Prospective head coaching candidates for the inevitable upcoming NFL vacancies are going to have to wait longer than ever before to make their cases in person for one of the coveted posts.
Tuesday, the NFL announced its 32-member ownership group had unanimously voted to move the window for in-person head coaching interviews to not open until after the NFL's Divisional Round playoffs.
Those contests do not conclude until the third weekend of January.
With an eye on tamping down potential tampering with candidates, the NFL has pushed back the window by a full week from its present timeline, which saw candidates allowed to interview last January after the opening, Wild Card round of NFL Playoffs.
"Prohibit clubs from conducting in-person Head Coach interviews with candidates who are employed by other NFL clubs until after the conclusion of all Divisional Playoff games," the NFL's statement said. "Prior to the conclusion of Divisional Playoff games, hiring clubs are permitted to conduct in-person Head Coach interviews with candidates who are employed by the hiring club or who are not employed in the NFL."
The 2023-24 NFL Playoff calendar opens the weekend of Jan. 13-14, 2024, with the Wild Card rounds, followed a week later by the NFL Divisional rounds and then the AFC and NFC Conference title games are set for Jan. 28.
Super Bowl LVIII will be played Feb. 11, 2024, in first-time host city Las Vegas.