NFL Trade Rumors
Rounding out my offseason rankings series, we have the head coaches. They’re usually the faces of their franchise alongside quarterbacks and other star players and are much more public-facing than general managers and owners. A good head coach can elevate a weak roster to unexpected heights, and a bad one can handicap a talented group of players quite effectively.
The criteria for these rankings is pretty simple. Longevity is appreciated, but coaching is a “what have you done for me lately” business. Consistency is important and winning seasons and Super Bowl titles are valued.
Just a quick note before we jump in: the first-year head coaches are ranked near the bottom, but that is not necessarily indicative of how I think they’ll perform. I merely want to see them do it before I rank them above proven coaches.
I don’t think many would argue with Reid’s placement at the top of this list. The former head coach of the Eagles from 1999-2012, Reid had a lot of success in Philly but could never close a season with a Super Bowl win. That changed in Kansas City, where he’s coached since 2013. Under Reid, the Chiefs have won nine straight AFC West titles, won three Super Bowls and played in two more. He’s one of the top offensive minds in the game today and will go down alongside QB Patrick Mahomes as one of the all-time greatest coach/quarterback pairings.
Hired in 2017, McVay spent the bulk of his career as the youngest head coach in the league and has just recently been unseated. Formerly the offensive coordinator in Washington, the Rams have won three division titles, reached the playoffs six times and played in two Super Bowls, winning one in 2022. Perhaps because he won a title so early in his career, McVay has flirted with an early retirement for a studio analyst job in the past, but seems more committed than ever to Los Angeles right now. With one of the best young rosters in the NFL and a premier quarterback in Matthew Stafford, McVay is set up for another run at a title.
A surprise hire way back in 2007 after serving as the Eagles’ special teams coordinator, Harbaugh has been a model of consistency ever since. He won a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco in 2012, and since then, has cycled through several iterations of a contending roster. Currently, he has QB Lamar Jackson at the top of his game, and always fields a stingy defense. The Ravens are one of the top contenders in the AFC this year.
A longtime offensive coordinator at four stops — Houston, Washington, Cleveland and Atlanta — Shanahan got his opportunity to be a head coach in 2017. In eight seasons, he’s won four division titles, made four NFC championship games and has two Super...
