NFL hot seat rankings for every team: Coaches most likely to be fired - USA Today

When will the first NFL head coach be fired?

As pessimistic as that sounds, the question looms large as the 2026 NFL regular season reaches Week 10. This marks the first time since 2022 that no NFL head coach has lost his job during the first nine weeks of the season. But the clock is ticking, and the list of coaches on the hot seat continues to grow.

Plenty of fan bases are already calling for action, even as owners appear more hesitant than usual to make a major move at this point. But change is inevitable in a results-driven business like the NFL. Ten teams hired new head coaches this past offseason, meaning 10 others were shown the door.

The debate now is what coach will get axed first this year. Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh are among those feeling the most pressure, but they aren't the only coaches with reasons to worry about their job security.

None of the 10 coaches hired this past offseason should be in immediate danger of getting fired, although perhaps coaching retreads like Stefanski and Saleh might want to be cautious. Just last year, the Raiders fired Pete Carroll after one season. The year before that, the New England Patriots parted ways with Jerod Mayo after just one season on the job. But pulling the plug in the middle of the season seems unlikely, despite the recent one-and-done trend.

These eight coaches aren't going anywhere, unless they choose to leave on their own terms. It's no coincidence all eight coaches are also leading teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations this season. Reid, McVay and Shanahan are currently the three longest-tenured coaches in the NFL, while MacDonald is coming off a Super Bowl win Campbell re-established the Lions as a perennial contender, and Payton, Johnson and Coen have quickly done the same with their respective teams.

These five coaches have all been successful in their current gigs and don't appear to be in danger of losing their jobs. But they're also one bad stretch, or an ugly playoff exit, from feeling uncomfortable for various reasons. The Patriots haven't looked quite right since Vrabel's offseason drama with Dianna Russini. The Texans haven't been able to get over the hump as an AFC contender under Ryans. O'Connell bungled the Vikings' quarterback situation. LaFleur is 1-4 in playoff games over the past five years.

Each of these teams are struggling, underperforming relative to expectations or dealing with some combination of both. Sirianni's tenure with the Eagles has produced the incredible highs of two Super Bowl appearances, but the Eagles face questions about the direction of the franchise and a rebuild could be on the horizon. Schottenheimer wasn't a particularly popular choice when he was hired less than two years ago, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is already fielding questions about his job security. Bowles might be able to lead Tampa Bay to another NFC South title, but the Buccaneers haven't made much progress in the playoffs under his watch. Canales and Moore have shown intriguing flashes, but it's time for those moments to translate into more consistent results.

These are the coaches most likely to be fired, and perhaps before the 2026 regular season ends. Quinn has a 8-17-1 record since leading the Commanders to the 2024 NFC championship game and this season's issues have included a couple embarrassing game-management blunders. Harbaugh has the NFL's only winless team heading into Week 10 and his decision to hire Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator has completely backfired. Glenn's Jets have shown signs of improvement, but he's just 5-21 through 26 games as a head coach and he's dealing with a notoriously fickle owner and fan base. The Colts already fired general manager Chris Ballard and dealt several key players before the NFL trade deadline. Steichen's days appear to be numbered, too.

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