Sports
Nine open NFL coaching jobs, nine predicted hires: Who will land in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New York?
Editor’s note: We updated these predictions to include a ninth open job after the Steelers and Mike Tomlin parted ways.
It’s the middle of January, and nine NFL teams are looking for new head coaches. That’s more than 25% of the league. There’s a worthwhile debate about the healthiness of that model, but that’s not what we’re doing here. We’re trying to predict who will land those nine jobs, which is really hard to do at this point. Though I understand fans’ eagerness to find out who will be coaching their favorite teams, it’s important to remember how early we still are in this process.
For example, assistant coaches for teams that played in wild-card playoff games Saturday or Sunday weren’t even allowed to conduct virtual interviews for head coach jobs until Tuesday. If a team wants to interview, say, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Rams coordinators Mike LaFleur and Chris Shula, or Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, they haven’t been able to until just now. Saleh is preparing for a game Saturday against the Seahawks on a short week, all while multiple teams have requested permission to interview him for their head coach position. Assistant coaches for teams that played in Monday night’s wild-card game can’t do virtual head coach interviews until Wednesday. So, if a front office is looking to talk to Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke or Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, it hasn’t been able to do that, either.
Finally, are we sure there will be only nine openings? For example, Matt LaFleur and the Packers are discussing an extension, but that doesn’t mean he will get one. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to see a team or two move on from its head coach this late in the game — just as Pittsburgh did on Tuesday.
All of that said, predictions are fun, so here are my still-too-early head coach landing spot predictions that are sure to be wrong. They tell me I can come back and update this next week if I want. I’ll likely take them up on that.
Jump to an opening:
ARI | ATL | BAL | CLE
LV | MIA | NYG | PIT | TEN
Former coach: Jonathan Gannon, fired last week after three seasons and a 15-36 record
My prediction for the next Cardinals coach: Klint Kubiak, Seahawks offensive coordinator
Arizona’s situation will be a tough sell for the more established candidates, especially because the Cardinals will likely move on from quarterback Kyler Murray. Would the Cards love to get John Harbaugh? Of course. But he will probably find other opportunities more appealing. Arizona needs to be thinking about finding a young star head coach to compete in a division in which Mike Macdonald, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay each just won at least 12 games and are all still alive in the playoffs. Maybe Kubiak has that potential.
Three years ago, Arizona waited out the Eagles’ Super Bowl run and hired Gannon, who was Philly’s defensive coordinator at the time. If Seattle makes a run to the Super Bowl, the pattern could be repeated with Kubiak. Seattle’s offense ranked eighth in yards (351.4) and offensive points scored (25.3) per game this season.
Other known candidates: Vance Joseph, Robert Saleh, Matt Nagy, Thomas Brown, Jeff Hafley
Former coach: Raheem Morris, fired last week after two seasons and a 16-18 record
My prediction for the next Falcons coach: John Harbaugh, former Ravens head coach
Falcons team owner Arthur Blank will be willing to spend what it takes to get the top coach available. The Falcons are also looking for a new GM, and that could be appealing to Harbaugh, as he could have some say regarding who gets the role (though the Falcons just hired former QB Matt Ryan as president of football, and he’ll obviously have plenty of say in both decisions).
The question for Harbaugh, or any candidate, is what he thinks of the QB situation in Atlanta. Michael Penix Jr. will be in his third season and coming off a major knee injury, and Kirk Cousins is still hanging around. If a coach thinks they can make that work, Atlanta has a lot to offer.
Other known candidates: Kevin Stefanski, Anthony Weaver, Klint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Aden Durde, Ejiro Evero, Jeff Hafley
Former coach: John Harbaugh, fired last week after 18 seasons, a 180-113 regular-season record, a 13-11 playoff record and a Super Bowl title
My prediction for the next Ravens coach: Kevin Stefanski, former Browns head coach
The Ravens know Stefanski from having played against his Browns teams for the past six years (Baltimore was 8-4 against Stefanski-coached Cleveland teams), and Stefanski is a popular candidate on this circuit. He’s a mid-Atlantic, East Coast guy who would fit in a place like here or New York. Having Lamar Jackson and a winning culture in place makes Baltimore the most appealing landing spot among the current openings. Stefanski had 13 different starting QBs in Cleveland, but he would get a true franchise passer in Jackson in Baltimore.
