Overview of The Athletic Football Show — "The duality of this cycle's coaching hires, and the moves still to come, with Jourdan Rodrigue"
This episode (host Robert Mays with guest Jourdan Rodrigue) digs through the flurry of NFL coaching hires and open jobs in the current cycle. They run a consistent framing for each move: what the hire/job is, what it’s not, a best‑case historical comparison and a worst‑case comparison, plus who might fit remaining openings. The conversation emphasizes organizational fit, quarterback situations, coordinator hires (ceiling/floor impact), and owner/front‑office dynamics as the decisive factors.
Hires covered and the core takeaways
John Harbaugh — New York Giants
- What the Giants need: an infrastructural/cultural reset more than schematic genius.
- Best‑case comp: Mike Vrabel / Jim Harbaugh — a CEO/head‑coach who retools processes, identity and competency across the building.
- Worst‑case comp: Pete Carroll in Las Vegas — high‑profile hire that leads to operational chaos, meddling and poor decisions.
- Key note: Coordinators (Todd Monken, Anthony Weaver rumored) will define the ceiling; Harbaugh is intended to raise the organizational floor.
Kevin Stefanski — Atlanta Falcons
- Fit: Franchise that can sell immediate competitiveness and is attractive to a retread HC; Matt Ryan’s presence (and internal gravitas) helps the hire.
- Best‑case comps: Matt LaFleur archetype (maximize QB, consistent winning) or retread success stories like Gary Kubiak / Norv Turner — maximize what you have offensively.
- Worst‑case comps: The Cleveland Stefanski decline (lost voice/authority under systemic dysfunction) or Adam Gase (retread fail) — owner/front‑office interference and misaligned timelines can wreck it.
- Main variable: quarterback clarity (Kirk/M.Penix/other) will determine success.
Jeff Hafley — Miami Dolphins
- What Miami appears to want: a defensive, culture‑reset coach who can rebuild organizational stability.
- Best‑case comp: Sean McDermott (Buffalo) — methodical culture and roster rebuild leading to long‑term competitiveness.
- Alternate aspirational comp: Mike Tomlin (high ceiling, strong culture setter).
- Worst‑case comps: Defensive hires that didn’t translate (Brandon Staley) — heavy schematic or organizational mismatches, compounded by QB/roster instability.
Robert Saleh — Tennessee Titans
- Situation: Saleh follows a chain of contrasting hires (Vrabel → Callahan → Saleh); OC still unclear (Brian Daboll floated for OC).
- Best‑case comp: Mike Vrabel — restore competency / culture and successfully ride/coach a drafted QB (like Will Levis / C.J. Stroud analog).
- Worst‑case comp: Organizational dysfunction repeating (ownership/front‑office power struggles); parallels to failed defensive retread examples.
- Key risk: Tennessee’s chronic ownership/operational instability is the main threat to any coach’s success.
Other notable hires and staff moves
Mike McDaniel — Chargers (offensive coordinator)
- Why it matters: High‑profile OC pairing with Justin Herbert; huge schematic intrigue (McDaniel’s motion, formation concepts + Herbert’s arm).
- Narrative/value: McDaniel’s best coaching may be ahead of him; this staff/HC pairing (Jim Harbaugh in L.A.) offers an ideal platform to maximize Herbert and expand McDaniel’s offensive toolbox.
Drew Petzing — Detroit Lions (offensive coordinator)
- Fit: Lions want a personnel‑heavy, under‑center/run + play‑action orientation; Petzing’s philosophy aligns. With Detroit’s offensive talent, Petzing may look stronger here than his Arizona tenure suggested.
Open jobs: what they are / aren’t and suggested fits
Arizona Cardinals
- What it is: A job many candidates are avoiding — ownership questions, roster holes, no clear QB path.
- What it isn't: Totally hopeless talent‑wise — there are buildable pieces, but expectations should be modest.
- Fits suggested: Out‑of‑nowhere offensive or “quarterback‑finder” type (Davis Webb floated), or a younger defensive leader (Anthony Campanile) who can win the locker room and prioritize QB search.
