This weekend sees the NFL regular season draw to a close, providing cause for celebration among the 14 sides who make the postseason. For those who miss out, the picture isn’t quite so rosy.
Following a disappointing season, the buck inevitably stops with the head coach and being in the results business, NFL owners aren’t renowned for their patience. When it comes to firing the man in charge, many owners struggle to wait even 24 hours before pulling the trigger. Enter Black Monday – the Monday after the final Sunday of the season, when the sackings begin.
The New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders were among the quickest to act on Black Monday 2025. In 2026, the following quartet of coaches appear to be treading perilously close to the exit door.
Jonathan Gannon – Arizona Cardinals
Third-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has endured a nightmare season in Arizona and may soon be seeking new employment. Having impressed as the defensive coordinator who helped Philadelphia to Super Bowl LVII, Gannon arrived in Arizona in the midst of a tampering scandal in February 2023. With the Eagles and Cardinals exchanging draft picks to resolve the issue, Gannon was allowed to get on with restoring the fortunes of a side which had ended 2022 with a 4-13 record.
Things didn’t begin well, with the Cardinals limping to 1-8 in 2023. The side did improve to match the previous year’s 4-13 record, but signs of real change weren’t immediately obvious. 2024 went much better. While Arizona again missed the postseason, they improved to 8-9, laying the foundations for a potential playoff push in 2025.
Rather than building on that platform, Arizona have regressed in 2025. The Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was their 13th defeat in 14 games. Should they lose to the 11-5 Rams in Week 18, they will end the season at 3-14. A season blighted by poor play and controversy, including the Emari Demercado incident which saw Gannon slapped with a $100,000 fine, looks set to end on a low note. Gannon turns 43 on Sunday but may find that the Cardinals aren’t in a celebratory mood on Black Monday.
Pete Carroll – Las Vegas Raiders
If there is a positive to take from a disastrous season in Las Vegas, it is that the Raiders are now red-hot favourites to have the number one pick at the 2026 draft. A 34-10 loss to the struggling New York Giants in Week 17 took the Raiders to an NFL-worst 2-14 record. Whether head coach Pete Carroll is in charge when the draft pick arrives in Las Vegas is looking increasingly unlikely.
Having dispensed with the services of Antonio Pierce following a 4-13 2024 season, the Raiders turned to veteran Carroll to turn things around. However, other than becoming the oldest head coach in NFL history at 74 years of age, there has been little to distinguish Carroll’s first campaign in the hot seat. Following an offseason overhaul, which included trading for Carroll’s old Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, the owners may have hoped for more than one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
Aaron Glenn – New York Jets
Having failed to end the season with a positive record since 2015, few fans are surprised to see the Jets struggling. Following another lost year under Robert Saleh and interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets turned to former player Aaron Glenn to mastermind the rebuild in 2025.
Famed as the architect of the Lions’ suffocating defence, Glenn moved from the defensive coordinator role in Detroit to take up his first head coaching position. Any hope that Glenn would bring defensive solidity to the Jets has not yet materialised. Marooned at the bottom of the AFC East with a 3-13 record, their points differential of -107 was the worst in NFL history for the month of December. Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly backed Glenn in October, but rumours persist about the future of the first-year coach.
Todd Bowles – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Unlike the other names on this list, Todd Bowles may yet save the Buccaneers’ season and his own job. Having raced to a 5-1 record, the Bucs held the initiative in the NFC South but have struggled for consistency since. A 20-17 loss to the already eliminated Dolphins in Week 17 saw Bowles’ men slump to a 7-9 record, increasing the pressure on the man in the hot seat.
However, despite that fourth consecutive defeat, Tampa Bay still has a chance. If they beat division leaders Carolina in Week 18 and the Saints beat the Falcons, they will claim the NFC South title and advance to the playoffs. Anything other than that may see the Bowles era come to an end.