6 NFL coaches on the hot seat to start 2026

It’s not a fun offseason topic, but there are already some NFL coaches who are feeling the heat before training camp even begins. Last season saw mammoth change around the league with long-term coaches Mike Tomlin (Steelers), John Harbaugh (Ravens), Sean McDermott (Bills), and Kevin Stefanski (Browns) all let go after long tenures.

The shared DNA of these coaches was a sense they had hit a plateau. Except Stefanski, they were all leading playoff-caliber teams, and in Tomlin and Harbaugh, they’d even won Super Bowls in their respective cities. Still, football is all about evolving, and if you stagnate for too long, there are going to be questions. Owners are notoriously impatient, and a window to compete only stays open so long.

These are the guys who begin the 2026 season with questions marks about their NFL futures.

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

There is absolutely no question that Kyle Shanahan is a remarkably good football coach, but it’s also fair to question whether or not he’s done everything he can with the 49ers. The situation in San Francsico is starting to give off the same vibes as Andy Reid with the Eagles, where something just isn’t clicking to get this team over the hump.

Shanahan was my personal coach of the year in 2025 for how he managed the team’s myriad injuries and still put a competitive product on the field. If this team gets healthy and once again fails to make a run to the Super Bowl then it’s probably fair to start asking some questions. While Shanny has had big-time success with two NFC Championships and five playoff berths, he’s also 0.550 in win percentage, and routinely leads a team picked to it all, only to fall just short.

This wouldn’t be a case of Shanahan leaving because of poor performance, but rather an understanding that the status quo wasn’t working for either side.

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

At some point this is going to come to pass. Taylor is unquestionably one of the worst head coaches in the NFL, but he meets one critical criterion for the Bengals: He’s cheap. That’s truthfully the only thing that has kept him in Cincinnati so long, with cheap leadership prioritizing the bottom line over success.

Taylor’s contract runs through 2027, but firing him after this year is a lot easier to stomach if it means paying him one year of his remaining salary, not several. The organization is walking a tightrope between trying to keep its star players happy, while also being as cheap as possible with its front office.

Right now, the power is in the hands of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Another down season will lead to the teams biggest stars raising hell, and at this point the lack of winning is outweighing the worth of keeping Taylor because of his salary.

Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

A lot hinges on this season. After a down 2025 led to the Lions missing the playoffs and taking a step back in both offense and defense, it’s only right to ponder whether or not Detroit fell into the hole of having a good, not great coach — while losing two brilliant coordinators.

It seems ridiculous that Campbell could be on the hot seat after being the only coach to bring sustained success to the Lions in over 20 years, but this team can’t afford to backslide more the way they did in 2025. Especially if that means sitting at home and watching the Ben Johnson-led Bears thrive in the playoffs.

Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let’s be real here: Not even Todd Bowles expects Todd Bowles to be a head coach in 2027. This is seemingly a mulligan year with him as the head coach, with the expectation being that Tampa Bay will aim to hire Mike Tomlin in 2027 following a year off.

This is a case where the Bucs have been winning in spite of Bowles, not really because of him — typified by the fact that two former offensive coordinators in Dave Canales (Panthers) and Liam Coen (Jaguars) have gone on to turn their respective teams around.

It’s a make-or-break season without any doubt, and it would take something monumental to happen in Tampa for Bowles to return.

Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts

The Colts were on one of the most impressive tears in the NFL to start 2025, but an injury to Daniel Jones derailed a possible playoff run. That more or less took Steichen back to where he was a year ago, back in a “prove it” situation.

Since becoming the Colts head coach in 2023 the team has gone 25-and-26, failing to make the playoffs in three seasons. If that becomes a fourth year then he could follow the same path as Jonathan Gannon, who hired at the same time as Steichen after being on the Eagles’ staff, only to see a coaching run come to an end quickly.

Aaron Glenn, New York Jets

Glenn’s first season with the Jets was abysmal, leading the team to a 3-14 record. It won’t take a lot to keep this job because it’s only his second season, but if the Jets win four or fewer games in 2026 it’s fair that the front office could hit the panic button.

In order to prevent this he’ll simply need to show some sort of progress that could be indicative of Glenn being able to turn this team around. Let’s say that’s 5+ wins in 2026. It’s more about building the culture than anything else, and if that doesn’t seem to be happening then the Jets could easily change directions.