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2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 7, 2026 9:50 pm

The Browns, Cardinals, Falcons and Raiders followed the Giants and Titans in firing head coaches, making those calls between the Week 18 conclusion and Black Monday. The Ravens then moved on from John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Here are the candidates connected to each HC-needy franchise. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-7-26 (11:30pm CT)

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Falcons Interested In John Harbaugh; Latest On Giants’ Pursuit

By | at January 7, 2026 9:45 pm

It took no time for former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to draw interest from other NFL teams.

No club appears to be more invested than the Giants, who are “all-in” in securing the 62-year-old coach, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. They were among the first teams with reported interest, though several followed suit. Among them are the Falcons, who are “increasingly interested,” according to Hughes.

Teams will be looking to move fast to secure Harbaugh’s services. He could meet with the Giants as early as this weekend (via The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor), as they have already begun interviewing their candidates. Their other potential hires include ex-Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was seen as an early frontrunner before Harbaugh became available.

Harbaugh may have a similar effect on other head coaching searches. That could raise questions about the NFL’s Rooney Rule, especially if a team fires their current head coach to hire Harbaugh. They would still have to interview at least two minority candidates under the Rooney Rule, but those would clearly be shams, resulting in declined interviews and/or punishment from the NFL. Going to New York or Atlanta, who already have openings and interview requests out to multiple minority candidates, might be the cleanest outcome.

Like the Giants, the Falcons have a young quarterback in place, though he may not have the same affinity for Michael Penix Jr. that he reportedly does for Jaxson Dart. But Atlanta’s roster is stocked with young talent on both sides of the ball that would keep Harbaugh out of a rebuilding situation he would likely prefer to avoid. New York seems like a bigger risk for that kind of scenario, though Harbaugh may also want to spearhead a rebuild for his second act, too. And of course, even a single offseason of heavy investment via the trade, free agency, and the trade market could get the Giants back in playoff contention next year.

Of course, Harbaugh will still need to close the deal in his interviews. He is going in with the huge advantage of his pedigree and the respect he commands around the NFL, but the Ravens did not fire him for no reason. He will need to prove he can still remain adaptable to the modern league and continue to connect with players four decades his junior.

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Latest On Falcons’ Firings Of Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris

By | at January 7, 2026 9:36 pm

Although the Falcons ended the season on a four-game winning streak, it was not enough to save general manager Terry Fontenot or head coach Raheem Morris. Hours after wrapping up an 8-9 season, the Falcons fired the duo on Sunday night.

There was cautious optimism on the Falcons’ staff that the club’s late surge would prevent a housecleaning, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, that small sample of success came after the Falcons had already been eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. It wasn’t enough to convince owner Arthur Blank to give Fontenot or Morris another shot in 2026.

Blank’s Falcons have now gone eight straight years without earning a postseason berth. Fontenot was atop the team’s front office for five of those seasons, all of which ended with either seven or eight wins.

Morris had a shorter leash than Fontenot, lasting just two seasons as Arthur Smith‘s successor. He received his walking papers after overseeing back-to-back 8-9 campaigns.

Fontenot’s handling of the quarterback position helped lead to his undoing in Atlanta. The move to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM guaranteed in March 2024 backfired. Fontenot took the gamble just five months after Cousins’ last season with the Vikings ended with a torn Achilles. In reworking Cousins’ contract on Tuesday, the Falcons all but guaranteed that they’ll release the 37-year-old sometime in the next two months.

Atlanta pulled the plug on Cousins as its starter late in his first season with the team. Fontenot stunningly used the eighth overall pick on former Indiana and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. mere weeks after signing Cousins. With Cousins posting lackluster production and struggling to stay healthy in his first 14 starts in 2024, Morris replaced him with Penix.

While Penix retained the job this year, he underwhelmed before his season ended with a partially torn left ACL in Week 11. It added to a long line of health woes for the left-handed Penix, who tore his right ACL twice and suffered season-ending injuries to both shoulders in college. His most recent knee injury “dinged Fontenot’s draft profile a bit,” Fowler writes.

