymore, as he couldn't take a single hit. Top WR a history of domestic abuse allegations, totally distracting, then hurt. Even this year his roster was completely shot, wasted. Everyone wrote the team off, then they went 6-4 down the stretch, beating Buffalo, Tampa.

 

[SHAD0W93]

There’s a Klint Kubiak coaching in the NFL?




For McDaniel to succeed as a head coach he needs someone who can be hard on the players to maintain the discipline.

 

[Nomad]

How well did that work with Josh McDaniels? Adam Gase? Gus Bradley? Matt Patricia? Cam Cameron? Norv Turner? Dennis Allen? Hue Jackson? *** Lebeau?

At least McDaniel took teams to the playoffs. An awful lot of coaches never even do that. And there's zero guarantee Kubiak will.

Look at what he had to deal with. A highly concussion prone QB who after one good year, simply couldn't run anymore, as he couldn't take a single hit. Top WR a history of domestic abuse allegations, totally distracting, then hurt. Even this year his roster was completely shot, wasted. Everyone wrote the team off, then they went 6-4 down the stretch, beating Buffalo, Tampa.

You're cherry picking unsuccessful cases. What about Kyle Shanahan, Mike McDonald, Coen & Johnson?

Of course, there's zero guarantee that Kubiak would take a team to the playoffs. But you wouldn't know one way or the other if he never gets a chance. Kyle Shanahan didn't exactly explode out of the gate when he was hired (2 losing seasons to start out), but he's now one of the more successful coaches over the last several years.

Allright...so in McDaniel's case, Tua let him down by not living up to the expectations of a #5 OA pick. And that really is the impetus of coaches getting fired - bad QB play that results in losing seasons. You get a great QB that leads to success & the HC looks like a genius (Maomes/Reid). Conversely, you get a bad QB that can't win & coaches get fired (Smith/Carroll). Nothing new here - it's always been this way in the NFL.