The first metaphorical head has rolled. With the Tennessee Titans parting ways with head
coach Brian Callahan, the NFL’s coaching carousel has officially started turning.
Here’s a look at some of the candidates for the next HC to be fired.
Jonathan Gannon — Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals’ front office sent a clear message when they fined Gannon $100,000 for his
sideline altercation with running back Emari Demercado. That incident may have fractured
Gannon’s relationship with the locker room, and the team’s on-field performance hasn’t
helped.
Arizona has dropped four straight; questions linger around both the quarterback situation and
the offensive coordinator Gannon hired. Patience is wearing thin in the desert for a franchise
that hasn’t had a winning season since 2021 and hasn’t won the division since 2015.
Gannon’s grip on the job looks increasingly tenuous, only 40 games into his head coaching
career.
John Harbaugh — Baltimore Ravens
Preseason Super Bowl co-favourites at many sportsbooks, the Ravens have stumbled to a
shocking 1–5 record. Injuries to Lamar Jackson and several key defensive players provide
some context, but excuses only go so far; Harbaugh’s continued struggles with finishing
games are concerning.
Harbaugh’s teams have now blown 17 double-digit second-half leads during his tenure, more
than any other HC since 1991, which is troubling and resurfaced in Week 1 when a healthy
Baltimore squad collapsed against the Bills in Buffalo.
Harbaugh has been in charge since 2008, trailing only Mike Tomlin as the longest tenured
head coach in the NFL, but his long-term security in Baltimore looks less and less certain
every week.
Zac Taylor — Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals will be four years removed from their Super Bowl loss to the Rams, less than a
week after we crown the Super Bowl LX winners in February 2026. Since that game, the
Bengals have failed to make the playoffs in two of the three subsequent seasons and currently
sit at 2–4, having lost four straight games.
They’re on pace to miss the playoffs for a third straight season, and questions about the
direction of the franchise and their leadership are mounting.
Taylor’s offensive creativity has come under scrutiny, and with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr
Chase, and Tee Higgins all paid players, the defense has been neglected, and it shows.
Recently acquired 40-year-old QB Joe Flacco, recently benched by the one-win Browns, is
tasked with righting the ship and keeping the Bengals on a playoff football track. I don’t like
their chances.
Taylor is lucky he works for the NFL’s most frugal ownership, or he might’ve found himself
out of a job at the end of last season. But surely not even Mike Brown can watch his team
miss the playoffs for three straight years, with all the money they’re paying the
aforementioned offensive trio, and not believe a change is needed.
Mike McDaniel — Miami Dolphins
It’s hard to believe this was the same Dolphins team that came within one win of an AFC
East title not long ago.
Fast forward two seasons, and Miami sits at 1–5, a shadow of the explosive outfit once built
on speed and explosive plays. With Tua Tagovailoa struggling on and off the field with his
teammates and Tyreek Hill out for the season and likely out of Miami at the end of the
season, it could be time for a mass exodus in South Florida.
Reports suggest McDaniel may have lost the locker room, and while his offensive ingenuity
is unquestioned, the team’s lack of backbone and discipline has become impossible to ignore.
A change in leadership might be the only way to reset the culture in Miami, which has fallen
behind the Patriots in their quest to topple the Bills in their division.
Kevin Stefanski — Cleveland Browns
Stefanski’s résumé speaks for itself: a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, but the reality in
Cleveland is grim.
A 3–14 record last season and a 1–5 start this year have raised fair questions about whether
both sides might benefit from a clean break. Who knows how much, if any, of the blame for
moving on from Baker Mayfield to acquire Deshaun Watson falls at Stefanski’s feet, but
there is no doubting that move set the Cleveland Browns organization back years, and maybe
a clean break from all involved in that saga is for the best.
Given his reputation, Stefanski would not be short of offers should the Browns and their head
coach mutually part ways.
Aaron Glenn — New York Jets
As the only winless team in the NFL, the Jets’ offense has been stuck in neutral since Week
2.
The decision to give Justin Fields the keys to the offense seemed like a stroke of genius after
his opening day performance against the Steelers. Still, the same issues that have plagued the
former Ohio State passer’s career are back to haunt him.
His inconsistency severely limits this Jets team, and after an embarrassing performance in
London, which saw Fields finish with just 45 passing yards against the Denver Broncos, it’s
hard to see where the first Jets win of the season is coming from.
Glenn, a first-year head coach and highly regarded defensive mind, deserves patience.
Rebuilding takes time.
Still, this is New York, where fan and media pressure can be relentless and favour can turn
quickly. Glenn’s long-term potential should buy him another year, but the noise will grow
louder if the Jets don’t show tangible improvement soon.
Sean McDermott — Buffalo Bills
Let’s be clear: McDermott’s job isn’t truly in danger. But even his most loyal supporters must
admit that Buffalo is stuck in a loop, repeating the same script year after year.
The offense lacks a consistent man-beating threat in the passing game, a problem that has
persisted since the middle of the 2023 season. While the defense, despite heavy investment in
both draft picks and free agent dollars, is the worst it’s been under McDermott, especially
against the run.
If the Bills lose the AFC East to the Patriots and fall short in the postseason again, owner
Terry Pegula may start to wonder if Josh Allen’s prime years are being wasted. A change at
the top feels unlikely, but doing the same thing year after year and expecting a different result
is something neither Albert Einstein nor Rita Mae Brown would recommend.
