Biggest Goals for Every New NFL Head Coach as Offseason Programs Get Underway

Kristopher Knox@@kris_knoxCorrespondent IApril 15, 2024Biggest Goals for Every New NFL Head Coach as Offseason Programs Get Underway0 of 8

New Chargers head coach Jim HarbaughAllen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The 2024 offseason program got underway for most NFL teams on Monday. While fans can’t expect much football activity in the initial phase, players and coaches are getting together to begin preparation for the upcoming season.

For the league’s eight new head coaches, this is a critical time. Most of them are new to their respective franchises, and the early portion of the offseason will provide them with an opportunity to build relationships, impact the locker room and set the stage for a successful season.

Reach the proper goals, and a new coach might deliver the sort of quick turnaround we saw from the Houston Texans in 2023. Stumble early, and a coach might not make it to the end of the season—which happened to Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers last season.

Here, we’ll examine the biggest early offseason goal for every new head coach as offseason programs get underway. We’ll focus specifically on this stage of the offseason and consider all situation-specific factors, including roster makeup, organizational direction and recent results.

Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans: Begin Forging an Offensive Identity1 of 8

Titans head coach Brian CallahanStacy Revere/Getty Images

The Tennessee Titans are presumably moving forward with 2023 second-round pick Will Levis as their starting quarterback. New head coach Brian Callahan isn’t inclined to change who Levis is as a player or leader.

“I want Will to be him,” Callahan said, per NFL Media’s Grant Gordon. “He’s gotta do it in his own way. You can’t make people do anything that’s outside of their character or it doesn’t come across as genuine. I think Will does a really good job of staying true to who he is.”

Callahan’s challenge will be tailoring an offense that plays to Levis’ strengths. It will likely include many of the concepts that Callahan used as the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator to support Joe Burrow and create a dynamic offense.

Tennessee’s new offense will likely also highlight new additions like wide receiver Calvin Ridley and running back Tony Pollard. The days of everything running through Derrick Henry—who is now with the Baltimore Ravens—are over.

While Callahan won’t be running full-scale practices at this point in the offseason, he can begin building a system to fit his players, installing terminology and preparing Levis for a schematic shift.

Lay the proper groundwork now, and Callahan could help Levis make the sort of second-year jump we saw from Burrow when he was named the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year.

Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers: Instill Confidence in Bryce Young2 of 8

Panthers head coach Dave CanalesDavid Jensen/Getty Images

The biggest goal for the Carolina Panthers for the foreseeable future is to turn 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young into a successful NFL quarterback.

Young’s rookie campaign was a disaster. The Alabama product was saddled with an underwhelming supporting cast and showed little growth from Week 1 to Week 18, which led to head coach Frank Reich getting fired in-season. No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud becoming an instant sensation in Houston didn’t help the optics surrounding Young’s rookie struggles.

Confidence is important for any young player, and it’s hard to imagine that Young’s wasn’t tested during his rookie season. New Panthers head coach Dave Canales needs to ensure that Young still believes in himself.

Canales has experience in that field. Over the last two years, he’s helped revive the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. He can lean on that experience—and a positive attitude—to help convince Young that he’s “the guy” for Carolina moving forward.

“He’s an unbelievable guy,” Mayfield told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe of Canales (h/t Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire). “… They’re gonna get a guy that his infectious personality—it’s gonna go throughout the building.”

The X’s and O’s will be important, too. Canales must create an offense that caters to Young’s strengths—which Carolina didn’t do last season—while taking advantage of new additions like guard Robert Hunt and wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

At this stage, though, the most important thing for Canales is to get Young and his teammates to believe that they can turn things around.

Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers: Decide How to Construct the Roster3 of 8

Chargers head coach Jim HarbaughAllen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Los Angeles Chargers hired former Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as their new general manager this offseason. Make no mistake, though: Head coach Jim Harbaugh—whom the Chargers hired before Hortiz—will have plenty of say in how his team is constructed.

