The NFL regular season has ended, and team presidents unsatisfied with the product they saw their teams put out on the field are looking for new head coaches to right the ship.
As of Jan. 10, there are five head coaching vacancies: the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
Here are some of this year’s top candidates:
Most prominent NFL head coach candidates
Sean Payton
The former New Orleans Saints head coach is the biggest name circulating the NFL head coaching market. After 16 years as the Saints head coach and a Super Bowl win, Payton stepped away from the organization last January. He spent this season as an analyst on Fox.
Payton has already gotten a head start on assembling a coaching staff. He is eyeing former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator, ESPN reported.
One obstacle for teams considering making an offer to Payton is that the coach still has three years left on his contract with the Saints. Any team interested in Payton will have to compensate New Orleans, most likely by trading away high draft picks.
Jim Harbaugh
Coming off Michigan’s Fiesta Bowl loss, Jim Harbaugh is the second biggest name tied to NFL head coaching vacancies. He interviewed with the Broncos this week, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
Last week, the NCAA announced they were investigating the University of Michigan and Harbaugh for rule violations, including a Level 1 violation against Harbaugh, which could result in his suspension or dismissal, according to CBS Sports.
Prior to the announcement of the investigation, Harbaugh released a statement addressing rumors of him coaching in the NFL.
“As I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023,” he said in a statement shared by the university on Twitter.
Harbaugh previously coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014 and took the team to the Super Bowl before coaching at Michigan the last eight years.
Defensive-minded NFL head coach candidates
DeMeco Ryans
DeMeco Ryans is in his second year as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers and in his sixth year overall with the team. Under Ryans, the 49ers allowed the fewest points and yards per game this season, according to ESPN.
He would be the second of Kyle Shanahan’s defensive coordinators to be hired as a head coach after the Jets hired Robert Saleh in 2021.
The Houston Texans are interested in Ryans to replace Lovie Smith, but Ryans is “not expected to pursue” the Texans job, KPCR2’s Aaron Wilson reported.
The Texans drafted Ryans in 2006. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and played in Houston for six years before playing in Philadelphia, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn is currently the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys but was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020. In his second year as head coach, the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl.
The Broncos have already requested an interview with Quinn, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. He interviewed with the team last year before they hired Nathaniel Hackett.
Reporters asked Quinn about head coach openings after the Cowboys’ loss to the Commanders on Sunday.
“Anybody asks you, you’re flattered,” he said, according to the Cowboys’ website.
Offensive-minded NFL head coach candidates:
Eric Bieniemy
The Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy is in his 10th season with the team and his fifth as their offensive coordinator. He has interviewed for head coaching positions in the past.
With the Chiefs clinching the no. 1 seed and the continued dominance of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Bieniemy is likely to garner interest as a head coach again.
The Chiefs led the league in total yards per game and points per game, according to ESPN.
Ben Johnson
After just one season as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson’s name has been floated around as the next young offensive-minded head coaching candidate. Three teams have already requested interviews with Johnson, according to the Pride of Detroit.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Johnson is “worthy” of being a head coach, per the Detroit Free Press.
The Rams shipped a struggling Jared Goff off to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford, but since Johnson took the offensive reins, Goff has flourished.
Under Johnson, the Lions have gone from one of the worst offenses in 2021 to a top five offense in points and yards per game this season, according to ESPN.