There was a ton of head coaching turnover in the NFL this past cycle, so there may not be many coaches who are truly on the hot seat heading into the 2026 season. However, there are some, and we've identified them here.
With the Hall of Fame game kicking us off for the preseason, the start of the regular season is about one month away now, so the head coaches who are truly on the hot seat will soon get a chance to cool that seat down.
Let's rank the head coaches on the hot seat by coldest to warmest ahead of the regular season beginning.
Ranking head coaches on the hot seat as the 2026 season approaches
6. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers
Dave Canales might be an odd one to put in here, but it really comes down to if the Carolina Panthers can take another step forward in 2026. Canales won 5 games in 2024 and 8 games in 2025, and while there was improvement, including a playoff berth, the third-year head coach simply has to take another step in the right direction. The thing is, many head coaches can't and end up fizzling out.
It's much harder to ascend into that next tier than it is to go from mediore to slighty-less-mediocre, which is what the Panthers did in 2025.
5. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
In Nick Sirianni's five full seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles head coach, he's either appeared in the Super Bowl or gone one-and-done in the playoffs, and this has been an every other year thing. With how inconsistent his tenure has been, coupled with how loaded these rosters typically are, this type of rollercoaster ride simply cannot continue.
There also typically seems to be some sort of drama involved with this team, and Sirianni is sometimes at the root of it. A sluggish start in 2026 or even a non-playoff season might be where the Eagles decision-makers have enough and would prefer a new start.
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