2026 NFL Coach Hiring/Firing Grades
This is a centralized post for all coaching move-related grades (most recent first) now that 2026 has begun. Perfect way to celebrate Black Monday right? For those who aren’t aware, Black Monday is the Monday after the final week of the regular season. The teams that missed the playoffs decide whether to continue with the status quo or to make major moves to their coaching staffs and front offices. Here, I provide coach hiring/firing grades for each change made. Coordinators will be discussed only as part of a staff being hired with a head coach or when the situation is particularly notable. For GM moves, check out this page.
January 28, 2026
Browns Hire Todd Monken as HC:
Unlike the rest of the hires, this one came out of nowhere. I was barely aware that the Browns had interviewed Monken. Fun fact: the division-rival Ravens fired John Harbaugh at least in part because he refused to dismiss Monken. So who’s right? Cleveland or Baltimore? As an OC, I’m leaning more toward Cleveland. I thought he did well with what he had in Baltimore, especially with regard to Lamar Jackson. Monken has never been an HC at any level though, so this is definitely a risk. I like that Cleveland went with an offensive coach to develop whoever the team’s next QB is (contrary to his ridiculous Pro Bowl status, Shedeur Sanders likely isn’t it). The pickings were slim in that department this year, which is why I thought they should’ve stuck with Kevin Stefanski. I’m grading this move on its own though, and it seems like a fine hire. Just don’t expect any miracles.
Grade: B
January 27, 2026
Bills Promote Joe Brady to HC:
Another partially predetermined hire, Brady should’ve been viewed as the favorite the second Sean McDermott got fired. Occasionally, rather than letting a promising offensive mind get poached by another team, an owner will fire the defensive head coach and promote the offensive guy, which is what happened here. Based on owner Terry Pegula’s statements, that probably wasn’t the primary consideration, as he clearly (and wrongly) had enough of McDermott. But in that case, why keep things almost exactly the same? I’d give the Brady hire an A for another team trying to groom a young QB. He’s a great play caller and developer of talent, and I think he’s ready to be the head man. Buffalo just can’t seem to pick a direction and likely caved to an angered Josh Allen after firing his only pro coach. If the goal really is change, the Bills didn’t do that. In a vacuum, this is still a solid hire.
Grade: B-
January 24, 2026
Steelers Hire Mike McCarthy as HC:
Pittsburgh went completely against character for this hire. Normally, they hire a young (relatively unknown) upstart who they can keep for decades. Granted, they’ve only had 3 coaches in the past 50 years so that’s not the biggest sample size, but it does serve as proof of what they do. McCarthy, at age 62, is not that. He’s a strong veteran hire who fits a win-now roster. I understand the appeal: guys like TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and maybe even Aaron Rodgers (this hire could very much sway him away from retirement) won’t be playing too much longer. You could argue though that the Steelers desperately needed a rebuild. Without Mike Tomlin’s non-losing season streak in the way, the team could tank for a loaded 2027 QB class to jumpstart a new era. There are points for each strategy, and I can’t complain about an owner trying to win every season. Even then though, this isn’t a high-end hire. We know who McCarthy is: an above-average safe pick. That earns the hire an above-average safe grade.
Grade: B
January 22, 2026
Ravens Hire Jesse Minter as HC:
Full disclosure: I nearly pre-wrote my grade for this hire. It was blatantly obvious when the Ravens had an opening they would go straight back to the Harbaugh well. This time it’s Jim Harbaugh’s DC, who was actually a coach in Baltimore for a while. You can either call this buyer’s remorse on firing John Harbaugh or a case of liking the Harbaugh message but wanting a new messenger. For most teams, this is a slam-dunk hire. Minter is an excellent defensive mind and a young coach who’s clearly on the rise. In Baltimore’s case though, the OC that comes with him is the key piece, as that’s what QB Lamar Jackson had an issue with. Supposedly Jackson was part of the search, so he must like Minter. I’m just not sure what direction the Ravens are going in. They’re halfway in and halfway out on the Harbaugh experience, but I actually like them returning to their roots in this way.
Grade: B+
January 20, 2026
Titans Hire Robert Saleh as HC:
Here’s a case of a good coach but the wrong fit. Saleh did better than given credit for with the Jets. His contributions became clear when the defense fell apart immediately after he got fired midseason last year. The organization as a whole catered too much to QB Aaron Rodgers, but Saleh had no better QB option. This year with the 49ers, he has done a typically fantastic job as a DC. Despite the team’s plethora of injuries to star and reserve defenders, he made them a respectable unit. I think his best fit is as a DC, but if you want a defensive head coach, he’s a pretty good pick. My problem here is that Tennessee needed someone to groom 2025 #1 pick Cam Ward. Saleh’s coordinator pick will thus be extremely impactful, and if it works out, that assistant might get poached in a year or two. Hiring an offensive HC in Brian Callahan didn’t work, so I get why the Titans would switch sides this time. But another (just better) offensive coach was needed. Finally, I have to severely downgrade the hiring because of one other factor. ESPN initially reported that GM Mike Borgonzi wanted Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, having known him from their time together in KC. Ownership instead “encouraged” the Saleh hire. That article has since been revised, but that feels more like bowing to an angry source than a true recanting. Whenever an owner meddles like this, it’s never a good sign.
