NFL Rumors: Latest Gossip Surrounding 2017 Head Coaching Vacancies

While 12 NFL teams are gearing up for the upcoming postseason, six others are searching for the right head coach to eventually take them to that promised land. Five of those openings came as the result of firings. Three teams (Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams) fired their coaches before season’s end. The San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers parted ways with Mike McCoy and Chip Kelly, respectively, shortly after the regular season came to a close. The sixth and final opening is with the Denver Broncos, as Gary Kubiak stepped down of his own accord after two seasons. The end of the regular season has seen a ramping up in the coaching news and rumors. Meetings have already been scheduled or taken place, with playoff-bound coordinators in demand agreeing to fit interviews with the wanting teams into their busy schedules. There likely won’t be many (if any) official hirings until after a round or two of the postseason as teams wait to meet with candidates and deliberate on this all-too-important process. Here’s a look at the latest rumors before Wild Card Weekend. 

      Anthony Lynn In Demand

Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn is a target for several teams as the coaching carousel gets in motion. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Lynn is expected to interview with the Jaguars for their open position, bringing the total to four teams looking his way:

#Bills interim coach Anthony Lynn is expected to interview with the #Jaguars, source said. So, #Bills, #Rams, #49ers, #Jags.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2017

Lynn met with the 49ers on Wednesday, becoming the first coach to interview for the job, per CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. He played for the 49ers for two seasons from 1995-96. 

The 48-year-old is a longtime NFL coach, having spent much of his coaching career as a running backs coach before getting a chance to serve as offensive coordinator for part of the 2016 season with the Bills, and then finally stepping into the interim role when the team fired Rex Ryan on Dec. 27. The Bills lost to the New York Jets 30-10 in Week 17 with Lynn at the helm.Though Lynn is a hot commodity, he very well may take the head coaching gig in Buffalo. The team is interested in retaining him, and star running back LeSean McCoy has spoken highly of his position coach/coordinator, per Nick Veronica of the Buffalo News:

I like Coach Lynn, I really do. He makes everybody accountable. He’s that leader, that type of coach we need. A lot of players like playing for him, (including) myself.

When I first got here as a running back and I found out he’s my coach, dealing with him on a day-to-day basis, I fell in love with him. So I’m actually excited that he’s up for the job. And we’ll see. Hopefully he gets it.

Though the familiarity with the organization and players might be too tempting for Lynn to pass up, there is some uncertainty when it comes to the team’s most important position.

The Bills could be …

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