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NFL coaches on hot seat as 2025 season begins: Mike McDaniel among 5 to watch
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- NFL coaches on hot seat as 2025 season begins: Mike McDaniel among 5 to watch
The start of an NFL season is typically a time for peak optimism in many cities and for numerous fan bases – so often because there's a sense of renewal sparked by new players, a clean record and maybe even a first-year head coach. Seven teams ( Jets , Patriots, Jaguars , Raiders , Cowboys, Bears and Saints ) have new faces under the big headset in 2025, a number that's also highly indicative of how quickly this league chews up guys in that job on a year-by-year basis. (Eight coaching changes occurred in 2024.)
However while nobody's taken a bad loss – yet – perhaps this is a year when more HCs can afford just a few of them. In addition to the seven taking their maiden voyages in new assignments, there's a division full of stable coaching legends (AFC West), perennial division champs in Buffalo, Kansas City and Tampa Bay, and future Hall of Fame coaching institutions leading teams like the Ravens , Steelers, Chiefs and (probably) the Rams – and, yes, admittedly, there's an Andy Reid throughline to all of those categories.
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As Week 1 nears, we know the only constant in the NFL is change, but there do seem to be (relatively) fewer coaches potentially bound for the chopping block. The coming months will reveal whether that's true or not, but here are five who embark on the upcoming campaign with at least some extra pressure and scrutiny on them while operating on a seat that's at least a few degrees warmer than their peers':
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
Yes, it's only his second season, but keep an eye on Nashville. Callahan, 41, is an intense, older school coach who isn't afraid to light up his players – whether on the sideline or at the post-game podium. That can be an effective approach … but maybe less so and perhaps only temporarily with the current generation. And if you think he ought to enjoy a sense of security coming off a year when the Titans earned the No. 1 pick, just look at what happened in Chicago last year with Caleb Williams . If it doesn't go well with Callahan and rookie Cam Ward , you can bet the quarterback isn't the guy who's going to get replaced. Lastly, don't forget that Tennessee has a rookie general manager, Mike Borgonzi, who didn't hire Callahan.
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Like Callahan, he's only going into his second season with his current team, so it's not like Morris is necessarily trying to keep the wolves at bay … yet. The worry more so here for Morris might be guilt by association with fifth-year GM Terry Fontenot, who hired him. The Falcons haven't made the playoffs nor had a winning record since 2017 – and they don't exactly play in a murderers' row of a division. And yet Fontenot followed his highly unorthodox 2024 offseason − he signed free agent QB Kirk Cousins to a nine-figure contract and then drafted current QB1 Michael Penix Jr. in the first round − by mortgaging the future during this year's draft, when he took a pair of pass rushers ( Jalon Walker and James Pearce ) in Round 1. Signals clearly sent that Atlanta expects to win now, and Morris needs to deliver, fairly or not, because another seven- or eight-win output isn't likely to guarantee this regime anything.
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Brian Daboll, New York Giants
The league's Coach of the Year in 2022, when he made Daniel Jones look like a star while leading the G-Men to the playoffs, Daboll has been something of a victim of his own success and circumstances – namely departed Jones' regression and injuries along with questionable roster management under GM Joe Schoen. Coming off a 3-14 season, which included a Week 17 defeat of the Colts that ultimately cost the Giants the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft, Daboll entered this offseason on a very toasty chair – after all, who rallies their team to defeat a playoff hopeful in Week 17, right ? (Honestly, kudos, Coach.) Yet the vibes seem awfully good right now around a team that was dominant in the preseason and seems to have as good a young core as any organization given the presence of potential superstars such as WR Malik Nabers , rookie LB Abdul Carter and, most importantly, first-round QB Jaxson Dart . The question now becomes how much more patience owner John Mara can muster with his team facing the league's hardest statistical schedule (.574 collective winning percentage by opponents in 2024). If Daboll and Schoen receive the leeway to bring Dart along slowly and endure what's likely to be another bumpy ride in 2025 but with Big Bluer skies likely ahead, this team could be ready to take off in 2026. If not?
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
After receiving deserved credit for unlocking Jalen Hurts on the Eagles' run to Super Bowl 57 in 2022, Steichen, whether it's a fair assessment or not, hasn't been able to get QB Anthony Richardson on a similar track since both arrived in Indy in 2023. The recent decision to pivot to Jones as the starter is suggestive of how sideways things have gone with talented-but-raw Richardson . Make no mistake, the Colts haven't been terrible under Steichen, but .500 (17-17) is only going to cut it for so long. And for a franchise nearly seven years removed from its most recent playoff win, courtesy of Andrew Luck , and operating at least under something of a new ownership vision following the offseason death of Jim Irsay , it's fair to wonder how much more grace Steichen, Jones, Richardson and GM Chris Ballard enjoy here entering a season with decidedly low expectations outside of this locker room's.
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Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Dec 3, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel (R) during a timeout against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
His redemption story following personal trials and tribulations as he climbed the coaching ladder, quirky personality and ability to generate some serious offense produced ample good feels during his first three seasons in South Florida, the first two ending in postseason berths. And yet the Fins are fast approaching the 25th anniversary of their most recent playoff win, and have too often come up small in big spots under McDaniel. Throw in a widespread perception that this team is soft and that McDaniel doesn't hold his players sufficiently accountable, and you start to see what seems to be the writing on the wall. Owner Stephen Ross certainly left his mark on it in January, when he issued McDaniel and GM Chris Grier the dreaded vote of confidence wrapped around an unmistakable message, saying in a statement that read in part: "(C)ontinuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough. We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL coaches on hot seat: Dolphins' Mike McDaniel among five to watch
