Every year we see the coaching cycle stretch for weeks on end to finally wrap up in the NFL.

All of the teams believe they’ve found their guy and while this may be true for some, not every hire is going to work out. We will see at least one of these teams hitting a new coach within the next few years.

That is just how it goes. Winning in the NFL is hard and it is even harder in some places. But I must say that some teams have to feel pretty good about how the last month has gone.

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers

First, for Harbaugh, this has to be some kind of dream he is living right now. He finally gets over the hump at the college football level and wins a National Championship, then the NFL comes calling once again. Winning it all and following it up with a huge NFL contract is to dream for.

Los Angeles had their eyes on Harbaugh from the very beginning and not another coach was really in the running. Now they have their guy and they need to win with a franchise quarterback in place.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle had a long process and it is never easy when you replace a longtime head coach like Pete Carroll. Often these hires feel like letdowns but that is not the case here.

The Seahawks had to wait and wait to be able to make Mike Macdonald their guy. After the Baltimore Ravens lost in the AFC Championship, Seattle secured the biggest young name on the market. A bright defensive mind who will have his chance to become the next big thing.

Detroit Lions

Before the Lions lost in the playoffs and their season ended, it was said to be a done deal that they were losing more than one coordinator. Well, they didn’t and they kept both.

When we see Detroit make another run to compete next year, we’re going to look back and remember how they retained Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn for at least one extra season.

Both could leave next season but the fact that the Lions didn’t have to give Johnson a bump in pay tells you everything you need to know.

Houston Texans

The Texans were a team that was in jeopardy of losing coordinators and position coaches. In the end, the Texans and QB C.J. Stroud ended this cycle as big winners.

Bobby Slowik was a serious candidate for multiple jobs and Houston held on to him for at least one more season to work with their phenom at quarterback. Maybe even more important is Jerrod Johnson not leaving for an offensive coordinator job anywhere. Stroud will have his quarterback coach for year two in the NFL. We all know how important consistency is for young quarterbacks. 

Commanders may have just made the head coaching mistake that was easy to see coming

Time will have to let it play out.