The Detroit Lions have arguably the most appealing offensive coordinator opening, but that could change after the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
The Los Angeles Chargers fired OC Greg Roman on Tuesday after their playoff loss to the New England Patriots, while the Philadelphia Eagles could also find themselves exploring the OC market after their own loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Eagles OC Kevin Patullo and former Chargers OC Greg Roman both have endured an onslaught of criticism throughout the season for not maximizing the talent on their respective rosters.
Patullo is in his first season as the Eagles' OC after joining the team in 2021 as their pass game coordinator. Patullo added the associate head coach title last season, when the Eagles won the Super Bowl, before ascending to the OC role after Kellen Moore left to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
The offense for the defending Super Bowl champions was anemic, finishing 24th in yards per game (311.2) and 19th in points per game (22.3). Running back Saquon Barkley, coming off a historic 2024 campaign that saw him win Offensive Player of the Year, saw his rushing yards almost cut in half from 2,005 in 2024 to 1,140 this season.
The Lions experienced this offense first-hand, allowing only 16 points in an inexcusable 16-9 loss.
In the playoffs, the Eagles scored 19 points against an injured San Francisco 49ers team, despite intercepting quarterback Brock Purdy twice. The Eagles would only score three points off of those two turnovers, and didn't score a touchdown at all in the second half.
As for Roman's time with the Chargers, their offense ran better in the regular season than the Eagles' yards-wise, finishing 12th in yards per game (333.8).
However, their points per game (21.6) were a hair below the Eagles. A poor offensive line, even worse than the Lions', led to the Chargers finishing 18th in passing yards per game (212.2) despite an immensely talented young Pro Bowl QB in Justin Herbert leading the way.
The Chargers went up against an elite New England Patriots defense in their Wild Card matchup and walked away with only three points to their name. It was an embarrassing loss for Herbert, who, after a dismal performance, fell to 0-3 in his first three playoff games.
Roman-led offenses have struggled to score points in the playoffs, even with those teams led by Herbert or, previously, multiple-time MVP Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. His teams have averaged 11.17 points in his previous six playoff games, with his teams going 1-5 in the process.
Eagles and Chargers would have appealing OC openings
The Chargers' firing of Roman already throws a wrench into the Lions' own OC search, and the Eagles could make matters even worse. The Lions have already lost one candidate in former QB David Blough, who was promoted to the OC of the Washington Commanders.
The Lions have numerous interviews set, including with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who will also get head coaching looks. McDaniel is seen as one of the top OC candidates in the event he fails to secure another head coaching gig.
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However, the Eagles are one of the best-run organizations in the NFL currently and have already shown they can quickly turn things around and win a championship with a new OC. By going to the Eagles, a new OC will expect to find a strong OL, a Super Bowl MVP-winning QB, and a potential Hall of Fame running back still in his prime waiting for them.
For a top OC candidate, they may look to join a team that has recently won a Super Bowl instead of one that has only been a betting favorite to be one.
The Chargers have a great head coach in Jim Harbaugh, who has already put in the work to turn around a struggling Chargers franchise by leading them to consecutive playoff appearances.
The Chargers also boast a strong defense and one of the best under-30 QBs in the game as he enters his prime. The OL will absolutely need work, but it's a great opportunity for an OC candidate who is still looking for a challenge and wants to build a reputation on their own merits as opposed to being handed the keys to a Ferrari.
Other opportunities may arise, such as with the Green Bay Packers, who, although unlikely at this point to fire head coach Matt LaFleur, could still shake up their coaching staff. But for now, the Lions appear to have the top OC opening.
As playoff teams begin evaluating their coaching staffs after disappointing exits or the loss of their own OCs to head coaching jobs, competition is going to get stiff. Lions need to maintain their aggressiveness to secure their top candidate and not be left with the leftovers.