2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

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; two days later, the Dolphins canned Mike McDaniel. Here are the candidates connected to all eight of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-9-26 (3:10pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/26

Wednesday’s midweek minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

In Green Bay, head coach Matt LaFleur relayed that Melton doesn’t have a torn ACL, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but his knee injury is just going to take some time to recover. Meanwhile, the Chargers and Seahawks look to return two role players to offenses as they ready for their first playoff games.

The 21-day practice windows have come and gone for McLeod and Willams. Without an activation, both players will return to their respective injured lists.

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

With the AFC North now settled (in rather dramatic fashion), the 2025 regular season is in the books. Following their decisions to shelve Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick. After entering Week 17 in that slot, the Giants — as they did in 2024 — slipped out of the top two thanks to a late-season win.

Big Blue’s victories over the Raiders and Cowboys dropped them to No. 5, with today’s win allowing the Jets, Cardinals and Titans to leapfrog them. The Giants, who fell out of the No. 1 spot last year thanks to a Drew Lock-led win over the Colts in Week 17, will still hold a top-five pick — just not the one most expected two weeks ago. The Jets saw the Colts’ collapse, which dropped them from 8-2 to 8-9, give them two picks in the top 16.

The Cardinals started 2-0 but managed to close the season with 14 losses over their final 15 games. This will give Arizona a top-four pick for the third time in the Monti Ossenfort era. The GM traded out of that slot in 2023 before drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024; Ossenfort is expected to be retained for a fourth season, providing another opportunity. This will be the third straight year the Titans will hold a top-seven pick.

The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday, but thanks to a three-way NFC South tie, Tampa Bay’s draft slot will land out of the playoff positions for the first time since 2020. Because Atlanta defeated New Orleans today, Carolina’s first-round pick will slide into the bottom 14 despite its 8-9 finish — one that secured playoff entry for the first time since 2017.

Although the draft order is not fully set due to the upcoming playoffs, the first 18 picks are. Here is how the order looks after Week 18:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
  2. New York Jets (3-14)
  3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  5. New York Giants (4-13)
  6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
  7. Washington Commanders (5-12)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
  11. Miami Dolphins (7-10)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
  13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
  15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
  16. New York Jets (via Colts)
  17. Detroit Lions (9-8)
  18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
  19. Carolina Panthers (8-9)
  20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
  24. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
  25. Chicago Bears (11-6)
  26. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
  27. Houston Texans (12-5)
  28. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
  30. New England Patriots (14-3)
  31. Denver Broncos (14-3)
  32. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)

Coaching Notes: Chiefs, Lions, Udinski, Leonhard, Idzik, Brown, Bears, Pitcher, Scheelhaase, Godsey

Matt Nagy looms as one of the top head coaching candidates with an offensive background in this year’s hiring cycle. A departure for a second HC opportunity (or at least a play-calling offensive coordinator role) is something to watch for over the coming days.

In the event Nagy were to head elsewhere, the Chiefs would find themselves in need of an OC replacement. The team could look to familiar options in such a scenario. Kansas City would “welcome back” Mike Kafka or Eric Bieniemy, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

Bieniemy, 56, worked under Andy Reid from 2013-22. That span included five years in the offensive coordinator role. Bieniemy led Washington’s offense for one season before doing the same at UCLA. He is currently serving as the Bears‘ running backs coach. Kafka, meanwhile, was with the Chiefs for five years, operating as quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator along the way. As the interim head coach of the Giants, the 38-year-old’s future is currently unclear.

