With just one week remaining in the 2025 NFL season, this has been a year for the ages. While teams like the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs have greatly disappointed, new potential contenders have emerged. However, with disappointed expectations, two coaches have already been relieved of their position, with a few more potentially on the edge.
With just two playoff seeds remaining to be decided, most teams know where they stand going into the offseason. But for a few of those organizations, a head coaching change might be on the horizon. Here are the head coaches who are on the hot seat after Week 17 came to a close.
NFL Hot Seat Coaches After Week 17
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No coach should be feeling the burn as much as Todd Bowles for how the season has gone. A promising offseason, combined with an electric start, had many believing this team could make a legitimately deep playoff run.
But from 6-2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have now dropped to 7-9 on the season. While injuries have certainly played a part in their downfall, the defense has been atrocious all year, ranking 19th on PFSN’s Defense Impact.
As a result, the vitriol in the locker room is spilling over, with Bowles calling out his locker room and players publicly, while the product on the field remains far from excellent. After losing to a Miami Dolphins team that was starting a seventh-round rookie in Week 17, he tried to keep a brave face in the media.
“Things are not splintering from within,” Bowles responded, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “When you lose, players get frustrated, but they still work together and are very close.”
But there is very little positivity going around Tampa Bay right now, and it could lead to the team seeking a new voice on the sidelines.
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
The season went awry a long time ago for the Arizona Cardinals. But with the backfield and quarterback having their seasons come to an end, there seemed to be no scenario where they could find any stability.
However, no one could have predicted just how things would get. After a Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, they are at 3-13, with just one victory in their last 14 games. And the bulk of the blame might land on head coach Jonathan Gannon.
In his third season with the roster, the hope had to be that they would emerge as a legitimate playoff threat in the NFC. But somehow, the team is falling backwards year after year. Speaking to reporters, he made it clear that he still believed in the roster.
“I think their effort, energy and enthusiasm are there,” Gannon said. “I think they’re educated. They have belief, but we have to coach and play better. There’s no doubt.”
But his future is going to be a cloud hanging over Arizona until a final decision is made.
However, he made it clear that he believes he is returning to the role after all, claiming, “I feel good,” before adding, “I do have to think about the future a little bit, obviously the seat that I’m in, but my focus is really on L.A. and that there’ll be a time to look at all of that and have those conversations and make changes.”
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
There has been a ton of speculation about what the future holds for Aaron Glenn. A first-time head coach, it was clear that the reclamation project for the New York Jets would take a long time.
However, a 3-13 start, where the defense, his specialty, has continued to look awful, has put his job security into contention. While some believe he is on unshaky ground, others have reported that the former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator has Woody Johnson’s support.
“I do know there’s a belief in me,” Glenn made it clear. “That’s why I’m glad I took this job, is because of ownership and what he’s about.” However, that didn’t change the fact that “I’m disappointed. So, now we’ve got to figure out what we do to make sure that we get over that hump and move forward.”
Now, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is confirming that Glenn, who signed a five-year contract with the Jets, will be back for the 2026 season, at the very least.
Head Coaches That May Have Staved off Getting Fired
The trio of Raheem Morris, Kevin Stefanski, and John Harbaugh had been making the rounds as potential names to watch out for. But Week 17 might have allowed three of them to save their jobs.
The Atlanta Falcons, ever since Kirk Cousins has found his footing again, have gone on a late-season push. While it isn’t going to get them into the playoffs in any scenario, it has likely given Morris a longer leash, particularly after beating the Los Angeles Rams on MNF.
For Stefanski, it was a divisional game where they could play spoiler for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he came through. A stifling defensive performance held the Steelers to just six points, as the Cleveland Browns were able to walk away with a win despite Shedeur Sanders having another underwhelming night.
Finally, for Harbaugh, who has been in the limelight the last several weeks, and whose disconnect with quarterback Lamar Jackson might be playing out in real time publicly, a win over the Green Bay Packers, despite having Tyler Huntley under center, kept the season alive for the Baltimore Ravens.
Now, with the Steelers’ loss, they face an impromptu playoff match in Week 18 with the winner making it to the Wild Card Round as the division winner in the AFC North.
