It's only July, but Black Monday for the NFL is going to be here before we know it. As optimistic as teams rightfully are in the thick of the offseason, things are not going to go well for everyone. Expectations are not going to be met. Fans will be disappointed. Ownership for certain teams will be upset and make sweeping changes.
The unfortunate reality of the NFL is that the head coach is often the scapegoat for a team's lack of success. While some teams will justifiably move on from head coaches, other teams are going to let go of good coaches because of incompetence in other areas.
Which head coaches are not just on the chopping block this coming season, but could end up simply getting blamed for teams being poorly constructed or poorly run in other ways? Which head coaches are the most likely scapegoats for bad teams in 2025?
NFL Predictions: Head coaches who will be scapegoats in 2025
1. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
The New York Giants are in a really weird position in 2025. They feel like a somewhat similar version of what the Chicago Bears were going into last season. The Giants have shown their potential under head coach Brian Daboll, but have ultimately been one of the biggest letdowns in the league over the past couple of years thanks to the quarterback position, mostly.
They tried to kill that need with fire this offseason by bringing in all of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and first-round pick Jaxson Dart. The idea is that you can show another proof of concept with Wilson and then have a reason for the team to hang onto you for the future by bringing in a player like Dart.
But it already feels like the Giants head coach is on borrowed time. And that would probably include GM Joe Schoen as well.
The decision to cut Daniel Jones in the middle of last season put that duo firmly on the hot seat, but Jones was never their draft pick and it always felt like they were trying to make something work on behalf of the ownership. Perhaps that's why they're still around now. If things don't work out this season, Daboll is likely to be one of the primary scapegoats among NFL head coaches.
2. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have one of the best collections of talent offensively out of any team in the NFL, but there are a few reasons to believe that Shane Steichen is poised to be one of the more unfortunate scapegoats heading into the 2025 season.
First of all, the Colts' quarterback situation is in shambles. Anthony Richardson has struggled to hit the broad side of a barn over his first two NFL seasons, and his development has taken a turn for the worst thanks to shoulder injuries he can't seem to shake.
As a solution, the Colts brought in former Giants first-round pick Daniel Jones, who was cut in the middle of last season. The two guys Steichen is primarily working with this year might have some upside, but the downside is ugly. With a questionable offensive line, things could go south in a hurry.
And frankly, I think Steichen would be extremely coveted if the Colts move on. He's a good coach.
3. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
The Titans are in such a weird position going into this year. They do not have a good roster. They have a new general manager in Mike Borgonzi. They have a holdover head coach in Brian Callahan. They have a number one pick under center in Cam Ward.
There's so much going on here, it's not hard to see the rebuilding project from Borgonzi starting with drafting Ward and continuing next offseason with his own head coaching search. Borgonzi did not hire Callahan, and might prefer to bring in someone else to develop Ward.
This will be an audition year for the former Bengals offensive coordinator, but when you think about scapegoats among the head coaching ranks, Callahan might be the lowest-hanging fruit right now. He's got the worst roster to work with, he doesn't have the pedigree to warrant a third year if the Titans are bad this season, and the Titans can use the excuse that they want to hand-pick who is working with Ward.