The NFL is a win-now league. The league’s head coaches are rarely granted patience – fairly or not – and are expected to generate results or at least flashes of potential to keep their jobs.
But if the wins and highlights don’t start stacking up, head coaches find themselves in the hot seat, a throne of pressure and anxiety that signals the precursor to being back on the job hunt.
Let’s see what coaches are feeling the heat.
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NFL Coaches in the Hot Seat
Here are the coaches currently sitting on the hot seat.
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Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns
The Browns are once again at the bottom of the AFC and on their way to a second straight losing season. Stefanski has had some winning seasons in Cleveland, but the current quarterback complexities of the organization might be his undoing.
He helped orchestrate the trade for Deshaun Watson, which could go down as one of the worst trades in recent NFL history. With Watson out for the year to injury, Stefanski drafted two rookie quarterbacks and signed two backup QBs in the hopes that one of them could be a bridge until Watson returned.
Right now, he’s starting Shedeur Sanders, his third quarterback of the year.
Stefanski’s bet was placed with Watson, and with the franchise owning multiple first-round picks, cornerstone pieces and one of the best defenses, Stefanski might not be the coach to oversee that regime change.
Stefanski signed a contract extension ahead of the 2024 season and he’s gone 6-23 since.
Pete Carroll – Las Vegas Raiders
Carroll was hired at the beginning of the season because the Raiders were trying to win-now with a roster designed to win-way-later. All the enthusiasm in the world was unable to get a solid year out of quarterback Geno Smith who leads the league in interceptions – or really anyone else on the roster.
At 2-10, the Raiders are now playing for a high draft pick. Carroll has already fired his offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, who was the highest-paid coordinator in the league. Before that, they fired their special teams coordinator in Week 10.
Carroll is running out of people to fire, and at that point, you become the one to go.
NFL Coaches in a Warm Seat
Mike McDaniel – Miami Dolphins
Mike McDaniel was on the hot seat coming into the season, and that seat only got hotter through the first seven weeks. Miami started 1-6, and it felt like at any moment McDaniel would lose his job.
However, since that brutal loss in Cleveland, Miami is 4-1. Miami even fired their GM of 20 years, Chris Grier, but kept McDaniel.
Though the Dolphins would need a miracle of all miracles to make the playoffs, they’ve at least shown some promise over the last month and a half. In each of those wins, they ran for more than 140 yards and held opponents to 17 or fewer points.
At this point, McDaniel will at least finish out the year. If he’s able to go .500 or better, he might keep the job. But Miami will still face questions about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and whether McDaniel is the right man for the job.
After all, he has yet to get a playoff win in his career and is almost even at an average 33-30 record as head coach.
Zac Taylor – Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor brought the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021, but over the last three years, the team has been mediocre, bordering on disappointing.
Two 9-8 finishes in 2023 and 2024 were followed up by a 4-8 start to 2025. It didn’t help that quarterback Joe Burrow missed much of this season with a toe injury, but even still, there were questions brewing about whether Taylor adequately prepared his team after multiple slow starts to seasons.
Joe Burrow also doesn’t affect their defense being one of the league’s worst in three straight seasons.
Cincinnati has playmakers abound offensively and can put up points with any team in the league. But they haven’t been able to stop any of those teams for years.
Jonathan Gannon – Arizona Cardinals
After the Cardinals took a step forward in 2024, doubling their win total from Gannon’s first year, they took another step back this year.
They started the year 2-0 but have lost nine of their last 10.They’re in the basement of the NFC West and have turned to backup Jacoby Brissett over starter Kyler Murray.
Gannon does not appear to have faith in Murray at all, failing to answer questions about Murray’s health and whether his not playing was a byproduct of his health or being benched.
He’s clashed with his coordinators and even his players. After Emari Demercado fumbled against the Titans, Gannon screamed at him on the sidelines in such a manner that the Cardinals fined him $100,000.
The Cardinals have granted long leashes to coaches in the past, but Gannon’s high-profile mistakes set him apart.
Nick Sirianni – Philadelphia Eagles
It’s odd to find the head coach of the defending Super Bowl champions on this list, especially one that is 8-4 and first in his division right now. But the Philadelphia Eagles, despite being 8-4, are baffling.
They have produced nowhere near the same type of offensive proficiency that they did a year ago. Even their defense, a huge reason for their Super Bowl win, was just gashed for more than 450 total yards in back-to-back losses. This is a team that has lacked cohesion from Week 1.
It has led to public comments from wide receiver A.J. Brown. There have been players-only meetings. Saquon Barkley has underperformed. Jalen Hurts has underperformed. The entire team has underperformed for a team with such cohesion coming off a Super Bowl win.
