Ranking the NFL Job Openings
Which NFL teams in need of a head coach, general manager or both have the best situations for prospective candidates?
Seven NFL teams have opening at either the general manager or head coaching position -- and in a few cases, openings at both.
All seven teams who have an opening at one or both positions are drafting in the top 10. In each case, it's a team that either needs to rebuild or has been rebuilding but not everything has fallen into place yet.
However, it's worth asking how desirable each opening is, because a head coach and/or general manager will want to have the best chance at success. If ownership isn't willing to accept the vision a head coach or general manager has or hasn't been known for being patient or allowing those hired to do their jobs, the opening isn't going to be as coveted.
The same can hold true if there are too many questions about whether or not a general manager or head coaching candidate believes the resources are there to get a plan put into place. A team that lacks cap space or draft picks isn't as good of a situation as a team that has the cap space and draft capital available to start the team-building process.
I'm going to rank the teams in terms of how desirable the positions are, looking at the positive aspects in each situation, along with the drawbacks that a new general manager or head coach must consider about the job.
1. New England Patriots: A new head coach is going to find himself in a great position to build the team. Drake Maye has shown enough to be the team's quarterback, the Patriots will have a lot of cap space ($120.5M projection) and plenty of draft picks (nine, including the No. 4 overall pick). There are a few players currently on the team who might be part of the long-term picture.
The main drawback to taking this job is the head coach will follow in the footsteps of Bill Belichick and has to show he can build his own identity. Another possible drawback is whether owner Robert Kraft is willing to consider a different approach to building the team, given how the Patriots have been so used to Belichick's approach the past couple of decades. As for the AFC East, the Bills are a playoff contender and the Dolphins could get back to that point, so it's not an easy path to the playoffs.
2. Chicago Bears: There is definitely appeal in the chance to work with Caleb Williams, who has shown he has the talent to be a QB to build around. The Bears have made some good draft picks and there are players on the roster who can be part of the long-term picture. They are in a good position regarding the salary cap (projected $54.5M once 51 players are under contract) and the draft (eight picks, including the No. 10 overall pick).
The first drawback to this position is that the Bears are in the toughest division in the NFC. The Lions, Vikings and Packers all reached the playoffs and should be among the top playoff contenders next season. The other issue is that there are those questioning ownership, given that the Bears have lacked playoff success for some time. There may be questions about whether or not ownership might part ways with Ryan Poles after a season or two, while wanting to keep the head coach.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: While Trevor Lawrence isn't a quarterback who can take a flawed team and carry it into the playoffs, he does have talent. There are other players on the roster who can be part of the long-term picture as well. Their cap situaton is reasonable ($35.6M projected space) and they have a lot of draft capital (10 picks, including the No. 5 overall pick). And the AFC South is a division in which the Jaguars could get themselves back into the hunt if things go well.
What's needed here is somebody who can properly build the team around him. Trent Baalke did good things when he was the Niners, but in his final years with that team, he wasn't good and his track record with the Jaguars has been lacking. And while I think ownership means well, the owners haven't had a good track record since taking over the team. They may have to promise a new head coach that he'll get to have a general manager who will work with him, whether they let Baalke go now or wait until after the draft.
4. Tennessee Titans: They are looking for a new general manager but have kept their head coach — for now, anyway. If you're a general manager, you have a desirable opening. The Titans are projected to have $44.1M in cap space and will have eight total picks, including the No. 1 overall pick. They have a few players who could be part of the long term as well. And the AFC South isn't a strong division overall.
The first issue to consider is whether or not ownership will allow the new general manager to hire his own head coach. If they make the GM keep Brian Callahan and the two don't get along, that's not good. The other issue is the Titans have no quarterback and will need to decide if they think the QB they can build around is available in this year's draft or if they need to wait. The main thing with any GM hired is that GM needs to make it clear this is not a situation in which he can necessarily turn things around in a single season.
5. New Orleans Saints: The Saints are in arguably the weakest division in the NFL. The NFC South has a number of teams that are above average at best. Though there's potential for a couple of teams to improve, the Saints could find themselves in the mix for the division title if things fall into place. They have nine total draft picks, including the ninth overall pick, so they have resources to start building the team.
The biggest drawback to the job is the cap situation. The Saints are projected to be $52.3M above the cap, though they are starting the process to get cap space cleared. But any head coach hired needs to make it clear it's time to rebuild, rather than reload. To that end, they do need to address the quarterback situation — and that's the other drawback to the job, because Derek Carr isn't the long-term answer and it's not a given they'll find their QB in this year's draft.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders are not lacking for resources going into the 2025 offseason. They are projected to have $92.5M in cap space and have 10 total draft picks, including the No. 6 overall draft pick. Because both the general manager and head coach positions are vacant, it's a chance for whoever comes in to have a clean slate.
The biggest issue is that the Raiders don't have a lot of players who can be part of the long-term picture. They don't have a quarterback they can build around, they need more playmakers on offense than Brock Bowers and they need more playmakers on defense than Maxx Crosby. Finally, they play in a tough division as the AFC West had three teams who reached the playoffs, with two who have quarterbacks ranked among the best in the NFL and one who has shown he might be the guy to build around. This is going to be a long-term project, not an instant turnaround.
7. New York Jets: The Jets now have 51 players under contract and are projected to have about $21M in cap space. However, the Jets have ways to clear space without gutting the team. They will have eight total picks in the draft, including the seventh overall pick. If the new general manager and head coach are allowed the opportunity, they may be able to acquire more draft capital by trading players. However, the new regime would have the option of keeping a couple of players who could be part of the long-term picture.
Of all the openings, this is the one with ownership that should raise the most questions in the minds of any general manager or head coaching candidate. There's been a mindset to look for "instant gratification" when the Jets need to rethink that approach, accept that a rebuild is necessary and plan accordingly — particularly because the AFC East isn't an easy division to win at this time. And that brings us to another issue: Aaron Rodgers has had a Hall of Fame career but he's not the guy to build around for the long term. The new regime needs to realize that and sell ownership on that. But then the new regime has to figure out if there's a QB in the 2025 draft class that the Jets can build around, then go from there with the rebuilding process.