Harbaugh’s influence will be prevalent during the draft.

The Chargers have key pieces in place such quarterback Justin Herbert, offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, edge-rusher Khalil Mack and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. They also parted with integral contributors like Kennan Allen, Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams this offseason.

Now, it’s time for Harbaugh to decide how he wants to go about rebuilding. At Michigan, and with the San Francisco 49ers before that, Harbaugh preferred to build along the offensive and defensive lines and pair a strong rushing attack with an aggressive physical defense.

Harbaugh may also have a preference for his former Wolverines standouts.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if like all nine of us end up going [to the Chargers],” Michigan receiver prospect Roman Wilson said on the NFL on Fox Podcast, “But seriously, like at least five or six. I think he’s going to take a lot of us.”

With nine total selections, including the fifth overall pick, the Chargers could have a transformational draft in 2024. Harbaugh must use the early offseason to determine what his roster has, what it needs and how he can get the most out of his inaugural draft class.

The getting-to-know-you phase is important for every new head coach. For one with as much control as Harbaugh, though, it’s critical.

Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks: Figure Out What Type of Defense Can Be Built4 of 8

Seahawks head coach Mike MacdonaldSteph Chambers/Getty Images

The Seattle Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald as their new head coach after he spent the past two seasons as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator. Seattle undoubtedly hopes that Macdonald will help establish the sort of consistency Baltimore has long enjoyed under head coach John Harbaugh.

Macdonald’s primary challenge at the outset of his tenure will be improving a defense that ranked 30th overall and 25th in points allowed last season.

The Seahawks have plenty of offensive pieces in place, including quarterback Geno Smith, running back Kenneth Walker III, tight end Noah Fant and receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, whom Seattle hired from the University of Washington, will be tasked with managing that group.

Meanwhile, Macdonald will be asked to turn around the defense, which he quickly did in Baltimore.

In 2021, the year before Macdonald took over, the Ravens ranked 25th in total defense and 19th in points allowed. In 2022, Baltimore ranked ninth in total defense and third in points allowed. Last year, it ranked sixth in total defense and first in points allowed.

If Macdonald hopes to produce similar improvement in Seattle, he needs to figure out where his team’s strengths reside and how he can best take advantage of them.

“The spirit of how we play and the principles of how we play, what you’ve seen on the tape in Baltimore will be the same, but I can’t guarantee you the schematics will be the same here, because we’re not sure what we’re good at yet,” Macdonald said in February, per John Boyle of the team’s official website.

Now’s the time for Macdonald to become familiar with his players and to start figuring out what kind of defense he can build in 2024.

Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots: Decide What to Do with the No. 3 Overall Pick5 of 8

Patriots head coach Jerod MayoJonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The New England Patriots had a succession plan in place and moved quickly to promote Jerod Mayo after parting with longtime head coach Bill Belichick.

Some aspects of Belichick’s “Patriot Way” will probably remain, but Mayo is likely to bring some significant changes to the organization, too.

“I’m not trying to be Bill,” Mayo said in January, per Scooby Axson of USA Today. “Bill is his own man. If you can’t tell, I’m a little bit different.”

Mayo, along with director of scouting Eliot Wolf, must decide if the list of changes will include a rookie quarterback. The Patriots own the third overall selection and should have a shot at a prospect like North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. (USC’s Caleb Williams is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears.)

The Patriots traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason and brought back journeyman Jacoby Brissett in free agency. Taking a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick would be logical, but only if a quarterback Mayo loves is available.

Other teams aren’t convinced that New England will take the best signal-caller available.

“It’s not even a slam dunk they take a quarterback right now,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker).

Mayo, who has coached in New England since 2019, already knows his returning players well. However, the Patriots have some new additions, including Brissett, and the early offseason should provide Mayo with a better idea of what his team can be in 2024.

Between now and the start of the draft, Mayo must decide whether it’s the right time for the Patriots to bet on another rookie quarterback.

Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons: Prepare a Plan for Kirk Cousins6 of 8

Falcons head coach Raheem MorrisStacy Revere/Getty Images

The Atlanta Falcons went all-in when they signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency. Cousins will now command an offense loaded with playmakers like Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Kyle Pitts and Drake London.

However, Cousins won’t take the reins immediately this offseason, as he’s still recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered in October. He still isn’t 100 percent yet.

“Taking drops and throwing the football, there’s really no problem with that at this point,” Cousins said last month, per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. However, he added that it would be tricky for him to get out of the pocket for now.

Atlanta’s success in 2024—or lack thereof— largely hinges on Cousins’ ability to return to action and perform at a pre-injury level. The Falcons won seven games last season despite getting little from the quarterback position. If Cousins can return to Pro Bowl form, they could be legitimate title contenders.

It’s imperative that new head coach Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and the rest of the Falcons staff devise a plan to get Cousins up to speed without running the risk of reinjury.

Morris won’t ask Cousins to take the practice field just yet, but he can and must use the early offseason to gauge where his quarterback is in the recovery process and how to best build the rest of his offseason program.

Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders: Start Changing the Culture7 of 8

Commanders head coach Dan QuinnMichael A. McCoy /For The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Washington Commanders brought in a slew of new players this offseason, including running back Austin Ekeler, center Tyler Biadasz, edge-rusher Dorance Armstrong and linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Barring a massive surprise, the Commanders will also draft a new franchise quarterback with the second overall pick.

However, returning players—and the Washington franchise as a whole—are still trying to shake off the stink from years of futility. The Commanders haven’t won a playoff game since 2005, and they’ve largely been a downtrodden franchise since the early 1990s.

Washington desperately needs a culture change. Fortunately, new head coach Dan Quinn is well-suited to provide it.

Quinn spent the last three years as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, and Dallas won 12 games in each of those years. Before that, Quinn was the Falcons head coach, and he helped lead Atlanta to the Super Bowl in his second year on the job.

Back in January, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer called Quinn “a guy who can create a culture” while speaking to Grant Paulson of 106.7 The Fan. “We’ve seen that in Atlanta.”

New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will be responsible for developing Washington’s next quarterback, which will play a major role in the Commanders’ long-term outlook. It’ll be up to Quinn, though, to draw on his experiences—and the experiences of veteran players like Ekeler and Wagner—to create a winner’s mentality in Washington.

Changing a culture is easier in theory than in practice, but it can be done. We saw DeMeco Ryans do exactly that for the Houston Texans in 2023. Quinn and the Commanders can follow suit, but the process must begin now.

Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders: Maintain the Momentum from Last Season8 of 8

Raiders head coach Antonio PierceEthan Miller/Getty Images

DeMeco Ryans brought a massive culture shift to Houston in 2023, but he wasn’t the only coach to do so last season. As the Las Vegas Raiders’ interim head coach, Antonio Pierce quickly brought a new identity to his squad.

The Raiders were tougher, more physical and more disciplined under Pierce than they were under predecessor Josh McDaniels. Las Vegas went 5-4 under Pierce, knocked off the rival Kansas City Chiefs and became a late factor in the AFC West.

In Pierce, the Raiders found a sense of momentum and a leader in whom they could believe.

“I think having A.P. here will be good for this organization,” wide receiver Davante Adams said in January, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “He kind of embodies what it means to be a Raider and that mentality, that swag and all the things that he endorses is the things that I believe in.”

Pierce, who had the interim tag removed early this offseason, already has the support of the locker room. Now he must convince his players that they can build on the success they found down the stretch last season.

Las Vegas added some pieces this offseason, including defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and quarterback Gardner Minshew. It also has a new offensive coordinator in Luke Getsy. However, centerpieces like Adams, Maxx Crosby, Kolton Miller and Tre’von Moehrig are back.

Pierce must manage to incorporate the new while continuing to emphasize what worked last year. The process starts now, and if Pierce can pull it off, the Raiders could take a big step forward as a franchise in 2024.