When healthy, Penix hasn’t necessarily looked the part of a franchise passer. The 25-year-old has put up a 59.6 completion percentage with 7.2 yards per attempt, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 85.8 rating in 14 games. However, Morris’ firing may give Penix a better chance to unlock his potential.

In speaking with “multiple scouts and coaches,” Fowler heard that the Falcons’ offense under Morris and coordinator Zac Robinson wasn’t the right fit for Penix. The scheme didn’t make good enough use of his arm strength, those individuals told Fowler.

With Fontenot and Morris gone, it’ll be up to a new regime to decide how to proceed with Penix. The Falcons haven’t found a franchise QB since Matt Ryan‘s 14-year run as their signal-caller ended in 2021. Five years later, Ryan is likely to return to Atlanta as its president of football operations. In taking on that position, Ryan would have plenty of say over Penix’s future.

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Cardinals, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, Ravens, Titans To Interview Vance Joseph

By | at January 7, 2026 8:58 pm

JANUARY 7, 8:58pm: Another new team has been added to Joseph’s docket. According to senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, in addition to the Giants and Raiders, Joseph will interview with the Ravens on Thursday for an opportunity to replace John Harbaugh in Baltimore.

The Browns remain the only team leaving Joseph off the invite list at the moment. Luca Evans of the Denver Post confirmed today through sources that Cleveland had not yet requested an interview. Instead, it’s the former Browns who could be looking to Vance to help their defense reestablish the identity that made the Ravens so notorious for years.

JANUARY 6, 3:48pm: Add the Falcons to Joseph’s itinerary. Atlanta brass will discuss its recently vacated HC position with the Denver DC this week, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. This makes Joseph on the radar for five of the six available positions thus far. The Browns can make it a sweep.

Last year, Joseph met with only the Jets and Raiders. After the Broncos’ defense delivered a second straight strong season under Joseph, more teams have taken notice. While Joseph will shift his focus back to the Broncos’ divisional-round game next week, his bye period will be eventful.

JANUARY 6, 12:03pm: Vance Joseph‘s second Broncos stint has boosted his stock, and after seven years back on the coordinator level, the former head coach is poised to become a strong candidate for a second-chance opportunity. Several teams will meet with the Denver DC about HC vacancies.

The Cardinals, Giants, Raiders and Titans will huddle up with Joseph, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Because the Broncos secured the AFC’s bye slot, Joseph can discuss HC jobs with teams beginning Wednesday of this week. The interviews must be virtual, but Joseph will conduct them all this week.

Joseph’s Cardinals interview is perhaps the most interesting, as he spent four years as their DC. The veteran staffer’s Denver return showed a willingness to return after being fired. While the Cardinals did not technically fire Joseph in 2023 — as they dismantled Kliff Kingsbury‘s staff upon dismissing the HC — they passed on Joseph as the Kingsbury successor.

Joseph interviewed for the Arizona job shortly after Kingsbury’s ouster but did not meet about the position a second time. The Cards gave the job to another defensive-minded coach, Jonathan Gannon, whom they fired Monday.

The Raiders met with Joseph about their HC vacancy last year, eventually giving the job to Pete Carroll. That will make for an interesting meeting this time around, as the team fired Carroll after a 3-14 season. The Giants and Titans came up as interested parties for Joseph ahead of this year’s carousel launch.

There are a host of defensive-minded HC candidates this year but few offense-oriented options for teams. This has allowed Joseph, 53, to move into stronger position to become a second-chance HC. Joseph went 11-21 as the Broncos’ HC from 2017-18, but his quarterback situation — headlined by Case Keenum and the Paxton Lynch draft miss — did plenty to hurt those teams’ chances. After helming a third-ranked defense last season, Joseph repeated that finish in 2025.

