Ranking NFL Head Coach Vacancies: How Do The Chargers Stack Up?
The NFL will see at least eight head coaching changes prior to the start of the 2024 season. One of those vacancies has already been filled with the New England Patriots tabbing Jerod Mayo as Bill Belichick's successor, but how do the rest stack up?
With a bevy of quality head coaching candidates like Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and others available, the question is which destination is most attractive. Where do the Chargers stack up?
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons earn the No. 1 spot since they are a quarterback away from being true playoff contenders. While the quarterback is an important missing piece, the rest of the Falcons roster is full of high-caliber players. Offensively, they have running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allegeier along with receiving threats in Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
Defensively, the Falcons ranked 11th overall in 2023 and were 8th in passing yards allowed per game. On both sides of the ball, Atlanta has a strong foundation that helped them stay competitive in most games this season.
Combine that with the Falcons playing in the NFC South where the last two division winners have failed to win 10 games, and Atlanta can truly "win now" so long as they get a competent passer.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers rank second because they have the one thing the Falcons don't -- a star quarterback. As seen with a team like Atlanta, a game-changing quarterback can make or break a team. It's not everything, as seen with all the backups playing this year, but it certainly makes it easier on a new coach who knows they don't have to find one.
The Chargers only come in at second because they do have some roster issues. LA's defense has often not played up to the amount some of the top players are getting paid, and the new coach and/or general manager will certainly have to work to either restructure and rebuild this roster, or maximize their current talent.
Outside of this, the Chargers don't rank as high because they are in the AFC West. While Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs didn't look as intimidating as normal this year, they've had control over the division for years now, which is not easy to overcome.
3. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks come in third since they have a strong organization that has had a lot of success over the past decade. While a lot of that was because of former coach Pete Carroll and players who have since moved on, they still have a lot of talented guys like D.K. Metcalf, Kenneth Walker Jr., Tyler Lockett, and Devon Witherspoon among others.
However, Seattle will likely be in search of a quarterback. Geno Smith has been good over the past two years, but likely is not the long term answer. On top of the quarterback, the defense needs retooling. The Seahawks defense ranked third-last in the NFL, which makes this job a bit more challenging. On top of that, Seattle has to compete with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers annually, which is no easy task.
4. Washington Commanders
In years prior, this opening would've ranked towards the bottom of the list. However, thanks to a much-needed change in ownership, the Commanders are on the up swing. Josh Harris showed he's serious about turning the fate of his team around, which he demonstrated by bringing former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers to help with his head coaching search. They've already hired 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters as their new GM, who was one of the most coveted GM candidates in the NFL.
Outside of an improved organization as a whole, the Commanders do have quite a few talented players on their roster. They have a strong wide receiving core and some key defensive pieces like Jonathan Allen. However, they still have multiple holes on their roster like their offensive line and secondary. If there roster was more complete, there would be a good chance they'd rank hire.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
There's a strong chance the Raiders will hire interim coach Antonio Pierce, which would be a smart decision given how much their star players seem to like and respect him.
If the organization does go a different way, there are some things to like about this Raiders team, including quality players like Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams.
However, the Raiders have a bad track record when it comes to hiring coaches and have not had consistent success in two decades. Even Mark Davis has gotten candid about his inability to hire the right coach. Whoever takes this job isn't just trying to turn the team around, but decades of bad luck and misfortune.
6. Tennessee Titans
The Titans surprised some when they decided to fire Mike Vrabel. Vrabel had a lot of success over his tenure in Tennessee, even if the last two years were challenging. Part of his firing came down to disagreement with owner Amy Adams Strunk, which is something to look out for with who the Titans hire next.
On top of this, the Titans have a lot of areas to improve like on their offensive line, receiving core, defense and more. They also aren't sure if Will Levis is the definitive answer, which could make this job simply seem like a lot to take on compared to some of the others for prospective coaching candidates.
7. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers come in last because they have a lot of fixing. Carolina finished the year just 2-15 and were shut out in both of their final games. Despite drafting Bryce Young No. 1 overall last year to turn their franchise around, the Panthers ended up with the worst record in the NFL again, and don't even have the picks to go along with it since
This position is also unappealing because of ownership. David Tepper has not looked good as of late. Aside from the incident where he tossed a drink at fans, Tepper showed little patience this season when he fired coach Frank Reich just 11 games in after hiring him. Just this could scare coaches away.
