We're approaching the final week of the 2024 NFL season. Once it's over, franchises that haven't made the playoffs will begin their offseasons. For some, that will include changes in the front office.

The Monday after Week 18 is commonly referred to as "Black Monday," because it's a popular day for firing NFL coaches and general managers—though some franchises won't even wait that long. Three teams have already fired their head coaches, and the New York Jets have dismissed general manager Joe Douglas.

We don't know exactly who else will be fired in the coming days or who will be hired to fill front-office vacancies. At this point in the season, however, there is no shortage of rumors.

Here, we'll dive into the latest buzz involving front-office situations and try to separate fact from fiction.

Buy: Giants Want to Keep Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen

Before dumping Douglas, the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh. The NFL's other New Jersey franchise is reportedly hoping to avoid a similar front-office situation.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Giants would prefer to keep head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.

"[Franchise owner] John Mara has said that he wants to be patient, he wants to give them time, he wants to give them a chance, and they have really wanted to keep the same thing going here," Schefter said on Monday on Get Up (h/t Bleacher Report's Andrew Peters).

Things haven't gone well for the Giants over the past two seasons, but we can buy the idea that Mara wants to give Daboll and Shoen another shot.

The pair inherited Daniel Jones and have been saddled with poor quarterback play since the 2022 playoff run. As New York searches for its next quarterback of the future, the franchise may want as much stability as possible everywhere else. Reshuffling the front office three years after hiring Daboll and Shoen wouldn't provide that.

"I don't think there's a strong appetite for change," one source told CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones in November.

Whether Daboll and Shoen actually stay with the Giants is another matter and could hinge on what candidates are available and potentially interested in joining the franchise. However, fans shouldn't expect New York to make changes purely for the sake of making changes.

Buy: Antonio Pierce's Raiders Future 'in Serious Doubt'

The Las Vegas Raiders have won two straight and could potentially finish the year on a three-game winning streak—if the Los Angeles Chargers decide they have nothing to play for in Week 18. L.A. can't claim the No. 5 seed if the Pittsburgh Steelers win on Saturday, so there's a chance it rests starters against Las Vegas.

While another win would be bad for the Raiders' hope of drafting their next quarterback, it could be good for head coach Antonio Pierce.

Pierce, who first earned the job on an interim basis last season, hasn't had much success this year. However, he's been stuck with a revolving door at quarterback and has done a good job of keeping his team motivated late in the season. This last game could be critical for him because, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, his future is far from certain:

"The belief in league circles continues to be that Antonio Pierce's future as the Raiders' head coach is in serious doubt."

This one's not hard to believe. Even if Las Vegas finishes 5-12, that would represent a step back from last year's 8-9 record. That can't possibly sit well with primary franchise owner Mark Davis or with new minority owner Tom Brady. Brady is reportedly already seeking ways to change the narrative in Las Vegas.

"Brady, whom Davis has made clear he'll rely on heavily, is not accustomed to being associated with a 3-12 season and has sought input on how to turn things around," Rapoport and Pelissero wrote on Saturday.

It's possible that Pierce can convince the Raiders to keep him around for another season, but with candidates like Mike Vrabel—who was released from his Cleveland Browns consulting contract on Monday—and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson lurking, a change could be imminent.

Sell: Multiple Teams Interested in Jon Gruden

The Raiders probably won't bring back Jon Gruden. He has coached the franchise twice before and resigned in 2021 after emails involving racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language surfaced.

According to Pelissero (h/t Bleacher Report's Adam Wells), however, "multiple teams" have been doing "extensive homework" on Gruden.

Pelissero also stated that Gruden might have been able to take the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator job this year if he had wanted it and that his name may soon come up in the head-coaching interview cycle.

While teams probably are doing some homework on Gruden—it would be foolish for franchises not to consider every avenue—it's hard to believe that he's a serious head coaching candidate for multiple teams.

Gruden's last stint with Las Vegas wasn't exactly encouraging. He had three seasons at or below .500, and the Raiders actually seemed to play better after Rich Bisaccia took over in 2021.

According to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez, Gruden also had final say on roster decisions—and many of those made during his tenure weren't good. The Raiders traded both Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, traded for Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant and drafted the likes of Damon Arnette, Johnathan Abram and Bryan Edwards.

This feels more like a leak from someone trying to create the impression that Gruden is a coveted coaching candidate. That could be someone from Gruden's camp or a single interested franchise that wants to sell Gruden as a top candidate.

There are simply too many quality candidates available to believe that Gruden will be a hot name in the 2025 cycle.

Buy: Ben Johnson 'in Play' to Be Bears' Next Head Coach

Johnson, who continues to make Detroit's offense one of the league's most dynamic, is already a hot name in the coaching world. Franchises looking to build a potent offense around a young quarterback should be especially interested.

However, Johnson may already be eyeing a specific destination. According to Schefter, Johnson is interested in coaching the Chicago Bears, who fired Matt Eberflus the day after Thanksgiving.

"I think Ben Johnson has interest in the Chicago Bears job," ESPN's Adam Schefter told The Pat McAfee Show. "...He's definitely in play and we'll see what happens from there."

Johnson and the Bears are arguably the most logical potential team-coach pairing in this year's cycle. Chicago needs to develop Caleb Williams into a franchise quarterback, and Johnson has a track record of delivering fantastic offensive results.

And from Johnson's perspective, the Bears should be an attractive team. Williams has superstar potential, and Chicago also has offensive playmakers like D.J. Moore, D'Andre Swift, Cole Kmet and Rome Odunze.

