The end of the NFL regular season means the true beginning of the hiring cycle. The coaching carousel, as it's called, should consist of anywhere between six to eight openings, according to multiple sources around the league.
Already the Panthers, Chargers and Raiders head-coaching positions are open, and more will come in the following days. Meanwhile, there could be as many as six GM openings as well.
Here's a look at some of the hot seats around the league, with intel on the direction these franchises could go in the coming weeks.
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick has sidestepped questions about his future for weeks. Sources say Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have not met to discuss the future, and no one with firsthand knowledge is willing to state unequivocally what will happen before that meeting -- or those meetings -- take place. The expectation around the league has been Belichick and the Patriots will mutually part ways, but even that could take some time. A reasonable expectation is that no matter what's decided, there likely won't be any decisions made on or by Black Monday. Belichick has a legion of former Patriots coaches and personnel executives who could join him at his new job. Meanwhile, there'd be jobs to fill in Foxboro. Jerod Mayo is the top internal candidate, but no one knows if the Krafts would go internal. And the Krafts have never had to hire a GM in the three decades in New England.
Los Angeles Chargers
John Spanos, the president of football operations, will be running the search for the Chargers. The head coaching job may be more attractive than the GM job, at least in the short-term, because of all the painful salary-cap cuts that are sure to take place this offseason. Nevertheless, sources expect an "expansive" search at head coach. I'm told the GM search may be narrower. But "everything's on the table" for the Chargers, sources say. The team feels it can be competitive in terms of salary.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are 4-4 with Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach with wins over the defending champion Chiefs and a huge victory over the Chargers that led to Brandon Staley's ouster. As one source said, the Raiders have "done as well as they could as a team since" Pierce took over. There's no indication from Raiders owner Mark Davis on where Pierce or interim GM Champ Kelly currently stand. The Raiders have to go through the full interview process with both positions, so there won't be any determination on their fates until weeks from now. That said, Pierce and Kelly will have to decide whether they take interviews elsewhere should they get requests, or if they put all their eggs into the Raiders basket with Davis deciding their fates. One has to wonder if Jim Harbaugh, who has had many agents over his coaching career, hired Don Yee, who is Tom Brady's agent, to make the connection in Las Vegas, where Brady is so beloved by the owner that he's been offered a piece of the team at a steep discount.
Chicago Bears
A month ago, the Bears were 4-8 in their bye week and signs pointed to neither Matt Eberflus nor Justin Fields returning to Chicago in 2024. Since then, the Bears have gone 3-1 with their only loss being a three-point defeat to the Browns. The Bears have the second-best point differential in the league since Week 14, and Eberflus's defense has allowed the third-fewest points in the league in that same timespan. Beating the rival Packers in Week 18 and keeping them out of the playoffs would be the icing on the cake for Flus's chances, but he likely doesn't even have to do that in order to keep his job. As it stands today, it's more likely than not Eberflus is the head coach of the Bears in 2024.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had an opportunity to clinch the NFC South in Week 17 but lost to the Saints. They have another chance against Carolina in Week 18. Todd Bowles got the team to the playoffs last year, and another playoff trip would extinguish any questions about whether he'd return next year. If Tampa fumbles two win-and-in opportunities down the stretch, Bowles' seat would warm.
New Orleans Saints
Dennis Allen has been expected to return for the 2024 season. GM Mickey Loomis is known for being patient, and Allen's (aging) defense is poised to finish in the top-10 in scoring for the fourth straight year. Derek Carr's contract dictates he'll be back in 2024 as the Saints deal with their annual cap issues. But a change at offensive coordinator could take place, CBS Sports previously reported. The Saints can get into the playoffs with a win against the Falcons and some help from other teams.
Atlanta Falcons
Arthur Smith is 21-29 as the head coach of the Falcons. He and GM Terry Fontenot worked the team out of cap hell the first two years, and the Falcons are on the precipice of their first playoff berth since 2017 with a win against the Saints and loss by the Bucs. Sources have said the Falcons would need to "collapse" down the stretch in order for owner Arthur Blank to move on. Blank applied some pressure two weeks ago when he said he was committed to Smith but needed to see results. Atlanta beat the Colts, 29-10, after those comments but lost by 20 to the Bears a week later. As I understand, it's not a playoffs-or-else edict in Atlanta, but a win in Week 18 would strongly help Smith's chances of getting a fourth year.
Washington Commanders
The expectation since Thanksgiving is that new Commanders owner Josh Harris will move on from head coach Ron Rivera at the end of the season. Washington hasn't tasted victory in more than two months. Because Rivera is at the top of the football food chain in Washington, his firing would shake up the organization in a big way. The GM role currently occupied by Martin Mayhew could also become open. The future structure of the front office is one to watch here. Washington could hire an EVP of football operations to go along with the GM. Who reports to whom would have to be determined and likely candidate-dependent. But if that's the case, the Commanders could scare off some qualified candidates who may worry about how many chefs are in the kitchen.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina owner David Tepper fired Frank Reich after just 11 games, and it was clear interim Chris Tabor would not get the permanent job. Tepper is expected to swing for Lions OC Ben Johnson yet again, one year after Johnson pulled himself out of the running and stayed in Detroit. An offensive-minded coach is expected to be the route Tepper goes in his third search for a head coach in four years. Carolina will likely try to hang on to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who could get head-coaching interviews in the coming weeks. It's unclear whether Tepper will retain general manager Scott Fitterer, but sources outside the building have anticipated Tepper would start new at both positions this offseason for the first time in his tenure as owner.