The Broncos enter the playoffs third in scoring defense and second in yardage, as Joseph’s defense has powered them to the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2015. While Denver is highly unlikely to lose OC Joe Lombardi, the prospect of losing Joseph and QBs coach Davis Webb is firmly in play.

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Falcons Rework Kirk Cousins’ Contract

By | at January 6, 2026 11:25 pm

Kirk Cousins recently expressed an openness to staying in Atlanta; as the franchise overhauls its staff, it does not appear that will happen. The Falcons restructured Cousins’ contract Tuesday, and the move points the high-priced quarterback out of town.

The Falcons’ redo will drop Cousins’ 2026 salary from $35MM to $2.1MM, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, who passes along a significant date that will most likely change the QB’s address soon. The Falcons have placed a $67.9MM guarantee for 2027 in this restructure, and a 2026 trigger date is now in place.

[RELATED: Matt Ryan Expected To Take Prominent Front Office Role]

If Cousins is on Atlanta’s roster by March 13, that $67.9MM 2027 number locks in, per Yates. It is extraordinarily unlikely the Falcons or any other team will want any part of that number, pointing to a release before that date. This restructure does not change any Cousins guaranteed money for 2026.

As long as Cousins is off the Falcons’ roster by March 13, he will only count $10MM in remaining guarantees. This restructure will increase the dead money number — currently at $35MM — for a 2026 release, however.

The Falcons entertained trade talks involving Cousins last year, but the team wanted an acquiring club to eat a sizable portion of Cousins’ 2025 money. Nothing happened, and Cousins remained Michael Penix Jr.‘s backup entering the season. A Penix injury ended up making Cousins an eight-game starter, but the younger passer will be on track to reclaim his job ahead of the 2026 season.

Cousins, 37, sought a Falcons release early during the 2025 offseason. He met with Arthur Blank about a release last March, but the owner refused the request. Cousins signed a four-year, $180MM contract that came with $90MM at signing in March 2024. Rather than trade or release Cousins last March, the Falcons allowed the additional $10MM guarantee (for 2026) to vest, marking a bit of a surprise since they had demoted him for Penix late in the 2024 season.

Cousins finished with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions during his 2025 Penix relief stint, but his completion percentage (61.7) and yards per attempt (6.4) represented career-low figures — in terms of seasons he has been his team’s primary starter. He could still appeal to a team as a bridge option, seeing as the ex-Washington draftee has 167 starts on his resume and three playoff appearances as a primary starter. Cousins was coming off an Achilles tear in 2024 and developed arm trouble that season as well. While the current version of Cousins is unlikely to excite QB-needy teams, he could serve as a passable stopgap.

The financially shrewd passer’s days of commanding starter-level deals are probably over, however. Cousins famously scored a three-year, $84MM Vikings deal that came fully guaranteed in 2018, doing so after being twice franchise-tagged on his way out of Washington. After Cousins and the Vikings could not agree on a fourth contract in 2024, he hit free agency and landed with a Falcons team that saw hopeful starter Desmond Ridder disappoint. The Falcons then drafted Penix eighth overall six weeks later. Cousins was blindsided by the unusual move and said it would have affected his decision to sign had he known a top-10 QB pick was on tap.

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Panthers EVP Brandt Tilis To Interview For Falcons’ Football Ops. Job

By | at January 6, 2026 9:54 pm

The Falcons have another candidate for their newly-created president of football operations role: Panthers executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis.

Tilis is set to interview for the role, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, though ex-Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan appears to be a frontrunner for the position. Atlanta is nonetheless obligated to interview other candidates, who may also emerge as figures in their search for a new general manager.

Tilis came up in the Chiefs’ front office, starting as a salary cap analyst in 2010 and eventually rising to vice president of football operations in 2021. In 2024, he interviewed for the Panthers’ GM position, and though that ultimately went to Dan Morgan, Tilis still came to Carolina in a VP role. Carolina went 5-12 in their first year under their new front office and improved to 8-9 this year to secure the franchise’s first NFC South crown since 2015.

