The 2026 NFL head coaching cycle has officially concluded with the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals being the final teams to make decisions. One of the busier cycles in recent NFL memory, all 10 vacancies have now been filled. We've analyzed each hire while assigning a letter grade to each appointment.
Arizona Cardinals, Mike LaFleur: C
The Cardinals appeared to possess the least desirable opening on paper, and the process indicated the NFL felt the same. A handful of coaches never met with the Cardinals in person despite agreeing to initially. They whiffed on Kubiak, who chose the Raiders over them. General manager Monti Ossenfort circled back to Mike LaFleur, who has just two years of NFL play-calling experience under his belt.
Atlanta Falcons, Kevin Stefanski: B-
The Atlanta Falcons made sweeping changes to their organizational operations. Owner Arthur Blank and new president of football operations Matt Ryan quickly zeroed in on former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski has a proven resume as a two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner. Getting more out of young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is the key to this job.
Baltimore Ravens, Jesse Minter: A-
The Ravens made the shocking decision to dismiss Harbaugh. Deciding they want to continue building in a similar direction, they hired one of his mentees, Jesse Minter. Firing a veteran coach only to appoint one of his star pupils appears questionable, but Minter was a sought-after candidate. He's also assembling a quality staff by naming Anthony Weaver his defensive coordinator and Declan Doyle his offensive coordinator.
Buffalo Bills, Joe Brady: C+
The entire process of firing Sean McDermott was an embarrassing charade overseen by Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula. Pegula has earned a bad reputation for his handling of the Buffalo Sabres (NHL), and now fans wonder if his meddling could negatively impact the Bills, too. Joe Brady possesses a fine offensive mind, but promoting him comes with fair questions about his true ability to lead. Those questions weren't present for McDermott.
Cleveland Browns, Todd Monken: C+
The Cleveland Browns' search largely focused on unconventional candidates. That's probably because none of the top perceived coaching cycle options wanted this job. The 59-year-old Todd Monken deserves this opportunity despite his lack of public popularity, given his coordination of excellent, underrated offenses in recent years.
Las Vegas Raiders, Klint Kubiak: B
The Raiders appeared to prefer a young offensive mind throughout their entire process. That's the opposite of Pete Carroll, who just failed there. Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak seemed to be their preferred target the whole way. After coaching the Seahawks' offense in Super Bowl LX, Kubiak will take over a Raiders team preparing to take quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Miami Dolphins, Jeff Hafley: B
Jeff Hafley became the overwhelming favorite candidate for the Miami Dolphins once Jon-Eric Sullivan won the general manager opening. Hafley coordinated an excellent Green Bay Packers defense this past season and has previous head coaching experience at Boston College. This roster needs a makeover, but the duo leading Miami into a new era is a promising pair on paper.
New York Giants, John Harbaugh: B+
The New York Giants placed the full-court press on John Harbaugh following his shocking dismissal from the Baltimore Ravens. They ultimately convinced him before he could meet with the Tennessee Titans the following day. Harbaugh has since hit a snag in assembling his coaching staff, pivoting to Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator after his desired offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, landed the Cleveland Browns' lead job instead. That comes with concern, but his proven history of winning makes this hire a positive one.
Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike McCarthy: B-
Mike Tomlin's departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers was another coaching stunner. The Steelers possessed an opportunity to hire another brilliant young mind like Minter or Chris Shula. Instead, they surprisingly opted for experience, hiring the 62-year-old Mike McCarthy. It's a little surprising, but McCarthy's 60.8% all-time win percentage is too impressive to call this a bad hire.
Tennessee Titans, Robert Saleh: B
The Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh the day they interviewed him. Trying to course-correct the Mike Vrabel mistake means hiring a leader of men who could build a culture and motivate. Saleh checks those boxes as the entire NFL felt strongly that he deserved a second opportunity after finding himself in a toxic situation with the New York Jets. He inherits Cam Ward as his franchise quarterback, and landing Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator was a big win.