This weekend, multiple NFL head coaches could be removing their headsets for the last time. Somewhat surprisingly, only two coaches have been relieved of their duties during the 2025 season.
It’s still not entirely clear who will, or won’t, be exiting the sideline for good after Week 18.
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Here’s a look at the current spots we’ll be watching the most closely on Black Monday — which now begins for plenty of teams on Sunday.
Dolphins: There have been conflicting reports regarding whether coach Mike McDaniel will return. Ideally, the next G.M. would be given the ability to make that decision. If, however, it takes 2-3 weeks to hire a G.M., the Dolphins would be getting a late start on searching for their next coach — unless, of course, the G.M. already knows who he’d be hiring. The team has performed well since G.M. Chris Grier’s firing. And seventh-round rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers has shown enough to merit a chance to be the low-cost alternative to Tua Tagovailoa, at a time when the Dolphins will be eating $99 million in cap charges over the next two seasons. Sunday’s win over the Bucs, coupled with a possibly strong showing in Week 18 at New England, could be enough to get owner Stephen Ross to decide to let it ride for 2026, preferences of the next G.M. be damned.
Jets: There were reports a couple of weeks ago that coach Aaron Glenn is safe. And maybe he is. There are, however, internal questions lingering regarding whether he should return. It’s ultimately owner Woody Johnson’s call — primarily since it’ll be his money financing a buyout that would exceed $40 million.
Bills: Yes, they’re back in the playoffs. But with Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and (quite possibly) Lamar Jackson absent from the 2025 postseason field, there’s no time like right now to get to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993. If they make a quick exit, quarterback Josh Allen will take the heat. Will someone else take the fall?
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Steelers: Coach Mike Tomlin is already guaranteed to have his 19th straight (out of 19) non-losing season. It’s hard to imagine the Steelers making a change, win or lose. Unless, that is, the Steelers have another no-show on offense and/or defense. If the Ravens do what the Bills did in Week 13, or the Steelers’ offense plays like it did in Week 17 at Cleveland, in a winner-take-all showdown with the Ravens, the post-Buffalo outcry will return. The “Fire Tomlin!” chant will be reprised. Renegade will go over as well as lukewarm Gatorade. And who knows what will happen next?
Ravens: The same arguments that have been made for a fresh start in Pittsburgh apply to Baltimore. It’s been 18 years for coach John Harbaugh. Does a mutual parting make sense, if the Ravens fail to punch their ticket back to the postseason?
Browns: I’ve said it before, so why not say it again? Did anyone expect anything more than 4-12 through 17 weeks? Kevin Stefanski won the coach of the year award in the two seasons this decade that the Browns made the playoffs because no one ever expects the Browns to make the playoffs. With no obvious, A-list candidate to swoop in and turn things around, why not keep the guy who has made periodic chicken salad? Whether that same argument applies to G.M. Andrew Berry is an open question; there’s a chance that, in many ways, he provides cover for a meddling owner. Will Jimmy Haslam want a G.M. who may be more inclined to not follow Haslam’s lead as to the biggest decisions, like trading for Deshaun Watson and drafting Shedeur Sanders two rounds after selecting Dillon Gabriel?
Bengals: A question emerged recently as to whether coach Zac Taylor is under contract through 2026 or 2027. The better question is whether his contract is guaranteed beyond 2025. Marvin Lewis was fired with a year left on his contract, but it was a team-held option. If Taylor’s years beyond the current one are not guaranteed, he’s at risk.
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Colts: No one knows what new owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will do in her first full offseason. Whatever she does, it won’t be based on a lack of information. She’s involved, fully. Her decisions will be based on first-hand observations, not advice whispered by someone else. And there’s an argument to be made to try it again with the current regime.
Raiders: Something needs to happen, starting with part-time owner/full-time influence Tom Brady getting all in, or all out. With Brady unlikely to give up his various other gigs, owner Mark Davis needs someone else to guide the football operation. Regardless of who’s calling the shots, another reset is needed. The team has gone from bad to abysmal. Whether that’s coincidental to Brady’s arrival remains to be seen. No one should expect him to be successful unless and until he’s putting in the work. Which he may never do.
Commanders: It’s highly unlikely that the 2025 disaster of a season will result in a coaching change. But changes are needed. Next year could become critical, for both coach Dan Quinn and G.M. Adam Peters. Getting quarterback Jayden Daniels to perform more like he did in 2024 and less like he did in 2025 is the top objective for 2026. Figuring out how to keep him healthy becomes vital.
Vikings: Coach Kevin O’Connell is the right leader for the team. How much leading are they letting him do? Someone bungled the quarterback decision(s) for 2025. We’ve got a feeling that someone wasn’t O’Connell. If that sense is right, O’Connell needs to have more sway in 2026. While that doesn’t necessarily require G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to be replaced (then again, his draft record has not been flawless), it does require O’Connell to have a larger voice in personnel matters.
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Lions: Dan Campbell is clearly safe. But he’ll need a new offensive coordinator. And bigger changes could be coming, if 2025 isn’t proven to be something other than a fluke and not a return to the way things were before Campbell arrived.
Buccaneers: The Bucs have a history of doing unpredictable things when it comes to the coaching position. While Todd Bowles has won three straight division titles, failure to win a fourth could create real questions — especially in light of the way it has happened. The team is objectively talented. They need to find a way to get more out of the roster. Especially if their 6-2 start ends with a 1-8 finish.
Falcons: Matt Ryan could be joining the front office in a “significant” role. That may not bode well for the G.M. who apparently hatched the plan to trade for Deshaun Watson in 2022. Whether a new G.M. will result in a new coach remains to be seen. Regardless, the Falcons are failing to maximize their potential — and they haven’t been to the postseason in eight years.
Cardinals: Coach Jonathan Gannon recently said he feels “good” about his situation. There’s a chance that eight straight losses have made him delirious. Ultimately, football is show business. If the audience loses interest, the show will go on in an empty arena. Absent real changes, why would anyone renew their Arizona season tickets?
