The coaching carousel is active once more with NFL head-coach openings across the league as teams clean house with the hope of turning things around next season. While every job is an opportunity and serving as a head coach is a chance no one would pass on, some jobs are better than others.
There are a variety of factors that influence how the NFL head-coach openings are ranked. Most importantly is the quarterback position with coaching candidates prioritizing teams that have a long-term starter. But cap space, draft picks, location and ownership will all play an important role in determining which teams land the top NFL coaching candidates.
Let’s examine the best NFL head-coach openings available after a slew of hirings in recent weeks.
Best NFL head-coach openings in 2022
1. New Orleans Saints
After 16 seasons in the Bayou, the legendary Sean Payton has called it quits. In shocking news, Payton has informed the Saints he’s stepping away from his role.
Thus, starts a major changing of the landscape in New Orleans less than a calendar year after future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees retired.
This comes after the Saints’ first non-playoff season since all the way back in 2016 and will force general manager Mickey Loomis to chart a new path forward. With that said, the Saints are still a pretty darn attractive destination for potential head coach candidates. That includes current offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
New Orleans boasts a nice amount of talent on both sides of the ball, including star running back Alvin Kamara and a great offensive line. Defensively, Cameron Jordan and Marshon Lattimore lead a group that ranked fourth in the NFL in points against this past season. With a ton of recent success and an attractive host city, the Saints will be a nice potential landing spot.
2. Houston Texans
What an absolute dumpster fire the Texans have become under owner Cal McNair. They boast the least-talented roster in the NFL and are without star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Despite this, David Culley was able to keep this team somewhat competitive during an otherwise lost 2021 season. His reward? Being used as the full guy and tossed out like trash after just one season.
Qualified head coach candidates are going to want to take a step back when considering interviewing with the Texans. Most thought that the issues were led by former head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien before he was fired late in the 2020 season.
That’s obviously not the case. The problems in Houston are widespread, and start right at the top. This is the least-attractive NFL head coach opening in eons. The fact that an individual by the name of Josh McCown with no coaching experience at the college or professional level is being considered for the job tells us everything we need to know about Houston.