Despite their 8-4 record, the Eagles don’t feel like an encouraging team right now. Their early lead in the NFC probably secures a playoff spot, but they aren’t playing like a group that inspires confidence or intimidates opponents. With a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl, any issues on the sideline become magnified – and anything short of that standard demands scrutiny.
Aaron Glenn – New York Jets
Glenn is in his first season with the Jets, and though they didn’t have much expectations coming into the year, a 3-9 start to any season is going to raise questions about whether there’s a long-term future for the coach with that team.
They’re near last in points allowed, takeaways and rush defense. On top of a terrible run defense, they have the worst passing offense in the league by yards. They also have just one turnover on the year.
They traded away star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and star cornerback Sauce Gardner and are headed for a full rebuild.
They are likely to be looking for a quarterback in next year’s draft, as they’ll likely have a high pick. But it remains to be seen if Jets ownership, who has been notoriously flaky with head coaches in the past, has the confidence to keep Glenn and let him usher in this new chapter of Jets football.
Mike Tomlin – Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin is an institution in Pittsburgh. He’s just the third head coach the team has had since 1969. He’s been the head coach since 2007, and he’s never had a losing record while coaching the Steelers.
However, he hasn’t won a playoff game in almost a decade.
This might be a case of the Steelers needing a new franchise approach. They have not won more than 10 games since 2020. They don’t appear to have the answer at quarterback. The offense has been underwhelming, and now the defense is no longer among the league’s best.
If Pittsburgh is indeed to turn the page on the Tomlin era, Tomlin would instantly become one of the most sought-after head coaches and media personalities in recent years.
NFL Coaches in a Cool Seat (For Now)
John Harbaugh – Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh is in his 18th year with the Ravens, and it feels almost absurd to suggest he might be on shaky ground given his long track record of success. But recent seasons have lacked postseason results. For years, the blame fell largely on Lamar Jackson, yet after last season’s dominant AFC Championship performance, attention shifted toward the team’s overall readiness in big moments – something that ultimately falls on Harbaugh.
After starting 1–5 this year, the Ravens have rebounded with five straight wins to take the AFC North lead. Four of their final six games are against division opponents, giving them a chance to firmly reestablish themselves. Still, a disappointing playoff showing could bring those early-season concerns right back to the surface.
Shane Steichen – Indianapolis Colts
Steichen entered the year on the hot seat after the Anthony Richardson experiment stumbled and he posted a .500 record with no playoff appearances through two seasons. But to his credit, he has revitalized the Colts. Indianapolis is 8–4, tied for first in the AFC South, and operating one of the league’s most balanced and explosive offenses.
Even with two straight losses, the Colts look poised for a playoff run, and the organization’s decision to trade two first-round picks for a key addition signals strong confidence in Steichen and GM Chris Ballard. The question now is whether that faith will extend to the quarterback position – and whether Steichen can finally deliver a postseason victory in year three.
NFL Coaches Out of Work
Brian Callahan – Tennessee Titans
Brian Callahan became the first coach fired in the 2025 season. After a 3–14 debut year, he was given a second chance with the opportunity to draft quarterback Cam Ward first overall – a move that could have bought time if it helped the Titans find stability and direction.
But that’s not how things unfolded.
Tennessee opened the season 1–5 with a -69 point differential, Callahan was forced to hand over offensive play calling duties, and he delivered a now-infamous press conference in which he admitted he didn’t fully know the rule for a completed catch. Shortly after, the Titans dismissed him and promoted senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy to interim head coach.
Brian Daboll – New York Giants
Brian Daboll entered 2025 on a scorching hot seat, and the season ultimately consumed it. Each year of his tenure worsened, culminating in last season’s 3–14 finish, the midseason release of Daniel Jones, and the uninspiring signing of Russell Wilson. Daboll tried to regain control by drafting a first-round quarterback, but it wasn’t enough.
After an 0–3 start under Wilson, Daboll turned to rookie Jaxson Dart, who provided some sparks but still went just 2–5 as the starter. The writing was on the wall.
The next head coach won’t be stepping into a teardown. The Giants have promising young offensive pieces in Malik Nabers, Dart, and Cam Skattebo, along with a strong defensive core featuring Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter.
Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will serve as interim head coach.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which NFL coaches are in the hot seat in 2025?
Kevin Stefanski - Cleveland Browns, Pete Carroll - Las Vegas Raiders, Mike McDaniel - Miami Dolphins, Zac Taylor - Cincinnati Bengals, Jonathan Gannon - Arizona Cardinals, Nick Sirianni - Philadelphia Eagles, Aaron Glenn - New York Jets, Mike Tomlin - Pittsburgh Steelers
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