While head coach Dave Canales‘ work with Bryce Young and the Panthers offense has yielded clear results on the field, Morgan and Tilis have knocked their roster moves out of the park. Major investments, like drafting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and signing safety Tre’von Moehrig, have paid off, and Carolina’s roster is peppered with key contributors on excellent contracts that were signed in the last two offseasons. Among them are safety Nick Scott, cornerback Michael Jackson, and running back Rico Dowdle.

The Falcons’ focus on Ryan seems to close the door on Tilis securing the top football operations job, but his initial discussion with the team may keep him in the race for general manager, as well. The other known candidate for that job is Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, who the team has already requested to interview.

Atlanta will likely finalize Ryan’s hiring as director of football operations before moving onto their GM and head coach selections, by which time Tilis’ name may come back up. He could also draw interest from another team looking to reshape their front office with an executive who helped build a dynasty in Kansas City and has contributed to Carolina’s rapid return to relevance.

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Falcons Request Interview With 49ers Exec Josh Williams

By | at January 6, 2026 5:34 pm

Atlanta is expected to hire Matt Ryan as its president of football operations, but the team is required to interview other candidates for the role first. That may include 49ers director, scouting and football operations Josh Williams. The Falcons have requested a meeting with Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Falcons are the second team to show interest in the 38-year-old Williams since the regular season ended Sunday. He’s also on the Dolphins’ radar as they search for a general manager. Williams was a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM job a year ago. They interviewed him twice before hiring James Gladstone instead.

After finishing as a runner-up to Gladstone, Williams stayed in San Francisco’s John Lynch-led front office this year. Since joining the 49ers in 2011, Williams has garnered significant experience as a scout. In his current position, he “directs pro and college scouting efforts, supports player development, and assists in contract negotiations,” according to the 49ers’ website.

Williams could follow former Lynch assistants Martin Mayhew, Ran Carthon and Adam Peters in earning a major promotion elsewhere, but landing the Atlanta gig looks like a long shot. Barring an unexpected change of heart from owner Arthur Blank or Ryan, the former quarterback appears to be a near-lock for president of football ops duties.

At minimum, interviewing Williams would help the Falcons satisfy the Rooney Rule. It’s worth noting that they’re also in the market for a GM. That job could conceivably go to Williams, who would work under Ryan. Looking to fill that position, the Falcons have already requested an interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham.

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Giants, Falcons Among Teams Monitoring Ravens HC John Harbaugh’s Status

By | at January 6, 2026 3:41 pm

Changes of some kind are expected on the Ravens’ coaching staff. It remains unclear if that will include the departure of John Harbaugh, but his situation is drawing considerable attention.

A parting of ways between Harbaugh and the Ravens has been floated late in the season, one in which the team finished 8-9 and fell short of the playoffs. Leading up to Week 18’s winner-take-all game against the Steelers, it appeared as though a firing would be considered a surprise. Still, uncertainty looms over the situation with the list of coaching vacancies taking shape.

Harbaugh has been at the helm of the Ravens for 18 seasons; only Mike Tomlin‘s Steelers tenure is longer. Baltimore authorized a three-year extension last March, and owner Steve Bisciotti is well known to hold Harbaugh in very high regard. Those factors point to stability at the HC position for 2026. Nevertheless, Outkick’s Armando Salguero reports there are teams “monitoring” the possibility of Harbaugh departing. Included among them are the Giants and Falcons.

This comes after Josina Anderson of The Exhibit described Harbaugh as being “well-coveted” by teams around the league. That no doubt includes at least some of those with a vacancy at the moment (such as New York and Atlanta). Six openings are in place currently, although the possibility exists for that number to increase depending on how things play out in yet-to-be-finalized cases such as Harbaugh’s.

Per Anderson, movement amongst the coaching staff will be coming “relatively soon.” That could include a parting of ways with one or both of offensive coordinator Todd Monken and defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Monken has been on the head coaching radar in previous years, and earlier today he received an interview request from the Browns.

