Overview
- With six head-coach vacancies already open, teams began seeking permission this week to speak with candidates under contract elsewhere under the NFL’s formal schedule.
- Assistants on the two bye teams may conduct virtual interviews now—Seattle coaches starting Tuesday and Denver’s on Wednesday—each capped at three hours.
- Assistants coaching on wild-card weekend can take virtual interviews beginning Jan. 13, or Jan. 14 for those playing on Monday night such as Houston and Pittsburgh.
- In-person meetings with employed coaches cannot occur before Jan. 19, with additional delays for conference title participants; Super Bowl staffers may interview through Feb. 1, then face a blackout until Feb. 9, and no coach can sign or agree to a deal before their season ends.
- Clubs must satisfy Rooney Rule requirements with in-person interviews of diverse external candidates, and GM searches follow separate procedures, including permission rules and the option for a playoff-team GM hire to be finalized early only with written approval from the current club.