Hello Robert Saleh: how many NFL teams are still looking for a new head coach?

The Divisional Round is complete and NFL’s coaching carousel spins once again. The firing of Sean McDermott by the Buffalo Bills on Monday added momentum to what had come the week before. And before Tuesday hit, Jeff Hafley was headed for Miami and Robert Saleh was being installed in Tennessee.

Buffalo’s McDermott decision

Buffalo moved on from McDermott after Saturday’s 33–30 overtime Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos, a defeat that crystallized a familiar frustration. Regular-season consistency, playoff appearances, and defensive credibility never translated into a Super Bowl trip. After nine seasons, ownership decided the ceiling had been reached, even with one of the league’s most stable front offices and rosters built to contend now.

McDermott’s résumé is not the problem. He leaves with a 98–50 regular-season record, eight playoff appearances in nine years, and a reputation as one of the league’s steadier program builders. But there’s an impatience at the top.

Which NFL teams are without a head coach?

As of this moment, six NFL teams are actively searching for a head coach:

• Arizona Cardinals – Coming off a 3–14 season that led to Jonathan Gannon’s dismissal, Arizona offers a high draft pick and young skill talent, but questions linger around Kyler Murray’s long-term fit and an offensive line still in flux.
• Baltimore Ravens – After nearly two decades on the sideline, John Harbaugh departed for the Giants, leaving Baltimore in unfamiliar territory. The Ravens now face a rare reset after years of stability, with a playoff-capable roster but real questions about direction once a defining constant is gone.
• Buffalo Bills – As already highlighted, it’s a rare opening for a roster built to win immediately, making it one of the most attractive jobs on the market despite the pressure that comes with it.
• Cleveland Browns – Kevin Stefanski’s exit followed a 5–12 campaign defined by quarterback instability. Defensive stars remain, but cap management and offensive direction complicate the appeal.
• Las Vegas Raiders – Pete Carroll’s one-year experiment ended quickly. The Raiders bring premium draft capital and emerging young talent, but ownership impatience looms over the search.
• Pittsburgh Steelers – One of the league’s rare true openings came with Mike Tomlin stepping down, creating intrigue around what we’ll see next. Interviews underway.

That is a large number by modern NFL standards, especially considering several of these jobs come with playoff-capable rosters or long-term stability baked in.

What next for the Buffalo Bills?

The Bills’ vacancy immediately becomes one of the most attractive openings. Despite the abrupt nature of McDermott’s exit and the financial hit of a contract that ran through 2027, Buffalo offers something many other openings do not: a proven contender that expects to win right away.

For McDermott, well, he is unlikely to stay unemployed for long. But his departure also highlights the NFL’s unforgiving reality: success is no longer measured by just being good, only by getting all the way there.

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