The finale of the NFL regular season is upon us, meaning that many teams around the league are set to begin their offseason. The day after the final Sunday of each campaign is called “Black Monday”, which is when coaches who spent the year on the hot seat are finally fired.
Who are the most likely candidates this offseason? Here are three coaches that will likely get the axe in the coming days:
Kevin Stefanski
In his six seasons thus far in Cleveland, Stefanski has led the Browns to two 11-win seasons and postseason appearances in each. They even won a playoff game in 2020. But the last two campaigns have resulted in disaster, as the team has posted a 7-26 record with one game left to play in 2025, and Stefanski has one of the hottest seats in the league.
But would a firing be warranted? He has won NFL Coach of the Year twice during his tenure, and even had a rather successful season when he had Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson as the team’s starting QBs. The Browns will have a tough decision to make, but it could be a mutual parting, given that Stefanski would be a hot commodity for other jobs.
Pete Carroll
The Raiders’ 2025 season has been an unmitigated disaster. Carroll, the oldest coach in the league, was brought in to elevate the team in Las Vegas, but his team enters the final week of the season sporting the worst record in the NFL. His coaching decisions have been questioned all season long, and his staff hires have proved to be failures, including the appointment of his son to offensive line coach.
It is rare for a team to fire a head coach after just one season, but this may be a special circumstance. Given his age and the tendencies that he has shown throughout the year, don’t be surprised to hear Pete Carroll’s name called on Black Monday.
Raheem Morris
It appeared as though Morris being fired was a foregone conclusion just a few weeks ago. But the Falcons have won three straight games heading into Week 18, and could finish just one game under .500 for the 2025 campaign. But will Atlanta’s front office be fooled by the late-season surge into thinking that Morris deserves another year at the helm?
Team owner Arthur Blank has been known to have a longer leash when it comes to underperforming coaches, so this firing feels like a toss up at this point.
