What NFL coaches are on the hot seat right now? Several prominent NFL head coaches, from renowned offensive play-callers to former Coach of the Year winners, came into the 2025 NFL season under fire. While we’re only a week into the regular season, the temperature is certainly being turned up on several coaches.
Let’s dive into our NFL coaching hot seat rankings after Week 1. Heading into Week 2, we’re examining eight head coaches who are under some heat to perform this season.
Related: 2026 NFL Draft Order after Week 1, NFL Draft Picks by Team 2026
1. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Being non-committal immediately after Week 1 about Russell Wilson remaining the starting quarterback speaks volumes about the job security of New York Giants coach Brian Daboll, or lack thereof. With the 21-6 loss on Sunday, Daboll is now 12-32-1 since Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season, a .267 winning percentage. From 2023-’25, the Giants’ offense ranks 30th in EPA per Play (-0.127). We thought New York would fire Daboll after last season, but team owner John Mara gave him another year. Based on how the Giants performed in Week 1 and given that they have the toughest NFL schedule through Week 12, there’s a very real chance that Daboll is fired midseason. It’s not something the Mara family likes doing, but Daboll could reach 40 losses in New York before he hits 20 wins.
- Brian Daboll coaching record: 18-33 (.356 winning percentage)
Related: Game-by-Game New York Giants Predictions 2025
2. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans opted not to add Brian Callahan’s name to the list of one-and-done coaches. Instead, they brought in a new general manager and landed a franchise-caliber quarterback in Cam Ward. In his NFL debut, Ward posted a 7.4 ESPN QBR. For comparison, the third-lowest QBR in Week 1 (Bo Nix) was 19.2, and only four quarterbacks had a QBR under 25. Ward wasn’t great by any means, but Callahan’s inability to do little things that would help his rookie quarterback get into a momentary rhythm and build some confidence raises significant questions about his ability to design a competent offense. It was the same problem in 2024, only the quarterbacks were blamed. Tennessee will probably let Callahan coach the entire season, but his chances of being the Titans’ head coach in 2026 are likely less than 5 percent.
- Brian Callahan coaching record: 3-15 (.167 winning percentage)
Read More: NFL Week 2 Power Rankings
3. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins offseason had a lot of rumors about the lack of a team culture, players wanting out and there were questions about Mike McDaniel’s leadership ability. Fortunately for McDaniel, he had a chance to quiet some of that noise in Week 1. Considering the Dolphins’ history of starting off hot early in the season, it certainly seemed like McDaniel would deliver in Week 1. Instead, Miami’s offense totaled just 211 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Tua Tagovailoa turned it over three times and Miami’s offense made it inside the red zone just once. Injuries aren’t an excuse and reinforcements were made to the Dolphins’ offensive line this season. This should’ve been a winnable game, but Miami got blown out. For as patient as Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is with general manager Chris Grier, he’s fired five head coaches since 2011.
- Mike McDaniel coaching record: 28-24 (.538 winning percentage)
Read More: NFL Week 2 Predictions, Projecting Every Game on NFL Schedule This Week
4. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper should exercise patience with Dave Canales. After all, this team played the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles extremely close — losing by a combined 12 points — late last season. However, Tepper’s history as a franchise owner of both the Panthers and Charlotte FC (MLS) proves he has an itchy trigger finger. Given how poor the Panthers roster still is, especially defensively, there’s a chance this team doesn’t even reach five wins in 2025. If that happens, no one would be surprised if Tepper axes another head coach.
- Dave Canales coaching record: 5-13 (.278 winning percentage)
Related: Worst NFL Rosters 2025
5. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen bought himself some time in Week 1. Against Miami, the Colts’ offense scored on every possession, averaged 6 yards per play and finished with a 0.212 EPA per Play (sixth in the NFL). For comparison, in 2024, Indianapolis ranked 24th in EPA per Play (-0.045) and averaged 5.5 yards per play. Most importantly, Daniel Jones looked like a quality starting quarterback in this offense. With all that said, it’s only a one-week performance and it’s well-known that general manager Chris Ballard is already on the hot seat. So, if Indianapolis misses the playoffs, cleaning house is the most viable option.
- Shane Steichen coaching record: 18-17 (.514 winning percentage)
Read More: Week 2 Fantasy Rankings
6. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris is one of the most well-liked people in the NFL, both among his peers and in locker rooms across the league. However, as he knows very well, this is a result-oriented business. Coming into 2025, Morris had one winning season (10-6 in 2010) in five years as a head coach. Even as the interim Falcons coach in 2020, he posted a 4-7 record. Atlanta has invested significant resources on both sides of the ball to build a playoff-caliber team. If Morris can’t get Atlanta into a wild-card spot this season, whether it be due to missed game-tying field goals or defensive issues, a change might be considered by Arthur Blank.
- Raheem Morris coaching record: 12-17 as Atlanta Falcons coach (.414 winning percentage)
Related: NFL Defense Rankings 2025
7. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Incredibly, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has won NFL Coach of the Year twice (2020, 2023) thanks to 11-win seasons. However, he is coming off a 3-14 campaign, and Cleveland is widely expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season. There’s reason to believe, especially if he replicates last season’s loss total, that a termination is possible. However, the Browns looked like a well-coached team in a close Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Right now, Stefanski’s job seems relatively safe.
- Kevin Stefanski coaching record: 40-45 (.471 winning percentage)
Related: Winners, Losers from NFL Week 1
8. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals remain an organization largely carried by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson, and Chase Brown. Cincinnati barely escaped Week 1 with a victory over the Browns, largely because a rookie kicker missed multiple kicks. We’ve seen how poorly Zac Taylor’s teams perform without Burrow — a 4-28-1 record — but the Bengals’ organization seems more committed to Burrow than ever. We certainly believe Zac Taylor should be prominently among the NFL coaches on the hot seat right now. However, Cincinnati’s talented core should be good enough to win nine games this season. That’s good enough for Bengals owner Mike Brown, as evidenced by how long he kept Marvin Lewis (.518 winning percentage) around.
- Zac Taylor coaching record: 47-52-1 (.475 winning percentage)
Related: Game-by-Game Cincinnati Bengals Predictions 2025
