Here’s how we rank the top New Orleans Saints head coach candidates after the New York Jets hired Aaron Glenn, one of their top choices:

Literally the moment the Patriots made it official with Mike Vrabel, the Cowboys head coach position opens up with Mike McCarthy out.

When the NFL regular season comes to a close, it sends the head-coaching carousel into high gear. The 2025 cycle is in full swing and began with six openings across the NFL. One of those has since been filled with the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel to lead the franchise after moving on from Jerod Mayo after one season.

For some of those teams, that will involve finding new head coaches and/or General Managers. Three teams fired their head coaches during the season and two more have been dispatched as of 9 a.m. ET on January 6.

Baltimore Ravens | John Harbaugh Hired on January 19, 2008 Buffalo Bills | Sean McDermott Hired on January 11, 2017 Cincinnati Bengals | Zac Taylor Hired on February 4, 2019 Cleveland Browns | Kevin Stefanski Hired on January 13, 2020 Vrabel makes a ton of ...

Plus, the Cowboys were on-brand in their handling of Mike McCarthy, and thoughts about future contracts for Sam Darnold and Brock Purdy.

Mike Vrabel made a triumphant return to New England as head coach of the Patriots on Monday. A former linebacker and Super Bowl champion under Bill Belichick, Vrabel said he felt the move back to Foxborough, Mass., was right "in his soul." Vrabel previously coached the Tennessee Titans and spent last season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

Mike Vrabel might be the best candidate for what Michael Irvin believes the Cowboys need. Discipline. Vrabel is a no-nonsense type of coach who played for Bill Belichick in New England for the bulk of his career. Vrabel had success in Tennessee as head coach with four consecutive winning seasons and an AFC title game appearance.

With Johnson heading to Chicago and Mike Vrabel already in New England, five head coaching vacancies remain. The Jets, Saints, Jaguars, Raiders and Cowboys are still in the hunt. Johnson, who was Detroit’s offensive coordinator, agreed to become the Chicago Bears head coach on Monday, two days after the No. 1 seeded Lions lost to Washington.

The NFL coaching carousel is spinning slowly. The Jets, Saints and Bears got a head start in their searches because they fired coaches during the season. The Jaguars and Raiders joined the hunt last week. The Cowboys jumped in Monday so they have to wait to interview assistants on playoff teams because the first window passed.

As of Thursday, the Chicago Bears have interviewed two high-profile candidates for the open head coaching position. The Bears met with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday.

DALLAS — Mike McCarthy is not expected to return as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, WFAA has confirmed Monday. ESPN insider Adam Schefter first reported that McCarthy and the Cowboys "engaged in no discussions about a new deal" and that McCarthy is now expected to be a candidate for the open coaching positions in New Orleans and Chicago.