On average, there are about seven NFL head coach openings at the end of every season, and there are plenty of coaches in the NFL who are on very thin ice. So here are the seven NFL head coaches on the hot seat in 2025:

Zac Taylor:

Bengals’ defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was fired after piloting one of the league’s worst defenses in 2024, and Zac Taylor may be next if things don’t improve. Taylor escaped the hot seat with a subpar defense, the second-worst rushing game, and missing the playoffs in 2023, largely due to Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury.

However, the Bengals still posted a 9-8 record in 2024 and missed the playoffs while having a top-3 NFL quarterback leading one of the league’s best offenses. In addition to the defense, Zac Taylor’s 4-7 record in one-score games was a primary reason why the Bengals missed the playoffs in 2024 and why Taylor may lose his job in 2025.

Mike McDaniel:

Remember when the Dolphins scored a historic 70 points in a Week 3 game in 2023, and Mike McDaniel was dubbed an “offensive genius” for his play calling? Things have only gone downhill from there. Mike McDainel has built a team unable to win in cold weather, unable to win down the stretch, and unable to win in the playoffs.

 The Dolphins have posted an abysmal 6-11 record after week 13 under McDaniel, limping into the playoffs on the two occasions where they made it in. Tua’s health is also partly at the fault of McDainel, as McDainel letting Tua play without a guardian cap is one of the worst mismanagements of a player’s health in NFL history.

Mike McDaniel is undoubtedly the most likely candidate for a midseason firing in 2025.

Brian Daboll:

Brian Daboll has the fourth-worst record of any active NFL head coach, and his win total is in the single digits if you exclude his 2022 season. In all fairness, however, the Giants’ front office has done him no favors, signing Daniel Jones to an absurdly high-paying contract, not addressing the O-line in the draft, and letting Saquon Barkley walk in free agency.

While the Giants’ situation is not entirely Daboll’s fault, it is his problem, and his 5-9 record in one-score games over the last two seasons has only made that problem worse. The Giants oddly have the NFL’s hardest schedule in 2025, as there’s only three games on their schedule that are even remotely winnable. Giants’ ownership may or may not care about this, and could fire Brian Daboll after failing to beat the league’s top teams.

Dave Canales:

In 2024, Dave Canales took over a Panthers’ team that was the league’s worst team during the previous season, and a quarterback who had a disastrous rookie campaign. Canales improved the Panthers’ record and developed Bryce Young into a plus starter, which shouldn’t put him on the hot seat.

However, being a head coach for the Panthers comes with extremely low job security, as David Tepper fired Frank Reich after just eleven games in 2023, breaking an NFL record. If the Panthers have even a disappointing start to the 2025 season, the impatient David Tepper could pull the plug on Canales’s coaching job.

Sean McDermott:

Sean McDermott has recorded a .656 winning percentage through his eight seasons of head coaching the Bills, a tenure that only Andy Reid has beaten. McDermott is not a conventional “hot seat” coach, but seven playoff berths without a Super Bowl win will fester some impatience, especially for a franchise without a Lombardi Trophy.

McDermott is 0-4 against the Chiefs in the postseason, as his lack of aggressive play calling and anticipation of blitzes late in games has continuously cost them wins against Kansas City. If the Bills experience another early playoff exit, the organization may part ways with their winningest head coach in franchise history.

Jonathan Gannon:

Jonathan Gannon’s 12-22 record as the Cardinals’ head coach is about as uninspiring as his 5 – 17 record against teams that finished above .500. Gannon took over a team in complete shambles, and improved them into mediocrity, but three consecutive losing seasons or even taking a step back in 2025 could cost Gannon his job.

Defense, Gannon’s expertise, has been the Cardinals’ biggest weakness, consistently ranking below average in yards allowed per game, points per game, and takeaways. With more offensive weapons around Kyler Murray and more talent on defense, the expectation for Gannon to improve is higher, and there are no more excuses for another 8-9 season.

Mike Tomlin:

Consecutive losing seasons usually heat the seat of a head coach, and are a common signal for a potential firing. Mike Tomlin has never recorded a losing season, yet hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016; thus, the Steelers organization may want to part ways with their 18-year head coach. Heading into 2025, Tomlin’s Steelers have a solid roster, but nowhere near the level of the AFC’s top teams.

The AFC is exceedingly competitive, the Steelers have a tough schedule, and would have to beat either the Bengals, Broncos, or Chargers for a playoff spot. In the likely scenario that the Steelers do not make the playoffs, or even take a step back, they could “mutually part ways” with Tomlin, similar to how the Patriots did with Belichick.