NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat After Titans Fire Brian Callahan

The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan, the first lead skipper to lose his job this year. He led the team to a 4-19 record, losing five of six games this season. 

Who are the other head coaches on the hot seat?

Of course, you can look to the bottom of the standings for the logical guesses, though in some cases, it goes beyond wins and losses.

Key players have expressed frustration with team leadership or decisions, which may raise the hot-seat temperature for a few lead skippers of losing clubs.

Here are five head coaches who could be next to lose their jobs.

Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon

Under Jonathan Gannon, the Arizona Cardinals doubled their win total between 2023 and 2024, with quarterback Kyler Murray healthy for all of last year, but the team is headed in the wrong direction midway through the 2025 campaign.

Murray is hurt again, though this time, he suffered a foot injury. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the signal-caller's mid-foot sprain is "a version of a Lisfranc injury," and it could sideline him for more than a week.

In Week 6, the Cardinals started Jacoby Brissett under center and lost to the Indianapolis Colts 31-27. Though Arizona battled Indianapolis in a close matchup, it's a results-based business, which means the team's 2-4 record could turn up the temperature on Gannon's seat.

Given Murray's uncertain return date, the Cardinals could lose their fifth consecutive game in Week 7, a home matchup against the Green Bay Packers. If the Packers embarrass them at State Farm Stadium, Gannon may not be the club's head coach on the other side of a Week 8 bye.

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Matt Ludtke

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor

After a couple of 9-8 seasons without a postseason experience, the Cincinnati Bengals have an uphill climb to reach the playoffs this year. 

In September, quarterback Joe Burrow underwent toe surgery. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he could return by mid-December. 

By then, the Bengals could be out of playoff contention. After a 2-0 start, they lost four consecutive games with two fill-in starters for Burrow. Last week, Cincinnati benched Jake Browning and acquired Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns.

Though the Bengals were more competitive in Flacco's start than in Browning's three-game run, they rank 31st in total yards gained and allowed, and are in the bottom four in both offensive and defensive scoring.

Cincinnati has lost all four of its games by more than one possession. If that continues Thursday night at home in a matchup with the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, Taylor may begin to see the writing on the wall for his dismissal.

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski

The Cleveland Browns field a top-seven pass and run defense, but the unit isn't getting much help from the offensive side of the ball. Star edge-rusher Myles Garrett expressed his frustration with the way the Browns lost their games.

Entering Week 7, the Browns haven't scored more than 17 points in a contest this season, an indictment of Kevin Stefanski, an offensive-minded head coach.

In fairness to Stefanski, he has a rookie starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, but the Browns' lead skipper faces the task of developing the young signal-caller and deciding if he's fit for the position week to week. 

If Cleveland's offense doesn't show much improvement in the coming weeks, the players' frustrations could boil over in the locker room, forcing team brass to make a head-coaching change.

Stefanski is in his sixth year as the Browns' head coach with a losing record of 41-49. The club missed the playoffs in three of the last five years. Though Cleveland is a long shot to qualify for the postseason, Stefanski would likely have to show the team is headed in the right direction to save his job.

Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel

In his postgame comments to the media, Tua Tagovailoa exposed a major problem within the locker room. He criticized players for missing or arriving late to player-only meetings, as well as the team's leadership structure.

As a captain and the quarterback of the team, Tagovailoa must do his part in leading his teammates, though in his words, he also highlighted an issue with head coach Mike McDaniel's leadership.

On Monday, McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa's criticism was a "misguided representation of player-orchestrated film sessions."

McDaniel can try to clean up what Tagovailoa should've kept in-house, but as the team's lead skipper, he must resolve those issues.

You can make a case that McDaniel sat in the hottest seat among head coaches who could be fired this year. Without wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who underwent season-ending knee surgeries, or locker room unity, the Dolphins' 2025 season outlook seems bleak. 

As the Dolphins' head coach, McDaniel has a 29-28 record, but the team's disconnect in game preparation, coupled with its poor record, could soon cost him his job.

Aaron Glenn, New York Jets

AP Photo/Kin Cheung

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn

Woody Johnson has earned a reputation as a meddling, impulsive owner, which raises early doubts about head coach Aaron Glenn's short-term future with the club.

The Jets are the league's only winless team, and star wide receiver Garrett Wilson openly questioned one of Glenn's baffling coaching decisions after a 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London.

Before halftime, the Jets converted on a fourth down with a fake punt, but at their own 41-yard line at 4th-and-1, they let 37 seconds run off the clock without an attempt to get another first down or get into field-goal range.

While it's understandable that Glenn didn't want to give the ball back to Denver, his defense had played well in a close game. Yet he didn't show any trust in his offense or defense, which can be discouraging for a team.

That said, Glenn bristled at a question about whether quarterback Justin Fields will keep his job. He firmly stands behind the signal-caller after the team finished with a net total of minus-10 passing yards.

Glenn's in-game decisions and responses that contradict those calls could make Johnson impatient as the team searches for its first win. If Gang Green finishes with the league's worst record, the first-time head coach could be one-and-done in New York.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.