NFL coaches on the hot seat: 5 at risk as playoff picture comes into focus

Show summary Hide summary

• Kevin Stefanski: Why Cleveland’s coach faces intense scrutiny
  • Quick snapshot
• Jonathan Gannon: The Cardinals’ rebuild is hanging in the balance
  • Record and context
• Zac Taylor: Cincinnati’s identity crisis could cost him dearly
  • Season details
• Pete Carroll: Veteran leadership under the microscope in Las Vegas
  • What’s at stake
• Mike McDaniel: Miami’s turbulence and the salary cap of expectations
  • Context and challenges

The stretch run of the NFL season has sharpened more than playoff matchups — it’s focused a bright spotlight on several head coaches whose jobs look precarious. With postseason berths all but settled and a dozen-plus franchises staring at uncertain futures, conversations inside front offices are shifting from Xs and Os to personnel decisions and long-term direction.

Below are profiles of five coaches who appear on the hottest of hot seats right now. Each entry explains what’s gone wrong, how ownership and front office dynamics factor in, and what could happen next if results don’t improve.

Kevin Stefanski: Why Cleveland’s coach faces intense scrutiny

Quick snapshot

• 2025 season record: 3–11
• Overall record in Cleveland: 44–57 (including playoff struggles)

Stefanski arrived in Cleveland with high expectations after earlier success, including an NFL Coach of the Year nod. But a disastrous 2025 campaign and a string of decisive losses have eroded confidence around the team. The fallout from the Deshaun Watson trade still reverberates in the building, and owner involvement has become unavoidable — public comments from Jimmy Haslam calling the deal a “whiff” have only added fuel to the debate.

Inside the locker room and in front-office circles, the discussion is about more than in-game coaching. Personnel construction — led by GM Andrew Berry — will define the Browns’ path forward. A reset that begins with the 2026 draft seems likely, and if new leadership in the front office is sought, that could put Stefanski on thin ice: incoming executives rarely want to inherit a head coach they didn’t hire.

• Main concerns: roster talent level, quarterback decisions, cost of recent trades
• Possible triggers for a change: owner and GM split, poor finish to the season, fan pressure

Jonathan Gannon: The Cardinals’ rebuild is hanging in the balance

Record and context

• 2025 season record: 3–11
• Overall record in Arizona: 11–20

Gannon was hired to steady a franchise coming off a rough year and to lead a methodical rebuild. Instead, December’s losses — including lopsided defeats that exposed schematic and personnel shortcomings — have left the coach fighting uphill. The most public friction centers on Kyler Murray, whose relationship with the coaching staff has looked strained at times, prompting questions about alignment at the game-plan level.

Arizona’s front office banked on a long-term process, but fans and local media are impatient when a team slips into extended losing stretches. If the Cardinals appear listless down the stretch, ownership could opt to move on and accelerate a rebuild, especially if they believe another coach could better develop young defensive pieces or mend the quarterback relationship.

• Why the heat is on: six-game losing streak, inconsistent defense, disconnect with franchise QB
• What to watch: December performance, front-office patience, Murray’s public comments

Zac Taylor: Cincinnati’s identity crisis could cost him dearly

Season details

• 2025 season record: 4–10
• Overall record in Cincinnati: 55–64–1 (includes playoff appearances)

Zac Taylor’s position once seemed secure when Joe Burrow returned from injury and the Bengals threatened to reverse a midseason slide. Now, after a disappointing stretch and questions about the team’s defensive identity, Taylor finds himself under pressure. Burrow’s candid, discouraged comments about the team’s outlook made matters worse, signaling that the locker room’s faith may be fraying.

Two straight seasons worse than the franchise expected — and a roster that looks more fragile than feared — creates an environment where ownership might decide new leadership is necessary. There’s less runway for coaches when the franchise quarterback’s morale becomes a story, and Cincinnati’s brass will weigh whether continuity is worth the cost versus beginning another round of change.

• Key issues: defensive instability, player morale, inability to translate talent into wins
• Potential outcomes: structural changes on staff, or an outright coaching search if the finish is bleak

Pete Carroll: Veteran leadership under the microscope in Las Vegas

What’s at stake

• 2025 season record: 2–12
• Overall in Las Vegas: in the early stages with poor results

Pete Carroll’s long track record as a leader and proven winner hasn’t insulated him from criticism this year. The Raiders’ franchise has dropped multiple blowouts, and an eight-game slide featuring several defeats by double digits raises the obvious question: is a change in direction necessary? Carroll’s public posture — insisting he isn’t coaching for his job — hasn’t quelled talk that ownership may seek younger, more hands-on leadership.

Speculation about high-profile league observers, including NFL figures who routinely scout coaching approaches, fuels the narrative that the Raiders could look for a fresh voice. Age and recent team performance put Carroll in a vulnerable spot despite his résumé, and if the team keeps sliding, Las Vegas could pursue an aggressive reset.

• Pressure points: prolonged losing streak, large-margin losses, questions about long-term fit
• Signals to monitor: owner moves in January, interest in external candidates

Mike McDaniel: Miami’s turbulence and the salary cap of expectations

Context and challenges

• 2025 season record: 6–8
• Overall record in Miami: 34–32 (with limited playoff success)

Mike McDaniel’s tenure in Miami has been marked by bold offensive scheming and high expectations. That said, a rocky 2025 campaign, fallout from a major quarterback decision, and a front-office shakeup have all put the status quo in jeopardy. The firing of GM Chris Grier and the likely roster overhaul — including the financial and emotional implications of parting ways with Tua Tagovailoa — point toward a franchise ready to hit reset.

Owners and executives often prefer continuity, but when a team faces both a losing record and costly personnel choices, patience thins quickly. Miami’s leadership appears increasingly open to a clean slate if it means reorienting the roster and culture, which could leave McDaniel’s future uncertain unless the team finishes strong and steady messaging returns.

• Contributing factors: early-season slide, quarterback situation, front-office turnover
• What could change things: a late-season winning streak, a restored management plan, or owner backing

You might also like:

• Sean Payton leads Broncos turnaround after second chance
• John Harbaugh: New York Giants head coach brings leadership and stability
• Football hot seat: Mike McDaniel, Billy Napier, Sam Pittman lead odds for next firing
• Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars under pressure as team faces critical stretch
• Red Sox fire Alex Cora: what it means for Boston’s future