Quite frankly, even with red flags, I don’t think candidates can afford to be picky. There are only 5-6 openings for HC positions in the NFL every year. This is one of the most prestigious and well paid positions in the world. Waiting out a year could result in your momentum crashing so it’d be a huge risk to wait it out
What kind of candidates are you referring to? Because quality candidates can absolutely choose to be picky. Ben Johnson is regarded as one of the most sought after HC candidates this upcoming offseason, he interviewed for the Panthers job last season and ultimately decided to stay in Detroit.
And a different angle about momentum crashing, a prospective HC can crash their value by going to a dysfunctional franchise that results in a short stint and spits them back out to being a coordinator or position coach. Sure they’ll get the guaranteed money from the initial HC contract, but with their reputation damaged, they’ll have lost their earning power in subsequent HC contracts.
