Who are the NFL head coaches in waiting?

Anarumo joined Zac Taylor in moving toward the chopping block entering the 2021 season. But that slate obviously changed the Bengals' trajectory. Anarumo's defensive adjustments in the AFC championship game flustered Patrick Mahomes, leading to Cincinnati's stunning comeback. The Bengals have not allowed a second-half touchdown through seven games this season. Anarumo, 56, is on the older end for a first-time head coach. But so was Mike Zimmer, a Bengals DC who enjoyed a quality HC run after the Vikings hired him at 57.

NFL teams have shied away from Bieniemy; he was not a finalist for a job during the 2022 hiring period. His status as Patrick Mahomes' offensive coordinator throughout the superstar's starter run has led not to a coaching gig. Instead, rumblings that teams are not impressed with Bieniemy as a candidate have surfaced. This season might represent a final chance. The fifth-year OC takes a backseat to Andy Reid, but so did predecessors Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy. The Chiefs are still soaring despite trading Tyreek Hill. If Bieniemy, 53, cannot parlay this retooled offense's production into a 2023 job, he might be trapped at the coordinator level.

The Titans were able to secure a No. 1 seed last season, reaching that place despite housing less talent compared to the Chiefs, Bills, and Bengals. Bowen's play-calling tenure started rocky in 2020, but the Titans ranked sixth defensively last year. They did their part in a divisional-round loss as well, sacking Joe Burrow nine times. This year, Tennessee has dealt with major injuries on Bowen's side of the ball -- most notably Harold Landry's ACL tear. Mike Vrabel has become a well-regarded head coach, but Bowen, 35, is calling Tennessee's defensive plays. Vrabel's top lieutenant stands to receive HC looks soon.

Although Brady did not complete his second season under Matt Rhule in Carolina, he sandwiched that tenure by being a catalyst for LSU's record-setting 2019 season and helping Josh Allen become a more consistently dominant player in 2022. Allen figures to land multiple staffers head-coaching jobs. While this season is still fairly young, Allen is on higher perches in passer rating and QBR, sitting decimals behind Patrick Mahomes in both categories, and has the Bills (11-6 last year) gliding toward the AFC's bye. The Bills will likely see both their coordinators and Brady, 33, interviewing for HC jobs in 2023.

Based on the Rams' offensive performance so far, Coen, 36, does not have a functional springboard to the HC tier. But Sean McVay's right-hand men rise. See: Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, and Kevin O'Connell. Coen is in his second stint under McVay; his stopover as Kentucky's offensive coordinator will look good as well. Coen's one year with the Wildcats ushered in the rise of Will Levis, a quarterback now viewed as a potential top-10 2023 draftee. Kentucky ranked 108th in offense in 2020, 36th with Levis in 2021, and is sitting 84th this season. The Rams' second-half performance will certainly have a major say in Coen's timeline, however.

Dorsey's postgame blow-up in his old stomping grounds will undoubtedly come up during his head-coaching interviews -- as a joke, if nothing else -- but the ex-Miami Hurricanes quarterback will be a candidate. The Bills lost Brian Daboll but have taken another leap offensively. While a swoon could conceivably occur, Josh Allen is operating on a more consistent level under his new OC. Allen is the early MVP favorite, and the Bills lead the NFL in total offense. Dorsey, 41, being Allen's position coach during his rise will not hurt. It is hard to see the Bills not needing to replace another OC come 2023.

Yes, the Broncos are a mess. And the coach that brought Evero to Denver is barreling toward being this century's 14th one-and-done. The rookie coordinator has helped keep the Broncos in every game despite a disjointed, 32nd-ranked offense. Denver's defense has lost key personnel (Randy Gregory, Ronald Darby, Justin Simmons) yet continues to smother teams and keep its punt-happy offense in games. After being a Sean McVay assistant for five years, Evero, 41, has taken well to being the top defensive voice for a franchise. While Nathaniel Hackett's status casts a pall over Evero's Denver future, other teams will be interested soon.

College coaches are in a strange spot regarding NFL jumps. Matt Rhule's failure and Urban Meyer's faceplant will make owners more cautious about looking outside the NFL ranks for leaders. But college coaches fed up with the chaotic transfer portal will be looking to move up. But the Lions interviewed Fickell, 48, shortly before hiring Dan Campbell. This came before Cincinnati broke the Group of Five barrier by booking a CFP slot. The Bearcats have rebounded from their Tommy Tuberville valley, and their Sauce Gardner-fronted class flooded the draft this year. An ex-Ohio State staffer, Fickell will have NFL chances if he wants.

Last year's Eagles defense kept allowing banner completion percentage days to quarterbacks, and Gannon's unit finished 18th in points allowed and 25th in DVOA. Teams still sought interviews with the ex-Colts assistant. With the Eagles having made a substantial jump in Gannon's second season, Sirianni may lose both his coordinators. An ex-defensive backs coach, Gannon, 39, has overseen the extension of Darius Slay's prime into his early 30s. James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Marcus Epps have excelled as well for a defense in the top five in points and yards.

Johnson is not on the coordinator level yet, but the Eagles' quarterbacks coach appears headed there. Jalen Hurts' progression in his second starter season is adding a notch to Johnson's belt. Johnson, 35, was Dak Prescott's QBs coach at Mississippi State while still in his 20s -- during the Rebels' best 21st-century stretch -- and during his one season as Florida's OC unleashed Kyle Pitts and aided Kadarius Toney onto the first-round radar. The NFL only features two full-time Black play-callers (Byron Leftwich, Pep Hamilton). Hurts staying on track would help Johnson onto such a level, which would be a welcome coaching development.

