NFL Black Monday - Who goes, who stays?
Black Monday - the infamous day where coaches across the league lose their jobs the day directly after the NFL regular season comes to an end. How many will be fired this year?
To start: I am not calling for any of these coaches jobs. They are all humans hired to do a difficult job to the best of their ability.
However, this is a business where owners and front offices have to make decisions that are in the best interest of their team, and that includes making changes in the most important role. In a typical year, at least 6 coaches lose their jobs, with 7 coaches landing a new head coaching gig in the 2025 offseason.
This article will go over which coaches I think have overstayed their welcome. While I will not list any general managers, I am typically in favor of hiring a GM and HC as a pairing, as I think this typically gives a higher chance of success. So I may end up mentioning whether or not I think the GM of a team should stay or be fired. I will also address any rumors of coaches being fired via various NFL sources. Now, let's get into what could happen on Black Monday!
Already Gone:
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
Interim HC Mike McCoy took over for Callahan after Week 6 of this season. The senior offensive assistant has gone 2-8 since then, and it is quite unlikely he will remain HC.
Tennessee clearly has a potential franchise QB in Cam Ward, and finding someone that has a plan for Ward should be the priority. The Titans are keeping newly hired GM Mike Borgonzi and President of Football Operations Chad Brinker. Borgonzi will lead the coaching search. Names mentioned in an article from the Athletic's Dianna Russini include Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, who has a history with Borgonzi, Colts DC Lou Anarumo, and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, among others who will be coaching in the playoffs.
Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Interim HC Mike Kafka took over after the Giants started 2-8, and has gone 2-6 since being named HC, with both wins coming in the last two weeks of the season. It's doubtful Kafka will return to be the HC.
Like Tennessee, New York has a rookie QB with clear potential to be their future at the position. The priority should be hiring a coach who likes Jaxson Dart's skill set and desires to work with the young QB. GM Joe Schoen, who I am unsure of how he still has a job, will be leading the search for a new head coach.
Time is up:
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
According to many NFL insiders, Gannon is likely to stay, which surprises me based off this season. I personally have been pro-Gannon since the beginning. I thought in his first season, despite a bad record, he coached well on a bad team. He was working with a backup QB for half the season, they lost some close games, and the talent from when he stepped into the building to the start of his second season was much improved. In 2024, I thought Gannon and co once again overachieved, having built a solid young roster and winning 8 games. This set them up for a playoff leap in Year 3 of Gannon's regime. That did not happen. Yes, Arizona suffered a ridiculous amount of injuries, but the season has felt hopeless since Week 3. I liked the offseason, adding good pieces to the defense on every level. So while I like what Gannon, and GM Monti Ossenfort, have done with the team, I think Gannon has to go.
First off, you can't win 3 games after having playoff expectations.
Second, it seems likely that QB Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are likely parting ways. Meaning Arizona will either need to acquire a new QB, or go into 2026 with Jacoby Brissett as starter. They are moving the wrong direction at an important position. There is nothing wrong with this, but a having a coach who isn't on his last legs would be preferable when looking for a new franchise QB.
Third, Gannon seemingly has lost the locker room. I'll point to the incident with Emari Demercado, where Gannon blew up at his RB. I'll point to blowing a game in disastrous fashion against the 3 win Titans. Ending the season on an 8(possibly 9) game losing streak is probably a sign to end it.
So while I like what Gannon has done with Arizona, I find it hard to believe that he will be the long-term answer for the Cardinals, even if he is coaching in 2026, so I would simply move on now.
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
74 year old Pete Carroll was hired last offseason with the hopes improving the play in Las Vegas and establishing a culture during his short tenure. It has been a disaster, with the QB underperforming, a horrible OL, and very few bright spots on the team. Now, most coaches would likely fail with a roster like this. Could Carroll turn it around? Sure, it's possible. But do you want a 75 year old leading what will be a full on rebuild in the offseason? I would not.
The Raiders will have the #1 overall pick, potentially $100m in cap space, and three stars, all at skill positions offensively. And Maxx Crosby, whether he brings you production as an elite edge rusher, or two first round picks in a trade, is a key piece of the roster as well. Las Vegas seems in prime position to have first dibs on a new head coach this offseason, and they should take advantage.
