NFL head-coaching matchmaker: Identifying which candidates fit best for each of league's seven available jobs

Here's a rundown of where each coach should end up

The head-coaching hiring cycle is in full swing in the NFL, and it's arguably as crazy as it has been in quite some time. In all, eight openings have sprouted up dating back to midseason, and one spot has already been filled with the New England Patriots promoting linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to be Bill Belichick's successor. Still, that leaves seven openings across the league and plenty of intriguing names to potentially fill those jobs. 

With that in mind, we're going to play matchmaker for these franchises and pair them with an eligible head coaching candidate that makes the most sense.   

Atlanta Falcons: Bill Belichick

In the aftermath of Belichick and the Patriots parting ways, the Falcons, who previously let go of Arthur Smith, have started to gain some steam as the possible landing spot for the legendary head coach. After a six-year playoff drought and three straight 7-10 campaigns, owner Arthur Blank could be looking to make a big swing, and what bigger swing would there be other than bringing in the greatest coach of all time? 

For Belichick, he'd join a team that already has talented skill-position players on the roster (something he struggled to find in New England), and would be able to coach up a defense that ranked 11th in total yards allowed in 2023. Given that the NFC South is one of the least competitive divisions in the league, it'd be an attractive landing spot for Belichick, who is looking to pile up wins in pursuit of surpassing Don Shula for the record. Of course, the Falcons do need to find a quarterback, and have the No. 8 overall pick to find one or could dip into the trade/free agent market for a veteran as well. 

Seattle Seahawks: Dan Quinn

Instantly after it was revealed that the Seahawks would be moving Pete Carroll to an advisory role, Dan Quinn's name came up as a possible replacement. Quinn coached in Seattle from 2013-2014 and helped the franchise win Super Bowl XLVIII while leading the "Legion of Boom" defense before his first stint at becoming a head coach with the Atlanta Falcons. 

Over the past three seasons, Quinn has been the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and has established that group as one of the top units in the league while bolstering his head-coaching prospects in the process. Quinn has previously decided against taking head-coaching opportunities in prior cycles, but a homecoming to Seattle could be the type of job that gets him to leave Dallas. 

Washington Commanders: Ben Johnson

Washington just hired former 49ers front office executive Adam Peters to be its next general manager and, as CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones notes, Ben Johnson is a name to seriously follow as the possible head coach for the Commanders. Johnson has been in demand this cycle, already receiving requests from the Panthers, Falcons, Chargers, and Titans for their openings. He has helped spark this turnaround for the Lions as their offensive coordinator and has stabilized Jared Goff as one of the more efficient QBs in the league. 

The Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is a clear pathway to a young quarterback (Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, etc.). The organization also has the most cap space in the league to bring aboard a veteran. Either one of those options should be appealing to Johnson. 

Tennessee Titans: Bobby Slowik

Tennessee has reportedly put in a request to interview Slowik, who is coming off a tremendous first season as the offensive play-caller for the Houston Texans. Slowik does have ties to Titans GM Ran Carthon with their shared time together with the San Francisco 49ers. They both arrived at the franchise at the same time in 2017. As they progressed, Slowik served as the passing game coordinator in 2022 while Carthon was the director of player personnel during their final season in the Bay Area. 

It's possible Carthon is looking to add an offensive-minded coach who has ties to the ever-popular Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, and Slowik does seem to be the hot name in that regard. Whether it's Will Levis or another young quarterback, Slowik has shown with C.J. Stroud in Houston that he can maximize a developing signal-caller on Day 1. 

Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Vrabel

While things went sideways in Tennessee for Mike Vrabel, he's still a tremendous head coach and would be a fantastic fit for the Chargers. Under former head coach Brandon Staley, puzzling in-game decisions plagued the franchise, which is something Vrabel could fix overnight upon arrival. He was able to maximize Ryan Tannehill during his time with the Titans and pairing himself up with Justin Herbert could prove to be a pairing that gives the Chiefs a run for their money in the AFC West. 

Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce

The drum inside the Las Vegas locker room is beating loud for the Raiders to take away the interim tag on Antonio Pierce and name him the full-time head coach. The likes of Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams have endorsed Pierce, so it does seem like this could be the logical road Mark Davis goes down. As the interim head coach, Pierce led the Raiders to a 5-4 record in 2023 after a 3-5 start under Josh McDaniels. That included a strong Week 16 victory at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. 

Carolina Panthers: Jim Harbaugh

This would take a lot of convincing on the part of the Panthers to lure Jim Harbaugh back to the NFL, and, more specifically, Carolina. However, you can make a case that he's most needed by the Panthers, who have been drowning under the ownership of David Tepper. If Tepper can take a step back and bring in a figure like Harbaugh, it will give the organization some credibility and, more importantly, stability for the foreseeable future as they look to move the arrow upward. 

Given that Harbaugh is also a former NFL quarterback, he could also be the franchise's best bet to get the most out of Bryce Young after a down rookie year.