The first hiring of the NFL’s 2025 coaching cycle is in the books with the New England Patriots reaching a deal with Mike Vrabel.

That leaves five teams looking for a new coach: Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets.

The Patriots were able to get a jump on the market because Vrabel was unemployed. He refrained from taking a full-time coaching opportunity after the Tennessee Titans fired him last offseason.

A lot of the top candidates for other teams, however, are still working for their respective organizations with the playoffs ongoing. Interviewing them multiple times and performing the necessary due diligence will take time.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy are among the most notable names on the board.

Here are the landing spots that make the most sense for those five coaches.

There are obvious drawbacks to coaching the Chicago Bears.

Since reaching the Super Bowl in 2006, the franchise has made the playoffs just three times and that kind of futility eventually reflects poorly on the ownership structure. When multiple coaching and front office regimes have been unable to deliver consistent success, the problems start at the top.

Every coach hired after Mike Ditka has basically been left trying to chase his legacy, too.

Still, there’s enough to make Chicago an attractive place for Johnson, who’s arguably now the most in-demand coaching candidate with Vrabel off the board.

Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams showed progress in the second half of the year. Across his final seven starts, he threw for 1,525 yards and 11 touchdowns to one interception.

In addition, general manager Ryan Poles has some cash to burn to help improve a porous defense. Chicago’s $66 million in salary cap space is projected to be the seventh-most in the league.

You wouldn’t blame Johnson for spurning any advances by the Bears, but the opportunity to coach Williams and mold him into a true franchise QB would be tantalizing.

The New Orleans Saints will present a stiff challenge for whoever takes the job.

General manager Mickey Loomis has persisted with trying to maintain a playoff contender since Drew Brees’ retirement despite seeing diminishing returns on the field. Kicking the can down the road has only complicated the organization’s long-term payroll situation as well.

But Glenn would be arriving in the Big Easy knowing he’d likely have a lot of time to turn things around and see through any rebuild. That’s a luxury he’d enjoy by playing for the Saints in 2008 and then working on the staff from 2016-20.

If nothing else, the proof of concept is there in New Orleans from when the team was such a consistent winner with Brees and Sean Payton.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Kingsbury is likely to be “selective” this offseason when it comes to any coaching vacancies. He seemingly reinforced that idea when he said he’d like to be an NFL head coach again “at some point,” which didn’t reflect a burning desire to jump back in right away.

In the case of Kingsbury, staying with the Commanders might be the smartest move.

Look at the jobs that could plausibly become open next year based on the coaches who figure to be under some pressure in 2025. It’s probably playoffs-or-bust for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Zac Taylor. A second straight year of missing the postseason could turn up the heat on the Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel. How many more times do the Pittsburgh Steelers need to come up short when it matters under Mike Tomlin?

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is a bit of a cautionary tale for when you decline to strike while the iron is hot. Slowik stayed with the Texans last offseason amid outside interest, and his stock has dipped a bit after Houston’s offense went backward.

But Kingsbury has the advantage of having already been an NFL head coach, and his profile will grow further if he can help rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels take another step forward.

It’s entirely likely Carroll is done in the NFL. He’ll be 74 once the 2025 season is underway, so any long-term upside to hiring him is almost nonexistent. Bill Belichick’s inability to get hired—and an almost total lack of interest around the league—points to how past success and accolades only go so far.

An aging coach might be an especially bad fit for the Las Vegas Raiders when they’re all but guaranteed to have a new quarterback, one with little experience, leading the offense.

But Carroll’s personality would mesh well with the Raiders’ longstanding identity as rebels of the NFL and help them stand out in Sin City. As many predicted when the franchise first announced its relocation to Las Vegas, it hasn’t always enjoyed a strong home-field advantage with rival fans either living in the city already or traveling in for games.

The Raiders are badly in need of a culture reset, and Carroll might provide that even if he’s only a stopgap in coaching terms.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Friday the Cowboys and McCarthy were “expected to open talks today on a new contract to keep him in Dallas.” On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the two sides hadn’t held any “substantial discussions” about an extension.

McCarthy’s contract expires in a matter of days, at which point he’ll be free to follow through on any interest from suitors outside of Dallas.

As long as they’ll have him back, the Cowboys are the best job out there. For all of their roster needs and the meddling of team owner Jerry Jones, they’re the closest to playoff contention. Jones is also nothing if not patient with his head coaches.

A different owner might’ve kicked McCarthy to the curb already after Dallas fell short of its preseason expectations. The same was true for Jason Garrett, who got 10 years before he was removed.

And for as much as the Cowboys’ reputation far outpaces what they have achieved in the last 30 years, being the guy to end their Super Bowl drought would almost single-handedly confer legendary status.