There was something of an impasse last week when it came to the NFL head coach hiring cycle. The New England Patriots were the only team that moved swiftly when it came to hiring a new candidate, but Jerod Mayo remained the only hire through the first couple of weeks of the off-season.
5 NFL Teams Have Hired Head Coaches Thus Far
NFL 2024 hiring-cycle scorecard:
Head Coach:
🏈Chargers: Jim Harbaugh
🏈Raiders: Antonio Pierce
🏈Patriots: Jerod Mayo
🏈Titans: Brian Callahan
🏈Panthers: Dave Canales
🏈Seahawks:
🏈Commanders:
🏈Falcons:General Manager:
🏈Raiders: Tom Telesco
🏈Commanders: Adam Peters…— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2024
The ice was finally broken over the past week. Since last Friday, four NFL teams have made new head coaching hires, making five total for the offseason.
First, it was the Las Vegas Raiders. At the end of last week, they removed the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s name and promoted him to full time head coach. On Monday, the Tennessee Titans made their move, hiring Bengals’ offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to fill their vacancy.
Perhaps the biggest coaching news yet dropped on Wednesday afternoon, when it was announced that the Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh, who will try to replicate the previous success that he had in the NFL. Finally, on Thursday, the last-place Carolina Panthers brought on Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
That leaves three teams that are still on the search for their new head coach.
Commanders, Seahawks, & Falcons Still On The Hunt
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: There is a “real possibility” that Bill Belichick doesn’t get a head coaching job in this cycle, per @AdamSchefter
Belichick was considered the favorite for the #Falcons’ job, but that has “lost momentum” over the past week, per @TheAthleticNFL pic.twitter.com/eWTi23ocn0
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 25, 2024
The Washington Commanders have conducted interviews with some of the hottest up-and-coming names in the coaching ranks, and will have second interviews with Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in the coming days. The Seattle Seahawks have been linked to candidates such as Dan Quinn and Raheem Morris.
The final team on the list is apparently moving in a different direction than originally thought. The Atlanta Falcons and Bill Belichick seemed to have some mutual interest and have already met on two separate occasions, and it seems like the future Hall of Fame coach was more than likely to land the job.
But things have changed on that front. According to multiple reports put out on Thursday, the Falcons have either conducted or are scheduled to conduct interviews with other candidates, and that their search after meeting with Belichick for the second time is “wide open”.
Given the other two jobs that are currently open and their apparent lack of interest, Belichick could be without a job for at least the 2024 NFL season.
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