We’re mere days removed from the regular season coming to a close, and some teams have made quick work of trying to jumpstart themselves for 2026. After campaigns that failed to meet expectations, seven clubs parted ways with their head coach: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans.
Each of those organizations has since been lining up interviews to fill those vacancies.
But if you’re one of the top candidates — like the recently let go John Harbaugh, who is viewed as the top coach on the market — patience may be a virtue. Why? It’s not out of the realm of possibility that other, more attractive jobs will open up if certain playoff teams falter over Wild Card Weekend and are eliminated.
Of course, there are built-in guardrails that prevent someone like Harbaugh from immediately joining another team. Under the Rooney Rule, teams must conduct at least two in-person interviews with minority and/or female candidates for any head coaching opening, and those candidates must come from outside the organization. The rule is designed to diversify the coaching pipeline and ensure candidates of all backgrounds receive a fair opportunity, though it can extend the timeline of the hiring process across the league.
A byproduct of that this year could be that coaches get a clearer picture of the jobs available, because there’s a case to be made that at least three more openings could come across their desks.
Here’s a look at a trio of playoff teams whose coaches could find themselves on shaky ground if Wild Card Weekend doesn’t fall their way.
Current head coach: Sean McDermott
Wild card opponent: at Jacksonville Jaguars
There may be no team with more variance in these playoffs than the Buffalo Bills. With the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson non-factors in this postseason, Josh Allen has a golden opportunity to finally get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl. However, Buffalo will have to do so as a wild-card entry, which means going on the road. Sean McDermott is 0-5 on the road in his playoff coaching career.
While Buffalo is a slight road favorite over the Jaguars, many have put the Bills on upset alert. If that comes to fruition, it’s fair to wonder what that means for McDermott’s status. The veteran head coach enters this game with a 7-7 postseason record, meaning a loss would drop him below .500 for his tenure. Pair that with losing ground to the Patriots in the AFC East, and it could lead decision-makers in Orchard Park to seriously reevaluate whether they have the right staff in place to maximize Allen’s prime years.
If this job were to open up, it would instantly become the most sought-after position in the NFL. Every coaching candidate would be camping outside Highmark Stadium and smashing their way through tables with Bills Mafia for the opportunity to coach Allen.
Current head coach: Mike Tomlin
Wild card opponent: vs. Houston Texans
Pittsburgh narrowly escaped Week 18 with the AFC North title, which can really be viewed as more the Ravens losing it than anything else after Tyler Loop shanked a 44-yard field goal as time expired. While that gave Mike Tomlin a momentary reprieve, it doesn’t necessarily save his job.
Pittsburgh is a three-point home underdog to the Texans this weekend, and if Houston remains one of the hottest teams in the league — headlined by its lethal defense — things could get ugly at Acrisure Stadium on Monday night.
If Tomlin’s club is bounced from the playoffs, the main storyline will be that it’s the same old Steelers: good enough to make the postseason, but unable to do much once they get there. Tomlin’s last playoff win came during the 2017 season, when Ben Roethlisberger was still his quarterback. Since then, they’ve missed the playoffs three times and gone one-and-done in the four appearances they did make. If it’s more of the same this time around, it will be interesting to see whether Pittsburgh takes a hard look at itself and triggers a full-blown reset.
If that’s the case, the Steelers would be a wildly attractive job, offering a coach the opportunity to rebuild one of the most storied franchises the NFL has to offer.
Current head coach: Matt LaFleur
Wild card opponent: at Chicago Bears
One of the more under-the-radar jobs that wouldn’t be totally surprising to see open up with a Wild Card Weekend loss is the Packers. Remember, the franchise did not reach an extension with head coach Matt LaFleur last offseason and is staring down a lame-duck year in 2026, so a decision on his future is coming in some capacity.
Certainly, LaFleur could remain in his post, but what if Green Bay gets waxed by the Bears in the opening round? That would only further the narrative around LaFleur being unable to get his team deep into the playoffs, as he enters this postseason with a 3-5 record. If that drops to 3-6 — with the most recent loss coming against one of your main division rivals, who have essentially leapfrogged you in their rebuild — it could be enough for Green Bay to pivot, particularly with a candidate like John Harbaugh now out there.
On top of the Packers being one of the top organizations in the sport, they have a talented young roster with key pieces like Jordan Love and Micah Parsons in place, so it would be among the very best jobs if it were to become available.
