With the season ending soon, which coaches could be moving on?
The regular season ends in only 18 days. History tells us what will happen next.
Black Monday. Which has, for some, become Black Sunday. Yes, more than a few coaches have been fired even before the sun sets on the day their last game was played.
We know it will happen. It always does. It's an occupational hazard, part of the business they've chosen.
Last month, we took a snapshot of the potential hot spots. With 13 teams now officially eliminated from postseason contention (two of those teams, the Titans and Giants, have already fired their coaches), more will follow. The only question is how many.
Here's the current list of the coaches who may be three games away from the end of the road in their current NFL homes, voluntarily or otherwise.
Dolphins: With G.M. Chris Grier gone, the question is whether the Dolphins will let the new G.M. pick his own coach - or whether Miami will give Mike McDaniel one more chance to stick around. McDaniel's willingness to consider benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could be interpreted as an indication that McDaniel will work with the next G.M. to find a solution at the quarterback position, even if Tua is owed $54 million fully guaranteed for 2026. Whether it's developing Quinn Ewers, drafting another quarterback, or finding a free agent, the financial commitment to Tagovailoa will complicate the situation. If McDaniel wants to get another year, he needs to realize that the next G.M. will want a new quarterback. McDaniel's challenge will be to get the new G.M. to also not want a new coach.
Jets: Aaron Glenn got the job based on his skills as a defensive coordinator in Detroit. He decided to delegate the defense to Steve Wilks. On Monday, Glenn fired Wilks. It's another piece of a fuzzy puzzle that could prompt a decision to make another change. Especially if Glenn was the one who wanted to give $30 million to Justin Fields.
Bills: I know, I know. Folks in Orchard Park bristle at the idea that a change could be needed if another year of Josh Allen's prime doesn't result in a Super Bowl berth or something close to it. And, frankly, a Super Bowl run could be in the cards, based on how the last three games have gone. But if they slump down the stretch and miss the playoffs or make an early exit, the questions are inescapable: What is holding them back? Is it talent, or is it coaching? Is it both? And what, if anything, should be changed to help the team fulfill its full potential under the best player in the entire league?
Steelers: If they make the playoffs and win a postseason game, there will be a change only if coach Mike Tomlin wants it. If they fail to make the playoffs, the topic teed up by Ben Roethlisberger will be front and center again. Is it time for a mutual parting of the ways?
Ravens: The same mindset in Pittsburgh applies to Baltimore. After 18 years with John Harbaugh, is it time for the team and the coach to try something new? Harbaugh would land on his feet quickly. At this point, he may welcome it. He may need it. There seems to be a disconnect between the team and quarterback Lamar Jackson. Maybe a coaching change (and a new contract for Lamar) will cure it.
Browns: The Browns are still dealing with the consequences of the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade and contract. Did anyone expect them to be anything more than what they are? If anything, coach Kevin Stefanski and G.M. Andrew Berry have allowed owner Jimmy Haslam to keep a spoon in the stew, without leaking to anyone the idea that they didn't want Watson. Or that they didn't want Shedeur Sanders. Or that they didn't want one or more of the various moves that ultimately trace, in one way or another, to the whims of the guy who owns the team?
Bengals: Joe Burrow isn't having fun. Would a new coach make football fun again? It's a question for the front office to pose to Burrow, and it's a question only he can answer.
Colts: A 7-1 start has melted into an 8-6 reality, with the playoffs becoming a pipe dream. With a new owner in place, no one knows whether she'll stay the course with coach Shane Steichen and G.M. Chris Ballard. Maybe she will. Maybe she should. Regardless, no one will be able to say her opinions are uninformed. She works the sideline at every game, eschewing the luxury suites and the walkie-talkies for walking and talking to the folks who are making the sausage.
Chiefs: The Chiefs would be nuts to fire coach Andy Reid or G.M. Brett Veach. It shouldn't even be a faint blip on the edge of the radar screen. The question is whether Reid will decide to stick around for the on-the-fly rebuild. It's one thing for Reid to ride the wave of Super Bowl appearances deep into his sixties. It's another to realize that a heavier lift is needed, and to ask the hard question of whether it's time. That's something that should be Reid's decision, and his decision alone, whenever he makes it.
Raiders: It's easy to say they should blow it up. It's harder to believe things will get any better if they do. Tom Brady needs to be either all in or all out. Drive-by, part-time involvement in shaping the football operation isn't working. Owner Mark Davis gave Brady a sweetheart deal with the express understanding that he'd stabilize the football operation. It has definitely stabilized, as the worst in the league.
Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer has proven that he belongs. The problem is the defense. With owner/G.M. Jerry Jones recently making it clear that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is on thin ice, the best move could be to find a coordinator whose system fits the personnel, and to add other players who will make it even better.
Commanders: Ending an eight-game losing streak was critical for Dan Quinn, if only to quiet the chatter that maybe the Commanders can do better. Still, 2025 went poorly enough to make 2026 critical for Quinn. And the job becomes harder if offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is presented with an opportunity that he'll explore and accept.
Packers: The season still has an up-or-out vibe for coach Matt LaFleur and G.M. Brian Gutekunst. They'll either get new deals or be looking for new jobs, given that new CEO Ed Policy isn't a fan of lame-duck seasons. They're currently hanging on as the No. 7 seed in the NFC. If they slip out of the playoff picture, Policy will have an important decision to make. (And if LaFleur is available, he'll likely have another job in the coming cycle.)
Vikings: The quarterback plan for 2025 was a failure. They needed a proven veteran. They opted not to keep Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones, and to say "no thanks" to Aaron Rodgers. If ownership considers the failures of 2025, it must take a hard look at those who recommended pairing an unproven top-10 pick with journeyman and those who wanted greater security at the most important position on the roster.
Falcons: Thursday night's thrilling win over the Buccaneers notwithstanding, things have not gone well for coach Raheem Morris and G.M. Terry Fontenot. The quarterback decisions of 2024 (pay Kirk Cousins, draft Michael Penix Jr.) have not panned out. Owner Arthur Blank will have to decide whether to press the reset button or to give them another year to get more out of Penix and an offense that has yet to perform collectively as it should.
Saints: They're on the list for the sole purpose of pointing out that they shouldn't be. Owner Gayle Benson has made it clear that G.M. Mickey Loomis is going nowhere. Coach Kellen Moore has done enough with an overmatched roster to stick around. Especially since rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is quickly proving to be a quality player, with a ceiling that may be higher than anyone would have imagined.
Buccaneers: Coach Todd Bowles slipped onto the hot seat after Thursday's fourth-quarter collapse. The talent is there. The performances have dipped. If they miss the playoffs, an ownership group that has shown no hesitation to make a change will at least consider the options.
Cardinals: The Ossenfort-Gannon regime hasn't had a chance to find their own quarterback. If they stick around, that will be job number one for 2026. Whether both get that chance remains to be seen. It could be that G.M. Monti Ossenfort returns, with the Cardinals (who have never in more than 100 years of existence had a head coach in place for more than six seasons) looking for another head coach after three years with Jonathan Gannon.