Mike McDaniel – Miami Dolphins
It’s starting to feel like Mike McDaniel’s tenure in Miami has run its’ course. The Dolphins have gotten perpetually worse since the end of the 2023 season and things do not appear to be heading in the right direction. They are as far behind the Buffalo Bills as they have been over the past five years, and now the Patriots have gotten significantly better. Assuming that Miami misses the playoffs once again, they will likely be inclined to start fresh at head coach and perhaps at quarterback as well.
Aside from the franchise being stuck in neutral, McDaniel’s teams have struggled to evolve over the course of his tenure. On offense, Miami is heavily reliant on gadget plays which showcase the speed of their running backs and receivers. While this may make them fun to watch in September and October, they have time and again fizzled out once the weather gets cold. A similar ending to 2025 could very well see McDaniel get the chop.
Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski currently sits in a tough predicament. He desperately needs to improve the fortunes of the Browns in some way if his job is to remain secure past the 2025 season. However, all indications are that the Browns are de facto tanking in order to draft a top quarterback in 2026, and it appears highly unlikely that the team will improve much, if at all, from their 3-14 record in 2024.
I will confidently say that Stefanski has proven himself to be a good coach at the NFL level. After all, he has won two Coach of the Year awards and has managed to lead the highly dysfunctional Browns to the playoffs twice. With that being said, the 43-year-old’s past successes are unlikely to save him should the Browns seek to go in a new direction in 2026.
Shane Steichen – Indianapolis Colts
Entering his third season as the Colts’ head coach, the former Eagles and Chargers offensive coordinator still has much to prove. He has a decent win-loss record of 17-17 in his first two seasons; however, he has failed to lead the Colts the playoffs during that span. Even though Indianapolis is generally regarded as a stable organization, the team has now missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons—the franchise’s longest playoff drought since missing seven consecutive postseasons from 1988 to 1994.
Steichen has also failed to develop Anthony Richardson into the Colts’ future franchise QB. Another disappointing campaign could see both Steichen and Richardson gone at the end of the season.
Zac Taylor – Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor’s seat has gotten much warmer over the past two seasons. Despite leading the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2021 season and making it back to the AFC Championship the following year, things have gone downhill since then. Cincinnati has now missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, leading many to question whether or not Taylor has outstayed his welcome.
The Bengals desperately need to make the playoffs in 2025 if Taylor is not to be fired. However, the team’s lack of improvement during the offseason will leave him with a very similar roster to what he had last year. Despite having Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, there are still major question marks surrounding Cincinnati’s defense and offensive line. Taylor will have his work cut out for him.
Brian Daboll – New York Giants
Brian Daboll was almost dismissed after the end of the 2024 season; however, the Giants made the smart decision to retain him. The Giants organization has been marred by dysfunction since winning Super Bowl XLVI. In the 13 seasons since, the G-Men have managed just two postseason appearances and a single playoff win (which came under Daboll in January 2023).
Daboll has done the best he could since being appointed as the Giants’ head coach in 2022. With that being said, Daboll’s win-loss record is an underwhelming 19-33-1, a win percentage of just .368. Coming off a 3-14 season, Daboll will likely have to at least double the Giants’ win total in 2025 if he is to keep his job beyond the upcoming season.
Brian Schottenheimer – Dallas Cowboys
Among all the newly hired head coaches, Schottenheimer is under the most pressure and it’s not particularly close. The long-time coordinator has never been a head coach before—a fact that will inevitably put him under a large amount of scrutiny from the jump. The extensive amount of media coverage, as well as the lofty expectations of the Cowboys organization will provide him with little to no leeway.
While Schottenheimer’s job is probably safe until the end of the season at the earliest, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Jerry Jones is guaranteed to give him at least two seasons at the helm. Another 7-10 record for Big D might lead Jones to look at more proven and accomplished options, especially if candidates fitting that criteria are on the market.