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Morris is only in year 2 in this head coaching tenure with Atlanta, but I think it's time to reset. There are a couple reasons for this. For one, GM Terry Fontenot(hired in 2021), should also be fired. And I am an advocate for bringing in a GM and HC at the same time, especially when the HC isn't a guaranteed long-term solution, like Morris. The second reason, similar to Las Vegas, is the QB issue. I do not know if Penix will be ready to start 2026, or if he the long term solution at the position. And Kirk Cousins is likely to be released this offseason with his large cap hit. I simply think it would be best for Atlanta to have a fresh start in all their major organizational positions.
However, Morris has finished the season on a four game win streak, and has a young defense playing very well throughout this season. All though, the defensive credit could be given to DC Jeff Ulbrich, who actually calls the plays.
Pending:
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bowles took over for Bruce Arians shortly after the Super Bowl season, with Bowles going from DC to HC in 2022. He won 3 straight division championships, but as I am writing this, Tampa Bay has been eliminated, despite winning on Saturday. And in those seasons in which Bowles won the NFC South, he did so with a combined record of 27-24, resulting in just one playoff win. I have liked Bowles as a coach, a quiet and well spoken figure that calls plays for good defenses. But after missing the playoffs in a weak division, after years of making the playoffs just because he coached in a weak division, it may be time to move on.
The Bucs may be entering a transitional period anyways, with franchise legends Lavonte David and Mike Evans being older and entering free agency and QB Baker Mayfield underperforming in 2025 while entering the final year of his contract, I wouldn't think it to be crazy for the Bucs to do a mini reset. They have a strong roster that would be desirable to many coaches, and even in a "reset" year, they could still compete in a weak division. GM Jason Licht has been in Tampa for over a decade, and has lasted through four separate coaching tenures. I don't know if I would make the decision, but moving on from Bowles isn't the wildest idea in the world.
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
I write this prior to the Ravens SNF matchup that will determine the division winner. Obviously, if Baltimore reaches the playoffs, I would doubt Harbaugh is fired. However, the Ravens may want to make a change. They have consistently blown leads late in games, with 12 games since 2022 where the Ravens are up by 7+ points in the 4th quarter and lose the game. They have underperformed in the playoffs with an MVP at QB and some of the best rosters in the NFL over the last seven seasons.
There have been strange reports regarding Baltimore and QB Lamar Jackson, as well as Jackson and Harbaugh's relationship. And if I had to make a decision between my coach, who hasn't made a Super Bowl in 13 seasons, or my MVP QB, I lean towards the MVP. I think there is a legitimate possibility that Baltimore moves on from Harbaugh this offseason. They sure won't have a problem finding a coach who wants to coach Lamar Jackson, I can promise you that. Baltimore may want to take a risk in order to find a HC that can maximize this team's ceiling, while their QB is still in his prime.
Still have time:
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
I was unimpressed with Glenn and the Jets for most of the season. There were a few weeks where they played competitive, picking up their 3 wins in a 5 week span, but that was it. The defense was pathetic, even with Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, which is disappointing from a defensive head coach(who never really produced good defenses as defensive coordinator either). And, while this is a personal opinion, I dislike how Glenn handles the media. His tone is disrespectful when asked very legitimate questions about how his team has played. You have never shown to be a great coach, you don't get to act like Bill Belichick.
But the Jets did make the decision to do a complete rebuild, acquiring three 1st rounders and a 2nd rounder when trading their two defensive stars. So Glenn will get to stick it out for at least another season, which I think is the right thing to do. Hiring a new coach because your team is bad, then firing him when you don't get positive results right away is silly behavior.
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Early in the season, after a 1-5 start, I thought Mike McDaniel was as good as gone. But he has orchestrated a solid midseason turnaround, even with Miami falling short of the playoff. Regardless of McDaniel, I don't think Miami should be looking for a new coach this offseason. The roster isn't complete, they don't have a clear Week 1 starting QB, they don't have premium draft capital. Miami is not a very desirable destination at the moment. The one reason I could conjure for the Dolphins to hire a new coach would be the fact that they fired GM Chris Grier this season, and they may want to pair their new GM with a new HC.
