8. San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan & Brock Purdy
I think this is another ranking on this list that will get absolutely blasted by a lot of people, but the duo of Shanahan and Purdy has been a contender for the majority of their relationship on the field, including an NFC title just two seasons ago. They had this team on the doorstep of beating the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Purdy was recently rewarded with a massive contract, and while he might be a product of Shanahan’s system to a degree, these two obviously work very well together.
7. Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell & Jared Goff
Dan Campbell is one of the best head coaches in the entire NFL and Jared Goff is one of the league’s most underrated quarterbacks. We’re going to see these two guys put to the ultimate test in 2025, however, as Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn have bolted for head coaching jobs of their own. Without those stellar coordinators, are these two going to be as effective at what they do? Goff may be forced to be more of a playmaker without Johnson in his ear setting him up.
6. Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur & Jordan Love
Prior to the Packers making the switch from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, I think it would have been fair to say that LaFleur had a lot to prove as a head coach. He went from being perceived as a pawn and borderline hindrance to Aaron Rodgers to being one of the unquestioned top head coaches in the NFL. And Jordan Love is a great fit for his offense. The Packers have never really known anything but prosperity in the head coach and quarterback spots, and this duo is one of the best in the league.
5. Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott & Josh Allen
Sean McDermott is a fine head coach but Josh Allen is the league MVP and it feels like one of these guys is more of an advantage than the other. McDermott deserves a lot of credit for his longevity with the Bills at this point but both of these guys are under a lot of pressure to deliver late in January right now. The Bills are in the difficult purgatory of knowing they have the right QB and seemingly the right head coach, but not being able to get the job done when it matters most. And the head coach will always get blamed first.