3. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears have 10 wins and are currently in a good position to win the NFC North this year. It's crazy to think how much better the Bears have gotten, but it really boils down to the head coach here.
Chicago's offense is night-and-day from 2024, and while Caleb Williams is largely struggling to complete passes consistently, he's taken a lot fewer sacks and is a huge reason why Chicago is 10-4. The Bears would likely have to win the NFC North for Johnson to win the Coach of the Year award, but, like Coen, it's clear that this first-year head coach simply gets it.
2. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton has been a head coach in this league for 2006 and has his Broncos' team atop the NFL world at 12-2 with a chance to clinch both the AFC West and AFC's no. 1 seed in Week 16. Denver has won 11 games in a row and have not lost at home in over a calendar year.
Bo Nix is beginning to heat up, and Payton's Broncos have proved so many people wrong along the way. Denver has a realistic chance to win-out and finish 15-2. At that point, it'd be nearly impossible to not give the COTY award to Payton. The Denver Broncos can do a little bit of everything and simply overwhelm opponents on defense.
1. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
There hasn't really been a more improved team this year than the New England Patriots. Mike Vrabel has his hands all over this operation and is probably the favorite for the Coach of the Year, ranking no. 1 in our power rankings.
Vrabel had a successful tenure with the Tennessee Titans and has already reached 11 wins with the Patriots in his first year on the job. Vrabel's Pats can still lock-up the first seed in the playoffs and the AFC East title.
Second-year QB Drake Maye is an MVP candidate, and the defense is excellent. The Patriots made the right move to bring in Vrabel, as he's done exceptional work and is the favorite for the award.