An Andy Reid coaching tree branch, Kafka has played a lead role in this season's most unlikely success story. No team is doing more with less, and while most expected longtime Bills play-caller Brian Daboll to run the show in New York, Kafka is instead the Giants' play-caller. Kafka, 35, has coaxed stunningly efficient Daniel Jones play after the turnover-prone QB regressed over the past two years and has kept an offense devoid of receiver consistency afloat. Patrick Mahomes' former position coach will be rocketing onto the HC interview circuit in 2023.

The other pillar among Giants assistants, Martindale, has also been forced to get by without top personnel. The Giants cut James Bradberry and Logan Ryan and have played extended stretches without their top pass rushers. Martindale's defense has continually kept the team in games long enough for Jones and Saquon Barkley to vex teams in fourth quarters. The Giants are fortunate the Ravens sought a defensive coordinator change; Martindale's unit exited Week 7 with the fifth-ranked scoring defense. At 59, Martindale profiles as a Vic Fangio-like candidate. And this has been an era for offensive coaches. If a team wants to zag, "Wink" is a strong option.

The Bill Belichick tree has produced several unstable branches, yet teams keep trying. Mayo has only had one full-time coaching job -- Patriots inside linebackers coach, since 2019 -- but teams have already interviewed him for head-coaching gigs. The Eagles got the ball rolling on this in 2021, with the Broncos and Raiders following suit this year. Mayo, 36, could also be the coach hurt by the Belichick tree's repeated struggles, but with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge running the offense, Mayo is next in line from this tree to land an opportunity. 

The Texans have clearly wanted to hire McCown, but the optics presented trouble. McCown's lack of experience has interfered with Houston's hopes. GM Nick Caserio interviewed McCown, 43, twice this year and once in 2021, but the Texans hired David Culley (before firing him after one season) and circled back to a retread coach not believed to be in the mix this year (Lovie Smith). Houston's strange pattern has centered around McCown, a 19-year veteran who could become one of the central offensive coaches of the 2020s. Of course, he will need to take an NFL job -- a path he should not have much trouble pursuing -- before that happens. 

Cooper Rush-Dak Prescott debates were silly, but the longtime backup keeping the Cowboys afloat (with some assistance from the defensive line) during the starter's absence reflects well on Moore. How Prescott fares the rest of the way will determine if Moore can turn his 2023 interviews into a job. Still, Dak has taken massive leaps with Moore, 34, at the controls. Prescott topped his previous yardage career-high by 1,100 in Moore's first year on the job (2019) and broke Tony Romo's TD pass record, with 37, in 2021. The Cowboys' late-season performance could determine if Moore is still in Dallas in 2023.

Although Riley just signed a monster deal to relocate to Los Angeles, Kliff Kingsbury took a similar path to the league. Riley, 39, might not be ready to jump just yet. But teams will be interested when he is. While Rhule and Meyer were viewed as culture-builders, Riley is an offensive guru. Yes, so is Chip Kelly. But Riley's repeat success with QBs (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and now Caleb Williams) will attract teams. Oklahoma and USC's disparate trajectories after Riley's Norman exit appears notable, too, though it is still too early to fully judge the impact of Riley's Big 12 departure. 

While Robert Saleh zoomed up the ladder via the position Ryans holds, the latter has been groomed for a head-coaching role for years. Kyle Shanahan has continued to promote Ryans, 38, moving him from the quality control level to inside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator in a four-year span. Even as the 49ers started to lose bodies early, Ryans' defense was performing at an elite level. Injury overload has weakened his unit, and San Francisco will likely need to bounce back with its starters in order to push the former middle linebacker into prime 2023 HC candidacy. But former Texans and Eagles defender is on the fast track.

Maximizing personnel is the name of the game, and teams will want to pick Steichen's brain soon. The Eagles pivoted to a run-oriented offense midway through the 2021 season, and Nick Sirianni handed Steichen the play-calling reins. Thought to be rebuilding, the Eagles have kept climbing as Steichen's innovative attack keeps making strides. Jalen Hurts has gone from a prospect viewed as too inaccurate to be a long-term starter to a player who could be up for a monster extension. Steichen has been at the controls of that, despite Sirianni being an offense-oriented coach. At just 37, Steichen could be a two-and-done Philly OC.

We are moving toward the season's halfway point, and Geno Smith has yet to nosedive. If Smith can continue to play at or close to this level, teams will want to talk to Waldron, who is the top offensive voice with the Seahawks. Seattle's second-year OC came aboard during the first season in which Russell Wilson suffered a major injury, and his prospects looked dim after the Wilson trade. Smith beating out Drew Lock and completing 74% of his throws (at 8.0 yards per attempt) represent stunning developments based on his career arc. Waldron, 43, having Sean McVay ties will also help his eventual HC candidacy. 

We are peering farther into the future here, but the Bills were prepared to convert Webb from third-string quarterback to their QBs coach this year. He is 27. Opting to continue his playing career, Webb chose a Giants third-stringer offer over being Josh Allen's position coach. Webb is now working as a Daniel Jones mentor, a role suddenly carrying more cachet compared to past years. This may not end up coming to fruition, but it is clear teams value the former third-round pick's instructional acumen. It could be something to monitor as the 2020s progress.