Jan. 16, 2026, 6:05 a.m. ET

The Atlanta Falcons are one of eight NFL teams with a head coaching vacancy, and while there are plenty of quality coaches available, not every team is going to end up with their preferred candidate.

The factors that will set these teams apart from one another are overall roster strength, front office setup and quality of quarterback. The Falcons have some questions at quarterback with Michael Penix Jr. recovering from a partially torn ACL and veteran Kirk Cousins unlikely to return in 2026.

Atlanta’s roster is solid on both sides of the ball, however, it’s too early to judge the team’s new front office setup. So where do the Falcons rank among the NFL’s current head coach openings?

According to ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, the Falcons have the “best available job” for any coach looking to win right away.

“Just surface level, I think the best available job when it comes to the ability to win now is Atlanta,” explained Orlovsky. “I believe this football team has got crazy amounts of talent. They’ve got an offensive line that’s one of the top 10 best offensive lines in football. Really good receivers. Really good tight end. One of the best players in football. A defense that’s loaded with young, athletic players.”

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The Falcons lost out on John Harbaugh, who took the New York Giants head coach job earlier this week, but they’ve interviewed seven other candidates, including Mike McDaniel, Klint Kubiak and Anthony Weaver, for their coaching vacancy.

It will be up to Atlanta’s front office, led by new team president of football Matt Ryan to figure out the right head coach and general manager to lead the Falcons in 2026.

“I just look at Atlanta with the addition of Matt Ryan in a division that’s got some long-term question marks,” Orlovsky added. “If you can find a quarterback — I understand it’s easier said that done — but if you can find good quarterback play in Atlanta with the young talent that they have, man, you can get good real fast.”

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