In a couple of weeks, there will be several head coach openings, and teams will start requesting interviews with candidates who are not employed by playoff teams.

With all the focus on quarterbacks and their development, top offensive coordinators will be in high demand. The Houston Texans and Washington Commanders have shown that clubs can turn things around with defensive-minded head coaches as well.

Entering Week 17, we don't know how many head coaching jobs will be available, but several coordinators stand out as top candidates for vacancies.

Here, we'll profile eight coordinators who will be busy with interviews for head coach roles in the offseason.

Baltimore Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken

Todd Monken's third run as an NFL offensive coordinator has worked out in his favor.

At previous stops, he shared play-calling responsibilities with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter in a three-year stint but didn't call plays in one year on Freddie Kitchens' staff with the Cleveland Browns.

Monken has a star quarterback in Lamar Jackson, who won league MVP once without him and last year with him.

Nonetheless, in Monken's short time with the Ravens, Jackson has become a more productive passer. In 2023 and already this season, he has topped his passing yard totals from his first five campaigns. He leads the league in passer rating (120.6).

Baltimore's offense is more balanced this year than it ever was under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman. The Ravens field top-five passing and rushing attacks.

Monken has two quality years in Baltimore that may allow him to land his first head coaching job.

Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady

Joe Brady took over the Buffalo Bills' play-calling duties midway through the 2023 season.

In November of last year, they refreshed their offense by firing Ken Dorsey and promoting Brady from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.

From that point, Buffalo made a strong commitment to the run game. James Cook has become more integral to the Bills offense, but Josh Allen is proving doubters wrong with his best season, which gives this team exceptional offensive balance.

Coming into the 2024 term, many wondered how Allen would perform without an established No. 1 wide receiver.

This past offseason, the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, and Allen has improved his efficiency from the pocket. He didn't throw an interception in his first seven games and has the lowest interception rate (1.3 percent) of his career.

By the way, the Bills QB may win his first league MVP. He's accounted for 37 touchdowns (26 passing and 11 rushing) and leads the league in QBR (76.7).

Under Brady, Allen has cemented his spot as one of the league's top quarterbacks, with or without an elite receiver. Since his arrival in Buffalo via trade from Cleveland, Amari Cooper has caught 17 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown in seven games.

Brady only has seven years of pro coaching experience, but his work with Allen elevates him into a group of high-level candidates.

Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn

The Detroit Lions defense has improved yearly under Aaron Glenn, making strides from a unit that gave up the most points in 2021 to a top-seven scoring unit this season.

Before Aidan Hutchinson broke his tibia in Week 6, he had been in the early discussion for Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league in sacks.

Under Glenn, several young defenders have made significant leaps in development. Jack Campbell leads the team in tackles. Kerby Joseph is the Lions' top ball hawk with seven interceptions. Versatile defensive back Brian Branch effectively fills multiple roles in the slot and at safety.

Glenn also worked multiple rookie and veteran acquisitions into his nickel defense, including Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and Za'Darius Smith (post-trade deadline). All of them have contributed to a defense that's top-six in pressure rate, rushing yards allowed and passing touchdowns allowed.

While offensive coordinators are in higher demand than their defensive counterparts, Glenn will draw interest because of the Lions' notable improvement on his side of the ball.

Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson

Like the previous cycle, Ben Johnson will be the most sought-after coordinator in the candidate pool.

The 38-year-old has led a top-five offense in total yards and scoring for all three of his years with the Detroit Lions. Detroit fields the No. 1 scoring offense and is second in total yards.

Under Johnson's tutelage, Jared Goff has become a slightly more efficient quarterback after a few turnover-ridden seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. Even though his interception rate has steadily increased over the past few terms, he's completing a career-high 71.4 percent of his passes this season.

Moreover, with Johnson as his play-caller, Goff has also thrown for 30-plus touchdowns in consecutive campaigns for the first time in his career.

Johnson will be a head coach in 2025 if he's ready to leave Detroit. Every team with a job opening will probably request an interview with him.

Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores

Brian Flores is one of two defensive coordinators atop the list of candidates, but he may have an edge over Aaron Glenn in the interview process because of his head coaching experience.

