This is the business we’ve chosen.
That reality is crystal clear for NFL head coaches in the early days of every New Year. The vast majority of hired coaches inevitably become fired coaches. Few leave on their own terms, without a pink slip, a push, or a nudge.
They understand it. And they’re compensated accordingly, often with millions still owed to them after they turn in their whistles.
Five days ago, there were two consensus vacancies looming for 2026, on top of the two that already existed. Starting on Sunday night, two became three (Falcons). On Monday, three became six (Raiders, Browns, Cardinals). On Tuesday, six became seven (Ravens). On Thursday, seven became eight (Dolphins).
And that may not be the end of it. Losses by the Packers or the Bills this weekend could (key word: could) spark even more changes. Also, Mike Tomlin could still decide to walk away from the Steelers whenever his latest playoff run ends.
It’s just the way it is. Owners feel compelled to do something to make things better, or at least to make it look like they’re trying. It’s a play to renew season tickets. To create hope, plausible or otherwise, for a more viable future that will keep fans engaged with their wallets, their time, their loyalty.
Adding to the willingness to fire a coach is the fact that, every year, one or more teams with new coaches immediately thrive. This weekend, two of the 12 wild-card coaches will be in their first seasons on the job. Five of the 12 are in their first two years on the job.
Quick fixes are possible. For plenty of teams, however, hiring a new coach won’t fix anything. The dysfunction flows from the top. The owner who hired the coach who was just fired will now have to hire another one. Who will eventually be fired.
Bad teams stay bad for a reason. And most of the jobs that are currently open are open because the organization can’t emerge from a cycle of dysfunction.
Except in Cleveland. Where the team is definitely not dysfunctional. Because the owner says so, despite a mountain of evidence otherwise.
Raiders Clips
The Giants will be speaking with one of their franchise legends about their head coaching vacancy.
Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, Antonio Pierce will interview for the job on Thursday and Friday.
Pierce, 47, was most recently Raiders head coach — taking over the role on an interim basis in 2023 before being hired full-time in 2024. While Las Vegas went 5-4 under Pierce in 2023, the club was just 4-13 in his one full-time season.
Pierce played for the Giants from 2005-2009, helping the club beat the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII to cap the 2007 season.
Critically, when the Giants complete the interview with Pierce, they will be compliant with the Rooney Rule and able to make a hire. The Giants have reportedly been meeting with former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on Wednesday and Thursday.
Multiple reporters on the Giants beat have named former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh as the favorite to land the job. By being Rooney Rule compliant, the Giants can get him to the building and convince him not to leave once Harbaugh begins doing interviews next week.
The Raiders are set for several head coaching interviews on Thursday.
Albert Breer of SI.com reports that they will interview former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Previous reports noted that they will also be speaking with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb met with the team on Wednesday and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is scheduled for an interview with the team on Friday.
Stefanski was fired by the Browns on Monday and has already met with the Giants about their vacancy. He’s slated to meet with the Titans over the weekend.
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby had surgery on his left knee on Wednesday and pronounced it a success.
“Clean Up Time. Successful Surgery. Expecting 200% recovery,” Crosby wrote on social media. “Year 8 Will Be The Greatest Year Yet.”
Crosby wanted to play through his knee injury at the end of the season, and the Raiders’ decision to shut him down with two games remaining led to tension with the organization. Given that the Raiders are rebuilding from a highly disappointing one-year experiment with Pete Carroll and have the first overall pick in the draft, it’s reasonable to wonder whether Crosby’s “greatest year yet” will be in Las Vegas, or elsewhere.
The 28-year-old Crosby has four years left on his contract and a $30 million guaranteed salary for the 2026 season. He has nothing guaranteed on his deal beyond 2026.
The Commanders are looking for a new defensive coordinator and one candidate for the job is in Las Vegas.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Commanders have requested an interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll this week, but have not parted ways with any of the team’s assistants at this point.
Graham joined the Raiders as a member of Josh McDaniels’ staff in 2022 and remained with the team through the changes to Antonio Pierce and Carroll. Graham has also been a coordinator for the Giants and Dolphins. He was a longtime assistant with the Patriots before making the move to Vegas.
Joe Whitt spent two years as the coordinator in Washington and the Commanders also parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury this week.
The Raiders have scheduled two more interviews with head coaching candidates.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is slated to meet with the team on Thursday. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s interview is set for Friday.
Both coaches are on a bye week before their top-seeded teams host a playoff game in the divisional round. The first round of interviews will be held virtually and no follow-up can take place until the Broncos and Seahawks are eliminated or, if they remain alive, during the week between conference championship games and the Super Bowl.
The Raiders are also scheduled to interview Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb on Wednesday and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on Thursday.
Matt Nagy is set to have a busy next few days of interviews.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator will interview with the Raiders and Titans on Thursday before meeting with the Cardinals on Friday.
Nagy, 47, was the Bears head coach from 2018-2021, accumulating a 34-31 record with one division title and two postseason appearances. He was named AP coach of the year in 2018.
He has worked under Andy Reid for much of his career, starting out as a coaching intern with the Eagles in 2008 and moving to the Chiefs with Reid in 2013 as quarterbacks coach.
Nagy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator from 2016-2017 before his stint with the Bears, returning in 2022 as senior assistant and quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023.
Titans G.M. Mike Borgonzi worked with Nagy in Kansas City before being hired in Tennessee last year.
Word of the Raiders’ interest in interviewing Davis Webb for their head coaching vacancy came on Tuesday night and they aren’t wasting any time getting the interview done.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Webb will interview with the Raiders on Wednesday. Webb is currently the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator, which makes him eligible to have a virtual interview this week because the team has a bye to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Webb has been on Sean Payton’s staff in Denver for the last three seasons. The 30-year-old was a 2017 third-round pick by the Giants and appeared in two NFL games for the Bills and Giants before moving into coaching in 2023.
It’s the first interview that the Raiders have conducted since firing Pete Carroll this week. They are also expected to speak with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in the coming days.
The Raiders have requested an interview with Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
It will be the 30-year-old Webb’s first head coaching interview.
Webb spent six seasons as an NFL backup quarterback before Sean Payton hired him as an assistant in 2023. He has worked with Russell Wilson and Bo Nix in his three seasons in Denver.
Raiders General Manager John Spytek is a former Broncos’ scout.
The Raiders also will interview Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as they seek to replace Pete Carroll, whom they fired Monday.
John Harbaugh has landed on the coaching market. And the betting markets have quickly responded.
Harbaugh is the instant favorite to become the new coach of the Giants, with odds of +150. The prior favorite, former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, is +175.
Harbaugh is also 8-1 to become the coach of the Titans, 10-1 to become the coach of the Browns, +650 to coach the Falcons, and +450 to coach the Raiders.
It would be awkward, to say the least, for Harbaugh to land with the Raiders, given that the Ravens are widely believed to have instigated the #Deflategate scandal of 2015, by telling the Colts that the Patriots (and quarterback Tom Brady) were using deflated footballs.
Regardless, the Ravens decided to make a change after 18 years with Harbaugh. The question for Harbaugh is whether to take a job now or to wait a year, monitoring all developments for the best opportunity in 2027.
Few think Harbaugh won’t continue to coach. The only question is where, and when, he’ll continue a career that could end with a bronze bust in Canton.
