Week 18 in the NFL is here, so it’s time to look ahead to Black Monday. NFL coaches on the hot seat dread this day. The Tennessee Titans and New York Giants moved on from their head coaches earlier in the season, and other vacancies are likely to open up.
These four coaches should be firmly on the hot seat, but each could keep their job heading into 2026 for different reasons.
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
John Harbaugh remains arguably the safest coach on the hot seat, thanks to his long-standing relationship with Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. Still, after 18 seasons at the helm, it’s fair to question whether his time in Baltimore has run its course.
Harbaugh’s resume is impressive: a Super Bowl title, 12 playoff appearances, and double-digit wins in six of the past eight seasons, per Pro Football Reference. He’s had playoff victories in each of the last two years, and the Ravens have endured only two losing seasons under his leadership.
Few coaches in the league can match that level of stability and sustained success. Yet, even with a two-time MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have fallen short of returning to the Super Bowl. This season’s inconsistency has raised doubts about whether Harbaugh is still the right man for the job.
Baltimore’s 8-8 record entering Week 18 is hard to defend for a team that began the year with legitimate championship expectations. The defense has fluctuated between mediocre and poor. Harbaugh’s in-game management has raised eyebrows, and his personnel decisions haven’t always paid off.
The divisional showdown with the Steelers will decide the AFC North and a playoff spot. It’s difficult to imagine Harbaugh being outright dismissed, given his reputation and connection with ownership. However, a mutual parting of ways isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, especially if Baltimore falls short again.
According to the PFSN NFL Playoff Predictor, the Ravens have a 47.4% chance of winning the AFC North and making the playoffs. A win on Sunday could buy Harbaugh more time, but there is growing sentiment that the franchise might benefit from a fresh voice on the sideline.
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski is a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year winner, and that speaks for itself. He seems to be getting the benefit of the doubt, but what has he done for the Cleveland Browns lately? That old hardware can only get him so far. Wins have been scarce, with just a 7-26 record over the past two seasons.
In six seasons under Stefanski, Cleveland has produced only two winning records, and both seasons arguably exceeded expectations. While that earned him some grace in the down years, this season has exposed how far his leadership has slipped.
The Browns have fumbled their quarterback situation from start to finish, with blame falling on both the front office and Stefanski. His play-calling and game management have also been inconsistent, marked by puzzling decisions that have cost the team in key moments. The disastrous Deshaun Watson trade, which Stefanski helped initiate, still lingers as a defining setback.
None of the many different starting quarterbacks he managed during his tenure has emerged as a true long-term answer, and it’s hard to imagine Stefanski being around long enough to develop either Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel.
Owner Jimmy Haslam might be tempted to give him one more chance with a new quarterback, since this likely wouldn’t be a particularly appealing job for top coaching candidates. General manager Andrew Berry could decide to move on from Stefanski to preserve his own position. If that happens, few doubt Stefanski will find another opportunity quickly.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have won back-to-back games by a combined 47 points. However, beating the Dolphins and the Cardinals shouldn’t be enough to get Zac Taylor off the hot seat.
It’s been four years since the Bengals made their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988, and they’ve missed the playoffs in three straight seasons. While Taylor deserves some leeway for losing franchise quarterback Joe Burrow for much of this year, that excuse only goes so far.
In a must-win Week 15 matchup against the Ravens, a team they dominated on Thanksgiving, the Bengals were shut out 24-0. Much of the season, Cincinnati has looked out of sync on and off the field.
Burrow’s visible frustration adds to the concern. He admitted earlier this season that he hasn’t been having fun, a rare and troubling admission from one of the league’s elite players. Although Burrow hasn’t directly blamed Taylor, it’s hard to ignore the possibility that the disconnect starts there. If the coach has contributed to the quarterback’s dissatisfaction, that would place Taylor squarely atop any hot seat list.
Taylor’s staff hasn’t helped his case. The defense has struggled over the past two seasons, and while the offensive line has made marginal progress, it has consistently ranked among the league’s weakest during his tenure. Still, one magical Super Bowl run continues to carry significant weight on Taylor’s resume, sustaining the narrative that this team is a contender when Burrow is healthy.
Ownership extended Taylor through 2027 and likely does not want to pay him not to coach, which makes a change difficult. A season-ending win over the Browns might buy him one more year to right the ship, but serious doubts remain about whether this leadership group can find the right formula.
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
It’s becoming harder to justify the Arizona Cardinals keeping Jonathan Gannon as head coach. The franchise has reached the postseason only once since 2015 and still hasn’t captured a Super Bowl title, so expecting Gannon to work miracles is unrealistic. Even so, there was reason for optimism when Arizona posted an 8-9 record last year after consecutive 4-13 campaigns.
This season, however, the Cardinals have regressed to 3-13 with one game remaining, with nothing to play for except a better pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Arizona is tied with the Giants, Titans, and Jets for the second-worst record in the NFL, behind only the Raiders.
The Cardinals have dropped eight straight contests, surrendering 37 or more points in five of them. That’s a troubling reflection on their defensive-minded coach. Gannon’s defense owns a 65.7 PFSN Defense Impact grade, ranking 28th in the NFL.
Offensively, the results haven’t been much better. Arizona sits 21st overall, and the Kyler Murray-Marvin Harrison Jr. connection hasn’t consistently materialized under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The Cardinals are clearly in the process of rebuilding, and a fresh start is necessary.
Still, the front office could give Gannon some grace, since he didn’t handpick Murray as his quarterback. Murray missed time due to injury and was shut down for the rest of the season after just five games, with Gannon sticking with Jacoby Brissett.
If the Cardinals move on from the former No. 1 overall pick, Gannon could buy himself one more season, hoping they can land their quarterback of the future in the upcoming draft.
