Which NFL HCs Are on the Hot Seat? Insiders Talk Rumors on Mike McDaniel, More

As the second half of the 2025 NFL season heats up, some are starting to wonder about the job security of the head coaches around the league who have been leading struggling teams.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano provided some detailed intel about the coaches who are expected to be on the hot seat this offseason if things don't turn around soon.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was rumored to likely be fired amid the team's disappointing start, but after winning three of the last four games to improve to 4-7, he could save his job by the end of the year.

"I wouldn't call it likely, but in my mind, there's a plausible scenario where he sticks in Miami," Fowler stated of McDaniel. "The team is coming off back-to-back wins and the vibe seems to be good. The Dolphins are responding to McDaniel more than they are tuning him out, which players will do when the message grows stale. And as one NFL executive put it in a conversation recently: If you're looking for an offense-minded candidate, McDaniel is still better than most from this cycle's pool, which is considered weaker. So, while cleaning the house feels entirely possible, McDaniel is at least making things interesting."

Graziano added that McDaniel endured a similar slow start to the 2024 season before having the Dolphins in contention for a playoff spot, so his proven ability to bounce back could be enough to keep him in the fold.

"He might still end up gone, but he has made the case that he can hold onto the locker room even when things are going badly, and that says something about him that ownership will surely consider when making its decision," Graziano stated.

Graziano went on to name Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor as job situations that people around the NFL are "watching." Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who is only in his second year at the helm, could also be in danger amid the team's 3-7 start because team owner Arthur Blank reportedly "was expecting the Falcons to be competitive this season."

Fowler floated Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon as someone who "is also on the radar of people in the league who track such things, though opinions are split on whether Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill will take action." Graziano responded that he gets "the sense" that "Cardinals ownership seems likely to stick with Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort" to allow the duo to groom a young quarterback if the team parts ways with Kyler Murray this offseason.

As for struggling first-year head coaches, Graziano predicted that the New York Jets will stick with Aaron Glenn "no matter how rocky things get," but he questioned the status of Pete Carroll with the Las Vegas Raiders. Fowler agreed that Carroll is "a name to monitor" amid the Raiders' ongoing rebuild, because the 74-year-old is "clearly not getting what he signed up for in January."

It sounds like there could be some major changes across this league this offseason, and some moves could be surprises.