Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL 2025–26 Season – Top 5 Coaching Hot Seat Candidates Ahead of Week 7

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Just 6 weeks into the new NFL season, and we already have our first head coach firing with the Tennessee Titans parting ways with Brian Callahan. The partnership between Callahan and the Titans lasted for just a little over a season.

With the Titans striking first, it begs the question of who may be next on the chopping block. There are still a handful of candidates whose fates may be hanging by a thread. Let us take a look at the top 5 NFL head coaching hot seat candidates whose jobs are in jeopardy.

Titans part ways with HC Brian Callahan. pic.twitter.com/KTIZacl3Xn
— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2025

NFL Coaching Hot Seat Candidates Ahead of Week 7

Among the teams that have gotten off to a difficult start, Mike McDaniel, Aaron Glenn, Kevin Stefanski, John Harbaugh, and Brian Daboll all stand out as potential hot-seat candidates.

Mike McDaniel – Miami Dolphins (1-5)

Mike McDaniel is in his fourth season in charge of the Miami Dolphins. He guided the team to consecutive postseason appearances in his first two seasons in 2022 and 2023. However, losing both times in the Wild Card round, the Dolphins could only manage an 8-9 season last year.

This year, Miami is off to one of its worst starts with a 1-5 record from the first 6 games. Miami has a depleted defense, and the offense is left without Tyreek Hill for the remainder of the season. There seems to be no upside this season, and McDaniel could be counting his days in South Florida.

🎥 Rex Ryan on Mike McDaniel: “He’s not inspiring anybody, nobody!… he’s not a damn leader of men, he’s not a head coach, it’s pretty obvious.” (@GetUpESPN) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/YjXRtrnTJ0
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) October 13, 2025

Aaron Glenn – New York Jets (0-6)

The New York Jets wanted to go in a new direction this offseason. They hired former Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was replaced by Justin Fields, and it looked like the Jets were moving in the right direction.

That lasted all but till the start of the new season. While the Jets played well in their season opener, they came out on the losing side to the Steelers, and since then haven’t looked all that competitive.

Now, struggling at the bottom of the league with the worst record at 0-6, the Jets may decide to end their association with Glenn sooner than expected.

The Jets are 0-6, but there's still hope for Aaron Glenn 🫡 pic.twitter.com/1886gypsCF
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) October 12, 2025

Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns (1-5)

Kevin Stefanski is in his sixth season in charge of the Cleveland Browns. Over the past five seasons, Stefanski has overseen two playoff appearances but has lost 19 of his last 23 games dating back to the start of last season.

The Browns have been criticized heavily for their quarterback situation throughout the offseason, and now, after starting veteran Joe Flacco under center for the first few weeks of the season, they traded him to the Bengals.

Stefanski hasn’t been able to do anything on the offensive side of the ball, despite boasting a top-three defense. It looks more and more likely that the end of his run in Cleveland is near.

How is Kevin Stefanski still employed?

The Browns haven't scored 20 or more points in over 10 months. pic.twitter.com/XQPonfeKFQ
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) October 12, 2025

John Harbaugh – Baltimore Ravens (1-5)

Baltimore Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh is under fire for starting the season 1-5. This is a team carrying Super Bowl aspirations for the past few seasons, in particular since drafting Lamar Jackson at quarterback.

Repeated failures in the postseason haven’t helped his cause, but what is more telling is the massive drop in quality of play, especially on defense, which used to be the team’s safety net. It is true the Ravens are hit with numerous injuries on that side of the ball, but even then, it is hard to justify being the worst defense in the league.

Baltimore now has a bye week in week 7, and Lamar Jackson is expected to return for the next game. If the Ravens can stack up wins, Harbaugh could escape this precarious situation.

Brian Daboll – New York Giants (2-3)

Brian Daboll may have just bought himself some time with a huge win over division rivals and the reigning Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. That week 6 performance by the Giants, led by two rookies, Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, was endearing to watch.

However, the season is still long, and the Giants are just 2-4. In his fourth season in charge, Daboll has a 20-36-1 record. This may be his last chance to keep his job, and for that, he needs to put together a run of wins.

Professional sports is one of the most demanding careers for any player or staff member. The ups and downs of a season are part and parcel of the game, and the NFL has seen fortunes change in no time. But, for these head coaches, time is against them, and with very little to no leeway left, there is always the fear of being let go at any moment of the season.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Aaron Glenn

Brian Daboll

John Harbaugh

Kevin Stefanski

Mike McDaniel

NFL

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!