From the sideline to the unemployment lines, NFL head coaches have tough jobs.
There are only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL, so guys can't
Tim Tebow Jersey get too picky over the situation. While the 2021 job openings may have offered several intriguing jobs, the pick of the litter in 2022 isn't as ideal.
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There's currently eight available jobs, with a ninth yet to come, if the Raiders choose to moveon from Rich Bisaccia. Sean Payton surprisingly created an opening when he elected to step away from the Saints on Jan. 25, and the spot instantly became the worst opening in football.
So, of the half-dozen openings acro s the NFL right now, here's how desirable they are, from least to most:
8. New Orleans Saints
General manager:Mickey LoomisProjected cap space:(~$74 million)2022 NFL Draft picks:Eight
Sean Payton got out atjuuuustthe right time. The team has the worst cap situation in the NFL, with no clear solution in the immediate.
Speaking of no clear solutions, the team has no real option for franchise QB on the roster (sorry, Taysom Hill) and the 2022 NFL Draft might not offer any answers either when the Saints' first-round pick
David Wright Jersey rolls around.
The Saints played kick-the-can with a lot of their contracts, but now it looks like they may not have an option but to trade away some of their higher-priced, quality veteran players for cap relief this offseason. That, coupled with the QB situation, means the Saints may have a long road back to contention, even in a division that's projected to be a bit weaker in 2022. That's going to be incredibly difficult for anyone not named "Sean Payton" to navigate.
7. New York Giants
General manager:Joe Schoen (Hired Jan. 25.)Projected cap space:(~$3 million)2022 NFL Draft picks:Nine
This might be the worst state the Giants franchise has been in in quite some time.
They have plenty of draft picks to kick off a new era right, but their cap situation isn't ideal, the offense is broken and the defense is pricy and just above average.
With Dave Gettleman retiring and Joe Judge both getting the Big Blue boot, the Giants are going to have to take a long, hard look at their organization and hit the reset button, something they haven't done in a long time.
There are so, so many questions for new GM Joe Schoento answer:
What will they do with Daniel Jones?What will become of Saquon Barkley?How long will this rebuild take?
The Giants have two top-10 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, so Schoen has his work cut out for himin what will and should be Year 1 of a total rebuild. While most of those questions fall on the GM, the head coach will still have to get the most out of whatever Schoen puts on the field in 2022.
The Jones question is the most pre sing: While Jones has flashed and shown signs of being a good quarterback, his injury and turnovers i sues over three
Michael Conforto Jersey seasons in the league don't paint a particularly promising picture moving forward. Any GM coming in would be smart to look at the cro stown rival Jets and the Sam Darnold situation for inspiration.
The Jets? Setting an example?
That's the state of New York football, folks.
6. Minnesota Vikings
General manager:Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Hired Jan. 26.)Projected cap space:(~$14 million)2022 NFL Draft picks:Eight
The Vikings aren't nece sarily a quick or easy fix.To that end, the opening might be the worst of the bunch, but that doesn't make it a bad job, nece sarily.
Darryl Strawberry Jersey Kirk Cousins and the Vikings could be a win-now team with a win-now coach in 2022, but after that, there could be a full rebuild on the horizon. It starts with the Viking's cap situation: Minnesota has lived in cap space hell for the better part of the last five years. With Rick Spielman out, it'll be on new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensahto figure out the Vikings' cap situation, something that's easier said than done, even with top-heavy deals on the books.
At the top of that list is quarterback Kirk Cousins: Cousins, who will be in the , whichis fully guaranteed. Cousins is poised to earn $35M next season, which includes a $10M signing bonus. Thereno real way to avoid paying him big money. They'll be one of the more interesting teams to watch this offseason, and the new head coach (and GM) will have their hands full.
The new coach will have an opportunity to push the Vikings to the playoffs for one more year before they need to figure out the future, making for a tough situation for any potentially unproven commodity.
5. Houston Texans
General manager:Nick CaserioProjected cap space:~$17 million2022 NFL Draft picks:Seven
The Texans have a first-round pick for the first time since 2019, which is a good thing. Who will be throwing the ball, though,
Noah Syndergaard Jersey is still a question.
With the Deshaun Watson situation still unresolved, GM Nick Caserio is going to have to orchestrate something with the QB position this offseason. Davis Mills had a surprisingly good first season getting starts for the Texans, leading to some believing he'll get another fair shake in his sophomore season.
That boon in future draft capital, plus a team that looked a little bit more competitive than some thought, may make the Texans a more intriguing landing spot for a head coach. They're closer than people think they are, but not quite at the level of contention just yet.
4. Miami Dolphins
General manager:Chris GrierProjected cap space:~$75 million2022 NFL Draft picks:Seven
The Dolphins surprisingly moving on from Brian Flores opens up a pretty attractive position in South Beach.
The cupboard isn't exactly barren: Jaylen Waddle proved to be a standout wide receiver in Year 1 and Tua Tagovailoa seemingly earned the confidence of the owner and the GM in Year 2. While owner Stephen Ro s has been candid about his desire to avoid Deshaun Watson, whether it's Watson at the end of the tunnel or Tua, Miami's new head coach won't have to worry about a pa ser.
Instead, the next head coach will have to figure out the rest of Miami's offense and build on a promising 8-1 finish that Brian Flores had to close out the 2021-22 campaign. Those are
Wilmer Flores Jersey tough shoes to fill.
3. Denver Broncos
General manager:George PatonProjected cap space:~$48million2022 NFL Draft picks:Seven
The Broncos area readymade, ready-to-win organization right now. Well,aside from one teeny, tiny i sue
Who's playing quarterback?
Vic Fangio was dismi sed at the conclusion ofthe regular season, partly due to Denver's underperformingoffense with both
From the sideline to the unemployment lines, NFL head coaches have tough jobs.