Grade: D+
January 19, 2026
Dolphins Hire Jeff Hafley as HC:
The second Miami hired a Packer as their GM, this hiring became apparent. This connection was just too obvious. Coming off a young offensive head coach, an experienced defensive guy made sense. Hafley hasn’t been an NFL head coach, but he did a very good job as the leader at Boston College before leaving for his current DC position due to NIL chaos. Green Bay’s defense immediately improved upon his arrival, though it was never a top-shelf unit. His prior HC experience makes this less of a risk than other first-time head coaches, and Hafley is probably going to be good at connecting with younger players. I doubt many Dolphins fans will be ecstatic about this hire, but he’s a very safe pick who is unlikely to completely bust.
Grade: B
Bills Fire HC Sean McDermott:
While there were whispers that this might happen, it’s still a stunner. McDermott has been the Bills’ coach for 9 years, compiling a 106-58 record and turning a downtrodden franchise into a perennial contender. He also at least had a hand in steering QB Josh Allen’s development into a superstar. That doesn’t seem at all like the profile on the coach on the hot seat. However, Buffalo’s playoff success has been underwhelming beyond the Wild Card round. Their failures against the Chiefs in particular are disappointing. I don’t think that’s on McDermott. His team has been competitive in every game. One loss was the infamous 13-second game, last year’s defeat was arguably due to the officials, and this week’s fall was about execution, not coaching. The one thing that’s not being discussed though is the component that might have done him in: the defense, McDermott’s supposed specialty, has not been up to par. Combining that with the seeming plateau the Bills have reached, I can understand wanting a new voice. I don’t agree with the decision, but I get where owner Terry Pegula is coming from.
Grade: C
January 17, 2026
Falcons Hire Kevin Stefanski as HC:
Our first two hires of this cycle are both retreads and for good reason. This is known to be a weak crop of offensive minds after we had a crazy run on them last offseason. Stefanski got fired by the Browns, but as I said below, he wasn’t to blame for their problems. This is a two-time coach of the year who’s still just 43 years old. For him to take this job, he must believe in QB Michael Penix Jr. Bad QB play was what doomed him in Cleveland, so the hope is that either Penix pans out or Stefanski gets a shot to pick his own QB. As far as leading a team, he’s a massive upgrade over Raheem Morris and was probably the best available option once John Harbaugh signed with the Giants. Credit the Falcons for moving on from Morris quickly and making a good hire.
Grade: A
January 15, 2026
Giants Hire John Harbaugh as HC:
How on Earth did the Giants land Harbaugh? Maybe when his brother said he should go to the NFC, he took that a bit too seriously, as he focused on Atlanta and NYG. Or maybe it’s just the insane cash offer. Either way, New York got the best available coach, and it’s not even close. Harbaugh spent 18 years in Baltimore and won a ton of games. As a former ST coordinator, he already possessed experience managing players all across the roster, but his head coaching experience dwarfs that. He won a ring a while back, and though he hasn’t possessed a QB that can win a Super Bowl since Joe Flacco, he continues to reach the postseason most years. This will be a great mentor for QB Jaxson Dart, and it reminds me of when Tennessee fired Mike Vrabel. Everyone knew that was a stupid move, and he immediately turned around the Patriots upon his hire. Harbaugh’s move from Baltimore to New York could be similar, and it’s impossible to give this hiring anything but the highest grade.
Grade: A+
January 8, 2026
Dolphins Fire HC Mike McDaniel:
Based on how late in the week it came, I wasn’t expecting this firing to happen. However, it was completely warranted. McDaniel had a great start to his tenure, seemingly turning the Dolphins around. The lack of playoff success was concerning but not unexpected. He then made some abysmal decisions that ruined him. First, he dumped DC Vic Fangio, who immediately went and won a ring with the Eagles. Miami’s defense hasn’t recovered since. On offense, supposedly his forte, he didn’t adapt to opposing defenses countering his speed-based scheme. Worst of all, he went from reviving QB Tua Tagovailoa to destroying him. I’m not sure that falls entirely on McDaniel, but given the reason he was brought in, I can’t separate the two either. Miami is currently treading water or slowly drowning, and something had to be done. Interestingly, I can’t shake the thought that owner Stephen Ross made this move as a direct result of John Harbaugh becoming available. Reports suggest that Miami has not contacted any other coach yet, but I don’t believe that for a second. This is an ‘A’ firing for me, but if they hire Harbaugh, I’m bumping the grade to an A+.
