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Atlanta Falcons head coach candidates 2026: Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley requested
The rising defensive coordinator is also a candidate for a pair of other jobs.
The Atlanta Falcons are casting a predictably wide net with their head coaching interviews, and the latest sign that this part of the search may take a bit is that they’re requesting interviews with coaches they can’t actually interview just yet.
Jeff Hafley is one such candidate. A longtime college coach who broke into the NFL in 2012 with the Buccaneers, Hafley has been a defensive backs coach in the pros, a defensive coordinator in college, a head coach at Boston College, and has spent the past two years as the defensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers. He’s a candidate now because the Packers defense has been excellent the past two years after many seasons of defensive coordinator carousel time, and because Hafley does have head coaching experience, albeit a so-so run with Boston College. It’s worth noting that Boston College hasn’t been good since Jeff Jagodzinski was coaching Matt Ryan and a post-Matt Ryan team in 2007-2008, though.
Cardinals add another defensive specialist to head coach search
The Arizona Cardinals’ head coaching search has its newest — and perhaps most exciting — candidate.
According to multiple reports, the Cardinals requested an interview with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. The Falcons and Titans are also reportedly in the running for Hafley.
Of that group, five are defensive-minded: 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and now Hafley.
On the offensive side, the Cardinals have requested interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Patriots pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown.
The Cardinals have reportedly scheduled interviews with Joseph, Weaver, Morris and Nagy.
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Packers DC Jeff Hafley up to 3 HC interview requests
With a Giants interview likely down the road, at least half of the league’s vacancies have interest in Jeff Hafley.
A month ago, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said that he bets that defensive end Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL during the 2025 regular season, will break the NFL’s sack record in 2026. Hafley might not be around to see that plan through, though, as he’s been a hot name on the coaching market.
Teams are not allowed to interview coaching candidates who are on teams that play on wild card weekend until next week, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t announce that those interviews will be scheduled. So while Hafley hasn’t spent any time with other teams as he preps to stop the Chicago Bears this week, other clubs are already getting in line to talk to him.
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