Week 18 is upon us, which means Black Sunday and Monday are, too. Here are the names to know on the coaching hot seat as the NFL regular season draws to a close.
We’ve made it to Week 18 in the NFL season, which means we’re only days away from Black Sunday and Monday, the colloquial term for all the head coach firings that inevitably take place once the season ends.
Two head coaches, the Tennessee Titans’ Brian Callahan and the New York Giants’ Brian Daboll, have already lost their jobs. How many more will join them?
We’re taking the temperature of the coaches on or approaching the hot seat all week./
Feeling the most heat
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
Record with team: 2-14, first season
Why he might get fired: Carroll was supposed to bring stability to the franchise, but it’s been more losing under the 74-year-old former Super Bowl winner. The Raiders haven’t won since Week 6, the offseason trade for Carroll’s preferred QB Geno Smith hasn’t yielded much, the offensive and special teams coordinators were both fired in November, and now there’s a dispute with Maxx Crosby over the star pass rusher being placed on injured reserve. None of this reflects well on Carroll, who may be in over his head trying to fix a franchise where the rot goes much deeper (and higher).
Why he might be safe: There was a reason Carroll was hired. He is almost 40 games over .500 for his NFL career, and that’s counting this season’s debacle. Also, Mark Davis has paid out a lot of money for failed coaches over the past few years and maybe he doesn’t want to shell out for Carroll too. Still, it’s hard to find a great reason to stick with Carroll, given hiss age and the Raiders’ need of an organization-wide reset.
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Record with team: 45-58 (including playoffs), sixth season
Why he might get fired: The Browns are headed for a fourth losing record in six years under Stefanski, as well as a second straight year picking in the top-five of the draft. The cataclysmic Deshaun Watson trade is partly on Stefanski, who recruited him in the spring of 2022, and for all of Stefanski’s offensive acumen, none of the 13 (!) quarterbacks who’ve started under his watch has proven to be the long-term solution.
Why he might be safe: Stefanski has done quite a bit with limited talent, especially on offense, and team owner Jimmy Haslam might give him a chance to actually develop a highly drafted QB. Stefanski has also been to the playoffs twice and maintains a steady demeanor, win or lose. He has won NFL Coach of the Year twice, and it’s not like this would be an attractive opening for this cycle’s top candidates.
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Record with team: 14-18, second season (this stint)
Why he might get fired: Morris hasn’t been flat-out bad, but the Falcons have regressed this season and the overall operation feels shaky under his watch. While he might end up a fall guy alongside general manager Terry Fontenot, who oversaw an all-in 2025 that included trading away the team’s first-round pick next spring, Morris also hasn’t made a strong case for himself.
Why he might be safe: As mentioned above, the Falcons’ current mess is more on Fontenot. That doesn’t mean Morris is blameless — the McVay tree magic that Atlanta doubtlessly sought by bringing him in along with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson hasn’t materialized — but it also means team owner Arthur Blank might give him another year.
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Record with team: 15-35, third season
Why he might get fired: Gannon was hired in part to toughen up Arizona’s defense, and that hasn’t really happened. This year’s unit is 26th in EPA per play allowed, 27th in success rate allowed, and in general hasn’t taken a step forward despite 17 of Gannon’s 28 draft picks being on that side of the ball, including six of seven last spring. It’s hard to say the Cardinals are demonstrably better than they were when Gannon was hired.
Why he might be safe: Kyler Murray is the biggest question lingering over the franchise, and Gannon might be winning more with better QB play. Perhaps team owner Michael Bidwill gives him a chance to prove it. He did have the Cardinals on an upward trajectory through his first two seasons.
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Record with team: 34-32 (including playoffs), fourth season
Why he might get fired: The story of the McDaniel era (thus far) is starting with a bang and petering out, both in the micro and macro. He made the playoffs his first two seasons (including a hallowed 70 burger against the Broncos), but lost six of the last seven in 2022 and four of his last six in 2023. Since then, his motion-heavy, speed-oriented offense has been less effective against the league as a whole, and off-field issues (including players reportedly running out defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles last season) suggest McDaniel doesn’t have much command of the locker room.
Why he might be safe: Tua Tagovailoa’s limitations and concussion concerns have limited the Dolphins, and if they don’t bring him back next season, the salary cap hit would be so big that team owner Stephen Ross might decide it’s worth keeping McDaniel around one more year to get out from under it.
Has the team owner’s backing
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
Record with team: 3-13, first season
Why he might get fired: The Jets have been largely non-competitive, and that’s not what anyone expected in Glenn’s first season. He earned respect as a Pro Bowl player and the Lions’ defensive coordinator the past few seasons, but the Jets’ defense has regressed, the quarterback play has been bad, and the Jets were big-time sellers at the trade deadline. Justin Fields was benched in November and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was fired in December. There aren’t many more heads to roll here.
Why he might be safe: At the league meetings in October, team owner Woody Johnson was candid that the Jets’ problems were at QB, not with Glenn. That carries a lot of weight, and Johnson’s stance reportedly hasn’t changed. The Jets also have five first-round draft picks the next two drafts, and there’s ample opportunity for Glenn to reshape the franchise in his image.
Established guys under pressure
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Record with team: 193-123 (including playoffs), 18th season
Why he might get fired: The Ravens have been surprisingly mediocre this season, and it can’t all be attributed to Lamar Jackson’s injuries. Their defense has yo-yo’d between outright bad and competent, and some of Harbaugh’s in-game decisions have drawn scrutiny. Harbaugh has failed to get back to the Super Bowl with a two-time MVP quarterback in Jackson, and there’s a general sense that a breath of fresh air at head coach might be good for the Ravens.
Why he might be safe: Harbaugh has had only two losing seasons, and the stability he brings the organization is valuable. If he’s not back, it won’t be because he became a bad coach overnight.
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Record with team: 200-125-2 (including playoffs), 19th season
Why he might get fired: A few weeks ago, fans were chanting “Fire Tomlin” during a blowout loss to the Bills. Then the Steelers took control over the AFC North and all was forgotten. But a loss to the 4-12 Browns, when Pittsburgh had a shot to clinch the division, forced a winner-take-all game against the Ravens in Week 18. Would a loss in that game, and no playoff berth, restart the talk about the Steelers and Tomlin both needing fresh starts?
Why he might be safe: Tomlin is a very good coach and to the chagrin of many Steelers fans, has had unending support from ownership. The Steelers value continuity, so they wouldn’t make a rash decision on Tomlin’s future. And it seems even more unlikely they’d make a move if the Steelers win the AFC North in the season finale.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record with team: 35-35, fourth season
Why he might get fired: The Buccaneers went on a long losing streak, dropping seven of eight and losing control of a weak NFC South. The Bucs’ downturn came as they got healthier, which was confusing. There were some bad losses, and for a coach without a great career record, maybe there isn’t a reason to believe things will be decidedly better in 2026.
Why he might be safe: Bowles did lead the Buccaneers to three division titles in his first three seasons, albeit in a mediocre NFC South. And the Buccaneers are still alive to win the division this season, even though they’re 7-9. Teams usually don’t fire coaches after making the playoffs, even if it comes with a losing record.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Record with team: 57-64-1, seventh season
Why he might get fired: The Bengals have missed the playoffs three straight seasons in Joe Burrow’s prime. Some of that can be attributed to Burrow’s injuries, but the Bengals’ deficiencies in protecting Burrow have contributed to his injuries. And the team around Burrow, particularly the defense, hasn’t been very good in a few years. Burrow expressed earlier this season that he wasn’t having fun, and while he has not pinned that on Taylor, the Bengals need to figure out what changes need to be made to keep Burrow happy.
Why he might be safe: One run to the Super Bowl is doing a lot of the heavy lifting on Taylor’s résumé. That came back during the 2021 season. But that has carried the reputation of the Bengals being annual contenders in the AFC, if Burrow could just stay healthy. Also, this is the Bengals, and they’re not going to want to pay someone who isn’t coaching for them anymore.
The interim head coaches
Mike Kafka, New York Giants (interim)
Record with team: 1-5
Why he might not get the job: It’s hard to point to the Giants’ record after Kafka replaced Brian Daboll and get excited. He has fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox since taking over, which is the type of chaos that doesn’t look great on an interim coach either.
Why he might get the job: Kafka has been mentioned as a future head coaching candidate in previous years, for his work as an offensive coordinator. And while the team’s record hasn’t been good, there have been close losses to good teams in that stretch.
Mike McCoy, Tennessee Titans (interim)
Record with team: 2-8
Why he might not get the job: It was a forced arrangement after the team realized Brian Callahan needed to be fired. McCoy at least had some head-coaching experience. Hiring an interim who has put together a 2-8 record wouldn’t go over well with the fanbase.
Why he might get the job: Give McCoy this much: The Titans have played better late in the season, even if it hasn’t resulted in many wins. But it would be stunning if the Titans settled on McCoy after another miserable season.
Category: General Sports
