NFL Head Coach Power Rankings: Which coaches are standing at the top?
16. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Shane Steichen might already be an underrated head coach. His starting QB for most of the 2023 NFL Season, his first as a head coach, was Gardner Minshew. Somehow, his Colts went 9-8 and narrowly missed out on winning the AFC South and hosting a playoff game. If second-year QB Anthony Richardson is legit, the Colts are going to be a dark-horse Super Bowl team in 2024. Yes, Super Bowl.
15. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Establishing himself as a quality head coach in the NFL, Kevin O'Connell will now get to try and develop 21 year old JJ McCarthy, who the Vikings took in the 2024 NFL Draft. Completing remaking their QB room by also adding Sam Darnold, Minnesota could flirt with a Wild Card spot this year, especially if McCarthy is a quick study.
14. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor still has a losing record as a head coach. The Bengals have had three-straight winning seasons, but a lot of their success does seem to be due to Joe Burrow. Now, Taylor does possess a 5-2 playoff record, and if his QB can just play a full season, something he hasn't yet done, he could shoot up these rankings.
13. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills just cannot get over the hump in the NFL playoffs. McDermott has a very strong 73-41 regular season record and also has a 5-6 playoff record. The Bills getting to the playoffs has never been an issue, but I am beginning to think that they have a ceiling with McDermott, and it's not a Super Bowl ceiling.
12. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
Mike McCarthy has one more year remaining on his contract with the Dallas Cowboys, and with no extension in sight, you have to wonder if McCarthy has one last crack at it with the Cowboys. Over the last three seasons, Dallas has gone 12-5 in the regular season but have failed to make much progress in the playoffs.
A ceiling has clearly been hit, and 2024 might not be any different.
11. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Pederson is the king of nine-win seasons, having four of those across his seven years as an NFL head coach between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. I was personally expecting more from the 2023 Jaguars, who won a playoff game in 2022, but perhaps 2024 is the year that Jacksonville and Pederson hit their stride.
10. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Improving from year one to year two, the Miami Dolphins have had quite the offseason and could be in a great situation to be even better in 2024. McDaniel and his teams have quickly developed a reputation that they can't play in cold weather, and their late-season downturns have only reinforced that reputation. If the Dolphins and McDaniel want to be bumped up a tier, they must win late in the season and in the playoffs.
9. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski has two 11-win seasons in his four years as the Browns head coach. Years two and three were forgettable, but the Browns did figure it out on defense in 2023, as Jim Schwartz made quick work of that unit.
The bigger issue here is now not the defense, but it's if Deshaun Watson can return to his old form. If not, the Browns are in trouble. If Watson can return to how good he was with the Houston Texans, Cleveland is going to be a Super Bowl-contending team.