In the Zone | RealTime Fantasy Sports

Rank and file: Which NFL opening rates as the best job?

Thu Jan 8 7:04pm ET
Field Level Media

Rare opportunity, as candidates often say of being an NFL head coach, we should all agree is precisely what exists with the Baltimore Ravens.

A pillar of stability with top ownership, a proven front office and the kind of two-deep depth chart you'd expect to show up in February, being the head coach of the Ravens is not the kind of vacancy expected this time of year.

The Ravens are 103-62 since 2016 and only three teams have more wins since 2020 than Baltimore's 65. That would be the Chiefs (85), Bills (80) and Eagles (69).

Walking into a job with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback might be the best head-coaching job available since Bill Walsh ran a handoff with George Seifert in 1989, extending the 49ers' dominance with two more Super Bowl titles.

John Harbaugh won't be on a headset for the first time in 18 years, but Baltimore is built to compete yesterday and tomorrow.

It's unquestionably the gig most coaches would want if given their pick of the eight openings in the current hiring cycle.

But if not working with a roster of six 2025 Pro Bowl selections -- Jackson, Derrick Henry and Kyle Hamilton among them -- which NFL opening is most attractive?

1. Tennessee Titans

If the office in Owings Mills, Md., formerly occupied by Harbaugh can't be had, send us to Nashville. With more than $100 million under the salary cap and Cam Ward -- we believe -- as starting points, the Titans can afford to take the long view. GM Mike Borgonzi has the No. 4 overall pick in April, and DT Jeffery Simmons stands out as an All-Pro foundation stone on the defensive side.

2. New York Giants

There isn't a lot of cash under the cushions for GM Joe Schoen to improve the roster around promising QB Jaxson Dart. Love Schoen or not, finding three or four fixes on the offensive line and repairing a woeful back end of New York's defense isn't happening with $11 million.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

On the clock with the top pick in the draft, the Raiders are a prime choice for the right coaching candidate. Patience is a prerequisite because of holes on the offensive line and in the secondary. Starting with their first-round picks from the past two drafts -- RB Ashton Jeanty and TE Brock Bowers -- Las Vegas can be at full stride by the end of next season or early in 2027 depending how the investment of $100 million under the salary cap pans out.

4. Atlanta Falcons

Maybe it's only us, but this feels like the Chicago Bulls of recent vintage. Almost good enough to matter. Atlanta was again 8-9 and runs the risk of wasting elite talent Bijan Robinson and stud WR Drake London in arguably the most winnable division in the league. Like the Bulls chasing an All-NBA level player to restore the franchise to its glory days, the Falcons are spinning their wheels trying to fix a quarterback situation with no certain answer. They don't have a first-round pick and there's no money to spend. Atlanta is over the cap by a projected $4.25 million as of the start of the postseason.

5. Cleveland Browns

See the gaping hole at QB? Win here, boy, and you've got a bust waiting for you in Canton. Or at least a free Uber down the road from Berea. Fault fell to head coach Kevin Stefanski when owner Jimmy Haslam began pointing fingers. There was plenty to go around. But credit general manager Andrew Berry for applying the salve with another fire draft class and two first-round picks in 2026, starting with No. 6 overall and a bonus selection from the Jaguars.

6/7. Miami Dolphins / Arizona Cardinals

Don't show this tie to your teenagers, we truly can't decide between the worst of the available jobs. It's a dry heat in Arizona, where the Cardinals have QB concerns and haven't played in a game that matters for years. No joke, this is the third time in four years the Cardinals have lost at least 13 games. And Miami's biggest offseason question might be the same as Arizona's: What's the cheapest way to offload a high-priced quarterback?

Rank and file: Which NFL opening rates as the best job?

The Paur Report