The hottest NFL coaching seats ahead of 2026 hiring cycle

The hottest NFL coaching seats ahead of 2026 hiring cycleStory byCory Woodroof, For The WinTue, December 2, 2025 at 8:08 PM UTC·6 min read

The 2025 NFL season only has five more games left, and some teams may be on the cusp of coaching searches.

Black Monday is the worst days on the NFL calendar, as teams typically decide to fire their underperforming coaches and/or general managers around this time of year if they haven't done so already. The Tennessee Titans and New York Giants have already fired their coaches. Who could be next?

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After all, the 2026 NFL coaching carousel always features vacant jobs. There are a few we're particularly keeping our eye on over the last five games of the season. These coaches may find themselves out of work by January. You never want to see somebody lose their job, much less celebrate it. However, we know the NFL means "not for long."

Let's look at who these coaches are and why they're on the hot seat.

Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders

Nov 2, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll reacts in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Carroll's first season back in the NFL has been a disaster, and it's going to be hard seeing him return to Las Vegas in 2026. The Raiders are just bad, a team desperately in need of a fresh voice to lead them into the future. The roster has some good players, but a 2-10 record can't be what Vegas imagined when it hired Carroll and traded for Geno Smith in the offseason. Carroll is a legend, but he might be the next great coach who flamed out at their last stop.

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POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT: Seattle Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak

If the Raiders want a young offensive mind who could help the franchise find its next quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft class, Kubiak could be a great fit for Vegas. He figures to be one of the most exciting names available.

Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons

Aug 15, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In large part to a quarterback gambit that has backfired spectacularly so far, Morris' second NFL stint as a head coach (third if you count his interim run with Atlanta in 2020) has not gone according to plan. Atlanta has only won six games since the Falcons started the 2024 season 6-3. An embarrassing loss to the New York Jets is the latest Falcons flop, and Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot might not be around to see the team through in 2026. The defense has made gains, particularly with rushing the passer, but the offense hasn't ever found a consistent rhythm and the special teams play has been largely abysmal. Unless team owner Arthur Blank wants to give Morris and Fontenot one last chance at turning things around, Atlanta will probably be looking for new leaders in 2026.

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POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT: Former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy

It's hard to see the Falcons embracing a potential rebuild, but hiring McCarthy might give them the stability of a proven winner who can try to steer the franchise out of its looming eight-season playoff drought.

Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon stands on the field before their game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Gannon's three seasons in Arizona haven't really gone well, with his third season in particular a dumpster fire for Arizona. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has filled in admirably for Kyler Murray, but most everything else with the Cardinals isn't getting it done. The team has only won one game since the second week of the season, when Arizona started the year 2-0. Gannon falling on the sword for another lost year might be the unfortunate outcome.

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POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski

Stefanski will most likely land another head coaching job in this upcoming cycle. Arizona might be a great fit, if only because we'd be endlessly curious to see what he could do to resurrect Murray's career as a meaningful starter... if Murray sticks around in Glendale, that is.

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

Dec 29, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Stefanski is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner who would not be out of a job very long if he gets canned. However, his team just hasn't been good enough in the last two seasons. A big reason for that is quarterback instability, but the whole offense has just felt off in the last two years. Cleveland getting a fresh start with a high 2026 draft pick feels like the most likely outcome at this point unless the team feels Stefanski just needs a QB.

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POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT: Ravens OC Todd Monken

Monken is one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL, and he might be the perfect guy to revamp Cleveland's struggling offense.

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speaks at a press conference for the 2025 NFL Draft, Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati.

Taylor's life has been substantially harder this season without quarterback Joe Burrow, but will the superstar's return keep the heat off Taylor's seat? How badly the Bengals have played on defense doesn't reflect well on anybody in the organization. Missing the playoffs for a second straight year with so much talent on the offense wouldn't, either. With Burrow one of the NFL's true stars, the Bengals job would be the most coveted in the NFL if it came open. That could tempt Cincinnati to break things off with Taylor and see about landing the big coaching fish.

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POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT: Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady

Brady is one of the rising offensive minds in the NFL, and reuniting him with Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase from their 2019 LSU days sure sounds like an exciting fit.

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Oct 16, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks up at the video scoreboard during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Seeing one of the best coaches of the 21st century on this list might shock you, but the 6-6 Steelers seem stuck in neutral. The franchise has only employed three head coaches since 1969, with Tomlin's tenure approaching its 20th season in 2026. Will he make it to that impressive milestone? Would he even want to at this point, given how stagnant Pittsburgh has become in the last half-decade? The team doesn't post losing seasons, but it rarely does much more than that these days. The Steelers job coming open would be one of the real shocks in the NFL, but Pittsburgh might really benefit from a change of pace. Winning seasons are great, but the organization probably wants more than that. Tomlin offers stability, but it's not as hard right now to see a fresh start for both sides. Perhaps Tomlin would take a year off and wait for a job to open up ahead of that 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class?

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POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT: Chargers DC Jesse Minter

Minter is one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, and he could infuse a fresh perspective into one of the NFL's great defensive strongholds. Pittsburgh keeping its defensive excellence with Minter just feels right.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The hottest NFL coaching seats ahead of 2026 hiring cycle

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