Buffalo Bills
- What it is: Coaching a generational QB (Josh Allen) but not an easy job — owner Terry Pegula’s abrupt firing of Sean McDermott raises concerns about owner interference and truncated timelines.
- What it isn't: A guaranteed stable, long runway despite the players/roster upside.
- Fit suggested: Brian Daboll (knows the team and offensive relationships); owner dynamics make a coach who can bridge Allen and the front office essential.
Baltimore Ravens
- What it is: The best job on the market — MVP QB, stable organization, clear processes. A rare top‑tier opening.
- What it isn't: For every ego‑driven coach; the job demands humility and alignment with a process that has long worked.
- Fit suggested: A young offensive wunderkind (Nate S., Grant U., or similar) or a coordinator who will protect/augment Lamar’s strengths; Jesse Minter also floated as a defensive leader option.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- What it is: Second‑best current opening; stability, tradition, and a runway to build with a quality roster (but QB clarity is uncertain).
- What it isn't: Turnkey — some remodeling and roster turnover expected.
- Fit suggested: An up‑and‑coming coach (Chris Shula, Brian Flores as an established rebuild option) who can grow into the job.
Cleveland Browns
- What it is: A tough rebuild — cap constraints, roster holes, limited QB options this year, but significant draft capital (two firsts) and potential fast turnaround with hits.
- What it isn't: A guaranteed disaster; analogous to Texans 2021–22 where quick drafting + right QB can flip the script.
- Fit suggested: Either a veteran who can run a rebuild or a young offensive coach (Grant Udinski / Nate Sheilhouse) the Browns might swing for.
Las Vegas Raiders
- What it is: Blank slate with #1 pick potential and cap flexibility by 2027; opportunity to reset.
- What it isn't: Easy — franchise has history of missteps; pairing matters (GM/coaching alignment).
- Fit suggested: Rebuilders with prior rebuild success (Sean McDermott mentioned as an intriguing, if speculative, fit).
Notable themes & insights
- Coordinators matter as much as head coach archetype: coordinators shape the ceiling (play‑calling, scheme) while CEO/mentor coaches set the floor (culture, infrastructure).
- Owner/front‑office dynamics are decisive: Pegula/Bills and Tennessee’s ownership patterns illustrate how interference or instability can sink even good hires.
- QB clarity is the key variable for many hires: teams with a clear QB path (Ravens, Titans) are far more attractive and have clearer success roadmaps.
- Retread/second‑stop hires are common: success varies; historical parallels (Kubiak, Norv, Vrabel) inform expectations but context (QB talent, front office) is crucial.
- The hiring market is bifurcated: some openings are luxury (Ravens), others are poison pills (Cardinals), and many fall in between — fit and patience matter.
Quick actionable takeaways (what to watch next)
- Track coordinator hires (OC/DC) for each new head coach — they reveal schematic intent and ceiling.
- Watch Buffalo’s next hire and Pegula’s public posture — that decision sets the team’s short timeline and candidate pool.
- Monitor how Falcons resolve the QB situation (Kirk/M.Penix) — it will determine Stefanski’s early success.
- See who Baltimore targets: a proven coordinator vs. a young offensive innovator will shape the franchise’s next era.
- Follow Titans’ offensive coordinator decision (Brian Daboll link) — Saleh + OC combo will define how they handle the QB they drafted.
Notable quotes (paraphrased)
- “Coordinators help establish your ceiling; CEO‑type head coaches help establish your floor.”
- “The Ravens job is everything good about the Bills job plus everything good about the building.”
- “Some owners should learn: if you don’t have conviction, don’t do an abrupt change — don’t make the brutal public theater.”
Where to find the work: Jourdan Rodrigue’s reporting at TheAthletic.com and on the NFL Daily podcast.
Summary prepared to give you a fast, actionable read of the episode’s evaluations, comps and the hires/jobs that will shape the rest of this coaching cycle.