16. Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel & Tua Tagovailoa
The duo of Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa remains one of the top working relationships among head coach and quarterback in the NFL, but they are ranked in the middle of this list because one can’t seemingly do well without the other. It feels like these guys are great complements to each other, but McDaniel’s Dolphins teams have not been competitive enough offensively without Tua and Tua was a disaster before McDaniel arrived.
15. New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel & Drake Maye
Here we have what I would consider to be maybe the hottest take of the entire list. Mike Vrabel is a good head coach, and I’d put him up there with Ben Johnson as the best overall hires of the offseason. The former coach of the year had the Titans playing meaningful games in January not that long ago. He’s a great fit for the Patriots, and Drake Maye is obviously one of the young QBs in the NFL right now expected to break out in a big way in 2025.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles & Baker Mayfield
The duo of Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield has proven to be quite effective, although Bowles is having to deal once again with the departure of a good offensive coordinator. The loss of Dave Canales caused worry among Baker Mayfield’s biggest supporters, as well as the recent loss of Liam Coen. It’s possible that the fate of both these guys now depends on the work of Josh Grizzard, the latest OC in Tampa Bay.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh & Justin Herbert
Jim Harbaugh has his way of doing things, and it seemingly couldn’t be more opposite of the laid-back Justin Herbert. We saw these two work pretty well together this past season, but neither of them could escape “Chargering” at the end of the season. Harbaugh’s teams have always been phenomenal in the NFL (and at the collegiate level) so I expect this duo to be tough again in 2025.