Fourteen NFL teams are looking ahead to the playoffs, but for everyone else, it’s on to the offseason.
Before free agency and the draft take center stage, the coaching carousel will be the first to heat up. Just don’t expect it to be quite as busy as it was in 2024 or 2025.
While the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants both made midseason coaching changes, the combination of back-to-back active cycles over the previous two years and late-season surges from a few teams with coaches on the hot seat could leave this January quieter than normal on the coaching front.
That doesn’t mean nothing will happen, though. Some coaches’ statuses remained up in the air in Week 18, and it wouldn’t be the NFL offseason without a surprise.
Here’s what you need to know about every coach who might be on the hot seat.
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NFL coaches fired in 2025-2026
Brian Daboll, Giants
Date: Nov. 10
The Giants fired coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10, after blowing yet another lead in a loss to the Chicago Bears a day earlier. New York gained momentum after benching Russell Wilson for Jaxson Dart in September, even knocking off the Eagles in a prime-time slot, but the Giants had a penchant for blowing leads this season, including a 19-point meltdown against the Denver Broncos. Daboll went 20-40-1 over less than four seasons in New York.
Brian Callahan, Titans
Date: Oct. 13
After a dismal 1-5 start with their offense among the worst in the NFL, the Titans fired coach Brian Callahan in the middle of his second season. Tennessee resisted making Callahan a one-and-done coach in 2024, bringing him back after a 3-14 season and giving him the chance to develop No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, but the Titans showed little improvement over the first six games of the season before Mike McCoy replaced Callahan on an interim basis. Callahan went 4-19 over 23 games in Nashville.
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NFL coaches on the hot seat
Pete Carroll, Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll is at risk of going one-and-done in Las Vegas, according to multiple reports.“We’ll see if Pete Carroll is there for it. I doubt it, but we’ll see,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said while discussing the Raiders’ outlook for the 2026 draft, reiterating other reports that claim the organization might want to clean house as a disastrous season comes to a close.
If the Raiders make a change, they would be searching for their 13th full-time head coach in the last 25 years.
Kevin Stefanski, Browns
The future of Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been the subject of much speculation, but reports haven't clarified whether he is more likely to stay or go. The two-time Coach of the Year suffered through an ugly 2024 season and likewise didn't come close to contending in 2025, though the Browns entered the year with low expectations and no clear answer at quarterback. Stefanski is hoping a gritty Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers will be enough to buy him a seventh season in Cleveland.
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Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals
After a four-win improvement in 2024, the hope was the Arizona Cardinals would make a playoff leap in 2025. Instead, they completely unraveled after a 2-0 start, losing 13 of their next 14 games and suffering five losses by margins of 20 points or more from November onward. While the Cardinals' major change could be moving on from Kyler Murray, which seems like a near certainty, it might be hard for Arizona to justify Gannon returning for a fourth season.
Mike Tomlin, Steelers
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has still never had a losing season in nearly two decades in Pittsburgh, but the 2025 is shaping up to look much like 2024, whether they win the division or not. The Steelers have faded after an early hot start and taken a couple of surprise losses, including their Week 17 defeat at the hands of the Browns when they had a chance to clinch the AFC North. If the Steelers don't win the division, it will mean they finish one game worse than they did in 2024, before adding Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Rams ey and more. That doesn't necessarily mean the Steelers would fire Tomlin, but it could open the door for a mutual parting of ways, depending on what Tomlin is thinking.
John Harbaugh, Ravens
On the other side of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is John Harbaugh, who has done battle with Tomlin for 18 years. Even with Lamar Jackson's injuries playing a major role, the Ravens have to be disappointed with how the season has played out. Baltimore entered Week 17 under.500 and on the verge of elimination, though an AFC North title remains in play. After so much success with Jackson healthy in 2023 and 2024, the Ravens' likeliest path is to just try to reshape the roster as best they can for 2026, but Harbaugh's job status could come into question if frustration mounts.
Raheem Morris, Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons seemed to he headed toward a change after spiraling to 4-9 despite entering the season with realistic playoff hopes. Are three consecutive wins enough to save Raheem Morris' job? On one hand, the Falcons have proven Morris has kept the team focused and playing hard even after being eliminated. On the other hand, the late-season run is a reminder of what could have been in a winnable NFC South and raise questions about why Morris couldn't get results against divisional opponents.
Todd Bowles, Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' late-season collapse has led some to wonder whether coach Todd Bowles could be on the hot seat. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he isn't likely to be fired. "They've won three-straight division titles and still have a possibility of winning their fourth. Does that sound like someone who should be in trouble? I'd say certainly not," Rapoport said. If the Buccaneers miss the playoffs, though, it might be hard for the organization to ignore questions about the fourth-year coach's status.
Zac Taylor, Bengals
It's easy to blame Joe Burrow's injury for the Cincinnati Bengals' failures in 2025, but the team still lost winnable games with and without their star losing to the New York Jets without Burrow and getting shut out by the Ravens with him. Still, reports indicate that isn't likely to cost Zac Taylor his job, and back-to-back blowout wins leading into Week 18 indicate the typically loyal Bengals will stick with their head coach for a seventh season with hopes Burrow can stay healthy in 2026.
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Aaron Glenn, Jets
One-and-done head coaches have become a bit more common in the NFL over the past decade, so speculation about Aaron Glenn's job status has bubbled up among fans as the New York Jets have limped to the finish line. While New York doesn't have much talent on the field with Garrett Wilson and two quarterbacks injured plus two core defensive pieces traded away, tangible progress has been hard to find for Gang Green. That still isn't expected to cost Glenn his job. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer declared, "he'll be safe," when discussing Glenn's status in Week 17, and owner Woody Johnson, for all his flaws, isn't known to be too volatile with coaches.