Black Monday passed, but it did not feature a dramatic day of coaches on the chopping block.
The Atlanta Falcons fired Arthur Smith late Sunday night, the Washington Commanders split ties with Ron Rivera on Monday and the Tennessee Titans surprisingly moved on from Mike Vrabel on Tuesday.
Then there was the blockbuster of Pete Carroll on Wednesday transitioning from head coach to an advisor role, creating an opening in the Pacific Northwest.
So, really, only one head coach learned his fate on Black Monday, with three other firings transpiring during the season in the Las Vegas Raiders' Josh McDaniels, Carolina Panthers' Frank Reich and Los Angeles Chargers' Brandon Staley.
There could be more openings in the near future, but, for now, there are four teams browsing the applicant pool: the Commanders, Falcons, Panthers and Seahawks.
Let's rank the openings from least to most enticing for a potential head-coaching candidate:
4. Carolina Panthers
Each team presents various factors to consider, whether that be ownership, stability, roster, location or financial situation, among others. Carolina starts at the bottom. The ownership under David Tepper ranks low, especially considering his conduct at games. Reich was hired to build a new future with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, only to be fired 11 games into a four-year deal ... talk about not stable.
The roster situation isn't that great, either. Most of it hinges on Young's development after a rocky rookie season, though he needs better weapons and protection around him for a fair evaluation. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown and outside linebacker Brian Burns are some of the marquee names overall, but that's really about it. And the Panthers' would-be No. 1 overall pick in 2024 is going to the Chicago Bears.
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Carolina is scheduled to have around $40 million of cap space to work with, according to Spotrac, but it'll be tough to attract enough quality free agents.
3. Atlanta Falcons
A competent quarterback and head coach could've had Atlanta winning multiple NFC South titles in recent years. It's been that open of a division. The offense has plenty of top-end young talent in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Tyler Allgeier and Kyle Pitts. The offensive line was one of the better units in the league, and the secondary ranked in the top 10 of several important statistics.
Atlanta will have around $38 million in cap space, which ranks in the middle of the pack. It'll have the No. 8 overall pick, but that's a tricky position to land a top-end rookie QB the franchise desperately needs. The Falcons will have to hope who they want falls to them or they can trade up and get their head coach the player of his choosing. The division should be relatively weak for at least one more season, which would keep Atlanta in fighting distance since it has many pieces in place.
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks come in second after narrowly missing out on the playoffs at 9-8. Carroll created a competitive culture in Seattle throughout his tenure, and whoever comes in will have a team ready to battle for a playoff spot once again. The stability up top is solid and the Seahawks know how to develop and nurture talent, with youngsters like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon, Boye Mafe and Zach Charbonnet all emerging from the crop.
Seattle owns the No. 16 overall pick in the draft while currently having just around $4 million in cap space. There will need to be roster decisions to clear up space and improve roster flexibility, while the long-term QB situation may need resolving sooner rather than later. Geno Smith, 33, peaked in 2022 and Drew Lock is a backup at best.
1. Washington Commanders
It gets much more enticing with the Commanders, who two seasons ago were a quarterback away from fielding a sturdy team. But now, the defense has been stripped to mainly Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, while Sam Howell doesn't appear fit for the long-term role under center. Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson Jr. are among some intriguing skill players offensively, though the offensive line will need significant improvements as Howell was the most-sacked QB of 2023.
The Commanders, at the moment, are projected to have the most cap space in the NFL at around $86 million. If they use that wisely, along with having three of the top 40 picks in the upcoming draft (including the No. 2 overall pick), they could be a surprise team to watch next season. Former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers was also brought in to help the rebuild, and Myers sure knows a thing or two about constructing winning environments.
