Two head coaches have already been fired this season — Brian Callahan in Tennessee, and now Brian Daboll in New York. Things had gotten so bad with the Titans and the Giants, respectively, that their bosses couldn’t wait to shove them out the door.
It won’t make either of them feel any better, of course, but they won’t be the only casualties of the 2025 season. In fact, even for some coaches still currently employed, their fate is probably already sealed.
So, which coaches are lame ducks, knowing that in two months the door will be hitting them on the way out? Here’s FOX Sports’ latest ranking of NFL head coaches on the hot seat.
Note: Interim head coaches are not included, so neither Mike McCoy of the Titans nor Mike Kafka of the Giants qualified for this list.
1. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins (Previous Ranking: 1st)
He was about to cede the top spot to Daboll, but now it belongs to him again. Still, it can’t be ignored that in the aftermath of owner Stephen Ross’ decision to fire general manager Chris Grier, he let it leak to the media that he still believed in McDaniel as his long-term coach. On the one hand, it’s not completely crazy. McDaniel has a 31-30 record in his three-plus seasons after Miami’s shocking upset of Buffalo this past Sunday, and he has taken the Dolphins to the playoffs twice. Then again, they’re among the NFL’s biggest disappointments this season (at 3-7) and, until Sunday, it sure seemed like McDaniel was on the verge of losing control of his team. Ross’ leaked intentions may set McDaniel up for a second-half test, though. A few more wins, and he can make a case for staying. But it’s probably a good bet that he will need those wins.
His situation is certainly complicated by the Cardinals’ quarterback mess. They are financially committed to the deteriorating Kyler Murray, at least through the end of next season, though they clearly want to move on. It’s hard to tell whether that helps or hurts him. It’s a built-in excuse for his poor record (15-28 in two-plus seasons, including 3-6 this year), but the Cardinals also might want to start fresh next season with a new, young quarterback and a more offensive-minded head coach. The fact that his defense has consistently ranked in the bottom 10 of the league since he arrived certainly hasn’t helped his case to stay.
The Cardinals appear ready to move on from Kyler Murray. Are they ready to part ways with their head coach as well? (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
He’s inherited the mother of all quarterback messes, from the stupid Deshaun Watson trade and contract to the redundant drafting of Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Oh, and his GM traded away his best 2025 quarterback (Joe Flacco), too. So the last season and a half is not all his fault, but it’s also hard to hide from his 5-21 record (.192) in that span, not to mention the fact that he’s about to have his fourth losing season in six years. This organization is crying out for a complete demolition. It’s not clear if ownership is willing to do that. Regardless, there doesn’t seem to be much of a point in continuing the torture of Stefanski (and his career) much longer.
If you don’t think it’s fair to hold Taylor responsible for the failings of a team that lost quarterback Joe Burrow, then maybe you didn’t see how he coached them when Burrow was healthy. This has been a maddeningly and chronically underachieving team in each of the past three seasons, completely undermined by slow starts and baffling in-game decisions. Even now, he can’t stabilize his defense enough to let the red-hot Joe Flacco keep his team afloat for a few weeks. That defense has given up 86 points and 1,078 yards in the past two games — and one of them was against the Jets! Sure, that falls more on defensive coordinator Al Golden, but who picked him? Hard to say if ownership would fire Taylor, who is signed through 2026. But surely, they should.
Joe Burrow might return this season, but will the Bengals win enough to save Taylor’s job? (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
5. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons (PR: unranked)
There might not be a more confusing team in the NFL. They get shut out in Carolina, then beat the Buffalo Bills three weeks later. They get blown out by the Dolphins at home, then hang with the Patriots and Colts on the road. They are loaded with talent, especially on offense, but don’t seem to know how to use it — particularly Bijan Robinson, one of the most talented running backs in football, who seems to disappear from their game plan for long stretches of time. Some of their problems stem from the inconsistency of young quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but not all of them. Morris is 11-15 in this tenure. It seems increasingly clear he’s just a mediocre head coach.
When GM Darren Mougey traded away two of his best defensive players — CB Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams — he made it a lot harder for Glenn to win games down the stretch. And there’s just no way he was going to do that if his first-year coach had to win games to keep his job. Right? Chances are, Glenn will be back in 2026. But these are the Jets, and stranger things have happened. Also, don’t underestimate the chances of things completely falling apart. Even after beating the Browns on Sunday, they have a locker room filled with players who understand the organization has waved a white flag on the season, and they are led by a quarterback (Justin Fields) who gives them no hope at all. So yes, things can always get worse with the Jets. And if things get real bad, it can be hard to predict what owner Woody Johnson might do.
The Jets have won back-to-back games. How many must they win to ensure their first-year HC will be back next season? (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
There have been rumblings for a few years now that the Steelers and Tomlin will agree to part ways soon, and once again they are growing louder. They went all-in during the offseason on building a Super Bowl contender around a 41-year-old quarterback, but both the quarterback and team are beginning to fall apart. They lead the hard-charging Baltimore Ravens by only one game, and both their offense and defense rank in the bottom four in the league. Tomlin is in his 19th season in Pittsburgh and has earned a lot of leeway, but everyone in the Steel City is aware that he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. The Steelers are really staring at a possible rebuilding situation, and certainly a new, younger quarterback. Would the 53-year-old Tomlin even want to stick around for that? Clearly, he has to sense that it might be time for the players in that locker room to hear from another voice. If they miss the playoffs, don’t dismiss the idea of Tomlin coaching elsewhere (hello, New York?) next year.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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