2:27
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Other known candidates: Brian Flores, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, Klint Kubiak, Anthony Weaver, Matt Nagy, Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Joe Brady
Former coach: Kevin Stefanski, fired last week after six seasons, a 45-56 regular-season record and a 1-2 playoff record
My prediction for the next Browns coach: Mike McDaniel, former Dolphins head coach
All of the intel we have on this one says the Browns are looking for an offensive-minded head coach who won’t mind keeping Jim Schwartz as the defensive coordinator. (That makes me wonder why they don’t give the head coach job to Schwartz, an outcome I believe is also possible here.)
Cleveland’s perpetually challenging quarterback situation could make this job a tough sell, but McDaniel is quirky, creative and confident. And he had success in a challenging QB situation during his first two seasons in Miami. It’s not tough to imagine the Browns’ front office wanting to tap into McDaniels’ ideas about how to design and run an offense.
Other known candidates: John Harbaugh, Todd Monken, Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees, Dan Pitcher, Nate Scheelhaase, Grant Udinski
Former coach: Pete Carroll, fired last week after one season and a 3-14 record
My prediction for the next Raiders coach: Robert Saleh, former Jets coach and current 49ers defensive coordinator
Saleh has been on Las Vegas’ short list in the past, and his work in San Francisco this season has caught a lot of people’s attention around the league. His Jets tenure didn’t go great, but that’s true of most people who coach there. It doesn’t sound like teams will let his Jets tenure deter them from talking to him this time around.
Whoever gets this job must have a plan for offensive coordinator and the development of a young quarterback, likely Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. But Saleh is part of that Shanahan/McVay network and should have no trouble putting together an offensive staff. The Raiders were last in the NFL with 14.1 offensive points per game and 245.2 yards per game this season.
Other known candidates: Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Matt Nagy, Klint Kubiak, Mike LaFleur, Kevin Stefanski, Ejiro Evero
Former coach: Mike McDaniel, fired last week after four seasons, a 35-33 regular-season record and an 0-2 playoff record
My prediction for the next Dolphins coach: Chris Shula, Rams defensive coordinator
Too good, right? Don Shula’s grandson coaching Don’s old team? Going into this process, I felt very strongly that Shula would get a head coaching opportunity. The Shula/Miami connection is too good to pass up. But the Dolphins’ job just opened, and it’s too early to know the eventual top candidates. Shula is well-regarded around the league, and there always seems to be at least one McVay assistant who gets a head coach job.
Other known candidates: John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Klint Kubiak, Robert Saleh
Former coach: Brian Daboll, fired in November after 3½ seasons, a 20-40-1 regular-season record and a 1-1 playoff record. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka finished the season as the interim head coach and went 2-5.
My prediction for the next Giants coach: Jeff Hafley, Packers defensive coordinator
Hafley has been high on the Giants’ list for a while, according to what I’ve been told. I think New York will try very hard to get Harbaugh or Stefanski, and the Giants might land one of them. But I placed those guys elsewhere, and I had to make a pick for the Giants based on the rest of the pool.
Hafley has college head coach experience from Boston College, and his work with the Green Bay defense has earned him a lot of attention from NFL teams looking for a head coach. The Giants’ defense allowed 5.8 yards per play this season, tied for 26th. Hafley’s Packers were at 5.0, tied for eighth best.
Other known candidates: John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Mike Kafka, Steve Spagnuolo, Lou Anarumo, Antonio Pierce, Mike McCarthy, Raheem Morris, Vance Joseph
Former coach: Mike Tomlin, who parted ways with the team Tuesday after 19 seasons, a 193-114-2 regular-season record, an 8-12 playoff record, two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title
My prediction for the next Steelers coach: Jesse Minter, Chargers defensive coordinator
To the extent that they have a “type” — it’s tough to say since they’ve had only three head coaches since 1969 — the Steelers tend to go young. Tomlin was 34 when they hired him, as was Bill Cowher. Chuck Noll was 38. So Minter, 42, might not exactly fit the mold, but hey, it’s possible 42 is the new 34.
