As the NFL regular season winds down, the coaching carousel is starting to spin. With multiple teams already moving on from their head coaches - including the Titans parting ways with Brian Callahan after just six games and the Giants cutting ties with Brian Daboll after Week 10 - the league is bracing for another busy hiring cycle. That means it’s time to take a closer look at five head coaching candidates who could be leading NFL teams in 2026.
Marcus Freeman - Head Coach, Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman is no stranger to NFL interest. The Bears reportedly reached out to him last offseason before ultimately hiring Ben Johnson, and now the Giants are circling. According to a recent report, New York is expected to have serious interest in the Notre Dame head coach.
Freeman’s résumé speaks for itself. Since being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in 2021, he's compiled a 43-12 record and led the Fighting Irish to a national championship game appearance in 2024. That kind of success doesn’t happen by accident - Freeman has proven he knows how to build a program and lead a locker room.
Of course, the college-to-NFL transition is never a sure thing. The cautionary tale of Urban Meyer’s brief and chaotic stint in Jacksonville still looms large. But Freeman’s leadership style, defensive roots, and ability to connect with players could make him a compelling candidate for a team looking to reset its culture.
Joe Brady - Offensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills
If you're looking for a coach who can unlock a quarterback’s full potential, Joe Brady should be high on your list. Brady took over as the Bills’ full-time offensive coordinator in 2024 and helped guide Josh Allen to his first MVP award. This season, Allen is once again thriving, ranking eighth in passing yards and sixth in QBR - a testament to the continued evolution of Buffalo’s offense under Brady’s watch.
Brady’s track record with quarterbacks goes back to his time at LSU in 2019, when he served as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. That season, he helped transform Joe Burrow into a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion. Burrow himself has credited Brady for playing a pivotal role in his development.
With rookie quarterbacks like Jaxson Dart in New York and Cam Ward in Tennessee, Brady could be exactly the kind of offensive mind those franchises need to accelerate their rebuilds. He’s young, innovative, and has a proven ability to maximize quarterback play - three qualities that make him a top-tier candidate.
Robert Saleh - Defensive Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers
Robert Saleh’s head coaching stint with the Jets didn’t go as planned. In four seasons, he posted a 20-36 record and never reached the playoffs. But context matters, and coaching under a challenging ownership group with unstable quarterback play didn’t exactly set him up for success.
Now back in San Francisco as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Saleh is reminding everyone why he was such a hot coaching candidate in the first place. Despite losing stars like Nick Bosa (ACL) and Fred Warner (ankle) to injury, the 49ers’ defense remains one of the stingiest in the league, ranking eighth in points allowed.
One key difference this time around? Saleh is calling the defensive plays himself - something he didn’t do during his time with the Jets. That change has helped him reconnect with the game on a deeper level.
“When you're immersed in the game as a play-caller, it brings out the emotion in me and gets me excited and connected to all the players,” Saleh said recently. That passion and tactical sharpness could make him a strong candidate for a second shot at a head coaching gig - this time with the benefit of experience.
Vance Joseph - Defensive Coordinator, Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph’s journey in Denver has come full circle - and it's been quite the turnaround. After a rocky start to the 2023 season, including a 70-20 blowout loss to the Dolphins in Week 3 that had fans calling for his job, Joseph has orchestrated one of the league’s most dominant defenses.
Fast forward to now: the Broncos are 11-2, rank fourth in points allowed, and lead the NFL in sacks with 55. They’re even on pace to break the single-season sack record set by the 1984 Bears - a mark that’s stood for over four decades.
Joseph’s previous head coaching stint in Denver (2017-18) didn’t go well on paper - just 11 wins in two seasons - but the quarterback carousel he dealt with (Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, and Case Keenum) didn’t do him any favors. With the right roster and a more stable offensive situation, Joseph could be ready for another shot.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton certainly thinks so, calling Joseph a future head coach and praising his leadership qualities. With his defense wreaking havoc and his stock rising, Joseph is a name to watch.
Klint Kubiak - Offensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
Klint Kubiak has breathed new life into the Seahawks offense in 2025. After ranking 17th in scoring last year, Seattle now sits second in the league at 29.8 points per game - a remarkable leap that speaks volumes about Kubiak’s system and play-calling.
A big part of that success? Quarterback Sam Darnold.
Yes, that Sam Darnold. The former Jets signal-caller signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with Seattle this offseason and has responded with one of the best seasons of his career.
He currently ranks sixth in passing yards and is tied for fifth in touchdown passes.
Darnold credits his familiarity with Kubiak’s offense - from their time together in San Francisco - as a big reason for his resurgence. “Klint, obviously a blue-collar man, he's very easygoing,” Darnold said earlier this year. “It’s a system I’m pretty aware of… That was obviously a draw.”
Kubiak, the son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak, has carved out his own identity as a play-caller and offensive architect. He’s got the pedigree, the results, and the respect of his players - all signs that he could be ready to take the next step.
Final Thoughts
This year’s coaching cycle is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in recent memory. Whether it’s a college coach like Marcus Freeman making the jump, or a seasoned NFL mind like Vance Joseph getting a second chance, there’s no shortage of qualified candidates ready to lead a franchise into its next chapter. And with several teams already hitting the reset button, the interviews - and decisions - are coming soon.