Real Reason Why Roman Reigns Won Royal Rumble
There were ten head coach openings in the 2026 NFL hiring cycle. However, all ten vacancies have been filled.
No team has hired a black head coach and Mike Jones sees that as problematic.
“Shut out. Happy Black History Month!
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“For context: This is what’s frustrating to Black coaches with head coaching aspirations: None of them want a job BECAUSE they’re black. They want their work to speak for itself. But the league’s owners continue to move the goal posts on them for what makes a man qualified for HC.
“Black assistants compile strong resumes but then are told they’re not qualified, and then see teams make exceptions for members of the Good Ol’ Boy Club. They display true excellence, and then see mediocrity rewarded.” Jones wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Jones is an NFL writer for The Athletic. He is a native of Warrenton, Virginia and has covered the league for well over a decade.
2026 NFL hiring cycle wraps up with Mike LaFleur to Atlanta hire
The Atlanta Falcons hired Mike LaFleur as their new head coach on February 1, 2026. LaFleur joins after spending the last three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator under Sean McVay. Mike is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
His hiring wraps up the 2026 NFL head coach hiring cycle. It’s a cycle that has seen teams go from the uber-experienced (John Harbaugh to the New York Giants and Mike McCarthy to the Pittsburgh Steelers) to the young yet promising (Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens and Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders).
Some coaches will be tasked with bringing stability to their new teams, while others will aim to compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy from Day 1. Experienced coaches like Brian Flores might have to wait for a little longer before they can get their next HC gig.
In the meantime, here’s the full list of 2026 NFL head coach hires:
- Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins
- Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens
- Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills
- John Harbaugh, New York Giants
- Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons
- Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders
- Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals
- Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans
- Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns
