Multiple head coaches, general managers, and other decision-makers were fired during the most recent NFL season, and Black Monday only brought more changes atop organizational hierarchies. With the 2024 firing cycle nearly complete and the hiring circuit well underway, it’s time to assess the winners and losers of this week’s action.
Winners and Losers From NFL’s Black Monday
Winner | Ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel
Sure, Mike Vrabel is now out of a job after being fired by the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday. But Vrabel shouldn’t worry too much, as he immediately vaulted to the top of 2024’s head coaching candidate list.
Vrabel finished 54-45 as the Titans’ head coach, taking the club to the playoffs three times. He earned the NFL’s Coach of the Year award after leading Tennessee to a 12-5 record and the AFC’s No. 1 seed during the 2021 campaign.
The Titans have slipped over the past two seasons, and the team’s roster has fallen into disrepair. Vrabel, who held at least some personnel authority in Tennessee, shares responsibility for Tennessee’s weak depth chart.
MORE: 7 Candidates To Replace Vrabel as Titans HC
But Vrabel is also a well-respected leader of men who’s generally been receptive to new ideas and creativity on both sides of the ball. He’ll likely be the New England Patriots’ top candidate to replace Bill Belichick if the future Hall of Famer leaves, and every other NFL team with a head coaching vacancy should host Vrabel for an interview.
The Titans come away as losers after failing to get anything in return for Vrabel. Team owner Amy Adams Strunk suggested the process of trading Vrabel to another club would have taken too long, but Tennessee is letting one of the league’s best head coaches walk out the door for free.
Winner | Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh
Capping an undefeated campaign with a CFP National Championship victory on Monday night might’ve been the perfect sendoff for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who’s been linked to an NFL return over the last several offseasons.
However, the former San Francisco 49ers HC has largely fended off questions about his NFL options this week.
“I just want to enjoy this,” Harbaugh said after the Wolverines’ victory against the Washington Huskies. “Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be what’s next, what’s the future? Like I said the other day, I hope to have a future. Hope there’s a tomorrow, a day after tomorrow, a next week, a next month, a next year.”
Harbaugh could hardly enjoy more leverage than he currently has. With six NFL head coaching jobs available, Harbaugh might be able to write his own ticket.
While he’s yet to set up interviews with pro teams, he’s already been at least tangentially linked to the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Washington Commanders.
Winner | Lions OC Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson was widely expected to be the most popular candidate on the 2024 head coaching circuit, and he hasn’t disappointed.
The Detroit Lions’ offensive play-caller has interview requests from the Carolina Panthers, Chargers, and Commanders and will likely be on the Falcons’, Raiders’, and Titans’ radars when they formally begin their searches.
MORE: 2024 NFL Head Coach Interview Tracker
Johnson’s agent pushed back on a December report that the Lions’ OC was asking for $15 million annually, but that’s not an insane salary for an in-demand coordinator — especially given the general lack of appealing offensive candidates on the board.
Johnson has been heavily linked to the Panthers, who reportedly wanted to hire him as their head coach in 2022, but he might have better options.
Loser | Baltimore Ravens
Nearly everything went right for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Lamar Jackson stayed healthy and is on track to win his second MVP award, while the club ended the season with an NFL-best 13-4 record.
In fact, things may have gone too swimmingly. The Ravens’ success has drawn notice around the league, and Baltimore might be in danger of losing both its coordinators.
Offensive play-caller Todd Monken already has interview requests from the Panthers and Chargers, while Carolina and Washington hope to speak with Ravens DC Mike Macdonald.
Brain drain affects some NFL coaching staffs more than others. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has deftly managed constant upheaval in San Francisco as his assistants have grabbed promotions around the league. But the Philadelphia Eagles struggled this season after losing OC Shane Steichen and DC Jonathan Gannon to head coaching positions.
Winner | Carolina Panthers
The David Tepper era has been anything but fruitful for the Panthers. Carolina has gotten rid of head coaches Matt Rhule and Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer over the last 18 months, and the image of Tepper throwing a drink at a fan during the regular-season finale won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
But the Panthers aren’t wasting time as they attempt to turn things around. Carolina has already announced an impressive roster of offensive-minded head coaching candidates, including Johnson, Monken, and the Houston Texans’ Bobby Slowik, plus the top three defensive-oriented options in Macdonald, the Los Angeles Rams’ Raheem Morris, and the Dallas Cowboys’ Dan Quinn.
Fixing Bryce Young has to be at the top of the Panthers’ agenda, so it makes sense that the club seems to be targeting primarily offensive-centric coaches. As one of the NFL’s wealthiest owners, Tepper can afford to hire his top choice.
Loser | Patriots ILB Coach Jerod Mayo
Belichick was thought to be a goner in New England, but he’s still installed as the Patriots’ head coach. The longer Belichick remains atop the club’s org chart, the likelier he and owner Robert Kraft will eventually agree to a deal keeping Belichick in town.
Belichick may be forced to relinquish personnel control and hire a general manager, which he’s suggested he’s willing to do.
MORE: Where Will Belichick Be Coaching in 2024? Betting Odds Have Shifted
Belichick’s potential return would leave Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo — believed to be the team’s “head coach in waiting” — in his current role. Mayo could still generate head coaching interests from other teams around the league (as he did in 2023), but his immediate succession plan in New England might be disrupted.
Loser | Falcons GM Terry Fontenot
The Falcons retained general manager Terry Fontenot when they fired head coach Arthur Smith on Monday. Still, it’s difficult to imagine Fontenot has the same level of influence he held when he took Atlanta’s GM job three years ago.
The club’s press release announcing Smith’s firing indicated that Falcons owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay will lead the search for Smith’s replacement, while Fontenot will provide “input.” McKay later suggested Fontenot’s role would not be diminished, but Fontenot and Atlanta’s next head coach will both report to McKay.
Winner | Analytics-Friendly GM Candidates
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah opened the door to analytics-oriented general manager candidates when he became the Minnesota Vikings’ GM in 2022. The 2024 offseason may feature additional front-office diversity as the NFL begins to accept more candidates with statistical and financial backgrounds instead of solely interviewing those who took the scouting and personnel track.
MORE: 2024 NFL GM Interview Tracker
No team has shown a greater willingness to consider analytic-minded GM candidates than the Commanders, whose new owner, Josh Harris, also controls the statistically-minded Philadelphia 76ers.
Washington already hired former Jacksonville Jaguars analytics chief Eugene Chen as its senior VP of football strategy and is interviewing the Browns’ Glenn Cook and the Eagles’ Alec Halaby for its general manager job this week.
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