With Black Monday approaching, here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL:

  • Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently hinted at staffing changes. It would comes as little surprise if OC John Morton were to be among those let go, seeing as he was stripped of play-calling duties midway through the campaign. Morton said (via Rapoport and Pelissero) “I’d like to be here” when asked about the possibility of remaining in Detroit. Taking on a lesser role for next season could thus be something to watch for as Campbell looks into his coordinator options.
  • Overall, the pool of head coaching candidates for 2026 is not seen as being as strong as last year. A large number of firings over the next few days may not be forthcoming as a result. On the other hand, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required) this winter could be busier than usual in terms of coordinator changes. Jaguars OC Grant Udinski, Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard, Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and Patriots pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown are among the staffers she identifies among those who have drawn strong reviews for their work this season.
  • Ben Johnson has impressed during his debut season in Chicago. He could be in line to lose a number of key assistants soon, however. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports names Bieniemy as a candidate to depart this winter with his stock having received a boost. In addition, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, pass-game coordinator Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett have each generated buzz regarding interest around the league. Johnson may have multiple vacancies to fill in the near future in the wake of Chicago’s successful campaign.
  • Dan Pitcher has been with the Bengals since 2016. Over that time, he has worked his way up to quarterbacks coach, a role he has had for six seasons and counting. The 38-year-old finds himself as an interview candidate for OC positions, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Losing Pitcher would deal another blow to the stability Zac Taylor enjoyed on his offensive staff until Brian Callahan‘s departure in 2025.
  • Fowler also points to Nate Scheelhaase as a “sleeper” with respect to offensive coordinator interviews. Scheelhaase, 35, served in many positions at the college level before joining the Rams in 2024; he currently serves as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Many Sean McVay assistants have gone on to land notable gigs elsewhere in the NFL, and along with D-coordinator Chris Shula Scheelhaase could soon become the latest to do so.
  • Since 2022, George Godsey has served as the Ravens’ tight ends coach. That tenure is nearing an end, however, Godsey is finalizing a deal to become the next offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. By returning to his alma mater, Godsey will end a run of NFL coaching positions which dates back to 2011.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/26

After the final standard gameday practice squad elevations of the 2025 regular season, the three-game elevation limit resets for the postseason, so only players getting signed to the 53-man roster because of the limit will be noted today. Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Browns made it known yesterday that they were shutting down Schwesinger and tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. for the final week of the season, but the Defensive Rookie of the Year-favorite is the only one to land on IR.

In Dallas, Williams failed to practice this week as he dealt with shoulder and neck issues. With Davis also being placed on IR, the Cowboys will rely on rookie fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue and the recently activated Mafah, a seventh-round rookie, in Week 18. The team used their eighth and final IR activation to bring Mafah back for a potential NFL debut.

Because Green Bay didn’t elevate recently signed practice squad quarterback Desmond Ridder, it appears either Malik Willis will be healthy enough to back up Clayton Tune or Jordan Love will serve as the potential QB2 for the Packers in Week 18.

Judon is set to make his Bills debut in the team’s regular season finale after signing to their practice squad two weeks ago.

With Saints backup quarterback Spencer Rattler not practicing this week with a finger injury, Haener gets the call to back up rookie Tyler Shough.

Hall in Tennessee had already been called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation three times this season. In order for him to appear in the Titans’ regular season finale, the move to the 53-man roster was necessary.

Jaguars Extend OL Cole Van Lanen

The Jaguars are making a surprising investment in offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen after the 27-year-old stepped up as a clutch injury replacement for the team this year. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Van Lanen will remain in Jacksonville on a three-year, $51MM extension that includes $32.5MM of guarantees and could see an increase of $4MM with incentives.

Van Lanen’s deal comes on the heels of a similar extension for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Per Michael DiRocco, also of ESPN, the Jaguars felt the need to get both deals done, as “using the franchise tag was not an option for either player.”

Van Lanen, a sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin back in 2021, only played in one game for the Packers after his hometown team drafted him. He failed to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and signed to the practice squad with just the one elevation. He did sign a reserve/futures deal with Green Bay at end of the year, but after spending the offseason and most of the preseason with the team, Van Lanen was traded to the Jaguars in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

Van Lanen served mostly as a special teamer in his first season in Duval. Jacksonville only put him on the field with the offense for 18 snaps that year, but his versatility showed early as those snaps came at left tackle (1), right guard (11), and left guard (6). In 2023, Van Lanen’s role would’ve been reduced to just special teams or, even worse, a healthy scratch in several weeks, but injuries to right tackle Cam Robinson (and a few other backup linemen) put Van Lanen at that spot for parts of two games as an injury replacement.

