The NFL is a jump-to-conclusions culture. Lose two games in a row and the fans are calling for a coach’s head. Throw a few interceptions, and the critics are calling for the NCAA’s top quarterback. The quick reactions never end.
But for certain NFL coaches, the new season will be a test. There’s only so long a team can stay true to their game generals. On the flip side, new head coaching hires will be exciting to watch as the league continues to develop its future.
JOB ON THE LINE: JOHN HARBAUGH
The Baltimore Ravens are always hanging around. And the 2023 season was no different. The Ravens ran through the AFC as the conference’s top team and hung around long enough to reach the final four. But they couldn’t get over the hump.
Soon enough, John Harbaugh will take the hot seat, and in the season ahead, the Ravens will be expected to get back to the Super Bowl. Harbaugh has a championship ring with the Ravens, but despite that success, they need to add more hardware.
COACH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT: DAVE CANALES
What Bryce Young needs more than anything right now is help. The Carolina Panthers gave away their first-round pick in 2024, so help from the draft is questionable. But in terms of a new coach, Young and the Panthers have one with potential.
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While with the Seattle Seahawks, Dave Canales helped turn Geno Smith into a legitimate starting quarterback. While with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he brought out the best in Baker Mayfield. For the Panthers, this hire is worth a shot.
JOB ON THE LINE: MIKE TOMLIN
In sports, eras end. Right now, Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are tip-toeing that line. Since 2007, Tomlin has been a consistent head coach for the team. Under his leadership, they have not had a losing season.
But the Steelers have not been to the Super Bowl in over a decade, and with the ever-changing landscape of the NFL, Tomlin could be replaced for a fresh start. If the Steelers do move on, and with consistency on his side, teams will call Tomlin in a hurry.
COACH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT: JEROD MAYO
In 2024, the day arrived. The Bill Belichick reign ended. After winning six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots, the team’s new direction with be determined by Jerod Mayo, a man who has only been coaching in the NFL since 2019.
Mayo, the Patriots’ former inside linebackers coach, brings a brand-new perspective to the team. Inexperience could play a factor as a learning curve presents itself, but this new vision is something to watch during the upcoming NFL season.
JOB ON THE LINE: SEAN MCDERMOTT
The Buffalo Bills are one of the toughest teams in the NFL. A brute force of a squad who are led by Sean McDermott. Since taking over the Bills in 2017, McDermott has been a successful regular-season head coach.
But under McDermott, the Bills have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs twice in the Wild Card round, three times in the Divisional round, and once in the Championship round. This season, McDermott needs to take the Bills to the next level.
COACH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT: ANTONIO PIERCE
After a rocky start to the 2023 season, the Las Vegas Raiders fired Josh McDaniels and appointed Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach. Pierce took on the team-leading role for nine games and posted a 5-4 record.
There was a fire to Pierce’s coaching style, and the franchise wasn’t done with him after only nine games. Moving into 2024, Pierce is now the official head coach of the Raiders. It’s time to see this team take swings at the Kansas City Chiefs and fight for a division title.
JOB ON THE LINE: NICK SIRIANNI
From playing in the Super Bowl to starting the following season at 10-1, it seemed like the Philadelphia Eagles had things under control. But the team had a meltdown, and struggled through their last stretch of games, winning only one of them.
Nick Sirianni is an emotional coach, and the emotions in the Eagles’ locker room at the close of last season had to be at an extreme high. But there’s no time to stay sappy. The Eagles are going to need to succeed, otherwise Sirianni might be on the move.
COACH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT: MIKE MACDONALD
The long tenure of Pete Carroll as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks is over. Eras are ending in all corners of the NFL. But with the coaching change comes the excitement of someone new: Mike Macdonald.
A young, defensive-oriented coach who has worked for the Baltimore Ravens, Macdonald takes over a team that has been dominant on defense in the past. For the Seahawks, this hire could have a quick turnaround.
JOB ON THE LINE: MIKE MCCARTHY
It’s hard to place a head coach with three consecutive twelve-win seasons on the chopping block, but for the Dallas Cowboys, they need more from Mike McCarthy. They need to get back to the Super Bowl. It’s that simple.
McCarthy has been a strong fit, and the players love him, but when regular-season success doesn’t carry over into the playoffs, then unfortunate decisions get made. It’s a big year for McCarthy, as it feels like he has got the Cowboys back to their championship ways.
COACH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT: JIM HARBAUGH
After a national championship win at the college level, Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL. Speculation about Harbaugh taking over a head coaching job for the 2024 season had been running wild for months, and when the chatter settled, he joined the Los Angeles Chargers.
With Justin Herbert as the team’s starting quarterback, adding Harbaugh to the mix will lift this team up to a higher standard. The AFC West has belonged to the Kansas City Chiefs, but the defending champions should be looking over their shoulders this season.
