The NFL is, as we know, a business.
For coaches, that means you need to deliver wins or eventually, your time is going to run out.
Time ran out on Brian Daboll in New York City last week, as the New York Giants parted ways with their head coach. But in all likelihood more coaches are going to get some bad news over the coming weeks.
Given that, let’s check in on the status of some of the coaches around the league and see whether the heat is just hot, or if time is about to run out.
Jonathan Gannon: Out
A common theme linking these coaches is the quarterback position.
The Kyler Murray experiment seems to be reaching an end in Arizona. While the Cardinals are linked to Murray through the end of next season due to his contract, it seems that the organization is looking to move on sooner rather than later. Now speculation is growing that Murray could find a different team for next season, if not a different sport.
That could open the door for Jonathan Gannon to remain in charge in the desert, but there is another concern.
The defense.
Gannon came over after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, with an eye towards rebuilding that side of the ball in Arizona. But since his arrival, the Cardinals have consistently been in the bottom half of the league as a defense. Right now, Arizona is ranked 20th in Total Defense and 25th in Scoring Defense, last year they were 21st in Total Defense, and during his first season in Arizona the Cardinals were 31st in Scoring Defense.
Murray’s struggles certainly give Gannon’s tenure some context, but the failures on the defensive side of the ball might doom his time in the desert.
Mike McDaniel: Hot
After the team parted ways with Chris Grier, word emerged out of Dolphins camp that the team still believed in Mike McDaniel, and the coach would get a chance to keep his job down the stretch.
Miami has responded with a pair of wins, including a surprising upset of the Buffalo Bills at home. And when you look at their schedule the rest of the season, Miami has winnable games against New Orleans, the Jets, and the Bengals.
Would six wins be enough to save McDaniel? Maybe, maybe not. But he at least has a shot, and it feels like his South Beach story is not completely written.
Yet.
Sean McDermott: Hot
The speculation has been that Bills ownership doesn’t want to upset their apple cart ahead of the new stadium opening, but there can’t be acceptance of mediocrity just because of that. The Bills are 7-3, they are a good football team — but the question is: What is the breaking point?
If we assume Buffalo closes out the season strong against mediocre competition, but gets bounced early in the playoffs, at what point does another flameout fall at McDermott’s feet? If the Browns were to fire someone like Kevin Stefanski, who could potentially be Buffalo’s version of Andy Reid, would their interest be piqued at a possible upgrade?
There are a lot of unknowns, but time is running out for the beloved Bills to continue to eat bad playoff losses.
Raheem Morris: Hot
The only thing that might save Raheem Morris at this point is Michael Penix Jr. being out for the season. That’s bought him a little leeway, because there aren’t many coaches who would be expected to excel with Kirk Cousins and his obliterated arm.
Atlanta has seen some key areas of improvement in 2025, especially on defense — but that doesn’t change the fact that the expectations for the Falcons were to be a playoff team with Super Bowl potential last year, and now they’re on the verge of having one of the worst records in the league, while giving their first round pick to the Rams.
It puts a cherry on top to be swept by the Panthers, and witnessing Bryce Young set a franchise high against the Falcons. It was a stark reminder of how Carolina has passed Atlanta already on its ascent, while the Falcons are largely locked in limbo.
Morris is a good coach, but it’s unclear if he’s an organization builder. That could out him on the outs at the end of the year.
Zac Taylor: Out
Do we really need to discuss this one? It’s truly difficult to find a worse coach in the NFL than Zac Taylor. For years the Bengals have been winning in spite of him, not because of him — and while it’s easy to hand wave off Taylor’s failings as a coach this season as a product of Joe Burrow’s injury, that’s making excuses for a sub-par guy.
Cincinnati would be a much better team with a more reliable coach at the helm. It’s just that simple. Coasting because of a cheap owner will only get you so far, and time has run out.
Kevin Stefanski: Hot
Often regarded as a brilliant coach saddled with a bad team, Kevin Stefanski can’t keep being Teflon while the Browns are routinely one of the worst teams in the NFL. Stefanski’s head coaching record is below .500 at this point, and while it’s nice to have two trophies for AP Coach of the Year, there’s also a reality that Cleveland did almost nothing in the playoffs despite those 11 win seasons.
We are hurtling towards a full tear down and rebuild with Myles Garrett being one of the few pieces worth keeping, along with the 2025 rookie class. There might not be a better time to find someone who can help reform the franchise than entering a draft with two first round picks on the way.
So much about football is timing. It appears Stefanski is the kind of guy who can take an established team and make them great, but not necessarily one who can lift a struggling franchise from bad to good. That could be his downfall with the Browns.
Already out: Brian Daboll (Giants), Brian Callahan (Titans)
