Hot seat index: 6 NFL coaches who could be fired next after Callahan

The 2025 season's head coach firings are officially off and running after the Tennessee Titans dismissed Brian Callahan.

Here are six other coaches who should be worried about losing their jobs with 12 weeks remaining in the season.

Mike McDaniel, Dolphins

Let's be blunt: It's over. It's just a matter of when McDaniel gets fired. Miami is 1-5 after blowing a fourth-quarter lead to the Los Angeles Chargers, and the team's metrics are brutal through six games. The Dolphins rank 28th in offensive success rate, the side of the ball where McDaniel is supposed to excel, and the defense sits 31st in EPA/play.

Tua Tagovailoa, who's thrown the third-most interceptions in the league this season with seven, criticized his teammates after Sunday's game for missing player-only meetings. If the quarterback is publicly bashing players at a postgame press conference, you've lost control of your team.

McDaniel holds a horrific 3-15 head coaching record against clubs that were above .500 heading into the game. Owner Stephen Ross must be fed up at this point, and he's fired head coaches during the season before. He might not wait until the end of the year to dismiss McDaniel.

Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (out of five)

Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals

Arizona sits at 2-4 heading into Week 7, and its season is slipping away. The rest of the NFC West division holds a combined 12-6 record, leaving the Cardinals with slim chances of a playoff berth.

Gannon got into hot water following his team's Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The head coach appeared to hit Emari Demercado after the running back had a costly fumble. Owner Michael Bidwill fined his head coach $100,000 for the incident, which is not a good sign for Gannon's future with the organization.

The 42-year-old is supposed to be a defensive guru, but the Cardinals' defense ranks dead last in success rate since he took the job in 2023. The former Philadelphia Eagles coordinator holds a 14-26 record through 40 contests at the helm with zero playoff appearances. Bidwill will likely hit the eject button after the season if there's no miraculous turnaround.

Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Zac Taylor, Bengals

Taylor is under contract through the 2026 season, and the Bengals are notoriously cheap. Could they let his contract play out and run this back next year? Sure. But Taylor should be worried about his job security.

The Bengals are 2-4 and have lost four consecutive games. Without Joe Burrow, the offense has been a disaster. They're 32nd in EPA/dropback since Week 3, and the unit has been painful to watch. Taylor isn't scheming anything open, and he's supposed to be a play-caller who gives his offense an edge.

Taylor has also already played his "fire the defensive coordinator" card. Al Golden, who replaced longtime coordinator Lou Anarumo this year, has done nothing to fix the unit. Cincinnati's defense is 30th in points per game allowed while Anuromo is thriving in Indianapolis. It's hard to win with a backup quarterback, but Taylor's compiled a 48-56-1 record in seven seasons. It's probably time to give Burrow a fresh start with a new head coach in 2026.

Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Brian Daboll, Giants

Winning cures all in the NFL, and the Giants have won two of their last three games, including a dominant victory over the defending champions. Jaxson Dart looks like a franchise quarterback, and New York fans have to be happy right now. But there's a lot of football left in the 2025 season.

Daboll entered the year on the hot seat, and it's still warm. The Giants have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league. The 50-year-old head coach holds a 20-36-1 record during his four-year tenure, including an 11-29 record in his last 40 games.

Daboll's future with the Giants is tied exclusively to Dart. Will ownership trust him to develop the young signal-caller, or decide to let someone else take the reins?

Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥

John Harbaugh, Ravens

Just like everyone predicted would happen, the Ravens are 1-5. If the season ended today, disappointing Baltimore would own the third overall pick in April's draft.

Lamar Jackson's absence for the last two games hasn't helped, but Baltimore was headed for a 1-4 mark before the two-time MVP got hurt against the Chiefs. This team isn't doing anything well right now, and that's mainly on the head coach. In particular, the defense has been a mess, ranking last in EPA/rush heading into Week 7.

The Ravens have dug themselves a big hole, and this season is in danger of being a massive failure. General manager Eric DeCosta deserves some blame for the roster construction, but he's not leaving the building anytime soon. If someone has to lose their job over failing to secure a playoff spot, it could be Harbaugh. The 63-year-old's 3-6 playoff record since Jackson became the starting quarterback in 2018 leaves a lot to be desired, and his time in Baltimore might have just run its course.

Thermometer: 🔥🔥🔥

Aaron Glenn, Jets

After last week's horrendous showing in London, Glenn belongs on the hot seat. He made multiple questionable in-game decisions in crucial moments, and his offense was responsible for the NFL's worst performance of the year by any unit.

Glenn is off to a 0-6 start as head boss, and the Jets are the only team in the league without a win. The 53-year-old helped Detroit construct a great defense during his run as Lions coordinator, but New York ranks 28th in EPA/play and points per game allowed. Glenn deserves at least two years to get this organization going in the right direction. However, his tenure through six contests has been disappointing to say the least.

Owner Woody Johnson, known for making irrational decisions, could pull the plug after one year and pair a potential quarterback of the future the Jets draft in April with a new head coach.

Thermometer: 🔥🔥