Grade: A
January 6, 2026
Ravens Fire HC John Harbaugh:
Every year, there’s at least one stunning firing. Now we’ve got one for 2025-2026. Baltimore has fired only the 3rd coach in franchise history and the first for owner Steve Bisciotti. This is also monumental because Harbaugh lasted 18 years, so he was the second-longest-tenured HC in the league after Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin (you wonder what would’ve happened if that kick went through on Sunday…). All the talk about the Super Bowl-caliber roster this team had must’ve gotten into Bisciotti’s head. I’ve long said that Baltimore won’t win a ring with QB Lamar Jackson. That isn’t Harbaugh’s fault. This season was very disappointing though. I expected a DC change, as Zach Orr isn’t the right guy. I imagine offense led to this decision, but even so, this was OC Todd Monken’s first subpar season in that regard, and Jackson spent much of it injured, so I view that as more of an outlier. Maybe Harbaugh’s relationship with Jackson is worse than people know, or perhaps the team thinks that everything just went stale. Whatever the reason, this team is worse than it was an hour ago. Harbaugh is a Super Bowl winner whose coaching tree has produced several HCs around the league, including previous DC Mike Macdonald. Baltimore goes to the playoffs almost every year. A great hire better be lined up or this move will look really stupid.
Grade: F
January 5, 2026
Cardinals Fire HC Jonathan Gannon:
This one was a mild surprise, as Gannon felt safe as recently as a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure why he felt that way, as this team has been in a tailspin. After a decent start to the season, the losses began piling up. However, several of those came at the last second, and the Cardinals were highly competitive even in defeat. A switch to Jacoby Brissett at QB has enhanced the offense, but the team overall has been a train wreck for weeks now. They were blown out by several different opponents, suggesting a team heading in the wrong direction. Unfortunately for Gannon, he got stuck with Kyler Murray, a diminutive QB he didn’t draft. That said, he’s a defensive coach, and his defenses haven’t been good. Talent was the problem for the first two years of his tenure, but the players appeared better in 2025. The results remained the same, so it’s time for Arizona to start fresh.
Grade: A-
Raiders Fire HC Pete Carroll:
Las Vegas brought Carroll to town, along with his former QB Geno Smith, to win now. Clearly, that didn’t happen. I’d strongly argue that winning in 2025 was never a realistic expectation though regardless of the coach. Firing Carroll for how this season went makes no sense. This is an abysmal roster with the worst offensive line in football. Smith regressed and led the league in INTs, but it’s not like another viable QB was available. At 74 years old, Carroll isn’t the guy to oversee a long-term rebuild. That’s why I’m not completely against the move: this team needs a true rebuild (and they have the #1 pick to jumpstart it) and thus a young coach to go with it. I just think that Carroll got a pretty raw deal and was set up for extreme failure.
Grade: C
Browns Fire HC Kevin Stefanski:
I simply cannot believe that the Browns fired Stefanski but not GM Andrew Berry. Stefanski is a two-time coach of the year in one of the toughest places to win. While the results over the past two years have not been good at all, I can’t pin more than 10% of that on the head coach. Berry is the one who mortgaged the future and the salary cap to acquire QB Deshaun Watson, which should be immediately disqualifying. Certain in-game decisions made by Stefanski haven’t been perfect. He’s a really good coach but not an elite one, which is why this grade isn’t an F. I have to penalize Cleveland though for their awful approach to constructing their organization. It really doesn’t matter what coach is in place so long as the current leadership structure above him is so poor.
Grade: D
January 4, 2026
Falcons Fire HC Raheem Morris:
I never root for someone to lose their job. However, I’ve long been anticipating this move. I’ve commented on Morris’ poor coaching several times just this year. If you recall the hiring process in 2024, you’ll remember that legendary HC Bill Belichick wanted this job. By all accounts, it was his until Patriots owner Robert Kraft meddled to stick it to his former coach. Atlanta pivoted to Morris, who wasn’t good when he coached the Buccaneers a decade earlier. Learning under Rams coach Sean McVay apparently didn’t help because Morris still can’t develop talent or manage a team. Defense, his forte, let the Falcons down time and again until improving somewhat in 2025. Morris refused to tailor his offense to QB Kirk Cousins and then benched him when it didn’t work out. What did you expect from a 36-year-old QB coming off an Achilles tear and nursing an elbow ailment? Worst of all, Morris’ in-game decision-making cost his team several games on its own. The Falcons absolutely had to make this change.
Grade: A+