NFL Head Coach Search: Favorites For Bears, Vikings, Giants, Dolphins, Jags In 2022

Six NFL teams are searching for a new head coach for the 2022 season. While organizations are interviewing many candidates for the vacancies, a handful of coordinators and ex-head coaches are expected to fill the openings.

The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos made expected coaching changes after missing the playoffs. The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t wait until the end of the season, giving Urban Meyer his walking papers with four games left on the schedule. It looked like the New York Giants might retain Joe Judge, but the team ultimately gave in to calls to let the coach go.

Brian Flores’ firing as the Miami Dolphins head coach caught many by surprise. Although Miami missed the playoffs, Flores led the Dolphins to back-to-back winning records for the first time since 2003. Given his success in Miami, Flores is likely to enter next season as another team’s head coach.

Chicago is set to interview Flores, and it might be the best fit for the 40-year-old. Flores is the betting favorite to be the Bears’ next head coach with +160 odds at BetMGM. Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Fraizer is a distant second with +500 odds to get the gig in Chicago.

The sportsbook gives Flores +500 odds to land in New York and +800 odds to be the next Vikings head coach.

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has the third-best chance to be hired by Chicago, according to the odds, at +600. Buffalo’s assistant coach was a top head coaching candidate a year ago. It seems unlikely that he’ll return to the Bills in 2022.

Daboll is the betting favorite to be hired by Miami (+300) and New York (+350). Obviously, he can’t take both jobs, but the odds suggest he’s going to land somewhere. Daboll has the third-best odds (+400) to be hired by Minnesota.

Doug Pederson (+350) is the betting favorite in Minnesota, one year after being fired as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Pederson had a 42-37-1 record in Philadelphia with three playoff appearances. Pederson led the Eagles to their only Super Bowl championship in the 2017 season.

Pederson (+400) has the second-best odds in New York. The 53-year-old is viewed as a candidate for the openings in Miami (+550), Chicago (+800) and Jacksonville (+700), as well.

Former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien (+200) is the favorite to replace Meyer in Jacksonville. After spending more than six seasons in Houston, O’Brien returned to college football to become Alabama’s offensive coordinator.

Soon after Alabama lost to Georgia in the national championship game, NFL Network reported that Jacksonville would interview O’Brien.

Former Jaguars quarterback and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich (+300) is viewed as O’Brien’s chief competition for the Jacksonville job. As a coach for the defending Super Bowl champs, Leftwich will be considered for multiple openings.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has the second-best odds to be hired by the Dolphins (+500) and Vikings (+400). Bieniemy has been interviewed for various head coaching positions in the past, unable to land one of those jobs.

There are no odds for the Broncos’ next coach.