Chicago does need to upgrade its offensive line, but the cupboard isn't nearly as bare as it is for some other franchises. The Bears' future could be extremely bright, if they can find the right coach to steer the ship.

Poor preparation and bad in-game management have been two of Chicago's biggest issues this season.

We can absolutely believe that Johnson and the Bears have mutual interest. The only real question is whether another candidate can interview and impress before Detroit's playoff run ends and Johnson becomes available.

Buy: Vrabel to Be Targeted by Jets, Saints and Other Franchises

Vrabel is already available and is expected to be a top candidate, according to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini:

"The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints are expected to target Vrabel, according to league sources, and he's expected to draw interest from other franchises."

There's little reason to think that Vrabel won't be heavily pursued, even though he didn't seem to draw serious interest last offseason.

The league has watched first-time head coaches like Pierce, Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots and Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans struggle. Vrabel is an experienced coach who has yielded positive results in the past.

In six seasons as the Titans' head coach, Vrabel delivered four winning campaigns and three playoff appearances. Tennessee only won six games in 2023, Vrabel's last with the franchise, but that's twice as many as it has earned through 17 weeks this year.

Age shouldn't be a factor for the 49-year-old Vrabel either, as it could be for the 73-year-old Pete Carroll, who "would like to return to the sideline next season," according to Schefter.

Vrabel is a coach who can potentially deliver rapid results and stick around for the long haul. There are several jobs that could interest him too. According to Rosenblatt and Russini, "Vrabel is expected to prioritize openings with a positive ownership situation and teams with either a quality quarterback in place or a path to getting one in the near future."

The Bears have Williams, while the Jets, Giants and Saints would have top-10 2025 draft selections if the season ended today. The Jacksonville Jaguars—who may or may not move on from Doug Pederson—have Trevor Lawrence signed through 3030.

Rapoport reported in mid-November that Jacksonville was considering a regime change, though things on the Jaguars front have been extremely quiet since then.

Sell: Cowboys Not on 'Unusual Time Frame' with Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy are in an interesting situation. Things haven't gone well for Dallas in 2024—albeit largely due to injuries—and McCarthy isn't under contract beyond this season.

According to franchise owner and general manager Jerry Jones, however, there isn't a need to expedite a decision on McCarthy's future.

"I'm not under any unusual time frame. At all," Jones told 103.5 The Fan (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic).

While Jones' words aren't exactly a rumor, we don't have to take them at face value either. Jones made plenty of questionable decisions this past offseason—like waiting until the end of the summer to extend Dak Prescott—but he can't possibly believe that he doesn't need to move quickly if he wants to re-sign McCarthy.

That's because McCarthy will have options in 2025. He won't have a winning record this year and has just one playoff win in five seasons with Dallas, but he's also delivered three 12-win campaigns to the Cowboys and won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

Other teams will look to land McCarthy if he's available.

"McCarthy is actually on other teams' coaching lists if the Cowboys decide not to re-sign him," Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Sunday (h/t Bleacher Report's Zach Bachar).

Teams won't have to wait long to make McCarthy an offer, as Dallas' season will end on Sunday. Jones knows this, and his comments suggest that either he's already made a decision on McCarthy's future, is hoping that another franchise makes it for him or is trying to create a false sense of leverage with his head coach that he doesn't actually have.

When Jason Garrett's contract with the Cowboys expired after the 2019 season, Dallas waited an entire week before announcing that he wouldn't be back. Waiting that long to decide McCarthy's fate probably won't be an option.

Buy: Colts and Dolphins Could Have GM Openings This Offseason

The Jets are already in the process of finding their next general manager. According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins could be next.

"On the GM side, there have been at least murmurs of front-office shuffling in Indianapolis and Miami," Breer wrote on Monday.

We can buy it, especially regarding Colts general manager Chris Ballard. The jury is still out on 2023 fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson, and Indy's quarterback situation looms large. Looking beyond that, though, the Colts have struggled to put together a top-tier roster.

Ballard has been the GM in Indianapolis since 2017. Since Andrew Luck's retirement ahead of the 2019 season, the Colts tried aging veteran QBs like Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan before drafting Richardson and have made just one playoff appearance. They have the league's 29th-ranked overall defense this season and are about to wrap a fourth straight campaign without a playoff berth.

It wouldn't be a shock to see a change in Indianapolis.

The Dolphins have fared a bit better under general manager Chris Grier, who has been on the job since 2016. Miami has made three playoff appearances since then and is still in the hunt entering Week 18—though it needs a win and a Denver Broncos loss to make the postseason this season.

However, the Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since 2000 and have an offensive roster that simply doesn't function properly without Tua Tagovailoa behind center. That's been obvious whenever Tagovailoa has been sidelined by injuries, and yet, Grier has done nothing to ensure that Miami has a strong backup plan.

Like the Colts, the Dolphins may wonder if they can find a GM upgrade this offseason. Top candidates may include Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew and Tampa Bay Buccaneers vice president of football research Jacqueline Davidson.

Agnew has worked with general manager Brad Holmes to quickly turn Detroit into a contender. CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported in November that Agnew is "expected by sources" to get GM interviews this offseason.

Davidson has helped Tampa navigate the pot-Tom Brady era extremely well and spent 11 seasons in administration roles with the Jets. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, "Many around the NFL expect Davidson to be the first female GM."

Other likely general manager candidates include Kansas City Chiefs GM Mike Borgonzi, Buffalo Bills assistant GM Brian Gaine and Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay—whose contract will expire after this season.

Former Titans GM Jon Robinson, former Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy have already interviewed for the Jets opening.