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NFL Hot Seat: How Safe Is Every Coach for Next Season?

Brad Gagnon

We're now less than three weeks from Black Monday in the NFL, and it could be a busy one as several head coaches look to be in peril as the regular season draws to a close.

Of course, three have already been fired this year, but how many more will get the axe?

Let's take a look at the remaining 29 NFL head coaches in a quick hit-style.

Freezing-Cold Seats

Kyle Shanahan Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

29. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: His team has won the last two Super Bowls and been to four of the last five. Reid's about as safe as Bill Belichick was in the mid-2000s.

28. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions: He and Kevin O'Connell are neck-and-neck in Coach of the Year odds as they lead 12-2 teams toward potential Super Bowl runs.

27. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings: He and Dan Campbell are neck-and-neck in Coach of the Year odds as they lead 12-2 teams toward potential Super Bowl runs.

26. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers: The Bolts invested heavily in the legendary Harbaugh, and it's safe to say they'd be sticking with him even if the team didn't make the major strides we've seen from them in 2024.

25. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos: Denver is a 17-15 despite plenty of change and turbulence over the last two years, and Payton has gotten plenty out of rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

24. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: Make that 19 consecutive years without a losing record for the surprise 2024 contender that is Pittsburgh. Tomlin continues to do a hell of a job every year, regardless of what the roster is going through.

23. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders: The Commanders are 9-5 and likely en route to the playoffs in Quinn's first year. He's more than exceeded most expectations.

22. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are also right in the playoff mix despite some glaring flaws in Macdonald's maiden season. He'll be back in 2025 regardless of how the final three weeks play out.

21. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: As usual, the Ravens are extremely competitive. Harbaugh has done enough with this squad over the years to survive even at least one more playoff disappointment. That said, 2026 could become a different story.

20. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers: At 10-4, they're aligned with expectations, and this franchise isn't known to be too rash. LaFleur can afford at least one more early playoff exit, as he does have three playoff wins in five years despite rarely sporting a dominant team.

19. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans: Ryans and his young squad gained a ton of benefit of the doubt during a magical 2023 season. That likely means, even in the worst-case scenario, 2025 is a make-or-break campaign.

18. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: I mean, come on. This season has been rough, but injuries are a huge part of that, and Shanahan and Co. were in the Super Bowl just last year.

Room-Temperature Seats

Mike McDaniel John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

17. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles: He would have been in a very different spot just two months ago, but the Eagles haven't lost since September. It's hard to imagine Sirianni going anywhere unless they lose out and then go down on Wild Card Weekend, which is extremely unlikely considering the way they're playing.

16. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Once again, despite plenty of turnover and loss of talent in recent years, Bowles has the Bucs positioned to take the NFC South. They are by no means a prime contender, but the head coach isn't the reason for that.

15. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills: Buffalo is a prime Super Bowl favorite again, but there's been some fire aimed at him for some of his decisions lately. He's almost certainly fine, but you do wonder if the front office will grow impatient if they fail to make the Super Bowl for an eighth consecutive year under McDermott.

14. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: The front office could just decide things have gone stale and it's time for a change, but McVay's teams have actually exceeded expectations the last two years. If he's not coaching this team in 2025, that's probably by choice.

13. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals: The Cards have been inconsistent, but they've made strides in Gannon's second year, particularly on defense, where the head coach specializes. He should be fine.

12. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons: That's a lot of talent—and money—for 7-7. They still might make the playoffs, but if they don't, there's a chance Morris is the scapegoat. I still think he likely gets 2025 to right the ship, though.

11. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins: There's been some chatter, but let's keep in mind he put up 11 wins last year and didn't have his starting quarterback for nearly a quarter of this disappointing campaign. The franchise could grow impatient considering how much money it's spent on this roster, but I anticipate 2025 being the make-or-break season for McDaniel and other key members of this organization.

Warm Seats

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10. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans: It's not unheard of for head coaches to go one-and-done, and the Titans have been a mess this year. That said, they're one of the least-talented teams in the NFL. Callahan will likely get a second chance.

9. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers: The Panthers front office can be quite unpredictable, and this season started horribly. Still, Canales' squad plays hard and sophomore quarterback Bryce Young has recovered. He'll also likely stick around to see Year 2.

8. Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots: There's also been chatter here, and you never know where the patience level is considering how long they were spoiled in Foxborough. But this is an awful team on paper, though it's still managed to win a few games while keeping young quarterback Drake Maye on the right track.

7. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns: He was Coach of the Year in 2023, but it all really hit the fan in 2024 and it's worth noting that his offenses have never ranked better than 14th. This year, they're the third-lowest scoring team in football.

6. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals: They're likely to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year, and there's not much of an excuse this time around as Joe Burrow has been healthy. Taylor still has a couple years left on his contract and the team likely won't want to walk just yet, but there's no doubt his seat will become hot if things don't change by next fall.

5. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders: He was still working in an interim role when he lit a fire under the Raiders late in 2023, but that's all gone in 2024. Pierce deserves one more shot simply because of the bad quarterback hand he's been dealt as well as the injuries that have hit the defense, but the Raiders front office might feel compelled to start afresh.

Hot Seats

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4. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts: He's yet to get it from quarterback Anthony Richardson, and the Colts have made no real strides this year. There's a decent chance they bail on Steichen after his second year.

3. Brian Daboll, New York Giants: Nine wins in 2022, six in 2023, two (thus far) in 2024. I think the Giants likely realize they need a fresh start at quarterback and within the coaching staff. That offense has been anemic for far too long, regardless of the QB situation.

Seats About to Ignite

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2. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars: This feels quite inevitable considering how much talent is on the Jaguars roster, especially at the quarterback position. Pederson has failed miserably at bringing Trevor Lawrence along, and we're talking about a team that has gone 4-16 in its last 20 games.

1. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys: I don't know how you can go 9-8 (at best) in a lame-duck season with super-high expectations and live to tell the tale, even if Dak Prescott's injury is a big factor. Keep in mind the Cowboys were a disaster even before losing the quarterback in Week 9. Owner Jerry Jones has more patience than many would imagine with his coaches, but after five disappointing years, it's likely a matter of when, not if, in this case.

   

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