Being a head coach in the NFL is absolutely one of the hardest jobs in all of sports. Typically, the head coaching cycle in the league is around 5-7 total vacancies, but in 2026, we saw 10 total jobs open up, which is nearly one-third of the league. In a wildly active head coaching cycle, some of the 10 teams surely landed on the right man for the job.
But that isn't a guarantee. Heck, two teams that made the playoffs this past season still got rid of their head coach and brought in a new one. If 2025 told us anything, it's that the league feels wide open, but at the same time, many teams are still rather dysfunctional.
With the NFL Free Agency period quickly approaching, we took the 10 teams that hired a new head coach and power-ranked them in their current state. Let's get into it here.
Ranking all 10 teams that hired a head coach for 2026 as free agency approaches
10. Arizona Cardinals (Mike LaFleur)
It's hard to find much of anything redeeming with the Arizona Cardinals. One of the last teams to even hire a head coach this cycle, the Cardinals are not only stuck in the best division in the NFL, but are also one of the worst teams in the league outside of that harsh reality.
The Cardinals do not have quarterback clarity and overall have a rather average roster. Sure, like most teams, the Cards have pieces here and there of being a good team, but they'll have a lot of work to do in the NFC West.
Mike LaFleur does have a solid, head-coaching-worthy background, but this could be a years-long process, and we might have to get used to seeing Arizona near the bottom of the NFL hierarchy.
9. Las Vegas Raiders (Klint Kubiak)
The Las Vegas Raiders seemed to have made a solid hire with Klint Kubiak, a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator who capped off a great season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. The Raiders still have to get the quarterback position right, but it's probably hard for fans not to be excited about the likely duo of Kubiak and Fernando Mendoza.
The rest of the roster needs considerable work, and it seems like Maxx Crosby could be traded, so Raiders fans might have to be patient here for another couple of seasons. Vegas comes in at no. 9 in our power rankings.