For 12 NFL teams, the road to Super Bowl LI continues. For the other 20, the chances of winning a title this year have met an abrupt and disappointing ending. For the latter group, the focus now moves on to 2017, and for six of those teams, the focus is on finding a new head coach.
Five teams—the Los Angles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers—fired their head coaches. The Denver Broncos are also seeking a replacement for Gary Kubiak, who decided to retire at the end of the season.
A large number of coordinators, assistant coaches and team executives have also been let go in the wake of the 2016 season. However, we'll be focusing strictly on head-coaching vacancies today.
We'll be examining some of the latest rumors surrounding the head-coaching carousel heading into the opening round of the postseason.
Latest Buzz
Doug Marrone Could Remain in Jacksonville
Given the relative lack of national exposure the Jaguars receive, you'll be forgiven if you thought Doug Marrone simply disappeared from the NFL after stepping down as head coach of the Buffalo Bills back in 2014.
However, Marrone has spent the past two seasons as assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Jaguars. When the Jaguars decided to part ways with Gus Bradley last month, Marrone was made interim head coach.
There's a strong chance Marrone could remain in command of the Jaguars on a full-time basis. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Marrone met with Jaguars brass in a lengthy meeting on Thursday night:
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Marrone is also under consideration by the Rams for their head-coaching vacancy:
The Bills went 6-10 and 9-7 in the two seasons with Marrone at the helm.
McDaniels Almost Guaranteed a Head-Coaching Position
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had one try as a head coach from 2009-10. However, his run with the Broncos—and with quarterback Tim Tebow—resulted in a 12-20 record (11-17 with McDaniels as head coach).
However, McDaniels returned to the Patriots after a one-year stint with the Rams and has since rebuilt his potential head-coaching value. He helped the Patriots achieve a 3-1 record without star quarterback Tom Brady to open this season, and has since become one of the hottest names floating around the coaching carousel.
According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com, McDaniels is expected to interview with the Rams, 49ers and Jaguars during the opening round of the playoffs:
Brady believes at least one of these teams is going to get a heck of a coach.
"He's the best in the NFL," Brady said on an interview with WEEI's Kirk & Callahan Show (h/t Adam Kurkjian of the Boston Herald. "Great coaches get opportunities, and he's fortunate to be in a position where he should get them because he's earned it. I would hate to lose him.
Of course, the most patient team could be the one that lands McDaniels. He would likely remain with New England as long as the team remains in the postseason.
Greg A. Bedard of SI.com recently joined Felger and Mazz to express his belief that McDaniels is most likely on his way out of New England.
"I'm hearing that, yes, he's as good as gone," Bedard said.
Texans Could Join List of Coaching Vacancies
The Houston Texans will be helping to kick off the postseason when they host the Oakland Raiders on Saturday afternoon. However, it appears there's a chance that they could also be a team looking for a new head coach by the time Saturday evening rolls around.
CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora recently suggested that the Texans and O'Brien could mutually decide to part ways whenever Houston's playoff run comes to an end.
Here's some of what La Canfora had to say:
The relationship between coach Bill O'Brien and GM Rick Smith has never been super cozy and the issues at quarterback have become acute. The fireworks between O'Brien and $37M man Brock Osweiler date back to early in the season, as reported here, and O'Brien is far from sold on Osweiler as the guy for 2017, despite the Texans having another $17M guaranteed in him for next season.
Even if the Texans beat the [Oakland] Raiders—who are starting rookie Connor Cook for the first time—and then end up with their usual lopsided defeat to a top seed like the Chiefs or the Patriots, league sources believe a change is not out of the question.
It would seem that the sooner the Texans lose in the postseason, the more likely it becomes that O'Brien will be out as head coach. However, there's no guarantee that even a lengthy playoff run—save for a Super Bowl appearance, perhaps—would be enough to keep the two sides together.
As La Canfora pointed out, O'Brien doesn't seem at all sold on Osweiler as his quarterback. If Texans general manager Rick Smith or owner Bob McNair wants to force him on O'Brien next season, the head coach might not even want to return.
At any rate, it feels like there is more behind this rumor than just the team's performance. While it will be frustrating to see the team again flounder in the postseason, it is worth noting that O'Brien has produced three 9-7 seasons with mediocre quarterback play.
It's fair to wonder if O'Brien might receive head-coaching consideration from another team if the Texans are out of the playoffs early.