Details on the matter of assistant coaches will be worth watching for closely in Baltimore’s case. Until a firm commitment becomes public from the team, meanwhile, Harbaugh’s status will remain at least somewhat unclear. A final decision will have implications for Baltimore but it could also make a notable impact on this year’s hiring cycle.

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Matt Ryan Hoping To Retain TV Duties Despite Falcons Gig?

By | at January 6, 2026 2:07 pm

JANUARY 6: Although Brady has the FOX/Raiders overlap, Ryan does not appear to be under the impression he would have the opportunity to keep going at CBS and play a lead role in Falcons decision-making. As it turns out, Pelissero indicates Ryan would only work for the Falcons if he indeed becomes their football ops president.

This is an interesting about-face, and it is worth wondering if Ryan floated the prospect of doing both jobs. But the Atlanta resident looks to be committed to working with the Falcons. This would open an NFL Today slot for the 2026 season.

JANUARY 5: The Falcons appear set to hire former quarterback Matt Ryan as their new president of football operations. If the former MVP has his way, he’ll continue his TV gig.

[RELATED: Falcons Expected To Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football Operations]

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (h/t Awful Announcing), Ryan is “hoping to retain his duties at CBS.” Ryan joined the network as an analyst for the 2023 season, and he’s been apart of The NFL Today pregame show since 2024.

Naturally, this arrangement would present some potential conflicts of interest. However, the NFL has already set a precedent in regards to executives working for media partners. Despite being a partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady has continued to serve as the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox.

A recent report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic indicated that Brady was only at the team facility “a handful of times this season.” While Brady was still heavily involved in the Raiders’ daily operations, there’s also a clear distinction between a minority owner and the leader of football operations. While Brady was allowed to juggle both responsibilities, it’s uncertain if the same flexibility will be afforded to Ryan, both from the NFL and from Falcons ownership.

Of course, Ryan’s television duties shouldn’t distract from his initial tasks as Atlanta’s president of football operations. The former quarterback will be responsible for spearheading the organization’s search for a new head coach and general manager. Once those hires have been made, Ryan will presumably also have major influence over the team’s roster. This duty would surely extend into the 2026 regular season.

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Falcons Expected To Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football Operations

By | at January 6, 2026 10:58 am

JANUARY 6: Ryan will interview Thursday or Friday of this week, per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport. A hire shortly thereafter would come as no surprise.

JANUARY 5: It was recently learned the Falcons have been in talks with Matt Ryan about a prominent front office role. A hire is not yet official, but further details have emerged regarding the expected reunion between the two.

Atlanta is in the process of a notable restructuring. That will include a new head coach and general manager after last night’s firing of Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot. Other moves have been made as well, though. Longtime CEO Rich McKay has continued expanding his role into other areas of the Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment organization, and today marks a key point in a five-year succession plan for his replacement.

[RELATED: Ryan Aiming To Work For Both Falcons, CBS]

Greg Beadles has been promoted from president to president and CEO of the Falcons, Blank notes in an open letter to fans. This position primarily affects the business side of the operation, but Beadles will also play a role in implementing the wider restructuring process in the organization. That includes the pending hire of a president of football operations.

The Falcons will soon begin the interview process on that front. Before it begins, though, it is widely expected Ryan will be hired. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes, the former MVP quarterback has already done “homework” on a number of head coach and general manager candidates. The process of finding replacements for Morris and Fontenot, to no surprise, will not begin until the president of football ops is officially in place.

Atlanta must comply with the Rooney Rule before making a hire on that front. Once that takes place, Pelissero cautions teams may be leery about allowing their executives to interview for the GM gig knowing that position will not be the highest ranking one in the front office. The list of targets from the Falcons’ perspective will thus be interesting to see over the coming weeks.

Ryan, 40, spent all but the final year of his playing career with Atlanta. Not long after a single campaign with the Colts, he retired and transitioned to broadcasting. Another notable career move now appears to be imminent, and it will send him to a familiar organization.

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