Seven NFL coaches were fired this past season, marking another year of significant movement in the coaching carousel. While a few notable head coaches survived another year, it's apparent that they are on tenuous footing heading into the 2025 NFL season.
Let's dive into our rankings of NFL coaches on the hot seat, starting from those under the most pressure to head coaches who might have a bit more leeway heading into the regular season.
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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll narrowly avoided being fired after a three-win season in 2024. Despite his history of clashing with assistant coaches, Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen received a vote of confidence from team owner John Mara. This support allowed them to use a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Jaxson Dart and bring in veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to provide some immediate stability.
Brian Daboll coaching record :18-32-1 as the New York Giants head coach
New York hopes that a healthy offensive line and improved quarterback play, combined with a potential top-12 defense, can at least give the team a chance to win eight games in 2025. Failure to do so would mark Daboll's third consecutive season with double-digit losses. Given how difficult the Giants' schedule is this season, falling short of that goal seems likely. Daboll might last the entire season, since New York rarely makes in-season firings, but it seems almost certain he will be out of a job after Week 18.
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Jim Irsay loved the Indianapolis Colts and was known for being very loyal to those he hired and trusted within the organization. This loyalty is one of the reasons general manager Chris Ballard is still in place, despite the fact that he has built a team that has not won a playoff game since January 5, 2019. Following Irsay's passing this year, both Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are squarely on the hot seat.
Shane Steichen coaching record : 17-17 as the Indianapolis Colts head coach
Steichen showed a lot of promise in his first season, winning nine games with the 10th-highest points per game (23.3), despite Gardner Minshew and Zack Moss being his top quarterback and running back. In 2024, Indianapolis went 8-9, but that included a 4-6 stretch over the final 10 games. More crucially, he has been unable to get any positive development out of Anthony Richardson. It is hard to see the results with Daniel Jones being any better in 2025. If the Colts fail to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season under Steichen, new team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will have an opportunity to give the franchise a fresh start with a new general manager and head coach.
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The Tennessee Titans hired Brian Callahan as head coach to reignite this offense, believing his work with both Joe Burrow and Jake Browning could translate to success with Will Levis . Instead, Tennessee ended last season with the worst record in the NFL in large part due to an offense that ranked 27th in scoring (18.3 PPG), 29th in points per drive (1.60) and 30th in yards per drive (26.9). Callahan stuck around, but Tennessee fired general manager Ran Carthon and first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi got a franchise quarterback in Cam Ward .
Callahan got a pass for last season, with ownership believing that Carthon's roster construction is the biggest reason why the offense struggled. It then provided Callahan with a lot more help, adding wide receiver Tyler Lockett and strengthening the offensive line by signing Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler . Callahan doesn't need to get this team to the playoffs in 2025, but delivering six wins and helping Ward look like a franchise-caliber star is critical. Otherwise, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk's history of axing coaches (Mike Vrabel) and general managers (Carthon and Jon Robinson) in the last three years suggests Callahan is next to go.
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Tua Tagovailoa helped make this Dolphins offense look like one of the most unstoppable units in the NFL. After two seasons, Mike McDaniel had a 20-14 record with consecutive playoff appearances. However, following a disastrous 2024 campaign, he is widely viewed as one of the NFL coaches most likely to be fired.
Mike McDaniel coaching record : 28-23 as the Miami Dolphins head coach
We are a bit more skeptical of that outlook. Chris Grier is one of the longest-tenured general managers in the NFL, having served in that role for Miami since 2016, and he has only one playoff appearance outside of the McDaniel years. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has been loyal to Grier, and it stands to reason that McDaniel has a good amount of support as well. After all, McDaniel led this team to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 2000-01. A disastrous season might get him fired, but eight or more wins likely would be enough for Ross.
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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales showed more than enough in his first season to believe he deserves to stick around for several more years. He helped Bryce Young turn his career around, going from a potential bust to showing flashes of being an above-average starter. While Carolina only won five games, this came after a 1-7 start, and they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs , Tampa Bay Buccaneers , and Philadelphia Eagles by a combined 12 points from Weeks 12 to 14.
Dave Canales coaching record : 5-12 as the Carolina Panthers head coach
However, Canales still has to be viewed among the NFL coaches on the hot seat because of Panthers owner David Tepper. Since taking over in Carolina, Tepper has fired three head coaches (Ron Rivera, Matt Rhule, and Frank Reich), and he also fired the coach of Charlotte FC. Patience is not exactly his strength. With the Panthers still in a rebuild, it is fair to wonder if Tepper might overreact if Carolina only wins six games in 2025.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason moves suggest they are going all-in this season. They've provided Mike Tomlin with Aaron Rodgers , Jalen Ramsey and DK Metcalf , seemingly giving him the veteran pieces that could push this team a step further. For a head coach who holds the NFL record of consecutive non-losing seasons (18), that would seem to be a vote of confidence.
Mike Tomlin coaching record : 183-107-1 as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach
What remains uncertain is what happens if this aging team falls short again, potentially even missing the playoffs this season. Tomlin's record is impressive, but he has also been the head coach of a team that has not won a playoff game since January 15, 2017. The Philadelphia Eagles loved Andy Reid but realized change was necessary. If Tomlin's Steelers were to miss the playoffs this season, it is fair to wonder if the two sides might agree to part ways.
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Zac Taylor is another one of the more popular picks for NFL coaches on the hot seat in 2025. It certainly makes sense in some regard, considering he's failed to make the playoffs in the last two seasons with an offense boasting Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins . Even if Cincinnati were to extend its playoff drought this season, it seems highly unlikely Taylor is shown the door.
Zac Taylor coaching record :46-52-1 record as the Cincinnati Bengals head coach
The reasoning is simple. Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown allowed Marvin Lewis to remain head coach for 16 years, even though Lewis never won a playoff game and made the postseason just seven times in that span. If Lewis stayed for more than a decade, the head coach who led the Bengals to a Super Bowl will almost certainly get more than just seven seasons at the helm.
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