Last year, Van Lanen didn’t appear in a game until Week 9, playing only three offensive snaps over his first four games of the season before finally earning his first career NFL start at right tackle. Two weeks later he was forced to sub into a game very early at left tackle before starting the final two games of the season at that position, which he had held down when he was a Badger in college.

Even this season, Van Lanen began in a backup capacity, and even though he got a few snaps in Weeks 4 & 7, he didn’t actually start a game until Week 9 for Jacksonville this year. His first start came as just an extra lineman but saw him spend time at left guard, where he would start for an injured Ezra Cleveland the next week. Van Lanen then went back to starting at right tackle for two games in place of an injured Anton Harrison and subbed in for an injured Patrick Mekari at right guard for a week all before taking over for Walker Little at left tackle for the past four weeks of the season.

Van Lanen didn’t just stand in over the past five weeks for Mekari and Little. By the metrics of Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Van Lanen has seemingly outplayed the two veterans in their own positions. So much so, that even when Little returned from injury, the team continued to start Van Lanen and shifted Little inside to right guard to cover for an injured Mekari.

It will be interesting to see how the three players’ roles change into the postseason and next year. Mekari and Little have both held swing tackle roles as versatile linemen in their pasts before being named starters this year, and now Van Lanen has shown he can be more effective as a starter.

The outrageous size of Van Lanen’s extension (for a player who’s only started 12 games in his career and only the last four at left tackle) seems to indicate that he will be getting preference moving forward. The annual average value of his deal ($17MM) surpasses those of both Little ($13.5MM) and Mekari ($12.5MM) as Jacksonville continues to build a shuffleable offensive line full of versatility.

Rico Dowdle, Calais Campbell, Von Miller Among Players Pursuing Incentives

The Panthers will face the Buccaneers in Week 18 with the NFC South on the line. Running back Rico Dowdle, one of the Panthers’ most important weapons, is dealing with a toe injury. It doesn’t appear it will sideline him, though, as head coach Dave Canales said he expects Dowdle to play Saturday (via Joe Person of The Athletic).

Along with winning the division, there’s a lot at stake financially for Dowdle, who’s seven scrimmage yards away from 1,350. If he reaches that total, Dowdle will earn a $1MM bonus, per Devon Henderson and Tobias Bass of The Athletic. Dowdle has rushed for 1,066 yards and added another 277 as a receiver while appearing in all 16 of Carolina’s games. The former Cowboy has given the Panthers plenty of bang for their buck on a one-year deal worth up to $6.25MM.

Dowdle isn’t the only veteran aiming to boost his earnings in Week 18. Here’s a look at several others (via Henderson and Bass):

  • Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown has hauled in five touchdowns in 15 games. He’ll earn an extra $750K if he grabs touchdown No. 6 against the Raiders on Sunday. It’s a long shot, but Brown will add an extra $1MM if he catches three TDs. After re-upping with the Chiefs on a one-year pact worth up to $11MM last offseason, he’s on track to reach free agency in March.
  • Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell needs one sack to hit 7.5 for the season. If he gets it done against the Rams on Sunday, Campbell will rake in a $500K bonus. That would be a nice way to go out for Campbell, who said before the season that this will likely be his last year. Campbell began his storied career with the Cardinals in 2008 and spent his first nine seasons in Arizona. After playing for four other teams, the six-time Pro Bowler returned to the desert last April on a one-year, $5.5MM guarantee.
  • Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead will collect a $1MM bonus if he picks up 1.5 sacks and reaches seven for the season against the Titans on Sunday. Armstead has piled up 5.5 sacks in 15 games in 2025, the second season of a three-year, $51MM deal.
  • While little has gone right for the Commanders in 2025, last summer’s Von Miller signing has worked out. After inking a one-year pact worth up to $6.1MM, Miller has recorded eight sacks in 16 games. The 36-year-old will secure a $1MM bonus if he registers his ninth sack in Sunday’s meeting with the Eagles.
  • With 70-plus catches and over 700 yards, Saints tight end Juwan Johnson has already maxed out his $750K incentive package for 2025. The 29-year-old has pulled in 74 catches for 828 yards and three touchdowns in the best season of his career. He’ll earn a fully guaranteed $9MM in 2026, the second season of a three-year, $30.75MM accord.

