AFC West coaching tiers: Matter of time before Josh McDaniels is 'Leaving Las Vegas'?
While much of the country spent the summer debating whether "Barbie" or "Oppenheimer" was the blockbuster of the year, Yardbarker NFL writers reviewed the work of the league's 32 head coaches and assigned each of these leading men into a tier.
In sticking with the spirit of cinema, we named the titles after either a movie title, genre or actor to help rationalize if each coach is producing an Academy Award- or Razzie-level performance. Here's how the AFC West stacked up:
1: 'OPPENHEIMER'/'BARBIE TIER' TIER | Blockbusters
Sean Payton | Denver Broncos (Regular season: 152-89/Playoffs: 9-8) - Payton is one of the top offensive minds in the league. While he served as Saints HC from 2006 to 2021, New Orleans finished top 10 or better in scoring offense 12 times. Also, the Super Bowl champion has the sixth-most wins among active HCs. Expect him to turn the Broncos around after six straight losing seasons in Denver. This won't take "Mr. Miracle."
Andy Reid | Kansas City Chiefs (Regular season: 247-138-1/Playoffs: 22-16) - After guiding Kansas City to two Super Bowl victories over the past four seasons, Reid — who has the fifth-most regular-season wins in league history — continues to climb the all-time HC rankings. On a recent episode of Tyreek Hill's "It Needed To Be Said" podcast, former NFL QB Michael Vick said, "[Reid] might be the greatest coach of all time." He will strengthen his argument if he wins a few more Super Bowls with superstar QB Patrick Mahomes. At 65, Reid is six years younger than "The Hoodie."
6: 'WATERWORLD' TIER | Sinking into ... oblivion?
Josh McDaniels | Las Vegas Raiders (Regular season: 17-28/Playoffs: 0-0) - McDaniels excelled when he was the Patriots offensive coordinator, helping New England win three Super Bowls in 13 seasons. However, he hasn't parlayed this into head-coaching success. In his first season with Las Vegas, the Raiders finished with a 6-11 record after a playoff appearance in 2021. McDaniels is betting on a roster overhaul this season. Regardless, it's likely that he'll be "Leaving Las Vegas" if he disappoints again.
Brandon Staley | Los Angeles Chargers (Regular season: 19-15/Playoffs: 0-1) - Staley wasn't awful in his first two seasons with Los Angeles — posting a 19-15 record and making a playoff appearance in 2022. Yet it's likely a better HC could accomplish more with an elite QB like Justin Herbert, who recently signed a five-year $262.5M contract extension. "If it doesn't work this year, they're not getting rid of Herbert. They're getting rid of [Staley]. Coaches are already circling that Chargers job," NBC Sports' Mike Florio recently said on "The Dan Patrick Show." "Hot Seat," indeed.
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