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

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.

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:

McCarthy joined the team in 2020 as the successor ... immediately after the last game of the season. New England named Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, effectively replacing one former ...

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.

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.

GM Trent Baalke remains in Jacksonville and will be on his fourth coach since taking over in 2021. The team is conducting an extensive search to pair the right coach with franchise quarterback Caleb Williams for a long run.

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.

As of Thursday, the Chicago Bears have interviewed two high-profile candidates for the open head coaching position. The Bears met with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday.

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.

Multiple reports indicated the Cowboys and McCarthy broke off contract talks on Monday because they couldn't agree on the length of a new deal. McCarthy's contract ended at the end of the season with Dallas holding exclusive negotiating rights until midnight on Jan. 14.