The Atlanta Falcons tried to make a strong push for John Harbaugh this week. Now that he's set to join the New York Giants, it'll be interesting to see how team owner Arthur Blank and president of football Matt Ryan pivot in their search for a new coach.
According to The Athletic, the Falcons had a “lengthy” virtual interview with Harbaugh this past Monday. The thought was he'd consider the job since Atlanta has a plethora of stars on its roster, including Jessie Bates III, Drake London, James Pearce Jr. and Bijan Robinson. At the end of the day though, New York was his preferred landing spot.
With Harbaugh off the market, Connor Hughes of SNY is reporting that Kevin Stefanski is the top target for the Falcons.
"That was talk before: Whoever didn’t land Harbaugh would get Stefanski," Hughes said.
Stefanski, 43, was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2020-2025. He owned a 45-56 regular-season record and reached the playoffs twice.
© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.
The Falcons will have competition for Stefanski, who was a two-time Coach of the Year during his run with the Browns. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans will strongly consider him this hiring cycle.
"My anticipation is Stefanski is going to have second interviews with multiple teams, coming likely next week," Pelissero said. "My sense is the Titans, Falcons and Ravens are all potential landing spots for Stefanski."
The Miami Dolphins are also in the Stefanski sweepstakes. They interviewed him earlier this week, per reports.
Who else is on Atlanta's radar?
The Falcons have already completed interviews with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel among others.
Suffice to say, the Falcons have plenty of strong candidates in the running for their job.
If the Falcons get the right leader in the building, there's no reason why they can't contend in the NFC South next season.