Power Ranking Current NFL Head Coach Openings Entering 2023
Black Monday has come and gone, and we are currently left with five NFL teams in need of head coaches. Those five teams are the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.
All five teams are already interviewing possible candidates for the position, but are some jobs more enticing than others? Check out our ranking of the five open positions from least desirable to most.
*** Disclaimer, this post will be updated as new openings become available, if any. ***
5. Denver Broncos
There’s a multitude of factors that are causing me to put the Broncos at the bottom of this list. Let’s start with the fact that they were fleeced by Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade, as he looks like a complete bum.
Next, that division is going to run through Kansas City for the next decade, with the Chargers following close behind.
We also can’t forget or ignore the fact that the Broncos’ offensive line is terrible. It needs a complete overhaul. The Denver defense is solid but nothing about that offense is intriguing at all. Javonte Williams will be back next year, he’s probably the only bright spot.
4. Indianapolis Colts
Another team behind the proverbial 8-ball in terms of their division. The AFC South runs through Jacksonville now. Had this been two years ago, if Jim Irsay figured out he needed to go young at quarterback instead of old rentals, it would be a different story.
This Colts team has three superstars: Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson and Shaq Leonard. That’s it. This is a team that has not recovered from the retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019 and seems stuck in the mud. They desperately need an infusion of talent for a lacking roster.
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals place third on my list of best head coach openings because they can offer their next guy something other teams can’t: head coaching and general manage roles. With Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim gone, they have the opportunity to offer the keys to the kingdom to their next guy.
However, this is another team lacking elite talent. It also doesn’t help that Kyler Murray is going to be sidelined for the foreseeable future after his ACL surgery. But the chance to overhaul a roster has to be intriguing to someone.
2. Houston Texans
I don’t have Houston at No. 1 on this list of the best NFL head coach openings because coaches in Houston are on embarrassingly short leashes.
But how can you not love this job? They crushed the 2022 NFL Draft, have two firsts this year AND next year, and have the seventh most cap room heading into free agency.
It may be scary to take a job where the last two head coaches were fired after one season, but there’s room here to establish yourself with a team that has loads of potential.
1. Carolina Panthers
Whoever takes the Carolina Panthers’ job is set up for success in their division. The NFC South is a mess. New Orleans is trying to rebuild with zero cap space, Tampa Bay is floundering with a dinosaur under center and Atlanta is in rough shape.
Carolina picks ninth in the 2023 NFL Draft which might be just out of reach for one of the top guys, though they might be in the sweet spot for someone like Will Levis or Anthony Richardson.
The Panthers were a tough out under Steve Wilks down the stretch, and they should be motivated to make a run at a division crown next year.
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