With John Harbaugh off the market, there hasn’t been much clarity on who sits at the top of the Falcons’ wish list. However, Josina Anderson is reporting that the search may already be down to just two candidates — one from the offensive side of the ball and one from the defensive side.
Meanwhile, there are some league sources and candidates who feel like the Atlanta #Falcons are debating primarily between one defensive candidate & one offensive candidate, at this time. Obviously, that can evolve. https://t.co/uTyV9NMQgj
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 16, 2026
Now, who could these two mystery candidates be?
On the offensive side, there appear to be two clear options — Klint Kubiak and Kevin Stefanski. Kubiak is the hottest offensive coordinator on the market, widely pegged as the next Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, or Ben Johnson. He has helped guide Seattle to the No. 1 seed, coordinating an offense led by Sam Darnold that ranks third in points per game (28.4) and eighth in yards per game (351.4).
Chad Forbes recently called Kubiak the favorite to land the Falcons job. However, it must be noted that he could be near the top of several teams’ wish lists, giving him plenty of options to choose from.
Stefanski has also been linked to the Falcons throughout this process. The two-time Coach of the Year fell out of favor in Cleveland, but it’s hard to pin offensive shortcomings on him when his quarterback options included Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. He’s an experienced coach with significantly more pedigree than someone like Kubiak and would likely do a strong job developing Michael Penix Jr., should Penix indeed be the Falcons’ franchise quarterback.
On the defensive side, there are also two obvious candidates — Robert Saleh and Jesse Minter. Saleh’s tenure with the Jets was rocky, but not because of his defense. While he was there, New York consistently fielded one of the league’s best defensive units. The issue was an offense led by quarterbacks such as Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Mike White. Despite that, Saleh still managed back-to-back seven-win seasons.
Saleh is arguably one of the best defensive minds in the game. Pairing him with Atlanta’s young defensive talent has the potential to be frightening. He also has ties to Jeff Ulbrich, who served as his defensive coordinator in New York, opening the door for the two to potentially reunite in Atlanta. Saleh deserves another opportunity as a head coach and could end up being one of the better hires of this cycle.
Jesse Minter, whom the Falcons interviewed yesterday, is another very intriguing option. He served as a Ravens assistant from 2017–2020, was the defensive coordinator at Michigan during their national championship run, and has helped turn the Chargers into a borderline top-five defense in just two seasons under Jim Harbaugh.
One additional note on Minter: prior to his time with the Ravens, he spent four years as a defensive coordinator at Georgia State. At just 42 years old, he gives off very similar vibes to Mike Macdonald, who has quickly turned the Seahawks into a powerhouse.
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Photo: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire
