The 2023 NFL head coaching cycle is already well underway, with both Arizona and Houston making changes atop their respective staffs immediately following the 2022 regular season.
The Texans are hunting for a new head coach for the third straight offseason. Sunday’s dismissal of Lovie Smith, who went one-and-done just like his predecessor, David Culley, doesn’t just confirm Houston remains in rebuild mode. It reiterates serious questions about what constitutes the organization’s long-term vision. Since new general manager Nick Caserio’s arrival in 2021, the team has poured money into low-tier free-agent leftovers, traded its embattled quarterback without a clear replacement plan, and, most recently, surrendered ownership of the top pick in the upcoming 2023 draft.
Arizona, meanwhile, has pulled the plug on Kliff Kingsbury after four uninspiring, injury-riddled seasons that amounted to a 28-37-1 record, with just a single playoff appearance. Kingsbury and his original No. 1 draft pick, Kyler Murray, were visibly frustrated with each other throughout a lowly 2022 campaign, and the two never paired well enough to register reliable offense. Now, the team is tasked with rebuilding an aging, battered lineup and finding a leader capable of overseeing not only physical but mental maturation from the highly paid star QB, who may or may not be ready to open the 2023 season.
Suffice to say, the Cardinals‘ and Texans’ vacancies, while two of just 32 NFL head coaching jobs in the world, aren’t necessarily the most attractive on the market. But eventually both teams will hire somebody, and ideally, in the Texans’ case, it won’t be an obvious placeholder like Culley or Smith, both of whom landed the job abruptly and unexpectedly. With that in mind, here’s our early estimation of the likeliest candidates to become the next head coach of each team:
Most likely Cardinals candidates
3. Ben Johnson
Position: Lions offensive coordinator | Age: 36
Reviving Murray is probably priority No. 1 inside the Cardinals organization considering how much the team has invested in the young QB. And if that’s the case, Johnson feels like a natural fit after the seamless poise he brought to Detroit’s offense in 2022, tailoring the Lions’ attack to Jared Goff’s strengths. From a cultural standpoint, Arizona is also desperate for some stability, and it can’t hurt that Johnson hails from a Detroit organization…
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