Predicting NFL coaching hires: Where will Ben Johnson, Mike McCarthy land?

There are several NFL teams searching for a new head coach in a cycle that features some prominent names, including Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and now former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

Before the NFL wild-card playoffs concluded, one of the current seven NFL head coaching vacancies was filled after the New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to be their next head coach. Vrabel, who served as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns in 2024 after spending the last six seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, will have a homecoming with the franchise he won three Super Bowl titles with in his playing days.

Once seen as a top candidate for the Chicago Bears, Vrabel comes off the board, which still has plenty of names on it for the vacancy. With the news of Vrabel's hiring becoming official, the Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and now the Cowboys are the teams left with a vacancy to fill.

Here's a look at the six head coach openings in the NFL and what candidate is likely the best fit for each respective team.

Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson

Current job: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

The biggest discussion with Vrabel off the board now focuses on Johnson, who is being heavily pursued by the Bears and Raiders. There's no reason to read into social media reports projecting how the interview processes are going, time will tell all if the Bears want to land their guy. A recent report over the weekend suggested that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady will be heavily involved in the search for the next head coach, and that could mean money may be not be an issue for the Raiders to land the big fish.

Ultimately, Johnson is a great fit for the Bears, so long as they give him the opportunity to succeed by supplying him the best possible players. The offensive line play in Detroit is stellar, and in Chicago, it was a shame this season. If they can give him all the power to bring in his players, while drafting and signing free agents correctly, Johnson could turn this team around rather quickly.

Las Vegas Raiders: Pete Carroll

Current job: Former Seattle Seahawks head coach

The former Seahawks head coach found his name come up later in the coaching cycle, but is said to be interested in both the Bears and Raiders vacancies. Carroll would be a great secondary plan for the Bears if they missed out on Johnson, but he'd also serve as the big splash looking to be made by Tom Brady and the Raiders.

There's no telling what Las Vegas will do with their quarterback position, which is of the utmost importance, but Carroll has been known to get the most out of all his players, especially at the quarterback position. Carroll brings a proven winner to the organization after he won five divisional titles and one Super Bowl ring during his 10 seasons in Seattle, and the rebuilding of Raiders culture is certainly needed. He may not have been on everyone's radar, but if Carroll is truly enthusiastic about returning to coaching, Las Vegas could be the perfect fit for him, and he could be the perfect fit for a team needing to make a splash.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Coen

Current job: Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

The Jaguars have a franchise quarterback in place with Trevor Lawrence, they've got offensive weapons across the skill positions, so this turnaround may not take long. Destroyed by injuries and a disappointing defense, Coen would bring a fantastic mindset to the offense that could reach higher levels behind Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne, and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who starred as a rookie.

Focusing on the defense will be key for the Jaguars to make 2025 a successful season, and with the fifth overall pick in this draft will likely be used to address that unit. Coen has done marvelous work with the Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield, and now that Tampa was eliminated by the Commanders in the wild-card round, Coen should be pursued more. A big question will be the pairing of the next head coach with general manager Trent Baalke who the team elected to keep while firing Doug Pederson as their head coach, and Coen feels like a great buy-low candidate who would get his first opportunity at a head coaching gig.

New York Jets: Aaron Glenn

Current job: Detroit Lions defensive coordinator

Culture change. That's exactly what the Jets are missing and in need of after firing Robert Saleh after five games into the 2024 season. The Aaron Rodgers experiment was nothing more than a failed disaster, and that's why Glenn would be a perfect fit for the Jets organization. No longer needing to be headlined by a superstar name at quarterback, New York needs to address that position for their future first and foremost, then they need to bring back a tough, no nonsense, hard-hitting attitude back to the franchise.

Glenn has done remarkable as Lions defensive coordinator, with this season showing just how great he is as a coach, making the Lions a tough defense despite several players being lost due to injury. Once they lost star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, many counted out Detroit's defense, but Glenn was able to withstand the injuries and be part of the reason the Lions claimed the top seed in the NFC this season. Glenn is widely known for his loud and brash personality, challenging his defensive players to be great while calling for the team's offense to present a challenge to his defensive unit. Glenn would bring back a defensive identity to the Jets that is very much need of it, and as long as they can address their quarterback position correctly, Glenn could bring back a real culture to the team.

New Orleans Saints: Mike McCarthy

Current job: Former Dallas Cowboys head coach

Despite attempts to come to terms on a new contract, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy have officially parted ways, which leaves Dallas in search of a new coach and McCarthy available to interview with prospective teams. New Orleans could be quite the fit for the veteran head coach. McCarthy is beloved by his players in Dallas and is undoubtedly a players coach who could help a team in desperate need of a leader.

The Saints will have a lot of work to do this offseason, facing several crucial decisions with their roster to help their awful salary cap situation. If New Orleans goes into a full rebuild mode, it would be interesting to see if that is something that McCarthy wants to be part of, but there's still several good pieces on both sides of their offense and defense. McCarthy has experience and leadership, and no matter what direction the team decides to go, especially at the quarterback position, McCarthy fits the bill for a guy who can find success in New Orleans. It won't be a quick turnaround, and there's a chance that Derek Carr could be retained, which would help in the short-term, but the biggest area to address, like a few of these openings, is the future of the quarterback position in the long-term.

Dallas Cowboys: Robert Saleh

Current job: Former New York Jets head coach

Not re-signing McCarthy will put the Cowboys behind the rest of the teams currently searching for their next head coach. The Jets did not get better after they fired Robert Saleh during the season this year, and he is already a target of the Jaguars and Raiders. Known as a players’ coach, Saleh comes with credibility, but a low-profile personality that he managed well in New York.

The offensive pieces are there, the defense is headlined by Micah Parsons, and Saleh would come into a team with high expectations. Results may have not been there in New York, but the Jets were not a poorly coached team. He may not be the first choice for Dallas but as they get started late in the process, they’ll be attached to every possible name, and bringing in Saleh would be quite interesting given the talent they have on paper.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Predicting NFL coach hires: Where do Ben Johnson, Mike McCarthy land?