Get to know all 32 NFL Head Coaches ahead of the 2023 Season

Perhaps more than any other major sport, NFL coaching performances are scrutinized with a fine-toothed comb each and every week. Many fans are getting ready for the new season by considering the talent on each roster, but it only makes sense to take a little time to get to know the decision makers on the sidelines as well.

The Kansas City Chiefs are fortunate to have one of the best leaders in the NFL on their sideline. Reid is one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, and is usually a step ahead of his peers. Once again, the Chiefs seem to be entering the season with question marks on offense, but the infrastructure Reid has created should be enough for Kansas City to make another Super Bowl run.

This might be a make or break season for McDaniels. He didn’t have much success as a head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010, and his first campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders saw the franchise take a step back. The former New England Patriots offensive coordinator is hoping that his familiarity with Jimmy Garoppolo can help lead the team back to the postseason.

After blowing an huge lead in the AFC Wild Card game last season, many called for the Los Angeles Chargers to fire Staley. The organization decided to stick with their embattled head coach, but it seems like he’s going to have to at least win one playoff game this season to silence his critics. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will help Staley with the continued development of Justin Herbert.

The Denver Broncos had a disastrous experience in 2022 with their head coaching situation, something that Payton has been sure to remind the public about. Payton has a decorated resume from his days leading the New Orleans Saints, and will look to get Denver’s offense back on track. He’ll need to revitalize quarterback Russell Wilson in order to accomplish that.

The Philadelphia Eagles had a magical run to the Super Bowl last year, and Sirianni’s confidence epitomized how the team expected to win every time they hit the field. Their supreme talent has been somewhat depleted heading into 2023, and it will be interesting to see if Sirianni can push all the right buttons again.

The New York Giants weren’t expected to do much in 2022, but coach Daboll adroitly put the players on his team in a great position to succeed. It wasn’t always pretty, but the Giants returned to the postseason playing a very specific style of football. Fans will want to see continued improvement in quarterback Daniel Jones, who Daboll allowed to make plays with his legs.

Even though they’re largely overlooked in the NFC East, Washington’s overall team is not that bad. Rivera has a few pieces to help keep the Commanders competitive throughout the season, but his biggest challenge will be deciding who should get the nod at center. Second year player Sam Howell and veteran Jacoby Brissett figure to start games for Washington this season.

He’s worked for some high-profile organizations, which comes with a lot of attention and second-guessing. By and large though, McCarthy has been a pretty solid NFL coach, which he proved once again in his first two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. His challenge will be coming up with a way to get Dallas to the Super Bowl, a place they haven’t been since 1996.

Speaking of spotlight, perhaps no team will be under more of a microscope this season than the New York Jets. The franchise traded for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who serves as a massive upgrade over what the team had last year. Expectations are about as high as can be with the Jets, and Saleh will need to keep his team focused throughout the hoopla.

The New England Patriots are looking to find the same level of swagger that they had in the first two decades of the century. There’s no denying that Belichick is probably the greatest coach in NFL history, but he finds himself in a supremely competitive division trying to retool on the fly. If anyone can gameplan his way to the postseason, it’s Belichick, but he has his work cut out for him.

Even though his eccentric ways left some to doubt how he could effectively lead a team, McDaniel showed he was a strong hire for the Miami Dolphins last year. They’ll need his creative mind again in 2023, especially if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed more time due to injury. McDaniel’s life should be easier this season after the team hired veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Very quietly, McDermott has built an extremely strong foundation with the Buffalo Bills. Even though they still have some work to do in order to reach their ultimate goal, he has been a pillar of stability during his stint with the team. McDermott performed admirably as a leader in 2022 after the frightening incident involving safety Damar Hamlin.

It’s about as automatic as it gets. The Pittsburgh Steelers have never finished below .500 under Tomlin throughout his 16 year career there, and it’s a huge testament to how well prepared he has his team. They should once again be in the running for a playoff spot, as second year quarterback Kenny Pickett figures to improve.

They’re one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL, but the Cincinnati Bengals are led by a coach who prefers to let his players receive all the credit. Taylor has done a sensational job with the team, leading them to a Super Bowl appearance and AFC championship game in the last two years. There’s a chance he could be on the sideline for Cincinnati for another 15-20 years.

The Cleveland Browns made a huge gamble by trading for Deshaun Watson, and subsequently giving him a fully guaranteed contract. At the end of the day, they’ve put all of their eggs in that basket, and Stefanski is going to have to make it work. He’s historically been a run-first playcaller, but will likely look to let Watson make plays through the air in his first full season with Cleveland.