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

Aside from tonight’s Rams-Falcons game, Week 17 is in the books. Most of the playoff field has been set in both conferences, but there is still plenty to be determined regarding the first-round draft order.

By virtue of their loss on Sunday, the Raiders are now in pole position to secure the No. 1 pick. Vegas sits at 2-14 on the year, with four teams sporting a record of 3-13. Only one of those, however – the Giants – is still in contention to land the top selection. Vegas will play against Kansas City in Week 18, while New York’s season will end against Dallas.

Fernando Mendoza looms as the projected top quarterback option in the 2026 class, with the futures of Dante Moore and Ty Simpson still uncertain. Demand usually outweighs supply at the top of the draft when it comes to signal-callers, and scarcity at the position could very well come into play in April. Mendoza may find himself on the radar of teams not immediately in need of a quarterback depending on how things play out.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is an updated look at the first-round order:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)
  2. New York Giants (3-13)
  3. New York Jets (3-13)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
  5. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)
  6. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
  7. Washington Commanders (4-12)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-10)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
  11. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  12. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
  13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
  14. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1)
  15. Detroit Lions (8-8)
  16. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
  17. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
  18. New York Jets (via Colts)
  19. Carolina Panthers (8-8)
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
  21. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
  23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
  24. Buffalo Bills (11-5)
  25. Chicago Bears (11-5)
  26. Houston Texans (11-5)
  27. Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
  28. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
  29. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
  30. New England Patriots (13-3)
  31. Denver Broncos (13-3)
  32. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/27/25

Here are today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the penultimate weekend of the regular season:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

With Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox both dealing with injuries, the Bills add Latu to the 53-man roster for depth. To make room, Buffalo has parted ways with the veteran, Hardman, just a week after activating him from injured reserve.

A number of players are being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third and final time on their current contracts. This is the case for Flowers in Chicago, Zappe in Cleveland, Sills in Indianapolis, Driscoll in Pittsburgh, and Kight in Seattle. If their respective teams wish to see them appear in another game this year, they will need to be signed to the 53-man roster, as was done with Wormley in Indianapolis and Chatman in New York this week after they exhausted their three elevations already this year.

Injury Updates: Wright, Giants, Adams

A handful of notable injury updates heading into Week 17:

  • Set to face the 49ers on Sunday in a battle of NFC heavyweights, the Bears may go without right tackle Darnell Wright. The 24-year-old is questionable with an illness, and he will not join the team in traveling to San Francisco on Saturday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Since going 10th overall in the 2023 draft, Wright has started in all 47 NFL appearances, including 14 this year. If Wright can’t go on Sunday, it’s likely Theo Benedet will start in his place.
  • Giants tight end Theo Johnson (illness) and center John Michael Schmitz (finger) are the latest starters the team has ruled out for Sunday, joining left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring). The Giants and Raiders, both 2-13, will square off with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft likely at stake. The Raiders decided earlier this week to shut down their two best players, defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers, ahead of what could be a franchise-altering game.
  • The Rams are likely to go a second straight week without star wide receiver Davante Adams. He’ll be listed as doubtful for Monday’s matchup against the Falcons, Schefter relays. With the postseason nearing, the Rams are playing it safe with Adams, who aggravated a hamstring injury in Week 15. Adams, the Rams’ top Puka Nacua complement, leads the league with 14 touchdown grabs.
  • The Jaguars have downgraded running back Bhayshul Tuten from questionable to out for Sunday’s meeting with the Colts. Tuten suffered a finger injury in a Week 15 win over the Jets and subsequently underwent surgery, keeping the rookie fourth-rounder out of last Sunday’s victory in Denver. Tuten ranks second among Jaguars RBs in carries (78), yards (284) and touchdowns (four), trailing Travis Etienne in those categories. LeQuint Allen will back up Etienne on Sunday as the hard-charging Jags go for their seventh win in a row.
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