Literally the moment the Patriots made it official with Mike Vrabel, the Cowboys head coach position opens up with Mike McCarthy out.

Across the NFL, teams eliminated from Super Bowl contention are turning their focus toward a long offseason of coaching changes and contract negotiations.

Here’s how we rank the top New Orleans Saints head coach candidates after the New York Jets hired Aaron Glenn, one of their top choices:

When the NFL regular season comes to a close, it sends the head-coaching carousel into high gear. The 2025 cycle is in full swing and began with six openings across the NFL. One of those has since been filled with the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel to lead the franchise after moving on from Jerod Mayo after one season.

For some of those teams, that will involve finding new head coaches and/or General Managers. Three teams fired their head coaches during the season and two more have been dispatched as of 9 a.m. ET on January 6.

Plus, the Cowboys were on-brand in their handling of Mike McCarthy, and thoughts about future contracts for Sam Darnold and Brock Purdy.

There are four head coaching vacancies remaining: The Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and the New Orleans Saints. That leaves four head coaching candidates to get hired for 2025. Let's take a look at the best ones.

Mike Vrabel made a triumphant return to New England as head coach of the Patriots on Monday. A former linebacker and Super Bowl champion under Bill Belichick, Vrabel said he felt the move back to Foxborough, Mass., was right "in his soul." Vrabel previously coached the Tennessee Titans and spent last season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

Mike Vrabel might be the best candidate for what Michael Irvin believes the Cowboys need. Discipline. Vrabel is a no-nonsense type of coach who played for Bill Belichick in New England for the bulk of his career. Vrabel had success in Tennessee as head coach with four consecutive winning seasons and an AFC title game appearance.

The NFL coaching carousel is spinning slowly. The Jets, Saints and Bears got a head start in their searches because they fired coaches during the season. The Jaguars and Raiders joined the hunt last week. The Cowboys jumped in Monday so they have to wait to interview assistants on playoff teams because the first window passed.

Aaron Glenn has filled an NFL coaching vacancy at the New York Jets, joining Ben Johnson at the Chicago Bears and Mike Vrabel at the New England Patriots. The Dallas Cowboys are among four teams still searching.

DALLAS — Mike McCarthy is not expected to return as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, WFAA has confirmed Monday. ESPN insider Adam Schefter first reported that McCarthy and the Cowboys "engaged in no discussions about a new deal" and that McCarthy is now expected to be a candidate for the open coaching positions in New Orleans and Chicago.