It’s hard to believe, but Harbaugh has been with the Baltimore Ravens for the past 15 seasons. He’s a superb coach, who tends to figure out how to get the most out of his team. Heading into this season, the Ravens figure to have more weapons in the passing game than they have in a while, but Harbaugh might still want Baltimore’s offense to feature the running game.

Pederson entered a situation with the Jacksonville Jaguars that had nowhere to go but up, and that trajectory took them to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in 2022. It was a nice first step for a young team, and they’ll look to take that next step by returning to the postseason with a little more room to spare.

There has been a lot of discussion about the overall direction of the Tennessee Titans heading into the year, but it doesn’t seem like Vrabel is going to be at the helm of a rebuild anytime soon. He’s found unique ways to keep Tennessee in games, and his adept way of analyzing the events on the field should keep the Titans respectable again in 2023.

It’s a feel-good story for the Houston Texans, who haven’t exactly had many of those in the last few years. Former accomplished linebacker DeMeco Ryans has returned to the organization as the team’s head coach. He’ll be looking to instill a toughness that had been lacking previously, and will have the support of the fan base in the process.

Things seem to be off to a bit of an uneven start for Steichen in his first go-round as head coach. The Indianapolis Colts are trying to groom rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson for Week 1, all while running back Jonathan Taylor is less than pleased with the team’s front office. Steichen is going to have to keep his group together this summer.

It was a rough first season for Eberflus with the Chicago Bears, as the team limped to a 3-14 record in 2022. However, there were some encouraging signs of life down the stretch of the season, which Bears fans are hoping the team can build on. Eberflus is a former defensive coordinator, and will look to help sure up a unit that game up the most points in the NFL last year.

The Minnesota Vikings have said goodbye to Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook, who have both been familiar faces on the team for a few years. This means that the team will lean on all-world receiver Justin Jefferson even more. It’ll be up to O’Connell to scheme ways to get him open, while not wearing him down over the course of the year.

NFL fans are really going to see what LaFleur is made of this season. Aaron Rodgers is no longer with the Packers, and Green Bay’s head coach is attempting to give Jordan Love the best chance to succeed under center. If Love plays well as the team’s starter, it’ll go a long way in securing the reputation of LaFleur as one of the game’s premier offensive minds.

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Detroit Lions are entering a season with expectations to qualify for the postseason, and possibly win the division. It’s a testament to the culture Campbell has built in the Motor City, which is predicated on not backing down. Now that they are the hunted, it’ll be fun to see if Campbell’s coaching style changes.

Bowles is going to have an uphill battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, but will hope to lean on his defensive knowledge to coax a winning season out of the organization. The team is not far removed from a Super Bowl victory in the 2020-2021 season, and Bowles will look to take pressure off an offense that is in transition.

It feels like Allen won’t have a better opportunity to get New Orleans back into the playoffs than this season, as the entire NFC South is in a state of flux. The Saints brought in veteran quarterback Derek Carr, which means that the time for excuses is over. Allen may need to work around the unavailability of running back Alvin Kamara if he is suspended by the league.

The Carolina Panthers hit the reset button this offseason, entrusting their franchise to former quarterback Frank Reich. The team also selected Bryce Young first in the 2023 Draft, and is fully expected to let him lead the team right away. The Panthers were in the division mix for most of last season, and it seems possible that they’ll be decent enough to replicate that result this year.

Smith appears to have used the first couple of seasons in his Atlanta Falcons tenure to get accustomed to leading an NFL team. As the former offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, he would heavily utilize running back Derrick Henry, and may use that same template now with top 10 draft pick Bijan Robinson.

It seems like the San Francisco 49ers keep on winning despite who they have at quarterback, which is a credit to how well Shanahan deploys his players. He hasn’t won a Super Bowl with the team yet, but the 49ers keep knocking on the door, and figure to have another chance at a Lombardi Trophy this season.

Despite being in his seventies, Carroll continues to bring unbridled enthusiasm and energy to the Seattle Seahawks. His players adore him, and leave everything out on the field for him because of his demonstrated passion. Carroll once again brings an intriguing Seattle team into play, who are hoping to play better defense than they did a year ago.

The narrative around McVay has shifted sharply from the moment when he led the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl. Some thought he might leave the team for a less stressful television gig, while others wondered how he would reinvigorate the Rams with a changing cast of characters. His intellect shouldn’t be in question, but his roster leaves a lot to be desired.

It’s going to be a long year for the Arizona Cardinals, who are going to use the 2023 season as a rebuilding campaign. Even though not much is expected from the team, it’ll be important for Gannon to find his voice as a head coach, and create an environment that is conducive to winning in 2024 and beyond.