Unlike NFL general managers, who — outside of very specific circumstances — have a minimum of three years to demonstrate their ability, head coaches in the league work on a very short leash from owners and executives keen to get their teams winning.
For less stable or historically dysfunctional franchises, this can lead to a revolving door of coaches coming in and out of the organization, none of whom are given enough time to make their mark and turn a losing culture into a winning one.
On the other hand, some coaches are given far too much time, coaching well beyond the point at which it is clear that the team is not progressing and change is needed.
It’s no surprise, then, that head coaches come on and off the hot seat almost continually over the course of the season. Here are the top 10 right now:
10. Zac Taylor — Cincinnati Bengals
GettyHead coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The combination of owner/general manager Mike Brown’s reluctance to fire any of his staff, or really make any large-scale changes, combined with Zac Taylor’s history going to consecutive AFC Championships, including one Super Bowl, make the former Rams QB coach’s seat just the slight hint of warm. Back-to-back years of slow starts; the team went 1-3 to start the year in 2023; and a declining defense — despite the retention of star defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and all starting players on defense — gives some cause for concern to the Bengals brass. However, it would seem that, unless something major goes wrong or the Bengals completely implode, Taylor will still be in his seat come September 2025.
9. Mike McDaniel — Miami Dolphins
GettyDolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
While some may argue that we would not be having this conversation at all were it not for yet another concussion suffered by franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, it is important to remind readers that the Dolphins were not performing well even with their QB healthy. Barely sneaking past a known-to-be-bad Jacksonville Jaguars side on opening weekend was followed by a blowout against division rivals the Buffalo Bills. Given Mike McDaniel’s offensive ingenuity, past regular season success and popularity within the locker room and building, it would be surprising if any major action was taken against him, even if Tua does not return to his pre-injury form this season. Particularly since the former 49ers offensive coordinator signed a rather lucrative extension to keep him in Miami until 2028.
8. Dave Canales — Carolina Panthers
GettyHead coach Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers.
It would be very erratic for owner David Tepper to fire a second head coach in as many years. Regardless, it would hardly shock anyone, given Tepper’s history, to see him dispose of the third head coach of his short ownership tenure. Dave Canales has failed to get a previously league-worst Panthers team into significantly better shape, despite benching underperforming second-year QB Bryce Young for the more experienced Andy Dalton. Three consecutive 18+ blowout losses puts Canales’ future in doubt after just seven games with the franchise, as Carolina prepares itself for yet another rebuild.
7. Brian Daboll — New York Giants
GettyHead coach Brian Daboll of the New York Giants.
Now we get on to the seats with some legitimate heat under them! The good will and brownie points accumulated from the Giants’ surprise 10-7 2022 season, in which Brian Daboll managed to rejuvenate quarterback Daniel Jones to the tune of a playoff win, has almost all but dried up. After a disappointing second season and an offseason focused on strengthening the offensive and defensive lines, signs of improvement were necessary in order for the current regime to secure their future atop the organization. They currently sit at 2-5 after 7 games, last in the NFC North; and while injuries to start edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and All-Pro tackle Andrew Thomas have hampered their progress, the Giants will need to improve sooner or later if Daboll wants to stay for a third year.
6. Dennis Allen — New Orleans Saints
GettyNew Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen.
A coach that many believe is perhaps not quite head-coach caliber in the NFL; Dennis Allen has hung his hat on a dominant defense over the past 2.5 years of his coaching tenure in New Orleans. However, a defensive regression in 2024, combined with a poor record and a team that has, in recent years, played some very ugly football, casts his future into doubt. An 18-23 record for a team that has not demonstrated any clear direction and is projected to be over $73 million over the cap in 2025 could desire a fresh start from one of the plentiful strong head coaching candidates available in the 2025 cycle.
5. Nick Sirianni — Philadelphia Eagles
GettyHead coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles.
While the fourth-year head coach of the Eagles does have a Super Bowl appearance to his name, back in 2022 when his team fell to the Chiefs in a comeback 38-35 loss, Nick Sirianni has been in and around the hot seat for a while. A late season implosion in 2023, followed by a one-and-done playoff exit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round raised questions about the head coach’s hold over the locker room, in addition to the quality of his game planning and adjustments. Despite having a bona fide, Super Bowl-quality, Top 5 roster in the National Football League, the Eagles have come out lukewarm in 2024, barely scraping by the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers to start a decent 4-2. Jalen Hurts looks to be a shadow of his 2022 self, and if the team fails to demonstrate improvements and gets booted out of the playoffs early, a new coach could well be leading Philly come spring 2025.
4. Kevin Stefanski — Cleveland Browns
GettyHead coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.
A slightly unfair predicament for the Browns head coach, in all truth. Kevin Stefanski has done a remarkable job turning the Browns around from a perennial laughing stock over the prior two decades to a viable, contending team. Although strong drafting and team building from GM Andrew Berry has aided in this shift, Stefanski seems to continuously put his team in positions to win. However, a 1-6 start in 2024, and an inability to return Deshaun Watson to his previous, Top 10 QB form that he showed in Houston has left Stefanski’s seat more than a little warm. Stefanski is also at the point in his coaching career — in his fifth year — in which executives have to decide whether they believe they have seen enough for him to be considered their legitimate coach of the future, as the trial, “let’s see what he can do” portion of his tenure is certainly past. Much of Stefanski’s fate likely relies on whether the team can rally behind exciting but oft-careless backup Jameis Winston as they attempt to rescue the season from the depths of despair.
3. Doug Pederson — Jacksonville Jaguars
GettyJacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.
The first of two Super Bowl champions on the hot seat, and the second of two ex-Eagles coaches on this list, Pederson’s stint as head coach looks to be in major jeopardy after a dismal start to his third season in charge, where the are Jags third in the AFC South, with wins coming over just the lowly New England Patriots, and the backup-led Indianapolis Colts. The Jags’ late season collapse was much attributed to offensive injuries to receiver Christian Kirk and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but it seems that they have carried this bad form into this subsequent year. A tough loss in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers could start to raise Pederson’s seat level to scathing.
2. Antonio Pierce — Las Vegas Raiders
GettyHead coach Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders.
At 2-5, the Raiders are probably only a game or so out from where they would have expected to be, if they were being totally truthful, coming into the season. But it has been less the record and more the coaching performance itself that has been the issue in Las Vegas, with Antonio Pierce’s inconsistent decision making, insufficient planning and lack of in-game adjustments leaving a strong feeling that the former linebackers’ coach may well be in over his head. A team that has been dogged by injuries to key players such as defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and Malcolm Koonce certainly have not helped, but Pierce knows he must whip his team into competitive shape if he is to remain the coach in 2025 and beyond.
1. Mike McCarthy — Dallas Cowboys
GettyHead coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys.
Mike McCarthy came very close to losing his job this past offseason; many suspected that it may be to a certain GOAT head coach. And despite having retained the head coaching position through the winter noise, with McCarthy seemingly on his last chance, the Cowboys have looked substantially worse off than in 2023. Perched at third place in the NFC East with a 3-3 record, the ‘Boys have looked to be little more than a shadow of their dominant regular season selves in 2023 — at least against mediocre teams. Missing the playoffs, and even another early exit, could signal the end for the Super Bowl winning (in Green Bay) Dallas coach.
Which coaches are you watching with skepticism this season? Sound off in the comments.
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10 NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat Right Now