The 2025 NFL season won’t begin until September, but already a handful of coaches across the league are feeling pressure.
Most of these coaches are members of teams that underachieved in 2024. Their squads either bottomed out or failed to make the playoffs despite being viewed as a potential contenders within their respective conferences.
As such, they are facing pressure to win and get back toward another potential playoff run. If they can’t, they could find themselves on the chopping block.
The same can be said of a handful of coaches on playoff teams that haven’t quite lived up to expectations in the postseason. Teams that either haven’t been able to win playoff games or get past certain opponents could face difficult decisions about their leadership if the same issues should arise again.
Which coaches are on the hot seat entering the 2025 NFL season? USA TODAY Sports breaks them into tiers, from those already on the hot seat to those perched on ice-cold ones.
Hot seat
1. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
The Giants kept Daboll entrenched as their coach for 2025, but owner John Mara said he has ‘just about run out of patience’ with his coach in a postseason news conference. The Giants have gone 9-25 in the last two seasons under Daboll, and he will be tasked with getting the most out of quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart as he tries to save his job.
2. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
McDaniel led the Dolphins to back-to-back playoff appearances to start his coaching career. Last season, they went 8-9 and missed the playoffs. McDaniel will be under pressure to earn his first playoff win in 2025 and could find himself in trouble if he can’t find more ways to support – or succeed without – Tua Tagovailoa.
3. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have notoriously gotten off to slow starts under Taylor. Last year, they began the season 0-3 and missed out on the playoffs despite a five-game winning streak to close the regular season. Joe Burrow is in his prime, so the Bengals could move on from Taylor if he can’t get the team over the hump this season.
Warm seat
4. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Stefanski has been put in a terrible position by the Deshaun Watson trade, but he still has just one winning season in his last four. If the Browns struggle again and the young trio of Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders doesn’t show much growth, Cleveland could consider making a change.
5. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Like Stefanski, Steichen has been dealt an unfavorable hand at quarterback. If he can’t start to tap into the raw potential of Anthony Richardson, the Colts – now under new ownership following Jim Irsay’s death – could decide to bring in a new regime to restore the team to its status as a playoff contender.
6. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin has been put on the proverbial hot seat for the better part of the last decade. Despite that, he has never logged a losing season and has led the Steelers to playoff appearances in four of the last five campaigns.
Why could this year be different? The Steelers haven’t won a postseason game since the 2016 NFL playoffs and Aaron Rodgers is coming to town. If Tomlin and the 41-year-old veteran can’t mount a playoff run and get a win, the Steelers may decide that it’s finally time to change things up despite Tomlin’s successful run replacing Bill Cowher.
Neutral seat
7. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
Callahan led the Titans to a league-worst 3-14 record in his first season, earning them the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 41-year-old coach will now be tasked with developing Cam Ward into a quality starting quarterback. Callahan should be afforded the time to do that, but 2025 is crucial for the coach to start turning in wins.
8. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
One would think Atlanta would have a longer leash with Morris, but the team believed it would be a playoff contender in 2024 and finished with an 8-9 record. Arthur Blank turns 83 in September, so if he doesn’t see enough growth from second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in 2025, he may consider moving on from Morris in favor of an offensive-minded coach.
9. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
The Bills continue to be unable to get past the Chiefs in the NFL postseason. If they can’t do it again, Buffalo brass may try something different despite McDermott’s success as the team’s coach (he has an 86-45 regular-season record across eight seasons).
10. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
LaFleur is in a similar position to McDermott. He has thrived during the regular season, posting a 67-33 record, but hasn’t yet been able to get his team over the postseason hump, where he is just 3-5. If the Packers can’t do better than the NFC’s No. 7 seed, which they have earned in back-to-back seasons, new Green Bay president Ed Policy will have a tough decision to make about the team’s future leader.
11. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Can Shanahan win a Super Bowl with the 49ers? He has two runner-up finishes and is coming off a 6-11 season. The 49ers are a prime bounce-back team, but if they fail to do so after losing a lot of talent during the 2025 offseason, San Francisco could consider an organizational shake-up.
12. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Ryans has led the Texans to back-to-back playoff appearances in his first two seasons. Growth from C.J. Stroud under a new offensive coordinator should help to safety entrench Ryans as the team’s coach for years to come. However, a step back could lead Ryans’ seat to start warming up.
13. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers
Canales led the Panthers to a 5-12 record in his first season, but Bryce Young saw his passer rating improve to 82.2 after being 73.7 in his rookie season. If Young takes a step back, Canales’ footing could get shakier, but the 44-year-old coach appears to be on the right track for now.
14. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Gannon oversaw a four-win improvement in his second season while his defense made strides with better personnel. Arizona continued to improve its roster during the offseason which should allow Gannon’s squad to take another step forward.
15. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
Macdonald led the Seahawks to an impressive 10-7 record in his first year as coach. That established him as a strong, up-and-coming coach. He will now need to prove that wasn’t a fluke while installing Sam Darnold as his starting quarterback.
First-year coaches
16. Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have never had a one-and-done coach, but Schottenheimer wasn’t on the radar of many as a potential coaching candidate this offseason. Dallas is expected to improve after going 7-10 with Dak Prescott missing half the 2024 season, but if the Cowboys fall short of those goals, Schottenheimer could come under pressure.
17. Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints
Moore is fresh off a Super Bowl with the Eagles but will be tasked with remaking a New Orleans offense that lost Derek Carr to retirement. Moore should get leeway for what may be a longer rebuild; his placement within this tier is more an indication of how hard it may be to win with the Saints short-term.
18. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
Glenn will likely be given time to implement a culture change in New York. That said, Woody Johnson isn’t exactly known for his patience, so if New York’s offense has a bumpy season, Glenn could find himself facing early questions from the owner.
19. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
Johnson was one of the most coveted coaching candidates on the market and is being tasked with developing Caleb Williams into a quality starting quarterback. The former Lions offensive coordinator will likely be given time to reshape the offense in his image, a process that has already begun this offseason.
20. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars fired general manager Trent Baalke to ensure they could land Coen, highlighting their commitment to former Buccaneers offensive coordinator. That should make him the safest of the first-time coaching hires.
21. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
Vrabel posted a 54-45 record with the Titans but earned a reputation for routinely getting the most out of his available talent. He is the Patriots’ third coach in as many seasons, and Robert Kraft figures to have more patience with the proven veteran than he did first-time coach Jerod Mayo last season.
22. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
Carroll, 74 in September, is the NFL’s oldest coach. While he may retire in the not-so-distant future, the Raiders didn’t hire him to make him a one-and-done. He will be tasked with getting the Raiders back on the right track in full for the first time since the tumultuous end to the second Jon Gruden era.
Cold seat
23. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Quinn turned the Commanders from a 4-13 team to a 12-5 NFC runner-up in his first season with the team. It’s a small sample size, but Washington’s best season in decades should give Quinn plenty of security, especially if Jayden Daniels can build upon his star rookie season.
24. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
Campbell has created a winning culture in Detroit but will be tested in 2025 after losing both his coordinators – Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn – to coaching jobs. The Lions figure to give Campbell a long leash, but his seat could move from cold to neutral if they take a step back amid their organization changes.
25. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Payton helped the Broncos snap an eight-year postseason drought and turned Bo Nix into a solid starter as a rookie. If Denver takes another step forward in 2025, Payton will continue to move toward having an ice cold seat.
26. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have made the playoffs in each of Bowles’ three seasons with the team despite having three different offensive coordinators and two different starting quarterbacks. Tampa Bay is just 1-3 across those four postseason games, but the team has established itself as the NFC South’s best under Bowles’ leadership.
27. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have won double-digit games in six of Harbaugh’s last seven seasons while Lamar Jackson is perennially playing at an MVP level. Baltimore needs to find a bit more postseason success for Harbaugh to avoid coming under scrutiny, but the coach – who has a 172-104 career record – appears to have the team on the right track.
28. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
Both Harbaughs are in good standing with their organizations, as younger brother Jim led the Chargers to an 11-6 record and a wild-card berth in his first season with the team. Justin Herbert posted a career-best 101.7 passer rating under Harbaugh and should only get better entering their second year together.
29. Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
O’Connell just led the Vikings to a 14-3 record with Sam Darnold as his quarterback. If he can achieve similar results in J.J. McCarthy’s first season as a starter, he will continue to confirm his status as one of the league’s top quarterback gurus.
Ice cold seat
30. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
McVay has had a winning record in seven of his eight seasons running the Rams and led them to a Super Bowl 56 win. He is only entering his age-39 season, so Los Angeles will be happy to continue employing the offensive innovator, especially as Matthew Stafford enters the twilight of his career.
31. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have made two of the last three Super Bowls and blew out the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59. That was thanks in no small part to Sirianni, who has led the team to a 48-20 record in his four years in charge of the team.
32. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Reid has led the Chiefs to three consecutive Super Bowls with the Chiefs and has won three with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. The 67-year-old is one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time and should be entrenched as Kansas City’s leader as long as he wants to continue coaching.
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