Who Hired the Best HC Players, in Your Opinion?

This year’s head coaching cycle attracted more attention to coaches who didn’t secure jobs than those who did. The absence of Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel from the coaching hires is expected to generate stories leading up to the 2025 hiring period. Pete Carroll’s potential connection to another coaching job will also be monitored.

Eight teams, an increase from five in 2023, opted for coaching changes, with Dan Quinn’s hiring filling the last vacancy. While the Commanders’ coaching process faced challenges, teams are now moving forward with assembling their staff after securing their head coaches.

The Commanders appeared to have some uncertainty regarding their interest in Lions OC Ben Johnson, ultimately giving Quinn a second chance. Mike Macdonald was also aggressively pursued by Washington. The Seahawks secured Macdonald, making him the NFL’s youngest head coach at 36.

The Falcons presented the most intriguing storyline by being the only team seriously considering hiring Belichick but ultimately choosing Raheem Morris. Morris, with a successful run as the Rams’ DC, will return to coach the Falcons after previously serving as their interim HC.

Dave Canales was signed by the Panthers with a six-year contract after trading the No. 1 overall pick. The Titans hired Bengals OC Brian Callahan, while the Raiders and Patriots opted for in-house solutions, promoting interim HC Rich Bisaccia and promoting Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, respectively.

The highest-profile hire came from the Chargers, securing Jim Harbaugh with a $16 million salary over five years and granting him significant input into the GM replacement. Harbaugh, who has succeeded everywhere he has been, was a significant acquisition for the Chargers.

The head coaching market also saw Belichick and Vrabel left out, leading to speculation about their return in 2025. The dynamics of this year’s coaching hires and the reasons behind Belichick’s failure to land a job have generated interest and discussion.