2018 NFL Head Coach Vacancies and Current Favorites
By Erik Lambert
The 2018 NFL head coach vacancies have started to fill up. Oakland and Chicago are the first teams to find their men. Four teams remain.
Buzz continues to circulate about where each of them may go. Smart money says things will start to happen soon, especially as the pool of top assistant coaches starts dry up in the coming days. The question is which coaches are tied most to which jobs? While it’s still rumor and speculation at this point it does at least appear like each job has an early favorite. Here is a quick rundown of all the opening and who is poised to fill them.
New York Giants: Steve Wilks (Panthers DC)
Wilks did tremendous work with the Carolina Panthers defense in 2017 after the departure of Sean McDermott. Despite some personnel turnover they managed to finish in or near the top 10 in most categories. Much of the credit goes to Wilks. He has the additional advantage of knowing Giants new GM Dave Gettleman personally. Gettleman was GM in Carolina at the time Wilks was hired. They worked together for five years. That familiarity could be crucial to sealing the deal.
Indianapolis Colts: Josh McDaniels (Patriots OC)
Word is GM Chris Ballard and the Colts were in hot pursuit of Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. That’s not surprising since Ballard knows him well have worked in Kansas City himself. Unfortunately that went down the tube when Nagy chose to join the Chicago Bears. This has shifted the Colts towards their next target. The most mentioned name is Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who could do wonders for Andrew Luck upon his return from a nagging shoulder injury.
Detroit Lions: Matt Patricia (Patriots DC)
Jim Caldwell had one last chance to save himself this season by getting back to the playoffs. He failed. So now GM Bob Quinn is free to hire a new head coach. Coming from the New England Patriots system it’s not a surprise that the top target appears to be a Patriots coach. Knowing that Detroit already has a capable offense in place around Matthew Stafford, the top priority for Quinn is bringing somebody in who can get the defense straightened out. Matt Patricia has thrived at that job for the Patriots since 2012.
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Arizona Cardinals: Pat Shurmur (Vikings OC)
The tricky part for the Cardinals is they not only need a head coach, but they also now need a quarterback. So what would happen if they were able to get both in one shot? That’s what Pat Shurmur can offer. Not only is he an accomplished coach who just conducted the best work of his career, there’s a strong chance he could bring one of the Minnesota Vikings QBs with him. Whether that’s Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford or Case Keenum will be decided by who the Vikings choose to retain. Either way, he gives Arizona a solution.