Every offseason there are at least 5-10 teams in the NFL that decide to part ways with their head coach. This season was no different, as we will see eight new teams have a new signal caller on the sidelines come September. The Commanders, Falcons, Seahawks, Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and New England Patriots have all tried their best to land who they feel will be the best coach to lead the team going forward. Some have been questionable, some that I feel have no real improvement, and some that hit home runs. Here is how I graded each NFL team’s head coaching search.
Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn
The Commanders made the mistake of trying to go all in on one guy. And it blew up in their face. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Ben Johnson may have been one of the most highly sought after candidates for any coaching position in the offseason. The turnaround he has made in Detroit is remarkable, and the Commanders wanted a piece. However, Johnson announced after interviewing for the job that he would be staying in Detroit.
No big deal, maybe an in-house hire could help. I thought that their current offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, would get this job heading into the offseason. Then they fumbled that by not even glancing at him for an interview. So, they blew it twice to bring in Dan Quinn. Granted, he has done a lot in Dallas for the defense. However, I can tell you as an Atlanta Falcons fan that this guy will not be in Washington long.
Grade- D
New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
Mayo has spent the last five seasons under Bill Belichick in New England as a linebackers coach. I don’t particularly like the hire because of a combination of two things. A first-time head coach with a team that has no identity at the moment. I think that he could be a “Dan Campbel” type coach that focuses on trying to build a culture. However, he is not taking over a team that has the weapons to succeed. I think he could be an excellent defensive coordinator somewhere, but this just looks like a recipe for disaster.
Grade- C-
Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan
With how quick the Titans jumped on Callahan, it’s easy to say that they thought that he was their guy. I can’t really blame them for jumping in on Callahan. The offense in Tennessee has been dismal for the past two seasons, so the move made a lot of sense. Callahan is a disciple of Zac Taylor from the Cincinnati Bengals the past five years, where he has served as the offensive coordinator. I think that Taylor doesn’t get enough credit for what he has done to turn the Bengals around, and it will show as I don’t think Callahan has a lot of success in Tennesee in the future. He will be able to choose the quarterback he works with though.
Grade- C-
Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris
Reports almost all but confirmed Bill Belichick to the Falcons two weeks ago. However, the Falcons would choose to go in another direction. Interviews with John Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel happened. With Falcons urgently waiting to see the direction of the future, they got shocked. They landed their former interim coach from the 2020 season when Dan Quinn was fired. Raheem Morris. Since then, Morris has been the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. While he was able to turn the team around defensively, it surely helped to have the best defensive player of the past decade, Aaron Donald, upfront.
Can he prove that he deserved the coaching job in Atlanta after all? He will immediately be put under a microscope to see how he approaches the team’s quarterback situation. With him being a defensive minded coach, he will have to rely a lot on new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to coach up his new quarterback or, god forbid, Desmond Ridder.
Grade- C
Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce
Pierce is a guy that you can’t help but love as a person. He reminds me a lot of Dan Campbell in Detroit, and we see how that’s going. A loyal guy who isn’t afraid to do what is right for his team. He has started trying to make changes since being named the interim coach in November last year. Since taking over as interim, the Raiders have been 5-4 since he took over the interim spot. A coach that has the locker room’s trust and wants to be where he is, is a lethal combination. However, we will have to see how play calling goes and if he can find his quarterback.
Grade- B-
Los Angeles Chargers: John Harbaugh
Hear me out here. Maybe the most highly sought after coach during the offseason lands in Los Angeles. He has his quarterback. He has a team that’s just a year removed from the playoffs. The head coaching record looks great on paper. A winner everywhere he goes. This seemed like a slam dunk hire for the Chargers. It is a great one, don’t get me wrong. There are two things that concern me. He hasn’t been on an NFL staff since 2014 and he’s 60 years old. Maybe that plays a factor, maybe it doesn’t. I just know that it causes at least some time to think about. I think the pros far outweigh the cons here, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any.
Grade- B+
Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales
Who is this guy? Just the guy that could be the NFL’s “quarterback whisperer”. The past two seasons, he has been the passing game coordinator and offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coaches? Pete Carroll and Todd Bowles (defensive minded head coaches). So, the offenses were run through almost exclusively through Caneles. The quarterbacks he had to work with? Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield for the Buccaneers. Both quarterbacks have had career resurgences with Canales. It comes as no secret that this hire was made for one reason: Bryce Young. Young struggled heavily last season with the Panthers, and they are trying to see if he is still worth saving. If the right pieces get around offensively for the Panthers, they could make a quick turnaround under Canales.
Grade- A-
Seattle Seahawks: Mike Macdonald
The best defensive coordinator in all of football last season. Macdonald really shined in the 2021 season with the Michigan Wolverines as their defensive coordinator. He changed the team’s identity completely to a defensive first mindset. He has been the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens over the past two seasons. The Raven’s touted the best defense in the NFL this season and fell just short of beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. The Seattle Seahawks have a stellar group of young defensive players, including Tariq Woolen, Quandre Diggs, Jordyn Brooks, and Leonard Williams heading into his prime. These players will be off the charts if Macdonald is there, and we could see the resurgence of “The Legion of Boom”.