But I think McDaniel has done a good job, is a brilliant play caller, and has rookie QB Quinn Ewers playing well as we speak. Even if he's the fall guy in the future, I think McDaniel is worth keeping around for another season. Let him pick his QB for this next season.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have employed just 3 head coaches this century, despite just 9 winning seasons. Zac Taylor took them to their first Super Bowl since 1988. I do not think Mike Brown and Duke Tobin will be letting go of Taylor soon, especially if the Bengals core are indeed speaking highly of him, there is no way Taylor is not coaching the Bengals in 2026. There can be complaints about Taylor, like his decision to fire his DC and hire Al Golden which resulted in zero improvement. Or the lackluster OL year after year, same with the defense. But most of the issues stem from drafting issues and bad contract management by the front office. Taylor has no control over this.
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
McDermott seems to have total control over the Buffalo locker room, and he should not be fired. He has had the Bills in the playoffs in 8 out of 9 seasons as HC. But similar to Harbaugh, if he can not maximize his MVP QB in his prime, we may have to have deeper discussions about what McDermott needs to do in order to keep his job. This is arguably the worst roster the Bills have had since missing the playoffs in 2018. Additionally to failing to make the Super Bowl, his defense has not been very good this season. Is that a result of poor work from the front office? I don't know how much control McDermott has over those decisions, but if the roster continues to deteriorate, the Bills will be moving the wrong direction in Josh Allen's prime. McDermott being fired is mostly online complaints from Bills fans sick of coming up short or talked about on TV hot take segments. But the clock is ticking, however slow.
Rumor:
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
I was dumbfounded to see that the Browns were "leaning towards" firing Stefanski in Dianna Russini's article. The two time coach of the year has made the playoffs in just 2 seasons out of 6 as head coach, with one playoff win. But this is the Cleveland Browns we are talking about. This is the most stability, however little it may be, the Browns have seen since Bill Belichick in the 90s!
Stefanski was forced to have Deshaun Watson as his QB, the most expensive in the NFL, who ended up being awful. He made the playoffs with 38 year old Joe Flacco. The Browns have definitely been a mess, in large part to the Watson trade, which was orchestrated by owner Jimmy Haslem and GM Andrew Berry, who are both a much larger problem than Stefanski, but Cleveland is headed in the right direction. The defense is one of the best in the league, with great talent at all levels. Stefanski is an offensive coach, and the talent on offense is awful. The OL is bad, the WRs are the worst in the NFL, there isn't a starting caliber QB on the roster. This is the perfect offseason to attack that side of the ball.
I may have just disparaged their GM and owner, but Cleveland is just one a year away in my opinion. That year has to be a good team building one, but it's very possible.
From Cleveland's point of view, if there is internal turmoil surrounding Stefanski, this isn't the worst time to hire a new coach. They have draft picks and the roster isn't terrible at all, the needs are clear; draft offense. Stefanski would certainly get hired immediately in the 2026 head coaching cycle if the Browns were to move on. Again, I'll say that I don't believe Cleveland should move on. The only feasible explanation would be if there is so much separation and disdain between Stefanski and the front office.
Final Notes:
If I were the owner, here's what I would do with each coach, with some other potential notable offseason moves for the organization:
Fire Jonathan Gannon - keep GM Monti Ossenfort, move on from QB Kyler Murray.
Fire Pete Carroll - keep GM John Spytek, draft a QB at #1 overall, and build around that QB on offense(spend cap on OL and WR).
Fire Raheem Morris - fire GM Terry Fontenot, try to keep DC Jeff Ulbrich, find a veteran QB(Jameis Wintson, Malik Willis) for smaller price that can run an offense.
Fire Todd Bowles - keep GM Jason Licht, search for upgrade over QB Baker Mayfield
Keep John Harbaugh - there must be a ridiculously clear upgrade for me to move off my HC who has been here for 16 seasons.
Keep the rest, as explained in article
This would result in 6 total firings in the 2025 season, which is completely regular. While I may write another article discussing some of my favorite destinations for coaching candidates, for now here are of my favorite HC candidates:
Chargers DC Jesse Minter
Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak
Unemployed, former Packers and Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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