As a head coach, Flores led the Miami Dolphins to two winning seasons in three campaigns. Overall, he has a 24-25 record, but Miami doubled its wins within the first year of hiring him and finished with a winning record before his dismissal.

Because of his defensive background and his past reported rift with Tua Tagovailoa, the 43-year-old isn't going to win over front-office executives as a quarterback whisperer.

However, he has led a top-six scoring defense with the Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota's unit has improved significantly in two years on his watch, ranking second in points and rushing yards allowed while giving up the fewest rushing touchdowns.

If teams can see past his issues with Tagovailoa in Miami, Flores will get a second chance to become an NFL head coach.

Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore

Kellen Moore may finally get a head coaching job, with his name attached to one of the league's top offenses again.

As the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator between 2019 and 2022, he generated buzz for his work with a top-six scoring offense, but head coach Mike McCarthy fired him after the 2022 campaign. Dallas had the fourth-ranked scoring offense in Moore's last year with the team, though he was a holdover from Jason Garrett's staff.

The 36-year-old didn't bounce back with the Los Angeles Chargers, who went through an injury-riddled season and fired Brandon Staley after the 2023 campaign.

This year, Moore has helped Jalen Hurts post passing numbers similar to his best season in 2022 when the Philadelphia Eagles advanced to Super Bowl LVII.

On one hand, the quarterback's passing volume is down. Entering Week 16, he averaged just 206.6 passing yards per game, but his efficiency is up with a career-high 69.2 percent completion rate. He has his best QBR (66.3) since 2022.

Furthermore, Moore's offense leads the league in rushing yards, and Saquon Barkley is in the conversation to win MVP as the first running back to earn the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Like Shane Steichen two years before him, Moore could capitalize on the Eagles' balanced offensive production to get a head coaching job.

If the current offensive rankings hold, he would have top-eight scoring offenses with two teams, which makes him a more accomplished candidate than Steichen was in 2023.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen

Liam Coen is a rising candidate.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank fifth and third in scoring and total yards, respectively; its highest marks in those offensive metrics since Tom Brady's penultimate year with the team.

Last year, quarterback Baker Mayfield had his best statistical season under former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who's now the Carolina Panthers head coach, but he's been even more productive under Coen.

Mayfield has already thrown for a career-high 34 touchdown passes, and he's on pace to eclipse his season's best in passing yards.

Furthermore, Coen has immediately transformed the Buccaneers' ground game from a unit that ranked last in rushing yards for consecutive campaigns into the No. 7 rushing offense. Tampa Bay hasn't fielded a rushing attack that ranked better than 24th since the 2015 term when it finished fifth.

Despite losing Chris Godwin for the season and Mike Evans for multiple weeks, Coen has been able to keep the Buccaneers' aerial attack operating at an optimal level with unheralded tight end Cade Otton, 31-year-old wide receiver Sterling Shepard, rookie third-round wideout Jalen McMillan and his running backs.

The 39-year-old is the ideal candidate for teams looking for an offensive-minded coach who fielded a top unit without elite-level personnel.

Washington Commanders Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury

At 10-5, the Washington Commanders are one of the NFL's biggest surprises, largely because of their sixth-ranked scoring offense led by play-caller Kliff Kingsbury and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Daniels looks like the front-runner for 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year. He ranks fourth in QBR (71.9) and ninth in passer rating (101.3). Keep in mind that he has that level of efficiency with one reliable wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, and 34-year-old tight end Zach Ertz as his top pass-catchers.

Washington has racked up the third-most rushing yards, and Daniels leads the team in yards on the ground (737) to go along with six scores.

Of course, the LSU product deserves praise for his dynamic playmaking ability, independent of Kingsbury's play-calling.

However, when you compare Daniels' rookie campaign to No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams' career start, Kingsbury deserves recognition for what he's been able to do with a rookie quarterback, which will appeal to teams with a top 2025 draft pick.

Remember, under Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray earned Pro Bowl nods between 2020 and 2021.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, NFL insiders expect the Chicago Bears to interview the 45-year-old for their job opening, reuniting him with Williams.

In 2023, Kingsbury worked with Williams as a senior offensive analyst on Lincoln Riley's staff at USC.

As a head coach, Kingsbury has a losing overall record (28-37-1), but he led the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021. His work with young quarterbacks will probably help him get another opportunity as a retread.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.