Are the Jaguars the best NFL head coach opening?

by: Menachem Ickovitz

On Thursday afternoon the Houston Texans fired head coach David Culley after just one season on the job. He became the eighth coach to lose his job from the 2021 season. With the numerous head coaching vacancies in the NFL this off-season, we decided to rank the jobs from worst to first.

8. Houston Texans

The most recent job to open up is one currently ranked last on our list. After a 4 ”“ 13 season which was played with QB DeShaun Watson on the sidelines, without being injured, the Texans fired Culley. Rookie quarterback Davis Mills had some good games but is still considered a developmental quarterback.

One of the biggest negatives going for the Texans is Jack Easterby who was a driving force in trading away receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Many fans in Houston don’t like or trust Easterby and would have liked him fired along with (or instead of) Culley.

7. New York Giants

The New York Giants were a once-proud franchise that has fallen on tough times. They have had three coaches in the last six years and the fans are hoping that Giants ownership doesn’t screw this one up as well.

There is some optimism, as the Giants are also looking for a new General Manager after the “retirement” of Dave Gettelman. Additionally, there are some young and talented players on the roster, however, there are questions surrounding quarterback Daniel Jones and his ability to lead the Giants to where they want to go.

6. Miami Dolphins

The Miami job being available was a bit of a surprise, especially when you consider that after firing Brian Flores, he became one of the hottest names out there for other teams to hire.

The Dolphins are saying they are committed to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa but he has not done enough yet to make you feel confident that he can lead the Dolphins. Perhaps the right coach can get the best out of him, but for now the job is ranked where it is due to his inconsistency.

5. Denver Broncos

The Broncos situation may actually be better than fifth; however, the top four teams on the list all have a better quarterback situation at the moment. Give the Broncos a quarterback better than Teddy Bridgewater or Drew Lock and they will make the playoffs.

Denver was named as one of the potential landing spots if Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay. If that were to happen, Denver becomes the best job available. An interesting possibility is the Broncos hire Green Bay OC Nathanial Hackett as their new head coach and bring Rodgers in as their new quarterback. If that were to happen, the Broncos go from the fifth best job available to Super Bowl contenders.

4. Minnesota Vikings

Ziggy Wilf, the owner of the Minnesota Vikings does not make changes for the sake of making changes like some NFL owners. Former coach Mike Zimmer was with the Vikings for seven years, some more successful than others.

This is one of a few jobs that also has a General Manager search going along with it. To some that makes the job more attractive; to others, less. The Vikings have offensive firepower and key contributors on defense, so this might be more of a “re-tool” than a “rebuild” which is very attractive to potential coaches.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

2021 was a difficult season for the Las Vegas Raiders, but it did end with a playoff appearance. For that reason, the job is more attractive than some of the others on the list.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that quarterback Derek Carr’s future is tied to who the new head coach will be, meaning that there is no guarantee that Carr is back. Obviously, if Carr doesn’t return this job is less desirable as not only did Carr lead the Raiders to the playoffs, but he was what kept the team together during their tumultuous 2021 season.

Other than Carr, the Raiders have an array of top-level talent, including TE Darren Waller, RB Josh Jacobs and DE Maxx Crosby. A new head coach will have a lot to work with.

2. Chicago Bears

What the Bears needed this year was a coach to bring out the best in rookie quarterback Justin Fields. When that did not occur, this job became one of the best available. Additionally, the Bears have a good defense highlighted by Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith.

In a previously written article, I suggested that current Bills defensive coordinator and former member of the ’85 Bears, Leslie Frazier would be a good fit for the Bears job. If they do go with a defensive-minded head coach it will be imperative to bring in a smart offensive play-caller to develop Fields.

The Bears are also looking for a General Manager and one downside for this job is the lack of a first-round pick.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are a young team; they have great draft capital and plenty of cap space. Most impressively, quarterback Trevor Lawrence started to play better towards the end of the season.

The Jaguars need a good leader after the Urban Meyer debacle and like many other teams on this list, a good offensive-minded coach like Byron Leftwich or Bill O’Brien would be a great fit.