Pittsburgh is proud of the infrequency with which it makes changes at this position, so it will be looking for someone it believes can be there for a very long time. Minter is of the Harbaugh tree, having worked under Jim Harbaugh and Mike Macdonald at the University of Michigan before following Harbaugh to the Chargers, and he is viewed as a top head coach prospect by several teams around the league.
Other potential candidates: If the Steelers want to go a little off the board, watch out for Broncos QBs coach Davis Webb, who turns 31 next week and is getting attention from several teams for offensive coordinator and even head coach interviews. Chris Shula, who turns 40 in February, is another name you’re likely to hear connected with this opening, as is 38-year-old Kubiak.
Former coach: Brian Callahan, fired in October after nearly 1½ seasons and a 4-19 record. Mike McCoy finished the season as the interim head coach and went 2-9.
My prediction for the next Titans coach: Matt Nagy, Chiefs offensive coordinator
This was the first name that got floated as a possibility when Callahan was fired, likely because of Titans GM Mike Borgonzi’s connections to Nagy from his time in the Kansas City front office. Nagy is a former Bears head coach who’s on his second stint with the Chiefs and helped develop Patrick Mahomes during his first one. Tennessee will be looking for a good offensive head coach to steward the next stage of Cam Ward‘s development, and Nagy did win a division title in his first year in Chicago.
I think Tennessee casts a wide net, and popular candidates such as Harbaugh, Stefanski and Joseph become strong candidates here, as well. Ward is that well-regarded.
Other known candidates: Kevin Stefanski, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, Kliff Kingsbury, Vance Joseph, Lou Anarumo, Steve Spagnuolo, Jason Garrett, Robert Saleh, Mike McCarthy, Chris Shula, Jeff Hafley
An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.
England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.
Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.
England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.
Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.
Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.
Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.
England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.
Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.
England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.
India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.
The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.
Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.
India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.
Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.
Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.
For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.
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Kyler Murray’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end.
The team reportedly informed the former No. 1 overall pick this week that he will be released at the start of the new league year, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any team, including, potentially, one in Major League Baseball.
Prior to declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the 2018 season, but the then-Oakland Athletics still selected him with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
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He signed a contract with a $4.66 million signing bonus, but Murray would forgo his senior year at Oklahoma and declare for the NFL Draft. After seven years in the NFL, Murray’s MLB career still remains a possibility.
“Kyler is an elite NFL quarterback and I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for him to continue his football career,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com on Wednesday.
“That said, he and his baseball representatives know that we’re always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s if that time ever comes.”
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ No. 1 draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Murray, 28, will likely have several options during the offseason. He is currently owed $36.8 million.
His career with the Cardinals has been marred by injuries and other controversies, including the study clause that was initially included in his five-year, $230.5 million deal signed in 2022. The clause was later removed. He appeared in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury, which later landed him on injured reserve.
The Cardinals finished 3-14 behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and later fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ number one draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, takes batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted in a farewell message to fans on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday sought a public apology over the broadcast of what it described as an “agenda-driven fake news” targeting the character of national cricketers.
In a brief statement, the cricket board termed targeting the national cricketers’ character “unacceptable” and stressed that the reporter responsible for the aforementioned news must publicly apologise without delay.
The PCB further warned of taking “all necessary steps” if the journalist in question fails to comply with the demand.
“Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the PCB’s statement read.
“The reporter must publicly apologise without delay; failing which, the PCB will take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in the bud,” it added.
The controversy erupted earlier today when a local news outlet claimed that the Pakistan cricketer was involved in inappropriate behaviour and that hotel staff had filed a formal complaint with the team management.
The report further alleged that the player was involved in inappropriate behaviour, prompting immediate action by the management to assess the matter.
Following a review of the details provided by the hotel and a preliminary investigation, the team management concluded that the Pakistan player had violated the code of conduct and imposed a fine on him.
The claims made in the report, however, were swiftly dismissed by the PCB and Mirza, who announced to take legal action against a local news outlet.
“A absurd News is circulating on media and I strongly condemn this sort of Cheap Journalism. Any Media House can’t air any unverified news,” said Mirza in a Facebook post.
“[Pakistan Cricket Board] has already denied this Baseless & Fake News and I’m going to take Legal Action […]”.
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