8. Mike McCarthy - Pittsburgh Steelers
I actually do not mind the Mike McCarthy hire, as the Pittsburgh Steelers did go in a totally different direction from their prior coaching hires, and McCarthy has a two-decade span in the NFL of being a sharp, consistent offensive mind. That's really been what Pittsburgh has been missing. If McCarthy and his staff can put a legitimate plan in place at QB, the Steelers will once again emerge as contenders, but the low-ceiling that Mike McCarthy may bring as a head coach at this stage of his career is a valid concern.
7. Kevin Stefanski - Atlanta Falcons
Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns desperately needed a fresh start, and it's not a shock to see Stefanski landing on his feet with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have needed some QB consistency for years, and if nothing else, Michael Penix Jr looked rather solid in 2025. If Stefanski can get the most out of Penix, which is reasonably likely, the Falcons won't need much else to compete - the defense is already rock-solid, and Stefanski is a two-time Coach of thre Year, but some argued that he should have taken a year off from coaching to reset, so his name does feel a bit stale in that regard.
6. Todd Monken - Cleveland Browns
Todd Monken was a solid hire for the Cleveland Browns, a team that needs some stability on the offensive side of the ball. Monken was most recently with the Baltimore Ravens as the offensive coordinator from 2023-2025. In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Ravens' QB Lamar Jackson was on another planet - he threw for 65 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions and honestly should have won the MVP in 2024.
Monken's offenses air it out at a high level, so that offensive genius could precisely what Cleveland needed.
5. Klint Kubiak - Las Vegas Raiders
The son of Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak will depart from Seattle to become the Las Vegas Raiders' next head coach. Kubiak commanded the Seahawks' offense in 2025 and obviously has the past history and NFL blood to succeed as a head coach. The Raiders are also very likely to take Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This feels like, finally, a solid hire for Vegas.